Still, not a bad summary, regardless. Got most of the major games in there.
Source: http://www.joystiq.com/2011/12/29/gaming-in-2011-a-two-minute-video-roundup/
lady gaga marry the night video pac 12 championship game pac 12 championship game bobby valentine bobby valentine al franken al franken
Gdyby nie Twitter, nie pozna?abym wielu wspania?ych os?b ? Source: http://twitter.com/PoloniaKarolina/statuses/152157493429149696
red solo cup xbox live update new planet new planet green bay packers stock jeff garcia jeff garcia
Sorry, Readability was unable to parse this page for content.
Source: http://forums.webosnation.com/webos-apps/309499-google-plus-messenger.html
nfl mock draft 2012 adam lambert incendiary floyd mayweather kate upton winter solstice r. kelly
NEW YORK (Reuters) ? Stock index futures pointed to a slightly higher open on Wednesday in what looks like another low-volume session, with investors waiting for the start of 2012 before placing any large bets.
Equities ended mostly unchanged on Tuesday on about half of the year's daily average volume as investors paused following a 5 percent gain in the previous week. Markets may continue to struggle for direction, with no major economic indicators on tap or S&P 500 companies scheduled to report quarterly results until January.
European shares were modestly higher on light volume, rising 0.5 percent after short-term Italian debt costs were cut in half at an auction, which improved confidence about demand for Thursday's Italian long-term bond sale.
"This portends good news and is a positive as the European Union tries to become more stable," said Tim Speiss, head of personal wealth advisors at EisnerAmper in New York. "However, with the limited participation, I still expect today to be fairly quiet and flat."
Wall Street movements have been closely correlated to European markets in recent weeks as the region deals with a debt crisis, but the problems have receded into the background with the lack of new developments. Still, any sign of improving conditions could spur further gains, with the light volume amplifying any moves.
S&P 500 futures rose 2.8 points and were above fair value, a formula that evaluates pricing by taking into account interest rates, dividends and time to expiration on the contract. Dow Jones industrial average futures added 22 points, and Nasdaq 100 futures put on 7.5 points.
For the year, the Dow is up 6.2 percent, while the S&P is up 0.6 percent, and the Nasdaq is down 1 percent.
Energy shares may be in focus after Iran's navy chief said it would be "easier than drinking a glass of water" for Iran to close off the Strait of Hormuz if foreign sanctions are tightened. Iran warned Tuesday it would stop the flow of oil through the strait.
"While OPEC has already offered to step in and make up for any shortfall, meaning we may not see an impact in prices for a while, this brings up the issue of stability in the Middle East, so it could be very significant," Speiss said. "A disruption of oil shipments globally could have a significant impact on prices."
U.S. crude futures slipped 0.1 percent, while Brent crude was off 0.5 percent.
Among individual stocks, Medicis Pharmaceutical Corp (MRX.N) fell 2.7 percent to $32.85 in premarket trading a day after cutting its fourth-quarter earnings outlook.
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission won a delay in its securities fraud lawsuit against Citigroup Inc (C.N) as the regulator tries to appeal a judge's decision to reject its $285 million settlement with the bank. The stock rose 0.8 percent to $27.12 in premarket trading.
U.S. stocks ended flat on Tuesday after fluctuating between small gains and losses in light volume as investors took a breather following last week's rally. A stronger-than-expected reading on consumer confidence added credence to the idea that the economy was growing faster than previously thought.
(Reporting by Ryan Vlastelica; editing by Jeffrey Benkoe)
sam hurd arrested presidential debate roddy white roddy white howard stern howard stern free shipping day
By msnbc.com staff and news services
Fast-moving mudflows streaming from the mouth of a volcano killed four villagers in eastern Indonesia, officials said Wednesday.?
About 1,000 other people?have fled their homes.
Mount Gamalama, located in the Molucca Islands, sprang back to life this month with a powerful, non-fatal eruption.
He said four people were killed and more than a dozen others were hospitalized with injuries ranging from broken bones to head wounds.
The Jakarta Post described the?deadly incident as?a "cold lava flood."
Provincial spokesman Andi Arief said the cold lava slides destroyed several houses in the villages.
"Initial data cited that three people died, while many other residents (were) evacuated to a school building and the former North Maluku governor's office," Andi said in a statement.
Indonesia is a vast archipelago with millions of people living on mountains or near fertile flood plains. Seasonal downpours here often cause landslides.
The Associated Press and msnbc.com staff contributed to this report.
quirky chrissy teigen chia seeds embers metta shannon brown utah jazz
Market analysis firm Fiksu has released its analysis of of the aggregate download volumes of the top 200 free iOS applications and finds Apple has a lot to smile about: during November 2011, app downloads were up 83 percent compared to the same time a year ago. Fisku attributes the increase to the influx of new iPhone 4S customers, as well as apps updating to support iOS 5 and its new features.
During November, app downloads peaked at 5.65 million per day; that?s also 15 percent higher than October?s previous record high of 4.91 million apps per day.
?Unlike October?s intermittent spikes in downloads and costs, November saw a steady increase in demand for app downloads without any notable fluctuations in mobile app marketing costs?even over Thanksgiving weekend,? said Fiksu CEO Micah Adler, in a statement
Fiksu also produced a ???Cost per Loyal User??
Fiksu attributes this to users? strong level of engagement with the iPhone 4S and other iOS devices: when users get a new device like the iPhone 4S, they tend to have a lot of enthusiasm and strong appetite for apps that wanes over time. Fiksu interprets November?s increase in app downloads?well after the iPhone 4S and iOS 5 launches, and even with the disruption of the Thanksgiving weekend?as a sign iOS users remain strongly engages with their devices well after purchase. And, with estimates of iPhone sales ramping up to 30 million by the end of the year, Fiksu expects iOS app downloads will continue to increase.
