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As the Razorbacks are gearing up to take on Tennessee this Saturday, one of the most important issues that needs to be addressed by Coach Bielema and his staff this week are penalties. It seems the past three weeks, the Hogs have not only shot themselves in the foot in big situations, they unloaded the whole clip into it, reloaded and emptied it into their foot again. The most recent example was a critical, but manageable 4th-and-3 at the Texas A&M 35 with just a little over 4 minutes to go in the game, and the Hogs up by a touchdown. The Hogs had pounded the A&M defense into the ground, and by all accounts, had a play they felt very confident would move the chains, and possibly give them the win. However, Denver Kirkland, one of Arkansas’s better lineman, got called for a false start that pushed the Hogs back into a 4th-and-8, and outside field goal range. The Hogs were forced to punt, and it went all down hill from there. In case you need another painful reminder the Hogs lost 28-21 in overtime. (Razorbacks season in a nutshell)
Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
When Bielema took over the keys to the program, he came in with his teams having a reputation of playing smash mouth, pro-style, time of possession dominating and penalty free football. Which has been affectionately and not so affectionately dubbed, “Bert Ball” among college football fans. The A&M game saw the Razorbacks check 2 outta 3 boxes, as they kept the Aggie’s defense off balance and controled the clock most of the night. That unchecked box is potentially the difference maker going into Neyland Stadium this weekend.
Last Season, Arkansas was one of the LEAST penalized teams in the country coming in at number 32 in the FBS with around 5 penalties per game. Now, while 32 doesn’t seem that great at first glance, the difference between number 32 and number 6 was less than one penalty a game. This year however? The Hogs are looking at a number 93 ranking, with almost 8 penalties a game. That’s three higher an average per game. That’s not “Bert Ball.” That’s the difference between going to a bowl and staying home on the couch.
The Hogs face a murderers row of an SEC schedule this year, with away games at Tennessee, Alabama, LSU, and Ole Miss. There’s still some very winnable games on the schedule, however…WE COMIN’ FOR YOU UT-MARTIN! Arkansas just has to play smart, stop the flags and get back to playing the best “Bert Ball” they can. | 1,265,500 |
Toronto FC announced Friday that the club has acquired midfielder Dominic Oduro from the Columbus Crew in exchange for midfielder Álvaro Rey. As per team and league policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.
“Dominic is a player that we have had our eye on for quite some time, and we are pleased to finalize this deal and bring him to Toronto FC,” said Toronto FC General Manager Tim Bezbatchenko. “He is a player that has a tremendous amount of speed, and adds a lot to a team’s attack. His experience in MLS is another important factor as he has proven that he can consistently score goals in this league from a variety of positions. Dominic is a welcomed addition to our club. We’d also like to thank Álvaro for his contributions to Toronto FC and wish him well in his future endeavours.”
Oduro, 28, is currently in his ninth season in MLS and second with the Columbus Crew. Last season he led the Crew with 13 goals and four assists, while starting in all 34 regular season matches. Oduro has made a combined 235 league and playoff appearances, scoring 46 goals and adding 21 assists in his career, all in MLS. He was originally selected in the second round (22nd overall) in the 2006 MLS SuperDraft from Virginia Commonwealth University by FC Dallas. After spending the first three seasons of his professional career with FC Dallas, Oduro was traded to New York Red Bulls ahead of the 2009 MLS season. Later that same season the Red Bulls traded Oduro to the Houston Dynamo. He remained with the Dynamo until he was traded to the Chicago Fire, early into the 2011 MLS season. Oduro played two seasons with the Fire before being dealt to Columbus on February 1, 2013.
Oduro has earned one cap to date for Ghana. He made his debut on February 29, 2012 in a friendly match against Chile.
Rey, 24, signed for Toronto FC on July 25, 2013 and made 23 combined appearances between MLS league play and the Amway Canadian Championship; scoring one goal, and adding one assist. His first career MLS goal came in the 87th minute in a 4-1 victory over D.C. United on September 28, 2013.
DOMINIC ODURO #23
Position: Midfielder
Height: 6’0
Weight: 160 lbs.
Birthdate: August 13, 1985
Birth Place: Accra, Ghana
Hometown: Accra, Ghana
Nationality: Ghanaian
Last Club: Columbus Crew
How Acquired: Trade with Columbus Crew on Friday, June 6, 2014 in exchange for midfielder Álvaro Rey
Pronunciation: “Dom-in-ick Oh-durr-oh” | 1,265,501 |
better every day."
Calling senior Jake Sheffield an improved player and sophomore Sean O'Grady a position surprise, Graham believes he has more capable options to tinker with.
"We've got better depth than we've ever had," Graham said. "You've got (starting senior) Gannon (Conway) and (backup senior) Davon (Coleman) at the end so you're really solid there. (Sean) O'Grady is a guy who is really coming on and can play end or 3-technique and we think will play for us some. Get some plays.
Freshman linebacker Chans Cox, who appears to have secured the back-up devil position behind junior Carl Bradford, adds more depth to the roster as well as senior pass rush specialist Junior Onyeali
"When you look at the end position, great depth, when you look at the nose position, great depth," Graham said. "At 3-technique you've got Marcus and Jaxon backing it up and at devil, that's the only place -- Chans (Cox) is doing a good job, it's just he's young and learning everything. So we'll see. Junior (Onyeali) is a guy who is a third down pass rusher right now and he's got to be able to get a lot better to be able to play on first and second down. He's kind of in-between the two so we're trying to figure out a place for him."
Notes
Junior safety Damarious Randall and redshirt freshman linebacker Carlos Mendoza were still in green non-contact jerseys at practice today. Mendoza was conditioning on the bike.
Junior wide receiver Joe Morris was not in a green non-contact jersey for the first time. Morris went through individuals but didn't participate in the team period.
Senior tight end Darwin Rogers was not in a green non-contact jersey as well, his first practice after suffering a concussion a week earlier. Rogers didn't practice in individuals, but caught a pass for a large gain in the team period.
Sophomore defensive lineman Sean O'Grady had his right hand taped up, a change from the heavy wrap he had on in previous practices. O'Grady had surgery for a broken finger and wore a cast in the spring.
Junior defensive tackle Demetrius Cherry was back at practice after being suspended for a few days for a team rules violation.
Freshman linebacker Viliami Latu played the SAM, taking the place of senior linebacker Grandville Taylor, in the lone team period observed by media.
Sophomore wide receiver Jaelen Strong was observed being tested out as a possible kickoff returner for the first time.
Junior walk-on Dom Vizarro got the first punts at practice. | 1,265,502 |
Bruce Franklin Grimes November 09, 1924 - January 17, 2014
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Bruce Franklin Grimes
January 17, 2014
Mr. Bruce F. Grimes, age 89 of Harrison Township, passed away Friday morning at his home.
He was born on November 9, 1924 in Detroit, Michigan, a son of the late Eli Franklin and Lucy Helen (Titchnere) Grimes. On April 19, 1947, Bruce was united in marriage with Ursula Dowling in St. Philip Neri Catholic Church in Detroit.
Bruce retired as a machinist for C. M. Smillie Company, L & M Gear Company and Apollo Plating. He was a member of St. Peter Catholic Church in Mount Clemens, NRA, and a Life member of D.A.V. and AMVETS Post No. 57 in Harper Woods.
He enjoyed fishing, boating, antiques and flea market shopping.
Bruce served proudly in the United States Marine Corps during World War II, participating in action against enemy forces at Majuro Atoll, Marshall Islands, Iwo Jima and Volcano Islands. He was discharged with the rank of corporal.
Bruce is survived by his wife of 66 years, Ursula; children, James (Maryan), Barbara, Bruce and John (Rita); grandchildren, Leslie (Peter) Phelan, James (Courtney), John, Elizabeth (Colin) Thompson and Kristen; great grandchildren, Brady and Lila Grimes, Alexander and Elise Thompson; and his sister, Maureen (Anthony) Gonter. Bruce was predeceased by two siblings, Doris Somerville and David.
Funeral Mass will be on Monday, January 27, 2014 at 11:30 a.m. (in state 11:00 a.m.) at St. Peter Catholic Church, Market Street, Mount Clemens, with Reverend Father Michael N. Cooney officiating. Private cremation will follow.
Visiting hours will be on Sunday, January 26, 2014 from 2:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. with a Scripture Service at 7:00 p.m. at Will and Schwarzkoff Funeral Home, 233 Northbound Gratiot Avenue, Mount Clemens.
In lieu of flowers, please donate to American Lung Association in Michigan, POB 7000, Albert Lea, MN 56007-8000 or St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105.
Share Memories at willandschwarzkoff.com
To send a flower arrangement to the family of Bruce Franklin Grimes, please click here to visit our Sympathy Store.
To plant Memorial Trees in memory of Bruce Franklin Grimes, please click here to visit our Sympathy Store. | 1,265,503 |
that, it’s hard not to feel like a psychological explanation trivializes one’s condition—hence the expression “It’s only in your head.” But things that are in our heads aren’t fake or unimportant (OCD? anorexia?), and susceptibility to a nocebo effect isn’t a sign of weakness. Anyone can unknowingly invent a false memory or react to a substance that is actually benign.
Accepting a psychological explanation of gluten intolerance is especially difficult because food aversions often turn into a way of life. Like religion, avoiding gluten requires personal sacrifice. Gluten intolerance creates communities, which, like religious communities, share stories of suffering and redemption, and share meals made special by the presence of a food taboo. It’s no wonder people take offense at the suggestion that gluten intolerance could be psychological—after all, who wants to have built their way of life on a “mere” trick of the mind?
Thinking that way is a mistake. Reductionist psychological explanations of religious beliefs can be offensive because they deny fundamental religious truths: “You believe in heaven to stave off your fear of death, not because it really exists.” Legitimate psychological explanations of medical conditions, on the other hand, deny no such truths. The question of whether and to what extent MSG and gluten cause physiological reactions is scientific, not religious. When one’s explanation of a medical condition becomes an unquestionable truth, the explanation is no longer scientific.
Many basic claims of nutrition science are unintuitive and sometimes don’t stand up to repeated research. (Salt? Cholesterol? Vitamins? Alcohol? Coffee?) At this point, scientists simply don’t have a good explanation for the mechanism and prevalence of gluten intolerance—hence the need for studies about whether it exists at all. Maybe people have always been gluten intolerant and were going undiagnosed—as is true with celiac disease. Maybe our guts haven’t evolved to process gluten—as some advocates of the Paleolithic diet claim. Maybe it’s Monsanto (conspiracy theorists rejoice!). Maybe gluten intolerance isn’t really caused by gluten, and we should actually be blaming a family of proteins in wheat called amylase trypsin inhibitors. None of these explanations are “only” in our heads, which makes them feel more acceptable. But to deny the distinct possibility that gluten could be another MSG, at least for some people, is to deny what science has confirmed, again and again, about our nature as human beings.
So when some annoying friend implies that your gluten intolerance is psychological, go right ahead and be offended. But when science suggests it? Best to listen up, question your self-diagnosis, and remind yourself that nocebo effects are nothing to be ashamed of. | 1,265,504 |
President Trump Donald John TrumpFederal prosecutor speaks out, says Barr 'has brought shame' on Justice Dept. Former Pence aide: White House staffers discussed Trump refusing to leave office Progressive group buys domain name of Trump's No. 1 Supreme Court pick MORE on Tuesday scoffed at the mounting calls for impeachment proceedings from House Democrats as he faces increasing scrutiny for his interactions with Ukraine.
More than a dozen Democrats have come out in favor of impeachment in recent days as new information emerged that Trump withheld funds for Ukraine and raised the subject of former Vice President Joe Biden Joe BidenFormer Pence aide: White House staffers discussed Trump refusing to leave office Progressive group buys domain name of Trump's No. 1 Supreme Court pick Bloomberg rolls out M ad buy to boost Biden in Florida MORE, who is running for president, and his son during a call with the Ukrainian president.
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"I think it’s ridiculous. It’s a witch hunt. I’m leading in the polls. They have no idea how they stop me, the only way they can try is through impeachment," Trump told reporters as he arrived at the United Nations ahead of his address to world leaders Tuesday morning.
"It’s nonsense, and when you see the call, when you see the readout of the call, which I assume you’ll see at some point, you’ll understand. That call was perfect," Trump added.
Democrats have raised alarm bells that Trump and his allies have solicited a foreign nation to investigate one of his political opponents after the president acknowledged that he spoke about the Bidens in the context of corruption during a July 25 call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, but he has denied there was anything improper about it.
Additional Democrats have come out in favor of impeachment following reports Monday night that Trump ordered millions of dollars in military aid for Ukraine be withheld just days before the call with Zelensky.
The president denied there was any explicit quid pro quo involving the aid and the investigation into the Bidens.
Trump on Tuesday claimed that he withheld the funds because he wanted to see European nations like France and Germany contribute more to help Ukraine fend off Russian aggression, and he did not express any regret about his decision.
"Those funds were paid. They were fully paid but my complaint has always been — and I’ll withhold again and I’ll continue to withhold until such time as Europe and other nations contribute to Ukraine. Because they're not doing it," he said.
Video: Trump confirms he withheld military aid from Ukraine before his call with Ukrainian President Zelensky
pic.twitter.com/yajPreqy0H — Mike Walker (@New_Narrative) September 24, 2019
Trump is scheduled to meet with Zelensky on Wednesday on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly. | 1,265,505 |
Aleppo, Syria — A recent video, apparently recorded just outside of Aleppo Syria and uploaded to Youtube, illustrates just how insane the US “War on Terror” has become.
By: Matt Agorist
This article first appeared at FreeThoughtProject
What the video shows is the U.S. backed, armed, and financed Free Syrian Army, (aka moderate rebels, aka ISIS-linked terrorists) firing a U.S. Supplied anti-tank TOW guided missile.
Of course, the ‘moderate rebels’ firing a US missile is nothing out of the ordinary. However, what makes this U.S. paid for missile so special is that it was fired at what is clearly a U.S. paid for Humvee.
The description posted inside the video says that they destroyed a Humvee with a 14.5mm machine gun and that all occupants of the vehicle were killed.
Whether or not the Humvee belonged to the huge lot of “stolen” military gear in Iraq last year or if it was driven in by US-supplied Iraqi militias is unclear.
What is clear, however, is that whether directly or through error, the US is financing multiple sides of the conflict in Syria, thereby highlighting the ridiculous nature of America’s foreign policy.
As politicians continue to call for gun control domestically, these idiots are handing out guided missile systems to people linked to violent extremist groups by dropping crates from the sky.
As the death toll passes 250,000 in Syria, the US continues to peddle the bullshit notion that dumping troops and money and weapons into the hands of ‘moderate rebels’ will somehow accomplish peace in the region.
The reality is, however, far different, and those at the top of the global murdering empire know it.
Hollywood actor, Donald Sutherland just explained what all of the military industrial complex mayhem was all about last week. Sutherland, who plays President Coriolanus Snow in the blockbuster movie series Hunger Games, was recently asked what the movie was really about – his answer resonates well with the current situation in Syria.
“If there’s any question as to what it’s an allegory for I will tell you. It is the powers that be in the United States of America. It’s profiteers. War is for profit. It’s not “to save the world for democracy” or “for king and country.” No, bulls**t. It’s for the profit of the top 10%, and the young people who see this film must recognize that for the future ‘blind faith in their leaders,’ as Bruce Springsteen said, “will get you dead.”
This article first appeared at FreeThoughtProject | 1,265,506 |
?
Which brings us to the most recent upload to the lonelygirl15 channel. Someone going by the pseudonym “M” uploaded a new promotional video to the lonelygirl15 channel. In this new video, Bree assures the trait-positive individuals that she made it through the Ceremony intact, encouraging them to freely give their blood to the Order. Like previous promotional videos, however, there are secret messages hidden, if you look hard enough. Multiple times during the video, the symbol appears that represents “The Watchers”, a faction within the order seeking to protect trait-positive individuals. When the symbol appears, viewers can click through on hidden annotations to find additional evidence.
Clicking on Bree’s right eye at 0:43 opens up a voicemail that Daniel left about tracking down a trait-positive girl who was abducted from the hospital. Thanks to a Game of Thrones spoiler reference, the voicemail was recorded recently. Clicking on her left eye at 1:17 pulls up an email transcript discussing an incident at Verdus Pharmaceuticals, a pharmaceutical company that served as one of the Order’s fronts in prior seasons. Clicking the foot of the Watchers’ symbol at 1:42 reveals a medical report from a psychiatric patient in poor shape. The urls for the three files spells out a question: “whatever happened to / that girl / yeah THAT girl”
A sneak preview of lonelygirl in 2016
In an interview with Forbes, lonelygirl15 co-creator Miles Beckett and Discourse Productions’ Jenni Powell confirmed that in addition to Jessica Rose and Yousef Abu-Taleb returning to reprise their roles as Bree and Daniel, Maxwell Glick would also be returning for the new update. It would also provide an opportunity to play around with the new platforms for storytelling that have emerged over the past decade.
The internet has changed since lonelygirl15 first rose to prominence. Even YouTube has changed – while July 16th marks the 10 year anniversary of the first lonelygirl15 video blog, the channel’s first uploads highlighted dialogues with paytotheorderofofof and thewinekone, popular YouTubers of the time. Lonelygirl15 emerged at a time when video responses provided a conversational undercurrent to the site that has changed both the nature and location of discourse.
The show’s return has led to players returning to their old forums and IRC chatrooms, but don’t be surprised if “newer” platforms like Facebook and Reddit see increased utilization this time around. While it’s too soon to tell where lonelygirl16 will play out, the YouTube channel is likely to be a central hub for the experience. To help get a grasp on the lonelygirl universe’s sprawling lore, checking out the LGPedia is a must. | 1,265,507 |
percent or greater ownership interest in a legal entity purchasing residential real property without a bank loan or similar external financing in the following geographic areas meeting specific transaction thresholds: $500k and above – Bexar County, Texas
$1m and above – Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach Counties, Florida
$1.5m and above – New York City Boroughs of Brooklyn, Queens, Bronx, and Staten Island
$2m and above – San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Mateo, and Santa Clara Counties, California
$3m and above – New York City Borough of Manhattan
This is a step in the right direction to fight those evil money launders at the very high end of the market, but for your average Zhou with a few million big ones to stash, it is still business as usual.
America remains the favoured place to stash cash away from Beijing’s prying eyes, or, indeed, those of any other government bent on stemming capital flight. As long as someone stays below those investment limits, he or she can expect to have little difficulty obtaining a clean bank account and making a property purchase with cash.
Let’s Try With Bitcoin
It is clearly easy to wash and hide a few million USD in the liquid property markets of Hong Kong and America. What about using the favourite monetary boogeyman, Bitcoin?
Assume you want to move $1 million in cash into Bitcoin.
There are two options: either you can open an account on an exchange, or trade over-the-counter (OTC) with a dealer.
Any exchange that can handle this sort of volume has a serious banking relationship. Their bank will require extensive KYC / AML checks on all accounts. If the purpose is to hide the flow of funds, this is suboptimal. Presented with a subpoena, the exchange will be obligated to present the customer details.
If you can’t use an exchange, perhaps an OTC dealer would trade with you. Unfortunately the large dealers also must follow KYC / AML regulations. They again have banking relationships to maintain.
The major liquidity sources are exchanges and compliant OTC dealers. There are dealers who will onboard a client without KYC checks; however, their spread vs. the market will be extremely aggressive. A 20%+ vig to clean your money, assuming they can handle your size, is to be expected.
Washing money through the crypto capital markets is very difficult if you are unwilling to provide KYC information. Property is much easier, and vested interests from the government to the real estate brokers want you involved. They will do all they can to alleviate KYC / AML reporting requirements. Satoshi ain’t the biggest illegal finance enabler: no, it’s Uncle Sam. | 1,265,508 |
wrote that officers did ask him about Pribush but said "they didn't seem very interested.... They didn't ask me if I was feeling depressed or suicidal."
Blacksburg police repeatedly declined comment for this story.
Pribush, who recently graduated from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York, had met Kim online in the "World of Warcraft" game. In the months after the Virginia Tech massacre, Pribush said, he noticed a change in Kim.
"He was saying he was Asian, and he really didn't have too many friends in real life," Pribush said.
Then, in late October, Kim revealed his darkest thoughts. "He actually thought about purchasing a gun and planning to kill himself like soon. I'm like, 'Dan is that a joke; is that something funny? I don't think that's funny. You shouldn't joke about having a gun.' He said, 'I'm serious. I actually bought a gun.' "
Several days later, Kim threatened suicide again by "swallowing pills" and getting into a "car accident." Pribush became so concerned, he eventually e-mailed the Virginia Tech health officials.
Blacksburg police records show that they interviewed Kim and they classified him as "C-4," which is the code for OK. And then police drove off.
Three weeks later, Kim bought a pistol for $406.25 with his father's credit card at JND Pawnbrokers, the same Blacksburg, Virginia, store where Cho picked up his gun. William Kim said he had no idea about the purchase at the time.
Don't Miss Virginia Tech's protocol
Virginia Tech's protocol In Depth: Virginia Tech remembered
Then, on December 9, more than a month after police checked on Kim, his sister, Jeannette, got an urgent call from home. Something was wrong with her brother. "So I texted him, and I was like... 'Where are you; I'm really worried about you,' " she said.
But it was too late. Her brother shot himself in the family car in a parking lot seven miles from campus. Today, his father still drives the car his son took his life in.
Asked whether the university let down his son, he said, "I feel like it, yes, especially after the April shooting."
The dad says his son had not exhibited depression previously. In addition, the father said, Virginia Tech never shared the emergency e-mail with him until it was too late.
That especially pains the family.
"Virginia Tech is lucky this time that only my brother died. And to me, my brother was everything," said his sister. E-mail to a friend
All About Gun Control • Virginia Tech Police Department • School Shootings | 1,265,509 |
This discovery is a pretty significant find. It supports a model for the evolution of feathers that has previously relied on compression fossils that are difficult to interpret and have been hotly debated.
Also, the amber-entombed feathers show that some of the most primitive feather types, also known as protofeathers, were still around just before the dinosaurs went extinct. They existed alongside feathers that are nearly identical to those of modern birds. Given what we know about the animals that were alive in the area at the time, it is reasonable to suggest that the protofeather-like specimens are attributable to dinosaurs and are the first specimens of this type of feather to be recovered from amber.
How does amber preservation work exactly?
Preservation in amber can vary quite a bit among deposits. Amber tends to preserve specimens in great detail because tree resin has antibacterial and drying properties that partially mummify inclusions and slow the initial onslaught of decay. Over many years, the resin polymerizes, turning into a plastic-like substance that is quite resilient, but burial usually results in heating that can have a profound effect on the inclusions over the span of millions of years.
The Canadian amber insect inclusions are largely preserved as hollow voids in the amber, with a thin film of carbonized, coal-like material, where the outside of the insect once was. The feathers appear to have fared much better, because they are fine and are not composed of material that decay easily. That said, many of the specimens show signs of partial decay, and there is no indication of how much, if any, original material remains intact.
What's the backstory of these specimens?
What originally got me interested in this project was a single feather fragment trapped in a spider web that had been given to Dr. Brian Chatterton. For my Ph.D. project, I worked on tiny, less than three millimeter, parasitic wasps trapped within amber from the same deposit. As part of this project I was able to go through the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology collection of 3,000 or so inclusions in great detail. After finding a lot of feather fragments in this collection, I had the good fortune of meeting the Leuck family, amateur collectors in southern Alberta, who donated a pair of additional specimens to the University of Alberta. Later, we learned that Dr. Philip Currie was also examining a trio of specimens from the deposit. We pooled the material, creating a surprisingly rich snapshot of feathers in the Late Cretaceous.
This project underlines the importance of maintaining museum collections as well as the role that interested amateurs can play in palaeontology. Without these, there is no way that we would have been able to observe these important specimens.
According to your paper, these feathers represent several distinct stages of feather evolution. Could you explain each stage briefly? | 1,265,510 |
smoke, she'd vanish. Then, she'd re-appear in a balloon ride that carried her over the park, waving at the crowds," said Barrett as we took in the magic of seeing Oz for the first time.When we reach the iconic green gates with the giant yellow "OZ" painted on the doors, I ask hopefully, "Are we going to see the Emerald City?"Barrett sadly shakes his head: "No. Back in the day we had an Emerald City with an amphitheater, gift shops, and a restaurant. But in 1975 a fire destroyed Emerald City."A purple horse-of-a-different color still peers out from behind a secret bush, all that remains of the once-great Emerald City.After a booming decade in the 1970's, the Land of Oz theme park closed its doors in the 1980's. "There were a few factors that led to us closing," says Barrett sadly. "The gas crisis of the mid-70's put a damper on tourism. Plus, Carolina Caribbean went under in 1975."In 1980 there was a moment of hope when Pentes returned to re-design the park and bring it up to standards; alas, the cost was too much for the people in charge at that time. For ten years, the park stayed closed.In Peter Pan, another classic children's story, the power of people clapping and believing brings fairies back to life. Well, in the 1990s "people wanted us to come back," smiled Barrett.The kids who visited in the 1970's had grown up, and they wanted to bring their kids to Oz.It brought a surge of emotion. "I had grown men get on the yellow brick road and they'd get teary-eyed."One woman returned to visit Oz after decades away, carrying a photograph from her childhood visit."She told us the story of how she'd been scared when she visited as a child, but the Dorothy held her hand the whole time." That memory had stuck with her over the decades. As it so happened, that original Dorothy was also visiting the park that same day. They had the chance to re-connect after all those years."Oz is very, very close to a lot of people -- the story, and also the theme park. We had a lot of the original cast members come back." The original cast had grown-up, but they still had roles to play.Girls who played Dorothy returned after 20 years to play Ms. Gulch and Aunt Em. An original Tin Man came back to play the Wizard. Several cast members brought their children to play the same roles they once played. Working at the Land of Oz is a legacy.The park's magic and popularity leave people frequently wishing for a glimpse inside, but tickets can still be difficult to come by. For those hoping to sneak a peek of the iconic yellow brick road,-- but only for a few days. | 1,265,511 |
Litecoin is a “Payment Token”
In a report from the IMF published late last year, but that only surfaced on Crypto Twitter over the past few days due to a tweet from the Litecoin Foundation’s Xinxi Wang, the monetary authority’ statistics department subtly gave Litecoin (LTC) its stamp of approval. In the middle of the report, the department deemed LTC a digital means of payment.
Sure, this doesn’t mean that the IMF is going to embrace the cryptocurrency (or Bitcoin for that matter), but it goes to show that not all politicians and economists are sticking by the line put forth by the certain pundits that claim that the cryptocurrency asset class is backed by “thin air” and has no viability in the real world.
The definition that the powerful monetary authority pinned to Litecoin reads as follows:
A payment token: those intended to become BLCAs (Bitcoin-like crypto assets) and to be used universally (i.e., not restricted to a specific platform) as units of account, store of value, and means of payment.
