China Changes Leaders, Oppression of Muslims Continues

10:27 pm, Tue 27 Nov 2012

Britain sees parliamentary changes every four to five years, but there exists a monarch that has?reigned?as sovereign for over sixty years. In the USA,?presidential elections?take place every four years and in France it?s five. Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Sudan have seen their leaders surpass 20 years at the top? whilst some African states have seen their leaders exceed?thirty years?in power. In China, leadership changes take place every ten years.

Whilst leadership changes in China take place every ten years, the oppression of some of its citizens is continuous - just ask the Uighurs and the Tibetans if the Chinese will allow them to speak to you.?

Those ten years are now up and the Chinese Communist Party?s 18th Party Congress took place almost the same time as the recent US elections - the world?s attention set firmly on the two biggest economies - as it decided to install?Xi Jinping and six others?to lead the Politburo Standing Committee. The BBC?reported?that ?Xi is also expected to take over as China's president in March 2013.?

The leadership change may have overshadowed the plight of those that China oppresses, but a timely reminder was given by none other than the Dalai Lama and the Japanese. Western mainstream media also wasted no time in highlighting corruption in the upper echelons of China?s ruling elite. The New York Times?published?a report outlining outgoing-Premier Wen Jiabao?s $2.7 billion wealth and?Bloomberg?highlighted the wealth accrued by the members of China?s legislature and related it to the poverty suffered by most Chinese citizens: ?income[s] reflects the imbalances in economic growth in China, where per capita annual income in 2010 was $2,425, less than in Belarus and a fraction of the $37,527 in the US.?

With impeccable timing the Dalai Lama?appeared?in Japan urging Japanese politicians to visit Tibet to see the suffering that China inflicts on Tibetans. Two Tibetans died in self-immolations that week. Japanese MPs then put out a statement ?strongly urging China to improve its unlawful suppression of human rights against Tibetans and Uighurs".

The Financial Times also?reported?back in March 2010 of the Dalai Lama stating ?Let us also remember the people of East Turkestan [China?s Xinjiang Uighur autonomous region] who have experienced great difficulties and increased oppression, and the Chinese intellectuals campaigning for greater freedom who have received severe sentences. I would like to express my solidarity and stand firmly with them?. And a recent academic?paper?published in an Australian Journal,?The Journal of Sociology,?claimed?that inequality between Uighurs and ethnic Chinese Hans fuelled tension in the region.

Are the concerns expressed by the Dalai Lama, and similarly the Japanese, about the Uighurs genuine or is he using their situation in an attempt to undermine China and promote his Tibetan cause?

Who knows? What is important is that the Uighurs? plight is getting some media coverage ? the only shame is that their plight seems to be conveniently forgotten by most Muslims who should be the most vocal in highlighting the oppression aimed at Muslims and promoting the struggle of Uighur political activists like?Rebiya Kadeer?? Muslims are, after all, part of an?Ummah.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/mpacuk/~3/vKI_cirKEHo/china-changes-leaders-muslim-oppression-continues.html

elvis presley elvis presley vanessa bryant vanessa bryant Prince Harry naked Prince Harry Vegas Melky Cabrera

Open Letter to Obama on Energy Policy

Open Letter to Obama on Energy Policy By STEVE AUSTIN for OIL-PRICE.NET, 2012/11/26

Congrats, Mr. President. We hope the second term, you know, without the burden of having to face another election, doesn't make you complacent. You must be wondering why we - dealing predominantly with oil and its cousins - are writing to you. Well, we'll come to that. In March you said, "We can't have an energy strategy for the last century that traps us in the past. We need an energy strategy for the future ? an all-of-the-above strategy for the 21st century that develops every source of American-made energy." Well said, but then, all strategies are planned for the future. Who can, Mr. President, plan for the past? (Er, not even you, the most powerful man on the planet). Let's leave it there and talk about:

First-coal

Well, it isn't so 'cool' to talk about dirty coal as, say, nuclear, gas, wind or solar energy. But, we have our reasons. Frankly, we wanted to talk exclusively about oil. With the layoff of 160 workers by Murray Energy that would have been a travesty of whatever we were to write.

There are but a few advocates for coal as a source of energy. Indeed, there ought to be no place for a polluting material as filthy as coal on the planet. No one of sound mind would support coal as THE Yet. fuel, remember, we are talking about a region with the second largest 'recoverable' coal reserves in the world. Electricity and coal, Mr. President, are still bedfellows. According to EIA (Energy Information Administration), coal accounted for 42 percent of the electricity generated in the US in 2011. 'Clean coal' as you say is- oh, come on. You think putting in severe restrictions, like control on the mercury emission, will curtail coal based power plants. In fact, they may. Already, export of coal is on the increase and India might well become the second biggest consumer of coal in two years. Soon, back home, the Environment Agency will come up with a new set of rules for power plants. So, all we say is 'slow down'. The best thing to do is not do anything. As it is, cheaper gas will naturally burn down coal. Surely, you'd have heard of the cries to avoid mixing ideology and policy. As if it were that easy. There are, according to the latest coal report of the EIA-again - 91,611 employees in the coal mines of your country. Let's shed a tear for them.

Now, to oil

Well, things are looking up. We are not saying this with an ironic twist, as you suspect. We do know that oil and gasoline prices are, well, determined by market forces. Still, you can take heart from the recent positive news. Like, US could become the world's biggest oil producer, according to the latest World energy Outlook released by of IEA (International Energy Agency), by 2020. (Still a bit too early to ask: where is this Saudi Arabia?) In this route, the economy will move northwards too. IEA says that the energy map of the world "is being redrawn by the resurgence in oil and gas production in the United States." Just four years ago, the news was filled with global warming, energy scarcity, job losses and high oil prices. Now, there is plenty of (potential) oil, and eh, potential jobs. Told you: good news. From 8.1 million barrels a day in 2011 to 11.1 million barrels a day in 2020 is the projected production. That's too good, isn't it? Sure enough, you may not have to engage the Middle-East through the prism of oil. You don't have to rely on expensive imports. The US could also, now, stop invading countries for oil (more on this later). All this is exciting news when seen from the 'fiscal cliff'. However, you may have to overcome the 'fracking revolution.' There's one underway-yes. For the US to become the leading producer of oil in the world, it has to rely on fracking to extract oil and gas from shale. Fracking is the process where water, sand and chemicals are pumped into the ground at high pressure to blast the rocks/shale to extract the fossil fuels. Fracking causes massive pollution to soil, air and water, hence the protest against the process. In spite of new technologies- like hydraulic fracturing and hydraulic drilling- that have helped recover previously inaccessible hydrocarbons- shale gas extraction retains its polluting rank. Bit tricky: if you have to come true on your promise of cutting oil imports by half in 2020, you'll have to rely on shale gas, Mr. President. In a similar situation, your predecessor tried to bring in biofuels, if you care to look at history. With high grain prices, that effort is losing its sheen. Here's a thought- how about improving the infrastructure for exports and better pipelines to the grid? Indeed, we are talking about the Keystone XL pipeline, a necessity as the $20 difference betwen a barrel of WTI crude oil and Brent crude oil keeps rising for the world to see.

