Gariwala

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This topic is an Out Of Character part of the roleplay, ?Through Monstrous Eyes?. Anything posted here will also show up there.

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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 thread is for the posting of places and landmarks which, by virtue of their size or importance, should be included in either the IC forum or the map. Please be concise as possible in your description of the location, for this is mainly a reference list.

Scumbag_Brain: Member for 1 years

Basics

Old World-The realms from which the civilized races come, a continent across the seas where monsters once lived but long ago were driven to extinction.

New World- A large continent, many times the size of the New World whose boundaries have not yet been fully explored. It's habitat's range from arctic to tropical and only its eastern half is colonized. A large chain of mountains split it across the middle and form a barrier to settlers.

The Colonies- A band of settlements concentrated on the eastern shore which push ever inward into the wilderness. There are three main colonies (each founded by a separate race) which are bound together by loose treaties.

New Arcadia - The Elven colony named for its mother country. It is the southernmost of the three colonies. Much of its wealth comes from plantations which make the raw material for fine elven textiles from the sweat of enslaved monsters.

Duerheim - Located in the frozen north where only dwarves could prosper, this colony is focused unsurprisingly on extracting ore (particularly of the enchanted variety) which it ships back to the mother country for processing.

Cathandria - Named for the human saint and cleric, Cathandra, this colony is strictly regulated by the teachings of the church. It is overseen not by secular magistrates but by a grand cleric who's word is law and who answers only to the Anointed across the sea.

The Wilds - A catch all term for the uncivilized lands west of the colonies which covers many diverse regions.

The Gray Mountains - Named for the slate gray stone which composes much of its peaks and the gray fog which drifts down from it, these mountains separate the eastern half of the New World from the mysteries which lay beyond. Most mundane theorists guess another shore lies to the far west, but a few speculate that the world simply ends or one crosses over into the mythical Dragon Realm.

Dragon Realm - A myth told by sailors that a land of riches lies far to the East across the endless seas, or by some accounts beyond the Gray Mountains. Most such tales claim that the dragons, driven from the Old World, settled there, hence the name Dragon Realm.

Scumbag_Brain: Member for 1 years

Kandazur Jungle - A deep an impenetrable jungle east of Elven Colony of New Arcadia, it forms a barrier of thorns against all attempts at settlement. The jungle is known for its ancient ruins, hinting at lost civilizations, but explorers who venture within must be prepared to deal with the jungle's fierce predators which include giant serpents, basalisk and several varieties of troll.

Scumbag_Brain: Member for 1 years

Castle Betz

Castle Betz is an avarage size castle construted five hundered years ago by the Betz family. It is located in the south-western most part of the human kingdom. The castle was build too far away from any other human settlement at the time, because of this the castle often lacked the protection of the rest of the kingdom or the law enforcement making it a perfect place for bandits and outlaws. As the years past house Betz started loosing it's power and soon enough the area looked more like the wilds than a civilized human settlement. Shortly there after the castle was abandoned by house Betz which ended up moving to the human city of Cathandria in looks of political power. The castle still stands today, forgotten and in ruins, the place is left alone by most explorers and travelers since it is believed that it is haunted and that anyone that enters ends up a vampire.

TechGorilla: Member for 2 years

Castle LaFonte

100 years ago this castle stood as the pride of the noble LaFonte Family. With it's tall towers of gleaming white stone and it's grand chapel it also stood as a rightous fortress of the human God against the wilds and "evils" of the wilds. How ironic that it how lies in ruins and is deem haunted, taken back by the wilds all because of an act of greed. For another human lord in his greed sacked and killed the Lafonte family but his victory was short lived as all was killed by the cry of the LaFonte maiden now a banshee. It is said you can still hear the mournful song of the lost maiden coming from the ruins and that none who enter this once holy fortress ever return...

Iced Fire: Member for 4 years

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Country music icon Willie Nelson performs during a fundraising concert for U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich, D-Ohio, in Lorain, Ohio Sunday, Jan. 29, 2012. Redistricting has pitted Kucinich, a Cleveland Democrat, against Toledo area congresswoman Marcy Kaptur in the March primary. (AP Photo/Mark Duncan)

Country music icon Willie Nelson smiles before a fundraising concert for U.S. Rep Dennis Kucinich, left, in Lorain, Ohio, Sunday, Jan. 29, 2012. Redistricting has pitted Kucinich, a Cleveland Democrat, against the Toledo area congresswoman Marcy Kaptur, in the March primary. (AP Photo/Mark Duncan)

LORAIN, Ohio (AP) ? Country music icon Willie Nelson has come to Ohio to sing out in support of an old friend, U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich (koo-SIH'-nich).

Nelson performed a sold-out benefit for the congressman on Sunday in Lorain, about 25 miles west of Cleveland. The star previously campaigned for Kucinich during his long-shot bids for president.

Redistricting has thrown Kucinich into a congressional primary battle with another veteran Democrat, Marcy Kaptur.

Her campaign sniffed last week that while Kucinich brings singers to northern Ohio, Kaptur brings jobs.

Multiple news outlets report that Kucinich shot back during a news conference before Sunday's concert that he has worked to save steel jobs in the region.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/4e67281c3f754d0696fbfdee0f3f1469/Article_2012-01-30-People-Willie%20Nelson/id-ae81fcf5375348fc96a037a112cfe207

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CHICAGO -- In a bout to decide the next light heavyweight title contender, Rashad Evans controlled Phil Davis on his way to a unanimous decision at the United Center on Saturday night. The judges saw it 50-45 on all three cards for Evans.

