Has Asperger's Gone Away? | World of Psychology

Has Asperger's Gone Away? NoWith anything that changes, especially an important reference manual, people are going to be confused about what those changes actually mean. Nowhere is this more evident than in the 5th edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5).

As we noted yesterday, the final revision was approved for publication. The DSM-5 is how clinicians and researchers diagnose mental disorders in the United States. A common language is especially important when conducting research, to ensure treatments are actually working for the symptoms people have.

One of the changes getting a lot of attention is the ?doing away? of Asperger?s Syndrome. But to be clear ? Asperger?s isn?t being dropped from the DSM-5. It?s simply being merged and renamed, to better reflect a consensus of our scientific knowledge on the disorder as one form of the new ?autism spectrum disorder? diagnosis.

So while the term, ?Asperger?s? is going away, the actual diagnosis ? you know, the thing that actually matters ? is not.

But you wouldn?t know it reading some of the mainstream media?s reporting on this concern.

The board of trustees of the American Psychiatric Association, who released the approved changes on Saturday, said the reason they were renaming Asperger?s was ?to help more accurately and consistently diagnose children with autism.? Which I agree with, because it?s important for clinicians and researchers to have a common, logical language.

I wish the media could differentiate between a label or word, and the actual diagnosis though. Because from the news coverage on this change, you?d believe the actual diagnosis was going away unless you read more carefully.

CBS News screams, Asperger?s syndrome dropped from American Psychiatric Association manual:

Asperger?s syndrome will be dropped from the latest edition of the psychiatrist?s ?bible,? the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, or DSM-5.

It?s not until the third paragraph of this article do you realize the American Psychiatric Association, the publisher of the DSM-5, just decided to rename Asperger?s. (And why do so many media keep referring to a psychiatric diagnostic manual ? a scientific instrument ? as a ?bible?? That is the strangest disconnect I keep reading time and time again. I?m not even sure any reporter who writes those words could tell you the reasoning behind calling it that.)

Fox News announced that ?Asperger?s dropped from revised diagnosis manual,? but then quickly notes that it?s just the term that?s being dropped ? not the actual diagnosis.

The UK?s Guardian does a little better, mentioning the renaming in its subtitle, ?DSM-5, latest revision of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, merges Asperger?s with autism and widens dyslexia category.?

So yes, the label of ?Asperger?s syndrome? is leaving the diagnostic nomenclature, as our understanding of this disorder has increased substantially in the nearly 20 years since the DSM-IV was published. But the diagnosis itself remains, with a new label ? as a mild form of autism spectrum disorder.

People who are currently receiving treatment and care for this disorder will continue to do so, and insurance companies, Medicaid and others will continue to cover the costs of treating it.

Footnotes: John Grohol, PsyDDr. John Grohol is the CEO and founder of Psych Central. He is an author, researcher and expert in mental health online, and has been writing about online behavior, mental health and psychology issues -- as well as the intersection of technology and human behavior -- since 1992. Dr. Grohol sits on the editorial board of the journal Cyberpsychology, Behavior and Social Networking and is a founding board member and treasurer of the Society for Participatory Medicine.

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????Last reviewed: By John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on 3 Dec 2012
????Published on PsychCentral.com. All rights reserved.

APA Reference
Grohol, J. (2012). Has Asperger?s Gone Away?. Psych Central. Retrieved on December 4, 2012, from http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2012/12/03/has-aspergers-gone-away-no/

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Source: http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2012/12/03/has-aspergers-gone-away-no/

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TEXT-S&P revises China Fishery outlook to negative; afrms 'B ' rtg

(The following statement was released by the rating agency)

Dec 04 -

Overview

-- We believe China Fishery's contract supply business in Russia is now

subject to higher regulatory risk.

-- In our opinion, any unfavorable outcome for the company's contract

supply business could negatively affect its financial flexibility and access

to capital markets.

-- We are therefore revising our rating outlook on China Fishery to

negative from stable. As a result, we are also lowering our Greater China

regional scale rating on China Fishery and the company's notes to 'cnBB-' from

'cnBB'.

-- We are also affirming our 'B+' long-term corporate credit rating on

the company and the 'B+' issue rating on the notes.

Rating Action

On Dec. 4, 2012, Standard & Poor's Ratings Services revised its rating outlook

on China Fishery Group Ltd. to negative from stable. At the same time, we

affirmed the 'B+' long-term corporate credit rating on China Fishery and the

'B+' issue rating on the company's senior unsecured notes. In line with the

outlook revision, we also lowered the long-term Greater China regional scale

ratings on China Fishery and the notes to 'cnBB-' from 'cnBB'.

