Star Wars: The Old Republic – What We Know So Far

After the “big reveal” at the San Francisco LucasArts office, we were given the chance for Q&A with BioWare and LucasArts on details for the KOTOR MMO. Which was kind of silly, since they largely refused to answer any of the questions with anything besides “We can’t talk about that yet.”



So here’s what we don’t know:
—The level cap
—The release date
—The type or total number of classes (so far, only Jedi and Sith have been officially announced)
—If or what kind of vehicles and spaceships users will be able to own/access/build
—If or which races will be faction-specific
—What kind of business models the MMO will employ (subscription, micro transactions, etc.)

As for what we do know, you’ll have to hit the jump to find out.

1) The lightsabers in the screenshots will shrink – but not by much.



Art Director Jeff Dobson says that Old Republic will not have a totally realistic art style; but neither will it be too cartoon-y. The idea here, he says, is that they want a distinct look for the MMO that sets it apart from all others – one that will run on as many machines as possible without sacrificing the quality of the graphics.

2) They really, really, really mean it when they say that there is story in this game and it is what sets Old Republic apart from every MMO out there.

I’m skeptical about this – how many times have we heard it before? Argue Guild Wars, Tabula Rasa, or Age of Conan until you’re blue in the face; it didn’t do it for me as far as “story” went and BioWare doesn’t think it did it at all.

The difference in Old Republic that I can see so far is we’re hearing it from BioWare, a heavy-hitter in the story department. According to Lead Writer Daniel Erickson, there will be no “Darth Vader saves someone’s cat” quests or “go collect 18 rat butts,” and other stuff you associate with the paper-thin plots in other MMOs that tout their “stories.”

The stories in Old Republic are set by class. Each class will have its own unique story that can play out in tons of different ways (they don’t want any two people to have the exact same experience, although they weren’t entirely confident that this would be 100% true). The idea is that you could roll a Jedi, play the whole way through and then go back and play a Sith and never see the same content/cutscene/choices.

Everything will be epic all of the time, says Erickson. The K’lor slug you see below – you fight that thing at level one on the path of the Sith. Things don’t get any smaller, in scope, size or difficulty than that. Erickson says that all of the choices your character makes are on the grand scale of saving the galaxy. You can’t just go into a cantina and poke some guy to give you some task so you can earn money. You’re supposed to be asking yourself: I’m out saving/destroying the galaxy; do I really have time for this?



Also, your companion character will matter in a big way. You can collect more than one, but you can only keep one with you at a time. This character will grow based on the choices you make – you might even form a romance with them (or maybe kill them…?). They’ll react to your choices, either encouraging a behavior or freaking out when you do something bad like force-choking someone. They’ll also have companion-specific quests that you can play out to strengthen (or destroy) your bond to your companion.

Oh, and we will see stuff in Old Republic that ties up loose KOTOR ends from the game – if we look for it. BioWare doesn’t want to rub these plot points in the face of MMO gamers and Star Wars fans who never got around to playing it. And maybe we’ll see some influences from the comics and stuff…? I’d totally dig having a Nomi Sunrider NPC…

3) You don’t pick good or evil right off the bat

I was so happy to hear this – they were having a hard time explaining it. But somewhere between Erickson and Designers Jake Neri, Gordon Walton, Rich Vogel and James Ohlen’s Q&A, it was made clear that you choose a faction from the get-go (Sith or Republic). Your good or evil status evolves through the choices you make, which is true to the KOTOR standard.

Mind you, choosing Sith means something in this galaxy. The timeline is set only 300 years after the events in KOTOR, so it’s still very upsetting and somewhat “bad” to be a Sith. However, Old Republic is out to challenge what “Sith” means. The story goes that after KOTOR, two Jedi got exiled into deep space, ran into the Sith, shit hit the fan, and then they were sent back to the Republic as Sith emissaries. The Sith then kicked the shit out of the Republic, abruptly backed off and said “Give us these random worlds for no specific reason, and we’ll call it even.” And the Republic says “Deal,” so now we’ve got these two factions sitting uneasily in a divided galaxy.

Erickson went on some huge tangent about the evolution of the Sith from a real race (like with a different skin color and stuff) breeding with humans and influencing the philosophy of the Jedi such that a new thinking arose. This new thinking took on the name of the race (Sith), and then apparently shit hit the fan (that happens a lot in the galaxy far, far away), so “Sith” started to mean “evil.”

This made me squee inside because I’m a fangirl who’s read all the fanfiction Expanded Universe books and the best thing I took away from them was Vergere’s challenge to Luke Skywalker that there is no Dark or Light Side. There was also something in those books about Sith not defaulting to evil. I think this point got totally ret-conned in the last Legacy book…

4) There will be crafting, there will probably be guilds, there will definitely be PvP and there won’t be a whole lot of instancing

The bottom line is that BioWare knows what makes an MMO good – they’ve played World of Warcraft, they’ve at least heard of Warhammer (y’know, being a new EA partner and all). They want to put the stuff in there that will attract MMO gamers.

But they also want to keep KOTOR fans interested and maintain the integrity of the “epic-ness” of the game. So that means that they won’t necessarily rely on instancing (not everyone can blow up the Death Star, I guess), and the crafting won’t be some mundane thing where you find some thread and some crystals and viola – you have shoes!

Of course they won’t say what the crafting will be, how the guilds will work or what PvP will play like (yet). I asked about moisture farming and they said no. But in that trailer, we saw a Jedi putting together a lightsaber, and Ohlen did come out and say you wouldn’t end the game with the lightsaber you started with, so…



5) Star Wars: Galaxies is not getting shut down

As for what will happen to it, no one seemed ready to say. Clearly, BioWare used it as a learning experience for crafting the KOTOR MMO – which means I might get to play a Sith Twi’lek stripper if I play my cards right. But I have to ask myself if LucasArts really needs (or wants) to run two Star Wars MMOs at once.

If I had to guess, I think LucasArts will wait and see how well Old Republic does. If it sells like hotcakes the cost of maintaining Galaxies is too high, logically, they’d phase it out and concentrate all their resources on Old Republic content.

6) “You can’t ruin Star Wars.”

This is what Daniel Erickson declared at the end of the night after “adult refreshments” were served. I had to think real hard about it (and consider the question of whether or not Jar Jar Binks counts as “ruining” or “irritating”); but then I saw what Erickson was getting at.

Star Wars is a franchise that has survived everything from Jar Jar to the Christmas Special which shall not be seen again on network television. There are toys, toothpastes, Lego sets, and yet another animated series running on Cartoon Network. How can an MMO – made by BioWare, no less – possibly make anything worse? If anything, we can have reasonable hope that Old Republic will make Star Wars better – because the BioWare folks understand the meaning of canon (even if I can’t spell the word consistently :p), and have done their homework.

So, love MMOs or hate them, love KOTOR, or hate it, LucasArts is going balls-out on this. And it’ll be interesting to see what happens.

P.S. Another revelation of Erickson: Modesto, CA = Tatooine; Tatooine = the cradle of galactic civilization, ergo Modest = the cradle of civilization…? I don’t think he had it all quite worked out, but he had a point about Tatooine and Modesto sharing some similarities. Namely being boring, says Erickson.

ref.kotaku

Al-Qaeda Supporters Endorse McCain

Al-Qaida supporters suggested in a Web site message this week they would welcome a pre-election terror attack on the U.S. as a way to usher in a McCain presidency.

The message, posted Monday on the password-protected al-Hesbah Web site, said if al-Qaida wants to exhaust the United States militarily and economically, "impetuous" Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain is the better choice because he is more likely to continue the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"This requires presence of an impetuous American leader such as McCain, who pledged to continue the war till the last American soldier," the message said. "Then, al-Qaida will have to support McCain in the coming elections so that he continues the failing march of his predecessor, Bush."



SITE Intelligence Group, based in Bethesda, Md., monitors the Web site and translated the message.

"If al-Qaida carries out a big operation against American interests," the message said, "this act will be support of McCain because it will push the Americans deliberately to vote for McCain so that he takes revenge for them against al-Qaida. Al-Qaida then will succeed in exhausting America till its last year in it."

Mark Salter, a senior McCain adviser, said he had heard about the Web site chatter but had no immediate comment.

The message is credited to a frequent and apparently respected contributor named Muhammad Haafid. However, Haafid is not believed to have a direct affiliation with al-Qaida plans or knowledge of its operations, according to SITE.

SITE senior analyst Adam Raisman said this message caught SITE's attention because there has been little other chatter on the forums about the U.S. election.

SITE was struck by the message's detailed analysis _ and apparent jubilation _ about American financial woes.

"What we try to do is get the pulse of the jihadist community," Raisman said. "And it's about the financial crisis."

Al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden issued a videotape just four days before the 2004 U.S. presidential election directly addressing the American people.