Also, would you put an damper on subsidies given to the oil industry? Just so that the oil companies will pass it on to the consumers, you know. Arguably, higher oil production doesn't mean lower oil prices as oil extraction in the US is still expensive. Several other industries receive subsidies with strings attached. It's only fair that oil subsidies come with somewhat of a guarantee for US tax-payers who subsidize them.

Climate change

After Sandy, the climate change is back in focus, as it should be. As it turns out, we'd like to point out how things were in 2008 when you were quite passionate about the whole issue. In your first term in office, the bill to 'cap-and-trade' to curb the noxious carbon emissions had a rather premature death, and the solar manufacturer, Solyndra declared bankruptcy much like those greedy bankers. Still, the stimulus given as subsidies to wind, solar and biomass were unprecedented in the history of the US itself. An extension to the subsidies, perhaps? Why, even if you want to hand over tax breaks to the renewable sector, we understand, you'll need congressional support. Who said 'green energy' was easy? The solar manufacturers are facing a massive Chinese challenge and cheaper gas is giving stiff challenge to renewables. So, a fillip to renewable energy could help US become the world's second biggest source of power generation by 2012, says the IEA, as renewables are 'indispensable part of the global energy mix'. Hey, we do love solar and wind energy, and if the focus shifts to them that would be a mighty step forward.

Fuel efficiency?

Would you impose stricter fuel efficiency standards for vehicles? Then again, this is going to put pressure on the US refineries. How, you may ask. With stringent fuel standards, the oil demand could fall, you should be aware. As it is, oil consumption dropped in the U.S. last year. On the other hand, global demand for oil is expected to increase to 99.7 million barrels a day in 2035. Well, as you know, the US refineries aren't the best in the world and some of them burnt billions to upgrade and refine heavier crude from imports. With more supply, oil stagnation comes into play. Complex, but there's a solution, and here it comes: the policies do not support crude exports. So, why not lift the crude export ban?

You may understand, now, why we made a point to write to you. We've been saddled with you for another four years. You have arrived at the white house in spite of unfulfilled promises, sluggish growth and record unemployment figures. Of course, we are writing to you assuming you have greater power to make decisions in the energy sector. Of course, we realize that the House of Representatives is tethered to the hands of the Republicans and that you'll be battling budget deficits but if this term of yours is devoted to regulation, more regulation and higher energy costs, that would be such a remarkable pity.

Before we sign off, one more plea (please). When religious extremist threaten to disrupt everything associated with oil, do take their threat more seriously, e.g. not pandering to Iran, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, in other words, militants, dictators, belligerent Islamists and kings the world over. Pandering to those guys is submitting to extremism and encouraging their behaviour. To know more on this issue, do read our previous article.

Good Luck!

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Oil-pricenet-OilPriceTodayAndTomorrow/~3/gt6yvJCYpfM/open-letter-obama-energy-policy.php

Lil Reese Hurricane Sandy Nyc aapl Saanvi Venna vikings Colin Powell Tyrann Mathieu

Wired Science Space Photo of the Day: Galaxy Rose

Link Information - Click to View

Wired Science Space Photo of the Day: Galaxy Rose
In celebration of the 21st anniversary of the Hubble Space Telescope's deployment into space, astronomers at the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, Md., pointed Hubble's eye to an especially photogenic group of interacting galaxies called Arp 273.

Source: Wired
Posted on: Wednesday, Nov 28, 2012, 11:46am
Views: 18

Source: http://www.labspaces.net/125552/Wired_Science_Space_Photo_of_the_Day__Galaxy_Rose

west virginia rob roy gaslight justin timberlake michael dyer bachmann bachmann

Inside Baylor Sports, May 31, 2009

May 31, 2009 (Baylor Athletics) Now Online ???QuickTime (streaming, 300kbps) ???Windows Media (streaming, 300kbps) About QuickTime Files Some of the clips available for this item make use of Quicktime technology from Apple. This software is free and is available for Windows and Macintosh. For more information, or to download Quicktime, visit http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download/. Note: If you encounter problems with a Quicktime stream, set your Quicktime Preferences > Streaming Transport to use HTTP and port 80. About Windows Media Files Some of the clips available for this item make use of Windows Media technology from Microsoft. This software is free and is available for Windows and Macintosh. For more information, or to download the Windows Media player, go to http://www.microsoft.com/ .

Source: http://www.baylortv.com/video.php?id=1509

beasley trailblazers michael beasley jermaine jones hbo luck unc asheville stephen jackson

Android 4.2.1 Jelly Bean binaries added to AOSP

Barely a fortnight after the Android 4.2 binaries were added to the Android Open Source Project database, here comes Android 4.2.1. It appears as if the files have been uploaded for the Nexus 10, Nexus 7, Galaxy Nexus (Verizon model included), but the Nexus 4 is being omitted for the time being. In short, this opens the doors for custom ROM makers to dig in and update their own wares with the latest and greatest from Google. And come December, the users of those wares will be hugely appreciative of that extra 0.1. Hit the source links to grab the newness.

Filed under: Software, Mobile, Google

Comments

Source: Google Developers, Android Open Source Project

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/z-EB_aQ-Hys/

jimmie johnson juan pablo montoya crash chardon high school shooting mark martin cleveland news daytona race the cutting edge

Wednesday weather forecast: Clear, cool, sunny | NOLA.com

Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy (Revised November 1, 2011)

? 2012 New Orleans Net LLC. All rights reserved (About Us).
The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of New Orleans Net LLC.

Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. Contact interactivity management.

Ad Choices

Source: http://www.nola.com/weather/index.ssf/2012/11/wednesday_weather_forecast_cle_6.html

mike adams janoris jenkins john edwards trial brandon weeden felicia day nfl 2012 draft st louis rams

Replace Gmail Attachments With Google Drive Files

I was complaining in a recent post that Gmail doesn?t properly integrate with Google Drive and doesn?t let you upload files to Google Drive instead of sending attachments. The new compose interface added this feature and you can now click ?insert files using Drive?, upload a file or select an existing one.

It?s still not a seamless experience, you have to click a separate button and deal with permission issues, but it encourages users to upload files to Google Drive and use the Google Drive apps. Gmail tries to solve permission issues by prompting with the option to change sharing settings.

Why would you upload files to Google Drive instead of using attachments? You can send bigger files (10 GB files vs 25 MB attachments), you can edit documents collaboratively, write comments, upload new versions of the files and manage revisions, you can delete the file or change permissions.

Unfortunately, when you send links to Google Drive files, it?s more difficult to download the files and you can no longer download them with one click.

There?s another problem: Gmail offers 10 GB of free storage, while Google Drive offers 5 GB of free storage, excluding Google Docs/Sheets/Slides files. More free storage would make GDrive more attractive.

Google says that GDrive integration is ?rolling out over the next few days and is only available with Gmail?s new compose experience?.

{ via Gmail Blog }

Google Operating System

Source: http://msoftnews.com/google/replace-gmail-attachments-with-google-drive-files/

lil boosie bobbi kristina brown new edition austerity rihanna and chris brown back together pebble beach clive davis

Raising the Credit Score ? Bnr.Co

There are numerous people who do not even know what a credit score is. If you come from the same category, you have to know the use of the credit score. A credit score is 1 crucial aspect that will help you to get a monitorial assist. No matter regardless of whether you take the financial aid from a bank or a economic institution, if you have a negative credit score the possibilities are much less. Therefore, it is really essential to check your credit rating and know where you are standing. You can also rebuild your score by following couple of of these suggestions listed under. Following the ideas will also aid you to rebuild the credit score even right after an economic failure.

