Weaker banks, commodities drag Britain's FTSE lower (Reuters)

LONDON (Reuters) ? Weakness in banks and commodity stocks dragged Britain's leading share index lower on Monday as the protracted search for a Greek bond deal and concerns about economic growth kept investors nervous.

The FTSE 100 (.FTSE) index closed down 62.36 points, or 1.1 percent, at 5,671.09, extending Friday's falls and retreating further from Thursday's six-month closing high.

The FTSE volatility index (.VFTSE) was also active, up over 10 percent, its biggest daily percentage rise in a month and signaling an increase in risk aversion.

Banks (.FTNMX8350) were the biggest blue-chip casualties, hit by concerns that extra liquidity injections from central banks had not addressed the sector's fundamental problems.

Credit Suisse reduced its recommendation on the European Banking sector to "underweight" as it said the direct earnings impact of the European Central Bank's (ECB) late-December splurge of cheap, long-term cash for the banks appeared to be over-estimated.

Barclays (BARC.L) was the UK sector's biggest faller, down 4.2 percent, while Lloyds Banking Group (LLOY.L) shed 4.1 percent, and Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS.L) fell 3.5 percent.

EU leaders met in Brussels on Monday, the first summit of 2012, to sign off a permanent rescue fund for the euro zone -- Britain's biggest trading partner -- though the meeting was overshadowed by the unresolved Greek debt problems.

To avoid a chaotic default, which could have grave ramifications for sentiment and financial systems across the globe, Greece must secure a deal with its private bond holders and persuade international lenders it is serious about reforms in order to secure much-needed cash.

Fresh tensions between Greece and the euro zone's biggest economy Germany over the weekend regarding the debt bail-out terms also knocked sentiment.

"This isn't the first time Greece has shown resistance to accepting certain EU bailout terms and conditions, and given their weak position they may need to concede again, otherwise risk defaulting on the debt repayments due in March," said Jordan Lambert, Trader at Spreadex.

U.S. blue chips (.DJI) were down 0.6 percent by London's close, also suffering on concerns over the Greek debt situation, and after further dull U.S. economic data.

U.S. consumer spending was flat in December as households took advantage of the largest rise in income in nine months to boost their savings, setting the tone for a slowdown in demand early in 2012.

COMMODITIES DIP

Weakness in commodity issues also weighed on blue chips in London, with a retreat in crude knocking the integrated oils (.FTNMX0530) as an expected Iranian vote to suspend crude exports to Europe was postponed, easing supply concerns.

Miners (.FTNMX1770) also moved lower in tandem with weaker metal prices, as softer-than-expected U.S. economic data fuelled concerns about demand levels.

Defensive stocks dominated on the short list of blue chip gainers, led by drugmakers, with AstraZeneca (AZN.L) and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK.L) up 0.6 percent and 0.5 percent.

AstraZeneca will post fourth-quarter results on Thursday.

Utilities were in demand, with energy generator International Power (IPR.L) up 0.6 percent, and power distributor National Grid (NG.L) ahead 0.5 percent. Both firms are due to issue trading updates later this week.

And chip designer ARM Holdings (ARM.L) gained 0.3 percent, with its fourth-quarter results due tomorrow.

(Reporting by Jon Hopkins; Editing by Will Waterman)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/stocks/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120130/bs_nm/us_markets_britain_stocks

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Stocks fall. Greece weighs on markets.

Stocks are down in Asia and Europe ahead of a key European summit. S&P futures are also lower. Investors shun stocks as concerns linger about Greece's long-term solvency. ?

World?stock?markets fell Monday as uncertainty about a tentative deal to resolve Greece's debt crisis weighed on investor sentiment ahead of a summit of European leaders.

Skip to next paragraph

The leaders gathering in Brussels hope to focus on how to stimulate economic growth and create jobs at a time when huge government spending cuts threaten to push many countries back into recession.

The latest data showed Spain was one step closer to recession ? technically defined as two consecutive quarters of economic contraction ? after its economy shrank in the last three months of 2011.

Experts say Europe's efforts to cut its high levels of debt will be for nothing if its economies remain uncompetitive. The leaders will also discuss a new treaty on tightening budget controls and setting up a permanent bailout fund.

But the meeting will be dominated by another topic that is not officially for discussion ? Greece's debt problem.

Greece has reached a tentative deal with its private creditors that could avert a disastrous default this spring. Investors holding ?206 billion ($272 billion) in Greek bonds would exchange them for bonds with half the face value. The replacement bonds would have a longer maturity and pay a lower interest rate. When the bonds mature, Greece would have to pay its bondholders only ?103 billion.

But because Greece has been in recession for years, some experts fear it could need more rescue loans from its bailout partners ? other eurozone countries and the International Monetary Fund ? if it is to remain solvent.

Richer countries like Germany, however, are losing patience with giving Athens loans, saying the Greek government is not implementing reforms and austerity cuts quickly enough.

A German official even proposed to have an EU official directly oversee Athens' government spending. The idea was quickly rejected, however, by both the European Commission and Greek leaders.

Despite progress in Greece's debt talks with private creditors, the continued uncertainty over its finances pushed stocks lower Monday.

Britain's FTSE 100 fell 0.8 percent to 5,689.76 and Germany's DAX lost 0.9 percent to 6,4552.51. France's CAC-40 shed 1.1 percent to 3,281.48. Wall Street was also headed for a lower open, with Dow Jones industrial futures falling 0.6 percent to 12,533 and S&P 500 futures down 0.8 percent to 1,302.50.

Sentiment, which has been relatively buoyant so far this year on hopes for a recovery in the U.S., was also dented by Fitch Ratings agency's announcement late Friday that it had downgraded five eurozone countries, including Italy and Spain.

Looking ahead, investors will keep an eye on an Italian bond auction and more earnings, which were mixed Monday in Europe ? airline Ryanair beat expectations but appliances maker Philips disappointed.

In Asia, most indexes closed lower as investors there reacted to Friday's release of data showing the U.S. economy grew more slowly than expected in the last three months of 2011. The U.S. economy grew at an annual rate of 2.8 percent in the October-December quarter, lower than the 3 percent that economists were expecting.

Japan's Nikkei 225 index shed 0.5 percent to close at 8,793.05. South Korea's Kospi was 1.2 percent lower at 1,940.55 and Hong Kong's Hang Seng dropped 1.7 percent to 20,160.41. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 lost 0.4 percent at 4,272.70.

Benchmarks in mainland China, Singapore, Indonesia, India and the Philippines also fell. Taiwan and New Zealand rose.

