Prince William joins Irish Sea rescue mission (AP)

LONDON ? Prince William joined a frantic search and rescue mission Sunday after a cargo ship sank in the Irish Sea, leaving several members of the Russian crew missing.

The second in line to the British throne, who is a Royal Air Force helicopter and known professionally as Flight Lt. William Wales, was aboard an aircraft which rescued two crew members early Sunday, after their vessel's hull cracked in gale force winds off the coast of north Wales.

Britain's defense ministry said William had been co-pilot of the helicopter, which carried two people back to his base RAF Valley, on the Welsh island of Anglesey.

Authorities said five people remain missing after the Cook Islands-registered Swanland cargo ship, which had eight people on board and was carrying thousands of tons of limestone, sent a mayday call.

Holyhead Coastguard said one body had been recovered from the sea, but that the fate of the other crew members was not yet known.

"We know that at least some of them are wearing immersion suits and have strobe lighting with them, however sea conditions are challenging at best," said Jim Green, a coastguard spokesman.

Rescue helicopters from RAF Valley and from Dublin coastguard base in Ireland were initially sent to the scene, about 20 miles (32 kilometers) northwest of the Llyn peninsula in north Wales.

Helicopters from RAF Chivenor, in southwest England, and the Irish Coastguard are continuing to search for the missing crew, along with boats from the Royal National Lifeboat Institution.

"Two RNLI lifeboats, along with four search and rescue helicopters and two other commercial boats, are searching for the remaining six crew," the RNLI said in a statement.

Gale force winds battered the Irish Sea on Sunday and the coastguard said it is believed the poor condition could have caused the incident.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/world/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111127/ap_on_re_eu/eu_britain_ship_sinks

narwhals narwhals gmail app gmail app phentermine port of oakland grand theft auto 5

Cops: Toddler nailed inside filthy bedroom

A mother and her boyfriend have been accused of locking up a toddler by nailing the door to his bedroom shut, according to a report.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that Cindy Marie Cantu, 24,?and Kyle Erwin Skinner, 23, of Marietta, Ga., were facing charges for child cruelty and contributing to the delinquency of minors.

Arrest warrants obtained by the newspaper said that the three-year-old child was surrounded by filth when he was found Monday.

---

Police told the Journal-Constitution that officers who went to the house had to break down the door and the boy was found with a severe rash. His diaper was soiled.

Cantu, who is pregnant,?was arrested?at a hospital in Marietta, the paper said, where she had gone due to injuries allegedly caused by Skinner.

Skinner faces assault charges for pushing Cantu to the ground and hitting her several times, the arrest warrant said, according to the Journal-Constitution.

"The condition of the home presented hazards such as insects, fecal matter, rotting food, soiled diapers, standing water in the shower, and general unclean conditions of the home," the warrants added.

Source: http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/11/26/9032992-cops-toddlers-bedroom-door-nailed-shut

mark davis bank holidays bank holidays john galt john galt post office hours post office hours

The Sims 3: Pets PC review

Let?s get one thing clear: I?m extremely fond of horses. If I were to list all of the animals in order of objective, intrinsic worth, I don?t think it would be arrogant of me to say that horses would certainly be at the top.

The Sims 3: Pets caters to unbridled hooflust in ways previous Sims pets expansions wouldn?t dare, introducing equine buddies to the already heaving assortment of available canine and feline companions. Dogs, cats and horses are now the three primary forms of petkind, while birds, fish, gerbiltypes and lizards steadfastly remain on the ?interactive furniture? side of animal husbandry.

You can teach parrots to talk, you can even teach them to swear.

Whether furry, hairy, scaly or feathered, pets integrate seamlessly into the life simulator. They can be inserted into new families from the outset, or adopted from other Sims or the adoption agency. And, because The Sims 3: Pets fills your town to the brim with wandering strays, your Sim can also befriend vagrant woofers, taking them off the streets and showering them in mind-smearing luxury.

Gone are the pet careers of The Sims 2, replaced by more realistic functions: dogs can hunt and dig for treasure. Cats can catch vermin. Horses can be ridden in races and made to jump over things for money. Riding itself is a skill Sims can learn, while hunting and other tricks can be taught and improved. The pets themselves can be controlled exactly as you would a human Sim, allowing you to placate their immediate desires (typically: sniffing and eating things) or attend to their needs without the interaction of a human Sim. And, just as with human Sims, wish fulfilment grants rewards ? such as the ability to vomit at will.

Ride you horse to the shops, like you're in a music video or something.

The animations and animal vocalisations, are of an incredibly high standard ? pumping immense, wet-nosed character and playful personalities into every pet. You?ll want to crawl into your monitor to stroke the things, instead of stoically resigning yourself to proxy in-game cuddles and indirect cooing. Animals age and expire, too, flinging Sims into depressions of such crippling magnitude that, much like real life, you wonder if it?s ever worth forming an emotional bond with a living creature ever again. But don?t worry, you?ll find some consolation in the customisation options in the pet creation suite. Maybe.

The pets expansions for the Sims have traditionally been the most, well, expansive, introducing players to a new emotional vocabulary through the unconditional and universally appreciated love of captive animals. The Sims 3: Pets is the most balanced of these expansions ? more pragmatic than the wackiness of The Sims 2 superstar mutts, and? well, I doubt you even remember the awful state of The Sims 1?s autistic, grid-based dogs. It?s the only Sims expansion I?d ever insist upon, and a must for Sims 3 owners.

Verdict

Set to doom a generation of pony-mad girls. Perfect if you have love in your heart and Sims 3 on your Steam account.

Source: http://www.pcgamer.com/2011/11/26/the-sims-3-pets-review/

the brothers grimm the brothers grimm penn state football weather boston grimm fairy tales grimm fairy tales gold rush

Cambridge researchers translate graphene into printable circuitry material, bring basic 'Skynet' factory to you

Yes, graphene is amazing and possesses many useful / otherworldly properties. The ability to use graphene itself to print flexible, transparent thin-film transistors via an inkjet printer is just another one of them. Over at the University of Cambridge, researchers have discovered that it's possible to print standard CMOS transistors using a graphene component. Provided the graphene is chipped off a block of graphite using a chemical solvent and the larger (potentially print-head blocking) chips are removed, it can be turned into a polymer ink which can then run through a conventional inkjet printer. The potential result of this is flexible, transparent and wearable computer circuitry coming from ordinary printers as opposed to several multi-million-dollar machines in a factory, which has long been the historical standard. Besides, who wouldn't want to print their own circuitry on a PhotoSmart MFP rather than whatever report might be due the next day?