Davis landed a spinning leg kick, then ducked low into a takedown. Evans pushed him into the fence and fended off the takedown attempt. Every time Davis came in to try to get the takedown, Evans made him pay with a punch or two. Evans got a takedown at the 1:30 point of the first round, then moved to side control. From there, he put Davis into a crucifix hold and landed a bevy of short punches.

In the second round, Evans was aggressive, landing several punches early in the round. They clinched, but things slowed down considerably. They had a few striking exchanges, with Evans coming out on top. In the last 30 seconds, Evans took Davis down and again landed punches from side control.

[ Related: Evans earns his UFC title shot vs. Jones ]

Davis shot in for a takedown to start the third round. Davis drove him against the fence until he finally got the takedown. Evans reversed position and landed several lefts to Davis' face. They returned to their feet, and Davis got another takedown, and Evans returned to his feet while Davis held on for dear life.

Early in the fourth round, Davis landed a punishing rib kick, but Evans did not slow down. He continued to move forward, stalking Davis around the cage. When Davis shot in for a takedown, Evans fended him off before getting a takedown of his own.

Evans started the fifth round with a huge strike, and then held off Davis' attack. Evans caught a kick, then as he held the single leg, punched Davis until he went down. He stretched Davis into side control, and continued to land punches even as Davis worked to his feet. Evans controlled the rest of the round the way he controlled the whole fight.

With this win, Evans should punch his ticket for a fight with Jon Jones. The UFC announced Saturday that Jones' next bout will be in April in Atlanta. As long as Evans is healthy, the bout should be his.

Other popular content on Yahoo! Sports:
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Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/rashad-evans-earns-title-shot-ufc-fox-2-031605165.html

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DoubleTwist has long been a favourite for those who like to sync their music and podcasts between iTunes and Android. Todays update among other things brings an integrated podcast catalogue. The catch, this particular part of the app is a 'premium feature' with a premium price.

In UK money, unlocking the podcast feature in doubleTwist costs £4.99 (about $7.85). It does, however, feature the worlds greatest Android podcast in its listings by default -- Google Listen we're still looking at you.

Aside from podcasts, the update brings improved performance and reliability, fixes to AirPlay and AirTwist playback issues, an expandable and collapsable now playing screen with easier access to your queue, and design and interface updates many of which are designed for Ice Cream Sandwich.

It's a welcome update to an already very good application. Hit the break for the download links.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/c6qpXSH8_1g/story01.htm

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(HealthDay News) -- Pain is a virtual certainty during childbirth, but there are ways to ease the discomfort without medication.

The womenshealth.gov website mentions these no-medication possibilities:

Practicing relaxation and breathing techniques.
Relaxing in a warm shower or bath, or getting a gentle massage.
Receiving hot and cold therapy, including placing a cool washcloth on the forehead or a heating pad on the lower back.
Seeking the care and support of a doula, nurse or loved one.
Trying various positions to get more comfortable, from crouching to walking.
Listening to soothing music.
Using a labor ball.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/parenting/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/hsn/20120127/hl_hsn/healthtipmanagepainduringchildbirth

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ROSTOV-ON-DON, Russia ? Russian officials say an Islamist warlord, seven militants, four officers and one civilian have been killed in three separate incidents in Russia's violence-plagued southern Caucasus region.

Russia's Anti-Terrorist Committee spokesman Nikolai Sintsov said the leader of Islamist separatists in the province of Ingushetia was killed in a shootout Friday in the village of Ekazhevo along with two other militants.

Also Friday, police spokesman Vyasheslav Gasanov said four Russian military officers and five militants were killed in the neighboring province of Dagestan.

In another restive Russian province, Kabardino-Balkariya, three masked militants stormed into a school and stabbed a volleyball player in the gym, police spokesman Andrey Ushakov said.

An Islamic insurgency has spread across Russia's southern Caucasus region since two separatists wars against Russia were fought in Chechnya beginning in the 1990s. The insurgents now launch regular attacks on authorities who they blame for the abductions, torture and extra-judicial killings across the region.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/europe/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120127/ap_on_re_eu/eu_russia_caucasus_violence

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UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) ? The Libyan civil war may have given militant groups in Africa's Sahel region like Boko Haram and al Qaeda access to large weapons caches, according to a U.N. report released on Thursday.

The report on the impact of the Libyan civil war on countries of the Sahel region that straddle the Sahara - including Nigeria, Niger and Chad - also says some national authorities believe the Islamist sect Boko Haram has increasing links to al Qaeda's North African wing. Boko Haram killed more than 500 people last year and more than 250 this year in Nigeria.

The U.N. Security Council met to discuss the report, which was prepared by a U.N. assessment team that met with officials from countries in the region. The discussion highlighted the deep divisions between Western powers and Russia over NATO's intervention in the North African oil-producing state.

"The governments of the countries visited indicated that, in spite of efforts to control their borders, large quantities of weapons and ammunition from Libyan stockpiles were smuggled into the Sahel region," the report said.

Such weapons include "rocket-propelled grenades, machine guns with anti-aircraft visors, automatic rifles, ammunition, grenades, explosives (Semtex), and light anti-aircraft artillery (light caliber bi-tubes) mounted on vehicles," it said.

More advanced weapons such as surface-to-air-missiles and man-portable air defense systems, known as MANPADS, also may have reached groups in the region, the report said.

U.N. special envoy to Libya Ian Martin, however, has told the Security Council that Libya's missing stocks of MANPADS have largely remained inside the country.