All You Should Know For The Presidential Election 2008

All you should know for the presidential election in 10 mins - the truth. It's the Chance to stop our corrupt Government and to restore the Republic and our Rights! John McCain will bomb Iran, Hillary Clinton is ready for the next War too, Barack Obama did not vote against the it. Watch this Movie to understand how important Peace is. The USA could get bankrupt these days. We have to borrow Money from China! Watch McCain vs Miss Teen to ged a Clue ;) .



ref.youtube.

Electing a US President in Plain English

A short guide to understanding the U.S. election process.

Obama Wins Nickelodeon’s “Kid’s Vote”!

The kids have spoken!

On Monday, Senator Barack Obama was declared the winner of Nickelodeon’s annual "Kids Pick The President" national poll!

Nickelodeon has held a "Kids' Vote" every election year since 1988, and this year there was a groundbreaking number of votes—upwards of 2.2 million people participated! And it was a close race, too: Senator Obama received 51% of the vote (1,167,087), and Senator McCain received 49% (1,129,945).

Keep in mind, the results of the Kids' vote have correctly predicted the election winner in four out of five elections—do you think this year will be different?

The results are posted on Nickelodeon’s website, as well as some footage of the announcement! Check it out here.

Do you agree with the "Kids Pick The President" results? Sound off below!

ref.seventeen.

The Cost of Looking Good on the Campaign Trail for Palin? $150K

Clothes at Saks Fifth Avenue in St. Louis and New York: $49,425.74.

Maybe a pair of stylish red pumps to match a red leather jacket, among other items, at Neiman Marcus in Minneapolis: $75,062.63.

Top-notch baby accessories at Steiniauf & Stroller Inc.: $295.

Looking good on the campaign trail for Sarah Palin: Priceless.

Love her or hate her, the Alaska governor’s got style. But we now know she’s had quite a bit of help picking up the shopping tab.

The Republican National Committee has spent $150,000 on clothing and accessories for the vice-presidential candidate and her family since early September, according to Politico.com. The RNC also spent $4,716.49 on hair and makeup through September after reporting no such costs in August.



According to financial disclosure records, the accessorizing began in early September around the time of the Republican convention. Other bills included $9,447.71 at Macy’s in Minneapolis, where the Palin family stayed during the conventions, and $5,102.71 at Bloomingdale’s in New York.
Campaign finance experts are wondering about the expenditures’ legality under the Federal Election Commission’s opinions on using campaign cash to purchase items for personal use. But a Republican strategist told The New York Daily News the expenditure by the party committee was legal.

Remember Democrat John Edwards’s $400 hair cuts in 2007?

McCain-Palin campaign spokeswoman Maria Comella declined to answer specific questions about the expenditures, including whether Palin ran up the RNC tab just during one period of time, or whether it’s ongoing.

“The campaign does not comment on strategic decisions regarding how financial resources available to the campaign are spent," Comella told Politico.com.

But later Tuesday night, spokeswoman Tracey Schmitt said the clothes will be given to charity after the November 4 general election.

"With all of the important issues facing the country right now, it’s remarkable that we’re spending time talking about pantsuits and blouses," Schmitt said in a statement. "It was always the intent that the clothing go to a charitable purpose after the campaign.”
Meanwhile, the Associated Press reports that Palin charged the state of Alaska more than $21,000 for her children to travel with her since she has been governor, including to events where they were not invited, and later said on expense reports they were on official business.

The charges included:

-Hotel and commercial flights for three daughters to join Palin to watch their father in a snowmobile race.

-A trip to New York, where the governor attended a five-hour conference and stayed with 17-year-old Bristol for five days and four nights in a luxury hotel.

-64 one-way and 12 round-trip commercial flights for the three daughters since December 2006.

Alaska law does not specifically address expenses for a governor’s children, but it allows for payment of expenses for anyone conducting official state business.

ref.wowowow.

Keyboard Sniffers Can Steal Data

A pair of doctoral students have used a radio antenna to eavesdrop on the electromagnetic signal produced each time a keyboard key is depressed.

Just when you think things are getting a little safer, more depressing news appears. This time it’s thanks to a pair of doctoral students, who have used a simple radio antenna to eavesdrop on the electromagnetic signals raised each time a key on the computer keyboard is depressed, according to the BBC.

The students, Martin Vuagnoux and Sylvain Pasini from the Security and Cryptography Laboratory at the Swiss Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL), have developed four separate attacks that work on 11 keyboards connected either by USB or PS2 socket, as well as on laptop keyboards. In one case the attack worked at a distance of 20 meters.

They’re expected to release results of their research soon, but their work builds on research by University of Cambridge computer scientist Markus Kuhn.

ref.digital trends.

Palin Clothes Spending Has Dems Salivating, Republicans Disgusted

Since her selection as John McCain's running mate, the Republican National Committee spent more than $150,000 on clothing and make-up for Gov. Sarah Palin, her husband, and even her infant son, it was reported on Tuesday evening.

That entertaining scoop -- which came by way of Politico -- sent almost immediate reverberations through the presidential race. A statement from McCain headquarters released hours after the article bemoaned the triviality of the whole affair.

"With all of the important issues facing the country right now, it's remarkable that we're spending time talking about pantsuits and blouses," said spokesperson Tracey Schmitt. "It was always the intent that the clothing go to a charitable purpose after the campaign."

But even the most timid of Democrats are unlikely to heed this call for civility. For starters, the story has the potential to dampen enthusiasm among GOP activists and donors at a critical point in the presidential race. It also creates a huge PR headache for the McCain ticket as it seeks to make inroads among voters worried about the current economic crisis.

Mainly, however, Democrats (in this scenario) are not prone to forgiveness. After all, it was during this same campaign cycle that Republicans belittled the $400 haircut that former Sen. John Edwards had paid for with his own campaign money (the funds were later reimbursed). And yet, the comparison to that once-dominant news story is hardly close: if Edwards had gotten one of his legendary haircuts every singe week, it would still take him 7.2 years to spend what Palin has spent. Palin has received the equivalent of $2,500 in clothes per day from places such as Saks Fifth Avenue (where RNC expenditures totaled nearly $50,000) and Neiman Marcus (where the governor had a $75,000 spree).

Beyond the political tit-for-tat, however, the revelation of the clothing expenditures offers what some Democrats see as a chance not just to win several news cycles during the campaign's waning days but to severely damage Palin's image as a small-town, 'Joe Six-Pack' American.

"It shows that Palin ain't like the rest of us," Tom Matzzie, a Democratic strategist told the Huffington Post, when asked how the party would or could use the issue. "It can help deflate her cultural populism with the Republican base. The plumber's wife doesn't go to Nieman's or Saks."

Indeed, the story could not come at a more inopportune time for the McCain campaign. During a week in which the Republican ticket is trying to highlight its connection to the working class -- and, by extension, promoting its newest campaign tool, Joe the Plumber -- it was revealed that Palin's fashion budget for several weeks was more than four times the median salary of an American plumber ($37,514). To put it another way: Palin received more valuable clothes in one month than the average American household spends on clothes in 80 years. A Democrat put it in even blunter terms: her clothes were the cost of health care for 15 or so people.

There are, in these cases, legal questions surrounding campaign expenditures. Though, on this front, Palin and the RNC seem to be in the clear.

"I don't think it's taxed," said David Donnelly of Campaign Money Watch. "I don't think she can keep it. It's owned by the RNC. They had to use coordinated funds to pay for the clothes."

And certainly the possibility exists that this issue can be effectively swept under the rug. Palin is not known for taking impromptu questions from the press. Moreover, the media, at this juncture, has other major story lines (see: upcoming election) to grapple with, thus denying the piece the relative vacuum that accompanied the Edwards story. Finally, there is little desire among conservative writers or pundits to litigate the matter, even if they were more than happy to jump on board when a Democrat was in the spotlight.

Several hours after Politico posted its findings, the topic remained nearly untouched by the major right-wing outlets. Though as Marc Ambinder at the Atlantic opined:

"Republicans, RNC donors and at least one RNC staff member have e-mailed me tonight to share their utter (and not-for-attribution) disgust at the expenditures. ... The heat for this story will come from Republicans who cannot understand how their party would do something this stupid ... particularly (and, it must be said, viewed retroactively) during the collapse of the financial system and the probable beginning of a recession."

Terrence Howard: 'Iron Man' replacement a surprise

Terrence Howard says was surprised to learn that Don Cheadle would replace him in "Iron Man 2."

"It was the surprise of a lifetime," the actor and musician told National Public Radio on Tuesday. "There was no explanation, (the contract) just up and vanished."



Howard said he read news reports that money was the issue, saying the contracts he signs apparently "aren't worth the paper that they're printed on sometimes."

Cheadle assumes the role of James Rhodes, a character that becomes Iron Man's sidekick War Machine in the comics, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Robert Downey Jr. will reprise his role as weapons mogul Tony Stark.

Howard, who also starred in "Hustle & Flow," is promoting his new album "Shine Through It."

Beckham set for winter-long AC Milan loan

David Beckham could soon be playing in Serie A for Italian giants AC Milan if the club are successful in a bid to land the Los Angles Galaxy star on loan.

