Angst over video games rises in wake of shootings

2 hrs.

Winda Benedetti , NBC News

As police struggle to piece together the nightmare that unfolded in Newtown, Conn., last week, some?lawmakers and pundits believe they've found a possible co-conspirator in the crime: video games.

The perpetrator's name is not a new one, but it is a common?one in moments like these. As they have after past shootings, those?searching for answers to the unfathomable have been quick to implicate video games in the?deadly events at Sandy Hook Elementary School. Nevertheless, it remains unclear which games the 20-year-old?shooter?played ? and what role they played in his life.

Though law enforcement officials have not, as of yet, made any connection between the Newtown massacre and video games, Senator Jay?Rockefeller?(D-W.Va.)?on Wednesday announced in a press release that he was introducing legislation calling for an investigation into the impact of violent video games and other content on children?s well-being.

"Major corporations, including the video game industry, make billions on marketing and selling violent content to children,? he said. ?They have a responsibility to protect our children. If they do not, you can count on the Congress to take a more aggressive role.?

Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) ??admitting?that he didn?t know which games Lanza played ??cited ?rumors? that the withdrawn and troubled young man had enjoyed violent video games as he insisted that a passion for gaming can be the precursor to violence.

?Very often these young men have an almost hypnotic involvement in some form of violence in our entertainment culture, particularly violent video games,? Lieberman said, as he discussed the events in Newtown. ?And then they obtain guns and become not just troubled young men but mass murderers.?

Gov. John Hickenlooper of Colorado (home to a mass shooting of its own in July) also suggested, "there might well be some direct connection between people who have some mental instability and when they go over the edge ? they transport themselves, they become part of one of those video games."

And even the firearms industry ? taking heavy criticism in the wake of this most recent shooting ? appears to be shifting the blame from real guns to digital ones. "If we're going to talk about the Second Amendment, then let's also talk about the First Amendment, and Hollywood, and the video games that teach young kids how to shoot heads," one unnamed "industry source"?told Fox News in a report on the NRA's "push back" against a resurgent gun-control lobby.

A large chunk of the American people seems to share that viewpoint.?According to a fresh Gallup poll, while 42 percent of respondents said that a ban on assault rifles and semi-automatic weapons would be "very effective" in preventing mass shootings at schools, even more ? 47 percent ? said decreasing the depiction of gun violence in movies, TV and video games would be "very effective."

Despite this, experts argue that blaming games has been far easier than finding a true cause-and-effect relationship between gaming and gun violence.?

Dr. Matthew Chow, a psychiatrist who works extensively with children and adolescents dealing with issues?ranging from drug abuse to psychotic disorders at the BC Children?s Hospital in Vancouver, believes there is little evidence to suggest that real-world violence has a significant relationship to video game playing.

Instead, he said, video games and the people who play them, make for an especially easy target in moments like these.

?It is natural for people to search for something to blame in the aftermath of a tragedy,? he said in an interview with NBC News. (More on that here.) ?It gives people a target for all their emotions, whether it is anger, sadness or even confusion.?

And he points out, ?(Gamers) are often young, they hang out with each?other and sometimes they even dress differently. They are something that you can see, touch, and feel. You can shout angry words at a video gamer, but you cannot shout at abstract concepts about society.?

The games Adam Lanza played
This much we do know: Adam Lanza played video games. After all, how could he not have? He was 20 years old. And by all accounts?he was a technology?enthusiast.

Family friends told NBC News that Lanza was one heck of a dancer ? at least when it came to rhythm games. They described a young man obsessed with ?Dance Dance Revolution? ??a game in which not a drop of blood is spilled as players try to move their feet to the beat.

Meanwhile, a Reuters story cited an unnamed classmate of Lanza?s who said that he had enjoyed playing ?Dynasty Warriors,? a Teen-rated fighting game series set in ancient China that features?weapons such as spears and swords.

Other games have also been named.?The?Connecticut Post reported?that evidence seized from Lanza's home included unspecified ?video and Internet gaming material,? while the L.A. Times said Lanza would attend gaming parties, where he played titles such as?"World of Warcraft" and "Mario Party" along with fellow gamers. (These reports have not been confirmed by NBC News.)

What seems to have inspired pundits and politicians to conclude that Lanza was in the thrall of violent video games is a plumber who told a British tabloid that, while working at the home where Lanza and his mother lived, he saw the young man playing an?immensely popular and undeniably?violent shooting game from the ?Call of Duty? series.

But concluding?that the Newtown shooter enjoyed video games doesn't require much sleuthing. A?study conducted by the Pew Internet & American Life Project in 2008 found that 81 percent of Americans between the ages of 19 and 29 play games. And with the proliferation of smartphones and tablets, that percentage is?surely?even higher in 2012.

?Video gaming is so prevalent, that saying someone 'plays video games' is akin to saying they 'breathe oxygen,'" said Dr. Tyler Black, Clinical Director?for the Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Emergency Unit at BC Children?s Hospital.

The blame game
One thing is certain:?With one mass shooting after another, video games have become a go-to bad guy.?Columbine, Virginia Tech,?Northern Illinois University ? on those occasions when a disturbed and angry young man has gunned?down people in droves, shooting?games such as ??Doom,? ?Counter-Strike? and ?Call of Duty? have quickly been implicated.

Many began blaming violent video games mere hours after a young man named Seung-Hui Cho massacred 32 students and faculty at Virginia Tech in April of 2007 ? on record as?the worst shooting in U.S. history. But later, a governor-ordered review of that horrific incident found no connection whatsoever with games. Instead, the review panel found a young man with a history of mental illness (and a passion for books) who was never seen playing anything more aggressive than the kid-friendly game "Sonic the Hedgehog."

In the case of Anders Behring Breivik ? the 33-year-old ultranationalist who killed 77 people in a shooting rampage and bomb blast in Norway in July 2011 ? he did testify at his trial that he enjoyed playing the fantasy game ?World of Warcraft,? though he insisted it was merely a hobby and had nothing to do with the shooting. And while?he also testified that he used ?Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2? to prepare himself for the attacks, he said he had been meticulously preparing for and plotting the mass murders years before those games existed.

In the hours after the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School, as investigators were still trying to figure out who the killer was, the name Ryan Lanza surfaced. Amateur Internet sleuths quickly uncovered the accused killer?s Facebook page, where they discovered that he "liked" the epic, adventure-filled science-fiction game ?Mass Effect.?

The anti-game reaction was swift and vicious.?Angry people took to the ?Mass Effect? Facebook page to express their outrage at a game they believed had inspired the shooting.

?Your game may now be responsible for the deaths of 18 5 year olds,? wrote one person. ?Is that blood I see on your hands? Should be,? wrote another. And yet another: ?Innocent lives were lost because of this game!?

The problem: Ryan Lanza was not the shooter. His brother was.

Studies: Gaming is bad. Gaming is good.
But what about the scientific link between playing violent video games and violence in the real world??Sen. Lieberman said this week that the social sciences have shown ?a very clear pattern? in which young people who are involved in violent video games and other violent entertainment are more aggressive. Yet a look at the studies on the subject suggest the pattern is less than clear.

One recent study of 1,492 high schoolers?? conducted by?Brock University in Canada and?published in the journal Developmental Psychology ? does suggest that prolonged exposure to violent video games causes heightened aggressiveness in both boys and girls.?The questionnaire asked about frequency of violent behavior such as kicking, shoving and punching. The study found no similar?increase in aggression among the?kids who regularly?played non-violent games (such as "Dance Dance Revolution"), however.

In the paper's abstract, the authors, Teena?Willoughby, Paul J. C. Adachi and Marie Good, say there's a?"need for a greater understanding of the long-term relation between violent video games and aggression."

Meanwhile, a 2010 meta-study by Texas A&M's?Christopher J. Ferguson and John Kilburn ? published by the American Psychological Association's?Psychological?Bulletin ? makes an equally clear argument to the contrary: "The influence of violent video games on serious acts?of aggression or violence is minimal."

Those like Ferguson and Kilburn?who claim there's no demonstrative?link between games and real-world violence argue that there's a publishing bias ? studies that show no?relationship between the two just don't get published, while studies that do link them do.

Black and Chow cite FBI statistics to point out that if there's a relationship between violent games and violent crime in America, "it looks like it is very small."