Actually Being Used
Indeed, Litecoin is starting to find a number of real-world applications — much unlike other cryptocurrency projects. In July, the project teamed up with the Miami Dolphins, an NFL team. The partnership gives the Litecoin foundation the ability to appear in Dolphins’ advertisements and digital property.
But more pertinent to this article, the collaboration involves payment processor Aliant Payments, so that attendees of Dolphins games will be able to purchase 50/50 raffle tickets with Bitcoin and Litecoin. On this subject matter, Charlie Lee, a Google and Coinbase engineer turned creator of Litecoin, expressed his excitement as follows:
“This collaboration propels Litecoin in front of an audience of millions of people around the world at a time where adoption of cryptocurrencies continues to gain momentum and the ecosystem is able to support real world use cases in ways previously not possible. We see this as a powerful way to raise awareness and educate people about Litecoin and cryptocurrencies on a tremendous scale.”
Also, the Litecoin Foundation teamed up with Bibox Exchange and Ternio to release a debit card, which will allow users to spend LTC, BIX, TERN — the three crypto assets of the three projects — in the real world.
And most importantly, crypto payments upstart Flexa has allowed Americans to spend everything from Bitcoin to Litecoin in stores from Amazon’s Whole Foods to Bed, Bath, & Beyond.
Despite all this, Litecoin has unfortunately not been faring too well in terms of its price action. Since its halving earlier this week, the cryptocurrency has shed a good 15% against BTC, and is clearly looking to trend lower and lower.
Title Image Courtesy of Marco Verch Via Flickr | 1,265,512 |
Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call via Getty Images Former Rep. Randy Neugebauer, a critic of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, may be Trump's pick to run the agency.
NEW YORK ― Big business and congressional Republicans salivate at the idea of gutting the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the brainchild of Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.). Now, President-elect Donald Trump is moving toward what they’ve long wanted: a weak agency that sides with financial predators over consumers.
Trump met with former Rep. Randy Neugebauer (R-Texas) on Wednesday and is considering Neugebauer to run the CFPB, Trump spokesman Sean Spicer confirmed on a Thursday call with reporters.
A source close to the transition team told HuffPost that Neugebauer has yet to be offered the job, but that no other candidates are being looked at yet. HuffPost previously reported that Neugebauer’s name was being floated as agency chief if Trump decides to fire the current director, Richard Cordray.
When he was in Congress, Neugebauer opposed CFPB actions like the first-ever federal rule cracking down on payday loans. He labeled the agency’s effort to require payday lenders to take basic steps to ensure consumers can pay back their loans and not get trapped in a cycle of debt as a “paternalistic erosion of consumer product choices.” He introduced a bill to overhaul and weaken the agency.
As the CFPB was originally designed, the president could not fire its director at will before his five-year term expired. But a federal appeals court ruled last year that the agency structure is unconstitutional. Unless that ruling is overturned by the Supreme Court or reconsidered by the lower court that decided it — the CFPB petitioned that court to vacate the earlier ruling — Trump will be able to remove the Obama-appointed Cordray at any time for any reason.
Warren pushed for the CFPB to be created in the wake of the financial crisis as part of the 2010 Wall Street regulatory reform law. It is funded as part of the Federal Reserve system, which means its budget cannot be cut through the congressional appropriations process, and it has a single powerful director, rather than the bipartisan boards found at other agencies like the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Under Cordray’s leadership, the CFPB has returned $12 billion to 27 million people caught up in various scams, passed pro-consumer rules on issues like mortgage disclosure, proposed a mandatory arbitration rule that is being finalized, and hit banks for conning customers into paying for expensive add-on products that don’t do much. The agency was central in exposing the large-scale checking and credit card fraud at Wells Fargo.
CORRECTION: The CFPB has proposed but not finalized a rule on mandatory arbitration. | 1,265,513 |
With monarch butterfly populations rapidly dwindling, a conservation organization on Monday asked the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to implement tougher rules for the weed killer glyphosate — first marketed under the brand name Roundup — to save America’s most beloved insect from further decline.
In a petition, the Natural Resources Defense Council argued that current uses of glyphosate are wiping out milkweed, the only plant upon which monarch caterpillars feed. The loss of milkweed is having a devastating effect on the life cycles of the large, fragile orange-and-black butterflies, which migrate through the United States, Canada and Mexico.
It takes several generations of the insect scientists know as Danaus plexippus to make the round trip because each monarch lives only a few weeks in the summer.
Since federal glyphosate rules were last updated a decade ago, its use has spiked tenfold to 182 million pounds a year, largely due to the introduction and popularity of corn and soybeans genetically modified to resist the herbicide, the petition says.
“The tenfold increase in the amount of glyphosate being used corresponds with huge losses of milkweed and the staggering decline of the monarch,” Sylvia Fallon, an NRDC senior scientist, said in an interview. “We are seeking new safeguards desperately needed to allow enough milkweed to grow.”
California’s monarch population has fallen an estimated 80% over the last 15 years due to urbanization, drought, weed abatement programs and pesticides, according to the nonprofit Xerces Society, a Portland, Ore.-based organization dedicated to conservation of invertebrates.
The caterpillars are about 2 3/4 inches long, with a pair of black antennae-like appendages at either end of a body ringed with black, yellow and white stripes. They spend most of their three weeks of existence munching on milkweed leaves.
The EPA is scheduled to complete a new review of glyphosate rules in 2015. But “given the rapid decline in monarch numbers, the EPA should take immediate steps to review and restrict glyphosate’s uses,” the petition says.
The petition asks the EPA to consider preventing the use of glyphosate and other weed killers along highways and utility rights of way where milkweed could grow freely without interfering with maintenance or emergency crews.
It also asks that farmers be required to establish herbicide-free safety zones in or around their fields, and urges the EPA to ensure that any new safeguards on glyphosate don’t lead simply to more use of other weed killers that would be equally bad for monarchs and may pose health risks.
“The good news is that butterflies are resilient and can rebound quickly,” Fallon said. “All they need is milkweed on which to lay their eggs.”
[email protected] | 1,265,514 |
The award-winning, suspense-horror, action-adventure game gives players an open-world experience, featuring detailed interactions with Greenvale locals, as well as numerous side quests and mini games to help solve the murders and uncover hidden town secrets.
Playing as special agent Francis York Morgan (just call him York—everyone else does), players must investigate the brutal murder of a young local beauty. Amidst the backdrop of soaring mountains and a small American town, York must solve the mystery of the Red Seed Murders and stay alive in a place where supernatural creatures and a killer seek to end his investigation.
Limited Edition Includes:
Immerse yourself in the dark depths of Deadly Premonition with the Classified Edition's collectible contents. Dive deep into the creative process behind the game with a 30+ page hardcover art book, which features more than 50 pieces of concept, process, and final artwork.
Feel like you're part of the world, listening to the 25-song original soundtrack while you sip on your coffee and play a game of poker with the completely custom 54-card Bicycle brand card deck. Of course, you could always throw the soundtrack into a Walkman and wander down a creepy road all alone instead...
Deadly Premonition - PS3®
30+ page hardcover art book
Collector's box
25 song Original Sound Track CD with Jewel Case
Custom 54 card Bicycle brand card deck
Game Details:
Platform: PS3®
Genre: Survival Horror
Player(s): 1
Publisher: Rising Star Games
Developer: Access Games
PEGI Rating: 18
Language Audio: English
Language Text: English, French, German, Italian & Spanish
Region: PAL
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Deadly Premonition game is playable on Playstation 3 systems only. Playstation Network and Playstation Store features are subject to terms of use and country and language restrictions.
Deadly Premonition features English, French, German, Italian & Spanish in-game text.
Our video game Limited and Premium Editions contain full, packaged versions of each game for play on local gaming console and handheld gaming systems. All games are fully approved by local rating bodies, license holders and console platform holders for distribution in our shipping territories. | 1,265,515 |
Andrew Gillum‘s political committee, Forward Florida, ran through nearly $125,000 in legal fees in March, shortly after police found Gillum “inebriated” inside a Miami Beach hotel room when responding to a call for an apparent crystal meth overdose.
Reports filed with the Division of Elections show the committee doled out just under $105,000 to the Perkins Coie law firm and about $19,000 to Stearns Weaver Miller Weissler. Both expenditures were classified as “legal services.”
Those sums build on payments to the firms dating back to last year.
Gillum relied on Forward Florida during his 2018 gubernatorial run. The Democratic candidate was edged out by Republican Ron DeSantis while Forward Florida sat on more than $3 million.
Following the loss, Gillum has used the committee to fund a voter registration campaign.
Forward Florida has also sent money to organizations backing Democratic House and Senate candidates in 2020. The House Victory Caucus received $150,000. Senate Victory received $75,000 in what was labeled an “initial investment.”
Both contributions pale in comparison to the $450,000 the committee paid to Perkins Coie and Stearns Weaver Miller Weissler in the last two months of 2019.
Orlando attorney John Morgan, a former Gillum donor, has raised hell regarding the candidate’s handling of the unspent 2018 campaign cash. Morgan threatened to sue Gillum last year to recoup the money.
Forward Florida’s March report also lists a $15,000 payment to MWW Group, a New Jersey-based PR firm, for “communications consulting.”
Gillum has temporarily pulled away from the public spotlight following the embarrassing episode at the Miami Beach hotel.
The former Tallahassee Mayor was found with another man who was suspected of overdosing on crystal meth. Gillum denied doing any illegal drugs, instead stating he had drank too much. Police reports state Gillum “was unable to communicate with officers due to his inebriated state.”
After the incident, Gillum entered rehab and stepped down from his public-facing roles, including a gig as a CNN contributor.
“This has been a wake-up call for me,” Gillum said in a statement. “Since my race for Governor ended, I fell into a depression that has led to alcohol abuse. I witnessed my father suffer from alcoholism and I know the damaging effects it can have when untreated. I also know that alcoholism is often a symptom of deeper struggles.“
Overall, Forward Florida burned through more than $180,000 last month. It added just $2,000, though not for lack of trying. The committee has more than $1.8 million in the bank. | 1,265,516 |
Pandit Ashok Sharma (man in white beard) appointing Pooja Shakun Pandey as the first judge of the first Hindu... Read More
MEERUT: In a first of its kind move, the members of Akhil Bharatiya Hindu Mahasabha set up the first Hindu court – on the lines of Shariat court, as the country celebrated Independence Day on Wednesday. Set up with an aim to make decisions on Hindu affairs, and have an equivalent court-like system in place just like Darul Qaza (Shariat courts) – which resolves issues in line with Islamic Laws, the first Hindu Court also got its first judge in a ceremony that was held here at the party’s office on Meerut’s Sharda road.
“We had challenged the establishment of Shariat Courts a few days ago and asked that they should not exist at all because there should be one constitution for all. We had even asked the government in a letter that we sent demanding this, that if our demands are not met, we will set up a similar court for Hindus. Since no action was taken in our favour, we set up the first Hindu court here on Wednesday,” said Pandit Ashok Sharma, national vice president, Akhil Bharatiya Hindu Mahasabha. Sharma is also the head of the five-member sangrakshak mandalof the Hindu court.
Pooja Shakun Pandey, national secretary, Akhil Bharatiya Hindu Mahasabha, who has been appointed as the first judge of the Hindu Court, said, “We will deal with matters related to Hindus only and the issues will range from harassment of Hindu women, Hindu marriages, disputes of property or money, and many others. When the BJP came to power in the centre and the state, we had high hopes from them but since they have started playing divide and rule among Hindus on the basis of caste, Hindu court is a way to bring them together. We will have proper jails and our maximum punishment will be death.” Pandey, it should be noted, was a professor until five years ago and has masters in Maths, Computer Science, and also is an M.Phil in Mathematics and Ph.D in Mathematics.
The party members plan to declare the bylaws of their court on October 2 and appoint a total of five judges in different parts of the country on November 15, so that “Hindus can get justice at five different places,” said Shrma.
Abhishek Agarwal, district president, Hindu Mahasabha, said, “The civil courts already have lakhs of pending cases and it gets difficult to get justice for a person who is poor. So by means of the Hindu court, people will be able to get quick and affordable justice.”
| 1,265,517 |
BERLIN (Reuters) - Bavaria’s most glamorous politician -- a flame-haired motorcyclist who helped bring down state premier Edmund Stoiber -- has shocked the Catholic state in Germany by suggesting marriage should last just 7 years.
Gabriele Pauli, who poses on her web site in motorcycle leathers, is standing for the leadership of Bavaria’s Christian Social Union (CSU) -- sister party of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservative Christian Democrats (CDU) -- in a vote next week.
She told reporters at the launch of her campaign manifesto Wednesday she wanted marriage to expire after seven years and accused the CSU, which promotes traditional family values, of nurturing ideals of marriage which are wide of the mark.
“The basic approach is wrong... many marriages last just because people believe they are safe,” she told reporters. “My suggestion is that marriages expire after seven years.”
After that time, couples should either agree to extend their marriage or it should be automatically dissolved, she said.
Fifty-year-old Pauli, twice divorced, is a maverick intent on shaking up her male-dominated and mainly Catholic party which has dominated Bavarian politics since World War Two.
“This is about bringing ideas into the CSU and starting a discussion,” she told German television Thursday after she had unleashed a wave of criticism from other politicians.
Slideshow ( 3 images )
Former foe Stoiber said she did not belong in the CSU and European lawmaker Ingo Freidrich dismissed her views.
“She is diametrically contradicting our Christian, ethical values,” Freidrich said.
Peter Ramsauer, head of the CSU in Germany’s parliament, compared Pauli’s ideas to “the dirt under your fingernails.”
Pauli, who attracted attention earlier this year when she posed for a magazine wearing long black latex gloves, was at the center of a snooping scandal which eventually led to Stoiber, Bavarian premier for 14 years, saying he would stand down early.
She said his office tried to obtain details about lovers and alcohol consumption to use against her.
The CSU will elect Stoiber’s successor as party head at a conference next week. He will be replaced as state premier in early October.
Viewed as a party rebel, Pauli stands almost no chance of winning next week’s vote. The contest has been fought mainly between Bavarian state economy minister Erwin Huber and German Consumer Minister Horst Seehofer.
The popularity of Seehofer, a 58-year-old married father of three, has suffered from the disclosure that he had been having an affair with a younger woman who recently had his baby. | 1,265,518 |
A HOUSE COMMITTEE did not even do the bare minimum this month to free Washington from an irrational federal law that places a hard ceiling on the height of every building in the District. The term “bare minimum,” after all, implies that some reasonable threshold has been reached, a pressing need satisfied.
But don’t blame federal lawmakers. For once, they aren’t the ones trampling over the District’s sovereignty and forcing senseless policies on the city. In this case, it’s 12 members of the D.C. Council who are doing so — with the foolishness led by chairman Phil Mendelson (D). Last year, they voted to oppose not only the mere possibility of relatively small changes to the Height Act but also a process that would put the decision about changing height restrictions in the hands of city leaders, rather than leaving the call to federal authorities. The council’s dereliction of sense left Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), the best friend the city seems to have on this issue, with few options but the one his committee endorsed.
Instead of lifting any of the height limits that have restrained the city since 1910, the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform is proposing merely to ease restrictions on what property owners can put on their roofs. Current regulations allow machinery for elevators or ventilation systems; the new rule would allow penthouse apartments in that space, as long as they aren’t obtrusive. The reform might not add up to much new development, since the demand among property owners for penthouses is likely to be limited.
The Height Act is only one example, though a glaring one, of the irrational policies that restrain sensible growth in Washington. The National Capital Planning Commission points out that, federal height rules or no, there would be opportunities for creating a denser, more vibrant city if local zoning regulators would allow flexibility, particularly around major public transportation corridors. Simplifying the punitively complex process that developers must go through to get building approvals is also crucial.
Washington is changing, a process that is not always easy or comfortable, but one that is on balance very good. Among the side effects of the welcome revitalization of the urban core have been staggering housing costs, pricing all sorts of people out of homes and apartments and unnecessarily taxing the quality of life of those who decide to pay up. Affordable housing policies can only do so much to alleviate the pressure, and they don’t help middle-income residents. The obvious answer is to let the city become denser, with care to ensure that it is walkable and bikeable, allowing more people to live and work where and how they want to. With more supply of square footage, upward pressure supporting outrageous housing and office costs will abate. Neither foggy-eyed nostalgia for a skyline frozen in 1910 nor cynical NIMBYism can justify opposing policies. | 1,265,519 |
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Top Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday called for the appointment of a special counsel to investigate “fraud and mismanagement” at troubled mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
The headquarters of mortgage lender Freddie Mac is seen in Mclean, Virginia, near Washington, September 8, 2008. REUTERS/Jason Reed
In a letter to Attorney General Michael Mukasey, they asked that such a probe examine the actions of a number of aides to former Democratic U.S. President Bill Clinton who later went to work for the two-government-sponsored enterprises.
House Minority Leader John Boehner and other House Republicans cited “fraud and mismanagement at Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac,” along with missed opportunities to rein them in.
The Justice Department already is engaged in its own investigation and prosecutions related to the subprime mortgage crisis.
Justice Department spokesman Peter Carr said the agency will review the lawmakers’ request. He added, “The FBI has acknowledged it is conducting a number of corporate fraud investigations; however, we do not discuss which individuals or companies may or may not be the subject of an investigation.”
The Republican request for a special investigator came just two weeks before the November 4 presidential and congressional elections.
Boehner said that Democrats, who control Congress, “have refused to delve into these issues in a serious manner because they’re afraid of political fallout.”
House Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank, a Massachusetts Democrat, fired back in a statement noting that Republicans controlled Congress from 1995-2006 “and that is the period in which the absence of regulation, into which they want a criminal investigation, occurred.” Frank added, “House Republicans appear to be demanding a criminal investigation of their failure to legislate.”
He said that Democrats have been trying to advance reform Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac legislation.
October’s Wall Street meltdown, which came in the wake of the government’s seizure last month of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, has hurt traditionally anti-regulation Republican lawmakers.
With Republican poll numbers and stock prices falling, Democrats appear positioned to expand their majorities next month in the House and Senate.
Much of the Republicans’ letter to Mukasey focuses on former aides to ex-President Bill Clinton, a Democrat. They are Franklin Raines and Jamie Gorelick, who subsequently became Fannie Mae executives.
“Because of the depth, sophistication and far-reaching impact of potential wrongdoing, we ask that you seriously consider the formation of an Enron-like task force or the appointment of a special counsel to spearhead the investigation,” the Republican lawmakers wrote.
Earlier this year, Mukasey declined to establish a new task force to investigate mortgage fraud. | 1,265,520 |
By Codelia Mantsebo
Sea Level has unveiled their latest superyacht design: Future Concept CF8. The unique and breath-taking vessel features a swimming pool that can be converted into a dance floor, its own waterfall and eight en-suite VIP cabins with walk-in closets, a gym with a sauna and a private cinema.
With a striking aerodynamic shape, the futuristic vessel is the brainchild of Sea Level Yacht Design, based in Muiden, Netherlands. CF8 — which stands for ‘cars and family in 80 meters’ seeks to revolutionize the way yachts are built and takes innovation to new heights. Standing at 262 feet, the CF8 boasts a strong outer shape with strong design lines paying homage to sports cars.
The CF8 can accommodate up to 12 guests and sports 8 VIP cabins and there are extra cabins for a nanny and butler. These cabins come packed with en-suite facilities and walk-in wardrobes. The owner’s suite is located on the special owner’s deck on the yacht, with 250 square meters of private deck space and an eight-person Jacuzzi.
The yacht also sports a swimming pool a pool within a large gap in the vessel and a waterfall from a ‘stream’ on the upper deck as well as a car showroom for up to eight luxury vehicles measuring nearly 1,100 square feet. The 950 square foot swimming pool can be transformed into a dance floor for parties.
The many special amenities on board include a helipad, a wellness area including a sauna, a top class gym, a cinema, as well as an impressive selection of water toys, including two 10 meter tenders, four Waverunners, and even a DeepFlight Dragon personal submarine for oceanic escapades.
The yacht is extremely unique in design; the hull and superstructure of CF8 are inextricably linked to each other, with the downward line from the aft upper part of the hull towards the bow giving the vessel a fast and aerodynamic shape. The 80-meter width is designed to provide great stability at the sea, meaning optimum comfort for guests and crew.
“The extreme width of the yacht offers great stability at sea that will give maximum comfort to the guests and crew” design director Van der Knaap stated.
CF8 will have a maximum speed of 18 knots (20.7mph) and a range of 5,000 nautical miles. Jeroen van der Knaap and yacht design talent Niels Ruiter said the firm came up with the concept after discussing advancements in flight. Van der Knaap said: “It will be conceivable that in the near future the wealthy people will be able to reach any spot in the world in a few hours”. | 1,265,521 |
Brazil in ’62, a full 60 years ago. Kingsley Coman opened the scoring early on and was joined on the scoresheet by Kylian Mbappé and Antoine Griezmann before the 25 minute mark, giving France just enough of a cushion to see the game out at 3-2. Paul Pogba, the tournament’s Best Player in 2018, was instrumental once again, weighing in with 2 assists.
It was Pogba’s compatriot and scorer of the Cup-winning goal Kylian Mbappé that scooped the Best Player award this time around for his involvement in a staggering 9 goals in 7 games, 4 of which he scored himself. Dele Alli was a fair way behind in second place with Italian Daniele Rugani coming in 3rd.
Watford’s pacy Dutch winger Kenny ten Hove earned the Best Young Player award for his extremely promising performances for the Netherlands, while PSG’s Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma was the Best Goalkeeper.
The golden boot winner was a little bit of a surprise: Walter González of Paraguay and Al-Ahli scored 5 in 5 for his country and beat Italian Andre Belotti by virtue of having scored his 5 in 1 less match. Fellow Italy striker Simone Zaza was in 3rd place for his 4 goals, an impressive tally to say that he only made 3 appearances.
The Dream Team featured some exceptional talent, as you’d expect. Donnarumma was selected in goal with a defence of Spurs’ Eric Dier, Juve’s Leonardo Bonucci, Monaco’s Daniele Rugani and Barcelona’s Samuel Umtiti in front of him. In an all-Premier-League midfield, Manchester rivals Thomas Lemar of City and Kingsley Coman of United flank a midfield duo of Coman’s United teammate Filippo Melegoni and Spurs man Alli, while Walter González is joined by Arsenal and Brazil striker Roberto Firmino up front.
So vive la France once again! I’m so bloody proud to see an England team do so well in a tournament for once but I suppose it just wasn’t meant to be. Maybe they’ll get another shot next time? Or maybe France will make it an unprecedented 3 World Cup wins in a row? It’s a bit annoying that we’ll have to wait until USA 2026 to find out. As I reach out for my room temperature coffee my hand freezes in place. The small shopkeeper’s bell “Ding-a-ling”s as the door opens. Here he is. This should be interesting.
Episode 146 >
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cutting worker wages and lowering their own taxes.
All of these processes help the already rich concentrate more, and circulate less. In flow terms, therefore, gross inequality indicates a system that has: 1) too much concentration and too little circulation; and 2) an imbalance of wealth and power that is likely to create ever more extraction, concentration, unaccountability and abuse. This process accelerates until the underlying human network becomes exhausted and/or the ongoing necrosis reaches a point of collapse. When this point is reached, the society will have three choices: learn, regress or collapse.
What then shall we do? Obviously, we need to improve our “solution seeking" behavior in realms from business and finance to politics and media. Much of this is already taking place. From socially-responsible business and alternative forms of ownership, to democratic reform groups, alternative media and the new economy movement—reforms are arising on all sides.
But, the solutions we need are also often blocked by the forces we are trying to overcome and impeded by the massive merry-go-round momentum of “business as usual." Today's reforms also lack power because they are taking place piecemeal, in a million separate spots with very little cross-group unity.
How do we overcome these obstacles? The science of flow offers not so much a specific strategy, as an empowering change of perspective. In essence, it provides a more effective way to think about the processes we see every day.
The dynamics explained above are very well known; they are basic physics, just like the law of gravity. Applying them to today's economic debates can be extremely helpful because the latter have devolved into ideological debates devoid of any scientific foundation.
We believe Regenerative Economics can provide a unifying framework capable of galvanizing a wide array of reform groups by clarifying the picture of what makes societies healthy. But, this framework will only serve if it is backed by accurate theory and effective measures and practice. This soundness is part of what Capital Institute and RARE are trying to develop.
[1] The “physics of flow" refers to the study of flow-networks, meaning any system whose existence arises from and depends on the circulation of critical resources and/or information throughout the entirety of their being. Living organisms depend on the circulation of nutrients and oxygen. Ecosystems depend on the circulation of carbon, oxygen, water, etc. Economic systems depend on the circulation of money, information and resources. The physics of flow uses universal principles and patterns of flow to clarify what makes economies healthy over long periods of time. While "living systems" are flow networks, the advantage of using the broader-case principles is that there is no question about whether the results are merely a metaphoric extrapolation from ecosystems.
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Miroslav Klose retired in November 2016 as the Germany national team's record goalscorer and a FIFA World Cup winner, but the former Bayern Munich striker says he was nowhere near as good as the record champions' current leading man, Robert Lewandowski.
Despite a Bundesliga career that yielded 121 goals in 307 appearances in spells with Kaiserslautern, Werder Bremen and Bayern, Klose is arguably best known for his exploits on the international stage.
The Poland-born striker hit 71 goals in 137 games for Germany and is the record scorer at World Cup finals with 16 goals spread over four tournaments. He retired from international football after winning the 2014 World Cup, but continued to play at club level with Serie A side Lazio for a further two years.
Lewandowski had already surpassed Klose in the Bundesliga scoring charts when the Germany legend hung up his playing boots, and recently moved up to fourth in the all-time list after taking his 2018/19 tally to 11 goals in seven league matches - 213 in 297 overall.
"Robert Lewandowski plays a bit like I did, but he's 10 times better than I ever was," Klose is quoted as saying in Sport Bild. "He's the complete striker, uses both feet, is strong in the air and has a great shot on him."
Watch: Robert Lewandowski's first 200 Bundesliga goals
Klose didn't have the pleasure of playing in the same team as Lewandowski - unluckily for us, lucky for opposition defenders - but he did enjoy a terrific partnership with former Bayern and Germany teammate, Thomas Müller.
Klose was still at Bayern when Louis van Gaal handed home-grown youth product Müller his first-team debut during the 2009/10 season. The duo also played together at three World Cups, scoring 21 tournament goals between them, including six during Germany's triumphant run at Brazil 2014.
"Thomas Müller is the guy I enjoyed playing with the most," Klose recalled. "We had a fantastic understanding. We only had to look at other, and we knew what we were going to do. It really was a great partnership!"