The former England captain is determined to keep his place in the national team and a spell on loan in Europe during the Major League Soccer close season could be beneficial.

On Wednesday Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani said he was confident that Beckham would arrive at the San Siro, however it is understood the 33-year-old has yet to commit to the deal, which if confirmed is expected to begin in January.

Questioned by reporters at Milan's Malpensa airport, Galliani said: ''We are speaking with his agent but we believe he will arrive for some months on a free loan.''

''Beckham has chosen Milan. Our squad is ultra-competitive and it will remain this way, but Beckham is something different and intriguing.''


Beckham is under contract with LA Galaxy but their regular season finishes on Sunday after the club failed to reach the MLS's end of season play-offs, however Beckham would not be available immediately because of his key role in Galaxy's forthcoming promotional tour of Australia and New Zealand. Even so, with the transfer window closed Milan are unable to sign Beckham until the turn of the year.

Last weekend Galliani said that Beckham would be invited to train with Milan during the coming months in order retain his fitness and remain part of Fabio Capello's plans for the England national side, much as he did last season when he trained with Arsenal.

However, while Arsenal never sought to field Beckham in a competitive game, Milan are hoping to capitalise on the availability of the dead-ball specialist.

It is not the first time Beckham had been linked with the Rossoneri, with contact thought to have been made between the player's representatives and Milan before the player left Real Madrid for the United States in 2007.

Milan head coach Carlo Ancelotti has given the blessing for the former Manchester United midfielder to join up with his squad to provide more competition for places and is looking forward to working with Beckham, who won his 107th England cap in the World Cup qualifying victory over Belarus last week.

Ancelotti told the club's website:''For me it will be a pleasure, Beckham is a serious athlete, a great professional. If he is available for four months with us, we will be very happy.''

England boss Fabio Capello has been pleased with Beckham's contribution this year, although he has recently been a fringe member of the squad.


If Beckham moves to Milan - Capello's former club - then he will have the chance to demonstrate in Serie A that he remains a world-class player. Regular club football would almost certainly help his England prospects.

England have a busy start to 2009. They have a probable friendly against Spain lined up for February, a home friendly against Slovakia in March, plus World Cup qualifiers against Ukraine in April, and Kazakhstan and Andorra in June.

The Blurb That Never Was

It’s not the crime, it’s the cover-up. In the midst of Barack Obama’s continuing insistence that William Ayers was just some guy in the neighborhood (and just some guy on two non-profit boards with whom Obama worked for almost a decade), people asked why Obama then gave Ayers a promotional blurb for his book, A Kind and Just Parent: The Children of Juvenile Court. Team Obama spokesmen Bill Burton and Robert Gibbs categorically denied it.

Maybe it’s another State Senator Barack Obama. You know, another one who would have worked closely enough with an unrepentant terrorist to get an advance look at his new book, and to write promotional material for its sales. One who partnered with Ayers on a multimillion-dollar school reform project that ended up a failure. One who owed Ayers after the unrepentant terrorist help launch his career in a fundraiser in the Ayers/Dohrn household. You know, there has to be at least a dozen Barack Obamas who fit that description!

Opss:


On a more serious note, this wouldn’t be an issue if the Obama campaign would stop lying about the nature of his relationship with Ayers. They’ve continually fibbed about it when the public record is pretty clear that they formed a political alliance meant to boost Obama’s electoral career. Their inability to be honest about this relationship is what makes these lesser revelations more significant than they should be. A modest blurb on an obscure book would have no meaning at all absent the fact that Team Obama lied about it on two separate occasions.

ref.hotair

China Is Buying American Too

It's not just Warren Buffett who is buying beaten down US equities. China is buying American too. In an SEC filing yesterday, China's sovereign wealth fund revealed that it is upping its stake in the private equity company Blackstone Group. The fund bought 9.9 percent of Blackstone at $29 per share at the IPO, agreeing to limit its voting rights. The stock has recently been trading around $9 per share. China's new stake will take it up to 12.5%, and since it's buying them on the open market it will have the normal voting rights associated with the shares.

Below is the agreement.

Beijing Wonderful Investments Ltd

Building 2, No. 1 Naoshikou Avenue

Xicheng District, Beijing

People’s Republic of China

Attention: Xiqing Gao

Dear Mr. Gao:

Reference is made to that letter agreement, dated as of May 22, 2007, between The Blackstone Group L.P. (“Blackstone”) and Beijing Wonderful Investments Ltd (the “Letter Agreement”) and the Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership of Blackstone, dated as of June 27, 2007 (the “Partnership Agreement”). This letter agreement is to confirm our agreement relating to certain amendments to the Letter Agreement and certain undertakings of the parties, in each case as set forth in further detail below. Unless otherwise defined herein, capitalized terms are used herein as defined in the Letter Agreement or the Partnership Agreement, as applicable.

In furtherance of the foregoing, the parties hereto agree as follows:


1. Amendments to Letter Agreement.

(a) The definition of “Investor Ownership Limitation Percentage” in Section 1(b) of the Letter Agreement is amended effective as of October 14, 2008 to replace the percentage “9.99%” with “12.5%” in such definition.

(b) Section 4(a) of the Letter Agreement is amended effective as of October 14, 2008 to amend and restate the second proviso in clause (i) thereof as follows:

“, and provided further that upon any such permitted acquisition of Common Units other than Purchased Units, any such additional Common Units shall be deemed to be, and shall be treated as, Purchased Units for all purposes under this Agreement, except with respect to any such additional Common Units purchased in the open market on or after October 14, 2008 (the “Subsequently Acquired Units”), which Subsequently Acquired Units shall not be subject to the restrictions on Transfer set forth in Sections 3(a) and 3(b) of this letter agreement.”

(c) Section 12 of the Letter Agreement is amended to add an additional sentence as follows:



“Each of Investor and Blackstone further covenants that, for purposes of the Registration Rights Agreement, and any exercise by Investor of its rights therein, all Subsequently Acquired Units shall be deemed “Covered Common Units” as such term is defined and used therein.”

2. Amendments to the Partnership Agreement. Blackstone hereby agrees that, promptly upon the written request of the State Investment Company (as such term is defined in the Partnership Agreement), it shall use commercially reasonable efforts to amend the Partnership Agreement, as promptly as reasonably practical thereafter (but in any case no sooner than seventy-five days after the date of such request), to provide that any Subsequently Acquired Units then Beneficially Owned or thereafter acquired by the State Investment Company and the State Investment Company Affiliates (as such term is defined in the Partnership Agreement) shall be entitled to the same voting rights as Common Units held by other holders.

3. Interpretation. The term “letter agreement” as used in the Letter Agreement shall be deemed to refer to the Letter Agreement as amended hereby.

4. Severability. Any term or provision of this letter agreement which is invalid or unenforceable in any jurisdiction shall, as to such jurisdiction, be ineffective to the extent of such invalidity or unenforceability without rendering invalid or unenforceable the remaining terms and provisions of this letter agreement or affecting the validity or enforceability of any of the terms or provisions of this letter agreement in any other jurisdictions, it being intended that all rights and obligations of the parties hereunder shall be enforceable to the fullest extent permitted by law.

5. Effectiveness. This letter agreement shall be deemed effective as of the date first written above. Except as expressly amended herein, all other terms and conditions of the Letter Agreement shall remain in full force and effect.

6. Governing Law. This letter agreement and the rights and obligations of the parties hereunder shall be governed by, and construed and interpreted in accordance with, the laws of the State of New York, and shall inure to the benefit of, and be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective successors.

7. Counterparts. This letter agreement may be signed in counterparts, each of which shall constitute an original and which together shall constitute one and the same agreement.


Very truly yours,



THE BLACKSTONE GROUP L.P.

By:Blackstone Group Management L.L.C.,
its general partner

By:/s/ Stephen A. Schwarzman

Name:Stephen A. Schwarzman

Title:Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

Agreed and Accepted



BEIJING WONDERFUL INVESTMENTS LTD

By: /s/ Xiqing Gao

Name: Mr. Xiqing Gao

Title: Executive Director

ref.clusterstock

Britney Spears jury ends second day of deliberations

LOS ANGELES (AFP) – Jurors in Britney Spears' trial for driving without a valid license ended a second day of deliberations here Monday without a verdict and indicated they could be deadlocked.

After retiring to consider their verdict in the misdemeanor case last Friday, jurors returned to court on Monday to weigh evidence against Spears, who was not required to attend during the two-day trial last week.

Jurors indicated earlier Monday they were stuck at 10-2, without revealing which way they were leaning.

Van Nuys Superior Court Judge James Steele requested the jury continue deliberating before they were released for the day. The jurors will resume deliberations on Tuesday.

The trial went ahead after the singer rejected a plea deal that would have seen her fined 150 dollars and given one year's probation.

The case stems from an August 2007 incident when paparazzi trailing the singer caught her bumping a car in a parking lot and driving away.

