[OOC] Mutant Rivalry

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

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

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

You may edit this first post as you see fit.

We are all like fireworks. We climb, shine, and always go our separate ways and become further apart. But even if that time comes, let's not disappear like a firework, and continue to shine forever.
Capt. Hitsugaya Toushiro

Auricambrflaym

Member for 1 years

---

---

I like that you added Echo in. I am looking forward to seeing how she'll fit into our new world.

Auricambrflaym

Member for 1 years

---

in the skelly, forgot to add what classes you have. please add that in as you go, and stick to them.

Auricambrflaym

Member for 1 years

---

---

Wonderful! send me a quick writing sample, please. just a quick how your character would think. It's mostly for my reading, but I want to keep the characters in as much as possible, so its good to know personalities.

Auricambrflaym

Member for 1 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: Abalyth, Ace, aipsylon*, AiraValkov, Akantha*, Alexa [Bot], Alexander_Right, Amigamaru, AmiOfTheRain, anaka, Andaho*, Animality Opera, Annaky*, Annalysa Jones, aod0209, aprilmasterson, ArcticFox*, Ariki, AugmentationAudit, AugustArria, Auricambrflaym*, AutomailJunkie, AzricanRepublic*, B a r b i e*, B14ck J0k3r*, BBClock, Beach-Born-Boy, BekaL101, Beta Type Jakuri*, Billie_blujean, birdguard, Black, Black_Blooded_Queen, Blackbird26*, Bonjour51, Brantley92, Brass pole at law, broken-wings, Bromander Shepard, Caelus, Canibelle, Carcino*, ChaosxChild13, Chari, chocolateloversuntie, Chulance*, cmpuncle, Corvan, CountessMomo, CrashQueen, CrazyIrish, CriminalMinds*, Crooked Thoughts, Crystal Blood*, Cypher, danm36*, DarknessUndying, DemiKara*, Demon of Bereavement, DivineBitterness*, Doodlepad, DragonWriter, Draruto, Emmery, emotionless, Everscale, Fatal_Flaw_Enki*, Finalhazard3, Firewind, freemixer25, Frozen Soul*, Gigabot [Bot], girlwt*, glmstr, goblinslayer*, Google [Bot], Google Adsense [Bot], Google Feedfetcher, GreenSweatshirtGal, Grimpunker96, Guardian Angel, Hadespwr*, HerHeroine*, Hitomi-san, Horseygirl*, Hydrall, Iced Fire, Ikuto Tsukiyomi Fan, Imagine That!*, inara1917*, IndieM, Irish Wolf, Jadeling Hawkins, Jamie95*, Jaybt9*, JayZeroSnake, Jeffrey!, Jeggy, Jo_Tunn, kathrin*, kelsiikhaos, Kenzi*, KuruLesperance, Lawlietkun, Leli, Lifecharacter*, Lloyd999, Lodnir, Lost Socks, lostamongtrees*, LostInFantasy, Lovely VonSchultz, Luna Star*, Lux_Disraeli*, Majestic-12 [Bot], MarchHare*, Marcus*, McDevious*, MidnightDreams, minibear, MirrorMirror1498*, Mr. Fly on the wall, Mr_Doomed, MSN [Bot], mummydove, Myviewing, Narcissist Lover, nibblesnbits, NightBlaze, Nightgem, nightwolf, niykin, nltniko, Oran Tarlin*, Pandabear, pathfinder Z, PeTeTe809, Pichu-Chan, PolarOpposites*, Porecomesis, Princess Awinita*, PrincessX18*, qbsuperstar03*, Quinapalus, rabble_rouser*, Radical_Dreamer909, RadicalDreamer*, RainWish, Random Kat*, Rem?us*, RiotTerritory*, Robinwing, Romaneck, Rulke, RydeDawg*, Saferia, Saikua*, Saint Bella, Saken, Scaea, Script*, Scumbag_Brain, Scythe Massak?r*, Shaodow*, Shattered233, shmband, Shpleem, SilverStar89, SinAngel, skulblaka sol makina, SkullJester*, SkullsandSlippers, Skyeblueme3, Smileybird*, Sneakyrio, snipergirl24*, Solo Wing Pixy, Something?, Sora112112, StandardFiend, Starryskies*, Steppin' Razor*, stormwolf321, Sugarcake101, SuperQ19*, sweetgal*, SynapticError*, Synicate*, taliizzie, Talisman*, TechGorilla*, Tejas, Terra Branford, The Angry Penguin, The Illusionist*, the_judged*, TheDarkWorgen, ThePsycoWarlock, Thorait, ThumpersDarkSyde*, Tiko*, TinnaOsp, Tonks, TRUE-ASSASSIN, Tyliana*, unmog, Usui*, VitaminHeart*, Vyral*, VzakV, Wake*, Whispering_Words, Wild1, William Krypt, Winds Of Fate, Wing06Twilight, winged1107, Wolfy Girl, Wudgeous, XavierDantius32*, Xiola*, xXxCryptic-AngelxXx, Yahoo [Bot], Ylanne, Yonbibuns, Yoru-Senpai*, Zentose, ZeroTolerance*, Zetta, Ziddie, Zitacamron95, ? Reality ?

