Saturday, June 30, 2012

James Zogby: Egypt's Elections: Lessons and the Way Forward

Supreme Constitutional Court (SCC) Chair Farouk Sultan's nearly interminable announcement of the outcome of Egypt's presidential election tested his nation's patience. Twitter commentary on his speech's almost mind-numbing detail, while hilarious, masked an underlying nervousness that this was but an effort to wear everyone down preparing the ground for the announcement that the winner was, in fact, General Ahmed Shafik. The speech was an over-wrought defense of the work of the Court. It was also a testy rebuttal of earlier attacks delivered by the Muslim Brotherhood. And it was boring. At one point, I thought that decades from now, we might forget who won the election, but we would never forget Farouk Sultan's speech.

In hindsight, I believe there might have been a logic to Sultan's endless detail. This was, after all, Egypt's first truly democratically contested presidential election. And so his report of incorrect counts, faulty ballots, etc, could be seen as a reminder of the fact that in a democracy elections are always messy affairs. As the old adage goes "elections are like sausage-making. You don't want to see how they're made, but they taste delicious." We don't see the mess in a landslide, but in close contests, the errors born of petty (and not so petty) corruption and human error become all too evident--remember Florida's "hanging chads" in 2000, or Ohio's Diebold machine malfunctions in 2004.

This was, by any measure, a close contest. Here, too, the SCC's report was a useful reminder of the deep, nationwide divisions in the Egyptian electorate. In the end, one-half of eligible Egyptians voted, and little more than one-half of them chose Mohammed Morsi to lead them. And it is important to note that not all of Morsi's votes came from supporters of the Brotherhood--many came from those who were quite simply voting against Shafik and the military. So too, many of those who voted for Shafik, were in fact casting a vote against the Brotherhood.

Even those wary of a Muslim Brotherhood win, must acknowledge that history has been made in this openly competitive contest. President-elect Morsi will now occupy the seat once held by Nasser, Sadat, and Mubarak--but with a difference. If this is to work, there can be no new Pharaoh, nor will the Generals be able to exercise unfettered control--by themselves, or through a surrogate. Morsi now has a mandate to govern. But he would be wise to proceed with caution.

There are two essential components to making a democracy work--both involving a recognition of the reality of divisions in society. The losing side, despite their bitter disappointment, must accept the legitimacy of the outcome, and the winning side must accept the reality and legitimate rights of the losing side.

These are the hard tests of democracy and real challenges lay ahead. If we look closely at this election, and indeed everything that has transpired since February of 2011, we can see that Egypt's nascent democracy is still a work in progress. There are clearly two poles in the contest for power--and an emergent third pole in the making.

On the one side there is the Muslim Brotherhood, a powerful national movement, an effective provider of services, and a now proven vote-getter. On the other side is the Supreme Council for the Armed Forces (SCAF) and the elements of Egyptian society they represent. They too have demonstrated that they have supporters and have the capacity to organize. The revolutionary youth remain a potent force, but have recognized their electoral limitations and have embarked on a five-year organizing plan.

In any case, the shape of Egypt's new democracy will be determined by the interplay between these poles--with no one group being able to claim it represents all Egyptians, or even all those who voted for them in the last election (democracy being a fickle mistress). It is advisable, therefore, that both sides approach this next stage with a degree of humility and that neither side over-reach--as they unfortunately have in the recent past.

The Muslim Brotherhood set off alarm bells when they tried to exercise too much control, too soon, in Parliament and in the selection of the body that was to write the new Constitution. They then compounded their over-reach when they broke their earlier pledge not to field a presidential candidate and were seen as trying to control everything. This was seen as a step too far. One party control can be a problem in an established and divided democracy, like the United States. How much more so, in an emergent democracy.

For its part, the SCAF created deep concern when, in reaction to the Brotherhood's over-reach, they suspended Parliament and then issued the Supplementary Constitutional Decrees stripping the powers of the presidency and establishing their role as final arbiters of the Constitution.

At this point after the election, the two main established poles of power in Egypt are what they have been all along--the Brotherhood and the SCAF. The military will seek to maintain as much control as they can, while President Morsi will make a determined effort to wrest as much control as he can. The two groupings will continue to test each other, and the interplay will determine whether or not Egypt moves forward. The test of wills that will now occur will shape the future of Egypt's democracy.

