text
stringlengths 316
100k
|
|---|
Corbyn supporter John Macdonald, who is great-nephew of former Labour PM, accuses party of ‘Stalinist’ approach
The great-nephew of Clement Attlee claims to have been suspended from the Labour party because he posted a picture on social media of David Cameron with a Hitler moustache.
John Macdonald, a longtime Labour member who supports Jeremy Corbyn for the leadership, said he initially could not work out why he was suspended for activity on 8 August 2015.
However, he eventually found he had reposted a meme on that date of David Cameron mocked up as Hitler alongside a quote from the Nazi dictator about the best way of taking control of people being to take a little of their freedom at a time.
Labour infighting like Lord of the Flies, says John McDonnell Read more
Speaking to the Guardian, Macdonald accused the party’s headquarters of a “Stalinist” approach to suspending members.
“They are not going for [Labour leadership challenger] Owen Smith supporters,” he said. “It just seemed to be Jeremy Corbyn supporters.”
The image of Cameron with a Hitler moustache that Macdonald reposted. Photograph: Facebook
He also questioned why the post from over a year ago had been dug up in the middle of the leadership election.
Earlier in the summer, Macdonald posted a joint letter of support for Corbyn along with another descendant of Attlee, the Labour former prime minister who created the welfare state, arguing that Corbyn could have a similar legacy.
“We urge all members and MPs to vote for and rally around Jeremy Corbyn so that the Labour party, under his leadership, can present the alternative government approach that is so desperately required for the economy of the United Kingdom and the wellbeing of its people,” the letter said.
“The Attlee government demonstrated emphatically that this can be achieved and we urge the party to place their confidence in a strategy rooted in this most successful and ground-breaking era of Labour government history but recalibrated for the 21st century.”
Labour declined to comment on the case, but said it had a “robust validation process for all votes to ensure every vote cast is eligible in keeping with the Labour party rules” and pointed out that decisions about individual members are taken by the national executive committee.
“Members who have been contacted by the Labour party to confirm they are not deemed eligible to vote can contact the party to obtain the evidence considered by the NEC,” the spokeswoman said.
It comes amid a continuing row about the suspension of Labour members, with many supporters of Corbyn suggesting they are being deliberately purged to increase the chances of Smith winning. John McDonnell, the shadow chancellor, has accused Labour officials of orchestrating a “rigged purge of Jeremy Corbyn supporters”. |
Israel has been waging a single war since the mid-70s. Its goal is to avoid sharing power or assets with the other people living on this land. The Gaza war wasn’t about creating a new order, but about maintaining the old one.
At the time of this writing, Operation Protective Edge has come to an end and the ceasefire between Hamas and Israel is delicately holding. Though indirect talks are taking place in Cairo, reports from the negotiations indicate an Israeli refusal to lift the siege on Gaza. Hamas has vowed to fight on if the ceasefire doesn’t hold, but the humanitarian crisis in the Strip is likely to make that difficult.
As things now stand, it’s clear that declarations by Israeli ministers and generals on “a new reality” in the south disguise a different, opposite goal for this war: Protective Edge was carried out in order to restore things to way they were before June 2014. In other words, to maintain the status quo.
This has been the goal of Israeli policy for many years now. Since the end of the 1973 war, Israel has been waging a single war against a single adversary – the Palestinians. The first Lebanon War, the Intifadas, Cast Lead, Protective Edge and most of the military operations in between were all part of “a military solution” to the Palestinian problem. Even the notable exception – the 2006 war in Lebanon – was leftover from the the 1982 invasion, which was conducted against the Palestine Liberation Organization.
Despite all the threats that came and went over the years – the Syrians, Iran’s nuclear program, the axis of evil, international jihad – at the end of the day, it all comes down to the Palestinian issue. The reason why all those threats are constantly debated and inflated in Israel is to hide this fact.
This is the heart of the matter: There are two population groups, Jews and Palestinians, living between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan Valley. They are nearly equal in size and almost totally mixed: there are Jews and Arabs along the coast line, Jews and Arabs in the north, Jews and Arabs in the south, and Jews and Arabs in the West Bank.
Jews living everywhere in this territory have full rights, while the Palestinians are divided into all sorts of sub-groups with differing sets of rights that are never equal to those of the Jews. Jews are represented and protected everywhere by a single unified, sovereign government, while most Palestinians are administered by different kinds of weak, partial local administrations. Jews hold almost all the assets – including most of the lands – while Palestinians have very few assets, and some of them are inaccessible or off-limits, like the natural gas fields inside Gaza’s territorial waters.
This is a unique order. I don’t know of any other country in the world that has held such a large part of the native population as non-citizens for such a long period of time. It is an inherently unjust order, and it will continue to create instability and to cast serious doubts over the legitimacy of the entire system. This will happen regardless of all the advocacy efforts on the part of the government, or the number of Zionist laws the Knesset passes. Reality has a force of its own.
