InfoSec Institute Resources ? Legal and Technological Concerns ...

1. Introduction

In 2006, a laptop containing personal and health data of 26,500,000 veterans was stolen from a data analyst working for the US Department of Veterans Affairs. The data contained the names, dates of birth, and some disability ratings of the veterans. It was estimated that the process of preventing and covering possible losses from the theft would cost between USD 100 million and USD 500 million.

One year later, a laptop used by an employee of the UK?s largest building society was stolen during a domestic burglary. The laptop contained details of 11 million customers? names and account numbers. The information was unencrypted. Subsequently, the UK?s largest building society was fined with GBP 980,000 by the Financial Services Authority (FSA). The reason for the fine was failing to have effective systems and controls to manage its information security risks.

From these two examples, it can be inferred that laptop theft?is a serious problem that concerns both businesses and individuals. Victims of laptop theft can lose not only their software and hardware, but also sensitive data and personal information that have not been?backed up. The current methods to protect the data and to prevent?theft?include alarms, anti-theft technologies utilized in the PC BIOS, laptop locks, and visual deterrents.

This article is focused on the BIOS anti-theft technologies. It starts with an overview of these technologies (Section 2). Next, the work discusses the legal (Section 3) and technological problems (Section 4) arising from the use of BIOS anti-theft technologies. Then, it recommends solutions to those problems (Section 5). Finally, a conclusion is drawn (Section 6).

2. Overview of BIOS anti-theft technologies

BIOS anti-theft technologies are embedded in the majority of laptops sold on the market. They consist of two components, namely, an application agent and a persistence module. The application agent is installed by the user. It periodically provides device and location data to the anti-theft technology vendor. In case a laptop containing an installed application agent is stolen, the anti-theft technology vendor connects to the application agent with the aims of determining the location of the computer and deleting the data installed on the laptop.

Upon a request of the owner of the laptop, the anti-theft technology may permanently erase all data contained on the magnetic media. In order to make sure that the data have been deleted property, some anti-theft technology vendors overwrite the data sectors of the deleted files.

The persistence module is embedded in the BIOS of most laptops during the manufacturing process. The BIOS is the code running when the computer is powered on. It initialises chipset, memory subsystem, devices and diagnostics. The BIOS is also referred to as firmware.

The persistence module is activated during the first call of the application agent to the anti-theft technology vendor. The persistence module restores the application agent if it has been removed. For instance, in case a thief steals a computer and reinstalls the operating system, the persistence module will restore the agent. It should be noted that, until the application agent is installed by the user, the persistence module remains dormant.

Even if the BIOS is flashed, a persistence module that has been enabled will continue restoring the application agent. This is because the persistence module is stored in a part of the BIOS that cannot be flashed or removed.

3. Legal issues

Principally, if the buyer of a laptop agrees with the installation of an application agent on her computer, there is nothing illegal in the use of anti-theft technologies. However, in some cases, a seller of a laptop may either accidentally activate the application agent before sending it out or sell to the buyer a machine that was originally meant for a customer who ordered a computer with an installed application agent.

When an application agent is installed without the consent of the user, it falls into the scope of the definition of backdoor. Backdoor is a program that gives a remote, unauthorized party complete control over a system by bypassing the normal authentication mechanism of that system.

The application agent is not the first case of a backdoor not specifically designed to damage and/or disrupt a system. In April of 2000, several e-commerce websites discovered that their Cart32 shopping card software contained a backdoor password enabling any user to obtain a listing of the passwords of every authorized user on the system. The purpose of the backdoor was to enable technical support personnel to recover the users? passwords. Because the backdoor password was embedded in the program code itself, anyone with access to the software could exploit it undetectably.

The activation of an application agent without the consent of the user infringes most privacy laws around the world. In order to stop the violation of their privacy rights, the affected users may submit a request to the anti-theft vendor for the purpose of removing the application agent from their computers and have recourse to a court.

Actually, an affected user often does not know that the application agent is installed on its computer. This is because the agent is very difficult to detect. It runs as a non-descript service and is not listed as an application. The agent does not appear on the programs menu listing or as a system tray icon.

In relation to the submission of a request for removal of the content to the anti-theft technology vendor, it should be noted that a number of unsatisfied users complained in online forums because of anti-theft technology vendors? failure to respond in time to their questions and requests to have the application agent removed. For example, a user complains that, despite sending more than five emails to the company producer of his laptop and the anti-theft technology vendor, he did not receive a reply on his request to remove the application agent from his computer. He was not able to reach them even after several phone calls.

4. Technology issues

In 2009, security researchers Anibal Sacco and Alfredo Ortega published an article stating that the implementation of an application agent of a particular vendor embedded in the BIOS has security vulnerabilities. These vulnerabilities can be used for insertion of
a
dangerous form of BIOS-enhanced rootkit that can bypass all chipset or installation restrictions and reutilize the existing features offered by an anti-theft technology.

Rootkit is a software or code that allows a persistent undetectable presence on a computer. The BIOS is the best place that a rootkit can attack because it survives reboots and power cycles, leaves no trace on disk, survives and re-infects re-installations of same operation system (OS), survives and re-infects re-installations of a new OS, and is difficult to detect and remove.

The capabilities of a BIOS rootkit can be seen from an experimental rootkit for desktop computers developed by researchers from Microsoft and University of Michigan. The rootkit, called SubVirt, can survive hard disk replacement and OS reinstallation. Because it can modify the boot sequence and loads itself before the OS, it can operate outside the OS and remain hidden from many anti-virus programs. Moreover, by using hardware virtualization technology from CPU manufacturers, SubVirt is able to load the original OS as a virtual machine and intercept the OS?s calls to hardware.

It should be reminded that use of BIOS embedded rootkits in mobile devices is not a new phenomenon. In October 2008, criminals in Europe inserted rootkits in a credit card-reading machines while they were still in the supply-chain. The compromised card-reading devices continued to function like normal credit card readers with the exception that they copied customer?s credit card information and transmitted it to criminals via a cell phone network. The only way to remove the toolkit was to flash (rewrite) the BIOS with a known clean copy, delete the hard drive, and reload the OS from clean installation media.