The report said some countries believe weapons have been smuggled into the Sahel by former fighters in Libya - Libyan army regulars and mercenaries who fought on behalf of former leader Muammar Gaddafi, who was ousted and killed by rebels.

Some of the countries told the assessment team that they had registered an increase in arms trade across West Africa.

"Some of the weapons may be hidden in the desert and could be sold to terrorist groups like al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, Boko Haram or other criminal organizations," the U.N. report said.

'UNCONTROLLED SPREAD OF WEAPONS'

Lynn Pascoe, U.N. under-secretary-general for political affairs, told the Security Council that the new Libyan government insists many of the problems related to weapons and the Sahel originated when Gaddafi was still in power.

"Some of the problems are directly related to the fall of the Gaddafi regime in Libya but the nation's interlocutors emphasize that most of the problems are long-standing ones," he said.

British, French and U.S. envoys echoed the Libyan view that the problems existed long before the civil war.

Russia, which has criticized the toppling of Gaddafi and accused NATO of using a U.N. mandate to protect civilians in Libya as a springboard for regime change, said the U.N. report highlighted problems unleashed by NATO's intervention in Libya.

Russian envoy Alexander Pankin said the U.N. report confirmed that the "real consequences of the Libyan crisis, the real scope of which is only beginning to come to light, are a serious threat to security and stability in the entire region."

He said Moscow was especially concerned about "the uncontrolled spread of weapons in Libya and beyond its border."

The U.N. report said Nigeria was not the only country worried about the activities of Boko Haram. It said the group also was in Niger, adding that some governments believed Boko Haram members from Nigeria and Chad had received training at al Qaeda training camps in Mali in 2011.

"Although Boko Haram has concentrated its terrorist acts inside Nigeria, seven of its members were arrested while transiting through the Niger to Mali," it said, adding that they possessed documents about explosives manufacturing, propaganda leaflets and contact details for known al Qaeda members.

Links between al Qaeda and Boko Haram have become "a growing source of concern for the countries of the region," it said.

(Reporting By Louis Charbonneau; Editing by Bill Trott)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/africa/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120126/wl_nm/us_libya_un_arms

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Click here to read Shazam Player: Have an iPhone Sing-A-Long

We all sing-a-long to our favorite songs. Maybe it's in the car. Maybe it's in the shower. Maybe it's at your company's karaoke party and you're trying your best to sing Once Bitten, Twice Shy even though you don't really like the song. Wherever you're singing, there's a good chance you're singing it wrong. Here's an app that'll fix that and save you from the occasional "Hold me closer, Tony Danza." More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/j0GHrS8en6w/shazam-player-have-an-iphone-sing+a+long

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Former Frederick County Sheriff's Cpl. Rudy Torres walks out of U.S. District Court in Baltimore, Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2012 during a recess in a civil trial stemming from his role in the November 2007 stun-gun death of 20-year-old Jarrell Gray. Gray's family is seeking $145 million for what they claim was an excessive use of force by Torres. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

Tanya Thomas walks into U.S. District Court in Baltimore, Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2012, during a recess in a civil trial stemming from the November 2007 stun-gun death of her 20-year-old son, Jarrell Gray. Gray's family is seeking $145 million for what they claim was an excessive use of force by former Frederick County Sheriff's Cpl. Rudy Torres. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

Jeffrey Gray, right, hugs his friend Anna Medrano outside of U.S. District Court in Baltimore, Md., Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2012, during a recess in a civil trial stemming from the November 2007 stun-gun death of his 20-year-old son, Jarrell Gray. Gray's family is seeking $145 million for what they claim was an excessive use of force by former Frederick County Sheriff's Cpl. Rudy Torres. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

BALTIMORE (AP) ? A former sheriff's deputy is not liable for the death of a man he shocked with a stun gun as the 20-year-old lay face-down and possibly unconscious, according to a federal jury's ruling Wednesday that said the officer used only enough force to protect himself.

Retired Frederick County Cpl. Rudy Torres, a 13-year veteran of the force, sighed in relief after the jury forewoman read the verdict at the end of a five-day trial. Outside the courthouse in Baltimore, Torres said Jarrel Gray's death was tragic but that justice had been done.

"Tasers are a useful tool. They've saved many more lives than they've taken, if they've taken any at all," he said.

Gray's mother Tanya Thomas, who filed the wrongful death claim along with Gray's father, was unforgiving.

"I have to go to my son's burial plot to visit him, and I want to know how he sleeps with that," she said.

Torres encountered Gray and two other men early on the morning of Nov. 18, 2007, after responding alone to a reported outdoor fight in a neighborhood about 45 miles west of Baltimore. He testified that he shocked Gray once after the man ignored his commands to get down and show his hands. He shocked him again, less than 30 seconds later, after Gray fell face-first and still didn't respond to commands to show his hands.

A medical examiner listed the cause of death as undetermined, associated with restraint and alcohol intoxication. The stun gun was the only means of restraint mentioned in the report.

Defense attorney Daniel Karp suggested during the trial that Gray succumbed to an irregular heartbeat caused by unaccustomed binge drinking, a condition called "holiday heart."

Plaintiffs' attorney Gregory Lattimer called the verdict "heartbreaking." His co-counsel Ted Williams said he was troubled by the finding and raised the possibility of an appeal.

Gray's father Jeffrey Gray declined to comment after the verdict. He and Thomas were seeking $145 million for an alleged excessive use of force.

Police policy experts who testified at the trial disagreed about whether it was reasonable to believe Gray still posed a threat after the first shock.