That is, despite the proliferation of violent video games in recent years,?violent crime in the United States is at a nearly historic low.

?The reality is before our eyes every year, video games become more realistic, and the violence in them can increase, but every year, violence in youth diminishes in the United States,? Black said. ?Children, at a very early age, are able to separate reality from non-reality, and it appears that the real-world effect of video games is not making violence worse.?

Gamers mourn,?decry violence?too
Gamers themselves have not been unaffected by the violence in Newtown.?The Electronic Consumer?s Association ? a non-profit organization dedicated to gamer advocacy?? is located in Wilton, Conn., ?20 miles away from Newtown.

Hal Halpin, the president of the ECA, tweeted about trying to explain to his own daughter why helicopters were?circling overhead and why?her school had been in lockdown, and he?told NBC News that this?has been especially difficult?time for everyone in the close-knit community.

?Getting calls or messages throughout the day about story after story, heartbreak after heartbreak is tough enough, but then having to defend gaming as the root of that evil ? when it's absurd on its face ? is absolutely more difficult.?

He issued a statement?on behalf of the ECA?calling upon people to remember that "until there are any details that point to media-related blame, it?s premature to make any such assumptions."

Meanwhile, others have?called for gamers to avoid their knee-jerk reactions to the blaming, and instead take time to reflect on the violence that is depicted?in their games.

?We have to stop being instantly defensive about our hobby, and begin to open ourselves up to conversations about the violence in games, why it?s there, what it means, and why we?re so attracted to it,??wrote Ben Kuchera, editor of the gaming news site Penny Arcade Report.

?Obviously there is no causal relationship between Newtown and video games,? wrote game journalist Leigh Alexander. ?But I have played the damn things since I was a very small child and only in the last few years have I, as an adult woman, begun to feel profoundly uncomfortable with their unapologetic celebration of gun violence.?

In light of the Newtown tragedy,?Antwand Pearman???editor of the website GamerFitNationcom ? has called on his fellow gamers to put down their controllers Friday and join in a "Day of Cease?Fire for Online Shooters."

He said in his heartfelt YouTube plea?that?this?show of support and solidarity is not meant to suggest that games caused the shooting. "We are simply making a statement that we as gamers are not going to sit back and ignore the lives that were lost. Instead we will?embrace?the families with our love and support.?

Back in Newtown, a 12-year-old boy gamer named?Max Goldstein is leading a movement to get kids to "choose not to play" violent games. He came up with the idea when attending the funeral of his friend's little?brother. He told the Hartford Courant that?though he had spent years shooting virtual bad guys with automatic weapons, this week it dawned on him?"how real this was."

Winda Benedetti?writes about video?games for NBC?News. You can follow her tweets about games and other things?on Twitter?here?@WindaBenedetti?and you can?follow her?on?Google+.?Meanwhile, be sure to check?out the?IN-GAME?FACEBOOK PAGE?to discuss the day's?gaming news and reviews.

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/technolog/angst-over-video-games-rises-wake-shootings-1C7660198

heartbreak hotel don cornelius whitney houston i will always love you breaking news whitney houston carmen whitney houston last performance cpac straw poll

Al Qaeda grows powerful in Syria as endgame nears

AMMAN (Reuters) - Having seen its star wane in Iraq, al Qaeda has staged a comeback in neighbouring Syria, posing a dilemma for the opposition fighting to remove President Bashar al-Assad and making the West balk at military backing for the revolt.

The rise of al Qaeda's affiliate in Syria, al-Nusra Front, which the United States designated a terrorist organisation last week, could usher in a long and deadly confrontation with the West, and perhaps Israel.

Inside Syria, the group is exploiting a widening sectarian rift to recruit Sunnis who saw themselves as disenfranchised by Assad's Alawite minority, an offshoot of Shi'ite Islam that dominates Syria's power and security structures.

Al-Nusra appears to have gained popularity in a country that has turned more religious as the uprising, mainly among Sunni Muslims, has been met with increasing force by authorities.

It has claimed responsibility for spectacular and deadly bombings in Damascus and Aleppo, and its fighters have joined other rebel brigades in attacks on Assad's forces.

According to Site Intelligence group, Nusra claimed responsibility in one day alone last month for 45 attacks in Damascus, Deraa, Hama and Homs provinces that reportedly killed dozens, including 60 in a single suicide bombing.

"In 18 communiqu?s issued on jihadist forums ... most of which contain pictures of the attacks, the al-Nusra Front claimed ambushes, assassinations, bombings and raids against Syrian security forces and 'shabbiha', pro-Bashar al-Assad thugs," Site said.

REVIVING THE CALIPHATE

Members of the group interviewed by Reuters say al-Nusra aims to revive the Islamic Caliphate, which dates back to the Prophet Mohammad's seventh century companions, forerunners of the large empire that once stretched into Europe.

That prospect alarms many in Syria, from minority Christians, Alawites and Shi'ites to traditionally conservative but tolerant Sunni Muslims who are concerned that al-Nusra would try to impose Taliban-style rule.

Fear of religion-based repression has already prompted Kurds to barricade their quarter of Aleppo city and was behind fierce clashes between Kurdish and al-Nusra fighters in the border town of Ras al Ain in November.

The ideas of al-Nusra are also at odds with a new Syrian opposition coalition that was recognized last week by dozens of countries as an alternative to Assad and is committed to establishing a democratic alternative to Assad's rule.

Omar, a 25-year-old university graduate and former army conscript, said he deserted and joined al-Nusra in reaction to repression he experienced as a Sunni from Alawite officers who all but monopolize the army's higher echelons.

Prior to the revolt, Omar said he had sympathized quietly with Hizb ut-Tahrir, an Islamic international party with a vision for the restoration of the Islamic caliphate abolished by the secular Turkish strongman Mustafa Kemal Ataturk in 1924.

"Prayer in the army is banned, and if they suspected that you pray they would send you to the most remote posts," Omar said by phone from a rural area near Aleppo city.

"Our aim is to depose Assad, defend our people against the military crackdown and build the caliphate. Many in the Free Syrian Army have ideas like us and want an Islamic state."

"We and other Islamists have gained a reputation as being able to hold our own in battle. Lots of people want to join Nusra, but we do not have enough weapons to supply all of them."

But a woman teacher, who lives in the central Mogambo district of Aleppo, said Nusra's thinking was abhorrent.

"Al-Nusra thinks that by shouting Allahu Akbar (God is Greatest) they can justify anything they do. We did not rise up to move from the humiliation from being under Assad to the humiliation of being under al Qaeda," she said.

NUSRA ATTACKS

Opposition sources said many Syrians who facilitated the transfer of jihadis from Syria to al Qaeda in Iraq at the height of its campaign against U.S. forces there were now fighting for Nusra, while jihadis in Iraq had reversed their roles, arranging for transfer of personnel and bomb-making know-how into Syria.

The source of Nusra funding is unclear, though that, too, may come from Iraq.

Ibrahim, another young Nusra member in Idlib province, said he was imprisoned in the notorious Sednaya prison north of Damascus, where 170 mainly Islamist prisoners were killed after the army put down a mutiny in 2007. "We want revenge," he said.

Asked about a U.S. statement that Nusra operations were killing many civilians, Ibrahim said it was an exaggeration.

"A bomb goes off in front of a security compound with four cars full of shabbiha in civilian clothes guarding it. The shabbiha die and state media says they were civilian. Only their clothes are civilian," he said.

Several videos have appeared on the Internet in recent weeks purportedly showing al-Nusra-linked rebels shooting and in some instances beheading captured Assad soldiers.

But al-Nusra still appears to have wide support. Video footage on Friday showed crowds in southern Syria, the birthplace of the revolt, denouncing the U.S. designation of the group as terrorists and shouting "al-Nusra front protects us".

Farouk Tayfour, deputy head of the Muslim Brotherhood, who fought against Assad's father in the 1980s, said it was too early to categories opposition fighters. Some, he said, joined Nusra to defend their homes without subscribing to its ideology.

"NOT A MONOLITHIC GROUP"

The identity of al-Nusra's leadership is not clear. A shadowy figure known as Abu Muhammad al-Golani - whose nationality is not known - has been named by some as the head.

But an Islamist opposition campaigner who toured northern and central Syria a few days ago and met Nusra commanders said the group operates more like an umbrella organisation with little coordination between units in different regions.

