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Saturday, December 31, 2011
Summary Box: Stocks flat in 2011; utilities up big (AP)
STOCKS FLAT: Despite a tumultuous ride, the S&P 500 index closed nearly unchanged for 2011. It ended at 1,257.60 Friday, just 0.04 point below where it started the year.
BEST OF THE BAD: U.S. stocks delivered little, but other markets did even worse, including ones in fast-growing economies. Brazil's Bovespa index fell 18 percent in 2011. Hong Kong's Hang Seng dropped 20 percent.
PLAYING IT SAFE PAYS: Stocks of one of the most conservative industries ? utilities ? rose 15 percent. That was the biggest gain for the S&P's ten sectors. Consumer staples were up 11 percent.
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Box Office Report: Christian Bale's 'Flowers of War' Already Top-Grossing Chinese Film of 2011
Zhang Yimou's The Flowers of War, with Christian Bale headlining, is doing big business in its home country, where it's already become the top grossing Chinese film of 2011.
Through Dec. 29, the movie has grossed $66 million (400 million yuan) at the Chinese box office, where it's competing with Jet Li action pic Flying Swords of Dragon Gate. Flowers of War, about the Japanese invasion of Nanjing, opened Dec. 16.
PHOTOS: The Christian Bale Directors Posse: 6 Auteurs Won Over By the Actor
Until Flowers of War, the No. 1 Chinese film of the year was Beginning of the Great Revival, which grossed $62 million.
Hollywood tentpoles are the top two earners overall -- Paramount's Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen grossed a massive $145.5 million in China, followed by DreamWorks Animation and Paramount's Kung Fu Panda 2 with $92.2 million. Both films had the advantage of higher 3D ticket prices.
Among other Hollywood movies, Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides eared $71.8 million China, while Warner Bros.' Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 grossed $63.6 million.
COVER STORY: Oscar Winner Christian Bale Turns East
Flowers of War will pass Pirates this weekend, and has a shot at overtaking Kung Fu Panda 2.
Costing $100 million to produce, Flowers of War is the most expensive Chinese production in history and was fully financed by Zhang Weiping's New Pictures Film Co. It's one of the first times that a Western actor has played the lead role in a Chinese production of this size.
Bale's recent dust up with Chinese security guards when trying to visit blind activist Chen Guangcheng haven't hurt the movie. Bale attempted to met with Chen days after attending the premiere of Flowers of War in Beijing.
Flowers of War is China's official submission for the Oscar for best foreign language film, and is being distributed in the U.S. by Chris Ball's Wrekin Hill Entertainment.
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US eyes first BP criminal charges over Gulf oil spill, report
The US drilling safety agency has said it determined BP had failed to conduct an accurate pressure integrity test in one area of the well.
And in four different sections of the well, BP failed to suspend drilling operations at the Macondo when the safe drilling margin was not maintained, the agency said.
An explosion at the Deepwater Horizon rig on April 20, 2010, killed 11 people, and the well gushed oil into the ocean for 87 days, polluting the southern US shoreline and crippling the local tourism and fishing sectors.
By the time the well was capped, 4.9 million barrels of oil had spilled out of the runaway well 5,000 feet below the surface of the Gulf of Mexico.
In October the US government issued BP, Transocean - the Swiss owner and operator of the drilling rig - and US oil services group Halliburton with citations for violating oil industry regulations in what is expected to lead to massive fines.
BP - which leased the rig and was ultimately responsible for operations - has spent more than $40 billion on the disaster and could still be liable for billions in fines, compensation and restoration costs.
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Church, friends helping McKnight family
Church, friends helping McKnight family
LANCASTER -- The family of a Lancaster man who is remembered for his contributions to the community is seeing that love come back full circle, thanks to several Fairfield and Licking county residents.
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Source: http://lancastereaglegazette.com/article/20111230/NEWS01/112300301/1002/rss01
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Video: Chavez Hints at U.S. Cancer Plot
Venezuelan President Hugo Ch?vez hints that the U.S. may be behind the cancer cases affecting fiv... ?More??
Venezuelan President Hugo Ch?vez hints that the U.S. may be behind the cancer cases affecting five Latin American presidents. ???Less
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US warns Iran against closing key oil passage (AP)
TEHRAN, Iran ? The U.S. strongly warned Iran on Wednesday against closing a vital Persian Gulf waterway that carries one-sixth of the world's oil supply, after Iran threatened to choke off traffic through the Strait of Hormuz if Washington imposes sanctions targeting the country's crude exports.
The increasingly heated exchange raises new tensions in a standoff that has the potential to spark military reprisals and spike oil prices to levels that could batter an already fragile global economy.
Iran's navy chief said Wednesday that it would be "very easy" for his country's forces to close the strategic Strait of Hormuz, the passage at the mouth of the Persian Gulf through which about 15 million barrels of oil pass daily. It was the second such warning by Iran in two days, reflecting Tehran's concern that the West is about to impose new sanctions that could hit the country's biggest source of revenue, oil.
"Iran has comprehensive control over the strategic waterway," Adm. Habibollah Sayyari told state-run Press TV, as the country was in the midst of a 10-day military drill near the strategic waterway.
The comments drew a quick response from the U.S.
"This is not just an important issue for security and stability in the region, but is an economic lifeline for countries in the Gulf, to include Iran," Pentagon press secretary George Little said. "Interference with the transit or passage of vessels through the Strait of Hormuz will not be tolerated."
Separately, Bahrain-based U.S. Navy 5th Fleet spokeswoman Lt. Rebecca Rebarich said the Navy is "always ready to counter malevolent actions to ensure freedom of navigation."
Rebarich declined to say whether the U.S. force had adjusted its presence or readiness in the Gulf in response to Iran's comments, but said the Navy "maintains a robust presence in the region to deter or counter destabilizing activities, while safeguarding the region's vital links to the international community."
Iran's threat to seal off the Gulf, surrounded by oil-rich Gulf states, reflect its concerns over the prospect that the Obama administration will impose sanctions over its nuclear program that would severely hit its biggest revenue source. Iran is the world's fourth-largest oil producer, pumping about 4 million barrels a day.
Gulf Arab nations appeared ready to at least ease market tensions. A senior Saudi Arabian oil official told The Associated Press that Gulf Arab nations are ready to step in to offset any potential loss of exports from Iran. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to comment on the issue.
Saudi Arabia, which has been producing about 10 million barrels per day, has an overall production capacity of over 12 million barrels per day and is widely seen as the only OPEC member with sufficient spare capacity to offset major shortages.
What remains unclear is what routes the Gulf nations could take to move the oil to markets if Iran goes through with its threat.