Klose and Thomas Müller (l-r.) were among the scorers when Germany gave Brazil a 7-1 pasting in the 2014 World Cup semi-finals. - 2014 Getty Images
After retiring, Klose worked as part of Joachim Löw's coaching team with Germany, before being appointed Bayern U17s coach in summer 2018. The 41-year-old has won 28 of his 37 matches in charge, and took his charges to the U17 Bundesliga championship play-offs in his first season at the helm.
Bayern's U17s are currently second in the 2019/20 B-Junioren Bundesliga Süd, a point behind Hoffenheim. | 1,265,524 |
WebSockets 0.11
Published on April 16, 2017 under the tag Update on the Haskell WebSockets libraryPublished on April 16, 2017 under the tag haskell
Introduction
Today, I released version 0.11 of the Haskell websockets library. Minor changes include:
Support for IPv6 in the built-in server, client and tests (thanks to agentm).
Faster masking (thanks to Dmitry Ivanov).
But most importantly, this release adds support for the permessage-deflate extension as described in RFC 7692. A big thanks go out to Marcin Tolysz who first submitted patches for an implementation. Unfortunately, merging these patches turned out to be a rocky road.
Autobahn
After merging all these changes and improving upon them, I’m very happy that the library now passes the Autobahn Testsuite. This language-agnostic testsuite is very extensive and contains test cases covering most of the protocol surface.
Autobahn
When I started running this testsuite against the websockets library, it was very encouraging to learn that – apart from a few corner cases – it was already passing most of this testsuite without any additional work.
The majority of failing tests were caused by the problem that the Haskell websockets library was too lenient: it would accept invalid UTF-8 characters when reading the messages as a ByteString. The RFC, however, dictates that a server should immediately close the connection if the client sends invalid UTF-8.
This has now been rectified, but as an opt-in, in order not to break any existing applications using this library. For example, in order to enable the new compression and UTF-8 validation, you can use something like:
main :: IO () () = WS.runServerWith "0.0.0.0" 9001 options application mainWS.runServerWithoptions application where = WS.defaultConnectionOptions optionsWS.defaultConnectionOptions = { WS.connectionCompressionOptions WS.PermessageDeflateCompression WS.defaultPermessageDeflate WS.defaultPermessageDeflate = True, WS.connectionStrictUnicode }
Note that if you are already decoding the incoming messages to Text values through the WebSocketsData interface, enabling connectionStrictUnicode should not add any additional overhead. On the other hand, if your application is a proxy which just takes the ByteString s and sends them through, enabling UTF-8 validation will of course come at a price.
In a future release, permessage-deflate will be enabled by default.
Other things
I realise that this blog has been a little quiet lately. This is because (aside from work being busy) I’ve been involved in some other things: | 1,265,525 |
his tradition, he hammed it up on the track with his “lightning bolt” poses.
The Jamaican runner shot onto the world stage in Beijing, where he broke a world record while celebrating before the finish, crushed all challengers in London, and gave the world a Phelpsian-thrill in his final Olympic 100. These Rio Games will be remembered for their surreal athletic achievements: Simone Biles in gymnastics, Katie Ledecky in swimming, and two of the greatest Olympians of all time — Phelps and Bolt — going out on the highest of notes.
Was the world’s greatest sprinter ever really vulnerable coming into Rio? The race was billed as a heavyweight bout between Bolt and Gatlin. The American lost to Bolt by the smallest of margins,.01 seconds, at the 2015 World Championships in Beijing. Gatlin stumbled at the end of that race. Coming into the Olympic final, Gatlin had run the fastest time in the world this year. Meanwhile, a hamstring injury slowed Bolt’s Rio training and caused him to pull out of Jamaica’s Olympic trials. Canada’s de Grasse, the bronze medalist, wondered if all the chatter about Bolt’s health was just a ruse. “I think he fools a couple of people with these injuries,” said de Grasse.
Bolt has always performed best on the biggest stages. And none are bigger than the Olympics, where he’s now won seven straight golds, in seven races, over three Games. He’ll shoot to go an incredible nine-for-nine later in the week, with the 200-m final Thursday night, and the 4 X 100 relay on Friday. “I really want the 200-m world record,” says Bolt, who set the mark, 19.19 seconds, at that same 2009 world championship meet. “If I can get a good night’s rest after the semifinals, it’s possible that I could. I’m going to go out there and leave it all on the track.”
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Write to Sean Gregory at [email protected]. | 1,265,526 |
Americans conclude that, if American hegemony does not make our success inevitable, it is better for us not to try to have an influence, but merely to protect our homeland and let others go their own way. It is this tendency that has given strength to calls by some members of Congress for an immediate withdrawal from Iraq.
This is a dangerous tendency, but it is also one that, in the end, is unlikely to prevail—because isolation is not a viable way of protecting American interests and because inaction does not absolve one of responsibility; it is also a policy choice with real consequences. Because of America’s huge consumption of fossil fuels, a choice by the US to disengage from debates over global warming also has an impact. Because of the power of the US economy, American trading practices will affect the world whether or not the US is committed to the World Trade Organization (WTO). And because of the strategic cooperation between Arab governments and the US, a choice by the US not to press for political and economic liberalization in the Arab world also affects Arab lives and affects the ability of radicals who advocate violence to win new recruits who might one day attack Americans.
Precisely because America’s economic and military power remains unmatched by any other global actor, America cannot disengage from the world and certainly not from the Middle East. While America is not all-powerful it remains, as former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright used to say, the “indispensable” nation. So ultimately the question for the US is not whether to engage the world, or the Middle East, but in what way and to what ends.
An American return to the balance of power in the Middle East also is not the same thing as a return to “realism,” if by realism we mean the theory of foreign policy that says states must seek to maximize their relative power in pursuit of narrowly defined national interests. Rather, America is returning to pragmatism: a recognition of the complexity of the Middle Eastern environment and a willingness to tolerate more ambiguity and flexibility in America’s relations with other states.
For the Bush administration the ambiguity and flexibility required in relations with the Middle East will be uncomfortable. But what can make it more tolerable for all concerned is clarity in American goals and honesty in methods. For the US declaring democracy promotion as its key goal in the Middle East did not eliminate the conflicts that sometimes arise between pursuing democracy and achieving other strategic goals, such as security cooperation. The success of America’s democracy promotion effort has always hinged on direct engagement with governments in the region, discussing democracy on the same plane with other issues, and making occasional tradeoffs when necessary. That challenge remains the same today, and the need for that kind of American engagement is as great as ever.
This article originally appeared as two seperate parts published on March 21 and March 22. | 1,265,527 |
CHICAGO/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Teams from the three U.S. airlines that own 737 MAX jets headed to Boeing Co’s factory in Renton, Washington, to review a software upgrade on Saturday, as U.S. regulators prepared to receive and review the fixes in coming weeks.
The factory visits indicated Boeing may be near completing a software patch for its newest 737 following a Lion Air crash that killed 189 people in Indonesia last October. This month, a second deadly crash involving an Ethiopian Airlines MAX in Addis Ababa triggered the fleet’s worldwide grounding.
Timing for when passenger flights will resume remained uncertain. Boeing has come under global scrutiny along with the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the agency that must approve the software fix and new training.
Meanwhile, Southwest Airlines Co, the world’s largest operator of the MAX, began parking its fleet at a facility in Victorville, California, at the southwestern edge of the Mojave Desert, to wait out the global grounding. Southwest has 34 of the jets; United Airlines has 14 and American Airlines has 24.
Acting administrator Dan Elwell told lawmakers last week that the FAA expected Boeing would complete its upgrade as early as March 25, kicking off the approval process.
An FAA spokesman said Saturday that the agency expects to receive the software fix early next week.
A U.S. official briefed on the matter Saturday said the FAA has not yet signed off on the upgrade and training but the goal is to review them in coming weeks and approve them by April.
It remained unclear whether the software upgrade, called “design changes” by the FAA, will resolve concerns stemming from the ongoing investigation into the March 10 Ethiopian Airlines crash, which killed all 157 on board.
The U.S. official said planned changes included 15 minutes of training to help pilots deactivate the anti-stall system known as MCAS in the event of faulty sensor data or other issues. It also included some self-guided instruction, the official added.
The Allied Pilots Association (APA), which represents American Airlines pilots, said it has been in talks with Boeing, the FAA and airlines to get the airplanes flying again as soon as possible with an acceptable level of safety.
“Right now we’re in wait-and-see mode to see what Boeing comes up with,” said Captain Jason Goldberg, spokesman for the APA, part of a delegation of airline safety experts and pilots set to test the upgrade. “We’re hopeful, but at the same time the process can’t be rushed.”
Boeing said on Saturday it was continuing to schedule meetings with all 737 MAX operators.
Southwest and United said they would also review documentation and training associated with Boeing’s updates on Saturday. | 1,265,528 |
Home - News, Refill Deals, Sprint, Virgin Mobile - Virgin Mobile Test Marketing Five Months Free Service With Phone Purchase Offer
According to Claure, Boost Mobile subscribers increased late last year, for the first time in many quarters. Claure said that Sprint will use Boost to compete directly with other carriers' prepaid brands and that Virgin Mobile will become Sprint's "disruptive" prepaid brand.
Claure said that, as part of its disruptive strategy, Virgin Mobile is test marketing a concept where instead of offering prepaid phones at subsidized prices as they do now, they are selling phones at full price but bundled with free airtime.
Wave7 Research's Jeffrey Moore spotted an example of Virgin's new strategy at a Best Buy store in Kansas last month. The store had prominent signage, as shown in the images above and below, offering customers five months free service in return for buying an LG X Power Android phone for $179.99. Jeffrey and I checked other Best Buy stores did not find any others with the offer.
The free service is on Virgin's $35/month plan that includes unlimited talk, text and data with the first 5 GB at high speeds. The airtime is worth $175 so you are basically getting the phone for $5. Virgin's regular full price for the X Power is for $149.99, although it's available for as little as $59.99 from online vendors.
Selling a phone bundled with airtime is not new, TracFone has been doing it for years with phone plus airtime bundles on HSN. T-Mobile Prepaid is also using the same model, giving customers a f ree Samsung Galaxy On5 if they buy $100 worth of airtime,
I'm not sure I'd really call a phone with bundled airtime disruptive, but I suspect its been effective for TracFone or they wouldn't keep doing it. Virgin's phone bundled with airtime is a good deal if the Sprint network meets your needs. I'm sure the bundle will appeal to some customers but I doubt it's enough by itself to revitalize the Virgin Mobile brand. That will take advertising dollars and better plan pricing. Getting rid of Sprint's restrictions on BYOP and allowing any new or used Sprint network compatible phone on Virgin would help too.
At an investor's conference last week, Sprint CEO Marcelo Claure said that the carrier will be putting more emphasis on its Boost Mobile and Virgin Mobile prepaid brands in 2017. I say it's about time, Sprint has lost prepaid users for the last six quarters in a row, shedding a total of 2 million prepaid customers since Q1, 2015. In the same period AT&T gained 3 million and T-Mobile gained 2.9 million prepaid customers.Sources: FierceWireless Wave7 Research. Images: Wave7 Research | 1,265,529 |
Zeng Xiaoyang pose for a picture with the artificial intelligence (AI)-enabling 500 megapixel cloud camera device. Photo: China News Service
Chinese scientists have developed an artificial intelligence (AI)-enabling 500 megapixel cloud camera system able to capture thousands of faces at a stadium in perfect detail and generate their facial data for the cloud while locating a particular target in an instant.Most Chinese experts welcomed the camera system's military, national defense and public security applications, although some expressed data safety and privacy concerns.The camera was developed by Shanghai-based Fudan University and Changchun Institute of Optics, Fine Mechanics and Physics of Chinese Academy of Sciences in Changchun, capital of Northeast China's Jilin Province, the China News Service reported on Saturday.The 500-magapixel resolution camera system, five times the 120 million pixel resolution of the human eye, can capture extremely detailed images, the report said.For example, in a stadium with tens of thousands of people, the camera can shoot a panoramic photo with a clear image of every single human face, the report said.When integrated with AI, facial recognition, real-time monitoring and cloud computing technology, the camera can detect and identify human faces or other objects based on massive data and instantly find specific targets, according to the report.The report said that the camera system was capable of creating videos of the same ultra-high resolution as the pictures, thanks to two special chips developed by the same team.The massive videos and images captured by the camera can also be uploaded to a cloud data center.People around the world could log in to obtain the data, Zeng Xiaoyang, one of the scientists in the research team, was quoted as saying by the report.In public security, Zeng said, for example, if the police arranged the camera system in the center of Shanghai, they could monitor the distribution of crowds in real time at a management center so as to prevent accidents.Li Daguang, a professor at the National Defense University of the People's Liberation Army in Beijing, told the Global Times on Sunday that the system could be applied to national defense, military and public security.It could serve as a watchdog at military bases, satellite launch bases and national borders to prevent suspicious people and objects from entering or exiting, Li said.The report did not mention which government department or agency was buying the cloud camera system.Wang Peiji, a doctor at school of astronautics of Harbin Institute of Technology, told the Global Times that the normal surveillance public security system is already enough, noting that to establish a new system must be costly with little gains.The camera could also violate personal privacy, Wang warned.Due to the "ultra-long distance" and "high-definition imaging" characteristics, the camera aroused personal privacy concerns, Zeng said.Zeng called for laws and regulations to standardize the application of the camera. | 1,265,530 |
Former Kolkata police chief Rajeev Kumar did not show up for a meeting with CBI today
Former Kolkata police chief Rajeev Kumar has skipped summons issued by the CBI on Sunday night and has sought three more days to appear before the agency officials in Kolkata in connection with the Saradha chit fund scam, sources said.
He was summoned by the CBI at its Kolkata office at 10 am today after the Supreme Court on Friday last rejected his plea twice seeking more time to go to another court for protection from arrest.
The former Kolkata top cop, who has been posted in the Crime Investigation Department (CID) of the West Bengal Police, is reportedly on a six-day leave.
Sources close to Rajeev Kumar told NDTV that the 1989-batch Indian Police Service officer is on leave and on a personal visit to Uttar Pradesh, which is why he sought more time from the CBI to join the probe.
Mr Kumar is also in the process of going to Barasat court in Kolkata to seek protection from arrest in the multi-crore Saradha chit fund scam.
"As of now Rajeev Kumar does not have protection against arrest from any court. He has also evaded the summons," a senior CBI officer told NDTV. "We will act as per our procedure now even if he goes to any court. Our legal team will be present in the court to oppose his plea," the CBI officer said.
Mr Kumar, who shared the stage with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee during a confrontation with the centre in February after CBI officials came knocking at his Kolkata home, cannot leave the country due to a look-out notice issued by the Central Bureau of Investigation. The Supreme Court on Friday last turned down his request for extending the seven-day protection from arrest he was granted in the multi-crore Saradha chit fund scam.
The IPS officer is accused of destroying evidence related to the Ponzi scheme when he was heading the probe in West Bengal.
Ms Banerjee had in February staged a 70-hour sit-in protest after the CBI tried to question Mr Kumar at his residence in Kolkata, which was blocked by the local police. The CBI later had to approach the Supreme Court, which allowed the questioning in a different state but stopped the agency from arresting him. Now the cover of protection from arrest has been lifted.
The Saradha scam was a major financial fraud which lured lakhs of investors to deposit money in its schemes with glossy brochures and the promise of abnormally high returns. An official estimate says Saradha had mopped up about Rs 1,200 crore through its chit funds, but some calculations put that the figure closer to Rs 4,000 crore. The company collapsed in April 2013. | 1,265,531 |
The following is the May 16, 2019 Congressional Research Service report, U.S.-Iran Tensions Escalate.
From the report
U.S.-Iran tensions have escalated in recent weeks as the Trump Administration has taken several significant steps in its campaign of applying “maximum pressure” on Iran, and Iranian leaders have announced responses. U.S. steps have included designating Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO), reimposing sanctions on any country that buys Iranian oil, ending sanctions waivers for some assistance to the permitted aspects of Iran’s nuclear program, and imposing new sanctions on transactions in some Iranian commodities. U.S. officials state that reports about potential Iran-linked threats to U.S. forces and interests prompted the Administration to send additional military assets to the region. Yet, press reports on May 16 indicate that President Donald Trump prefers a diplomatic solution to continued escalation that could lead to conflict.
Members of Congress have been requesting additional information from the Administration about the uptick in U.S.-Iran tensions. Congress might consider the broader Administration’s Iran policy or the potential for use of force against Iran.
Recent Administration Steps to Pressure Iran
Recent Administration efforts to increase pressure on Iran’s economy and government include:
On April 8, 2019, the Administration designated the IRGC as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO). Iran’s parliament responded by enacting legislation declaring U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) and related forces in the Middle East to be terrorists.
As of May 2, 2019, the Administration ended a U.S. sanctions exception for the purchase of Iranian oil to try to drive Iran’s oil exports to “zero.”
On May 3, 2019, the Administration ended waivers under the Iran Freedom and Counter-Proliferation Act (IFCA, P.L. 112-239) that allow countries to help remove Iranian heavy water and low-enriched uranium that exceed JCPOA stockpile limits.
On May 5, 2019, citing reports that Iran might be preparing its allies to attack U.S. personnel or installations, National Security Adviser John Bolton announced that the United States was accelerating the previously planned deployment of the U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group to the region and sending a bomber task force to the Persian Gulf region.
On May 8, the President issued Executive Order 13871, blocking the U.S.-based property of persons and entities determined by the Administration to have conducted significant transactions with Iran’s iron, steel, aluminum, or copper sectors. These commodities account for about 10% of Iran’s exports, but the exports primarily go to regional companies that might not be easily penalized by U.S. sanctions.
Download the document here. | 1,265,532 |
California Assembly Bill 129, a bill that would deem digital currencies ‘lawful money’ in the US state, will now head to the desk of California Governor Jerry Brown where it will require final approval to become law.
The announcement comes just weeks after AB-129 came before the California Senate Banking and Financial Institutions Committee, passing by a 7-1 vote.
AB-129, authored by Assembly Member Roger Dickinson, would recognize digital currencies – along with a host of other commonly-issued forms of value including points and coupons – as lawful alternatives to the US dollar. The state-backed currency would still have legal superiority, as Californian residents are not required to accept forms of lawful money.
Dickinson recently commented that the law is primarily designed to allow California consumers the ability to continue using a variety of common payment methods, and to remove penalties currently on the books for their usage.
He explained:
“In an era of evolving payment methods, from Amazon Coins to Starbucks Stars, it is impractical to ignore the growing use of cash alternatives. This bill is intended to fine-tune current law to address Californians’ payment habits in the mobile and digital fields.”
A law’s long journey
AB-129 first gained attention in the digital currency community back in February, when it was reported that the bill had passed the California Assembly, thereby reaching the halfway point in becoming an active law.
At the time, representatives from the California Senate Banking and Financial Institutions Committee told CoinDesk AB-129 needed to pass three stages in the Senate before reaching the governor’s desk. These included being approved by the Senate Policy Committee, Senate Fiscal Committee, and finally, the Senate Floor. However, any revisions would necessitate another vote in the Assembly.
Records from the California legislature indicate that the Senate passed an amended bill on 19th June by a 7-1 vote. The amended bill then headed back to the Assembly floor for a 23rd June vote, where it passed by a margin of 52-11.
Now that is has achieved approval in the Senate and Assembly, Governor Brown will have the final say on whether the bill will become law.
Bitcoin in California
The news will be welcome to many in the wider digital currency ecosystem, as California continues to be a hotbed of bitcoin activity.
A recent statistical analysis by CoinDesk indicated that 40% of bitcoin professionals hail from California, with many residing in the area’s famed startup hub, Silicon Valley.
Notably, AB-129 is not designed to specifically to support the local ecosystem. Rather, Dickinson told CoinDesk in March that it reflects the government’s neutral approach to bitcoin regulation.
For more on the bill and its potential effects on the bitcoin ecosystem, revisit our full interview with Dickinson.
Image via Wikipedia | 1,265,533 |
Transcript for New details on the royal wedding
It is the countdown to Meghan and Harry's royal wedding. Less than a week away. I know someone who is genuinely excited. Her name -- her initials are A.B. I'm not the only one. I know Paula is on her way there as we speak. Jennifer Eccleston joins us with brand-new and potentially embarrassing reports as the big day grows closer. Jennifer? Reporter: Yeah, good morning. Dan and Adrienne. This time next week, prince Harry and Meghan Markle will be newlyweds. We're not there just yet. As the clock winds down, it's all about the final touches for the big day. The countdown is on. Just six days until Meghan Markle walks down the aisle to marry her prince. Overnight, Buckingham palace released the instrument of consent, signifying queen Elizabeth's approval of the marriage. Kensington palace announced Chicago bishop Michael curry will join the archbishop of Canterbury. This comes as the Sunday times reports a private gift registry at the exclusive soho house private members club, where Meghan and Harry had their first date. Despite the palace asking for charity donations in lieu of presents. It's a similar thing to what William and Kate did. They asked people the make donations for a charity they chose. But they also had a secret gift list. Reporter: This morning, "The mail on Sunday" publishing potentially embarrassing photos and video published they claim shows Meghan's dad allegedly participating in photo shoots with Paparazzi. If you have a member of the family working photos with the press, it makes the plea for privacy more difficult. Reporter: Kensington palace has not yet commented. Early this week, Meghan's parents will meet the queen, prince Charles, will and Kate for the first time. While Harry finally gets to spend time with his future father-in-law. In Windsor, a massive security operation is under way. Including a ring of steel following a string of uk terror attacks. As the town prepares for a right royal celebration. There are hundreds of police officers, both plain clothes and uniform. So it should be extremely safe. Reporter: The wedding dress guessing game continues. Still no word on the designer. British media are speculating on a price tag over $100,000. And that bill would be picked up by the royal family. Adrienne and Dan. So surprises. It will certainly be posh. $100,000 for a dress. This old thing? Say yes to the dress. If I had a dress like that, I would certainly find a way to wear it again. Fair enough. Tune in for our special coverage of the royal wedding live Saturday may 19th. Starting at 5:00 A.M. Coming up on "Gma," the NBA
This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate. | 1,265,534 |
of others is a great way to score a lot of tap-ins.
Turn the 0-2 to the 0-3.@TimWeah becomes the fourth youngest #USMNT goal scorer all-time! pic.twitter.com/k6Q2ch8FaL — U.S. Soccer MNT (@ussoccer_mnt) May 29, 2018
• Robinson impressed just about everybody with his athleticism and crossing ability, and fair enough for that. That said, his first two crosses were naive and hopeless in that you shouldn't cross the ball from the touchline against a packed-in defense. Doing so is a good way to get countered (every time I see a young player hit a cross like that I think to myself "that kid has not been coached").
So what impressed me most was that he learned from his first half, and didn't settle in the second. When he got on the ball he drove toward the box, put the defense on the back foot, made them scramble toward their own net, and then put it on a tee for Weah.
I loved the cross. What I loved more was the "learning and improving during the game" aspect of it. Give me a young player who can think.
• Pulisic was lousy and deserves a rest.
• Sargent was great. I didn't love the fact that he got called up because I don't like when any player gets called into the full national team before they've played a single pro minute. It's not a big deal, per se – not at all, really – but to me it sends the wrong message. Players can get anointed rather than earning the spot.
That said, Sargent made it easy to see why, on some level, he's indeed been anointed. He's the best pure forward prospect we've had since Jozy Altidore, and unlike Jozy at 18, he's under no illusions that he should be playing elsewhere (Jozy thought he was a winger). His hold-up play was very good, his runs were smart, and the one great chance he got, he buried:
Something out of nothing! Allow @joshsargent to introduce himself! pic.twitter.com/tR9jO6gYgq — U.S. Soccer MNT (@ussoccer_mnt) May 29, 2018
And really, that's about it. I'm looking forward to the next two games of this series of friendlies, and then I'm looking forward to a month of watching the World Cup.
And I'm also convinced that the next cycle will be much, much better than the last one. A win over Bolivia didn't do that, but watching this team play with no fear and plenty of swagger sure didn't hurt. | 1,265,535 |
Scotty Bowman made it clear that the Toronto Maple Leafs rejected him over the summer, not the other way around. But he's not so clear on whether he'd join the team in the future.
In an interview Saturday with Hockey Night in Canada's Ron MacLean, the legendary coach said he discussed a possible senior adviser's job with the team until September, before Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment president Richard Peddie called off the talks.
"I had good meetings with Toronto up until about three weeks before the season," said Bowman, who added he never discussed financial compensation with the Leafs.
"We never talked about money. Money was not an issue, I don't think, with them, and certainly never was with me."
The Leafs made the unusual announcement in the off-season that they were seeking someone to oversee embattled general manager John Ferguson. Speculation was that Bowman, a paid consultant to the Detroit Red Wings, was the team's first choice.
But the talks never progressed to the point of a formal offer, and Bowman said he wished to return to the Red Wings, making it appear to some as if he'd walked away from the Leafs.
Bowman told MacLean on Saturday that he wasn't sure why the Leafs decided not to hire him, but admitted that he asked for a degree of control over the team similar to that enjoyed by Bryan Colangelo, the president and GM of the MLSE-owned Toronto Raptors.
"I think they might have been concerned about how much time I was going to be able to spend [on the job]," Bowman said. "But I speak with [Red Wings coach] Mike Babcock daily and [GM] Ken Holland.
"Even though I'm not behind the bench, I'm 24/7 and I really enjoy it."
The current Leafs' brain trust has been a hot topic in Toronto lately as the team entered Saturday night's game in San Jose with just one win in its last eight games and in danger of falling out of the Eastern Conference playoff race.
Ferguson was rumoured to be close to getting his walking papers in late November, when Peddie said in a published report that he made 'a mistake' in hiring the first-time GM. Toronto, though, briefly turned its fortunes around and no changes were made.
Bowman — winner of a record nine Stanley Cup championships as a head coach with Montreal (1973, '76, '77, '78, and 79), Pittsburgh (1992) and Detroit (1997, 1998, and 2002) — was noncommittal Saturday when asked if he'd still be interested if the Leafs came calling again.
"That's a pretty tough question to answer right now," he said. "It'd be awfully tough to leave Detroit.
"We'll cross that bridge if it ever came to that, though." | 1,265,536 |
about the environmental impact of the industry, Gonzalez struggled to explain what cruise companies are actually doing to promote sustainable practice. "The new ships coming to the city are up-to-date with the latest environmental regulations," he said, highlighting that their waste is recycled and that they now run on a lighter, less damaging fuel when docked. This still involves burning thousands of litres of fuel, however, to ensure that the facilities on board the respective ships can run as normal. The EU and other international organisations are now making steps to ensure that the ships have the ability to connect to power sources onland when they are stationary.
Serrano, meanwhile, is resistant to the idea of introducing further restrictions. He claimed that today's cruise ships are “modern and efficient” and comply with all international standards. “The companies that belong to CLIA take this commitment very seriously,” he said.