A Frederick County grand jury ruled in 2008 that Torres' actions were justified and that he followed police protocol.

The 10 federal jurors rejected the excessive force argument. They found that Torres assaulted Gray but decided the deputy was shielded from liability because his actions were in defense of himself or others, and that he only used enough force to protect himself.

Jury forewoman Monica Oguinn told reporters that the assault finding simply reflected the definition jurors were given by the judge.

"It was not an intentional act and it was not a wrongful act by the officer to do what he did," she said.

She said everything unfolded so quickly that Torres had to make split-second decisions for which he couldn't be faulted.

Gray's death and eight others in Maryland linked to stun guns led the state attorney general's office in 2009 to recommend more stringent training on the use of the devices.

Last year, the U.S. Justice Department advised police officers to avoid shocking suspects multiple times or for prolonged periods to reduce the risk of potential injury or death.

The report came after a study of nearly 300 cases in which people died from 1999 to 2005 when police shot them with stun guns. It found that most of the deaths were caused by underlying health problems and other issues. Of those cases, the experts examined 22 in which the use of stun guns was listed as an official cause of death.

Torres retired from the sheriff's office and now works as a Fairfax County, Va., dispatcher.

Gray's parents also sued the sheriff's office and the Frederick County Commissioners, but the cases against them were postponed pending the outcome of Torres' trial.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2012-01-25-Stun%20Gun%20Death/id-91a5d334687842f5b21518b3c6221f69

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State of the Union speech: Promising outlook for research and innovation

Public release date: 25-Jan-2012
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Contact: Suzanne Ffolkes
sffolkes@researchamerica.org
571-482-2710
Research!America

(Washington, January, 25, 2012) -- Research!America's Board chair, former Congressman John Edward Porter (R-IL), applauds President Obama's commitment to protect our nation's investment in basic research.

"America's leadership is at stake as other nations accelerate and prioritize their investments in discovery and development," said Porter. "We could potentially witness a reversal in fortune as Asia and Europe integrate science and technology into economic growth while U.S. investments in R&D decline. In China alone, R&D growth increased a remarkable 28% in a single year, placing it second behind the U.S. We must acknowledge and reverse trends that could jeopardize our world-class standing. Unfortunately, many elected officials have taken research and innovation for granted. They must realize that second-tier status will yield second-tier results in both scientific and economic output."

The president's charge to train more Americans in science and technology to reduce unemployment and strengthen our global competitiveness has the support of many Americans. Research!America polls show nearly 90% of those surveyed believe the federal government should place more emphasis on increasing the number of young Americans who pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and math. "We must prepare the next generation of innovators for opportunities that have yet to be tapped," Porter adds.

Research!America President and CEO Mary Woolley commends the president's goal to spur innovation with basic research. However, funding is at risk with the prospect of automatic spending cuts for government agencies in 2013. Woolley urges Congress to spare federal health agencies from significant cuts that could impede scientific progress.

"Cutting funding for research is not a deficit reduction strategy," said Woolley. "Research fuels economic growth and improves the quality of life for millions of Americans. President Obama's support for basic research reflects the views of a majority of Americans who have stated in recent polls that accelerating investment in health research must be a high priority. It's time for elected officials and candidates to elevate the importance of research in the national conversation and embrace it as a solution to maintaining our competitive edge, revitalizing the economy and transcending barriers in science and innovation."

###

For more information visit www.researchamerica.org

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

State of the Union speech: Promising outlook for research and innovation Public release date: 25-Jan-2012
[ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Suzanne Ffolkes
sffolkes@researchamerica.org
571-482-2710
Research!America

(Washington, January, 25, 2012) -- Research!America's Board chair, former Congressman John Edward Porter (R-IL), applauds President Obama's commitment to protect our nation's investment in basic research.

"America's leadership is at stake as other nations accelerate and prioritize their investments in discovery and development," said Porter. "We could potentially witness a reversal in fortune as Asia and Europe integrate science and technology into economic growth while U.S. investments in R&D decline. In China alone, R&D growth increased a remarkable 28% in a single year, placing it second behind the U.S. We must acknowledge and reverse trends that could jeopardize our world-class standing. Unfortunately, many elected officials have taken research and innovation for granted. They must realize that second-tier status will yield second-tier results in both scientific and economic output."

The president's charge to train more Americans in science and technology to reduce unemployment and strengthen our global competitiveness has the support of many Americans. Research!America polls show nearly 90% of those surveyed believe the federal government should place more emphasis on increasing the number of young Americans who pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and math. "We must prepare the next generation of innovators for opportunities that have yet to be tapped," Porter adds.

Research!America President and CEO Mary Woolley commends the president's goal to spur innovation with basic research. However, funding is at risk with the prospect of automatic spending cuts for government agencies in 2013. Woolley urges Congress to spare federal health agencies from significant cuts that could impede scientific progress.

"Cutting funding for research is not a deficit reduction strategy," said Woolley. "Research fuels economic growth and improves the quality of life for millions of Americans. President Obama's support for basic research reflects the views of a majority of Americans who have stated in recent polls that accelerating investment in health research must be a high priority. It's time for elected officials and candidates to elevate the importance of research in the national conversation and embrace it as a solution to maintaining our competitive edge, revitalizing the economy and transcending barriers in science and innovation."

###

For more information visit www.researchamerica.org

[ | E-mail | Share ]
?

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

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-01/r-sot012512.php
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WASHINGTON ? What's next ? cameras in the Federal Reserve's meetings?