About 15 million barrels per day pass through the Hormuz Strait, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
There are some pipelines that could be tapped, but Gulf oil leaders, who met in Cairo on Dec. 24, declined to say whether they had discussed alternate routes or what they may be.
The Saudi official's comment, however, appeared to allay some concerns. The U.S. benchmark crude futures contract fell $1.98 by the close of trading Wednesday on the New York Mercantile Exchange, but still hovered just below $100 per barrel.
U.S. State Department spokesman Mark Toner played down the Iranian threats as "rhetoric," saying, "we've seen these kinds of comments before."
While the Obama administration has warned Iran that it would not tolerate attempts to disrupt traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, U.S. officials do not see any indication that the situation will come to that. Nor do they believe that Iran, which is already under increasing pressure from sanctions, would risk disrupting the Strait because doing so would further damage Iran's own economy.
Instead, the administration believes Iran is playing the only card it has left: issuing threats and attempting to shift focus away from its own behavior.
U.S. officials have not said whether there is a concrete response plan in place should Iran seek to block the Strait. But the administration has long said it is comfortable with the U.S. Naval presence in the region, indicating that the U.S. could respond rapidly if needed.
The White House has been largely silent on Iran's threat, underscoring the administration's belief that responding at the White House level would only encourage Iran.
While many analysts believe that Iran's warnings are little more than posturing, they still highlight both the delicate nature of the oil market, which moves as much on rhetoric as supply and demand fundamentals.
Iran relies on crude sales for about 80 percent of its public revenues, and sanctions or even a pre-emptive measure by Tehran to withhold its crude from the market would already batter its flailing economy.
IHS Global Insight analyst Richard Cochrane said in a report Wednesday that markets are "jittery over the possibility" of Iran's blockading the strait. But "such action would also damage Iran's economy, and risk retaliation from the U.S. and allies that could further escalate instability in the region."
"Accordingly, it is not likely to be a decision that the Iranian leadership will take lightly," he said.
Earlier sanctions targeting the oil and financial sector added new pressures to the country's already struggling economy. Government cuts in subsidies on key goods like food and energy have angered Iranians, stoking inflation while the country's currency steadily depreciates.
The impetus behind the subsidies cut plan, pushed through parliament by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, was to reduce budget costs and would pass money directly to the poor. But critics have pointed to it as another in a series of bad policy moves by the hardline president.
So far, Western nations have been unable to agree on sanctions targeting oil exports, even as they argue that Iran is trying to develop a nuclear weapon. Tehran maintains its nuclear program ? already the subject of several rounds of sanctions ? is purely peaceful.
The U.S. Congress has passed a bill that penalizes foreign firms that do business with the Iran Central Bank, a move that would heavily hurt Iran's ability to export crude. European and Asian nations use the bank for transactions to import Iranian oil.
President Barack Obama has said he will sign the bill despite his misgivings. China and Russia have opposed such measures.
Sanctions specifically targeting Iran's oil exports would likely temporarily spike oil prices to levels that could weigh heavily on the world economy.
Closing the Strait of Hormuz would hit even harder. Energy consultant and trader The Schork Group estimated crude would jump to above $140 per barrel. Conservatives in Iran claim global oil prices will jump to $250 a barrel should the waterway be closed.
By closing the strait, Iran may aim to send the message that its pain from sanctions will also be felt by others. But it has equally compelling reasons not to try.
The move would put the country's hardline regime straight in the cross-hairs of the world, including nations that have so far been relative allies. Much of Iran's crude goes to Europe and to Asia.
"Shutting down the strait ... is the last bullet that Iran has and therefore we have to express some doubt that they would do this and at the same time lose their support from China and Russia," said analyst Olivier Jakob of Petromatrix in Switzerland.
Iran has adopted an aggressive military posture in recent months in response to increasing threats from the U.S. and Israel of possible military action to stop Iran's nuclear program.
The Iranian navy's exercises, which began on Saturday, involve submarines, missile drills, torpedoes and drones. A senior Iranian commander said Wednesday that the country's navy is also planning to test advanced missiles and "smart" torpedoes during the maneuvers.
The war games cover a 1,250-mile (2,000-kilometer) stretch off the Strait of Hormuz, northern parts of the Indian Ocean and into the Gulf of Aden near the entrance to the Red Sea and could bring Iranian ships into proximity with U.S. Navy vessels in the area.
The moderate news website, irdiplomacy.ir, says the show of strength is intended to send a message to the West that Iran is capable of sealing off the waterway.
"The war games ... are a warning to the West that should oil and central bank sanctions be stepped up, (Iran) is able to cut the lifeblood of the West and Arabs," it said, adding that the West "should regard the maneuvers as a direct message."
___
El-Tablawy reported from Cairo. Associated Press writers Adam Schreck in Dubai, Julie Pace in Honolulu, Hawaii, and Abdullah Shihri in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, contributed.
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Deaths in Somalia underscore risks MSF endures (AP)
NAIROBI, Kenya ? A second foreigner working with Doctors Without Borders died of his wounds in an attack in Somalia that also killed the group's country director, though the aid organization declared Friday that despite the risks it would still provide medical care in one of the world's most dangerous countries.
The deaths in Mogadishu of Philippe Havet, 53, from Belgium; and Andrias Karel Keiluhu, 44, from Indonesia, on Thursday underscore the risks that volunteers for the group encounter all over the world. Havet was country director for MSF, as the group is known by its initials in French. Keiluhu was a doctor.
The shootings were blamed on a Somali MSF logistics officer who had been fired the day before over allegations he had been stealing medicine. The gunman was arrested after the attack.
"MSF will be relocating some staff for security reasons, but remains committed to continuing our humanitarian work in Mogadishu and elsewhere in Somalia," the group said in a statement Friday. MSF said it was "shocked and saddened" by the deaths.
Doctors Without Borders was worried that Keiluhu could be targeted for further attack even while he was in the hospital in Mogadishu, clinging to life. An internal security report obtained by The Associated Press said that MSF asked the Somali government to protect Keiluhu.
"The clan of the former logistics officer is thought to have been making significant profits from the re-sale of stolen MSF-Belgium medicine, and there were concerns about further attempts on the doctor's life," the security report said.
Doctors Without Borders has endured deadly attacks before. In June 2004, five workers with the group ? two Afghans, a Norwegian, a Dutchman and a Belgian ? were killed by gunmen in Afghanistan. The group pulled out of Afghanistan shortly afterward. Three MSF members ? a Kenyan surgeon, a French logistics expert and a Somali driver ? died in Somalia in 2007 after a landmine attack that the group believes was premeditated.
The Somali employee, who ran the group's logistics, was dismissed from his job on Wednesday, then returned to the MSF compound on Thursday and opened fire with a pistol, according to a security guard there. Guards who had not been informed of the dismissal allowed the former employee onto the compound, the security guard said.
