Top 10 Android apps of 2012

This year saw Android Market rebranded as the snappier-sounding Google Play. But it wasn't just a cosmetic change. Here are the apps that made Google's download store such a vibrant place over the last 12 months.

1 Swiftkey 3

This Swype-alike improves on its predecessors in the alt-virtual keyboard category by adding contextual intelligence. That means that it ?learns? your typing patterns and your lexical tics to predict what you?ll input next. It also autocorrects errors and lets you sync it with your written correspondence via SMS, Facebook, Gmail and more to get the best idea possible of how and what you type.

2 Google Chrome

Chrome is fast as mobile browsers go and offers unlimited tabs, which you can flick through like a deck of cards in a UI touch that?s more than a little reminiscent of the much lamented webOS. The real boon for us, though, is that signing in to Chrome means you can sync open tabs and bookmarks across from your desktop, laptop and/or tablet.

3 Google Now

Billed as a challenger to Siri, Google Now features the same voice commands functionality of Apple?s iOS personal assistant. But it ups the ante by intelligently learning from users? behavioural patterns and serving up reminders according to their location, the time of day and previous search habits. Our advice is: don?t fret about the potential privacy infringements. Just enjoy an app that?s the closest thing so far to a robot concierge.

4 1Weather

Weather apps are pretty unlovely things most of the time. This great title from OneLouder (we love the Spinal Tap reference) is the exception. It?s exceptionally pretty, with a clean, modern look and some unobtrusive and attractive animations.

It?s great on the function front too, serving up real-time information, as well as oodles of handy gen for forecasts, alerts for extreme weather sent to the notifications bar, as well as sunrise and sundown times. The Radar map that shows weather in your locality and updates as you use it is also a bit of a boon.

5 Flipboard

Seemingly aeons after it landed on iOS devices, Flipboard hit Android. Better late than never.

As reading apps go, it doesn?t get too much better, thanks mostly to a smartly laid-out user interface that makes this supremely simple to use. Naturally, you can also tailor the news and articles it serves up to your preference and check out pieces your friends are recommending too.

6 TED Talks

This is a brilliant repository of talks from the fields of technology, entertainment and design. New speakers are added weekly and there are already thousands to get through. If you?re in the market for something a bit more edifying than a turn on an endless running games, this is just the ticket.

7 Pinterest

Like Flipboard, this also took its time coming to Android. But it?s a neat app that was worth the wait. And also like Flipboard, it?s easy to get to grips with. And because it?s nigh-on identical in terms of form and function to the website, you probably know how to use it already.

8 Google Drive

Somewhere between Google Docs and Dropbox, this teams word processing smarts, so you can create new docs on the go, and spreadsheets to work on numbers and whathaveyou, with 5GB of free cloud storage and the option to add more for a smallish charge. Automatic synching across all devices helps offset some of the frustration that movement of files within the app is severely constrained.

9 SkyDrive

Another impressive cloud storage solution, this time courtesy of Microsoft which has implemented a lovely UI that takes more than a few cues from the live tiles of Windows Phone. Hotmail account holders get 7GB of free storage.

10 Instagram

Photo filters with similar functionality are ten-a-penny on Android. But none have the same hugely engaged user community as Instagram, with whom you?re able to share your snaps instantly.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/uSwitchMobilesNews/~3/ycv6c96pdiw/

bone cancer hossa the cell dickclark gavin degraw gavin degraw alec

African Union chief arrives in Central African Republic, suggests national unity government

BANGUI, Central African Republic - The leader of the African Union, Benin's President Thomas Boni Yayi, has proposed a government of national unity to resolve the rebel conflict in Central African Republic.

Boni Yayi arrived here Sunday to try to find a negotiated resolution to the country's crisis. The president of the African Union met with President Francois Bozize and then made an appeal to the rebels.

"I beg my rebellious brothers, I ask them to cease hostilities, to make peace with President (Francois) Bozize and the Central African people," said Boni Yayi at a press conference in Bangui, the capital. "If you stop fighting, you are helping to consolidate peace in Africa. African people do not deserve all this suffering. The African continent needs peace and not war."

Boni Yayi said that Bozize had pledged to have an open dialogue with the rebels with the goal of establishing a government of national unity, which would include representation from the rebels and the Bozize government.

Bozize also addressed the conference and said, although he plans to stay in power until his term ends in 2016, he is not against having the rebels enter a coalition government with him.

"We'll probably be able to set up a national unity government. I apologize to the suffering Central African people," said Bozize. "It is a message of peace to my brothers of Central African Republic, "said Bozize.

The African Union's leader arrived in Bangui when many feared there would be a fight over the capital, Bangui, a city of 600,000.

According to several families in Bangui, members of the Presidential Guard have kidnapped people suspected of supporting the rebels who have seized 10 cities in the country's north over the past three weeks.

A rebel spokesman, Col. Juma Narkoyo, warned Bozize: "We warn the head of state and his family to stop abducting our parents. They have nothing to do with it. If he wants to solve its problems, he comes to meet us on the ground. We expect firm feet. " H0e said that a dozen people have already been arrested in Bangui.

On his arrival in Bangui, Yayi Boni had a private meeting for more than two hours with Bozize in the VIP lounge of Mpoko airport, which is secured by French troops.

So far Boni Yayi has no meetings scheduled with rebels or with the democratic opposition.

Boni Yayi's diplomatic effort comes as France has deployed an additional 180 troops to protect its interests.

The French reinforcements arrived Sunday from nearby Gabon, bringing the total French military force in the capital, Bangui, to nearly 600, Col. Thierry Burkhard told The Associated Press Sunday. The troops are to protect French residents in the capital, which many fear will be attacked by the rebels.

As fears mounted that the rebels would attack Bangui, Bozize imposed a curfew from 7 p.m. until 5 a.m.

Bozize earlier appealed to France for help against the rebels, but French President Francois Hollande's government said it would only protect French interests and would not prop up the Bangui government.

As the rebels have made a rapid advance across the country's north, residents in the capital now fear the insurgents could attack at any time, despite assurances by rebel leaders that they are willing to engage in dialogue instead of attacking Bangui.

On Saturday the rebels seized the city of Sibut, 185 kilometers (114 miles) from Bangui.

Sibut, a key transportation hub, fell without a shot being fired because the Central African Republic army and forces from neighboring Chad had pulled back to Damara, 75 kilometers (46 miles) from Bangui on Friday, said Minister of Territorial Administration Josie Binoua.

Neighboring African countries have agreed to send more forces to support the Bozize government.

Representatives from the 10-nation Economic Community of Central African States, or ECCAS, agreed at a meeting in Gabon Friday to send forces to CAR, but did not did not specify how many troops would be sent or how quickly the military assistance would arrive.

The ECCAS states, with more than 500 soldiers via their regional peacekeeping force in Central Africa, over the weekend warned the rebels to halt their advances.

