Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/188976012?client_source=feed&format=rss
Saturday, January 21, 2012
[OOC] hold my heart
Forum rules
This forum is for OOC discussion about existing roleplays.
This is the auto-generated OOC topic for the roleplay "hold my heart"
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, ?hold my heart?. 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 "hold my heart"
You may edit this first post as you see fit.
-
estrelas - Member for 1 years
can I reserve the artist spot?
-
MusicLover - 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: 88HoloTheWiseWolf88, Abraxas*, Abyss of Dreams, Ace Darkfire, Addrinvan*, Agent*, aipsylon*, Airanea*, Akantha*, Alexa [Bot], AliceHearts, allimagination, Alpha Type Shurelia, Ambreose*, amyreinreaper, Andreis*, Animality Opera, Annalysa Jones, Arietta, Ashtonwolf, Athra*, August Tier, Auricambrflaym, AutomailJunkie, AzricanRepublic*, Bani, Barel, BellatrighxSlander, Beta Type Jakuri, birdguard, Blackbird26*, blackwolf*, BlueWind_22, Brass pole at law, broken-wings, BSDJoker*, Buddywazzizname*, cass-isnt-here*, CelticCat*, ChaosxChild13, ChaoticMarin*, Choclate~Pyrus*, chocolateloversuntie, CiksKayVolts*, cmpuncle, CountessMomo*, Cypher, Dalmar, darkune*, Dead Eye, dealing with it, DefOfTheWinterGrove, Delirium, Dr. Seuss*, drampire, dudedude889, DumbDora, Dyew*, Edwinfirefox, Ellipse, emotionless*, Erlanis*, Ernest12, Eteles*, Evangeline_Taylor, Everscale, faithinthemusic, Fearful-lover*, feral gale*, Finalhazard3*, FinalHope, Firewind, FizzGig, flickery, Forevveru, freakofnature, Fredalice, GamerX, ginawerner1*, Gintoki Sakata, glmstr, Google [Bot], Google Adsense [Bot], Google Feedfetcher, graciegirl---, Grimpunker96, Hadespwr, Halfanelf, hayleymaee, IceMoon96*, Ikiros*, Inno, Irondude1994, Ironman11, IronPhoenix, It's_Gen, I'm a Radical Dame!*, jackrules158, Jayu, JayZeroSnake, Jeggy, Jo_Tunn*, JustDrinkTea, Kai, Kaida, Kansiov, KapugenWolf, Katana_Wing, KenXin, Kenzi, Kirinak*, Kouyou*, Kuril, KuruLesperance, Kyumori, Lainpinky131*, Leli, Lifecharacter*, Lovely VonSchultz, LRmember*, Lucaris*, Lux_Disraeli*, Mac the Impaler, maddenbaby, Magix, Majestic-12 [Bot], Makkenji*, MarchHare, Marcus*, Meggie07, Mike53210, minibear*, Missing Link*, Moonbow, Moonscar*, Movintarget, Mr. Crow*, Mr_Doomed, MSNbot Media, mummydove, MusicLover*, Myst5981*, Nabu, Neon.lynxie, Nightmaric_Angel, niykin*, NotAFlyingToy, Nulix*, Omega_Pancake, Oran Tarlin*, Ottoman, Patcharoo*, Penny Pincher, PirateofPie*, poeticjustice8012, Porecomesis*, Princess Awinita*, projectdarkeden, Rem?us*, Renmiri, Revenge*, Rill, Ron Weasley, RosexXxStarlight, Rougeshadow, Ryand-Smith*, RydeDawg*, safton*, Saken, Saviarre*, Scorpion01*, Selene Durlan*, SeraphicStar*, Setsugie, ShadtheWerepire, shadymattloz*, Shanatos, Shan?, Shaodow, Shiva, Shpleem*, Sivermist*, SkullJester*, Skylite, Smileybird*, Smokescreen, snipergirl24*, Sorella*, Sorence, Soul_Alchemist, spudjohnson*, StandardFiend, Stitchedintoreality, stormwolf321, Sugarcake101, SuperQ19, supertoastgirl, SverelyPsycho, Sweet Angel Jocelyn, Sylwyn*, Talisman, Tempest, Tetsuya Shimazu*, The Angry Penguin*, The Illusionist*, The Painkiller*, the_judged, TheDarkWorgen*, TheJen., TheNoremac42, TheRaven&ThePawn, TheTreForce*, Tiko*, Tonks, Traveler, Trickster, Tropicalpeacock, True Grave, Usui*, Valerie_Nix, Vejisama*, Velvet_Harmony, ViceVersus, Victorant, Wake, Walking-travesty*, warthog, Whispering_Words, wolfoftheage, Wren, xMyAN.Jell, xx_wakingtoDELIRIUM*, yogitheambrangyl, Zenia*, zerr0max, Zetta, Zodia195, Zombicide93*, ? Reality ?*
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RolePlayGateway/~3/YdN4GvFXelk/viewtopic.php
pay per view fsu fsu defiance acc mayweather vs ortiz ncaa football 12
Friday, January 20, 2012
Brees: Focus on keeping Saints together (AP)
METAIRIE, La. ? Drew Brees has spent the past six years reinvigorating the Saints, rewriting NFL records and rebuilding New Orleans.
His contract may be expiring, but the Big Easy's biggest sports star doesn't see himself changing teams any time soon.
Brees said Friday he would be "beyond stunned" if he and the Saints are unable to agree on a contract extension during this offseason, echoing comments by coach Sean Payton this week.
The former Super Bowl MVP added he doesn't believe his next deal will prevent the Saints from bidding for some other key members of their record-setting offense who will become free agents, including Pro Bowl guard Carl Nicks and receivers Marques Colston and Robert Meachem.
"My No. 1 priority, and it always has been this, is keeping our team together and making sure we have the right guys in the right positions to make a run at this for a long time," Brees said by phone from his offseason home in San Diego. "We all kind of work together on this thing.
"Put it this way: I'm not worried one bit about my contract or our ability to keep guys at key positions."
At the same time, Brees acknowledged that his powers of persuasion only go so far as it pertains to teammates' decisions to stay or go, and the franchise's decisions regarding how much to offer other players.
"Is it realistic to think we can keep absolutely everybody? I don't know how realistic that is just because every year on a team there's turnover and I think that's just the business we're in," Brees said.
"That's the biggest reason why it's so sad when the season ends. It's not because the season is over and you don't get to play anymore games or you know you're not going to win a championship that year. The biggest sadness comes in because you're looking around the room and you know that there's guys you've become very close to that you might not be playing with anymore."
Brees is expected to command an annual salary in the range of $18 million, which would be commensurate with the average yearly pay of New England's Tom Brady and Indianapolis' Peyton Manning.