Cambridge researchers translate graphene into printable circuitry material, bring basic 'Skynet' factory to you originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 25 Nov 2011 20:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink ExtremeTech, MIT  |  Cornell University Library  | Email this | Comments

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/_s9bWw4ADX8/

joost joost new hampshire debate how to get ios 5 how to get ios 5 eric holder eric holder

Mary Minock's Southwest Detroit Memoir 'The Way Back Room' To Be Celebrated Friday

Mary Minock has been writing since the '70s, but the poet and creative writing professor at Madonna University never planned to try her hand at memoir, despite the fascinating childhood she had growing up in the upper flat of a house on Clark Street in southwest Detroit.

But the idea for her new book, "The Way-Back Room: A Memoir of a Detroit Childhood," germinated several years ago. After four years researching, writing and editing, Minock now shares her past with friends, neighbors, Detroiters and others, kicking off with a release party in her old neighborhood on Friday.

Southwest Detroit is the backdrop to Minock's memoir, but the real story is less about the city and more about Minock's rocky childhood. Her father died when she was six, which led to Minock caring for her mother and a strained relationship with her extended family. At Catholic school, Minock was an outcast, a deeply troubled child whose way of dealing with her grief caused her to be misunderstood. At the same time, Minock doesn't dramatize her misfortunes, and instead readers see a self-possessed, sharply honest girl who tries her best to confront challenges head on.

The Huffington Post recently spoke on the phone with Minock about publishing her first memoir and the city she still calls home.

When did you decide to write a memoir?

I moved back to the upstairs flat in 1996. I lived there practically 12 years, in the same place where I grew up. There are so many ghosts and so many reminders and so much continuity. I was kind of in a place where it was natural to be very reflective about the past. So many people can't get back to the past; I feel so lucky be able to especially in this neighborhood where much hasn't been torn down.

Did you rely mostly on your own memory or find yourself doing extensive research?

I did a lot of research. What's really nice about the research is finding stuff out will lead you to more memories. My mother had kept so many things; I had papers and things like that. I also did a lot of research in the Burton Archives. I was very careful to try to describe the neighborhood the way it really was. The book ought to be walkable.

In your book, your younger self deals with her grief over her father's death in a way that readers might be shocked by: she unconsciously engages in public masturbation. Was it difficult for you to write about -- and share -- something so personal, and potentially embarrassing, that was linked to emotional trauma?

It's about comfort; it's about something this girl can rely on. She's something like shell-shocked. At the time people of the working class, like my family, had no knowledge of psychology. Pop psychology is a very recent phenomenon. Now people don't do terrible things to their kids without knowing it. I couldn't have left it out without sentimentalizing things, and I just decided the only way to tell it is straight. It may make me vulnerable, but I'm going to have to deal with that. It's not something I ever think about it anymore. It's not raw. If it were, it wouldn't be in the book.

There's a taboo, a very strong taboo. I didn't set out to break taboos, but if I have, and it opens some discussion, that would be great. I wonder how much it could strike a chord with someone. The book wasn't meant to be a misery memoir, though. I had some real bad problems, but I had some real lucky breaks too.

Your book captures a very different city and time period. What are your thoughts about Detroit and its changes?

I root for it. It's still the center of things and there's a lot of diversity, a lot going on. Back then it was totally possible for kids to explore things on their own; we had transportation and we felt safe. I don't know what I would have done with out the libraries; the museums.

But it's not something that was great then, scary now -- that dichotomy. I'm so tired of these people who talk about Detroit like it was all Boblo Island and ginger ale. They just leave the whole thing agentless like nothing happened. If you were there, you could see that what we were dong then affected where we are now.

A lot of books about Detroit have come out recently. Is there an uptick of writers in the city, or has there always been a strong writing community in Detroit?

The poetry community here is just incredible. It's just supportive here, and there's so many things going on. I could go to readings and workshops every night.

Writing my book I saw there was this steady stream of sentimental "remember when" Detroit books. All around the area there's this longing to try to touch Detroit the way it was. We need to have a lot of books that are really situated [in Detroit] so people can get an idea of what it was like to live here, not just remember it. I hope nobody picks my book up thinking it will be one of those sentimental treatments and be disappointed. I hope that it transcends enough that people are thinking about their own memories and growing up.

The release party for "The Way-Back Room: A Memoir of a Detroit Childhood" will be Friday, Nov. 25, 5-7 p.m. at Cafe Con Leche, 4200 W. Vernor Highway, Detroit, only a few blocks from the house where Minock grew up. She will be reading and signing copies of the book.

'; 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/2011/11/25/mary-minocks-memoir-way-back-room-southwest_n_1112189.html

cc sabathia ruth madoff ruth madoff in living color enews enews mona simpson

Arm in the Ice (preview)

Feature Articles | Technology See Inside

New fingerprint- and DNA-identification techniques solve a mystery from a 60-year-old plane crash

By Colleen Fitzpatrick ?| November 25, 2011

TRAGEDY: It took nine years to identify the arm recovered from the wreckage of Northwest Flight 4422. No one knows what caused the crash. The plane was off course before it slammed into the mountain. Image: Lines History Department (airplane); Courtesy of Kevin A. McGregor, ? 1999 (man with camera); Courtesy of Roy Wittock (arm); Alaska State Troopers/AP Photo (van Zandt); Courtesy of Mike Grimm, Jr. (fingerprint)

In Brief

• More than 50 years after the 1948 crash of a Northwest Airlines plane killed all onboard, a desiccated arm and hand were retrieved from the scene.
• Initial fingerprint examination and DNA analysis of the arm and hand were unable to determine the identity of the remains.
• Researchers finally identified the remains after developing new techniques that may one day be used for disaster victims and unknown soldiers.

On March 12, 1948, at 9:14 p.m. Pacific Standard Time, Northwest Airlines Flight 4422 crashed into Mount Sanford, a peak in the remote Wrangell Mountains in eastern Alaska. All 24 passengers?merchant mariners returning to the U.S. from Shanghai, China?along with six Northwest crew members, probably died on impact. The debris, too difficult to reach, was quickly covered by snow and eventually entombed by ice.