"ECCAS forces are on high alert, and the city of Damara is the limit not to cross," said Antonio Di Garcia, the ECCAS representative in Bangui. He urged the government forces and the rebels to hold to their current positions and to begin dialogue.

The ongoing instability prompted the United States to evacuate about 40 people, including the U.S. ambassador, from Bangui on an U.S. Air Force plane bound for Kenya, said U.S. officials who insisted on anonymity because they weren't authorized to discuss the operation.

The United States has special forces troops in the country who are assisting in the hunt for Joseph Kony, the fugitive rebel leader of another rebel group known as the Lord's Resistance Army. The U.S. special forces remain in the country, the U.S. military's Africa Command said from its headquarters in Stuttgart, Germany.

The evacuation of the U.S. diplomats came after criticism of how the U.S. handled diplomatic security before and during the attack on its consulate in Benghazi, Libya, on Sept. 11. The ambassador and three other Americans were killed in that attack.

French diplomats have remained in Bangui despite a violent demonstration outside its embassy last week. Dozens of protesters, angry at France's lack of help against rebel forces, threw rocks at the French Embassy in Bangui and stole a French flag.

This landlocked nation of 4.4 million people has suffered decades of army revolts, coups and rebellions since gaining independence in 1960 and remains one of the poorest countries in the world. The current president himself came to power nearly a decade ago in the wake of a rebellion in this resource-rich yet deeply poor country.

Bozize's government earlier reached out to longtime ally Chad, which pledged to send 2,000 troops to bolster Central African Republic's own forces.

The rebels behind the most recent instability signed a 2007 peace accord allowing them to join the regular army, but insurgent leaders say the deal wasn't fully implemented.

The rebels say they are fighting because of their "thirst for justice, for peace, for security and for economic development of the people of Central African Republic." The rebels also are demanding that the government make payments to ex-combatants.

Despite Central African Republic's wealth of gold, diamonds, timber and uranium, the government remains perpetually cash-strapped.

The United Nations Security Council condemned the violence and reiterated its demand that the armed groups "immediately cease hostilities, withdraw from captured cities and cease any further advance towards the city of Bangui."

___

Associated Press Writer Greg Keller contributed to this piece from Paris.

Source: http://www.startribune.com/world/185210782.html

Secede ben roethlisberger Diwali elmo nascar Kevin Clash Walmart Black Friday 2012

Al Qaeda in Yemen offers bounty for U.S. ambassador

DUBAI (Reuters) - The Yemen-based branch of al Qaeda has offered a bounty for anyone who kills the U.S. ambassador to Yemen or an American soldier in the impoverished Arab state, a group that monitors Islamist websites said.

Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) said it was offering three kilograms of gold for the killing of the U.S. ambassador in Sanaa, Gerald Feierstein, the U.S.-based SITE Intelligence Group said, citing an audio released by militants.

AQAP will also pay 5 million rials ($23,350) to whoever kills any American soldier in Yemen, it said.

The offer, valid for six months, was made "to encourage our Muslim Ummah (nation), and to expand the circle of the jihad (holy war) by the masses," SITE said, citing the audio.

AQAP, mostly militants from Yemen and Saudi Arabia, is regarded by the United States as the most dangerous branch of the network founded by Osama bin Laden.

In September, AQAP urged Muslims to step up protests and kill U.S. diplomats in Muslim countries over a film denigrating the Prophet Mohammad, which it said was another chapter in the "crusader wars" against Islam.

The film provoked an outcry among Muslims, who deem any depiction of the Prophet as blasphemous and triggered violent attacks on embassies in countries in Asia and the Middle East.

Four U.S. officials including the ambassador to Libya were killed in the aftermath. The Pentagon said it had sent a platoon of Marines to Yemen after demonstrators stormed the U.S. Embassy in Sanaa.

A U.S. ally, Yemen is struggling against challenges on many fronts since mass protests forced veteran leader Ali Abdullah Saleh to step down in February after decades in power.

President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi's government is trying to re-establish order and unify the army.

Washington, which has pursued a campaign of assassination by drone and missile against suspected al Qaeda members, backed a military offensive in May to recapture areas of Abyan province. But militants have struck back with a series of bombings and killings.

(Reporting by Rania El Gamal; editing by Todd Eastham)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/al-qaeda-yemen-offers-bounty-u-ambassador-061010678.html

kids choice awards ncaa final four 2012 texas chainsaw massacre uk vs louisville university of kansas buckeye west side story

Mission Sirius ????????????????????? Unreal Engine ?????????????? iPhone ??? iPad

??? Mission Sirius ??????????????????????????? 14? ?????????????????? iPhone ??? iPad ????????????? FPS (First-Person Shooter) ??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? ????? Momoko ??????????????????? Dead Space ?????????????????????? Time Crisis ??????????????????? ??????????????????????? ????? Reload ?????? ?????????????????????? Item? ?????????????????????? Unreal Engine 3 ??????????????????????????????????

??? Mission Sirius ????????? 3.99$ ?????????? ?????????? iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPod touch (3rd generation), iPod touch (4th generation) ???????? 517 MB ??? 561 MB ?????? iPad ????????? ??????????????????????!!

** ??????????????????? ??????? New iPad ????????????????? ????????????????? Bug ?????

Download ????????? iPhone ??????
Download ????????? iPad ??????

????? ? flashfly.net

?

Source: http://www.flashfly.net/wp/?p=23511

Kyna Treacy megan fox Bb&t Lane Goodwin Romnesia eminem eminem

Rain and snow will hit parts of northeast and southwest China in the coming thre...

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

Source: http://www.facebook.com/beijingnews/posts/580878998595722

minnesota caucus knowshon moreno knowshon moreno sovereign citizen komen chrome for android hatchet

Woman in custody in NYC subway shoving death

NEW YORK (AP) ? A woman is in custody in the death of a man who was shoved in front of a speeding subway train, and she "made statements implicating herself," New York City police said Saturday.

Detectives questioned her but aren't releasing the 31-year-old suspect's name until she is formally charged, NYPD spokesman Paul Browne said in a brief statement. Among other things, investigators were arranging for witnesses to positively identify the woman in custody as the attacker, police said.

Sunando Sen, a 46-year-old Queens resident who was born in India and ran a printing shop, died Thursday night when a woman who had been muttering to herself on a train platform in Queens suddenly knocked him on the tracks as a train entered the station.

The woman fled after the attack. Police released security camera video showing her running from the station.

The attack was the second time this month that someone was pushed to their death in a New York City subway station. A homeless man was arrested in early December and accused of shoving a man in front of a train in Times Square. He is awaiting trial, and claimed he acted in self-defense.

Further details on how police managed to identify the suspect in Sen's death were not immediately available.

Investigators had been following up on tips from people who had seen the security video and were checking homeless shelters and psychiatric units in an attempt to identify the woman.

It was unclear whether she had any connection to Sen. Witnesses told police the two hadn't interacted on the platform as they both waited for the train.

