Arrests in Oakland protests rise to more than 400 (Reuters)

OAKLAND, Calif (Reuters) ? Crews cleaned up Oakland's historic City Hall on Sunday from damage inflicted overnight during violent anti-Wall Street protests that resulted in about 400 arrests, marking one of the largest mass arrests since nationwide protests began last year.

At a press conference on Sunday, Oakland police and city officials said they did not have a final tally of arrests. Earlier in the day, the city's emergency operations office put the figure at around 400. The skirmishes injured three officers and at least one demonstrator.

Police said a group of protesters burned an American flag in front of City Hall, then entered the building and destroyed a vending machine, light fixtures and a historic scale model of the edifice. The city's 911 emergency system was overwhelmed during the disturbances.

"While City Hall sustained damage, we anticipate that all city offices will be open for regular business tomorrow," said Deanna Santana, Oakland city administrator.

Oakland has become an unlikely flashpoint for the national "Occupy" protests against economic inequality that began last year in New York's financial district and spread to dozens of cities.

The protests in most cities have been peaceful and sparked a national debate over how much of the country's wealth is held by the richest 1 percent of the population. President Barack Obama has sought to capitalize on the attention by calling for higher taxes on the richest Americans.

Occupy protests focused on Oakland after a former Marine and Iraq war veteran, Scott Olsen, was critically injured during a demonstration in October. Protesters said he was hit in the head by a tear gas canister but authorities have never said exactly how he was hurt.

The Occupy movement appeared to lose momentum late last year as police cleared protest camps in several cities.

Violence erupted again in Oakland on Saturday afternoon when protesters attempted to take over the apparently empty downtown convention center to establish a new headquarters and draw attention to the problem of homelessness.

Police in riot gear moved in to drive back the crowd, which they estimated at about 500 protesters.

BOTTLES, METAL PIPE

"Officers were pelted with bottles, metal pipe, rocks, spray cans, improvised explosive devices and burning flares," the Oakland Police Department said in a statement. "The Oakland Police Department deployed smoke, tear gas and beanbag projectiles in response to this activity."

Oakland Mayor Jean Quan accused a "violent splinter group" of the Occupy movement of fomenting the Saturday protests and using the city as its playground. Protesters have accused the city of overreacting and using heavyhanded tactics.

By early evening on Sunday, about 80 to 100 protesters were gathered in the plaza next to Oakland City Hall, but there was no police presence and the park was peaceful.

Oakland Police warned protesters that they would not tolerate a repeat of the protest actions on Saturday.

Tension also flared on Sunday in Washington where police used a taser on an Occupy protester during an arrest at a park near the White House, U.S. Park police said.

The National Park Service has said it will begin enforcing a ban on Occupy protesters camping overnight in McPherson Square and Freedom Plaza, two parks near the White House where they have been living since October.

That order, if carried out as promised starting at noon on Monday, could be a blow to one of the highest-profile chapters of the movement.

(Additional reporting by Barbara Goldberg in New York and Kim Dixon and Rachelle Younglai in Washington; Editing by Greg McCune and Stacey Joyce)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/us/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120130/us_nm/us_oakland_protests

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If Gingrich loses in Fla., can he come back again? (The Arizona Republic)

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Mobile Shopping App CheckPoints Rebrands As InMarket To Broaden Focus

CheckPoints, a mobile shopping app that launched at TechCrunch Disrupt in 2010, is rebranding today as InMarket. CheckPoints takes a more product centric approach to its shopping app. When you walk into a store, the app will show you featured products that you can scan with the built-in barcode reader. After scanning, you'll receive an interactive game that a marketer has made for that brand, allowing marketers to actually directly connect with consumers at the point of sale. As opposed to partnering with stores, CheckPoints focused on brands.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/1L4Aem_IQ9A/

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Flavor Flav?s Daughter Is Behind Bars Following A Family Dispute

Flavor Flav’s daughter Dazayna was arrested in Las Vegas on Sunday following an alleged domestic dispute. Officials were called to the rapper’s home after an argument between the 19 year old and her stepbrother allegedly turned violent. The Flavor of Love star tried to intervene and break up the fight but to no avail, prompting [...]

Source: http://www.celebritymound.com/flabor-flavs-daughter-is-behind-bars-following-a-family-dispute/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=flabor-flavs-daughter-is-behind-bars-following-a-family-dispute

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Brooke Burke's Sweat and Butt Wiping (omg!)

Newlywed Brooke Burke Charvet, co-host of Dancing with the Stars, puts the "it" in fit. After having four kids, the audacity to wear a sports bra and short shorts while running could only come from a woman who knows she's got it going on. Her new exercise DVD, Transform Your Body with Brooke Burke: Tone & Tighten, may help you shave an inch or two, but it takes more than a DVD to have a body as great as Brooke's. She tells Fitness her five-day-a-week workout regimen includes Pilates Plus and a couple visits to the gym where she goes for a short treadmill workout and full-body toning.

Brooke Burke Ties the Knot

Hottest Spot: Abs
Even if they weren't so toned, her abs would still be her number one asset. While it's enviable that she lacks signs of carrying children, it's good to know she puts her kids, not her image, first. She reportedly schedules her workouts just as a doctor's appointment or sporting event for her kids, saying she never misses any of these things.

Guilty Pleasure: Spaghetti Bolognese
Brooke wears her craving like a badge of honor. In the February 2012 issue of Ladies Home Journal she says, "If I really crave something, I'll eat it and then get back into the groove afterward. I don't feel like I've failed or fallen off the wagon. Eating healthy shouldn't be torture."

Favorite Sport: Butt Wiping
Today Brooke tweeted her latest blog at? ModernMom.com with the title "The Greatest Butt Wiper." On second thought, it may be too cramped in the bathroom if the whole family decides to spectate. We probably don't need to know what makes her so good at it, seeing as hubby, David, is her only butt wiping competition.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/entertainment/*http%3A//us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/external/omg_rss/rss_omg_en/news_brooke_burkes_sweat_butt_wiping023200370/44322095/*http%3A//omg.yahoo.com/news/brooke-burkes-sweat-butt-wiping-023200370.html

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Millions now manage aging parents' care from afar (AP)

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. ? Kristy Bryner worries her 80-year-old mom might slip and fall when she picks up the newspaper, or that she'll get in an accident when she drives to the grocery store. What if she has a medical emergency and no one's there to help? What if, like her father, her mother slips into a fog of dementia?