Articles You Might Also Like

Source: http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=5d234b0418036e6721d27ec494ed7bd0

noreaster noreaster steve miller band boston weather kara dioguardi thomas kinkade the shining

'DJ Pauly D ? Beat That Boardwalk' arrives in the Android Market -- hair gel and tanning sessions sold separately

The Android Market is home to some strange things at times, so it only makes sense that DJ Pauly D makes an appearance there. At least this one is kind of tolerable to a certain extent, mildly amusing and even kinda fun -- if only for a while. DJ Pauly D – Beat That Boardwalk game is now available for download and features all the pixel loving Pauly D you can handle:

• Bomb the Boardwalk! - Maneuver DJ Pauly D down Jersey’s bumpin’ boardwalk, scoring points, pizza and babes! Keep’em alive through waves of brawny bros that try to bring the beatdown! Steer clear of fugly grenades that want to ruin the night! Dodge hordes of buzz-kill executives that try to stop the show!
• Boardwalkers, Music and Bling! - Keep DJ Pauly D going strong by collecting gold chains, boom boxes and head phones. Use his mad game on the Garden-State girlies to score more points and get some boardwalk love!
• Pump Iron to Activate Juicehead Mode! - Hit up the gym to kick DJ Pauly D into JUICEHEAD mode, letting him plow through enemies like a grenade at the buffet!
• Stop and Take Tan! - Tanning salons keep DJ Pauly D from becoming DANGEROUSLY PALE! Pale skin costs you precious points and party time. Keep an eye on the complexion meter so you’ll know when to bronze up.
• Laundromats Keep you Lookin' Fly! - Stop at the Laundromat or DJ Pauly D will go from stud to dud! Stay fresh to score more points and keep the night on fire!

All that fun isn't free though, it will set you back around $1 but hey worst case, you'll have something to kill some time and get a laugh at. Plus, it won't cut that far into your hair gel expenses. Download link is past the break for you all.

read more

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/xD9U91obuU8/story01.htm

rashard mendenhall san antonio weather austin box austin box nebraska football nebraska football the academy is

Anathema or new hope? Russian Communists battle on (Reuters)

MOSCOW (Reuters) ? Twenty years after the Soviet Union collapsed, Gennady Zyuganov still has a small white bust of Lenin in his office and still says he wants to restore communist rule to Russia.

Opinion polls show the veteran communist leader and his party have almost no chance of winning elections in a country where capitalism is now rampant and Vladimir Putin is dominant.

But at 67, Zyuganov is undeterred and leading the Russian Communist Party into a parliamentary campaign for the sixth time and gearing up for his fourth bid to become president.

The burly former physics teacher is back on the campaign trail, booming out criticism of Putin's United Russia party and lambasting capitalism in his by now familiar bass voice to crowds of often elderly supporters waving red flags.

"No one believed in 1917 that the October Revolution would happen. Don't rush to conclusions (about the elections)," Zyuganov told Reuters in an interview at the party's central committee headquarters in Moscow.

Lamenting the state of the economy, he said: "We're last among the Group of 20 countries, last among the BRIC countries (of emerging economies) and last among the oil producers. The path chosen by the country's leaders is totally bankrupt."

But for all Zyuganov's fighting talk, victory over United Russia in an election on December 4 would be as unexpected as the Bolshevik Revolution that swept the communists to power in 1917.

Polls indicate United Russia will remain dominant in the State Duma (lower house) with the Communists far behind on about 13 percent of votes. The same surveys also predict a comfortable victory for Putin in a presidential election in March.

But second place in the Duma election could be enough to satisfy the Communists, ensuring they remain Russia's main parliamentary opposition party.

"In reality they don't hold out hope of victory. They have different goals which involve just keeping their position in the State Duma," political analyst Dmitry Oreshkin said, describing the Communists as part of a "systemic opposition."

Zyuganov dismissed suggestions his party was part of a pliant opposition with the other groups in the Duma -- maverick Vladimir Zhirinovsky's Liberal Democrats and the Just Russia party, until recently a firm ally of United Russia.

But in a sign that winning is not everything for the Communists, Zyuganov said he wanted voters to back his party "because we need a counterweight in the Duma" to United Russia.

PUTIN'S RATINGS FALL

The Communists' best hope of winning new votes comes from signs that voters may be tired of Putin, who was greeted by boos at a recent appearance, and are disillusioned with United Russia, the main parliamentary force since 2003.

An opinion poll this month showed 61 percent of respondents approved of Putin's work as premier, his lowest rating since 2000, and 51 percent said they would vote for United Russia -- down from 60 percent the previous week.

The drop in support reflects public frustration with economic problems in the world's largest energy-producing state and a decision by Putin and President Dmitry Medvedev to swap roles in their ruling "tandem" next year without consulting voters.

After eight years as president, and four as prime minister, Putin could rule until 2024 if he wins two more terms.

"For four years the tandem fooled people by saying both of them would run in the election, but it turns out they agreed everything long ago," Zyuganov said, saying the Russian people should not be treated in such a way.

The Communists say they fear foul play in the Duma election and complain that they and other opposition parties do not have as much air time on television as United Russia because coverage is dominated by Putin and Medvedev.

But they still bank on winning votes from elderly Russians who preferred the relative stability of the communist past.

"My pension is tiny, while under Soviet laws it was quite decent. Back then we didn't lose our satellites, and look at what's happening now," said Galina Sergeyevna, 73, who gave only her name and patronymic, referring to space program setbacks.

Zyuganov also hopes the Communists have something to offer younger people. This is vital if the party is to survive because the number of older supporters is dwindling with each year.

"Thirty thousand young people have joined the party. Our voters are people who read, think and work, people in small and medium business, people who are inventors, people who understand that the country is being dragged up a dead-end street and kicked from all sides," he said.

COMMUNISTS BATTLE DISTRUST

Zyuganov may be able to pick up votes from some young people with no memory of the Soviet era.

But for many other people, the Communists are anathema after seven decades of Soviet rule which included the execution of opponents, the exile of many more to prison camps in Siberia, shortages of many goods, and severe travel restrictions.

"When Putin came to power at least something started to change in this life," said Artyom, 26, a travel agency operator.

Zyuganov also faces a challenge to convince the many Russians addicted to consumerism that communism has a place in modern Russia, where cities are awash with flashy cars, expensive shopping malls and luxury restaurants.

"I wouldn't vote communist. I wouldn't want the long queues back," said a young Muscovite who gave her name as Lyudmila.

The party has tried to update the communist platform for the modern day. Zyuganov talks of spending more to protect the environment and is careful to underline that his party respects democracy, human rights and freedom of speech.

He no longer talks of rebuilding the Soviet Union although the communists want to forge closer ties again with Ukraine, Belarus and Kazakhstan -- as does the Kremlin.