___

Information from: New York Post, http://www.nypost.com

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/woman-custody-nyc-subway-shoving-death-181523192.html

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

Erika Menendez, Alleged Subway Pusher, Arrested For Hate Crime

By Jess Wisloski, DNAinfo Weekend Editor

FOREST HILLS ? A woman alleged to have killed a Woodside man waiting for a 7 train by pushing him into the path of an oncoming train Thursday was arrested with a hate crime Saturday, after she allegedly admitted to hating Muslims, according to the Queens District Attorney.

Erika Menendez, 31, of Rego Park, was recognized Saturday morning in Brooklyn by a person who had seen her in a surveillance video the NYPD released Friday night, police said.

After she was spotted on Bedford Avenue near Empire Boulevard, as the NY Daily News reported, the eyewitness dialed 911 to report the sighting. Patrolling officers on the scene confirmed the woman's identity, police said.

Taking her into custody, police brought her to detectives at the 112th Precinct for questioning, where she made statements implicating herself Saturday afternoon, police said, eventually confessing to the homicide.

?I pushed a Muslim off the train tracks because I hate Hindus and Muslims," she allegedly told police, according to charges filed by District Attorney Robert Johnson. "Ever since 2001 when they put down the Twin Towers, I?ve been beating them up.?

The DA charged her with murder in the second degree, as a hate crime, and if convicted, Menendez faces up to 25 years in prison, the office stated in a release.

Menendez was arraigned shortly before 11 p.m. Saturday, and held without bail, a spokesoman from Johnson's office said.

The brutal death of Sunando Sen, 46, came as a surprise to friends, who told DNAinfo.com New York that Sen had just opened his own copy shop in Manhattan, fulfilling a lifelong dream. They described him as a gentle, hardworking immigrant who had moved from Calcutta, India to Queens years before.

His friends were devastated about the death on Friday. "It's broken my heart," said Sen's roommate, M.D. Khan, 33.

Sen was waiting for the 7 train at the 40th Street station, near Queens Boulevard, when the woman, who had been mumbling to herself on the platform, approached him from behind and pushed him onto the northbound tracks as a train was pulling into the station, police said.

Menendez's defense attorney has requested a psychiatric evaluation of the alleged killer, the results of which will be presented in Queens Criminal Court on January 14.

The death came weeks after Ki-Suck Han, 58, was killed when he was pushed onto the Q train tracks at 49th Street in Midtown. Police arrested Naeem Davis, 30, who admitted to shoving Han, and later charged Davis with murder.

"; var coords = [-5, -72]; // display fb-bubble FloatingPrompt.embed(this, html, undefined, 'top', {fp_intersects:1, timeout_remove:2000,ignore_arrow: true, width:236, add_xy:coords, class_name: 'clear-overlay'}); });

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/30/erika-menendez-alleged-su_n_2384757.html

declaration of independence 4th Of July 2012 Zach Parise Spain Vs Italy Euro 2012 tiger woods erin andrews erin andrews

With hours remaining, hopes rise for stopgap fiscal deal

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The chances of a deal to prevent the economy from tumbling over a "fiscal cliff" remained uncertain on Sunday as lawmakers haggled over how to prevent taxes for all Americans from rising on New Year's Day.

Aides to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, a Democrat, and Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell worked on a compromise to stop automatic tax hikes for most Americans on January 1. Any agreement needs to be rushed through both chambers of Congress before midnight on Monday.

One Democratic Senate aide said it was uncertain whether the leaders would reach an accord. Reid and McConnell had been aiming to have an agreement by 3 p.m. EST (2000 GMT) so that they could present it to previously scheduled closed-door meetings of their party colleagues.

"It is going to be difficult," the aide said. Senate Chaplain Barry Black opened a rare Sunday session of the chamber with a plea to God for lawmakers to avoid damaging the economy through their squabbling.

"Look with favor on our nation and save us from self-inflicted wounds," Black said in a prayer.

If the politicians cannot agree, then tax increases and across-the-board government spending cuts will begin on January 1. That would take $600 billion out of the economy, push unemployment up and curb federal spending.

The main focus of negotiations was tax hikes on the wealthy, an increase sought by President Barack Obama but opposed by Republicans, particularly fiscal conservatives in the House of Representatives.

Obama made a rare appearance on NBC's "Meet the Press" to pressure lawmakers into forging a deal.

Senators appearing on other Sunday morning shows expressed optimism that an agreement could be reached.

"Well, there are certainly no breakthroughs yet between Senator McConnell and Senator Reid, but there's a real possibility of a deal," Senator Charles Schumer, a Democrat from New York, said on the ABC program "This Week."

"I don't disagree with Chuck," said Senator Jon Kyl, a Republican from Arizona.

Another Republican senator, Lindsey Graham, conceded that an agreement would end up raising income taxes on the wealthy, thus sparing the rest of the country from the looming income tax hikes.

"President Obama is going to get tax rate increases. The president won," Graham tweeted, echoing earlier comments he made on "Fox News Sunday." He told the show that the chances of a bipartisan deal before the New Year's deadline were "exceedingly good."

Obama has alternatively offered Republicans a deal to increase income taxes for households earning over $250,000 a year, and over $400,000 a year.

A White House aide said the president and his staff had been in touch with congressional leaders throughout the weekend.

Any deal on taxes in the Senate might meet resistance in the House from conservative Republicans.

OBAMA JUMPS IN

On NBC, Obama warned of the fallout in financial markets if the two sides did not reach an agreement.

"If people start seeing that on January 1st this problem still hasn't been solved, that we haven't seen the kind of deficit reduction that we could have, had the Republicans been willing to take the deal that I gave them ... then obviously that's going to have an adverse reaction in the markets," Obama said, adding that he had offered Republicans significant compromises that had been rejected repeatedly.

He said he would avoid tax increases for most Americans, even if the talks fall apart.

"If Republicans do in fact decide to block it, so that taxes on middle class families do in fact go up on January 1st, then we'll come back with a new Congress on January 4th and the first bill that will be introduced on the floor will be to cut taxes on middle class families," Obama said.

John Boehner, the speaker of the House of Representatives, rejected Obama's accusations that Republicans were not being amenable to compromise.

"The president's comments today are ironic, as a recurring theme of our negotiations was his unwillingness to agree to anything that would require him to stand up to his own party," Boehner, who has had trouble convincing his Republican colleagues to support his own proposals, said in a statement.

"The president has continued to insist on a package skewed dramatically in favor of higher taxes that would destroy jobs. We've been reasonable and responsible. The president is the one who has never been able to get to ?yes.'"

The Senate - where the Democrats hold sway - began a session beginning at 1 p.m. EST (1800 GMT), but it was not clear whether the chamber would have fiscal-cliff legislation to act upon.

The Republican-controlled House also returns on Sunday and can vote on any deal in the evening if need be.