"They are not a monolithic group. The nature of Nusra in Damascus is more tolerant than Idlib. They have a real popular base in Idlib, where most Nusra members are Syrians, as opposed to Aleppo and Damascus."

He said it did not appear to be seeking to impose Taliban-style control. "Many rebels I have met say they joined al-Nusra because the group has weapons, mostly seized from raids, and that they will go back home after the revolt," he added.

But many centrist opposition campaigners fear that al-Nusra will turn its guns on any non-Islamist order that could come if Assad was deposed. "The big question is how to contain Nusra in a post-Assad Syria," said an opposition figure linked to jihadist groups, who did not want to be identified.

"Al-Nusra is the type of group that could declare the most pious cleric a heretic and kill him in the middle of a mosque just because he does not share its view," he said.

Nusra members are estimated to number in the thousands and are particularly strong in the northern region of Aleppo and Idlib, where they have joined or carried out joint operations with Islamist groups such as Ahrar al-Sham and Liwa al-Tawhid unit.

In and around Damascus they are fewer in number but remain potent, and are only 20 kilometers (12 miles) at some points from the Golan Heights front with Israel.

Abu Munther, an engineer turned rebel who operates on the southern edge of Damascus and goes to Jordan to meet other rebels, said in Amman that al-Nusra numbered hundreds of people in Damascus, as opposed to thousands in the north.

But those numbers could grow. Al-Mujahideen brigade in the southern Tadamun neighborhood of Damascus declared its allegiance to al-Nusra after dissatisfaction with Arab-backed military groups headed by defector officers.

Another opposition figure, who did not want to be named, said international intelligence agencies were trying to curb Nusra's influence in Damascus and the southern Hauran Plain, where they are near Israel and close to the Jordanian border.

"Western intelligence agencies are realising that the Nusra is the biggest threat in a post-Assad Syria and are devoting more resources to deal with the threat," he said.

"For the first time al Qaeda is within striking distance of Israel," he said. "Many are realising that the best that could be done for now is to contain them in north Syria - even if the area risks becoming an Islamist emirate of sorts - while trying to build a civic form of government in and around Damascus."

(Editing by Will Waterman)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/al-qaeda-grows-powerful-syria-endgame-nears-060641471.html

arnold palmer invitational ryan madson louisiana primary syracuse basketball chipper jones chipper jones dancing with the stars cast

Exclusive: 'Spider-Man' Villain Jamie Foxx Reveals Major Origin Details

'Amazing' villain Electro thinks 'that somehow, he's Spider-Man's partner,' Foxx tells MTV News.
By Josh Wigler, with reporting by Josh Horowitz

Jamie Foxx
Photo: MTV News

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1699031/amazing-spider-man-2-villian-electro.jhtml

primary results dale earnhardt jr michigan primary school shooting daytona 500 winner cleveland plain dealer barry sanders

ANs

You're a supernatural and you've been invited to spend a week in the countryside, so you can learn about other non-humans for college credits... Something isn't quite right about that creepy mansion.

Owner:

Game Masters:

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

You may edit this first post as you see fit.

Grace Lynn

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: Agent, Ahri, Alasund De'astio, Anuwa*, Armageddon*, Artsydaze, AugmentationAudit, bandgeek*, Banshee*, BBClock, BekaL101, Black Fox*, Bosch, Calvazara*, CarliaRhian123, Carlos_Joaquin, Chancington, ChaosxChild13*, ChaoticMarin*, Cheshire_Cat, CNAGamer, code6435*, CoffeeLorencia, Colonel_Masters, delfiler, Digital_Muse*, DuBois_Scarlett, Eisenhorn*, EmperorCaesar, Exabot [Bot], Eyliel, Fabricator*, Fated*, Finalhazard3*, flickery, Fredalice, FrostedFlames*, Frozen Soul*, FrozenShard*, fullmetal642*, Ghost_Scar*, Google [Bot], Google Adsense [Bot], Google Feedfetcher, gossipet10, GotDraggedIntoThis*, Guilty Carrion, Gypsy*, HadoukenLSD, Half-Dragon*, Harlequin Smile*, Hazezon*, hellgirl**, hillaryclinton, Hoga, Horseygirl*, Howlkin Stranger*, Jakuri-chan, jukuma*, KittyKLL*, KrazyTigger*, Layla*, legacy14, Leon21, Light_of_the_Fallen, Linosi, Little Fox*, Lloyd999*, Lobos, Majestic-12 [Bot], Marcus*, masato22, Mela, Merchant, mlijn12*, Modesty, MSNbot Media, Nekohina*, Nivosity*, No-one-special*, OurStars, Patcharoo*, Polarisbear12, Princess Awinita*, punkwithflute*, RacoonMoon()*, Raidose*, RCJJ23*, RebornAncient12*, RedWolfe*, Rem?us*, Rougeshadow*, Rulke*, Rylie Renae, Sekota, Shiki29, ShuffleCat*, Sinkai*, SkullsandSlippers*, smellie_catt*, SolidSnacks, SoulSurviver233*, Starryskies*, StormRider*, Stryk33*, Syn_Maxwell*, TaniaSoulEater, teegaroo, TemplarWarden*, Terrus*, The Illusionist*, The Keywork*, thebagel264*, theLogophile, TheUnnamedOne, TnevdaNai, TurtleSoup, Two*, umbra Alastor, ViviOrunitiaFF9*, Wake*, wolfoftheage*, xoxMissClairexox, XShishioX*, YaCy [Bot], YokoKitsune*, zane saphire*, zeno3111*, Zitacamron95

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RolePlayGateway/~3/M_4cKFJ_Dxk/viewtopic.php

grilled cheese allen west north korea missile nerlens noel don t trust the b in apartment 23 world financial center shabazz muhammad

Parliament and public finance | DailyFT - Be Empowered

The erosion of balance of power is reaching serious proportions in Sri Lanka. The recent decision by the Government to disregard a Supreme Court ruling that calls for Parliament to peruse loans before they are accepted could push Sri Lanka?s entire economy onto the edge of instability.

Transparency and accountability are new words to most Sri Lankan politicians ? ones they do not like much. Development within a democratic framework means that the people have to be aware of what is taking place because ultimately they literally pay the price for it. As the lawful representatives of the people, Parliament has the constitutionally-empowered right to debate and decide on financial transactions carried out by the Government, particularly steps that pertain to loans.
Several UNP members last week alleged that Government has disregarded a Supreme Court (SC) ruling that the 2013 Appropriation Bill should be amended to make Parliamentary approval necessary for securing loans. Accordingly, the President could continue to raise loans ? up to Rs. 1,295 billion in 2013 ? without revealing to Parliament the terms and conditions under which such credit is to be obtained.
The third reading of the Bill was passed with a two-thirds Parliamentary majority on 11 December. The Government only changed it to make provision for a report to be presented to Parliament, after a loan is obtained.
In contrast, the SC had ruled that the Bill was unconstitutional, unless it required the terms of a loan to be placed before Parliament, and for approval to be secured before such loan is taken. The highest court in the land is insistent that Parliament has the right to decide on public finance thus ensuring that there are checks and balances in place to stop unwise and hasty decisions. It is also an important step in assuring transparency and minimising of corruption ?points that will now be harder to achieve.
Parliament being given the details after a loan has been finalised means that any room to turn back or negotiate more favourable terms is effectively nonexistent. It is shocking that such basic steps are taken away from Parliament despite the Government insisting during the Chief Justice?s impeachment process that they respect the will of the people, ostensibly expressed through Parliament.
Ironically China, which is the largest loan provider for Sri Lanka, despite not being a democracy, has checks and balances in place. This is proved in a report that said a Chinese company has suspended funding for a local electricity project until Sri Lanka pays a Rs. 627 million insurance fee to a Chinese public company. This was after the Sri Lankan Government issued a guarantee for the project earlier this year. Such caution is commendable, but sadly a much poorer Sri Lanka that claims to be a democracy is unable to follow similar protective mechanisms.
Results of haphazard loan taking are serious and prolonged, as the euro crisis has shown. Loan unsustainable loans will eventually undermine the development potential of Sri Lanka at a very serious level. It also expands long-term financial vulnerabilities, cronyism, and corruption. By ignoring the sane counsel of the Supreme Court, the Government has set an official standard for undemocratic use of public finance at the highest level. The consequences of this could be dire indeed.
?