But his language is still peppered with phrases from the Soviet era, with criticism of "speculative liberal capitalism," mockery of the West's "beloved America" and condemnation of the "corruption, theft and banditry" of capitalist society.

The Communists' program is presented under the slogan "Politics of the majority - the way to victory!" in a simple pamphlet featuring cartoons of a muscular laborer in red overalls bearing the party's hammer-and-sickle symbol.

Policies include nationalizing natural resources and key branches of industry and promising social guarantees, or state handouts. Financial policy would be based on a group of state banks and fiscal policy would involve introducing a progressive tax. Russia now has a flat 13 percent personal income tax.

After a poor showing in 1993, the Communists won the 1995 Duma election, but Zyuganov narrowly lost out on the big prize when Boris Yeltsin held on to the main seat of power in a presidential election a few months later in 1996.

Although the Communists remained the biggest single party in parliament in an election in 1999, they have since lost ground and United Russia has held sway in the Duma since 2003. After his defeat by Yeltsin, Zyuganov was also beaten to the presidency by Putin in 2000 and by Medvedev in 2008.

(Editing by Mark Heinrich)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/russia/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111123/wl_nm/us_russia_election_communists

cornel west marzieh vafamehr marzieh vafamehr lady liberty lady liberty the rum diary addams family

AUTOMOTIVE - DRIVEN: Audi A6 Proves Its Worth

The 2012 Audi A7 has been getting all the awards and accolades, mainly for its unique sports/luxury approach to hatchback practicality.

But I?ll tell you, I just got out of the redesigned 2012 A6 sedan built on the same platform, and I liked it a whole lot better. It has a quieter ride and better drivability, a more-usable back seat with actual headroom and space for three instead of two, and it costs nearly $10,000 less. That?s a lot for a rear hatch instead of a trunk.

The A6 sedan?s routine body styling leaves all the attention going to the expressive A7. (Photo: Audi) The A6 that I drove was set up essentially the same as the A7 test car, with 19-inch wheels, performance tires and sport suspension. A6 and A7 are built on the same platform, have essentially identical interiors and are powered by the same 3-liter turbocharged V6 that produces 310 horsepower.

Yet I found the sedan to be considerably more sophisticated than the hatchback. The A6 had that elegant and sporty character that I love about Audi products, while I found the A7 to be harsh and twitchy. The A7?s sleek hatchback styling is right on, but that?s about it.

So why the difference in drivability between the A6 and the A7? You got me there. When I mentioned it to an Audi PR guy, he looked at me like I was talking in tonques.

While reviewing the A7 last month, I started to doubt my sensibilities. Everybody seemed to be in love with this car, except for me. Happily, I was hanging out recently at the Los Angeles Auto Show with a good friend and fellow auto writer who expressed similar reservations about the A7 without any prompting on my part. So I feel somewhat vindicated.

The Sport Package provides 19-inch alloy wheels and performance tires, plus a sport-tuned suspension. (Photo: Audi) Whatever, I was totally pleased with the A6 and found it to be all that an Audi should be, although the styling could use a dose of passion. Other than the aggressive front-end treatment, A6 just fades into the crowd.

The look is where A7 gains the edge, sort of like the prettier but dumber sibling in a family. A7 has the flash, but A6 has the substance.

The 3-liter engine has plenty of guts, with power delivered in a smooth rush. For 2012, A6 sheds some weight, down about 78 pounds from last year?s model because of extensive use of aluminum in the body structure.

A6 can also be had with a turbocharged 2-liter inline four with 211 horsepower, which is cheaper and gets better fuel mileage. If you want more, go for the performance-enhanced S6 with its mighty 420-horsepower twin-turbo V8, which for 2012 replaces the previous model?s V10.

Both the A6 and the A7 have Audi?s slick eight-speed automatic transmission, which does such a fine job of seamlessly transferring power to all four wheels, essentially unnoticed aside from the notion that it?s shifting constantly. Paddle shifters on the steering column are pretty effective, though you feel as if you?re flapping away forever when downshifting through the many gear ratios.

Source: http://automotive.speedtv.com/article/autos-audi-a6-proves-its-worth/

james garner veteran aircraft carrier apocalypse now happy veterans day happy veterans day brian eno

Not guilty pleas entered in Ohio teen girl's death (AP)

CINCINNATI ? Not guilty pleas were entered Tuesday for a mother and a nurse charged with involuntary manslaughter in the death of the mother's 14-year-old daughter, who had cerebral palsy and weighed only 28 pounds.

Not guilty pleas also were entered in Montgomery County Common Pleas Court in Dayton for two nurses indicted on lesser charges in the death of Makayla Norman. The coroner's office ruled her death on March 1 was due to nutritional and medical neglect complicated by her chronic condition. "She was the worst malnourished child this office has ever seen," the office's director said.

A judge entered a not guilty plea for Makayla's mother, Angela Norman, who's charged with involuntary manslaughter and endangering children, the court clerk's office said. No attorney was listed for her. Her bail was set at $250,000.

Mollie Parsons, a licensed practical nurse whose job was to administer care to the girl six days a week, pleaded not guilty to involuntary manslaughter, failure to provide for a functionally impaired person and tampering with records, attorney Jon Paul Rion said. Her bail was set at $250,000, but Rion said he planned to ask for a reduced bond.

A main issue in the case is whether the girl's malnutrition was caused by the cerebral palsy, he said.

"Her weight and body mass were always an issue," Rion said. "The malnutrition could have been caused by the body's inability to take in nutrients."

Kathryn Williams, 42, of Englewood, and Mary K. Kilby, 63, of Miamisburg, were each charged with failing to provide for a functionally impaired person and failing to report child abuse or neglect. Bail for each of them was set at $10,000 with electronic home monitoring, prosecutor's spokesman Greg Flannagan said.

Kilby's attorney, Dennis Lieberman, said his client pleaded not guilty to the charge of failing to provide for a functionally impaired person, a felony, and would plead not guilty to a misdemeanor charge of failing to report child abuse or neglect. Lieberman declined further comment.

No attorney was listed for Kathryn Williams, 42, of Englewood, but the clerk's office said a judge entered a not guilty plea for her.

County Prosecutor Mathias Heck Jr. has said that the four women were responsible for caring for the girl and "they all utterly ignored and failed to do so."

Heck said last week that the girl undoubtedly would still be alive "if just one of these defendants had acted responsibly."

Makayla had numerous bed sores and showed other signs of neglect, he said.

She was confined to her home and was supposed to be cared for by her mother, listed as 42 in jail records, and the 41-year-old Parsons, the prosecutor said.