(Additional reporting by Tabassum Zakaria, Fred Barbash and Richard Cowan. Writing by Alistair Bell, Editing by Jackie Frank)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/senate-leaders-avoid-years-fiscal-cliff-002256502--business.html

monkees songs rail gun harrisburg top chef texas great pacific garbage patch ben affleck and jennifer garner google privacy changes

Here! watch UFC 155: Dos Santos vs Velasquez 2 Live Stream

We're hitting some load issues so I've turned off ratings on the forums for the time being. ? Nish: here's your chance. cheers, Chris Maunder ? The Code Project | Co-founder Microsoft C++ MVP modified 20:23 22 Nov '12.

1. The lounge is for the CodeProject community to discuss things of interest to the community, and as a place for the whole community to participate. It is, first and foremost, a respectful meeting and discussion area for those wishing to discuss the life of a Software developer. ? The #1 rule is: Be respectful of others, of the site, and of the community as a whole. ? 2. Technical discussions are welcome, but if you need specific programming question answered please use Quick Answers[^], or to discussion your programming problem in depth use the programming forums[^]. We encourage technical discussion, but this is a general discussion forum, not a programming Q&A forum. Posts will be moved or deleted if they fit better elsewhere. ? 3. No sys-admin, networking, "how do I setup XYZ" questions. For those use the SysAdmin[^] or Hardware and Devices[^] forums. ? 4. No politics (including enviro-politics[^]), no sex, no religion. This is a community for software development. There are plenty of other sites that are far more appropriate for these discussions. Or if you must, use the Back Room[^] - but enter at your own risk. ? 5. Nothing Not Safe For Work, nothing you would not want your wife/husband, your girlfriend/boyfriend, your mother or your kid sister seeing on your screen. For those discussions where you wish to be a little more frank, use the Soapbox[^] ? 6. Any personal attacks, any spam, any advertising, any trolling, or any abuse of the rules will result in your account being removed. ? 7. Not everyone's first language is English. Be understanding. ? Please respect the community and respect each other. We are of many cultures so remember that. Don't assume others understand you are joking, don't belittle anyone for taking offense or being thin skinned. ? We are a community for software developers. Leave the egos at the door. cheers, Chris Maunder ? The Code Project | Co-founder Microsoft C++ MVP modified 16:59 9 Dec '11.

UFC 155: Dos Santos vs. Velasquez II airs tonight, December 29, 2012 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The highly anticipated match in this end year, the UFC 155 rematch between champion Junior dos Santos and Cain Velasquez 2 for "Best Heavyweight on Earth" bragging rights. The pay-per-view card goes live at 10:00 p.m. ET after the preliminary card runs it course on the FX Channel (8:00 p.m. ET) and the opening Facebook stream (6:30 p.m. ET). ? FIGHT SCHEDULE: Fighters: Dos Santos vs Velasquez II (for UFC heavyweight title) Competition: 12 rounds - Heavyweight division Date: SAT, December 29, 2012 TV: HBO pay-per-view ? . ? WATCH HERE:==>> CLICK HERE TO WATCH UFC 155: DOS SANTOS VS CAIN VELASQUEZ 2 LIVE STREAM ? . ? WATCH HERE:==>> CLICK HERE TO WATCH UFC 155: DOS SANTOS VS CAIN VELASQUEZ 2 LIVE STREAM ? . ? WATCH HERE:==>> CLICK HERE TO WATCH UFC 155: DOS SANTOS VS CAIN VELASQUEZ 2 LIVE STREAM ? . ? WATCH HERE:==>> CLICK HERE TO WATCH UFC 155: DOS SANTOS VS CAIN VELASQUEZ 2 LIVE STREAM ? , ? WATCH HERE:==>> CLICK HERE TO WATCH UFC 155: DOS SANTOS VS CAIN VELASQUEZ 2 LIVE STREAM ? ? ? ? ? ? . ? The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) will once again air an entire fight card TONIGHT Dec. 29, 2012, its last major pay-per-view (PPV) event of the year, when Junior dos Santos and Cain Velasquez hook 'em up in a Heavyweight main event rematch more than one year in the making, the UFC 155 @ Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. ? This is the highly anticipated rematch between champion Junior dos Santos and Cain Velasquez 2 . The pay-per-view card goes live at 10:00 p.m. ET after the preliminary card runs it course on the FX Channel 8:00 p.m. ET and the opening Facebook stream 6:30 p.m. ET.

So here I am, laying on the sofa, slowly sinking with the cold that Michelle has seen fit to pass on. ? As I lay here, I decide that there channel on the TV needs changing, and, much to my chagrin, the remote control is just out of reach. ? I reach out, willing it into my hand, like Luke Skywalker trying to reach his lightsabre whilst hoisted up in the Wampa cave. ? Initially there is no joy, then Michelle takes pity on me and passes it to me. ? All done merely using my mind! --------------------------------- I will never again mention that I was the poster of the One Millionth Lounge Post, nor that it was complete drivel. Dalek Dave ? CCC Link[^]

Answer the quiz questions on this page[^] The first step in the acquisition of wisdom is SILENCE, the second is LISTENING, the third MEMORY, the forth, PRACTICE and the fifth is TEACHING others!

I thought it was a language. ? ? ? Is it a streaming language? Is it in current use?

Source: http://www.codeproject.com/Messages/4461620/Here-watch-UFC-155-Dos-Santos-vs-Velasquez-2-Live-.aspx

kate walsh cnn debate equatorial guinea marine helicopter crash chicago weather star jones wheres my refund

Ainol Novo 7 Aurora White RAM 1G 7 inch LG IPS Touch Screen Android Tablet (16GB)

Ainol Novo 7 Aurora White 16GB 7 inch LG IPS mulit-touch screen,with the latest Android 4.0.3 Firmware,full support Google Play,Facebook,Youtube and Skype...

Ainol English Online Store.All Ainol products are brand new come with 12 month warranty.

Ainol Novo 7 Aurora White Features:

OS: Android 4.0.3
CPU: Many Core A10,1.2GHz
GPU: Mali 400
RAM???? 1GB?DDR3
Storage? 16GB
Screen: 7 inch LG IPS Capacitive Touchscreen, 1024*600 High-resolution Screen
Resolution:??? 1024*600? Pixels
Gravity Sensor:?? Yes
Visible Angle: 150?
Camera???? Front camera, 2 Megapixels

Ainol Novo 7 Aurora White Tablet Details:

Earphone Interface???? 3.5mm
Multi-Touch???? Yes, 5 points touch
Android Market???? Yes
Video???? 1080P, AVI/MOV/MP4/RMVB/FLV/MKV?
Music???? MP3/WMA/WAV/APE/AAC/FLAC/OGG
Ebook???? UMD, TXT, PDF, HTML, RTF, FB2?
Ebook???? UMD, TXT, PDF, HTML, RTF, FB2?
Skype???? Yes
Email and Browser: Yes, built in
WIFI:??? Yes, 802.11 b/g/n
Extend Card???? Support TF card up to 16GB extended
Video???? 1080P, AVI/MOV/MP4/RMVB/FLV/MKV?
Music???? MP3/WMA/WAV/APE/AAC/FLAC/OGG
Work Time: Up to 8~10 hours
Battery :3700 MAh

Ainol Novo 7 Aurora White Weight:333g

Ainol Novo 7 Aurora White Size: 189.5*122.66*9.9mm

Ainol Novo 7 Aurora White contain:

1 x Ainol Novo 7 Aurora White Slate 16GB
1 x USB cable
1 x Charger

Source: http://www.ainol-novo.com/ainol-novo-7-aurora-white-ram-1g-7-inch-lg-ips-touch-screen-android-tablet-16gb.html

mumford and sons packers Dancing With The Stars All Stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt space shuttle Torrey Smith Brother fiona apple

Russian Roulette

Looks can kill. Yet so can knives and daggers. And when the two are combined in a deadly masquerade, we shall see who comes out alive amidst the lies, secrets, and betrayal, who shall emerge victorious in this never ending death waltz.