Source: http://www.ft.lk/2012/12/17/parliament-and-public-finance/

george zimmerman website edmund fitzgerald uss enterprise white house easter egg roll 2012 andy cohen andy cohen mozambique

hauret: Recreation And Sports: Hunting Report Classification ? Page ...

Posted by prebroiled in Uncategorized

0 Comments

13Dec

Source: http://floralwhite.w3bookmarks.com/technology/recreation-and-sports-hunting-report-classification-page-110/

Meteor Shower August 2012 jessie j jessie j David Boudia David Rakoff Bourne Legacy Chad Johnson

You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Leave a Reply

Click here to cancel reply.

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Source: http://disturbialyrics365.theministercoach.com/777/recreation-and-sports-hunting-report-classification-page-110/

hangout todd haley kareem abdul jabbar miramonte elementary school mark jenkins super bowl commercials 2012 mia

Source: http://blog-michael-jackson-news.blogspot.com/2012/12/recreation-and-sports-hunting-report.html

tom benson royals nicole richie lyme disease symptoms esperanza spalding jessica sanchez robert kennedy

Source: http://carneyarthur629.typepad.com/blog/2012/12/recreation-and-sports-hunting-report-classification-page-110.html

Sam Claflin Tony Farmer West Nile virus symptoms snooki ll cool j amy schumer amy schumer

Source: http://hauret92.blogspot.com/2012/12/recreation-and-sports-hunting-report.html

prince fielder state of the union address 2012 obama state of the union 2012 2012 state of the union address jorge posada maurice sendak state of the union

Source: http://farmer1841.typepad.com/blog/2012/12/hauret-recreation-and-sports-hunting-report-classification-page.html

the ten commandments charlton heston moses tulsa shooting doug fister rick warren the perfect storm

Susan Rice Learns What It's Like to Be Hillary Clinton

U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Susan Rice has withdrawn her name from consideration for nomination to be Secretary of State. "If nominated, I am now convinced that the confirmation process would be lengthy, disruptive and costly," she said in a letter formally taking herself out of consideration.

And with that admission, the woman who would succeed Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State has revealed she's gotten just a small taste of what it actually has been like to be Hillary Clinton over the years.

Rice, like Clinton before her, has been attacked relentlessly by the GOP for?what she's said, for her temperament, and over her financial ties; she's been attacked by left and right alike for her foreign policy views (the criticism of?Rice's ties to African despots?has been?nothing?compared to the intra-party?criticism Clinton got?for backing the authorization of military use force in Iraq, launching Bush's war there); and she's been denied an upsurge of support from her party just when she positioned herself or her ideas as most inevitable (from Hillarycare to the 2008 presidential contest, Clinton's never been so vulnerable as when she's been inevitable). Like Clinton, Rice also has been subjected to a steady stream of rough questioning in the MSM and excoriated on Fox. But unlike Clinton, Rice has experienced all of this only on a small scale and for a only few months.

Latest Politics Posts:
Loading feed...

Hillary Clinton went through 15 years of this stuff before becoming, under Obama, the woman everyone loves, a woman whom Chris Cillizza just dubbed "the new Teflon Clinton." It was only a few years ago she was "likable enough," according to Obama -- a woman whose "vocal range" revealed her to be "the stereotypical bitch," as Glenn Beck put it.

So Susan Rice?once gave Richard Holbrooke the finger. She certainly wasn't the only person to jab a finger in his direction on account of his "outsize" personality, according to James Mann's?The Obamians. Meanwhile, Clinton was accused of murdering Vince Foster! Even now that's a charge even being repeatedon right-wing blogs, thanks to?a new book?out at the end of November on the former Clinton lawyer.

"I am grateful that Susan will continue to serve as our Ambassador at the United Nations and a key member of my cabinet and national security team, carrying her work forward on all of these and other issues," Obama said in a statement accepting Rice's letter. "I have every confidence that Susan has limitless capability to serve our country now and in the years to come, and know that I will continue to rely on her as an advisor and friend. While I deeply regret the unfair and misleading attacks on Susan Rice in recent weeks, her decision demonstrates the strength of her character, and an admirable commitment to rise above the politics of the moment to put our national interests first."?

The two will meet on Friday, a White House source confirms.

Rice may have been just been thwarted in her hoped for next move in the Democratic foreign policy world. But if there's any lesson in Clinton's career, keeping on keeping on has a way of taking a gal in some amazing directions no matter what people say -- and no matter who goes out of their way to block her. As Tina Fey?so memorably noted?all those years ago about the woman now hailed for her diplomatic finesse, "Bitch is the new black."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/susan-rice-learns-hillary-clinton-063133905--politics.html

chicago news chicago news golden girls robert e lee golden globe winners the express zappos hacked

ANALYSIS: Egypt military keeps close eye on politics

Gianluigi Guercia / AFP - Getty Images

Egyptian army tanks are deployed outside the presidential palace in Cairo on Thursday.

By Ayman Mohyeldin, NBC News

News analysis

Editor's note: This story includes a correction.

Updated at 7:25 a.m. ET: CAIRO -- Many hailed the emergence of civilian rule in Egypt when then recently elected Islamist President Mohammed Morsi ordered the country?s armed forces back to their barracks in August, after they had led the county for close to a year and a half.

But within months, the same military was functioning as the country's auxiliary police force, ensuring the safety and integrity of the upcoming constitutional referendum, and protecting the presidency ? both physically by guarding the palace and politically by acting as an intermediary to diffuse political tensions between Islamists and the opposition.

Meanwhile, the newly drafted and disputed constitution that will be up for a vote on Saturday changes little about the military's role in the state. In fact, it preserves the ability of the military to try civilians in military courts. It also maintains the secretive budget of the armed forces, which eats up a sizable chunk of the state?s coffers.

So, as Egypt lurches through a crisis pitting the country's president and his Islamist supporters against opposition forces, observers are working to figure out what exactly the country?s powerful military will do next.

Egyptian leader told: 'Fear God... postpone the referendum'

The dispute over a controversial decree giving Morsi near absolute powers reached a crescendo on Dec. 11, when protesters opposing the president's decision circled the presidential palace. Morsi supporters, mainly from the Muslim Brotherhood and other Islamist parties, took to the streets in counter protests. They, too headed to the palace, only this time to confront the president?s opponents. What ensued were deadly clashes that left at least eight people dead and more than 700 injured.

NBC's Ayman Mohyeldin is outside the presidential palace in Cairo where hundreds of thousands are protesting what they say is an unjust constitution. They want to delay a vote on the current draft of the constitution now scheduled for December 15.?

Amid the turmoil and after standing on the sidelines, the powerful armed forces weighed in and issued their first political statement since Morsi was elected on June 24.

ANALYSIS: Egypt is rapidly approaching its own 'cliff'

?Anything other than [dialogue] will force us into a dark tunnel with disastrous consequences, something which we won't allow to happen,? the statement read. The call for dialogue may have struck some as a surprise because it came from an institution that served as the backbone of the country's authoritarian regimes for six decades.

---

Then late?Sunday night, Morsi issued a decree granting the country's military law enforcement powers, essentially giving the armed forces the legal authority to act as the country's police force. The military was allowed to arrest and detain civilians in the run up to the key constitutional referendum starting Saturday. It was also tasked with securing the thousands of polling stations around the country, meaning its job was to secure the integrity and safety of the voting process and the voters.

The move has drawn sharp criticism from Human Rights Watch, an international organization, which said the military's emergence as a law enforcement authority raises serious human rights concerns.

Egypt army gets temporary power to arrest civilians ahead of referendum

Islamist forces, however, remain skeptical of the military. After all, for decades it was the country's senior internal security leadership in conjunction with the military that hunted down Islamist leaders, jailing them and torturing them under strongman Hosni Mubarak and his predecessors.

Opponents of Egypt President Morsi say he's betraying the revolution, but his supporters say he wants to guarantee human rights with a controversial referendum on a new constitution. NBC's John Ray went onto the streets of Cairo to hear from both sides of the deepening divide.

What Egypt's military wants
The military, which had recoiled back to its bases after it led the country for nearly 18 months following the revolution that toppled Mubarak, remains skeptical, too.