Williams and Kilby are registered nurses, the prosecutor's office said.

Williams was paid to supervise Parsons and visit and inspect the living conditions and do a physical assessment of the girl every 30 to 60 days. Kilby was scheduled to visit every six months to also check on conditions of the home and assess the girl's health, needs and care, the prosecutor said.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/crime/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111123/ap_on_re_us/us_malnourished_teen_death

the others the others kristin cavallari los angeles weather vitiligo portia de rossi portia de rossi

Key issues discussed at East Asian summit (AP)

BALI, Indonesia ? President Barack Obama on Saturday became the first U.S. leader to attend an East Asia summit, where leaders from 18 nations discussed territorial disputes in the South China Sea, democratic reforms in military-dominated Myanmar, mitigating natural disasters, currency, trade and other issues.

Attending were heads of state and representatives from Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea and ? for the first time ? Russia and the United States.

The most closely watched were Obama and Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao ? who held an unscheduled one-on-one Saturday ? and Myanmar President Thein Sein. Domestic issues resulted in a no-show for Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.

HOT TOPICS:

? Maritime security: The South China Sea is strategically important to everyone, with busy international sea lanes, rich fishing areas and potential energy reserves. China claims the area in its entirety and has been accused of trying to intimidate boats in disputed waters. Looming larger in the talks, however, was the geostrategic competition between China and the United Sates. Obama unveiled a plan for an expanded U.S. Marines presence in Australia. Most Southeast Asian nations welcomed that, but Beijing bristled.

? Myanmar: Nations acknowledged democratic reforms in Myanmar by saying it would chair the regional bloc in 2014, and the U.S. announced Secretary of State Hillary Clinton would go to Yangon next month. But all were quick to agree that despite the progress, Myanmar's military-dominated government needs to do much more. An estimated 2,000 political prisoners are still held, and the new government has been slow to engage in meaningful dialogue with the opposition or settle differences with long-persecuted ethnic minorities.

? Trade: U.S. plane-maker Boeing announced its largest deal in history with a little-known Southeast Asian airline hours before the meeting ? 230 planes worth an estimated $21 billion ? highlighting the rising economic might of the region that has bounced back from the 1997 economic crisis with a roar. Leaders of the 18 countries talked about breaking down trade barriers, improving infrastructure, and building seamless transportation links between countries with vastly different cultural and political beliefs. The 10 Southeast Asian nations alone have a combined GDP of $1.7 trillion ? more than India ? and 600 million people. But leaders stressed with hundreds of millions living on less than $2 a day in a region that is constantly battered by natural disasters, most recently floods in the Thai capital, much work needs to be done.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/obama/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111119/ap_on_re_as/as_east_asia_summit

tmobile iphone van jones van jones dark energy dark energy sherri shepherd sherri shepherd

Is Technology Destroying Jobs?

For all the benefits of living in a connected world, there is one huge disconnect: the economy seems to be growing, but it is not creating jobs. This disconnect is not a temporary blip that will disappear with a full economic recovery. It is part of a longer-term structural change in the economy. Yesterday at the Techonomy conference, I moderated a debate (which you can watch above) between two economists, Erik Brynjolfsson of MIT?s Sloan business school and Tyler Cowen of George Mason University, about whether or not technology is the engine of the economy or whether, in fact, it is destroying jobs.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/rmBCTRY6LKg/

aaron hernandez portland news portland news desean jackson thanksgiving recipes thanksgiving recipes tibetan mastiff

Justin Timberlake Kept His Date With Marine Combat Instructor

Justin Timberlake’s date with a Marine combat instructor on Saturday night was “one of the most moving evenings” of his life, the singer-turned-actor said on his website. Keeping his promise to Corporal Kelsey De Santis, Timberlake donned formal wear to escort her to the Instructor Battalion Marine Corps Ball in Richmond, Virginia. In a post [...]

Source: http://www.celebritymound.com/justin-timberlake-kept-his-date-with-marine-combat-instructor/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=justin-timberlake-kept-his-date-with-marine-combat-instructor

amazon prime spina bifida new kindle trill amazon tablet amazon tablet carl sagan

[OOC] Visual Kei: GEMINI

Forum rules
This forum is for OOC discussion about existing roleplays.

Please post all "Players Wanted" threads in the Roleplayers Wanted forum!

This topic is an Out Of Character part of the roleplay, ?Visual Kei: GEMINI?. Anything posted here will also show up there.

Topic Tags:

Forum for completely Out of Character (OOC) discussion, based around whatever is happening In Character (IC). Discuss plans, storylines, and events; Recruit for your roleplaying game, or find a GM for your playergroup.
This is the auto-generated OOC topic for the roleplay "Visual Kei: GEMINI"

You may edit this first post as you see fit.

Everscale

Member for 0 years

---

---

Hi hi! May I reserve the background singer?

Lovely ?

Member for 0 years

---

OH MY GOD SOMEONE IS ACTUALLY INTERESTED! OAO

And you have a KHR signature~ For the win!

Everscale

Member for 0 years

---

Lol!

OMG you watch KHR?! I'm not alone because I'm completely addicted to the show!

Lovely ?

Member for 0 years

---

Have any visual-kei-loving friends who might be interested in this RP?

Everscale

Member for 0 years

---

Umm I have one who would be interested, but she is kinda busy with college.

Do you know where I can find a good pic to use?

Lovely ?

Member for 0 years

---

Mmn. Google the people I list below. (And ask her if she'll be interested. The worst she can do is say no.)

From Versailles -
Teru
Yuki
Masashi

From the GazettE -
Ruki
Uruha
Aoi
Reita
Kai

Yeah... one of those guys should work.

Everscale

Member for 0 years

---

Okie dokie! I like Teru the best so I'll probably be using him!

Lovely ?

Member for 0 years

---

Haha, yeah~ Teru's adorable. >.

Just remember - you have to use your own names.

Everscale

Member for 0 years

---

Everscale, it seems like every roleplay I start to jump into, I see you there. Sorry, man! Not trying to look like a creep! But, is it all right if I reserve the bassist?

SecretAgentCanada

Member for 0 years

---

HELL YES.

And maybe we share the same interests~? We must.

Tell me, everyone! How many of you ACTUALLY know what visual kei is...? Like, how many of you actually listen to it?

Everscale

Member for 0 years

---

---

Return to Out of Character

Post a reply

RolePlayGateway is a site built by a couple roleplayers who wanted to give a little something back to the roleplay community. The site has no intention of earning any profit, and is paid for out of their own pockets.