Prosecutors say Spears was later discovered not to have a valid California license. She was charged with a misdemeanor -- punishable by jail or a fine -- but for a first offense Spears is unlikely to receive a custodial sentence.

Spears' defense argued the star held a valid Louisiana license at the time of the incident and was not legally required to hold a California permit because she was not living permanently in the state at the time.

"She is a Louisiana girl, born there, lived there, and going back there as soon as things are straightened out here," defense lawyer J. Michael Flanagan told jurors in closing arguments.

Spears -- who hit rock bottom in January when she was twice rushed to hospital for psychiatric treatment after losing custody of her two young sons -- appears to have got her career back on track.

Her new single "Womanizer" topped Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart last week, her first No.1 on the ranking since 1999's "Baby One More Time."

ref.yahoo news.

86 on Trial in Turkish Coup Case

SILIVRI, Turkey — One of the most sensational public trials in Turkish history began Monday, as a court started hearing a case against 86 people — among them retired army generals, journalists and a former university rector — charged with assassinations, bomb attacks and trying to topple the government.

The focus of the case is a secret, ultranationalist group named Ergenekon, a word that refers to a legend about the genesis of the Turkish people. Prosecutors say the defendants worked together, using violence to try to create chaos in society and weaken public support for the government in order to pave the way for a coup.

The charges, unveiled this summer in a 2,455-page indictment, include the murders of a judge, priest, journalist and three Christian publishing house employees, as well as the bombing of a newspaper. The group is also charged with plotting to kill public figures, including Orhan Pamuk, a Turkish novelist who won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2006.

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, whose governing party, Justice and Development, is said to have been a prominent target in the plots, has been accused of using the case to silence critics who say his party has an Islamist agenda.

One of the defendants, Tuncay Ozkan, a journalist and the founder of a television network, Kanalturk, was a principal organizer of antigovernment rallies that drew hundreds of thousands into the streets last year.

Turkey is a democracy with an elected government, but a powerful elite of military officers, judges and senior bureaucrats has helped steer the country since its inception in 1923, carrying out four coups. This trial is the first real attempt in Turkish history to prosecute the leaders of this country’s violent nationalist fringe, who prosecutors say have had links to the elite.

The case has riveted Turkish society because public criticism of the military, a vaunted institution in Turkey, is extremely rare. The military has denied any role in the plots; the officers identified in the indictment are all retired.

Prosecutors say the Ergenekon organization is the Turkish equivalent of the Italian Gladio network, a code name for operatives who infiltrated Italian society after World War II to counter Communism and who were responsible for a series of political assassinations and bombings in the 1970s. Turkey, according to the indictment, has allowed Ergenekon “to turn our country into a mafia and terror haven.”

Lawyers for the defendants questioned the extent of the connections that prosecutors seemed to be drawing among people from different, often opposing, backgrounds.

Vahdettin Erdem, a lawyer for Dogu Perincek, the leader of a nationalist political party and one of the accused, said in an interview that the case was more about politics than law and that it contained many irrelevant and unfounded accusations. One of the documents prosecutors are using to charge Mr. Perincek is from part of his party platform calling for changes in the way the Turkish state is organized, which has been public for years, Mr. Erdem said.

“This indictment is a work of people who cannot bear political opposition,” he said.

The trial opened in a chaotic, crowded courtroom in a prison complex 50 miles west of Istanbul. A noisy throng of the suspects’ supporters waved flags outside the entrance to the prison, hurling insults at Mr. Erdogan’s party. The government has put 19 witnesses under protection.

Prosecutors began investigating last year, when the police, acting on a telephone tip, raided an apartment in Istanbul and found a cache of hand grenades that had the same identifying number as those used in a bomb attack on the offices of Cumhuriyet, a pro-military newspaper, in 2006. Authorities believe the attack was a provocation not aimed at the military but intended to discredit its opponents.

The police later arrested several suspects, including Veli Kucuk, a retired general, who is accused of having been the mastermind behind several recent political murders, including that of a judge last year.

Other defendants include Ilhan Selcuk, the top columnist at Cumhuriyet; Kemal Kerincsiz, an ultranationalist lawyer; Kemal Yalcin Alemdaroglu, a former Istanbul University rector; and Adil Sacan, the former chief of Istanbul’s organized crime unit.

Most of the evidence is from hours of tapped phone conversations, as well as classified documents taken from suspects, including ones that include plans for attacks on Turkey’s Supreme Court and NATO buildings.

A document in a laptop computer found during a raid on a nationalist group outlined what to do if anyone from Mr. Erdogan’s party were to take the presidency. The indictment said the plan was for “shock assassinations” of Greek and Armenian religious leaders in Turkey, as well as a prominent Jewish businessman, Ishak Alaton.

But there was no violence after Abdullah Gul, a party member, became president in 2007, and it was unclear whether there was ever any attempt to attack members of his party.

Turkey has had glimpses of state ties to the criminal underworld in the past. In 1996, a former police chief and a mob boss who were sworn enemies in public died together when their Mercedes crashed on a highway. In 2006, two undercover military officers were caught after planting a bomb in a Kurdish-owned bookstore that killed one person.

Brad Pitt to Bring The Odyssey to the Big Screen

Remember The Odyssey? You may know this epic poem, in conjunction with The Iliad, from such places as English class. Well, Brad Pitt and Warner Bros. turned The Iliad into the 2004 movie Troy, and now they're drawing from Homer again to bring The Odyssey to the big screen — only this time it'll be set in the future. And in space. Variety has details:Their intention is to transfer the tale to a futuristic setting in outer space.

Warner Bros. has quietly set up The Odyssey, and the early hope is that Pitt will star and [George] Miller will direct, with Pitt's Plan B producing.

Both Homer poems dealt with the Trojan War; The Odyssey focused on the exploits of Odysseus, who hatched the idea to build the Trojan Horse. The Odyssey deals with his long journey home after he declines to become a god.

Well, OK. This could be a cool and imaginative adaptation. At the moment, however, all I can envision is Troy set on the moon. Any Odyssey lovers out there? How does this project strike you?


ref.buzzsugar

Campaign 2008: The YouTube election

When John McCain's bid for the Republican presidential nomination was in the doldrums last year -- short on cash and with top aides jumping ship -- his campaign strategists turned to YouTube.

"The McCain campaign was imploding," recalled Julie Germany, director of George Washington University's Institute for Politics, Democracy and the Internet.

"They decided the more strategic investment in battleground states in the primaries would be to put videos up on YouTube with high-production values," Germany told AFP.

"They realized that by the end of the day they would be all over television news and network news and cable news and people would be talking about them on the political talk shows," she said. "And they were right."

The political advertisements posted on the free video-sharing site have been credited by Germany and other analysts with helping McCain revive his fortunes and stage an improbable comeback victory in the crucial New Hampshire primary.

McCain went on to capture his party's nomination and build a warchest for his November 4 presidential election bid, but his campaign has continued to make canny use of YouTube in the battle for the White House.

"They duplicated their efforts this August with attack ads against Barack Obama," Germany said.

"The campaigns are putting video out on the Web knowing full well that their supporters will distribute it for them," said Andrew Rasiej, a co-founder of techpresident.com, a blog which explores how technology is changing politics.

"There's an entirely new political media ecology that's been formed because of this platform we call YouTube," he said.

Some of McCain's hardest-hitting video ads such as "Celeb" or "The One," in which Obama is depicted as an over-hyped media creation, never appeared on broadcast television, only on YouTube as so-called "ghost videos."

But, as intended by the McCain campaign, they took on a life of their own, being picked up by television networks, sent around as links on the Internet and written about by bloggers and mainstream print media.

The costs of producing the Web-only videos were a fraction of the costs of a traditional television or radio advertising buy.

YouTube has not only been used as a vehicle for free campaign advertising, it's also allowed the candidates to get their message directly to the public.

Both candidates have their own channels on YouTube: youtube.com/barackobama and youtube.com/johnmccain.

"The thing about video online, but text as well, is that candidates now have new ways of talking to voters," said Lee Rainie, director of the Pew Internet and American Life Project at the Washington-based Pew Research Center.

"Candidates still depend to a tremendous amount on traditional media carrying their message but they are now increasingly taking advantage of these other opportunities to bypass the media and speak directly to voters," he said.

Steve Grove, YouTube's news and political director, writing in a recent issue of Harvard University's Nieman Reports, described the Google-owned site as "the world's largest town hall for political discussion."

YouTube, in a partnership with CNN, also sponsored two debates during the presidential primaries with the novel format of having questions submitted in videos made by viewers.

Some 5,000 videos, from the straightforward to the strange, were sent in to YouTube for the Republican debate and some 3,000 for the Democratic showdown including one featuring a talking snowman worried about climate change.

The site, which uploads 13 hours of video a minute according to co-founder Chad Hurley, has also become a leading vehicle for political satire, featuring everything from homemade parodies to slick professional productions.