It is a daunting task to rebuild the ratings following the bankruptcy. Nonetheless, you have just been by means of wringer and your score is nonetheless in the tank. If you want to rebuild your credit rating, you have to start off from the first. You should take loans, which is possibly how you developed the difficulty in the 1st. But there are some modifications that you have to do right here. No matter what sort of loan you opt for. Whatever loan it could be, paying on time is extremely important. Paying the debts on time will give you a higher reputation and this can also boost your ranking. Even tough it might appear daunting, but following this tips will aid you a lot in enhancing the credit ranking.

We are in a globe exactly where you ought to take debts to total the greater customer actions. These debts will assist us to fulfill our simple needs like getting a residence or a car or even beginning a new business. Also the banks and other financial organizations know that they cannot make funds if they will not give credit choices for the folks. Most of the banks will lend funds only for the individuals who are capable of paying it back. As a result, it is really crucial to preserve a higher credit record.

Following handful of of these tips will assist you to rehabilitate the score:

Taking benefit of the credit statements: Credit particulars is a document that will show all your credit background. So it is really essential to keep a great report to boost your credit score. You also have an alternative to request the yearly credit statement from the credit report agency. This will assist you to know your position and aids you make excellent plan ahead.

Credit cards: If you are interested in avoiding problems due to debts, then it is fairly imperative that you turn out to be cautious and change the lifestyle and habits to a excellent extent. By having two or 3 cards, you may well be capable track the spending habits as effectively as keep on leading of the debts of the cards.

Paying debts on time: This is an crucial step that you have to consider to enhance your credit score. By paying these debts on time, you show that you are trustworthy for bigger loans.

Source: http://www.bnr.co/finance-2/credit-tips/raising-the-credit-score/

oscar winners 2012 billy crystal oscars 2012 angelina jolie oscars chardon high school christopher plummer viola davis school shooting in ohio

Video Girl

shes a mean girl. Celebrity, Rich Girl, who has everything except one thing. Andy... Will she change her ways for him or is everything going to come crashing down on her..

Owner:

Game Masters:

This topic is an Out Of Character part of the roleplay, ?Video Girl?. 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 "Video Girl"

You may edit this first post as you see fit.

stan'bal aslu ji mzil mountains ulu z'orr lu'goals ulu har'luth. Usstan'bal aslu ji mzil scars Usstan ssinssrin ulu sevir pholor l'planet. Usstan fridj satiir saph F'sarn naut gaer quin. Usstan satiir saph Usstan tlun fridj inbauin itamili.-Nikki Sixx

Nami L'Chi

Member for 0 years

---

---

Post a reply

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

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

Who is online

Registered users: Addrinvan*, AdmireAtStuff, Akita*, Alacer Phasmatis*, Alexander_Right*, AmiEmergency, Angelfire*, Angel's Whisper, Aniihya*, aodhstormeyes*, Arcayne, Arch_Demon666*, Arik223*, Ark Reahver*, Army.of.One*, Asher MstrImmortalis, Augustinsect, AzricanRepublic*, Azrieldemourn*, Basta*, BeautifullyBroken*, Belynta, Blackbird26*, blbbrayan*, Bosch*, BumbleDrop*, Celaira*, Celedia*, chaoticcarrot, ChristyLovesYou, Cienpher, Cloasse*, cmpuncle*, ColeMaibara*, Coloris*, confidence, Constellations, coricidinForte*, CriminalMinds*, Crooked Thoughts*, Curtsive*, CuteAsKaylah*, DA_SHADOW_PHOENIX, Dark Rain*, dealing with it, DemiKara, DemonDante*, Digital_Muse*, Dmitrij Rosha*, DontBeMad, Draruto, DreamerOnTheStars, Drygionas*, DuBois_Scarlett*, DustAndEchoes, EarthWanderer08*, ebon15*, Embracing_Anime, EmperorCaesar*, Erik7622*, Essence*, EverFidelis*, Exabot [Bot], FamishedPants, Firewind*, Forensic_Anthro*, Forget~Me~Not*, Forgotten Angel, freemixer25*, FreeRunner*, Frozen Soul*, FullMetalBoy*, Gladis*, Google [Bot], Google Adsense [Bot], Google Feedfetcher, Half-Dragon, Hallowed777*, HAT101*, HiroyukiTakaro, Hoga, IamDone*, iCat, Imagine That!, Imbecile*, Ion*, jackrules158, Jadebud98*, Jadeling Hawkins*, JEDH3, Kai, Kasani*, Kestrel, kexia*, KinsleiL.*, Knoxxeh, Kohananinja*, Korrye*, krumbla*, KulasLightShadow*, Kumori-San, Kuroe, Kurumi Ryuusaki, Lady Inali*, Lady_Blood92243*, Lambie, Leafia133*, legacy14*, Lenyx*, Leon21*, Lifecharacter*, Light_of_the_Fallen*, lightningpoint, Lingeringrepose*, LRmember, Lucy Knox, Lufia*, LunaSpirit*, Majestic-12 [Bot], MaliceInWonderland*, marvell, masato22, Mathew Littlepaw*, MaxwellH, Mela, Minion*, Mitsuhide Akechi, Mituna, mjlavalleejr*, mlijn12, Monochrome*, Monroe, Morgan, Mr. Crow, MrBlaize21O*, MSN [Bot], MSNbot Media, Nami L'Chi, Nannyhap, Natzalia*, Negative Bowser, Nevan*, Nevermore90*, Nightmaric_Angel*, nightwolf, NorthernSoul, Nulix*, Oborosen*, OverTheRainbow, Phidius, pieluver, PirateofPie*, Polarisbear12, Porecomesis*, Princess Awinita*, PrincessLala17, qbsuperstar03*, Quitelovely487*, R.T.M.X.*, RacoonMoon()*, RainbowFace*, Reaper2707*, ReaperGirl4, Refezen, reveries*, RichterGotz*, Rulke*, Run*, Runika*, RydeDawg, Rylie Renae*, S1mon, Saarai*, Saika*, Saikua*, SarcasticIrony, Script*, Shaodow*, silver0lilly, SilverAngelWings, SkullsandSlippers*, Snow*, Sokka25, Something?, SoulSurviver233*, spudjohnson, StandardFiend, Starlight77*, Stella11, StitchSaysHi*, stormwolf321, SuperNinjaRoo, SynapticError, Tainted Twinkee, Talisman*, TemplarWarden*, Tenill*, Terrus*, Tessla*, The Great Thundorz*, The Painkiller, TheChaplain*, TheFlag*, True Grave*, Tsukiakari*, UltraVioleta, umbra Alastor, Uncertainly, UniqueYetUnoriginal*, unseenshadow2*, Valkyrieknight*, varxint, Verum Umbra*, Vestiline*, VindicatedPurpose, VitaminHeart*, ViviOrunitiaFF9, Wake*, WaltJRimmer, warthog*, WhiteTiger08*, Winds Of Fate*, Wolfheart, xLevesquex, xoxMissClairexox, XShishioX*, xSilentWolfx, YellowGrand*, YokoKitsune*, Yolo*, zane saphire*, Zenia, ZoeyAutopsyx*, ZoKat*

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RolePlayGateway/~3/h_lBNxhAMj0/viewtopic.php

tyler perry face transplant maundy thursday fab melo google glasses kim kardashian and kanye west henrik stenson

Ex-Miami Marlins Face Tax Tsunami in Canada

By Teresa Ambord

Multimillion-dollar contracts are nothing unusual in major league baseball, and neither is trading, especially for the Miami Marlins. Now that MLB Commissioner Bud Selig has approved the deal, five Marlins are soon to become Toronto Blue Jays. The problem for the players is that their remaining contracts will be paid out subject to much higher taxes.?