If you appreciate what they do, feel free to donate your spare change to help feed them on the weekends. After selecting the amount you want to donate from the menu, you can continue by clicking on PayPal logo.

Who is online

Registered users: 8Lindela, :Nagato:*, ?SIR Society*, affliction*, almostinsane, Aniihya*, Animality Opera, AnimeGirl, Annaky*, Archlkan*, Armonddangouleme, Artik, AugmentationAudit, AzricanRepublic*, badboyej, barney_fife, BekaL101, bizarre1, Black, Blackbird26*, bookworm81, Breyerluv*, Calvazara*, Calyx_Mason*, Cazuki, Chari*, chocolateloversuntie, ChristyLovesYou, Chulance*, claw*, Coloratura, Conumbra*, CriminalMinds*, Cure, danm36*, dawnfire07, demonpuppluto*, dionkar336, Discipline*, Dmd356*, Dragon, DumbDora, Eisenhorn, Eleera Cain*, Ersatz Creed, Evangeline_Taylor, Everscale, evilfang, Exuro, Forensic_Anthro, freakofnature*, freemixer25*, Gamer_Templar*, Google [Bot], Google Adsense [Bot], Google Feedfetcher, GreenSweatshirtGal, hayleymaee, Hazezon*, Heartfelt_words, HolyEssence, Horseygirl*, Irish Wolf, Ironman11*, jackrules158*, Jadeling Hawkins, Jaybt9, JayZeroSnake, Jinx911*, Jo_Tunn, JonElias*, JustQuit, Jxcrust, Ken Shiro, Kenzi, Kestrel, kingjpc*, Koda, Kohananinja*, kotaro7914, kris0the0girl*, KumoriRyuu, Lee, LeiaHair, lexileigh, Lightning Flash, littlegreeneyes*, LostInFantasy, Lucentfir, LuckyNumber24, Luna Star*, Lurelle*, maddenbaby, Marine3950, masterblade600, Mat_z6, Maybe?, Melophone_Master, mgoodwin2, Midnightclub, Mitsuhide Akechi*, Moksha-Achieved*, Moonscar*, MotherDragons, Mr. Crow, MSN [Bot], MSNbot Media, mummydove, NarrowEye, nightwolf, Nocte, NorthernSoul, NotAFlyingToy, Nyghtfang*, oetunianne, onirukon, Ottoman*, Outlaw*, pieluver*, PixieCP, poeticjustice8012*, Porecomesis, Princess Awinita*, Pseudosyne, Psyk0ttik*, Qetzo, Queenforaday, RainWish, Raize*, Rarikou, Ravelin, RedRaine, Rem?us*, Renmiri*, Rilla, Romaneck, Rowanoak, Roxas_13, Saint Crash, SarcasticIrony*, Script*, SecretAgentCanada, Seijun13, Sench*, Setsugie*, Shinku122, Silent Rain*, SilentButterflies, skulblaka sol makina, Skuld*, SkullsandSlippers, SlightlyInsane*, smrtazz13*, Smurfette*, SolanaNight, Sora112112*, Sorella*, Steppin' Razor*, SunshinexDeath, super-6-1, sweetgal, Talisman, Team Forwood, Thadine*, The Protagonist, TheFirstFist, thelittlethings?, Tiko*, True Grave, TwiliXDragon, Tyliana*, utahann, vintagedarksoul, VitaminHeart*, Wheatley*, wheezymcgee, William Krypt, WindOnFire*, XavierDantius32*, Xena_Dead, Xephos, XMatthewxHitomiX, XxsamXxtwilight, Yahoo [Bot], yogitheambrangyl, Yoru-Senpai*, zane saphire*, Zenia*, ZeroTolerance*, Zetta, Zitacamron95

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RolePlayGateway/~3/kGR_rpNSDvY/viewtopic.php

eric johnson russell pearce russell pearce emergency alert system chelsea handler amber rose alexander the great

Crash kills one in Cass County (Star Tribune)

Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories News, RSS and RSS Feed via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/161290444?client_source=feed&format=rss

oneiric eartha kitt psych david ortiz matthew shepard matthew shepard aaron curry

Michigan Senate Passes Mandatory K-12 'Pledge of Allegiance' Bill, Despite Opposition (ContributorNetwork)

Reciting the "Pledge of Allegiance" is a standard day-opener for school children. However, by about sixth grade that practice has discontinued in many schools. Now, Michigan wants to make the Pledge of Allegiance required recitation for grades K-12, via a bill currently in the state's senate. Some legislators are pushing it, but the bill is meeting with opposition for various reasons. Here are details about that debate.

Kahn's pro-American push

Sen. Roger Kahn (R-Saginaw) has been on a campaign to boost patriotism, by backing various pro-American legislative actions in Michigan's senate. Kahn's latest move is to get passage on SB 637. The bill, which was approved in Michigan's senate today, has two provisions: that all Michigan students in grades kindergarten through high school recite the Pledge of Allegiance daily and that school be forced to purchase a flag for every classroom in their building.

Why supporters want the bill

Michigan is one of seven not to have a bill mandating daily recitation of the pledge. In many schools, the Pledge of Allegiance is a daily routine, but most schools stop doing it after grade 4-5. Bill proponent Kahn says he's proud to say the Pledge of Allegiance and that kids shouldn't be ashamed to either. Other supporters say the pledge boost morale and unites Americans. Still other see it as a civic duty.

Why some oppose the "Pledge of Allegiance" bill

Some parents believe that recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance in school is unnecessary, that it interferes with vital teaching time. Other opponents say the Pledge of Allegiance is akin to prayer, particularly with the "under God" phrase, which in not allowed in schools. Forcing a child to recite a pledge of any kind, may violate civil liberties, critics say. The bill, as written, has a clause which allows parents to remove their children from participation. Few will likely take advantage of that as most children don't wish to be embarrassed as the only one not participating.

Questions of bill precedence

The biggest contention with SB 367, say opponents like Sen. Gretchen Whitmer (D-East Lansing) is that it's a waste of legislator time and taxpayer money. Currently, Michigan has an 11.1 percent unemployment rate. Saginaw, Mich., Sen. Kahn's home district has 16.6 percent unemployment. This puts Michigan in the third place for highest unemployment. The median income in Michigan is $45,000 compared to $50,000 in the U.S. 16.1 percent of Michigan residents fall below the poverty level, compared to 14.3 percent nationwide. Several Michigan cities, like Detroit and Benton Harbor have been put under Emergency Manager control, which is the equivalent of financial Marshall Law. Several more, like Flint, Mich., will receive an EM, if they can't prove financial viability. These issues, opponents say, should be the focus of legislative effort.

