Saturday, January 21, 2012

[OOC] Class information and Stats

I would appreciate any help at this stage, moderators, writers, or anyone with good ideas are welcomed to contribute. That said, without no further ado I'd like to introduce you to the beta classes. Pick whichever one suits you best in personality, play style, or any other reason.

Adventurer
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Stats
Strength: 6.5
Stamina: 6.5
Dexterity: 6.5
Speed: 6.5
Spirit: 6.5
Intelligence: 6.5
39

A jack of all trades and a master of none, you are an Adventurer! Adventurers can adapt to many situations with great ease. A great starting class if you're not sure how you want to specialize.
Though they lack any specific skills or strengths, this serves as their only real weakness, as otherwise Adventurers are well-rounded in all areas of combat.
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Ninja
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By combining their stealth and evasion with powerful elemental magic, Ninja Masters are some of the fiercest warriors. Although they may not be the most physically powerful warriors, their cunningness and spellcasting abilities more than make up for any deficiencies. In fact, Ninja Masters can use their ninja techniques to enhance their strength, thus making them even more powerful and formidable. Their strength truly becomes something to be feared when they enhance it enough to be able to punch through solid stone. In addition, their agility allows them to rapidly unleash powerful blasts of elemental ninja techniques that quickly overwhelm the enemy; however, Ninja Masters more often prefer to stealthily and quietly eliminate their opponents. When faced with armies of warriors, Ninja Masters can increase their own numbers and overwhelm their opponents by sneakily creating elemental clones. It is often difficult to determine whether or not a Ninja Master will walk the path of good or evil, though it is certainly not true that all are evil.

Stats
Strength: 7
Stamina: 5
Dexterity: 9
Speed: 9
Spirit: 6
Intelligence: 7
43
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Samurai
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Swift and deadly, the Iron Blademasters silently roam the earth in search of the strongest warriors to test their skills against. These sword masters use the shadows and darkness to aid them in battle and augment their already astounding power. While these warriors may be quiet out of battle, the use of dark and shadowy energy makes them ferocious and energetic fighters in battle. In fact, they have been known to swiftly and mercilessly shred their foes to pieces, like a vicious animal; however, most of the time these agile warriors are peaceful and maintain their composure. Indeed, when out of battle, it is quite rare for these warriors to get angered, and they are most often seen in a state of peace and tranquility. These warriors will often meditate to harness the energy within their body and bring their wild mind to a calm state of equilibrium. By focusing these energies, Iron Blademasters are able to unleash blasts of power from their sword and fists. In fact, Iron Blademasters happen to be masters of many forms of martial arts, and by combining these martial arts skills with their sword skills, they can easily take down almost any foe. These warriors happen to be so strong that their fists are said to be as tough as iron, and rumor has it that they can literally punch through solid stone! In addition, by channeling their energy in precise ways through their bodies, Iron Blademasters can transform from a human into various wild beasts. Transforming into various animals can give the Iron Blademaster major advantages in and out of battle.

Stats
Strength:8.5
Stamina: 7
Dexterity: 8.5
Speed: 7.5
Intellect: 5
Spirit: 5
41.5
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Dragoon
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The Dragon Knight (Japanese: ?????) is a character class (or "job") featured in Square Enix's Final Fantasy series of computer role-playing games. In English language localizations, it has been frequently referred to as either Dragoon or Lancer.

The Dragon Knight is portrayed as a skilled warrior class, usually capable of wearing heavy armor. Its weapons of choice are spears and lances, which it frequently utilizes in an airborne attack. The Dragon Knight signature attack is a long-distance leap into the air. From above, the Dragon Knight thrusts downward with its spearpoint, skewering its foes from above, and causing approximately twice as much damage as a normal horizontal attack. In addition, its speed and skill at handling such potentially unwieldy weaponry allows an experience Dragon Knight to strike multiple times during one combat round.

Stats
Strength: 8
Stamina: 8
Dexterity: 8
Speed: 7
Intellect: 6
Spirit: 4
41
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Dark Knight
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The Dark Knight is characterized by wearing tight, sometimes enclosed black armor and wielding a sword powered by dark energy. Their physical stats, with exception of Defense, are usually high, but their other stats depend on the game they appear in. The typical Dark Knight ability is Souleater, also known as Darkness, which allows them to sacrifice their HP to perform stronger attacks. However, Souleater is not exclusive to the Dark Knight class. The Dark Knight is opposed by the Paladin, holy knights who protect allies and wield sacred powers. Unlike many classes, Dark Knights bear a signature weapon, the Deathbringer, which has a chance to kill certain enemies in a single blow.

