Takarazuka?s 25 uglinesses

By Ken Y-N ( October 28, 2012 at 02:44) ? Filed under Polls, Rankings

goo Ranking took a look at something I wasn?t aware existed, Takarazuka Revue?s (an all-woman theatre company just 10 minutes up the railway line from me) list of 25 Uglinesses, specificially which of the 25 people admit applies to them.

Demographics

From the 5th to the 7th of September 2012 1,006 members of the goo Research monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 53.4% of the sample were female, 10.5% in their teens, 13.7% in their twenties, 26.6% in their thirties, 27.6% in their forties, 11.7% in their fifties, and 9.9% aged sixty or older. Note that the score in the results refers to the relative number of votes for each option, not a percentage of the total sample.

The motto of Takarazuka, ??????????, kiyoku, tadashiku, utsukushiku, Purity, Propriety, Beauty, (the official English rendering seems to be Modesty, Fairness and Grace) is well-known, but perhaps less well-known is that behind the scenes (I don?t know if that is a literal or a figurative expression!) there is also a list of 25 Uglinesses. In the two years of training that all aspiring actors must go through before setting foot on the stage these 25 Uglinesses are hammered home, often literally.

Ranking result

Q: Which of the Takarazuka ?25 Uglinesses? do you have to admit apply to yourself? (Sample size=1,006, multiple answer)

Rank	?	Score
1	No self-confidence	100
2	Pessimism	91.5
3	Complaining	90.4
4	Taking offense at the merest thing	78.2
5	Resentment	65.4
6	Jealousy	63.3
7	No aspiration or conviction	56.9
8	No spark in your eyes	56.4
9	Lifelessness	50.0
10	Unsmiling	48.4
11	Always wearing a frown	44.7
12	Untrusting	44.1
13	No devotion to others	35.1
14=	Believing you are the most proper	34.0
14=	Thinking everyone around you is evil	34.0
14=	Immodesty and arrogance	34.0
17	No ambitions regarding life or work	33.0
18	Not heeding advice or counsel of others	29.3
19	Skillful at passing the buck	28.7
20	Small voice and timidness	28.2
21	Not expressing gratitude	27.7
22	Not being aware of problems	27.1
23	Not knowing you are ugly	21.3
24	Your presence brings darkness	20.7
25	Not saying food is delicious	12.8

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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/WhatJapanThinks/~3/031JKGx8b8c/

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Is Your Price Attracting the Customers You Want? | Sales Motivation ...

What is the objective of lowering your price to try and get more sales?

Anyone can get more business if they lower their price. It doesn?t take a rocket scientist to figure that one out.

Here?s the question you have to ask: What is the objective of lowering your price?

Too many times companies lower their price all for the sake of building the business, but all they wind up doing is attracting customers who don?t appreciate or value the full price.

These customers are many times driven solely by price; therefore, if they had to pay full price to receive what it is you?re selling, they wouldn?t do it.

Sure, you may have moved inventory and you may have created cash-flow, but at what cost to you and your company?

I?d say the cost is high, because it tells every other customer who did pay full-price that they paid too much.

Second, it begins to get you thinking that maybe the reduced the price is the right price you should be at.

Third, customers who are attracted to you on price will leave you as soon as you increase your price.

Wow! Those three things are a great way to kill a business. ?Remind me again why discounting your price makes sense?

The biggest issue of all is customers who are attracted to you because of your lower price tend to be needy customers.? These are the ones who, because they don?t understand value, will harp and bug you over and over again the entire time they?re doing business with you.

These customers many times wind up taking valuable time away from not only you, but also other people in the company as they nag and pester on everything.

My suggestion to avoid all this nonsense?

Build your sales proposition around your full-price.

Instead of pouring resources into discounting your price, do things that help people understand your price/value relationship.?? Finally, be sure to remember that many times the best sale you?ll ever make is the one you never get.? What I mean by this is sometimes a sale you could make at a lower price will wind up costing you far more than you ever imagined.

You tell me: ?Is your price attracting the customers you want?

Copyright 2012, Mark Hunter ?The Sales Hunter.? Sales Motivation Blog.

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Source: http://thesaleshunter.com/is-your-price-attracting-the-customers-you-want/

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WPP says Olympics, US election income disappoints

LONDON (AP) ? WPP PLC, the world's largest advertising group, has lowered its full-year outlook after not doing as well as expected from the Olympics, the U.S. presidential campaign and the European soccer championships.

Shares opened 5 percent lower at 768.3 pence in London as the company said Thursday that expected revenue growth between 2.5 percent and 3 percent for the year, down from the 3.5 percent target it set in August.

Third-quarter revenue was up 1.6 percent to 2.5 billion pounds ($4 billion). The company did not disclose earnings in the trading update.

WPP said the three big events did support growth but not as much as expected, with money often switched from existing budgets, "particularly in the cases of the UEFA Championships and Olympics."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/wpp-says-olympics-us-election-income-disappoints-075109675--finance.html

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5 for Friday ? Links, Stories & Posts For Your Weekend | Search ...

Brands That Understand Marketing on Instagram?- Mashable

Much like Pinterest, businesses are slowly but surely beginning to utilize Instagram as a marketing tool. By encouraging your customers or your fan base to be actively ? and creatively ? involved with your brand, you can engage them in a unique and effective way. Whether you have a clothing brand or a restaurant, this is a great example of how Instagram can boost your social media campaign with user-generated content.

Pinterest Makes Top 50 Website List ? Search Engine Journal

Speaking of Pinterest, the social media site has secured a spot on comScore?s top 50 most-visited websites list. In addition to its phenomenal growth over the past year, the fact that registration is now open to anyone (no invite needed!) has certainly helped with Pinterest?s latest visitor boom. And with the holidays right around the corner, it?s likely that we?ll see even more traffic from shoppers in the coming months.

5 Reasons Why Visual Content Needs to Be Included In Your Marketing ? Social Media Today

In case the two previous stories didn?t convince you, visual content should absolutely be a part of your marketing strategy. Images affect people differently than words. They are easily shareable on social networks, and they can quickly capture the interest of your audience. Carefully chosen visual content can engage your customers and connect with them in a simple, effective way. Are you incorporating images in your marketing efforts?

Apple Drops an iPad Mini on Rivals ? The Wall Street Journal

The iPad Mini was announced this week, and Apple will begin taking orders for the device today. Lightweight and super thin, it measures 7.9 inches diagonally, but has a lower screen resolution than the iPad. At a pricey $329, it?s significantly more expensive than other 7-inch tablets on the market, but hardcore Apple fans could be happy to pay up. Will you be adding it to your wish list?

Google Takes Street View Tech Into the Grand Canyon ? Wired

Google Maps has captured images of locations using cars, snowmobiles, and even tricycles, but their latest effort to map terrain that is unreachable by traditional methods is really ambitious. The Trekker, a backpack version of the equipment used on Google?s Street View cars, is now being used to map inaccessible sites. This week, the backpacks journeyed into the Grand Canyon. What will Google?s Street View engineers think of next?