Japan's Mitsubishi Electric Corp. plummeted 14.8 percent after the Defense Ministry and the Cabinet Satellite Intelligence Center said they would not sign contracts with the electric machinery manufacturer, which acknowledged it had overcharged on defense and space-related projects, Kyodo News agency reported.

Traders are awaiting more data this week for clues about which way the U.S. economy is headed. On Wednesday, the Institute for Supply Management will release its manufacturing index for January and the U.S. Labor Department will release monthly employment data Friday.

"Because the market has been expecting rather good economic data from the U.S. ... I am afraid if those figures disappoint the market, it may trigger further correction in the?stock?market," said Louis Wong, dealing director of Phillip Securities Ltd.

Benchmark oil for March delivery was down 60 cents to $98.96 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract fell 14 cents to end at $99.56 per barrel on the Nymex on Friday.

In currencies, the euro fell to $1.3129 from $1.3208 late Friday in New York. The dollar fell to 76.70 yen from 76.72 yen.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/lSzg3owr9N0/Stocks-fall.-Greece-weighs-on-markets.

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After David Wu sex scandal, Democrats spend big to keep seat in Oregon special election (Star Tribune)

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Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/192983340?client_source=feed&format=rss

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John Rich, "All in the Family" director, dies at 86 (Reuters)

LOS ANGELES, Jan 29 (TheWrap.com) ? Veteran director John Rich, who worked on a number of TV classics including "All in the Family," "Gunsmoke" and "Gilligan's Island," has died. He was 86.

After directing the pilot for "All in the Family," Rich spent four years directing and producing the comedy, for which he won two DGA Awards and three Emmys. The prolific Rich directed episodes of "Bonanza," "The Rifleman," "The Twilight Zone" and "Murphy Brown," as well as more than 40 episodes of "The Dick Van Dyke Show."

Rich was also a board member of the Directors Guild of America for more than 50 years, and a key player in the 1960 merger that formed it, when the Screen Directors Guild combined with the Radio and Television Directors Guild. He was integral to the formation of the pension and health plans.

DGA President Taylor Hackford issued a statement about Rich on Sunday morning. Hackford called Rich "a legendary figure in the history of TV comedy" and noted that "no one who ever sat in a meeting with John will ever forget his stories about the early days of the Guild or his lovably salty sense of humor."

Hackford added, "John began making an impact in the Guild from the very first time he attended a meeting of what was then the Screen Directors Guild. At that meeting, he had the chutzpah to point out that of the illustrious members -- including Capra, Stevens, Wyler and Hitchcock -- who had convened to elect a board of directors, none had ever worked in television. And the very next day, John got a call that they had appointed him, this brash young television wunderkind, as an alternate member of the new board. Our hearts go out to his wife, Pat, and his family at this difficult time."

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/tv/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120130/tv_nm/us_johnrich_director

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Siemens Enterprise Communications' OpenScape Cloud Services ...

SUNNYVALE, CA, Jan 09, 2012 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) ?Fortinet(R) /quotes/zigman/115092/quotes/nls/ftnt FTNT -0.35% ? a leading network security providerand the worldwide leader of unified threat management (UTM) solutions? today announced that Siemens Enterprise Communications, a premierglobal provider of end-to-end enterprise communications, has deployedmultiple FortiGate-1240B network security appliances to help secureits OpenScape Cloud Services. Fortinet?s devices are uniquely meetingthe provider?s stringent requirements in terms of performance,functionality and reliability.

As a provider of voice and communications solutions, SiemensEnterprise Communications offers easy-to-implement, reliable andsecure Unified Communications (UC) solutions to customers of allsizes around the world. When Siemens Enterprise Communicationslaunched its OpenScape Cloud Services to extend its voice and UCservices to customers using a public cloud, the company looked atsetting up secure and reliable IT and communications infrastructuresas well as high-availability data centers in Germany and in the US.

The requirements for Siemens Enterprise Communications? OpenScapeCloud Services were high in terms of security and reliability, aswell as performance and scalability. In parallel, the securitysolution needed to provide rich functionality to supportvoice-over-IP (VoIP), UC and application data.

Thanks to a long track record in successfully securing the dataenvironment of Siemens Enterprise Communications? enterprisecustomers, Fortinet?s FortiGate network appliances were part of themarket solutions subject to the provider?s nine-month evaluation andwere ultimately selected to secure its communications cloud services.

?The decisive factor was Fortinet?s outstanding success in thepreceding tests,? said Andreas Seum, Vice President ConvergedNetworks & Security at Siemens Enterprise Communications. ?Also,Fortinet?s expertise in the provider and carrier sector, in additionto the personal support contributed to our decision. At last, on atechnical level, the FortiGate appliance proved to uniquely functionin compliance with the SIP standard and support all the voice and UCapplication functionalities without impairing the performance orreliability of our communications solutions.?

In Germany and in the US, Siemens Enterprise Communications deployedmultiple clusters of FortiGate-1240B network security appliances forhigh availability, ensuring the reliable protection and controlledaccessibility of its data centers. The FortiGate clusters act ascentral firewalls for the OpenScape Cloud Services and primarilyprovide firewall, VPN, IPS, and SIP VoIP security.

The FortiGate appliances? high performance allows Siemens EnterpriseCommunications to meet all operations requirements, including highloads during peak periods and possible disruptions, withoutnoticeable constraints. With a very low latency, Fortinet?sappliances are ideal for the provider?s new voice services, since nodelay is incurred during voice traffic.

?Siemens Enterprise Communications is a long-standing customer ofours, and we are very pleased to now secure their latest cloudcomputing service,? said Patrice Perche, senior vice president ofInternational Sales & Support at Fortinet. ?Our technology integrateskey high-performance functionalities, such as VoIP security andvirtualization, which uniquely help carriers and service providerssecure cloud infrastructures and deliver cloud security services.?

About Fortinet ( fortinet.com ) Fortinet /quotes/zigman/115092/quotes/nls/ftnt FTNT -0.35% is aworldwide provider of network security appliances and the marketleader in unified threat management (UTM). Our products andsubscription services provide broad, integrated and high-performanceprotection against dynamic security threats while simplifying the ITsecurity infrastructure. Our customers include enterprises, serviceproviders and government entities worldwide, including the majorityof the 2010 Fortune Global 100. Fortinet?s flagship FortiGate productdelivers ASIC-accelerated performance and integrates multiple layersof security designed to help protect against application and networkthreats. Fortinet?s broad product line goes beyond UTM to help securethe extended enterprise ? from endpoints, to the perimeter and thecore, including databases and applications. Fortinet is headquarteredin Sunnyvale, Calif., with offices around the world.