Havet died immediately. Keiluhu died later of his wounds later despite numerous blood transfusions, said nurse Abdiaziz Haji. Keiluhu had been shot several times in the torso, Haji said.
The deaths underscore the dangers faced by aid workers trying to help residents in a country mired in two decades of anarchy.
In October, gunmen entered the world's largest refugee camp ? Dadaab, in Kenya but near the Somali border ? and snatched two Spanish women working for Doctors Without Borders. There whereabouts are unknown. Dadaab is filled with nearly a half million Somali refugees fleeing conflict and hunger. Kenya used that kidnapping, as well as previous abductions of British and French women, to justify its military incursion into Somalia.
Only a few days later, gunmen abducted a 32-year-old female American aid worker in northern Somalia along with a Danish colleague from the de-mining unit of the Danish Refugee Council.
Many aid groups do not allow international aid workers in Somalia or limit the time they can spend there. Security in Mogadishu has improved this year but Thursday's shooting shows how dangerous it remains. Doctors Without Borders has been working in the Horn of Africa nation since 1991.
In its statement, the group described Havet as an "experienced emergency coordinator" who worked with MSF in Angola, Congo, Indonesia, Lebanon, Sierra Leone, South Africa and Somalia, beginning in 2000. Keiluhu had worked with the group since 1998, in Indonesia, Ethiopia, Thailand and Somalia.
Meanwhile, Kenya's military spokesman said Friday that five fighters from the militant group al-Shabab and one Kenyan soldier died in a clash in southern Somalia. Kenyan forces moved into Somalia in mid-October, declaring the cross-border kidnappings had created insecurity in neighboring Kenya.
Al-Shabab reported a far different version of events, saying on its official Twitter feed that its fighters burned three armored personnel carriers and killed 11 Kenyan soldiers in a complex ambush that began with the detonation of an improvised explosive device.
It was impossible to confirm either version of events.
The International Committee of the Red Cross said Friday that it has sent urgently needed medical supplies to southern Somalia "on both sides of the frontline" ? meaning on the Kenyan military side and the al-Shabab side.
"More than 100 wounded people, mainly civilians, reached the medical facilities during the most recent phase of the fighting," said Randi Jensen, an ICRC nurse. "It has become very dangerous for patients to reach the few clinics available to them and we just don't know how many more wounded are still out there, desperately waiting to get help."
The ICRC urged both sides to ensure that civilians are not harmed during the fighting.
The United Nations refugee agency said a refugee leader in Dadaab was shot Thursday evening and died Friday. Commissioner Antonio Guterres said he regretted the killing of the chairperson of the Community Peace and Security Team in the Hagadera camp.
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GM recalling Chevrolet Sonics to check brake pads
FILE - In this Aug. 3, 2011 photo made available by General Motors Co., a 2012 Chevrolet Sonic sedan is driven around the test track at the GM Milford Proving Ground in Milford, Michigan. General Motors Co. said on Friday, Dec. 30, 2011, that it is recalling more than 4,000 of its 2012 Chevrolet Sonic subcompact cars to check for missing brake pads. (AP Photo/GM, John F. Martin, File)
FILE - In this Aug. 3, 2011 photo made available by General Motors Co., a 2012 Chevrolet Sonic sedan is driven around the test track at the GM Milford Proving Ground in Milford, Michigan. General Motors Co. said on Friday, Dec. 30, 2011, that it is recalling more than 4,000 of its 2012 Chevrolet Sonic subcompact cars to check for missing brake pads. (AP Photo/GM, John F. Martin, File)
DETROIT (AP) ? General Motors Co. said on Friday that it is recalling more than 4,000 of its 2012 Chevrolet Sonic subcompact cars to check for missing brake pads.
The possibility that some Sonics could be missing an inner or outer brake pad was discovered during warranty service for a rental vehicle customer. GM said the problem "is expected to exist in very few cars," and there are no known crashes or injuries related to the issue. A missing pad could require longer stopping distance, and contribute to a crash.
The recall involves 4,296 of GM's 2012 Sonics sold in the U.S. The affected models are from the Orion Township, Mich., assembly plant, where the Sonic is built for sale in the U.S. and Canada.
Dealers will inspect the front brakes for missing inner or outer pads and, if a pad is missing, install new pads. If needed, a new brake caliper or brake rotor, or both, will also be installed. Affected customers will receive dealer letters beginning Jan. 14.
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Friday, December 30, 2011
Florida State rallies to beat Notre Dame (AP)
ORLANDO, Fla. ? There were moments during the Champs Sports Bowl when Florida State and Notre Dame resembled the dominant programs they were a decade ago.
There also were moments when it was clear that though both have made progress the past two years under their young, eager coaches, it's not time to celebrate their returns just yet.
That sentiment was not lost on Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher after the No. 25 Seminoles rallies to beat the Irish 18-14 on Thursday night.
"This team has been through a lot," Fisher said. "We've had a lot of trials and tribulations with injuries, tightly played games, and a lot of people doubted it. But I said all along this team has a special character to it. It always does. It competes."
He was proud of how his team overcame a dismal first half and 14-point third-quarter deficit.
E.J. Manuel threw two touchdown passes, and Dustin Hopkins made two field goals to help to the Seminoles earn their fourth straight bowl victory and second straight under Fisher.
Florida State receiver Rashad Greene, who caught one of Manuel's touchdown passes and had a team-high five catches for 99 yards, was selected the game's MVP.
It all helped put a happy face on a night when the Seminoles' offensive line surrendered at least five sacks for the second time this year and the offense had a fumble returned for a touchdown.
Due to injuries, Fisher was forced to start four freshmen on the line.
The Seminoles finished the game with 290 yards, went 3 for 14 on third down, and got an efficient night from Manuel. He played behind a young offensive line, but was 20 for 31 passing for 249 yards.
Manuel said none of the early miscues mattered at the end of the game, though.
"We had a very good finish," Manuel said. "We play for each other, not individual stats and performance. We just beat Notre Dame. We're going to feel good for months."
The Irish had three turnovers ? all interceptions by quarterbacks Tommy Rees and Andrew Hendrix ? and gave up four sacks of their own.
Notre Dame shuffled between Rees and Hendrix throughout the game, but both struggled. They were a combined 19 for 35 for 187 yards. The Irish also were a paltry 1 for 3 inside the red zone.
Florida State scored on all four of its red-zone chances.
"We know what we need to do," Irish coach Brian Kelly said. We've already talked about it, and the players that are going to be back for the 2012 football season will be committed to getting that end done."
The Irish also were without their biggest offensive star, with receiver Michael Floyd being forced to the sideline following a third-quarter touchdown catch with what Kelly described as an "upper-body injury."
