Texas Vs. Oregon State Preview, Where To Watch Live Online, Betting Odds, Prediction For The Valero Alamo Bowl

The Texas Longhorns will enter Saturday?s Alamo Bowl without their starting quarterback against the No. 15 Oregon State Beavers in San Antonio.

Texas head coach Mack Brown sent reserve quarterback Case McCoy and linebacker Jordan Hicks back home for violating team rules, breaking their curfew, according to the AP.

Other reports suggest the players may have been involved in an alleged sexual assault that took place in the San Antonio area early Friday morning. However those reports have not been completely confirmed.

The 8-4 Longhorns enter Saturday?s? matchup after two straight losses to end their regular season. On Dec. 1, Texas fell to Big-12 champion Kansas State 42-24, with McCoy tossing two touchdowns along with two picks.

Texas held a 10-7 halftime lead after McCoy hit receiver Jaxon Shipley for a 14-yard score midway through the second quarter, but Kansas State responded with a blistering 35 points in the second half and the victory.

Like many teams that faced the Wildcats, the Longhorns couldn?t contain Heisman second-runner up Collin Klein, who rushed for a game-high 103 yards and two touchdowns.

The 9-3 Beavers had a far different regular season finale, annihilating Nicholls State 77-3 with 683 total offensive yards. It was a school-record in points scored in a single game, with quarterbacks Sean Mannion and Cody Vaz combining for five touchdowns and 421 yards.

Vaz entered the game after the Beavers were up 35-0, and is scheduled to start against the Longhorns.

Receiver Markus Wheaton had 12 catches for 123 yards and a score, and added a 10-yard rushing score, and Oregon State completed a six-game improvement from last season?s dismal 3-9 mark.

All that offense is complemented by a defense that lets up just under 20 points per game, ranked No. 22 in the country.

Texas will hand the ball back to sophomore quarterback David Ash, who started every game this season until McCoy took over in the second half against TCU on Nov. 22. Ash has totaled 2,458 passing yards with 17 touchdowns and seven interceptions, completing 67.7 percent of his passes.?

Coverage for the game will start at 6:45 p.m. EDT on ESPN, or you can watch their line online stream at Watch ESPN here.

Betting Odds:? Oregon State is favored by 4 points.

Over/Under: 58 points

Prediction:?Texas may struggle to keep the off-the-field distractions out of the game, even if they aren't very far from home. The Beavers are much improved, but still want to prove their season isnt' a fluke by beating one of college football's most storied programs. Look for Oregon State's Vaz and Wheaton to put up more big numbers in a rout.

Predicted Score: Oregon State 35 , Texas 17

Source: http://www.ibtimes.com/texas-vs-oregon-state-preview-where-watch-live-online-betting-odds-prediction-valero-alamo-bowl

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Activists say airstrike in north Syria kills 14

BEIRUT (AP) ? A government airstrike on a town in north Syria on Friday killed 14 people, mostly women and children, anti-regime activists said.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the 14 were killed in a strike on the town of al-Safira, south of the northern city of Aleppo. The dead included two women and eight children.

An Aleppo activist who spoke on condition of anonymity for security reasons provided a list of the names of the dead and said the government often strikes the town because rebels are attacking a large military complex on its outskirts.

Rebels clashed with soldiers there on Friday, he said.

A video posted online that purported to show the site of the strike showed a large area covered with the rubble and the walls sheared off of a row of buildings nearby.

The video appeared genuine and corresponded to other AP reporting.

Activists say the regime often takes revenge for rebel advances by bombing residential areas. They say more than 40,000 have been killed in Syria since the start of the uprising against President Bashar Assad in March 2011.

Earlier in the day, activists said that rebels stepped up their siege of a military base further to the north, near the Turkish border, and government warplanes bombed surrounding areas to support the defenders.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/activists-airstrike-north-syria-kills-14-174543423.html

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How to Set Your PR Resolutions for 2013

December 27, 2012

Whenever a new year arrives, it represents the perfect time to look back at your business? PR efforts over the past year to assess their effectiveness and to look forward to determine what you want to achieve in the coming year. In other words, it?s the perfect time to set resolutions. But unlike the resolutions we set to lose weight or be better with our money, only to give up on achieving them after a few weeks, PR resolutions need to be taken seriously. They need to serve as your guide for the next year, helping guide your daily PR efforts as you work to achieve bigger goals.

But how exactly do you go about making PR resolutions for your business? What kind of goals should you be setting?

I believe a good goal is:

• Ambitious ? A good goal is something that forces you to work hard in order to achieve it. It?s not something that will be handed to you. It should have challenges and obstacles for you to overcome along the way as you push yourself to new heights.
• Realistic ? When setting goals, it can be easy to get carried away. There?s a thin line between being ambitious and being unrealistic. If you set goals that simply can?t be reached, you?re setting yourself up for failure and disappointment, and you?ll end up quitting altogether when you see you can?t reach your goals.
• Measurable ? How can you know if you?re achieving your goals or on the right track if you have nothing to measure against? Good PR goals are specific and measurable.
• Deadline driven ? Finally, a good goal has a deadline or timeframe for achieving the outcome.