Going forward, the industry shows no signs of slowing down. This year, 867 cruises are scheduled to stop in Barcelona, and there are plans for a new terminal to open in April, designed to accommodate a new class of green cruise ships operated by liquefied natural gas.
On a positive note, Ada Colau and the Port Authority recently annouced that there will be a major reorganisation of the port by 2022. This will consolidate all ferry and cruise activity in the Moll Adossat area (where the cruise ships currently dock), distancing it from the city centre and freeing up the Drassanes and Barcelona docks. This will also limit the total number of ferry and cruise ship terminals to seven—one less than the current situation.
Meanwhile, for many local residents congestion is the priority. Lambisto, for one, would like to see greater emphasis placed on 'creative tourism', encouraging visitors to spend time exploring different neighbourhoods, visiting independent shops and lesser-known attractions across the city and region. This could help to ease pressure on the city's infrastructure in the most overcrowded areas. The aim would be to achieve a more even spread of visitors and enable the economic benefits of the cruise industry to be felt more widely.
More overnight stays and less ‘hop-on hop-off’ tourism would also benefit local businesses. In contrast to the daytripper, cruise ship passengers who stay overnight in the city spend an average of €202 per day. Spending more time in Barcelona allows for these passengers to get to know the city better, shop locally and visit areas away from the major tourist sights.
The major attractions, however, are the very thing that people come to see, even if the real charm is found in the unique character of each neighbourhood. It is seemingly impossible to satisfy each stakeholder’s wish list, but a delicate balance must be struck in order to reduce congestion, promote local businesses and protect the environment without harming the cruise industry. | 1,265,537 |
DENVER (AP) -- Sal Romano tossed five innings to earn his first major league win, and the Cincinnati Reds beat the Colorado Rockies 6-3 on Thursday.
Romano (1-1), called up before the game to make his second career start, scattered six hits and allowed two runs to help the Reds split the four-game series.
Adam Duvall hit his 20th home run and drove in two runs and Eugenio Suarez had three hits for Cincinnati.
Colorado starter Tyler Chatwood (6-10) allowed seven hits and walked four in six innings but limited the damage with some timely double plays. The Reds scored in the first on Billy Hamilton's leadoff triple and Joey Votto's single, and Scooter Gennett scored runs in the third and fifth to give Cincinnati a 3-1 lead.
Trevor Story kept Colorado close with an RBI single in the second, and then scored on Tony Wolters' double in the fifth. Cincinnati padded the lead to 6-2 in the eighth on Duvall's leadoff homer, an RBI double by Scott Schebler and a pinch-hit double by Zack Cozart.
The Rockies added a run in the eighth off closer Raisel Iglesias.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Rockies: 2B DJ LeMahieu returned to the lineup after missing two games with a groin injury. Fellow All-Star, 3B Nolan Arenado, was out of the starting lineup for rest.
ROAD TO RECOVERY
Colorado LHP Tyler Anderson was walking on crutches in the clubhouse Thursday, three days after having surgery on his left knee. Anderson was feeling optimistic after the procedure and hopes he can be back in a month.
"There were some floaters in there they pulled out and I'm feeling better now," he said. "In less than a week I should be walking and being able to throw."
Anderson went on the 10-day DL on June 4 with left knee inflammation and returned June 22. He lasted just 2 1/3 innings in a June 25 start and went back on the DL the next day.
If he returns as expected he could be thrust in the middle of a playoff chase for the Rockies.
"The goal is to try to be back in a month and we're in a situation I can help," he said.
UP NEXT
Reds: RHP Tim Adleman will open a three-game series at Arizona on Friday. Adleman is 3-3 with a 3.64 ERA in his last eight starts.
Rockies: RHP German Marquez (6-9, 4.41) makes his first career start against the Chicago White Sox on Friday. He is 2-2 with a 4.85 ERA at Coors Field this season. | 1,265,538 |
.
Under the law, Manafort is entitled to be tried in the district where some part of each alleged crime was committed. However, he can waive that right.
Ellis said he wouldn't press him to do that, but suggested it might be a good idea.
"I don't try to coerce people to into giving up their rights, and I'm not going to here, [but] it would make more sense to try it all in one district," the judge said.
The 77-year-old judge seemed piqued by a couple of the Mueller's team's decisions. Reciting an anecdote in which another judge urged prosecutors to try their "three best counts," Ellis suggested the case might have too many charges packed into it.
"We have slimmed down this case," Weissmann replied, noting that only 18 counts will be left after charges against Manafort's former aide Gates are dropped as part of his plea deal struck last month.
Ellis, who stood behind the bench at times during Thursday's hearing, also expressed surprise that Mueller's team planned to go forward with the Alexandria case without having a prosecutor who regularly practices in the Virginia federal court.
The judge asked Weissmann whether he has ever tried a case in an unfamiliar court without a local attorney. Weissmann said he had.
"That was a mistake, wasn't it?" Ellis said.
"It may well have" been, Weissmann replied. (Mueller's staff does have at least one attorney with experience in Alexandria federal district court, Brandon Van Grack, but he has not appeared in the Manafort case and is assigned to the prosecution of former national security adviser Michael Flynn.)
Manafort is currently under home confinement about two miles from the Alexandria courthouse at his condominium overlooking the Potomac. Ellis initially sounded inclined to put Manafort under what the judge called "home incarceration" — a status that would involve even more restrictions on his movement than he currently faces. However, Ellis ultimately agreed to conditions similar to those imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson, who is overseeing the Washington case.
Jackson has said she's willing to release Manafort from home confinement once he offers assets sufficient to meet a $10 million bail requirement she imposed. She has balked at a couple of bids by Manafort to meet that threshold, but Downing said Thursday he believes those hitches are nearly ironed out. Ellis said he will also consider loosening restrictions on Manafort after getting details of the package of real estate Manafort and family members are pledging in order to secure his release.
Ellis said repeatedly Thursday he considers Manafort to be a flight risk, but Downing insisted the bail package is more than sufficient to make sure Manafort shows up for trial. Or trials.
"If he was to flee, that would leave his family in ruin," the defense attorney said. | 1,265,539 |
South Korea’s largest crypto exchange, Upbit — a crypto-only platform run by a subsidiary of Korean tech giant Kakao — has posted a $100 million profit in the third quarter (Q3) of 2018, Yonhap News reported August 23.
As Yonhap reports, Kakao’s recent Semiannual Report indicates that the net profit of Upbit operator Dunamoo was 19,330 million won ($17.35 million), with total assets adding up to around 1.25 trillion won (around $1.1 billion). Last year, the company posted a net income of 190.31 billion won ($170 million), while its total assets were at 1.257 trillion won (around $1.1 billion).
Dunamoo also runs KakaoStock, the most popular stock brokerage application and index in South Korea, yet according to Yonhap, the lion’s share of the net profit is reportedly from Upbit.
Yonhap further cites data from the Repository of Korea’s Corporate Filings (DART) that shows that by comparison, Korea’s second-largest exchange, Bithumb, posted around $35 million in profit over the same time period.
As Yonhap notes, Bithumb is currently expected to post less than 20 percent of its 2017 net profit, which was reportedly officially around $400 million.
While both exchanges have been hit by the global crypto bear market, Bithumb also notably suffered a security breach in June that resulted in the theft of around $17 million worth of crypto, which it has since pledged to reimburse from corporate funds. Bithumb moreover suspended its services in the wake of the high-profile incident, only resuming them earlier this month.
Reports this March revealed that Kakao and its subsidiaries -- which are said to have over 90 percent market penetration in their respective markets across fintech, taxi services, messaging, and social media -- would be focusing on integrating cryptocurrencies for their 12,000 merchants and over 100 million users. Kakaopay has notably been interoperable with Upbit as of the latter’s launch in October 2017.
This May, Upbit came under scrutiny from local law enforcement and financial regulators on suspicion that officials had faked balance sheets. The results of an internal audit were officially released earlier this month, effectively vindicating the exchange of any wrongdoing.
Important positive news for the domestic cryptosphere has been forthcoming from the Korean government as of spring 2018, most notably the country’s plans to lift its notorious blanket ban on Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs), alongside a recent move to draft major new industry classification standards for the blockchain industry that would legitimate the emerging sector.
As of press time, Upbit is seeing $95,349,355 in daily trade volumes and is ranked 12th largest globally on CoinMarketCap. | 1,265,540 |
, she said, “the utilities shouldn’t get an advantage to comply that we don’t have.”
As she sees it, the draft bill falls short in that regard. For example, some language in the bill could be read to favor a utility’s energy efficiency programs over those of competitors, Ringenbach suggested.
The draft bill would also let utilities count and recover shared savings for certain measures that improve the efficiency of affiliates’ power plants.
“The provision that allows the distribution utility to claim energy savings that their sister companies realize through making power plants more efficient is bizarre,” noted Demeter. In addition, she said, it “blurs the line for what is appropriate, and would make Ohio the only state in the nation that permits such self-dealing.”
Language in the draft bill would also expressly let utilities collect profits in the form of shared savings for actions that they had nothing to do with performing. FirstEnergy is currently asking the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio to allow that under an ambiguity in current law.
“The original concept behind the shared savings was to ensure that the utilities were incented to keep real efficiency happening,” Ringenbach said. “However, taking credit for something that another customer is doing is probably not the best solution either.”
Potential utility profits could grow even more if enforceable milestones were spaced out as proposed by the draft bill. Utilities likely wouldn’t wait until the last minute to start meeting the upcoming deadlines, Sen. Seitz said on WOSU. Yet until each deadline, efforts by utilities or others would be considered above the law’s requirements — and thus eligible for profits as shared savings.
“A Difficult Place”
In any case, said Ringenbach, the unsettled state of Ohio’s energy policy continues to frustrate business planning for her company and others. “Business certainty is a very important thing in any aspect of regulation,” she noted.
Failure to have strong clean energy standards can also hurt Ohio’s competitive position for keeping and attracting businesses, Ford stressed.
Especially for corporations with their own clean energy policies, “we appear to be a difficult place to acquire the kind of energy that they are increasingly demanding,” Ford said. “And that’s a problem, because there are other solutions or other options out there, as we saw with Facebook deciding to go to Texas instead of Ohio.”
“We’ve got to be a welcoming place,” Ford concluded. “We have to have a reputation for being forward-looking.”
Disclosure: The Ohio Environmental Council and Natural Resources Defense Council are members of RE-AMP, which publishes Midwest Energy News. | 1,265,541 |
Alan Moore comes face-to-mask with Occupy protestors Posted by Terri Schwartz on January 13th
For someone who makes a point to maintain his sense of privacy, Alan Moore has spent an awful lot of time in recent months talking to the press about the Occupy movement. The protests have spread from Wall Street all over the world, and many have adopted the Guy Fawkes mask popularized in Moore’s “V for Vendetta” to represent their sense of unity: i.e., “We are the 99 percent.”
British news channel Channel 4 is the latest to talk to Moore about the protests, this time bringing him to the demonstrators in London. It was the first time Moore had visited one of the rallies.
“The reason why I hadn’t been down before is because I hadn’t wanted to make too much of a thing of the ‘V’ masks and stuff like that,” he said. “I mean, I’ve admired [the protesters] from afar.”
Finally Channel 4 brought Moore face-to-face with the protestors wearing the Guy Fawkes masks. He seemed genuinely taken aback by seeing one of his characters brought to life.
“It’s a bit surprising when some of your characters who you thought to have made up suddenly escape into ordinary reality,” he said to the Occupy protestors. “I mean, what is it about the mask? Is it just useful or what?”
One of them answered, “The whole character is very relevant to what we’re doing at the moment because we’re going against a system which we feel is corrupt, and so we’re doing the same kind of thing as what happened in the movie.”
Of course, Moore is too nice to mention that he wants no relation to the Hollywood adaptation of “V for Vendetta,” but he has said in the past that he finds it humorous that Time Warner profits every time someone buys a mask to wear during one of the Occupy protests. He has also said that it has always been his secret dream to see one of the ideas in his graphic novels manifest itself in the real world.
“I suppose when I was writing ‘V for Vendetta’ I would in my secret heart of hearts have thought: wouldn’t it be great if these ideas actually made an impact?” he told The Guardian in November. “So when you start to see that idle fantasy intrude on the regular world… It’s peculiar. It feels like a character I created 30 years ago has somehow escaped the realm of fiction.”
Are you surprised Moore actually agreed to meet the Occupy protestors? Tell us your thoughts on the comments section below or on Facebook and Twitter. | 1,265,542 |
8 Bits of Destruction
Kill 255 gun or missile turrets 19.6%
Rare 6.76%
Very Rare
Feeble Humans!
Rescue 50 stranded crewmen 18.9%
Rare 5.09%
Very Rare
Obsolete Technology
Defeat any boss 31.3%
Rare 25.62%
Uncommon
Power Saving Mode
Complete 'Norova' level without refuelling or dying 17.7%
Rare 3.59%
Ultra Rare
Exception Handler
Refuel your ship after the fuel depleted warning message is displayed 23.8%
Rare 14.92%
Rare
Passive Resistor
Complete 'Vectora' level without firing a single shot 19.4%
Rare 7.66%
Very Rare
Out-smarted
Let a homing missile chase you until it runs out of fuel 18.1%
Rare 4.73%
Ultra Rare
Data Miner
Unlock any secret level 18.4%
Rare 4.60%
Ultra Rare
Hyperlink
Activate every node in the game, including those in secret levels 17.2%
Rare 1.48%
Ultra Rare
Shiny Trinkets
Collect a total of 10 purple gems across different levels 18.4%
Rare 4.30%
Ultra Rare
I Made This!
Create and publish a level then have it rated by 5 users 17.7%
Rare 3.64%
Ultra Rare
Within Acceptable Parameters
In manual shield mode, save yourself with only 5% of the shield remaining 19.8%
Rare 5.45%
Very Rare
Guidance Software Approved
Complete all training lessons 44.6%
Rare 44.14%
Uncommon
System Analyst
Find 5 user created levels you like, and rate the creators 18.5%
Rare 6.73%
Very Rare
00101010
Collect all artifact pieces 17.7%
Rare 2.65%
Ultra Rare
Cache Hit
Find all gems in every level 17.2%
Rare 1.40%
Ultra Rare
Overclocked
Beat the recommended time on 10 levels 17.9%
Rare 3.67%
Ultra Rare
Retro Fitted
Have rear, side and 3-way fire simultaneously 17.5%
Rare 2.57%
Ultra Rare
Mega Points
Gain a score of 1,048,576 17.2%
Rare 1.23%
Ultra Rare | 1,265,543 |
treaty between the U.S. and Spain did not preclude such a scenario.
As for the possibility of Spain transferring the accused to North Korea, a Justice Department official, who was not authorized to speak on the record, said that the extradition treaty between Washington and Madrid meant that anyone extradited to Spain for alleged crimes committed in Spain "will be afforded all due process and other rights typically available to all defendants facing criminal charges in Spain."
According to the unsealed U.S. court documents, Spanish authorities allege Hong and a 10-member gang entered the North Korean embassy on a false pretext, armed with knives, iron bars, machetes and imitation handguns. They then allegedly beat and threatened some of the embassy staff, placed hoods over their heads and tied their hands behind their backs, according to U.S. court documents.
While the group occupied the embassy for several hours, one woman from the embassy escaped through a window and alerted neighbors, who called the police, according to the Spanish authorities. When Spanish police arrived at the entrance, Hong allegedly greeted them wearing a jacket with a Kim Jong Un lapel badge and told them all was well. Some members of the group later fled in embassy diplomatic vehicles.
Wolosky, Hong's defense attorney, said the account of events at the Madrid embassy offered by the Spanish government and North Korean embassy staff was inaccurate.
"What happened in the embassy in Madrid is quite different from what is reflected in the North Korean criminal complaints to the Spanish authorities," he said. "They were invited into the embassy and in due course we will demonstrate that."
Lee of Tufts University also questioned the credibility of statements given to Spanish police by North Korean embassy staff members, who he said have strong incentives to provide accounts that will safeguard their positions in the eyes of the authoritarian regime in Pyongyang.
Wolosky said Hong has devoted his life to helping people get out of North Korea. "He and the other accused are human rights advocates and not criminals," the lawyer said.
More than a decade ago, the Yale-educated Hong helped found a nonprofit group, Liberty in North Korea, dedicated to assisting defectors from North Korea. He was reportedly detained in China briefly trying to aid a group of North Korean defectors.
Free Joseon first gained attention for bringing to safety the son of Kim Jong Nam, the assassinated half-brother of the North Korean leader. The estranged sibling was killed with a nerve agent in Malaysia in 2017 and U.S. officials believe Kim Jong Un's regime was behind it.
After Hong's role in the embassy incident was publicly revealed by Spanish authorities, he "is living in fear for his life," Wolosky said. "We do know the North Koreans have targeted him, And the U.S. government knows this. And he has taken steps necessary to protect himself against that threat." | 1,265,544 |
From an interview with designer/artist/soul searcher Elle Luna:
So I was using Uber all the time in San Francisco, even though I hated the design. And then I went to the Crunchies awards ceremony and at a post-ceremony event, where I was in a ball gown, I saw the CEO of Uber, Travis Kalanick, sitting at the bar. I was three whiskeys deep at this point and I walked up to him and said, “I use Uber all the time and I absolutely hate the app. I think you should bring me in to fix it.” He replied, “Oh, yeah? What are the three things you’d fix about it?” I said, “I’d redo the logo, redo the entire app, and change the rating system.” I think there was something about being in a dress that empowered me to say such things (laughing). And do you know what he said? He said, “Be at the Uber office at 9am on Monday.” I told him I couldn’t do it alone and he said he’d have a team for me. I thought the offer was bogus, but I went to Uber’s office on Monday at 9am, laughing to myself, and Travis led me back to a project room with two other designers—they were from outside of Uber and he had flown them in from New York! We took on the Uber app and redesigned it in three weeks. In fact, one of the guys he flew in from New York, Shalin Amin, ended up staying on full-time. The app is gorgeous and last night it won the Fast Company 2013 Innovation By Design Awards for the transportation category, beating out Mars Rover and Tesla.
Most people want to be fit, most people aren’t.
Most people want to build a successful business, most people won’t.
Most people want to be the best version of themselves, most people aren’t.
Most people have dreams they want to fulfill, most people won’t.
Everyone wants to quit something, build something, be something, do something. Most people won’t.
How many things have we wanted? How many opportunities have we craved? How many broken things have we wanted to fix?
And how many of those have we shrunk from. Hid from. Or, excused away.
We’re not alone.
Most people won’t.
But every once in a while someone puts themselves out there. Makes the leap. Faces rejection or failure or worse. And comes out the other side. Better. Changed. Bolder.
Most people won’t. Which means those that do change everything. | 1,265,545 |
over the weekend and on Monday morning had been racist.
Mr Trump was asked by a member of the media if it concerned him that many people considered his tweets as raves and that “white nationalist groups are finding common cause with you”.
Donald Trump: 'If you're not happy here, then you can leave'
“It doesn’t concern me because many people agree with me,” he replied. “All I’m saying, they want to leave, they can leave. Now, it doesn’t say leave forever. It says leave if you want.”
In what appeared to be a deliberate political strategy intended to rally his base as he campaigns for re-election, Mr Trump has started targeting the four congresswomen, dubbed by the media “The Squad” and known for being outspoken on progressive issues. The four have recently clashed with Democratic House speaker Nancy Pelosi, over their criticism of other members of the party.
Only a handful of Republicans have condemned Mr Trump’s language, with most being noticeable in their silence. Senator Lindsey Graham attacked the women as “socialist” and “antisemitic”, though he also called on the president not to make such personal attacks.
In his White House press conference, Mr Trump also echoed earlier false claims that Ms Omar is an Al Qaeda sympathiser. He criticised her for “being from Somalia”, adding that she “hates Jews” and “loves Al Qaeda”.
As the four women held their press conference, Mr Trump continued to tweet attacks at them.
On Monday, Democrats in congress moved to formally censure Mr Trump’s attacks on the four congresswomen.
“The House cannot allow the president’s characterisation of immigrants to our country to stand,” said House speaker Nancy Pelosi. “Our Republican colleagues must join us in condemning the president’s xenophobic tweets.”
Mr Trump also defended the use of mass raids aimed at rounding up immigrants as “very successful”. With few details of the raids made public so far, the statement is difficult to verify. Immigrants and campaigners had been braced for a large number of arrests, but there have only been reports of low-profile operations in a few cities over the weekend.
“The ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) raids were very successful,” Mr Trump said. “People came into our country illegally... Many were felons. Many were convicted of crimes. “Many, many were taken out on Sunday – you just didn’t know about it. It was a very successful day but you didn’t see a lot of it. Every person taken out had papers and we had court orders.” | 1,265,546 |
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Coming in at No. 2 just won’t do when you’re DJ Khaled.
Multiple music sources told Page Six that the rapper and producer is fuming at his label after his ballyhooed new album, “Father of Asahd,” failed to debut at the top of the charts.
“He stormed into Epic with an entourage,” a source said. And when projections showed his new record looked likely to come in second, “he was angry and yelling. He threw a temper tantrum,” blaming the also-ran album placing on his label chiefs’ not understanding streaming services and bundle deals.
A second source, who also described how the disappointed DJ did not hold back his displeasure, added, “No. 2 won’t do for Khaled. He was not happy when the album didn’t debut at No. 1... Not happy at all.”
An industry insider added: “He was furious. There was some nasty stuff said. Publicly, he’s all about ‘positivity,’ but there is a mean side to him that people don’t see... He overhyped the record and blew it up as his biggest album ever.”
Turns out it wasn’t.
“Father of Asahd” debuted behind LA rapper Tyler, the Creator’s fifth studio album, “Igor” — despite an aggressive PR push by Khaled’s team that included a “Saturday Night Live” appearance and a Pepsi #Summergram kickoff event in New York.
The album features guests Cardi B, Meek Mill and SZA.
Another insider said Khaled went off when an estimated 100,000 downloads of his album that were sold through a bundle deal with an energy drink weren’t included in his sales by Billboard.
The source said, “Khaled was upset that his label wasn’t fighting for him and fighting for those numbers to count, which could have propelled him to No. 1. They don’t get it.”
Meanwhile, Sony, which owns Epic and also reps Tyler, “is happy regardless. Their artists were No. 1 and No. 2.”
A source close to Khaled insisted he’s staying sanguine.
“His album is almost gold and it’s not even a month old.”
He’s sticking to his positive mantra on social, writing, “Still celebrating the album that was the most streamed and digital sales... to the world.”
His rep didn’t comment. | 1,265,547 |
CDC Announcement: Salmonella Outbreak Linked to Kellogg’s Honey Smacks Cereal
Media Statement For Immediate Release: June 15, 2018
Contact: Media Relations,
(404) 639-3286
CDC is investigating a multistate outbreak of Salmonella Mbandaka infections linked to Kellogg’s Honey Smacks cereal. Read the investigation announcement: https://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/Mbandaka-06-18/index.html.
Key Points:
CDC, public health and regulatory officials in several states, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration are investigating a multistate outbreak of Salmonella Mbandaka infections.
There have been 73 ill people reported from 31 states, including 24 people who have been hospitalized. No deaths have been reported.
Illnesses started on dates ranging from March 3, 2018 to May 28, 2018.
On June 14, 2018, the Kellogg Company recalled external icon 15.3 oz. and 23 oz. packages of Kellogg’s Honey Smacks cereal. Recalled Kellogg’s Honey Smacks cereal has a “best if used by” date from June 14, 2018 through June 14, 2019. The “best if used by” date is on the box top.
15.3 oz. and 23 oz. packages of Kellogg’s Honey Smacks cereal. Recalled Kellogg’s Honey Smacks cereal has a “best if used by” date from June 14, 2018 through June 14, 2019. The “best if used by” date is on the box top. Consumers should not eat and retailers should not serve or sell recalled Kellogg’s Honey Smacks cereal.
If you have recalled Kellogg’s Honey Smacks cereal: Throw out the cereal or return it for a refund. If you store cereal in a container without the packaging and don’t remember the brand or type, throw it away. Thoroughly wash the container with warm, soapy water before using it again to remove harmful germs that could contaminate other food.
People get sick from Salmonella 12 to 72 hours after swallowing the germ and experience diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps.
Most people recover within a week, but some illnesses can last longer and be more severe.
This investigation is ongoing and CDC will provide more information as it becomes available.
If you have further questions about this outbreak, please call the CDC media line at (404) 639-3286. If you have questions about cases in a particular state, please call that state’s health department.
###
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICESexternal icon | 1,265,548 |
RIVERSIDE, Calif. – How fast can evolution take place? In just a few years, according to a new study on guppies led by UC Riverside's Swanne Gordon, a graduate student in biology.
Gordon and her colleagues studied guppies — small fresh-water fish biologists have studied for long — from the Yarra River, Trinidad. They introduced the guppies into the nearby Damier River, in a section above a barrier waterfall that excluded all predators. The guppies and their descendents also colonized the lower portion of the stream, below the barrier waterfall, that contained natural predators.
Eight years later (less than 30 guppy generations), the researchers found that the guppies in the low-predation environment above the barrier waterfall had adapted to their new environment by producing larger and fewer offspring with each reproductive cycle. No such adaptation was seen in the guppies that colonized the high-predation environment below the barrier waterfall.
"High-predation females invest more resources into current reproduction because a high rate of mortality, driven by predators, means these females may not get another chance to reproduce," explained Gordon, who works in the lab of David Reznick, a professor of biology. "Low-predation females, on the other hand, produce larger embryos because the larger babies are more competitive in the resource-limited environments typical of low-predation sites. Moreover, low-predation females produce fewer embryos not only because they have larger embryos but also because they invest fewer resources in current reproduction."
Study results appear in the July issue of The American Naturalist.
Natural guppy populations can be divided into two basic types. High-predation populations are usually found in the downstream reaches of rivers, where they coexist with predatory fishes that have strong effects on guppy demographics. Low-predation populations are typically found in upstream tributaries above barrier waterfalls, where strong predatory fishes are absent. Researchers have found that this broad contrast in predation regime has driven the evolution of many adaptive differences between the two guppy types in color, morphology, behavior, and life history.
Gordon's research team performed a second experiment to measure how well adapted to survival the new population of guppies were. To this end, they introduced two new sets of guppies, one from a portion of the Yarra River that contained predators and one from a predator-free tributary to the Yarra River into the high-and low-predation environments in the Damier River.
They found that the resident, locally adapted guppies were significantly more likely to survive a four-week time period than the guppies from the two sites on the Yarra River. This was especially true for juveniles. The adapted population of juveniles showed a 54-59 percent increase in survival rate compared to their counterparts from the newly introduced group. | 1,265,549 |
“an untested leader” whose proposed economic solutions remain a mystery, Gedan said.