Rationale

We revised the outlook on China Fishery because we believe a possibility that

the company's contract supply business in Russia could be materially affected

has increased. Recent media reports suggest that Russia's Federal Antimonopoly

Services has ordered China Fishery and its parent group, Pacific Andes, to

sell the Russian fishing assets they allegedly acquired in violation of the

law. We assess China Fishery's business risk profile as "weak" and its

financial risk profile as "aggressive," as our criteria define these terms.

We believe there might be some ongoing changes in how the Russian regulator

manages the nation's strategic resources, including aquatic biological

resources. As a result, we have lower visibility on the revenue and

profitability of China Fishery's contract supply business. The Pacific Andes

group has confirmed that it does not own any fishing quotas in Russian waters

or companies that have such quotas. However, the Russian government could

still take adverse actions on the group depending on its interpretation of

Russian law.

While China Fishery has increased diversity, the company will continue to rely

on its contract supply business in Russia in 2013, given the likely

underperformance of the Peruvian business, which we anticipate to be weak, due

to reduced total allowable catch. The contract supply business generated over

60% of China Fishery's revenue, EBITDA, and operating cash flow in the fiscal

year ended Sept. 30, 2012. The company increased total prepayment to suppliers

in the northern Pacific to about US$285 million from US$135 million following

a fourth long-term supply agreement (LSA) on Nov. 14, 2012. We believe this

agreement further increases the company's exposure to its contract supply

business.

China Fishery's financial performance in fiscal 2012 was better than we had

anticipated. This was largely because the company used the proceeds from a

US$300 million bond issuance to pay off part of its outstanding bank revolver

facilities. Its debt-to-EBITDA ratio of 2.7x (fiscal 2011: 2.1x) was below our

expectation of more than 3.0x, and its ratio of funds from operations (FFO) to

debt of 32.1% (fiscal 2011: 37.9%) was better than our forecast of 26.8%.

In our revised base-case scenario, we expect China Fishery's overall revenue

to remain weak in fiscal 2013, given the uncertainties in the company's

contract supply business and the weak outlook for the Peruvian operations. We

further assume that any potential improvement in gross margins due to the LSA

will be offset by lower average selling prices. As a result, we expect China

Fishery's debt-to-EBITDA ratio to remain stable in fiscal 2013 and its

FFO-to-debt ratio to weaken slightly to about 30%.

Any significant negative effects on China Fishery's contract supply business

in the northern Pacific will also negatively affect the Pacific Andes group,

in our opinion. The parent company, Pacific Andes International Holdings Ltd.

(PAIH; not rated), has an aggressive financial risk profile with a

total-debt-to-EBITDA ratio of 4.9x in the first half of fiscal 2012 (fiscal

2011: 5.5x). PAIH could become highly leveraged given that the fishery and

fish supply division accounted for 32.1% of its total revenue in the first

half of 2012. This could constrain the rating on China Fishery.

China Fishery's operating track record, low leverage, and high margins are

rating strengths, in our opinion.

Liquidity

China Fishery's liquidity is "less than adequate," as defined in our criteria.

Our assessment is primarily based on the company's aggressive financial policy

and low minimum cash balance. China Fishery used half the proceeds from the

US$300 million senior unsecured bond issuance in July 2012 to pay for the LSA,

and the remaining to repay bank loans. The company's surplus cash for working

capital needs remains low. However, free cash flow turned positive in fiscal

2012, the first time in four years.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/text-p-revises-china-fishery-outlook-negative-afrms-070609565--sector.html

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Vitesse Brings Carrier-Class Networking to Cloud Business ...

HONG KONG?(BUSINESS WIRE)?

CARRIER ETHERNET APAC 2012 ? Vitesse
Semiconductor Corporation (VTSS), a heading provider of
modernized IC solutions for Carrier and Enterprise networks,
announced accessibility of a new Network Interface Device/Ethernet
Access Device
(NID/EAD) anxiety pattern delivering
carrier-class networking for smoothness of cloud-based business services.

Based on Vitesse?s CEServices program and Serval?(VSC7418)
Carrier Ethernet switch engine, a NID/EAD height is designed
to significantly revoke time-to-market and growth cost for Vitesse
customers. It exceeds MEF CE 2.0 mandate today, including
line rate support for essential use origination and declaration features
such as RFC2544, Y.1564, multi-operator OAM and Hierarchical
Quality of Service
(HQoS). The anxiety pattern also
integrates Vitesse?s VeriTime?
timing synchronization for mobile access deployments.