Tips for Setting Your PR Goals for the New Year

Now that you have a better understanding of what makes a good PR goals, let?s delve into some specific tips to keep in mind when creating your goals for the coming year.

• Be specific ? In order to create a goal that is measurable, make it as concrete as possible. In other words, don?t just say that you want to increase brand awareness. Say that you want to increase awareness by X% using current research and a follow-up study to confirm.
• Align your PR goals with broader business goals ? Your PR goals should support your business? bigger goals. In other words, if your business goal is to increase customer retention by 10% this year, you should have a PR goal that supports that, such as improving customer satisfaction ratings by X%.
• Set milestones ? While you might have big goals for 2013 (and beyond), it?s a good idea to create small milestones for your big goals that allow you to track your progress along the way. Breaking your big goals down into smaller goals makes them less overwhelming and more manageable, and it allows you to adjust your strategy along the way if you see that what you?re doing isn?t working.
• Identify the challenges ? As I said earlier, a good goal is ambitious. And ambitious goals have challenges that will try to prevent you from reaching your goals. By identifying likely obstacles ahead of time, you can create a plan for getting around them and keeping them from stopping you.

Have you started setting PR goals for 2013? What tips would you add to this post?

This article is written by Mickie Kennedy, founder of eReleases (http://www.ereleases.com), the online leader in affordable press release distribution. Download a free copy of the PR Checklist ? a 24 point list of Press Release Dos and Don?ts here: http://www.ereleases.com/prchecklist.html

Tags: brand awareness, business pr, challenges, money, new year, obstacles, pr efforts, setting goals

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Source: http://www.ereleases.com/prfuel/how-to-set-your-pr-resolutions-for-2013/

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THG Celebrity of the Year Finalist #3: Taylor Swift!

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2012/12/thg-celebrity-of-the-year-finalist-number-3-taylor-swift/

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A Day In The Life Of A Work-From-Home Online Marketer - Best Web ...

Some people in this world would love nothing more than to work from home. Your schedule, your rules. Heck, doesn?t sound like too bad of a gig now does it? A good number of these work-from-home folks are Internet-based business people and/or Internet marketers. I told you recently all about how to become a web host, but being an online marketer in the general sense of the word attrats a lot of online entrepreneurs. Now, let?s see what a ?day in the life of? looks like for Joe Shmoe.

After a night full of digital, ?cybery?-like dreams, Joe?s alarm clock goes off at 7:30am. The snooze button is hit, as usual, and 8am finally rolls around (the real waking up time).

Jumping out of bed Joe turns on his PC and grabs his usual breakfast ? a bowl of oatmeal and orange juice ? and boots up Outlook Express. Time to start cracking on 28 new emails? not including spam.

After sifting through the important and not-so-important emails, Joe logs in to the backend of his ?money? site to see of any nightly activity in his cPanel. A couple interesting finds.

First, a spike in traffic. His cPanel reveals that yesterday?s traffic was higher than it has ever been, 414 unique visitors. Score!

Oh and that?s right, he realized he completely forgot what he was supposed to do yesterday. Joe abruptly changes pace and installs WordPress on two of his new websites which he was planning to do yesterday. Luckily as he?s using WHC, it only takes seconds to get everything squared away. Can?t beat WordPress? one-click install!

Back to the findings ? and this one is rather unfortunate. There was a hack attempt to one of his sites. Luckily his cPanel?s security did well in securing his data and no harm was done. As should be done regularly, Joe backs up his files for each of his sites? just in case.

Time to check sales, whether it be good news or bad. Joe logs into his affiliate accounts on PeerFly and Commission Junction and score ? $178 in commissions! All overnight? nothing better than passive income.

Since Joe recently signed up for his hosting, only about a month ago, he decides to look further into his free Google AdWords credit which he received when signing up. Clearly there?s no reason not to take advantage of it ? it?s free! Plus, one of his new ventures, a landing page for obtaining payday loan leads, he thinks the $100 for cost-per-click advertising could provide some great ROI.

*An hour passes*.

AdWords is now all ready to go, campaigns set, and Joe?s stomach is hungry ? lunch time! And time for a jog after digesting. (Hey reader, don?t forget? online marketers need exercise too. Sitting all day takes a toll on our body and mixing things up is a must.)

After lunch it?s time to check for available domains. Since unlimited domains are able to be hosted, stacking up as many as possible for future projects is a good idea. For only $8 a year per domain, even if a site brings in $5 per month, a profit is being made. And with 100 sites or even more, those are some nice paydays!

What a productive day Joe has had so far? and it?s only early afternoon!

Source: http://www.webhostingratings.ca/a-day-in-the-life-of-a-work-from-home-online-marketer/

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Less Common Ways of Saving on Auto Insurance Quotes | Business ...