In relation to the use of anti-theft technologies, a question arises as to whether the protection against thieves deserves paying the high price of having a low-level information security. In this regard, it should be pointed out that an unauthorized access to a computer system can be as disturbing as a theft of a laptop.

5. Solutions

5.1 Solutions to legal problems caused by anti-theft technologies

Pertaining to the legal issues arising from the use of anti-theft technologies, this article recommends four solutions.

Firstly, anti-theft technology vendors should guarantee that the application agent is not accidentally activated. This can be done, for instance, by adopting a policy of activating the application agent only after receiving a written consent from the user.

Secondly, measures should be taken to ensure that machines meant for a customer who ordered a computer with an installed application agent are not resold to a customer who has not agreed with the installation of the agent. Such measures may include additional checks before selling laptops to customers.

Thirdly, a user who activated the application agent should be regularly informed about the presence of the agent. This will give the users an opportunity to unsubscribe if the agent is installed incidentally. The dissatisfaction of the users with regard to incidentally installed application agents can be seen from the following excerpts of a comment posted in an internet forum:

?I have a new laptop, and never paid for a subscription. I didn?t even know I had their damned spyware installed in my BIOS (or in whatever other piece of hardware it is). I?ve never even been invited to subscribe. Yet my firewall one fine day warned me that rpcnet.exe was trying to access the net. I googled it, and that?s how I know what it is.

Don?t believe them if they say it ?lies dormant? until activated with a subscription. I personally caught it talking to them. Do not believe them when they say they have deactivated it.?

Fourthly, anti-theft technology vendors should provide the users with a way to check whether the application agents are installed on their computers. At present, it is difficult for a layman to establish whether the application agent has been activated.

5.2 Solutions to technological problems caused by the use of anti-theft technologies

Concerning the technological problems related to the use of anti-theft technologies, this article recommends to the producers of BIOS anti-theft technologies that they put more effort in order to eliminate the vulnerabilities found by Anibal Sacco and Alfredo Ortega. Instead of responding by press releases containing statements that avoid discussion of the actual findings of the researchers, it would be better if the anti-theft technology vendors present technical facts indicating that the findings of the researchers are wrong, patching the problem, or offering any updates to fix the issue.

6. Conclusions

According to the statistics, 1 of every 10 laptops is stolen or lost. A Gartner Group report notes that one laptop is stolen every 53 seconds in the United States. BIOS anti-theft technologies make the retrieving of a lost or stolen laptop possible. All that?s needed is a little luck and the foresight to enable or install the application agent.

However, this article has shown that, apart from benefits, anti-theft technologies have two major drawbacks. The first drawback is that the privacy rights of the users are infringed when the application agent is activated without the consent of the user. The information security vulnerabilities of these technologies constitute the second drawback.

These drawbacks were noticed by both security researchers and the users of laptops. In the modern era of privacy conscious societies, it should not come as a surprise that laptop users want to ensure that their personal information will not be shared without their consent and that their machines are as secure as possible.

Source: http://resources.infosecinstitute.com/bios-anti-theft-technologies/

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Justin Timberlake & Jessica Biel's Wedding Photo: First Look!

Posted Wednesday October 24, 2012 8:13 AM GMT

Showing their enthusiasm for their recent nuptials, Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel are ecstatic on the cover of People magazine.

The ?Cry Me A River? crooner jumped for joy while his beautiful blushing bride smiled from ear to ear in her gorgeous pink Giambattista Valli Haute Couture gown.

In their interview, Jessica and Justin both gushed over how amazing their wedding turned out- ?It was a really special evening,? said Timberlake, while Ms. Biel added, ?It was a total fantasy experience.?

Justin also sang to his bride as she walked down the aisle- ?It was an original piece I wrote specifically for the evening and for her.?

And given the southern Italy locale of the event, Timberlake knew he had to make everything over-the-top even for his 100 guests. "It was a lot to ask of them to travel, so we figured we'd give our guests a good party!"

Source: http://gossipcenter.com/justin-timberlake/justin-timberlake-jessica-biels-wedding-photo-first-look-750078

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Sudan blames Israeli air strike hit for munitions plant blasts

KHARTOUM (Reuters) - Sudan said on Wednesday that an Israeli air strike had caused the huge explosion and fire at an arms factory in Khartoum that killed two people, but Israel's defense minister declined to comment.

Sudan, which analysts say is used as an arms-smuggling route to the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip via neighboring Egypt, has blamed Israel for such strikes in the past, but Israel has either refused to comment or said it neither admitted or denied involvement.

Asked by Israel's Channel Two News about Sudan's accusations, Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak said: "There is nothing I can say about this subject."

A huge fire broke out late on Tuesday at the Yarmouk arms factory in the south of the capital which was rocked by several explosions, witnesses said. Firefighters took more than two hours to extinguish the fire at Sudan's main factory for ammunition and small arms.

"Four military planes attacked the Yarmouk plant ... We believe that Israel is behind it," Information Minister Ahmed Belal Osman told reporters, adding that the planes appeared to approach the site from the east.

"Sudan reserves the right to strike back at Israel," he said, adding that two citizens had been killed and the plant had been partially destroyed. Another person was seriously injured, he said.

Around 300 people gathered at the courtyard of a government building where the Sudanese cabinet was in an emergency meeting, shouting "Death to Israel" and "Remove Israel from the map."

"Israel is a country of injustice that needs to be deterred," Vice President Ali Osman Taha, standing next to President Omar Hassan al-Bashir, told the crowd. "This attack only strengthens our firmness."

The governor of Khartoum state initially had ruled out any "external" cause for the blast but officials later showed journalists a video from the vast site. A huge crater could be seen next to two destroyed buildings and what appeared to be a rocket lying on the ground.

Osman said an analysis of rocket debris and other material had shown that the attack was engineered by Israel, which Sudan views as an enemy.

Sudan's U.N. Ambassador Daffa-Alla Elhag Ali Osman called on the U.N. Security Council to condemn the attack "because it is a blatant violation of the concept of peace and security."

"It jeopardizes peace and security in the entire region, not just in Sudan," he told the council during a briefing on U.N. peacekeepers in Darfur. "We call on you to stop foreign hands from meddling in the Darfur conflict and to help Sudan arrive at a final solution that would maintain peace and security."