Brees' agent is Tom Condon, who also represents Manning.
In 2011, Brees set NFL single-season records with 468 completions, 5,476 yards passing and a completion percentage of 71.2. His prolific passing numbers helped the Saints set a new NFL high for total offensive yards in a season with 7,474.
Brees led the Saints to a 13-3 regular season record and second NFC South Division title. New Orleans defeated Detroit in the first round of the playoffs before falling in the final seconds of their second-round game at San Francisco, which hosts the NFC title game on Sunday.
Brees has been invited to the Pro Bowl and plans to attend. By then, he hopes the emotional pain of losing in the playoffs will have subsided enough that he can look back fondly on New Orleans record-shattering season.
"I haven't been able to enjoy it yet to be honest with you. It's been tough this week. I really have tried not to turn on the TV," Brees said. "It's hard not to think about what could have been. But you know what? I take solace in the fact that we fought our heart out, we gave it our best and you know what? It just wasn't meant to be.
"If we're not playing for a championship, I guess there's no place I'd rather be than going to Hawaii for a week with the family and be able to enjoy the Pro Bowl and be around other guys that have earned that trip," Brees said. "And maybe that's going to be the time to decompress and reflect back on the season a little bit, but for now it still stings."
Brees arrived in New Orleans in 2006, less than a year after Hurricane Katrina had struck. Since then he has passed for more yards than any other quarterback in the NFL (28,394) while lifting the Saints to new heights and simultaneously helping a region heal from Katrina's devastation.
In addition to lifting the spirits of football fans, he and wife Brittany have worked through their Brees Dream foundation to sponsor about $8 million in projects primarily aimed at improving the lives of children in the area through the refurbishing of schools or renovation of athletic fields and facilities. His foundation also has supported the arts, along with hospital facilities for cancer patients.
He said his family's growing bond with New Orleans is another reason it would be hard for him to envision playing anywhere else.
"This is a place that is very special in our hearts. We've had two of our kids raised here and hopefully we'll have more in the future," Brees said, alluding to a third child that is expected this summer.
"It's been an unbelievable journey over the last six years to watch how far, not only our organization and our team, but just the mental psyche of the city" has improved, Brees said. "We're always going to have a strong connection with New Orleans. We're always going to give back to New Orleans, and I'm talking like 20, 30, 40 years from now."
lamichael james epstein harrisburg pa chynna phillips magic cube slaughterhouse cypher
Tomlinson says Jets' turmoil was worst he's seen
New York Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez (6) hands the ball to running back LaDainian Tomlinson (21) during the first half of an NFL football game against the Miami Dolphins, Sunday, Jan. 1, 2012, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
New York Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez (6) hands the ball to running back LaDainian Tomlinson (21) during the first half of an NFL football game against the Miami Dolphins, Sunday, Jan. 1, 2012, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
New York Jets wide receiver Santonio Holmes (10) sits alone on the bench in the closing minutes of an NFL football game against the Miami Dolphins, Sunday, Jan. 1, 2012, in Miami. The Dolphins defeated the Jets 19-17. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
NEW YORK (AP) ? LaDainian Tomlinson has never seen a locker room as troubled as the one he was in with the New York Jets this season.
In an interview with Showtime's "Inside The NFL" airing Wednesday night, the running back said the team was plagued by tension between players as the Jets finished 8-8 and missed the playoffs after two straight trips to the AFC championship game. Tomlinson said quarterback Mark Sanchez and wide receiver Santonio Holmes, in particular, had a rocky relationship.
"It is as bad as I've ever been around, honestly," Tomlinson said of the locker room. "And I've been around some locker rooms and quarterback-receiver situations and what-not. But it was as bad as I've been around."
The NFL's fifth-leading rusher added that the problems got "out-of-hand toward the end of the season," and were created by the brash approach of coach Rex Ryan and general manager Mike Tannenbaum.
"This is the type of football team that they wanted," said Tomlinson, the NFL's fifth-leading rusher. "Mike Tannenbaum, Rex Ryan are both brash, in-your-face type of style ? say whatever you want, just get it done on the field. And then it leads to other things, as guys are calling each other out and saying, 'I'm not getting the ball' or whatever it may be."
Holmes was benched during the season finale at Miami after arguing in the huddle with teammates. Tomlinson said the tensions escalated to the point during the season where the players couldn't do anything about it.
"When it gets to that point, there are certain changes that need to happen," he said. "Can it be fixed? I think absolutely it can be, but they're going to have to make some tough decisions."
Holmes criticized the offensive line during the season, saying it wasn't protecting Sanchez enough or giving him enough time to get the ball down the field to the receivers. Right guard Brandon Moore shot back, saying his public comments could have a "fracturing effect" and not the way a team captain ? which Holmes was ? should conduct business.
Tomlinson was asked if he would bring back both Sanchez and Holmes, given all the problems.
"Whew, that is a tough one," Tomlinson said. "I would really have to sit down with them and see if they can co-exist, honestly. I mean that is a decision that I really have to make. And if I really feel like they can't, then you have to make a move."
Tomlinson said the Jets players poked fun at the feud, calling it the "East Coast-West Coast beef," with Holmes being from Florida and Sanchez from Southern California.
"In all seriousness, Santonio, obviously, he is a great player," Tomlinson said. "There are some things that obviously he needs to work on as far as being a leader."
Sanchez struggled down the stretch, throwing seven interceptions in the Jets' last three games ? all losses. He was highly criticized during the season by fans and media, and those comments intensified after the Jets' final game. The Daily News quoted an anonymous player saying Sanchez was "lazy," something Tomlinson disputed. But the running back agreed that Sanchez was "a bit pampered" because he had no real threat in the roster to take his job.
"He is not a lazy guy," Tomlinson said. "He puts in the time after practice in the film room. He can get it done. He just has to have pieces around him to help him get it done."
The 32-year-old Tomlinson will be a free agent after two seasons with the Jets, and is considering retirement.
"I love playing for Rex," Tomlinson said before adding that he wished the coach would tune down the bravado.
"I don't mind every now and again saying we are going to win a championship," he said. "Maybe at the beginning of the year just saying, 'Hey, our goal is to win a championship.' But at the same time every week if you are calling out a team on certain things, I think it puts a little extra on your team. Guys really want to go out there and say, 'Let's shut this guy up. Let's shut these Jets up, just end their season.'"
Associated Pressdiaspora social network diaspora breaking dawn premiere rock center nbpa itunes match itunes match
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Review: "Crazy Horse" shows nuts, bolts of bump and grind (Reuters)
LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) ? Early on in "Crazy Horse," we see two women engaging in elaborate gymnastics inside a spinning hoop, while ornate stained-glass patterns are projected onto their nearly-nude torsos. Midway through the act, the camera cuts to a computer screen and the lighting technician who's keeping track of the mechanics of the act.
