Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/GearFactor/~3/4GCxFwEvrUY/
the brothers grimm the brothers grimm grimm fairy tales grimm fairy tales gold rush gold rush weather boston
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Koss Adds Mic and Inline Remote to Classic PortaPro
One of my favorite sets of headphones just got a little bit favorite-er. The Koss PortaPro dates back to those dark ages of stonewashed denim and shoulder pads, the 1980s. The simple folding cans, with their thin metal headband and amazing-sounding earpieces have always been a bargain at $50, both comfortable and open enough to [...]
FDA approves Roche skin cancer drug (Reuters)
(Reuters) ? U.S. health regulators on Monday approved Roche's pill to treat an advanced form of the most common form of skin cancer, known as basal cell carcinoma.
The drug, Erivedge, which was co-developed by Curis Inc, was given a green light by the Food and Drug Administration more than a month ahead of the expected March 8 decision date. It was approved for use by adults whose cancer cannot be treated with surgery or radiation or whose disease has spread to other parts of the body or returned following surgery.
Erivedge, known chemically as vismodegib, is the first drug to gain FDA approval for advanced basal cell carcinoma. Curis, which earned a $10 million milestone payment as a result of the approval, is entitled to royalty payments on sales of the drug.
"Today's approval provides a new treatment for people with advanced basal cell carcinoma who, until now, had no approved medicines to help shrink disfiguring or potentially life-threatening lesions," Hal Barron, Roche chief medical officer, said in a statement.
The drug, which is taken once a day, is expected to cost about $7,500 a month, with an estimated 10-month course of treatment totaling about $75,000, Curis said in a regulatory filing.
Roche is awaiting an approval decision on the drug in Europe.
Basal cell carcinoma is generally a slow-growing and painless form of skin cancer that starts in the top layer of the skin and develops on areas that are regularly exposed to sunlight or other ultraviolet radiation.
Erivedge works by inhibiting a signaling pathway that is active in most basal cell cancers and only in a few normal tissues, such as hair follicles.
The drug was approved with a warning alerting patients and health-care professionals of the potential risk of death or severe birth effects to a fetus. Pregnancy status must be verified prior to the start of Erivedge treatment, the FDA said.
Curis shares were down 16 cents, or 3 percent, at $5.02 on Nasdaq. Roche shares closed off 1.2 percent in Switzerland.
(Reporting by Bill Berkrot; editing by Mark Porter and Gunna Dickson)
adobe air 2005yu55 advanced search alexander the great personhood amendment haynesworth haynesworth
Monday, January 30, 2012
[OOC] Cave Natives
Forum rules
This forum is for OOC discussion about existing roleplays.
This is the auto-generated OOC topic for the roleplay "Cave Natives"
This forum is for OOC discussion about existing roleplays.
Please post all "Players Wanted" threads in the Roleplayers Wanted forum!
This topic is an Out Of Character part of the roleplay, ?Cave Natives?. Anything posted here will also show up there.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.This is the auto-generated OOC topic for the roleplay "Cave Natives"
You may edit this first post as you see fit.
-
drampire - Member for 2 years
Do you have anyone playing the girl yet? And if not can I reserver her?
-
Kirai-chan - Member for 4 years
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: AgelasticBoy9, Agent*, AiraValkov*, Akantha, Alexander_Right, allimagination*, amyreinreaper, Animality Opera, Annalysa Jones, aod0209, Arietta, Armageddon, Ashtonwolf, Athra*, Atomos, AugustaBlaze*, Azure Limit*, Baby, Barel*, barney_fife, BaronVonFruitypants*, BAWADABOO, Beach-Born-Boy, Beta Type Jakuri, BilgeWater*, birdguard, black-as-night_oni, blackwolf*, BleedingLover, BlueWind_22, brianja2, Bromander Shepard, Brony Otaku, BSDJoker*, cass-isnt-here, ChaosxChild13, Chari*, Chiba Tomoe, Choclate~Pyrus*, Chulance*, CiksKayVolts, cmpuncle, codemaster23, Corvan, CountessMomo*, CrashQueen*, Crystal Flamedance, Cubrick, Dark Star, DarkAngel13, dealing with it*, deathrisesagain, dig17*, DivineBitterness*, Drowssword, dudedude889, DumbDora, Eiris*, Ellipse, EmoAngel, emotionless*, Eteles*, Everscale*, FalloutRomanae, Fatal_Flaw_Enki*, Finalhazard3*, FizzGig*, flying monkey child, Forevveru, Forget~Me~Not, freakofnature, Fuarie, Furry Dragon*, GamerX*, GenericUserName*, Gintoki Sakata, girlwt*, Google [Bot], Google Adsense [Bot], Google Feedfetcher, GotDraggedIntoThis*, Grimpunker96*, Hadespwr*, hayleymaee, Haziso*, HeroOfAwesomeness*, Horseygirl, Hozashuu, Iandak, Iced Fire, IckyThePenguin, Ikiros*, Ikuto Tsukiyomi Fan, iowa90, Ironman11*, I'm a Radical Dame!, Jag*, Jaybt9*, Jo_Tunn*, Kai, KenXin, Kenzi*, Kirinak*, kkpigs, Konstantein, Lainpinky131, Lastnote*, Lego's Apex Predator*, Lifecharacter*, Lucentfir*, Lucky_Joker*, LuckyNumber24, Lux_Disraeli, maddenbaby, Magix, Majestic-12 [Bot], MarchHare*, Marcus*, Marionette*, Mat_z6, McDevious*, mgoodwin2, minibear, Mr. Crow*, Mr_Doomed, MSN [Bot], MSNbot Media, MusicLover*, NasiaWords, negabandit86, Neon.lynxie, Nightgem, Nivosity, Nobu*, NotAFlyingToy, NotSoHeartless*, Oborosen, OdiOdi, OfLonglight, Otowar*, parallelzero, Patcharoo*, Pencil Eraser, Ping264, PirateofPie*, Princess Awinita*, PrincessBoy, PrincessX18*, Quinapalus, rabble_rouser, Random Kat*, Rawr413*, RebornAncient12, Rem?us*, Revolverhelden, RiotTerritory, Riverstyx777*, RogueMinstrel*, Romaneck, Ropeburn*, Rougeshadow*, Ryand-Smith*, RydeDawg*, Saikua*, Saken, sao, Saviarre*, Saxious, scrambles, SeraphicStar, Shadetree76*, Shaodow*, Shavnia_Velmount, Shpleem*, SilverStar89, SinAngel*, Sirius Baren, Skyeblueme3, Skylite, SkyRight, Smileybird*, Smokescreen*, Sneakyrio, Solo Wing Pixy*, Sorella*, souloe, speckles32shido, StandardFiend, Starryskies*, Stilts*, Stitchedintoreality, stormwolf321, Sullenkiller, SuperQ19, SylviaMoon, Sylwyn*, Syn_Maxwell, Tearen Wover*, TechGorilla*, Terrus, The Angry Penguin*, The Illusionist*, The Painkiller*, The Protagonist, The Vampire Mistress, the_judged*, TheDarkWorgen*, TheTreForce*, Tiko*, Tonks, triblade*, Trickster, True Grave, Tyliana*, UltimateGM, Usui*, Vestiline, ViceVersus, Wake*, Walking-travesty*, Winds Of Fate, Wing06Twilight, Wren, Wudgeous, xXxCryptic-AngelxXx, Ylanne, Zenia, Zero Reaper, ZeroTolerance, zerr0max*, Zodia195, zody, zolzol*, ? Reality ?