Those questions would be hard enough if Bryner's aging parent lived across town in Portland, Ore., but she is in Kent, Ohio. The stress of caregiving seems magnified by each of the more than 2,000 miles that separate them.

"I feel like I'm being split in half between coasts," said Bryner, 54. "I wish I knew what to do, but I don't."

As lifespans lengthen and the number of seniors rapidly grows, more Americans find themselves in Bryner's precarious position, struggling to care for an ailing loved one from hundreds or thousands of miles away.

The National Institute on Aging estimates around 7 million Americans are long-distance caregivers. Aside from economic factors that often drive people far from their hometowns, shifting demographics in the country could exacerbate the issue: Over the next four decades, the share of people 65 and older is expected to rapidly expand while the number of people under 20 will roughly hold steady. That means there will be a far smaller share of people between 20 and 64, the age group that most often is faced with caregiving.

"You just want to be in two places at once," said Kay Branch, who lives in Anchorage, Alaska, but helps coordinate care for her parents in Lakeland, Fla., about 3,800 miles away.

There are no easy answers.

Bryner first became a long-distance caregiver when, more than a decade ago, her father began suffering from dementia, which consumed him until he died in 2010. She used to be able to count on help from her brother, who lived close to their parents, but he died of cancer a few years back. Her mother doesn't want to leave the house she's lived in for so long.

So Bryner talks daily with her mother via Skype, a video telephone service. She's lucky to have a job that's flexible enough that she's able to visit for a couple of weeks every few months. But she fears what may happen when her mother is not as healthy as she is now.

"Someone needs to check on her, someone needs to look out for her," she said. "And the only someone is me, and I don't live there."

Many long-distance caregivers say they insist on daily phone calls or video chats to hear or see how their loved one is doing. Oftentimes, they find another relative or a paid caregiver they can trust who is closer and able to help with some tasks.

Yet there always is the unexpected: Medical emergencies, problems with insurance coverage, urgent financial issues. Problems become far tougher to resolve when you need to hop on a plane or make a daylong drive.

"There are lots of things that you have to do that become these real exercises in futility," said Ed Rose, 49, who lives in Boston but, like his sister, travels frequently to Chicago to help care for his 106-year-old grandmother, Blanche Seelmann.

Rose has rushed to his grandmother's side for hospitalizations, and made unexpected trips to solve bureaucratic issues like retrieving a document from a safe-deposit box in order to open a bank account.

But he said he has also managed to get most of the logistics down to a routine.

He uses Skype to speak with his grandmother every day and tries to be there whenever she has a doctor's appointment. Aides handle many daily tasks and have access to a credit card for household expenses. They send him receipts so he can monitor spending. He has an apartment near his grandmother to make sure he's comfortable on his frequent visits.

Even for those who live near those they care for, travel for work can frequently make it a long-distance affair. Evelyn Castillo-Bach lives in Pembroke Pines, Fla., the same town as her 84-year-old mother, who has Alzheimer's disease. But she is on the road roughly half the year, sometimes for months at a time, both for work with her own Web company and accompanying her husband, a consultant for the United Nations.

Once, she was en route from Kosovo to Denmark when she received a call alerting her that her mother was having kidney failure and appeared as if she would die. She needed to communicate her mother's wishes from afar as her panicked sister tried to search their mother's home for her living will. Castillo-Bach didn't think she could make it in time to see her mother alive once more.

"I won't get to touch my mother again," she thought.

She was wrong. Her mother pulled through. But she says it illustrates what long-distance caregivers so frequently go through.

"This is one of the things that happens when you're thousands of miles away," Castillo-Bach said.

Lynn Feinberg, a caregiving expert at AARP, said the number of long-distance caregivers is likely to grow, particularly as a sagging economy has people taking whatever job they can get, wherever it is. Though caregiving is a major stress on anyone, distance can often magnify it, Feinberg said, and presents particular difficulty when it must be balanced with an inflexible job.

"It's a huge stress," she said. "It can have enormous implications not only for someone's quality of life, but also for someone's job."

It can also carry a huge financial burden. A November 2007 report by the National Alliance for Caregiving and Evercare, a division of United Health Group, found annual expenses incurred by long-distance caregivers averaged about $8,728, far more than caregivers who lived close to their loved one. Some also had to cut back on work hours, take on debt of their own and slash their personal spending.

Even with that in mind, though, many long-distance caregivers say they don't regret their decision. Rita Morrow, who works in accounting and lives in Louisville, Ky., about a six-hour drive from her 90-year-old mother in Memphis, Tenn., does all the juggling too.

She has to remind her mother to take her medicine, make sure rides are lined up for doctor's appointments, rush to her aid if there's a problem. She knows her mom wants to stay in her home, to keep going to the church she's gone to the past 60 years, to be near her friends.

"We do what we have to do for our parents," she said. "My mother did all kinds of things for me."

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120126/ap_on_he_me/us_aging_america_long_distance_caregiving

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Laura Prudom: American Idol Recap: The 5 Most Memorable Auditions From Houston

"American Idol" touched down in Texas with all the subtlety of a shuttle launch. But for such a massive state, the talent seemed to be in short supply. Though the judges were set up in Galveston, the "Idol" circus was still calling Houston its hub, which seemed like an unnecessary clarification.

Between "Houston" and Aspen, the last two audition episodes have been far more reminiscent of the Idol of old -- a dearth of talent and far too many joke contestants taking up precious airtime. Perhaps Randy Jackson and Steven Tyler are partly to blame; from what we saw in Texas, the two male judges were sending home most of the accomplished singers in favor of the screechers and sob stories, who wound up through to Hollywood. And, unlike Simon Cowell and L.A. Reid during "The X Factor" auditions, Steven and Randy actually seemed to be biased against the pretty girls. Are they only picking contestants with a compelling story, and sending those from stable backgrounds home?