But the real test for the new President and the SCAF will be their ability to perform. The public will have limited patience with their contest for power. At the end of the day our polls show that a majority of Egyptians could care less about which group rules. Uppermost on their minds are jobs, improved health care, better education, and a government that can deliver services without corruption. This is the real work of democracy, and, in this context, the election and its outcome mark not the end of a process, but its beginning.

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Follow James Zogby on Twitter: www.twitter.com/AAIUSA

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/james-zogby/egypts-elections-lessons_b_1639779.html

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Stolen Dali painting mailed back to NY gallery

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Source: http://todayentertainment.today.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/06/29/12488017-stolen-dali-painting-mailed-back-to-new-york-gallery?lite

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BBTS Sponsor News: Steve Jobs Statue, Alternity, Bossk & More

Re: BBTS Sponsor News: Steve Jobs Statue, Alternity, Bossk & More (1395583)
Posted by Mkall on June 29th, 2012 @ 2:04pm CDT

I find it ironic that they're donating a portion of Steve Jobs Statue's money to charity. To my knowledge the dude didn't have a philanthropic bone in his body.

Re: BBTS Sponsor News: Steve Jobs Statue, Alternity, Bossk & More (1395596)
Posted by Nemesis Destron on June 29th, 2012 @ 2:35pm CDT
Re: BBTS Sponsor News: Steve Jobs Statue, Alternity, Bossk & More (1395598)
Posted by Blurrz on June 29th, 2012 @ 2:39pm CDT
LOL Buck 40 for these Alternaties?

Not in a million years.

Re: BBTS Sponsor News: Steve Jobs Statue, Alternity, Bossk & More (1395607)
Posted by xyl360 on June 29th, 2012 @ 3:01pm CDT
Blurrz wrote:LOL Buck 40 for these Alternaties?

Not in a million years.


Agreed. I was considering getting the Seeker repaint (Bludgeon) until I saw the price. I know it's an exclusive and all, but no, just no. Ain't gonna happen.Re: BBTS Sponsor News: Steve Jobs Statue, Alternity, Bossk & More (1395618)
Posted by necr0blivion on June 29th, 2012 @ 3:30pm CDT
I really like that Banzai-tron paintjob. But this is just too high, even from the source (6,825 JPY or $85.50 USD). Add in shipping, and it's more than I'm comfortable with.

Maybe they should've just left these as cancelled... especially since the Masterpiece line is starting to ramp up again.

Re: BBTS Sponsor News: Steve Jobs Statue, Alternity, Bossk & More (1395623)
Posted by Autobot032 on June 29th, 2012 @ 4:03pm CDT
BBTS must be out of their friggin' minds to think these prices will help them sell these figures. What is going on with all of these price hikes? This is ridiculous! (And no, it's not directly the fault of BBTS, I know.) Retail's getting ridiculous, no matter what country you live in, apparently.

And the Steve Jobs thing? I just find it funny that the man stopped Apple's charity giving, yet the makers of this doll are donating in his honor. It just makes me laugh. Jobs is screaming "NO! GIVE ME THE MONEY!" You just know it...

Re: BBTS Sponsor News: Steve Jobs Statue, Alternity, Bossk & More (1395628)
Posted by Stormrider on June 29th, 2012 @ 4:09pm CDT

Megatron + purple does not equal Galvatron.

Re: BBTS Sponsor News: Steve Jobs Statue, Alternity, Bossk & More (1395629)
Posted by RAcast on June 29th, 2012 @ 4:11pm CDT

Stormrider wrote:Megatron + purple does not equal Galvatron.

Most of the time, no, but it does if your name is Unicron Trilogy Megs.

Re: BBTS Sponsor News: Steve Jobs Statue, Alternity, Bossk & More (1395632)
Posted by njb902 on June 29th, 2012 @ 4:23pm CDT

so how many kidneys do they think people have?

Re: BBTS Sponsor News: Steve Jobs Statue, Alternity, Bossk & More (1395647)
Posted by Autobot032 on June 29th, 2012 @ 5:12pm CDT

njb902 wrote:so how many kidneys do they think people have?