"This a culture that invented the political cartoon and now with these digital technologies there are new ways to play around with stuff and have some fun with it," said the Pew's Rainie.

One thing the presidential campaign hasn't seen -- so far at least, notes Germany -- is a "YouTube moment," an embarrassing gaffe or blunder by one of the candidates that ends up on YouTube

Lock Picking (THIS IS INSANE!!)

Lock Picking 8 masterlocks is under 90 sec!

Rays beat Bosox 3-1, advance to World Series

Down to their last chance, the Tampa Bay Rays left no doubt they were World Series-worthy, after all. The young Rays completed a stunning run to their first pennant, holding off the defending champion Boston Red Sox 3-1 Sunday night behind Matt Garza's masterful pitching in Game 7 of the AL championship series.

The Rays nearly let it slip away when they blew a seven-run lead late in Game 5 and lost meekly Saturday night. But when rookie David Price struck out J.D. Drew with the bases loaded to end the eighth inning, Tampa Bay showed it had plenty of resolve, too.

"It's unbelievable," center fielder B.J. Upton said. "We battled a lot of adversity this year. We stuck together as a team."

Baseball's doormat since starting play in 1998, the Rays were a 200-1 shot to win the World Series before the season started. Now, they'll host the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 1 Wednesday night.

Garza beat Boston twice in a week and was picked as the MVP.

"As a kid I think everybody pictures this night," he said. "Usually it's Game 7 of the World Series but I'll take Game 7 of the ALCS."

Willy Aybar homered and Evan Longoria and Rocco Baldelli also drove in runs to support Garza. Acquired in an offseason trade with Minnesota, Garza limited the Red Sox to Dustin Pedroia's first-inning home run.

Four more wins and manager Joe Maddon's bunch will become the first team to go from worst in the majors to World Series champion in just one season.

The Red Sox were hoping to win their third crown in five years.

"We didn't get as far as we wanted," Boston manager Terry Francona said. "We came out to win and go to the World Series and we didn't accomplish that."

Longoria's fourth-inning double off Jon Lester tied it at 1-all. Baldelli's RBI single put the Rays ahead in the fifth after Aybar doubled and Dioner Navarro reached on an infield single.

Garza took the mound for the biggest game of his life with something, perhaps cotton balls, stuffed in his ears to help drown out the noise at sold-out Tropicana Field.

The 24-year-old right-hander struck out nine before shortstop Jason Bartlett booted Alex Cora's ground ball for an error, leading off a tense eighth.

Boston went on to load the bases when Kevin Youkilis drew a two-out walk. Price, the No. 1 pick in the 2007 draft, became the fifth Tampa Bay pitcher of the inning—quite a spot for someone who started the year in Class A.

Drew, who capped the Game 5 rally with a ninth-inning single, struck out with a check-swing on a 97 mph fastball to end the threat. Price worked around a leadoff walk in the ninth and when pinch-hitter Jed Lowrie grounded out, the celebration began.

"I wanted the ball," Price said. "I think everybody down there in the 'pen wanted the ball tonight."

The Rays dropped the "Devil" from their name before the season and came out with a new identity: Gone were the laughable losers who finished last in the AL East in nine of their first 10 seasons, the snowbird specials whose quirky Tropicana Field filled with transplanted Bostonians whenever the Red Sox visited.

After splitting the first two games of the series at home, though, it was Tampa Bay that made itself at home in an opponent's ballpark, with the Rays sending shot after shot sailing over the Green Monster. In all, the Rays outscored the Red Sox 29-13 in the three games at Fenway Park, hitting 10 home runs.

But the young Rays' postseason inexperience showed in Game 5, when a normally reliable bullpen blew a 7-0 lead over the last three innings, allowing Boston to save its season with an 8-7 victory.

The Red Sox were the eighth team to rally from a 3-1 deficit to force Game 7 of an LCS, and they're the only club to do it more than once. The Red Sox also battled back in 1986, 2004 and 2007, and went on to win the World Series the last two times.

With the tarps covering nearly 5,800 seats in the upper deck removed for the second straight night, more than 40,000 fans packed the domed stadium for a rematch of the starting pitchers from Game 3, won by Tampa Bay 9-1 at Fenway Park.

Many fans wore Red Sox gear and were even more noticeable when they stood and cheered as Pedroia circled the bases after lining a pitch into the left-field stands. But there would be little for the Boston faithful to cheer the rest of the night.

No team has repeated as World Series champion since the New York Yankees won three straight from 1998-2000. That mark is safe for another year.

ref.breitbart

McCain and Obama campaigns barnstorm into crucial swing states

Senators Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton stressed economic themes at a campaign rally Monday evening in Orlando, the onetime Democratic rivals' first joint event since their appearance four months ago in Unity, New Hampshire.

The rally in June was staged when the prolonged primary fight threatened party unity, but now fewer Democrats worry about Sen. John McCain's appeal to Clinton's disappointed supporters. When some in the Florida crowd began chanting, "Hillary! Hillary!" on Monday, Obama joined them.

Their joint appearance capped a day in which both presidential campaigns barnstormed into the crucial swing states of Florida, Colorado and Missouri, with just two weeks remaining in the presidential race. Each party sounded familiar themes, with Democrats tying McCain to President George W. Bush and Republicans deriding Obama's tax policies as socialism.

With voters' attention focused almost exclusively on the economy and on their bleeding investment portfolios, the Democratic and Republican campaigns spent the day talking about jobs, taxes and an Ohio plumber named Joe, ratcheting up the fight for middle-class voters.

"Sending the Republicans to clean up the economic mess in Washington is like sending the bull to clean up the china closet," Clinton said Monday evening, with Obama standing on her left. "We're not buying that anymore."McCain, the Republican nominee, spoke at rallies in the suburbs of St. Louis and Kansas City on Monday while his running mate, Governor Sarah Palin of Alaska, was campaigning in Colorado. Republicans won both states in the 2004 presidential election, but polls this year have shown Obama is leading or tied in each.

With 47 electoral votes among them, Florida, Colorado and Missouri are rich prizes for both candidates but comprise a virtual must-win territory for McCain. Obama has made an aggressive play for all three, spending $42.8 million on television advertisements to the McCain campaign's $22.7 million, according to data from TNS Media Intelligence.

At a rally Monday morning in St. Charles, Missouri, McCain stressed economic themes and criticized Obama's tax plans, saying they would stifle small businesses. He again cited "Joe the plumber," an Ohio man who has become a campaign archetype at Republican rallies since McCain repeatedly invoked him during the third presidential debate.

"As Joe has reminded us all, America did not become the greatest nation on Earth by giving money to the government to 'spread the wealth around,' " McCain told supporters, referring to the phrase Obama used while talking to Joe Wurzelbacher, the plumbing businessman now woven into the final weeks of political rhetoric.

Palin sharpened her economic attack as she spoke Monday on the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains, telling crowds that Democrats would raise taxes on struggling Americans, "redistribute wealth" and accelerate job losses. She cast Obama's economic plans as tantamount to socialism.

"Now is not the time to experiment with socialism," Palin said to wild cheers in Loveland, Colorado.

Meanwhile, Obama sought to ride the momentum from his record $150 million worth of fundraising in September and endorsement over the weekend from former Secretary of State Colin Powell. Speaking in Tampa, he assailed Republicans, including McCain, who have equated Obama's tax plans with socialism and said they would deepen the economy's troubles.

He defended his plans to raise taxes on individuals with more than $250,000 a year in taxable income, and he pointed out that McCain originally opposed the Bush tax cuts, voting against them in 2001.

"He was right then, and I am right now," Obama said at a rally on Monday.

In an interview on Monday on NBC's "Today Show," Obama provided a few new details of the Powell endorsement, saying that he did not speak to Powell about it until after it was announced, and that Powell could play a role in an Obama administration.

"He will have a role as one of my advisers," Obama said. "He's already served in that function even before he endorsed me. Whether he wants to take a formal role, whether there's something that's a good fit for him, I think is something he and I would have to discuss."

Early voting, already under way in some states, started Monday in Florida, Colorado and Texas, among others. Both parties Monday urged their supporters to vote early if they could, and avoid long lines and logjams that could roil Election Day.

Appearing earlier at a rally in Fort Lauderdale, where she shielded herself from rain by holding a binder above her head, Clinton exhorted Democrats to campaign in their neighborhoods. She warned that Democrats could still lose the presidential race in the sprint toward November.

"Do not get lulled into any false sense of security," Clinton said of polls showing Obama in the lead. "If people start believing this election's over, I don't need to go vote, then we might not be successful."

Following Obama's fundraising announcement, the McCain-Palin campaign released its own financial report on Sunday, showing that their campaign spent $37 million during September — $22.5 million of it on advertising and media. The campaign now has $46.9 million on hand.

McCain accepted $84 million in federal campaign funding, which now limits his spending during the remainder of the election. Obama opted out of public funding, a move that Republicans rebuked as a broken promise, and he has no such spending constraints.