Owner:

Game Masters:

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

You may edit this first post as you see fit.

November Rain

Member for 0 years

---

---

This sounds fun. :) What will the gameplay be like? Political maneuvering, sneak/thief like, assassinations, etc. And will every player be in a different castle?

Malan

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: Adantas*, Ageha, Ahri*, aodhstormeyes*, Arceius, Armageddon*, AugmentationAudit, bandgeek*, Binsetsu*, Bosch*, Byte*, Carlos_Joaquin*, ChaosWithin*, chaoticcarrot, ChaoticMarin*, CharlotteV*, Colonel_Masters*, CookieCupcake, Crooked Thoughts*, cucumbersome, CussingChild, Dakota123, Dark Star*, Daxion*, delfiler, Digital_Muse*, Disarmhxc*, DontBeMad*, ElvenEllis*, emotionless*, EmperorCaesar, EnigmaticallyEerie*, EternalSonata.*, Exabot [Bot], Finalhazard3*, FizzGig*, Forensic_Anthro*, FrostedFlames, Gamer_Templar*, Gasmask*, generalmaelik, Ghost_Scar*, Google [Bot], Google Adsense [Bot], Google Feedfetcher, Hazezon, hellgirl**, Holy|Orders*, Howlkin Stranger*, Hyperiant*, iCat*, Insomniatic, juniorsantos, Kestrel*, KittyKLL*, KulasLightShadow*, Lerke, LittleMissGeorgia*, Lorrim*, macheteshark, Magix, Majestic-12 [Bot], MaliceInWonderland, masato22, Mayadasi, Megraw*, Merchant, Michaelis_xXx_Elly*, Midnightclub, miz_reichul, mkiyogawa, Mr Lynch*, Mr. Baneling Squishy*, Mrs. Sara Banner*, MSN [Bot], MSNbot Media, Nemo, November Rain*, Nujuer*, OrphicTrumpeter*, OverTheRainbow, Patcharoo*, peachyme123, Phoenix Blade, PinkPeppercorn, Porecomesis*, Princess Awinita*, Pyramids*, RacoonMoon()*, Raize, RawkFist*, RedWolfe*, Rem?us*, rpannier, Script*, shadereen*, Shanatos*, Shiki29*, Silverlight138, Sneakyrio*, Something?, SoulSurviver233*, STARisRAWR*, TaniaSoulEater, Tank Emperor, Terrus*, Tessla, The Illusionist*, The*Lucky*Teacup, TheNoremac42, TheUnnamedOne*, Tiko*, TnevdaNai*, tornadofan2, Vejisama*, Vinn*, Vinno1234, ViviOrunitiaFF9*, Wake*, wolfoftheage*, xoxMissClairexox*, Yahoo [Bot], ZeakNato*, Zero Reaper

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RolePlayGateway/~3/TWJpisucB1s/viewtopic.php

heidi klum red tails trailer joe pa dead laura dekker stephen colbert south carolina seal seal and heidi klum

Kim Kardashian Pregnant? Nope, Just Sick!

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2012/12/kim-kardashian-pregnant-nope-just-sick/

hungergames bagpipes aspirin aspirin 21 jump street illinois primary results acapulco mexico

Tax Assistance Firm in Buffalo, NY, Works With Local Online ...

?

?

PRLog (Press Release) - Dec. 27, 2012 - Pure Tax Resolution
Phone: (716) 795-7719
Address: 300 International Dr, Suite #100, Buffalo, NY 14221
Web site: http://taxresolutionbuffalo.ny-biz.co/

Buffalo-area taxpayers who need help filing back taxes, preparing for a tax audit, or securing a tax settlement will soon have an easier time locating the right tax consultants for the job. Thanks to a new partnership with local online marketing firm Prospect Genius, locally owned tax resolution firm Pure Tax Resolution is working to improve its Web presence. Pure Tax Resolution hopes that the partnership will help it better provide the Buffalo area with top-quality tax resolution services.

In order to stay competitive in an industry filled with small businesses and national chains offering similar services, tax help firms like Pure Tax Resolution need to include Web marketing strategies in their overall marketing plan. One key to successful online marketing is to launch a business Web site that?s not only informative, actively maintained, and attractive, but that also performs well on search engine results pages. With Prospect Genius?s help, Pure Tax Resolution has created a site that?s easy to find on the Web, especially using online search engines. According to the Pew Internet & American Life Project, search engine use is one of the most popular Internet activities, with approximately 59% of adult Internet users visiting a search engine on any given day.

Prospect Genius?s main marketing tactic is a process known as search engine optimization. SEO involves incorporating industry- and location-specific keywords into a Web site's copy, so that search engine algorithms view that site as relevant to related search query keywords. By boosting Pure Tax Resolution?s search engine ranking using SEO strategies, Prospect Genius hopes that Buffalo-area search queries using keywords like ?help with back taxes? and ?local tax consultants? will lead to Pure Tax Resolution?s Web site.

?A major part of making a business Web site an effective marketing tool is ensuring that the process of finding it is easy and hassle-free,? explains Matt Gallo, a Web advertising expert for Prospect Genius. ?By making Pure Tax Resolution more prominent online, we?re hoping to help individuals and businesses in immediate need of tax resolution services to locate that professional help quickly.?

Pure Tax Resolution brings together 15 years of tax resolution experience with a commitment to excellent service and fast results. The business helps Buffalo residents secure top-notch tax audit representation, payroll tax help, and more.

Photo:
http://www.prlog.org/12049932/1

Source: http://www.prlog.org/12049932-tax-assistance-firm-in-buffalo-ny-works-with-local-online-marketers-to-improve-web-visibility.html

extremely loud and incredibly close south carolina primary squirrel appreciation day billy beane kathy griffin road conditions newt gingrich wives

Starvation didn't wipe out saber-toothed cats

Saber-toothed cats apparently did not go extinct for lack of prey, contradicting a popular explanation for why they died off, fossil evidence now suggests.

Even near their extinction, saber-toothed cats likely had enough to eat, researchers noted.