Source: http://www.searchinfluence.com/2012/10/5-for-friday-links-stories-posts-for-your-weekend-4/

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The Legal Question for Camden: What Constitutes a Toxic School ...

Does a child attending a low-performing New Jersey school district -- arguably the state?s lowest-performing district -- have a constitutional right to pursue a better education elsewhere?

That question was at the heart of a legal hearing held yesterday in a nondescript administrative courtroom in Mercerville, where a group of Camden families led by some outspoken advocates have filed a complaint demanding that they be freed from attending Camden schools and instead receive payments to attend schools of their choice, public or private.

The complaint was filed last week with state Education Commissioner Chris Cerf, and the hearing yesterday was in administrative court to consider a request for immediate relief for the three lead plaintiffs.

The two-hour session ended with the administrative law judge, Edward Delanoy, saying he would make a decision in the coming days.

But the case, known as Vargas v. Camden Board of Education, involves far bigger questions that could affect far more students, bring in some statewide players, and invoke some hard-fought debates over what exactly is a ?thorough and efficient? education as required by the state?s constitution.

A Familiar Complaint

An earlier version of the complaint -- Crawford v. Davy -- was ultimately dismissed by the state appellate court in 2009, although it left an opening for the case to be argued anew.

The prior case involved 25 districts, many of them urban school systems like Camden that fall under the Abbott v. Burke rulings.

Following the defeat of Crawford, some of the same advocates who led that case returned with the Vargas complaint, narrowing it to Camden schools at a time when the district is in turmoil and subject to intense scrutiny by the Christie administration.

One of those advocates is Patricia Bombelyn, the New Brunswick attorney who led the Crawford case and has been closely aligned with Excellent Education for Everyone (E3), the decade-old group that has largely led the push for private school vouchers in the state. E3 is helping sponsor the challenge.

Her law partner, Martin Perez, was also in attendance. Perez heads up the Latino Leadership Alliance. Also present: Angel Cordero, a Camden activist and former mayoral candidate, and former U.S. Rep. Richard Zimmer, a member of the E3 board.

The Bad News About Camden

Yesterday offered a preview of the petitioners? argument, as Bombelyn and a second attorney representing the petitioners, Julio Gomez, brought out a stack of documents and other evidence demonstrating that Camden is the lowest-performing district in the state.

Of the state?s 70 schools in the bottom fifth percentile of test scores, 23 are in Camden. The graduation rate barely tops 50 percent, and some state officials question whether that is generous. Fewer than 20 percent of elementary and middle school students pass the state tests.

?The picture that is painted of the Camden public schools demonstrates that on all the statutory and regulatory criteria, the district has been failing,? said Bombelyn. ?We are asking for our children that that deprivation be removed.?

Attorneys representing the Camden schools focused on the case before the administrative judge, probing whether immediate or emergent relief was warranted, claiming there was no ?irreparable harm? to the children and improvements were underway in the district.

Both sides cited a recent report from Cerf that listed the breadth and depth of the district?s problems but also called for a series of changes, starting with the appointment of a new superintendent.

Lester Taylor, the attorney for Camden, said if Cerf believed that a further intervention was warranted, ?he could have and should have? said so in that report.

?Does this just open the door to all 12,000 students?? he said. ?To the point where the Camden schools doesn?t exist anymore, replaced by a voucher system??

Most of the back and forth -- including with Delanoy -- dealt with whether these specific children were in harm?s way if the judge and, in turn, Cerf did not act now.

Bombelyn and Gomez argued that one of the three children in the case, a seventh grader, had already failed the state?s reading tests twice and his grades were dropping. For the defense, Taylor said failing a reading test in not in itself irreparable harm.

The petitioners said it went beyond one child or even three, that the school?s larger problems speak to a systemic failure to provide students an opportunity to succeed.

Gomez cited the Abbott case that has led to billions in additional resources and programs in the schools due to the state?s failure to fund schools sufficiently to provide an adequate education in those districts.

?The Supreme Court never asked how [lead plaintiff] Raymond Abbott was doing in class,? Gomez said. ?What mattered was what the school was doing, what the district was doing.?

At one dramatic moment, Bombelyn described how Barack Obama could never have become president if he attended Camden schools.

Delanoy tried to keep it to the emergent relief request before him, at one point probing Taylor on the state of Camden schools.

?We know today that Camden schools are not performing up to speed,? he said. ?That is not a speculative issue.?

But he then asked Bombelyn and Gomez whether attending Camden schools in itself represented a deprivation of students' rights, even if they may be getting good grades and succeeding by standard measures.

?Is just the fact they are sitting in the classroom, is that all that is needed?? he said.

NJ Spotlight is an online news service providing insight and information on issues critical to New Jersey, with the aim of informing and engaging the state?s communities and businesses. Read more From New Jersey Spotlight.

Source: http://www.wnyc.org/articles/new-jersey-news/2012/oct/23/legal-question-camden-what-constitutes-toxic-school/

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Moody?s downgrades Spanish regional debt

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Google developing Star Trek computer interface to rival Siri - VR-Zone

Google is developing a new computer interface inspired by technology seen in Star Trek, which could offer a more sophisticated alternative to Apple's Siri software.

?

The jack of all trades company is working on what it called ?ubiquitous computing,? similar to the gadgets seen in Star Trek, which respond to user commands and questions.

?

On the surface it might sound a lot like the personal assistant software Siri, but the key difference is that Google wants to push things beyond smartphones, so that users can simply ask a question at home and the answer will display on their Google Glasses screen, TV display, or even on a screen built into their refrigerator.

?

?Why should someone stop their conversation because they're missing a tiny piece of information that you need to take that conversation further?? said Amit Singhal, VP and Senior Engineer of Search at Google. ?You have to pull out your phone. You have to unlock the phone. You have to type. Already you have lost valuable seconds and the conversation has become unnatural and awkward.?

?

?

He predicts that within three to five years we will have ?a Star Trek assistant? and that Google has built ?baby steps? towards this reality. The company has been working hard on its Glasses project for many months, which will effectively be a smartphone built into a pair of glasses that can display content, make calls via voice commands, and present a more engaging computer experience without taking the user out of the everyday world. Building on this so that users are communicating with computers throughout their home or office will be a major step in computing and might bring science-fiction that bit closer to fact.

?

The problem for such gadgets, and for Siri and its software rivals, is that computers often have a hard time understanding human commands, especially when they are phrased in a colloquial way or with an accent. Until this is addressed widespread adoption of such technology will always be a challenge.

?

Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/google-developing-star-trek-computer-interface-to-rival-siri/17547.html

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THE RACE: After final debate, a mad rush to home

After Monday's final debate, just two weeks remain. Expect President Barack Obama and Republican challenger Mitt Romney to supercharge their ground games in a last-ditch effort to close the deal with voters.