?This anxiety pattern delivers a proven trail to future-proof IP Edge
and cloud networks for real-time use delivery,? pronounced Uday Mudoi,
product selling executive during Vitesse. ?Service-awareness and
manageability are pivotal to pledge a security, opening and access
compulsory for business cloud services. Vitesse stays committed to
advancing carrier-class networking for IP Edge and cloud computing.?

Vitesse during Carrier Ethernet APAC 2012

Vitesse CTO, Martin Nuss, will attend alongside attention experts
from Telkom Indonesia, Vertel Australia, Adva Optical Networks and
Accedian Networks in a ?What is a business impact of CE 2.0 for
mobile backhaul? panel. The row is scheduled during a ?Mobile
Backhaul? tide on Wednesday, Dec 5, 2012, starting during 3:00 p.m.
internal time.

Vitesse will showcase this new anxiety design, as good as a VeriTime
portfolio, during Carrier Ethernet APAC 2012, Stand #9. Vitesse customer
Pulsecom?s new SuperG Ethernet NID height will also be accessible for
observation during Vitesse?s stand.

Carrier Ethernet APAC 2012 will take place Dec 3-5, 2012 during The
Mira, Hong Kong. Learn some-more about a uncover during carrierethernetapac.com.

About Vitesse

Vitesse (VTSS) designs a different portfolio of high-performance
semiconductor solutions for Carrier and Enterprise networks worldwide.
Vitesse products capacitate a fastest-growing network infrastructure
markets including Mobile Access/IP Edge, Cloud Computing and SMB/SME
Enterprise Networking. Visit www.vitesse.com
or follow us on Twitter @VitesseSemi.

Cautions Regarding Forward Looking Statements

All statements enclosed or incorporated by anxiety in this release,
other than statements or characterizations of chronological fact, are
forward-looking statements that are formed on a stream expectations,
estimates and projections about a business and industry, management?s
beliefs, and certain assumptions done by us, all of that are theme to
change. Forward-looking statements can mostly be identified by difference such
as ?anticipates,? ?believes,? ?estimates,? ?expects,? ?intends,?
?plans,? ?predicts,? and identical terms, and variations or negatives of
these words. Examples of forward-looking statements in this release
embody statements about a Company?s NID/EAD height product
attributes. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future
opening and a Company?s tangible formula might differ significantly
from a formula discussed in a forward-looking statements. Factors
and uncertainties that could impact a Company?s forward-looking
statements include, among other things, a Company?s products not
behaving in suitability with management?s expectations. These and other
risks are some-more entirely described in a Company?s filings with the
Securities and Exchange Commission, including a Company?s most
recently filed Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Report on Form
10-Q, that should be review in and herewith for a further
contention of critical factors that could means tangible formula to
differ materially from those in a forward-looking statements. The
Company undertakes no requirement to publicly refurbish or correct any
forward-looking statements, either as a outcome of new information,
destiny events or otherwise.

Vitesse is a purebred heading and VeriTime are trademarks of Vitesse
Semiconductor Corporation in a United States and other jurisdictions.
All other trademarks or purebred trademarks mentioned herein are the
skill of their particular holders.

VTSS-G

Source: http://youloverandom.com/vitesse-brings-carrier-class-networking-to-cloud-business-services/

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Risk is at heart of debate on troop withdrawal

WASHINGTON (AP) ? The debate over how many U.S. troops will remain in Afghanistan after 2014 comes down to risky business.

There is a risk that leaving too few troops after 2014 would stop or stall the already slow development of the Afghan army and police, whose competence ? and that of the Afghan government as a whole ? is crucial to ending the war successfully.

On the other hand, keeping too many foreign troops beyond 2014 might only prolong Afghanistan's dependence upon them, while Western forces absorb even more casualties. Perhaps the greatest risk is that a wrong calculation by the U.S. on troop levels could enable the Taliban and affiliated insurgents to regain lost territory and influence.

President Barack Obama has pledged to wind down the 11-year-old war, even as Congress presses for an accelerated withdrawal. The intent, approved by NATO in 2010, is to remove combat forces by the end of 2014 but to continue yet-to-be-defined security assistance.

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has described the broad outlines of a post-2014 plan that amounts to a scaled-down version of what U.S. and NATO forces are already doing: fighting terrorists, training and assisting the Afghan forces, and providing logistical support.

Panetta won't say how many forces would be needed for that set of missions, but analysts estimate as many as 10,000 to 15,000.