When shopping for car insurance, there are many options open to you. It can be overwhelming and seem difficult to save any money. Here are some less conventional ways that you can save money on your auto insurance quotes.

Do you have a large or small car? The size of your car can impact your auto insurance quotes. A smaller car weighs less, and is therefore more likely to be involved n a serious accident. You are also more likely to drive a smaller car more often. On the flip side, if you own a truck, van, or SUV, you might end up paying more because of the costs of repairing these types of vehicles. In order to save the most money, look at the costs of maintaining your vehicle vs. the costs to insure a vehicle and make your car buying decision based on these figures.

Look into purchasing a hybrid vehicle. Most people skip on considering hybrid vehicles because they often cost more up front. However, they will most likely save you money in multiple ways. First, there are often tax credits or deductions available for people who purchase a hybrid. You can also sometimes get a discount directly from your insurance agency. Finally, and most obviously, you will save money on gasoline costs. Some insurance companies offer up to 10% off for a hybrid vehicle, so they are worth your consideration.

How much do you drive? You should figure out a rough estimate of how many miles you drive each year before beginning your insurance search. People who drive more miles will likely end up paying a higher premium. This is because the more often you are on the road, the more chances you have of getting into an accident, making you slightly more risky to insure. Some companies offer a monitoring device so they can know how often and at what times you drive, and offer you a discount based on the results.

Choose a reputable carrier. Before committing to a policy, research the company?s reputation. Find out whether or not they have had numerous legitimate complaints. Also check the financial rating. You can find this information through online reviews, employees of the company, or family and friends that have used it.

Are you going to be insuring young drivers? Teenaged drivers are statistically more likely to have an accident, likely due to their short amount of driving experience. This means they often pay more when it comes to auto insurance quotes. However, there are many insurance companies out there that offer discounts for teens if they are good students, complete driver education classes, or have monitoring devices installed in their vehicle. Find multiple quotes in order to find the best policy for your teen.

As you can see, there are many different ways to save money on auto insurance quotes. The best thing you can do is put the effort forth to research thoroughly and find as many quotes as you can. This way you can be sure you know what is out there and available to you.

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Source: http://www.paintballthetford.net/1291-less-common-ways-of-saving-on-auto-insurance-quotes.html

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MMA Marketplace: Chris Leben returns to the cage with a pretty sweet Affliction shirt

Chris Leben hasn't fought in more than a year. After losing to Mark Munoz in November of 2011, he tested positive for a banned painkiller and was suspended for a year. On Saturday, he'll try to get his career back on track against Derek Brunson, a Strikeforce fighter making his UFC debut.

For Leben's return, Affliction designed a shirt featuring graphics from his tattoos.

It has more meaning than your average Affliction design. Unfortunately, the design comes with a high price. Buy it here for $57.99.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/mma-marketplace-chris-leben-returns-cage-pretty-sweet-150818293--mma.html

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Holiday Pet Safety Tips ? Dr. Patrick Mahaney

This article originally appeared on my ongoing series of articles for?Flexcin International, Inc?as?Holiday Pet Safety Tips

?

Have you ever placed the last ornament on your tree, gazing admiringly at your work, only to realize Fido is running full speed ahead at your masterpiece? Or what about looking over to see Fluffy engulfed in menorah flames? Hopefully, neither of these situations has ever happened to you, but keep in mind that many of your favorite decorations can pose serious dangers for the animals in your home.

Here is a list of the top offending holiday decorations and the harm they can cause your pets:

Candles

Some pets are attracted to the aroma of scented candles (cinnamon, fig, vanilla ? yum!) and may be drawn to the flame (like a moth).? If lit candles are ingested,?hot wax will burn the mouth and tongue?and the waxy nature of candles can cause?digestive tract upset. If a pet knocks over a candle,?flammable household materials?and/or their?fur could ignite.

Lights

Strings of electric lights pose temptation to many pets, especially cats.? Severe?oral burns?and?life threatening shock?will occur from electrical cord bites.? Additionally, a pet?s limb or neck can be caught in a string of lights, causing a tourniquet effect on the limb or?strangulation?of the neck.

Garland/Tinsel

Consumption of garland or tinsel is especially treacherous for pets. Both can cause a linear foreign body, with one end of the strand anchored higher in the stomach or intestines and the free end traveling down the digestive tract.? The intestines will continually contract (peristalsis) and bunch up around the length of the strand, causing reduced blood flow and a ?sawing effect? on the inside of the intestines.? Ultimately, this can lead to?intestinal perforation.

Festive Plants

A variety of plants are associated with the winter holiday season, some toxic and others not.? Even if a plant is considered non-toxic, its ingestion could still make your pet sick.