Most people are born with 6. So sparing 3-4 ain't that bad. (J/K)

Source: http://www.seibertron.com/transformers/news/bbts-sponsor-news-steve-jobs-statue-alternity-bossk-more/25216/

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Friday, June 29, 2012

yardbarker: Fashion statement: guy wears airbrushed Skip Bayless shirt to NBA Draft http://t.co/SdfBo8Qs (via @WithLeather)

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Source: http://twitter.com/yardbarker/statuses/218785293808058368

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Eight Pakistani soldiers killed in Khyber blast

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Source: http://news.yahoo.com/pakistan-soldiers-killed-khyber-blast-142633755.html

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Fab Melo To Celtics With 22nd Pick In 2012 NBA Draft

BOSTON (AP) ? The Boston Celtics have chosen Syracuse center Fab Melo with the 22nd pick of the NBA draft.

A talented defender and shot blocker, Melo was the second big man chosen by Boston. They also had the 21st pick, which they used to take Ohio State forward Jared Sullinger. Boston's second-round pick is the 51st overall.

Melo led Syracuse with 5.8 rebounds and 2.9 blocks per game while averaging 7.8 points per game last season but missed the NCAA tournament because of academic issues. Syracuse was eliminated in the Elite Eight by Ohio State, 77-70.

The 7-0, 255-pound Melo played sparingly as a freshman but was named Big East defensive player of the year as a sophomore when he set a school record with 10 blocks against Seton Hall.

Contribute to this Story:

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Illinois aims to head off sex abuse scandals like at Penn State

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Malian rebel leader injured in clashes

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Thursday, June 28, 2012

Video: Auto Parts Stocks Drop

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Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Canada PM offers help with mall collapse

ELLIOT LAKE, Ontario (AP) ? Rescue crews geared up Tuesday night to start dismantling a partially collapsed mall in this northern Ontario city in an effort to rescue victims despite fading hopes of finding anyone alive.

Officials planned to use heavy equipment to clear a path from outside the building to resume rescue efforts stalled over fears the unstable structure could further collapse, leaving rescuers trapped inside the mall.

Rescuers detected breathing inside the rubble early Monday, but authorities enraged local residents when they called off work later that day. One death was confirmed after part of the mall's roof collapsed Saturday afternoon, and another person is known to be still inside.

Bill Neadles, a spokesman for the Heavy Urban Search and Rescue team, said the building was not secure enough to send rescue teams back in at this point but said some heavy machinery from a private company would be employed over the next few hours.

Dan Hefky, the province's community safety commissioner, said a giant robotic arm will drop into the building Tuesday night and topple a precariously balanced escalator that has prevented rescuers from going inside. Neadles said they would dismantle the escalator before shearing off the front of the mall so they can make a path.

"If that's deemed safe our people will enter and deal with both of the victims that are in there," Neadles said.

Neadles earlier confirmed that one of those people is dead. The other has been trapped for more than 80 hours and had not had any contact since the rescue team from the building Monday afternoon.

Neadles said a doctor told them Monday, after they shut down the operation, that there was only a remote chance the person is still alive.

"He was of the opinion that it was probably a very slim possibility," Neadles said.

Neadles said a canine search would be conducted if and when the engineer allows them in the building to see if there are any other victims.

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper offered to send in the military to help with the rescue effort. Harper's spokesman Andrew MacDougall said that the federal government is still trying to determine how best to help.

"We've offered all of our assets," MacDougall said. "We've apprised the provincial government of federal and military capabilities and are waiting to hear what would be useful."

MacDougall said Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty called Harper Monday night to inquire about bringing in the military to help.

McGuinty said he wanted to explore the slim odds of a rescue. He said they owe it to the families waiting for word of their loved ones to leave no stone unturned.

"There is another option and that option involves beginning to dismantle the building from the outside," McGuinty said, adding this was a very risky operation.

"It's not unlike a house of cards. It might be if you pull away from this wall in an effort to get access to someone who is trapped in there it may cause other things to move and other things to tumble and to crumble," he said.

A larger crane and robotics normally used in mining disasters will be employed, McGuinty said.

Dozens of residents of the former mining hub had protested in front of city hall after the decision to halt rescue efforts, saying abandoning trapped comrades would be unthinkable in miners' culture. "Rescue missions never end, save our families, save our friends," they chanted, and some suggested that volunteer mine workers should take up the rescue effort themselves.

Among those hardest hit by Monday's decision to call off the rescue mission was Rejean Aylwin, who said he believed his daughter Lucie Aylwin was inside.

"They just gave up," Aylwin said on Monday. "It doesn't make sense. You can't give up. You've got to keep going until you find them."

Aylwin said he worked in a mine for 35 years and that the culture among miners was to never leave someone to perish underground.