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RolePlayGateway/~3/fDb6_N-IZbw/viewtopic.php
abc store lobster recipes nate diaz vs donald cerrone vanderbilt texas a m alistair overeem alistair overeem
British police arrest 5 in tabloid bribery probe (AP)
LONDON ? The criminal investigation into British tabloid skullduggery turned full force on a second Rupert Murdoch publication Saturday, with the arrest of four current and former journalists from The Sun on suspicion of bribing police.
A serving police officer was also held, and authorities searched the newspaper's offices as part an investigation into illegal payments for information.
The arrests spread the scandal over tabloid wrongdoing ? which has already shut down one Murdoch paper, the News of the World ? to Britain's best-selling newspaper.
London police said two men aged 48 and one aged 56 were arrested on suspicion of corruption early in the morning at homes in and around London. A 42-year-old man was detained later at a London police station.
Murdoch's News Corp. confirmed that all four were current or former Sun employees. The BBC and other British media identified them as former managing editor Graham Dudman, former deputy editor Fergus Shanahan, current head of news Chris Pharo and crime editor Mike Sullivan.
A fifth man, a 29-year-old police officer, was arrested at the London station where he works.
Officers searched the men's homes and the east London headquarters of the media mogul's British newspapers for evidence.
The investigation into whether reporters illegally paid police for information is running parallel to a police inquiry into phone hacking by Murdoch's now-defunct News of the World.
Police said Saturday's arrests were made based on information provided by the Management and Standards Committee of Murdoch's News Corp., the internal body tasked with rooting out wrongdoing.
News Corp. said it was cooperating with police.
"News Corporation made a commitment last summer that unacceptable news gathering practices by individuals in the past would not be repeated," it said in a statement.
In an email to staff after the arrests, Tom Mockridge ? chief executive of Murdoch's British operation, News International ? said the internal investigation into wrongdoing at The Sun "is well advanced."
"News International is confronting past mistakes and is making fundamental changes about how we operate which are essential for our business," Mockridge said.
"Despite this very difficult news, we are determined that News International will emerge a stronger and more trusted organization," he added.
Thirteen people have now been arrested in the bribery probe, though none has yet been charged. They include Rebekah Brooks, former chief executive of Murdoch's News International; ex-News of the World editor Andy Coulson ? who is also Prime Minister David Cameron's former communications chief; and journalists from the News of the World and The Sun.
Two of the London police force's top officers resigned in the wake of the revelation last July that the News of the World had eavesdropped on the cell phone voicemail messages of celebrities, athletes, politicians and even an abducted teenager in its quest for stories.
Murdoch shut down the 168-year-old tabloid amid a wave of public revulsion, and the scandal has triggered a continuing public inquiry into media ethics and the relationship between the press, police and politicians.
An earlier police investigation failed to find evidence that hacking went beyond one reporter and a private investigator, who were both jailed in 2007 for eavesdropping on the phones of royal staff.
But News Corp. has now acknowledged it was much more widespread.
Last week the company agreed to pay damages to 37 hacking victims, including actor Jude Law, soccer star Ashley Cole and British politician John Prescott.
The furor that consumed the News of the World continues to rattle other parts of Murdoch's media empire.
As well as investigating phone hacking and allegations that journalists paid police for information, detectives are looking into claims of computer hacking by Murdoch papers.
News Corp. has admitted that the News of the World hacked the emails as well as the phone of Chris Shipman, the son of serial killer Harold Shipman. And The Times of London has acknowledged that a former reporter tried to intercept emails to unmask an anonymous blogger.
News Corp. is preparing to launch a new Sunday newspaper ? likely called the Sunday Sun ? to replace the News of the World.
___
Jill Lawless can be reached at: http://twitter.com/JillLawless
sweet potato recipes green bean casserole recipe karina smirnoff pumpkin cheesecake deviled eggs pie crust pie crust
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Man arrested in slayings of SC officer, Ga. woman (AP)
AIKEN, S.C. ? A man accused of killing his girlfriend in Georgia and then gunning down a police officer in South Carolina had been dealing with mental problems before the slayings, the man's father said.
Police in South Carolina said Joshua Tremaine Jones, 26, faces charges of murder and possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime in the death of Aiken police Master Cpl. Sandra Rogers. He is expected to appear in court in Aiken on Monday, according to Magistrate Judge Tracey Carroll.
The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division said that Rogers was shot Saturday morning while responding to a report of suspicious activity. The 49-year-old had spent nearly 28 years with the Aiken Public Safety department.
Jones was arrested hours later in Batesburg.
James Jones, the suspect's father, told reporters that his son had past run-ins with the law and "was going through some mental problems," though he didn't elaborate on those problems. Jones said his son had run away from home and moved in with his girlfriend. He said his son is from North Augusta and briefly lived in Atlanta.
In neighboring Georgia, The Augusta Chronicle reported Jones also faces murder charges in the death of his girlfriend, 21-year-old Cayce Vice. Police found her body in her apartment Saturday morning after she didn't show up for work at a Five Guys restaurant. She had been shot in the head.
Richmond County sheriff's Capt. Scott Peebles told the newspaper (http://bit.ly/yO5JS7) that the agency had obtained warrants for Jones for murder and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Peebles confirmed that Vice had filed a complaint against Jones for assault earlier this month.
A phone message left late Saturday for the Richmond County Sheriff's Office was not immediately returned.
Jones said that when he returned from work Friday, his son had taken his blue BMW without permission and left. Jones said he and his other son drove around searching but couldn't locate him.
Jones said his heart goes out to the victim' families, and that he's devastated as a father.
"I just went straight to God and said, `I cannot believe this.' After all that I have taught him, I just never thought that my family would have to deal with something like this," Jones said.
The Aiken public safety department issued a statement Saturday evening praising Rogers as "an invaluable street cop who exemplified the model of a Public Safety Officer," according to WLTX-TV in Columbia, S.C.