Toxic to Cats & Dogs

• Amaryllis
• Holly
• House Pine
• Mistletoe (American or European)

Not Toxic to Cats & Dogs

• Poinsettia
• Christmas Cactus

Prioritize Pet Safety in Your Holiday Planning

Of course I?m not suggesting you be a Grinch and avoid holiday decorating, nor would I ever suggest leaving your animal friends out of the festivities. What I will suggest is you keep your pets safety in mind with these tips:

• Only permit entry in rooms containing decorations in your presence.
• Train your pets to avoid decor by using positive reinforcement. Divert their attention using pet-appropriate food treats or an exciting toy.
• Use flameless candles.
• Bind together strands of electric cords and apply a few sprays of a deterrent (Bitter Apple, vinegar, etc.).
• If a guest brings a holiday plant into your home, inquire about its toxic potential by visiting theAPSCA Animal Poison Control.

?

Thank you for reading this article. ?Your questions and comments are completely welcome (I?ll respond).

Please feel free to communicate with me through Twitter (@PatrickMahaney) and follow my adventures in veterinary medicine by liking?Patrick Mahaney: Veterinarian Acupuncture Pain Management for Your Pets?on Facebook.

Copyright of this article (2012) is owned by Dr Patrick Mahaney, Veterinarian and Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist. Republishing any portion of this article must first be authorized by Dr Patrick Mahaney. Requests for republishing must be approved by Dr Patrick Mahaney and received in written format.

Tagged as: candles, Christmas, Christmas Tree, Festive Plants, fire, Garland/Tinsel, holiday, holiday pet safety, Holiday Plants, Lights, Menorah, pet safety

Source: http://www.patrickmahaney.com/animal-treatment/holiday-pet-safety-tips/

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Different Auto Insurance Policies | Celeste Bright

The number of drivers on the road increases every year. This could lead to an increased likelihood of a car accident for you and your family. If you get in a car crash, the auto insurance you own can make a large difference in what happens next. How can you determine what insurance you need and how you can purchase it? Required coverage varies by state/province but typically includes the following: Liability: Bodily injury and property damage that you are responsible for will be paid for under liability insurance. Bodily injury damages include medical fees, lost wages, and pain and suffering. Property damage includes damaged property and loss of use of property. If you are in legal trouble, it also pays your legal fees. State laws typically require standard amounts, but higher amounts can be purchased and are extremely helpful. Personal Injury Protection: This is required in some states and is optional in others. It pays you or your passengers for medical treatment resulting from a crash, regardless of who may have been at fault, and is often called no-fault coverage. It may also pay for lost wages, replacement of services and funeral costs. State government typically sets minimum amounts. Medical Payments: Medical payment coverage is available in non-no-fault states; it pays regardless of who may be responsible. All reasonable medical or funeral expenses will be covered under this type of coverage. Collision: Damages that occur from a car accident will be covered under this kind of insurance. Comprehensive: Applies if your vehicle is stolen or damaged by causes other than a collision, including fire, wind, hail, flood or vandalism. Uninsured Motorist: Pays for damages when an insured person is injured in an accident caused by another person who does not have liability insurance or by a person who cannot be identified (typically a hit-and-run driver). Under-Insured Motorist: Pays for damages when an insured person is injured in an accident caused by another person who does not have the right amount of insurance to pay for the total cost of the damages. Emergency road service, car rental, and other types of car insurance can also be purchased. Insurance Etowah TN

Insurance Brokers

Source: http://celestebright.com/different-auto-insurance-policies-2/

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Alligator found in Detroit | WTVR.com ? Richmond News & Weather ...

Posted on: 10:11 pm, December 24, 2012, by Alix Bryan, updated on: 12:06am, December 25, 2012

(CNN) -The Michigan Humane Society is now the new home of this five-foot-long alligator.

Someone dumped it on a street in Detroit on Thursday night.

A man helped rescue the reptile after neighbors say they saw someone toss it out of a truck.

The Humane Society picked up the animal on Friday and took it to its facility that handles exotics.

Source: http://wtvr.com/2012/12/24/five-foot-alligator-found-dumped-in-detroit/

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The Well Column: Laws of Physics Can't Trump the Bonds of Love

Jeffrey Wright is well known around his high school in Louisville, Ky., for his antics as a physics teacher, which include exploding pumpkins, hovercraft and a scary experiment that involves a bed of nails, a cinder block and a sledgehammer.

But it is a simple lecture ? one without props or fireballs ? that leaves the greatest impression on his students each year. The talk is about Mr. Wright?s son and the meaning of life, love and family.

It has become an annual event at Louisville Male Traditional High School (now coed, despite its name), and it has been captured in a short documentary, ?Wright?s Law,? which recently won a gold medal in multimedia in the national College Photographer of the Year competition, run by the University of Missouri.

The filmmaker, Zack Conkle, 22, a photojournalism graduate of Western Kentucky University and a former student of Mr. Wright?s, said he made the film because he would get frustrated trying to describe Mr. Wright?s teaching style. ?I wanted to show people this guy is crazy and really amazing,? Mr. Conkle said in an interview.

The beginning of the film shows Mr. Wright, now 45, at his wackiest. A veteran of 23 years teaching, he does odd experiments involving air pressure and fiery chemicals ? and one in which he lies on a bed of nails with a cinder block on his chest. A student takes a sledgehammer and swings, shattering the block and teaching a physics lesson about force and energy.