On Tuesday morning, at least 70 local residents had volunteered to assist with the renewed rescue effort.

Rhonda Bear, the mall's manager, said the mall's owners were pleading with officials to continue the search and had lawyers who would try for a court injunction against the decision to stop the rescue.

Neadles said crews had used a remote device called the life detector to determine that a person was breathing as of 4 a.m. Monday. He said that person is the same person they heard tapping from on Sunday.

He said the dead person is the same one whose hand and foot were visible in images captured by a remote camera on Sunday.

At least 22 people suffered minor injuries in the collapse at the Algo Centre Mall in Elliot Lake when a portion of the roof that serves as a parking area crumbled into an area near the mall's food court.

Ontario Provincial Police Insp. Percy Jollymore said officers are still trying to determine how many others are missing. A list of names submitted by citizens has been fluctuating dramatically since the accident, he said, but two names have remained constant.

____

Associated Press Writer Rob Gillies in Toronto contributed to this report.

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Biden in 2007: Executive privilege only covers communications ...

**Written by Doug Powers

It appears unlikely that Biden?s boss will send him a follow up ?well said, Joe? Tweet for this blast from the recent past:

Biden was responding to a question posed by the Boston Globe, which asked Biden, ?Does executive privilege cover testimony or documents about decision-making within the executive branch not involving confidential advice communicated to the president himself??

Biden delivered an unqualified response.

?The executive privilege only covers communications between the president and his advisors,? Biden said in a Boston Globe interview published in Dec. 20, 2007. ?Even when the privilege does apply, it is not absolute; it may be outweighed by the public?s interest in the fair administration of justice.?

Biden, then serving as a U.S. senator from Delaware and seeking the Democratic presidential nomination, was speaking about President Bush and the issues of warrantless surveillance and interrogation of terror suspects in his interview with the Globe.

Biden said that in the same year then-Senator Obama knocked the Bush administration for trying to ?hide behind executive privilege.?

Tomorrow, Biden visits Waterloo. Insert your own campaign metaphor joke here.

**Written by Doug Powers

Twitter @ThePowersThatBe

~ For the latest breaking news, be sure to join Michelle's e-mail list ~

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SongFic[June] "What is real - just a dream"

I can't be
Losing sleep over this
No I can't
And now I cannot stop pacing

Her feet were begging her to sit down, but the anxiety that fueled her would not relent. Jaqlyn was crashing again, and this time no comfort would come from the voices in her head.

Give me a few hours
I'll have this all sorted out
If my mind would just stop racing

There was so much momentum to her thoughts, one turned to the next which turned to the next. It was endless and cycling, she slid down against the wall in her ship. There was silence all around her and the echoes of her former selves faded into the pausing of her heartbeats. Now her hands were trembling, denying her the ability to simply slip into rest.

Cause I cannot stand still
I can't be this unsturdy
This cannot be happening

How many times had she flirted with the edge of sanity? How close had she come to the verge of what she now let herself fall into?

This is over my head
But underneath my feet

Breathe, Jaq. In an out. It was simple yet oh so challenging...For with each breath out she felt how empty her body was, and with each breath in, she re-committed herself to living.

Cause by tomorrow morning I'll have this thing beat
And everything will be back to the way that it was
I wish that it was just that easy

One does not simply sub come to their subconscious' desires, they are undermined by them. Every day that she had lied to herself and said that she was fine, that everything would be okay, was just one more reason for her psyche to collapse. In a city with so many people, it was a marvel that she managed to feel so alone. The pit she was clawing at the sides of was one she had dug herself. Living under the crippling fear of rejection, she drew herself away from instances in which she might be rejected. One by one her friends turned away from her, not because they wanted to, but because Jaq gave them no reason to stay.

Cause I'm waiting for tonight
Then waiting for tomorrow
And I'm somewhere in between
What is real
Just a dream

Jaqlyn lifted her trembling hands to clutch at her temples, fingers going back into the onyx strands that capped her head. She was so frightened by her current state and yet she couldn't flee from it. Staying here, wallowing in this misery, that is what she assigned herself to endure. She wasn't worth rescuing, after all.
Would you catch me if I fall out of what I fell in

Don't be surprised if I collapse down at your feet again
I don't want to run away from this
I know that I just don't need this

Would no one come for her? Who was left? Acquaintances? Could she not be her own champion? Surely not. Not when she couldn't string two logical statements together.