Copyright Copyright 2012 Fortinet, Inc. All rights reserved. Thesymbols (R) and (TM) denote respectively federally registeredtrademarks and unregistered trademarks of Fortinet, Inc., itssubsidiaries and affiliates. Fortinet?s trademarks include, but arenot limited to, the following: Fortinet, FortiGate, FortiGuard,FortiManager, FortiMail, FortiClient, FortiCare, FortiAnalyzer,FortiReporter, FortiOS, FortiASIC, FortiWiFi, FortiSwitch, FortiVoIP,FortiBIOS, FortiLog, FortiResponse, FortiCarrier, FortiScan, FortiAP,FortiDB and FortiWeb. Other trademarks belong to their respectiveowners. Fortinet has not independently verified statements orcertifications herein attributed to third parties, and Fortinet doesnot independently endorse such statements. Nothing in the newsrelease constitutes a warranty, guaranty, or contractually bindingcommitment. This news release may contain forward-looking statementsthat involve uncertainties and assumptions. If the uncertaintiesmaterialize or the assumptions prove incorrect, results may differmaterially from those expressed or implied by such forward-lookingstatements and assumptions. All statements other than statements ofhistorical fact are statements that could be deemed forward-lookingstatements. Fortinet assumes no obligation to update anyforward-looking statements, and does not intend to update theseforward-looking statements.

Media Contacts: Rick Popko Fortinet, Inc. 408-486-7853 mailto:

Copyright 2012 Marketwire, Inc., All rights reserved.

Tags: dataenvironment, network security, OpenScape Cloud Services

Source: http://mybestwebhosting.net/6722/siemens-enterprise-communications-openscape-cloud-services-leveragefortinet-for-security/

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Video: Researchers show how viruses evolve, and in some cases, become deadly

Friday, January 27, 2012

In the current issue of Science, researchers at Michigan State University demonstrate how a new virus evolves, which sheds light on how easy it can be for diseases to gain dangerous mutations.

The scientists showed for the first time how the virus called "Lambda" evolved to find a new way to attack host cells, an innovation that took four mutations to accomplish. This virus infects bacteria, in particular the common E. coli bacterium. Lambda isn't dangerous to humans, but this research demonstrated how viruses evolve complex and potentially deadly new traits, said Justin Meyer, MSU graduate student, who co-authored the paper with Richard Lenski, MSU Hannah Distinguished Professor of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics.

"We were surprised at first to see Lambda evolve this new function, this ability to attack and enter the cell through a new receptor ? and it happened so fast," Meyer said. "But when we re-ran the evolution experiment, we saw the same thing happen over and over."

Researchers at Michigan State University demonstrate how a new virus evolves, shedding light on how easy it can be for diseases to gain dangerous mutations. Credit: Michigan State University/Jeremy Polk, National Science Foundation

This paper follows recent news that scientists in the United States and the Netherlands produced a deadly version of bird flu. Even though bird flu is a mere five mutations away from becoming transmissible between humans, it's highly unlikely the virus could naturally obtain all of the beneficial mutations all at once. However, it might evolve sequentially, gaining benefits one-by-one, if conditions are favorable at each step, he added.

Through research conducted at BEACON, MSU's National Science Foundation Center for the Study of Evolution in Action, Meyer and his colleagues' ability to duplicate the results implied that adaptation by natural selection, or survival of the fittest, had an important role in the virus' evolution.

When the genomes of the adaptable virus were sequenced, they always had four mutations in common. The viruses that didn't evolve the new way of entering cells had some of the four mutations but never all four together, said Meyer, who holds the Barnett Rosenberg Fellowship in MSU's College of Natural Science.

"In other words, natural selection promoted the virus' evolution because the mutations helped them use both their old and new attacks," Meyer said. "The finding raises questions of whether the five bird flu mutations may also have multiple functions, and could they evolve naturally?"

###

National Science Foundation: http://www.nsf.gov

Thanks to National Science Foundation for this article.

This press release was posted to serve as a topic for discussion. Please comment below. We try our best to only post press releases that are associated with peer reviewed scientific literature. Critical discussions of the research are appreciated. If you need help finding a link to the original article, please contact us on twitter or via e-mail.

This press release has been viewed 75 time(s).

Source: http://www.labspaces.net/117147/Video__Researchers_show_how_viruses_evolve__and_in_some_cases__become_deadly

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Monumental Life Insurance Review

I?ve been in the insurance industry for 7 years, and have heard some good things and bad things about Monumental Life Insurance.? We don?t offer their products because we are an independent agency.? We prefer to keep it that way so we can use any insurance carrier we want for a particular client.

This is not an option with Monumental, unfortunately, since they require their ?career agents? to be captive, meaning they can only sell Monumental Life Insurance policies.

A bit of history on Monumental Life Insurance

They?ve been in business since 1858.? They have quite an impressive line of insurance related products, including term life, interest sensitive whole life, cancer policies, and accident insurance.? Generally speaking, due to their age and great size, they are considered one of the most respected life companies in the U.S.

A few Positives ? Financial Strength

They are rated A+ by the rating agency A.M. Best, which is issued to those carriers with superior financial health.? They also have over $88 billion of insurance in force, and over $32 billion in assets, both as of 2010 financial statements.? Compare that to the insurance giant, Prudential , whose life insurance company (Pruco Life) has just over $22 billion in assets.

Another advantage of doing business with Monumental is their parent company is Aegon, same as parent company for Transamerica Life Insurance, Stonebridge Life Insurance Co.? This is a multi-national, enormous company, so it?s hard to think of Monumental ever becoming insolvent under the Aegon Group.

Some Complaints I?ve heard about Monumental

First of all, I don?t put much stock in what you read on many review sites, since these are filled with disgruntled customers.? In all honesty, it?s not a fair assessment, since ?happy? customers don?t tend to write reviews? only the ones who are upset.

But go read any of the agent forums out there.? A lot of agents are dissatisfied with Monumental.? If you want to know the truth about a company, don?t read the customer reviews.? Read the agent reviews.

These are the people who see the inner workings of the company.? Glassdoor.com is one such review site offering unbiased reviews from former agents.? Most of the reviews are between 3 to 4 stars out of 5.

Most list cons of poor training for new agents, terrible hours, and unrealistic sales quotas.? If there?s one thing I?ve learned from speaking to friends in insurance and money manager postitions:? sales quotas hurt the customer.? This is because agents must sell.

