| Penthouse Purchases Various, Inc., Sale Includes Bondage.com
"San Francisco-based Bondage.com was founded in 1996 to deliver an exciting, educational, and erotic experience to BDSM devotees and the curious. The free site features photos of members, stories, columns on topics relating to Bondage, Fetish, BDSM, personals ads and active chat rooms. The company has developed advanced technology to deliver a unique adult internet experience. Various plans to run Bondage.com as a completely separate site to preserve it's unique chemistry and community." In this latest acquisition, Penthouse purchased Various, Inc. for an approximate $500 Million USD. Included in the sale is over 25 social networking sites, including Bondage.com, Alt.com, Adultfriendfinder.com, Gradfinder.com and Bigchuch.com, etc. Current plans by Penthouse are to retain all sites previously owned by Various, Inc.
SelectAlternatives AAN Papers See Double-Digit Revenue Growth
AAN papers using SelectAlternatives saw, on average, an 11.6 percent increase in revenues for October 2007 compared to October 2006. The twelve AAN newspapers that have been using the SelectAlternatives local personals/social networking system for at least one year are: The Stranger; Portland Mercury; Chicago Reader; Washington City Paper; Salt Lake City Weekly; Austin Chronicle; Nuvo; Charleston City Paper and Seven Days. Comparing October 2007 performance for the same papers to October 2006: Total gross revenues increased 11.6 percent. Of the group, Seven Days enjoyed the highest percentage growth in revenues (39.3 percent), followed closely by the Austin Chronicle (35.4 percent). Total new member profiles (ads) increased 17.2 percent.
cogent_observer wrote:
BAGHDAD, Feb. 27 -- U.S.-backed Sunni volunteer forces, which have played a vital role in reducing violence in Iraq, are increasingly frustrated with the American military and the Iraqi government over what they see as a lack of recognition of their growing political clout and insufficient U.S. support......U.S. efforts to manage this fast-growing movement of about 80,000 armed men are still largely effective, but in some key areas the control is fraying. The tensions are the most serious since the Awakening was launched in Anbar province in late 2006, according to Iraqi officials, U.S. commanders and 20 Awakening leaders across Iraq. Some U.S. military officials say they are growing concerned that the Sunni insurgent group al-Qaeda in Iraq has infiltrated Awakening forces in some areas."Now, there is no cooperation with the Americans," said Haider Mustafa al-Kaisy, an Awakening commander in Baqubah, the capital of Diyala province, an insurgent stronghold that U.S.
Body case sparks probe
The discovery of Eileen Nicole Ponce-Orta's body in a City Hall parking lot Friday also prompted an investigation into whether or not proper procedures were followed when police did a "cursory check" of the van before releasing it to her family. Police are not calling Joseph Orta, 34, a suspect, but the reputed gang member was arrested on a parole violation Saturday. He was being held in state prison. Police would not say how Orta was related to the victim's husband, Nick Ponce-Orta. Eileen Ponce-Orta's family members found her body inside her van Friday. She had a fatal stab wound to the neck. The 22-year-old Covina woman's body was covered by blankets and clothing. She had been missing for four days. Her maroon Plymouth Voyager was parked in a space normally reserved for police officers in a parking lot in the 400 block of Civic Center Drive, near police headquarters and the Pomona courthouse.
India claims success against Maoist rebels
D]on't ask me to comment on my colleagues or what the prime minister said. You asked me for my opinion and I will give you my opinion," Patil told CNN-IBN's "Devil's Advocate" in an interview. ... Patil's statement flies in the face of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's repeated assertions in many forums that Maoists posed the single biggest security challenge to India and even exhorted chief ministers at a recent conference to cripple their rebellion with all means at their command. "Not a day passes without an incident of leftwing extremism taking place somewhere or the other. There also seems to be a consolidation of various groups with better coordination and strike capabilities," Manmohan Singh told chief ministers at a conclave on internal security in December last year.
Gary Coleman Says He and Wife Have Not Yet Made Love
Coleman played down their age differences, saying "I don't have issues with age, I have issues with intelligence ... She's more intelligent than I am and that's what matters to me." Price, who is 5-foot-7, and Coleman, who is 4-foot-8, also played down their height gap. "That doesn't really matter to me," she said. "He was 10 feet tall to me because he was sweet and I really liked his personality." The Associated Press contributed to this report. .
Son of cabbie sought in 2 daughters' slayings believes father is dead
The son of the man who Irving police say killed his two daughters on New Year's Day in what may have been an honor killing has a theory about why his father hasn't been caught. "To tell the truth, I think he's dead," Islam Said, 19, said during a brief telephone interview this week. But members of his mother's family think differently. .
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Then, at a recent rally I attended at the Meadowlands in New Jersey, Obama announced, "I love the free market" and "I love capitalism." Hope, change and an end to class warfare? It's as if he's saying, "Hey, you, right-winger, you too can have hope and can change the world!"However, if we just look beyond the attractive Obama package and ourselves for a moment, we might remember that the election is about actual issues. What are we hoping for? What is the "change" that the pro-Obama Kennedys are so excited about?The fresh, young face of Obama represents change, yes. But he also represents something very familiar: liberalism. Government as a permanent, inefficient, out-of-control crutch. Never mind the support of Edward Kennedy, who for many is the face of liberalism in America; Obama himself is the most liberal senator in the U.S.
Phillies - Admiration is mutual for Mike Schmidt, new Phillies third ...
CLEARWATER, Fla. - Truth be told, Pedro Feliz didn't recognize the sandy-haired man when he approached him earlier this week. But after he introduced himself - Pedro, Mike Schmidt; Mike Schmidt, Pedro - he was more than willing to listen. "From the best, you are always going to get something," said Feliz, the Phillies' new third baseman. What Feliz got was a ringing endorsement from the greatest player ever to play his position. Schmidt, in town for his annual 2-week instructional stint, said he has always been impressed with the way Feliz plays, dating back to the San Francisco Giants games Schmidt would catch on national television during Barry Bonds' heyday. "[He has] tremendously impressive hands - wow," said Schmidt, the Phillies' all-time leader in career home runs (548), RBI (1,595), walks (1,507) and runs (1,506).
Second's banana
He's going to be playing golf in June and I'm going to be managing, and Davey told me, 'Don't worry about it. He is ready.' That's high praise from Davey. Guys can be tough on players who play the same position they played." Lifelong dream Nobody needs to be tough on Nix. He is tough enough on himself. There have been some who felt that Nix's biggest challenge in getting to the big leagues is the self-induced pressure to do well. "I have gotten frustrated because I have not gotten the result I have worked to attain, but I always have appreciated the opportunity to play," he said. "That has never changed." A year ago, though, the frustrations tempered. "Last year, I really began to believe I belonged in the big leagues, that I'm a big-league player," he said, "and the World Cup reaffirmed that.
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