Military commanders have laid out options for a post-2014 force ranging from about 6,000 to 15,000, and Panetta and other members of Obama's national security team are debating that issue now, with a decision expected by the end of the year.

But the final number for the end of 2014, and how quickly the military gets to that level, depends on how the White House assesses the political and military risks of having too few troops there to keep the terrorists at bay, or having too many to satisfy war-weary and budget-conscious Americans.

Underlying that debate is perhaps the starkest risk ? that by pulling out troops too quickly, Obama would become the president who lost the war and enabled another devastating attack on America.

There are currently about 66,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan, and commanders would like to maintain as big a force as possible through most of 2013. But others argue that as support for the war continues to erode in Congress and across America, significant cuts must be made at some point next year.

A Pew Research Center poll in early October found that 60 percent of respondents favored removing U.S. troops from Afghanistan as soon as possible, with 35 percent saying they should stay until the country is stable. That's a nearly complete reversal from a September 2008 Pew Research poll that showed 33 percent wanted troops out as soon as possible and 61 percent said they should stay until the country has stabilized.

"You don't want to keep everything in place and then fall off a cliff at the end of 2014," former Pentagon policy chief Michele Flournoy said in an interview with The Associated Press. "You want to gradually step down your residual presence so you have confidence in it, and so you've had a chance to work through some of the issues and challenges that emerge as we go into the latter stages of transition."

Flournoy, who has been mentioned as a possible defense secretary after Panetta steps down, said the military will likely reduce the force in several steps next year, leaving time between cuts to reposition troops.

Any substantial reductions are likely to take place early in the year and again toward the fall, so that the military can maintain a consistent troop strength during the peak fighting season that runs from roughly April to October.

"It's very hard to be repositioning your force as you're fighting. So they'll argue for having a plateau during the fighting season and then taking a steeper drawdown," Flournoy said.

The troop totals also depend on several outside factors, including the commitment of NATO partners and the desires of the Afghan government.

So far, Obama has revealed little of his thinking about the drawdown. But during an October presidential debate he signaled an inclination for a deep reduction, saying, "There's no reason why Americans should die when Afghans are perfectly capable of defending their own country."

Panetta's description this week of the three missions he would like U.S. troops to continue after 2014 suggests a need for a fairly substantial presence.

Some experts argue that the U.S. would have to maintain as many as 30,000 troops in order to continue targeting the terror groups that ? if left unchallenged ? could regain territory and once again become a threat to the U.S. and other Western nations.

Military analysts Frederick and Kimberly Kagan lay out a case for keeping such a large counterterrorism force, complete with drones, airstrikes and special operations forces bolstered by enough support troops to provide protection on the bases.

Michael O'Hanlon, a fellow at the Brookings Institution in Washington, said that arguments for maintaining a force of 30,000 beyond 2014 are unrealistic in light of other Obama administration priorities. He said it's important to let the Afghans know that the U.S. will not abandon them, but also noted that how much progress Afghan forces make over the next year will also be an important factor.

If they improve, he said, there may be a greater inclination to stick with the mission, but if they don't, "you could ask yourself why do we waste more time, resources and blood over achieving gains that are probably going to be ephemeral and fleeting anyway."

Army Maj. Gen. James Huggins, who returned in September from a one-year tour as commander of allied forces in southern Afghanistan, said fears of abandonment are real.

Huggins recalled a former district governor in the Afghan province of Kandahar, who fought with the U.S.-supported mujahedeen against the Soviets in the 1980s, telling him last year that the Taliban was able to seize power in 1996 because the U.S. abandoned Afghanistan shortly after the Soviet army withdrew in defeat.

At a public symposium on the war on Friday, Huggins said the number of allied troops in his sector fell from a peak of 25,000 to 13,800 as of Oct. 1. He said he was "a little concerned" with that lower number. He did not express a view on the prospect of further reductions in 2013.

Members of Congress want to accelerate the troop withdrawal. The Senate voted 62-33 on a non-binding resolution that would speed up the pullout by an unspecified amount. And while the House voted in May to maintain a force of 68,000, there have been indications more recently that support for that may be faltering.

In September, Rep. C.W. Bill Young, R-Fla., a defense hawk and chairman of the House Appropriations subcommittee that oversees defense spending, said the U.S. should withdraw its forces from Afghanistan.

"We're killing kids who don't need to die," Young said.

___

Associated Press writer Donna Cassata contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/risk-heart-debate-troop-withdrawal-083147996--politics.html

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Book Reading Events Are Popular Among All Groups

There are all sorts of different book reading clubs around the country that are dedicated to books of all sorts of kinds. These clubs are made to cater to different groups of people who are interested in reading and want to enjoy some of the best works around.