When agents must sell, the unfortunate reality is many agents get cornered into a tough situation, where they must produce, and will do anything to make a sell? even recommend products that are not right for the client.? Perhaps they will recommend whole life when only term protection is needed.

Many former, and even current career agents also cite ?unethical business practices? at Monumental.

For a life insurance quote you can count on, use our quote form on the right.? Note: We are NOT Monumental Life Insurance.? This is simply a review of the company.? Thank you for interest.

Tagged as: Aegon Group, Monumental Life Insurance Co, Pruco Life Insurance Co., Transamerica Life Insurance Co.

Source: http://termlifeinsurancemales.com/life-insurance-company-reviews/monumental-life-insurance-review/

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Greece locked in parallel talks over debt (AP)

ATHENS, Greece ? Greece was locked in a twin effort Friday to placate its creditors, seeking to secure a crucial debt relief deal with private investors while also tackling pressing demands from its European partners and the IMF for deeper reforms.

Failure on either front would force the recession-bound country to default on its debt in less than two months, pouring new fuel on the fires of Europe's debt crisis. In that case, Greece would also likely leave the 17-member eurozone, which would bring disaster on the country and destabilize the rest of the eurozone.

Prime Minister Lucas Papademos and Finance Minister Evangelos Venizelos have resumed talks with representatives of international banks and other private institutions that hold euro206 billion ($270 billion) in Greek government bonds, at the end of a second week of tortuous talks on halving the country's privately-held debt load.

Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, European Monetary Affairs Commissioner Olli Rehn said he hoped a deal would be reached "if not today maybe by the weekend."

Greek government spokesman Pantelis Kapsis said it was "obvious" that progress has been made. "We hope to conclude as soon as possible," he said in an interview with Vima radio.

Despite several days of intensive talks, an agreement has not so far been reached, mainly due to disagreements on the interest rate cut private investors must accept on the new lower-value Greek bonds with longer maturities that will replace the ones they now own. The writedown, imposed on bondholders by Greece's international bailout creditors, is meant to reduce the country's debt-to-GDP ratio from 160 percent last year to 120 percent in 2020.

It is also a vital condition of a second bailout for Greece, which has been relying on euro110 billion ($145 billion) in international rescue loans since May 2010.

Debt inspectors from the International Monetary Fund, European Central Bank and European Commission, known collectively as the "troika," are currently in Athens to negotiate details of the second bailout, worth euro130 billion ($171 billion).

On Monday, the troika presented a list of proposed reforms that were leaked in Greek media, calling for new spending cuts targeting the military, health and redundant state entities, public sector sackings, tax reforms, privatizations and deregulation of protected professions.

Greece has already imposed tough austerity measures, including deeply resented salary and pension cuts, repeated rounds of tax hikes and labor reforms. But it has also promised reforms it diluted or never implemented, while frequently missing its fiscal targets.

"We've had enough announcements, now the government in Athens must act," German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble told the German daily Stuttgarter Zeitung. "Only then can we talk about a second program."

In a statement he released Friday, after negotiations with the "troika" and ahead of the talks with the private creditors, Venizelos claimed that "we are just a step before the conclusion of negotiations (on the debt writedown)," and added that both negotiation tracks must finish within the next few days. "There is going to be no renegotiation once the (second bailout) is agreed upon," he said.

"The negotiation is difficult," Kapsis told private Skai TV. "I don't want to create the illusion that everything is going well and that everything is easy. It is a very difficult negotiation."

Kapsis said decisions on the new measures would be taken in the next few days, and warned without further cutbacks the private debt writedown ? which will be partly funded by the second bailout ? is off the cards.

"The issue of spending cuts is immediate as the (2011) budget has a euro2 billion shortfall and there is a need for some additional cutbacks," he told Vima radio. "These actions must take place for the (bond swap) to materializes. ... They are two parallel procedures."

But Kapsis argued that troika demands for 150,000 job losses by 2015 in the public sector ? where workers have guaranteed jobs for life ? can be achieved through attrition and a hiring freeze.

The leaked troika proposals also called for Greece to sell "two or three large companies" by the end of June. Kapsis said the privatization process "is a real problem."

"It is a difficult period to find investors who will come and place money in Greece," he said. The program is severely behind schedule: Supposed to raise euro50 billion by 2015, it has so far drawn in a paltry euro1.56 billion.

____

Derek Gatopoulos and Demetris Nellas in Athens, Pan Pylas in Davos, Switzerland, and Geir Moulson in Berlin contributed.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/eurobiz/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120127/ap_on_bi_ge/eu_greece_financial_crisis

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'Hangover 3' stars could get $15 million each

Warner Bros.

"Hangover 2" won't be the last of the series.

By Borys Kit, The Hollywood Reporter

Warner Bros. is going to pay a hefty bar tab to get another "Hangover."

Bradley Cooper Eager to Shoot 'Hangover III'; Says Todd Phillips Is Working on Script (Video)?

Dealmaking on the studio?s third installment in the raunchy comedy franchise is wrapping up after dragging on for months due in part to the salary demands of its three stars. Sources close to the negotiations say Bradley Cooper, Zach Galifianakis and Ed Helms are asking for $15 million each (against backend) to reprise their roles, and they now are likely to get it.

PHOTOS: 'The Hangover' Stars - Before They Were Famous?

That?s a big raise from 2009?s "The Hangover," which was made for about $35 million and paid the headliners under $1 million each (Cooper made the most because he had the biggest name recognition at the time). When the R-rated bachelor-party comedy unexpectedly grossed $467 million worldwide, the studio found itself without talent deals for a sequel. Negotiations were heated for "The Hangover Part II," released last May, with the three principals each scoring around $5 million, according to a source, plus back-end compensation that raised their haul into the mid-teens (and counting) when the movie grossed $581 million worldwide.

For the third film, the lead actors, all represented in negotiations by CAA (with agent Jason Heyman taking the lead) and are presenting a united front. (In fact, CAA also reps writer-director Todd Phillips and writer Craig Mazin.)

'Hangover II' Star Ken Jeong Becomes a Billion-Dollar Star

Warners hopes the next film, a Los Angeles-based story that will deviate from the forgotten-debauchery formula of the first movies, can shoot this summer and be ready for a Memorial Day 2013 release.