Cause I cannot stand still
I can't be this unsturdy
This cannot be happening

A swallow was pushed hard down her throat as she took in a pill. Like candy, she took in another tablet and another, crowding her tight throat with the drugs. This would help, yes...Numb it all away.

Cause I'm waiting for tonight
Then waiting for tomorrow
And I'm somewhere in between
What is real
Just a dream

There would be no end to it. Tomorrow wouldn't come until she could exist in today. The trembling took over her whole form as she slowly curled on the metal floor of her empty ship. No one would find her here and the fallacies of her mental state would play out as a dream for her.

What is real
Just a dream

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Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Nintendo "troubled" by "insatiable" gaming community - Furious ...

Sorry, Readability was unable to parse this page for content.

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Morgan Stanley's German head offers resignation: sources

FRANKFURT (Reuters) - The head of Morgan Stanley's German unit has offered to step down following an uproar over emails he reportedly exchanged with a regional politician, and the bank has not yet decided whether to accept his resignation, according to two people familiar with the matter.

The departure of Dirk Notheis would be a blow for the U.S. investment bank, which had come to rely heavily on him to deliver lucrative advisory roles in mergers and acquisitions, known as mandates.

The 44-year-old Notheis is one of Germany's best-connected dealmakers with close ties to Berlin, a fact that rivals say has helped Morgan Stanley snare mandates involving companies that are partially state-owned.

Emails published in the German newspapers Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung and Handelsblatt in the past week suggest Notheis gave strategic advice on moves by politicians in a way that has drawn sharp public criticism. The emails were not independently verified by Reuters.

In some of the emails, he appears to ask to keep German Chancellor Angela Merkel - whom he refers to as Mutti, German for "mom" - out of the loop until just before a controversial deal to nationalize an energy utility was completed in 2010.

Morgan Stanley declined to comment.

The correspondence highlights the delicate and often cozy nature of relationships among senior bankers and politicians negotiating multibillion-euro deals involving public-sector assets.

Earlier this year, senior JPMorgan Chase & Co banker Ian Hannam resigned following a high-profile clash with Britain's financial services watchdog over the level of disclosure during multibillion-euro deals.

Notheis got into hot water over his emails to Stefan Mappus, then the premier of Baden-Wuerttemberg, when the southern German state was seeking to buy a 45 percent stake in local utility provider EnBW from French utility EDF .

Notheis and Mappus are members of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), the same political party as Angela Merkel.

Baden-Wuerttemberg eventually bought the EnBW stake in December 2010 for about 4.7 billion euros. But Baden-Wuerttemberg has since launched a probe into the deal and sued EDF, arguing they overpaid for the stake to the tune of 2 billion euros.

Morgan Stanley provided the emails to Baden-Wuerttemberg, as part of a probe into the deal.

Since the correspondence was published, Notheis has become a target of criticism among some Berlin politicians.

Frank Schaeffler, the parliamentary finance spokesman for Germany's Free Democratic Party said, "This is scandalous conduct by an investment bank. The morals and ethics of the entire industry are being damaged with actions like these."

Morgan Stanley has won some big mandates from Berlin under Notheis, who at one point took a break from banking to help raise campaign finance for Merkel's CDU party.

So far this year, Morgan Stanley ranks second in Europe, behind Goldman Sachs in terms of the value of merger-and-acquisitions deals in which it was involved, according to Thomson Reuters data. In Germany, the New York investment bank ranks second behind Deutsche Bank and ahead of Goldman.

Morgan Stanley was co-bookrunner for Commerzbank's 11 billion euro rights issue, adviser to Deutsche Telekom's aborted $39 billion sale of T-Mobile USA to AT&T and bookrunner for Deutsche Post DHL on a 750 million-euro exchangeable bond for state-controlled development bank KFW.

Germany retains a 15 percent equity stake in Deutsche Telekom, a 25 percent stake in Commerzbank and a 30.5 percent stake in Deutsche Post.

Emails from 2010 appear to show Notheis giving advice to Mappus about how to limit time for political debate about re-nationalizing EnBW.

"Call a confidential meeting at the state ministry with three politicians but without the supervisory board chairman, initially without giving a reason," said one of Notheis' emails to Mappus, as published in German daily Handelsblatt.

Merkel's assistance will be needed to help persuade the French to sell, and Mappus should meet with French premier Nicolas Sarkozy in person, Notheis said, adding, "Ask Mutti if she can arrange that," according to the published emails.