Last month, hundreds of people gathered to mourn another Aiken police officer killed in the line of duty. Officer Scotty Richardson, 33, died in the early hours of Dec. 21 after being shot in the head during a traffic stop at an apartment complex the night before. Aiken is a city of 30,000 that's located about 20 miles northwest of Augusta.
florida gators hope solo hope solo texas high school football fugazi fugazi indiana jones and the last crusade
States with the most, and least, credit card debt
AFP - Getty Images
Experts disagree on whether rising credit card debt is a good or bad indicator for a state's economy.
By Charles B. Stockdale, 24/7 Wall St.
Americans cut down their credit card debt by 11 percent last year, compared to 2010, according to a new report by Credit Karma. 24/7 Wall St. looked at the average credit card debt owed by the residents of each state to determine the five states with the most and the least debt as of December 2011.
Credit card debt is a measure of the economy, and some analysts are suggesting that the decrease in the debt is a positive sign. But not all agree. Ken Lin, CEO of Credit Karma, told CNNMoney that the drop in debt is the result of weak consumer confidence, resulting in slower spending, tighter lending on the part of banks and lower credit limits.
24/7 Wall St.: The eight beers Americans no longer drink
One of the driving factors for states whose residents owe the most in credit card debt is that they are wealthy states. Nine out of the 10 states with the most in credit card debt have among the highest median household incomes. Alternatively, six of the 10 states with the smallest amounts of credit card debt have among the lowest median incomes.
Other than high median income, many high-debt states also have high costs of living relative to other states. Seven of the 10 with the highest rates of debt are within the 15 states with the highest costs of living. When people must pay more for consumer goods, they often end up with larger amounts of debt. The opposite case is also true. States whose residents pay less for goods have less debt. Four of the 10 states with the lowest amounts of debt are within the 15 states with the lowest costs of living in the country.
Corresponding with wealth, many of the states with high levels of debt have above-average credit scores. In fact, six of the 10 states with the most debt are among the 15 states with the highest average credit scores. Six of the 10 with the least debt are among the 15 states with the lowest credit scores.
States with the least credit card debt
5. Louisiana
- ?Credit card debt: $5,856
- ?Median household income: $42,505 (10th lowest)
- ?Average credit score: 635 (3rd lowest)
- ?Cost of living: 20th lowest
Louisiana is a relatively poor state, with the 10th-lowest median household income in the country. The low income keeps spending levels low too. The average credit card debt among Louisiana residents is the fifth-lowest in the country. This does not prevent state residents from having financial troubles?? their average credit score of 635 is the third worst in the country. Two Louisiana cities? ? Shreveport and Monroe? ? were recently included in a list of the largest U.S. cities with the lowest credit scores in the country.
24/7 Wall St.: Worst product flops of 2011
4. Utah
- ?Credit card debt: $5,816
- ?Median household income: $54,744 (13th highest)
- ?Average credit score: 673 (5th highest)
- ?Cost of living: 5th lowest
Utah is relatively wealthy, with a median household income of nearly $55,000. Despite this, the cost of living in the state is the fifth-lowest in the country. With high incomes and a low cost of living, Utahns maintain conservative personal debt, illustrated by their fifth-highest average credit score.
3. Alabama
- ?Credit card debt: $5,770
- ?Median household income: $40,474 (5th lowest)
- ?Average credit score: 637 (5th lowest)
- ?Cost of living: 12th lowest
Alabama is another poor southern state. Each household makes approximately $40,500 ? the fifth-lowest median income in the country. A relatively low cost of living may have contributed to Alabama residents having one of the lowest levels of credit card debt in the country, but it did not help their credit scores. Alabama has one of the lowest average credit score in the country. Alabama was named by?U.S. News?as one of the most frugal states in the country.
2. Mississippi
- ?Credit card debt: $5,276
- ?Median household income: $36,851 (the lowest)
- ?Average credit score: 652 (18th highest)
- ?Cost of living: 10th lowest
Mississippi residents have the second-lowest amount of credit card debt in the country. They also have the lowest median household income, at $36,851. On top of this, the cost of living in the state is the 10th lowest. Unlike Alabama, however, residents manage to maintain relatively high credit scores ? the state average is the nation?s 18th highest. Mississippi also was named as one of the most frugal states by?U.S. News.
24/7 Wall St.: 10 states that cannot pay their bills
1. Wisconsin
- ?Credit card debt: $5,062
- ?Median household income: $49,001 (22nd highest)
- ?Average credit score: 662 (14th highest)
- ?Cost of living: 25th lowest
Wisconsin has the lowest average credit card debt in the country. This appears to be the result of frugality. The state has a higher median household income than many other states with low average credit card debts. The low level of credit card debt in the state cannot be simply explained by a low cost of living as it is not especially low in the state. The fiscal responsibility of Wisconsinites is fairly high, demonstrated by their average credit score, which is the country?s 14th highest.
States with the most credit card debt
5. Colorado
- ?Credit card debt: $7,533
- ?Median household income: $54,046 (15th highest)
- ?Average credit score: 669 (11th highest)
- ?Cost of living: 19th highest
Colorado is not quite as wealthy as the other states with the highest average credit card debt. But it still has the 15th-highest median household income in the country. The cost of living in the state is comparable to the state?s median income. Despite the high level of debt, residents are generally living within their means, as exemplified by the state?s high average credit score.
4. New Jersey
- ?Credit card debt: $7,608
- ?Median household income: $67,681 (2nd highest)
- ?Average credit score: 679 (the highest)
- ?Cost of living: 6th highest
New Jersey has the sixth-highest cost of living in the country. Residents, though, have the money to spend and accumulate debt. With a median household income that is the second-highest in the country, it is not surprising that residents have racked up such a high average credit card debt. Despite the high debt levels, however, personal finances are managed well the average credit score for New Jersey is the highest among all states.
3. Connecticut
- ?Credit card debt: $7,730
- ?Median household income: $64,032 (4th highest)
- ?Average credit score: 672 (9th highest)
- ?Cost of living: 4th highest
Connecticut is often recognized as one of the country?s wealthiest states. This is a well-earned reputation. The state has the fourth-highest median household income. The cost of living is also higher than that in all but three states. Residents, therefore, spend more than those in most other states. Average credit card debt is the third highest in the country, but not surprising, their credit scores are also high.
2. New Hampshire
- ?Credit card debt: $7,748
- ?Median household income: $61,042 (7th highest)
- ?Average credit score: 659 (19th highest)
- ?Cost of living: 10th highest
New Hampshire is another New England state with a high median household income and a high cost of living. Its median income is the seventh-highest in the country and cost of living is the 10th-highest. Residents of the ?Live Free or Die? state use this affluence to manage the high costs, racking up the second highest rate of credit card debt.