This article was originally posted on Digital Trends
More from Digital Trends
Our favorite hidden features of iOS 5
Like it, love it, stamp it: Stamped social network and app makes recommendations a breeze
Analyst says iPhone 5 was Steve Jobs? last project; expected this summer
Apple iOS 5: Everything you need to know
vanessa bryant vanessa bryant kurt busch kurt busch nfl mock draft 2012 adam lambert incendiary
And so the rampant speculation begins, with one more Sunday of games left in the NFL?s regular season.
Reportedly, Jon Gruden wants to return to coaching.
The former coach signed a five-year contract to remain an ESPN mouth before the season began, but contracts aren?t etched in stone and Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union Tribune reports that Gruden has decided to return to coaching in 2012. Gruden, according to a report by CBS?s Mike Freeman, is checking all the possibilities before deciding whether to pick up a whistle again.
?He's ready to leave television,? a source told Freeman, ?but only if the right job is out there.?
Now, just what is the right job? Might it be in St. Louis? Or will Gruden reiterate his commitment to ESPN, as he did a year ago? Acee reports that, if Rams Coach Steve Spagnuolo and General Manager Billy Devaney are fired, owner Stan Kroenke will try to hire A.J. Smith, assuming he is fired as general manager of the underachieving San Diego Chargers, and Gruden in a package deal.
The St. Louis openings would be, as Peter King reported Sunday night, among the best in the league, with the Rams possibly having the top draft pick in 2012, Sam Bradford on the roster, and an enormous amount of cap space. (Would Gruden want Bradford ? or Robert Griffin III or Andrew Luck? Let the WWJG do speculation begin...)
Smith?s status is expected to be addressed by owner Dean Spanos next week; Norv Turner is widely expected to be out. Perhaps Spanos would like to hire Gruden himself.
(Spagnuolo may or may not be heading back to the Philadelphia Eagles, as defensive coordinator.)
Source: http://feeds.washingtonpost.com/click.phdo?i=adcd4952f272374349400437811f666e
portland news tibetan mastiff manny pacquiao pacquiao blanche blanche gloria allred
Sorry, Readability was unable to parse this page for content.
Source: http://www.fulldls.com/torrent-app-4868512.html
war in iraq barbara walters government shutdown sofia vergara jacksonville jaguars jacksonville jaguars iraq war over
Such a wise step is taken after an initiative by more than 700,000 people, who poked Facebook to join the campaign with Greenpeace in order to fight against climate change by powering its mammoth server farms with total renewable energy. This is a giant footstep in conserving environment because the data centres of companies such as Apple, Facebook, IBM, Microsoft and Twitter use up to 2% of the USA?s overall energy, which will grow up to 12% each year.
According to the Greenpeace, the company?s servers are totally dependent on coal fired power stations for the electricity generation, which is one of the fifth largest sources of energy and a giant contributor of greenhouse gas pollution in the world.
Tzeporah Berman, Co-director of Greenpeace?s Climate and Energy Program said: ?Greenpeace and Facebook will now work together to encourage major energy producers to move away from coal and instead invest in renewable energy. This move sets an example for the industry to follow.?
Facebook announced that coal will be its power source for the time being, but it will maximize its reliance on clean renewable energy for all upcoming data centres. The company added that it is striving hard to continue research on clean energy solutions as well as energy efficiency. It further justified that the company believes on the open sharing of the technology by the Open Compute Project ? a free and open foundation aimed at driving down the cost of computer hardware technology through energy efficiency.
With such a wonderful prospect, Facebook is looking forward to encourage other IT companies to favour clean renewable energy. In fact, Facebook said that its new Menlo Park facility in California will have a solar cogeneration array installed on the roof of the campus fitness centre.
Image Credit: Creative Commons/Tom Raftery
Source: http://renewableenergy.com/blog/2011/12/19/facebook-and-greenpeace-clean-renewable-energy-mission/
john elway eric decker eric decker dallas cowboys cheerleaders leftover turkey recipes leftover turkey recipes hugo
LONDON (AP) ? Hackers on Sunday claimed to have stolen 200 GB of e-mails and credit card data from United States security think tank Stratfor, promising a weeklong Christmas-inspired assault on a long list of targets.
Members of the loose hacking movement known as "Anonymous" posted a link on Twitter to what it said was Stratfor's secret client list ? including the U.S. Army, the U.S. Air Force, Goldman Sachs and MF Global.
"Not so private and secret anymore?," the group taunted in a message on the microblogging site.
Anonymous said it was able to get credit details, in part, because Stratfor didn't bother encrypting them ? an easy-to-avoid blunder which ? if true ? would be a major embarrassment for any security company.
Stratfor said in an email to members that it had suspended its servers and email after learning that its website had been hacked.
"We have reason to believe that the names of our corporate subscribers have been posted on other web sites," said the email, passed on to The Associated Press. "We are diligently investigating the extent to which subscriber information may have been obtained."
The email, signed by Stratfor Chief Executive George Friedman, said the company is "working closely with law enforcement to identify who is behind the breach."
"Stratfor's relationship with its members and, in particular, the confidentiality of their subscriber information, are very important to Stratfor and me," Friedman wrote.
Stratfor's website was down midday Sunday, with a banner saying "site is currently undergoing maintenance."
Wishing everyone a "Merry LulzXMas" ? a reference to spinoff and fellow troublemakers Lulz Security ? Anonymous also posted a link on Twitter to a site containing the email, phone number and credit number of a U.S. Homeland Security employee.
The employee, Cody Sultenfuss, said he had no warning before his details were posted.
"They took money I did not have," he told The Associated Press in an email. "I think why me? I am not rich."