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

snapdragon kim jong ill dead

Okla. hospital must pay $1M to Garth Brooks (AP)

CLAREMORE, Okla. ? An Oklahoma hospital in Garth Brooks' hometown must pay $1 million to the country singer because it failed to build a women's health center in honor of his late mother, jurors ruled Tuesday evening.

Jurors ruled that the hospital must return a $500,000 donation to Brooks plus pay him $500,000 in punitive damages in Brooks' breach-of-contract lawsuit against Integris Canadian Valley Regional Hospital in Yukon. Brooks said he thought he'd reached a deal in 2005 with the hospital's president, James Moore, but sued after learning the hospital wanted to use the money for other construction projects.

The hospital argued that Brooks gave it unrestricted access to the $500,000 donation and only later asked that it build a women's center and name it after his mother, Colleen Brooks, who died of cancer in 1999.

"Obviously we are disappointed, particularly with the jury's decision to award damages above and beyond the $500,000," Integris spokesman Hardy Watkins said. "We're just glad to see the case come to a resolution."

Brooks called the jurors "heroes" and said he felt vindicated by their verdict.

"I no longer feel like I'm crazy," he said.

Jury member Beverly Lacy said she voted in favor of Brooks because she thought the hospital went back on its word. As far as the punitive damages, she said: "We wanted to show them not to do that anymore to anyone else."

During the trial, Brooks testified that he thought he had a solid agreement with Moore. Brooks said the hospital president initially suggested putting his mother's name on an intensive care unit, and when Brooks said that wouldn't fit her image, Moore suggested a women's center.

"I jumped all over it," Brooks told jurors in tearful testimony. "It's my mom. My mom was pregnant as a teenager. She had a rough start. She wanted to help every kid out there."

His attorney told the jury during closing arguments that Brooks kept his end of the agreement.

"This case is about promises: promises made and promises broken," lawyer John Hickey told jurors shortly before they started deliberating. "Mr. Brooks kept his promise. Integris never intended to keep their promise and never built a new women's center."

But hospital attorney Terry Thomas said Brooks' gift initially came in anonymously and unrestricted in 2005. He also noted that Brooks couldn't remember key details of negotiations with the hospital's president ? including what he'd been promised ? when questioned during a deposition after filing his lawsuit in 2009.

"At most, it was a misunderstanding between these two," Thomas told jurors during his closing argument. "Am I calling Mr. Brooks a liar? Absolutely not. It's perfectly understandable that he does not remember these events."

The jury began deliberating Tuesday afternoon in Rogers County District Court, and the judge told jurors she wanted them to work as late as midnight to come to a decision.

Before the verdict was read, Brooks said the day had been emotional. The country music star said he was simply trying to honor his mother.

"This little pistol, she deserves nothing but good," Brooks said.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/music/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120125/ap_en_mu/us_people_garth_brooks

nba lockout news gifts for mom gifts for mom pepper spray storage auctions storage auctions

Video: ETF Inflows Level Off

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

Source: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/cnbc/46103037/

kate middleton pregnant national book awards jessica sutta sexiest man alive 2011 ruben studdard ruben studdard black friday sales 2011

Mini Must-Have: Louis Bullock?s Cool (and Charitable!) Tee

Check out Sandra Bullock's little guy in his adorable Tom & Drew tee, plus get the details on where to buy it.