1. Cheyenne James/Linda Williams
Cheyenne James and Linda Williams best demonstrated the backwards bias of the two male judges. Cheyenne, a 17-year-old rock chick with a pair of lungs that could put many an "Idol" contender to shame, failed to impress Randy or Steven with her version of Pink's "Misery" (a song which, perhaps tellingly, features Steven Tyler). But Jennifer was practically vibrating with glee after her performance. "I don't think you've got it for this year's 'Idol,'" Steven told Cheyenne, prompting Jennifer's incredulous, "You're kidding, right? ... I thought you were amazing -- soulful, rich, I just loved it," she told the teen. Randy agreed that she didn't sound quite ready yet, which Jennifer thought was crazy, and she got somewhat emotional about having to send the poor girl home empty-handed. "Some of the people you've put through today, against her?" she scoffed.

Then came Linda Williams, the straw that broke Jenny from the Block's back. The 24-year-old bartender was obviously one of those kids who had been told over and over again that she was the next Mariah until she started believing her own hype. She was pitchy and self-indulgent, tossing in meaningless runs just to show that she could. The banshee impersonation didn't win her any points with Jennifer, who declared it "awful" as soon as she left the room, wondering out loud whether she was in the Twilight Zone as Steven insisted it was "beautiful." She won't make it past Hollywood, but Cheyenne probably could've gone further, which was as infuriating to me as it was to Jennifer.

2. Kristine Osorio
While it's probably inadvisable for people to spend their loans on plane tickets for the "Idol" auditions instead of necessary legal fees, I hope the gamble pays off for Kristine, a 28-year-old single mother of three. Since she's at the top end of the age limit (There's always "The X Factor" or "The Voice," Kristine!) this is her last chance at the big time, and she was determined to make it count. Her take on Adele's "One and Only" was raw, raspy and packed a powerful punch, something that was sorely needed in this lackluster batch of contestants. Thankfully, the judges were unanimous in their praise, with Steven lauding her "high warble" and the tenderness in her voice. I hope she's got a babysitter lined up for her kids, since she's on the way to Hollywood.

3. Ramiro Garcia
This medical miracle certainly gave us a memorable audition. Ramiro was born without ears, prompting doctors to predict that he would never be able to hear or speak. Thankfully, he's able to do both, as well as sing, although his voice wasn't nearly strong enough to carry him through to the finals. It's possible that the judges will give him a pass to the live show because of his story, but I think he'll quickly be culled in Hollywood week, since his raspy, heartfelt version of "Amazing Grace" didn't quite measure up to some of the voices we've heard so far. Still, it was pleasant to listen to and his story is inspirational. Compared to some of the duds we've been subjected to this week, he could be a Grammy winner.

4. Baylie Brown
After auditioning (and getting through to Hollywood) back in Season 6, Baylie is back and better than ever. Now 21, her voice has matured and her control was impeccable as she warbled through Bon Jovi's "Bed of Roses." Her voice has an intriguing country twang and Randy still remembered her, which probably worked in her favor. She got an easy three yeses as Randy declared her voice "significantly better" before sending her on her way with a golden ticket.

5. Skylar Laine
Since I'm bored of "Idol's" propensity for digging out the freaks in the crowd and mocking their weirdness (Aren't you grateful for your five minutes of fame, Phong Vu and Alejandro Cazares?), let's spotlight another talented singer. Skylar turned out to be a trigger-happy 17-year-old who shot a deer and had it mounted on her wall when she was 15, which is ... lovely, I guess? Aside from that dubious claim to fame, she was also a fairly passable singer, too, with a pleasant country tone and a range that's not quite Carrie Underwood, but has the potential to get there with some training. She mostly sounded like every other white female country singer we've ever heard, but it's been proven that such a skillset sells records, so her chances are probably good. "Hell on Heels" by Pistol Annies was perfectly suited to her voice, and the judges wasted no time in putting her through.

Who was your favorite contestant in Texas? Were you as underwhelmed by the talent as I was?

"American Idol" airs Wednesdays and Thursdays at 8 p.m. EST on Fox.

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Follow Laura Prudom on Twitter: www.twitter.com/lauinLA

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/laura-prudom/american-idol-recap-the-5_b_1235853.html

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79-cent Doughnut Theft Means $200 Fine For Criminal Justice Student Zack O'Dell

AP:

By Associated Press

POWELL, Wyo. ?- A 19-year-old college student accused of swiping a doughnut in Wyoming is going to be paying a pretty penny for that pastry.

The Northwest Trail reports that Zach O'Dell has agreed to pay a $200 fine, $10 in court costs ? and 79 cents to cover the cost of the doughnut.

O'Dell was accused of eating the treat in Blair's Market in Powell on Nov. 28 and leaving without paying for it. He was charged with shoplifting.

Attorney Sandra Kitchen says she has deferred the prosecution, and the charge will be dismissed in six months if O'Dell stays out of trouble.

The Trail reports that O'Dell declined to comment.

The Northwest College student has been studying criminal justice.

Related on HuffPost:

Read the whole story: AP

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/26/wyoming-19-year-old-fined-for-doughnut-theft_n_1233024.html

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FOR KIDS: Fish eyes go green

Scientists find a surprise in the lens of a fish that lives in the dark

Web edition : 4:10 pm

By the light of day, a greeneye fish seems ordinary: It has a long, narrow body and a small head topped with large, upward-glancing eyes. But if you cut out the bright lights and turn on a dim blue-violet bulb, those eyes glow with an eerie, green hue. That?s because their lenses are fluorescent, which means they absorb one color of light and emit another.

Scientists are now beginning to understand the advantages this gives the species.

Visit the new?Science News for Kids?website?and read the full story:?Fish eyes go green

Found in: Science News For Kids

Source: http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/337905/title/FOR_KIDS_Fish_eyes_go_green

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Complaints of workplace bias reach an all-time high

By Allison Linn

The government received more complaints of worker discrimination its last fiscal year than ever before, but it was only a slight increase over 2010.

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission said Tuesday that it received 99,947 complaints of worker discrimination during its 2011 fiscal year, which ended in September. That?s an increase of 25 complaints over the 2010 fiscal year.

Discrimination complaints surged in the 2008 fiscal year, when the agency received 95,402 complaints as the Great Recession was getting under way. They number of complaints fell somewhat in 2009, the year the recession officially ended, but they rose again in 2010 as the economy was?recovering slowly.

Justine Lisser, a spokeswoman for the EEOC, said the agency can?t?say for certain that the weak job market has caused the spike in complaints, although there may be a correlation.