“The crucial question is what the dynamic will be between the pragmatic president and more ideological and polarizing vice president,” said Michael Shifter, head of the Inter-American Dialogue, a Washington-based think tank. Shifter said Cristina Fernández has hard-core support of about 30% of Argentines. “The nature of that power struggle will determine the direction of Argentina’s economic, social and foreign policy in coming years.”
Shifter said that despite some fears, a return of the populist policies under Cristina Fernández is highly unlikely.
“Today Argentina simply does not have the economic conditions for unchecked spending,” he said. “This will not be a replay of her presidency.”
Cristina Fernández and Nestor Kirchner dominated Argentina’s political scene for 12 years. Many credit them for restoring its sense of pride and sovereignty after the 2001-2002 crisis by negotiating or paying off most of Argentina’s defaulted debt.
At “Lo de Nestor’s,” or “Nestor’s Place,” a themed bar celebrating the former first couple, large framed wall photos show them celebrating with big crowds, embracing, and meeting with the late Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, Bolivian President Evo Morales and other leftist leaders. Wall plaques celebrate the Kirchners’ nationalization of the pension system, main airline and oil company.
“Her return means that Argentina’s society... understood that politics should work in a different way,” said bar manager Gabriela Cabanillas.
Insurance worker Edgardo Narbais disagreed.
Cristina Fernández’s return to power means “less institutions, more harassment, and just using chicanery to build power,” Narbais said. “This is a return to the past.”
On the election trail, Fernández criticized Macri’s decision to seek a record $56 billion bailout from the International Monetary Fund. Now, markets will closely monitor the new president’s approach to an institution that many Argentines blame for creating the conditions that led to the economic collapse at the beginning of the decade.
“Argentina will be on even more uncertain ground as negotiations with the IMF could go either way,” said Monica de Bolle, senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics.
___
Associated Press journalists Paul Byrne, Almudena Calatrava and Natacha Pisarenko in Buenos Aires, Argentina; and Paul Harloff in New York, contributed to this report. | 1,265,550 |
Former Trump transition team members on Thursday were ordered to save any materials related to the ongoing investigations into Russia's efforts to disrupt and influence the 2016 presidential election, according to multiple reports.
In a memo provided to Politico and The New York Times, transition team lawyer Kory Langhofer ordered team members to "preserve any physical and electronic records that may be related in any way to the subject matter of the pending investigations."
Those records reportedly include any material related to Russia or Ukraine, as well as information on certain members of President Trump Donald John TrumpSteele Dossier sub-source was subject of FBI counterintelligence probe Pelosi slams Trump executive order on pre-existing conditions: It 'isn't worth the paper it's signed on' Trump 'no longer angry' at Romney because of Supreme Court stance MORE's election campaign, including former campaign manager Paul Manafort Paul John ManafortOur Constitution is under attack by Attorney General William Barr Bannon trial date set in alleged border wall scam Conspicuous by their absence from the Republican Convention MORE, former foreign policy adviser Carter Page and former national security adviser Michael Flynn.
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Roger Stone Roger Jason StoneThe agony of justice Our Constitution is under attack by Attorney General William Barr Justice IG investigating Stone sentencing: report MORE, a longtime confidante and informal adviser to Trump, was also listed in the memo, though he was not a formal member of the transition team or the campaign.
Transition officials were also told to hold onto materials or records related to overseas travel by team members.
The preservation order came after Vice President Pence's decision on Thursday to retain lawyer Richard Cullen as outside counsel to help him with the law enforcement and congressional probes into possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia.
The order is also a sign that special counsel Robert Mueller Robert (Bob) MuellerCNN's Toobin warns McCabe is in 'perilous condition' with emboldened Trump CNN anchor rips Trump over Stone while evoking Clinton-Lynch tarmac meeting The Hill's 12:30 Report: New Hampshire fallout MORE's investigation is accelerating and expanding. The Washington Post reported on Thursday that Mueller had begun probing the business dealings of Jared Kushner, the president's son-in-law and one of his closest advisers.
Trump has frequently assailed the investigation as a "witch hunt." He railed against the probe on Twitter Thursday, saying it was being "led by some very bad and conflicted people."
The head of Trump's campaign committee Michael Glassner also ordered staffers and vendors to hold onto "any and all documents in your possession, custody or control that relate in any way to your work on or for the committee," according to Bloomberg.
The committee has also hired the law firm Jones Day to help it navigate the special counsel and congressional investigations into Russian election meddling, though Glassner said he was "confident there was no wrongdoing" on the part of the campaign. | 1,265,551 |
Red Bull boss Christian Horner fears that there is no way for Renault and Honda to close the engine performance gap to Mercedes and Ferrari under the current regulations.
Horner said that the situation won't change until the next major overhaul of engine regulations for 2021. Until then, in his view Ferrari and Mercedes will likely continue to dominate the sport.
Currently, the three Mercedes-powered teams on the grid have a total of 603 points in the constructors championships. Ferrari's stable of teams have 413 points, compared with the Renault line-up on just 286 points. Handicapped by having only the one works team, Honda has amassed just 11 points so far in 2017.
"Those two manufacturers have such a march, such committed investment," Horner told Sky Sports F1. "It's difficult to see how the others will catch up in the intervening period between now and 2021.
Not that Horner was throwing in the towel. Red Bull demonstrated that it could carve its way through the field with a storming performance by Daniel Ricciardo at the Italian Grand Prix.
"We'll never accept that we can't be competitive," Horner insisted. "We'll keep pushing and keep developing and try and make up whatever horsepower deficit there is on the chassis side."
However there was nothing Ricciardo could realistically do when it came to the two works teams at the front. And reliability continues to be an issue for both Renault and Honda.
The current situation has made Horner even more convinced that that the sport is heading in the wrong direction with its current regulations.
"This engine has done nothing positive for Formula 1," he complained on the grid at the Italian Grand Prix.
Horner says he hopes that the next iteration of engine regulations will make power units cheaper and less complex - and more reliable. If that happens, more manufacturers might decide to return to the sport.
I think there are iconic manufacturers who would be keen to come in if it was affordable," Horner said. "Aston Martin being one of them, Lamborghini attending meetings.
"Manufacturers have always come and gone in Formula 1 whenever it's suited them. I think the most important thing is to get the product right, get the show right. Then it's up to the manufacturers to be there or not."
Horner conceded that Formula 1 might lose some existing manufacturers if the rules are changed too radically.
"We may well do," he said. "[But] so long as you have Ferrari there, so long as you have historic teams like McLaren and Williams and so on, and other manufacturers like those I've mentioned were to come in.
"It's all about the spectacle," he concluded.
Gallery: The beautiful wives and girlfriends of F1
Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter | 1,265,552 |
So as I was watching the Oakland Raiders football game last night, I got a notification on my iPad about a new issue of Dragon + was ready to download. So I promptly downloaded it and started to read it, to my surprise I found an article that announced a new Dungeons & Dragons Video Game.
Developer BKOM Studios are bringing the Tomb Of Annihilation Board Game, into the video game world, with Tales From The Candlekeep.
Not a lot is known about the game other than what was in the Dragon + article.
“It is similar but it is not exactly the same game, Tomb of Annihilation is the fifth iteration of the Adventure System but this is the first digital version” Producer Paul Gadbois “The gameplay rules and all the mechanics have been evolving through the years, so we had a lot of content to work with.” Game designer Olivier Latouche
“Although we adapted the main mechanics, we tweaked things to take advantage of the digital medium, “For example, we wanted the digital version to have a faster pace than the board game, so we chose to automate some actions, like dice throws and card shuffling. The game feels faster because players don’t need to manage as many components as they do in the tabletop board game, and they can focus on their strategy rather than keeping track of everything.”
The game as it stands right now is a solo player only
“It is a single-player game at the moment, although you do have control of four or five characters. So you follow the format where one hero plays first and events happen, then the next hero plays—the same as you would in the tabletop version, but as a single-player experience. Game designer Olivier Latouche
Unique Quests: The procedural map generation allows every quest to remain unique even when replaying them multiple times.
The procedural map generation allows every quest to remain unique even when replaying them multiple times. Over 40 Quests: The game features a mix of Main Story quests and Side quests.
The game features a mix of Main Story quests and Side quests. A board game experience brought to life: The game highlights most of the features from the popular board game, combined with features unique to the digital version.
The game highlights most of the features from the popular board game, combined with features unique to the digital version. Craft your way to Victory: Collect rare crafting materials. Craft powerful weapons and armors to strengthen your heroes.
Color me excited for this, I am looking forward to the tabletop board game so this is just is icing on that cake as they say.
You can find more information about the game in the new issue of Dragon +
The steam page lists the game releasing “Fall 2017”
More information as we get it! | 1,265,553 |
Think you have what it takes to be the next Bitcoin millionaire? You might not want to quit your day job.
The suddenly popular electronic currency is drawing the ire of skeptics. And trying to explain how Bitcoin works and where it comes from to non-geeks only tends to raise eyebrows, but it's easiest to think of this way: When Bitcoin was created by a shadowy programmer or group named Satoshi Nakamoto in 2009, a limit of 21 million coins were scattered throughout the digital realm and hidden in blocks of data. Successfully unlocking these equations with computer software, or "mining," yields a haul of bitcoins.
But Bitcoin mining ain't easy. While you can purchase coins outright (hence its fluctuating value), the actual process of mining is "supposed to be arduous," says Bloomberg, like extracting gold or diamonds from the earth. While you're not climbing down treacherous dig sites with a helmet, per se, you are dedicating a significant amount of computing power to solving what are essentially complex math problems.
Not just any old PC will do, either: Dedicated Bitcoin mining rigs with the sole purpose of crunching through algorithms can cost you up to $6,000 on eBay.
Then there's the fact that your chances of finding coins solo are incredibly slim. Miners can go many fruitless months before they ever hear a coin's hypnotic clink. For that very reason, most users join mining pools, which combine the processing power of multiple machines and distribute any bounty among members, depending on how much work they've contributed.
From an economic standpoint, that division of labor is partly why Bitcoin mining can get to be so expensive. According to Bloomberg, which uses data from a tracking site called Blockchain.info, 24 hours of mining from around the world consumes in the ballpark of $150,000 in electricity. That works out to 15 cents per kilowatt hour — a little higher than the U.S. average, and enough to power roughly 31,000 U.S. homes.
At least for now, though, the Bitcoin mining industry remains profitable business for the truly dedicated. (A recent 24-hour period of work yielded Bitcoin miners around the globe $681,000 profit.) But as more Bitcoins are discovered, the odds of finding new ones will exponentially diminish. That's why, even though about half of the global Bitcoin yield has already been pocketed, the last few probably won't be unlocked until 2030.
As TechCrunch cautions, "While you could simply set a machine aside and have it run the algorithms endlessly, the energy cost and equipment deprecation will eventually cost more than the actual Bitcoins are worth." That's why, "as with most gold rushes throughout history, it's those who are supplying the miners that are finding the real riches."
As many have noted, there is money to be made feeding unrealistic dreams. | 1,265,554 |
Pakistan Senate Committee calls for shipbuilding growth
The Pakistani Senate Standing Committee on Defence Production called for expediting expansion to the Pakistani shipbuilding industry through pushing through an already project for constructing a shipyard in Gwadar, the Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) reports.
In a briefing to the Committee, the Managing Director of Karachi Shipyard & Engineering Works (KSEW), Rear Admiral Syed Hasan Nasir Shah, outlined that KSEW had thus far constructed 445 vessels of various types and displacements for domestic and overseas customers.
The Committee Chairman, Senator Lt. Gen (retired) Abdul Qayyum, stated that shipbuilding is a key input for economic growth and prosperity. The Committee was concerned with delays in the construction of a second shipyard in Gwadar, outlining that it would result in an increase in employment if completed.
In July, the Committee had recommended that construction of the Gwadar Shipyard be expedited. But at the time, Chairman Abdul Qayyum expressed “concerns” of the program steward, which at that time was the Ministry of Defence Production (MoDP).
However, work is underway to improve Pakistan’s shipbuilding efficiency and output.
In July, KSEW signed a $29.8 million U.S. order with the Norwegian company TTS Group for the latter’s Syncrolift ship-lift-and-transfer system. Slotted for delivery in 2019, the Syncrolift, along with a network of “advanced hydraulic transfer trollies”, will enable KSEW to manage up to 13 projects in-land.
In its 2015-2016 report, the MoDP stated that the Syncrolift lift-and-transfer system would allow KSEW to “increase business capacity and efficiency of ship turnover by three times.”
KSEW’s forthcoming programs include the construction of a 90 m Damen Shipyards offshore patrol vessel (OPV); four air-independent propulsion (AIP)-powered submarines of a China Shipbuilding & Offshore International Co. Ltd design (with the first steel-cutting ceremony scheduled for October 2020); and – if a deal is inked – two MILGEM corvettes in collaboration with Turkey’s Savunma Teknolojileri Mühendislik ve Ticaret AŞ (STM).
Currently, KSEW is currently constructing the fourth Azmat-class fast attack craft-missile or FAC(M) for the Pakistan Navy along with a 1,500-ton maritime patrol vessel for the Pakistan Maritime Security Agency. It is also working with STM to upgrade the Navy’s three Khalid-class Agosta 90B AIP-equipped submarines and completing the 17,000-ton Pakistan Navy Fleet Tanker. | 1,265,555 |
The so-called moderate rebel forces in Syria have violated the nationwide ceasefire on 23 occasions since it was put in place on Monday, the Russian military says. Six people died in Aleppo overnight while 10 others have been wounded.
The Syrian government is abiding by the ceasefire, Russian General Staff official Viktor Poznikhir said.
Read more
"Syrian government forces have completely stopped [their] shelling, except for the areas occupied by ISIS [Islamic State/IS] and Jabhat al-Nusra militants. Unfortunately that can’t be said about the armed forces of the moderate opposition, backed by the United States,” he said.
US-backed rebel forces have shelled residential areas as well as Syrian Army positions, according to the Russian General Staff.
Six people died on Monday night following the shelling of Aleppo by the moderate opposition forces, with 10 others receiving injuries, Colonel Sergey Kopytsin from the Russian Reconciliation Center in Syria said Tuesday.
"Five violations of the cessation of hostilities by the ‘moderate opposition’ in the city of Aleppo, which killed six and injured 10 people, were registered overnight following the introduction of the ceasefire," Kopytsin said.
He added that late Monday positions of the Republican Guard of the Syrian Army were targeted by sniper fire in Aleppo. Mortar fire has also hit residential areas in the district of al-Ansari while positions of the Syrian military in the same district were targeted by guided anti-tank missiles, according to the Russian military.
Read more
Moscow has called on the Syrian government not to respond to provocations threatening the cessation of hostilities.
“I ask everyone not to succumb to provocations, to carefully record all possible violations and send the data to the Russian Reconciliation Center,” Poznikhir stated.
The Russian Reconciliation Center says that Syrian government forces are ready to create a demilitarized zone around the Castello road near Aleppo. The area is one of the key paths for humanitarian aid deliveries for the remaining civilian population of Aleppo.
"The [Syrian] government forces are ready to withdraw their troops simultaneously with the rebels and create a demilitarized zone around the Castello road, starting from 9am on September 15."
A Russian and a Syrian officer came under fire near the Castello road on Tuesday while participating in a video conference with the Russian Defense Ministry. Both remained unhurt, according to the Russian military.
The 48-hour ceasefire in Syria brokered by Russia and the US came into effect on Monday at 7pm Damascus time (16:00 GMT). The Syrian Army later announced it will abide by an even longer term of seven days.
The ceasefire is part of a broader peace plan agreed by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his US counterpart, John Kerry, last Friday in Geneva. | 1,265,556 |
and local burdens. Then there is the massive debt burden of consumer debt, which must be rolled over. It is never paid off, any more than government debt is.
The boosters scream for more government spending whenever consumers slow their spending. That is the Keynesian mantra. They are dominant in the media. “Consumers must spend!” This requires more debt. The boosters recommend more consumer debt.
Consumers are willing, but their budgets are tight.
Banks are not lending. They are sitting on top of $1.2 trillion of excess reserves at the Federal Reserve.
Small businesses are not borrowing, either. Same reasons as the bankers: fear of the future.
Keynesianism is visibly failing. But Keynesianism’s 75 years of unpaid bills have not come due yet. They will.
Red ink will produce yellow fever. We can see it coming up the river of Federal spending.
Anyone who pays attention can see this. The vast majority ignore it. They do what 25,000 residents of Memphis did until August 13. They sit tight. They hope for the best.
In panic, they will run for the exits. There will be few, and they will be a lot more expensive than they are today.
CONCLUSION
Agora in 1994 called this the plague of the black debt. I call it the yellow fever economy. It is the same economic problem: massive debt.
The U.S. government is a sub-prime borrower. The major credit-ratings agencies do not admit this, any more than they admitted it with respect to low-income real estate borrowers in 2007.
There were boosters in 2007. Angelo Mozilo of Countrywide Financial was a booster. Chuck Prince of Citicorp was a booster. Stanley O’Neal of Merrill Lynch was a booster. They are all gone now — very rich, but gone.
There will be other boosters who will be long gone after this strain of yellow fever has killed off the dreams of hundreds of millions of people worldwide. These boosters will not be buried in the equivalent of Elmwood Cemetery after the plague has departed. I am working on my list. You should work on yours. One name is sure: Ben Bernanke.
The news reports are clear. The yellow fever economy is coming. But most people sit tight. They listen to the boosters. “Keep cool! Avoid patent medicines and bad whiskey! Go about your business as usual; be cheerful, and laugh as much as possible.”
Don’t.
Gary North [send him mail] is the author of Mises on Money. Visit http://www.garynorth.com. He is also the author of a free 20-volume series, An Economic Commentary on the Bible.
Copyright © 2011 Gary North | 1,265,557 |
this morning as demonstrators arrive for a vehicle-based demonstration against the stay-at-home order. #coronavirus #migov pic.twitter.com/KKnQRr4QjI — Paul Egan (@paulegan4) April 15, 2020
Huh, I guess it is a Republican protest. But what does the Confederate flag have to do with a #StayHome order? -- pic.twitter.com/qR4EX6Hw5X — Susan J. Demas -- (@sjdemas) April 15, 2020
Gov. Whitmer isn't budging on her order, in effect through April 30, which she says is science-based and designed to keep COVID-19 from spreading in Michigan.
Speaking at a news conference Wednesday afternoon, Whitmer she was disappointed to see so many congregating closely and not wearing masks.
"I saw someone handing out candy to little kids, bare-handed," the governor said. "You know, when people are flying the Confederate flag and untold numbers who gassed up on the way here, or grabbed a bite on the way home...we know that this rally endangered people."
Whitmer said the "sad irony" is these people were protesting because they don't like the "Stay Home" order, while at the same time creating a situation that may cause a need to lengthen it.
Whitmer has said that while she supports the right to demonstrate, she doesn't agree with this action by the Michigan Conservative Coalition. "This group is funded in large part by the DeVos family," the governor said, earlier this week. "And I think it's really inappropriate for a sitting members of the United States President's cabinet (Education Secretary Betsy DeVos) to be waging political tax on any governor."
"I think that they they should disavow it, and I encourage people to stay home and be safe," she added.
In response, the DeVos family issued the following statement: “Contrary to the Governor’s statements, the DeVos family hasn’t funded this protest nor has it offered prior support to the organizing entity. They understand the frustration of fellow Michiganders however, as elements of the governor’s top-down approach appear to go beyond public safety. Michigan deserves competent governance, not baseless attacks.”
Meanwhile, various Michigan physicians, nurses and other health experts on the front lines of the pandemic are voicing their support for the governor. Among them are Henry Ford Allegiance Health President and CEO Paula Autry, who said: "We fully support the governor’s decision to extend the emergency declaration."
Critical care nurse and president of the Michigan Nurses Association Jamie Brown added, "Nurses know that Governor Whitmer is taking the most responsible action possible by extending the stay at home order." | 1,265,558 |
A new study led by Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego researchers has revealed that the thickness of Antarctica's floating ice shelves has recently decreased by as much as 18 percent in certain areas over nearly two decades, providing new insights on how the Antarctic ice sheet is responding to climate change.
Data from nearly two decades of satellite missions have shown that the ice volume decline is accelerating, according to a study published on March 26, 2015, in the journal Science and supported by NASA. Scripps graduate student Fernando Paolo, Scripps glaciologist Helen Amanda Fricker, and oceanographer Laurie Padman of Earth & Space Research (a non-profit institute specializing in oceanography research) constructed a new high-resolution record of ice shelf thickness based on satellite radar altimetry missions of the European Space Agency from 1994 to 2012.
Merging data from three overlapping missions, the researchers identified changes in ice thickness that took place over more than a decade, an advancement over studying data from single missions that only provide snapshots of trends.
Total ice shelf volume (mean thickness multiplied by ice shelf area) across Antarctica changed very little from 1994 to 2003, then declined rapidly, the study shows. West Antarctic ice shelves lost ice throughout the entire observation period, with accelerated loss in the most recent decade. Earlier gains in East Antarctic ice shelf volume ceased after about 2003, the study showed. Some ice shelves lost up to 18 percent of their volume from 1994 to 2012.
"Eighteen percent over the course of 18 years is really a substantial change," said Paolo. "Overall, we show not only the total ice shelf volume is decreasing, but we see an acceleration in the last decade."
While melting ice shelves do not contribute directly to sea-level rise, the researchers indicate that there is an important indirect effect.
"The ice shelves buttress the flow from grounded ice into the ocean, and that flow impacts sea-level rise, so that's a key concern from our new study," said Fricker. Under current rates of thinning, the researchers estimate the ice shelves restraining the unstable sector of West Antarctica could lose half their volume within the next 200 years.
"This work demonstrates the power of satellite observations to understand change in the great polar ice sheets," said Thomas Wagner, Program Manager for Cryospheric Sciences at NASA Headquarters. "And with data spanning decades, we can understand some of the most important changes and their implications for sea-level rise."
Fricker said future studies will concentrate on the causes behind changes in ice shelf volume, including the effects of the atmosphere and ocean.
"We're looking into connections between El Niño events in the tropical Pacific and changes in the Antarctic ice sheet," said Paolo. "It's very far apart but we know that these teleconnections exist. That may ultimately allow us to improve our models for predicting future ice loss." | 1,265,559 |
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With Earth’s oceans being overloaded with plastic trash, engineers all over the world are making efforts to find innovative ways to remove this harmful debris from the marine environment. Thus, Boyan Slat of The Ocean Cleanup promises to launch a massive ocean cleaning system in 2016.
But what if there was also a way to give this plastic a new life and use it for further production? German footwear giant Adidas has proposed a non-trivial idea on what to do with ocean waste – to make shoes out of it, of course!
The company has created a prototype of sustainable sneakers made almost entirely from ocean trash. In particular, the upper shoe is made out of illegal gill nets and other plastic debris removed from the ocean while the shoe base incorporates sustainable materials.
Collecting plastic from the ocean to knit the sneakers was not an easy task. In fact, it was done with the collaboration of the nonprofit organization Sea Shepherd, which organized a 110-day expedition to track illegal fishing boats in West African waters. The green part of the Adidas shoes is nothing but fishing nets collected in the course of this expedition.
At the same time, Adidas plans to release a line of sustainable sneakers later this year, believing that there will be no problem with finding plastic waste, such as fishing nets and beach trash, to be used in the production.
The company claims that this initiative is aimed not only to recycle ocean trash but also to help reduce and avoid the production of plastic waste. Thus, Parley for the Oceans, a new nonprofit organization founded with the support of Adidas, is developing innovative technologies to alter the structure of plastic and make it less harmful to the environment, as well as to minimize the use of plastic in production in general.
“We’re going to end ocean plastic pollution only if we’re going to reinvent the material,” said Cyrill Gutsch, Parley for the Oceans founder. “Plastic doesn’t belong in nature, it doesn’t belong in the belly of a fish, it doesn’t belong out there. The ultimate solution is to cut into this ongoing stream of material that never dies, is to reinvent plastic.”
The company seeks to develop a material that would decompose safely in the environment, unlike the conventional plastic that is estimated to take more than 500 years to break down.
Adidas hopes that the use of this innovative material could eventually go beyond the production of footwear. “We don’t have to limit ourselves,” said Eric Liedtke of the Adidas Group. “We can put this in T-shirts, we can put this in shorts, we can put this in all kinds of stuff.”
What do you think? | 1,265,560 |
Its Members can, with a two-thirds majority, override the President’s veto of the resolution voiding the National Emergency Declaration. They did not. It can amend appropriations laws to expressly restrict the transfer or spending of funds for a border wall under Sections 284 and 2808. Indeed, it appears to be doing so."
The judge added that House Democrats had the burden of demonstrating that they had standing -- a difficult hurdle for any plaintiff to clear, which involves showing a particularized injury that the court can address.
TRUMP ANNOUNCES ESCALATING TARIFFS ON MEXICO UNTIL ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS 'STOP'
To that end, McFadden quoted former Chief Justice John Marshall's opinion in the seminal 1803 case Marbury v. Madison, in which Marshall wrote, the "province of the [C[ourt is, solely, to decide on the rights of individuals, not to enquire how the executive, or executive officers, perform duties in which they have a discretion."
McFadden also wrote, quoting from another Supreme Court case, "Intervening in a contest between the House and President over the border wall would entangle the Court 'in a power contest nearly at the height of its political tension' and would 'risk damaging the public confidence that is vital to the functioning of the Judicial Branch.'"
Lawmakers expressly approved only $1.375 billion in the weeks after the shutdown, to go toward funding to 55 miles of wall along the southern border. But, Trump said that was inadequate, and he pushed ahead by moving funds from other Homeland Security projects previously approved by legislators. In his budget request earlier this year, Trump formally requested another $8.6 billion from Congress, saying that would be sufficient to build more than 700 miles of wall.
The emergency-appropriated funding alone could be used to build more than 230 miles of barriers.
At a hearing in May, McFadden hinted that courts should stay out of the matter -- and suggested an appeal was imminent regardless.
"I’m not sure how much necessarily our views will carry the day for the courts above us," McFadden said at the hearing.
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Disagreement already has been brewing in the lower courts, setting the stage for appellate panels to step in. Gillam, the Northern District of California judge who ruled last month that Trump was likely breaking the law by reallocating the wall funds, blocked some projects slated for immediate construction in Yuma and El Paso.
"In short, the position that when Congress declines the Executive’s request to appropriate funds, the Executive nonetheless may simply find a way to spend those funds without Congress does not square with fundamental separation of powers principles dating back to the earliest days of our Republic," Gilliam wrote. | 1,265,561 |
, it was easy for the general manager to understand what we had. It's not thinking about what you have, it's knowing what you have, so when the offseason comes [and] you're making decisions on contracts you know what these guys can do. I think that's happened this year. Xavier Ouellet is in the minors; he thinks he should be on our team. [Teemu] Pulkkinen is in the minors; he thinks he should be on our team. Mrazek is supposed to be our third goalie; he just went 9-1. I like the depth of our group and the push we have."