Floyd returned to the game, but was a non-factor. Kelly, who made Floyd a game captain in his final college game, said he hated to see Floyd in that predicament.
"You remember the guys that overcome, the guys that compete in battle, and he did that today," Kelly said.
One of the guys that the Irish will have back is junior linebacker Manti Te'o. He led Notre Dame with 13 tackles and a got in on one of the sacks. He said fatigue wasn't a factor in the Irish not being able to maintain pressure on Manuel in the fourth quarter.
Though they held Florida State's offense under its season average of 31 points, Te'o said he knows the players coming back weren't please, which is a welcomed sign for next season.
"We still allowed the opposing offense to put points on the board, and that' snot something we want to do, but we just have to keep good enough off of this year," he said. "... We'll start to get better as a team, not only as a defense because we're going to win or lose as a team. It doesn't matter, and we just have to stay together and just focus on the little things."
After some stagnant offense on both sides in the first half, Florida State trailed 14-0 early in the third quarter before finding some momentum through the air.
The Seminoles cut it to 14-9 on Manuel's 18-yard touchdown to Bert Reed to open the fourth quarter, but failed on the 2-point conversion attempt.
Florida State took the lead just 1:32 later after Nigel Bradham intercepted Hendrix's pass inside the Notre Dame 20 to set up Green's 18-yard touchdown reception. The Seminoles failed again on a 2-point try, leaving it 15-14.
The Seminoles added their second field goal of the game a series later.
Notre Dame had one final chance to win after a poor punt by the Seminoles and a facemask penalty on the return gave the Irish the ball on the Florida State 28 with 3:56 to play, but Rees' pass was picked off in the end zone with 2:48 left.
Florida State safety Terrance Brooks, who had the final interception, said belief in themselves is the biggest thing they will carry into next season.
"Just go out there and do it," he said. "You know you've got it in you. We went out there and read our keys and got the job done."
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New Ford Fusion Will Warn Drivers Who Drift
By PAUL STENQUIST
Ford Motor Company offered on Thursday a taste of some advanced technology that will be featured in the all-new Fusion, which is scheduled to be introduced at the Detroit auto show in January. The technical tidbit is a tracking system that can help prevent drowsy or inattentive drivers from wandering out of their lane. While similar technology has previously been offered on some automobiles, Octavio Navarro, a Ford spokesman, said in a telephone interview that the Fusion will be the first affordable nonluxury vehicle to offer this type of system.
Fusion?s Lane Keeping System monitors the vehicle?s position with a windshield-mounted digital camera that can track lane markings. If the car drifts close to the edge of the lane without the turn signal on, the driver will be notified by a vibration in the steering wheel that feels much like the pulsing caused by rumble strips in the road. A system that Ford calls Lane Keeping Aid can steer the car back toward the center of the lane if the driver doesn?t respond to the warning.
If the Lane Keeping System calculates that the driving pattern over a period of time suggests that the driver is drowsy, a chime sounds and a coffee cup icon warning appears on the instrument panel. If the driver continues to nap, a second chime is issued.
According to a Ford news release, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that 100,000 reported accidents are caused annually by drowsy drivers, resulting in 1,500 deaths, 71,000 injuries and $12.5 billion in monetary loses.
The system must be turned on by the driver, who can choose to employ just the alert function without the steering assist. The intensity of the warnings is also driver selectable. The switched-on system becomes active at speeds over 40 m.p.h. when lane markings are visible.
?Fusion?s Lane Keeping System combines a digital imaging sensor with our own state-of-the-art control software to process images and determine what level of warning or assistance to provide to the driver,? Michale Kane, Ford development engineer, said in a media release.
The all-new Fusion is a very important car for Ford, because it will determine how big a role the automaker plays in the large and lucrative midsize marketplace. Few will be surprised if more details are disseminated before the big reveal at Detroit?s Cobo Hall.
Source: http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/12/29/new-ford-fusion-will-warn-drivers-who-drift/
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Thursday, December 29, 2011
Just another partner search
Hello Loves. ^__^ Once again im looking to add a few new roleplay partners. I currently have a lot of extra time on my hands for reasons i would rather not go into, so.. i thought i would see if anyone is interested in a few one on ones? I tend to favor darker themed roleplays, though thats not all i'll do. I am also usually more prone to fantasy, but i've been known to do a realistic if the story is good. Post length tends to vary depending on whats going on, but i can usually get up to 4 decent paragraphs. I can play either gender. I favor the female role but am not limited to it. I can aslo double if need be. Pairing wise i have no limits. I have done the standard male/female, male/male and female/female a number of times each.
A few things i would be interested in
~Angel/demon
~boarding school -School in general is an interesting place to have a setting
~urban fantasy
~dark fantasy
~Romance (as part of the plot, not the whole thing)
~Vampire/hunter
~Werewolf/Vampire
~Old friends (ask for an explanation if interested)
~Prince or princess/servant
~Medieval
~Horror
~And many, many more ^__^
If anyone has any interest in tossing some ideas around leave a comment or send a message ^__^
~Riz
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RolePlayGateway/~3/jJO2lMxgr8c/viewtopic.php
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Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Best Features of Apple - Ipad 2
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Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Iranian woman to face death by stoning or hanging
FILE - In this Jan. 1, 2011 file photo, Iranian Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, who has been sentenced to death by stoning for adultery, speaks to the media in a news briefing, in the northwestern city of Tabriz, Iran. On Sunday, Dec. 25, 2011, a local judiciary official says Ashtiani will be executed either by stoning or hanging. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi, File)
FILE - In this Jan. 1, 2011 file photo, Iranian Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, who has been sentenced to death by stoning for adultery, speaks to the media in a news briefing, in the northwestern city of Tabriz, Iran. On Sunday, Dec. 25, 2011, a local judiciary official says Ashtiani will be executed either by stoning or hanging. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi, File)
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) ? Authorities in Iran said Sunday they are again moving ahead with plans to execute a woman sentenced to death by stoning on an adultery conviction in a case that sparked an international outcry, but are considering whether to carry out the punishment by hanging instead.
Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani is already behind bars, serving a 10-year sentence on a separate conviction in the murder of her husband. Amid the international outrage her case generated, Iran in July 2010 suspended plans to carry out her death sentence on the adultery conviction.
On Sunday, a senior judiciary official said experts were studying whether the punishment of stoning could be changed to hanging.
"There is no haste. ... We are waiting to see whether we can carry out the execution of a person sentenced to stoning by hanging or not," said Malek Ajdar Sharifi, the head of justice department of East Azerbaijan province, where Ashtiani is jailed.
"As soon as the result (of the investigation) is obtained, we will carry out the sentence," he said, according to the semi-official ISNA news agency.
The charge of a married woman having an illicit relationship requires a punishment of stoning, he said.