Don't count on it.

But it's anyone's guess how far the Fed will go in its mission to be more publicly open ? beyond having the chairman hold now-quarterly news conferences and its latest gesture: forecasting where its members think interest rates are headed.

Under Ben Bernanke, the Fed has also sent more frequent clues about the economy's health. Bernanke has sat for TV interviews and held town-hall-style meetings, too.

It's all amounted to a radical makeover for an agency that used to rank about as high as the CIA in its mystery.

For decades, everyone pretty much agreed: The Fed had to shroud itself in secrecy to properly perform its mission: Control prices and maximize employment.

The Fed chairmanship was seen as the second-most-powerful post in government after the presidency. Telegraphing decisions or opening them to public view? Not part of the job description.

"You didn't tell people anything," said David Wyss, an economist who worked at the Fed when Arthur Burns was chairman in the 1970s.

So obscure were the Fed's operations that a late-1980's book called "Secrets of the Temple" tantalized readers with the prospect of prying its door open a bit. The chairman then, Paul Volcker, wasn't operating any differently from his predecessors since the Fed's creation in 1913.

Things began to change under his successor, Alan Greenspan, who served for 18 years until 2006. Gradually, sometimes grudgingly, the Fed emerged from hiding.

The first big shift came in 1994. Greenspan's policy-setting panel issued the first-ever announcement of a change in its benchmark interest rate, called the federal funds rate.

Until then, the Fed had said nothing when it changed the funds rate. That's the rate banks charge each other for overnight loans. It's also a benchmark rate for consumer and business loans. When the Fed cuts that rate, it tries to spur borrowing and spending. When it raises it, it aims to slow growth and stem inflation.

Wall Street firms had to assign people to scrutinize the Fed's daily bond-market operations for any move in the funds rate. These Fed-watchers would make guesses based on announcements by the New York Federal Reserve Bank of how much in Treasury securities it bought or sold in a given day. (The New York Fed handles the Federal Reserve's Treasury operations.)

Transcripts show Greenspan had to twist some arms inside the Fed's policy panel to gain approval for that first announcement. Greenspan suggested it would help investors: Because five years had passed with no increase in the funds rate, he argued, a heads-up that credit was about to be tightened would prepare them.

Years later, at a conference, Greenspan explained further.

"Simply put," he said in his less-than-simple style, "financial markets work more efficiently when their participants do not have to waste effort inferring the stance of monetary policy from diffuse signals generated in the day-to-day implementation of policy."

Still, some of his colleagues clung to the Fed's secretive ways. That first statement in 1994 was opaque, even for the Fed: The central bank, it said, would "increase slightly the degree of pressure on reserve positions."

The Fed gave no target for the funds rate. Its four sentences offered scant guidance.

At first, it didn't release a statement after every meeting ? only if a decision had been made to change the funds rate.

Those early statements don't much resemble those the Fed now issues after every meeting, whether or not it adjusts rates. These days, those statements update the Fed's views on the economy. And they specify its target for the funds rate.

Under Bernanke, who took over in 2006, the Fed's moves to openness have accelerated. A core goal has been to signal any imminent rate increase or decrease. For two years, the Fed said it expected to keep rates at current record lows for "an extended period." In August, it refined its horizon: It said it planned to keep rates super-low "at least through mid-2013."

On Wednesday, the Fed went further: For the first time, it signaled when committee members expect the first rate increase. The information suggested no increase is likely before late 2014 at the earliest. It also showed that 11 of 17 members see no increase until at least 2015.

Also under Bernanke, the Fed updates its forecasts for the economy four times a year, instead of twice. And it does more than toss out a statement. Bernanke now holds news conferences quarterly, each time the Fed updates its economic forecasts, as it did Wednesday.

The latest changes would have pleased and surprised the late Henry B. Gonzalez. In the early 1990s, as head of the House Banking Committee, Gonzalez sparred with the Fed over its secrecy. After years of prodding, Gonzalez scored a victory in 1995, when Greenspan's Fed agreed to start releasing transcripts of its meetings once five years have passed.

That deal marked a compromise. The Fed didn't want to release full transcripts. It preferred to stick with the heavily edited minutes that are issued three weeks after each meeting. Full transcripts, many officials felt, could dampen the free-wheeling discussions deemed essential for proper Fed decision-making.

Gonzalez had high hopes. He wanted transcripts ? and videotapes ? within two months of each Fed meeting. Gonzalez, who died in 2000, lost that argument.

Yet his broader mission endures. And at this point, who knows where it ends?

___

EDITOR'S NOTE ? Martin Crutsinger has covered the Federal Reserve for The Associated Press since 1984.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/business/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120125/ap_on_bi_ge/us_federal_reserve_transparency

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In this Jan. 4, 2012 photo, the Yahoo company logo is displayed at their headquarters in Sunnyvale, Calif. Yahoo Inc., reports quarterly financial earnings Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2012, after the market close.(AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) ? Yahoo slipped further behind in the online advertising race during the fourth quarter as the Internet company entered the fourth year of a revenue slump.

The results announced Tuesday marked the latest in a succession of disappointing performances. The persisting malaise led to the firing of Carol Bartz as CEO four months ago.

Yahoo Inc. recently replaced Bartz with PayPal executive Scott Thompson, anointing him as the fourth CEO in less than five years to try to snap the company out of a funk that has depressed its stock. Thompson, who was hired just three weeks ago, promised to move quickly to fix the problems.

"There is no question we need to do better and we will," Thompson assured analysts in a Tuesday conference call.