NOT FIRST ACCUSATION

Several residents living near the factory told Reuters they had heard planes or missiles before there was a huge explosion.

"I heard a sound like a plane or missile and then the sky was lit up and a huge explosion occurred," a resident who declined to be identified said. "There was a big fire and several subsequent explosions."

Two other residents said buildings near the plant had suffered minor damage.

Soldiers blocked access to the gated plant where the main buildings are located away from the main street, making it difficult to assess the damage when a Reuters reporter visited the area after the midnight blast and on Wednesday morning.

In May, Sudan's government said one person had been killed after a car exploded in the eastern city of Port Sudan. It said the explosion resembled a blast last year that it had blamed on an Israeli missile strike.

Israel declined to comment on the May incident or the 2011 blast, which killed two people and neither admitted nor denied involvement in a similar incident in eastern Sudan in 2009.

The information minister declined to say whether any weapons from Yarmouk had ended up in Gaza, saying that only "traditional weapons in line with international law" were produced there.

Major damage to the Yarmouk plant would be a blow to Sudan's army in its battle against insurgencies in the western region of Darfur and the southern states of South Kordofan and Blue Nile, bordering arch-rival South Sudan.

In 1998, the United States fired missiles at the El Shifa medicine factory in Khartoum. U.S. officials said it was producing chemical weapons ingredients and was partly owned by Osama bin Laden, who once lived in Khartoum. Sudan insisted the plant made only pharmaceuticals.

The attack followed the bombings of U.S. embassies in Tanzania and Sudan's neighbor Kenya, which killed at least 226 people, including 12 Americans. The attacks were blamed on al Qaeda.

(Additional reporting by Maayan Lubell in Jerusalem and Michelle Nichols at the United Nations; Writing by Edmund Blair and Ulf Laessing; Editing by Michael Roddy; desking by Christopher Wilson)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/sudan-says-israel-behind-arms-factory-fire-134318945.html

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Walker starts Barclays board clean-up: FT

LONDON (Reuters) - Sir David Walker plans to overhaul of Barclays' board after he formally becomes the bank's chairman on November 1, and he will oversee the replacement of executives, the Financial Times reported on Thursday.

Walker has made clear in remarks since being appointed in August that he also plans to change some of the bank's non-executives and work closely with new Chief Executive Antony Jenkins to improve culture across the bank.

He is set to replace most non-executives over the next six to 12 months and has approached some of senior City of London figures.

Some of those approached regarding board positions include the former Lloyd's of London chairman Lord Levene, and Lord Davies, the former chairman of Standard Chartered .

Others approached for unspecified roles at the bank include Colm Kelleher, the European head of Morgan Stanley , and Jonathan Moulds, the former European head of Bank of America Merrill Lynch .

Outgoing chairman Marcus Agius, former chief executive Bob Diamond and former chief operating officer Jerry del Missier all resigned in the summer, following the Libor rate-rigging scandal that engulfed the bank and led to a 290 million pound ($464.86 million) settlement with regulators.

Barclays has started the search for a new head of human resources to replace Sally Bott, who resigned with immediate effect on Friday, 18 months after joining the British bank.

The FT reported that the reshuffle could include a new finance director to replace Chris Lucas, who has been unwell for some time and is expected to retire next year.

Some investors also expect Rich Ricci, Barclays investment banking head, to be replaced given his close associations with the previous regime and Diamond in particular, according to the FT's report.

(Reporting by Stephen Mangan)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/walker-starts-barclays-board-clean-ft-232814917--sector.html

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First Impressions Of The 13? Retina MacBook Pro: On The Path To A New Category-Defining Product

At its event today, Apple made much of the fact that the 13-inch MacBook Pro is still its top-selling notebook, right before unveiling the new 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro. It's clear that Apple wants this new version of its top-performer to take over as a product that redefines the laptop, and judging by limited hands-ion experience, there's good reason to believe they'll eventually get their wish.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/SHG-7rNEd2U/

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Video: Beau Biden on President's Performance

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Source: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/cnbc/49512620/

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Rixty, The Cash-Based Payment Platform For Games - TechCrunch

Some consolidation afoot in the world on online payments coming at you, with a little blast from our social networking past. Rixty, a cash-based payment platform for games, virtual goods and other digital content, today received a majority-stake investment from MOL AccessPortal, the e-payment subsidiary of MOL Global, the company that bought social network Friendster in 2009 and then converted it into an online gaming site, selling Friendster?s social media patents to Facebook in the process.

Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, but it looks to be a shares deal rather than one aimed at taking over Rixty: the founding team and existing investors Javelin Venture Partners,?Accelerator Ventures,?First Round Capital,?Freestyle Capital,?Nueva Ventures?and?SoftTech VC? (who, along with angels, put up $1.25 million in a venture round for Rixty) are all remaining with the company as ?significant shareholders.? As part of the deal, MOL?s CEO?Ganesh Bangah, and Craig White, president of global operations at MOL, will join Rixty?s board.

Rixty?s speciality is offering people who don?t have credit cards or are otherwise ?unbanked? a way of buying credits to redeem online. It has 75,000 payment points in the U.S. and a further 66,000 in Brazil, and a total of 500,000 worldwide. It has partnerships with 70 game publishers who have integrated its payment service.

MOL, meanwhile, also offers users a way to pay for gaming and digital content credits. It is somewhat bigger: 360,000 physical payment channels across?Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, India, Australia and New Zealand, working with some 200 games publishers to integrate its payment services ? through sites like Friendster, for example. MOL handles 60 billion transactions annually and ?is on track to process $500 million in payments this year.

The deal will give MOL a way of expanding its operations to the U.S. and Brazil. Combined, the two will have more global coverage ? particularly relevant for publishers looking to reach as wide an audience as possible with their paid content model. ?As a leading e-payment provider in Asia, MOL is the perfect partner to complement Rixty?s payment infrastructure across North and South America,? said Ted Sorom, CEO of Rixty, in a statement. Sorom is understood to be in Malaysia at the moment working out the details of how the two will cooperate and integrate.