Because nationalization of assets is a tough sell among free-market politicians, Notheis advised Mappus to find external endorsement, according to the emails.

"Ideally find a renowned economist who thinks it's a good thing. It should be somebody who owes you a favor," according to the emails published in Handelsblatt.

He also advised Mappus not to get a second opinion. "You're going to get calls from numerous bankers. They will urge you to give them a mandate. You have to turn all of them down and tell them you are all set for advisers. And please pull this off. Otherwise it just causes sand in the gearbox and I really can't deal with that right now."

Notheis, who has been head of Morgan Stanley's German and Austrian operations, was named chief in February 2009, when he was 40 years old.

(Reporting By Philipp Halstrick and Edward Taylor; Editing by Noah Barkin, Alwyn Scott and Kenneth Barry)

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Ideas

The Damned

The fight and plight over a post-zombie apocalyptic struck city. From the mutants who run the city with their gangs, to the humans who seek their refuge - it's clear that nobody is safe.

Owner:

Game Masters:

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

Topic Tags:

Forum for completely Out of Character (OOC) discussion, based around whatever is happening In Character (IC). Discuss plans, storylines, and events; Recruit for your roleplaying game, or find a GM for your playergroup.

Any plot ideas go here so we can all put our wonderful minds together and give each other feedback. :)

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Monday, June 25, 2012

Microsoft buying Internet startup Yammer for $1.2B

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) ? Microsoft is buying Internet startup Yammer for $1.2 billion in an attempt to bring Facebook-like sharing features to its widely used suite of business software applications.

Yammer specializes in creating private social networks so employees within the same company can keep tabs on what colleagues are working on. That's similar to how Facebook's online social network allows friends and families to track what's happening in each other's personal lives.

The deal, announced Monday, comes nearly two weeks after word of Microsoft's negotiations with Yammer first leaked out in published reports.

The acquisition represents Microsoft's latest attempt to adapt to a major shift in the technology industry, one that is fueling demand for more Internet-connected services and social-networking tools.

The upheaval is threatening to marginalize Microsoft Corp., the world's largest software maker, and ultimately diminish the amount of money coming in from sales of its Windows operating system and a wide range of applications designed primarily for personal computers.

As part of its effort to remain relevant, Microsoft paid $8.5 billion last year for Internet video chat service Skype in the largest acquisition in its history.

In another bold move, Microsoft last week unveiled its own tablet computer, Surface, to compete with Apple Inc.'s iPad. Microsoft has designed Surface to run on the upcoming Windows 8, the biggest change to the company's operating system in nearly two decades.

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer is counting on Yammer's sharing tools to ensure that long-established Microsoft applications, including its word processing and spreadsheet programs, remain vital components for getting work done. Google Inc. has emerged as a threat with a toolbox of similar programs that run primarily over the Internet rather than on individual machines.

"Think of Yammer as a fundamental part of our Office family," Ballmer said on a Monday conference call.

Microsoft will have much of the same autonomy given to Skype since that deal closed eight months ago. Yammer will continue to be run from its San Francisco headquarters by its co-founder and CEO, David Sacks. It will also continue to provide its services separately from Microsoft's offerings.

Microsoft did not give a time frame for when the deal should close.

Gartner Inc. analyst Larry Cannell said Microsoft's latest acquisition was smart and reflected "a recognition that the social capabilities in Microsoft's products have been deficient."

Investors couldn't muster much enthusiasm for the deal on another somber day for the stock market. Microsoft's stock fell 82 cents, or nearly 3 percent, to close at $29.88.

Although other companies such as Jive Software Inc. and Salesforce.com Inc. are building social networks for businesses, Yammer shares the most DNA with Facebook Inc.

When it started in 2008, Yammer raised its initial funding from Peter Thiel ? Facebook's first major investor. Thiel formerly worked with Sacks while they were both executives at PayPal, an online payment service that eBay Inc. bought for $1.5 billion in 2002.

Sean Parker, the former Facebook president depicted by Justin Timberlake in the 2010 movie "The Social Network," also sits on Yammer's board of directors. Parker still owns a 4.6 percent stake in Facebook currently worth about $2.2 billion.

Microsoft has its own financial ties to Facebook, having invested $240 million in the social network in 2007. After selling $250 million in stock in Facebook's initial public offering last month, Microsoft still retains a 1.7 percent stake worth about $840 million.