The unemployment rate remains unusually high, at 8.5 percent, more than two years after the recession officially ended and the economy began?growing again.

Lisser also noted the agency has been working harder to inform employees and employers about its claims process, and?has made it easier to research claims criteria on its website.

In 2011, about 35 percent of the workers complained of race discrimination, according to the EEOC. Gender discrimination accounted for about 29 percent of the complaints, while age discrimination complaints made up about 24 percent.

About 26 percent charged employers with discriminating on the basis of a disability.

Many people charge more than one form of discrimination, so the percentages exceed 100 percent.

The government also said it resolved 112,499 complaints in fiscal year 2011. About 18 percent of those claims received a ?merit resolution,? meaning the person received some sort of settlement.

About two-thirds of those were found to have no reasonable cause for auction. Another 16 percent were closed for administrative reasons, such as that the person who charged discrimination didn?t respond to further requests from the EEOC.

Related:

Age bias complaints surge in weak economy

{"contentId":"10225036","totalVotes":"16226"}

Do you think employee discrimination has become more commonplace since the recession began?

Source: http://bottomline.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/01/24/10225036-discrimination-complaints-reach-all-time-high

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Russia says it opposes sanctions on Syria (Reuters)

MOSCOW (Reuters) ? Russia said on Wednesday it remained opposed to sanctions against Syria and signaled no change in its stance over the government's crackdown on protesters seeking an end to President Bashar al-Assad's rule.

Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov also reiterated Moscow's opposition to outside military intervention in Syria and called for negotiations to end 10 months of bloodshed in which the United Nations says more than 5,000 civilians have been killed.

Lavrov, whose country is a veto-wielding permanent member of the U.N. Security Council, criticized Western powers for seeking the United Nations' "post facto" approval for their "unilateral" actions over Syria.

"We cannot support any proposals for sanctions imposed unilaterally without any consultation with Russia and China ... to be consecrated in hindsight by a Security Council decision," Lavrov told reporters after talks with Turkey's foreign minister on Moscow.

He described such moves as dishonest and counterproductive.

Moscow is one of Assad's remaining allies, and is still delivering Syria arms in defiance of U.S. calls for a moratorium on weapons sales to Damascus.

Russia joined China in October in vetoing a European-drafted Security Council resolution condemning the Syrian government and opening the door to possible sanctions, but it has resisted further action.

Russia has also not backed a call by the Arab League call for Assad to step down which has raised pressure on Moscow to explain why it is blocking U.N. action to stop the bloodshed.

Lavrov did not comment on the call for Assad to resign but said Russia would continue to use its contacts with Syria, a close ally during Soviet times, to seek a peaceful resolution.

"We see no easy solutions here so far, but we have agreed to continue this dialogue, to keep in contact with other countries willing to help find a peaceful settlement," he said.

(Reporting By Nastassia Astrasheuskaya; Writing by Alissa de Carbonnel; Editing by Timothy Heritage)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/russia/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120125/wl_nm/us_syria_russia

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Jennifer Calandra: Women And Divorce: Become The C.E.O. of Your Life (Confident, Empowered, Optimistic)

I am often annoyed at the articles and interviews that position women in a very ugly light when it comes to money. We are often depicted as dumb, flighty, air-headed and out of control. If you were to Google search books about women and money, there are numerous ones in the marketplace to "help us" get a grip on what we need to do in our financial life. Some of them are very helpful, some are not. But, on the flip side of things, if you search for books about men and money, the results are dismal. The reality is that men are viewed as having it all together, women are not.

Why is that? Women have allowed themselves, to a certain extent, to be kept in the dark about their household finances. A recent survey indicated that 65% of men make all of the financial decisions in their home without any input from their spouse. Time and time again I see the impact this has on a woman. I have sat down with many distraught women who seek out my guidance after going through a divorce or when they suffer the loss of their spouse. I have had to teach them how to write a check, balance their checkbook, pay a utility bill -- simply because their husbands handled it all. Why do we allow ourselves to become so dependent on a man? We are the caregivers, the nurturers, the listeners, but we are also the ones that allow ourselves to lose our independence. Why is that? I still try to understand that myself.

One of the hardest and most financially devastating experiences to go through in life is divorce. You enter into a marriage never looking for the exit door, but sometimes it just happens. The unfortunate reality is that one out of two marriages will end in divorce. If you are newly divorced, there are specific items that need to be addressed as soon as possible.

1. Get Your Documents Organized: Make sure you have several copies of your Final Judgment or Decree and/or Marital Settlement Agreement. These may be needed if you are transferring any property, separating debt, etc. Also, make a list of your team of consultants -- CPA, Stock Broker, Banker, etc. Notify them of the divorce and make appointments to bring them up to speed and determine how your new status is going to affect things.

2. Work with a Financial Professional: This is a key step if you are new to handling your finances. Sit down with an advisor and get an overall picture of where you are now as the new financial head of household. Review your divorce decree pertaining to your investments, ownership and custodial responsibility of your children's accounts (if applicable), and take a full Personal Financial Inventory of all of your investments.

3. Settle Accounts: If you have joint checking/savings accounts, make sure to close or distribute all joint assets according to the decree. You want to make sure your ex-spouse is removed from your signature card, safety deposit box, etc. at your bank and that all credit/debit cards are returned or disposed of properly.

4. Retitle Assets: According to your decree/settlement, properly retitle assets such as cars, motorcycles, boats, homes, etc. as soon as possible.

5. Change Your Beneficiary: One of the most commonly "overlooked" mistakes is to not change your beneficiary. Review your life insurance policies, retirement accounts, annuities, etc. to make the necessary updates to your beneficiary. You want to make sure your wealth transfers to the right hands, not the wrong ones!

6. Consider Your Retirement: Pay close attention to retirement assets. Roll over or transfer retirement assets according to your divorce decree and/or QDRO (Qualified Domestic Relations Order). Make sure to review all of your retirement accounts, including pensions and employer-sponsored plans.

6. Update Your Will: If you have a will, update it. If you don't, establish one! You are now the new captain of your financial ship. Establish a new power of attorney, health care and financial directive and if you have children , you may consider establishing a trust for their benefit.