Powell Stands Against Smears

In endorsing Barack Obama this weekend, Colin Powell brought up a photo of the tombstone of Kareem Rashad Sultan Khan, being held by his grieving mother. Powell brought it up to make the point that Muslim-Americans are as American as anyone else, and it is wrong that the Republican party allows the whisper campaign to continue, that Barack Obama is somehow a Muslim.

Indeed, while John McCain has corrected a woman who directly told him that Obama was "an Arab," the campaign has also given those who believe Obama is a "secret Muslim" a wink and a nod, by continually using phrases like "he doesn't see America like the rest of us," and tying him to "terrorists." It is, incidentally, the same sentiment promoted by Benjamin Netanyahu in his campaign against Yitzhak Rabin, which Leah Rabin later blamed for her husband's assassination.

Colin Powell, though, might be more on point with his observation than he knew.

One of things you quickly learn when you're sent to Iraq or Afghanistan is that the overwhelming majority of Muslims in those nations are peace loving people, who just want to be able to raise their families in a decent environment. Essentially, their overall hopes and dreams are not much different than ours. Most of them actually have fond views of America and the west, and are constantly curious about American culture. To the extent there are any anti-American sentiments in Iraq, it's that Iraqis want this war to end, and want to get back to a stable life. But, it's not right to say that most Muslims are "anti-America."

That's what's so dangerous about the kind of campaign Republicans are running, and frankly have been running even before Barack Obama. When FOX News continually uses terms like "Islamo-facism," it not so subtly conflates the entire religion of Islam with the select crackpots around the world who use their religion as an excuse to promote despicable acts. But, those terrorists are not representative of Islam, or Islamofacists, any more than someone who bombs an abortion clinic over here is representative of Christianity, or a "Christoterrorist."

To then take someone who has a funny sounding name, and use a flimsy link to a "washed up terrorist" to stoke fears that he might be a Muslim forces the issue down the slippery slope at blazing speed. The Genie of hate is tough to put back in the bottle. No longer does someone need to be an actual Muslim to stoke some people into a frenzy, all it takes is that they're somehow "different" to scare people into thinking someone has secret "anti-America Muslim tendencies."

Think about that on the macro scale, not just in terms of Obama, who is a Christian. Think about how neocons can use a sentiment like that as justification for war against pretty much anyone they want to wage war on - Muslim, Christian, Jew, Buddhist, atheist, etc. "Different" is the only thing they need to whip fear up into a lather. And, if I needed to remind anyone, that's when American troops deploy to war, and many don't come home.

That's the path that John McCain has condoned by allowing innuendo to be pushed around the radical right, to abuse the feelings of fear that many Americans feel at this uncertain time. It's not just dishonest, it's dangerous.

And, that's why Colin Powell breaching this issue, from a position of strength and legitimacy, was so important this Sunday. We can only hope that his strong words shake even more reasonable Republicans from their electoral daze, and cause them to speak up and object to the damage the far-right smear campaign is doing to America.

ref.huffingtonpost.

Mourinho angling for return to England

Jose Mourinho has fuelled the fires of speculation by saying he has unfinished business in England and revealed he expects to return to England when his time comes to an end at Internazionale.

Mourinho spent three years at Chelsea but unexpectedly left the post in September 2007 after a row with owner Roman Abramovich. Relations with the Russian are said to cordial again, especially after Abramovich bought Mourinho a £2 million limited edition Ferrari 612 Scaglietti in May.

Mourinho may well be interested in a job at Manchester United when Sir Alex Ferguson finally quits Old Trafford. The 45-year-old Portugese coach returned to management when he signed a three-year contract with Inter in June.

"I have a contract with Inter but when it ends I will probably return to the Premier League, a league I really like," he revealed.

Mourinho has made a solid start to life in Italy, and guided the Nerazzurri to the Serie A summit with Sunday's thumping 4-0 win at Roma.

Mike Ashley gives JJB Sports a £3m cash boost

JJB Sports, the troubled sports chain, this morning secured a £3.4 million cash injection by issuing shares worth 5 per cent of the company to Mike Ashley’s Sports Direct.

The placing, 11.9 million shares at 28.5p, raises Sports Direct’s stake in JJB to 21 per cent. JJB shares rose 14 per cent to 37.25p in early trading this morning.

Chris Ronnie, the chief executive of JJB Sports, who worked for Mr Ashley at Sports Direct for three years until 2006, said: "Sports Direct approached us with an offer to participate in a placing of new shares. After due consideration, the board and I deemed the offer to be attractive for both parties."

JJB Sports has taken a pummelling on the markets after it revealed it had been accused of breaching its banking covenants last month, prompting auditors to warn of uncertainty over the company’s future. It has lost a two-thirds of its market value since the announcement, on September 26.

Fears over the sports retailer’s future have been heightened by the collapse of Iceland’s banking system. Exista, the Icelandic investment group, own 29 per cent of the shares with Mr Ronnie.

It was also reported that landlords who were owed rent had sent bailiffs to JJB Sports stores. Earlier this year it announced it was to close 72 stores, with the loss of 800 jobs.

Benitez: No regrets over Ageuro

Rafael Benitez believes Sergio Aguero may not have become one of the world's best had he taken the striker to Anfield.

The 20-year-old was linked with a move to the Merseysiders before opting to join Atletico Madrid, the Reds' Champions League opponents on Wednesday, from Independiente in 2006.

Aguero has since gone on to justify his price tag, thought to have been around £15million, and would now be likely to fetch at least double that fee were he to leave the Vicente Calderon.

But Benitez told The Times: "Two years ago the agents were talking with us about players and he was one of those but he was too young and [Atletico] paid big money for him, around 18 million euros (US$24 million) for a player who was a risk.

"In the Premier League it's different and sometimes players will need more time here to improve."

MOR Vacations Scheduled to Launch October 1, 2008

MOR Vacations is currently featuring a limited time offer for both travel and affiliate memberships at a discounted cash price of $1,298 now through September 30, 2008. After September 30, the membership price goes up to $3,998 retail with a cash discount price of $2,997.

MOR Vacations LLC is the new Members Only Resorts travel program that offers executive class online travel services for significantly discounted prices, including MOR Hot Weeks accommodations starting as low as $149 for the week for the entire family.

MOR Vacations member sites are state-of-the-art self-service travel sites offering 65% discounted hotels, cruises, airline tickets, and other services not normally found on other discount travel sites such as Priceline, Orbitz, Expedia and Travelocity. In addition to finding the best ticket prices available and ticket price trend watching, MOR Vacations members can opt for its friendly, "real live human on the phone" concierge service, offering customized travel packages at the best rates available throughout its extensive travel industry partnerships. Through the concierge service, for example, travelers are able to arrange for tickets to venues ranging from the Super Bowl to Broadway to movie theaters to ski lifts, and more.

Some of those industry partners include Carnival, Princess, and Disney.

Travel services feature Currency Converter, Traveler's Insurance, Flight Tracker, Electronic Brochures, World Time Zones, Travelers' Health, and Weather. People needing passports can apply for these online as well.

MOR Vacations is backed by the powerful combination of Digital Marketing Specialists, LLC, headed by Jon King of Rhinelander Wisconsin and a 23-year-old travel company that successfully continues to sell membership packages offline at rates from $8,000 to $10,000 per package. Travel experts who have examined the program have stated that the MOR Vacations Lifetime Access Diamond Executive Lifestyle Package compares favorably to membership packages sold by other companies for up to $20,000.

Marketing Specialist, seasoned traveler, and bargain hunter Susan Cowsar, states, "MOR Vacations offers the best value I've seen on or offline. I like being able to offer consumers the best deal available. People still want to take vacations with their families, but they need to save money in the process. Now with the innovative packages offered by MOR Vacations, and the increased number of places they can visit closer to home, they can."

Regarding the affiliate memberships, Cowsar states, "It makes sense for those interested in earning extra income to become an affiliate member. That way you get the best of both worlds: the best travel membership available and a way to generate a considerable income." Affiliate compensation plans offer $1,000 commissions for Diamond package sales, matching commission overrides, and $250 bonuses.

Cowsar explained, "With MOR Vacations, you get the best of Coastal, the best of GRN, and the best of YTB all wrapped up together. If you're in the online travel industry, now is the time to take a very serious look at MOR Vacations, while the pre-launch special is still in effect." Those who wish to partner directly with Cowsar and her cutting edge team will benefit from her knowledge of marketing and training. She is a certified educator and presents daily opportunities in utilizing best practice marketing strategies and online marketing techniques that help build significant income from the network marketing industry.

Nailin' Paylin: Watch First Minute Of Palin-Inspired Porn (VIDEO)

The first safe-for-work minute of the Sarah Palin-inspired porn from Hustler is online. To watch minute one of "Nailin' Paylin," scroll down. The plot involves stranded Russians and the four-eyed brunette lady of Alaska played by Lisa Anne who helps them out.