Tomas Tatar has 39 points in 52 games, the same number of points he had in 73 games last season. What's made him so effective this season?
"Those guys are getting a real opportunity. This year he's playing on a line with [Darren] Helm and Datsyuk; Helm and Datsyuk never played last year, so that helps him. You could say the same thing about [Gustav] Nyquist; Zetterberg never played last year basically. We're just a deeper team and those guys are real players. They've worked hard. You've got to give Blash [Grand Rapids Griffins coach Jeff Blashill] credit. Blash was my assistant coach in the NHL a few years ago; he's gone to the minors and he's done an unbelievable job in developing players. You draft them, but you've got to get them NHL ready and they have to continue to develop and get better. They think they're going to score, Nyquist and Tatar, and they are, so good for us."
The power play struggled at the start of the season, going 5-for-46 through 12 games. It's been dynamic for the better part of the past 40 games, going 43-for-142. That's 30.2 percent. How much of the power play's effectiveness goes to playing Datsyuk and Zetterberg on different units?
"I think that helps us because we're on the attack for two minutes. The second thing I'd say to you is we started with a plan, we had to adjust the plan a little bit, but [assistant coach] Jim Hiller came and brought some ideas. Jim Hiller played in the NHL at one time, was a college player, was a long-time junior coach, and he's about offense every single day. He had lots of ideas. We had to tweak them a little bit for the NHL, to build our program and get some trust for our guys, but he's done a real nice job. The other side of that is our penalty kill has been outstanding. It went into the tank, but now it's back. Our specialty teams have won us games."
--- | 1,265,562 |
, the embossed text on that wallet is "Genuine Leather". It smells like leather, smells the same like expensive furniture in lawyer's agency, so Google invited me to your Hub. If I understood you properly my wallet is at least bad quality leather. That's good to know, because I have it for free. So It looks like cigarrete companies had nice gifts in past time. It has at least 5 years old but looks new.
Greetings from Poland!
4TRAVELTIPS (author) on September 26, 2011:
Dear Tony,
Thanks for you kind comments, I am very flattered to hear that you made an effort to read this article even though your primary language is Chinese. If you have further questions please let me know, and I will do my best to answer.
Tony on September 26, 2011:
This is so pro, I can't fully understand it. I wish google translate can do a better job into Chinese so I can totally understand it.
4TRAVELTIPS (author) on May 27, 2011:
If the description is 'genuine leather' the quality will not be good! This terminology for leather should send up the red flags. In most instances, the leather will be split or bonded leather if described as 'genuine leather'. If the leather is a better quality Top Grain, Full Grain, Belting, Saddle, etc. it will be identified as such.
anne on May 10, 2011:
I would really hope you could elaborate more on genuine leather and on how to see a good quality genuine leather.
Eddie Holloway on April 28, 2011:
Very informative article.Thank you.
bond on April 27, 2011:
Very educational. Thanks
Leem on March 11, 2011:
a great article
QQ on February 09, 2011:
very educational..Thanks....
kevin on January 14, 2011:
thanks, that was an awesome article!!
Fad Lee on December 22, 2010:
informative :-)
Nikunj on December 03, 2010:
hey really appreciable
Kelly Wright on November 13, 2010:
Great article.
This is what I've been looking for to decide whether a leather jacket is right for me. Well, a store tells it's made of "genuine leather" with RRP of over $600, so it must be of good quality.
Kacie on October 28, 2010:
Thanks, great article.
KC
4TRAVELTIPS (author) on October 14, 2010:
Thank you, I appreciate your comment!
RH leathergoods on October 14, 2010:
good article~ | 1,265,563 |
stuck in sensors.
But it's a little different with the Nest Protect. And here's why:
It can have an impact far beyond beeping. Nest has a pretty clever system, where the smoke alarm can shut down your house's air circulation (through the Nest thermostat) in order to slow fire spread.
It is more expensive. It costs three to four times as much as buying a smoke and carbon monoxide detector. You can't just discard it. And you expect it to last longer and work better.
It impacts the app you use for other Nest products. Even though the battery is out of the detector and I even removed it from the Nest app, the home screen – which I also use for my thermostat and security camera – is still flashing red and warning "Smoke!"
It raises doubts about whether this smart home tech is such a good idea.
As a general rule, the more complicated devices get, the more often they go wrong. But with smart home technology, the implications are also larger.
If your smart thermostat goes wrong, you could end up roasting or freezing. If your smart lock goes wrong, anyone could enter your home. If your smart lighting goes wrong, you could up in the dark, or with rooms suddenly lighting up. And if your smart smoke detector goes wrong, you could end up in a panic in the early hours of the morning.
All the additional benefits that smart-home tech brings can very quickly turn into extra problems if they go wrong. The Nest Protect comes with a two-year warranty. Our house is still undecided about whether to ask for a replacement or go with the dumb detectors that do less, but with less fuss. ®
Updated to add
A Nest spokesperson has been in touch to say...
We were sorry to hear about Kieren’s experience, as we want everyone to enjoy their Nest products. Here’s some guidance on how to mitigate the issues that Kieren reported in his story. Kieren experienced the false alarm issue with a first-generation Nest Protect, which has been off the market since last year, when we replaced it with the second-generation Nest Protect. The new model has been completely redesigned and addresses this issue. In fact, it is our highest rated product with a 4.6 star rating on Amazon.com. If customers are having a false alarm problem with a first-generation model, they can reach out to Nest Support 24/7 for a replacement with the latest version. It’s also important to use the right batteries in Nest Protect. Nest Protect is designed for Energizer L91 lithium batteries, which provide far more power than the conventional AA batteries, and are designed for multiple years of operation. We highly recommend customers use these batteries since Alkaline batteries will not last as long. | 1,265,564 |
The Victorian Government has defended a plan to collect location data from mobile phones to help it plan improvements to the transport network.
Key points: The Government said it needed better data on how Victorians moved around Melbourne
The Government said it needed better data on how Victorians moved around Melbourne It plans to collect more data from people's mobile apps, phone networks and bluetooth
It plans to collect more data from people's mobile apps, phone networks and bluetooth Liberty Victoria warned the collated data could become a "honey pot" for hackers
The Government wants to explore collecting and using anonymised movement data from the mobile phone network, app location data and in-vehicle Bluetooth and GPS data, according to a Government document.
Under the plan, the data would be used to understand travel delays, bicycle and pedestrian routes and journey reliability for travellers.
Minister Martin Foley said information had been collected in the past and Victorians could simply turn off location data if they had concerns.
"This is a process that is used globally. It's been a process that was being used in Victoria in the past, the Tullamarine [Freeway] widening project was a case in point," he said.
He said the information about how people moved around the city would be used to plan "the most efficient and effective integrated transport system".
Data pool could create hacker 'honey pot'
Liberty Victoria's president Jessie Taylor said gathering location data from millions of Victorians in one place risked creating a "honey pot" for hackers.
"Hackers will really target on cracking that particular nut because there's so much payoff if they can," she told ABC Radio Melbourne.
Victoria's Auditor-General warned last month that patient data was "highly vulnerable" in Victoria after auditors hacked into some of the state's biggest health databases using "basic hacking tools".
Sorry, this audio has expired Liberty Victoria's Jessie Taylor tells ABC Radio Melbourne's Andrew Hansen the data harvesting plan could pose privacy risks
Ms Taylor also questioned whether the data would be properly de-identified to prevent abuse by either hackers or those who had access to the information.
"There could be terrible and dire consequences if this information fell into the wrong hands or indeed if people who are able and entitled to access this information do so in a way that is not intended and is not properly authorised," she said.
Victoria's population is growing rapidly and the data would be used to inform several major infrastructure projects under development, the Government said.
The Government said the plan had been developed in consultation with the Office of the Victorian Information Commissioner and an assessment carried out to ensure the data use complied with privacy laws.
Opposition spokesman David Davis said it was concerned the Government did not have adequate privacy safeguards for the data and Labor could not be trusted to protect the public. | 1,265,565 |
Home » Blog » Charlotte's Local Halloween Fun Guide, Halloween's Hottest Trends, Halloween Headlines
October 26, 2017 By Chelsea T.
Halloween is right around the corner and one of the major parts of the season include Pumpkin Picking. Tons of farms across the country participate in the pumpkin growing process so that come Fall time, families can pick the perfect pumpkins.
Today is National Pumpkin Day and we're celebrating with some cool facts about pumpkins that you may not have known. Take a peek at the facts below!
All pumpkins are a variety of winter squash
China used pumpkin leaves for a variety of different soups
The orange color in pumpkins comes from beta carotene
680,000 tons of pumpkins are produced each year in the United States
The pumpkin spice latte was first launched at Starbucks in 2003
Some pumpkins have been weighed in at a whopping 2,000 pounds
Millions of pumpkins are grown and used as food for animals
Antarctica is the only continent where pumpkins aren't grown
Along with the traditional color orange, pumpkins can also be found in yellow and white varieties
The word pumpkin originates from the Greek word pepon, which simply means "large melon"
Curcubita Pepo is the official Latin name for pumpkin
Pumpkins are filled with 2% protein
Illinois is the top pumpkin producing state in the United States
Pumpkins are a rich source of Vitamin A
In Central and Eastern Europe, pumpkin seed oil is used for cooking
In Europe, Mexico & China - pumpkin seeds are quite the popular snack
Early American Colonists used to call pumpkins "pumpions"
95% of all pumpkins grown to make pies and pie filling come from Illinois
The sugar variety of pumpkins is most often used for baking
All squashes and pumpkins are native plants of North America
The pumpkin most often used for Jack O' Lanterns is the Connecticut Field variety
The word “pompom” in English is derived from the French word for pumpkin, meaning something round and large
Bees are relied on by pumpkins to fertilize the flowers via cross pollination
In the Harry Potter book series, pumpkin juice is a popular drink among the students
In Britain and Australia, the word "pumpkin" can refer to any type of squash
Pumpkin chunking is the sport where a pumpkin is hurled as far as possible using a machine
Gourds are the most popular type of pumpkin used for decorating
A White Lumina is an unusual, medium-sized white pumpkin
What do you use your pumpkins for during the Fall Season? Let us know by commenting below! | 1,265,566 |
Region likely to become 1st in Asia to legalize gay marriage
Taiwan plans to draft a same-sex partnership law to further protect the rights of homosexual couples, making Taiwan likely to become the first region in Asia to legalize gay marriage.
Following the U.S. Supreme Court's decision on gay marriage in June, judicial authorities in Taiwan announced recently that they decided to draft a same-sex partnership law consistent with the global trend and changing public opinion. They said when polls show that the region's population is ready, a gay marriage law will be drafted.
Lo Ying-hsueh, head of Taiwan's judicial body, said the government will put related bills on an online voting platform with the result to serve as a reference for the legislature, the Taiwan-based United Daily News reported Sunday.
A poll conducted by judicial authorities in 2013 shows that more than 53 percent support same-sex marriage.
DPP chairwoman Tsai Ing-wen said gay marriage reflects equality and upholds human rights, while Hung Hsiu-chu, deputy KMT head, also said she maintains an "open and optimistic" attitude toward homosexuality.
Taiwan's homosexuals have been demanding legalizing same-sex marriage for years. In October 2014, 50,000 people attended Asia's largest gay pride festival in Taipei.
Although the forthcoming same-sex partnership law is aimed at giving homosexuals legal protection, many gay couples and some questioned why the government decided to draft a new law but not to amend the current marriage law.
"The fact that the government decided to set a new same-sex partnership law discriminates against homosexuals and it shows that homosexual couples are different from heterosexuals," Chen Ling, a lesbian as well as gay rights activist, told the Global Times.
Chen and her partner, Lu Hsin-chieh, tried to get married in Taiwan last year but were rejected.
Chen said she hopes the government can include gay marriage in the current marriage law and set up a partnership law after including both homosexuals and heterosexuals.
Chen said she fears that a partnership law may not allow gay couples to adopt children, while Lu believes that the new law shows progress.
"Taiwan's gay movement has been active for at least 10 years and many polls show that Taiwan society is mature enough to accept gay marriage," Hong Chih-kun, a member of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP)'s central executive committee, told the Global Times.
Chiu Yi, former Kuomintang (KMT) legislator, however, said that that the announcement of the draft may be the KMT's way of gaining support for next year's general election. "Since the new law will not affect the current marriage law, it could protect gay couples' rights which may help KMT win over votes from homosexuals without harming those who hold traditional beliefs." | 1,265,567 |
“We never thought that would happen to us,” Dr. Pean said.
‘I’m Manic!’
In his family of high-achievers, Alan Pean (pronounced PAY-on) is the soft-spoken and mellow middle sibling, into yoga, video games and pickup football. Christian, 28, now a medical student at Mount Sinai in New York, is the Type A leader; Dominique, 24, is following his path, applying to medical school while pursuing a master’s degree. Alan, who had never been in any sort of trouble, is “probably the nicest of us three,” Dominique said.
Like many people with mental health issues, he did not get a clear-cut diagnosis. After a brief delusional episode in 2008, he was hospitalized for a more severe recurrence the next year, at the end of his second year at the University of Texas. He was kept for a week and told that he had possible bipolar disorder, though his symptoms did not reappear for years even after he tapered off medication.
He was prone to bouts of sadness and anxiety, he recalled in an interview, but had attended college, taking breaks from time to time, and worked for a while as a medical assistant back home in McAllen, near the Mexican border. Though he had smoked marijuana regularly to help tame his symptoms, he said in an interview, he quit last summer when he enrolled at the University of Houston to complete his bachelor’s degree.
Just days into the semester, though, he barely slept and found himself increasingly agitated and delusional.
On Aug. 26, he talked repeatedly on the phone with his parents and brothers, who tried to calm him but worried that he sounded disoriented. Christian had been concerned enough that he called the Houston police to do a “welfare check” on his brother at his apartment, though no one answered the door when officers arrived.
When Mr. Pean sounded worse in the evening, his family summoned a fraternity brother in Houston to take him to an emergency room; his parents would fly in the next morning. But Mr. Pean did not wait. His mind vacillating between the knowledge that he needed psychiatric medication and encroaching delusions that he was a Barack Obama impersonator or a “Cyborg robot agent” who was being pursued by assassins, he said, he got into his white Lexus and drove at high speed to St. Joseph Medical Center, the only major hospital in downtown Houston.
Turning into the parking lot just before midnight, he crashed, nearly totaling his vehicle. As Mr. Pean was helped into the emergency room and onto a stretcher by paramedics and nurses, he recalled, he yelled: “I’m manic! I’m manic!” | 1,265,568 |
Watch Florida's Mental Health Crisis, on Dateline
When a young person walks through my door, I have just ten minutes.
Young people struggle to ask for help. If no-one responds within those first moments, they will walk out and we won’t see them again. We have to respond quickly.
Young people are much less likely to seek help if previous attempts have been ignored or they don’t think their needs have been met.
That’s why I hate waiting lists.
But unfortunately, waitlists are a reality where I work in South Burnett. We are only two hours from Brisbane but our resources are stretched.
I have been a youth worker in this region for more than 20 years. This year alone, it seems to me as though there has not only an increase in deaths by suicide but also in youth mental health issues and attempted suicides.
Supplied
Youth workers can often be first responders, because our job is to build relationships. Vulnerable young people look for support to those who they have relationships with; they will rarely look for help from a web page or on the phone.
Services in this area are struggling to get mental health help for young people who come to them. Their referrals are rejected, waitlists are too long and some services are simply not accessible.
South Burnett has no full time paediatrician and wait times are often 12 months long. Psychologists and counsellors are at capacity and it is very difficult to get a new client onto their books. Most residents, let alone young people, struggle to even get a timely appointment at the GP.
Support services in our region are worried. We feel as though we need to be an expert on everything. I - like many other youth workers - am not a trained mental health professional. But we all try our best to help everyone coming through those doors.
But when we do lose someone young to suicide, I worry about my staff, who ask themselves ‘what could I have done to prevent this?’
The grief is immense, for us, their family and the entire community.
But we have hope. As a community, we have been campaigning for support, and we hope some new services - including a headspace - will be available in the region soon.
I have had people visit me a decade after I helped them as a young person, thanking me and introducing me to their family.
It’s those moments that keep me going. I just hope we can save more people in our community.
Readers seeking support and information about suicide prevention can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14, Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467 and Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800 (up to age 25).
More information about mental health is available at Beyond Blue. | 1,265,569 |
. A core set of family safety settings – including the ability to block mature content and apps, set screen time limits, and review kids’ purchase requests – have long been available for Windows 10 PCs and Xbox One devices. These settings help parents keep kids safer, while also fostering independence and letting kids do homework, research, and be creative, using technology as a powerful learning tool.
With families today owning more personal devices than ever, including kids at increasingly younger ages, we’ve invested in that work across devices and platforms. A core set of family safety settings – including the ability to block mature content and apps, set screen time limits, and review kids’ purchase requests – have long been available for Windows 10 PCs and Xbox One devices. These settings help parents keep kids safer, while also fostering independence and letting kids do homework, research, and be creative, using technology as a powerful learning tool. Safer online spending with Ask a parent: One especially useful setting, called Ask a parent, lets parents avoid surprise spending on Xbox or the Microsoft Store by receiving notifications when kids want to make a purchase. Parents can decide whether to approve based on the maturity level, cost, and whether it fits within screen time allowed. From the kids’ perspective, it’s a good way to let Mom or Dad know what cool new game they want. From the parents’ perspective, it’s a good way to help kids manage temptations (such as in-app purchases) and make good choices.
One especially useful setting, called, lets parents avoid surprise spending on Xbox or the Microsoft Store by receiving notifications when kids want to make a purchase. Parents can decide whether to approve based on the maturity level, cost, and whether it fits within screen time allowed. From the kids’ perspective, it’s a good way to let Mom or Dad know what cool new game they want. From the parents’ perspective, it’s a good way to help kids manage temptations (such as in-app purchases) and make good choices. Shared family notebook in OneNote: Earlier this month we released the new family notebook in OneNote. We know families are busier than ever and with a family notebook your whole family can stay in sync and organized – from shopping lists to vacation planning, the whole family can share, edit and access information in one place.
These are just some of the many great features across our devices and services that empower families with peace of mind, tools to learn, grow and, of course, have fun. More information can be found at this page. Please download Microsoft Launcher and Microsoft Edge for Android and give the new features a try. We look forward to hearing your feedback so we can empower you with the best tools to create the safest, most productive and fun experiences for our families.
Microsoft gives parents peace of mind with new family features across devices | 1,265,570 |
Tony Allen announces London gig at Village Underground to launch forthcoming album ‘Film of Life’ (released October 2014)
Fresh from the release of ‘Go Back’ (featuring Damon Albarn), the first single to be taken from his forthcoming album ‘Film of Life’, legendary Afrobeat drummer Tony Allen has announced he will be launching the album at London venue Village Underground on 20th November 2014.
“Rhythm is the most perceptible and the least material thing in the world,” wrote John Miller Chernoff in his book, African Rhythm and African Sensibility. It has been thirty years since this observation inspired Brian Eno and David Byrne to revise their approach to music but if African rhythms began to alter the course of Western pop music, it is above all down to Tony Allen. He embodies the vitality of those rhythms, placing them at the cutting edge of modern music and over his fifty-year career has made himself a benchmark for musicians worldwide. Now his tenth album, Film of Life, looks back on this amazing adventure whilst continuing to explore new horizons…
Born in Lagos in 1940, Tony Oladipo Allen is an autodidact, a drummer who invented his technique by listening to Art Blakey and Max Roach. In the mid-1960s, his meeting with Fela Kuti was to forever change his destiny, which took on epic proportions with the invention of Afrobeat, where the rhythmic patterns of Yoruba meet instrumental funk and Pan-African slogans. The collaboration of these two musical giants would last fifteen years. Tony the human metronome then made the most of his newfound freedom to add to his afrobeat roots with everything from dub to pop. Since his first encounter with Damon Albarn, he has been a member of the groups The Good, The Bad and The Queen and Rocket Juice and the Moon, projects both led by the Blur singer. Very much in demand, he recently worked with such diverse artists as Charlotte Gainsbourg, Sébastien Tellier and Joe Lovano.
At a time when Afrobeat, like Reggae, is becoming part of the globalised music scene, Film of Life travels back through an exemplary musical life. Along with the trio of French producers The Jazzbastards and a cast of world-class musicians, the master drummer confirms his powers of reinvention and gives us an album that brings together groove, jazz and psychedelic pop. For Tony Allen, who has always thought of his drums “as an orchestra” and who likes “to make them sing”, Film of Life marks the pinnacle of his achievement.
Tony Allen LIVE
Village Underground, London
20th November 2014
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In the new ad for her ‘SARAH PAC,’ Palin rails against consultants, with a clip from her 2013 CPAC speech where she exclaims: “Don’t let the big consultants, the big money men, and the big bad media scare you off! … Now is the time to furlough the consultants…”
But, as it turns out, Sarah Palin is quite a fan of consultants, if her PAC’s spending is any indication.
As The Daily Beast‘s Jon Avlon reported, having combed through the PAC’s financials, out of the $5.1 million the PAC spent in the last election cycle, only $298,500 was spent on candidates. Avlon notes:
“But the real news comes when you look at how donors’ money was actually doled out: just $298,500 to candidates. The bulk of the rest of it, more than $4.8 million, went to—you guessed it—consultants.That’s some seriously hypocritical overhead…. Palin’s chief PAC consultant, Tim Crawford, pocketed more than $321,000 this election cycle in direct payments alone, according to the documents. Aries Petra Consulting was taking in between $6,000 and $8,000 a month for speechwriting and “grassroots consulting”—something that sounds like an oxymoron, but ended up costing north of $160,000. C&M Transcontinental racked up $10,000 a month in management consulting, which is hard to imagine for a PAC whose job is simply to raise money and spend it on candidates. Inside SarahPAC, there were consultants for research and consultants for logistics and consultants for issues and on and on and on. It’s hard to find any area where consultants weren’t employed.”
[emphasis added]
On CNN yesterday, Avlon noted that Palin “spent more on her top consultant than she did on all the candidates she doled out money to…. There are consultants for every issue imaginable in SarahPAC” and added that the PAC is “somewhere between a business and a racket right now.” [Click here for a report and video of Avlon’s CNN appearance.]
But how are conservatives taking the news? Many are, well, not pleased.
Some conservatives, before the numbers even debuted, were already skeptical of SARAH PAC and its finances:
There’s a sucker born every minute. For those, there’s a fresh new site for SARAH PAC donations. Enjoy. The rest of us, however, say: “Bye-bye, Sarah.”
Have a tip we should know? [email protected] | 1,265,572 |
Sun-Times, December 20, 2018
Seven people in the Chicago area were arrested Tuesday for allegedly bilking Internet users of at least $2 million in online scams over the past two years.
{snip} If convicted, the defendants face a maximum 20 years in prison.
The seven in the Chicago area were: Daniel Samuel Eta, 35, of Skokie; Babatunde Ladehinde Labiyi, 20, of Chicago; Barnabas Oghenerukevwe Edjieh, 29, of Chicago; Sultan Omogbadebo Anifowoshe, 26, of Chicago; Babatunde Ibraheem Akarigidi, 39, of Chicago; Miracle Ayokunle Okunola, 21, of Chicago; Olurotimi Akitunde Idowu, 55, of Chicago. Another person was arrested in Texas, and the ninth was arrested in Nigeria.
For two years, their victims became an “unwitting money mule” for the defendants, according to an FBI affidavit. The defendants slowly built a connection with the victims, posing as their romantic partner or boss before requesting deposits into bank accounts they opened under fake passports. {snip}
The defendants often tried to emotionally manipulate their victims, including by targeting a woman who admitted she was recently widowed and felt lonely, according to the affidavit. One victim believed he or she was dating a woman with cancer named “Claire Anderson” and sent her funds to “travel to Nigeria for family reasons.”
In a yet another romance scam, a fake Instagram account under the alias “Sarah Allison” told a victim she needed “financial help” to acquire a $2.5 million inheritance. From November 2017 to this October, the victim sent a total $38,100 to accounts under the names “Chattman Ronald Stewart” and “Beckham Dave Smith.”
There was also an alleged “mystery shopper” scam {snip}.
Among other deceits, defendants carried out employment fraud schemes as well, the affidavit said. The work-from-home scam involved telling the victim to deposit funds to a bank account as part of the fake company’s business dealings.
Once the group got the money, they funneled the proceeds into their personal bank accounts or overseas, often Nigeria, the affidavit said. At least three times, the money was used to pay for vehicles on behalf of a Nigerian car company owned by one of the defendants.
The defendants’ cover was blown following an federal sting known as “Operation Gold Phish,” which included a search of the phones and other devices used to advance these scams, the FBI said. {snip}
{snip} | 1,265,573 |
ONLYOFFICE is a free and open source corporate office suite used to organize the teamwork online. It is composed of three separate servers:
Community Server offers 8 modules and tools:
People to store and manage the contact information of all the team members.
Projects to carry out the project through all its stages: schedule workflow, distribute tasks and subtasks, store the project related documentation, lead discussions, track time, report project progress.
Documents to store and manage all the documents, including the files from the cloud storage services like Google Drive, Dropbox, ownCloud, etc..
CRM to create a client database and keep track of the potential sales.
Community to organize an internal social network with news, blogs, forums, bookmarks, polls, wiki.
Mail Client to connect different email accounts and manage all the correspondence from one single place.
Calendar to schedule corporate and personal events.
Talk to chat with your team in real time, organize conferences and mailing list.
Document Server provides users with text, spreadsheet and presentation online editors working within a browser and allowing to co-edit documents in real time, review and track changes, comment and interact
Mail Server is used to create mailboxes using your own domain name.
Installing ONLYOFFICE on Linux Machine
ONLYOFFICE installation requires the presence of mono, nodejs, libstdc++6, nginx and mysql-server in your Linux machine. Using the official Docker script, you can install the whole solution – Community Server, Document Server, and Mail Server – with one single dependency needed to be installed.
Prerequisites
Before we begin, we need the following:
RAM: 6 GB or more;
HDD: at least 2 GB of free space;
at least 2 GB of swap;
a registered domain name for the mail server;
Docker: version 1.9.0 or later. To install Docker, follow the instructions from the official documentation.
Step 1. Download the official ONLYOFFICE installation script
Step 2. Install all the ONLYOFFICE servers
Execute the beneath command to install all the ONLYOFFICE servers at once (to perform this action you must be logged in with root rights.):
Where yourdomain.com is a domain name used for mail server.
Step 3. Access your web-office.