Strength: 9
Stamina: 7
Dexterity: 7
Speed: 5.5
Spirit: 4
Intellect: 7.5
42

Templar/War Paladin
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Powerful and noble warriors, War Paladins are both masters of weapons and defensive magic. By imbuing their weapons with light magic, War Paladins can easily and effortlessly vanquish any evil or undead foes. Additionally, they excel at defensive spells which they use to enhance the protective power of their shields. The magic of spellcasters has little affect on War Paladins because of the defensive capabilities of their magical shields. These shields also help protect them against any physical attacks, making War Paladins almost impossible to injure. On top of that, they can use their magic to heal themselves or their allies. The combination of high physical power and high defensive magic make War Paladins one of the top classes. Their only downside is that that they can sometimes lack stealth and can be quite slow; however, the strongest War Paladins have increased their agility enough so that it is not a problem in battle.

Strength: 8.5
Stamina:9
Dexterity: 6
Speed: 5
Spirit: 5
Intellect: 8
41.5
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Mage Knight/Rune Knight
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Masters of elemental magic and swordsmanship, Rune Knights are valuable and staunch allies in battle. By using rune magic to imbue their weapons with elemental power, Rune Knights can defeat opponents most other warriors can only dream of defeating. Their magic can help them slice through the toughest armor and vanquish the most formidable foes. For example, by condensing wind magic around their blade, Rune Knights can slice through even the toughest and most impenetrable armor. Additionally, Rune Knights can enhance the strength of their own body and armor with rune magic to make it more resistant to enemy spellcasters and warriors. By covering themselves in these powerful runes, enemy attacks simply bounce off of them. In fact, certain runes can even make attacks literally reflect back onto the enemy essentially turning the power of the enemy against them. Although most often honorable warriors, the Rune Knights may turn to the side evil if necessary.

Stats
Strength: 7
Stamina: 7
Dexterity: 7
Speed: 7
Intellect: 7
Spirit: 6
41
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Blackbelt
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A brilliant, peaceful, and respected warrior, you are the Warrior Monk. As a master of both hand-to-hand combat and weapon combat, Warrior Monks can be truly fierce opponents in battle. However, they normally only use their abilities and power for just causes and when they feel it is absolutely necessary. Warrior Monks may occasionally stray to the side of evil, but for the most part, they are just and honorable warriors. With the ablility to release blasts of energy from their sword and fists, the Warrior Monks can shatter even the toughest armor. Defensively, Warrior Monks are virtually unmatched because their skin is so tough that they can literally block a sword with their bare hands. In addition, Warrior Monks can further increase their strength, speed, and dexterity by using their mastery of moon magic to transform into the Silver Simian, a powerful and pure warrior of the night.

Stats
Strength: 9
Stamina: 6
Dexterity: 7.5
Speed: 9
Intellect: 4
Spirit: 6
41.5[/SPOILER]

Thief
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Hey, you! Put down my treasure and get out of my house before I beat you up!

You are the Thief, and unfortunately, this kind of situation happens quite often to you. You are a warrior who tries to be sneaky but fails miserably and gets caught. Although you have tried your best to master the art of stealth and evasion, you are not skilled enough yet to reach the Ranger and Ninja classes. But if you keep training I'm sure you'll reach a much higher class! Or you'll just end up getting caught and killed. One or the other.

Stats
Strength: 5
Stamina: 6
Dexterity: 10
Speed: 10
Intellect: 5
Spirit: 5
41[/SPOILER]

Hunter
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As a hunter, you posses a set of skills essential for adapting to and survival of most natural surroundings.