More directly to the future of MOL, the acquisition puts the Asian company into the backyard of Silicon Valley (Rixty is based in San Francisco), and gives it access to finding out about the latest technologies to improve its payment platform further.

One area this might cover is mobile. Both companies are already active in mobile, and in October MOL established a JV to start a new mobile payment acquiring company focused on enabling small and medium-sized businesses to accept credit and debit card payments using mobile devices.

Another area where MOL is already active and wants to do more is in virtual payments, a market it says is worth $19.2 billion annually worldwide. And we might even see Friendster make a re-entry into the U.S. market as a new gaming force as part of that.

MOL Global is one of South East Asia?s biggest internet companies and owns 100% of both payment service provider, MOL AccessPortal Sdn Bhd (MOL) and the world?s pioneer social network, Friendster Inc. (Friendster). MOL has been operating and developing payment systems since 2000. MOL handles over 60 million transactions annually with an annual payment volume of over USD300 million. MOL leverages on a network of more than 600,000 physical and online payment channels. MOL is linked to 88 online banks...

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Rixty is an alternative payment platform that lets cash-based consumers spend online without a credit card. Users can convert cash and coins to Rixty value at over 70,000 domestic stores (including 14,000 Coinstar kiosks) and nearly 500,000 locations worldwide, or they can pay online with a bank account. Rixty supports over 1,000 popular online games, social networks and digital content sites and is TRUSTe-certified safe and secure for all ages. By making it easy to monetize cash-based consumers, Rixty helps...

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Friendster launched in 2002 as one of the first social networking sites. The service allowed users to communicate with other members, share online content and media, discover new events, brands, and hobbies. The site, at its peak, reached tens of millions of registered users; however, it has since lost its popularity. Friendster was acquired by MOL Global in December 2009 for $26.4 million. In May 2011, Friendster repositioned itself into a social gaming site, discontinuing support for existing users? social...

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Source: http://techcrunch.com/2012/10/22/rixty-the-cash-based-payment-platform-for-games-takes-majority-investment-from-friendster-owner-mol/

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FedEx to add 20,000 seasonal workers, sees shipping up 13 percent

(Reuters) - FedEx Corp said on Monday it plans to hire 20,000 seasonal workers, the same as last year, to handle holiday shipping volume that it expects will be up more than 13 percent.

An ongoing increase in e-commerce and last-minute orders amid a slow-growing economy will mean more deliveries for companies like FedEx that can handle fast shipments.

FedEx, which is closely watched as an indicator of consumer demand and economic health, anticipates handling more than 280 million shipments during the holiday season between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

The company said the impact of an increase in holiday shipments was included in its fiscal 2013 earnings outlook.

For the second time this year, FedEx cut its forecast for global growth in 2013, citing slower growth in China, recession in some European economies and high energy prices.

FedEx can add the same number of seasonal workers as last year because it has been hiring staff throughout 2012, especially at the Ground and SmartPost divisions that will handle the bulk of the holiday volume, said T. Michael Glenn, executive vice president of market development and corporate communications.

December 10 is expected to be its busiest day ever with some 19 million shipments - a 10 percent increase from last year. E-commerce will drive the shipping volume on so-called "Green Monday," which falls on the second Monday of December and kicks off the heaviest online shipping week of the year.

As more shoppers buy their holiday gifts on the Internet or via mobile phone, it means higher shipping volume for FedEx and United Parcel Service - both of which have delivery contracts with most of the biggest Internet retailers.

Delivery volumes for FedEx's busiest day of the year have consistently grown, and will be nearly double the 9.8 million shipments it handled in 2005.

U.S. retail sales are expected to rise 4.1 percent this holiday season, though a slower pace than in prior years, according to the National Retail Federation.

Online holiday sales, excluding travel, are expected to increase 16.8 percent from last year to as much as $54.5 billion, FedEx said, citing eMarketer data.

"We always see a significant push for last-minute orders, and a lot of it has to do with procrastination, which for FedEx is a good thing during the holiday season," Glenn said in an interview.

Global economic weakening and concerns about expiring tax cuts in the United States could keep many consumers on the hunt for discounts and waiting until the last minute to order holiday gifts.

Retailers are keeping inventory fairly lean, so a jump in orders beyond expectations could boost demand for the quick deliveries that FedEx and United Parcel Service provide.

"Clearly businesses are waiting to see what happens with the election, the fiscal cliff and the election's impact on other policy decisions that may affect energy prices," Glenn said.

FedEx said 82 percent of its ground deliveries are shipped in three business days or less, 61 percent are delivered in 2 business days or less, and 24 percent are delivered the next business day.

Large chain stores including Toys R us, Wal-Mart Stores Inc and Macy's Inc have announced plans to add more holiday workers this year, based on the view that consumers will spend modestly more than last year as the economy mends gradually.

"There are a lot of high-tech products out there and people are saving money in other places to spend on these goods," Glenn said. "We certainly are expecting a strong peak season for FedEx."

UPS, the largest package delivery company, could give insight into its seasonal hiring plans when it reports quarterly results on Tuesday.

UPS added about 55,000 workers for the holidays last year, 10 percent more than it hired in 2010.

(Reporting By Lynn Adler; Editing by Maureen Bavdek)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/fedex-add-20-000-seasonal-workers-sees-shipping-133657285--sector.html

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MLB: Dave Hansen regresar? a los Marineros como nuevo coach de bateo

Publicado: oct. 23, 2012 at 3:57 PM

SEATTLE, oct. 22 (UPI) -- Dave Hansen regresar? a los Marineros de Seattle como nuevo coach de bateo, seg?n anunci? el gerente general Jack Zduriencik.

De esta forma Hanser regresa al equipo donde pusiera fin a una carrera de 15 a?os en Grandes Ligas como bateador emergente especialista.

El pelotero, de 43 a?os de edad, reemplaza a Chris Chambliss, cuyo contrato no fue renovado al finalizar la temporada regular.

Hansen trabaj? como el coach de bateo de los Dodgers durante el ?ltimo a?o y medio despu?s de ser el coordinador de bateo para ligas menores de los D-backs de 2008-10.