He said judiciary chief Ayatollah Sadeq Larijani ordered a halt to stoning in order to allow Islamic experts to investigate whether the punishment can be altered in Ashtiani's case.
Ashtiani was convicted of adultery in 2006 after the murder of her husband.
She was later convicted of being an accessory to her husband's murder and sentenced to 10 years in prison.
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Conn. house where 5 died in fire is torn down
Firefighters are seen on the roof of a house where an early morning fire left five people dead Sunday, Dec. 25, 2011, in Stamford, Conn. Officials said the fire, which was reported shortly before 5 a.m., killed two adults and three children. Two others escaped. Their names have not been released. (AP Photo/Tina FIneberg)
Firefighters are seen on the roof of a house where an early morning fire left five people dead Sunday, Dec. 25, 2011, in Stamford, Conn. Officials said the fire, which was reported shortly before 5 a.m., killed two adults and three children. Two others escaped. Their names have not been released. (AP Photo/Tina FIneberg)
Firefighters spray water on the roof of a house where an early morning fire left five people dead Sunday, Dec. 25, 2011, in Stamford, Conn. Officials said the fire, which was reported shortly before 5 a.m., killed two adults and three children. Two others escaped. Their names have not been released. (AP Photo/Tina FIneberg)
FILE - In this Aug. 25, 1998 file photo, Madonna Badger, president and creative director of what was then called Badger Worldwide Advertising, now Badger and Winters Group, poses in her New York office. Badger is the owner of a tony Connecticut home that burned in a blaze that killed five people on Christmas morning Sunday, Dec. 25, 2011. (AP Photo/Jim Cooper, File)
The back of a house where an early morning fire left five people dead is seen Sunday, Dec. 25, 2011, in Stamford, Conn. Officials said the fire, which was reported shortly before 5 a.m., killed two adults and three children. Two others escaped. Their names have not been released. (AP Photo/Tina FIneberg)
A section of a house where an early morning fire left five people dead is seen Sunday, Dec. 25, 2011 in Stamford, Conn. Officials said the fire, which was reported shortly before 5 a.m., killed two adults and three children. Two others escaped. Their names have not been released. (AP Photo/Tina Fineberg)
STAMFORD, Conn. (AP) ? A house severely damaged in a Christmas morning fire that killed three children and two grandparents, one of whom worked as Santa Claus at Saks Fifth Avenue, has been torn down.
The building department determined that the $1.7 million house was unsafe and ordered it razed, Stamford fire chief Antonio Conte said.
The home's owner, advertising executive Madonna Badger, and her male acquaintance escaped from the fire. But Badger's three daughters ? a 10-year-old and 7-year-old twins ? and her parents, who were visiting for the holiday, died, police said.
Neighbors said they awoke to the sound of screaming shortly before 5 a.m. Sunday and rushed outside to help, but could do nothing as flames devoured the large, turreted home.
Police said the male acquaintance who escaped the blaze with Badger was a contractor working on the home. He was also hospitalized but his condition was not released.
Interviews with them will be finished Monday, Conte said. He had no details on the investigation.
A spokeswoman for Saks Fifth Avenue confirmed in a statement that Badger's father, Lomer Johnson, had worked as a Santa this year at its flagship store in Manhattan.
"Mr. Johnson was Saks Fifth Avenue's beloved Santa, and we are heartbroken about this terrible tragedy," spokeswoman Julia Bently said.
Connecticut Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, a former mayor of Stamford, offered his condolences to Badger and her family in a statement and said her loss "defies explanation."
The fire was Stamford's deadliest since a 1987 blaze that also killed five people, Conte said.
Badger, an ad executive in the fashion industry, is the founder of New York City-based Badger & Winters Group. A supervisor at Stamford Hospital said she was treated and discharged by Sunday evening. Her whereabouts Monday was unknown.
Property records show Badger bought the five-bedroom, waterfront home for $1.7 million last year. The house is situated in Shippan Point, a wealthy neighborhood that juts into Long Island Sound.
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More Than 26,000 U.S. Jobs To Be Created in First-Quarter 2012 as 244 Industrial Plants Begin Operations
??Free News Article??
??Attachment IncludedMore Than 26,000 U.S. Jobs To Be Created in First-Quarter 2012 as 244 Industrial Plants Begin Operations
SUGAR LAND--December 23, 2011--Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--The subject of jobs, or a lack thereof, has been on many peoples' minds for the entirety of 2011. In the post-recession environment, millions remain out of work, and finding a solution to this situation has been problematic for the highest levels of government. While the unemployment rate has been dropping in recent months, the level of jobs creation has been slow and is not likely to improve in the coming year, given the economic uncertainty facing the United States and the rest of the world.
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Attachment: IIR Chart - Planned 1Q12 U.S. Plant Openings, Job Opportunities
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Source: http://www.industrialinfo.com/showNews.jsp?newsitemID=193315
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Monday, December 26, 2011
Corporate foreign tax holiday would create jobs
As Congress takes a break from its highly partisan debate on an extension of the payroll tax bill, there should be one other job stimulus item on the table: temporary repatriation of foreign earnings at a lower tax rate for U.S. companies.
As CEOs of two Silicon Valley companies, each with more than 3,000 local employees, we want to ring a warning bell. Washington is about to walk away from a $1.4 trillion private sector stimulus that would result in billions in revenue to the Treasury and create jobs.
The New Democrat Coalition, Blue Dog Democrats and the Freshmen Republican Caucus all agree that repatriating foreign earnings at a lower tax rate is one of the few bipartisan solutions left to jump-start our struggling economy. The reduced tax rate has had considerable debate and it's up to Congress to make a decision. It was 5.25 percent in 2005.
Unfortunately, U.S. businesses - including many of the 345 member companies of the Silicon Valley Leadership Group - are hindered by an outdated tax system that ends up taxing foreign earnings by up to 35 percent. This is the combination of taxes paid in the countries where goods are sold and an additional tax by the United States when companies bring the money home. This double tax causes companies like ours to be uncompetitive against our foreign competitors, and it often discourages the reinvestment of earnings back into U.S. jobs and innovation. When additional state taxes are added, the average U.S. corporate tax rate rises to as high as 39.2 percent, the second-highest in the developed world, only slightly behind Japan's.
Congress can act now to bring this revenue home. Laura D'Andrea Tyson, former Clinton administration chair of the Council of Economic Advisers, found that a tax reduction on foreign earnings to approximately 5.25 percent would lead to an increase in capital spending by companies and an increase in consumption spending by individual and institutional shareholders. As a result, GDP would increase by $178 billion to $336 billion, 1.3 million to 2.5 million jobs would be added, and corporate tax revenues would rise by $36 billion.