And that's what you get in this latest documentary from the legendary Frederick Wiseman ("Titicut Follies," "Public Housing") - glamorous, scantily clad girls performing onstage and the behind-the-scenes toil that makes everything onstage look so sexy and effortless.
Wiseman's documentary style is about as fly-on-the-wall as you can get - there's never narration, or interviews, or music. He takes his camera inside hospitals and housing projects and the Paris Opera ballet and department stores and boxing gyms and just shoots. Whatever the camera sees, the audience sees, and we absorb the atmosphere of the location without being explicitly told anything.
This time out, however, the movie has music, because the club has music - rather than the American version of an erotic night out, which features a bored stripper grinding against a pole to Warrant's "Cherry Pie," this is a theatrical extravaganza with elaborate choreography, acrobatics, costume changes, and intricate lighting. And yes, breasts.
"Crazy Horse" also features interviews, but only because its subjects were being interviewed by other people when Wiseman happened to be there. The Crazy Horse show, we are told by its director during a production meeting, draws not just the usual tourist crowd but also artists, celebrities and intellectuals. So when the club launches a new show, "D?sirs," journalists show up to speak to the show's producer and its artistic director.
The people we don't hear from in "Crazy Horse" are the dancers, which is somewhat frustrating, since they've no doubt got the best stories. Wiseman's methodology favors the vocal, so we hear more from the choreographers and the directors than we do from the actual performers, and that somewhat throws off the balance of what we learn about the goings-on here.
But there is a revealing moment in which they gather backstage to laugh at a reel of Russian ballet bloopers - these ladies are, let there be no doubt, extremely talented performers, and we see an audition in which very skilled dancers try out to become Crazy Horse girls. Whatever baggage puritanical American audiences put onto women who dance without tops on is evidently absent here.
So when we're not watching the glittery stage show, we see the nuts and bolts of how it all gets put together, from the wigmakers silently plying their trade with laserlike focus to the female costume designer telling a dancer that they have to switch her skirt because the light is catching her in the wrong way and not making her buttocks as round as they might be.
Several of the artists involved with the Crazy Horse discuss the fact that this is that rare nude nightclub show that women enjoy as much as men, and that its chic approach to nudity allows women "access to the keys to eroticism."
(Editing by Chris Michaud)
nyc marathon coriolis effect coriolis effect giants patriots yolo steelers vs ravens jack dempsey
NINJAS: Fantasy baseball 2012 | Sleepers, busts and Ron Shandler?s Baseball Forecaste
Fantasy baseball 2012 | Sleepers, busts and Ron Shandler?s Baseball Forecaster
Know that the fantasy baseball information I provide this year is going to be heavily influenced by Ron Shandler?s 2012 Baseball Forecaster. I will recommend the book to any fantasy baseball player.
Warning: It is statistics heavy that it will put some people into a trance. Others will be terrified. It also handles a lot of high level concepts and spends a lot of time speaking to fantasy veterans. If it?s your first rodeo, and you?re not a statistics major, you might want to start with a less complex source ? or check out our take on the concepts in 2012.
I?m going to go over a few of the book?s broader points in this post to give you some of the baselines I will use in my 2012 predictions and to hopefully encourage you to purchase Shandler?s publication.
First and foremost, Shandler understands and flat out tells fantasy owners that they should use his book as a baseline and not as some sort of all-inclusive fantasy battle plan. He encourages readers to form their own opinions, much like Chinstrap Ninjas does, based on the concepts he introduces and explains. Baseball has so many statistics and potential indicators that the writers of the book could not scour through every one.
However, the book focuses on several key statistics. Because that is part of the book?s hook, I?m not going to go into great detail or reveal any of the secrets explained there. However, like I said above, the book?s influence will be seen throughout my rankings and projections in 2012.
For now, let?s go over a few general points from the first few pages of the Forecaster.
[h=3]Adds/drops/trades[/h]I went over the first point in my first baseball post of the year, but it?s worth quoting again: ?Every player we add to our roster during the season means we?re eliminating one player we likely rostered through more careful analysis.? We will be conducting at least one Chinstrap Ninjas draft and hold league this year. Please let us know if you are interested by posting in the comments or emailing ep(at)chinstrapninjas.com.
[h=3]Fighting, scraping, clawing for 5%[/h]According to another section of the Forecaster, multiple sources have determined that the best outcome any prognostication system can achieve is about 70%. However, three-year averages adjusted for age are good enough to produce a success rate of 65 percent. So that means fantasy baseball experts are shooting to be more right about 5% of the players in the Major Leagues.
I want to put that five percent in context: There were 452 batters who had 100 at-bats last season and 325 pitchers who faced 150 batters (at least 50 innings pitched) in 2011. Five percent of 777 is about 39 players. That doesn?t seem like a lot, but if 10 of those players are unexpected top-20 performers and another 10 are complete busts, that can make a big difference for Chinstrap Ninjas readers.
[h=3]Sleepers, busts and a flabby mid-section[/h]However, a few paragraphs later, Shandler asks if it is really worth going all-in when predicting sleepers and busts.
I?m going to quote this part because I don?t want to mess it up. In the book, Shandler quotes another expert of fanalytics, John Burnson: ?? No system is 100% reliable, and in trying to capture the outliers, you weaken the middle and thereby lose more predictive pull than you gain.?
In other words, attempting to predict sleepers and busts brings the reliability of the rest of the system down.
All of those revelations can be found in the first 12 pages of a 281-page book. I don?t make any money off the sales of the book, but I cannot recommend it enough. For fantasy baseball fanatics, especially the statistic geeks among us, this is an immense encyclopedia of awesome. Check it out if you can.
Don?t worry, we?re not going to eliminate sleepers and busts from our fantasy baseball predictions, but maybe there is a better way to present them.
For the mainstream sites, predictive correctness is probably a greater priority than it is for us. Most readers who find Chinstrap Ninjas are not looking for basic concepts. We welcome all kind of fantasy players, but we also know that many of our readers play in leagues that don?t follow the 5×5 industry standard. They already know where they?re ranking the top 20 shortstops, catchers and third basemen. What they?re looking for are ?outliers,? as they are described in the Forecaster. At the least our readers are looking for prognosticators who can convince them to believe or not believe the sleepers and busts they?ve already predicted.
Should sleepers and busts be reflected in rankings and projections? Is it a better to have boring rankings/projections and warn people, ?hey, this player might be a bust (or sleeper)?? Let us know in the comments.