Anonymous warned it has "enough targets lined up to extend the fun fun fun of LulzXmas through the entire next week."
The group has previously claimed responsibility for attacks on companies such as Visa, MasterCard and PayPal, as well as others in the music industry and the Church of Scientology.
____________
Cassandra Vinograd can be reached at http://twitter.com/CassVinograd
Associated Pressjudy garland duggars kyle orton kyle orton j r martinez j r martinez long island serial killer
@Trivie831 I wonder what the split of educational institutions is between Google and Microsoft? It makes sense that this school would pick G 
thurrott Paul Thurrott
Source: http://twitter.com/thurrott/statuses/150580707691986944
patrice o neal. joran van der sloot osteopathy osteopathy diphtheria diphtheria smokey robinson
Thecus Technology, dealing in digital storage solutions, introduces an NAS device, N299.
The N299 is for storing and sharing digital media files with its built-in software suite. The iTunes server and photo web server allow users to easily share music and photos respectively with PCs throughout their network. The included media server enables users to stream videos and more to compatible uPnP devices such as digital media receivers, allowing them to enjoy their digital media anywhere in the house. The N299 also comes with a download manager, which allows users to schedule BT, HTTP and FTP downloads during off-peak hours to save both time and energy. And the N299 can even be used as a simple home surveillance server by plugging in a compatible IP webcam. All of this is administered through an easy-to-use web-based interface compatible with any browser in Windows, Mac OS, and Linux-based environments.
Users can even opt to install a compatible wireless USB dongle for easy wireless access to the N299. Thecus N299 can also be controlled by any Apple Phone or Android based phone.
?Digital storage is our passion, and the N299 demonstrates our desire to share our passion with as many users as possible,?says Thecus General Manager Florence Shih. ?With excellent functionality at a very reasonable price, the N299 is our most affordable NAS device yet.?
Source: http://www.channeltimes.com/story/thecus-rolls-out-entry-level-nas-storage-for-smb-in-india/
toys r us shame shame denver weather donovan mcnabb donovan mcnabb the waltons
Sorry, Readability was unable to parse this page for content.
Source: http://cosmiclog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/12/20/9591482-quintet-gangs-up-on-alien-worlds
osteopathy osteopathy diphtheria diphtheria smokey robinson smokey robinson del rio
A Christian Science perspective.
Last spring a friend was moving from Wisconsin to Arizona, and I agreed to help her drive. It was a road trip to remember as we motored west in a big moving truck with her car on a trailer behind. We had little experience driving such a rig, so our motto became ?Always forward!?
Skip to next paragraphWhether I?m driving cross-country, traveling in a foreign country, or staying at home, I find great strength, inspiration, and forward mental direction in my study of the Christian Science Bible Lesson. One morning during the trip, I studied this passage from Psalms: ?[H]e shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways? (91:11).
The idea of God?s angels having ?charge? over me was an arresting idea and one that applied to our trip. Mary Baker Eddy, the founder of Christian Science, described angels in this way: ?Angels are not etherealized human beings, evolving animal qualities in their wings; but they are celestial visitants, flying on spiritual, not material, pinions. Angels are pure thoughts from God ?? (?Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures,? p. 298). I felt myself agreeing: Of course God?s angels of comfort and insight are with me wherever I go.
This nugget of inspiration was needed as my friend and I were on the road. As we drove along, the radio reported that tornadoes had been leveling many cities and towns along our route.
Later that afternoon, when we stopped at a gas station to fill the tank, the tornado sirens went off and folks from all over the area swarmed to the station. We jostled into the walk-in cooler, the securest structure on site. As we huddled, the storm grew louder.
At first my thoughts recalled a radio report of a similar situation a few days before. I was actually thinking, Could this be the end for us?
But then I remembered the scriptural promise from that morning ? God?s angels had ?charge? over me, over the situation, and over everything. This brought a mental peace despite the outside storm.?
In the Bible, the burning bush was a symbol to Moses of inner peace; it was on fire but ?not consumed." This clarity of thought helped Moses respond to God?s call to lead the Israelites out of slavery.
These days we don?t come across many burning bushes, but it?s easy to be consumed by news reports, other people?s opinions, and our own fears. Praying or listening to ?angel messages? brings God into the equation or, better yet, dissolves fear by knowing that no one is outside God?s perpetual care. Looking to God in times of need is not foolish but totally reliable because it puts God in the driver?s seat.
As I recalled the words from Psalms, I felt I had a spiritual anchor. I looked around the walk-in cooler. I was grateful for the man who gave me a blanket to stay warm, the woman who was sharing weather updates that she received by text message, people?s humor, and unconditional love. I could see other people acting with their best selves, showing goodness and unselfishness to complete strangers.
After 40 minutes, the storm passed, and we were all able to return to our cars. You can imagine we were relieved to find the moving truck, my friend?s car, and her belongings all in place, without any damage.
That experience has revitalized my concept of God. At times, I?d thought that loving God was a stagnant or abstract thing. Now I can see that trust in God brings safety, clarity, hope, and endurance in perilous moments.
As you journey home this winter holiday, be open to feeling the divine presence of God?s angels advocating for you and guiding you in tangible ways.
To receive Christian Science perspectives daily or weekly in your inbox,?sign up today.
Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/UIT0mHCLYjg/Traveling-safely
cain velasquez vs dos santos oregon stanford oregon stanford jon huntsman darrell hammond darrell hammond boxer rebellion
COMMENTARY | President Barack Obama has declared the Iraqi War over. He has gone to Fort Bragg to salute and thank the troops for their service. American troops have "turned out the lights" and closed the door. This country's over eight-year involvement is finished. Now the questions begin; was the war worth it and what have we accomplished? Such a question involves examining the rationale for the war, the cost in lives and money and the ultimate result.