Some of the most common book reading groups can be for adults because most of the books on the market tend to be for adults. These groups tend to involve a variety of different kinds of works ranging from the classics to a number of different contemporary options. These are popular events to see because they can involve a variety of different genres of books and can involve many discussions on the themes and other points featured in these books.

What's interesting about these groups is that they work with all kinds of genres in mind. Some people have book reading groups that are dedicated to science fiction while there are others that are dedicated to mystery. The options that are around are appealing choices that allow all people to have some fun with what they are reading. This can also allow people who are interested in one particular type of event to see what they are the most interested in so they can enjoy being with each other and talking about things that they are particularly interested in above all other items. Many different book reading events can include ones for young adults. The young adult market has been rising lately and many young adults who are targeted by different books can get together and talk about the many things that they encounter in their books. This is often made to create something that is of interest and appealing to people who want to enjoy a quality book.

There are even some book reading clubs that are dedicated to younger kids. There are many novels that kids can read and can talk about with each other. These book reading clubs tend to be well supervised and involve the ability of kids to talk with each other about what they enjoyed in books and how they can relate to different themes or topics mentioned in these books. This is an interesting feature that anyone can enjoy when reading different items.

The book reading events for people to enjoy are all ones that relate to many kinds of books and can be attractive for anyone to see. These events can involve many points relating to all sorts of books and can be interesting for practically any type of book. The fact that these groups cater to people who are interested in all sorts of different genres or all kinds of age groups makes them all the more unique.

A book discussion forum can be one of the most popular types of social events for people to get into. A book reading forum offers the ability for people to talk about books that they like.

Source: http://articles.submityourarticle.com/book-reading-events-are-popular-among-all-groups-305625

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WWC: Broken Mask

(Random Scene I typed up from a book I'm getting ready to preform.)

It was as if time had stopped completely, frozen along my own skin and traveling over my flesh like small bubbles of water being pushed back over the windows of a car?s windshield. My mind seemed like a movie theater while the eyes that portrayed images were staring at the crimson mess I had witnessed inside Damien?s room, watching the liquid pour down plastic sheets underneath the entire length of his elaborate and dark bed. Damien was leaning over it, and his eyes?. Oh, those beautiful blue eyes were now radiating with a rose colored iris that seemed to glow inside the dim lighting of the entire perimeter. But now, he was nothing more then a monster staring back at me with long, sharp teeth protruding from blood stained lips while his limp victim had her neck laying awkwardly on the bed with her eyes staring lifelessly back at me. Drool stained her mouth, and her nails were covered in blood as splatters of her life force had found its way onto her clothes. I had never seen someone dead before. It made my heart leap up into my throat as my stomach clenched, and sweat started to form around my clenched fists. Silence.

?A-Audrey? don?t move?? Damien said after a few moments of silent terror, his bended knees slowly becoming straight as he wiped the blood from his face onto the sleeve of a dark coat, but my hands had already started to shake from adrenaline. Time, had started to move forward again when I could finally feel the breath in my chest come back to me with a gasping start of realization. ?Audrey?? His hands were towards me in a timid way. Was he trying to assure me that this was normal? Trying to prevent panic? How could he be so stupid.

?Y-you? you?? The words barely stuttered from my mouth as my feet took slow steps backwards from the doorway, my scarf falling from my shoulders as he took another hesitant step towards me with an expression that obviously read ?Oh shit? I?ve been caught.?

?Audrey, please. Just?. Just don?t run. Let me explain-?

My back had come to face him as I bolted down the hallway away from him, my feet slipping and sliding as a hand gripped me to swing around the edge of the stairs, practicially stumbling my way down the wooden steps as my heart rate had spiked to jump into my throat. My chest was swelling with panic and fear while the thoughts of death and the fear of dying couldn?t leave my head. He had been eating that woman! Drinking her blood! Was he a cannibal?! Some sort of insane vampiric cult member?! Of course, this one incident had masked the entire times of lovely company he had masked over my eyes. All I was worried about now was getting out of his house, and back into town. Where it was safe.

?Audrey! Come back here!? I could hear him yelling after me as my hands grabbed the door knob, but a pale set of digits slammed it closed as he appeared next to it with his chest heaving slightly and a glare on his face. How in the world? had he gotten here so quickly? He stared down at me, so intimidating with his tall figure hunching over my own 5"4 physique as his nails pressed into the wood with sharp indents. "Audrey. Please... don't make this harder then it has to be. Just sit down... and we can talk." He said, his voice slowly growing more and more angered as his chest became still and his red eyes had started to fade to their usual alluring ice color.