Source: http://feeds.celebritybabies.com/~r/celebrity-babies/~3/94TnZurF3OQ/

snow storm

Lovefilm Instant UK lands on LG Smart TVs, shrinks postmen's movie collection

As the streaming TV wars hot up in the UK, Lovefilm is steadily strengthening its arsenal: its Instant streaming service is already available on 175 devices, and now you can add LG's April-2011-onwards Smart TVs to that list. Despite the Korean tellies already having over 250 apps, Lovefilm claims its software is the first for streaming movies and TV; and if that's not good enough for you, it even works with LG's Magic Motion remote à la Harry Potter. UK viewers who might have been tempted by Netflix's streaming-only proposition will now have a harder decision to make, especially now that the Amazon-owned service has a competitively priced (£5 to Netflix's £6) Instant-only package. Got an LG and want to know more? Then scoot on over the break for the full PR.

Continue reading Lovefilm Instant UK lands on LG Smart TVs, shrinks postmen's movie collection

Lovefilm Instant UK lands on LG Smart TVs, shrinks postmen's movie collection originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 19 Jan 2012 15:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/19/lovefilm-instant-uk-lands-on-lg-smart-tvs-shrinks-postmens-mov/

pan am susan g komen whats your number whats your number melissa gorga melissa gorga pueblo co

Israel seeks to end ancient African Jewish custom

ASHKELON, Israel (AP) ? Israel is closing the books on a rare millennia-old Jewish tradition.

Nearly three decades after Israel began airlifting Ethiopia's ancient Jewish community out of the Horn of Africa, Israel's rabbis are now working to phase out the community's white-turbaned clergy, the kessoch, whose unusual religious practices are at odds with the rabbinate's Orthodox Judaism.

The effort has added to the sense of discrimination felt by Israel's 120,000 Ethiopian citizens. These sentiments boiled over this month after a group of landlords in the southern town of Kiryat Malachi refused to accept them as tenants, prompting a large rally planned for Wednesday across from Israel's parliament.

"We are just like all the other Jews. We don't have any other religion," said Kess Semai Elias, 42.

Descendants of the lost Israelite tribe of Dan, according to Jewish lore, Ethiopian Jews spent millennia isolated from the rest of the Jewish world. In most Jewish communities, the priesthood of the Bible was replaced by rabbis who emphasized text study and prayer. Ethiopia's Jewish kessoch continued the traditions of Biblical-era priests, sacrificing animals and collecting the first fruits of the harvest.

The two traditions diverged so much that the first trickle of Ethiopian Jewish immigrants to Israel were asked to undergo a quickened conversion ceremony to appease rabbis who were dubious about their religious pedigree.

When Israeli clandestine operations rescued large groups of Ethiopian Jews from war and famine in the 1980s and early 1990s, a rabbinic consensus was reached and the newcomers did not have to convert ? except for a group known as the Falash Mura, whose ancestors were forcibly converted to Christianity generations before.

The 58 kessoch who arrived in Israel in those early days maintained their leadership role in the Ethiopian Jewish community, and in 1992 successfully lobbied the Israeli government to grant them salaries and status similar to those of government rabbis. But as the aging clergy began ordaining a new generation of kessoch over the past decade, and those new leaders also wanted recognition, Israel's rabbinate objected.

After public demonstrations and a brief hunger strike, the newly ordained kessoch struck a bittersweet deal last month with Israel's ministry of religious services.

The ministry would finally implement a 2010 government resolution to recognize 13 of them and give them state salaries. But Israel's state rabbis made it very clear to the new kessoch: They would be the last.

"It's for the best," said Rabbi Yosef Hadana, 63, of the Israeli rabbinate.

Himself the son of a respected kess, Hadana long ago traded the shash, the white turban of his father's tradition, for the black suit and fedora of ultra-Orthodox Jews.

"After 2,500 years of isolation from the nation of Israel, we have returned. Now we need to find a way to be one people," Rabbi Hadana said.

Hadana says he holds great respect for the kessoch. They were the ones who once spun tales of Jerusalem's splendor at evening storytelling sessions, keeping alive the Ethiopian Jews' religious tradition. But anyone in Israel who wants to continue that tradition, he said, must get rabbinic training. Streamlining their religious practice can help integrate Ethiopian immigrants into Israeli society, he said.

Ethiopian-Israelis have long struggled in Israel, with literacy rates relatively low, the culture gap wide and rates of poverty and domestic violence well above the national average.