10 to be inducted into Ark. Sports Hall of Fame

Former Arkansas Razorback Corliss Williamson, National Football League official Walt Coleman and legendary basketball coach Charlie Spoonhour are in a group of 10 to be inducted into the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame in 2009.

Joining them will be former Razorback lineman R.C. Theilmann, Crossett track coach Bobby Richardson, basketball standouts Jerry Rook of Arkansas State and Kenny Saylors of Arkansas Tech, and Springdale high school coaching legend Jarrell Williams.

Inducted posthumously will be basketball star Lurlyne Greer and former Razorback standout Martine Burcher.

RIM BlackBerry Storm

We all knew it was approaching, but brace yourself, the Storm has made landfall. Tuesday night, Research In Motion and Verizon Wireless officially introduced the first touch-screen BlackBerry to the world: the RIM BlackBerry Storm.

Also known by its code name, BlackBerry Thunder, the Storm features a touch-sensitive display that's unlike that on any other touch-screen smartphone available today, thanks to RIM's own twist (more on this below). There are plenty of other highlights as well, including dual-mode functionality, support for Verizon's EV-DO Rev. A, integrated GPS, BlackBerry OS 4.7, and more.

Now, before you run out to the nearest Verizon store, we've got some bad news. Unfortunately, you won't be able to get your hands on the BlackBerry Storm quite yet (groan). A specific release date and pricing were not announced, but Verizon said the Storm would be out by the holiday season with "competitive" pricing. Obviously, we're not fans (and we're guessing you're not either) of such vague answers, especially in light of the RIM BlackBerry Bold delay.

RIM and Verizon did come by our office to give us a full rundown on the features, as well as some brief hands-on time with the device, so without further ado, here are all the details and our impressions of the RIM BlackBerry Storm.

Design
Obviously, the touch screen is the biggest highlight of the BlackBerry Storm, but as we mentioned earlier, it's unlike any other touch-screen smartphone we've seen so far, including the Apple iPhone,T-Mobile G1, and Samsung Omnia.

Rather than provide haptic feedback (or none at all), RIM developed something completely new called ClickThrough, which consists of a suspension system that lies beneath the display, so that when you go to select an application or enter text, you actually push the screen down like you would any other tactile button.

Admittedly, it was a little weird when I first tried it. Given that with all other touch-screen devices, it's just a matter of lightly tapping on an icon or some similar action, it wasn't my first inclination to physically push down on the screen. My colleague Kent German also tried it out and had a similar reaction; while cool, the idea behind it took some explaining to fully realize the capabilities. Now, that's not to say we don't like ClickThrough; it just takes a little acclimation. Plus, it was responsive and I was pleasantly surprised at how easy and accurate it was to compose messages and notes.

In terms of text extry, the BlackBerry Storm features a SureType keyboard when the smartphone is in portrait mode and then switches to a full QWERTY keyboard in landscape mode. The Storm has a built-in accelerometer so it will automatically rotate the screen depending on if the phone is held vertically or horizontally (left- and right-hand support included). The letter/number keys also glow blue when you're typing.

The quality of the display is slightly better than the RIM BlackBerry Bold's. The Storm features a 3.25-inch diagonal display with a 480x360 pixel resolution and support for 65,000 colors, where as the Bold has a half-VGA, 480x320 pixel display. The handset itself is about the size of the BlackBerry Curve, but slightly thicker. It measures 4.4 inches tall by 2.4 inches wide by 0.5 inch deep and weighs 5.6 ounces. It's equipped with a 3.5mm headphone jack, has four shortcut keys (Talk and End, Back, and BlackBerry menu), and a microSD slot behind the back cover, among other things.

Features
Don't be fooled; the RIM BlackBerry Storm is more than just a pretty face. As far as phone features, the Storm, like the RIM BlackBerry 8830 World Edition, offers dual-mode functionality. This means the phone switches automatically between CDMA and GSM networks to offer seamless international roaming--all while keeping the same phone number. (Note that the phone does not support domestic GSM bands, and a SIM card is included in the box.) It also works on Verizon's EV-DO Rev. A network as well as Europe's 2100MHz UMTS/HSDPA band. There's a full HTML Web browser (no Flash), and the Storm will also support Verizon's V Cast Music and Mobile TV services, though not immediately at launch.

Other wireless options include Bluetooth 2.0 with support for stereo Bluetooth headsets and dial-up networking and GPS but no Wi-Fi. BlackBerry Maps is onboard if you want text-based turn-by-turn directions, but for more advanced navigation features, such as voice prompts, you'll be forced to use Verizon's VZ Navigator service.

The BlackBerry Storm will run the latest BlackBerry OS (version 4.7), so you finally get an updated interface while still getting support for multiple e-mail accounts (BlackBerry Enterprise, Microsoft Exchange, Lotus Notes, POP3, IMAP4, and more) with wireless synchronization. In addition to an attachment viewer, you can also do some light editing on Microsoft Word and PowerPoint files. There's 128MB of flash memory and 1GB of onboard memory, which is all supplemented by the microSD/SDHC expansion slot (supports up to 16GB cards).

Though the BlackBerry is historically known more as a business device, RIM and Verizon hope to attract more consumers with the BlackBerry Storm and it comes with a number of multimedia capabilities. The media player can handle various music and video formats, including MP3, AAC, WMA, WMV, MPEG4, and H.264. The included Media Sync software will also help you synchronize your iTunes files with your BlackBerry. The Storm is equipped with a 3.2-megapixel camera with video recording, auto focus, and flash.

Finally, it will come preloaded with instant-messaging clients (Yahoo, Windows Live, AOL, and ICQ) and a number of social-networking apps, including Facebook, MySpace, and Flickr. You'll also be able to download more programs over the air through the new BlackBerry App Center.

Outlook
OK, obviously, the RIM BlackBerry Storm has a lot to offer. The touch screen alone already has people drooling and clamoring over the device, and then you add the laundry list of features, and you're looking at a recipe for success. But will it actually deliver? Well, it's a hard to say, having only had about half an hour of hands-on time with the smartphone.

Overall, I was impressed--nice design, feature rich. Again, the ClickThrough touch screen takes some getting used to, and I wonder how it will hold up over months of use. Performance wise, the device seemed snappy, but I also caught a couple of bugs. For example, the camera activated while trying to perform some function in e-mail. However, I know it wasn't a final product, so I won't hold that against RIM. Music and video playback were pretty impressive as well.

There's enough appeal there for consumers, mobile professionals, and new and old BlackBerry users, but I think price will play a huge factor. Verizon has to be careful not to cross that fine line between what's reasonable and what puts the device out of range. What do you guys have think? What are the BlackBerry Storm's hits and misses? Do you want one? How much are you willing to pay?

Palin cameo helps "SNL" reach 14-year ratings high

The fake Sarah Palin has been doing great things for "Saturday Night Live," but the real one put "SNL" over the top, to its highest overnight ratings in 14 years.

"SNL," with Palin as a guest, averaged a 10.7 rating/24 share in the 56 metered markets, according to preliminary estimates released Sunday by Nielsen Media Research. It would be the highest-rated "SNL" since March 12, 1994, when Olympic skater Nancy Kerrigan was the host and Aretha Franklin the musical guest.

Those numbers also would make "SNL" the third-highest-rated show of last week, including primetime, following ABC's "Dancing With the Stars" (12.0/18) and CBS' "CSI" (11.2/17).

Saturday's program featured an opening with the real Palin speaking to executive producer Lorne Michaels while Tina Fey portrayed Palin in front of the studio audience. Among other things, Palin tried to get Michaels to agree to her idea for a skit based on "30 Rock," Fey's NBC series, on which Michaels is an executive producer. But Michaels declined, saying that nobody watches "30 Rock." She was introduced to Alec Baldwin, another "30 Rock" star. Later, during the "Weekend Update" segment of the show, Palin appeared on the set with Seth Myers and Amy Poehler.

Josh Brolin, who portrays George W. Bush in the feature "W.," hosted the show, which included appearances by the film's director, Oliver Stone, and actor Mark Wahlberg.

Saturday's show was up 161 percent compared with the average in October 2007 (4.1/10). It was up 47 percent compared with the October 4 "SNL," which averaged a 7.3/18.

David Price closes out ALCS clincher for Rays, heads to World Series

David Price, the first overall pick in the 2007 Major League Baseball draft by the Tampa Bay Rays after a remarkable career at Vanderbilt, closed out Game 7 of the American League Championship Series by recording the final four outs to defeat the Boston Red Sox, 3-1. The Rays, a perennial doormat of the AL East their entire existence, advanced to the World Series for the first time in their brief history. They will face the National League champion Philadelphia Phillies.

The Rays had a 3-1 lead in the series and were seven outs from clinching in Boston with a 7-0 lead in Game 5. The Red Sox staged an amazing comeback, scoring eight runs to win and followed up by winning Game 6 in Tampa to force the series to seven games.

With that all in mind, Price's save was a nail-biter, with every fan at Tropicana Field on edge, many of them looking terrified with every pitch.