24/7 Wall St.: The 10 most-hated companies in America
1. Alaska
- ?Credit card debt: $7,937
- ?Median household income: $64,576 (3rd highest)
- ?Average credit score: 659 (21st highest)
- ?Cost of living: 2nd highest
Alaska is the third wealthiest state in the country by median household income. It is also the second most expensive state, due in large part to its distance from the continental U.S. Residents of the state had nearly $8,000 in average credit card debt as of December 2011. The average credit score in the state is not among the highest, but it is not exceptionally low either.
the muppet movie the muppet movie mars rover mars rover trent richardson apple cup jewelry stores
Saturday, January 28, 2012
UK judge: Social network sites differ from press (AP)
LONDON ? The British judge presiding over a wide-ranging inquiry into media ethics and practices has suggested that social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter should be seen differently than traditional publishers.
Lord Justice Brian Leveson said Thursday that there was a distinction between what he described as "pub chatter" between friends on such sites and organizations which publish material for public consumption.
Leveson's inquiry was set up in the wake of Britain's phone hacking scandal and has the power to recommend far-reaching changes to the way the country's media are regulated.
The judge also is considering whether nontraditional forms of media, such as blogs, should be submitted to any eventual new rules.
___
Online:
http://www.levesoninquiry.org.uk/
robert e lee dez bryant aaliyah golden globe winners zappos hacked the express jane fonda
Friday, January 27, 2012
Fire badly damages 19th century church in Ukraine (AP)
KIEV, Ukraine ? Emergency officials say a fire has badly damaged a 19th-century Orthodox church in southern Ukraine, including collapsing its dome.
No injuries have been reported.
The fire at the landmark Spaso-Preobrazhensky Cathedral in the town of Bolhrad outside the Black Sea port of Odessa broke out Thursday during renovation work, the Emergency Situations Ministry said on its website.
The church's dome collapsed before the fire was put out.
Officials say the fire could have been caused by a violation of safety rules during the renovation.
giants vs 49ers san francisco 49ers san francisco 49ers news channel 5 49ers news ketamine sf 49ers
Ice-T weighs in on presidential race from Sundance (AP)
PARK CITY, Utah ? Regardless of the outcome of the presidential primaries, Ice-T already has his mind made up about the forthcoming election.
The rapper and actor, who is making his directorial debut at the Sundance Film Festival with the documentary "Something From Nothing: The Art of Rap," says he expects President Barack Obama to be re-elected. After that, he predicts Hillary Clinton will be the next president.
The 53-year-old entertainer said, "She did the Secretary of State job, she was a G, she held it down, she didn't cry," referring to the former New York Senator with the hip-hop term for gangster (a positive thing).
"Obama will support her," he said, "and she'll be the first woman president."
Ice-T's documentary premiered at the Sundance festival, which continues through Sunday in Park City, Utah.
janet jackson brooklyn decker palladium king arthur king arthur september 11 2001 september 11 2001
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Julie Delpy, Chris Rock talk "2 Days in New York" (Reuters)
PARK CITY, Utah (Reuters) ? Back in 2007, actress Julie Delpy brought to theaters a comical love story, "2 Days in Paris," that she also wrote and directed, starring Adam Goldberg as her on screen boyfriend in a romance set in the City of Light.
The movie earned positive reviews, and roughly five years later, she has returned with "2 Days in New York," only this time her character Marion has replaced Goldberg with a new beau, played by comedian Chris Rock. The two are living together in the Big Apple when her family, including a father who hardly showers and an oversexed sister, come to visit.
The amusing farce premiered on Wednesday at the Sundance Film Festival to a warm reception. And Delpy, who directed, co-wrote and stars in the film, sat down with Rock to talk about it, writing the role specifically for Rock and how it was better that he really didn't understand French when they were filming.
Q. Chris, why did you want to work with Julie? You can do any films you like?
Rock: "Really? Tom Cruise can do whatever he likes."
Delpy: "Not anymore."
Rock: "Maybe Shia LaBeouf can? I just liked the script and that is all I need. I don't get into, you know how people are like, 'I see myself as a brand and does this help my brand' and all that nonsense. If I am in a good movie, it will be good for me. I thought the story was really good. I thought the script was great and I trusted Julie and that was enough for me. I don't think I asked her another question. I had seen her other films. I loved her other films. You know, character stuff, not 'movie' stuff.,"
Q. Julie how did you end up casting Chris?
Delpy: "When I decided to make a sequel to the film I wanted him to be my new boyfriend. And I called his agent, who I happened to know, because I have been fired from every agency in town. Actually ICM fired me when I was writing "Sunset" ("Before Sunset"), because they thought I was crazy to write a sequel. They thought I was wasting my time and I was crazy. They said, 'why are your wasting your time?' But, it's OK I am not even mad with the guy that fired me, I am actually friends with him. Anyway, so I called his agent, who wasn't the guy that fired me, I knew him way before that, and basically and I said, 'I want to write a film for Chris and me, the sequel to '2 days in Paris.''... an hour later he called me back and said, 'Go For It.'"
Q. Chris, how was it working with Julie's real-life father? (French actor Albert Delpy) Any strange odors, as joked about in the film.
Rock: "No no he smelled like baby powder, he was great."
Delpy: "He didn't know what was going on between me and my father. It played favorably to have Chris not really understanding what was going on in French. It was better to keep it like that. If the film sometimes seems mayhem, like the dinner scene, it is really built that way."
"I have always been fascinated by language and being a foreigner in America and having traveled many places. I think with human beings, there is a lot of misunderstanding already, especially in relationships but it gets even more when there is language issues."
Q. Julie, you have worked with your father before, how are you similar and different?
Delpy: "My dad is more crazy than me, I am much more square than he is and more organized and much less crazy than he is."
Q. You often get compared in style to Woody Allen and you say you admire him with other directors. What do you still learn from Allen today?
Delpy: "I want to have his career. If I have his career I will be very very happy and very very lucky."
"I also love Robert Altman, I love how he created interaction between characters and this feeling that everything is totally natural and normal."
Rock: "I was going to be in his last movie, and then he died. I don't know why he did that to me."
Q. Julie the comedy was sort of old school farce, playing on cultural differences, but also felt modern. Were you aiming for that tone or style?
Delpy: "I don't really think about what I am going for in terms of the comedy, I am only thinking about what makes me laugh and what pleases me when I am writing ... I like when the cameras moves a lot and it is very lively because I like this feel of urgency and mayhem."
Q. Are you more out of place in France or America?
Delpy: "I am still treated as a French person, but sometimes people are resentful that I love it in the US,. It's a French thing you know, but most of the time I am included in being this French person that has moved. ... It is unclear to them what I am doing and what I am aiming for. They are a bit surprised and they kind of hate that because they love to put people in boxes. But I think that is here, too."