Oftentimes Hunters can be very introverted and enjoy being alone, and this may be misconstrued as a sign of evil. Some people may even find Hunters strange and unusual, but they know in their hearts who they truly are and what they truly believe. With their strong convictions, stealthy nature, and skill with weapons, Hunters can be deadly foes. Although they are skilled with a sword, Silent Wanderers often prefer to silently snipe their enemies with a bow or set hidden traps to defeat their opponents. By hiding in the shadows, Hunters can use their bow to take down entire groups of warriors without ever revealing their presence. When travelling, Hunters leave no footprints making them impossible to track, and in close combat they are so swift and agile that they hardly make a sound. Oftentimes, this makes it nearly impossible to predict and read their movements allowing the Hunters to easily defeat their opponents. Although they do not actively seek battle, they will not hesitate to defend themselves or their honor. Finally, since these warriors are so comfortable in nature, many have become skilled with moon and wood magic, which can have devasting magical side-effects on all foes who dare oppose the Hunter.

Stats
Strength: 6.5
Stamina: 7
Dexterity: 7
Speed: 8.5
Intellect: 6
Spirit: 6
41
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Summoner
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? I choose you! ?

Summoner are a group of people who, instead of gaining innate power, learn to bind the souls of monstrous beings and command them to fight in the Summonerss stead. They are often feared by most of the smarter beings among these Monsters, who don't relish the prospect of being an attack dog on a leash for mortal Tamers.

Summoners are most often defined by the Monsters they have at their command. Some choose to have a varied and even haphazard collection, some choose to focus on Monsters of a particular type or subtype, and some choose to go along other themes, such as Monsters with particular schools of spell-like abilities or tough bruisers.

Stats
Strength: 5
Stamina: 5
Dexterity: 5
Speed: 5
Intellect: 5
Spirit: 5
30[/SPOILER]

Gunner
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Tall, lithe and sneaky, the Gunner is a mysterious being from another plane where they have mastered technology to compensate for their world's absence of magic. Generally weak physically, he attacks at a distance with a brutal arsenal of weapons. The Gunner has even been able to channel the magic of Arad to enchant bullets with elemental powers, which unleash gruesome damage on creatures vulnerable to particular elements.

Stats
Strength: 6
Stamina: 8
Dexterity: 7
Speed: 6.5
Int: 8
Spirit: 6
40.5
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Gladiator
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You are a Braveheart, a warrior of unparallel ferocity, tenacity and courage. While you share many tendencies associated with that of berserkers, your pride as a warrior keeps in check some of the base-ist urge that most berserker succumb to. A spirit of fierce competition stirs deep within your soul. You believe yourself to be superior of your peers and you would like to prove that. Sometimes this noble yet overrarching sense of pride can be a disadvantage when it comes to co-opterating with others.

While courage may seem like a trivial power, the truth is that your courage allows you to overcome the impossible and to defeat the undefeatable. In combat, your courage crushes any fear in your body, clearing your mind and allowing you see strategies and openings that you would not normally see

Stats
Strength: 10
Stamina: 6.5
Dexterity: 6.5
Speed: 7
Intellect: 4.5
Spirit: 6
40.5
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Pirate
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Just about everyone is familiar with the classic swashbuckler -- a flashy combatant who lives by her wits and literally dives into combat. But a swashbuckler can be much more than just a character who looks good in a fight. She might be a tireless do-gooder, a fun-loving reveler, a wisecracking vagabond, a rebel, a pugnacious adventurer who won't sit still when insulted, or some combination of these.

The swashbuckler's combat abilities make her a force to be reckoned with in battle, but the style with which she performs them makes him/her a truly memorable foe.

The swashbuckler class offers a solid base of fighting ability, plus plenty of room for customization. Swashbucklers can be fighting acrobats, professionals who lead double lives, glib negotiators, smugglers, pirates, or just about any characters who favor wit and style over brute force. Chevalier's are adept in both short range and long range. Think of a tradeoff between a ninja's speed and skill and a gunner's defense and range capabilities. Wherein lies the strengths of a Chevalier's. Chevalier's are a well-rounded versatile combatants.

Stats
Str: 7.5
Stamina: 7
Dexterity: 7.5
Speed: 8
Intellect: 6
Spirit: 5
41.5
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Bard
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Bards are often depicted as ne'er-do-wells and charlatans who prefer not to meet challenges head on which has earned them a a bit of a negative conotation in most role playing circles but a bard can be a very respectable character depending on your choice of play. With stats emphasizing dexterity, speed, spirit and intelligence, a bard can become a prety formidable versatile mage in his own right but the strengths of a Bard lies
so evidently in his unique lore ability. Some lores may grant status boosts to a party, others may cripple enemy parties with status affliction, while others have remeding effects. Lores all around seem to have a various functions which makes the bard one of the more versatile classes to choose from.