?

The Toronto-bound players are All-Star shortstop Jose Reyes, pitchers Mark Buehrle and Josh Johnson, catcher John Buck, and outfielder Emilio Bonifacio. Combined, they have nearly $167 million remaining on their contracts, most of which is attributable to Reyes.?

?

Sports & Entertainment Group Manager Robert Raiola (at the New Jersey accounting and advisory firm of Fazio, Mannuzza, Roche, Tankel, LaPilusa, LLC) ran the numbers and concluded that Reyes alone will pay millions extra in tax. Reyes' remaining contract is $96 million. In Miami, where there are no state taxes, he would net about $58.8 million over the life of the contract. But in Toronto, with higher Canadian rates plus a hefty new Ontario tax slated to kick in soon, his net would be $54 million. Still not a bad salary, but it's a loss of $4.8 million. That's got to hurt.?

?

Years ago, while negotiating a Marlins contract for Carlos Delgado, his agent, David Sloane, saw the writing on the wall. In an effort to protect Delgado from the fate that Reyes and the other four players are now facing, Sloane negotiated a unique provision for his client.?

"When the Marlins refused to include a no-trade clause, that raised a red flag for me," he told reporters. "I set out to try to find a way to give my client a bit of security in a deal that lacked it."

?

The result: Sloane got the Marlins owner to agree that if Delgado was traded to a state that had income tax, "he would be made whole and net out the same amount that he would have if he had remained in Florida."?

?

Eleven months after signing, Delgado was traded to the New York Mets. Sloane estimates his fancy footwork at the negotiating table saved his client $2,269,500 in taxes over the life of the contract.

?

The five players altogether will pay $8.4 million in additional taxes. To come up with these estimates, Raiola used the following assumptions:?

• Current residency in Florida by all five players while playing for the Marlins.
• Payment of 5 percent agent fees.
• The fact that 43 percent of the players' salaries would be subject to Canadian taxes, subtracting for away games and spring training.
• Application of a combined tax rate for Canada and Ontario of 49.53 percent on income earned in Canada.
• Application of 40.5 percent US tax on income earned in the United States.

Also factored in were the availability of a partial foreign tax credit that the players can claim on their US returns and the "jock taxes" sports figures must pay when they play in certain states.

?

The combined total of salaries that the Marlins are taking off their books with this trade is $166.75 million (through 2018), but the net relief is more like $154 million. This doesn't take into account the additional cash the Marlins paid to Toronto as part of the deal. In the trade, Miami gained infielders Yunel Escobar and Adeiny Hechavarria; pitchers Henderson Alvarez, Anthony DeSclafani, and Justin Nicolino; catcher Jeff Mathis; and outfielder Jake Marisnick.?

?

Public Opinion in Miami

Miami residents aren't focused on the tax dilemma the individual traders face, especially since the Marlins-turned-Blue Jays are still multimillionaires. But the public isn't happy with the owners of the Marlins, who have taken a lot of criticism for trading away their veteran players, close on the heels of moving into a new ballpark that was mostly funded with taxpayer dollars.

?

Ysbel Medina, a local business owner who moved his business after learning about the new stadium, told Fox News Latino that he feels he was misled. "If I would have known that the owner was going to do what he did, I probably wouldn't have opened up the business," he said, adding that the team would be better off with an owner who cared more about the team and winning than about using the team to get rich.

?

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Accountingwebcom-Tax/~3/lkEkrFPl8s4/220329

greta van susteren tony parker the five year engagement chris kreider correspondents dinner 2012 white house correspondents dinner 2012 whcd

Windows 8 Sales: Five Questions That Still Need Answers

Windows 8, Microsoft reported yesterday, has sold 40 million Windows 8 licenses in its first month of retail. That's an indisputably huge number, outpacing even Windows 7 sales at launch. But it's also a number that raises more questions than answers. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/Q2L7BXtyPnA/windows-8-sales-five-questions-that-still-need-answers

budweiser shootout animal house invincible jesse jackson whitney houston funeral video tyler perry whitney houston r kelly

U.S. Military Decision-Making and its International Security Structure

NORAD NORTHCOM COCOM
USNORTHCOM Photo

Brown Bag Lunch
Series: International Security Brown Bag Seminar
Open to the Public - Belfer Center Library, Littauer-369
November 29, 2012
12:15-2:00 p.m.

Add to Outlook | Add to Google Calendar | Add to Yahoo Calendar

?

Speaker:

Troy Endicott, Research Fellow, International Security Program

Related Project: International Security

Description:

A keen understanding of the United States' International Security role is often underpinned by a working knowledge of the U.S. warfighting Combatant Command (COCOM)?structure, service roles, and responsibilities of key commanders. This seminar is informative in nature and outlines the nation's COCOMs, geographic areas of responsibilities, key unified command plan changes, and stategic/operational planning constructs. The session also provides a forum to challenge current paradigms when considering roles of other foreign policy actors, flexibility for coalitions in response to regional/ethnic issues, and emerging threats in domains that transcend geographic boundaries (e.g., space and cyberspace).

Please join us! Coffee and tea provided. Everyone is welcome, but admittance will be on a first come?first served basis.

Co-sponsored by the Armed Forces?Committe's For the Common Defense Seminar Series

Contact:

ISP Program Coordinator
International Security Program, 79 John F. Kennedy St., Mailbox 53, Cambridge, MA 02138 USA
Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs
HARVARD Kennedy School
Email: susan_lynch@hks.harvard.edu
Phone: 617-496-1981
Fax: 617-495-8963
Url: http://www.belfercenter.org/ISP/

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/belfer/events/~3/weMrCY2rG6Y/us_military_decisionmaking_and_its_international_security_structure.html

msg network ray j anthony shadid gary carter this means war bobby brown suzanne somers

Indian US$25 million budget support loan delayed after Maldives ...

A US$25 million state loan from India required to help balance the Maldives? budget for the?remainder?of 2012?has been delayed after the government failed to submit the requested paperwork,?a diplomatic source has revealed.

A representative for the Indian High Commission in the Maldives ? who asked not to be named ? told Minivan News that despite recent diplomatic tensions?between?the two nations, funding had?actually?stalled due to the Maldives? government failing for over a month to submit the papers needed to complete the financing deal.

Although the Finance Ministry has now played down previous budget concerns, the US$25 million in funding agreed by India?was?last month deemed vital by the Finance Minister to ensure the government?s remaining spending in 2012 was met.

While the loan agreement still stands, the diplomatic source stressed that concerns within the Indian government about perceived anti-India sentiments from senior political figures in the Maldives could yet have a bearing on financial support offered to the country.