Yammer has relied largely on word of mouth to attract more than 5 million registered users at more than 200,000 companies worldwide.

The service depends on employees to use its free tools to set up a private network within their company. Once the network is getting wide usage, Yammer then tries to sell more sophisticated features to the companies.

As a privately held company, Yammer hasn't disclosed its revenue. In a Monday note about the Microsoft deal, Nomura Securites analyst Rick Sherlund estimated Yammer's revenue at $15 million to $20 million last year.

The company has been expanding so rapidly that it had been considered a prime candidate to pursue an IPO by next year.

The stock of Yammer rival Jive Software has gained 65 percent since it went public six months ago, though it fell 74 cents Monday to close at $19.75.

The IPO market has gone into a deep freeze since Facebook flopped in its closely watching stock market debut last month. Instead of soaring as had been widely anticipated, Facebook shares plummeted during the first few weeks of trading. Although the stock has rallied recently, it remains 16 percent below the IPO price of $38, which had minted Facebook Inc. with a market value of $104 billion. Facebook shares dropped 99 cents, or 3 percent, Monday to close at $32.06.

Sacks said the frosty conditions in the IPO market didn't influence Yammer's decision to sell to Microsoft. The negotiations between the two companies began before Facebook's IPO, according to Saks and Ballmer.

"Our thinking was based on the fit with Microsoft and the fact that we think Microsoft is a great partner for us in expanding the service and taking it to the next level," Sacks said.

The sale will provide a hefty return for Yammer's early backers. The startup has raised about $142 million in venture capital.

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Egypt braces for announcement of president

An Egyptian man wears a hand-made hat with a picture of Egyptian presidential candidate Ahmed Shafiq in Cairo, Egypt, Saturday, June 23, 2012. Egypt will release results from disputed presidential elections Sunday, the country?s top elections commission official said _ a highly anticipated announcement that will put an end to the immediate uncertainty about who is the official winner, but will almost certainly see the power struggles between Islamists, the military and other factions continue. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

An Egyptian man wears a hand-made hat with a picture of Egyptian presidential candidate Ahmed Shafiq in Cairo, Egypt, Saturday, June 23, 2012. Egypt will release results from disputed presidential elections Sunday, the country?s top elections commission official said _ a highly anticipated announcement that will put an end to the immediate uncertainty about who is the official winner, but will almost certainly see the power struggles between Islamists, the military and other factions continue. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

FILE - COMBO - This combination of two photos shows Egyptian presidential candidates, from left, Ahmed Shafiq, and Mohammed Morsi. Egypt will release results from disputed presidential elections Sunday, the country?s top elections commission official said _ a highly anticipated announcement that will put an end to the immediate uncertainty about who is the official winner, but will almost certainly see the power struggles between Islamists, the military and other factions continue. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra; Nasser Nasser, File)

Egyptian protesters shout slogans in Tahrir Square as the country awaits the outcome of a presidential runoff vote in Cairo, Egypt, Saturday, June 23, 2012. Tens of thousands of supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood have rallied in the capital's Tahrir Square in a show of force backing candidate Mohammed Morsi, who has warned against manipulating results in a vote that he says he has won. (AP Photo/Manu Brabo)

Egyptians chant slogans to support Egyptian presidential candidate Ahmed Shafiq in Cairo, Egypt, Saturday, June 23, 2012. Egypt will release results from disputed presidential elections Sunday, the country's top elections commission official said _ a highly anticipated announcement that will put an end to the immediate uncertainty about who is the official winner, but will almost certainly see the power struggles between Islamists, the military and other factions continue. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

(AP) ? Egyptian police were ordered to confront any attempt to break the law with decisive force ahead of the announcement Sunday of a new president as soaring tensions in the country raised fears of a new outbreak of political violence.

The electoral commission was to announce the results of last weekend's presidential runoff at 3 p.m. local time (1300 GMT, 9 a.m. EDT). The results of Egypt's first free presidential vote have been delayed for several days, giving way to wild rumors, speculation and anxiety about back room deals and suspected interference by the ruling military council in determining the outcome in favor of ousted leader Hosni Mubarak's last Prime Minister, Ahmed Shafiq.

Shafiq and Islamist challenger Mohammed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood have both declared that they won what was by all accounts a very close race.