A character who fits that stereotype can be fun, but a bard also can function as a person of deep knowledge and wide experience, a folk hero, a slumming aristocrat, or a general handyman. They can also do some damage with swords but they're most suited with an instument at arms.

Stats
Strength: 5
Stamina: 6
Dexterity: 8
Speed: 8
Intellect: 7.5
Spirit: 7.5
42
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White Mage/Sage
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You are the Holy Sage, the bane of evil! Masters of defense and healing magic, Holy Sages are the ultimate users of support spells and light magic. Wise and benevolent beyond belief, the Holy Sage can use swift light based offensive and defensive magic to destroy and defend against demonic and undead enemies. On top of their skill with light magic, Holy Sages are sometimes capable of using powerful and destructive elemental magic. While Holy Sages most often prefer to heal and not to fight, they are not opposed to defending themselves if attacked. However, most of the time they will simply use barriers to trap their foes physically and mentally in prisons of light. In fact, the greatest Holy Sages have such mastery over the light element that they can even create complex illusions to deceive and confuse their foes. With arguably the most poweful defensive and healing magic of all the classes, the Holy Sage is a truly powerful warrior of light.

Stats
Strength: 4
Stamina: 5
Dexterity: 7
Speed: 8
Intellect: 9
Spirit: 10
43
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Black Mage
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As a powerful magician that tried to discover the true source of power and magic, the Dark Magus has mastered an array of powerful and deadly spells that often have unpredictable effects. As a sorcerer that often kills indiscriminantly (and often for pleasure), the Dark Magus is certainly someone to be feared and avoided. Although the Dark Magi most often walk the path of darkness, there are a few who occasionally stray to the path of light. Utilizing their mastery of fire and dark magic for the side of good may seem unusual, but Dark Magi are absolutely not opposed to becoming staunch allies of the light. Although Dark Magi specialize in fire based magic, thay are also proficient in the other basic elements. However, their mastery over fire far exceeds that of any of the other spellcaster classes allowing them to manipulate the fire more skillfully and effortlessly. By increasing the intensity of their fire they can even create blue and white flames, and on top of that they can unleash the power of volcanoes by manipulating the lava within them. In addition, some Dark Magi may be skilled with summoning techniques, allowing them to summon elemental golems with whom they have made blood pacts.

Stats
Strength: 5
Stamina: 5
Dexterity: 6
Speed: 7.5
Intellect: 10
Spirit: 9
42.5
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Keyblader
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Keyblade Master is the title given to exceptional Keyblade wielders who pass the Mark of Mastery exam in the Kingdom Hearts series. There are a total of five known Keyblade Masters: Master Eraqus, Master Xehanort, Yen Sid, Aqua, and Mickey Mouse. Currently, only two remain active: Mickey and Aqua. Master Xehanort previously lost his memories, becoming the younger Xehanort, but will be restored following the destruction of his Heartless and his Nobody. Yen Sid retired his title and passed his Keyblade down to Mickey, and Eraqus was slain by Master Xehanort.
The Keyblade Master, upon passing the Mark of Mastery exam, is given the choice to either travel to many worlds and explore his or her horizons, or to succeed his or her predecessor and take refuge in his or her own world to protect it from malevolent forces and later take on more apprentices.

Stats
Strength: 7
Stamina: 6.5
Dexterity: 6.5
Speed: 8
Intellect: 7
Spirit: 7
41
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Red Mage
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An expert with both magic and a sword, the Battle Warlock is certainly a balanced and deadly class. Battle Warlocks are quite skilled with a sword and can effortlessly combine this prowess with the art of magic, allowing them to create powerful and deadly combinations that no other class can. Battle Warlocks excel in an unusual element that no other class can utilize: metal. Being so unique, their metal magic often catches their foes offguard providing the Battle Warlock with an easy victory. Battle Warlocks can even use their metal magic to transform the shape of their own weapons mid-battle to confuse and disorient their opponents. On top of that, anyone who attacks the Battle Warlock with metal weapons and armor stands no hope of winning. A slash of an opponent's blade will simply melt harmlessly off the Battle Warlock, and an opponent's protective armor can be morphed by the Battle Warlock into a spikey prison of death. With the unique ability to morph metal into any shape they desire, Battle Warlocks are fearsome and powerful warriors. Although Battle Warlocks specialize in metal magic they are also proficient in the other basic elements.