Many of the older generation work menial jobs, men as security guards and women as cleaners. Their children, most of whom grew up in Israel's Orthodox Jewish religious schools, speak fluent Hebrew, serve in the army alongside native Israelis and are increasingly studying engineering and sciences in Israel's universities. Despite these gains, the younger generation is still struggling compared to other Israelis.

The immigrants have also long complained of discrimination. In the late 90s it was discovered that Israel's health services were throwing out Ethiopian-Israelis' blood donations over fears of diseases contracted in Africa.

This is not the first time in history that Ethiopian Jews have been asked to reform. Jacques Faitlovitch, one of the first Jewish outsiders to meet the community, told the kessoch in 1904 they would have to stop antiquated paschal sacrifices if they wanted acceptance in the wider Jewish world.

Polish-born Faitlovitch also pushed them to stop Judaism's last existing monastic tradition. Ethiopia's last Jewish monk spent his final days in Israel, secluded in a synagogue annex and preparing his own food for reasons of purity. He died about 10 years ago.

Other traditions, like priestly tithes and huts for menstruating women, were also given up upon moving to Israel.

Still, the kessoch, easily recognized by their ceremonial fly-swatting tassels and rainbow-colored sunbrellas, are not ready to be relegated to history. First-generation Ethiopian immigrants still call on them to adjudicate family conflicts, lead funeral prayers, and slaughter meat according to tradition.

Israel only recently allowed kessoch into butcheries to slaughter their own animals ? even though it is not considered kosher by rabbinic standards.

But the rabbis still put their foot down when it comes to marriage. To be legal, weddings must be presided by state-recognized rabbis and include mainstream Jewish practices, like exchanging rings and stomping on a glass.

Despite the country's secular majority, its Orthodox rabbis strictly govern Jewish weddings. Israel does not recognize civil marriages, intermarriages or marriages performed by rabbis from the more liberal Reform and Conservative branches of Judaism ? unless they took place abroad.

Israeli rabbis have now agreed to train the 13 new kessoch to perform marriages the mainstream Jewish way. Nevertheless, for most of the kessoch, the prohibition on marrying is such a slap in the face that they cannot bear to show up at the weddings of their own community members.

Instead, they perform their own pirate wedding ceremonies for the newlyweds a few days later ? a modest reenactment of the weeklong marriage celebrations they used to hold back in Africa.

At one nighttime ceremony in seaside Ashkelon, women in embroidered cotton robes bounced their shoulders to African beats. Family and friends greeted the couple with the toot of a golden horn. Honey beer flowed from a steel kettle, and an army of men scooped curried lamb ? slaughtered by the presiding kess ? onto flat injera bread.

Newly ordained Kess Abiyu Azariya, 44, pushed his way to the head of the dance floor. Wearing a white turban and shawl, he recited wedding blessings in the ancient Ethiopian tongue, Geez. "I am singing these prayers to remind the young people what a wedding was like in Ethiopia," he told the crowd in spoken Amharic.

But the young people were nowhere in sight. Most of the 300 revelers in the room were of the older generation. The dozen young Ethiopian-Israelis who showed up that evening were outside drinking cheap Israeli beer and fiddling with their smartphones. When asked about the practice, they were ambivalent.

"I hope it continues, but it probably won't," said David Nadou, 24, shrugging.

The newly ordained kessoch are trying to work against that tide. Kess Semai says they're close to ordaining yet another group of 30 kessoch ? even though Israel vows not to recognize any more.

"We kept this tradition for more than 2,500 years," Kess Semai said. "Our community won't allow in the span of 30 years for this tradition to be erased completely."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2012-01-18-ML-Israel-Endangered-Ethiopians/id-045a93ec968d4858856d524fe6de0ce5

hurd hurd christopher hitchens ron paul 2012 zynga stock zynga stock

'Glee' Star Chris Colfer Teases Michael Jackson Tribute Episode

'I sing part of 'Black [or] White.' I'm the 'white' in 'Black [or] White,' ' actor reveals on the Golden Globes red carpet.
By Amy Wilkinson, with reporting by Josh Horowitz

Chris Colfer
Photo: Frazer Harrison/ Getty Images

Fox's song-and-dance series "Glee" is no stranger to a star-studded cameo or two, with the likes of Gwyneth Paltrow, John Stamos and Kristin Chenoweth all walking the halls of McKinley High during the past two and a half seasons. And as the show returns from a month-long hiatus, Gleeks aren't the only ones anticipating a few more famous faces. As star Chris Colfer told MTV News on the Golden Globes red carpet, there's plenty to look forward to when New Directions warble again January 17.