7. Consider Insurance: Most people cringe at the word insurance. It is better to have and not need than need and not have. Review with your financial professional and consider adding life and/or long term care insurance to your financial house. Now that you are on your own, putting the necessary investments in place in case of sickness or death just might be the right thing to do.

8. Review Your Benefits: Contact the Social Security Administration to check your eligibility if you are 62 or older and were married for longer than 10 years. If you spouse was a veteran, contact the VA to see if there are any benefits available to you.

9. Review Your Health Coverage: If your divorce decree establishes that you will continue coverage under your spouse's employer, make sure to contact the company and request current information about the type of plan and what is covered. Also update them to your new address if you have relocated and make it a point to stay in touch every few months. This will keep you in the loop if your ex-spouse has made any changes to the plan. If you need to establish your own health care coverage, shop around and compare companies and quotes.

10. Design a New Plan: Design a plan that meets your new life. If you are not used to being responsible for the bills, devise a budget and stick to it. Do not allow yourself to get overwhelmed. Stay involved and encouraged. You need to be financially responsible in your new life. Don't feel ashamed to ask questions and listen to advice, from a qualified financial professional.

Even though you may feel like you are living in a fog , the smoke does clear. You can recover from a divorce, sometimes better than you ever were before. I am speaking from personal experience. Stay in control, even if love does find you again.

?

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jennifer-calandra/women-and-divorce-become-_b_1220282.html

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Weaker sun will not delay global warming: study (Reuters)

LONDON (Reuters) ? A weaker sun over the next 90 years is not likely to significantly delay a rise in global temperature caused by greenhouse gases, a report said Monday.

The study, by Britain's Meteorological Office and the university of Reading, found that the Sun's output would decrease up until 2100 but this would only lead to a fall in global temperatures of 0.08 degrees Celsius.

Scientists have warned that more extreme weather is likely across the globe this century as the Earth's climate warms.

The world is expected to heat up by over 2 degrees Celsius this century due to increased greenhouse gas emissions.

Current global pledges to cut carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions are not seen as sufficient to stop the planet heating up beyond 2 degrees, a threshold scientists say risks an unstable climate in which weather extremes are common.

"This research shows that the most likely change in the sun's output will not have a big impact on global temperatures or do much to slow the warming we expect from greenhouse gases," said Gareth Jones, climate change detection scientist at the Met Office.

"It's important to note this study is based on a single climate model, rather than multiple models which would capture more of the uncertainties in the climate system," he added.

During the 20th century, solar activity increased to a maximum level and recent studies have suggested this level of activity has reached, or is nearing, an end.

The scientists used this maximum level as a starting point to project possible changes in the sun's activity over this century.

The study also showed that if the sun's output went below a threshold reached between 1645 and 1715 - called the Maunder Minimum when solar activity was at its lowest observed level - global temperature would fall by 0.13 degrees Celsius.

"The most likely scenario is that we'll see an overall reduction of the sun's activity compared to the 20th Century, such that solar outputs drop to the values of the Dalton Minimum (around 1820)," said Mike Lockwood, solar studies expert at the university of Reading.

"The probability of activity dropping as low as the Maunder Minimum - or indeed returning to the high activity of the 20th Century - is about 8 percent."

(Reporting by Nina Chestney, editing by William Hardy)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/environment/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120123/sc_nm/us_sun_global_warming

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It's Your Business | CJOnline.com

[unable to retrieve full-text content]CJOnline.com is the website of the Topeka Capital-Journal newspaper. It's the Number One source of news, sports, weather and entertainment information, as well as cars, jobs and real estate advertising for the northeastern ...

Source: http://cjonline.com/news/business/2012-01-21/its-your-business

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Yemen parliament passes law granting Saleh immunity (Reuters)

SANAA (Reuters) ? Yemen's parliament approved a law on Saturday granting outgoing President Ali Abdullah Saleh immunity from prosecution over the killing of protesters, in a bid to push ahead with a plan to ease him out of power and end nearly a year of unrest.

The law, backed by a majority of voting members, stops short of giving full immunity to Saleh's aides.

Parliament also supported the candidacy of Vice-President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi in a presidential election next month to replace Saleh following his 33-year rule.

The law had previously offered blanket immunity to Saleh's associates, but an amended version limited that to protection from prosecution over "politically motivated" crimes committed whilst conducting official duties, except those considered "terrorist acts."

The immunity, part of the plan hammered out by Yemen's wealthier Gulf neighbors, would cover Saleh's entire presidency and could not be cancelled or appealed against.

Neighboring top oil exporter Saudi Arabia and the United States had backed autocratic Saleh for much of his time in power, but endorsed the transition deal, fearing continued unrest would be exploited by al Qaeda's Yemen-based regional wing, seen by Washington as the network's most dangerous branch.

(Reporting by Mohammed Ghobari; Writing by Firouz Sedarat; Editing by Sophie Hares)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/world/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120121/wl_nm/us_yemen

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The Costa Concordia: Should captains always go down with the ship? (The Week)

New York ? The ill-fated cruise liner's captain has been vilified for leaving in a lifeboat before some of his passengers. Is that fair?

Italian cruise ship captain Francesco Schettino faces criminal charges after abandoning his sinking ship, the Costa Concordia, while some of his 4,200 passengers were still on board. A coast guard captain became a hero for screaming at Schettino to get back on the ship to help the "women and children," while the disgraced Schettino insisted to a judge that he hadn't fled ? he "tripped" and fell into a lifeboat. That "lame explanation" only fueled the public's anger over the disaster, which left at least 11 people dead, with 21 more still missing. Is it really necessary for a captain to be the last one to leave a sinking ship?

It's unfair to demand heroism from anyone ? captains included: "We imagine a captain on his deck, as he slips under the waves," says Theodore Dalrymple at Britain's Telegraph. But there's no reason to expect a captain to simply go down with the ship, especially if doing so doesn't save any lives. Some people react bravely in the face of danger, some don't. Schettino "panicked at the one crucial moment of his career," and his punishment is that he'll have to live with it. We shouldn't make things worse by piling on.
"Concordia disaster: Should a captain go down with his ship?"