?They have not been neutral. While appearing to be sympathetic to the protesters' demands, they remain suspicious of popular mobilization's ability to induce change that goes beyond their control,? said Joshua Stacher, a fellow at the Woodrow Wilson Center and author of "Adaptable Autocrats."

Google+ Hangout with NBC News' Ayman Mohyeldin

The military is also not standing on the sidelines and will likely remain the last arbiter of Egypt?s politics. Any appearance to the contrary is a result of the armed forces being ?intentionally opaque,? Stacher said.?

?I don't believe that they have a plan worked out. Rather, they are waiting to see how the situation evolves before deciding what is the best course of action,? he added.

Marco Longari / AFP - Getty Images

Egyptian soldiers stand in line as anti-Morsi protesters stand on top of a barricade erected by the army to protect the Presidential Palace in Cairo on Tuesday.

The best course of action may just be revealing itself. The proposed constitution also stipulates that future defense ministers must be officers.

But the real test of power, Stacher and others argue, will be whether the military retains control over its vast economic empire and secretive budget under a new constitution.

External link: English translation of Egypt's draft constitution

?The military prefers to remain behind the curtain influencing events,? he said. ?They also have the constitution that they want in terms of securing their interests. They would prefer that the constitution pass, they stay formally out of politics, and the protesters go home.?

'Men don't have to worry about being caught': Sex mobs target Egypt's women

More world stories from NBC News:

Follow World News from NBCNews.com on Twitter and Facebook

?

Source: http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/12/14/15888480-keeping-options-open-egypts-military-maintains-watchful-eye-on-politics?lite

ferris bueller god bless america earned income credit super bowl commercials florida primary 2012 super bowl matthew broderick

TekSavvy under pressure to reveal user details as L.A. film studio ...

If a California film production company gets its way, an Ontario Internet service provider could be handing over the identities of hundreds of customers alleged to have engaged in illegal downloading.

L.A.-based Voltage Pictures LLC has brought a motion with the Federal Court of Canada to force Chatham-based TekSavvy Solutions Inc. to disclose the names and addresses associated with about 2,000 internet protocol, or IP, addresses.

Our customers are just wondering what this really means for them. It?s a bit scary

In a lawsuit against as-yet-unnamed John and Jane Does (filed at the Federal Court in Toronto on Nov. 14), Voltage is seeking compensation under the federal Copyright Act for the unauthorized copying and distributing of its works through file sharing networks.

TekSavvy is not a party to the legal action but Voltage is asking the court to compel the independent ISP to turn over the relevant user information to help identify the alleged infringers.

The move comes within weeks of new copyright legislation coming into effect and shortly after a similar action that resulted in a judge ordering Internet providers to release subscriber names and details to NGN Prima Productions Inc.

That case involved 50 IP addresses, Postmedia?s Gillian Shaw reported.

In both cases, the production companies engaged the services of Montreal-based forensic investigation firm Canipre Inc., which used software to scan BitTorrent networks for copyrighted works and then identify the IP address of each ?seeder? or ?peer? offering the files for transfer or distribution.

During the two month period between Sept. 1 and Oct. 30, Canipre scanned BitTorrent networks searching for works belonging to Voltage, the production company said in a notice of motion dated Dec. 7.

The firm then used that information to identify transactions associated with IP addresses for customers of TekSavvy in Ontario.

?Once [Voltage] obtains the defendants? contact information from their ISPs, it will be able to name those defendants as parties to this claim,? Voltage said in its statement of claim.

TekSavvy said it will only provide customer details if required to do so by a court order.

Tina Furlan, director of press relations for the ISP, said the company received a list of more than 2,000 IP addresses. Some customers had more than one IP address associated with their account and TekSavvy has now sent out about 1,100 notices to customers informing them of the potential legal action and recommending they get legal advice.

?Our customers are just wondering what this really means for them. It?s a bit scary,? she said. ?Even customers who have not received the notice are quite concerned because they don?t know whether next month maybe they?ll be on that list.?

Concerns around disclosure of personal information aside, the penalties associated with copyright infringement are not as high as they once were.

The new law provides for a penalty from $100 to a maximum of $5,000 for all infringements related to personal-use that occurred prior to a legal action.

Under the old rules, the maximum fine was $20,000 per infringement, which remains the case for violations for commercial-use.

The Copyright Modernization Act, once known as Bill C-11, received royal assent in June and most of its provisions came into force on Nov. 7.

It provides that copyright holders can request that ISPs provide user information where there is a claim of copyright infringement.

In a blog post on the TekSavvy website, CEO Marc Gaudrault said he was ?puzzled? by Voltage?s approach.

?It seems contrary to the government?s intent with copyright reform which was to discourage file sharing lawsuits against individuals, while still protecting copyright holders? rights,? he said, adding that the government created a ?roadmap? for addressing file sharing issues, the starting point of which is a notification system to discourage infringement without immediately moving to the threat of a lawsuit or public disclosure of personal information.

?That system is not yet finalized though. In light of these factors, Voltage?s actions seem odd to us,? he said.

The motion to compel TekSavvy to disclose user details is set for Dec. 17.

Representatives from Voltage did not respond to a request for comment.

Source: http://business.financialpost.com/2012/12/11/teksavvy-under-pressure-to-reveal-user-details-as-l-a-film-studio-launches-copyright-suit/

ifl indoor football league newt gingrich wife callista rick perry

How Can I Safely Travel with My DSLR Camera and Photography Gear?

Dear Lifehacker,
My DSLR isn't huge, but it's still pretty bulky. When you add in a few lenses, a flash, and a variety of other peripherals, I end up with a lot of fragile items that take up quite a bit of space. This makes travel difficult, and I'm worried about breaking something. How can I travel with my photography gear safely?

Sincerely,
Stuffed Suitcase

Dear SS,
You'll never find a completely hassle-free way to pack your photography gear. Even if you're able to pack it all in a comfortable bag, that bag will likely be pretty large and unpleasant to carry. Basically, you have to accept that there will always be a downside to bringing a high-end camera and its peripherals. That said, there are several things you can do to minimize these annoyances. First, let's talk about some general rules and then take a look at a few safe ways to pack your stuff.

---

The Rules

When packing your photography gear, you really only need to follow six rules. We'll get into the details of how to pack safely later on, but if you remember these six things you'll be in pretty good shape:

1. Use sufficient padding for all fragile items (e.g. the camera body, lenses, filters, etc.).
2. Don't pack your photo gear in a checked bag if at all possible. (If your bag ends up getting checked beyond your control, make sure everything is insured for loss and damage.)
3. Disassemble everything. In other words, don't leave a lens attached to your camera.
4. Pack lens wipes and cleaning supplies. You never know what may happen on your trip and being prepared with wipes and a brush takes up very little space in your bag.
5. Don't overpack. You might think you need every single bit of gear you own, but you'll hate lugging it all around. Pack one or two versatile zoom lenses instead of six primes. Basically, take as little as you need to get the job done.
6. Don't forget your charger, but do forget too many extra batteries. TSA regulations limit the amount of lithium you can take on a plane, and your camera's batteries likely take a lot of lithium. For DSLRs, this usually maxes out at around two batteries. While you'll probably get on the plane with more, seeing as the TSA doesn't really enforce their own guidelines too often, it's not worth the risk of having to throw out an expensive item. Just bring a charger. Two batteries should be more than enough for one day and you can charge them at night.

As far as packing goes, you don't need to remember much else. That said, read on for some detailed suggestions on keeping your gear safe.

Secure Your Gear in a Camera-Friendly Bag

Buying a travel bag for your photography gear makes traveling a heck of a lot easier than any other option. These bags come as suitcases, backpacks, and messenger bags of all sizes. LowePro has long made a reliable set of bags. Personally, I like Tenba as I've found them more versatile because they offer a better layout of storage space with the right material for even unpleasant circumstances (e.g. rain and mud). Regardless of what you choose, most photography-centric bags offer sufficient padding and integrated storage for your camera gear so that it'll stay safe and travel neatly with your other belongings.

Of course, if you buy a photo-friendly suitcase you won't want to lug it around during your trip. If you get a smaller bag, you're adding additional luggage you may not be able to fit as a carry-on. This is where things get frustrating even if you have the proper gear. If you run into this problem, or fear you will, read on for a solution.