"Well, the Michael Jackson episode ...," Colfer answered when asked about his most-anticipated upcoming episodes. "We have a Spanish episode coming up with Ricky Martin. We have a Valentine's Day episode coming up, so that's going to be fun."

Martin is slated to play "the hottest Spanish teacher ever in the history of Ohio," according to TVLine. The actor/singer recently tweeted a joyful picture from his first day on set.

As to how the King of Pop's prolific songbook will manifest itself in the January 31 tribute episode, Colfer explained, "Well, I sing part of 'Black [or] White.' I'm the 'White' in 'Black [or] White,' and I sing 'Ben,' that famous song he wrote for the rat."

The rodent in question is the pet of a young boy named Danny in the 1972 film "Ben." Jackson sang a version of the theme song that appeared in the movie's closing credits and was later included on his 1972 album also named Ben. The track "Black or White" was the first single off of Jackson's 1991 album Dangerous.

Stick with MTV News all night for the 2012 Golden Globes winners, and don't miss all the fashion from the Golden Globes red carpet!

Related Videos

• On The Red Carpet At The Golden Globes
• 2012 Golden Globes: Highlights From The Show

Related Photos

• MTV Style | 2012 Golden Globes Red Carpet Photos
• Golden Globes 2012 Press Room

Related Artists

• Michael Jackson

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1677345/glee-chris-colfer-michael-jackson.jhtml

hunger games trailer hunger games trailer austin rivers austin rivers ows kindle fire review community

Vitor Belfort overcomes Anthony Johnson?s size to get UFC 142 submission

Fighting in front of his hometown crowd, Vitor Belfort submitted Anthony Johnson in the first round at UFC 142 in Rio de Janeiro on Saturday.

Johnson wanted to use his wrestling skills caught a kick for a takedown early in the first round. Belfort looked for submissions from his back, but couldn't find any, and they were stood up by referee Dan Miragliotta. Belfort landed a knee and stuffed Johnson's takedowns, while Johnson was still able to land several big strikes.

As the crowd chanted, "Ole Ole Ole! Vitor, Vitor!" Belfort took Johnson's back and cinched it with a body triangle. Belfort methodically worked his arms under Johnson's chin, and secured the rear naked choke for the submission at 4:49 in the first round.

The fight was in question after Johnson weighed in at 197 lbs. for the 185-lb. division. Johnson had to weigh in again at 2 p.m. on Saturday and weigh less than 205 lbs. for the fight to go on. Johnson fought for years at welterweight and had trouble with the weight cut then.

"I fought big guys. I'm not afraid of size. I'm ready to fight whatever, but I cut 20 lbs. in four days. I've got to be a professional. I cannot control the outcome, but I can control my attitude," Belfort said after the bout.

Belfort lost to Anderson Silva in a title bout last February, but has two first-round wins since then. Next, he is slated to coach the first Brazilian edition of "The Ultimate Fighter" against fellow Brazilian MMA legend Wanderlei Silva.

Johnson is in a precarious position. Not making weight will draw the ire of UFC president Dana White, and it does not help to lose a fight the next day.

Other popular content on the Y! network:
? 49ers' Vernon Davis reduced to tears after game-winning grab vs. Saints
? Passan: One night of moves makes World Series faves out of Yankees
? Y! News: Consumer confidence rises, house prices fall

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/vitor-belfort-overcomes-anthony-johnson-size-ufc-142-043537297.html

aisha khan alanis morissette r kelly vanessa bryant vanessa bryant kurt busch kurt busch

Perry: Marines in video are 'kids,' not criminals (The Arizona Republic)

Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories Stories, RSS Feeds and Widgets via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/186898150?client_source=feed&format=rss

coachella lineup natalee holloway school delays coachella 2012 lineup joran van der sloot honey badger critics choice awards 2012

Obama proposes tax breaks for companies 'investing in America ...

President Obama will propose tax incentives for companies that create jobs and will try to eliminate tax breaks for companies that outsource jobs, he said in his weekly address.