Stats
Str: 6
Stamina: 5.5
Dexterity: 7
Speed: 6.5
Intellect: 8
Spirit: 8
41

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Alchemists/Scholar
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With their superior intelligence and mastery of transmutation magic, Alchemic Sorcerers are able to use potions and runes to transform and control the elements. Although not exactly spellcasters, Alchemic Sorcerers are more than capable of unleashing powerful blasts of fire, water, earth, and air. In addition, they are capable of performing many techniques that no other spellcaster can. In fact, Alchemic Sorcerers are able to deconstruct objects and then reconstruct them in almost any way they choose. For example, Alchemic Sorcerers can turn a simple spark into a blazing fire by manipulating the concentration of oxygen in the surrounding air. They can even reconstruct demolished buildings or turn lead into pure gold. With endless possibilties and combinations, alchemy can be a truly unique and deadly form of combat. Of course, a transmutation circle is almost always necessary for for these kinds of reconstructions. Even without their trasmutation magic, Alchemic Sorcerers can use their mastery of martial arts and light magic to defeat their foes. In fact, Alchemic Sorcerers often have some of the most powerful light magic out of all the classes allowing them to launch powerful blasts of light energy from their fists or even combine their light magic with transmutation magic in order to heal. The ultimate goal of the Alchemic Sorcerer is the quest for knowledge and eternal life. Alchemic Sorcerers are intrigued by life and endlessly search for ways to transmute, combine, and create different creatures and forms of life so that they may learn more about their own lives and how to extend it. While Alchemic Sorcerers are normally on the side of light, alchemy can be a dangerous and immoral form of magic, so it is not unusual for one to become corrupt and power hungry.

Stats
Str: 6.5
Stamina: 6
Dexterity: 7
Speed: 8
Intelligence: 9.5
Spirit: 5
42[/SPOILER]

Mech Master
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You are the Gear Enchanter, a cunning warrior skilled with weapons, offensive elemental magic, and mechanics. By fusing magic and engineering together Gear Enchanters are able to construct powerful enchanted machines capable of wreaking havoc on all their opponents. Magical weapons, cannons, and vehicals are absolutely no trouble for them to build, and they give Gear Enchanters a decided advantage in every battle they fight. By constructing magical airships and tanks, they can quickly move thousands of people across vast stretches of land and also augment both their defensive and offensive capabilities. Indeed, Gear Enchanters can use your magic to swiftly move armies across continents and even drop magical bombs on any unsuspecting foes. In addition, they can create robotic, lifelike creatures that can aid them in battle against their enemies. These machine golems are incredibly powerful, and like any of their other creations, they truly make Gear Enchanters even more formidable and deadly adversaries. Gear Enchanters are especially skilled at constructing magic blades, which often have incredible and powerful properties. For example, some swords have the ability to create explosions on impact, while others can split into multiple swords mid-battle. To further augment the power of their blades, they can even imbue them with powerful elemental properties. Furthermore, Gear Enchanters may be quite skilled with using these swords and magic weapons that they construct, so even without their skill with mechanics, Gear Enchanters can use their offensive weapon skills, powerful elemental magic, and sly nature to defeat their foes.

Strength: 6
Stamina: 5
Dexterity: 8.5
Speed: 7
Intellect: 9
Spirit: 6
41.5
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I'm a dreamcatcher but only nightmares I caught.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RolePlayGateway/~3/gyYWw508HDM/viewtopic.php

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LG's New X3 Phone May Be Powerful Enough to Tear Your Face Off [Android]

We generally pass on random phone rumors, but PocketNow seems to have scooped something that sounds awfully tasty. The LG X3 (codename) will supposedly have a Tegra 3 quad-core processor, a 4.7-inch 720p screen, an 8MP camera, and NFC. Um, yum? More »


Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/CM_pI139TtI/lgs-new-x3-phone-may-be-powerful-enough-to-tear-your-face-off

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Friday, January 20, 2012

It's complicated: Romney struggles to talk wealth (AP)

WASHINGTON ? Mitt Romney is no natural when it comes to "common man" politics.