Tags: Fantasy Sports, Fantasy Baseball
Article Link: http://www.chinstrapninjas.com/fanta...ll-forecaster/
guy kawasaki jani lane the exorcism of emily rose the exorcism of emily rose fort knox quarry quarry
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Ten Random Thoughts on the Chicago Bears & NFL Playoffs
1. I know what you?re thinking?Chicago Bear Jew, will you please stop patting yourself on the back for your New York Giants prediction? But, it doesn?t get old when you?re so darn right about something. Especially when that thing you?re right about defeats your biggest rival in the Green Bay Packers. Many of you have suggested that if Jay Cutler and Matt Forte wouldn?t have been injured, perhaps that could have been the Chicago Bears instead of the New York Giants. Let?s end that conversation now. The Giants are a superior team to the Bears in many ways. In addition to having two of the best wide receivers in football, they have a front seven that disrupts offenses. I am not saying that the Bears don?t have their moments, but nothing like the Giants. As far as I am concerned, the Giants are the best team in football and should win the whole thing. It?s ironic because this is the one year that the Giants were actually underrated and overlooked.
2. I really want the Bears to hire Marc Ross as the team?s General Manager. Currently, he?s the Director of College Scouting for the above-mentioned Giants. The talent on the Giants just cannot be overlooked, and considering how the Giants play, it?s a similar formula to the Bears. He?d fit in perfectly with Lovie Smith and could get the foundation in place with the best players aging quickly.
3. Mike Tice?s career just took an interesting turn. The Bears new offensive coordinator is a potential candidate for the Oakland Raiders coaching vacancy. This seems like it was a bit out of left field, but it certainly is a great opportunity for Tice. There?s no word on if the Bears will give the Raiders permission, but it would certainly would be wrong not to let the man have another shot at becoming a head coach in this league.
4. Special teams guru Dave Taub signed a two-year extension. This is a very important move. Considering how good the Bears special teams are, losing Taub would have been devastating. He was a candidate for the Miami Dolphins head coaching vacancy, but learned Tuesday he was no longer in the running. This contract doesn?t mean he?s done being a candidate for head coaching vacancies, but it is a good move by the Bears.
5. The Minnesota Vikings were denied permission to talk with current Bears Secondary Coach Jon Hoke about their Defensive Coordinator vacancy. It?s the second year in a row the Bears have denied a team from talking with an assistant coach. Last season, Tice was denied an opportunity to talk with the Tennessee Titans about their offensive coordinator position. Here?s my thought?why the hell wasn?t Hoke allowed to talk with the Vikings? He did a terrible job this season. Sure, Charles Tillman made the Pro Bowl, but Tillman has been a good player for a long time. The Bears secondary was disgraceful and he should have been fired. Smith has a real difficult time holding his defensive coaches to the same standards as his offensive ones. I just don?t understand why the Bears continually have double-standards up-and-down the organization.
6. Rumor has it that the Bears are going to select receiver Michael Floyd out of Notre Dame. Now perhaps the Bears need an actual General Manager to make this decision. I like Floyd and think he?s an upgrade. But I always believe you take the best available player and not draft for need. I?m not sure if Floyd would be the best player, but we are months away from the draft. Many things will change?
7. I just did a Discount Double Check and laughed?
8. On the topic of Discount Double Checks, I want to spend a moment looking at the Green Bay Packers. While many of you think I am nuts with what I am about to say (or think I am always nuts), I am not sure if the Packers are as much of a dynasty as their fans would like you to believe. The Giants exposed many weaknesses on that team, and the Packers have a lot of work to do. In addition to being unable to run the football, the Packers are a bad defensive team. Charles Woodson was a non-factor this season. Clay Matthews III doesn?t get to the quarterback. Quite honestly, the Packers may have one of the worst front seven in football. I know going 15-1 can?t be sneezed at, but the Packers offense was helped by a mild fall and winter. As we learned last Sunday, when Aaron Rodgers is bad, the Packers are horrible. He can make up for the defensive issues when he?s on his A Game, but when he?s off, the Packers aren?t able to be successful. If you need any additional proof, look at last year?s championship game. Rodgers was awesome in the first quarter, but the Bears shut him down and darn near won the game with Caleb Hanie.
9. The Detroit Lions are another interesting bunch. Like the Bears, the Lions have issues in their secondary. Plus, the Lions offensive line isn?t getting any younger. With a few moves, the Lions may be the team to beat next season in the NFC North. The Packers proving they are human probably made them a lot hungrier.
10. Matt Forte has indicated he?s playing in next week?s Pro Bowl. I think the best thing Forte could do is not play and get ready for next season. If he?s trying to prove he?s healthy, there?s plenty of other less-dangerous ways of doing it. While we know there?s not a ton of hitting that occurs in this game, there?s still a risk. And any risk is too great for Forte.
That?s all for now. Follow me on Twitter at ChicagoBearJew.
Buy Chicago Bears Tickets | Buy Chicago Bears Apparel '); script.type = 'text/javascript'; script.src = 'http://widget.crowdignite.com/widgets/1341?_ci_wid=_CI_widget_'+_CI.counter; script.async = true; ref.parentNode.insertBefore(script, ref); })();x factor auditions flds flds revenge revenge boston redsox red sox
Final plea in NY drug ring case on Columbia campus (AP)
NEW YORK ? A student accused of selling LSD at Columbia University pleaded guilty Tuesday to attempted drug possession, resolving the last case in a takedown of a drug ring on the Ivy League campus.
Adam Klein was the last of five students to plead guilty in the case, which authorities called the biggest move in recent memory against drug dealing at a New York City college. The case, unveiled in December 2010, spurred discussion of student drug use and how to weigh questions of promise, privilege and punishment in places from the New York Post's editorial page to an essay on Time magazine's website.
Klein, 21, is expected to get five years' probation at sentencing, which is scheduled for Feb. 28.
The students formed a loose-knit network that sold drugs ranging from marijuana to Ecstasy to cocaine out of dorm rooms and fraternity houses, with each student specializing in certain drugs, according to city Special Narcotics Prosecutor Bridget Brennan's office. An undercover officer bought more than $11,000 worth of drugs from the group over five months, prosecutors said.
Lawyers for several of the students, including Klein, portrayed them as talented young men who got derailed by drug problems in college. Klein became addicted to marijuana and other drugs that took a severe toll on him academically, according to his lawyer, Alan Abramson. Klein is currently in drug treatment, Abramson said.
Klein and three of the other students asked a court for a chance at wiping their records clean by completing court-supervised rehabilitation, a legal option granted to more than 1,000 people statewide each year. The fifth student wasn't eligible because he faced more serious charges related to cocaine sales.