Contrary to the rhetoric, there were great successes following the temporary reduction of the repatriation tax seven years ago.
Brocade Communications Systems repatriated approximately $75 million. The money was used to support workers' wages and compensation, growing our businesses and strategic investments. Since 2005, Brocade has increased its U.S. head count from nearly 1,000 employees to more than 3,500 at the end of 2010.
Varian Medical Systems repatriated approximately $128 million, using the funds for acquisitions, R&D initiatives that improved cancer care and expansion of manufacturing capabilities in Salt Lake City and Las Vegas. Our workforce has grown from 3,900 people to 5,300 at the end of 2010.
But these are just two small proof points that repatriation has been successful in the past. If Congress acts now to pass a temporary repatriation at a competitive tax rate, it will stimulate our nation's economy and create jobs. That's a proposal worthy of bipartisan support.
This article appeared on page A - 16 of the San?Francisco?Chronicle
Source: http://feeds.sfgate.com/click.phdo?i=8ee81b63ce89ed7dc8085222592c3ce2
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Business Matters: Inside SoundExchange's 2010 and 2011 ...
The Inevitability of Unpaid Royalties: SoundExchange's 2010 & 2011 Numbers
-- SoundExchange, the non-profit organization tasked with collecting and distributing royalties from non-interactive webcasters, paid out $250 million to artists and labels in 2010 and expects to pay out $292 million in 2011. Since its inception, SoundExchange is nearing $900 million in total distributions.
In 2010, SoundExchange collected $270 million in royalties and paid out about $250 million. That unbalance may seem bad, but there's actually a positive trend: the growth in SoundExchange's payments (60.3 percent) was greater than the growth in its collections (32.2 percent). The 2010 numbers can be found in the organization's IRS Form 990 recently made public.
Why would money leave faster than it came in? SoundExchange tells Billboard.biz it had 12,000 new registrations in 2010 and another 15,300 in 2011. In the last year, SoundExchange has done over 80 matching programs with partners such as TuneCore and RootMusic to help identify artists and labels who have unclaimed royalties. SoundExchange adds that it has added in-house staff to help contract unregistered artists and labels.
In another good sign, the year-ending balance of unpaid royalties declined to $252 million at the end of 2010 from $294 million at the end of 2009. The amount marked as unpayable fell from to $111 million from $132 million.
Of the $252 million cash balance, about $120 million has either been already or is almost paid, the organization claims. Here's how that breaks down: About $60 million was paid in 2011, uncashed checks account for $26 million (up from $11 million a year earlier) and $14 million are queued for distribution in 2012. Another $20 million represents royalties for which SoundExchange has no data. And $49 million was accrued but not received at the end of 2010.
The remaining $132 million is marked as unpayable, down from $111 million a year earlier. Almost half of the amount, $60 million, is earmarked for artists but is unclaimed because the artist has not yet registered with SoundExchange. A year earlier, the unclaimed balance was $43 million.
SoundExchange routinely takes heat for the amount of unpaid royalties on its books. Critics want to see artists and labels located and paid - and rightly so - before unpaid amounts are taken off the books and paid out to existing members. Indeed, nobody can be happy that $132 million in royalties is unpayable when digital revenue is needed more than ever. ?
But some level of unpayable royalties is inevitable, unfortunately. And artists and labels need to take responsibility. One figure shows the long, though slog involved in securing new registrants: 36 percent. That's the fraction of artists and labels that were located through matching programs with partners - and contacted by those partners - who actually registered in 2011. According to figures shared by SoundExchange, matching programs located 42,400 unpaid parties yet SoundExchange had only 15,300 new registrants in 2011.
Google, Vevo comScore High
-- Google sites retained their spot atop comScore's top U.S. web properties in November while music video network Vevo maintained its footprint. Out of 221 million U.S. Internet users, Google sites had 186.7 million unique visitors in November, the same it had in October. That's a huge number with direct implications for the music industry. Google Music will need to leverage Google's breadth to get its music locker and download store off the ground. Vevo videos are viewed on YouTube and thus benefit from Google's massive footprint. And the fortunes of the Android mobile platform are in some ways tied to the success of Google's online products and properties. Needless to say, it's good to be No. 1.
Vevo had 63.3 million unique U.S. visitors in November, about even with the 63.6 million unique visitors it reached in October. But Vevo dropped one spot to #17 on comScore's rankings. As detailed by comScore's U.S. Online Video Rankings for November, Vevo was the top YouTube channel with 53.3 million unique visitors, 845.5 million videos viewed and 71.1 minutes per viewer on the platform.
( comScore)
3,300: The Echo Nest's Artists-That-Called-It-A-Day-in-2011 List
-- Paul Lamere, director of developer platform at music intelligence company The Echo Nest, compiled a list of artists who "called it a day in 2011." These are people who died, went on indefinite hiatus or retired this year. Lamere created the list searching The Echo Nest's metadata and limiting the results for artists with an end-year of 2011. The results were ranked by The Echo Nest's proprietary measure of an artist's hotness. ?
The list shows not only the surprising number of artists who stopped making music in 2011 - the list has 3,300 names! - but shows the ways The Echo Nest's music intelligence platform can be used in unexpected ways. The alternative to Lamere's method for creating this list is a far more cumbersome process that would undoubtedly involve much human labor instead of simple coding.
?(Artists That Called It A Day in 2011, via Copyhype)
?
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Rose Parade floats go through a dry period
When Rose Parade float companies begin decorating, there?s nary a rose in sight.?
Why? Because float decoration is in effect a two-stage process. First come the materials that will not wilt or die. They include seeds, beans, seaweed, bark, straw flowers and the like.?
At Phoenix Decorating?s Rosemont Pavilion, one of two facilities the company maintains in Pasadena, dry decoration is nearly complete. Volunteers led by crew chiefs and their assistants have been at it since early December.
Each float has a master book of directions written by Phoenix floral director Lyn Lofthouse indicating the color, kind and location of the materials. For a float like the one sponsored this year by Trader Joe?s, the directions can get complicated.
?Everything on that float has some kind of specialized detail. There are cans" of corn and other products found at Trader Joe?s "that are heavily detailed,? Lofthouse said. There are dry materials over many sections of the float and ?you just don?t slop it up there. There?s a direction to make it look sharp and clean.?
Some parts of the float are detailed enough to require the placement of individual seeds or beans one at a time.
This is where decorating crew chiefs and their assistants come to center stage. Some volunteers are repeat performers, but many are first-timers who need more direction.?
The Trader Joe?s crew chief, Nan Koupal-Smith, has been decorating the store?s floats for 10 years and fully understands the importance of getting small bits in the right place in the right way. ?The placement of detailed pieces of material gives the surface a multi-dimensional look rather than a flat surface look,? said Koupal-Smith. Using single grains makes the float "pop so you can see the three dimensions. That?s what you want to see when you?re looking at it.?
