Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/286104355?client_source=feed&format=rss
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Wednesday, February 20, 2013
are these good rules for an RP?
I'm working on creating a fantasy RP right now and I want to have a few strict rules while also giving the players as much freedom as possible. Am I being too strict? Is there anything that I should mention that I forgot? Thanks for any feedback!
PURPOSE:
To create a fun and fairly simple fantasy story in an original setting that has potential to expand.
CHARACTER RULES:
I want to to keep the potential for most characters as open as possible, while also eliminating the chances of having any overpowered characters or uninteresting ones. *ATTENTION* I reserve the right to ask you to review your character design if I believe it is too powerful or doesn't fit into the setting.
1. Keep in mind the setting. Most characters will be from the desert or have lived near the desert for most of their lives.
2. I have suggested a few races, but if you have an idea for a character of a different race, send me a PM with your concept and I will probably allow it.
3. Be careful when creating a character with latent magical abilities. It is very easy to overpower magical characters.
4. All characters must have a completed character sheet. You must fill every bracket, but not all of the information has to be completely precise.
CHARACTER CREATION:
Be sure to give at least a paragraph in each of the boxes for character creation. Keep in mind these things as well:
- If you are playing an original race, give a brief description of appearances and culture.
- Mention all magical abilities and physical skills.
- Don't forget, just because it is on your character sheet, it doesn't mean that the other characters know these things about you.
RULES:
1. Please write like you would if you would have to be graded on your posts. I'm not going to accept characters if you don't have a basic grasp of English grammar.
2. All posts must be at least 250 words.
3. I want to keep this RP moving, so please be willing to post at least every couple of days and check in at least once a day or every other day.
4. This RP will probably involve a lot of fighting. However, I'm not interested in this being an adult RP, so no extreme blood or gore, no sex and no swearing.
OTHER:
Because I am the GM and this is my world, I reserve the right to veto anything. Don't be afraid, though, because I am open to most anything.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RolePlayGateway/~3/eMWuWT-lVCs/viewtopic.php
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Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Google May Face Fines in Europe Privacy Probe
Google Inc. faces further probes and ?repressive action? by European Union data-protection agencies after failing to meet a deadline to say how it will bring its privacy policy in line with EU rules.
Google hasn?t provided ?any precise and effective? responses to EU data-protection regulators? recommendations, France?s National Commission for Computing and Civil Liberties, or CNIL, said in a statement Monday.
EU regulators ?are determined to act and continue their investigations? and their ?repressive action? should happen in the coming months, CNIL said, without defining what that may entail. CNIL led the probe on behalf of EU data-protection authorities.
Google, operator of the world?s largest search engine, faces privacy investigations by authorities around the world as it debuts new services and steps up competition with Facebook Inc. for users and advertisers. Google changed its system to create a uniform set of policies for more than 60 products last year, unleashing criticism from regulators and consumer advocates concerned it isn?t protecting data it collects.
?Our privacy policy respects European law and allows us to create simpler, more effective services,? Google said in an e- mailed statement Monday. ?We have engaged fully with the CNIL throughout this process and we?ll continue to do so going forward.?
Google had until this month to revise its protections or face possible fines, CNIL said in October. Chairwoman Isabelle Falque-Pierrotin said then that CNIL could levy fines and called it ?probable? that other European would pursue Google if it doesn?t address the issues raised in their report.
? Copyright 2013 Bloomberg News. All rights reserved.
Source: http://www.moneynews.com/Companies/Google-Fines-Europe-Privacy/2013/02/18/id/490805
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Israel supplying advanced weaponry to Turkey
Israel is providing advanced?electronic warfare systems for aircraft to Turkey, a fulfillment of an earlier order that was put on hold in the wake of the infamous Mavi Marmara incident in 2010. It is the first instance of a military equipment exchange between Jerusalem and Ankara since then.
Turkey?s Today?s Zaman reported the sale, which will significantly beef up Ankara?s intelligence capabilities, and the aircraft upgrade was confirmed by senior Israeli sources Monday. A source said the deal was approved due to US pressure and Israel?s desire to restore its damaged relationship with Turkey, amid?escalating tension between?Ankara and Tehran over the Syrian conflict, according to?the Hebrew daily Haaretz.