A court turned down all but one of the students, Christopher Coles, 21, who began treatment earlier this month after admitting he sold more than a pound of marijuana to an undercover officer. His lawyer said the sales were an attempt to finance the anthropology major's own $70-to-$100-a-day pot habit.
For the rest of the students, the outcomes have ranged from probation and community service to jail time.
The engineering student who faced the cocaine charges and was the investigation's initial target, Harrison David, 21, served a six-month jail sentence after pleading guilty to a cocaine-selling charge.
Jose Stephan Perez, a published poet who won the prestigious Gates Millennium scholarship, pleaded guilty to a felony attempted drug possession charge. Perez, 21, also known as Stephan Vincenzo, had been accused mainly of selling the prescription stimulant Adderall. But Perez, whose lawyer said the student struggled with social pressures in college and began smoking marijuana as many as five times a day, will be allowed to withdraw his plea and plead guilty instead to a drug misdemeanor in a year if he meets conditions including 300 hours of community service.
Michael Wymbs, an engineering major initially charged with selling LSD and Ecstasy, was sentenced last week to five years' probation after pleading guilty to attempted drug possession. Wymbs, 23, was treated for depression in college and grappled with drug use and heavy drinking, his lawyer said in court papers.
Wymbs is now studying at the City University of New York, his lawyer, Michael Bachner, told a judge last week.
Columbia has declined to comment on the students' current status, citing educational privacy laws.
Three off-campus suppliers charged in the case also have pleaded guilty.
advent calendar adobe air 2005yu55 advanced search alexander the great personhood amendment haynesworth
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Broncos vs Patriots LIVE UPDATES: Tim Tebow, Tom Brady Battle In NFL Playoffs
AFC Divisional Playoffs
New England Patriots (13-3)
vs.
Denver Broncos (8-8)
Gillette Stadium
Foxboro, Massachusetts
8:00 P.M. EST
Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow did something last week that New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady has not been able to do over the last few seasons: He won a home playoff game. Of course, Brady has won far more than his fair share (especially if you ask the Raiders) of playoff games and is the owner of three Super Bowl rings. Brady's team is also heavily favored tonight in Foxboro.
Last weekend, the Patriots were in the same position as most football fans. They were at home -- thanks to earning a bye in the opening round as the No. 1 seed in the AFC -- watching Tebow author another stunning chapter in his amazing season. In the climactic moments of the Wild Card triumph, Tebow made the Steelers pay dearly for not respecting his ability to throw the ball. Will the Patriots make the same mistake? Or, will Brady and the offense score enough points that his team's defense hardly figures?
During the regular season, the Patriots ranked just behind the league-leading Saints in terms of yard per game and points per game. Piloting that prolific offense, Brady joined Drew Brees and Dan Marino as the only quarterbacks in NFL history to throw for more than 5,000 yards in a single season.
While some fans are willing to attribute miraculous powers to Tebow, no one is going out on a limb to say he is a passer on par with Brady. And that may be the only attribute that will matter today. When these two teams met during the regular season, the Patriots hung up 41 points on the Broncos' defense while Tebow only managed 23 points -- the same number his team had heading into OT against the Steelers.
Do the Broncos have the defense or the firepower to keep up?
FOLLOW HERE FOR LIVE UPDATES THROUGHOUT THE GAME. TWEET TO @HUFFPOSTSPORTS TO JOIN IN THE CONVERSATION:
And the Patriots moving into Broncos turf.
Brady wants to become first with 5 TD passes in first half of playoff game.
Tebow takes short drop and throws wide of Thomas. Inaccurate pass by Tebow that could prove meaningful if Brady tacks on more points.
Looking to avoid a delay of game. Flags are thrown but picked up. Still 3rd and 5.
This time Lance can't catch it on run. Third and five. With nearly 90 seconds left, Pats hoping to score again if defense can get off the field here.
Lance Ball picks up five yards on first down.
Can Tebow orchestrate a drive before halftime?
He was quite impressed by that throw, for good reason. Just one quarterback admiring the work of another.
| @ GlobePatriots : Brady's throw to Branch could not possibly have been more perfect. |
| @ caplannfl : Tebow 28 yards passing in first half, last Brady TD 61 yards. |
| @ CasserlyCBS : Clear Off Pass Int by Pat WR. This is an example of what clubs are upset about |
Oh my Tebow's Lord, Brady aired it out and Branch ran through it in stride up the sideline. That was a 61-yard TD.
Woodhead slices up the heart of the defense for a first down. And Pats are rushing to the line.
But it's short. It does take a Broncos bounce, though.
On third and 20, Ball takes it on the ground. Pats use another timeout. They want to score again before intermission. We've got 2:38 remaining and a punt coming.
| @ PostBroncos : Big Money Gerrard Warren Gator Chomps after dragging down Tebow for a six-yard loss. Warren, like Tebow, went to the University of Florida. |
Gerard Warren absolutely consumes Tebow after he pulls ball back from McGahee. And it looked like he was waving this arms in a Gator motion as he came off.
With pocket collapsing, Tebow steps up but can't escape. Pulled down for loss. 2nd and 14.
Royal catches a quick throw to sideline and dives ahead to pass marker.
Another short gain for Broncos on legs of McGahee.
Another run for McGahee, who sidesteps and slidesteps his way for the first. Terrific outing for him so far.
| @ ChrisHarrisNFL : Crazy business right?RT @darrenrovell: In 2 seasons, the Patriots have paid Rob Gronkowski a total of $3.36M Tebow has earned more than $10M |
Again, Broncos with poor starting field position, starting at 11. McGahee gets six on first down.
Brady throws hot up the sideline to a diving Branch but it's broken up. Huge three-and-out set for Denver D. Punt coming.
Green-Ellis picks up a short gain, setting up third and 7.
Once again terrific field position for Pats. Broncos tip over Brady as he throws long to Edleman, who gets tangled with defender. No flag. No completion.
It's another three and out for Broncos as Tebow can't see early opening and then, waits, before throwing it away under pressure. Punt coming.
This latest seems ill-formed. Tebow pitches to Royal, who then comes back toward him and into the scrum. Patriots not biting.
On first play of drive, Arrington nearly snagged that Tebow ball. Royal missed it too.
That commercial could end up being the thing Tebow is most remembered for tonight.
"; 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'}); });kourtney kardashian kourtney kardashian lipitor lipitor kourtney kardashian pregnant again kourtney kardashian pregnant again apple juice
Swallowing Parasitic Worms May Heal Your Ails (LiveScience.com)
Parasitic worms may be useful in treating lung disease and healing wounds, according to a study published online today (Jan.15) in Nature Medicine.