Decorators place the dry material after applying glue to the surface. The white glue is similar to Elmer?s but a bit thicker.
And when it comes to the actual application, Koupal-Smith said, technique is a matter of individual preference and the material in question. ?Some people use brushes, some people use sponges; it depends on how big the surface is. I use my hand. I?ve done it so long I can?t use a sponge.?
The importance of leadership on the decorating floor in finishing floats is not lost on Lofthouse.?I can?t do 22 floats by myself," she said. "So crew chiefs and assistants are an important part for me.?
And whence the army of volunteers so essential to finishing the floats? Phoenix gets them through its website and civic and other groups. Float sponsor employees are another source.
Many are longtime participants who have developed a true team sense with others on their crews. ?We look forward to it and seeing everybody because we only see them once a year,? said Pasadena resident Cheryl Graffi, who has decorated floats for 25 years, all of them as a member of Koupal-Smith?s team.?
For first-timer Vicki Robinson, one of the service members from the Los Angeles Air Force Base working on floats this year, it is a different reason. ?I just wanted to be part of it. I thought it would be fun, but I didn?t know what to expect. There?s real excitement here.?
-- Tom Reinken
Photo: Volunteer Cheryl Graffi touches up dry decoration material for the Trader Joe's float. Credit: Tom Reinken
Source: http://feeds.latimes.com/~r/lanowblog/~3/2Z1SHjKYKSk/rose-floats-go-through-a-dry-period.html
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Tue 12/27: Manson Community Council
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Sunday, December 25, 2011
Why Berkeley Chose Google over Microsoft
December 24, 2011
The University of California at Berkeley chose Google Apps over Microsoft 365 and has released a detailed comparison of the two in order to be transparent in why a public university made its technology decision.Source: http://blog.tmcnet.com/on-rads-radar/2011/12/why-berkeley-chose-google-over-microsoft.html
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Americans Elect Qualifies For California Ballot
Earlier this week, the privately funded political group Americans Elect scored a spot on the California ballot in the 2012 presidential election by submitting the signatures of over one million registered voters.
California is the twelfth state--including crucial swing states like Ohio, Florida and Nevada--to give the organization a place on the ballot. The group expects to eventually have its candidate listed in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
"It is clear that voters are receptive to more choices, more competition, and the reason is that the Democratic and Republican officeholders are not meeting their needs," Darry Sragow, a longtime California Democratic strategist now advising Americans Elect, told the Los Angeles Times.
The candidate for the new political party will be selected though a vote on its website sometime between April and June of next year; however, it's unclear from which side of the political spectrum he or she will be drawn.
Presently, only former Louisiana Governor Buddy Roemer (who also briefly flirted with seeking the Republican nomination until lackluster fundraising and virtually nonexistent name recognition ultimately did him in) is the sole candidate to have declared his intention to seek the Americans Elect nomination.
There is also some energy on the site going towards libertarian iconoclast Ron Paul, who is currently polling near the top of the race for the Republican nomination, as well as former GOP Utah governor John Huntsman. Reality TV star Donald Trump has also mused publicly about the possibility of throwing his has into Americans Elect's ring.
The organization ideally hopes to nominate a centrist, such as New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who would be able to draw voters from both sides of the ideological divide.
The chairman and most public face of Americans Elect is wealthy financier Peter Ackerman, who was the number two for infamous junk-bond kingpin Michael Milken at Drexel Burnham Lambert in the 1980s and previously served on the board of directors for the influential conservative think tank The Cato Institute.
In addition to Ackerman, the organization's senior leadership is largely comprised of Washington insiders like former National Intelligence Director Dennis Blair, former New Jersey Governor and Environmental Protection Agency head Christine Todd Whitman and George W. Bush strategist Mark McKinnon.
While Ackerman has given Americans Elect some $5.5 million, other donors to the organization have been kept secret. "This is not popular in the Democratic of Republican parties," Elliot Ackerman, Peter's son and the group's chief operating officer told the Sacramento Bee. Ackerman argued that Americans Elect's backers shouldn't be made public or else they would likely face recriminations from the political elites of both parties.
Americans Elect's secretive funding model isn't the only reason some political observers remain weary of the group. Time Magazine reports:
Skeptics are also wary of the powers the group has reserved for itself. The group's bylaws entrust an appointed group of advisers -- known as the "candidate certification committee" -- with deciding whether candidates who don't automatically qualify for inclusion on the ballot are eligible for nomination. The committee's decision can be vetoed by two-thirds of Americans Elect delegates, but the structure has sparked complaints that it's sinister -- "uberdemocracy meets back-room bosses," as Obama strategist David Axelrod put it to reporters on Dec. 13.
Americans Elect hopes to officially be on the ballot in 30 states by the end of the year.
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Saturday, December 24, 2011
And The Winner Of The Bob Feller 2001 Topps Archives Baseball Card Is?
post from 30-Year Old Cardboard on 24 December 2011 01:30:33 AM. ? 30-Year Old Cardboard
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And The Winner Of The Bob Feller 2001 Topps Archives Baseball Card Is? Spiegel 83 Congratulations. Here is one more look at the prize: And here is how the winner was selected using a randomizer: Spiegel83, I have sent you ? Continue reading ?
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Adidas Accused of Bullying Church in Trademark Dispute; Derrick Rose Caught in the Middle
A church in Northern Illinois claims Adidas is on a vicious campaign to torpedo the organization, and Chicago Bulls star Derrick Rose is caught in the middle.
The Christian Faith Fellowship Church in Zion, Ill., trademarked the name Add A Zero as a campaign to sell clothing and other items to raise money for a new building, a local food pantry and a day care program. Worthwhile endeavors, all.
But in 2009, years after the Church got its trademark, Adidas tried to register the name ADIZERO, for a sub-brand of its athletic clothing. Adidas is marking the line, using Bulls point guard and Chicago native Derrick Rose as its spokesperson.
The U.S. Trademark Office negged Adidas because the church registered it first.
Adidas offered the Church $5,000 to give up the name, and was turned down.
Then, in November 2010, Adidas petitioned the U.S. Trademark Office to cancel the Church's trademark, on ground the Church hadn't used it enough.
The petition is pending, but three weeks ago, Pastor E. James Logan from the Church sent letters to Adidas, begging them to back down. He wrote:
"I have long been an admirer of Adidas and would not expect a company of your stature to try to use wealth and power to bully a working class church."
The Pastor also wrote Rose, pleading for him to knock some sense into Adidas.
Rose rose from one of the Chicago's most dangerous neighborhoods to star for a franchise that has been searching for Michael Jordan's replacement since 1998.