But each year, Mr. Wright gives a lecture on his experiences as a parent of a child with special needs. His son, Adam, now 12, has a rare disorder called Joubert syndrome, in which the part of the brain related to balance and movement fails to develop properly. Visually impaired and unable to control his movements, Adam breathes rapidly and doesn?t speak.

Mr. Wright said he decided to share his son?s story when his physics lessons led students to start asking him ?the big questions.?

?When you start talking about physics, you start to wonder, ?What is the purpose of it all?? ? he said in an interview. ?Kids started coming to me and asking me those ultimate questions. I wanted them to look at their life in a little different way ? as opposed to just through the laws of physics ? and give themselves more purpose in life.?

Mr. Wright starts his lecture by talking about the hopes and dreams he had for Adam and his daughter, Abbie, now 15. He recalls the day Adam was born, and the sadness he felt when he learned of his condition.

?All those dreams about ever watching my son knock a home run over the fence went away,? he tells the class. ?The whole thing about where the universe came from? I didn?t care. ? I started asking myself, what was the point of it??

All that changed one day when Mr. Wright saw Abbie, about 4 at the time, playing with dolls on the floor next to Adam. At that moment he realized that his son could see and play ? that the little boy had an inner life. He and his wife, Nancy, began teaching Adam simple sign language. One day, his son signed ?I love you.?

In the lecture, Mr. Wright signs it for the class: ?Daddy, I love you.? ?There is nothing more incredible than the day you see this,? he says, and continues: ?There is something a lot greater than energy. There?s something a lot greater than entropy. What?s the greatest thing??

?Love,? his students whisper.

?That?s what makes the why of what we exist,? Mr. Wright tells the spellbound students. ?In this great big universe, we have all those stars. Who cares? Well, somebody cares. Somebody cares about you a lot. As long as we care about each other, that?s where we go from here.?

As the students file out of class, some wipe away tears and hug their teacher.

Mr. Wright says it can be emotionally draining to share his story with his class. But that is part of his role as a physics teacher.

?When you look at physics, it?s all about laws and how the world works,? he told me. ?But if you don?t tie those laws into a much bigger purpose, the purpose in your heart, then they are going to sit there and ask the question ?Who cares??

?Kids are very spiritual ? they want a bigger purpose. I think that?s where this story gives them something to think about.?

Mr. Wright says the lecture has one other purpose: to inspire students to pursue careers in science and genetic research.

?That?s where I find hope in my students,? he said. ?Maybe if I can instill a little inspiration to my students to go into these fields, who knows? We might be able to come up with something we can use to help Adam out one day.?

Source: http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/12/24/laws-of-physics-cant-trump-the-bonds-of-love/?partner=rss&emc=rss

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Lawmakers see 'fiscal cliff' deal as elusive

President Barack Obama speaks to reporters about the fiscal cliff in the Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House in Washington, Friday, Dec. 21, 2012. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

President Barack Obama speaks to reporters about the fiscal cliff in the Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House in Washington, Friday, Dec. 21, 2012. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

WASHINGTON (AP) ? With anxiety rising as the country lurches towards a "fiscal cliff," lawmakers are increasingly skeptical about a possible deal and some predict the best possibility would be a small-scale patch because time is running out before the yearend deadline.

Sen. Joe Lieberman predicted Sunday: "We're going to spend New Year's Eve here, I believe."

Even those who see the possibility of a deal don't expect a lot.

Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, said she expects "it is going to be a patch because in four days we can't solve everything."

With the collapse Thursday of House Speaker John Boehner's plan to allow tax rates to rise on million-dollar-plus incomes, Lieberman said: "It's the first time that I feel it's more likely we'll go over the cliff than not," meaning that higher taxes for most Americans and painful federal agency budget cuts would be in line to go ahead.

"If we allow that to happen it will be the most colossal consequential act of congressional irresponsibility in a long time, maybe ever in American history because of the impact it'll have on almost every American," said Lieberman, a Connecticut independent.

Wyoming Sen. Jon Barrasso, a member of the GOP leadership, predicted the new year would come without an agreement, and he faulted the White House.

"I believe the president is eager to go over the cliff for political purposes. He senses a victory at the bottom of the cliff," he said.

Democratic Sen. Kent Conrad of North Dakota, chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, was incredulous at Barrasso's assertion that 'there is only one person that can provide the leadership" on such a matter vital to the nation's interests.

"There are 535 of us that can provide leadership. There are 435 in the House, 100 in the Senate and there is the president, all of us have a responsibility here," he said. "And, you know what is happening? What is happening is the same old tired blame game. He said/she said. I think the American people are tired of it. What they want to hear is 'What is the solution?'"

President Barack Obama and Congress are on a short holiday break. Congress is expected to be back at work Thursday and Obama will be back in the White House after a few days in Hawaii.