But it's a captain's duty to be the last to leave: It is "the way of a captain" to be the last to abandon ship, ocean-liner historian John Maxtone-Graham tells Salon. Schettino "should have stayed and helped save passengers" by leading the evacuation, maintaining discipline, and, if necessary, climbing through mangled, flooded corridors and cabins himself to rescue anyone trapped below. "He will likely go to prison before he ever goes to sea again."
"The captain who wouldn't go down with the ship"

The code of the sea captain is changing: In the old days, sea travel was treacherous, says Christopher Caldwell at the?Financial Times. Every captain understood that if disaster struck, "the job required staying aboard ? and even going down with ? the ship." But these days, the "dangers of sea travel are the very last thing cruise lines want their customers to think about." Cruising has become so safe that Schettino didn't think he had to honor the solemn code of "sea captains of yore" ? he figured his job was just "keeping the party going."
"Inadvertent lesson from a nautical scoundrel"

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Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/oped/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/theweek/20120120/cm_theweek/223571

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[OOC] Roommates/Boarding.

Forum rules
This forum is for OOC discussion about existing roleplays.

Please post all "Players Wanted" threads in the Roleplayers Wanted forum!

This topic is an Out Of Character part of the roleplay, ?Everest Academy?. Anything posted here will also show up there.

Topic Tags:

Forum for completely Out of Character (OOC) discussion, based around whatever is happening In Character (IC). Discuss plans, storylines, and events; Recruit for your roleplaying game, or find a GM for your playergroup.
Okeydokes, we have enough characters that I'm going to pick roommates now.
Teachers each have their own rooms in a hallway. Then there is a girl's wing and a boy's wing. All three open up in front of the hallway that leads to most of the school's residential section- library, kitchen, study room, etc. Every room has its own color assigned to it, for whatever reason, and that's the color of the room's label, nothing else.

Girls:
Room 1, Lavender Room: Willow Stevenson and Alexis Cody Evans.
Room 2, Scarlet Room: Callen and Miki Kunie

Boys:
Room 1, Aqua Room: Kage Kyo and Leonard F. Brooks
Room 2, Lime Room: Zen Kunie and Akro Masmora
Room 3, Maroon Room: Jacob Stevenson and Riku Shinra
Room 4, Ochre Room: Ernest Christian and ______________

AlyxtheStubborn

Member for 1 years

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Asthma Meds Likely Safe During Pregnancy: Study (HealthDay)

FRIDAY, Jan. 20 (HealthDay News) -- A new study found no statistically significant link between asthma medication use during pregnancy and common birth defects.

However, the study did find a positive association between some rare birth defects and mothers with asthma, and potentially with their medication use. But, the researchers couldn't tease out whether the problem was a loss of oxygen from less than well-controlled asthma or an effect of medications.

"Worsening asthma is a risk to the mom and the fetus. Hypoxia (a lack of oxygen) we know is a problem for a developing fetus. And, the potential risk they found here is very small. Even if it turns out to be a true increase, the risk is so small. This study raises more questions than it answers," said Dr. Natalie Meirowitz, chief of the division of maternal fetal medicine at Long Island Jewish Medical Center in New Hyde Park, N.Y.

What's most important, she said, is that expectant mothers with asthma don't just stop their medications. "That's really a problem, and then they end up needing more medication," she said.

Findings from the study were published online Jan. 16, ahead of February print publication in Pediatrics.

Between 4 percent and 12 percent of expectant mothers have asthma, according to background information in the article. Current guidelines recommend that women keep taking their asthma medications during pregnancy.

There are two main types of asthma medications: bronchodilators (also known as rescue medication) and anti-inflammatories, which include inhaled and oral steroids, as well as several other medications. Anti-inflammatory medications are generally used long term to help control asthma symptoms.

For the study, the researchers compared nearly 2,900 infants born with birth defects to more than 6,700 babies born with no birth defects. Mothers of these infants were asked to recall their medication use one month before and during pregnancy.

For most birth defects, the researchers found no statistically significant associations between asthma medication use and the development of birth defects.

They did, however, find a positive association between asthma medication use and certain rare birth defects. The risk of isolated esophageal atresia -- an abnormality of the esophagus -- was more than doubled in women who used bronchodilators. The risk of isolated anorectal atresia -- a malformed anus -- was more than doubled with maternal anti-inflammatory use. And, the risk of omphalocele -- a defect in the abdominal wall -- was more than quadrupled for either type of asthma medication.

But, the authors wrote, the "observed associations may be chance findings or may be the result of maternal asthma severity and related hypoxia rather than the medication use."

They added that it's also important to keep these findings in context. The rate of these birth defects ranged from 1.2 to 4.6 per 10,000 births. So, even a four-fold increase in the risk of having one of these defects results in far less than a 1 percent chance for any individual woman and her child.

"As obstetricians, we need to pay attention to this, but it's really important to oxygenate mom. We really need to make sure that there's oxygen flowing freely between mom and baby," said Dr. Mary Rosser, an obstetrician with Montefiore Medical Center in New York City.

Also, Rosser pointed out that there was a lot that wasn't known about the expectant mothers. The authors weren't able to assess the severity of their asthma. They also didn't know anything about the medication doses.

Asthma expert Dr. Jennifer Appleyard agreed with Rosser and Meirowitz. "They really couldn't tease apart what was the medicine and what was the asthma," she said.

"You need to treat the asthma. There's more risk to uncontrolled asthma than a slight possible risk of a rare birth defect," said Appleyard, the chief of allergy and immunology at St. John Hospital and Medical Center in Detroit.

"No matter what type of patient you're treating -- expectant mom or not -- the goal is to treat patients with the minimum amount of medication necessary," she added.

Rosser and Meirowitz said that, ideally, women should visit their obstetrician/gynecologist before getting pregnant to review their medication use and to make sure that their asthma is well controlled.

More information

Learn more about asthma during pregnancy from the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/diseases/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/hsn/20120121/hl_hsn/asthmamedslikelysafeduringpregnancystudy

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Obama sings a tune, steals the online show (Reuters)

NEW YORK (Reuters) ? President Barack Obama stole the online show on Friday after singing a tune during a campaign fundraiser at New York City's famed Apollo Theater.

After Rev. Al Green warmed up the audience for Obama on Thursday night, the president surprised the audience -- and his staff -- by crooning the opening bars of Green's soul classic "Let's stay together."