He just signed a five year, $94.8 million contract with the Bulls, and has said he would like to use some of his newfound riches to improve his old neighborhood.
He says he'd like to bring indoor basketball courts and after-school programs to Englewood. Maybe he can start by helping this church keep its trademark.
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Friday, December 23, 2011
With Pre-Caucus Focus on GOP Race, Occupy Movement Steps Up Activism in Iowa
AMY GOODMAN: We turn to national politics here in the United States. Nermeen?
NERMEEN SHAIKH: We turn now to the upcoming Iowa caucus. The Occupy movement is making its presence felt in Iowa ahead of the nation?s first nominating contest, set for January 3rd, and it has made President Obama?not the Republican field of candidates?the target of one of its first major stands. On Monday, eight people affiliated with Occupy Des Moines held a protest at the Iowa Democratic Party headquarters. Occupy demonstrators have also targeted the "Obama for America" office in recent days, protesting measures being considered in Washington dealing with defense spending, a planned oil pipeline and jobless benefits.
On Saturday, members from Occupy Omaha and Occupy Iowa City joined Occupy Des Moines with Veterans for Peace, the Catholic Worker community, and Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement outside the Obama campaign headquarters. Using the human microphone to amplify their voices, they listed their demands.
OCCUPY PROTESTERS: Cut the U.S. military budget in half, dismantle our U.S. military empire, and rejoin the community of nations, so we can create jobs, balance the budget, meet our people?s needs here, and help the human community to heal our dying planet.
NERMEEN SHAIKH: Norm Sterzenbach, the executive director of the Iowa Democratic Party, responded to protesters with the following statement, quote: "While we recognize their right to lawful protests, an occupation of our office is not acceptable and only interferes with the work we do to elect Democrats and build a better future for Iowa and our nation. It?s unfortunate that some members chose to face arrest, rather than leave as they were asked to do multiple times."
AMY GOODMAN: Well, the Occupy movement now appears set to turn its focus to Republicans, who will be crisscrossing the state for the next two weeks seeking voters? support. They plan to hold a people?s caucus on December 27th as part of a week of direct action and discussions surrounding the caucuses.
Jessica Mazour from Occupy Des Moines is one of the protesters trying to bring the Occupy messages to the U.S. political debate.
*JESSICA MAZOUR: I?m from Des Moines, Iowa. I?m part of Occupy Des Moines. I?m on the action and events committee. We have adopted the grievances of Occupy Wall Street. I think some of the ones almost everyone can agree on would be the ending corporate greed and getting money out of politics, because, in a way, if we can get that, that?s going to help all the other issues that everyone brings to the table.
AMY GOODMAN: For more, we go to the heart of the upcoming caucus: Des Moines, Iowa. We?re joined by DN! video stream by Hugh Espey, the executive director of Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement. It?s a 36-year-old grassroots organization with over 4,000 members.
Hugh Espey, talk about why you?re targeting the Democrats as well as the Republicans in this two weeks leading up to the Iowa caucuses.
HUGH ESPEY: Well, we feel both major political parties, both the Democrats and the Republicans, have been paying too much attention to Wall Street and the big banks and not enough attention to everyday people. So, in other words, they?ve been doing the bidding of the 1 percent versus the 99 percent. And we want both political parties to know that we want government of, by and for the people, not government of, by and for the corporations. So that?s why we?re taking our message to both Democrats and President Obama?I mean, Republicans and President Obama.
AMY GOODMAN: Talk about the arrests that took place.
HUGH ESPEY: Well, you know, on Monday, there were eight people that were arrested at the Democratic headquarters. We support what those folks were doing. In fact, we were there at the Obama headquarters on Saturday for a joint rally. We lifted up immigration issues, and we were there in solidarity with Veterans for Peace and others that were fighting back against the permanent war economy. So, we think that we have a right to?a constitutional right to state our purpose and to call for and to address grievances that we have with the government and the corporate control over the government. So, these sorts of protests are going to continue, until we are?have a system that puts people before profits and communities before corporations. It?s that simple. We?re fighting back against corporate greed, and we?re fighting back against corporate control of our democracy.
NERMEEN SHAIKH: At a Republican presidential debate in South Carolina last month, several contenders accused Obama of being too soft on Iran. However, Ron Paul offered a different take on dealing with Iran. I want to ask you about the surge in popularity enjoyed by Ron Paul, but first let?s just go to that clip.
RON PAUL: I?m afraid what?s going on right now is similar to the war propaganda that went on against Iraq. And you know they didn?t have weapons of mass destruction, and it was orchestrated. And it was, to me, a tragedy of what?s happened these past last 10 years, the death and destruction, $4 billion ??$4 trillion in debt. So, no, it?s not worthwhile going to war. If you do, you get a declaration of war, you fight it, and you win it and get it over with.
AMY GOODMAN: That was Ron Paul. Hugh Espey, can you talk about his surge in Iowa right now?
HUGH ESPEY: Well, we?yeah, over the past two weeks, he has surged. In fact, the poll just this past weekend, three days ago, shows him at 23 percent of likely caucus-goers, Romney at 20, and Gingrich at 14. Now Gingrich has fallen from 27 percent two weeks ago, so his support has been cut in half.
What I think about Paul and that surge is, one, his supporters tend to be younger. They?re very passionate. He?s got a great field operation in lots and lots of counties across the state. And really, the caucuses are about organization. You?re going to win, or you?re more likely to win, if you have volunteers and staff in place in all 99 counties that are going to turn out people on caucus night. Keep in mind, there are 1,800?almost 1,800 caucuses on the evening of January 3rd. So there?s lots of places where people show up. And you?ve got to have an organization in place to do that.
AMY GOODMAN: Clearly, Newt Gingrich has taken a nosedive right now. Massive ads from a number of the different Republican candidates against him, not just from candidates, but from PACs that don?t affiliate but are clearly?for example, supporting Mitt Romney?that are clearly eroding Newt Gingrich?s support. Can you talk about the money that?s pouring in right now in Iowa?
HUGH ESPEY: Well, you know, and we saw this two years ago, too. And you know, that that?s one of the problems that we see with our political system, in terms of?we?ve got to get money out and people in. You know, the Citizens United decision two years ago just opened up the floodgates. We need public financing. We need to end corporate personhood. But those negative ads have taken a hit on Gingrich, and I think probably the electorate and Republican caucus-goers have?see him now more as erratic, arrogant and somewhat of a bully.
AMY GOODMAN: Hugh Espey, we want to thank you for being with us. Of course, we?ll continue to cover the Iowa caucus. Hugh Espey is executive director of Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement, a 36-year-old grassroots organization with more than 4,000 members.
Source: http://www.democracynow.org/2011/12/21/with_pre_caucus_focus_on_gop
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