"It is time to get back to the table," said Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., "And I hope if anyone sees these representatives from the House in line shopping or getting their Christmas turkey, they wish them a merry Christmas, they're civil, and then say 'go back to the table, not your own table, the table in Washington.'"

Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., said he expects something will be passed, but nothing that will solve the nation's growing financial problems.

"I think there's unfortunately only going to be a small deal," he said, but added "it's critical we get to the big deal."

Obama already has scaled back his ambitions for a sweeping budget bargain. Before leaving the capital on Friday, he called for a limited measure that extends George W. Bush-era tax cuts for most people and stave off federal spending cuts. The president also urged Congress to extend jobless benefits for the long-term unemployed that would otherwise be cut off for 2 million people at the end of the year.

The failure of Boehner's option in the House has shifted the focus.

"The ball is now clearly with the Senate," said Lieberman.

He said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada and GOP leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky "have the ability to put this together again and pass something. It won't be a big, grand bargain to take care of the total debt, but they can do some things that will avoid the worst consequences going over the fiscal cliff."

It was only a week ago when news emerged that Obama and Boehner had significantly narrowed their differences. Both were offering a cut in taxes for most Americans, an increase for a relative few and cuts of roughly $1 trillion in spending over a year. Also included was a scaling back of future cost-of-living increases for Social Security recipients ? a concession on the president's part as much as agreeing to higher tax rates was for the speaker.

Lieberman was on CNN's "State of the Union," while Barrasso, Klobuchar and Conrad appeared on "Fox News Sunday." Hutchison and Warner were on CBS' "Face the Nation."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2012-12-24-Fiscal%20Cliff/id-9b16d28f8b104f5a93ec9c3667ebb981

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Seattle D schools Kaepernick? |? 49ers need bye badly

SEATTLE -- Coach Jim Harbaugh knew there would be games like this for Colin Kaepernick.

The second-year player struggled with the crowd noise Sunday night against the Seattle Seahawks in the 49ers' 42-13 loss in front of a national television audience. He threw an interception in the end zone, and had a couple other attempts that could have been picked off, too.

[MAIOCCO: Instant Replay -- 49ers shamed in Seattle]

But Harbaugh said he is giving no thought to making a switch back to Alex Smith. When asked if there's any question that Kaepernick is his starter, Harbaugh said, "Yeah, I don't believe there's a question about that."

Kaepernick completed 19 of 36 passes for 244 yards with one touchdown and one interception for a season-low passer rating of 72.0 in his six starts. Harbaugh wanted Kaepernick to get seven starts to finish the regular season to prepare his young quarterback for the playoffs.

"Everybody's going to feel the same way after this," Harbaugh said. "This wasn't good. Can't feel like you coached well. Can't feel like you played well after this one."

Said Kaepernick, "Every time you're on the field you learn something, so we just have to take what we can from this game and move on."

Kaepernick opened the game with three consecutive incompletions. Seattle immediately scored a touchdown. After the 49ers' first two possessions, Kaepernick completed just 1 of 5 attempts for minus-1 yard. And after just 10 minutes, the 49ers trailed 14-0.

"He did his job," 49ers tight end Delanie Walker said. "It takes the other 10 players to help him and make plays for him, and we didn't do that."

In the first half, the 49ers were called for two delay-of-game penalties. Kaepernick called timeouts on two other occasions with the play clock winding down.

"It's loud in other stadiums, too," said Kaepernick, who was named NFC Offensive Player of the Week after throwing four touchdowns in the 49ers' win last week over the New England Patriots. "It's something you just have to get used to on the road. . . We just have to get in and out of the huddle. That is something that we can control."

Said Seattle coach Pete Carroll, "They had a little bit of trouble tonight with the clock. They got some delays tonight for whatever reason. They are very deliberate, one of the slowest teams in terms of that. Tonight it caught them a couple of times."

Source: http://www.csnbayarea.com/blog/matt-maiocco/tough-seahawks-defense-provides-lessons-kaepernick

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Audits of businesses for illegal immigrants rising

In this Friday, Dec. 21, 2012 photo, workers, from left, Aaron Roaf, Levi Wilson, and Jason Ray stack pieces of milled wood trim at Belco Forest Products in Shelton, Wash. The workers were hired after an audit by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Department resulted in the layoff of more than 20 workers for having suspect documents authorizing them to work in the United States. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

In this Friday, Dec. 21, 2012 photo, workers, from left, Aaron Roaf, Levi Wilson, and Jason Ray stack pieces of milled wood trim at Belco Forest Products in Shelton, Wash. The workers were hired after an audit by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Department resulted in the layoff of more than 20 workers for having suspect documents authorizing them to work in the United States. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

In this Friday, Dec. 21, 2012 photo, Pepe Rodriguez measures a load of primed wood trim at Belco Forest Products in Shelton, Wash. Rodriguez was hired after an audit by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Department resulted in the layoff of more than 20 workers for having suspect documents authorizing them to work in the United States. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