Tightening polls suggest neither one has been able to complete the job yet.

Polls often shrink just before a presidential election as undecided voters jump off the fence. And late-deciders often break for the challenger when an incumbent is running.

Debates have played an outsized role this year ? both in deciding the Republican primaries and now in bringing the presidential choice into sharper focus for many Americans.

But with no further debates and barring an unforeseen "October surprise," one of the few remaining uncertainties is the government's release of this month's jobs report just four days before the election.

The September report showed a sharp unemployment rate drop to 7.8 percent, dipping under 8 percent for the first time since the start of Obama's presidency. Was that an aberration or is the jobs picture really improving?

The October report could tell us ? although it won't matter to the many who have already voted early.

Romney joked that Obama's latest campaign slogan is "you're better off than you were four weeks ago."

Falling jobless rates helped both Presidents Ronald Reagan and Franklin D. Roosevelt win reelection, even though unemployment rates were still high ? but dropping. Momentum counts for a lot in politics.

Unemployment declined over the past year in eight of nine battleground states. Ohio added the most jobs. Wisconsin was the only battleground state to lose jobs.

But Romney's selection of Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan as his running mate is helping to make the state more competitive for Republicans.

Vice President Joe Biden campaigned Monday in Ohio and Ryan in Colorado ? both essential battlegrounds.

___

Follow Tom Raum on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/tomraum. For more AP political coverage, look for the 2012 Presidential Race in AP Mobile's Big Stories section. Also follow https://twitter.com/APcampaign and AP journalists covering the campaign: https://twitter.com/AP/ap-campaign-2

Eds: With 15 days left until Election Day, here are insights into today's highlights in U.S. politics

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/race-final-debate-mad-rush-home-154009956--election.html

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Brooklyn Mother Mourned On What Was To Be Her Wedding Day ...

Vindalee Smith (credit: CBS 2)

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) ? On what was supposed to be 38-year-old Vindalee Smith?s wedding day, family and friends are instead preparing for her funeral.

Smith, who was pregnant, was found stabbed to death in her East Flatbush home Saturday morning.

A baby shower was planned for Saturday afternoon, just hours after Smith?s body was found.

Neighbors became worried when Smith did not show up to church Saturday. When her landlord checked on her in her basement apartment, he found her stabbed in the neck.

WCBS 880?s Alex Silverman reports

As police continue to search for the killer, family and friends said they are stunned by the killing.

?Satan is the instigator. He?s only the devil. Satan and his angels that would commit this thing,? one neighbor told CBS 2?s Amy Dardashtian.

Smith?s four older children, in their teens and 20s, were inconsolable over the loss of their mother, Dardashtian reported.

?We are praying for them. And there is power in prayer,? a neighbor said.

Smith?s family said she was due in two weeks. The unborn baby did not survive.

Police outside Vindalee Smith?s home Oct. 21, 2012 (credit: Alex Silverman/WCBS 880)

?There was significant trauma to the body. The medical examiner was still making a determination as to the cause of death,? deputy police commissioner Paul Browne told WCBS 880.

An autopsy has been planned for Sunday.

?She was a very joyful person with a big heart,? one of Smith?s friends told?WCBS 880?s Alex Silverman.

Smith reportedly told her pastor a former neighbor had threatened to kill her, Silverman reported.

Police said there was no sign of forced entry and no weapon was recovered at Smith?s apartment.

Stunned neighbors gathered outside?New Dimensions Seventh-day Adventist Church, where the wedding was to be held, to mourn Smith?s loss.

?I?m very sad for what happened in the community,? a neighbor told Dardashtian.

Smith?s fiance was questioned and released and he has not been named a suspect.

Please share your comments below?

Source: http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2012/10/21/brooklyn-mother-mourned-on-what-was-to-be-her-wedding-day/

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Start your week with the Greatest Android Podcast in the World!

If you're anything like us this morning, you're busy working out that perfect caffeinated concoction to chase away the last remnants of weekend fun. We'd also recommend spending an hour with the Greatest Android Podcast in the World. Miss Thursday's live show? We broke down Google's announcement for its Oct. 29 event, talked up the new HTC J Butterfly (which we've also got possibly coming to Verizon as the DLX), and answered more of your e-mails and voicemails.

The Android Central Podcast is your weekly peek into the world of Android, where we break down the news that really matters, and explain what's just a bunch of hype. You don't want to miss it. Check out the Android Central Podcast.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/FL6Gctws-eQ/story01.htm

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Fishy physics: Adaptation lets silvery fish reflect light without polarization, may help them evade predators

ScienceDaily (Oct. 21, 2012) ? Silvery fish such as herring, sardine and sprat have evolved special skin that gets around a basic law of physics, according to new research from the University of Bristol published Oct. 21 in Nature Photonics.

Reflective surfaces polarize light, a phenomenon that fishermen or photographers overcome by using polarizing sunglasses or polarizing filters to cut our reflective glare. However, PhD student Tom Jordan and his supervisors Professor Julian Partridge and Dr Nicholas Roberts in Bristol's School of Biological Sciences found that these silvery fish have overcome this basic law of reflection -- an adaptation that may help them evade predators.

Previously, it was thought that the fish's skin -- which contains "multilayer" arrangements of reflective guanine crystals -- would fully polarize light when reflected. As the light becomes polarized, there should be a drop in reflectivity.

The Bristol researchers found that the skin of sardines and herring contain not one but two types of guanine crystal -- each with different optical properties. By mixing these two types, the fish's skin doesn't polarize the reflected light and maintains its high reflectivity.

Dr Roberts said: "We believe these species of fish have evolved this particular multilayer structure to help conceal them from predators, such as dolphin and tuna. These fish have found a way to maximize their reflectivity over all angles they are viewed from. This helps the fish best match the light environment of the open ocean, making them less likely to be seen."

As a result of this ability, the skin of silvery fish could hold the key to better optical devices. Tom Jordan said: "Many modern day optical devices such as LED lights and low loss optical fibres use these non-polarizing types of reflectors to improve efficiency. However, these human-made reflectors currently require the use of materials with specific optical properties that are not always ideal. The mechanism that has evolved in fish overcomes this current design limitation and provides a new way to manufacture these non-polarizing reflectors."

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Journal Reference:

1. T. M. Jordan, J. C. Partridge, N. W. Roberts. Non-polarizing broadband multilayer reflectors in fish. Nature Photonics, 2012; DOI: 10.1038/nphoton.2012.260

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/strange_science/~3/7_bS-SJCv4w/121021133911.htm

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Are Democrats finding ways around campaign finance laws?

Suppose that Obama loses the election. ?He obviously isn't going to run for any other office in the future. ?So if his campaign gets a loan, it would seem fairly likely that the campaign would default on the loan. ?The Free Beacon has this interesting information:

Obama For America took out a $15 million loan from Bank of America last month,?according to the campaign?s October monthly FEC report. The loan was incurred on September 4 and is due November 14, eight days after the election. OFA received an interest rate of 2.5% plus the current Libor rate.?