(Reporting By Christine Kearney; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)
paranormal activity wvu football district 9 district 9 pandaria pandaria artie lange
AT&T Set Sales Records For Both iPhone And Android Devices In Q4 2011
AT&T this morning released its earnings for the fourth quarter of 2011. Consolidated revenues clocked in at $32.5 billion, up 3.6 percent compared to the year-earlier quarter. They recorded a huge net loss for Q4 2011: $6.7 billion, or $1.12 per diluted share. Zooming in on smartphone sales, it's worth noting that AT&T delivered its best-ever quarter to date, hands down.Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/W0l7pNPFH3o/
michelle rounds cabin in the woods dan quayle brett favre packers stock packers stock mastectomy
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Augmented reality makes Thundercats packaging way cooler than the toys themselves
Continue reading Augmented reality makes Thundercats packaging way cooler than the toys themselves
Augmented reality makes Thundercats packaging way cooler than the toys themselves originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 24 Jan 2012 19:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | | Email this | CommentsSource: http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/24/augmented-reality-thundercats/
hangover cure auld lang syne leap year end of the world 2012 pink martini times square 2012 predictions
Mystery Sony-branded Arc appears in Resident Evil trailer, Umbrella Corp. doesn't comment on rumor or speculation (video)
While most rumors of a high-definition Arc were laid to rest with the reveal of the LTE'd Xperia Ion and the sumptuous Xperia S at CES, it hasn't quite stopped smartphone fans poring over the web for a sniff of its possible existence. This time -- get that salt shaker ready -- it's a cameo in the trailer for the latest cash-in release from the Resident Evil franchise. The hardware is certainly that of an Xperia Arc, but it's the first time we've seen a Sony-branded version -- no Ericsson here. Although it's not enough to convince us just yet that we're looking at a super-screened Arc, with Sony rumored to be readying plenty of phones for 2012, it looks like the Arc HD rumor zombie may need another bullet in the head.
[Thanks Alex]
Mystery Sony-branded Arc appears in Resident Evil trailer, Umbrella Corp. doesn't comment on rumor or speculation (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 Jan 2012 10:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink
GSM Dome | | Email this | Comments
Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/0CnckTzBmFM/
al davis edmund fitzgerald vincent brown vincent brown willow smith tom bradley tom bradley
Make way for cyclists in Tel Aviv
The 'Amsterdam of the Middle East,' Tel Aviv has miles of urban cycling paths and a new bike-share program.
? A local, slice-of-life story from a Monitor correspondent.
Skip to next paragraphBack in the 1990s, Tel Aviv?s bicycles were pushed to the margins of the urban landscape, which lacked bike lanes or bike racks.
In the past decade, however, Israel?s cosmopolitan capital has reimagined itself as an Amsterdam of the Middle East with miles of bike paths on sidewalks, boulevards, and in the streets.
With its generally flat terrain and temperate climate, Tel Aviv is an ideal city to navigate on two wheels. The network, marked with bicycle stencils, runs the length of the city?s Mediterranean seacoast, reaches down leafy historical avenues, and sweeps through the commercial center. The city also inaugurated a bike rental system, the Tel-O-Fun, with some 150 rental stations throughout the city. Usage has exceeded expectations, and the distinctive green and gray bikes with upright seating have become ubiquitous. A leading enthusiast is Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai, who test-drove one of the Tel-O-Fun bikes and christened a bike traffic light.
Let?s be clear: Tel Aviv is no Amsterdam ? most of the bike lanes are on sidewalks. On trendy Rothschild Boulevard, the cyclists must dodge cafe tables, and on Ibn Gavirol, the bike path is interrupted by trees, benches, and building columns. But in a country where the volatile Israeli driver dominates the roads, some of that turf is being retaken by cyclists.
Think you know the Middle East? Take our geography quiz.
Get daily or weekly updates from CSMonitor.com delivered to your inbox.?Sign up today.
Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/csmonitor/globalnews/~3/J-6g-6HQtwI/Make-way-for-cyclists-in-Tel-Aviv
pasco county rooney mara solstice x factor results x factor results the hobbit movie trailer tcu
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Romney paid less taxes than highest wage-earners (Reuters)
TAMPA, Fla./WASHINGTON (Reuters) ? Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney bowed to political pressure and cracked the books on his personal finances on Tuesday, releasing U.S. tax returns showing he pays a lower effective tax rate than many top wage-earners.
Unlike most Americans who get a paycheck, Romney earns the majority of his income from investment profits, dividends and interest. The returns showed he will pay $6.2 million in taxes on $42.5 million in combined 2010 and 2011 income.
Romney, the former governor of Massachusetts, and his wife Ann paid an effective tax rate of 13.9 percent in 2010 and expect to pay a 15.4 percent effective tax rate when they file their returns for 2011.
Those rates are roughly in line with the effective tax rates paid by most Americans, but they are far below the top income tax rate levied against wages, which is 35 percent, because the U.S. tax code favors investment income over wage income.
One of the wealthiest Americans ever to run for the White House, Romney did not release returns from the years when he made his fortune buying and selling companies as a private equity financier with Bain Capital, but the returns that he did release showed Bain gave him a special tax advantage.
Romney got about $13 million in income over the past two years from "carried interest," a form of earnings that is available to private equity partners and taxed at the 15-percent investment income tax rate, not the higher wage income rate.
The "carried interest" provision of the U.S. tax code has repeatedly been targeted for elimination by Democrats who say it is unfair, while the private equity industry defends it. A campaign spokesman said that Romney "has not addressed carried interest specifically in this campaign."
GINGRICH QUESTIONED FINANCES
Romney released the tax returns after a week when his chief Republican presidential nomination rival, former U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Newt Gingrich, questioned whether Romney was hiding information about his finances and cast him as being out of touch with most Americans.
For 2011, about 46 percent of Americans will pay no federal individual income taxes, most of them because they are poor, according to the Tax Policy Center, a think tank.
Counting all U.S. taxpayers, the average tax rate is 11 percent, according to The Tax Foundation, another think tank.
Effective tax rates vary wildly from person to person due to the maze of deductions, exemptions and credits in the tax code, which has not been thoroughly overhauled in 25 years.
Romney's estimated net worth is $190 million to $250 million. "Governor Romney's investments are reported and taxed in full compliance with U.S. tax laws," said Romney campaign counsel Ben Ginsberg on a conference call with reporters.
The Republican candidates are fighting for the nomination to face President Barack Obama, a Democrat, in the November 6 election. The next state primary contest is in Florida on January 31.
Gingrich's attacks helped him upset Romney in the South Carolina primary on Saturday. Since then, Romney has fired back with attacks questioning Gingrich's character and judgment.