"In the next few weeks, I will put forward new tax proposals that reward companies that choose to do the right thing by bringing jobs home and investing in America ? and eliminate tax breaks for companies that move jobs overseas," Obama said Saturday.

The tax proposals are part of the White House's "insourcing" push.

Obama on Wednesday urged the nation?s corporate executives to invest in the United States by insourcing jobs to help the economy rebound, saying it?s ?a race I want America to win.?

The president featured products made in America during his weekly address.

"The companies that make these products are part of a hopeful trend: they?re bringing jobs back from overseas," Obama said. "You?ve heard of outsourcing ? well, this is insourcing."

He also touted his plan to reorganize federal agencies to help businesses.

Obama, looking to make the federal government "leaner, smarter and more consumer-friendly," asked Congress Friday for the authority to merge six trade and commerce agencies as part of a broader effort to rebuild the government for a "21st century economy."

"These changes will make it easier for small business owners to get the loans and support they need to sell their products around the world," he said.

---

Source: http://thehill.com/video/administration/204161-obama-proposes-tax-breaks-for-investing-in-america

kepler 22 b rosie o donnell st nicholas st nicholas mindy mccready mindy mccready cliff harris

Oxford professor killed; UK police arrest man (AP)

LONDON ? British detectives on Thursday were questioning a man on suspicion of killing an Oxford University professor.

Steven Gregory Rawlings, who taught physics at the university's St. Peter's College, was found dead in a house in Southmoor, near Oxford, on Wednesday night. The 50-year-old Rawlings was declared dead at the scene after paramedics responded to a report that a man had been injured.

Police said Thursday they arrested a 49-year-old man, who remained in custody for questioning. They said they believed that the suspect knew Rawlings, who they said was clearly well-respected and liked within the college.

Andrew Hamilton, vice chancellor of Oxford University, said the entire university community was "profoundly saddened and shocked" by the death.

St. Peter's College described Rawlings as a "much liked and admired tutor and colleague." From 2006 to 2010, he headed the sub-department of astrophysics at the university, the college said in a statement.

A post-mortem examination was being carried out Thursday.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/britain/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120112/ap_on_re_eu/eu_britain_professor_killed

jessica chastain jessica chastain nook tablet eagles magic johnson

Apple discloses suppliers for the first time

NEW YORK (AP) ? Apple has disclosed a list of its suppliers for the iPhone, iPad and other popular gadgets for the first time amid growing criticism over labor and environmental practices, especially in China.

The list for years has been strictly and fervently protected. Even a glimpse of an Apple iPhone or its components before a public release became a source of intrigue and controversy. Investors have played a guessing game about which contractors would become Apple's next supplier, or who was on the outs.

Apple disclosed its list of its suppliers responsible for 97 percent of its procurement expenditures worldwide. Some examples are Intel Corp., Broadcom Corp., Amphenol Corp. and Sanyo Electric Co.

The transparency may be a sign of changes coming to the Cupertino, Calif. company in the post-Steve Jobs era under CEO Tim Cook.

The 2012 "Supplier Responsibility Progress Report" released Friday, documents 229 audits throughout its supply chain last year by Apple Inc. That's up 80 percent from 127 audits in 2010.

The audits found labor, health, health and environmental violations, including instances of underage labor and discrimination based on pregnancy. Apple also outlined its response to each of the violations that were uncovered, which included ending its relationship with repeat offenders and requiring companies to come up with measures to prevent them from occurring again.

The report was issued a day after distraught workers who make Microsoft's Xbox video game consoles at Foxconn Technology Group climbed to the top of a six-story dormitory and threatened to jump to their deaths. No one did, but the incident highlights growing labor unrest in China. Foxconn is a unit of Taiwan's Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. that makes iPads and iPhones for Apple.

There was a rash of suicides at the massive Foxconn plant in 2010 in the city of Shenzhen. About 300,000 people work at the plant and industrial park. Plant managers installed nets to prevent more people from committing suicide by jumping from the roof.

In its report, Apple found that 78 of the company's suppliers complied with antidiscrimination standards it has set for them. But only 61 percent of them had systems in place to prevent discrimination from happening.

Nearly all ? 97 percent ? prevented underage labor. But only 72 percent had policies in place keep it from happening.

Just 38 percent of the suppliers observed Apple's working-hours policies, and 69 percent followed its code for wages and benefits.