My efforts were quick while I slammed my foot into his crotch, his hands flying around his pelvis as he cried out in pain and my back once again became his visual as I sprinted into the small bathroom through the kitchen's passage, slamming the door with adrenaline pumping in my veins while the lock was flicked shut by my fingers. What do I do? What do I do? My eyes frantically moved around the bathroom to the window near the shower, the dark curtains falling off as I ripped them apart and struggled to undo the window locks when loud banging came from outside the door and forced the wood to bend and almost break at each hard blow. "AUDREY! Open the damn door!" Damien yelled angrily, vicious tones spreading into my ears as I flew the sill up and my body quickly slithered through the opening into the cold air. The door broke open.

On my feet again, I started to run across the darkening field with my eyes set on the little piece of forest that separated me from the main road that led into town. I now realized why Damien had chosen to take up a rural home; it was clear he was trying to hide himself... whatever he even was. I didn't want to stop. I couldn't stop. My hands flew through the air in motion as my legs viciously tore through grass and shrub with my boots digging into the frozen ground, the wind forcing my skin to turn red at the nose and cheeks while it stung into my green eyes. Tears forced their way out of the corners, and I struggled to wipe them away as the treeline became closer and closer in my vision while my heart continued to pump with more adrenaline fueling my legs to keep going even though my muscles trembled from the start of exhaustion. The sound of a window being broken made me turn my head back for a moment, my eyes going wide to see Damien's figure standing in the distance and it seemed like his eyes were piercing straight into my own even though he was standing from such a far distant... but I lost his form as my feet stumbled into the treeline, my legs struggling to catch themselves over the roots as I angled myself towards the cars in the distance going along the road into the highlights of buildings that represented my safety from this.... insane man. I had to keep running.

But the clouds were darkening, and my eyes glanced back to see how far he was to coming up on me. His figure was gone. My feet slowed for a moment while my legs thanked me for a small rest, my hands resting on a tree trunk as I breathed heavily with my hair falling in my face from the wind's wrath and my arms starting to tremble as my entire body felt like it had been hit by a large tremor. Where was he? Where had he gone? Was he... was he getting his car to drive after me? "W-What the hell..." I breathed out as my red hair continued to fall in tangled by my ears, my eyes narrowed until a spot of black made my eyes widen. He was at the treeline... I could see his eyes, his face perfectly. How had he ran so fast!? With an instant bolt, I started to run again, my breath coming up short as my heart jump started with the fear. I had to run faster!

But his figure was a blurr in front of me, causing me to skid to a stop as he vanished again and the woods became dead silent, the few calls of crows fading as the wind seemed to drop in mid air. Why... had I stopped? I took a step forward, my own feet crunching leaves making them sound like I was breaking glass and the sounds growing in my ears forcing me to jump in fear as I looked up and around me, trying to spot him as the blurrs of black and wind went to my right, and then my left, causing me to jerk one way and then another with fear swelling inside of me. It was like a dark force was slowly sneaking up on me, like a snake waiting to strike it's prey with its fangs and my legs didn't want to move now as they trembled and slowly started to take steps backwards with a hand stretching to touch a tree trunk and grip it for support that I didn't even realize I needed.

"You make things so difficult when you don't listen, Audrey." Damien's soft and alluring voice was now laced with something more then a mortal tone, and it came from all around me, making her turn my head left and right to find out where he was... but I couldn't see him. "Of course, maybe that's one of the reasons I like you so much. You're stubborn, independent. You want to live, you want to thrive in your own way. Danger scares you, and you run from it because you want to keep breathing this air in. I admire that." He sounded so calm, so serious.... and amused. My hands clenched, sweating and cold with clammy written all over my palms and digits. "But, this time. I really wish you had just sat down... and talked it out with me. Isn't that what lovers do when complications occur?"

"We aren't lovers. You killed someone, Damien... you... were... w-were eating her. You think I was going to let you talk to me about it?" I stammered out in a voice that I tried to make sound brave, but the fear and exhaustion I was feeling was smothered in it. Silence followed with a few leaves crunching, but his figure remained invisible to my eyes.

"You weren't supposed to see that, Audrey. Besides, she was a nobody. It's not like anyone would of missed her. And correction, love. I was drinking her blood, not eating her. Flesh is unappetizing to someone of my nature." He explained. My eyes narrowed slightly as I chewed on my lower lip, my muscles tight and my heart racing in my chest as I struggled to reply.