RATIONALE
The Bush Administration justified the war based upon Saddam Hussein having weapons of mass destruction, or WMDs, that were a threat to the world. The only way to prevent him from using WMDs was to invade Iraqi and overthrow his government. Sadaam did not help his cause by refusing international inspections. Of course it turned out there were no WMDs; at least, none were found. Sadaam was overthrown and his dictatorship was replaced with a democratic government. In the end the rationale became the certainty of no WMDs and the overthrow of a dictator.
COSTS
The estimated cost in money prior to the beginning of the war was 50 to 60 billion dollars; the true costs exceeded one trillion dollars, of which every penny was borrowed and added to the federal deficit. The real cost, however, cannot be measured in dollars. Approximately 4,500 Americans gave their lives and over 32,000 were wounded. The costs of treating and caring for the wounded will be paid for decades to come. The loss to society of those soldiers cannot be underestimated. When the final cost is tallied in 30 or 40 years by adding in veteran benefits and interest paid on the debt three trillion dollars is not out of the realm of possibility.
BENEFITS
The benefits of the war were threefold: elimination of the threat of WMDs, the removal of a dictator and the installation of a democratic government. The first benefit gave the world peace of mind. The second freed the Iraqi people. The third gave the Iraqis the best form of government yet devised. As a side benefit it also planted the idea in the minds of other people enslaved by a dictator that liberation is a real option.
So in the final analysis was the Iraqi War worth it? As a retired military officer I know the incredible quality of American troops and their great sacrifice. Americans should have nothing but pride and gratitude for the service in Iraq. The troops believed in the mission and feel they made a difference in the world. The lasting legacy of the war may be the series of events known as the Arab Spring. Freedom is never cheap; its cost has always been high and will remain so. If the final review and analysis of the Iraqi War is its effect on Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Syria and other countries, then the war was worthwhile. There is no price tag on freedom.
David Nakamura "At Fort Bragg, Obama Hails End of Iraqi War" http://www.star-telegram.com/2011/12/14/3595669/at-fort-bragg-obama-hails-end.html
Drew Brooks "Fort Bragg Soldiers Attend Ceremony Marking End of Iraq War" http://www.fayobserver.com/articles/2011/12/15/1144091?sac=Local
CNNWorld "Report: No WMD Stockpiles in Iraq http://articles.cnn.com/2004-10-06/world/iraq.wmd.report_1_nuclear-weapons-charles-duelfer-iraq-s-wmd?_s=PM:WORLD
David M. Herszenhorn "Estimates of Iraq War Were Not Close to Ballpark" http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/19/washington/19cost.html
verlander justin verlander pepper spraying cop pepper spraying cop somaya reece padma lakshmi juelz santana
KHABARI CROSSING, Kuwait ? The last U.S. soldiers rolled out of Iraq across the border to neighboring Kuwait at daybreak Sunday, whooping, fist bumping and hugging each other in a burst of joy and relief. Their exit marked the end of a bitterly divisive war that raged for nearly nine years and left Iraq shattered, with troubling questions lingering over whether the Arab nation will remain a steadfast U.S. ally.
The mission cost nearly 4,500 American and well more than 100,000 Iraqi lives and $800 billion from the U.S. Treasury. The question of whether it was worth it all is yet unanswered.
Capt. Mark Askew, a 28-year-old from Tampa, Florida who was among the last soldiers to leave, said the answer to that question will depend on what type of country and government Iraq ends up with years from now, whether they are democratic, respect human rights and are considered an American ally.
"It depends on what Iraq does after we leave," he said, speaking ahead of the exit. "I don't expect them to turn into South Korea or Japan overnight."
The war that began in a blaze of aerial bombardment meant to shock and awe the dictator Saddam Hussein and his loyalists ended quietly and with minimal fanfare.
U.S. officials acknowledged the cost in blood and dollars was high, but tried to paint a picture of victory ? for both the troops and the Iraqi people now freed of a dictator and on a path to democracy. But gnawing questions remain: Will Iraqis be able to forge their new government amid the still stubborn sectarian clashes. And will Iraq be able to defend itself and remain independent in a region fraught with turmoil and still steeped in insurgent threats.
Many Iraqis, however, are nervous and uncertain about the future. Their relief at the end of Saddam, who was hanged on the last day of 2006, was tempered by a long and vicious war that was launched to find nonexistent weapons of mass destruction and nearly plunged the nation into full-scale sectarian civil war.
Some criticized the Americans for leaving behind a destroyed country with thousands of widows and orphans, a people deeply divided along sectarian lines and without rebuilding the devastated infrastructure.
Some Iraqis celebrated the exit of what they called American occupiers, neither invited nor welcome in a proud country.
Others said that while grateful for U.S. help ousting Saddam, the war went on too long. A majority of Americans would agree, according to opinion polls.
The low-key exit stood in sharp contrast to the high octane start of the war, which began before dawn on March 20, 2003, with an airstrike in southern Baghdad where Saddam was believed to be hiding. U.S. and allied ground forces then stormed across the featureless Kuwaiti desert, accompanied by reporters, photographers and television crews embedded with the troops.
The final few thousand U.S. troops left Iraq in orderly caravans and tightly scheduled flights. They left at night in hopes it would be more secure and got out in time for at least some of the troops to join families at home for the Christmas holidays.
The last convoy of MRAPs, heavily armored personnel carriers, arrived in Kuwait around 7:30 a.m. local time (0430GMT) Sunday. Soldiers standing just inside the crossing on the Kuwaiti side of the border waved and snapped photos as the final trucks crossed over.
Spc. Brittany Hampton, 21, was among the last soldiers to leave. "Awesome. It is awesome. I am very proud of it," she said.