In all, the audits found 74 percent of the suppliers to be in overall compliance with Apple's policies. Examples of violations included testing job candidates for Hepatitis B, conducting pregnancy tests and exceeding weekly limits of 60 working hours. Apple said 109 facilities it audited did not pay proper overtime wages.

In another shift, Apple also joined the Fair Labor Association, a group of companies and universities focused on improving labor practices. It conducts unannounced, random audits on its members' factories.

__

Online:

http://images.apple.com/supplierresponsibility/pdf/Apple_SR_2012_Progress_Report.pdf

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/495d344a0d10421e9baa8ee77029cfbd/Article_2012-01-13-Apple-Suppliers/id-40a1f6530353484d9210d9d6a1d361bd

north korea dexter

Hamas sentences Palestinian to death (AP)

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip ? A Hamas official in Gaza says the militant group has sentenced a local Palestinian to death for collaborating with Israel.

The official said the man was sentenced Wednesday to death by firing squad at a military court in Gaza. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not allowed to speak with reporters.

Palestinians who collaborate with Israeli intelligence are widely loathed within Palestinian society.

The Palestinian Center for Human Rights' says Hamas has issued 36 death sentences since it seized Gaza from the rival Fatah party in 2007. About 15 executions have actually been carried out.

The Palestinian rights group says it is "gravely concerned" over the continued death sentences imposed by both Hamas and the Fatah-dominated Palestinian Authority in the West Bank.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120111/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_palestinians_gaza_death_sentence

matt schaub

Sony Going Ahead with THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO Sequels Despite Weak Box Office

David Fincher?s adaptation of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo opened to disappointing box office although it didn?t absolutely tank.? It?s an R-rated movie opening at the holiday season, but Sony expected a bigger success based on the ridiculous sales of Stieg Larsson?s novel of the same name. ?More worrisome for Sony is that the movie, despite being set out the US, isn?t connecting with international audiences, and according to Deadline, ?GWDT pened only 3rd in the UK, and?disappointing in Asia, and ?not as good as hoped for? in Sweden, Denmark, and Finland.?

Sony has held off on giving the greenlight to the sequels, The Girl Who Played with Fire and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet?s Nest, but they?ve had Dragon Tattoo screenwriter Steve Zaillian at work on both.? Now the studio has officially pulled the trigger on completing the ?Millennium Trilogy?.? Hit the jump for more.

According to Deadline, Sony hasn?t locked Fincher down to helm the sequel, but the studio is planning to start shooting Played with Fire at the end of 2012/beginning of 2013.? Dragon Tattoo may have the box office legs to warrant the decision, but even if it doesn?t, there?s never a moment to lose in making a new franchise.? The above-the-line talent gets busy and then scheduling difficulties stall the production.? When it comes to building a successful franchise, he who hesitates doesn?t get to make more sequels.

I haven?t read any of the books (nor do I intend to since I?d prefer to read books that interest me), but apparently The Girl Who Played with Fire doesn?t really feature Lisbeth Salander (Rooney Mara).? That?s a problem since she?s the series? only hook, but Sony will make sure their adaptation keeps the psychotic hacker/rape-avenger at the fore.? But it wouldn?t be crazy to assume that this time they?ll probably keep her away from Christmas.

Source: http://collider.com/girl-with-the-dragon-tattoo-sequels-greenlit/136363/

insight bowl bowl game schedule russell brand files for divorce julia child clippers katy perry and russell brand

Kanye Wants to Revolutionize Technology, Design, and Pretty Much the Entire World [Video]

Like a Mount Vesuvius covered in Louis Vuitton, Kanye West just ended his Twitter dormancy with an enormous late night rant. The subject? Not Taylor Swift, but tech, architecture, education—the list goes on. He's assembling a superteam. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/Cs-s_bXbujw/kanye-wants-to-revolutionize-technology-design-and-pretty-much-the-entire-world

makana gloria cain gloria cain kandi burruss occupy portland occupy portland the hunger games

Spurrier's finest season as coach comes by embracing what he hates

ORLANDO?This is killing him. Every snap, every run around and make something happen moment.

And this is why Steve Spurrier had his best season as a coach.

Better than all of those championship seasons at Florida; better than all those historic firsts at South Carolina.

This season was unlike any other because Steve Spurrier won despite himself.

A 30-13 victory over Nebraska in the Capital One Bowl merely underscored the magnitude: Somehow Spurrier cobbled together 11 wins in the toughest conference in the game?and did so without a legitimate quarterback.