Warren Buffett, Obama donor and namesake of the infamous ?Buffett Rule,??invested $5 billion?in Bank of America last year in an effort to help the ailing financial institution. . . .

Surely this is a fairly high risk loan and it doesn't seem like the interest rate on this loan comes anywhere near to close to covering that risk. To judge whether this loan is fair, it would be interesting to know what type of collateral has been offered to secure it. ?This certainly seems like one way to get around the campaign finance rules.

Contrast this loan with a loan to the Democratic National Committee:

The Democratic National Committee (DNC) now owes $15 million to the union-owned Amalgamated Bank of New York,campaign finance records show.
The DNC received a $7 million loan from the bank in September, in addition to the?$8 million loan?it took out the previous month, neither of which has been paid back. The loans account for the majority of the committee?s $20 million in total debt.
The DNC paid Amalgamated Bank more than $18,000 in loan interest for the month of September, the records show.
Amalgamated Bank, often described as ?America?s Labor Bank,? is a national entity, the majority of which is owned by the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), a large, politically active union with deep ties to the Democratic Party. . . .

The big difference is that the DNC will be around after the election. ?Though even in that case, it would be useful to make sure that the entire loan is eventually paid off.

Source: http://johnrlott.blogspot.com/2012/10/are-democrats-finding-ways-around.html

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Gadhafi's former spokesman arrested, Libya says

TRIPOLI, Libya (AP) ? The Libyan government on Saturday announced the capture of Moammar Gadhafi's ex-spokesman outside a besieged town, as the oil-rich North African nation marked the anniversary of the ousted dictator's death.

The statement by the prime minister's office said Moussa Ibrahim, who became the international face of the regime in its final months, was captured as he was trying to flee Bani Walid. The town has been the site of fierce fighting between pro-government forces and fighters holed up in what was once a stronghold for Gadhafi supporters.

"He is now being transported to Tripoli so that the investigation by relevant authorities can begin," the statement from the prime minister's office said.

The statement did not say what charges Ibrahim would face, but Libyan officials in the past have suggested he might be accused of incitement and disseminating false information.

A Facebook page purporting to belong to Ibrahim denied the capture, saying it was an effort to divert attention away from the "atrocities" being committed by the Libyan forces besieging Bani Walid. The site and statement could not be independently confirmed, but hours after the announcement of his capture, Ibrahim had not been seen in public.

Violence has flared periodically over the last year in Bani Walid, the most significant town in Libya still resisting the country's new authorities since the end of the country's civil war last year.

The urbane, English-speaking Ibrahim was the most well-known former regime figure to remain unaccounted for after Gadhafi was captured and killed by rebels as his hometown of Sirte was falling on Oct. 20, 2011, following an eight-month civil war.

Gadhafi's son and heir-apparent Seif al-Islam was captured by former rebels late last year. The regime's former intelligence chief Abdullah al-Senoussi fled the country but was later captured in Mauritania and extradited to Libya. The two men had been charged by the Hague-based International Criminal Court along with Gadhafi of attacking civilian protesters in the early days of the popular uprising. The case against Gadhafi was dropped after he was killed.

Other family members also fled to other countries, but their whereabouts are largely known.

The government statement added that Ibrahim was captured at one of the checkpoints outside Bani Walid, where fighting has raged for the past four days as government forces seek to retake the town.

Fighters of the pro-government Libya Shield militia have besieged the town, some 140 kilometers (90 miles) southeast of Tripoli, for the past several weeks, blaming residents for the death of a well-known anti-Gadhafi rebel.

An official at Misrata Hospital, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media, said seven Libya Shield fighters were killed in Saturday's fighting and 120 injured.

Parts of Bani Walid, a collection of settlements in a well-guarded valley, are under government control, according to Mohammed al-Zubedi, a local official allied to Tripoli.

Residents in Bani Walid say the pro-government forces, which are comprised largely of the militias that overthrew Gadhafi a year, are indiscriminately shelling the town.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/gadhafis-former-spokesman-arrested-libya-says-163503814.html

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Trine Hahnemann's Scandinavian Christmas |

Trine Hahnemann?s Scandinavian Christmas

Christmas came early for me this year, with Trine Hahnemann?s Scandinavian Christmas to celebrate the launch of her book of the same name at Food at 52 in London.

Trine Hahnemann?s Scandinavian Christmas

The food was wonderful. Lightly cured cod with slow baked celeriac started us off. The main course was a terrific roast pork (with lots of crackling), caramel potatoes (new to me but I am hooked) and lots of gravy. Red cabbage and a lovely kale and pomegranate salad were served on the side.

Trine Hahnemann?s Scandinavian Christmas

Trine Hahnemann?s Scandinavian Christmas ? her Mum?s homemade crabapple and redcurrant jellies

Trine Hahnemann?s Scandinavian Christmas

Trine Hahnemann?s Scandinavian Christmas

Trine Hahnemann?s Scandinavian Christmas

Dessert was rice pudding but not as we know it, lovely crunchy rice bathed in lots of whipped cream with cherries served on top. Fabulous.

All of the recipes are in Trine?s new book, Scandinavian Christmas. It is absolutely gorgeous, and I think we will be cooking from it for our Christmas dinner this year. If you are new to Trine?s work, I heartily recommend her two previous books The Scandinavian Cookbook and The Nordic Diet. Trine is an inspired and creative cook, and her books are full of deliciousness.

Trine Hahnemann?s Scandinavian Christmas

Trine Hahnemann?s Scandinavian Christmas

Next February I will be travelling to Denmark to do a pop up with Trine ? more details soon.

I like food. I like to make food. Eat food. Photograph food. Write about food. Mainly in London but when I am lucky or organised further afield. This entry was posted in Random. Bookmark the permalink.