The company earned $296 million, or 24 cents per share, in the October-to-December period. That is down 5 percent from $312 million, or 24 cents per share, a year earlier.

The earnings matched analysts' estimates, but the company missed Wall Street's revenue target.

Fourth-quarter revenue dropped 13 percent from the previous year to $1.32 billion. After subtracting advertising commissions, Yahoo's revenue totaled $1.17 billion, or $20 million below analyst projections. It's the 13th straight quarter that Yahoo's net revenue has declined from the prior year.

Although Thompson said it was still too early to share precise details about his turnaround strategy, he said he will close some Yahoo services. That could mean layoffs. Yahoo added 400 employees in the fourth quarter to end the year with 14,100 workers. It lost one of its co-founders last week when Jerry Yang resigned from the company's board and gave up his role as "Chief Yahoo."

Bartz had also closed or sold some of Yahoo's less popular services while jettisoning jobs to cut costs and sharpen the company's focus. Those moves, though, didn't increase Yahoo's revenue or stock price, leading the company's board to fire her in September with more than 15 months remaining on her contract.

"This company has been through such a rotating cast of characters that it's reached the point where it needs action, not words," BGC Financial analyst Colin Gillis said.

Besides closing services, Thompson said Yahoo will expand into some fields where he sees opportunities to make money. He didn't elaborate on that or on which services to close.

Thompson also pledged to develop more innovative products to keep Yahoo's audience of 700 million users on its websites for longer periods. Accomplishing that could make Yahoo more attractive to online advertisers. Thompson said he hopes to harness the data that Yahoo collects about its audience to help advertisers do a better job of putting their marketing messages in front of the people most likely to buy their products.

"I'll always ask a lot of questions and I'll immerse myself in the details but when it comes to making decisions, I make them quickly and then push to move fast, fast, fast," Thompson said.

But Yahoo isn't promising a quick start under Thompson's leadership. Yahoo predicted its net revenue in the current quarter will range from $1.02 billion to $1.1 billion. The mid-point of that target works out to $1.06 billion, unchanged from last year's first quarter.

Investors appear to be taking a wait-and-see attitude with Thompson. Yahoo's stock shed 14 cents to $15.55 in extended trading after the report came out. The stock price has fallen by about 40 percent from five years ago.

Yahoo's downturn in revenue has occurred as advertisers are shifting more of their budgets to the Internet as people spend more of their time on the Web. The biggest beneficiaries of this boom so far have been Internet search leader Google Inc. and Facebook, the owner of the largest online social network.

While Yahoo continued to struggle during the final three months of last year, Google's revenue rose 25 percent from the same period in 2010. As a privately held company, Facebook doesn't disclose its financial results, but data compiled by independent research firms show that its website has been luring advertisers away from Yahoo.

Google has become so dominant in Internet search that Yahoo teamed up with another rival, Microsoft Corp., in an effort to become more competitive and save money. Yahoo's search engine now relies on Microsoft's technology to handle most requests. The alliance, forged in mid-2009, hasn't generated as much revenue so far as Yahoo had hoped, although there were signs of progress in the fourth quarter.

Net revenue from search totaled $376 million in the fourth quarter, a 3 percent decrease from a year earlier. The company, which is based in Sunnyvale, Calif., had been suffering year-over-year declines of more than 10 percent in previous quarters.

As it tries to boost its revenue and lift its stock price, Yahoo is considering selling its stakes in China's Alibaba Group and Yahoo Japan. Yahoo is pursuing those negotiations with "great enthusiasm," according to Tim Morse, the company's chief financial officer. Neither Morse nor Thompson elaborated on when a deal might be reached.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/495d344a0d10421e9baa8ee77029cfbd/Article_2012-01-24-Earns-Yahoo/id-426f7216b6934e93aa3c9e060be1e1ab

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GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip ? Palestinian political rivals Hamas and Fatah have taken the first practical step toward holding general elections by opening an office for voter registration in the Gaza Strip.

Presidential and parliament elections are envisioned for late spring, though a date has not been set.

Elections are at the center of reconciliation between the Islamic militant Hamas and Fatah, the movement of internationally backed Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

Hamas won parliament elections in 2006 and wrested control of Gaza from Abbas by force a year later. The Gaza office of the Central Elections Commission was closed after the 2007 takeover. It was reopened Tuesday.

Updating Gaza voter records is a key part of election preparations.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) ? Israeli troops detained a Hamas legislator in the West Bank early Tuesday in the fifth such arrest in as many days, the Islamic militant group said.

Hamas has accused Israel of trying to sabotage possible Palestinian elections, the centerpiece of reconciliation attempts between Hamas and the rival Fatah movement of internationally backed Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Hamas has said it would only participate in elections, tentatively set for late spring, if its candidates are safe from arrest by Israel.

Israeli military officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Israel considers Hamas a terrorist organization. The group has carried out scores of deadly attacks against Israelis, but has largely held its fire in recent years.

Hamas said that in the latest incident, lawmaker Abdel Jaber Fuqaha was taken from his home in the West Bank city of Ramallah early Tuesday. Fuqaha is the fifth Hamas lawmaker to be arrested since last week, Hamas said.

Currently, 24 of 45 Hamas legislators from the West Bank are in Israeli detention on charges of membership in an illegal organization.

Hamas lawmakers have been subject to arrest by Israel since the group competed in Palestinian parliament elections in 2006, defeating Fatah. Several lawmakers have been detained repeatedly.

Ismail Ashkar, a leading Hamas lawmaker, accused Israel of trying to sabotage reconciliation efforts.