?PHOTOS: 'The Hangover' and the 10 Most Pirated Movies of All Time

That would be great news for Warners, which is saying goodbye to two of its major franchises?"Harry Potter," the final installment of which opened last July, and Christopher Nolan?s Batman movies, which the director says will end with this July?s "The Dark Knight Rises." In addition, two movies that were on the fast-track for high-profile releases in 2013? "Akira" and "Arthur & Lancelot"?have been put on hold as the studio tries to reconcile budgetary issues. All of which increases the urgency to put a third "Hangover" on the fast track.

??It?ll happen,? says one insider. ?It?s a proven commodity, which is rare these days.?

Warner Bros. and CAA declined to comment.

"Hangover 2" was pretty poorly reviewed. Did you think it was funny? Can a third movie work, or is it just a desperate money grab at this point? Tell us on Facebook.

More from movies:

Source: http://entertainment.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/01/26/10243837-hangover-3-stars-could-get-15-million-each

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[OOC] Dawn of Hearts 2.0

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Parorou

Member for 1 years

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AUDIO: Gingrich's moonbase 'electioneering'

Republican presidential contender Newt Gingrich called for a base on the moon and an expanded federal purse for prize money to stimulate private sector space projects.

Andrew Coates, professor of Physics at University College London's Mullard Space Science Laboratory analyses just how realistic Mr Gingrich's vision is.

---

Get in touch with Today via email , Twitter or Facebook or text us on 84844.

Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/today/hi/today/newsid_9687000/9687031.stm

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Potter star looks to life without wands or wizards (omg!)

LONDON (Reuters) - For Daniel Radcliffe, it's time to forget Harry Potter. The 22-year-old actor, inextricably linked to the boy wizard he played throughout the movie franchise, takes on his first adult role in Victorian-era horror film "The Woman in Black."

Hitting theatres in Britain on February 10 and a week earlier in the United States, the movie is a step into the unknown for an actor who grew up on the set of one of Hollywood's most successful series.

Instead of production budgets of $250 million or more, The Woman in Black cost an estimated $17 million to make. And however big Radcliffe's fan base around the world, another billion-dollar box office looks out of the question.

James Watkins, who directed The Woman In Black, called it a "reinvention" for Radcliffe.

"I think it's the start of that, absolutely," Radcliffe told Reuters in an interview ahead of Tuesday's red carpet world premiere of the new movie.

One of the attractions of playing Arthur Kipps, a young lawyer and father mourning the death of his wife, was the obvious break with what went before.

"People haven't seen me looking like this before. People haven't seen me playing a father -- all those things are going to help separate it in their mind," Radcliffe said.

"But I think ultimately the thing that will help that reinvention is the fact that the story is so good. I think people will very quickly forget that they're watching Harry Potter."

CREEPY MANSION

In The Woman in Black, Kipps is forced to leave his three-year-old son and travel to a remote village on the east coast of England to look into the legal affairs of the recently deceased owner of Eel Marsh House, a creepy mansion cut off from the mainland when the tide rises.

He discovers a dark family secret that helps explain the appearance of a mysterious, ghost-like woman dressed in black who beckons children to an early grave.

The film is based on a novel by Susan Hill that was adapted into a successful West End play, still running in London.

Jane Goldman, who co-wrote the scripts for "Kick-Ass" and "The Debt," was brought in to translate the page to the big screen, and horror specialist Watkins directed.

Radcliffe said he did not think too hard about trying to be different from his Harry Potter character when he worked on the set of The Woman in Black and was pleased with the results.

"I think my work in this is certainly on a par with the work I did on the last Potter which I was very, very proud of."

He will soon discover if critics agree. Throughout the Harry Potter series Radcliffe earned mixed reviews, although any negative comments did nothing to deter record audiences.

And his two main stage roles -- "Equus" in 2007 and "How to Succeed In Business Without Really Trying" in 2011 were generally well-received, particularly Equus.

Looking ahead, Radcliffe said proving he was not a one-part wonder would take time.

"It's a long road. It's not going to be one film and suddenly you're off. It's going to be a combination."

That combination will involve both stage and screen.

"In an ideal world I would like to mix them as much as possible. In March I'm filming a movie called 'Kill Your Darlings' in which I'll be playing a 19-year-old Allen Ginsberg.

"That's the next thing on the plate and after that we'll see."

(Reporting by Mike Collett-White)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/entertainment/*http%3A//us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/external/omg_rss/rss_omg_en/news_potter_star_looks_life_without_wands_wizards171428305/44301873/*http%3A//omg.yahoo.com/news/potter-star-looks-life-without-wands-wizards-171428305.html

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Internal Communications Specialist | Budapest Jobs

Job Description

BP has established a Business Service Centre (?BSC?) in Budapest which provides Finance, Customer Service and Operational Procurement services to all Refining and Marketing (?R&M?) businesses in Europe. The BSC provides the opportunity to combine activities dispersed across different locations, and support the standardization and simplification of processes in one location. The BSC started operating in November 2009, since than we hired 735 colleagues. We are continuously growing and we look for experienced professionals to contribute to our success.

If you join us in this role, you may have the following responsibilities:

The Communications Specialist is responsible for the planning, development and implementation of communication, branding, corporate responsibility and related event management initiatives of the BSC, serves as the single point of contact and acts as a day-to-day resource for related activities. This position partners with the BSC Leadership to understand business needs and leads efforts to address these needs with high quality communication and engagement processes and tools

• Determine Communication priorities and goals, and monitor and manage performance to goals
• Proactively engage with the BSC and our partners within the businesses
• Ensure cost effective and efficient delivery of Communications and Change services by optimizing the use of technology and implementing best practices
• Contribute to the design of the Communication Strategy
• Create and implement comprehensive communications and corporate responsibility plans for the BSC
• Manages the BSC intranet site to ensure that content is appropriately managed and updated
• Provide high level professional support for critical business reports and presentations to key stakeholders (Town Hall meetings, Stakeholder Visits, Business Performance Updates, external relations and events, etc.)

In the role we have the following requirements:

• Bachelor?s degree
• Fluency in English
• Multinational environment experience
• Experience providing communication support to senior leadership team
• Experience in managing projects and events
• A good understanding of and demonstrable experience of linking an organisation?s business strategy and commercial realities to the role of communications

To apply for this position please click here

Job Categories: Marketing. Job Types: Full-Time. Job Tags: communication, internal, marketing, and PR. Job expires in 29 days.

72?total views, 38?today

Source: http://www.budapestjobs.net/jobs/internal-communications-specialist/

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Hit from dollar on McDonald's 2012 menu (Reuters)

(Reuters) ? McDonald's Corp's (MCD.N) strong December sales and fourth-quarter earnings failed to allay fears that exchange rates and increased spending will weaken profits in 2012.