The final troops completed the massive logistical challenge of shuttering hundreds of bases and combat outposts, and methodically moving more than 50,000 U.S. troops and their equipment out of Iraq over the last year ? while still conducting training, security assistance and counterterrorism battles.
As of Thursday, there were two U.S. bases and less than 4,000 U.S. troops in Iraq ? a dramatic drop from the roughly 500 military installations and as many as 170,000 troops during the surge ordered by President George W. Bush in 2007, when violence and raging sectarianism gripped the country. All U.S. troops were slated to be out of Iraq by the end of the year, but officials are likely to meet that goal a bit before then.
The total U.S. departure is a bit earlier than initially planned, and military leaders worry that it is a bit premature for the still maturing Iraqi security forces, who face continuing struggles to develop the logistics, air operations, surveillance and intelligence-sharing capabilities they will need in what has long been a difficult region.
Despite President Barack Obama's earlier contention that all American troops would be home for Christmas, at least 4,000 forces will remain in Kuwait for some months. The troops will be able to help finalize the move out of Iraq, but could also be used as a quick reaction force if needed.
Obama stopped short of calling the U.S. effort in Iraq a victory in an interview taped Thursday with ABC News' Barbara Walters.
"I would describe our troops as having succeeded in the mission of giving to the Iraqis their country in a way that gives them a chance for a successful future," Obama said.
The Iraq Body Count website says more than 100,000 Iraqis have been killed since the U.S. invasion. The vast majority were civilians.
The U.S. plans to keep a robust diplomatic presence in Iraq, foster a deep and lasting relationship with the nation and maintain a strong military force in the region.
U.S. officials were unable to reach an agreement with the Iraqis on legal issues and troop immunity that would have allowed a small training and counterterrorism force to remain. U.S. defense officials said they expect there will be no movement on that issue until sometime next year.
Obama met in Washington with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki last week, vowing to remain committed to Iraq as the two countries struggle to define their new relationship. Ending the war was an early goal of the Obama administration, and Thursday's ceremony will allow the president to fulfill a crucial campaign promise during a politically opportune time. The 2012 presidential race is roiling and Republicans are in a ferocious battle to determine who will face off against Obama in the election.
Related on HuffPost:
'; var coords = [-5, -72]; // display fb-bubble FloatingPrompt.embed(this, html, undefined, 'top', {fp_intersects:1, timeout_remove:2000,ignore_arrow: true, width:236, add_xy:coords, class_name: 'clear-overlay'}); });Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/18/iraq-war-last-us-troops-l_n_1156037.html
st. louis cardinals gaddafi bodyguards gaddafi bodyguards muammar gaddafi muammar gaddafi lord monckton lord monckton
NEW YORK (Reuters) ? Stocks rose on Friday with growth-related shares leading the way as investors focused on a brighter U.S. economic outlook.
A stronger euro and retreating euro zone bond yields also helped investor confidence. Benchmark Italian bond yields held below 7 percent, and Spanish yields also fell. Still, worries persisted over possible sovereign credit downgrades to the euro zone members.
"It is becoming increasingly apparent the (U.S.) economic recovery is becoming self-sustaining," said Jeffrey Saut, chief investment strategist at Raymond James Financial in St. Petersburg, Florida.
"I think we're going to see reallocation (into growth sectors) when it becomes apparent the U.S. is not dipping into another recession."
The materials sector (.GSPM) was among the top S&P performers, up 1.7 percent. The energy group (.GSPE) was up 1.2 percent as U.S. oil futures added 0.5 percent.
Copper prices added 2.1 percent. Gold rallied about 2 percent but was still on course for a weekly loss.
The Dow Jones industrial average (.DJI) put on 86.28 points, or 0.73 percent, at 11,955.09. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index (.SPX) was up 13.78 points, or 1.13 percent, at 1,229.53. The Nasdaq Composite Index (.IXIC) jumped 41.46 points, or 1.63 percent, at 2,582.47.
Online game maker Zynga Inc (ZNGA.O) was expected to rise in its Nasdaq debut after pricing its initial public offering at $10 per share, the top end of its range. Shares are expected to begin trading around 11 a.m. EST <1600 GMT>.
U.S. consumer prices were flat in November as Americans paid less for cars and gasoline, while the 12-month inflation reading fell for the second straight month, which could give the Federal Reserve more room to help a still-weak economy.
Jim Paulsen, chief investment officer at Wells Capital Management in Minneapolis, said subdued inflation will be a long-term positive as consumers benefit from contained prices.
"That's one of the reasons you're seeing better consumer (confidence) of late," he said.
Research In Motion Ltd (RIM.TO)(RIMM.O) posted a sharp drop in profit on Thursday, offered a dismal outlook for BlackBerry shipments during the holidays and delayed an overhaul of its smartphones. The U.S.-traded stock dropped 11 percent to $13.47.
Shares of Adobe Systems Inc (ADBE.O) jumped 7.3 percent to $28.37 after results from the maker of Photoshop and Acrobat software beat Wall Street projections.
Data this week suggested a strengthening U.S. economic recovery, giving further support to equities.
Jobless claims fell to a 3-1/2-year low last week and factory activity in parts of the U.S. Northeast picked up in December, data showed Thursday.
(Reporting by Rodrigo Campos; editing by Jeffrey Benkoe)
zanesville ohio light field camera world series game 1 exotic animals exotic animals scott hall lra
WASHINGTON ? The last American prisoner in Iraq, a Hezbollah commander linked to the kidnapping deaths of four U.S. soldiers, was turned over to the Iraqi government Friday, the White House said.