He bets a Republican rival $10,000 on an impulse. He dismisses $373,000 in speaking fees as "not very much." And he slow-walks the release of his income tax returns but then blurts out a key fact: He pays about 15 percent of his income in taxes because he lives mostly on investment income and not a paycheck.

Such commissions of candor suggest a presidential candidate who is far from an everyman ? and who may have a tin ear for how he sounds to those who are. That could pose a special challenge to Romney in hard-hit Florida, and beyond. In a general election, Romney, who had a privileged upbringing and made millions as a venture capitalist, would be fighting for the votes of average Americans against a president whose mother at times drew food stamps and who worked his way through Harvard Law School to the pinnacle of power.

"When Barack Obama talks about paying off student loans and struggling, people believe him and it resonates," said Barbara Perry, a senior fellow at the University of Virginia's Miller Center. Historically, "the common people have to believe that the president knows them and knows their situation and knows their lives."

Republicans hope that in 2012, American voters struggling to get jobs and pay bills are looking past the candidates' personal stories and to their proposals for stabilizing the economy and cutting the nation's staggering debt.

"Barack Obama had an incredible emotional connection with the American people in 2008," said South Carolina Republican consultant Jim Dyke. In the worst economy since the Great Depression, "that connection has dissipated," he added. "The American people may be more interested in a credible plan to address our problems."

The ranks of presidential candidates, and presidents, throughout history are full of American aristocrats, from George Washington to the Roosevelts, Rockefellers, Kennedys and Bushes. Some won by using policy and rhetoric to win support from lower-income voters, a practice that became known as the politics of the common man after Andrew Jackson's 1828 campaign. He won in part by portraying the nation's central bank as an institution that mostly made rich people richer.

So it's possible to run for president, and even win, while wealthy. Indeed, polls suggest that Americans don't begrudge Romney's family fortune or his own success in the private sector. In an AP-GfK survey last month, for example, about half of the respondents said Romney "understands the problems of ordinary Americans." Roughly the same percentage felt that way about Obama.

And efforts to portray Romney as a "vulture capitalist" fat cat at Bain Capital may have backfired against Newt Gingrich and Rick Perry, the Republican rivals who launched them. Perry dropped out of the contest on Thursday.

There's evidence that Romney himself is learning to edit out offhand remarks that may be genuine yet jarring to average voters. In a debate Thursday night, Romney referred to having his tax returns "carefully managed," but mostly stayed clear of lifestyle details.

Instead, he equated his wealth with all-American achievement and upward mobility ? the opposite of coasting on his father's success as head of American Motor Corp., Michigan governor and federal housing secretary.

"What I have, I earned. I worked hard, the American way," Romney said to cheers and applause. "I'm not going to apologize for being successful."

It was a refinement of the way Romney has handled the central challenge of his campaign: winning over people struggling to keep their houses and find work when his own background is so far removed. Making it tougher is that the 2012 contest is happening against a backdrop of anger over income disparity, with "99 percenters" protesting policies that help the wealthiest 1 percent of Americans ? including Romney.

And where the Roosevelts and Kennedys won over ordinary people with social policies like the New Deal, Romney is campaigning on a plan to stabilize the economy through investments and tax breaks for "job creators," including the wealthiest individuals.

"Wealthy Democrats can get away with being wealthy so long as they espouse policies favorable to ordinary folks. Wealthy Republicans, by contrast, take a hit when their policies seem to favor the wealthy," said presidential historian H.W. Brands of the University of Texas. "It's the policies that really matter. The personal history is fluff."

Still, Romney has struggled to strike the right note with the masses.

In New Hampshire last month, he suggested that he's feared job setbacks at various points in his career.

"I know what it's like to worry about whether you're going to get fired. A couple of times I wondered if I was going to get a pink slip," Romney said during a campaign stop in Rochester, NH.

But it's highly unlikely he's ever felt the fear of being let go, or of being unable to find work, without a family fortune to fall back on.

Romney's refusal to release his tax forms put a fine point on the issue.

He grudgingly acknowledged that he might, for the first time, release them. But only one year's worth, and not until April, if he is the GOP's presidential nominee. He did reveal that he pays an effective tax rate of 15 percent, lower than what he would pay if he earned a regular pay check. He then disclosed that he earned speaking fees, "but not very much." The amount turned out to be $373,327.62 from 2010-2011.