Saber-toothed cats, American lions, woolly mammoths and other giant creatures once roamed across the American landscape. However, at the end of the late Pleistocene about 12,000 years ago, these "megafauna" went extinct, a die-off called the Quaternary extinction.

"The popular theory for the megafaunal extinction is that either the changing climate at the end of the last ice age or human activity, or some combination of the two, killed off most of the large mammals," said researcher Larisa DeSantis, a vertebrate paleontologist at Vanderbilt University in Nashville.

1. Science news from NBCNews.com

   1. The year's top ancient mysteries (and missteps)

      The past year saw plenty of controversy over ancient mysteries ? and we're not just talking about Maya prophecies. So what happened to "Franken-saurus," the Gospel of Jesus' Wife and the plan to clone a woolly mammoth?

   2. Unselfish brain cells found in monkeys
   3. Starvation didn't wipe out saber-toothed cats
   4. Two new orchid species found

"In the case of the great cats, we expect that it would have been increasingly difficult for them to find prey, especially if had to compete with humans. We know that when food becomes scarce, carnivores like the great cats tend to consume more of the carcasses they kill. If they spent more time chomping on bones, it should cause detectable changes in the wear patterns on their teeth."

Tale of the teeth
To learn more about saber-toothed diets, the researchers analyzed the fossil teeth of 15 saber-toothed cats (Smilodon fatalis) and 15 American lions (Panthera atrox) recovered from the La Brea tar pits in Los Angeles. These specimens ranged from about 11,500 to 35,000 years in age.

To study the fossils, the scientists used dental microwear texture analysis, developed by anthropologist Peter Ungar at the University of Arkansas. This involves using generating three-dimensional images of a tooth's surface. The image is then analyzed for microscopic grooves ? devouring red meat produces small parallel scratches, while biting on bones lead to larger, deeper pits.

The investigation found the pattern of wear on the teeth of the saber-toothed cat most closely resembled those of present-day African lions, which sometimes crush bone when they eat. The wear pattern on American lion teeth, on the other hand, echoed that of the present-day cheetah, which deliberately avoids bones when it feeds. [ Photos: A Lion's Life ]

Analysis of both older fossils and more recent ones did not reveal any evidence that patterns of wear changed over time, and none had extreme microwear like living hyenas, which consume entire carcasses, bones included. This suggests that prey for these carnivores was not scarce ? the animals were not gnawing their victims to the bone.

"Tooth wear patterns suggest that these cats were not desperately consuming entire carcasses, as was expected, and instead seemed to be living the 'good life' during the late Pleistocene, at least up until the very end," DeSantis said.

Big predator extinction
Past research of teeth from American lions, saber-tooth cats, dire wolves and coyotes from La Brea revealed they experienced three times the number of broken teeth of contemporary predators, hinting that these species were having trouble finding prey and were thus urgently devouring or "processing" whole carcasses. This led scientists to suspect that climate change and human competition were making life tough for the big predators.

Instead, DeSantis and her colleagues argue this high rate of damage seen in teeth more likely resulted during capture of prey instead of feeding on carcasses.

"We expected extinct carnivores to show evidence for extreme bone processing, based on the high number of broken teeth determined from prior research. Finding the complete opposite pattern was shocking!" DeSantis said.

The researchers noted that saber-toothed cats were about the size of today's African lion, while the American lion was about 25 percent larger. They fed on giants such as mammoths and four-ton giant ground sloths. The fact these ancient carnivores and their prey were bigger than contemporary predators and their victims could help explain why the extinct cats had more broken teeth than their living brethren, the investigators said. . [ Gallery: Today's Threatened Mammals ]

Specifically, larger teeth break more easily than smaller teeth, so larger carnivores may be likely to break more teeth when attempting to take down larger prey. The researchers noted past studies that found the canines of a predator the size of fox can support more than seven times the fox's weight before breaking, while a carnivore the size of lion can only support about four times its weight and the curved teeth of saber-toothed cats could only support about twice the animal's weight.

"The net result of our study is to raise questions about the reigning hypothesis that 'tough times' during the late Pleistocene contributed to the gradual extinction of large carnivores," DeSantis said. "While we can not determine the exact cause of their demise, it is unlikely that the extinction of these cats was a result of gradually declining prey."

Currently, the scientists are examining other carnivores at the La Brea tar pits, "including the extinct giant short-faced bear and the extant mountain lion that is found both during the Pleistocene at La Brea and in southern California and elsewhere today," DeSantis told LiveScience.

"Essentially, we are trying to clarify the biology and diets of these carnivores during the past to further evaluate why the short-faced bear went extinct and, potentially, why the mountain lion did not."

DeSantis and Ungar, with their colleagues Blaine Schubert and Jessica Scott, detailed their findings online Dec. 26 in the journal PLOS ONE.

Follow LiveScience on Twitter@livescience. We're also on Facebook & Google+.

? 2012 LiveScience.com. All rights reserved.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/50313487/ns/technology_and_science-science/

happy holidays russell wilson Stores Open On Christmas Day Santa Claus Feliz Navidad Netflix down NRA

Google Removed 50 Million ?Pirate? Search Results This Year ...

Google Removed 50 Million ?Pirate? Search Results This Year

• Ernesto
• December 28, 2012
• google
• Print

Over the past year copyright holders have asked Google to remove 51,395,353 links to infringing webpages, a dramatic surge compared to previous years. The search giant is currently processing half a million ?infringing? links per day, and this number is increasing week after week. At the same time, Hollywood and the major record labels want Google to increase its anti-piracy efforts.

In common with many other websites on the Internet Google has an obligation to remove infringing content upon receiving a valid DMCA request from copyright holders.

To give the public insight into the scope and nature of this process, Google started to publish all takedown requests online in their Transparency Report.

Since then, the number of URLs Google is being asked to remove has grown rapidly. Last week Google received takedown requests for a record-breaking 3,502,345 URLs, which is 15 times more than the amount received in January.

Google doesn?t report yearly figures, but we added up all the weekly reports and found that in 2012 Google was asked to remove 51,395,353 links to infringing webpages. Nearly all of these webpages are no longer showing up in Google?s search results.

The data further reveals the RIAA is the most active sender. The music group asked Google to remove links to 7,816,766 allegedly infringing webpages this year.

DMCA URL takedown requests per week

Looking at the websites that Google received the most takedown notices for, we see that the file-hosting search engine FilesTube tops the rankings with 2,273,280 links. While this is certainly a significant number, it?s less than one percent of all FilesTube pages indexed by Google.

Google was further asked to remove 554,613 links to The Pirate Bay, which puts the most notorious BitTorrent site in 16th place.

While copyright holders are entitled to protect their content, the avalanche of takedown requests also has a downside. Not all of the requests are correct and this quite regularly leads to the takedown of legitimate content.

Google itself also raised concerns about this worrying trend.

?As policymakers evaluate how effective copyright laws are, they need to consider the collateral impact copyright regulation has on the flow of information online,? Google?s Legal Director Fred Von Lohmann said earlier this month.