Source: http://eatlikeagirl.com/2012/10/19/trine-hahnemanns-scandinavian-christmas/

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The Note's Must-Reads for Friday, October 19, 2012

The Note's Must-Reads are a round-up of today's political headlines and stories from ABC News and the top U.S. newspapers. Posted Monday through Friday right here at www.abcnews.com

Compiled by ABC News' Jayce Henderson, Amanda VanAllen, Carrie Halperin and Danielle Genet

COMIC RELIEF ABC News' Mary Bruce and Emily Friedman: " President Obama, Mitt Romney Trade Barbs, Jokes at Al Smith Dinner" Two days after their rhetorical brawl at the second presidential debate, Mitt Romney and President Obama faced off again tonight in a war of wit at the annual Al Smith dinner, poking fun at themselves and each other. "I'm pleased that the president is here," Romney joked at the top of his remarks. "We were chatting pleasantly this evening as if Tuesday night never happened." LINK

Wall Street Journal's Colleen McCain Nelson: " Obama, Romney Enjoy Some Comic Relief" President Barack Obama and Republican Mitt Romney shared a stage again Thursday night, but this time the candidates traded punch lines instead of political punches as they poked fun at themselves, at each other and the bruising presidential campaign. LINK

THE POLLS ABC News' Gregory J. Krieg: " Poll Suggests Romney Continues Surge" Mitt Romney continues his rise, according to a Gallup poll released today that suggests he has a seven-point national lead over President Obama. The tracking poll, which surveyed likely voters, put Romney ahead 52-45, Gallup said. LINK

The Hills' Julain Pecquet: " Romney all but erases Obama's polling lead on foreign policy" Mitt Romney has all but erased President Obama's lead on foreign policy issues in the aftermath of the attack on the U.S. Consulate in Libya, according to a Pew poll released Thursday . Obama's lead on foreign policy has plummeted by 11 points since the outbreak of violence in the Middle East that culminated with the death of four Americans in Libya on Sept. 11, according to Pew. LINK

PRESIDENT OBAMA USA Today's Richard Wolf: " Bill Clinton and Bruce Springsteen stump for Obama" President Obama's campaign rolled out two rock stars Thursday in the crucial swing state of Ohio, and only one is best known for his music. The Obama re-election campaign teamed former president Bill Clinton and rock legend Bruce Springsteen for a get-out-the-vote rally at Cuyahoga Community College outside Cleveland. LINK

USA Today's David Jackson: " Obama defends handling of Libya attack" President Obama defended his handling of the Libya attack during a mostly serious appearance Thursday on The Daily Show With Jon Stewart. Obama said security would be improved at embassies worldwide, and attributed changing stories of the attack to changing evidence. LINK

The Washington Times' Stephan Dinan: " Welfare spending jumps 32% during Obama's presidency" Federal welfare spending has grown by 32 percent over the past four years, fattened by President Obama's stimulus spending and swelled by a growing number of Americans whose recession-depleted incomes now qualify them for public assistance, according to numbers released Thursday. LINK

OBAMA VS ROMNEY The Boston Globe's Brian MacQuarrie: " In N.H., Obama blasts Romney" Seeking to build momentum after a solid debate performance against Mitt Romney two days ago, President Obama today continued a whirlwind tour of critical battleground states by urging a boisterous crowd of 6,000 supporters to turn their cheers into votes in 19 days. Under a canopy of brilliant fall foliage in a downtown park, Obama hit Romney on the Republican's job plan, taxes, energy, and women's issues in phrasing that often repeated, word for word, the arguments he made for reelection at the second presidential debate at Hofstra University. LINK

CAMPAIGN ISSUES Wall Street Journal's Keith Johnson: " Campaigns Clash Over the Future of Coal" Coal has improbably risen to become one of the top issues of the presidential campaign, with dueling ads about coal in swing states and attacks by each candidate on the other's position. The battle is escalating even though coal employment is just a shadow of what it was a few decades ago and its use in power generation is steadily declining, from 48% of U.S. electricity in 2008 to 38% in the 12 months ended July 2012. LINK

The Los Angeles Times' James Rainey: " Climate change activists beg more attention from Romney, Obama" With just 2 1/2 weeks left before election day, there's an urgency on all fronts in the presidential race. For activists, it's not just about whether President Obama or Mitt Romney will win, but whether either man will pay attention to their issue. Perhaps no interest community has been as disappointed as those who worry about global climate change. LINK

ABC NEWS VIDEOS " 2012 Presidential Candidates, Spouses Spar on Women's Vote" LINK " Michelle Obama Talks Guilty Pleasures: French Fries and 'Housewives'" LINK " Bruce Springsteen Stumps for Obama" LINK

BOOKMARKS The Note: LINK The Must-Reads Online: LINK Top Line Webcast (12noon EST M-F): LINK ABC News Politics: LINK The Political Punch (Jake Tapper): LINK George's Bottom Line (George Stephanopoulos): LINK Follow ABC News on Twitter: LINK ABC News Mobile: LINK ABC News app on your iPhone/iPod Touch/iPad: LINK

Also Read

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/notes-must-reads-friday-october-19-2012-072416668--abc-news-politics.html

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Conflicting images emerge of NY terror suspect

Bangladeshi Quazi Ahsanullah displays a photograph of his son Quazi Mohammad Rezwanul Ahsan Nafis as he weeps in his home in the Jatrabari neighborhood in north Dhaka, Bangladesh, Thursday, Oct. 18, 2012. The FBI arrested 21-year-old Nafis on Wednesday after he tried to detonate a fake 1,000-pound (454-kilogram) car bomb, according to a criminal complaint. His family said Thursday that Nafis was incapable of such actions. (AP Photo/A.M. Ahad)

Bangladeshi Quazi Ahsanullah displays a photograph of his son Quazi Mohammad Rezwanul Ahsan Nafis as he weeps in his home in the Jatrabari neighborhood in north Dhaka, Bangladesh, Thursday, Oct. 18, 2012. The FBI arrested 21-year-old Nafis on Wednesday after he tried to detonate a fake 1,000-pound (454-kilogram) car bomb, according to a criminal complaint. His family said Thursday that Nafis was incapable of such actions. (AP Photo/A.M. Ahad)

This image taken from the social networking site Google Plus shows an undated photo of Quazi Mohammad Rezwanul Ahsan Nafis - the same man, who according to witnesses, appeared in federal court in Brooklyn on Wednesday, Oct. 17, 2012 to face charges of attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction and attempting to provide material support to al-Qaida. The Bangladeshi man was arrested Wednesday after he allegedly attempted to detonate what he believed to be a 1,000-pound bomb outside the Federal Reserve Bank in New York. (AP Photo) Quazi Mohammad Rezwanul

Bangladeshi Quazi Ahsanullah, father of Quazi Mohammad Rezwanul Ahsan Nafis, sits in his home in the Jatrabari neighborhood in north Dhaka, Bangladesh, Thursday, Oct. 18, 2012. The FBI arrested 21-year-old Nafis on Wednesday after he tried to detonate a fake 1,000-pound (454-kilogram) car bomb, according to a criminal complaint. His family said Thursday that Nafis was incapable of such actions. (AP Photo/A.M. Ahad)

Grandmother, left, and aunt of Bangladeshi Quazi Mohammad Rezwanul Ahsan Nafis weep in his home in the Jatrabari neighborhood in north Dhaka, Bangladesh, Thursday, Oct. 18, 2012. The FBI arrested 21-year-old Nafis on Wednesday after he tried to detonate a fake 1,000-pound (454-kilogram) car bomb, according to a criminal complaint. His family said Thursday that Nafis was incapable of such actions. (AP Photo/A.M. Ahad)

Bangladeshi Quazi Ahsanullah, father of Quazi Mohammad Rezwanul Ahsan Nafis, weeps in his home in the Jatrabari neighborhood in north Dhaka, Bangladesh, Thursday, Oct. 18, 2012. The FBI arrested 21-year-old Nafis on Wednesday after he tried to detonate a fake 1,000-pound (454-kilogram) car bomb, according to a criminal complaint. His family said Thursday that Nafis was incapable of such actions. (AP Photo/A.M. Ahad)

NEW YORK (AP) ? At the Missouri college where Quazi Mohammad Rezwanul Ahsan Nafis enrolled, a classmate said he often remarked that true Muslims don't believe in violence.