In this Friday, Dec. 21, 2012 photo, Tom Behrens, left, controller of the Belco Forest Products mill in Shelton, Wash., talks with millwright Steve Rash, second from left, as Justin Harris, third from left, monitors a painting machine at the mill in Shelton, Wash. Behrens had to replace more than 20 workers after an audit by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Department found that they had suspect documents authorizing them to work in the United States. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

In this Friday, Dec. 21, 2012 photo, Tom Behrens, controller of the Belco Forest Products mill in Shelton, Wash., poses for a photo as a forklift moves a load of wood trim, at the mill in Shelton, Wash. Behrens had to replace more than 20 workers after an audit by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Department found that they had suspect documents authorizing them to work in the United States. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

In this Friday, Dec. 21, 2012 photo, Erin Hall marks a load of wood trim at Belco Forest Products in Shelton, Wash. Hall was hired after an audit by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Department resulted in the layoff of more than 20 workers for having suspect documents authorizing them to work in the United States. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

SEATTLE (AP) ? U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement reached its highest number yet of companies audited for illegal immigrants on their payrolls this past fiscal year.

Audits of employer I-9 forms increased from 250 in fiscal year 2007 to more than 3,000 in 2012. From fiscal years 2009 to 2012, the total amount of fines grew to nearly $13 million from $1 million. The number of company managers arrested has increased to 238, according to data provided by ICE.

The investigations of companies have been one of the pillars of President Barack Obama's immigration policy.

When Obama recently spoke about addressing immigration reform in his second term, he said any measure should contain penalties for companies that purposely hire illegal immigrants. It's not a new stand, but one he will likely highlight as his administration launches efforts to revamp the nation's immigration system.

"Our goal is compliance and deterrence," said Brad Bench, special agent in charge at ICE's Seattle office. "The majority of the companies we do audits on end up with no fines at all, but again it's part of the deterrence method. If companies know we're out there, looking across the board, they're more likely to bring themselves into compliance."

While the administration has used those numbers to bolster their record on immigration enforcement, advocates say the audits have pushed workers further underground by causing mass layoffs and disrupted business practices.

When the ICE audit letter arrived at Belco Forest Products, management wasn't entirely surprised. Two nearby businesses in Shelton, a small timber town on a bay off Washington state's Puget Sound, had already been investigated.

But the 2010 inquiry became a months-long process that cost the timber company experienced workers and money. It was fined $17,700 for technicalities on their record keeping.

"What I don't like is the roll of the dice," said Belco's chief financial officer Tom Behrens. "Why do some companies get audited and some don't? Either everyone gets audited or nobody does. Level the playing field."

Belco was one of 339 companies fined in fiscal year 2011 and one of thousands audited that year.

Employers are required to have their workers fill out an I-9 form that declares them authorized to work in the country. Currently, an employer needs only to verify that identifying documents look real.

The audits, part of a $138 million worksite enforcement effort, rely on ICE officers scouring over payroll records to find names that don't match Social Security numbers and other identification databases.

The audits "don't make any sense before a legalization program," said Daniel Costa, an immigration policy analyst at the Economic Policy Institute, a Washington, D.C., think tank. "You're leaving the whole thing up to an employer's eyesight and subjective judgment, that's the failure of the law. There's no verification at all. Then you have is the government making a subjective judgment about subjective judgment."

An AP review of audits that resulted in fines in fiscal year 2011 shows that the federal government is fining industries across the country reliant on manual labor and that historically have hired immigrants. The data provides a glimpse into the results of a process affecting thousands of companies and thousands of workers nationwide.

Over the years, ICE has switched back-and-forth between making names of the companies fined public or not. Lately, ICE has emphasized its criminal investigations of managers, such as a Dunkin' Donuts manager in Maine sentenced to home arrest for knowingly hiring illegal immigrants or a manager of an Illinois hiring firm who got 18 months in prison.

Many employers also wonder how ICE picks the companies it probes.

"Geography is not a factor. The size of the company is not a factor. And the industry it's in is not a factor. We can audit any company anywhere of any size," Bench said. He added ICE auditors follow leads from the public, other employers, employees and do perform some random audits.

But ICE auditors hit ethnic stores, restaurants, bakeries, manufacturing companies, construction, food packaging, janitorial services, catering, dairies and farms. The aviation branch of corporate giant GE, franchises of sandwich shop Subway and a subsidiary of food product company Heinz were among some of the companies with national name recognition. GE was fined $2,000.

In fiscal year 2011, the most recent year reviewed by AP, the median fine was $11,000. The state with the most workplaces fined was Texas with 63, followed by New Jersey with 37.

The lowest fine was $90 to a Massachusetts fishing company. The highest fine was $394,944 to an employment agency in Minneapolis, according to the data released to AP through a public records request.

A Subway spokesman said the company advises franchise owners to follow the law. A Heinz spokesman declined comment.

Bench didn't have specifics on what percentage of fines come from companies having illegal immigrants on their payroll, as opposed to technical paperwork fines in recent years.