Marilisa Kinney Sachteleben writes about people, places, events and issues in her home state of "Pure Michigan."

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/uscongress/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ac/20111112/us_ac/10416805_michigan_senate_passes_mandatory_k12_pledge_of_allegiance_bill_despite_opposition

michigan state michigan state bridge school miami dolphins charlie and the chocolate factory ou football ryan torain

Pacific rim leaders mull ways to fend off EU woes

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, right, talks with Australian Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd during a dinner with APEC ministers at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit Thursday, Nov. 10, 2011, in Honolulu. (AP Photo/Andres Leighton)

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, right, talks with Australian Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd during a dinner with APEC ministers at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit Thursday, Nov. 10, 2011, in Honolulu. (AP Photo/Andres Leighton)

Vietnam's President Truong Tan Sang, left, gestures as he speaks with to Emery Koenig, executive vice-president and chief risk officer of Cargill, at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, APEC, summit Friday, Nov. 11, 2011, in Honolulu. Man at center is an interpreter. (AP Photo/Andres Leighton)

Vietnam's President Truong Tan Sang, left, speaks with Emery Koenig, executive vice-president and chief risk officer of Cargill, at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, APEC, summit Friday, Nov. 11, 2011, in Honolulu. (AP Photo/Andres Leighton)

Presidents Ollanta Humala, of Peru, right, and Truong Tan Sang, of Vietnam, shake hands during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, APEC, summit Friday, Nov. 11, 2011, in Honolulu. (AP Photo/Andres Leighton)

Presidents Ollanta Humala, of Peru, right, and Truong Tan Sang, of Vietnam, shake hands during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, APEC, summit Friday, Nov. 11, 2011, in Honolulu. (AP Photo/Andres Leighton)

HONOLULU (AP) ? A push to build a Pacific free trade bloc gained ground Friday with Japan's decision to join negotiations, as Asia-Pacific leaders converging on Hawaii for an annual summit mulled ways to prevent Europe's crisis from derailing the global recovery.

The weekend meeting of the 21-member Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum, which brings together leaders from Russia to Chile, is focused on creating jobs and business through nuts-and-bolts measures such as investment in infrastructure and reforms aimed at providing more access to financing for the poor.

Such moves are gaining urgency, with the European Union warning of a possible "deep and prolonged recession" next year as the debt crisis that has engulfed Ireland, Portugal and Greece shows signs of spiraling out of control. A European recession would be felt sharply in the U.S., where growth is already anemic, and in Asia, which relies on Europe as a big market for its cars, clothing, consumer electronics and other exports.

"In the coming 12 months there is quite a strong likelihood that things will go worse," Hong Kong's chief executive, Donald Tsang, told a gathering of business leaders on the sidelines of the APEC meetings. "Global performance will be dragged down and then there will be an awakening, I hope," he said.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said in opening a meeting of foreign and economic ministers that many forces outside the Pacific region will have an impact on it. "Global trends and world events have given us a full and formidable agenda," she said. "And the stakes are high for all of us."

As host of the annual summit, the U.S. has made expanding trade, promoting green growth and deepening cooperation on regulation and standards to help dismantle barriers to trade and nurture faster growth.

"We've even created an unofficial slogan: 'Get Stuff Done," Clinton said.

The U.S. also is hoping to garner support for a Pacific free trade pact that many APEC members see as a building block for a free trade area that encompasses all of Asia and the Pacific, covering half the world's commerce and two-fifths of its trade.

That goal advanced Friday with Japan's announcement that it will seek to join the bloc, called the Trans-Pacific Partnership, despite strong opposition from farmers fearful of exposure to greater foreign competition.

The Pacific trade pact, known as the TPP, currently includes Chile, New Zealand, Brunei and Singapore ? all relatively small economies. The U.S., Australia, Malaysia, Vietnam and Peru are negotiating to join. The participation of Japan, the world's third-largest economy, would vastly expand its reach.

At the same time they are working toward a broader agreement, countries continue to forge separate free-trade agreements. On Friday, Vietnam and Chile were to due to sign a free trade agreement on the sidelines of the APEC meetings.

The U.S. recently clinched long-sought free trade pacts with South Korea, Colombia, and Panama ? agreements that if ratified will bring to 20 the number of countries that have free trade agreements with the U.S.

In Honolulu, Washington was keeping up pressure on China to commit to faster trade liberalization and to freeing its currency, which U.S. officials say remains undervalued even though it has gained substantially against the U.S. dollar in recent years.

A statement by APEC finance ministers released Thursday included a call for exchange rate flexibility. Treasury Department officials said China's willingness to back such a commitment ? both at the Group of 20 meeting in Cannes last week and in Honolulu this week ? could encourage similar moves by other Asia-Pacific economies.

But Beijing's apparent openness to move faster on its currency policy was not matched by similar support for the Trans-Pacific Partnership, which earlier this week a senior official in Beijing described as "overly ambitious."

Overall, given APEC's lack of negotiating power ? all decisions are by consensus ? prospects for major changes are slim. But over the years the group's incremental efforts have helped build support for closer economic ties and freer trade.

Clinton said that by agreeing on something as rudimentary as shared safety standards for televisions, countries in the region saw exports of TVs jump by nearly half in three years.

___

Associated Press writer Jaymes Song contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2011-11-11-APEC/id-3b9c4617948d43369bfe55d3ead428ed

pixar growing pains growing pains cupertino htc flyer review westboro stevejobs

Talk to Your Mac With Dragon Express

If Siri has gotten you hooked on talking to your machines instead of typing on them, you might be interested in Dragon Express. No, it’s not a railway train from Harry Potter, but a cut down version of Nuance’s Dragon Dictate software, available in the Mac App Store.
Nuance’s transcription tech has been around for years [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/GearFactor/~3/f7x5AUwIUT0/

radiohead tour take care childish gambino camp drake take care tracklist drake take care tracklist dr murray trial herman cain

Cost, value of home remodeling projects falls

WASHINGTON?? Thinking of a home renovation? Smaller might be better. Adding a sweet sunroom or luxe master suite sounds great, but don't expect to recover the costs anytime soon.

1. 1. A star is (new)born: Tot recreates famous films

      He's only 7 months old, but little Arthur Hammond is already the star of enough movies to fill a multiplex. Using just a f...