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Source: http://espanol.upi.com/Deportes/2012/10/23/MLB-Dave-Hansen-regresar%C3%A1-a-los-Marineros-como-nuevo-coach-de-bateo/UPI-43191351018641/

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Improving Website Popularity By Means Of Internet Marketing ...

In the world today, millions of websites are now in the internet. In fact, one of the leading search engines today is doing some sort of innovations which clear out irrelevant sites that contain similar contents. It is beneficial for a lot of businesses for internet users will never get off track in heading to the website of their wanted product.

Internet marketing has come a long way for many years now. It has become a useful key for many online businesses to reach their company?s full potential. Furthermore, promotions done in the internet are much more cost efficient than advertising a business? products and services through media, such as television, cable channels, radio and even digital billboards. Greater numbers of proficient internet marketers are present in many online communities waiting for a particular business to hire them. Nowadays, it is a must for a particular online business to be employing sufficient online presence for them not to be buried and be left out by other business websites. Home

Apart from its cost cost-efficient property, marketing by means of the internet will help thousands of freelancers all over the world. Furthermore, skilled writers can be employed to write many articles for Irun Leeds North search engine optimization. SEO is the tool used in the internet today in ranking up their sites in popular search engines. Getting on the top of a search engine would mean thousands of revenues will race their way to the bank accounts of website owners. Without SEO, a particular online site will never make a mark even in the 10^th page of search engines. The SEO professionals will be the one who will think of what niche and keywords to use, promoting the website of their clients to reach success and for them to paid sufficient amounts of money.

SEO or in full, search engine optimization is now considered the heart of all websites in getting the top spot on search engines. In addition, this is a distinct method to draw in millions of unique visitors every month. Even just 10% of million visitors will purchase a product every month; the business will surely survive for a lifetime. More and more professional SEO marketers are in deep search for better ways to boost their presence in the internet. There are lots of techniques wherein any auto blogging remover cannot detect. It is not illegal, but there are tools employed by search engines screening only websites having legal and tax paying businesses will take benefit by means of their online facilities. Visit Irun Limited Leeds

By employing a superb SEO and article writing team, individuals can then set themselves to the excitement of getting their websites on top of the front page of well-known and well utilized search engines. A businessman can then develop their means of website development in preparation for thousands of visitors coming in every day. In addition, their banking transactions must all be set up most especially that a greater number of potential clients will click the order buttons of their website. Therefore, marketing by means of the internet is really useful in the world today most especially that almost all things are controlled by computers.

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Related posts:

1. Link Popularity Is Very Important In Internet Marketing
2. Search engine marketing ? the wholesome means to improve a business online
3. Increasing Website Traffic, Internet Marketing Campaign From Paton Marketing
4. Improving User Experience Using Website User Behavior Data ? What You Need To Know
5. What the JC Penney Link Buying Scandal Means for SEO

Source: http://seo.firstpagegoogle50.com/2696/improving-website-popularity-by-means-of-internet-marketing/

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Source: http://salvatorefranklin.typepad.com/blog/2012/10/improving-website-popularity-by-means-of-internet-marketing.html

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Considering Acquiring Real-estate? Look At This As | Travel

Property can be extremely the procedure and you could regularly be duped should you don?t understand what you are searching for. Outpost homes for sale You should make certain you know what you are interested in with regards to the real estate you try to purchase. This post will provide you with the information you need.

The simplest way to locate a real estate agent that will help you invest in a property is to inquire about your buddies or colleagues for tips. You would like a realtor who has pleased clients. In case your close friends are content with the help of a broker, this is a very good indicator which he will give you good providers to you also.

When you have poor credit you may not be able to obtain a home mortgage. But if you find someone to offer you that loan and the interest rates and charges will be higher because of your bad credit, consider not buying a house now. You will end up more well off by taking time for you to boost your credit rating, to be able to get a better package yourself afterwards.

There may be a great deal of hidden fees once you handle the purchase of a whole new home, and moving. You will not only need to pay moving firms or good friends to assist you to, but generally speaking it might take some time to get the new home up and running. Plan on going out to restaurants for at least two or three days while you are setting up your new cooking area.

When selecting a house, regard the seller?s priorities. Doing this can aid you to negotiate an agreement that actually works for everyone. A vendor will not be willing to budge on selling price, but may help with closing charges or settle on an alternative shutting particular date. Working together can be beneficial for all.

Research the communities that are of great interest for your needs. When you find yourself purchasing a house you are not only purchasing the property, however you are also getting in to a neighborhood and it is vital that you sense comfy inside it. So look into the universities, the store shopping, and only nearly anything pertaining to the neighborhood, so you know what will be in retail store to suit your needs whenever you move there.

There are major approaches that you could add value to your real estate property buy. A bathroom or kitchen upgrade will increase the benefit of the property, as will an inclusion such as a deck or sunroom. A simple issue like piece of art the exterior and sprucing the garden, whilst not incorporating great worth, will surely improve its importance fairly.

A true real estate negotiation ? like all negotiation ? can be a procedure for undermine. It is actually unrealistic for a negotiator can be expected everything to go her or his way. Because the negotiation continues, it is advisable to concentrate on top priority targets guaranteed as an alternative to insignificant goals which can be overlooked. An effective negotiator does not get every thing an excellent negotiator has got the important things.

One particular significant suggestion in relation to property is basically that you check with several places for loans your property. This is important as a result of variety of credit establishment costs, strategies, and legitimacy. Even though your first supply seems great, there might be much better deals available. Always have terms of your contract created on paper.

If finding a advance payment is the only hindrance holding you back from getting a property, ensure you have fatigued all methods before you decide to write down an additional lease examine to spend another person else?s home loan. Don?t forget to question relatives and buddies for assistance. Change your needless belongings, like a motorboat or diamonds earrings, into funds. Obtain through your IRA. Get a second work. Try to find loans from non-earnings companies. Income in your life insurance policy worth. Do whatever you can to turn the ideal in to a truth.

Producing the choice to buy a property is a huge one. It will transform almost everything in your life for quite some time. You should take some time and check overall commitments concerning the home as well as the house loan prior to signing any kind of them. Consider possessing a skilled look points above prior to make.