Julie Wood, a former deputy director at ICE who now runs a consulting firm, said she'd like to see the burden of proving the legality of a company's workforce go from the employer to the government. She'd like to see a type of program, such as E-Verify, be implemented with the I-9 employment form. E-Verify is a voluntary and free program for private employers that checks a workers eligibility.

"At the end of the day, the fine is the least of it," she said. "Usually the company will spend more on legal fees. But it is a huge headache for the company to lose workers."

Wood said she'd like to see the agency go after more criminal charges and focus on companies that treat workers inhumanely.

___

Manuel Valdes can be reached at http://twitter.com/ByManuelValdes

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/89ae8247abe8493fae24405546e9a1aa/Article_2012-12-23-Immigration-Audits/id-4f57d1f95bf84576af7dd46203cedddc

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How Obama spent Day 1 of his Christmas vacation in Hawaii (Star Tribune)

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Need To Know

A 1x1 RolePlay between BleedingLover and Little Fox

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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.
The Chosen Ones
Humans with a hand-given destiny by Arceus to save the world.

The Dreams
Since they were small children, they have had strange dreams. Dreams that were nothing more than fleeting glimpses of colorful and glowing shards and even the Sword of Vale. They've had visions of Arceus and a strange world where there are creatures that resemble Pokemon, but none of the Pokemon that they've ever seen.

Team Mystic
The "evil" side of the war, apparently. They want to capture The Chosen Ones to help them recruit Pokemon and find Arceus' treasures.

The War
Team Mystic has been using their Pok?mon to abuse humans and mutants alike, greedy for rare Pok?mon and treasures. They've recently discovered information regarding the Mystic Shards and The Chosen Ones and now seek to possess them. Their abuse has grown as they stop at nothing to find these Chosen Ones.

Arceus Treasures
The very last shards, larger than the rest. Its rumored that they can create new Pok?mon and even open doors to other dimensions. Hidden by Arceus - Only the Chosen Ones have an idea of where they could be. They ofen have dreams showing fleeting images of the shards' whereabouts. There is also the Sword of the Vale of which Team Mystic wishes to use to control the Dragon Force. No-one knows where it is now, but the Chosen Ones often see fleeting glimpses of it in their dreams just as much as the Mystic Shards.

Pokemon
The Chosen Ones can only capture Pokemon that correspond with their Type. For now. They have an intense bond with Pokemon of their Type and literally have never felt the need to capture a Pokemon of any other Type. The ability to capture other Pokemon Types will be introduced soon - With a light twist. What happens if they try to capture a Pokemon not their Type, you ask? Their Pokeball simply won't work at all. What happens if their Pokemon will evolve into something that isn't their corresponding type anymore? They won't evolve. The trainer can choose to let it evolve, but they will no longer own it - The Ownership seal from the Pokeball will break.

Communication
All Chosen Ones can use telepathy with their Pok?mon and Pokemon that they've established a strong bond with. Chosen Ones can understand all Pok?mon when they speak - Not just their own. They can also feel their Pokemon's emotions as their Pokemon can feel their trainer's as well.

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Dragon Type and Martial Arts Mentor

"If you want to train Dragons, you gotta be fearless!"
Full Name
Eric Brian Caron

Age
42

Gender
Male

Classes
Weapons Master
Black Belt (Capoeira)
Ninja
Massage Therapist

Current Pok?mon Team

Personality
Outgoing. Strong-willed. Passionate. Never-back-down mindset.

---

Grass Type and Breeder Mentor

"If you need help, all you gotta do is ask!"
Full Name
Miki Renata Sakaki-Kond?

Age
27

Gender
Female

Classes
Botanist
Evolver
Medic
Hatcher

Current Pok?mon Team

Personality
Maternal. Studious. Trusting.

---

Flying Type and Capture Specialist Mentor

"To the skies....AWAY!"
Full Name
Cloud Jenara Lightfoot

Age
29

Gender
Female

Classes
Engineer
Artificer
Apricorn Smith
Pokeball Designer

Current Pok?mon Team

Personality
Spirited. Free-soul. Lively.

---

Water Type and Researcher Mentor

"Ugh. Can't you do better than that?"
Full Name
Mizuki Nana Kondo

Age
40

Gender
Male

Classes
Watcher
Professor
Scientist
Petrologist

Current Pok?mon Team

Personality
Socially precise. Strict. Aggressive.

---

Fire Type and Ace Trainer Mentor

"I'll see you bright and early tomorrow!"
Full Name
Ember Marie Test

Age
25

Gender
Female

Classes
Stat Ace
Tag Battler
Black Belt (Muay boran)

Current Pok?mon Team

Personality
Complacent. Self-sufficient. Rowdy.

---

Psychic Mentor

"Let us meditate."
Full Name
Ellen Lynn Ornova

Age
23

Gender
Female

Classes
Hex Maniac
Clairsentient
Empath

Current Pok?mon Team

Personality
Reserved. Staid. Discreet.

Little Fox

Member for 0 years

---

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