Secure Your Gear with Any Bag by Using a Padded Camera Sleeve

Many photography bags, such as the Tenba Messenger, come with removable sleeves that organize your camera and lenses. You want removable sleeves because you can pack them in any bag and keep your gear safe, so make sure you purchase a bag that has one if you foresee the need to move your gear around. UNDFIND makes bags designed for swapping out various storage compartments and even the front flap. This way you can take what you want in the bag when you're traveling and swap it with other stuff that you packed in a suitcase (or another bag) easily. When you get a bag with removable parts, you provide yourself with a modular system that allows you to adapt to various needs.

Create Makeshift Padding Out of Your Clothing

Camera bags and sleeves cost money, and you may not want to spend it. You can't travel around with a camera without protecting it, however, unless you want to take a large risk. If you only intend to take your camera body and a lens or two, you can create sufficient padding with clothes you'll likely have in your suitcase already. Just wrap your camera body and lenses separately in several shirts (or other soft apparel, like a non-abrasive sweater) and pack the items in the middle of the bag. So long as you take one lens with your camera, you won't really need a bag to carry it all around when you actually arrive at your destination.

Ultimately, your main concern should be keeping your gear safe when you're not in full control of it. If you take enough care to ensure it won't break on a bumpy ride?whether that's in the air or on the ground?your gear will travel with you safely.

Love,
Lifehacker

Images by Maridav (Shutterstock) and Leo Blanchette (Shutterstock). Product photos by Tenba.

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/jpNIqxBFaqE/how-can-i-safely-travel-with-my-dslr-camera-and-photography-gear

lenny dykstra jenelle evans jenelle evans mlb 12 the show sabu google play franchise tag

Missouri's National Board Certified Teachers in 2011-12 Announced ...

The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) recently released scores to the 2011-12?National Board Certification candidates.

STATE-WIDE in MISSOURI:? 62 TEACHERS ACHIEVED CERTIFICATION
There were 91 first-year candidates in Missouri for 2011-12.? Of this number, 78% (71 teachers) submitted complete portfolios. Of the first-year candidates who completed the process in Missouri, 42 (59%) achieved certification. This is above the national average for first-year candidates. There were an additional 20 teachers who were either 2nd or 3rd year candidates (called advanced candidates) who also achieved, bringing the total number of newly certified teachers to 62.

ST. LOUIS REGION:? 42 TEACHERS ACHIEVED CERTIFICATION
Of the 62 new NBCTs in Missouri, 42 (68%) were from the St. Louis region. Of these 42 new NBCTs, 30 were first-year candidates (71%) and 12 (29%) were advanced candidates. The new NBCTs in the St. Louis region come from the following ten districts:

• Rockwood? 14
• Francis Howell? 6
• Lindbergh? 6
• Parkway? 5
• Kirkwood? 4
• Maplewood-Richmond Heights? 3
• Hancock Place? 1
• Hazelwood? 1
• Special School District? 1
• Wentzville? 1

According to NBPTS, standards are based on core propositions that form the foundation for what all accomplished teachers should know and be able to do and provide a reference that helps educators link teaching standards to teaching practice.

Five Core Propositions

• Teachers are committed to students & their learning.
• Teachers know the subjects they teach and how to teach those subjects to students.
• Teachers are responsible for managing & monitoring student learning.
• Teachers think systematically about their practice and learn from experience.
• Teachers are members of learning communities.

Congratulations to all the new National Board Certified Teachers and the students that they serve. Learn more at www.csd.org.

Like this:

Be the first to like this.

Source: http://educationtoday.wordpress.com/2012/12/10/missouris-national-board-certified-teachers-in-2011-12-announced/

new madrid fault rihanna and chris brown affirmative action helicon zac efron and taylor swift real housewives of orange county bloom energy

Nutrition & Biology/Chemistry Expert - Original Articles Needs to be ...

Tax Type Tax Rate Tax ID or Company no.

eg. VAT, GST ? Registration no.

Source: http://www.freelancer.com/projects/Copywriting-Technical-Writing/Nutrition-amp-Biology-Chemistry-Expert.html

fast times at ridgemont high fast times at ridgemont high soylent green phil davis george st pierre aldon smith friday night lights

India vs England, 3rd Test, Day 3: India finally manage the wicket of Alastair C...

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

Source: http://www.facebook.com/cricketnext/posts/10151546554059409

stephen colbert new madrid fault rihanna and chris brown affirmative action helicon zac efron and taylor swift real housewives of orange county

David Wood Will Play Scrooge for the 37th Time in TIP's Madcap ...

Ira David Wood III (center) will reprise his role as the misanthropic old Ebenezer Scrooge in TIP?s madcap musical version of ?A Christmas Carol,? which has become an annual Christmas tradition for Triangle children of all ages

Theatre In The Park?s gala 38th-annual production of TIP executive and artistic director Ira David Wood III?s zany musical-comedy version of A Christmas Carol, which will run Dec. 6-9, 11, and 12 in Raleigh Memorial Auditorium and Dec. 15 and 16 in the Durham Performing Arts Center, will include timely topical references and the same old theatrical hocus-pocus and hilariously hokey vaudeville touches ? not to mention a virtuoso performance by Wood as Ebenezer Scrooge.

That malicious old miser was immortalized by English novelist Charles Dickens (1812-70), in his perennially popular 1843 Christmas story, which chronicles Scrooge?s surprising redemption, after four ghostly visitations, one Christmas Eve long ago.

?It?s hard to believe that this is the 30th year of A Christmas Carol in Raleigh,? admitted TIP executive and artistic director David Wood in a December 2004 interview with Triangle Theater Review. ?It?s extremely gratifying to think that people still return to see our own adaptation year after year. It is, first of all, a great tribute to Mr. Charles Dickens and his incredible book. (I believe folks are surprised at how many lines in the show actually come directly from the book.)

?Secondly,? Wood said, ?our musical version is a theatrical production that is truly ?homegrown.? All of it began right here [in Raleigh]! For 30 years, it has been the talent, dedication, and generosity of spirit provided by the volunteer cast that has truly worked the show?s special magic.?

He added, ?I?m quite proud of what the production has managed to accomplish in three decades. We?ve toured to France and England and have continued to attract huge crowds locally.?

That?s not bad for a holiday show by a local community theater (formerly Raleigh Children?s Theatre) that in 1974 specialized in outdoor productions of Shakespeare (Hamlet and Richard III) before occupying the old N.C. National Guard Armory in Pullen Park, which the Raleigh City Council rechristened the Ira David Wood III Pullen Park Theatre on Oct. 5, 2004.

The Enfield, NC native, who was educated at the North Carolina School of the Arts in Winston-Salem, told Triangle Theater Review in 2004, ?For 20 years, we have toured to Columbia, S.C. to help raise funds for the Babcock Center and their remarkable work for the mentally handicapped. The production has been something of a springboard in helping to launch more than a few successful show business careers. We?re also now listed as one of the ?Top Twenty Events in the Southeast? by the Southeast Tourism Society.

?The N&O has cited us as being ?one of the most successful shows in North Carolina theater history.? Most notably, the production has been seen by members of the Dickens family, and they?ve given it their enthusiastic endorsement. That has meant a great deal to all of us,? said Wood.

At Christmastime 1974, David Wood was only 27 ? tall, thin, matinee-idol handsome, and best known for his charismatic Hamlet ? when he first donned a fright wig, a big beak of a false nose, and even bigger top hat, and slumped his shoulders and bowed his skinny legs to adopt a mincing gait to play that misanthropic old skinflint Ebenezer Scrooge. Wood expertly mixed musical theater with vintage vaudeville routines to create what one local critic once, long ago, called the biggest one-man show in Triangle theater history. Yet, over the last three decades, Wood has fleshed out the show?s supporting roles ? to create more substantial comic foils for Scrooge to fulminate against ? and he has built up the other performers? musical numbers.

A Christmas Carol alumni include Michael C. Hall, Lauren Kennedy, Terrence Mann, Frankie Muniz, Patrick Stogner, Evan Rachel Wood, Ira David Wood IV, and Eric Woodall.