The release of Romney's tax returns is meant to blunt Gingrich's criticisms, but it could also add to a broad debate about the fairness of the tax code and U.S. income inequality, as reflected in the Occupy Wall Street protests nationwide.
Romney campaign officials said his tax rate is based mostly on blind trust investment income. Returns were released for three blind trusts. The officials said Romney makes no decisions on how money is invested.
FUNDS IN CAYMAN ISLANDS
They said that Romney's holdings include amounts in funds based in the Cayman Islands and other overseas entities.
The Cayman holdings and holdings in a Swiss bank account - closed in 2010 after an adviser decided it could be politically embarrassing to Romney - were reported on tax returns and were not vehicles to avoid taxes, the advisers said.
Brad Malt, who oversees the Romney blind trusts, said on the conference call that Romney's wife's trust had a $3 million bank account at UBS AG, the Swiss bank giant. Malt said he closed the bank account in late 2010.
Malt said that "taxes were all fully paid" on the account, but that "it just wasn't worth it; I closed the account."
The tax returns showed Romney and his wife contributed $7 million in charity over the two years covered, much of it going to the Mormon church. That represents more than 15 percent of the Romneys' income for those years.
Romney had total capital gains income of $12.5 million for 2010 and an estimated $10.7 million for 2011.
Asked why Romney was not releasing tax records for the years in the 1980s and 1990s in which he made his fortune at Bain, Ginsberg said the two years covered by the tax returns should give a broad picture of Romney's financial situation.
"We're not going to get into the game of once you give them something, they demand more," Ginsberg said. "This is a fulsome release and we're proud of it."
FUZZY ANSWERS HURT
The tax issue may have been a factor in Romney's loss to Gingrich in the South Carolina primary last Saturday. It became a distraction to Romney's campaign, and Romney's fuzzy answers on releasing his records aggravated the problem.
First he said he might release them, or might not. When the questions kept coming, he said he would put them out in April, after his 2011 forms were completed. Only after he was defeated in South Carolina did his aides say he would release them this week. Gingrich has released his returns for 2010, but has not released an estimate for last year, as Romney did.
Long considered the front-runner for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination, Romney was staggered by Gingrich's lopsided win in South Carolina, and is looking to regain enough momentum to defeat Gingrich in Florida.
(Additional reporting by Lynnley Browning and Patrick Temple-West; Editing by Kevin Drawbaugh and Eric Walsh)
san diego chargers j.r. martinez snl lance ball lance ball kansas city chiefs chiefs
Monday, January 23, 2012
Judge orders man to stand trial for Calif. deaths (AP)
SAN RAFAEL, Calif. ? A suspected serial killer will stand trial for the decades-old murders of four Northern California women.
A Marin County Superior Court judge ruled Monday that prosecutors presented enough evidence against 78-year-old Joseph Naso.
Naso is accused of killing two women in the 1970s and another two in the 1990s, and dumping their naked bodies in rural areas.
He was arrested last year, after a probation search of his Reno, Nev., home unearthed photographs, journals and other evidence tying him to the old slayings.
A Nevada State Police investigator testified that he believes Naso killed as many as 10 women.
Naso is acting as his own lawyer. He declined to call witnesses or take the stand during the preliminary hearing. In his closing argument, he called the evidence circumstantial.
bcs standings 2011 rhodes scholarship rhodes scholarship ufc 139 results lee corso lee corso thanksgiving appetizers
Animal: "Punk is living out my brother's dream"
By declaring outright his intentions of screwing CM Punk out of his WWE Championship at the 25th annual Royal Rumble event, John Laurinaitis revealed himself to be a man of deep resentment. That?s according to the one person who has known the Interim General Manager of Raw and EVP of Talent Relations longer than anybody else: his older brother, WWE Hall of Famer Road Warrior Animal. (Road Warrior PHOTOS | VIDEO)
In an exclusive interview, Animal told WWE.com that his brother?s vendetta against The Second City Saint is relatively easy to explain. Whereas Punk has reached the uppermost echelon in sports entertainment ? the WWE Championship ? Laurinaitis, an accomplished grappler in his own right, was never able to parlay his success overseas into a main event slot in the U.S.
?It?s one thing to be popular in Japan, and it?s another to make it in the U.S.,? Animal said. ?That?s one thing that eats John from the inside, deep in his gut. I think he carries animosity over that, because he never got to be ?the guy? in the U.S. the way that CM Punk is today. I think he?s getting on Punk?s case because Punk is living the dream that John wishes he could have accomplished.?
Although the WWE Universe knows Laurinaitis primarily for his role on Raw SuperShow and, perhaps, for his time as one half of the oft-ridiculed Dynamic Dudes, (WATCH) less familiar to the WWE Universe is Laurinaitis? impressive legacy inside Japanese squared circles. Competing under the All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW) banner for much of the '90s, Laurinaitis was a legitimate in-ring threat to be taken seriously. Creator of the Ace Crusher ? a jaw-shaking predecessor to Randy Orton?s RKO ? he enjoyed the adulation of the Japanese fans and media alike. He also forged successful teams, some of them world championship-winning, with the likes of Stan Hansen, ?Dr. Death? Steve Williams and AJPW legend Kenta Kobashi.
It was Animal?s ties with AJPW owner Giant Baba that opened the door to the East for Laurinaitis, but the Road Warrior made clear his brother would have never become the star he did had it not been for a strong work ethic and his natural athleticism.
??I?ve got to give it to him, he became one of the top American entities in Japan,? said Animal, who, alongside tag partner Hawk, was also among the most popular U.S.-born talents to ever compete in Japan. ?I might have opened the door, but he walked through it.?
Yet, to the WWE Universe, John Laurinaitis is little more than a front-office suit pushing a decidedly anti-Punk agenda. Conceding that Laurinaitis has overstepped his authority in targeting Punk, Animal nonetheless lauded his brother?s performance since taking over as the Interim GM of Raw.
Leaving behind a career between the ropes for a job in upper management is not always a smooth transition, Animal explained.
?He?s doing a good job of it,? he said. ?It?s a tough position to be in, and it?s a fine line to walk, especially when you?ve spent your entire career in the ring. In making that switch over to the front office, sometimes you forget where you came from, and that might be what?s happening to John now.?
Still, Animal is not one to excuse his brother?s actions, and he refuses to let Laurinaitis off the hook for his barefaced grudge against Punk. Earlier this week, Laurinaitis tersely told WWE.com that he plans to do ?what?s right for business? at the 25th annual Royal Rumble event.
Speaking of the WWE Champion and fellow Chicagoan with the utmost respect, Animal said Punk should be allowed to carry on with his championship affairs unimpeded.
?Let the guy be a champion; let him have his reign, let him do what he?s going to do,? Animal advised his brother, adding, ?Just leave Punk alone.?