Although far from benign ? these intestinal parasites infect more than a billion humans worldwide and kill or sicken hundreds of millions of people yearly ? the worms appear to trigger key elements of the immune system responsible for repairing damaged tissues and reducing inflammation.
These live worms could be used someday in a controlled setting to treat serious lung injury caused by respiratory infections, such as pneumonia, according to the senior author on the report, William Gause of New Jersey Medical School in Newark, N.J.
What doesn't kill you ...
Gause and his colleagues studied a worm in rodents called Nippostrongylus brasiliensis, similar to a specific hookworm that infects more than 700 million humans, largely in developing countries. The life cycle of both N. brasiliensis and the hookworm is a fantastic voyage:
They enter the host's body when skin, often on the feet, comes in contact with worm larvae in feces-contaminated mud or water. The larvae travel through the circulatory system to the lungs; burrow out through the trachea, or windpipe; get swallowed down the esophagus; and then make their way through the stomach to the small intestines, where they mature into worms and propagate furiously, producing millions of eggs. [Tales of Bizarre Parasites]
The worse damage from the worms is to the lungs. As such, over the course of human (and rodent) evolution, the body has developed unique ways to minimize the harm done by hookworms and their like.
Tickling the immune response
Gause's team found proteins in the immune system called cytokines that help to oust intestinal worms in mouse lungs and also initiate a cascade of healing. They do so by mobilizing various elements of the immune system to reduce inflammation and clear infectious debris while simultaneously stimulating so-called growth-factor steroids and other proteins to quickly repair the damaged lung tissue.
That initial cytokine action is called a Th2 response, so named because it involves immune system white blood cells called Type 2 helper T cells. The researchers' main findings are that the Th2 response has secondary, potent acute wound-healing effects and that worms can trigger it.
Gause said that what occurs in mice from N. brasiliensis perhaps occurs in humans exposed to parasitic worms. If so, these worms could be more effective than some drugs at triggering the immune response to cure the body from within.
"This orchestrated enhanced wound-healing response, which includes control of harmful inflammation and direct mediation of wound repair, may have evolved in the host to mitigate harmful effects of the considerable acute tissue damage these large multicellular parasites can cause as they migrate through essential organs," Gause told LiveScience. "In this regard, these parasites or parasite products may potentially be used to treat acute lung injury."
Worm therapy
The use of helminths, or parasitic worms, to treat immune disorders is called helminthic therapy, and it is not new. Promising studies are underway using live worms to treat several inflammatory diseases and autoimmune disorders such as Crohn's disease. These studies involve non-human parasites, most commonly Trichuris suis, a type of whipworm in pigs.
Helminthic therapy builds upon the hygiene hypothesis, which states that a decrease in the exposure to worms, bacteria and other parasites in developed nations has led to an increase in autoimmune disorders such as allergies and asthma.
Gause's work adds a new twist to helminthic therapy, moving it into the realm of wound healing and tissue repair. In addition to further studying the effects of live worms on mice and humans, Gause said his group would also try to isolate the parasite products that may actively enhance the wound-healing process.
Christopher Wanjek is the author of the books "Bad Medicine" and "Food At Work." His column, Bad Medicine, appears regularly on LiveScience.
golden globes 2012 miss america green bay packers lana del rey saturday night live packers vs giants focus on the family giants score
Monday, January 16, 2012
"Artist," "Descendants" shine at Golden Globes (Reuters)
LOSS ANGELES (Reuters) ? Silent-era film "The Artist" and family drama "The Descendants" were the top film picks at the Golden Globe Awards on Sunday in a loose-lipped awards show that even had host Ricky Gervais walking onto the stage with a drink in his hand.
"The Descendants," starring George Clooney as a man steering his family through a tragic time when his wife is in a coma, won two Golden Globe trophies, including the top honor of best dramatic movie and another for Clooney as best dramatic actor.
Onstage he thanked writer/director Alexander Payne and backstage told reporters, "he knows how to tell stories. He knows how to make something funny and how to turn it around."
Clooney called the movie "a coming-of-age film for a 50-year-old and a lot of us have dealt with people like that."
"The Artist," a romantic tale about a failing actor who finds love at a time when movies were changing from silents to talkies, picked up three awards including best musical or comedy and best actor in a musical or comedy for its star, French actor Jean Dujardin.
Onstage, Dujardin did the most appropriate thing -- gave his speech, thanked his colleagues, then signed off by not saying a word. And true to stealing almost every scene of his in the movie, little dog Uggie detracted from an emotional speech by the film's director, Michel Hazanavicius, when the dog begged for a treat.
Other key winners included Meryl Streep for best actress in a film drama with her portrayal of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in "The Iron Lady." Streep, who is typically reliable with a funny acceptance speech had a difficult time reading hers this year when she forgot her glasses.
Michelle Williams took the trophy for best actress in a comedy or musical with her role as Marilyn Monroe in "My Week with Marilyn.
"I consider myself a mother first and an actress second. The person I most want to thank (is) my daughter, my little girl," Williams said referring to her child with the late actor Heath Ledger. "I want to say thank you for sending me off to this job everyday with a hug and a kiss."
Veteran Christopher Plummer, 82, won supporting actor with his portrayal of an elderly man who comes out as gay to his family in "Beginners," bringing both poignancy and a touch of humor to their lives. Octavia Spencer, playing a beleaguered housemaid in the U.S. South during the civil rights era in "The Help" was best supporting actress.
Woody Allen was given a Golden Globe for his screenplay for "Midnight in Paris" and Steven Spielberg won best animated film with his rollicking "The Adventures of Tintin."
Iranian film "A Separation" was named best foreign language film, and its director, Ashgar Farhadi, used the opportunity to tell world audiences that "my people. I think they are a truly peace-loving people."
OSCAR RACE LOOMS
The Golden Globe Awards are given out by the roughly 90 members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association at what annually is among the key events during Hollywood's awards season because of the media exposure it brings.
Many of the movies and stars that win here also go on to compete for Oscars later this year, and "The Artist," which was the most-nominated film coming into the Golden Globes with six nods overall, will certainly become a frontrunner for the world's top film honors, as will "Descendants" and "The Help."
Oscar nominations from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will given out on January 24.
Unlike the Oscar voters, HFPA members also vote on their favorite TV shows and performances and in that arena "Homeland," about a modern-day CIA agent tracking returning war soldiers who may be terrorists, took home two Golden Globes for best drama series and best actress in a drama for Claire Danes.
Best actor in a drama TV series went to Kelsey Grammer for his role as a stern corporate manager in "Boss."
"Modern Family," a take on extended families in current-day America, took the prize for best comedy and its stars enjoyed one of the more memorable moments of the night when star Sofia Vergara gave their acceptance speech in Spanish, with English translation from creator Steve Levitan.