For their part, the MPAA uses the data to point out how much pirated content they have to deal with online. The Hollywood group sees Google as one of the main facilitators of copyright infringement.

?There is a staggering amount of copyright infringement taking place every day online and much of it is facilitated by Google, as their own data shows,? the MPAA noted a few weeks ago.

?We couldn?t agree more with Google that this data shows that our current system is not working ? for creators, or for Google. But we can?t lose sight of the fact that it also confirms the important role that Google has to play in helping curb the theft of creative works while protecting an Internet that works for everyone,? the Hollywood group added.

MPAA?s comments are shared by other copyright holders, who all want Google to step up its anti-piracy efforts.

Last year a behind-closed-doors meeting revealed that the copyright industry is pushing Google to completely de-list popular file-sharing sites such as The Pirate Bay, and give higher ranking to authorized sites.

Thus far Google has not de-listed any websites, but in August the search engine did start downgrading ?pirate? sites for which they receive a relatively many DMCA takedown notices. Whether this has a significant effect on the availability of pirated content is unknown.

It will be interesting to see how much the number of DMCA notices increases in the coming year, and if Google announces more anti-piracy changes.

Source: http://torrentfreak.com/google-removed-50-million-pirate-search-results-this-year-121228/

britney spears At&t Wireless 9/11 Jerry Lawler godaddy andy murray Samsung Galaxy S3

Land with Beautiful Hill View in Lombok Closed to Holiday Resort ...

Click one of the photos to see a larger version.

If you want to start to build something in Lombok like resort or event a hotel or just for investment, this land is just perfect your need .

The land has hill panoramic views and its very closed to the one of famous resort in lombok, Holiday Resort Lombok.

Total land size is 23,925 sq.m or 239,25 are or 2,3925 ha, price IDR 50 Million/are still can negotiation.

Please contact me at 087857802727 or email me at iwan@raywhiteparadise.com

Please call +62 (0)361 773 540 and quote LLBK721, or you can fill out the form below and we'll get back to you shortly.

Source: http://raywhiteparadise.com/land/land-with-beautiful-hill-view-in-lombok-closed-to-holiday-resort-lombok.html

babe ruth new jersey nets nba playoff schedule rondo morris claiborne mothers day gifts clippers

Russia's Putin signs anti-U.S. adoption bill | FOX6Now.com ... - WITI

(CNN) ? Aaron and Jenny Moyer already consider a Russian orphan named Vitali as their own. But a controversial Russian law that bans the adoption of Russian children by U.S. families may keep the boy from his new home in the United States.

The Moyers have photos of their visits with Vitali in Russia, and the adoption process was under way.

?He?s our son,? Aaron Moyer said. ?In our hearts, he is our son.?

Russian President Vladimir Putin may have put an end to that when he signed the controversial measure Friday.

The action could affect hundreds of American families seeking to adopt. Americans adopted close to 1,000 Russian children last year, according to U.S. State Department figures.

Though the number has been dropping in recent years, Russia remains the third most popular country for U.S. citizens to adopt, after China and Ethiopia.

The U.S. State Department said it ?deeply regrets? the new Russian law.

?The Russian government?s politically motivated decision will reduce adoption possibilities for children who are now under institutional care,? it said in a statement. ?We are further concerned about statements that adoptions already underway may be stopped and hope that the Russian government would allow those children who have already met and bonded with their future parent to finish the necessary legal procedures so that they can join their families.?

Jenny Moyer says she knows there is an orphan crisis in Russia, especially for children with special needs, an undertaking she is willing to accept. The boy she wants to adopt, Vitali, has Down syndrome.

The couple, who have two biological children and one adopted American child, said they are relying on their faith to see them through this tough time.

?We want not just our son, but all the kids over there to have families and to grow up and know the love of a mom and dad,? Aaron Moyer said.

The Russian measure also bars any political activities by nongovernmental organizations receiving funding from the United States, if such activities could affect Russian interests, Russia?s semiofficial RIA-Novosti news agency said.

It also imposes sanctions against U.S. officials thought to have violated human rights.

The law, which goes into effect on January 1, envisages the drafting of a list of U.S. citizens who will be prohibited from entering Russia, and will suspend the activity of any legal entities controlled by these individuals in the country.

A vote this week in the Federation Council, Russia?s upper house, was unanimous, but Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov criticized the bill ahead of its signing.

Lawmakers in the State Duma, Russia?s lower house of parliament, adopted it last week.

The move by Russian politicians is widely seen as retaliation for a law that U.S. President Barack Obama signed on December 14. That bill, called the Magnitsky Act, imposes U.S. travel and financial restrictions on human rights abusers in Russia.

The Magnitsky Act is named in honor of Russian lawyer Sergei Magnitsky, who uncovered the largest tax fraud in the country?s history in the form of rebates claimed by government officials who stole money from the state. Magnitsky died in 2009 after a year in a Moscow detention center, apparently beaten to death.

The Russian bill?s implementation nullifies a recent agreement between the United States and Russia in which the countries agreed to additional safeguards to protect children and parties involved in inter-country adoptions.

Backers of the Russian bill said American adoptive parents have been abusive, citing 19 deaths of Russian children since the 1990s.

In 2010, an American woman caused outrage after she sent her adopted son back to Russia alone on a one-way flight, saying the boy, then 7, had violent episodes that made her family fear for its safety.

Konstantin Dolgov, the Russian Foreign Ministry?s special representative for human rights, said Wednesday on Twitter that Russians are ?well aware of, and have pointed out more than once, the inadequate protection of adopted Russian children in the US.? He also said the United States is one of three nations that have not signed the 1989 U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Anthony Lake, executive director of the U.N. Children?s Fund, touted the importance of ?inter-country adoption.?

?While welcoming Prime Minister Dmitri Medvedev?s call for the improvement of the child welfare system, UNICEF urges that the current plight of the many Russian children in institutions receives priority attention,? he said.

UNICEF asked that Russia let children?s ?best interests? guide the ?design and development of all efforts to protect children.?

?We encourage the government to establish a robust national social protection plan to help strengthen Russian families. Alternatives to the institutionalization of children are essential, including permanent foster care, domestic adoption and inter-country adoption,? he said.

The United States has signed but not ratified the convention, which has sparked concerns from conservatives about its effect on U.S. sovereignty and parental rights.

Groups such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch had urged lawmakers to reject the bill.

?This bill hits back at Russia?s most vulnerable children and could deprive them of the loving families they desperately need,? Hugh Williamson, Europe and Central Asia director at Human Rights Watch, said last week.

John Dalhuisen, Amnesty International?s Europe and Central Asia program director, has said that ?this bill is frankly a childish response to the Magnitsky Act.?