However, with Laurinaitis appointing himself special guest referee for the hotly anticipated Punk-Dolph Ziggler match, it appears rather unlikely that Raw?s Interim GM will, in fact, leave Punk alone. The bad blood between Laurinaitis and The Second City Saint shows absolutely no sign of easing, and the WWE Universe anxiously awaits the day when Punk gets his true opportunity to revolt against the oppressive authority figure known as Mr. Laurinaitis.
But how does Mr. Laurinaitis' brother feel about it? Should a Punk-Laurinaitis matchup ever take place, would Animal put his money on the WWE Champion?
?I think Punk would tear him apart,? Animal said, speculating that his brother may have lost his edge since leaving active competition. ?I?m not saying that John can?t handle himself, because he can. He was a world champion over in Japan, and he knows what it takes to get there. But once you spend five, six years in the front office, you?re bound to get soft, and you can?t expect to compete with a thoroughbred like Punk.?
Source: http://www.wwe.com/inside/animal-comments-laurinaitis
wisconsin recall wisconsin recall internet blackout jim caldwell portland weather jenelle evans jenelle evans
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Yemen says Saleh to depart for Oman
SANAA, Yemen?? Outgoing President Ali Abdullah Saleh will leave soon to Oman, en route to medical treatment in the United States, Yemeni officials said on Saturday, part of an American effort to get the embattled strongman out of the country to allow a peaceful transition from his rule.
Washington has been trying for weeks to find a country where Saleh can live in exile, since it does not want him to settle permanently in the United States. The mercurial president, who has ruled for more than 33 years, has repeatedly gone back and forth on whether he would leave.
The officials' comments Saturday suggested Oman, Yemen's neighbor, could be a potential home for him. Three officials said he would go, but they were divided on whether he would remain in exile in Oman or return to Yemen after treatment. His return, even if he no longer holds the post of president, could mean continued turmoil for the impoverished nation at the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula.
PhotoBlog: Going on one year, protests continue in Yemen
After nearly a year of protests demanding his ouster, Saleh in November handed his powers over to his vice president and agreed to step down. A unity government between his party and the opposition has since been created. However, Saleh ? still formally the president ? has continued to influence politics from behind the scenes through his family and loyalists in power positions.
The U.S. does not want to take him in, concerned it would be seen by Yemenis as harboring a leader they say has blood on his hands for the killings of protesters. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates already have rejected Saleh, American officials said.
Senior ruling party figure Mohammed al-Shayef told The Associated Press that Saleh would travel "in the coming days" to Oman, then head to the United States for treatment of wounds he suffered in an June assassination attempt.
After treatment, Saleh would return to Yemen to head his People's Congress Party, said al-Shayef, who is also a prominent tribal leader. Another top party official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk of the plans, gave the same itinerary, though he said Saleh would pass through Ethiopia en route from Oman to the U.S.
Saleh himself has spoken in recent weeks of working as an opposition politician after he leaves the presidency.
However, an official in the prime minister's office said Saleh "is supposed" to return to Oman to stay after his U.S. treatment is completed.
The official said Saleh's powerful son Ahmed was currently in Oman, arranging a residence for his father. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk the press. It did not seem that Ahmed, who commands the elite Republican Guard that has been at the forefront of the crackdown on protests, would remain in Oman.
-
Only on msnbc.com
- After drone hit on al-Qaida planner, is Zawahiri next?
- Syria's capital delivers show of support for Assad
- 'Miracle' baby born from single frozen sperm
- China braces for Year of the Dragon travel rush
- Should couples share passwords?
- 1,137 dogs rescued from Chinese dinner table
- Poker players sue over online cheating scheme
The unity government has been struggling to establish its authority in the face of Saleh's continuing strength in the country. Like Saleh's son Ahmed, Saleh's nephew also commands one of Yemen's best trained and equipped security forces, and the president's loyalists remain in place in the government and bureaucracy.
Timeline: Yemen turmoil (on this page)Saleh agreed to step down under a U.S.-approved and Gulf-mediated accord with the opposition in return for immunity for prosecution.
Yemen's parliament on Saturday approved the immunity law, a key step toward Saleh's formal retirement from his post. Vice President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi signed it into law later in the day.
Saleh is scheduled to hand over the presidency to his vice president on Feb. 21.
The law grants Saleh complete immunity for any crimes committed during his rule, including the killing of protesters during the uprising against his regime. However, parliament limited the scope of immunity for other regime officials and excluded immunity for terrorism-related crimes.
Slideshow: Yemen in the spotlight (on this page)Initially, the law would have similarly given complete immunity to everyone who served Saleh's governments throughout his rule, sparking a public outcry and a new wave of protests. In response, the law was changed to grant them immunity only on "politically motivated" criminal acts. That apparently would not cover corruption charges.
Most protesters have rejected the accord entirely, saying Saleh should not be given immunity and demanding he be prosecuted.
Human Rights Watch said Saturday in a statement that the law allows senior officials to "get away with murder" and "sends the disgraceful message that there is no consequence for killing those who express dissent."
Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/46081478/ns/world_news-mideast_n_africa/
houston news us news and world report college rankings us news and world report college rankings dishnetwork bill monroe nike pro combat nike pro combat
A poor year for home building ends on hopeful note (AP)
WASHINGTON ? Builders ended 2011 with a third straight year of dismal home construction and the worst on record for single-family home building. But improvement at the end of the year lifted hopes for an eventual recovery.
In December, builders broke ground on a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 657,000 homes, the Commerce Department said Thursday. A third straight increase in single-family home building was offset by a drop in volatile apartment construction.
The housing market still appears years away from full health.
For the entire year, builders began work on 606,900 homes. That's slightly better than in the previous two years. But it's only about half the number that economists equate with healthy markets.
Construction began on 428,600 single-family homes in 2011. It was the fewest on records dating back a half-century. In a good economy, builders tend to break ground on roughly twice as many. Single-family homes are key to a housing rebound because they account for roughly 70 percent of the market.
Still, analysts said the final months point to improvement.
"We expect further sustained gains in starts and permits over the next few months; a real recovery is getting started," said Ian Shepherdson, chief U.S. economist at High Frequency Economics.
Homebuilders have grown slightly less pessimistic because more people are saying they might be open to buying a home this year. The National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo builder sentiment index rose in January to its highest level since June 2007.
The number of actual purchases remains weak. Among new homes, sales last year are likely to turn out to be the worst on records dating back half a century. But the rising interest from would-be buyers, along with record-low mortgage rates, is lifting optimism for stronger sales ahead
Builders are struggling to compete with deeply discounted foreclosures and short sales. (Short sales occur when lenders allow homes to be sold for less than what's owed on the mortgage.)