If you are having difficulty developing the downpayment to the home that you might want, you may want to think about wondering your lender about an 80/20 personal loan. It will be possible to obtain a loan to pay the deposit and another to protect the fee for the house.

Before you start trying to find a home to purchase, ensure you have enough income to cover the lower-settlement and shutting costs. While many lenders will loan around 95% of the purchase price, it?s smart to have at the very least 20% of the price of the property you want to buy completely ready for such costs.

Seek out good deals. When looking at would-be properties, it is important to search for individuals components which are listed for sale around 65 percentage with their genuine market price. This is just what is intended with the expression, acquire lower promote high. In just about any market problems, it is possible to re-promote for nearer to the full market value, and also this technique is much less unsafe than getting at market value and expecting the marketplace to go up.

Examine for water damage and mold. When viewing possible purchase qualities, look for any sign of dampness inside the home and around the door and windowpane picture frames. When the glazing putty has fungus expanding into it, don?t stress because it might be cleaned or substituted. Nevertheless, if you notice shedding or cracked paint you will find a good possibility that this residence has water damage and mold. This may not be to say that you just shouldn?t get the house, but you should cautiously look into any property that shows signs of significant water damage and mold.

Should you be expecting a baby you then must almost certainly delay until after you have your little one to buy a new property. Alterations in your chemicals can force you to make rash judgements in regards to a property and you might obtain some thing you may not like or refuse to get something that was really a very good buy.

Rest on your own choices. Don?t excursion a home and then decide you like it and want to place in a proposal right away. Usually take a day or two to take into account it. When you are positive, go and check out the property again via new view to make sure.

Buying a new house might be scary, but it will make your daily life greater in several ways. When discovering the right residence isn?t an easy process, the recommendations in this post can make the knowledge manage a small softer. By using these tips, you?ll become the very proud proprietor of your new home very quickly.

Source: http://nicoleevaemery.com/real-estate/considering-acquiring-real-estate-look-at-this-as/

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A Guide for Thai Dining Like a Native

A family enjoying dinner at a Thai restaurant

How to have a Thai dinner in a Thai Restaurant

Whether you are eating Thai food in the Land of Smiles, or going out to a Thai restaurant back in the States, the dining experience is enhanced knowing and using proper Thai dining etiquette and ordering correctly.?? First, know the basic foundation of Thai food:? There are four seasonings ? salty, spicy, sour and sweet ? and you will want to order various dishes that ensure a balance of flavors and textures.

The concept of Western dining and Thai dining are completely different.? In a European or American restaurant, meals usually consist of a starter, then a salad, usually accompanied with lots of fresh bread, followed by the main course and ending with a desert.? Each person orders as an individual, and rarely is food shared.? In Thailand, however, there is no such thing as a ?starter? and there is no dish that belongs to any one person.? To Thais, all dishes are to be shared.

View of a delicious Thai dinner

In Thailand, a formal dinner would include a soup (which is served at the same time as all other dishes) or a spicy curry.? If there is a curry, most would put the curry on top of the rice.? There are many different types of curries, some mild and some very spicy.? For Americans looking for non-spicy food, Yellow curry is usually the most mild of the curries.

For a formal Thai dinner, there would be several stir fried dishes, usually vegetables combined with chicken or pork (beef is not widely used in Thailand, and not particularly recommended). ?A center piece dish of a grilled fish is usually included.

There is often a tangy salad, like Som Tam (spicy Papaya Salad) and a noodle dish (Pad Se Ew) which often combines vegetables and meat or seafood.? Most Thai salads are called ?Yum? (as in Yum Talay for a Seafood Salad), but the word Yum actually refers to a dressing made up of fish sauce, lime juice, sugar and chilies.? Light and acidic, Yum works as a palate cleanser between other foods.

Deserts are sweet and light, which often include sweet sticky rice and coconut as the primary ingredients (sweet sticky rice and fresh mango with coconut milk is a standard).

Thai red curry

All the dishes (except the desert) will usually be placed on the table at the same time and eaten in no particular order.? If not all dishes arrive to the table together (perhaps the grilled fish takes a longer time), it is customary for Thais to eat whatever comes to the table as it arrives.

Rice is an essential element of Thai food.? In fact, the Thai word ?to eat?, is Gin Kao, which literally translates to ?eat rice?.? Rice should be flavorful, and most Thai restaurants will serve quality Jasmine rice which has a special taste and smell reminiscent of Thailand.? Often there will be brown, black or red rice available (especially in Northern Thailand) or a often a mixture of these styles of rice.? These are especially flavorful and I recommend them whenever it is are available.

The number of people seated at the table determines the number of dishes ordered.? All dishes are shared and enjoyed together.? The more people the better, which allows everyone to sample a greater number of dishes and have more variety of flavors and textures.? Thais will eat very slowly, enjoy the food, conversations, laughter and company.

Each person at the table will be given a plate and a soup bowl, and the waitress will give each a serving of rice.? That is about the extent of the food serving from the waitress, after that everyone is expected to add a small amount from the various dishes on the table.? Someone at the table will ladle some soup in the individual bowls, and each person takes just a small portion of whatever appeals to them at the table.? Savior one distinct flavor, and then move on to another flavor.? Thais like to pick at food, helping themselves to the various dishes one serving spoon amount at a time.? Take your time and try everything.

When ordering in a Thai restaurant, don?t forget to specify your desired spice level, as neglecting to do so may leave your mouth burning. Remember that Thais eat their food extremely spicy, so don?t be too brave when ordering (unless chilies are a regular part of your diet). ?Medium spicy? is probably ?hot? for most Americans. ?Mild to medium? may be a safer bet for Americans traveling to Thailand and not ready for the typically high spice foods of Thailand. For Americans traveling to Thailand and not ready for the typical high spice, it is good to learn the phrase, Mai Phet, which translates into ?no spice? as an instruction to give to the Thai waitress, and then it will be only slightly spicy.? Unless you are much prepared physically for a huge Spice level, never order anything from the menu in Thailand that says it may be spicy, like a ?Spicy Grilled Tuna?. If you are that rare kind of person that loves spice, Phet Mach translates to a lot of spice.? And for regular folks, Phet Nit Noi, means a little spice.