Those worries sent shares of the world's biggest hamburger chain down 2.3 percent to $98.61 in midday trading.

McDonald's stock lately has been on a tear. It is up about 30 percent from a year ago and recently hit an all-time high of more than $102.

With shares looking expensive, Wall Street focused on imperfections in the company's outlook rather than its robust year-end results.

"Whilst results are strong, I would expect a period of consolidation going forward," Rikky Shoker, co-manager of the Credo Best Ideas Portfolio at Credo Group Ltd in London, said in an email.

"I would be cautious this year given (that the U.S. dollar) has strengthened so much and is expected to continue doing so. They generate nearly 70 percent of sales overseas," Shoker said.

Foreign exchange boosted McDonald's earnings by 19 cents per share in 2011 and will work against the company by roughly the same amount in 2012, analysts said.

That impact will be keenly felt in Europe, which is McDonald's top market for sales, they said, as the euro weakens against the U.S. dollar due to debt worries in the region.

Lazard Capital Markets analyst Matthew DiFrisco added other items to the list of concerns.

Those included higher taxes and interest expense as well as increased spending on things like restaurant renovations, building new units, compensation and technology upgrades.

"You've got this little creep of things working against them," DiFrisco said.

McDonald's is a top sponsor of the 2012 Olympics in London and has told investors that dilution from its China expansion, which was more of a factor than analysts expected in the latest quarter, would ease in 2012.

STRONG END TO YEAR

McDonald's reported a fourth-quarter profit of $1.38 billion, or $1.33 per share, up almost 11 percent from a year earlier and compared to analysts' call for a profit of $1.30 a share, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

Edward Jones analyst Jack Russo said results from the latest quarter were helped by 3 cents per share of non-operating income.

"So it really appears they met consensus," he said.

Revenue rose 10 percent to $6.82 billion.

Sales at stores open at least a year rose 9.6 percent in December, with a 9.8 percent increase in the United States and a 10.8 percent rise in Europe.

Analysts on average forecast a 5.9 percent increase overall, with the a 5.4 percent increase in the United States and a 6.4 percent increase in Europe, according to Thomson Reuters data.

The results, which were helped by new menu items, restaurant makeovers, longer operating hours and effective marketing, defied a global economic slowdown and helped McDonald's continue to outpace rivals like Wendy's (WEN.O) and Burger King.

Menu standouts during the quarter included bagel sandwiches in France and Big Mac's and chicken products in the United States, the company said.

Chief Financial Officer Pete Bensen said diners remained cautious about spending but were not showing any signs of pulling back.

"We're really seeing no change in customer behavior," he said.

(Reporting by Lisa Baertlein in Los Angeles, editing by Dave Zimmerman)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/earnings/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120124/bs_nm/us_mcdonalds

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Lily Allen Loves Belabumbum?s Luxe Loungewear

The pop star is a big fan of the mom-friendly loungewear.

Source: http://feeds.celebritybabies.com/~r/celebrity-babies/~3/Vx8zE4oLo5Q/

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Nate Silver's Florida Projections: Gingrich 66%, Romney 32% (Little green footballs)

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

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/190230604?client_source=feed&format=rss

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Costa CEO says captain misled company, crew (AP)

ROME ? The cruise captain who grounded the Costa Concordia off the Tuscan coast with 4,200 people on board did not relay correct information either to the company or crew after the ship hit rocks, the cruise ship owner's CEO said Friday as the search resumed for 21 missing passengers.

CEO Pierluigi Foschi told Italian state TV that the company spoke to the captain at 10:05 p.m. (2105 GMT; 4:05 p.m. EST), some 20 minutes after the ship ran aground on Jan. 13, but could not offer proper assistance because the captain's description "did not correspond to the truth."

Capt. Francesco Schettino said only that he had "problems" on board but did not mention hitting a reef.

Likewise, Foschi said crew members were not informed of the gravity of the situation.

Passenger video shown on Italian TV indicates crew members telling passengers to go to their cabins as late as 10:25 p.m. (2125 GMT; 4:25 p.m. EST). The abandon ship alarm sounded just before 11:00 p.m. (2200 GMT; 5:00 p.m. EST).

"That's because they also did not receive correct information on the gravity of the situation," Foschi said.

The $450 million Costa Concordia was carrying more than 4,200 passengers and crew when it slammed into well-charted rocks off the island of Giglio a week ago. Eleven people have been confirmed dead.

The Concordia shifted again on its rocky perch Friday, forcing the suspension of diving search operations for the 21 people still missing and raising concerns about the stability of the ship's resting place. But the search in areas above the waterline resumed in the evening after the ship was deemed stable.

The remarks by Costa CEO Foschi are the latest to indicate a lack of proper communication with authorities on land as the emergency unfolded.

An audiotape of the Concordia's first contact with maritime authorities has a Concordia office repeatedly replying that the ship had experienced a blackout, even though it had hit the reef more than half an hour earlier.

Italian media reported the officer on the call was Schettino, but that could not be independently confirmed.

Costa Crociere SpA, which offered support to the captain in the hours after the emergency, has now turned its back on the man who is under investigation for manslaughter, causing a shipwreck and abandoning his ship. Schettino, who was jailed after he left the ship, is under house arrest near Naples.

Costa in recent days has suspended Schettino, announced it is no longer paying his legal fees and has signed on as a civil party in the prosecution, a move that positions it as an injured party and would allow it to seek damages in the case of a guilty verdict.

Coast Guard spokesman Cmdr. Cosimo Nicastro said crews will evaluate the ship's stability Saturday morning to see if the diving operation can resume, focusing on an area where passengers would have sought lifeboats, Nicastro said.

It was not clear if the slight movements registered by sensors placed on board the Costa Concordia were just vibrations as the ship settles on the rocks off the Tuscan island of Giglio or if the massive ocean liner is slowly slipping off the reef. Salvage experts suggest it could be because of pockets of air gradually escaping.

The sensors detected that the ship's bow was moving about 15 millimeters (half an inch) an hour and the stern about 7 millimeters (one-quarter inch) an hour, said Nicola Casagli of the University of Florence, who was called in by Italian authorities to monitor the ship's stability.

The Concordia's movements are being watched since any significant shift could be dangerous for divers trying to locate those missing since the Concordia ran aground Jan. 13. An additional fear is that movement could damage tanks holding a 500,000 gallons of fuel oil and lead to leaks.