"Every time we move toward reconciliation and reactivating the Palestinian parliament, we see Israel targeting our lawmakers in the West Bank," Ashkar said.

Palestinian peace negotiator Saeb Erekat, a leader in Fatah, condemned the recent arrests as a "flagrant act of aggression" that undermines prospects for peace. "With these actions, Israel exposes the farcical nature of its peace rhetoric," he said.

After Hamas' 2006 election victory, repeated attempts at power-sharing between the rivals failed. Hamas seized control of Gaza by force in 2007, leaving Abbas with only the West Bank where he launched a crackdown on his rivals.

In recent months, the two sides have been trying to reconcile, but have had trouble moving forward because of continued distrust. Next week, Abbas is to meet with Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal in Cairo to try to break the impasse.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/world/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120124/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_israel_palestinians

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COLUMBIA, South Carolina (Reuters) ? After a bruising clash in South Carolina, Republican presidential frontrunners Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich will take their battle to a bigger stage when the campaign moves to Florida on Sunday.

Gingrich, a former U.S. House of Representatives speaker, thrashed Romney in the South Carolina primary on Saturday, suggesting the race for their party's nomination and the right to face President Barack Obama in November may last months more.

The largest of the early voting states by far, Florida presents logistical and financial challenges that appear to give an advantage to Romney's well funded campaign machine.

But Gingrich has momentum after coming from behind in South Carolina to win around 40 percent of the vote, followed by Romney with 28 percent. Rick Santorum, a former U.S. senator, was in third with 17 percent and U.S. congressman Ron Paul in fourth with 13 percent.

"We proved here in South Carolina that people ... with the right ideas beats big money," Gingrich told supporters after his victory in the conservative state.

After strong performances in a series of debates, Gingrich was seen by South Carolina voters as the most likely Republican to beat Obama, a Democrat, in the November 6 election.

They also rejected millionaire former businessman Romney's pitch that he is the best bet to fix a broken U.S. economy and win the White House.

Romney and Gingrich, who have attacked each other mercilessly in a series of negative television ads since December, face off in a debate in Tampa, Florida, on Monday night.

ROMNEY TAX SOLUTION?

Romney has stumbled over questions about his personal finances in recent debates and acknowledged last week that he only pays a 15 percent tax rate, much lower than that of most working Americans.

The former Massachusetts governor has so far resisted calls from rivals, and even ally New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, to release his tax returns.

To try to put the tax return controversy behind him, the Romney campaign has a plan to settle the issue next week, a Republican official said.

That is part of a strategy to be more aggressive against Gingrich, a formidable debater who nevertheless has personal and professional baggage that the Romney team could exploit. Romney accuses Gingrich of being a Washington insider.

"The choice within our party has also come into stark focus. President Obama has no experience running a business and no experience running a state. Our party can't be lead to victory by someone who also has never run a business and never run a state," Romney said on Saturday.

Romney saw his aura of inevitability erode in South Carolina after leading opinion polls by 10 percentage points a week ago.

In Florida, he leads Gingrich by 40.5 percent to 22 percent, according to a poll of polls by RealClearPolitics.com. Santorum, a social conservative who is from Pennsylvania, is third with 15 percent.

Campaigns must spend at least $1 million each week to reach voters in the sprawling southern state, according to local political officials. Romney's allies have already spent $5 million, mostly on ads attacking Gingrich. No other candidate has a significant presence in the state.

(Editing by Paul Simao)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/gop/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120122/ts_nm/us_usa_campaign

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NEW YORK (Reuters) ? Stocks were little changed on Monday as recent earnings reports and development in the euro zone provided little incentive to disrupt the recent tone for equities on the heels of the best weekly performance by the S&P 500 in a month.

U.S. stocks are up nearly 5 percent for the year as an improving U.S. economy and earnings that have largely met expectations have boosted investor optimism. The Dow and S&P 500 both had their best weekly performances in a month last week.

According to Thomson Reuters data, 15 percent of S&P 500 companies have reported earnings, with 59 percent posting results above Wall Street expectations.

While the percentage of fourth-quarter earnings reports that beat estimates has trailed recent quarters, the rate is expected to improve as earnings season picks up steam. For the week of January 23, 117 S&P 500 companies are expected to report earnings.

"This is the momentum trade. The market got out of gates very strong this year," said Peter Kenny, managing director at Knight Capital in Jersey City, New Jersey.

"Earnings have been very cooperative in terms of keeping the tone positive. Macroeconomic data out of Washington has remained slightly better than expected, the employment numbers have helped. There are a lot of parts to this puzzle that are supporting a positive tone and a constructive internal character to the market."

The euro zone crisis was still lurking in the background. Germany and France pushed for a deal between Greece and its private creditors and said they remained dedicated to a new bailout that is needed by March to stave off a default. Euro zone finance ministers could decide later Monday what debt restructuring terms they would accept.

The Dow Jones industrial average (.DJI) was down 35.20 points, or 0.28 percent, at 12,685.28. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index (.SPX) dipped 2.61 points, or 0.20 percent, at 1,312.77. The Nasdaq Composite Index (.IXIC) was off 8.48 points, or 0.30 percent, at 2,778.22.

Halliburton Co (HAL.N) shares fell 3.2 percent to $35.03 after the world's second largest oilfield services group warned the deep slump in U.S. natural gas prices could cause near-term disruptions that pinch first-quarter earnings.