The announcement of the president was supposed to be the end of Egypt's post-uprising transition to democracy. However the military made a series of last minute moves that stripped the office of president of most of its major powers and kept those powers concentrated in the hands of the military. A court ruling a few days before that dissolved the freely elected parliament that was dominated by the Muslim Brotherhood.

In Cairo's Tahrir Square, the birthplace of the pro-democracy uprising, a swelling crowd of thousands gathered in sweltering midday heat awaiting the announcement. They were a mix of supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood and ultraconservative Islamists known as Salafis along with some of the revolutionary youth groups that drove last year's uprising. A separate pro-Shafiq rally of some 2000 protesters gathered in northern Cairo district of Nasr City.

A military official told The Associated Press late Saturday: "This time, we won't be kidding. We were kind ... before" with lawbreakers, adding that a curfew can be imposed if needed. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.

On Saturday, authorities deployed extra security forces across the country, especially near key state institutions. Government and private sector employees were sent home early on Sunday, while many Egyptians stocked up on food and jewelry shops shut down because of concerns over new violence.

Armored vehicles and troops were deployed at exits and entrances to Cairo airport. Riot police clad in black uniforms with shields were deployed around parliament and the streets leading to the Cabinet building nearby were blocked by troops and armored vehicles.

Minister of Interior Gen. Mohammed Ibrahim, who is in charge of police and other security forces, ordered top security officers in a meeting Saturday that police should "confront with firmness, force and decisiveness any attempt to violate" the law, according to a security official. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.

"Neither Morsi, nor Shafiq, Tantawi is the president of Egypt," read one headline of the weekly Sout el-Umma in a reference to the head of the ruling military council, Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi. Tantawi was Mubarak's defense minister for 20 years.

Egyptian media and social media are rife with the competing claims and theories about behind- the-scenes deals being cut at the last minute to divide up power between the Muslim Brotherhood and the military, the two biggest power brokers to emerge from the uprising that ousted Mubarak.

A leading Brotherhood member, Mohammed el-Beltagi, warned on his Facebook page that some within the current regime are pressing for reelections in a number of provinces around the country in order to "enable Shafiq to win in less tense atmosphere." He alluded to agencies, possibly a reference to security agencies still dominated by figures from the old Mubarak regime.

"... All parties and agencies must stop playing with fire," he wrote.

---------------------------------------

AP Correspondent Sarah El Deeb contributed to this report.

Associated Press

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Syracuse University's Renee Baumgartner on Title IX

This is by Renee Baumgartner, Syracuse University deputy athletics director/chief of staff. She played golf for University of Southern California from 1983 to 1987. It is part of a package on the 40th anniversary of Title IX.


I played golf at a very young age, since I was 3 years old.

I was fortunate to win a state championship, the Oregon juniors, and then was offered a college scholarship to several schools and I picked USC in 1983. And I didn?t realize until I graduated that I was somewhat on the cusp of Title IX. I just assumed that everyone got this opportunity before me. And they didn?t.

After I graduated, the University of Oregon was adding women?s golf. So they hired a GA (graduate assistant) position and I was at the right place at the right time. I started the golf team with one scholarship. No Nike contract. We drove to Stanford, which was 12 hours away. I bought their uniforms at a convenience store. They bought their own shorts.

At that time, I had 3 1/2 scholarships and I thought I?d hit the jackpot. But I went back to Oregon and said, ?I need the six.? Six was fully funded. We had no money, and the AD at the time was also the football coach, and he said, ?Renee, I can?t do it.?

USC came knocking, and I said, ?I?m going to go to USC and compete for a national championship.? Needed to finish my Ph.D., so I went back to Oregon. The program had been fully funded by then.

So I feel like I?ve had a great perspective on Title IX, such a great appreciation for it. My hope is that the women of today appreciate what the women of yesterday did for them in setting such a strong foundation. Because it was never easy.

Golf has given me everything: an education; I?ve traveled the world; I?ve gotten to meet incredible people; I have a job. And lessons in golf are lessons in life. It taught you time management, it taught you work ethic. Everything that people deal with in everyday life, the student athlete is living every single day.

More local leaders talk about Title IX:

? Vanessa Bogan, Syracuse City Court judge
? Linda LeMura, Le Moyne College provost and vice-president for academic affairs
? Stephanie Miner, Syracuse mayor
? Ann Rooney, Onondaga County deputy executive for human services

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Turkey/Syria Shoot Down Update (talking-points-memo)

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