U.S. officials have long feared that such a transfer would lead to Ali Mussa Daqduq's release from prison. But his case became enmeshed in both international diplomacy and the Washington political debate over how best to prosecute suspected terrorists.
Under President George W. Bush, prosecutors had planned to someday charge Daqduq in a U.S. criminal court. But those plans were scrapped after Obama took office and lawmakers began restricting the president's ability to bring terrorist suspects into the United States for trial.
Many Republicans had wanted Daqduq prosecuted before a military tribunal at the Guantanamo Bay base in Cuba. The Obama administration had hoped a compromise would be to prosecute Daqduq in a first-of-its-kind military commission on U.S. soil.
But the Iraqi government would not let the United States take Daqduq out of the country for trial, White House spokesman Tommy Vietor said.
"We have sought and received assurances that he will be tried for his crimes," Vietor said Friday.
It was not immediately clear what charges he could face. The U.S. has said he was part of a brazen raid in which four American soldiers were abducted and killed in the Iraqi holy city of Karbala in 2007.
Iraq has had a shoddy record on detainee security. Last year, just a week after the U.S. turned more than 1,000 detainees at its Camp Cropper prison over to Iraqi control, four al-Qaida-linked detainees escaped. An investigation showed that the detainees had inside help.
That had lawmakers worried that Daqduq would return to Hezbollah soon after his transfer. Shortly before the White House announcement, Sen. Mark Kirk, R-Ill., was gathering signatures on a letter to Obama.
"Daqduq's Iranian paymasters would like nothing more than to see him transferred to Iraqi custody where they could effectively pressure for his escape or release," Kirk wrote. "We truly hope you will not let that happen."
With the war over and Iraq a sovereign country, the United States is now bound by its diplomatic agreements with Baghdad. Shuttling Daqduq out of the country without the approval of the Iraqi government would have risked damaging U.S.-Iraqi relations.
Vietor said a trial at Guantanamo Bay was never an option, either for the Iraqis or for the administration.
"The policy of this administration, because we believe it's in our national security interest, is to close the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, not add to the population," he said.
Two Iraqi officials, speaking under condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the case, said Daqduq was in the custody of Iraqi judiciary authorities in Baghdad. Daqduq will stand before an Iraq investigative judge, one official said. Investigative judges decide whether there is enough evidence for a trial and recommend specific charges, somewhat like a grand jury does in the U.S. system.
___
Associated Press writers Donna Cassata in Washington and Qassim Abdul Zahra in Baghdad contributed to this report.
heisman finalists heisman finalists kepler 22 b kepler 22 b rosie o donnell kurt busch kurt busch
WASHINGTON ? House Republicans will stick to their insistence that a bill extending a payroll tax cut and jobless benefits include language speeding work on a controversial oil pipeline, Speaker John Boehner said Friday.
The remarks by Boehner added a contentious backdrop to negotiations over a compromise payroll tax cut measure. With President Barack Obama and many congressional Democrats opposed to accelerating work on the proposed Keystone XL pipeline, which would run for 1,700 miles from western Canada to Texas, that conflict has been one of the major hurdles to a bipartisan deal on the payroll tax package.
Meanwhile, the House began debating a $1 trillion spending bill that would avert a partial federal shutdown beginning Saturday. That measure, which would finance dozens of federal agencies through next September, would replace a stopgap spending bill that expires at midnight Friday and is sure to pass.
Negotiations on the payroll tax cut legislation between Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., were continuing Friday. Leaders are hoping that Congress will finish that bill and others and end its work for the year in the next few days.
Reid said Friday that bargainers were making good progress in those talks, a sentiment echoed by McConnell.
"The majority leader and I are making significant progress on reaching agreement on a package that will have bipartisan support, I hope," McConnell said. "I think we're going to get to that place."
With those talks under way, House leaders planned to send their members home after finishing their work Friday, with plans to return when the Senate produces a payroll tax cut measure for the House to vote on.
But Boehner, R-Ohio, struck a combative tone following a closed-door meeting Friday morning of House Republicans.
"I guarantee that the Keystone pipeline will be in there when it goes back to the United States Senate," Boehner said.
This year's 4.2 percent payroll tax rate will jump back to its normal 6.2 percent on Jan. 1 unless action is taken by Congress. Few lawmakers want to be blamed for a tax increase that would affect 160 million people.
Extended benefits for long-term jobless people will also expire Jan. 1 without congressional action.
That same day, a 27 percent cut in Medicare reimbursements to doctors would take effect unless lawmakers act, a reduction that could convince some doctors to stop treating Medicare patients.
Even without the Keystone dispute, bargainers had still not reached agreement on how to extend a payroll tax cut through 2012, with major disputes remaining over how to finance the package.
Because of their ongoing disagreements, Senate leaders have prepared a shorter, two-month extension of the payroll tax cut and jobless benefits to give themselves more time to reach an agreement.
The two-month payroll tax cut bill would also delay the Medicare cuts for two months.
wormwood bcs bowl games jose reyes capital one bowl college football bowl schedule college football bowl schedule bcs
WASHINGTON (Reuters) ? Congress would allow American economic aid to the Palestinians to continue next year so long as Palestine is not admitted as a state to any more United Nations organizations, under a proposal released on Thursday.
The measure pending before lawmakers would appear to give the Palestinians a pass on the U.N. organization they have already joined -- the United Nations Educational, Scientific and cultural Organization (UNESCO).
It also says that the Palestinian mission in Washington can remain open so long as Palestine is not admitted to a single additional United Nations entity.
The proposed spending plan was released by congressional Republicans, who say it was agreed between Republican and Democratic appropriators as a spending plan for fiscal 2012. Their agreement has until now been kept secret.
It was unclear how soon a vote would be held, or whether details of the plan would change. Republicans are pushing for a vote as soon as possible.