?Because of the current situation in the Maldives there is a perception in the Indian government that its interests are being treated unfairly,? he said. ?[The government] will have the final say on approving any loan and these comments will be taken into account.?

Tensions have increased between the two countries this month as senior Maldivian government officials step up their efforts to oppose a contract signed under the previous administration with Indian infrastructure group GMR to develop Ibrahim Nasir International Airport (INIA). ?The contract represents the largest foreign investment ever undertaken in the country?s history.

In an arbitration case held last week, the High Court of Singapore rejected an attempt by the Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL) to release an injunction blocking the government from taking action in the Civil Court of Maldives blocking GMR?s offset of the airport development charge (ADC).

Yet according to rumours circulating on social media sites, the government will allegedly cancel the GMR contact at a cabinet meeting today on the back of calls from some coalition parties to ?renationalise? the airport.

Tweets were being circulated speculating that a Chinese intermediary was prepared to pay for the contract termination and take over the airport development.

Finance Minister Abdulla Jihad said he did not wish to comment on the matter or the loan delay at present ahead of the state budget being unveiled on November 27.

Meanwhile, recently appointed State Finance Minister Abbas Adil Riza ? who publicly labelled Indian high Commissioner ?D M Mulay ?a traitor? earlier this month over the airport?development?? and Economic Development Minister Ahmed Mohamed were not responding to ?Minivan News at time of press.

India has also this week called for the Maldives government to repay US$100 million in treasury bonds by February 2013.

Amidst increased diplomatic tensions, Finance Minister Abdulla Jihad told Minivan News earlier this week that he was unaware of the reason for the delays in receiving the US$25 million loan, requesting the question be put to the Indian High Commission in Male?.

In response, a High Commission of India representative said it had waited for over a month before Maldivian authorities this week returned a draft amendment needed to process the loan. The high commission has said it could now proceed and forward the finance request to the Indian government for final approval.

?We had sent the government the draft amendment, to which they have now have agreed. However is it unlikely they are going to get the funds soon as the decision must be sent to the cabinet for approval,? the source said, adding that the agreement would need to be first sent to India?s Ministry of External Affairs. ?The Maldives government will also need to complete certain steps to obtain the funds. For instance, it will have to open a bank account with the State Bank of India for the loan.?

The US$25 million loan was agreed as?part of the?$US100 million?standby credit facility signed with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in November 2011.

?Deep trouble?

According to the high commission source, the credit facility had been initially agreed after the previous government of Mohamed Nasheed found itself in ?deep trouble? and in need of financial assistance by late October last year.

These financial concerns were said to have been exacerbated following the controversial transfer of power on February 7, leading to fears the country may face a sovereign default.

According to the high commission, these initial loan payments were expedited at the time?by Indian authorities?on an emergency basis ?on the grounds that the correct paperwork would be completed at a later date.

However, these emergency conditions were no longer said to be in place.

?This was an extreme situation and we did not want the government to have to default,? the diplomatic source claimed, adding that the Maldives was now required to complete all requested paperwork as had been agreed.

Of the US$100 million credit provided by India, half the amount was agreed to be provided as part of budget support, while the remaining US$50 million would be set aside to aid local business by importing products from India.

However, the diplomatic source said that this agreement had been amended on several occasions to allow for a further US$25 million to go towards supporting the state budget.

Despite previously claiming that the Maldives would be unable to support state spending without securing the additional US$25 million budget support loan from India, Finance Minister Jihad announced this week that the issue of covering the government?s wage bill for the remainder of 2012 was ?no longer a major concern?.

Jihad added that his department was working to secure private sector funding to make up any shortfalls in budget support.

However, he did not give further details on the nature of the private sector groups presently being sought.

Jihad claimed that a ?significant? part of the private sector focus would be through issuing treasury bills (T-bills) to the private sector?as recommended earlier this year?by the IMF.

?When we opened up treasury bills to the private sector initially there was no response,? he said. ?However, there have now been consultations with private groups.?

T-bills, which are sold by governments all over the world, serve as a short-term debt obligation backed by sovereign states. In the Maldives, T-bills have a maximum maturity of six months, after which time they must be repaid.

Foreign borrowing

Earlier this year, President Waheed reportedly said he would not resort to borrowing from foreign governments in order to finance government activities.

?I will not try to run the government by securing huge loans from foreign parties. We are trying to spend from what we earn,??he was?reported to have told the people of Nilandhoo.

Despite Waheed?s reassurances, October saw a number of state owned institutions?face disconnection from the capital?s power grid as bills amounting to around MVR 150 million (US$9.7 million) were owed to the State Electricity Company (STELCO).

Since coming to power in February, the government has?committed to reimbursing civil servants?for wage reductions?made during the austerity measures of the previous government, amounting to Rf443.7 million (US$28.8 million),?to be disbursed in monthly?instalments?over 12 months from July.

A MVR 100 million (US$6.4 million)?fuel subsidy?for the fishing industry was also approved?by the Majlis Finance Committee, with the hope of stimulating the ailing sector.

The overall deficit for government expenditure has already reached over MVR 2 billion (US$129 million). Jihad has?told the Majlis? Finance Committee that?he expected?this figure to rise to MVR 6 billion (US$387 million) by year?s end ? 28 percent of GDP ? alleging that the previous government left unpaid bills equal to over one third of this anticipated deficit.

Former Minister of Economic Development Mahmood Razee has previously told Minivan News that this increased expenditure in the face of a pre-existing?deficit represented the government ?ignoring reality.?

?If they don?t get the loan, they will have to cut travel expenses, stop certain programs ? take drastic measures or get another loan,? said Razee, claiming that the only alternative would be to sell treasury bills.

Following reports in August that the government was attempting to raise?funds through the sale of treasury bills,?former?Finance Minister Ahmed Inaz?claimed such a measure would not address IMF concerns about state spending, prolonging economic uncertainty.

Source: http://minivannews.com/politics/indian-us25-million-budget-support-loan-delayed-after-maldives-fails-to-complete-paperwork-47954

white house easter egg roll 2012 andy cohen andy cohen mozambique oosthuizen great expectations jake owen

Nexus 7 32GB hits '1 Sale A Day' for $249.99

It's that time of year where we start seeing some great deals on smartphones and tablets. We saw the Nexus 4 go up for a "discounted" (if you don't count the Play Store price) $499 yesterday, but we have a deal here regardless of what you compare it to. The Nexus 7 has been around long enough that we're starting to see it pretty consistently discounted on various sites, but $50 off of what Google is charging directly for the 32GB model is worth a mention.

Take a look at the source link below if you're interested in grabbing one of these at a great price.

Source: 1 Sale A Day

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

robert kennedy cardinals san diego weather north korea frances bean cobain north korea missile launch modesto

Netflix Android app updated with tweaks to the player UI, 4.2 compatibility

Netflix just refreshed the front end of its Android app a few weeks ago, and is now tweaking the look and functions of the player itself again after previously making changes back in April. As seen above, version 2.1 brings a look that's closer to the one we've seen on iOS since the spring, with large red buttons, a bigger volume slider, 10 second skip back and stills that change in the background as the user moves the scrub bar. The changelog also notes added support for Android 4.2 plus other unspecified playback and stability bug fixes, grab the newest edition at the source link to try it out for yourself.

Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD, Mobile

Comments

Source: Google Play

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/VKxkCFdZ7Ss/

google earnings pat burrell hilary rosen grilled cheese allen west north korea missile nerlens noel

Woman denies murder to avenge husband's death

NBCMiami.com

Janepsy Mesa Carballo gave emotional testimony on the stand at her trial Monday.

By Justin Finch, NBCMiami.com

A woman accused of luring a man to his death in revenge for her husband?s murder told a Florida court Monday that she acted in self-defense.

Janepsy Mesa Carballo, 35, who is on trial for second-degree murder, , told a Miami-Dade court that she feared that Ilan Nissim would harm her and her family when she shot him.

?In my mind, he was chasing me,? Janepsy Mesa Carballo said of Nissim. ?His people, as he called it, were chasing me.?

She testified in hopes of having her murder charge thrown out under Florida?s Stand Your Ground law.

Carballo said that she lived in fear of Nissim, who was an acquaintance and business partner of her husband, Orlando Mesa.

Shot six times in the back
Mesa and Carballo?s toddler son were shot outside their North Miami home in April 2008. Her husband was killed and their 2-year-old boy was injured but survived.

A month later, Carballo shot and killed Nissim inside her home, according to authorities.

Read more from NBCMiami.com

Prosecutors say Carballo was out to avenge her husband's death, claiming that she lured Nissim to her home the night she fatally shot him six times in his back.

But Carballo said that she wasn?t expecting Nissim that night, and said that his visit turned violent. She acted in self-defense, she said.

Read more US stories from NBC News

?He turns with his left hand towards his right, and at that moment, I just started shooting, and shooting,? she said.

More testimony is expected on Tuesday.

Source: http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/11/27/15474709-woman-denies-luring-man-to-his-death-in-revenge-for-husbands-murder?lite

chip kelly billy cundiff super bowl tickets superbowl birmingham news lee evans lee evans

Mursi opponents rally in Cairo's Tahrir

CAIRO (Reuters) - Opponents of President Mohamed Mursi rallied in Cairo's Tahrir Square for a fifth day on Tuesday, stepping up calls to scrap a decree they say threatens Egypt with a new era of autocracy.

The protest called by leftist, liberal and socialist groups marks an escalation of the worst crisis since the Muslim Brotherhood politician was elected in June and exposes the deep divide between newly empowered Islamists and their opponents.

The crowd is expected to grow in the late afternoon but hundreds were already in the square after many camped overnight. Police fired tear gas and organizers urged demonstrators not to clash with Interior Ministry security forces.

One person - a Muslim Brotherhood activist - has been killed and hundreds more injured in violence set off by a move that has also triggered a rebellion by judges and battered confidence in an economy struggling to recover from two years of turmoil.

Mursi's opponents have accused him of behaving like a modern-day pharaoh. The United States, a big benefactor to Egypt's military, has voiced its concerns, worried by more turbulence in a country that has a peace treaty with Israel.

The protest will test the extent to which Egypt's non-Islamist opposition can rally support. The Islamists have consistently beaten more secular parties at the ballot box in elections held since Hosni Mubarak was toppled in February, 2011.

"We don't want a dictatorship again. The Mubarak regime was a dictatorship. We had a revolution to have justice and freedom," said Ahmed Husseini, 32, who was speaking early on Tuesday in Tahrir Square.

Activists have been camped out in Tahrir Square, scene of the historic uprising against Mubarak, since Friday, blocking it to traffic and clashing intermittently with riot police in nearby streets.

The decree issued by Mursi on Thursday expanded his powers and protected his decisions from judicial review until the election of a new parliament expected in the first half of 2013.

The New York-based Human Rights Watch said it gives Mursi more power than the military junta from which he assumed power.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon noted judges had challenged the decree in remarks to Austria's Die Presse, adding: "But I have also noted that Mursi wants to resolve the problem in a dialogue. I will encourage him to continue to do so."

AVOIDING CONFRONTATION

In a bid to ease tensions with judges outraged at the step, Mursi has assured the country's highest judicial authority that elements of the decree giving his decisions immunity would apply only to matters of "sovereign" importance. Though that should limit it to issues such as a declaration of war, experts said there was room for a broader interpretation.

In another step to avoid more confrontation, the Muslim Brotherhood cancelled a mass protest it had called in Cairo for Tuesday in support of a decree that has also won the backing of more hardline Islamist groups.

But there has been no retreat on other elements of the decree, including a stipulation that the Islamist-dominated body writing a new constitution be protected from legal challenge.

Its popular legitimacy undermined by the withdrawal of most of its non-Islamist members, the assembly faces a raft of court cases from plaintiffs who claim it was formed illegally.

The new system of government to be laid out in the constitution is one of the issues at the heart of the crisis.

"The president of the republic must put his delusions to one side and undertake the only step capable of defusing the crisis: cancelling the despotic declaration," liberal commentator and activist Amr Hamzawy wrote in his column in al-Watan newspaper.

"We asked for the cancellation of the decree and that did not happen," said Mona Amer, spokeswoman for the opposition movement Popular Current, part of a coalition of parties that are joining forces to challenge the Mursi decree.

Mursi issued the decree a day after his administration won international praise for brokering an end to eight days of violence between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.

The decree was seen as targeting in part a legal establishment still largely unreformed from Mubarak's era, when the Brotherhood was outlawed.

MEETING HALF WAY

Rulings from an array of courts this year have dealt a series of blows to the Brotherhood, leading to the dissolution of the first constitutional assembly and the parliament elected a year ago. The Brotherhood had a major say in both.

The judiciary blocked an attempt by Mursi to reconvene the Brotherhood-led parliament after his election victory. It also stood in the way of his attempt to sack the prosecutor general, a Mubarak hold over, in October.

In his decree, Mursi gave himself the power to sack that prosecutor and appoint a new one. In open defiance of Mursi, some judges are refusing to acknowledge that step.

But in a sign that other judges were willing to meet Mursi half way, the Supreme Judicial Council, the nation's highest judicial body, proposed Mursi limit the scope of decisions that would be immune from judicial review to "sovereign matters", language the presidential spokesman said Mursi backed.

"The president said he had the utmost respect for the judicial authority and its members," spokesman Yasser Ali told reporters in announcing the agreement on Monday.

Mursi's administration has defended his decree as an effort to speed up reforms and complete a democratic transformation. Leftists, liberals, socialists and others say it has exposed the autocratic impulses of a man once jailed by Mubarak.

Before the president's announcement, leftist politician Hamdeen Sabahy said protests would continue until the decree was scrapped and said Tahrir would be a model of an "Egypt that will not accept a new dictator because it brought down the old one".

Mursi has repeatedly stated the decree will only stay in place until a new parliament is elected - something that can only happen once the constitution is written and passed in a popular referendum.

Though both Islamists and their opponents broadly agree that the judiciary needs reform, his rivals oppose Mursi's methods.