And by running an offense that deep down, no matter what he proclaims, he can?t stand.

That was South Carolina using the run-oriented zone-read against Nebraska, rushing for 121 yards and putting away the Huskers in the fourth quarter without leaning on Spurrier?s beloved passing game. Want to know how you win a school-record 11 games?

You suck it up and realize what makes you sick can also lead to victories.

Earlier this week, Spurrier was asked about his new philosophy on offense; about how the guy who once turned the stoic, stodgy SEC sideways with his pass-happy system, has now decided to run the ball and play defense.

That?s right, the guy who redefined the passing game in college football now says a quarterback who can run and throw is the way to go. Hello, zone-read.

?It?s really the wave of the future,? Spurrier said. ?This kind of offense is possibly better than what we used to do.?

I?m gonna puke.

This is the guy who, as much as anyone, is responsible for the SEC?s development from a regional stronghold to the national king of college football. His offenses at Florida?his four straight SEC championships in the 1990s?forced the rest of the league to catch up or else.

Now he?s proclaiming an offense that consists of his quarterback scrambling and trying to make something happen, of handing off or running on zone read plays, is better than his system that ruled the game when he coached Florida.

I?m not buying it. In fact, I?m calling bull.

Because the Spurrier we all know and love is the one calling passes the first three plays on the first series of the game, and chucking it deep because good things can happen when you chuck it deep.

But when it didn?t work, when his quarterback kept misfiring and his defense kept getting the ball back, Spurrier did what he had to do. Which is to say, he ignored who he is and what he?s all about?and ran the ball.

Source: http://aol.sportingnews.com/ncaa-football/story/2012-01-02/capital-one-bowl-steve-spurrier-finest-season-as-coach-beats-nebraska

big ten championship game

Philippines: 5 foreign terror suspects in south (AP)

MANILA, Philippines ? At least five foreign extremists have been hiding on a remote southern Philippine island and could help link Filipino radicals to potential overseas financiers and combat trainers like the al-Qaida terrorist network, a military commander said Tuesday.

The five, who have been roaming the tropical jungles of Jolo island in Sulu province, are led by U.S.-trained Malaysian engineer Zulkifli bin Hir, one of the remaining key terror suspects in Southeast Asia, regional military commander Lt. Gen. Raymundo Ferrer said.

"They seem to be actively moving around Sulu," Ferrer told reporters.

U.S. troops have been providing training, intelligence and other noncombat help to underfunded Filipino troops for years to help crush local Abu Sayyaf militants and the foreign extremists they shelter, including members of the Indonesia-based militant network Jemaah Islamiyah.

U.S.-backed Philippine offensives have been credited for the capture and killing of hundreds of Abu Sayyaf fighters and their foreign allies in Sulu, an impoverished Muslim region about 590 miles (950 kilometers) south of Manila, and in outlying island provinces.

Washington has offered huge rewards for some of the terror suspects, including $5 million for Zulkifli bin Hir, also known as Marwan. The Malaysian has been accused of involvement in past bombings and of helping secure funds and weapons for the Abu Sayyaf from foreign donors.

Ferrer said the other foreign militants are a Singaporean identified as Abdullah Ali who uses the guerrilla name Muawiyah, and an Indonesian identified only as Qayim. The two others are Amin Baco, probably a Malaysian who uses the alias Abu Jihad, and another Indonesian identified as Sa'ad, he said.

Troops have obtained pictures of Marwan and Muawiyah, Ferrer said.

Ferrer, who heads the military's Western Mindanao Command, said he was unaware of other foreign militants outside his command. A government threat assessment report issued last year seen by The Associated Press lists 12 identified foreign terror suspects, including those named by Ferrer.

Aside from a yearslong military manhunt, troops have been launching offensives to kill or capture Abu Sayyaf militants and destroy their strongholds to deny foreign radicals sanctuaries, Ferrer said.

Military officials have accused hard-line commanders of a larger Philippine rebel group, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, of harboring Jemaah Islamiyah militants in southern Mindanao region's marshy heartland. The 11,000-strong Moro group, which is engaged in peace talks with the government, has denied any links with foreign terrorist groups.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/asia/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120103/ap_on_re_as/as_philippines_terror_suspects

dog the bounty hunter one republic fergie carlos santana