Open the Web browser and type the IP address or host name of your server. The portal start up and initialization processes might take some time. Once completed, the Welcome to Your ONLYOFFICE Portal will open:
Step 4. Make the initial configuration
Enter your email address and password to access your web-office next time. Set up the correct time zone and the interface language and click Save. The Welcome page will open | 1,265,574 |
Boy crushed to death by chest of drawers in US is third child to have died in accidents involving company’s Malm budget range
Ikea has repeated safety warnings to customers about its Malm budget furniture range after a third child was crushed to death when a chest of drawers fell on him.
The Swedish company was forced to issue advice about the range – available online and in stores across the world including the UK and US – in July last year after two children were killed in separate incidents in 2014.
In the latest tragedy, 22-month-old Ted McGee managed to tip a wooden chest of drawers on to himself at his home in Minnesota in February.
His mother said she put him down for a nap and was checking on him every 20 minutes until she found his bed empty and assumed he was hiding – only to find him under the chest.
Ikea said the self-assembly chest was not fixed to the wall and issued another safety warning to parents.
In the US, federal safety regulators have launched an investigation into the incident, which took place seven months after the retailer disclosed that millions of the chests were at risk of falling forward if not properly stabilised.
Ikea recalls bat cape costume due to 'risk of strangulation' Read more
In February 2014, a two-year-old boy from Pennsylvania died when a Malm chest fell on him and pinned him to a bed. Three months later, a 23-month-old child from Washington was killed when a three-drawer Malm chest tipped over.
Although no deaths have been reported in the UK, parents here have been urged to use the wall restraints that come with the flat-pack furniture. Consumers in the UK worried about the furniture are urged to contact Ikea on 0203 645 0010 to request a free restraint kit if they no longer have the original.
An Ikea spokesperson said: “We at Ikea offer our deepest condolences to the McGee family. At Ikea, we believe children are the most important people in the world and the safety of our products is our highest priority. Upon being informed of this incident Ikea US immediately reported it to the authorities and an investigation is taking place. Ikea US has been advised that the product was not attached to the wall, which is an integral part of the products’ assembly instructions.”
It added: “We wish to emphasise that the best way to prevent tip-over of chests of drawers is to attach products to the wall with the included restraints and hardware per the assembly instructions. Ikea has included restraints with our chest of drawers for decades, and wall attachment is an integral part of the assembly instructions.”
The McGee family’s lawyer has claimed they were not aware of the issue or the previous safety warning.
| 1,265,575 |
It's pretty much confirmed: Luigi has a dick.
Nintendo is releasing Mario Tennis Aces for the Switch in June, and its promotional material features the Super Mario gang in fun athletic new outfits. But some more salacious gamers were focused on one revamped character in particular.
People freaked out over Nintendo's image of our favorite sidekick, because if you zoom in enough, Luigi has a defined bulge in his pants.
There's his bulge, in all of its mesh shorts encased glory. Image: nintendo
Here's a close up. It's definitely there. Those mesh athletic shorts are holding in something.
satoru iwata died so we could an HD photo of Luigi’s bulge pic.twitter.com/HoiRApRPsi — sarah 🤠 (@fastjelIyfish) March 12, 2018
And as Christopher Butcher pointed out, people are getting really into figuring out how much Luigi is packing.
The difference between Tumblr and Twitter is that Twitter users are all upset about Luigi's dick bulge because they're so fucking basic and Tumblr users are doing Algebra to figure out that it's roughly 3.7" flacid and they're so happy for him to have a dick. pic.twitter.com/BlQynFRaZd — Christopher Butcher (@Comics212) March 15, 2018
Yes, someone actually did the math to figure out the measurements of Luigi's penis. Tumblr user fortooate found that if the length of a standard tennis racket is 28 inches, or 300 pixels in Nintendo's promotional image, and the bulge in question measures out to 40 pixels, then Luigi's flaccid penis must be about 3.7 inches long. It's simple algebra.
But as fortooate said, there are a lot of factors in this bulge measurement that we don't know. People just think it's great that Luigi has a penis. This news is just as important as when we found out that Mario has nipples, or that Toad's mushroom head is actually his head and not a hat.
Great, now I know what Mario's nipples look like. pic.twitter.com/OnZhmL7hNR — Mark Serrels (@Serrels) September 13, 2017
What do you do with this information? That's up to you. Just know that there is an artist out there who was paid by Nintendo to animate this bulge.
And the artist hired to do this is thinking “I hope I don’t get fired cause of what people online think of my decision” — Matthew Loux (@mattloux) March 15, 2018
Nintendo may refuse to answer questions about Mario's sex life, but at least its fans know that Luigi has the equipment to do it. | 1,265,576 |
Doug Haller
azcentral sports
Taylor Kelly's right foot injury will keep him out of Arizona State's Sept. 25 showdown against UCLA, but the senior quarterback could return sooner than expected.
According to a program source, Kelly has a chance to play Oct. 4 at USC. If not USC, the Sun Devils expect their third-year quarterback on the field for the Oct. 18 home game against Stanford.
Kelly's exact injury is not known. He injured his right foot late in the third quarter of Saturday's 38-24 win at Colorado. On third down, Kelly rushed out of the pocket to escape pressure. As he ran, Colorado defensive end Derek McCartney wrapped up Kelly around the legs, the quarterback twisting as he fell to the turf. Kelly got up with the help of a teammate, limped slightly, then jogged off the field.
Kelly went to the locker room and later returned on crutches with his right foot in a protective boot. He watched the rest of the game with a towel over his head. Coach Todd Graham didn't say much about the injury after the game. He wasn't available for comment Sunday.
The Sun Devils also received good news about Viliami "Laiu" Moeakiola. According to a program source, the sophomore spur linebacker – who injured his right arm in Saturday's second quarter – could be ready for the UCLA contest. The exact nature of Moeakiola's injury is not known. He watched the second half of Saturday's win at Colorado with his arm in a sling.
The Sun Devils (3-0) are off this week, giving both Kelly and Moeakiola time to heal. Junior quarterback Mike Bercovici will start in Kelly's place, the first of his college career. The next three weeks -- with contests against Pac-12 South rivals UCLA and USC -- could define ASU's season.
In four college seasons, Bercovici (cq) has thrown just 24 passes, 17 coming this season, one leading to a touchdown. In 11 drives this season, he has led the Sun Devils to three touchdowns.
The junior has a strong arm, but sometimes he trusts it too much, putting the ball in jeopardy. Offensive coordinator Mike Norvell may have to tweak ASU's attack to suit Bercovici's skills. Bercovici slimmed down last season, improving his quickness, but he's not the rushing threat Kelly is.
That said, Bercovici has the respect of his teammates. Although he's not a team captain in title, he often accompanies Kelly out to mid-field for the pregame coin toss, a task usually reserved for captains. Bercovici has waited patiently since losing the starting job to Kelly in 2012. He has said several times he would be ready when the time comes. That time is here. | 1,265,577 |
$10 million settlement over alleged misconduct in Boston heart stem cell lab
A research misconduct investigation of a prominent stem cell lab by the Harvard University–affiliated Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH) in Boston has led to a massive settlement with the U.S. government over allegations of fraudulently obtained federal grants. As Retraction Watch reports, BWH and its parent health care system have agreed to pay $10 million to resolve allegations that former BWH cardiac stem cell scientist Piero Anversa and former lab members Annarosa Leri and Jan Kajstura relied on manipulated and fabricated data in grant applications submitted to the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH).
A statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts released today notes that it was BWH itself that shared the allegations against Anversa’s lab with the government. The hospital had been conducting its own probe into the Anversa lab since at least 2014, when a retraction published in the journal Circulation revealed the ongoing investigation. The hospital has not yet released any findings.
In 2014, Anversa and Leri sued Harvard and BWH—along with BWH President Elizabeth Nabel and Gretchen Brodnicki, Harvard’s dean for faculty and research integrity—for launching and publicizing the investigation that they claimed wrongfully damaged their careers. In their complaint, they acknowledged fabricated data in the Circulation paper and altered figures in a 2011 paper for which The Lancet has published an “expression of concern.” But they claimed that Kajstura had altered data without their knowledge. (Anversa and Leri’s recent papers list their institution as Swiss Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Retraction Watch notes.)
In July 2015, a federal district court judge dismissed the lawsuit, ruling that the plaintiffs had to first air their grievances with the federal Office of Research Integrity, which handles misconduct investigations at NIH-funded labs.
Grant fraud cases against universities rarely involve research misconduct, and most are brought by whistleblowers who stand to claim a share of any returned funds. Despite the high penalty, BWH gets praise from the Department of Justice in today’s announcement “for self-disclosing the allegations … and for taking steps to prevent future recurrences of such conduct.”
But the result is confusing and potentially discouraging, says Ferric Fang, a microbiologist at the University of Washington in Seattle, who has published several analyses of retractions, misconduct, and the scientific enterprise. “It sounds as if the researchers themselves were found to have engaged in improper practices, but the institution is on the hook for the settlement.” The decision “deserves greater clarification,” he says, or it “could discourage other institutions from being as forthcoming in the future.” | 1,265,578 |
We are Live. View the video below!
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Direct Youtube broadcast link: http://youtu.be/SJeOcEm2dK4
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Schedule for Friday, September 11th, 2015
6:00 pm Toronto / 3:00 pm California / 11:00 pm UK / 3:00 am India – Introduction by Bev Collins
6:05 pm Toronto / 3:05 pm California / 12:05 AM Switzerland – Dr. Daniele Ganser (Switzerland): “What is the strategy of tension?”
6:45 pm Toronto / 3:45 pm California – Dr. Anthony Hall: “9/11 Truth to 9/11 Reality”
7:25 pm Toronto / 4:45 pm California – Barrie Zwicker: “Real Politik: Next Month’s Canadian Federal Election & 9/11”
8:05 pm Toronto / 5:25 pm California – Dr. Graeme MacQueen: “The War on Terror and the Intimidation of Legislatures in Canada and the U.S.”
8:45 pm Toronto / 6:05 pm California – Graeme MacQueen, Anthony Hall, & Barrie Zwicker Group Dialogue
9:25 pm Toronto / 6:45 pm California – Closing remarks by Bev Collins
Schedule for Saturday, September 12th, 2015
Part 1
11 am Toronto / 8 am California / 5 pm UK / 8 pm India – Introduction by Bev Collins
11:05 am Toronto / 8:05 am California – 12:05 am Japan – James Corbett: “The Financial Aspects and Cover-up of 9/11”
11:45 am Toronto / 8:45 am California – Kevin Ryan: “The Importance of the 9/11 Myth to Solving the 9/11 Crimes”
Part 2
4:00 pm Toronto / 1:00 pm California – Introduction by Bev Collins
4:05 pm Toronto / 1:05 pm California – Elizabeth Woodworth: “The 9/11 Consensus Panel” [Note: Cynthia McKinney wished to attend but there were schedule conflicts – we hope for your understanding]
4:45 pm Toronto / 1:45 pm California – Professor David Johnson: “The Vision for the 15th Anniversary of 9/11”
5:25 pm Toronto / 2:25 pm California – Closing remarks by Bev Collins
– RethinkSeptember11 Team | 1,265,579 |
‹‹ First ‹ Prev Next › Last ›› Select Story Chapter 3 Chapter 2 Chapter 1 Requesting Help - 2014-09-05 The Salvager - 2014-09-01 Found Out - 2014-08-29 Interrogation - 2014-08-25 Courses Of Action - 2014-08-22 Battle Damage - 2014-08-18 Homecoming - 2014-08-15 Escape Attempt - 2014-08-11 Hail of Gunfire - 2014-08-08 Evasive Maneuvers - 2014-08-04 Parley Over - 2014-08-01 Full Arsenal - 2014-07-28 Captain of the Hooded Cobra - 2014-07-25 A True Villain - 2014-07-21 Jace's Plan - 2014-07-18 A Dark Memory - 2014-07-14 Inbound - 2014-07-11 Scuffle - 2014-07-07 Boarding Party - 2014-07-04 Ultimatum - 2014-06-30 Ion Control - 2014-06-27 Open Fire! - 2014-06-23 Going Dark - 2014-06-20 Surprise Escort - 2014-06-16 Jump Point - 2014-06-13 And Its Name Is Havik - 2014-06-09 Enter Avacar - 2014-06-06 The Meeting Place - 2014-06-02 Hail of Gunfire
Rekks steers us toward the two incoming UEE Hornet fighters. Once we make it past them it’s a straight shot to the jump point. We’ll let the UEE deal with Kel Grata.
The Hornets adjust their courses at the last second… on to pure pursuit vectors with us! “Oh shit!” I hear Rekks exclaim as he jerks the stick to roll us away from the fire erupting from the turrets of the Hornets. White hot tracer rounds spew toward us impacting our already weakened frontal shields which quickly buckle under the assault. Our ship shakes violently from the ballistic impact of multiple repeater slugs. The port winglet takes the bulk of the salvo and rips from the ship ricocheting off the engine nacelle as it flies off into space. A sea of red alarm indicators fill the console in front of me.
The Hornets decouple their vectors and spin their ship's noses toward us to continue firing while we merge past them. My anger turns to pragmatic fear as I try to shift whatever power I can find from the weapons into the shields and engines. We need to get out of here!
For a final time Kel Grata’s voice comes over the comm. This time however, he’s using a wide broadcast signal so everyone can hear him. “I hope you children have learned something today about how things really work in the ‘verse. Enjoy your cold sleep.” | 1,265,580 |
illed with the conception that every youth of Middle Eastern appearance should be treated as a potential terrorist or crime suspect.
The tremendous insecurities felt by youth about their future are only compounded by their complete alienation from the official parliamentary parties and institutions. In the case of Australia, both major parties have deployed military forces to the US-led wars that have devastated Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria, killed hundreds of thousands and turned millions into refugees. Footage of the horrific outcome is broadcast each evening on television news programs, as desperate refugees confront walls, barbed wire and troops as they try to reach sanctuary in Europe.
All that can be said definitively at this point about the actions of Farhad Jabar last Friday is that they were those of a highly disturbed boy. Police Commissioner Scipione admitted during his press conference that shooting a random person outside a major police station and waiting for the reaction had the character of “suicide by cop.”
Given the history of incidents declared “terrorist acts” in Australia, the murder of Curtis Cheng and subsequent killing of a 15-year-old boy will be used to push through further attacks on democratic rights on the pretext of combatting extremism.
Other recent cases of alleged terrorism that were followed by sweeping changes to legislation have left a host of questions unanswered.
Numan Haider, an 18-year-old who was killed by police in Melbourne on September 23, 2014 after he allegedly attacked them with a knife, had displayed erratic behaviour over the previous weeks as a result of the cancellation of his passport. Nevertheless, police arranged to meet him in the car park where he was killed, rather than in a secure building.
Man Haron Monis, who took hostages at Sydney’s Lindt café on December 15, 2014, was well-known to intelligence agencies and police as a highly unstable person with no actual links to ISIS or terrorist organisations. No attempt was made to negotiate an end to the stand-off, which ended with the deaths of Monis and two hostages. But the incident has been used ever since as justification for Canberra’s stepped-up involvement in the criminal US-led war in Syria.
In the wake of Friday’s events, the media is whipping up a witch-hunt against alleged “radicals” operating from the Parramatta mosque where Jabar prayed, including a member of the Islamist organisation Hizb-ut-Tahrir, who allegedly preached there just hours before the killings. The mosque was raided and searched by police on Saturday evening, presumably to uncover evidence of support or advocacy of terrorist acts.
Today’s Australian declared that the Turnbull government should “again review the strategies and practices in place and consider if changes are needed to strengthen their hand in this ongoing fight.”
Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. | 1,265,581 |
Two Australian friends made a 5,000 mile trip to North Korea to prove a point – don't believe everything you hear about the secretive nation.
Over the years, a number of reports on unconfirmed bizarre practices in the country have emerged and captured global attention. Ordinarily, such claims would be met with scepticism, but not when it comes to North Korea.
One such example is reports by Western media claiming that both men and women can only choose from a limited range of state-approved haircuts.
Determined to get to the bottom of whether such rumours have any credibility, Sydney University students Aleksa Vulovic, 24, and his friend Alex Apollonov, 25, paid A$2,000 (£1,157) each for a six-day tour of the country under the watchful eye of the government.
The pair recorded their journey on an SLR camera and posted a 20-minute documentary called "The Haircut – A North Korean Adventure" on YouTube.
While North Korea maintains strict controls over recording, they told Nine News Australia that "filming on the modest camera allowed them to avoid being questioned by officials, who typically only allow tourists to record limited amounts of footage."
After touching down in Pyongyang, Vulovic followed his tour guide's recommendation and booked the pair in for a haircut at a salon. Upon arrival, he showed the hairdresser a picture of the "hipster" style he was after, she duly obliged.
Hilariously narrating the experience, Apollonov says: "When he showed the hairdresser a picture of the exact amount of hair he wanted, they got rid of the unwanted hair. Just like hairdressers do all over the world."
The documentary then cuts to Volovic carefully placing a picture frame of the North Korean dictator, Kim Jong-un on a bookshelf. "So," he says mockingly. "It turns out that North Koreans get haircuts just like everyone else in the world does. What an exciting adventure, eh?"
Despite the jovial tone, the pair make a serious point as they attempt to go past the clickbait. "Every week, on TV and online, we are bombarded by the bizarre media-spectacle of North Korea," the description to the documentary reads.
"From nuclear apocalypse and prison camps to banned sarcasm and compulsory identical haircuts – any shred of information regarding North Korea becomes a viral media hit, regardless of how dubious the story is."
The documentary was posted to YouTube last week and has racked up nearly 20,000 views. So far, no formal complaints have been lodged by North Korean authorities.
However, Vulovic ruled out a return to the country anytime soon, saying: "We did break the rules though, so I'd be hesitant to go back there." | 1,265,582 |
atrophy due to planned shrinkage
o This happens when a mobilizer moves up to a leadership position
o They are no longer given new names, and inactive members are removed
· 2 mobilizers have asked to have their listed assigned away to focus on other commitments
· 2 have been asked to move on from the program due to inactivity
· 12 have been in or have at some point been in leadership at some level of the NYC DSA.
· 4 are members of the BUM City Leadership Delegation
· 1 is a member of DSA National Leadership
· The member who was biting at my heels (Matt) is now the Membership Development Coordinator of the NYC Local and a Steering Committee member
The mobilizers in the system currently are doing great work. I believe this to be true because the Bronx/Upper Manhattan branch accounts for 15% of the NYC Local, but we have rates of active membership with the three Brooklyn branches that make up 58% of the Local. Of our 11 branch meetings this year, 10 had attendances of over 100. I ask at each meeting by a show of hands who has been mobilized, and half the room tends to raise their hand. This is all anecdotal. In the coming year, I hope to develop a system of metrics for the BUM mobilizer system that is repeatable and replicable when I am no longer MC due to term limits.
I want to stress that part of the reason that the mobilizer system has been successful in my branch is luck and timing; I am not important. The work that I have done has been in concert with my comrades in the BUM branch and I was given support by many people. Without the tools given to me by my OC, and the steering committee of the NYC Local, our branch system would not be where it is today.
I believe that the Mobilizer System is an exciting advancement for DSA. The shop steward model has been effective in building work place democracy, creating relationships that lead to solidarity in struggle and create healthy unions. The appropriation of this aspect of union culture into DSA has been a great tool for BUM Branch. My work this year has been difficult, but rewarding. If you will allow me a moment to be political, I believe that we are in the twilight of capitalism and the dawn of reaction. The struggle for socialism will be long and arduous. I am a believer of revolutionary spontaneity and the mobilizer system gives us the tools to model what radical democracy looks like to the wider world. The DSA will not be the Vanguard but one of many vanguards when the next revolutionary moment arrives. Our internal organization will help us retain members and create leaders that will rise organically to lead any movement. Capitalism will fall, be it 50 years or 500, and this system will play a part in its downfall. | 1,265,583 |
In Hamdi v. Rumsfeld, five justices of the Supreme Court said in 2004 that Congress had granted the president power to detain at least those enemy combatants captured on the battlefield in Afghanistan, even if they were American citizens, for the duration of hostilities there. But the detainee in that case, Yaser Hamdi, was freed and sent to Saudi Arabia not long after the court’s decision, which also allowed him to challenge his detention.
Based on the Hamdi decision, the Fourth Circuit in 2005 upheld the detention of Jose Padilla, an American arrested at a Chicago airport. Although Mr. Padilla was said to have ties to Al Qaeda, the Fourth Circuit decision largely turned on his activities on the battlefield in Afghanistan. Just before the Supreme Court was to decide whether to hear his case for a second time, Mr. Padilla was transferred to the criminal justice system. He was convicted last year on charges related to terrorism.
The Supreme Court’s decision in Mr. Marri’s case may be quite limited, given his unique status, or quite broad.
The divided three-judge Fourth Circuit panel that ruled in June 2007 for Mr. Marri, in a decision later vacated by the full court, based its ruling on a proposition that could be applied broadly should the Supreme Court adopt it. Judge Diana Gribbon Motz wrote for the majority that Mr. Marri was a civilian and may not be detained by the military.
Because Mr. Marri was not alleged to have fought with the Taliban or the armed forces of any enemy nation or to have engaged in combat with United States forces, Judge Motz reasoned, President Bush was powerless to have the military detain him, just as he could not have ordered the military detentions of “the Unabomber or the perpetrators of the Oklahoma City bombing.”
In a recent brief, the government provided the justices with a sworn 2004 statement from Jeffrey N. Rapp, the military intelligence official. The statement, declassified in 2006, said Mr. Marri had met with Osama bin Laden and Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the chief 9/11 plotter, in the summer of 2001. “Al-Marri offered to be an Al Qaeda martyr or to do anything else that Al Qaeda requested,” Mr. Rapp said. The Qaeda leaders told Mr. Marri, the statement said, to leave for the United States and to make sure he got there before Sept. 11.
The government’s brief said Congress must have intended to allow the detention of people like Mr. Marri and called a contrary interpretation absurd. Such a reading, the brief said, “relies on the assumption that when Congress authorized the use of military force to respond to the Sept. 11 attacks, it did not intend to reach individuals virtually identically situated to the Sept. 11 hijackers.” | 1,265,584 |
Thu, 16 Aug 2018
Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd (SSTL) has signed an agreement with Antrix Corporation Limited, the commercial arm of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), for the launch into a 580km sun-synchronous orbit of NovaSAR-1, a small Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellite, and SSTL S1-4, a high resolution Earth observation satellite. The two satellites will launch on PSLV-C42, due to lift-off in September 2018.
NovaSAR-1 is a technology demonstration satellite mission designed to test the capabilities of a new low cost S-Band SAR platform. The spacecraft was designed and manufactured by SSTL, with an S-Band SAR payload developed by Airbus Defence and Space in Portsmouth, and an Automatic Identification Receiver (AIS) supplied by ComDev to track ships at sea. NovaSAR-1 will be operated from SSTL’s Spacecraft Operations Centre in Guildford, UK.
The UK Space Agency has invested £21M in the development of NovaSAR-1 and will benefit from access to data from the spacecraft, significantly boosting the UK’s sovereign Earth observation capabilities and leveraging additional inward investment to the UK by creating highly skilled jobs in the UK space industry, and stimulating the growth of data analysis services.
Also on the PSLV-C42 launch will be the SSTL S1-4, a sub-one metre resolution Earth observation satellite with a mass of 440kg that will further enhance SSTL’s existing in-orbit observation capabilities.
Press Contact:
Joelle Sykes, PR Manager, SSTL
Tel: +44 (0)1483 804243
Mob: 07775 000853
Email: [email protected]
About SSTL
Surrey Satellite Technology Limited (SSTL) is the world's leading small satellite company, delivering operational space missions for a range of applications including Earth observation, science, communications, navigation, in-orbit servicing and beyond Earth infrastructure. SSTL designs, manufactures and operates high performance satellites and ground systems for a fraction of the price normally associated with space missions, and employs 500 staff working on turnkey satellite platforms, space-proven satellite avionics, optical instruments and new mission concepts.
Since 1981, SSTL has built and launched more than 50 satellites for 20 international customers, as well as providing training and development programmes, consultancy services, and mission studies for ESA, NASA, international governments and commercial customers. Our innovative approach is changing the economics of space.
Headquartered in Guildford, UK, SSTL is part of Airbus.
www.sstl.co.uk
| 1,265,585 |
Authorities have ordered three investigations after an elderly woman was trapped for 29 hours in an elevator over the holidays in a nursing home in Mississauga, Ont.
The 87-year-old woman was stuck in the elevator at the Malton Village Long Term Care Centre from the evening of Dec. 23 until about 2 a.m. on Christmas morning, said Emil Kolb, the chair of the Region of Peel in a Wednesday statement.
"The administration advised me about this very distressing occurrence on Christmas Day. It was very unhappy news on what should be one of the most joyous days of the year. But my distress was certainly far less than that of the resident and her family," Kolb said.
"The Region of Peel takes responsibility for the care and safety of the residents of our long-term care centres very seriously. We have apologized to the resident and her family for this gap in our duty."
The woman was dropped off at the front doors of the nursing home near Derry Road East and Highway 427 on the evening of Dec. 23 by her family, but did not arrive on her floor, said Kolb. Staff thought she was still staying with her family.
Staff called the woman's family on the next day, which is when they found out she had been dropped off at the nursing home the previous day.
Trapped between floors
"We believe she became trapped in the elevator between floors on her way to her room and was unable to obtain assistance for the next 24 hours" said Kolb. "This is one of the key areas of focus in our investigations. How could that happen?"
Staff then ordered a search of the home, which was unsuccessful, and then had Peel police search the home without success.
Staff then checked the elevator, which Kolb said was "the only place left to search" and was malfunctioning and had to be shut down on the morning of the 24th.
When staff finally found the woman at 2 a.m. on the 25th, she was treated at the scene and then taken to hospital for evaluation.
She returned to the nursing home later that day. Staff are observing her closely and a doctor conducted a checkup on Dec. 27, Kolb said.
As a result of this "extremely serious failure," staff at the nursing home are conducting an internal investigation.
Carolyn Clubine, the director of Peel Long Term Care, said that "every effort" will be made to ensure that this never happens again.
"Too many things went wrong all at the same time," Clubine told CBC News in an interview on Wednesday. "That's how this particular incident happened."
Ontario's health and long-term care ministry is also investigating, as is the Technical Standards and Safety Authority, a private organization that provides safety services on behalf of the provincial government. | 1,265,586 |
GINIA
She was disbarred for mishandling bankruptcy cases and failure to refund fees, according to the Virginia state bar disciplinary board.
After Ohio officials on Monday contacted the Kennebec County Sheriff’s Department for help with the case, Kennebec County officials distributed fliers to law enforcement in Maine that contained Miller’s photo and description. Ohio officials also enlisted the help of news media and law enforcement in Florida and Virginia. On Thursday, officials in Lima got an anonymous tip from someone in Florida who saw a newspaper story and identified the woman as Miller, according to Hook.