   2. Falklands duty will separate William from Kate
   3. Sorry, Kermit: Billy Crystal to host Oscars
   4. How Matt's 2 clues revealed his Day 4 location
   5. Victoria's Secret Fashion Show 2011

On average, U.S. homeowners who made home improvements in 2011 only picked up 58 cents in home equity on their remodeling dollar, according to the Cost versus Value survey released on Thursday by Remodeling Magazine. That's down sharply from the 2005 peak, when a new project immediately earned back 76 percent of its cost in higher home prices.

Homeowners who do less costly replacement projects do slightly better at recouping their costs than do those who spend big bucks on additions and new construction, with projects like replacement roofs and front doors earning 64 percent of their costs back in resale value. Remodeling projects earn back 57 percent, on average.

"The numbers are telling us that price is becoming a more and more important determining factor," said Sal Alfano, editorial director for Remodeling Magazine. "People are doing the things they have to do, rather than the more discretionary projects."

The average home improvement project cost $44,734 in 2011; that's down slightly from the $45,593 figure for last year. But resale values fell more, producing a 3 percent decline in the cost-value ratio.

The good news for homeowners is that all of those projects continue to get more affordable, as contractors keep cutting their prices to stay busy during the ongoing housing slump.

"There is so little new construction," Alfano said. "When commercial and new construction drop out of the picture, that leaves remodeling. The competition is there and they are sharpening their pencils." Prices for materials have remained pretty constant, he said.

Alfano told Reuters that he thinks the slump in home remodeling might be bottoming out. "We think it might start to pick up at the end of 2012, and 2013 is where we are expecting a much stronger growth rate."

The most popular projects tend to be ones that are more easily affordable, like replacing a garage door or replacing windows with more energy-efficient ones, said Alfano. Also popular are projects that add space without increasing the footprint of a house.

The project with the highest cost-to-value ratio on the list for 2011 was a mid-range replacement of the front door (with, say, a 20-gauge steel door). That cost an average of $1,238 and raised the average sales price of a home by $903, or 73 percent of the project's initial cost. But homeowners who upgraded their front door to an upscale fiberglass door spent more ? $3,536 ? yet saw, on average, an increase in home value of only $1,990, or 56.3 percent.

Another project with a relatively high cost-to-value ratio was adding an attic bedroom. Across the U.S., the average cost for that project was $50,148, but it added $36,346 to the average selling price of a house, allowing the homeowner to recoup an average 72.5 percent of the project's cost. Perhaps, Alfano suggested, that was because there is greater emphasis on multi-generational living, and people are seeking additional bedrooms to house their elderly parents or their returning adult children.

Replacing cabinet doors, spiffing up the hardware and putting in new appliances costs an average of $19,588 and raises home values by $14,120, or 72.1 percent, according to the survey.

Upscale kitchen remodeling is less rewarding, however. It cost an average of $110,938 to do a full-fledged upscale new kitchen, but that only raised home values by about $63,731 or 57.4 percent.

What about those sought-after man caves? A mid-range basement remodel costs $63,378 on average, and raised a home's value by 66.8 percent, or $42,228, in 2011, the survey found. And decks remained pretty popular; adding a wood deck cost an average of $10,350, but raised home resale values by 70.1 percent, or $7,259.

Of course, homeowners usually don't go through the hassle and the dust of a major renovation project just to sell their home, and if they're trying to decide whether to do a big project, the resale value shouldn't be the determining factor of a project, Alfano said.

Families should decide how long they want to stay in the home and whether the new project will improve their lives enough to justify the expense. For example, if it's going to cost an average of $83,118 to add a basic family room, and the resell value of that project is just 60.2 percent or $50,004, that means they can expect to spend $33,114 that they will never recoup on that family room. If they think they are going to stay in the home for 10 years, they can think in terms of whether or not $3,311 is an affordable and reasonable amount to spend every year for the pleasures of the extra space.

Put that way, it almost makes the spa room addition seem sensible.

Copyright 2011 Thomson Reuters. Click for restrictions.

Source: http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/45247422/ns/today-money/

trinidad trinidad jeff bezos slither slither schweddy balls schweddy balls

Caveman Art: Spotted Horses Likely Real, Not Fantasy (LiveScience.com)

Ancient cave paintings that seemed to depict make-believe white-spotted horses might have been drawn from real life, scientists now find.

The cave paintings of the Stone Age are not only among the oldest drawings made by humans, but also serve as evidence of our growing capabilities. Scientists hotly debate how realistic these paintings are ? discovering this fact could reveal whether ancient humans tended more toward accuracy or creativity.

The approximately 25,000-year-old paintings "The Dappled Horses of Pech-Merle" depict spotted horses on the walls of a cave in France remarkably similar to a pattern known as "leopard" in modern horses such as Appaloosas. Horses were popular among Stone Age artists, found in most cave paintings that have recognizable animals in them, commonly in a caricature form that slightly exaggerates the most typical "horsey" features, such as their manes of hair.

Until now, ancient DNA analyses suggested horses during the Stone Age were only black or bay colored with no evidence for white-spotted patterns. This hinted that cave paintings of leopard-patterned horses were fantasy, not accurate portrayals. Some have proposed that drawings of imaginary animals might have had some kind of symbolic or even religious value.

Research now suggests those paintings might actually have been based on the real-life appearance of the animals.

Scientists investigated the differences in genes for coat color of 31 ancient horse fossils from Siberia, Eastern and Western Europe and the Iberian Peninsula. The researchers found that a genetic mutation associated with the presence of white leopard-like spotting patterns on modern horses was present in six of the European horse fossils. Additionally, seven of the fossils had the genetic variation for black coat color, whereas 18 had bay coats.

As such, all the horse colors seen in these drawings have now been found to exist in prehistoric horse populations. The findings suggest that cave paintings of horses may be more realistic and less symbolic or fantastic than supposed. Still, although these horses might not have been imaginary, "we cannot exclude that these horses had a religious value," researcher Arne Ludwig, an evolutionary geneticist at the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research in Berlin, told LiveScience.

Leopard-spotted patterns in modern horses are sometimes linked with congenital problems such as stationary night blindness, perhaps explaining why any wild horses with them eventually died out long ago. As to why so many other horse fossils were found with them in the first place, perhaps this patterning provided camouflage in the snowy environments of the Stone Age, was attractive to mates or just stuck around due to random chance.

The scientists detailed their findings online today (Nov. 7) in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Follow LiveScience for the latest in science news and discoveries on Twitter @livescience?and on Facebook.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/science/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/20111108/sc_livescience/cavemanartspottedhorseslikelyrealnotfantasy

beef wellington beef wellington ronnie brown man up man up wayne newton naomi wolf