?We use huge doses of humor in an attempt to make the show more accessible to young and old alike,? claimed David Wood. ?I?ve learned that you can ?act? a serious play, but with comedy ? well, it?s either funny or it isn?t. You simply can?t fake that. Humor is also a wonderful common denominator that enables our adaptation to amplify the intent of the original work. In this musical comedy approach, when those quiet and special moments are appropriately dealt with, they stand out and take on even deeper resonance. We have remained true to the story?s basic message while tweaking it a bit in the process. Whatever the combination, it?s worked ? and happily so!?

For going on three generations now, A Christmas Carol has been a holiday tradition in two state capitals: Raleigh and Columbia, SC. (Indeed, many Triangle theatergoers still do not feel that the Christmas season is complete without a trip to Raleigh Memorial Auditorium to see what timely topical references David Wood has added to the latest edition of the show.) A Christmas Carol also became an enormous cash cow, whose annual proceeds funded less-bankable shows that Theatre In The Park might not otherwise have been able to produce.

In 2012, David Wood will direct and star in the show for the 37th time. Open-heart surgery forced him to miss the 2010 production, but his son Ira Wood donned Scrooge?s makeup and 19th century outfits and filled in admirably, as he and sister Evan Rachel Wood co-directed that the 36th installment of A Christmas Carol.

David Wood said, ?The [scenic designer Mark Pirolo's] sets and backdrops ? are absolutely miraculous! They have added a professional sheen to the entire show that will make its impact even more indelible. [His] contributions have made a tremendous impact on the quality of the overall presentation of the work.?

?Performing the role of Scrooge has become a lot like playing in a Super Bowl game!? confessed David Wood. ?It takes an enormous amount of preparation and practice prior to the big day. Once you?re on the field, you give it everything you possibly can muster. I must admit that the rest during ?half time? is now greatly anticipated and appreciated. After all, I?m still doing a role that was initially created by and for a man in his twenties. With each passing year, it?s gratifying to know that I can still hit the mark.?

Wood added, ?It is such a pleasure to work with so many people who have chosen to come back to the show. Some of the children who were in the show years ago are performing this year as adults ? with ?Tiny Tims? of their own. It?s a sincerely joyous feeling to know they want to renew their ties to the production while expanding our ?ACC Family? at the same time. We?re 30 years older and still as young at heart as ever!

?Initially,? Wood said, ?nobody told us that what we were doing was impossible ? so we just forged ahead and made it happen. When you consider the fact that this is ?amateur? production presented by a community theater relying upon the dedication and talent of its volunteer base, the accomplishments we?ve made in three decades are simply remarkable. On the other hand, it merely underscores the old adage: ?When love and talent combine together, you can expect a miracle!??

In 2004, Wood said, ?The laughter and tears you see onstage are quite real. After all, the holidays have a great deal to do with renewed feelings and emotions. This fact brings both audience and cast together in a veritable love feast. We know we can?t expect the audience to experience their own transformation unless and until those of us in the cast experience it first. We access our own feelings, build upon that foundation and send it out over the footlights. It?s a challenge to do any show that way, but our remarkable casts have never disappointed.

?Finally,? Wood said, ?you can?t do it unless the audience is there to see it, share in the experience, and back you up. I will be forever grateful to the thousands of people who continue to support us each year. When your muscles ache and your throat is raw and you don?t know where the energy is going to come from to do one more show ? the curtain goes up, you walk onstage ? and feel that wave of pure love roll over your entire being ? and the magic is suddenly there! E.G. Masters called it ?a little bit of the ether reserved for God himself.? There?s just no other way to describe it.

?When I die,? said David Wood, ?my obit will probably simply say ?He was Scrooge in A Christmas Carol.? Considering all that declaration now infers, I?ll be quite content with the summarization.?

Theatre In The Park presents A CHRISTMAS CAROL, starring Ira David Wood III as Scrooge, at 7 p.m. Dec. 6 and 7, 2 and 7 p.m. Dec. 8, 2 p.m. Dec. 9, and 7 p.m. Dec. 11 and 12 in Raleigh Memorial Auditorium in the Progress Energy Center for the Performing Arts, 2 E. South St., Raleigh, North Carolina 27601; and at 7 p.m. Dec. 15 and 2 and 7 p.m. Dec. 16 in the Durham Performing Arts Center, 123 Vivian St., Durham, North Carolina 27701.

TICKETS: $30-$80 (plus fees).

BOX OFFICES:

Progress Energy Center Box Office: 919-996-8700.

DPAC Box Office: 919/680-ARTS (2787), tickets@DPACnc.com, or http://www.DPACnc.com/events/how_to_buy_tickets.

Ticketmaster: 800-745-3000 or Ticketmaster for Raleigh: http://www.ticketmaster.com/venueartist/115203/1003849.

Ticketmaster for Durham: 800-745-3000 or http://www.ticketmaster.com/venueartist/115558/1003849.

SHOW: Raleigh: http://theatreinthepark.com/shows/acc.php#.UMDB1azhfTo and Durham: http://www.DPACnc.com/events/detail/a-christmas-carol. PRESENTER: http://theatreinthepark.com/.

VENUES:

Raleigh: http://www.progressenergycenter.com/venue/memorial-auditorium (directions: http://www.progressenergycenter.com/directions and parking: http://www.progressenergycenter.com/parking).

Durham: http://www.DPACnc.com/ (directions: http://www.DPACnc.com/plan_your_visit/getting_here and parking: http://www.DPACnc.com/plan_your_visit/parking_guide.

OTHER LINKS:

The Musical: http://web.me.com/idw3/A_CHRISTMAS_CAROL/OVERVIEW.html (official website).

Ira David Wood III: https://www.facebook.com/iradavidwood (Facebook), http://www.theatreinthepark.com/theatre_staff_board.html (Theatre In The Park) and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ira_David_Wood_III (Wikipedia).

A Christmas Carol (background): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Christmas_Carol (Wikipedia).

A Christmas Carol (e-text): http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/46 (Project Gutenberg).

Charles Dickens: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Dickens (Wikipedia).

EDITOR?S NOTE:

Robert W. McDowell is editor and publisher of Triangle Theater Review, a FREE weekly e-mail theatrical newsletter that provides more comprehensive, in-depth coverage of Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill theater than all of the other news media combined. This preview is reprinted with permission from Triangle Theater Review.

To start your FREE subscription to this newsletter, e-mail RobertM748@aol.com and type SUBSCRIBE TTR in the Subject: line.

To read all of Robert W. McDowell?s Triangle Theater Review previews and reviews online at Triangle Arts & Entertainment, click http://triangleartsandentertainment.org/author/robert-w-mcdowell/.

?

VN:F [1.9.20_1166]

Rating: 0.0/5 (0 votes cast)

Tagged as: A Christmas Carol, David Wood, DPAC, Durham Performing Arts Center, Ira David Wood III, Raleigh Memorial Auditorium, theatre in the park, TIP

Source: http://triangleartsandentertainment.org/2012/12/david-wood-will-play-scrooge-for-the-37th-time-in-tips-madcap-version-of-a-christmas-carol/

richard threlkeld moonrise kingdom coachella lineup coachella 2012 lineup school delays joran van der sloot honey badger

2012 In Gaming | Gamers With Jobs

Soon, outlets big and small ? our site likely included ? will share with you some thoughts on what the games of the year were. It?s not exactly a methodical thing, or consistent, or even particularly meaningful, but it can be fun to revisit and relive some of the best moments in games over the year, and 2012 will have its fair share. Game of the Year will be handed out. Spike TV will put on an abysmal television broadcast. Awards will grace shelves, and all will be as it ever is.

But 2012 also brought a lot of movement and change within the industry itself, sometimes defining moments and sometimes sweeping trends that carried throughout the year. What is in some ways more interesting to me is what 2012 has brought to consumers, developers and publishers as the business of gaming inches ever forward, evolving year after year.

Here then, are a few of my thoughts on the defining issues and moments of 2012 in video gaming.

Kickstarter and Crowdfunding: 2012 was, if nothing else, the year of crowdfunding. If began in February when Double Fine Studios did something that at the time seemed both bizarre and brilliant, which, to be honest, should not be all that surprising considering Tim Schafer?s penchant for being both brilliant and bizarre. It kicked off an effort to fund its next project, an adventure game no less, through Kickstarter. And it was as if the entire industry asked, ?Wait! You can do that??

Nearly $3.4 million dollars later, it would appear that yes, you can do that.