That image seemed startlingly at odds with the Bangladesh native's arrest in an FBI sting this week on charges of trying to blow up the Federal Reserve Bank in New York with what he thought was a 1,000-pound car bomb.

"I can't imagine being more shocked about somebody doing something like this," said Jim Dow, a 54-year-old Army veteran who rode home from class with Nafis twice a week. "I didn't just meet this kid a couple of times. We talked quite a bit. ... And this doesn't seem to be in character."

Nafis' family in Dhaka, Bangladesh, denied he could have been involved in the plot. His parents said he was incapable of such actions and came to America only to study.

Federal investigators, often accused by defense attorneys of entrapping and leading would-be terrorists along, said the 21-year-old Nafis made the first move over the summer, reaching out for accomplices and eventually contacting a government informant, who then went to federal authorities.

They said he also selected his target, drove the van loaded with dummy explosives up to the door of the bank, and tried to set off the bomb from a hotel room using a cellphone he thought had been rigged as a detonator.

During the investigation, he and the informant corresponded via Facebook and other social media, talked on the phone and met in hotel rooms, according to a law enforcement official who was not authorized to speak publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

Nafis spoke of his admiration for Osama bin Laden, talked of writing an article about his plot for an al-Qaida-affiliated magazine, and said he would be willing to be a martyr but preferred to go home to his family after carrying out the attack, authorities said. And he also talked about wanting to kill President Barack Obama and bomb the New York Stock Exchange, a law enforcement official said.

Investigators said in court papers that he came to the U.S. bent on jihad and worked out the specifics of a plot when he arrived. While Nafis believed he had the blessing of al-Qaida and was acting on behalf of the terrorist group, he has no known ties, according to federal officials.

Nafis, who at the time of his arrest Wednesday was working as a busboy at a restaurant in Manhattan, was jailed without bail. His attorney has not commented on the case, but in other instances where undercover agents and sting operations were used, lawyers have argued entrapment.

Investigators would not say exactly how he initially contacted the government informant.

Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly, whose department had a role in the arrest as a member of a joint federal-state terrorism task force, said the entrapment argument rarely prevails.

"You have to be otherwise not disposed to do a crime," Kelly said. "And if it's your intent to do a crime, and somehow there are means made available, then generally speaking, the entrapment defense does not succeed."

Meanwhile, a law enforcement official said the bomb plot investigation led to the arrest of a San Diego man on child porn charges.

Howard Willie Carter II was arraigned Thursday in federal court in San Diego on three counts of child pornography. He pleaded not guilty.

Investigators discovered child porn on Carter's computer after he communicated online with Nafis.

The official was not authorized to speak publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

Carter wasn't charged in the bomb plot, but he's listed as an unnamed co-conspirator in the federal complaint against Nafis.

Nafis was a terrible student in his native Bangladesh, and his middle-class parents said he persuaded them to send him to study in the U.S. as a way of improving his job prospects. They don't believe he was planning an attack.

His father, a banker, said Nafis was so timid he couldn't venture out onto the roof alone.

"My son couldn't have done it," Quazi Ahsanullah said, weeping.

"He is very gentle and devoted to his studies," he said, pointing to Nafis' time studying at the private North South University in Dhaka.

Belal Ahmed, a spokesman for the university, said Nafis was put on probation and threatened with expulsion if he didn't bring his grades up. Nafis eventually stopped coming to school, Ahmed said.

Ahsanullah said his son had argued that a U.S. degree would give him a better chance at success in Bangladesh. "I spent all my savings to send him to America," the father said.

Nafis moved to Missouri, where he studied cybersecurity at Southeast Missouri State University. He also became vice president of the school's Muslim Student Association and began attending a mosque.

But he withdrew after one semester and requested over the summer that his records be transferred to a school in Brooklyn. The university declined to identify which school.

Dow, his former classmate at Southeast Missouri State, said Nafis spoke admiringly of bin Laden. At the same time, "he told me he didn't really believe bin Laden was involved in the twin towers because he said bin Laden was a religious man, and a religious man wouldn't have done something like that," Dow said.

He said Nafis gave Dow a copy of the Quran and asked him to read it. But he "didn't rant or rave or say crazy stuff," Dow said.

"What really shocked me the most was he had specifically spoken to me about true Muslims not believing in violence," Dow said.

Dion Duncan of St. Louis, a fellow student and member of the Muslim organization, said: "Nafis was a good kid. He showed no traces of anti-Americanism, or death to America, or anything like that. He was a trustworthy, honest kid."

"He was polite and courteous. He was helpful. All the things you would expect from a good Muslim kid. He prayed five times a day," Duncan said.

___

Associated Press Writers David B. Caruso in New York, Jim Suhr in St. Louis, Julie Watson in San Diego, and Farid Hossain in Dhaka, Bangladesh, contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2012-10-19-Federal%20Reserve%20Plot/id-564bb32806704993b9d29a4b1619b522

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Google delivers 3Q letdown early, stock plummets

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) ? As far as unpleasant surprises go, Google hit Wall Street with a double whammy Thursday.

The Internet search leader that prides itself on organizing the world's information lost control of its own data when a contractor released its third-quarter earnings report more than three hours before the numbers were supposed to come out.

As if that wasn't jarring enough, the results alarmed investors because the company's earnings and revenue fell well below analyst projections. The disappointment triggered an 8 percent drop in Google's stock price that erased about $20 billion in shareholder wealth.

The stock lost $60.49 to close at $695.

"This is a monumental failure of epic proportions," said Michael Robinson, an executive vice president for the Levick Strategic Communications, which specializes in financial crisis management. "This was bad news compounded by bad process. It came out in the worst way possible."

Google Inc. blamed printer R.R. Donnelley & Sons Co. for filing the company's quarterly statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission more than three hours ahead of schedule.

"We are fully engaged in an investigation to determine how this event took place and are pursuing our first obligation, which is to serve our valued customer," R.R. Donnelley said in a statement.

The embarrassing mix-up prompted Google CEO Larry Page to preface his review of the quarter with an apology during a conference call with analysts.

"I am sorry for the scramble earlier today," Page said, still sounding hoarse from a mysterious throat ailment. The problem left Page unable to speak during the summer, causing him to skip Google's second-quarter earnings call three months ago.