The 6-6 lefty entered the game and struck out Boston right fielder J.D. Drew with the bases loaded to end the eighth inning, and then shrugged off a leadoff walk to strike out Mark Kotsay and Jason Varitek before getting pinch hitter Jed Lowrie to ground out for the victory.

After the win was secured, Price threw down his glove and was bear-hugged by catcher Dioner Navarro before being wrestled to the ground by a mob of teammates.

Price, who recorded his first career major league save, got the win in Game 2 of the ALCS by recording two outs in the 11th inning and watching his team win it in the bottom of the inning on a sacrifice fly.

For the series, Price worked 2 1/3 innings of scoreless relief and allowed no hits and two walks, while striking out four.

Not a bad memory for your first season in the big leagues.

Double Sided LCD Screen From LG Display

LG is showing off thier new double sided LCD display at this years IMID 2008 conference held in Goyang City, Korea. The displays are 15″ and have a 14:1 contrast ratio. From a technical standpoint this is very impressive, these are not simply two screens attached to each other, but rather the same screen displaying an image on its front and back. Will the “two screens, one display” become a sensation or remain an oddity shown off at various industry shows? Only time and more importantly manufacturing costs will tell.

Provided LG can reign in the price of these displays there are countless scenarios where a double sided display would come on handy. From business presentations, to retail the applications would be endless, any one up for a game of Battleship?

Gateway MC7803u hands-on

If you're looking for something with a little style and refinement in the PC world, you have a few options -- and Gateway has added another with its latest laptop, the MC7803u. The handsome 16-incher isn't just looks; it packs a 2GHz Core 2 Duo T5800 CPU, a 16:9 (1366 x 768) glass display, 4GB of RAM, 320GB hard drive, an ATI Mobility Radeon 3650 with 512MB of memory, 802.11a/b/g/n, gigabit ethernet, an HDMI port, 4 USB jacks, and a 1.3 megapixel webcam. Besides housing other niceties like a 5-in-1 card reader and ExpressCard 54 slot, the system also sports illuminated multimedia controls down either side, a backlit keyboard, synthetic leather palm rests, and comes in either high-gloss black or burgundy. After playing around with it for a bit, we can honestly say we're fans, though just like some other glass displays we've seen recently, that glare is a bit annoying. The device goes on sale November 1st, and will retail for $999.99. Not too steep a price to pay for the respect and envy of your peers, is it?

Intel unveils world's first working Moorestown MID

This sexy MID has been dropping jaws for more than a year now. Unfortunately, the plastic mock-up has always been a non-working, gutless model with little more than a glossy screen and backlight to demonstrate the form factor Intel's gunning for with its future Moorestown Mobile Internet Devices. That all changed today when a world's first working, Moorestown prototype (which we think is the device above) hit the stage at Intel's Taipei, Developer Forum in the familiar hands of Anand Chandrasekher.
Moorestown consists of a Lincroft micro-architecture that integrates the 45nm processor, graphics, memory controller, and video encode/decode functions onto a single, tiny chip with 10x less idle power draw than those first-gen, Atom-based MIDs and UMPCs. That's pretty Impressive. As we've heard before, we can expect the new Moorestown MIDs to hit in 2009 / 2010 with support for wireless 3G, WiMAX, GPS, Bluetooth and digital mobile TV. We can hardly wait. We'll update you with video just as soon as we can track it down. Until then, check Anand's original video demonstration of the concept from 2007 after the break.

Mouse Hand Warmer Mouse Pad Computer Industry's Newest Gadget

Does your computer mouse hand get cold? Do you sit long hours working at the computer with an exposed mouse hand? Does the winter chill or air-conditioned room make your mouse hand cold and fingertips numb? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you're not alone. There is a serious, cold mouse hand problem hitting the computer geek population, and IGMproducts.com has the cost-effective, energy-efficient solution.

"The Mouse Hand Warmer came about after spending over 12 years sitting at a computer working long, late hours with a very cold mouse hand," said Anna Miller, creator of the Mouse Hand Warmer. The Mouse Hand Warmer was made to solve the cold mouse hand problem. Once the Mouse Hand Warmer blanket was developed and used, it proved to solve the problem, and IGM decided to manufacture and sell the item to the computer accessories market.

There's no known medical term for the cold mouse hand condition. We asked Doctor Oz from the Oprah Winfrey Show by contacting him through Oprah.com. The Mouse Hand Warmer is an energy-efficient way to keep your mouse hand covered by a warm, fleece blanket. Just like crawling under the covers on a cold night, the Mouse Hand Warmer provides a warm, cozy blanket for your mouse hand. Simply slip your computer mouse and hand inside the Mouse Hand Warmer blanket with or without the use of a standard sized mouse pad, and your mouse hand is covered and kept warm as you work.


The Mouse Hand Warmer mouse pad is made in the USA and is the registered trademark and patented product of i-GlobalMall.com, Inc. The Mouse Hand Warmer uses no electricity, and there are no cords to plug in or get tangled on your desktop. It is available just in time for cold weather and when the cost of energy for heating is of key importance. Work long hours, keep warm and keep your energy bills lower by using a blanket to cover your exposed mouse hand.

The Mouse Hand Warmer has a non slip surface and is constructed of hand-washable fabrics. It is compatible with optical or USB connected mice of all sizes and shapes. It measures about 12 x 12 inches and has plenty of room inside for freedom of computer mouse hand movement. The only place you can obtain one of the techie gray, black and white mouse blankets is through the manufacturer who is currently seeking distributors of the product. To learn more about this novel computer geek accessory, visit http://www.IGMproducts.com.

We've tested the product, and it works! We've received positive feedback from computer users on Amazon.com, Etsy.com and eBay.com. Now, we're ready to launch the product for resale. For more details, comments or to become a distributor of the Mouse Hand Warmer, please contact the manufacturer through their website at http://www.IGMproducts.com or by email at Webmaster (at) IGMproducts.com.

About IGMproducts.com
IGMproducts.com is the ecommerce site of i-GlobalMall.com, Inc. (IGM). Anna Miller is the President of IGM and has been creating, computing and selling online since the early 90's. She is considered an Internet Pioneer and Ecommerce Entrepreneur. IGM's former ecommerce sites have been named Best of the Web by People StyleWatch Magazine and a top online resource by About.com.

Rocker Technology - The Latest Trend In Snowboarding

Rockered Snowboards are the latest trend that are taking the snowboarding community by storm. Stop by any snowboard shop and ask an employee what's the most popular type of snowboard, and you might hear things like 'Skate Bananas' or 'Gyrators'. To long time snowboarders, these sound more like dance moves than a style of snowboard, but these names are becoming increasingly known because they are Rocker-style models from brands Lib Technologies and K2 Snowboards respectively. http://www.porterstahoe.com [Burton Snowboards__title__ Burton Snowboard just released their version called The Hero, and Rome's Artifact 1985 will be hitting shelves soon as well.

To a non-surfer or snow skier, the term "reverse camber" might make the light bulb go off a little more. The result of camber in a snowboard or ski is the slight arch running lengthwise from tip to tail that you can see. When you put one on a perfectly flat surface, it rests on two spots; near the tip and near the tail, with a very small gap between the ground and the middle of the snowboard or ski. Obviously then reverse camber, like the name says, would be where the contact occurs in the middle and the same contact points in a traditional shape are slightly off the ground.

In the medium of water there are several items using rocker technology including surfboards, wakeboards, water skis, and kayaks. In fact, for many of the early pioneers of snowboarding, who came from the surfing world, this is the sensation that made them snowboard junkies in the first place. Finally they could surf the snow! It's no coincidence that when you have bottomless powder turns on a snowboard that it's extremely close to how it feels to make the same turns on a surfboard. The sensations can be felt similarly in wakeboarding or even some water skiing too. It's the sensation of pushing into the snow/water and sinking but then rebounding back to the surface as the snow/water feels like it is pushing back.

Rocker also has a very unique application for terrain park snowboards. Again with the tip and tail rising off the snow or rail feature, it makes initiating moves like a nose press or spinning onto firm surface actually easier. For example, this is why K2 Snowboards has three different versions of rocker technology. One board is intended primarily for the powder days, one that is more terrain park specific, and a blended rocker for an all mountain feel. John Chapman from http://www.PortersTahoe.com [Porters Tahoe Sports__title__ snowboards explains, "Without an ACL in either knee, my park days are long behind me. After being on the K2 Gyrator only twice last year, though, I fell in love with rocker construction - especially for deep Tahoe / Utah / AK style powder."

The forgiving nature of rocker boards are making them this seasons must have. "They allow all levels of snowboarders more forgiveness in certain situations such as riding on rails and making a turns in powder" says Chapman. "We can't keep them on the shelves long enough, and we've enjoyed a lot of traffic to our online store, PortersTahoe.com, from people searching for these types of boards. If you're looking to purchase one, we recommend doing so before the holiday shopping season."