"I'm - so in love with you," he sang, earning rapturous applause from the 1,400 people who each had paid between $100 and $200 to attend the Democratic fundraiser ahead of the presidential election in November.

"Don't worry Rev., I cannot sing like you. I just wanted to show my appreciation," Obama added, as he stood on a stage at the theater that helped launch the careers of Michael Jackson, James Brown and Ella Fitzgerald.

The video of Obama singing was a hit online on Friday and Al Green was one of the top ten topics trending on Twitter.

"I have worked for President Obama for 5 years and until last night, I had no idea that he could sing," said White House communications director Dan Pfeiffer in a tweet.

(Reporting by Alister Bull, editing by Michelle Nichols)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/tech/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120120/pl_nm/us_obama_singing

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AC Milan striker Alexandre Pato out 3-4 weeks

Associated Press Sports

updated 7:39 p.m. ET Jan. 19, 2012

MILAN (AP) -AC Milan forward Alexandre Pato will be out for three to four weeks after the latest in a series of muscle injuries.

Pato scored in extra time to give Milan a 2-1 win over Novara and put his team into the Italian Cup quarterfinals Wednesday but then exited four minutes from time grasping his left thigh.

Milan announced late Thursday that Pato has a mild left thigh muscle tear, saying he will be out "three to four weeks, barring complications."

Pato already missed the start of this season due to a muscle problem, and his entire career with Milan has been marked by similar injuries.

Meanwhile, Milan announced it has signed Djamel Mesbah from Lecce and given the Algerian midfielder a contract through 2016.

? 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Mourinho's 'woeful Barca loss

Another loss to Barcelona has piled pressure on Jose Mourinho, with support for the Real Madrid coach ebbing after another ill-tempered and ineffective display against its biggest rival.

Robert Cianflone / Getty Images

Loyalty

??David Beckham considered other offers but decided nothing was better than his adopted home with the L.A. Galaxy.

Source: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/45998541/ns/sports-soccer/

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Review Page User Feedback Part 3!

A while back we asked you to give us feedback on the new Phone Compare pages we were working on -- this went so well we’re now putting out a sneak peek of the Review Pages, too.

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Takeda to cut 2,800 overseas jobs by March 2016

TOKYO | Wed Jan 18, 2012 5:23am EST

TOKYO (Reuters) - Takeda Pharmaceutical Co (4502.T) said on Wednesday that it would cut about 10 percent of its workforce through job reductions outside Japan as it seeks to streamline its global operations after its acquisition of Swiss drugmaker Nycomed last year.

Japan's largest drugmaker plans to cut 2,100 jobs mainly in Europe and 700 in the United States by March 2016. As a result, Takeda expects to save about 200 billion yen ($2.6 billion) during the same timeframe, it said in a statement.

But Takeda, which employs about 30,000 people globally, said the move initially would lower its profit by 35 billion yen in the fiscal year ending in March. It will announce revised forecasts for the current fiscal year on February 1.

Takeda, which competes against Astellas Pharma (4503.T), Otsuka Holdings Co (4578.T) and Daiichi Sankyo Co (4568.T) on its home turf, is struggling to boost profits due to a strong yen and costs related to the Nycomed buyout. Takeda in November cut its full-year operating profit forecast by 31 percent.

Takeda in May agreed to buy Nycomed for 9.6 billion euros (or $13.7 billion at the time), to boost its presence in emerging markets and add a new lineup of drugs. ($1 = 76.8100 Japanese yen)

(Reporting by Junko Fujita; Editing by Chris Gallagher)

Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/01/18/us-takeda-jobs-idUSTRE80H0IT20120118?feedType=RSS&feedName=businessNews&rpc=23&sp=true

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HBT: Braves expect Hanson to be ready to go

Tommy Hanson missed the final two months of last season with a partially torn rotator cuff in his right shoulder, suffering multiple setbacks along the way as he unsuccessfully tried to return to the Braves? rotation.

That makes him a big question mark for 2012, but general manager Frank Wren told David O?Brien of the Atlanta Journal Constitution that ?our expectations are that he comes into spring training ready to go.?

Wren added that Hanson ?feels good? and is ?doing really well? in his recovery.

Hanson got knocked around prior to landing on the disabled list, allowing 24 runs in his final 27 innings, including serving up four homers in his last start, yet still posted a 3.60 ERA and 142/46 K/BB ratio in 130 innings overall.

When healthy he?s been one of the most underrated starters in baseball, going 32-22 with a 3.28 ERA in 77 career starts through age 24.

Source: http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/01/18/braves-expect-tommy-hanson-to-be-ready-to-go-after-shoulder-problems/related/

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Video: White House Playing Pipeline Politics?

Rep. Fred Upton, (R-MI), discusses whether President Obama's pipeline decision is a threat to jobs creation and energy security, with Jared Bernstein, Center on Budget & Policy Priorities, and Phil Kerpen, Americans for Prosperity.

Related Links:

Business & financial news headlines from msnbc.com

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Slow start for Libya drive to disband militias (Reuters)

TRIPOLI (Reuters) ? Twenty-four hours after Libya's police force opened its doors for the thousands of militia members to join its ranks, only 100 had signed up, signaling the long road the government faces to bring the unruly militias to heel.

The militias, which fought to unseat former leader Muammar Gaddafi, are now the biggest threat to stability in Libya, clashing regularly with each other in violent turf wars and undermining the authority of the country's new rulers.

The interim government, the National Transitional Council (NTC), wants to amalgamate the militias into the police force and army. The NTC's chief said this month that if they do not comply, the country risks being dragged into a civil war.

But on the evidence of the trickle of people signing up at the Interior Ministry's main recruitment center in a Tripoli compound, most militia members are still reluctant.

An official at the site said that between Saturday morning and Sunday morning -- part of the working week in Libya -- they had signed up 100 people.

There are no reliable figures for the number of fighters in Libya's militia units, but they could number in the hundreds of thousands.

Those that did turn up to seek jobs in the new police force were not from the heavily-armed and well-organized militias from outside Tripoli which pose the biggest headache for the NTC.

Instead, the prospective new recruits were from smaller militias which in any case did not have the resources to challenge for power. Some recruits said they were there because their units had not paid them.