"W-Whatever! You're a psychopath!" I blurted out irrationally, my hands curling and uncurling at a faster rate.

"Am I? Well, I suppose to you mortals, we could be considered that. But really, it's my life source. I need blood to survive. Didn't I once hear you say you thought vampires were real? Doesn't your speech clearly state you think vampires killed your mother?" My blood froze. How.... how did he find my speech? Emotions started to swell up inside of me as I struggled to hold back tears of the past, images of my mother's bloody body and her derranged screams and wild eyes flashing in my mind before I forced them out with anger coming as my defense.

"W-What are you saying?" I said with a tight throat, the lump in my neck forming and making it hard to swallow. Don't cry. Don't cry...

"Vampires didn't kill your mother, Audrey. In fact, if Demetrius had done his job correctly, I wouldn't be here trying to swoon you off your feet. Which I did, until you came in. But what a shame, you have turned this into something that is going to be much harder to accomplish then I had planned." His voice became more sour, obviously brooding in a way. He was avoiding my question... he wasn't telling me something.

"W-What did you do to my mother!? What are you!?" I screamed out, my nails digging into my palms as anger and pain burrowed into my veins and caused tears to gloss my eyes. My head was frantically looking around for him while the wind started to pick up again. Boots landing on the ground forced me to turn, and his stature became visible over me as I stared to his 6 feet and 5 inch height with intimidation crawling over my skin. He was perfect though... the sculpted face, that pale and flawless skin... his lean physique and fluffy, long black brown hair falling in layers around his neck with it parted towards the middle and those lovely eyes staring onto my face. But his glamour was no more.

"Audrey, your intuition was always right. Vampires... well..." He leaned forward slightly, a small but charming and sinister smile forming on his pale lips. "We do exist." A flash of white blinded my eyes for a second as the silvery gleam of sharp fangs and sharpened teeth appeared with his smile, and my blood seemed to grow cold while I stumbled backwards slightly and he chuckled softly with a dark and heavy aura started to take over the forest. It felt like gravity was trying to force me to my knees, the feeling of fear and sorrow overtaking my heart with his eyes freezing my limbs over. My feet continued to stumble, until a blurr made him vanish again and I slammed into something behind me.

Arms wrapped around me like ribbons, a strong hand forming over my mouth with cloth pressing into my parted lips and into my nostrils as I struggled not to breath. I could feel an iron grip keeping my upper body from budging as my legs squirmed and kicked, hair flopping in my eyes while I struggled to twist and turn. But I froze when feeling two needles grazing part of my throat, pressing lightly against my skin and almost breaking my soft barrier but they didn't. He was teasing me, scaring me... trying to get me to scream and breath in. I could already taste the chloroform seeping into my mouth as his cold lips pressing into my ear. "Shhh....Shhh..." It was like a ghost whispering to me.

I was forced to breath in when I felt his fangs bite into my earlobe, drawing slight blood as the twinges of pain caused my heart to leap and my lungs contract while I sucked in a breath of air and the strong smell took over my nasal cavities and went into my throat. The chemical seeped its way into my head, causing my eyes to slowly close while his hands loosened a bit around my torso and slowly remove the fabric as fog took over my thoughts and scattered them this way and that. I couldn't feel, I could only let my body go limp against him as my vision blurred with my hues becoming covered by my own eyelids. The last thing I saw was his face. His perfect face, those beautiful eyes. The sounds of crows scattered across the sky in my ears as the wind started to blow violently again.

Before I stopped seeing him, I saw the face of a monster. Fangs, red eyes... shadows on a sickly pale face as his perfect image seemed to break apart. It was his broken mask.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RolePlayGateway/~3/65fo7OCFsGM/viewtopic.php

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Third major storm moving into Northern California

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) ? Another major storm moving into Northern California was expected to bring more pouring rain, flooding and additional problems to an area already soaked after two major storms, forecasters said Saturday.

Residents of Northern California enjoyed just a bit of a respite, but the next storm ? the third in a string of powerful weather systems to hit the region since Wednesday ? is expected arrive Saturday night and force several rivers over their banks, National Weather Service forecasters said.

With rivers and streams already running high and the ground saturated from the previous storms, the National Weather Service issued flood warnings for both the Napa and Russian rivers, two rivers north of San Francisco with a history of flooding, National Weather Service hydrologist Mark Strudley said.

"Some roads will become inundated and some of the agricultural areas will take on some water," Strudley said.

The Napa River was expected to flood near St. Helena and Napa around noon on Sunday, while the Russian River was expected to flood near Guerneville early Monday morning, Strudley said.