Best actress in a TV comedy went to Laura Dern for "Enlightened" and the comedic actor trophy was won by Matt LeBlanc for "Episodes."
Coming into the show, all eyes were on host Gervais, who ruffled the feathers of many a Hollywood celebrities last year at the Golden Globes. While he didn't tone down his jokes for the 2012 audience -- making fun of Johnny Depp, Jodie Foster, Kim Kardashian and the HFPA itself -- it seemed the stars were in the mood for his biting wit this time around.
"I thought he did a great job," Clooney told reporters backstage. "I think he handled tonight like a proper good host again ... people were expecting a lot of trash talk, and he did a little bit of that, and he made me laugh, he was very funny."
In fact, it seemed Gervais' humor was rather tame at some points compared to others who made penis jokes onstage and used foul language. At one point, Gervais came onstage drinking a beer, but somehow that seemed fitting for an awards show that bills itself as one big Hollywood party.
(Reporting By Bob Tourtellotte; Editing by Sandra Maler)
nba news florida gators erin brockovich indiana jones and the last crusade hope solo hope solo texas high school football
Sunday, January 15, 2012
Gilani vs. the Military: Is a Coup d'etat in the Works in Pakistan? (Time.com)
In Pakistan, civilian governments never exit gracefully. They have all been given a mighty heave amid crisis. Sometimes prime ministers have been trampled by direct military coups. More often, they were shunted aside by subtler means. Charges of corruption often figure prominently, too, giving an otherwise ugly transfer of power a gloss of legitimacy. It becomes difficult to champion democracy when its chief beneficiaries are accused of carving private fortunes out of a poor country's coffers.
That is the kind of fate that many in Pakistan are increasingly foreseeing for Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani. For the past several weeks, his weak and unpopular coalition government has been increasingly harried on multiple fronts by a strident opposition, a hostile judiciary and a powerful military. But in a slight departure from the usual script, Gilani has decided to dig in his heels and fight back. In a dark warning to the country's politicians, Gilani warned last week that their choice is between "democracy and dictatorship." (PHOTOS: Pakistan Beneath the Surface)
The tension has not been helped by President Asif Ali Zardari's two recent visits to Dubai, which have sparked rumors of an impending coup. But there is little prospect of Pakistan's generals seizing direct control. As army chief General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani knows, power can still be exercised from behind a thin veil. At the moment, the army already controls national security, foreign policy and even elements of the economy. It will resist any temptation to resort to the crude methods recently displayed by their Egyptian counterparts.
The more likely outcome is a Supreme Court ruling. The top judges have been looking into an American businessman's claims that the civilian government sent an unsigned memo calling on the U.S. military to intervene to avert a coup in Pakistan in the days after the killing of Osama bin Laden. The news of the memo had angered Pakistan's generals. In an unprecedented move, Gen. Kayani and his intelligence chief, Lieut. Gen. Ahmed Shuja Pasha of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency, both submitted affidavits to the Supreme Court saying that they believe Pakistan's ambassador to the U.S, Husain Haqqani, was responsible for the memo. Gilani shot back that the two generals acted "illegally" and "unconstitutionally" by submitting their affidavits. He had already spoken publicly of the hazards of a "state within a state," a clear hint at the army's invisible power, and even asked aloud how bin Laden ended up living in Pakistan.
Then came a swift trade of blows. Haqqani has already been forced to resign and faces an investigation but denies orchestrating the memo. He could face charges of "treason" or "gross misconduct." Meanwhile, the army publicly chastised Gilani for his remarks and warned of "potentially grievous consequences for the country." Gilani responded by sacking the Defense Ministry's top bureaucrat, a retired three star general, replacing him with a trusted aide. The army was not amused, discreetly briefing the press that it would refuse to work with the new defense secretary. The army also announced that there was a new commander of the 111th brigade in Rawalpindi -- which would purportedly lead the speculated coup -- and leaked rumors that it had already staged a rehearsal. (READ: Gilani Warns of 'Trust Deficit' with U.S.)
As Gilani tussles with the generals, the Supreme Court has reheated old corruption charges. The judges have ruled that Gilani and his government have acted "dishonestly" by not asking the Swiss government to reopen graft cases against President Zardari. For the past two years, the government has stubbornly refused to cooperate with what it sees as a blatantly partisan court. Now, Gilani could be forced to quit, says a senior politician. "The Supreme Court might knock the prime minister out," the politician said, declining to be named.
Gilani's government also finds itself increasingly isolated. Given the dire state of relations between the two countries, Washington is reduced to the role of spectator, only able to voice lukewarm support for "constitutional process." Over the past year, efforts to shore up the civilian government have foundered as the relationship has once again reverted to one determined by mutual security needs.
The political opposition, led by former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, now scents opportunity. Once wary of Pakistan's generals, it has decided to lock arms with them and push the Supreme Court to investigate claims that Haqqani and others may have been involved in writing the "treasonous" memo. Fast losing ground to cricket legend turned politician Imran Khan, Sharif's party is intent on halting its popular slide by seizing the initiative. Timing is also crucial. If Sharif fails to oust Gilani's coalition government by March, the ruling Pakistan People's Party is poised to win the highest number of seats in the forthcoming Senate elections, making it difficult for any successor to legislate effectively.
Gilani's government is desperately hoping to reach March, triumph at the Senate elections, and announce a general election once the summer's searing heat fades. Before then, however, the formidable opponents arrayed against it will be determined that this government meets its end as suddenly and as ignominiously as possible.
PHOTOS: Pakistan's Vulnerable Northwest Province
SPECIAL: TIME's 2011 Person of the Year: The Protester.
View this article on Time.com
Most Popular on Time.com:
xbox update nba schedule nhl realignment nhl realignment kristin chenoweth country music awards new earth
Desecration of the dead is as old as war itself
This image made on Thursday, Jan. 12, 2012 from undated video posted on the Internet on Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2012 by a YouTube user who identified themself as "semperfiLoneVoice" shows men in U.S. Marine combat gear, standing in a semi-circle over three bodies. U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta is branding as "utterly despicable" the video purporting to show four U.S. Marines urinating on the corpses of Taliban fighters. The Marine Corps had said Wednesday that it was looking into the YouTube video but hadn't yet verified its origin or authenticity. (AP Photo)
This image made on Thursday, Jan. 12, 2012 from undated video posted on the Internet on Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2012 by a YouTube user who identified themself as "semperfiLoneVoice" shows men in U.S. Marine combat gear, standing in a semi-circle over three bodies. U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta is branding as "utterly despicable" the video purporting to show four U.S. Marines urinating on the corpses of Taliban fighters. The Marine Corps had said Wednesday that it was looking into the YouTube video but hadn't yet verified its origin or authenticity. (AP Photo)
Since before Achilles dragged Hector's body around the walls of Troy, warriors have been desecrating the corpses of their vanquished enemies, whether to send a message or exact revenge.