Sunday morning, about a dozen young men, mostly dressed in civilian clothes and holding their green identity cards, stood outside the registration office, located in a busy Tripoli district near Nasser University.

They had filled out the job application to join the police and were waiting to be called so that they could sign an employment contract.

Once the contract is approved, each new recruit would be paid 600 dinars a month, an interior ministry official, who asked not to be named, told Reuters. That is about $450, a modest salary by Libyan standards but enough to live on.

An official said they would be hired initially for six months, after which their contracts will be reviewed.

One of the would-be police officers was Adel Muftah, 25, who joined a militia unit after the fall of Tripoli in August.

"I've come here because this is a legitimate force," Muftah said, wearing the khaki military uniform favored by many militia fighters. "I haven't been paid for two months by the militia."

INCENTIVES PROMISED

The clerks whose job it was to register the potential recruits would not comment on whether the numbers who had signed up were in line with expectations.

The clerks said they had been given no deadline to stop accepting applications, though government officials had previously said they wanted to complete the process within a month.

Salah Mohammed Makhlouf, commander of a Tripoli-based militia, said he had asked his fighters to sign up for the interior ministry jobs.

He said he was promised by government officials that some of his fighters would be trained in Jordan, Qatar, Sudan and the United Arab Emirates.

But the most powerful militias, and the ones most reluctant to hand over to the central government, are those affiliated to cities such as Zintan and Misrata.

They played a major role in the fight to oust Gaddafi, and do not want to disband until they are sure they will be given a stake in the new Libya that matches their contribution to the revolution.

Mokhtar al-Akhdar commands a 1,200-strong force drawn mainly from Zintan, which controls Tripoli airport. His men have fought gunbattles with rival militias.

He said he was talking to the government about transferring control of the airport to the authorities.

But when he was asked last week to give a timeline, he said he needed to see a strong government force in place first before he could surrender control.

"We are throwing the ball to the ministries of defense and interior. We will see what they do," Akhdar told Reuters. "We are patriotic and our nation is what we care about the most."

(Writing by Mahmoud Habboush; Editing by Christian Lowe and Peter Graff)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/africa/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120115/wl_nm/us_libya_militias_police

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Tebow's special season ends with rout by Patriots (AP)

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. ? Looks like Tebowmania has run its course.

Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow couldn't pull off another improbable comeback on Saturday night, when Tom Brady and the New England Patriots effectively buried the NFL's feel-good story of the year with a 45-10 rout.

The Patriots advanced to the AFC title game for the sixth time in 11 seasons, and the Broncos head into the offseason with renewed questions about their unconventional quarterback.

"After a little while, when we continued to fall behind" it sank in, an upbeat Tebow told reporters after the game. "But even at halftime, when we came in and said we were going to play one play at a time, you never know what's going to happen. We just weren't able to get it done."

The Tebow phenomenon was built during a six-game winning streak ? three of them in overtime ? and then magnified when he hit Demaryius Thomas for an 80-yard touchdown on the first play of overtime in last week's playoff victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers. But the Patriots overwhelmed the Broncos, and Tebow wasn't able to stop it.

"Overall, it's been a very special opportunity for me, something I'm very thankful for, very thankful I had the opportunity to build some of the great relationships with teammates and coaches," he said. "We've overcome a lot of different forms of adversity, to win some special games, to have great memories of last week and to be able to get into the playoffs. There's a lot of things we are proud of, even though it's hard to see that now."

After scurrying around the field for four quarters ? usually with Patriots defenders close behind ? Tebow stood calmly at the podium in his postgame interview and tried to focus on the positive things that have happened to him this season. Wearing a purple tie and matching shirt, open at the collar, Tebow talked about meeting a sick child in the hospital and bringing a smile to his face.

"I'm very thankful for that platform," he said. "So I wouldn't change it for anything."

The Broncos were 1-4 when Tebow was named the starter. After splitting his first two games, they won six in a row with him as quarterback and Tebowmania was in full bloom.

Then the Patriots got to Denver on Dec. 18 and won 41-23 to snap the winning streak. The Broncos lost their next two games as well to finish with a three-game slide, but they qualified for the playoffs when the Oakland Raiders lost to the San Diego Chargers on the final day of the regular season.

In the wild-card round against Pittsburgh, Thomas' 80-yard touchdown catch-and-run on the first play of overtime gave the Broncos their first playoff win in six years.

And heading into the second round, it was all Tebow, all the time.

The internet buzzed with people Tebowing ? mimicking the quarterback's pregame prayer pose ? and that didn't go over so well in New England, where they think their quarterback deserves some attention, too. Talk radio callers questioned Tebow's talent, and even fans at the Boston Bruins game started a derisive cheer against the Broncos quarterback.

That carried over to Foxborough, where the "Teeee-Bow!" chant came out in the second half as he struggled to muster an offensive attack.

"Sometimes you definitely don't want it all because you'd love to just go to dinner and hang out with friends and be a normal 24-year-old," Tebow said. "That makes it sometimes hard, but I wouldn't change it for the world just because by having that platform to be able to walk into the hospital and share with kids."

Broncos coach John Fox said the team had a lot to be proud of, and Tebow did, too. But there were few highlights on Saturday.

"We're a work in progress," Fox said.

On Denver's first possession, Tebow threw an incompletion and lost a fumble. By halftime, he had completed just three of 10 passes for 28 yards. By that time, Brady already had thrown five of his six touchdown passes.

"I just wanted to show character. You just continue to fight, and it doesn't change who you are, who you play, how you go out there. You should be the same at all times," Tebow said. "That's what I wanted to show. It didn't matter whether it was the first play or the last play or you were down by 42. I was going to be the same player and I was still going to give everything I have. Because that's all I have to give. Every time I step on the field, I'm going to give my whole heart, regardless score-wise of what's happening."

Tebow just couldn't overcome a defense ranked 31st in the NFL.

"They did some good things, stunting up front," he said. "They played well. I thank my teammates for their effort even when things didn't go well."

Now he goes into the offseason trying to improve. The question is: Will he be the starter again next season?

"Of course, he's our guy," safety Rahim Moore said. "People put too much pressure on him. He's going to have some good and some bad. I believe in him and I would like him to be our quarterback."

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/sports/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120115/ap_on_sp_fo_ga_su/fbn_broncos_tebow

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