Research In Motion Ltd's (RIM.TO)(RIMM.O) fell 6.6 percent to $15.87 as analysts were skeptical about the resignation of the BlackBerry maker's co-chief executives.

Sears Holding Corp (SHLD.O) advanced 3 percent to $50.47, easing from a session high of $54.76 in what analysts said could be a short squeeze.

The stock is the most shorted stock in the S&P 500, according to Data Explorers, with 94 percent of shares available used to sell short. The retailer has been the best performing stock in the index for the year, up more than 50 percent.

"That is a classic short squeeze. There have been headlines all over the name now for the better part of a month or so and it's largely been quite negative," said Knight Capital's Kenny.

Chesapeake Energy Corp (CHK.N) gained 4 percent to $21.80 after it said it will reduce dry gas drilling and cut production in response to natural gas prices falling below "economically unattractive levels".

(Reporting By Chuck Mikolajczak; editing by Jeffrey Benkoe)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/eurobiz/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120123/bs_nm/us_markets_stocks

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CAMBRIDGE, Mass. ? Golden Globe winner Claire Danes will be picking up a pudding pot from Harvard's Hasty Pudding Theatricals.

The student group named Danes on Friday as its Woman of the Year. She'll get a parade and a roast Jan. 26.

Danes won her third Golden Globe on Sunday for her role as CIA agent Carrie Mathison on Showtime's new "Homeland." She won a Golden Globe, an Emmy and a Screen Actors Guild award last year for her work in HBO's "Temple Grandin."

The 32-year-old gained attention at 15 when she won her first Golden Globe and an Emmy nomination for "My So Called Life."

Julianne Moore won the Harvard club's award last year.

The Man of the Year will be announced next week and honored Feb. 3. Jay Leno won last year.

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/20/claire-danes-wins-pudding_n_1220017.html

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KANO, Nigeria (Reuters) ? At least six people were killed in a series of bomb blasts in Nigeria's second biggest city Kano on Friday, officials and witnesses said.

One blast gutted the police headquarters for the north of the city, killing at least three people, while another at the passport office also killed three, witnesses said.

At least four other explosions echoed across the city in quick succession, as some residents ran around shouting and screaming. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attacks.

(Reporting by Mike Oboh; writing by Tim Cocks; Editing by Jon Boyle)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/africa/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120120/wl_nm/us_nigeria_blast_toll

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THURSDAY, Jan. 19 (HealthDay News) -- The number of Americans who practice behaviors that put them at risk for HIV infection has declined significantly, federal health officials reported Thursday.

The ranks of those engaging in a risky sexual or drug-related behavior dropped from 13 percent of men and 11 percent of women in 2002 to 10 percent and 8 percent, respectively, in 2010, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"Generally, these are behaviors that are studied in higher risk populations, but by looking in the household population we can get a better sense of the level of risk that may exist in the general population that you don't normally think about," said report author Anjani Chandra, a health scientist at the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics.

Some of the risk factors the researchers looked at were gay and bisexual sex, illicit drug use and having several sexual partners or a partner who injects illegal drugs, she said.

"For women, we don't really see that the decline is due to any variation in sexual risk behaviors, whereas for men we see substantial difference by race," she said.

The reasons for the decline in risk behaviors is not clear, Chandra said. Some of the public health messages might be getting through. It also could be that people are reluctant to disclose that they engage in risky behaviors, she said.

"But, it could be real and reflect actual changes in behavior," she said.

The data in the report was collected on almost 23,000 men and women aged 15 to 44 in households throughout the country and represents 6.5 million men and 4.9 million women.

The decline seems to be due to a drop in risky behaviors such as having unprotected sex and having sex with multiple partners, Chandra said.

There were, however, differences in behaviors in different groups. For example, men who had recently been in prison were more likely to report engaging in one or more HIV risk behaviors, compared with other men, the researchers found.

There were also significant variations based on race and income level, they reported.

Sixteen percent of young black men ages 15 to 24 reported at least one HIV risk-related sexual behavior, compared with 8.7 percent of Hispanic men and 6.5 percent of young white men. Poorer men were also more likely to engage in risky behaviors.

The HIV risk in households is not something one usually thinks about when one thinks about HIV risk, Chandra said.

"In household populations, where you may think these behaviors are nonexistent or very rare, they are occurring and they may be placing people at risk of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases," Chandra said. "Just focusing on high-risk populations may not take care of the concerns that we have."

Dr. Sten Vermund, director of the Institute of Global Health at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in Nashville, said that the data used was "a highly valid sample of the American population."

Both sexual and drug-related risk behaviors declined in the study period, and that is a positive trend, he said.

"Risk behaviors remain high and the likelihood of encountering an HIV-infected person has never been higher," Vermund noted. "Nonetheless, there is a strong indication that prevention programs are working or cultural norms are shifting, or both."

Philip Alcabes, an associate professor in the School of Health Sciences at Hunter College/City University of New York, is critical of the report as another example of how the government still avoids the real problem of HIV.

"What a waste of time and taxpayer dollars," he said. "Having failed to advocate for structural changes that would actually reduce risk of HIV acquisition and having failed to implement widespread, easily accessible syringe exchange programs, federal agencies instead spend their time studying personal behavior. It's a shame."

"Even though our officials don't have a clear concept of what really happened 30 years ago, they are still looking at AIDS through the same moralizing lens that was common in 1981. That's sad, and disturbing," he said.

More information

For more on HIV/AIDS, visit the AIDS.gov.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/sexualhealth/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/hsn/20120120/hl_hsn/moreamericanspracticingsafesexcdcreports

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