Served with the courses are spicy sauces, the most common one in Thailand being Nampla Prik, which is a mixture of fish sauce with chopped green chili peppers and a touch of lime juice.? This kicks up the spice level a lot.? A red chili garlic sauce is also usually provided that is much more tolerable for Westerners. Sauces are often served in tiny little bowls next to your plate.

Whenever I visit a new Thai restaurant, I always ask the server to recommend at least one dish which the chef does particularly well. This way you?ll be certain to sample the best of what that establishment has to offer. Also, it?s a good way to try out dishes you may never otherwise order for yourself.

When eating, always wait for the host, usually the biggest noodle at the table (and the one who is going to pick up the entire tab) to invite you to help yourself before jumping in. When you?re finished there?s no need to place your utensils together, but leaving food on your plate may indicate you didn?t find the food tasty, which is always a big concern in Thailand.

Finally, the bill, Check Bin. This is always left for the wealthiest or most important person to pick up. If that happens to be you, then take it as a compliment. ??A meal is cheap in Thailand, even if there were 10 mouths to feed, it won?t break the bank. They aren?t being rude; this is simply the way Thais gain respect by looking after the stomachs of the less fortunate. ?There should never be any discussion about the bill.? If one person takes it and covers the cost, there should be no protest because in a sense it would be insulting the host.? Payment of the bill should be done discreetly.

If You are Vegetarian or do not eat Wheat and Other Diet Restrictions

Look tofu dishes on the menu. If none are listed, ask which dishes can be made vegetarian. Be sure to specify ?no meat? when ordering, even if the description of your chosen dish does not list meat. Thais often use small amounts of meat and/or seafood when preparing their dishes.? There are always vegetarian dishes available in a Thai restaurant, because it is simply leaving off an element of the dish.

Also, for those wanting no wheat gluten, understand that most soy sauce (which is often used in Thai stir fried cooking) usually contains wheat. ?Those allergic to Wheat should specify ?no soy sauce? in the cooking.? Other than that, there is seldom any wheat products used in Thai food.

MSG unfortunately is often used in Thai cooking.? It is a flavor enhancer, and sometimes when a Westerner has a non-MSG meal, they think it is ?flavorless?.? Actually, their palate is used to the MSG (used most heavily in Chinese restaurants) and they are simply missing that enhancement.? However, MSG is not good for health, as it is like salt? on steroids.? Some Thai restaurants in the West promote that they do not use MSG, and for those concerned about healthy eatting, these restaurants need to be encouraged.

Also, many Thai dishes contain Peanuts, and if there are allergies with this, you must tell the waitress.? One main Thai dish, Param, is primarily peanuts, but also other dishes may have a small amount of peanut sauce added.? Most Thai chefs are used to cutting out peanuts in meals (this is fairly common) and as long as they are told about it, this can accommodated easily.

Singha and Chang Thai Beers

What to Drink

Nothing goes better with spicy Thai food than a cold, light lager, especially on a hot day (that?s almost everyday in Thailand). ? If you like beer, ask your server for an authentic Thai brew like Chang or Singha. Thai beer is not up the standard of a good European beer ? often Thai beer uses rice hops, for instance ? but it is definitely ?drinkable?.

Tiger Beer, brewed in Singapore is my favorite beer taste in Thailand.

If you prefer a non-alcoholic beverage, try Thai lime soda, made from key limes. Alternatively, water and green tea accompany most Thai meals.? If a restaurant in Thailand may be a bit ?iffy? in the sanitation area, it would be wise to have water with no ice.? Water served in every restaurant would be bottled water, but the ice may not be.

In my humble opinion, a good wine is an essential part of a meal.? In Thailand, it is not easy to get a good wine, however.? Import duties for wine are very stiff, and coupled with shipping costs,? the best wine (which I am totally convinced originates from Northern California) are rare and expensive, and even just decent wine is high priced.? There is more wine available from Western Australia and Chile, but it is also rather expensive for the fairly mediocre wines from those areas.? European wines are available but expensive.? There is wine produced in Thailand (they have their own wine producing areas), but the quality has yet to mature, and most seasoned wine drinkers would reject it.? To have a good wine for dinner in Thailand, it is best to bring wine from your own collection brought in by suitcase.

In the US and in Europe, Thai restaurants usually have a good selection, but it is important to get the right varietal to pair with Thai food.? Traditionally, it has been accepted that white sweet wines, such as Gewurztraminer, Riesling, and off-dry to sweet German and Austrian wines are best to accompany the spiciness of Thai foods. ?Another good pairing would be a light dry Sauvignon Blanc.

But there can be such a variety of tastes in Thai food that often other wines go well.? Red wines are being more accepted as a good compliment to Thai food, but they should be on the light-side.? A heavy Burgundy that is perfect for a Western beef steak would never pair well with Thai food, which tends to be light.? My recommendation for a red wine for Thai food would be Pinot Noir.

Actually, while I am not generally fond of Sparkling Wines (i.e., Champagne), some of the best Thai chefs claim that these wines are the very best for Thai food. ??Sparkling wines tend to have a lightness and sweetness to pair extremely well with spicy Thai dishes.

In Thailand, Scotch Whiskey and American rye whiskeys are popular and many Thais will bring a bottle from home to go with dinner in a restaurant.? Johnnie Walker, Jim Beam, Jack Daniels, and Chevis Regal are considered prestigious and popular, and actually make ideal gifts to Thai people from visiting Americans.

The Spoon & Fork

Thai people generally use a Spoon and Fork to eat.? There are no knives on the table, but it is not necessary to use one with Thai food in any case.? Chopsticks are used only with noodles (which is considered ?Street Food? and is usually just for lunch).? In remote areas of the Thai Northeast in Isaan, many eat primarily with their fingers.? The generally accepted story is that all people in Thailand at one time used fingers for eating, similar to how food is eaten in India.

In the later part of the nineteenth century, King Chulalongkorn (Rama V) as part of his Westernizing process (to avoid threats of colonization), had a big European style feast prepared in to observe Western dining habits and utensils.? All the Europeans in the City (which were primarily missionaries) were invited to the palace for the feast, and the main purpose for the King was to observe their dining etiquette.? ?After his observations, he decreed that the Thai people shall use European utensils for dining, but he (wisely) decreed that Thai people have no need for a knife.? The use of the Spoon and Fork evolved into the way Thai people use them now, and it is considered polite to use them in the correct way.?? The Fork is held in the Left Hand, and the Spoon in the Right.? Use the Fork to push food onto the Spoon.? Avoid eating with the Fork, as Thais consider this to be crude.