The sea floor drops off sharply a few meters (yards) from where the ship is resting, and Italy's environment minister has warned it risks sinking.

On Friday, relatives of some of the 21 missing were at Giglio's port getting briefings from rescue teams.

Casagli told Sky TG24 that some movement in the Concordia was only natural given the immense weight of the steel-hulled ship, which is being held in place by two huge rocks at bow and stern.

But the latest movements indicate it isn't stable, he said. "These are small, regular movements that are being monitored because they're going in the same direction," he told Sky.

Late Thursday, Carnival Corp., the U.S.-based company that owns Costa, announced it was conducting a comprehensive audit of all 10 of its cruise lines to review safety and emergency response procedures in the wake of the Costa disaster. The evacuation was chaotic and the alarm to abandon the ship was sounded after the Concordia had capsized too much to get many life boats down.

___

Colleen Barry reported from Milan. Andrea Foa contributed from Giglio, Italy.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120120/ap_on_bi_ge/eu_italy_cruise_aground

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Heaven help us. |ooc&su|

In 2018, the United States and North Korea exchanged nuclear bombs. Two to each country. The two in the U.S took out most of Los Angles, and a good part of Sacramento. And then for a whole year or so, it seemed as if Californians were the only ones who really suffered...but in 2019, the entire nation was subject to nuclear fallout. The past year, the radiation from the bombs had hung in the air and was pushed along by wind currents, and eventually, it came down to earth. Everyone was subject to a bit of it at first. Some more than others, of course. But almost as soon as the first person went to the hospital for minor effects of it, the nation panicked and everyone took all measures possible to prevent from it. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough for some people.

During that time of radiation babies, were born, naturally. For the women with little radiation, births went just as births are expected to, with mother and child going on perfectly healthy. But those with more radiation weren't faced with such happy endings. In those cases, it wasn't uncommon for mother or child to die. In fact, in most cases neither made it. But there were quite a few occurrences also where the baby made it...although they all suffered from radiation poisoning passed down through their mother.

In eight of those cases in which the babies survived, the radiation didn't effect them in the harmful way it would be expected to. It actually altered them in such a way that gave them special abilities...superpowers, if you will. Of course no one knew this until the children were around three, and started to exhibit these powers. When a man named Gary Batts caught word of this, he adopted, or in some cases even kidnapped, these special children. After he had acquired all of them, he made it his mission to train them. To teach them how to use and control their powers, and not let having them corrupt them. They were all home schooled, and rarely saw life outside of the house...but since it was what they knew, they all seemed to be content with their situation. Well, all accept for the one child that disappeared when they were all around the age of ten.

---

The year is now 2036. All of the children are either seventeen or eighteen years old now. They've mastered their powers, and have been allowed to experience the outside world for the last two years...they'd even been offered the chance to move out. But none of them did. Not even after Mr. Batts passed away. That particular event actually left them lost, not knowing what to do with themselves.

As if coming from a comic book, they've decided that they must become a team of protectors for the dirty New Jersey city riddled with crime. Because they think it's probably what Mr. Batts would want from them. A couple of them have taken up jobs in order to privide for the essentials, but the rest of them usually stay at home. They'll occasionally go out and act as regular citizens...but only a couple times a week or so. They prefer to stay in the comfort of their own home most of the time. But whenever there's word of some kind of crime to be taken care of, they're all in the action.

Also not unlike a comic book, they have their own nemesis who is trying to destroy them. Due to this person also having powers, it can only be assumed that they are the run away member of their little family. And they have obviously chosen to use their powers for 'evil'. What their overall plan is is unknown. They just seem bent on killing their 'siblings'...maybe, just maybe, it could be to leave them the only one with powers. Maybe it's that they want to be the one to actually protect the city instead of harming it.. But again, that information is not known to anyone just yet.

So for now, they just fight.

The children
+TheOneAndOnly+
+TheOneAndOnly+
Three
Four
Five
Six
Seven
Eight (now their nemesis)

There is a lot to read, I'm sorry =\ Please don't be put off by that...or if it seems confusing. Because I will explain anything that needs explaining if you just ask =)
Also, I want an equal gender count. 4 boys and 4 girls. I may or may not ask people to double, depending on how much interest this gets.
Anyway, that's about it out of me for now I suppose =p

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RolePlayGateway/~3/sFLMYCdTa8g/viewtopic.php

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Heidi Klum-Seal Divorce May Not Be a Done Deal ... Yet

Yesterday, reports surfaced that Heidi Klum and Seal split and are headed for divorce court, with an official filing to come as soon as Monday morning.

No separation has occurred, however, and now, a new report suggests reports of the marriage's demise may be premature and they're not divorcing ... yet.

"They've been fighting a lot and it's been rough lately, but they have no plans to announce a split right now," a source tells People. "They're not divorcing."

According to the insider, in recent months, increased distance and time apart has tested the famously affectionate pair, who have four young children together.

On tour to promote his new album, Soul 2, Seal recently flew solo to NYC to appear on The Late Show with David Letterman, then to London for commitments.

Back together at their Brentwood, Calif., home on Saturday, "they seem to be doing a lot better," the source adds. "They're both wearing their wedding bands."

The long distance strains are likely to continue, though.

Seal is due to appear this week on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Jimmy Kimmel Live! and Tavis Smiley, all of which tape in and around Los Angeles.

Klum, meanwhile is expected to travel to Germany soon to promote the seventh season of Germany's Next Top Model, which premieres February 23.

[Photo: WENN.com]

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2012/01/heidi-klum-seal-divorce-may-not-be-a-done-deal-yet/

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Video: The Goldfinger Mystery, Part 1

Dateline NBC

'Dateline NBC,' the signature broadcast for NBC News in primetime, premiered in 1992. Since then, it has been pioneering a new approach to primetime news programming. The multi-night franchise, supplemented by frequent specials, allows NBC to consistently and comprehensively present the highest-quality reporting, investigative features, breaking news coverage and newsmaker profiles.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032600/vp/46079270#46079270

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More Than Half of Teens Who Gave Birth Weren't Using Contraception: CDC (HealthDay)

THURSDAY, Jan. 19 (HealthDay News) -- Slightly more than half of U.S. teenaged girls who had a child between 2004 and 2008 did not use birth control, and a third didn't think they could get pregnant at the time, a new government study finds.