Source: http://fox6now.com/2012/12/28/russias-putin-signs-anti-u-s-adoption-bill/

oceans 11 ferris state hockey mary poppins john derbyshire kinkade thomas kinkade paintings easter bunny

New Israeli right-wing leader worries Netanyahu

In this Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2012 photo, Naftali Bennett, head of the Jewish Home party, speaks in Ashdod, Israel. The charismatic new leader of Israel's Jewish religious right is siphoning a large chunk of votes from the prime minister's party, according to polls ahead of Jan. 22 elections, and if the trend continues, the high-tech millionaire and former commando could emerge as a powerful voice opposing Palestinian statehood. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)

In this Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2012 photo, Naftali Bennett, head of the Jewish Home party, speaks in Ashdod, Israel. The charismatic new leader of Israel's Jewish religious right is siphoning a large chunk of votes from the prime minister's party, according to polls ahead of Jan. 22 elections, and if the trend continues, the high-tech millionaire and former commando could emerge as a powerful voice opposing Palestinian statehood. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)

In this Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2012 photo, Naftali Bennett, head of the Jewish Home party, speaks in Ashdod, Israel. The charismatic new leader of Israel's Jewish religious right is siphoning a large chunk of votes from the prime minister's party, according to polls ahead of Jan. 22 elections, and if the trend continues, the high-tech millionaire and former commando could emerge as a powerful voice opposing Palestinian statehood.(AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)

RAANANA, Israel (AP) ? The charismatic new leader of Israel's Jewish religious right is siphoning a large chunk of votes from the prime minister's party, according to polls ahead of Jan. 22 elections, and if the trend continues, the high-tech millionaire and former commando could emerge as a powerful voice opposing Palestinian statehood.

Though Naftali Bennett, the 40-year-old son of American immigrants, is a classic religious hard-liner, comfortable in the settlements he champions, he has been able to draw on his military and entrepreneurial background to widen his appeal to secular circles as well. His sprawling, modern home in Raanana, an upscale suburb of Tel Aviv, is far from the barren hilltops of the West Bank settlers who form the backbone of his support.

Polls show his Jewish Home party becoming the third-largest in the upcoming parliament, behind Netanyahu's Likud-Yisrael Beitenu bloc and the centrist Labor. As Bennett's party gains ground, it has been steadily eating into Netanyahu's still-formidable lead. Several of Netanyahu's recent moves, including a surge in settlement construction announcements, have been attributed to the "Bennett factor."

Philosophically, Bennett and his party would fit easily into a hardline government of the type Netanyahu is expected to put together, though the political newcomer and the Israeli leader ? his former boss and political mentor ? have a history of bad blood that deepened over this past week.

Bennett's campaign has enlivened an otherwise drab election season. The Jewish Home party currently has five seats in the 120-member parliament, but polls since Bennett took over the leadership show it could win up to 15 in the election. Bennett says his goal is to broaden the base of his party by appealing to centrist, secular voters alongside the traditional backing of settlers and their supporters.

His political message, however, doesn't sound centrist.

"My positions are very clear: I never hide the fact that I categorically oppose a Palestinian state inside our country," Bennett told The Associated Press in a telephone interview. In the terminology of religiously devout hard-liners, "our country" means not only Israel, but also the West Bank and Gaza Strip, which the Palestinians hopes to incorporate into a future state, with east Jerusalem as its capital.

Bennett takes pride in his straight-talking campaign and accuses other politicians ? including Netanyahu ? of being "ambiguous."

Bennett, a father of four, also has an image perhaps more palatable to the Tel Aviv hipsters he hopes to target: Success on their secular terms.

After serving in the elite Sayeret Matkal commando unit, Bennett made a fortune in the largely secular world of high technology. In 1999, he co-founded Cyota, an anti-fraud software company that he sold in 2005 to U.S.-based RSA Security for $145 million. He says he is living in Raanana, rather than a settlement, for unspecified "personal reasons."

"There is a huge gap between his appearance and his content," said Amnon Abramovitch, a veteran political commentator for Israel's Channel 2 TV. "He looks very modern, he speaks very liberally, but his messages are very extreme."

Political columnist Sima Kadmon said Bennett's clean, family image and modern lifestyle blind some of his supporters to his hard-line positions.

"Quite a few secular young men and women have fallen into that honey trap," she wrote.

Bennett rejects the barbs, saying his positions are clear and distinctly hawkish: He opposes a Palestinian state, the uprooting of settlements and territorial concessions that most of the world deem necessary for peace. He's presented a plan that calls for the annexation of much of the West Bank territory Israel currently controls.

"I say the same thing everywhere I go," he insists. "The mistake is to categorize me as extreme."

Bennett turned to politics after the sale of Cyota and served as Netanyahu's chief of staff for two years. They parted ways after a mysterious falling out he won't discuss but that Israeli media have linked to Netanyahu's wife, Sara, who wields great influence over the prime minister's inner circle.

He and Netanyahu clashed again when Bennett, then leader of the mainstream settler group, fiercely opposed Netanyahu's decision in late 2009 to slow settlement construction for 10 months in a U.S.-led effort to encourage Palestinians to renew peace talks.

This year, he took his positions to the national political arena. Two months ago, he captured the chairmanship of the stodgy Jewish Home party from its colorless leader and set out to transform the party's image. Bennett took his campaign everywhere from remote West Bank settlement outposts to trendy bars in Tel Aviv.

The strategy worked, and Jewish Home started gaining in the polls.

Evidence that Bennett was a political force to be reckoned with came this week when Israel's top-rated comedy show, "A Wonderful Country," introduced a new character, iBennett: a user-friendly app that shows a broadly smiling Bennett-lookalike making extremist political pronouncements ? described as bugs in the system.

Netanyahu hit back after Bennett told a TV interviewer last week that he would personally prefer to go to jail than to obey an order to evict Jewish settlers from their homes under a peace deal, as happened when Israel withdrew from the Gaza Strip in 2005.

The prime minister summoned all three major Israeli TV stations for rare domestic interviews and announced that anyone who preached insubordination in the military would not be welcome in his next government. Netanyahu's camp then followed up with a campaign of posters and newspaper ads depicting Bennett as irresponsible and extremist.

Bennett says his comments have been distorted, that he wasn't preaching insubordination but voicing his own personal opinion ? one that resonates widely within the religious right, which was traumatized by the Gaza pullout.

"I think people are looking for the truth and are drawn to real people who speak at eye level, even if sometimes they make mistakes," he said. "It was an unfortunate comment, but aside from wars I don't think the prime minister ever calls all the TV stations to him at once. The public isn't buying this spin and rejects it entirely."

Despite the campaign conflicts, Bennett insists he can work with Netanyahu.

"The question is who will be by his side," he said. "Netanyahu will drive the bus, but I refuse that he be alone at the wheel. I'll be there to put a hand on the wheel and influence where it goes."

____

Follow Heller on Twitter (at) aronhellerap

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2012-12-27-Israel-Rightist%20Rival/id-3f97cb2487404198a0fed4927b32a700

camille grammer us supreme court breaking dawn part 2 trailer mississippi state chris carpenter chris carpenter dick cheney