The plan does not specify any particular amount of aid for the Palestinians for fiscal 2012, apparently leaving it to the Obama administration to set the level in consultation with Congress.
"The bottom line is that U.S. aid to the Palestinian Authority can continue, which is good news," said Dylan Williams, director of government affairs at J Street, a liberal advocacy group in Washington that says a two-state solution is essential to Israel's survival.
J Street argues that continuing U.S. aid to the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank benefits Israel's security. "That is because the alternative to the Palestinian Authority being able to assist Israel in maintaining order, and provide basic services to the Palestinians, is for extremist groups like Hamas to deliberately destroy that order and take control of the West Bank," Williams told Reuters.
The Anti-Defamation League's national director Abraham Foxman said he thought the proposed restrictions on aid to the Palestinian were "fine," because they were prospective, not retrospective.
"It does not punish them (the Palestinians) for what they did" in seeking membership at UNESCO, he told Reuters. But the language makes clear that "if you act on a similar fashion from now on, there will be consequences" from the United States.
The Palestinians' campaign to gain recognition as a state at the United Nations and its organizations has upset Israel and its main ally, the United States, who say only a peace treaty can establish a universally recognized Palestinian state.
But the Palestinians pushed ahead and won admission to UNESCO in October, a move that prompted the United States to cut off funding to that agency. U.S. lawmakers also responded by holding up millions of dollars of aid already appropriated in 2011 for the Palestinians but not yet spent.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who hoisted the Palestinian flag at UNESCO headquarters in Paris on Tuesday, has said the Palestinians plan to apply to 16 other international organizations for membership.
The fiscal 2012 spending plan says that no U.S. economic aid can go to the Palestinians "if the Palestinians obtain, after the date of enactment of this act, the same standing as member states or full membership as a state in the United Nations or any specialized agency thereof, outside an agreement negotiated between Israel and the Palestinians."
It would allow Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to waive the restriction if she can certify to lawmakers that this would be in U.S. national security interests, and report to them on how continuing the U.S. aid would further Middle East peace.
The leader of another prominent American Jewish group, the American Jewish Committee, offered a mixed review of the proposal.
"On the one hand, we understand the sentiment in Congress on sending a clear message that any unilateral act will have immediate and direct consequences for Palestinian aid. On the other hand, it is important that any such decision not prove counterproductive regarding the balance of forces in Palestinian society, nor should it negatively affect security cooperation between Israel and the Palestinian Authority," AJC Executive Director David Harris told Reuters.
Last year Congress appropriated $400 million in economic aid and $150 million in security aid to the Palestinians. Representative Kay Granger, a Republican, still has a hold on $138 million of the 2011 economic aid because of the Palestinian push for recognition at the United Nations. She is the chairwoman of the House subcommittee on foreign aid.
(Editing by Cynthia Osterman)
fox 4 adam levine vs fashion show 2011 victoria secret fashion show beverly hills hotel beverly hills hotel rajon rondo
A newfound comet defied long odds Thursday, surviving a suicidal dive through the sun's hellishly hot atmosphere, according to NASA scientists.
Comet Lovejoy plunged through the sun's corona at about 7 p.m. ET, coming within 87,000 miles of our star's surface. Temperatures in the corona can reach 2 million degrees Fahrenheit, so most researchers expected the icy wanderer to be completely destroyed.
But Lovejoy proved to be made of tough stuff. A video taken by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory spacecraft, or SDO, showed the icy object emerging from behind the sun and zipping back off into space.
More space news from msnbc.com
Science editor Alan Boyle's blog: Budget uncertainties have led NASA to change its policy on funding the development of commercial spaceships, shifting to a process that provides more flexibility but also more risk for the space agency.
"Breaking News! Lovejoy lives! The comet Lovejoy has survived its journey around the sun to reemerge on the other side," SDO researchers tweeted.
SDO is one of many instruments that scientists ? eager to record and study the comet's presumed demise ? trained on Lovejoy as it streaked toward the sun.
"We have here an exceptionally rare opportunity to observe the complete vaporization of a relatively large comet, and we have approximately 18 instruments on five different satellites that are trying to do just that," Karl Battams, a scientist at the Naval Research Laboratory in Washington, wrote on the Sungrazing Comets website before Lovejoy's closest solar approach.
Battams runs the website, which is devoted to comets discovered by two different spacecraft: NASA's Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory (STEREO) and the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO), which is operated jointly by NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA). [Death of a Comet: Photos of Sungrazing Comet Lovejoy]
Preparing for the end
Lovejoy has a core about 660 feet wide. It belongs to a class of comets known as Kreutz sungrazers, whose orbits bring them very close to the sun.
All Kreutz sungrazers are thought to be the remnants of a single giant comet that broke apart several centuries ago. They're named after the 19th-century German astronomer Heinrich Kreutz, who first showed that such comets are related.
Most popular
Comets plunge into the sun on a regular basis, but they rarely give much advance notice of their suicidal intentions. That's why scientists were so excited about Lovejoy. Australian amateur astronomer Terry Lovejoy discovered the icy wanderer on Nov. 27, giving researchers plenty of time to map out their observation campaign.
And that campaign has been intense, involving five different spacecraft. In addition to SDO, SOHO and STEREO, scientists planned to use Japan's Hinode satellite and ESA's Proba spacecraft to track Lovejoy's movements, Battams wrote.
NASA also created a website providing updates about the comet's pass through the corona, as well as images of the event beamed down by SDO. It can be found here: http://sdo.gsfc.nasa.gov/data/lovejoy.php
For his part, Terry Lovejoy said he was happy to have made a contribution, and he marveled a bit at all the attention the comet has been getting.