What was particularly interesting, though, was that it did not turn out to be an isolated event. Others immediately tried to replicate Double Fine?s success, and did. Of the ten current most funded projects on Kickstarter, seven of them are videogame related, and all of them happened this year. Ouya, Project Eternity, Wasteland, Star Citizen, along with Double Fine Adventure and numerous other projects saw a massive outpouring of support from the game community. Though very few of these funded games have actually been released, and there is no guarantee that anyone?s money spent to "kickstart" these projects will be a good investment, crowdfunding is still going strong, though perhaps not with the fervor of spring and summer.

Layoffs, Departures and Bankruptcy. Oh my!: For as good as things seemed to go for developers and game makers willing to explore non-traditional funding options, it turned out to be an ugly year for a lot of developers working within the more typical publisher model. It?s hard to believe it was only a couple of years ago that people used the term ?recession proof? to describe the videogame industry.

Curt Schilling?s 38 Studios likely began the year on a high note, preparing to launch a big new game and already hard at work on the MMO to follow. Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning hit store shelves in early February, and from that moment on a long, slow, painful and highly visible collapse began for the high-profile developer.

Whatever else you may be able to say, the one thing you really can?t say is that KoA:R was a bad game. It may not have been the best action-RPG ever conceived by man, but it had a lot going for it. However, whether a victim of the onerous publisher/developer model, a poster child for mismanagement, or doomed by a bad funding deal with the state of Rhode Island, the money went away far too quickly for 38 Studios, and in the end the company did what several others did in 2012. It fell into bankruptcy and died.

38 Studios was far from the only high profile gaming company in trouble. The once untouchable Zynga has suddenly become toxic. THQ seems perched on the knife?s edge of utter collapse, and is bleeding with layoffs and closures. Activision, Sony, Warner Brothers and Microsoft all announced major layoffs and closures of various sizes, to say nothing of countless development houses like Starbreeze and Funcom. Even Popcap wasn?t spared the sad news of lost jobs. Thousands of jobs ended for people at all levels of the gaming industry this year.

Still other jobs ended voluntarily(?) with multiple high-profile departures, not the least of which being the Doctors' Ray leaving BioWare. More recently Epic has been bleeding talent, with Cliff Blezinski most notably leaving the Gears of War developer, and now Mike Capps following suit. Of course departures are nothing new, but what's most troubling is the implication from many of these biggest names in gaming not just that they may be leaving their companies. They may be leaving the industry altogether.

WiiU Launches (also Vita): If the enthusiasm around the launch this year of the Wii U and the Vita is any indication, it?s not hard to see why there?s been such hesitation around kicking the next generation into high gear. I suppose it?s a bit subjective, and likely my opinion is informed by my utter apathy for both of these launches, but from the outside looking in, the tone and tenor has seemed decidedly muted. Consumers seemed far more interested in the latest iPad or newest phone than they did what might replace the aging Wii, which once had seemed to be on the verge of dominating all of gamingdom.

I feel like there?s something poignant and telling about a year in which Nintendo Power magazine finally closes its print doors within only a month of the launch of a new system. And who knows what 2013 may bring as Microsoft and Sony certainly consider their options for putting out new hardware, but right now the idea that a new generation should come seems more prescribed and perfunctory than driven by deep wells of consumer desire.

One can almost smell the coming headlines of the death of the consoles as they once wrote about the death of PC. They will, again, be wrong of course, but it?s becoming increasingly hard to deny that the industry is cyclical, and I still remember the gaming crash of the 1980s.

Curse of the 3: If your game had a 3 in the title this year, then you probably had some dark days. Or weeks. Or months.

Mass Effect 3 was BioWare?s highly anticipated climatic swan song for one of the most prized series in gaming. But, like a nervous gymnast who cracks under the pressure of competition, they botched the dismount and, some would argue, landed flat on their face. The outcry and even outrage from gamers around the ending of Mass Effect 3 was almost unbelievable, and whatever BioWare may say about their satisfaction with the narrative, it is telling that they could not move fast enough to create DLC to ?clarify? the story.

Diablo 3 would fare no better in the eyes of fans. Mired in controversy around Real Money Auction House transactions, the lack of offline modes of play, and a brief, ill-fated idea by Blizzard to limit people who purchased the game digitally to a glorified demo for the first 3 days, it seemed Blizzard could do no right with one of the most important franchises in gaming history. But, in the long run, Diablo 3 remains successful and is one of the top-selling games of the year with an expansion already in the works. Many of the most vocal raising concern around the actions of Blizzard are those who spent tens or hundreds of hours combing through the dark in search of the elusive epic loot. It?s tough to say how much money the RMAH has generated for Blizzard, but even a cursory glance shows no shortage of players eager to exchange hard-earned greenbacks for the one piece of equipment that will finally make their character all powerful.

Still, there is no denying that Blizzard continues to lose goodwill with its fanbase, and has been on a steady downward trajectory that seems all the more marked since its union with Activision.

Max Payne 3 did not suffer the same kind of poor PR hits and gamer outrage as Diablo 3 and Mass Effect 3. In fact, what it suffered was almost no gamer interest at all, or at least not in the volume that Rockstar and Take Two were expecting. The one thing you can?t say about the other two games is that they sold poorly, but In its earnings report following Max Payne 3?s release, Take Two specifically called out the game as an under-performer and a key reason the company fell short. The publisher couldn?t talk quickly enough about how great a year 2013 was going to be with games like BioShock Infinite, and investors shouldn?t pay any attention at all to the fact that, despite being a good, generally well reviewed game, Max Payne 3 just couldn?t seem to get anyone to care about it.

Even Assassin?s Creed 3 was not impervious to the struggles of games-with-a-3-in-the-name. Though AC3 seemed poised to break the trend, it?s launch was surprisingly buggy, and the fan response was inconsistent. Some loved it, others not so much, and universally everyone seemed to agree that it started painfully slow. Though it probably fared the best out of the bunch, AC3 still managed to find several ways to disappoint.

E-Sports: Depending on how the industry chooses to look at it, E-sports are either a growing cultural shift that is on the precipice of being mainstream entertainment, or a niche market with sketchy ROI and an underwhelming revenue model. For viewers, though, events like Dreamhack, MLG or The International DOTA 2 tournament have become must-see Intenet TV, as people who don't even play many of the games featured watched in the millions. It?s hard not to imagine E-sports as a force to be reckoned with, watching final matches that have packed arenas of cheering, screaming, tech-savvy fans. This year continued to see the movement?s growth as League of Legends and DOTA 2 continued to build upon the enthusiasm that Starcraft 2 helped lead in 2011.

While the technology and infrastructure to deliver content to potential fans has steadily improved, the costs match pace, and there are some rumblings of concerns about when these tournaments will really begin to generate sustainable revenue beyond investors. E-sports is truly a world of the 1-percenters, with a small fraction of gamers and game teams soaking up the vast majority of the big prizes, and many of the remaining professional gamers and their sponsors struggling to stay afloat. While the year has certainly seen a lot of growth, it has also seen a few major team collapses, and a lot of the strongest Korean players increasingly less willing to play in the ?foreign? tournaments. The effort is gaining a sizable fanbase, this year more than ever before it seems, but it still has a lot of questions to solve.

I hope the community can break through before investors lose faith.

An Old Debate Quieted: I bring up this last issue not because it was a defining item of 2012, but precisely because it wasn?t. I don?t quite know when it happened, but the hot-button issue of games as a negative influence on kids/society/morality/violence/whatever has seemed to evaporate like so much morning fog under the noon-day sun.

2012 had several tragic and heartbreaking incidents that have traditionally launched pundits and talk-show junkies into bloated tirades on the horrible influence video games have on our society. And yet, it never materialized. At least not with any real, lasting oomph, as it has in previous years.

I don?t know if there are broad conclusions to draw from that, or whether 2013 will see the proselytizing vigorously renew. For now, it seems that video gaming as a menace to society is a topic that has fallen out of favor. And it gives me some hope, not only that people aren?t demonizing the medium, but perhaps some are even beginning to see that it can be a beneficial, an informing, an inspiring practice.

Source: http://www.gamerswithjobs.com/node/113842

Steelers Schedule tory burch Al Smith Dinner Herman Melville Books American Horror Story Kyna Treacy x factor