In New Hampshire, a day after the pink slip remark, he spoke of the importance of having a choice of health insurance companies and declared, "I like being able to fire people who provide services to me."

And in a heated debate last month, Romney bet Perry "10,000 bucks," apparently on impulse, when he could have wagered a symbolic dollar, or a beer.

Romney will soon get some practice honing his personal story in a state where he would need to be a master of it in the general election. After the South Carolina primary on Saturday, Romney and the GOP field move to Florida, a massive swing state familiar with the toxic cycle of high unemployment, unpaid bills, home foreclosures and despair.

It's no coincidence that Obama announced a new economic initiative there Thursday. The state suffers from 10 percent unemployment, and more than half of its homeowners owe more on their mortgages than their properties are worth.

In Florida and beyond, Romney may find that sometimes it's best to keep his thoughts to himself.

"Don't try to stop the foreclosure process," he told the Las Vegas Review Journal in October, describing ways to improve the housing market. "Let it run its course and hit the bottom."

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

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Video: He?s off ?Loser? but still wants to be role model

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Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/46025214#46025214

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Thursday, January 19, 2012

Do Snakes Make Good Pets? [POLL] - Q 103 - Albany's #1 Rock ...

When you think of snakes, a warm fuzzy loving pet isn?t the first thing that comes to mind.?? That doesn?t stop millions of people from taking them home as pets all the time.? So do they make good pets?

Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

Have I ever been a fan of snakes?? No way.? I don?t like them in nature and I most certainly don?t want them in my home.? They just give me the creeps.? The hissing, the crawling, the dark back eyes.? Just writing this has be picking up my feet to make sure there aren?t any slithering around on the ground in the studio.

People who have snakes for pets are big supporters, and usually get very agitated when people start knocking snake owners.? Well sorry.? Snakes seem like demons to me.? Maybe it?s because in the bible the devil is a snake, well a serpent.? That just makes them inherently evil in my book.? Do you want the devil in your house, just waiting to eat you as you sleep?? I think not.

Source: http://q103albany.com/do-snakes-make-good-pets-poll/

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SiriusXM now available on Canadian Sonos systems

 

Sonos sound system with Android app

Sonos, the Android-friendly speaker system, has been able to stream SiriusXM Radio since 2007, but only in limited geographies. Today, Sirius announced that Canadian subscribers can now remotely stream their favourite stations out to the Wi-Fi-enabled sound system. 

You can check out our full review of the Sonos over here, if you were thinking of picking one up. I've spent a bit of time with it myself, and I was definitely impressed, and it works great from your phone. It's really ideal for bigger homes where you want to have consistent music across multiple rooms, since the whole family of products talks to one another wirelessly. Of course, that gets a little pricy for the speakers alone, and then if you want something like Sirius, then you're also paying subscription fees on top of that, but hey - if you love your music, this is one smart way to get it into your home without the hassle of wires. 

Us poor saps in Canada are usually subject to limited content licenses, so it's no surprise to see a delay here, but when it comes to music, there's really not much we don't have access to anymore. So what's the hold-up, Pandora? Slacker and Rdio are doing business up here just fine. 

Head over to Sonos to snag your system, Sirius to start subscribing, and if you're already a part of the sister service, XM Radio, you should be able to plug in to Sonos later on this year. 

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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/WnFdMpRmu7s/story01.htm

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Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Pink Samsung Galaxy S II arriving the UK for Valentine's Day

Android Central

Stuck on what to get that special someone for Valentines this year? Enter Samsung to lend a helping hand as this pink version of the massively popular Galaxy S II is due to be launched on Feb.13. Make no mistake, this is a regular Galaxy S II, just they painted it pink.

While having been announced in South Korea back in November, all went quiet regarding global availability. Phones 4 U have announced that they will be offering the device from Feb.13 on a two- year contract starting from a very reasonable £21.50 a month. 

Not looking for a contract to go with that shiny new pink phone, then online retailer Very are set to offer the device SIM free for a whopping £499.99. Whichever way you look at it, that's Galaxy Nexus pricing. While listed as in stock, they are in fact awaiting their supply which they claim to be within 7 days. Get them while they're hot ladies--and guys if pinks your thing.

Source: Somobile



Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/LopkCGpknLE/story01.htm

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Call Congress. (Theagitator)

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