(Additional reporting by Seham Eloraby in Cairo and Michael Shields in Vienna; Editing by Anna Willard)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/mursi-opponents-rally-cairos-tahrir-091805404.html

glee boxing news Coptic Christian saturday night live julio cesar chavez jr Topless Kate university of texas

New York, New York: Knicks, Nets meet Monday

Brooklyn Nets' Deron Williams, center passes the ball in front of Portland Trail Blazers' Ronnie Price, right, in the third quarter of an NBA basketball game at the Barclays Center, Sunday, Nov. 25, 2012, in New York. The Nets won 98-85. (AP Photo/Henny Ray Abrams)

Brooklyn Nets' Deron Williams, center passes the ball in front of Portland Trail Blazers' Ronnie Price, right, in the third quarter of an NBA basketball game at the Barclays Center, Sunday, Nov. 25, 2012, in New York. The Nets won 98-85. (AP Photo/Henny Ray Abrams)

New York Knicks' Carmelo Anthony (7) is guarded by Detroit Pistons' Tayshaun Prince during the second half of an NBA basketball game in New York, Sunday, Nov. 25, 2012. The Knicks won 121-100. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Brooklyn Nets' Brook Lopez, left, shoots over Portland Trail Blazers' Ronnie Price in the second quarter of the NBA basketball game at the Barclays Center, Sunday, Nov. 25, 2012, in New York. Lopez was the Nets' second high-scorer with 15 points in their 98-85 win. (AP Photo/Henny Ray Abrams)

New York Knicks' J.R. Smith, left, and Steve Novak celebrate during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Detroit Pistons in New York, Sunday, Nov. 25, 2012. The Knicks won 121-100. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

NEW YORK (AP) ? From Madison Square Garden to the Garden State, the Knicks cast a shadow the Nets could never escape.

The Knicks were considered first rate and the Nets second class, even in years when the better team was in New Jersey. The Nets would watch fans in orange and blue take over their home games, believing all along things would be different when they finally got their shot at the Knicks in Brooklyn.

Well, here it comes.

The city rivals play the makeup of their postponed season opener on Monday, a matchup the Knicks insist is just another game but one that's probably much bigger to the Nets.

"I think obviously being on center stage tomorrow night, all eyes on Brooklyn, truly makes this a very special night for us because it's something that we worked for, for so long," Nets CEO Brett Yormark said Sunday. "Even though it's not opening night, it's a dramatic night. I mean, the Knicks are playing well, the Nets are playing well, Brooklyn's certainly embraced this franchise, and I think tomorrow night is hopefully the start of some really special nights between the Nets and the Knicks.

"Yeah, I'd love to win the game, but it's more than that. It's about making a statement that this franchise has arrived and we are certainly part of the conversation when people are talking about pro basketball in New York."

Yormark sought to host the Knicks for the Barclays Center opener and that's what the NBA scheduled, but the game was postponed when Superstorm Sandy halted most subway travel to Brooklyn. It becomes in some ways more intriguing now with both teams off to strong starts, the Knicks (9-3) leading the Atlantic Division by one game over the Nets (8-4).

First matchup, first place on the line. Sounds big enough for a regular-season game, just don't call it a rivalry. At least, not yet.

"I think that word's been thrown around. I think we hope that it does become that, but you know the Brooklyn Nets are apparently different than the New Jersey Nets and this is a new beginning," Knicks forward Steve Novak said. "So I think to call it a rivalry before it started is a little bit early, but I don't think there's any question it's going to be a good game."

Among the Knicks, only Carmelo Anthony, a Brooklyn native whom the Nets desperately tried to acquire to be the franchise centerpiece for their move, seemed to view the game as anything special. Jason Kidd, who led the Nets to their greatest NBA success back when they owned the Knicks but never the New York area, called it "just another game on the road."

"I've been saying consistently that a rivalry comes through playoffs and hard-fought games. It just doesn't come from a team moving and two good teams in one year. It has to go throughout history," Knicks center Tyson Chandler said. "Honestly, I don't buy too much into the whole situation, the rivalry. I don't consider it a rivalry. I don't think ? it hasn't been enough. Honestly, I feel more animosity towards the Heat and the Celtics than I do the Nets."

But the Nets, even the ones who didn't endure the many miserable years in New Jersey, know what it means to the franchise and their fans, many of them new and some of them even Knicks fans who converted.

"It should be a hostile environment for them so to speak," Nets guard Joe Johnson said. "I think it will be fun. I think everybody has been waiting for this moment and we're going to come out and protect the home court."

Games in New Jersey, where the Nets played in multiple spots for 35 years after leaving Long Island, often felt like Madison Square Garden West. Knicks fans sometimes appeared to make up two-thirds of the crowds, Knicks players trying to hide their amusement and the Nets their frustration.

The Nets think they've got a much stronger fan base now, with about 11,000 season tickets sold, and they know they'll see a good balance of fans dressed in their black Monday night.

"There's definitely going to be some Knicks fans in there, but I don't think it will be as bad as it was last year and the year before that," Nets guard Deron Williams said.

The game will be televised on TNT and Yormark said some 100 media members are expected. The Nets, 6-1 in their $1 billion arena, may have to guard against being too hyped up ? though that won't be a problem for at least one of them.

"You're talking to a person, this is my 11th year in the league. I've played the Knicks about 100 times. It's just another game to be honest with you," forward Reggie Evans said. "I think it's big for a lot of people on the outside, but we just approach the game like a regular game. If we win we're not going to be all in the middle of the court like 'Oh, oh!' We're not going to be popping no champagne."

Former Nets coach Lawrence Frank said the series always lacked the competitiveness to be a true rivalry, because the Knicks beat the Nets for so many years but then almost never did when Kidd was there from 2001-08. Now, he says, it could finally get there with both teams on a similar upward path.

"It's good for the metropolitan area when both teams are doing well, it just hasn't happened a whole lot when both teams were good at the same time. They've kind of taken turns," said Frank, now coaching Detroit. "Now that they're both highly competitive, I think it's good for the area."

Even the Knicks acknowledge the rapid rise of their rivals, Anthony saying he's watched their games and gotten goose bumps when fans chant "Brook-lyn! Brook-lyn!" They will get a good look at the Nets with the teams meeting three times over the next 3? weeks, twice in Brooklyn.

Perhaps those other ones will feel like regular games for everyone, as the Knicks say they are. For now, the first one isn't to the team that now shares their city.

"In an 82-game schedule, the way I look at it, every game's important, but there are those special games, you know what I mean?" Yormark said. "And tomorrow I think is one of those special games. It means a little bit more."

___

Follow Brian Mahoney on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/Briancmahoney

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2012-11-26-Knicks-Nets%20Preview/id-a64fc3d7d9014ab2b32e857c78f71b93

sickle cell trait sugar bowl mild kidney failure presidential candidates celebrity wife swap gla republican candidates

Food and travel outshine ?traditional? retail as sales rise 3.6%

Sorry, Readability was unable to parse this page for content.

Source: http://www.berteloot.com/2012/11/26/food-and-travel-outshine-traditional-retail-as-sales-rise-3-6-startupsmart/

arnold schwarzenegger pirate bay revenge revenge once upon a time once upon a time adam shulman

Why My Son Has A Closed Adoption | Portrait of an Adoption

In honor of November being National Adoption Awareness Month, Portrait of an Adoption is running a special series called 30 Adoption Portraits in 30 Days.? Designed to give a voice to the many different perspectives of adoption, this series will feature guest posts by people with widely varying experiences.