Hook said Miller was apparently involved in a love triangle in Virginia in which an attorney she was involved with left her for a paralegal.
When authorities in Lima were trying to persuade Miller to reveal her true identify, they showed her photographs of that lawyer and paralegal and asked if she knew them. She claimed that she did not, according to Hook.
“Today when we brought her in for her final interview, she came clean, with her attorney present,” Hook said Friday.
He said when authorities finally identified her and told her they knew who she was, she reacted with “total shock.”
“She was completely shocked – and instant denial,” he said.
He described the case as unlike any other he has encountered.
FACING OHIO, COLORADO TRIALS
“This is the most frustrating case I think I’ve ever worked,” he said. “Trying to find a person that doesn’t exist is rough. The information’s rough. The amount of dead leads you chase is frustrating and it’s time-consuming and energy-draining. Nobody in this area has had anything this bizarre.”
Miller will be tried in Ohio and then go to Colorado to face charges there. If the Kennebec County district attorney presses charges, she may also face trial in Maine.
Hook declined to reveal how she burned her fingertips to obscure her fingerprints except to say chemicals were used over a period of several months. He didn’t say whether her attempt was successful.
Asked why she tried so hard to conceal her identity, he said it was for two reasons. “One, she didn’t want to go to jail and second, she wanted to reinvent herself to go back to law school.”
He said a therapist in the jail determined Miller was mentally stable. Her state of mind, now that her secret has been revealed, is subdued, according to Hook.
“I think she’s a little depressed, but kind of accepting it – accepting we know who she is,” he said.
Send questions/comments to the editors. | 1,265,587 |
“The trees are man’s best friends; but man has treated them as his worst enemies. The history of our race may be said to be the history of warfare upon the tree world. But while man has seemed to be the victor, his victories have brought upon him inevitable disasters.” -Nathaniel Egleston
They say that people don’t appreciate what they have until it’s gone, and that seems to be true pretty much everywhere you go. This applies to other people, it applies to animals, it applies to nature, it applies to time, and it even applies to love. Have a listen to Damien Rice’s heart-wrenching song, The Animals Were Gone,
while I tell you a story that has nothing to do with India, but takes place in my current city of Portland, OR.
Image credit: EncMstr of Wikimedia Commons.
This is Forest Park, one of the largest urban forests in the world. In the 1850s, most of what is now the park was logged, and a combination of settlers and developers planned to build on it. But without the vegetation there, and the stabilizing effect it has on the steep slopes and silty soil, repeated landslides foiled practically all of them. Long story short, the land needed the forest, and this in now the 19th largest city park in the United States.
Image credit: NASA’s Aqua Satellite / Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instrument, of a heavily deforested North Korea.
Vegetation is crucial for both water management and land management. Many of us have a vague idea in our heads that during the 1990s, there was a terrible famine in North Korea, resulting in the starvation deaths of more than two million people, and possibly many more than that. It’s well-documented that a tremendous flood in 1995 in the country was an extreme contributor to this, but what’s less well-known is that the primary reason for the flooding was not excessive rainfall, but the clear-cutting of forests that were necessary for soil stability and water management. Ostensibly, the clear-cut land was to be used for agriculture to increase the food supply, but without enough land devoted to the region’s soil and water management, it wound up being an agricultural nightmare from which the country has still not fully recovered.
Image credit: Wikimedia Commons user Alex Rio Brazil.
A similar thing almost happened to a large part of Brazil, but preservation and reforestation efforts seem to have that situation under control.
And now, with that in mind, we come to a similar but quite unique situation: to the Brahmaputra River that runs through Northern India, and a very large sandbar island within it in the country’s northeast corner: Majuli. | 1,265,588 |
Maxi Moralez likely will be back in the starting lineup for New York City FC when the club visits FC Dallas this weekend, head coach Dome Torrent said Thursday, and another key attacker could be rejoining the club sooner than expected for next week’s pivotal matchup with Atlanta United.
Torrent said he expects Moralez, who leads MLS in assists with 18, to play 60 minutes for NYCFC on Sunday after missing last Saturday’s win over San Jose with a hamstring injury.
“I expect about Maxi, I spoke with him yesterday, maybe he can play 60 minutes, one hour, I don’t know,” Torrent said. “But it’s very important for us to play with this player, and after that if he’s tired we can change because in two days, three days, we have another important game. But the good news for us is he’s ready to play against Dallas.”
Torrent might pull Moralez with Atlanta in mind, and he could have NYCFC’s top scorer Héber Araujo dos Santos available to participate on Wednesday as well.
Acquired this offseason to help replace David Villa, Héber is a big reason why NYCFC hasn’t missed their former captain and sits atop the Eastern Conference. The Brazilian’s 14 goals are the most in a season by a NYCFC player other than Villa despite not participating in 10 of City’s 30 matches so far this season.
Héber has missed NYCFC’s last three games after a quad injury suffered in a win at Vancouver on Aug. 31. Earlier this month, Torrent said he hoped to have Héber back for the regular-season finale against Philadelphia, but an earlier arrival would be welcome.
“Maybe against Atlanta he’s ready to play 20, 25 minutes, I don’t know, we need to have a [scan], they need test, but the important [thing] for us is Héber has to be ready for the playoffs.” Torrent said. “But maybe we have a surprise and he is able to play 20 or 25 minutes against Atlanta, why not?”
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In defense, James Sands continued his rehabilitation from a broken collarbone suffered last month, working away from the rest of the team for much of Thursday’s open training session, but still doesn’t have a clear date for his return.
“He’s so close, maybe in two weeks he’s ready to play," Torrent said. "We’ll respect the time, what the doctors say, we have to respect the time because they are professionals, but he is so close.” | 1,265,589 |
With general managers of all 30 NHL teams meeting this week, the topic of league-wide low goal scoring was heavily discussed. Teams are scoring at a rate of 5.32 goals per game in 2015-2016, down from 6.16 a decade ago.
While most GMs may not be willing to change the size of the nets, as Toronto Maple Leafs’ coach Mike Babcock suggested, the plan to further reduce goaltending equipment will be continued in 2016.
As TSN’s Darren Dreger reports, the decision to go forward with the plan was unanimous.
Definitely sounds like all sides support shrinking goalie equipment in time for next season. — Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) November 10, 2015
Back in March, the NHL’s goaltending supervisor Kay Whitmore mentioned that the league already had plans in place to reduce the size of chest protectors and pants, so the news that those items will be targeted is not a surprise. In fact, prototypes are already being created. Last season, the NHL heavily reduced the size of thigh rises on the leg pads, resulting in the loss of almost three inches for some goaltenders – including Chicago’s Corey Crawford and Edmonton’s Ben Scrivens.
Think goalie gear hasn’t been targeted enough? My pads from last season are the same size that she wore in college. pic.twitter.com/4kwlLj4N7g — Ben Scrivens (@ben_scrivens) August 13, 2015
The argument against reducing equipment size has always been about the safety of the goaltenders, but modern Kevlar and carbon fibre materials are making it easier to protect without taking up as much space in the net. General managers don’t expect it to be an issue.
With carbon fibre, Kevlar, etc, league sources say there is no fear NHL goalies will face risk of injury with smaller equipment. — Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) November 10, 2015
As for the larger nets? Don’t expect that change to happen any time soon. If it does, expect it to be met with much hostility from goaltenders, and traditionalist fans alike. But don’t kid yourself, larger nets are being looked at closely as a possible measure that the league will take in the future.
Colin Campbell says the NHL might have to consider larger nets eventually. Says he has four different kinds in his barn. — Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) November 10, 2015
Where do you stand in this debate? If the league can assure the safety of the goaltenders, would you be okay with reducing the size of chest protectors, pants, and maybe even more pad height reductions?
Regardless, it looks like change is coming whether you like it or not. | 1,265,590 |
NEW DELHI: Congress on Monday moved the Supreme Court seeking simultaneous polls for two Rajya Sabha seats from the state, vacated by BJP leaders Amit Shah and Smriti Irani after their election to Lok Sabha, while accusing the NDA government of influencing the Election Commission to hold separate polls for the seats to enable the saffron party corner both in "breach of the spirit" of proportional representation.
Leader of opposition in Gujarat Assembly, Pareshbai Dhanani, sought quashing of the EC's June 15 notification treating the two seats as stray vacancies to warrant separate elections. He said holding of separate elections for the two seats would deny Congress one of the seats which it is entitled to as per its strength in the Assembly and as per the law mandating proportional representation in Rajya Sabha.
At present, in the 182-member Gujarat assembly, BJP has 100 MLAs while Congress has 71. If separate polls are held for the two seats, both will be bagged by BJP. The petition filed through advocate Varun K Chopra argued that as per the Representation of the People Act, representatives of each state to Rajya Sabha shall be elected by the members of assembly in accordance with the system of proportional representation by means of single transferable vote.
"The conduct of election for each vacancy separately would only lead to one result, that is, the victory of the party which commands simple majority in the state legislature. This would turn the very objective of proportional representations, that is to give each minority group an effective share as per its strength, on its head," Dhanani said.
Both Shah and Irani were elected to Rajya Sabha from Gujarat on August 8, 2017. While Shah was declared elected to LS from Gandhinagar on May 23, Irani was declared elected from Amethi on May 24. Dhanani said whenever a person gets elected to both Houses of Parliament, the vacancy arising in such a situation, after the elected person chooses membership of one House, was covered under Sections 68 and 69 of the RP Act and hence are statutory vacancies, which could not have been termed 'casual vacancies' by the EC to hold separate polls.
Citing earlier instances of simultaneous polls for Rajya Sabha seats from a state, the Gujarat opposition leader said, "BJP which is running the government at the Centre, in order to somehow have its party rule Rajya Sabha and despite not having complete proportion to get both seats to Council of States, is trying to use EC's office to somehow impede the mandate under RP Act for election of members to RS through proportional representation."
Dhanani requested the SC to strike down the June 15 notification of EC for separate polls for two RS seats from Gujarat and sought a direction to the poll panel to hold simultaneous polls.
The petition is likely to be mentioned on Tuesday before a vacation bench of the SC for early hearing.
| 1,265,591 |
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It’s tempting to panic that the huge rise in production of non-biodegradable (pdf), petroleum-derived polyester will trigger an ecological disaster. An increasing share of it is made in China—Tecnon Orbichem forecasts that China will make 85% of the world’s polyester by 2025—where textile dyeing and finishing is already destroying the country’s waterways, for instance.
But the issue isn’t really polyester. Rather, it’s the growing number of garments the world consumes.
Ecologically speaking, polyester is no worse—and may actually be better—than conventional cotton. A comprehensive study (pdf) of various textiles by the European Commission found that environmental impacts per kilogram of fiber are higher for cotton than other materials, primarily because of the large quantities of toxic pesticides and fertilizers required to grow cotton, which also requires a great deal of water (pdf).
Ecologically speaking, polyester is no worse—and maybe better—than conventional cotton.
Polyester, by contrast, uses very little water, and while producing it involves some toxic chemicals, those generally aren’t released into the environment (pdf). It can also be made from old plastic bottles, allowing companies to essentially turn garbage into clothing.
Its biggest drawback is that it requires a lot of energy, which means burning fuel for power and contributing to climate change. But to put that in perspective, Linda Greer, director of the health program at the Natural Resources Defense Council, says you actually release more carbon dioxide burning a gallon of gas than producing a polyester shirt.
In theory, cotton is biodegradable and polyester is not. But the thing is, the way we dispose of clothing makes that irrelevant. For cotton clothes to break down, they have to be composted, which doesn’t happen in a landfill.
AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana Squashed at the bottom of a landfill like this, even cotton takes an eternity to break down.
“They need to go to a facility that chops them up and then gives them water and oxygen and nutrients and that kind of thing,” Greer tells Quartz. “Suffice it to say that very, very little solid waste has that disposal destiny.”
The bottom line is that while the rise of polyester is not good news for the planet, a big increase in cotton production wouldn’t be any better.
But as our galloping appetite for cheap clothes outruns our ability to grow cotton, polyester allows us to continue with business as usual, at least for as long as we have oil to make it from.
The clothes we produce just won’t be made of fibers grown on a plant or animal. They’ll be plastic. | 1,265,592 |
out of this lake in the Yamal region and is thought to be an old crater
Experts are particularly interested in a crater they have named B2, which just six miles to the south of the Gazprom gas field at Bovanenkovo.
Old satellite imagery shows no sign of craters at the site but more recent images show there is now a lake there measuring about 5,000 square metres.
The lake is thought to have formed in a hole that is 100 metres by 50 metres in diametre and is surrounded by 20 smaller holes filled with water that are around one to two metres wide.
Residents living near to another of the craters, close to Antipayuta on the Yamal Peninsula, reported seeing a flash of light.
This has led some to conclude that it was the result of gas trapped in the permafrost exploding.
Professor Bogoyavlensky said: 'We need to answer now the basic questions: what areas, and under what conditions, are the most dangerous?
Last year scientists took a closer look at one of the older craters by climbing 54 feet down its frozen sides
When this crater was discovered in 2014, theories ranged from a man-made hoax, to aliens or a meteorite
'These questions are important for the safe operation of the northern cities and infrastructure of oil and gas complexes.'
There is already scientific concern that Lake Baikal, the largest and oldest freshwater lake in the world, but well outside the Arctic Circle, could be at risk of similar gas explosions.
Scientists have previously said there is growing evidence that rising temperatures in the region could be the main catalyst triggering the blasts.
It is thought permafrost at the sites could have one million times more methane hydrates locked inside than ordinary gas.
One expert estimated that the total explosive power of the craters has been the equivalent of about 11 tonnes of TNT.
Scientists are attempting to visit all of the craters, like above, to better understand how they were formed
In the winter the sides of the craters freeze, like above, making it easier for scientists to take samples
There are also two tectonic fault lines across the Yamal Peninsula, with another possibility being that the blow-outs are caused by a deadly combination of heat leaving these rifts, a higher than normal air temperature, and the 'fire ice' melting.
Professor Bogoyavlensky revealed one picture of a Yamal lake showing signs of what he calls 'degassing'.
'This haze that you see on the surface shows gas seeps from the bottom of the lake to the surface,' he said. 'We call this process 'degassing'.'
He is not sure if this lake, too, was previously a crater 'or if the lake formed from another process. | 1,265,593 |
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Jenson Button believes the drivers' first on-track taste of the 2014 Formula 1 cars will be "hilarious".
The 2009 world champion suspects that the combination of the very different behaviour of the all-new turbocharged V6 engines, inevitable initial unreliability and cold temperatures at Jerez in January will make the first runs a bizarre experience.
"Winter testing is going to be hilarious in Jerez," said Button, who has tried the 2014 McLaren in the team's simulator.
"It will be cold, the tyres aren't going to work, the cars probably won't work either and when you do get a lap it is probably going to feel weird because you are running higher gears - you get into eighth gear before you get to seventh gear now.
"It is a very different way of driving and you have to forget a lot you have learned over the years in terms of the driveability of a racing car, the engine, the power output of a racing car and the way you put the power down.
"It is so, so different."
He said the mixture of increased torque and reduced downforce would be an intriguing challenge.
"No one knows how they will perform until the first race next year," said Button.
"It is going to be tricky because we do have a lot more torque with the engine.
"There will be a lot less downforce as there will be no [exhaust] blowing. I don't care what they say, there is still a massive amount of blowing on an F1 car.
"It is going to be very tough to get to grips with it.
"There is a lot to learn for all of us, even the experienced drivers, and it is exciting.
"You want to be out on circuit at the tricky corners, even Turn 2/3 [at Jerez] will be tough to get the power down.
"You need a throttle pedal that is a metre long to control the torque of the engine.
"Hopefully the experience I have with developing the car and making it how you want it to be will help me for next year."
Although he expects testing to be potentially chaotic, Button has no doubt that the teams will be on top of things in time for the season-opener.
"It is in a bad place right now but by the first race we will all have it sorted," he added.
Testing commences at Jerez on January 28, with the season beginning with the Australian Grand Prix on March 16.
F1 2014: WHAT THE DRIVERS WILL FEEL
In this episode of The Racer's Edge with F1 Racing, leading F1 engineer Tom McCullough and top driver coach Rob Wilson discuss what the 2014 cars will feel like in the cockpit. | 1,265,594 |
. “Politics is the story of citizens, and how they get along with each other over time. It’s not fixed; it changes. Good cycles follow bad ones, and vice-versa; and journalists can bring on good cycles with their reporting.” To cheer her further, I asked the class to name positive changes the press had helped bring about. “Women getting the vote?” said one. “The Civil Rights Act?” said another. “Impeaching Nixon?” suggested another. Nixon resigned, actually, but yes, under the threat of likely impeachment. (Two weeks later, we would watch Robert Redford’s documentary All the President’s Men Revisited, which lately feels like a prequel.) “Gay marriage?” said another. “You see,” I responded, “Politics is a game people play to test their power. As journalists, you can help make the game fairer.” The demoralized student took heart. Her midterm paper was one of the best in class: she compared the Trump White House to the reality TV series Survivor, effectively and with humor.
Early on, I ask the students to share their first political memories, to remind them of their own part in this civic endeavor. One student this term recalled being hoisted up to sit on a tank in a military parade in his native country when he was three; another, last term, spoke of the time her immigrant mother cried when her relatives weren’t permitted to come to America; yet another remembered voting in a kindergarten election for George W. Bush, not John Kerry, for president in 2004, because all the other kids did, only to discover upon returning home that his parents and all their friends were Kerry supporters. That was when he understood, he said, that politics is “tribal.”
My first political memory, I tell them, was when I was six, watching the Watergate hearings on TV with my parents. Nixon might be “impeached,” the anchor said. Having just read Roald Dahl’s James and the Giant Peach, I thought Nixon would be shut up in a giant peach pit like James, alongside monstrous insects. The next year, when Nixon resigned, Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, the journalists who had rooted out the truths behind Nixon’s smokescreen of lies—his “mobile army of metaphors”—became my heroes. It was because of them that I believed that journalism was a noble profession, and because of them that I believed, and still believe, that knowledge is power, when it is defended with the armament of fact. It is up to those who make it their job to protect the record of truth to show others who declare that might is right, and power is power, that history will prove them wrong. | 1,265,595 |
The xFi app for iOS and Android works with the internet "gateway" boxes that Xfinity customers can rent. They work as both a cable modem and wireless router; while we'd probably recommend buying your own gear rather than leasing from your service provider, the truth is that millions of people just go with what Xfinity offers. Comcast's chief product officer Chris Satchell said that about 10 million customers have the company's standard gateway, and more will be getting the xFi Advanced Gateway the company announced at CES -- it supports the Gigabit speeds that Xfinity is rolling out.
Similar to the Google WiFi app, xFi uses simple visuals to walk you through setting up your router -- it gives you suggestions for where to place it and which cables to hook up. Once that's set, the app makes you give the new WiFi network a name and password, perhaps one of the best features. If you've ever spent any time at your parent's house trying to update their router's name or password, this should hopefully help.
Once set up, the xFi app lets you set up "profiles" for each member of your household and assign the different devices you connect to the network to each profile. That comes in handy if you're managing a network with kids on it and want to set up parental controls. Once you assign devices to profiles, you can pause internet to an entire profile all at once -- so if you don't want your kids online after 10PM, for example, you can shut down all associated devices at once.
The app is smart enough to classify devices as they're added -- so it can differentiate between a set-top streaming box and a laptop. It also shows you how much bandwidth each profile uses and exactly how much data is being used at various hours of the day. The xFi control panel is also available through the web as well as any TV using Xfinity's X1 cable box.
Comcast is also announcing a partnership with Plume, a company making dead-simple mesh WiFi adapters. The tiny Plume devices plug into a wall socket and extend your WiFi network into rooms that have bad coverage; Comcast says it is working with Plume to make its products work seamlessly with Xfinity hardware and the new xFi setup app, but the fruits of that collaboration won't be available until later this year.
If you're a Comcast customer and want to use the xFi app to manage your network, that's all available today. Millions of customers will be able to use the app with the gateway they rent -- but if your hardware isn't compatible with the new app, Comcast says that it'll upgrade your hardware for free. Like we said earlier, you're probably better off with your own cable modem and router. But, if your parents happen to be using Comcast's own hardware, this might make it easier for you to manage their network. | 1,265,596 |
We have a winner for Tesla’s Next Gen Roadster. Model S owner and host of Teslanomics, Ben Sullins, has referred over 50 Model S and X sales in Tesla’s latest referral program, giving him the opportunity to “buy” a Founder’s Series next generation Roadster at a 100% discount. Simply put, it’s free.
Referral program participants that gifted 5 or more Model S and X buyers with $1,000 discounts and free Supercharging first got wind of a Next Gen Roadster in July, after receiving a notification in their Tesla app that a new Secret Level had been unlocked.
“You’ve unlocked the first secret level. Refer 5 more friends for the ability to purchase a Founder’s Series next gen Roadster at a 10% discount. Unlock new levels with every 5 referrals for an additional 2% off per referral and amazing adventures that money can’t buy.” read the description for Secret Level 1 in the app’s “Loot Box”.
In addition to winning a Maximum Plaid Tesla that could possibly achieve 0-60 mph in 2 seconds or less, Ben also won the rare opportunity to drive The Boring Company’s electric tunneling machine. If you’re not eating sour grapes at this point, take note that the Tesla-focused data geek also won an invite to Tesla’s upcoming Semi truck unveiling event.
But before you take that bite, pause for a second and realize that Ben’s achievement is quite remarkable. Within a matter of months, his YouTube channel has seen unprecedented growth and popularity within the Tesla community, likely because of his talent to turn data-driven content into something digestible and entertaining to watch. Ben also brought us the Model 3 monthly payment estimator among other widely used Model 3-focused tools within the community, further increasing his popularity within a segment that was starving for all things Model 3 related. But arguably Ben’s most notable achievement was his ability to convert the Teslanomics fandom into 55 referred sales or over $5,000,000 in revenue for Tesla in a matter of months.
When we asked Ben for confirmation of his referrals, he not surprisingly plotted the data and sent us the following chart.
Ben also pointed us to some interesting data that’s listed on Tesla’s leaderboard. Based on the 55 referral sales that he made, he’s helped offset 47,275 lbs of CO2 from being emitted and 4,498 gallons of gasoline from being burned.
Los Angeles, San Jose and San Diego currently rank as the top 3 cities in the U.S., respectively, that saved the most CO2 by Tesla owners. The U.S. leads China by roughly four times the amount of carbon emissions saved by Tesla drivers. | 1,265,597 |
Japanese photographer posts step-by-step Instagram guide showing how to create ‘couple’ scenes by painting his own nails and feeding himself seductively
Japanese photographer uses make-up to make his hand look 'feminine'
Step-by-step Instagram guide shows how he created the effect
Keisuki Jinushi wants his couple shots to make people feel 'happy'
Pinching his cheeks, feeding him doughnuts, wiping morsels of jam off his cheeky chops - Keisuki Jinushi looks to all his Instagram followers as if he's in the perfect relationship.
Except that Jinushi doesn't actually have a girlfriend.
And the hand stroking the young Japanese man's face is his own.
Pucker up: It looks as if Keisuki Jinushi's girlfriend is giving him a good little squeeze around the kisser
...until you realise that it's Jinushi's own right hand behind the shot, adorned with foundation and shocking pink nail polish
The photographer from Tokyo uses make-up on his right hand and paints his nails shocking pink to make the hand look like a "girlfriend's".
He has posted a step-by-step picture tutorial on Instagram showing his followers how they too can create the girlfriend effect.
Before and after: Jinushi shows how careful make-up application can create a 'girlfriend' in minutes
All you need to turn your hand into a lover's is some thick foundation, nail polish and a girly hair-tie to wear around your wrist.
Other than that, the ingenious snapper advises taking your "selfies" from strategic angles and using a retro-style filter to create a convincing effect.
With a series of props, Jinushi shows how to create "couple" scenes.
Love bites: Keisuki Jinushi feeds himself a sugary treat with his 'girlfriend hand'
Several of the pictures seem to show Jinushi's girlfriend "feeding" him - an act he describes as "the symbol of happiness" on his Daily Portal Z blog.
In others, "she" strokes and squeezes his face.
Jinushi believes that having an actual lover is not necessary in today's virtual world to make people on the social-sharing site think you are in a loving relationship, according to Designtaxi.com.
Romantic date? None of Jinushi's followers would suspect this was a dinner for one
As far as the "boyfriend" is concerned, Jinushi says, the secret is in the "shy smile".
On his blog, he says he wants people to feel happy when they look at what seem to be pictures of a happy couple.
INSTAGRAM YOUR #gf IN THREE EASY STEPS
| 1,265,598 |
Oceanographer Anna Wåhlin paced across the bridge of the Nathaniel B. Palmer icebreaker like a nervous parent waiting for a teenager out past curfew.
The fiery orange submarine, which she named Ran after the Norse goddess of the sea, hadn’t yet resurfaced from its first mission in the watery depths around the face of West Antarctica’s Thwaites Glacier.
“She’s a very temperamental lady,” Wåhlin said of the $3.6 million, unmanned submarine, while peering through her binoculars on an overcast March day.
PRI's The World This story was published with PRI's The World, the award-winning public radio show and podcast on global issues, news and insights from BBC, WGBH, PRI, and PRX.
Ran was late. Wåhlin wasn’t worried about the submarine disappearing, but this was Ran’s first season in polar waters, and there were a bunch of kinks to work out.
Wåhlin, an oceanographer at Sweden’s University of Gothenburg, was one of the roughly two dozen scientists on a pioneering scientific expedition to Thwaites Glacier this past winter. The two-month cruise aboard the Palmer was the beginning of a five-year, $50 million international collaboration to better understand the plight of Thwaites. Scientists believe the massive glacier is teetering on the brink of collapse, though just how fast that could happen remains an open question.
Florida-sized Thwaites Glacier holds enough ice to raise global sea levels by two feet. If the glacier collapses, it could destabilize a portion of West Antarctica that would, in turn, raise sea levels by about 11 feet.
Oceanographer Anna Wåhlin, director of the Hugin project, waits on the bridge of the Nathaniel B. Palmer for the Hugin submarine to surface in icy seas near the face of Thwaites Glacier. Carolyn Beeler/The World
That would spell disaster for coastal cities from Miami to Mumbai, which would be inundated by floods.
Ground zero for this slow-moving catastrophe is the glacier’s edge, where land-based ice juts out into the Amundsen Sea. Warm water is thought to be melting the underside of this roughly 75-mile ice shelf, but the area is as mysterious as it is consequential.
“We know more about the moon than this particular part of Earth,” Wåhlin said.
Scientists think changing wind patterns are pushing a mass of middepth warm water, called circumpolar deepwater, up from the deep ocean and onto the continental shelf in front of Antarctica and toward Thwaites. But no scientific instrument has ever been underneath the ice shelf to study it. | 1,265,599 |
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