Page went on to paint a bright picture, not only of the most recent quarter, but for the next few years. "Every day, I wake up and I am delighted about our opportunities to keep growing," he said.

The pep talk didn't immediately resonate with investors.

Google's stock initially plunged more than 9 percent after the early release of the results. Trading was then suspended to allow more time for the information to be digested. After a nearly three-hour break, investors decided the results weren't quite as bad as they initially appeared, and the shares recovered slightly.

The sell-off reflects a reversal of the optimistic sentiment that had propelled Google's stock to an all-time high earlier this month. The stock had surged 27 percent in the three months before Thursday's unsettling developments.

Google earned $2.18 billion, or $6.53 per share, during the three months ending in September. That compared with net income of $2.73 billion, or $8.33 per share, last year.

The earnings would have been $9.03 per share, if not for Google's accounting costs for employee stock compensation and the Motorola charges. Analysts polled by FactSet were expecting $10.63 per share, on average.

Revenue climbed 45 percent from last year to $14.1 billion. Excluding compensation for websites that generate traffic for Google's ads, revenue was $11.33 billion. Analysts were expecting $11.86 billion

Most of the trouble appeared to be concentrated in Motorola Mobility, a troubled cellphone maker that Google bought for $12.4 billion in May. Analysts have been fretting that Motorola Mobility would turn into a financial albatross, and some of those fears appeared to be realized in the latest quarter spanning from July through September.

The device maker suffered an operating loss of $527 million, more than tripling from the same time last year when it was still an independent company.

Google is trying to improve Motorola Mobility's performance by laying off about 20 percent of its workforce ? about 4,000 employees ? and closing one-third of its 90 plants and office. Those cost-cutting measures resulted in $349 million in charges during the quarter. But it still could take a few years for Google to turn around Motorola Mobility, Chief Financial Officer Patrick Pichette said on the conference call.

The stronger dollar also hurt Google, just as it has many other U.S. companies that do a lot of business in other countries. That's because overseas sales are now translating into fewer dollars than a year ago, resulting in less revenue. Excluding Motorola Mobility, Google said its revenue for the latest quarter would have been $557 million, or 5 percent higher, if currencies had remained at the same levels as a year ago.

But there were also some worrisome signs in Google's main business of selling online advertising.

Google's ad revenue rose 16 percent from the same time last year, the slowest pace in three years. The company's ad revenue had climbed by at least 21 percent in each of the previous 10 quarters.

Advertising accounts for 77 percent of Google's revenue. The rest comes from Motorola Mobility and other products, such as Google's recently released Nexus 7 tablet computer.

As has been the case for the past year, the average prices companies pay Google for ads appearing alongside search results also fell. The year-over-year decline for advertiser's "cost-per-click" on Google's ads declined 15 percent from the same time last year.

The decelerating growth in ad revenue is likely being driven by the growing use of smartphones and tablet computers to access the Internet.

The ads are more difficult to see on smartphones, in particular, so marketers aren't willing to pay as much for those commercial messages as they do for ads that are seen by people on personal computers. And people relying on mobile devices tend to use specially designed applications that so far haven't been set up to show as many ads as can be seen in Web browsers. People using mobile apps also have less reason to conduct searches on Google, depriving the company of opportunities to show ads.

"I am not at all worried about this because I think we are better positioned than most companies," Page assured analysts.

Google is reaping more revenue from the rapidly growing mobile market, largely because of its Android software than now powers more than 500 million smartphones and tablet computers. The company gives away Android to device makers, but the software is fruitful for Google because it's designed to drive up more traffic to its search engine and other services that show ads.

Page said the mobile market is now generating about $8 billion in annual revenue, including sales of applications, video, books and music in its Play store. Not all of those, sales, though, are recorded in Google's books because most of the money goes to developers, studios and publishers. A year ago, Google said the mobile market was generating about $2.5 billion in annual revenue, but that figure consisted entirely of ads, so it's not an apples-to-apples comparison to the $8 billion.

.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/google-delivers-3q-letdown-early-stock-plummets-205036080--finance.html

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Second Circuit strikes down anti-gay DOMA (Americablog)

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

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BP board considers Rosneft bid for TNK-BP

LONDON/MOSCOW (Reuters) - Rosneft is poised to secure a tighter grip on Russia's oil industry by buying BP's 50 percent stake in TNK-BP , the country's third largest producing company.

The British oil company's board was expected to consider a cash and stock offer worth over $25 billion on Friday that would allow it to exit a profitable but troublesome joint venture.

The offer is not tied to asset deals or exploration tie-ups with Rosneft, although sources said those may follow.

Rosneft has already made a tentative offer to BP's equal partners in TNK-BP, the AAR consortium owned by four Soviet-born tycoons, that could be worth up to $28 billion.

"If and when BP reaches any agreement it will make an announcement at the appropriate time," BP said in a statement.

Some British newspapers reported that BP's chief executive Bob Dudley would be recommending the offer to his board.

"The offer is in. It's a split of the two," (cash and shares). It's a clean offer and there's no other plan on the table," said one source.

"If he thinks it's the best offer Dudley will recommend it but the board may say we need to reconvene and consider this aspect or that. It's not an automatic tick in the box."

Sources have said a three-way deal that could soon emerge, with some details to be hammered out during a visit to London this week by Rosneft Chief Executive Igor Sechin.

They said BP and the four tycoons could emerge with minority stakes in an enlarged Rosneft plus billions of dollars in cash in exchange for the highly profitable company.

The combined group would dominate Russia's increasingly state-controlled oil industry.

STATE CONTROL

President Vladimir Putin has been regaining state control of assets that passed cheaply to a small group of businessmen when privatized in a hurry in the 1990s.

Rosneft's absorption of another oil firm, Yukos, and the imprisonment of its former owner Mikhail Khodorkovsky in the mid-2000s was the biggest step in this process until now.

That was also masterminded by Sechin, who was deputy chief of staff at the Kremlin - Putin's gatekeeper - at the time.

Citing this background, sources said that although BP would likely get stock in Rosneft as part of its package, the tycoons might not, and that a structure of deferred payments of more cash could be on the cards for the AAR partners.

A stock purchase by BP could also allow Putin to show some of his critics that he is diversifying, not concentrating, ownership in the oil industry, analysts have said.

A reminder of that pressure on him came from a Russian cabinet meeting on Friday.

First Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov said Rosneft's prospective buyout of TNK-BP would not deflect the government from reducing the state's stake in the country's largest oil company from the current 75.2 percent by the end of 2014.

"Regardless of Rosneft's further activities in acquiring assets, our strategic goal of privatization remains," Shuvalov said after a cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev. "We will proceed very carefully, as our president has said, paying attention to the quality of investors and maximizing the proceeds that are raised."

MORE OUTPUT THAN EXXON

A combined Rosneft-TNK-BP would produce well over 4 million barrels of oil and gas a day - more than U.S. No.1 Exxon Mobil , the biggest producer among the world's investor-owned oil companies.