And for just as long, they have known in their hearts it was wrong.
The video that surfaced this week of four Marines apparently urinating on three Taliban corpses has stirred outrage in the U.S. and beyond, but also focused attention on the brutalizing effects of war on those sent to wage it.
Reserve Marine Lt. Col. Paul Hackett, who teaches the law of war to Marines before they are sent off to Afghanistan, made it clear Friday that he was not condoning the Marines' actions. But he warned against judging them too harshly, saying: "When you ask young men to go kill people for a living, it takes a whole lot of effort to rein that in."
In the long history of war, the episode pales in comparison to other battlefield atrocities. But one difference this time was that, in the Internet age, it was captured on camera and instantly shared with the rest of the world.
"This outrage is so interesting to me because it almost tops that" of other, more ghastly war crimes, said psychologist Eric Zillmer, a Drexel University professor and co-editor of the book "Military Psychology: Clinical and Operational Applications." ''Because of the technology, the video, you actually see it. Most of the other war crimes, you heard about, you read about."
The Geneva Conventions forbid the desecration of the dead, and officials in the U.S. and abroad have called for swift punishment for the four Marines, identified as members of the 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marines, which fought in the Afghan province of Helmand for seven months before returning to Camp Lejeune, N.C.
The prohibition against desecrating the battlefield dead is almost as old as war itself.
In Homer's "Iliad," the epic poem about the Trojan War, which may have occurred in the 12th century B.C., Achilles kills Hector and refuses to allow for a proper burial. He relents after Zeus sends word that Achilles "tempts the wrath of heaven too far" with his desire to "vent his mad vengeance on the sacred dead."
In the 7th century, Abu Bakr, father-in-law of the prophet Muhammad and Islam's first caliph, issued 10 rules to his people for their guidance on the battlefield. Among them: "You must not mutilate dead bodies."
In 1907, the Hague Convention said that after every engagement, the combatants should take steps to protect the dead against "pillage." The first Geneva Convention in 1949 addressed preventing the dead from "being despoiled."
The history of war is replete with stories of atrocities committed to send a message. In the 15th century, Prince Vlad III of Wallachia struck fear in his Turkish enemies ? and earned his gruesome nickname, Vlad the Impaler ? by littering the battlefield with the impaled corpses of the vanquished.
Over the centuries, fingers, scalps and other body parts have been taken as battlefield trophies.
Nevertheless, Zillmer said the desecration of a dead foe is "taboo across cultures."
"It doesn't need to be explained to be inappropriate," he said. "Anybody who looks at it says it's disgusting."
But, like Hackett, he said it can be difficult for soldiers, particularly members of a tightknit group, to go on killing missions and then just "switch off." And he said the inhibitions against such misconduct tend to fall away as the number of participants increases, a phenomenon he calls "diffusion of responsibility."
Soldiers have long understood that savagery begets savagery ? or at least breeds indifference.
In his World War II memoir "With the Old Breed," E.B. Sledge wrote of seeing the bloated, blackened corpse of a fellow Marine on the Pacific island of Peleliu, his head and hands cut off, his severed penis stuffed in his mouth.
"My emotions solidified into rage and a hatred for the Japanese beyond anything I ever had experienced," he wrote. "From that moment on I never felt the least pity or compassion for them no matter what the circumstances. My comrades would field-strip their packs and pockets for souvenirs and take gold teeth, but I never saw a Marine commit the kind of barbaric mutilation the Japanese committed if they had access to our dead."
Urinating on the dead is not exactly a new idea.
In the same book, Sledge wrote with disgust about a young Marine officer on Okinawa: "If he could, that 'gentleman by the act of Congress' would locate a Japanese corpse, stand over it, and urinate in its mouth. It was the most repulsive thing I ever saw an American do in the war. I was ashamed that he was a Marine officer."
On the very day the video from Afghanistan emerged, Sgt. Sanick Dela Cruz took the stand in a courtroom at Camp Pendleton in California and testified that he urinated on the skull of a dead Iraqi in 2005. Dela Cruz made the admission during the court-martial of a Marine charged in the killings of 24 Iraqis in the town of Haditha.
Dela Cruz said he was overcome with grief over a comrade killed by a roadside bomb. "The emotion took over, sir," he told a military defense attorney.
Marty Brenner, an anger management specialist in Beverly Hills, Calif., who treats combat veterans and civilians, said the acts depicted in the video ? and the Marines' recording of it ? demonstrate rage.
"They have no other way of expressing their anger at these people," Brenner said, "so what they're doing is urinating on them to show, 'I'm better. I want the world to see you guys are crap and that's what you deserve.'"
In Jacksonville, N.C., the home of Camp Lejeune, some people resented criticism of the Marines over the video, and some expressed fear the footage would make their job harder.
"It demolished me to see that," said Arthur Wade, a Vietnam veteran who retired in 1989. "If one of those men being urinated on was your father, would you want to help the United States?"
But Maynard Sinclair, a Marine veteran of Vietnam and the peacekeeping mission in Beirut, said the outrage shows the public's naivet? about war.
"I did a hell of a lot worse in Vietnam than urinate on some dead bodies," he said. "We cut left ears off and wore them around our necks to show we were warriors, and we knew how to get revenge."
Gary Solis, a former Marine Corps prosecutor and judge who teaches law of war at Georgetown University, said the Internet has added a dimension that soldiers in the past did not have to deal with: "In Vietnam, when you screwed up, no one back home heard about it."
___
Breed reported from Raleigh, N.C., Watson from San Diego. Associated Press writer Tom Breen also contributed to this story from Jacksonville, N.C.
Associated Pressamericas next top model mark buehrle mark buehrle rick perry ad rick perry ad dragnet dragnet
Saturday, January 14, 2012
Video: Conservatives Rally for Romney?
Barry Wynn, Colonial Trust Company president, discusses why he has withdrawn support of Rick Perry and is now backing, Mitt Romney.
Related Links:
Business & financial news headlines from msnbc.com
Source: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/cnbc/45979357/
hunger games trailer austin rivers austin rivers ows kindle fire review community matt schaub
NATO service member dies in western Afghanistan
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) ? NATO says a coalition service member has died in Afghanistan of a "non-battle-related" injury.
The coalition says in a statement that the death on Friday was in the country's west. NATO has not released any further details, including the nationality of the soldier.
The fatality brings to 13 the number of international troops killed in Afghanistan this month.
Associated Presspackers green bay packers chiefs kc chiefs kc chiefs judy garland duggars
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)