The Syrian civil war has posed additional security challenges for Turkey. In October 2012,?five Turkish civilians were killed by Syrian fire, sparking fears that Ankara would be dragged into the regional conflict. Turkey vowed to respond harshly, and it deployed extra jets to its border with Syria in the weeks after the incident.
The electronic systems are to be integrated into the Turkish Air Force?s Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) military aircraft that were purchased from the US in the early 2000s. The system enables the planes to protect themselves from electronic attacks that target its controls during flight, Today?s Zaman reported.
In 2002, Boeing won a $200 million contract to supply Turkey with the four AWACS aircraft ? and a $25 million contract to integrate electronic warning systems into the four planes was then won by?ELTA, a subsidiary?of Israel Aerospace Industries. Boeing supplied the planes to Turkey three years ago.?Israel?s fulfillment of the order, however, was halted after it delivered two of the electronic systems in 2011, in the wake of the Mavi Marmara incident.
News about the weapons deal comes less than three months after media reports surfaced that Ankara and Jerusalem were engaging in secret back-channel reconciliation talks despite heightened tensions over Operation Pillar of Defense.?Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu confirmed that the two countries were trying to find ways to end their diplomatic impasse.
Relations between?former close allies?Turkey and Israel soured after nine pro-Palestinian activists ? eight Turks and a Turkish-American ? were killed by Israeli troops aboard the Mavi Marmara vessel, which was part of an international flotilla trying to break the Gaza blockade, on May 31, 2010. Israeli naval commandos commandeered the vessel and?were attacked by activists.
Turkey has demanded a formal apology, compensation for victims and the families of the dead, and for the Gaza blockade to be lifted.
Israel has resisted Turkish demands to apologize for the raid on the ship and to compensate those killed as a precondition for normalizing relations.?Israel ? stressing that its solders were attacked with clubs and poles by violent thugs aboard the vessel, and insisting that its blockade against Gaza, which is run by the terror group Hamas,?is legal ? has said it ?regrets? the loss of life, rather than issuing a full apology, and has offered to pay into what it called a ?humanitarian fund? through which casualties and relatives could be compensated.
Turkey disputes Israeli assertions that its soldiers acted in self-defense. The commando operation sparked?worldwide?condemnation and led to an easing of Israel?s blockade on the the Gaza Strip.?A UN report on the Mavi Marmara incident released in 2011 concluded that Israel had used unreasonable force in stopping the ship, but that the blockade on Gaza was legal.
Source: http://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-supplying-advanced-weaponry-to-turkey/
Sidley Austin: Washington Energy Update
Washington Energy Update
Sidley Austin
February 12, 2013
3 pages
In this Issue:
- Climate Change Topic Continues to Dominate Before State of the Union Address
- Energy Committee Senior Republican Sets Stage for Potential Energy Legislation
- Biofuels Mandate Remains Target for Reform in 113th Congress
- Department of Interior Responds to Senate Energy Committee Leaders Regarding Coal Royalty Payments on Public Lands
Sony C6802 spec leak reveals a 1080p display and Android 4.2
We are still seeing rumors discussing availability dates for the Sony Xperia Z smartphone and it look as if talk of the successor has already begun. The handset has yet to have a name. Or for that matter, an image. What we do have however is a codename and some basic details. Seems things are moving a bit quick, however the details of the Sony C6802 have recently been spotted on the HTML5 Test website.
Before we get to the specs, lets deal with the successor aspect. The Xperia Z is in the C660x series for Sony, hence the speculation that a C680x could be a follow-up device. Perhaps more important than which current device this still unannounced device may replace though, lets shift over to those specs.
The Sony C6802 is show to be running Android 4.2 Jelly Bean and with a display resolution of 1920 x 1080. A specific display size has yet to be revealed. While seeing little bits and pieces seems to be the norm these days, there are some potential issues here. To begin with, while one may be happy to see Android 4.2 Jelly Bean in the details, we suspect that will not be the current version by the time Sony announces this handset.
Of course, there is always the if (as opposed to when) aspect also. The other catch here, as we mentioned earlier, these details are coming by way of the HTML5 Test website and that means someone could have posted these by spoofing their browser agent. Bottom line, as far as rumors and leaks go, we are more than a bit skeptical at this point in time.