Don?t ask your restaurant server for chopsticks.? If they are needed for a noodle dish, your waitress would bring them to you with the dish.? I am afraid many Americans typically ask for chopsticks out of a stereotype they may have about Asian people, and this is unfortunate.? Always the Thai waitress will comply and bring the chopsticks if requested, but it sends a message to the Thai staff about the patron.? The exception to this would be for Chinese or Japanese diners who are only accustomed to eating with the chopsticks, and it is well understood by Thai restaurant staff.

Some Important Thai Phrases to know for Dinner

In any good Thai restaurant in Thailand or anywhere else in the world, you would be greeted by the waitress saying ?Sawadee Ka?, with her hands folded on her chest with a slight bow.? An acknowledgement with a simple nod of the head, and a krup (or ka from a female) response is always appreciated.?

For sure you will be asked during the meal, ?Alloy Mai?? (Is it delicious?) ? or more precisely is would be Arroy Mai? with a trill of the r?s.? Answer back ?Alloy Alloy? or ?Alloy Mach? (It is delicious, and it is very delicious).? After the meal, you will be asked, ?Im Mai?? (Are you full?}.? The answer is ?Im?.

Meals are always an important part of Thai culture, and it is important to be polite at all times during dining.? End the meal with ?Kan Khun Krap? (Thank you, coming from a male speaker) or ?Kan Khun Ka? (Thank you, coming from a female speaker), with hands together at chest level.

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Source: http://www.holidayhometimes.com/traveler-and-tourism/guide-thai-dining-native.html

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Congo rebels call for negotiations with Kinshasa

BUNGANA, eastern Congo (AP) ? Fighting may resume soon in eastern Congo if President Joseph Kabila's government does not negotiate with the M23 rebels, said the insurgents' president, Bishop Jean-Marie Runiga, Saturday.

"We see that the Congolese army troops are moving, they are preparing a final assault against us. If the government does not come to the negotiating table we will have to defend ourselves," said Runiga at a press conference in Bunagana, a town in the Democratic Republic of Congo at the border with Uganda that is controlled by the M23.

The fact that the M23 rebels control a town so securely that it can hold a public press conference with journalists travelling from the provincial capital of Goma, is an indication of the group's success. The M23 say they have also established an alternative government over the areas of eastern Congo that it controls.

Asked by the Associated Press if they thought of taking the initiative and attacking themselves, the M23 president said that they "could take Goma at any moment. ... If we want to wage war, we can. We have the strength."

Runiga has been spending the past weeks in Kampala, where he said he worked with Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni to try to open a dialog with the Kabila government in Kinshasa.

"Museveni invited us to negotiate with Kabila and asked us to stop fighting. That is why there has been a ceasefire for two months. But Kinshasa does not want to negotiate or to try to find a solution to the crisis quickly. They rather talk with Rwanda," said the M23 president.

A leaked United Nations experts report accuses Rwanda and Uganda of supporting the rebels. It reportedly charges that the Rwandan minister of defence, General James Kabarebe, is directing the M23 rebels.

Runiga said the report is wrong and deplored that neighboring countries are blamed for what are mainly internal Congolese problems. He said the M23 is the result of bad governance in Kinshasa.

"The U.N. report was created by Kinshasa intelligence services. It is a strategy to make people forget that the country is not well managed," he said.

According to Runiga the M23 is receiving new Congolese army defectors every day and does not need the military support of Rwanda and Uganda.

He announced that the military branch of the M23 group has been renamed the Congolese Revolutionary Army (Arm?e R?volutionaire

Congolaise) and its leader, Colonel Sultani Makenga, has been promoted to general to reflect the growing number of troops under his command.

Runiga strongly denied accusations by a recent Human Rights Watch report that the M23 rebels recruit children into their ranks.

"There are children without parents who come to us to join our ranks but we turn them back and pay for their school fees," he said.

The M23 is a rebellion that was created by Congolese army deserters in May. The members are mainly ethnic Tutsis. Its leaders demand that agreements made with the Congo government when they were integrated in the army in 2009 are respected.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/congo-rebels-call-negotiations-kinshasa-150235039.html

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Myanmar leader holds 1st press briefing

NAYPYITAW, Myanmar (AP) ? Myanmar's reformist president has held his first press conference for local press, a milestone after years of secrecy and censorship by the former military regime.

Thein Sein didn't break any stunning news Sunday when he answered about 30 questions from local press and foreign correspondents on subjects ranging from fighting with ethnic rebels in the north to amending the country's military-fashioned constitution.

His mere appearance, however, told the story about his country's turn from secrecy and paranoia to relative openness.

Thein Sein took office early last year as an elected leader after almost five decades of repressive military rule. Reforms he has initiated include the release of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi and reconciliation with her pro-democracy movement, plus lifting most restrictions on freedom of the press.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/myanmar-leader-holds-1st-press-briefing-115901416.html

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Learning to Share

YAOI: Two boys have been fighting over the same boy for years, until the two of them make a pact to share their love interest. They say share, you say threesome.

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

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Forum for completely Out of Character (OOC) discussion, based around whatever is happening In Character (IC). Discuss plans, storylines, and events; Recruit for your roleplaying game, or find a GM for your playergroup.
This is the auto-generated OOC topic for the roleplay "Learning to Share"

You may edit this first post as you see fit.

MiraMija

Member for 0 years

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Heyy! I'd like to reserve the 'proud and silly' boy. Would that be cool with you?

-Elda_Luna-03

Member for 0 years

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Oh No, Not Again: GoDaddy Recovers From Extended Email Outage

GoDaddy's email service experienced an extended outage this morning, affecting a portion of its customer base. The outage took down the email systems beginning around 7:00 AM ET (estimated) this morning, and the problems were fixed by 10:30 AM ET, according to the company.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/jjhnZkS8gLE/

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