To finance a deal worth over $50 billion if both parties get bought out, about $15 billion could be met by a loan Rosneft has been negotiating with international banks.

It could get another $3 billion from Russian banks, but one financial source said "there is a point where raising debt would have a negative impact on Rosneft's credit rating."

Some of the offer will be in stock, sources have said. Rosneft already holds over 12.5 percent in treasury stock - worth over $9 billion based on Friday's stock market valuation of $74 billion, and it could issue more.

Sources have also said that the AAR side of the deal could involve deferred payments over a number of years.

Finally, the TNK-BP business itself has strong cashflow and little debt, allowing the partners to rake off $4 billion a year in dividends in recent times.

Bankers told ThomsonReuters LPC that Rosneft's $15 billion loan request had not changed since this week's developments. The loan package consists of bridge loans to be refinanced with bond issues and a term loan that will be held by banks. A total of 10 banks have already joined the deal and the loan could be concluded in three to four weeks.

Rosneft declined to comment. AAR has declined to comment since abandoning its own plan to buy out the BP stake this week and leaving Rosneft as the only bidder. BP would not comment beyond its statement.

Shares in BP climbed 3 percent on Wednesday and added a further 0.7 percent on Thursday and 0.5 percent on Friday to 454.3 pence, trading at their highest levels since April.

Investors see potential for BP's fraught history in Russia to take a positive turn, even if their half of the deal does not go through. The stock underperforms its peers by most financial measures because of uncertainty in Russia and with regard to its liabilities for the U.S. Gulf oil spill.

ARCTIC REVISIT

The AAR part of the deal is a re-hash of a plan that fell through last year, under which BP and Rosneft offered to buy out the tycoons and sign a tie-up deal to explore in the Arctic together.

Relations between BP and the tycoons Mikhail Fridman, German Khan, Viktor Vekselberg and Len Blavatnik have long been fraught. The soured further last year when AAR blocked the proposed co-operation between BP and Rosneft, saying it violated a TNK-BP exclusivity agreement.

An attempt to resolve the dispute was thwarted when AAR turned down a $32 billion offer for its stake from BP and Rosneft in May 2011. Relations deteriorated further, with Fridman quitting as CEO of TNK-BP in May this year.

BP put its stake up for sale the following month in an attempt to bring the issue to a close.

(Additional reporting by Douglas Busvine, Melissa Akin, Alexei Anishchuk and Vladimir Soldatkin in Moscow and Sarah Young in London; Editing by Will Waterman and Anna Willard)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/bp-board-considers-rosneft-bid-tnk-bp-090124199--finance.html

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Kick-Ass 2 Gets an Official Synopsis

Though many doubted it would ever happen (myself included), Kick-Ass 2 is in production with the original cast onboard, along with newcomers Jim Carrey as Colonel Stars, John Leguizamo as Javier, and Olga Kurkulina as Mother Russia.

Today, we?ve got the official synopsis for Kick-Ass 2, along with an interview with Chlo? Moretz ? A.K.A. Hit-Girl ? about what we can expect from her character in the upcoming film. Also, if you were hoping Big Daddy (as played by Nicolas Cage) would make a return?well, don?t hold your breath.

Check out the synopsis below, courtesy of IGN:

Kick-Ass, Hit Girl and Red Mist return for the follow-up to 2010?s irreverent global hit: ?Kick-Ass 2.? After Kick-Ass? (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) insane bravery inspires a new wave of self-made masked crusaders, led by the badass Colonel Stars and Stripes (Jim Carrey), our hero joins them on patrol. When these amateur superheroes are hunted down by Red Mist (Christopher Mintz-Plasse)?reborn as The Mother F%&*^r?only the blade-wielding Hit Girl (Chlo? Grace Moretz) can prevent their annihilation. When we last saw junior assassin Hit Girl and young vigilante Kick-Ass, they were trying to live as normal teenagers Mindy and Dave. With graduation looming and uncertain what to do, Dave decides to start the world?s first superhero team with Mindy.

Unfortunately, when Mindy is busted for sneaking out as Hit Girl, she?s forced to retire?leaving her to navigate the terrifying world of high-school mean girls on her own. With no one left to turn to, Dave joins forces with Justice Forever, run by a born-again ex-mobster named Colonel Stars and Stripes. Just as they start to make a real difference on the streets, the world?s first super villain, The Mother F%&*^r, assembles his own evil league and puts a plan in motion to make Kick-Ass and Hit Girl pay for what they did to his dad. But there?s only one problem with his scheme: If you mess with one member of Justice Forever, you mess with them all.

Basically, this confirms some of the plot details we reported on a while back, particularly concerning Hit-Girl?s story arc. On the surface, it looks like Kick-Ass 2 will be a fairly faithful adaptation of the comic books on which it?s based (Kick-Ass 2: Balls to the Wall and?Hit-Girl), though undoubtedly it will omit/replace some of the more ?controversial? aspects (namely, a gang rape that many readers and reviewers believed was shoehorned in solely for shock value).

Meanwhile, Chlo? Moretz recently talked to?Collider about her role as Hit-Girl and what we can expect in the new film:

?In the first film, you saw more Hit-Girl, but in this one you?re going to see [Mindy] realize, ?God, what was I doing? What am I doing? Who am I? Am I Hit-Girl? Am I Mindy? What is my mask? Is my mask Mindy or is my mask Hit-Girl? Am I supposed to be this normal girl who goes to school and has this great life, or am I supposed to kill people and be a vigilante and be someone who fights crime?? That?s what you?re going to see, this tug of war between the two minds of her. Between Hit-Girl and Mindy McCready.?

So basically it?s the old Batman question ? is the Caped Crusader the mask, or is Bruce Wayne (the playboy billionaire) the real?mask? One can assume?Kick-Ass 2?s exploration of that question will be a bit more satirical in nature, as the first Kick-Ass film was, in its own way, a satire of superhero films going back two decades.

Moretz also talked about her costume and donning the purple wig once more:

?You?re going to see a lot of cool stuff. You know, the outfit is much cooler, the hair is cool ? purple obviously. You?ve seen [the set photos]. It?s pretty cool ? it?s rad. [...] There?s a lot of [superheroes]. For me, it?s really cool.?

Lastly, Moretz was asked about whether or not Big Daddy would be returning in the sequel ? as has been rumored ? to which she shook her head as if to say ?No.?

It?ll be interesting to see what Kick-Ass 2 does differently from the original Kick-Ass, which, while fairly well-received, was not a major success at the box office. Will Hit-Girl ? who sort of stole the show the first time around ? be the focus of the sequel, even more than she was in the comic book? ?I wouldn?t be surprised.

Kick-Ass 2 hits theaters June 28th, 2013.

-

Follow me on Twitter?@benandrewmoore.

Sources: IGN &?Collider

"Follow us if you want to live."

Source: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1926094/news/1926094/

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