[via Xperia Blog]
Source: http://androidcommunity.com/sony-c6802-spec-leak-reveals-a-1080p-display-and-android-4-2-20130217/
Plan B: White House downplays backup immigration plan
WASHINGTON (AP) ? The White House is downplaying its draft proposal as merely a backup plan if lawmakers don't come up with an immigration overhaul of their own. It won't be necessary, Republican and Democratic lawmakers alike are telling the Obama administration.
White House chief of staff Denis McDonough said Sunday that President Barack Obama wants to "be prepared" in case the small bipartisan group of senators fails to devise a plan for the estimated 11 million illegal immigrants in the United States. In response, lawmakers assured the White House they are working on their own plan ? and warned that Obama would be heading toward failure if the White House gets ahead of them.
"We will be prepared with our own plan if these ongoing talks between Republicans and Democrats up on Capitol Hill break down," McDonough said, adding he's optimistic they would not crumble.
But he was equally realistic about the fierce partisanship on Capitol Hill.
"Well, let's make sure that it doesn't have to be proposed," McDonough said of the president's pitch, first reported on USA Today's website late Saturday.
Even so, the administration is moving forward on its own immigration agenda should one of Obama's top priorities get derailed.
The administration's proposal would create a visa for those in the country illegally and allow them to become legal permanent residents within eight years. The proposal also requires businesses to know the immigration status of their workers and adds more funding for border security.
It drew immediate criticism from Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., one of the eight lawmakers searching for a comprehensive plan.
"If actually proposed, the president's bill would be dead on arrival in Congress, leaving us with unsecured borders and a broken legal immigration system for years to come," said Rubio, who has been a leading GOP spokesman on immigration.
Many of the details in the administration's draft proposal follow the broad principles that Obama previously outlined. But the fact the administration is writing its own alternative signaled Obama wants to address immigration sooner rather than later and perhaps was looking to nudge lawmakers to move more quickly.
The tactic could complicate the administration's work with Congress.
Republican Rep. Paul Ryan, the Wisconsin lawmaker who was his party's vice presidential nominee last year, said the timing of the leak suggests the White House was looking for "a partisan advantage and not a bipartisan solution."
"Leaking this out does set things in the wrong direction," said Ryan. "There are groups in the House and the Senate working together to get this done and when he does things like this, it makes that much more difficult to do that."
Freshman Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, called the leaked plan "incomplete" and said both parties in Congress and the White House need to work together on a solution.
"It hasn't happened yet. It will happen before something is acted upon and certainly before something is passed," he said.
Republican Sen. John McCain predicted the administration's efforts would come up short if the White House went forward with a proposal, and he encouraged the White House to give senators a chance to finish their work.
McCain, the Arizona senator whose previous efforts at an immigration overhaul ended in failure in 2007, predicted the White House proposal's demise if it were sent to Congress. He strongly urged the president to pocket the drafted measures.
"I believe we are making progress in a bipartisan basis," said McCain, who is in the Senate group working on legislation.
And Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer, who met with Obama on Wednesday at the White House to discuss progress, urged his allies in the administration to give a bipartisan group of eight lawmakers the time to hammer out a deal on their own.
Schumer, a New York Democrat and a close ally of the White House, said he has not seen the draft proposals but, along with the Democrats working on a compromise, met with Obama this week to talk about progress being made on Capitol Hill.
Schumer acknowledged that a single-party proposal would have a much more difficult time becoming law and urged the bipartisan group of senators to keep meeting to find common ground.
"I am very hopeful that in March we will have a bipartisan bill," Schumer said. "And, you know, it's obvious if a Democrat ? the president or anyone else ? puts out what they want on their own, (it) is going to be different than when you have a bipartisan agreement. But the only way we're going to get something done is with a bipartisan agreement."
McDonough appeared on ABC's "This Week," NBC's "Meet the Press" and CBS' "Face the Nation." Ryan and Castro spoke to "This Week." McCain spoke to "Meet the Press." Schumer appeared on CNN's "State of the Union."
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/obama-offering-immigration-plan-backup-084308783--politics.html
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