"It's been tremendous," Lovejoy told Space.com. "Apparently it's all over Facebook, and I don't use Facebook. But there's a lot of interest. I think a lot of people like the name ? the Lovejoy name seems to strike a chord with people."
A dramatic escape
Lovejoy is quite large for a sungrazing comet, and experts expected it to die an impressive death. The website Spaceweather.com, for example, predicted Lovejoy would blaze as brightly as Jupiter or Venus in the sky as it neared the sun.
Battams also expected a good show, saying the comet might even be visible from the ground around sunset today in the Northern Hemisphere.?
"I do think that it will put on a spectacular show for us and will be the brightest Kreutz-group comet that SOHO has ever observed," Battams wrote last week.
Though the early returns are just starting to come in, those forecasts appear to be on the money. Observations from various spacecraft do indeed show Lovejoy flaring up significantly as it neared our star.
Researchers will keep analyzing the images to better understand the comet's daring solar approach. And now skywatchers apparently have another shot to catch a glimpse of the resilient Lovejoy on Friday morning.
For observers in North America, the comet will rise approximately 5 to 10 minutes before dawn and will be situated to the upper right of the sun. If Lovejoy is still shining at least as brightly as Venus, it may be visible, experts say.?
You could also try to spot Lovejoy after the sun comes up, if you're exceedingly careful. Block the rising sun behind a distant building and focus on the part of the sky 3 to 4 degrees above and to the right of the sun (your clenched fist held at arm's length is equal to roughly 10 degrees).
CAUTION: Never point binoculars or a telescope at or near the sun, and never look directly at the sun with the naked eye. Serious eye damage can result.
And don't get your hopes up, either. The comet may well be too faint to see, experts say.
Note: If you take any good pictures of Comet Lovejoy and would like them to be considered for a future story or image gallery, contact Space.com managing editor Tariq Malik at tmalik@space.com.
Space.com assistant managing editor Clara Moskowitz (@ ClaraMoskowitz ) contributed to this story. You can follow Space.com senior writer Mike Wall on Twitter:@michaeldwall. Follow Space.com for the latest in space science and exploration news on Twitter @Spacedotcom??and on Facebook.
? 2011 Space.com. All rights reserved. More from Space.com.
Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45691807/ns/technology_and_science-space/
toys r us shame shame hedy lamarr syracuse basketball denver weather donovan mcnabb
j edgar hoover jonathan papelbon jonathan papelbon trisomy 13 veterans barbados resorts the call
breeders cup 2011 gwar gwar san diego weather tropic thunder justin bieber baby justin bieber baby
LAGOS, Nigeria ? At least 5,000 people have fled villages in central Nigeria at the heart of clashes between nomadic cattle herders and farmers, officials said Thursday, as at least five people have died in the fighting.
Authorities acknowledged there could be many more deaths in the violence hitting rural Benue and Nasarawa states in Nigeria's fertile central belt, a dividing line in the country between religious and ethnic groups.
However, the remote villages remain difficult to reach and government officials appear hesitant to publicize details of the attacks at risk of inflaming a region where such clashes remain common.
The fighting began this week as Muslim Fulani cattle herders found some of their livestock dead, said Conrad Wergba, Benue state's information commissioner. The cattle herders retaliated by attacking villages of the Christian Tiv ethnic group in both Benue and Nasarawa states, he said.
"It is an occurring problem," Wergba said. "There is this conflict each time their cattle destroy the Tiv farmland during grazing."
A combined force of police and military moved into the areas to guard the area, he said.
Benue State police spokesman Ejike Alaribe said at least five people had died in the attacks, though he acknowledged that was all authorities could confirm on their own in the remote villages.
"That's official figures, but some others died but not in this our state," Alaribe said. "It's a remote area. Most of the things that happen, they don't feel like going to report them to the appropriate authorities. ... It could be more."
Victoria Monde, the information commissioner of Nasarawa state, referred questions to an employee who refused to give his name, but said the government had given food to refugees in multiple camps. Both the employee and Monde declined to comment further.
The Tiv represent one the largest of the minority ethnic groups in Nigeria, a nation of more than 160 million people and more than 250 different ethnicities.
Benue state has seen previous clashes in the past between them and other groups over land issues. In 2001, during one of the worst spates of violence, Nigeria's federal government sent soldiers to the region that killed 200 villagers in a massacre after local militants killed military members.
___
Jon Gambrell can be reached at http://www.twitter.com/jongambrellAP.
payroll tax lady gaga marry the night video lady gaga marry the night video pac 12 championship game pac 12 championship game green bay packers stock hanukkah
In a four-hour interview, Jerry Sandusky, in addition to denying charges that he molested young boys, shed light on several key aspects of the investigation and the actions, or inaction, of officials at Penn State University and the Second Mile charity.
Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036697/vp/45515935#45515935
muskingum county muskingum county ron paul social security social security intc barometer
WASHINGTON (Reuters) ? President Barack Obama will set a new goal in the worldwide fight against AIDS with an announcement on Thursday of a target to provide treatment for an additional 2 million people by the end of 2013.
Obama's new global target for AIDS treatment would increase to 6 million from the current goal of 4 million.
White House officials said that Obama, who will speak to a World AIDS Day event in Washington, will set the target at that forum, which will also be attended by U2 lead singer Bono, singer Alicia Keys and Florida Republican Senator Marco Rubio.
Former U.S. presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton were expected to participate in the event via satellite.
Obama also plans to announce a $50 million increase in spending on HIV and AIDS treatment in the United States.
A White House official said the funds would come from existing resources and would not require congressional approval.
(Writing by Caren Bohan; Editing by Vicki Allen)
Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/aids/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111201/ts_nm/us_obama_aids
theo epstein darknet james ray williston nd williston nd mists of pandaria mists of pandaria