The Napa River overwhelmed downtown Napa in 2005, flooding or destroying about 1,000 homes and forcing thousands of residents to leave the area.

With that in mind, residents worked to fill 700 bags with 10 tons of sand Saturday morning, city official Danny Lerma said.

"When you see it happen, you always remember, and you say, 'I'm going to be better prepared,'" Lerma told KGO-TV. "And that's what they're doing right now."

Forecasters said the Truckee River near Lake Tahoe is expected to crest above flood level by Sunday morning. The threat of flooding prompted officials in Truckee, a small town of about 16,000, to set up an evacuation center Saturday night.

A flash flood watch was also in effect for a wide area of Northern California through Sunday evening.

Just across the border in Nevada, a state of emergency was declared in Reno, Sparks and Washoe County due to the expected flooding.

Reno city spokeswoman Michele Anderson said public servants would be working overtime through the weekend to control what's expected to be the worst flooding there since 2005.

The weather also prompted cancellations of Christmas parades and tree lightings in Sparks and Truckee.

At the peak of Friday's storm, thousands of people in Northern California were without power, but by Saturday Pacific Gas & Electric was reporting only scattered outages, spokesman J.D. Guidi said.

The utility had extra crews standing by in anticipation of new outages caused by falling branches and strong winds, Guidi said.

The stormy weather may be behind a crash that involved several cars on Interstate 280 outside of San Francisco on Saturday morning, as well as the death of a Pacific Gas & Electric worker in West Sacramento who was killed after his truck crashed into a traffic signal pole during the stormy weather Friday.

With the ground saturated with water, increasing the possibility of trees and branches falling onto roadways, and the roads expected to be slick, California Highway Patrol officials urged drivers to be extra cautious.

Officials were also warning people to be careful along beaches.

A high surf advisory was issued by the weather service, with swells expected to be 14 to 16 feet along the Northern California coast. In Southern California, high surf was predicted in Los Angeles, Orange and San Diego counties.

In San Diego, the Ocean Beach Municipal Pier was closed because of big waves and high tides.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/third-major-storm-moving-northern-california-211957917.html

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Video: Jackpot? Mystery man could be second Powerball winner

>> we now know the identity of one set of winners in that record break powerball jackpot. but there may be new clues about who was holding the other winning ticket. the ticket was sold in arizona , but the owner may have turned up on the other side of the country. tom costello has that part of the story from maryland . tom, good morning.

>> reporter: lester, good morning. everybody here at this exxon station says they believe that this ticket looked legitimate, and arizona lottery officials say nobody has yet come forward to claim the jackpot. so the question is have we found that guy? if you found out you'd won half the powerball jackpot, would you go back to work the next day?

>> did you win the lottery?

>> reporter: it sure looks like the man who celebrated in a maryland gas station was indeed back on the job at the virginia d.o.t. friday. his highway safety uniform looks the same. the car he drove away in looks the same. so washington nbc 4 's pat collins asked him.

>> is that the lottery winner there?

>> it is.

>> i found him!

>> reporter: but the driver quickly sped away. that's when pat noticed a co-worker who he thought he recognized from the gas station video.

>> were you with him? you were there. i saw you.

>> i promised the gentleman that what we would do is wait for him to come forth and speak with you all publicly.

>> reporter: it was lunchtime on thursday when this man walked into this maryland exxon station, hold out what looked like an arizona ticket and asked employee what is the powerball numbers were. they told him and he suddenly couldn't contain himself. that's cameron behind the counter.

>> so he's saying i have the powerball, check my number. that's what he said yesterday when he's here. i hit the powerball, check my number. i hit the powerball, check my numbers.

>> reporter: also in the video is customer paul gogg who saw the arizona ticket and says it looked real.

>> did to me. nobody's thinking about that at the time. i mean, i was just excited for him. i'll never see that again, you know?

>> reporter: but how did a guy with a ticket arizona end up across the country in maryland ? was the gas station celebration just a put-on? was this a joke?

>> i don't see it being a hoax at all.

>> you think he has the ticket?

>> on behalf of his privacy, i will have to wait for him to speak to you about it.

>> reporter: so we all have to wait. so how did somebody who bought a ticket in arizona allegedly end up here in maryland ? well, people in the store said they thought that this guy said he had just been in arizona and he may have been in the military or the reserves. meanwhile, arizona lottery officials say you have to come to arizona to claim your prize. lester, back to you.

Source: http://video.today.msnbc.msn.com/today/50037558/

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