Although the number of teens who get pregnant in the United States has fallen in recent years, the U.S. teen birth rate is still the highest of any developed country, with more than 400,000 births in 2009, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"These are the girls who had risky sex and ended up getting pregnant and giving birth," said study co-author Lorrie Gavin, a health scientist with the CDC's Division of Reproductive Health. "This is the group that we should pay most attention to, because they're the ones who experienced unintended births."

According to the report, 50.1 percent of girls aged 15 to 19 who had an unintended pregnancy were not using any form of contraception when they got pregnant, and 31.4 percent thought they could not get pregnant at the time.

"Other reasons for not using contraception were their partner did not want to use it, or because they didn't mind getting pregnant," said report co-author Ayanna T. Harrison, who is also with the Division of Reproductive Health.

Among teens who got pregnant despite saying they used birth control, 24 percent said they used condoms and 21 percent said they used an IUD or a birth control pill, Harrison said.

"When we looked at age, race and ethnicity, we didn't see a huge difference," Harrison said. However, among those who thought they couldn't get pregnant, 42 percent were Hispanic compared to almost 27 percent of white teens and 32 percent of black teens, she said.

Gavin added that most were not using the most effective methods of birth control, such as IUDs.

"They were using methods that require some kind of ongoing behavior, such as taking a pill every day or using a condom every time you have sex," she said. "We know that consistent use of the pill or a condom is a major problem."

Efforts are needed to dispel myths about becoming pregnant and to increase motivation to avoid pregnancy, Gavin said.

"We need to do a better job for sexually active teens," Gavin said, including providing better access to contraception, encouraging the use of more effective methods and increasing the motivation to use birth control consistently.

"Teen pregnancy is a public health concern because teen mothers are more likely to experience negative social outcomes, and infants of teen mothers have higher risks for preterm birth, low birth weight and related complications," the authors wrote.

The report was published in the Jan. 20 issue of the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

More information

For more on teen pregnancy, visit the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/parenting/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/hsn/20120119/hl_hsn/morethanhalfofteenswhogavebirthwerentusingcontraceptioncdc

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Nearly $14M annually in Rec Sports fees: Where do they go?

Ohio State students pay $82 per quarter as a part of a required Recreation Sports fee, and some student organizations want to know exactly where that nearly $14 million is going.

More than three months after a line-item budget was requested, the university cannot explicitly say where these student dollars are going and a top OSU official apologized for the lack of transparency.

Nick Messenger, president of Undergraduate Student Government, said required student fees are intended to be used exclusively for student services. He said it should be clear where that money is going.

"I want to be able to say ?here's where your student fee dollars go,'" Messenger said.

Brandon Edwards, chair of the Rec Sports committee representing USG, said the university gives students a detailed list of how the student fees are divided up.

"Having the fees laid out in an itemized fashion so that we're able to see the breakdown of costs is helpful for students," Edwards said.

But Messenger said he wants to know where these student dollars are going.

"There should be a really strong oversight mechanism for students to have input and feedback and to know where that money is going," Messenger said.

In an attempt to find exactly where these student fees are going, Messenger said USG requested detailed budget information in October.

"We are just curious what's going on because they have some great programming over there and it's a great facility," Messenger said. "What's kind of unfolded since then has been a three-month gray area where we haven't gotten the budget information we requested and we, as students, should be able to get budget information for something like this."

Messenger said the process has been long and difficult.

"We've found it to be a more difficult process to identify where those fee dollars are going," Messenger said.

In a Council on Student Affairs meeting Tuesday afternoon, Javaune Adams-Gaston, vice president of Student Life, apologized for the lack of transparency in producing a line-item budget in a timely manner.

"I just wanted to say thank you to the people who took the time to put all this information together and apologize that it has not happened in a while. This should have happened last year and the year before that and the year before that," Adams-Gaston said. "We are in the age of transparency and officials begin to and continue to share information with the students, as they should."

Student fees are line-item costs that students are required to pay every quarter in addition to tuition. The Board of Trustees has to approve all fees, and the Rec Sports fee is the largest non-academic fee that an OSU student pays.

At $82 per quarter, and once the university switches to the semester system, $123 per semester, students can expect to pay $984 in four years at the university for the Rec Sports fee.

Fees such as the Rec Sports fee, the Student Activity fee, the Student Legal Services fee, the Student Union Facility fee and the COTA Bus Service fee are not included in the posted cost of tuition.

The general instructional cost for the 2011-12 school year is $2,952 per quarter, or $8,856 for a standard three-quarter year. However, the total cost to be an OSU student for a quarter, excluding academic fees that vary by program, is $3,245 per quarter. This does not include the $40 Student Legal Services fee, which is paid only once a year.

That cost adds up to $9,775 (including the one-time SLS fee) for the 2011-12 school year, which includes exactly $919 in fees, for a standard three-quarter year.

In a four-year period, students at OSU pay $3,676 in required fees.

Ohio government has restrictions on tuition increases from year to year, and per Gov. John Kasich's two-year budget approved last year, any tuition increase is limited to 3.5 percent.

"However, in the infinite wisdom of the Ohio government, we haven't created any law that governs fees," Messenger said.

At the CSA meeting, Don Stenta, director of Rec Sports, presented budgetary information for Rec Sports.

"We've been able to produce and analyze some information coming from recreational sports and detail what I think will be very helpful to Undergraduate Student Government and our student body here at Ohio State," Stenta said.

According to projection documents, the Rec Sports fee accounts for about $13.6 million, or 69.15 percent of the total Rec Sports revenue for the 2012 fiscal year.

Stenta said the Rec Sports fee goes into a pool of money that is used to pay off debt accumulated by Rec Sports. Debt can include staffing expenses, equipment repair and the general cost of equipment.

In July 1998, when the Rec Sports fee was added for projects that led to the creation of the RPAC, the ARC and the PAES Building, the Board of Trustees clarified the use of the fee. The resolution said the fee be used "to retire the debt service and fund operations for the student recreation portion of the facility."

Messenger said that because most of the money is coming from students, most should come directly back to students.

"You have a student base that pays about 70 percent of total costs of operating the Recreational Sports program," Messenger said. "So if you have a service where 70 percent of your money is paid by one consumer group, that consumer group should be getting the most bang for its buck."

Messenger pointed at intramurals and fitness classes as good examples where students pay an additional fee, on top of the required Rec Sports fee.

"You're paying extra to take a yoga class or register for a team sport, so you're paying on top of your fee," Messenger said. "It's just kind of this mess of services that should be paid for by the Recreational Sports fee, are not."

Source: http://www.thelantern.com/campus/nearly-14m-annually-in-rec-sports-fees-where-do-they-go-1.2743381

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