Though new homes represent just 20 percent of the overall home market, they have a big impact on the economy. Each home built creates an average of three jobs for a year and generates about $90,000 in taxes, according to the National Association of Home Builders.
After previous recessions, housing accounted for at least 15 percent of U.S. economic growth. Since the recession officially ended in June 2009, it has contributed just 4 percent.
Another reason new-home sales have fallen is that previously occupied homes have become a better deal. The median price of a new home is about 30 percent higher than the median price for a re-sale. That's nearly twice the markup typical in a healthy housing market.
"The report shows the housing industry is still in a holding pattern," said Mitchell Hochberg, principal of Madden Real Estate Ventures in New York. He said fewer foreclosures and a drop in unemployment would help spur a turnaround.
cheesecake recipe leona lewis carlos beltran air jordan 11 concord unemployment extension the thin man republic wireless
Saturday, January 21, 2012
House GOP seeks unity in election-year challenge
House Speaker House John Boehner of Ohio speaks on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2012, as the House returned to work from its winter recess. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
House Speaker House John Boehner of Ohio speaks on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2012, as the House returned to work from its winter recess. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio, center, accompanied by House Majority Leader Eric Cantor of Va., right, and Rep. Jeb Hensarling, R-Texas, gestures during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2012, to discuss President Barack Obama's decision to halt the Keystone XL pipeline. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
President Barack Obama sings before speaking at a campaign event, Thursday, Jan. 19, 2012, at the Apollo Theatre in the Harlem neighborhood of New York. (AP Photo/Haraz N. Ghanbari)
BALTIMORE (AP) ? House Republican leaders pleaded for elusive unity from the disparate factions in their party as they pursue a dual election-year prize of retaining their majority and denying President Barack Obama a second term.
"Unity, unity, unity," Rep. Lee Terry, R-Neb., said Friday after hearing his leadership's overriding message at a series of private meetings at the GOP's annual three-day retreat. The fresh appeal to many of the 242 members comes just weeks after rank-and-file opposition to a short-term extension of the payroll tax cut exposed deep divisions among Republicans and ended 2011 on a discordant political note.
Rancor in 2012, Republicans understand, would be politically perilous, especially with the American people already holding Congress in such low regard. Republicans expect Obama to campaign against the "do-nothing Congress," using the presidential bully pulpit to try to make his case.
Looking ahead to a new year, Republicans said their strategy is to highlight stark differences with Democrats on job creation, deficit spending and how Obama runs the government.
"It's pretty clear it's going to be a referendum on the president's policies. ... the devastating impact of these policies on our economy," House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, said in brief remarks to reporters.
Boehner said he had instructed each committee chairman to step up oversight of the Obama administration, an examination that would touch on everything from national security to education and echo last year's hearings on an Energy Department loan to a now-bankrupt solar energy company and a problem-plagued gun smuggling investigation known as Operation Fast and Furious. Money from the stimulus package in Obama's first year also will face scrutiny.
Republicans painted a dire picture of the economy, with high unemployment, housing woes and Obama regulations, or even the possibility of new rules, hampering small businesses and hiring.
"If I were Barack Obama I wouldn't want to talk about my record either," said Rep. Greg Walden, R-Ore.
But in recent months, there have been signs of an economy on the upswing. Applications for unemployment benefits have dropped to their lowest level in nearly four years, housing sales increased and companies posted better earnings. The Dow Jones closed above 12,700 on Friday.
Economic indicators as well as perceptions of the nation's financial health will largely determine the re-election chances for Obama and members of Congress.
In perhaps a preview of the GOP effort to shape the debate, Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan, R-Wis., said the latest positive economic signs reflect a resilient economy and added, "Imagine what growth could be if we got all of these barriers out of the way."
Election-year politics are certain to limit any attempts at an ambitious legislative session, but high-profile votes and issues can clarify the battle lines. Republicans made clear they will continue the fight over Obama's decision to block, at least temporarily, a 1,700-mile Canada-to-Texas pipeline known as Keystone XL.
Rep. Fred Upton, chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, said Republicans were open to making it part of the next round of negotiations on a Social Security tax cut and unemployment benefits, an attempt certain to draw Democratic opposition. House and Senate negotiators face a Feb. 29 deadline to coming up with a plan for a yearlong extension that also resolves the question of Medicare reimbursements for doctors.
"We are absolutely committed ? as a Republican team ? to keep the Keystone XL pipeline on the front burner," said Upton, R-Mich. He will hold hearings next week with State Department officials on their pipeline recommendation to the president.
Republicans argue that Obama's decision was politically driven and will cost the nation not only jobs but a new energy source.
Rep. Jeb Hensarling, R-Texas, said Obama took "20,000 shovel-ready jobs on Keystone and buried them." Rep. Bill Cassidy, R-La., said if Obama were serious about helping the middle class, he would allow the Keystone project to proceed, with scores of jobs for blue-collar workers.
In addition to working out a compromise on the payroll tax cut, Republicans pledged to be aggressive in crafting a budget and cutting spending, arguing that Obama's policies have contributed to the growing deficit. House members acknowledged that their legislation has little chance in the Democratic-controlled Senate or with Obama, but Ryan made clear they will still press ahead to ensure the electorate has a choice.
"At the end of the day, we'll kick this up to the American people and let them decide what kind of America they want to have," he said.
In a series of meetings, Republicans heard from former Texas Sen. Phil Gramm, a onetime presidential candidate, who focused on Obama's policies and their impact on free enterprise. They also heard about teamwork from former Washington Redskins Coach Joe Gibbs.
On Friday night, popular Republican and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who many had hoped would seek the presidency, was scheduled to speak to the Republican conference behind closed doors.
Surprisingly, lawmakers said there was little talk of presidential candidates. Pollsters did tell the GOP that once the party gets a nominee, it was critical that members of Congress and the candidate be on the same page, according to Rep. Tom Price, R-Ga., who said he didn't foresee any problems.
Few members interrupted the gathering and socializing to watch Thursday night's debate from South Carolina.
"You get to the 18th debate," Terry joked. "Come on..."
Associated Pressj edgar hoover jonathan papelbon jonathan papelbon trisomy 13 veterans barbados resorts the call
NATO urges Iran to ensure security of oil supply
BRUSSELS: NATO urged Iran on Wednesday to ensure the security of energy supplies through the Strait of Hormuz but said the Western military alliance had no plans to intervene in the area.
NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said in Brussels it was of "utmost importance to make sure energy supplies continue to grow through the vital waterway".
"I would like to stress that the Iranian authorities have a duty to act as responsible international actors," he told a news conference after meeting Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu. "NATO has no plans of intervention."
bo jackson bo jackson ibogaine weather houston weather houston small business saturday small business saturday
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)