By Anonymous

Picture that your little boy - the light of your life - has two relatives who might be politely described as "troubled." ?They dropped out of high school - the male relative at 13- and they drink a lot. ?This is not good, because both their moms are alcoholics.

They both have tempers and the male relative has been arrested several times - once for hitting his own mother.? He might have sexually abused his little sister.? The female relative has borderline personality disorder, which means she is extremely emotional, needy and insecure.

When your little boy was an infant, these relatives spent time with him.? It didn't go well.? One time, when they were supposed to be watching the little boy, they left him naked and lying in his own pee while they went outside for a smoke. Other times they fought with each other in front of the boy. They forgot to change him and feed him.? He came home with his genitals bright red and you still don't know why.

These relatives - this young man and young woman - really love your little boy. They want to see him, spend time with him, get lots of pictures of him and be part of his life.

But you, as his mother, know they are not safe for him to be around.? They are good people at heart, but they are deeply troubled and you fear they might hurt him.? Either physically or psychologically. They say they "won't take him from you," which is horrifying for the very fact that they even brought it up. Their need for your son seems to have little to do with who he IS but instead, what he REPRESENTS to them as a relative.

Frankly, these relatives scare you.? If they weren't related to him, if they were just neighbors down the street, there is no way in hell that you would let your son spend time with them.

Now picture that these are your son's birth parents.

This is why my son has a closed adoption and always will.? His birth parents are not safe and I will do everything in my power to protect him.

I am the mom, the one who takes care of him and I know what's best.? When he is 18 and he wants to seek them out, I won't stop him.? But this is a CLOSED adoption and will remain so.? Blood is one thing, anger and instability is another.

Child welfare workers took this little boy from his teen parents as an infant because they couldn't even handle the first few weeks of his life.? They were charged with neglect.? I won't go into all the specifics.

Child welfare workers kept him away from his birth parents because they couldn't get it together to even visit with him regularly.? The judge favored them at first because they were such young teens - they were given visitation of two times a week, for several hours at a time.

So in a one-year period, they could have seen this lovely little boy more than 100 times.? Do you know how many times they showed up?? In a whole year?? Fourteen.? And that was with social workers driving TO THEIR HOUSE to pick them up.? Often, they just wouldn't get in the van.? Even if the little boy was inside.

For several of those visits, I actually drove my son there and back.? He was my foster baby, they were his birth parents.? I knew I had no rights; I knew the score.? He needed to visit with them; I would help make that happen, even though I loved him, too.

The birth parents met me four times.? They knew I was adopting their son.? After a year of these failed attempts to parent him, they decided not to fight his adoption.? Since he was my foster baby, I got the first say in whether I wanted to adopt him.? Of course I said yes.? Since he was being adopted through foster care, they knew it would be a closed adoption - no contact.

The last time I saw his birth parents was at the courthouse for a hearing. They paused long enough from fighting with each other to talk to me briefly. They asked me to send photos once a year, around his birthday. That was it.

He was supposed to have one final visit with them, for his first birthday.? They cancelled three times.

After a year of dealing with their nuttiness and drama, I was glad to be dome with them.? I didn't send pictures that year.? If they wanted to know how he was, they could have shown up for the visit.

But when his second birthday rolled around, I was feeling guilty.? Open adoptions are much more in vogue these days. ?And I was watching a lot of "Teen Mom" with Caitlyn and Tyler.? My Catholic guilt set in.

I knew their names, hometowns, etc.? So I looked them up on MySpace (this was a couple years ago) and messaged them.? They responded right away.? To protect my son, I never told them my last name, where we live or where I work.? But we chatted about our son and I sent pictures.? Things were okay for a couple months.? They were, surprisingly, still together as a couple.? They had an apartment and he had a job.

Then the craziness reappeared.? She emailed all the time, in a very needy way, not just for our son but for contact with ME.? I felt like I had to mother her, too.? She didn't understand why I wouldn't text her (um, because then she would know my phone number).

By this point, we had switched over to Facebook.? She started complaining, to all her FB friends, about how she "wasn't allowed to see her son."? I emailed and tried to tell her my reasons why: He was still so young and they were still not all that stable.? Her emails got nasty.? They got mean.? I got angry.? She wanted to see him, talk to him, visit him.? She WANTED him.? It became clear to me that not only is she manipulative, but delusional.

I didn't initiate contact for a while. Then after many months, the guilt returned. i was probably watching "Teen Mom" again, or maybe "Juno." So I responded to her emails. They started off fine and then BOOM she unloaded a crap ton of negative emotions and hate onto me.? It was awful and upsetting.? Her reaction should not be surprising, given the instability of her life and her borderline personality disorder diagnosis.

But having that much hate and vitriol directed at me was horrible.? And it made me very, very worried for my son's safety.? From now on, they will get a very brief email once or twice a year, letting them know our son is fine.? But that's it.? That is it.

I know I screwed up by contacting them. I thought it would make this better for them, but instead, I made it worse.? For that, I am sorry and regretful.? I know they are hurting, I do.? But I have to do what's best for this little boy, since they cannot or will not.

They still don't know our last name, where we live or where I work.? But I know his birth mom is always looking for him.? She is on the Internet all day and we live in the same state.? As soon as my son turns 13 and gets a Facebook account (or its future iteration), I know she will be there: BOOM!? Trying to explode into his life.? I am trying to prevent that from happening for as long as I can.

That's why this blog post is anonymous.? It's why he doesn't show up in my Facebook profile pictures.? It's why I refuse permission for his Little League team or his school to post pictures of him online.? It's why I am not telling you his name or age.

I tried to open up our adoption, maybe just a little bit.? And it was a huge mistake.? The state created closed adoptions from foster care for a reason.

I wish we could all be one happy family.? I envy Carrie's relationship with M (the Portrait of an Adoption family).? But M is older, got her issues worked out and is not harmful to K.

That is not the case here.? I will never badmouth his birth parents to him.? He has seen their photos and I answer whatever basic questions he has.? But he hasn't had many.? When he is 18, he can read my huge, thick file of his records from the state, including his birth parents' full names etc.

But while he is underage, I will protect him and keep him safe. Even from his own relatives.

By An Anonymous Adoptive Mother

Portrait of an Adoption has been nominated to the Circle of Moms Top 25 Book Author Mom Blogs!? If you are enjoying this adoption series, please support Portrait by clicking here and voting!? So easy to do, and you can vote once a day until December 7, 2012.

Portrait of an Adoption is hosted by Carrie Goldman, author of Bullied: What Every Parent, Teacher, and Kid Needs to Know About Ending the Cycle of Fear.? This year?s adoption series is full, but if you have a story you would like to submit as a candidate for next year?s series, please email it to portraitofanadoption@gmail.com.

Find the Portrait of an Adoption community on Facebook
Follow Carrie Goldman on Twitter

Filed under: adoption, adoption agency, attachment in adoption, birthmothers, closed adoption, domestic adoption, foster care, honesty in adoption

Tags: 30 Adoption Portraits in 30 Days, closed adoption, Foster Care, Foster-to-Adopt, protective custody

Source: http://www.chicagonow.com/portrait-of-an-adoption/2012/11/why-my-son-has-a-closed-adoption/

droid 4 tom brady sister dad shoots daughters laptop brandon jennings the vow review luol deng culkin