In this context, keeping the Palestinians under control was, and still remains, the Israeli challenge; not killing. The violence is a byproduct, which Israelis would happily do without. The goal is to keep the existing order of things. Great resources are directed to this end: a massive defense budget; technological creativity; philosophy professors that come up with new ethics for this national project; the Supreme Court defines the legal boundaries for it – who can be killed and who can’t, what land can be taken and what not; all while a propaganda machine tries to market the outcome to the world and to our own citizens.
When the Palestinians accept the order of things instead of rebelling, Israelis can turn to other issues – talk about social justice, rising real estate prices, the culture war between the religious and secular, and between Sephardi and Ashkenazi Jews. But then something happens, and everyone goes back to dealing with the national project: How to keep the Palestinians under control.
The alternative involves sharing power, assets and land with the other people living on this land. This could be achieved by dividing the territory in two (the two-state solution) or within one unified territory. There are also hybrids of the two models. But as long as the Israeli goal is to keep as many assets as possible in the hands of the Jewish community, or to keep the Palestinians under its control – for example, through controlling the borders or the airspace of the future Palestinian state, or allowing the IDF to violate its sovereignty – there will be no compromise, and Israel will continue to carry out “peacekeeping missions,” continue “to restore order,” continue to “renew deterrence,” “mow the grass” and all those other euphemisms for keeping Palestinians under control.
As a side note, it should be clear that the Israeli tendency to try and determine who is a “legitimate” Palestinian leader and who should be dealt with by force – whether it’s Hamas’ Khaled Mashal or MK Hanin Zoabi – is also a part of this game. Recognizing only those who accept our terms in advance is simply another form of control.
The price of a fair compromise, one that really has a chance of working, is huge. Israel retains all the assets and, therefore, is the one that needs to pay and take risks. The Palestinians have very little “to give” Israel in return, save for legitimacy and some hope that things will pay off in the future. Even the much debated security arrangements are worthless. A Palestinian leadership can promise peace today, but who knows what will happen and who will be in power in five or 10 years. In the short run, the compromise is likely to lead to less security as increased political instability on the Israeli side.
It is therefore clear why at this moment in time, when Israel is so powerful and rich, a compromise doesn’t look too attractive for most of the Jewish public. Israel is caught in a tragic decision-making paradox: As long as things are going well, the motivation for compromise remains extremely low. For compromise to become a preferred option, things need to go horribly bad. Until they do, sending soldiers to restore order, to kill and be killed, will seem like the easy way out of any given crisis. And when the benefit-cost ratio finally changes, the price of the compromise is likely to rise, too.
Netanyahu chose the cheapest solution in Gaza: A unilateral retreat without an agreement, which is way less risky than taking the entire Strip, and way less daring than reaching an agreement that actually changes the reality on the ground for the better. Netanyahu usually resorts to cheap solutions. His political opponents – Tzipi Livni, Yair Lapid, Yitzhak Herzog, Avigdor Lieberman, Naftali Bennett, Gideon Sa’ar – are not that different. They might have their own ideas for solving the problem at hand – how to keep the Palestinians under control – but none of them want to change the question.
Related:
‘Wars on Gaza have become part of Israel’s system of governance’: An interview with filmmaker Yotam Feldman
This is Netanyahu’s final status solution
Israel has alternatives to this war |
High school students in Baltimore will soon have the opportunity to learn about and report on persistent health disparities in underserved communities in the city.
Under a joint partnership between Morgan State and Howard universities local students can apply to study journalism and urban health disparities at Morgan – high school students in Washington can do the same at Howard -- as part of new program by the two universities designed "to bring the power of multimedia journalism to bear on persistent health disparity issues in underserved communities."
The Urban Health Media Project will promote and feature student journalism on social issues such as housing, education and the scarcity of healthy foods.
Morgan and Howard University host students on Saturdays in Baltimore and D.C. Sessions begin February 2017.
"As I witness the formulation of policies intended to create healthy and safe communities, I have become aware of the startling absence of informed voices of our young people," said Dr. Reed Tuckson, a Howard trustee.
CAPTION The star rating system for schools may be changed after some complaints that it was too easy to earn a high rating. The star rating system for schools may be changed after some complaints that it was too easy to earn a high rating. CAPTION Baltimore County Interim Schools Superintendent Verletta White announced that she was slashing her proposed operating budget. Baltimore County Interim Schools Superintendent Verletta White announced that she was slashing her proposed operating budget.
The year-long program begins in Feburary 2017 and includes three 10-week sessions on Saturdays. Students will learn to write news stories, capture audio, shoot and edit video, take photos and incorporate social media. They will develop an understanding of the interrelated social issues — including housing, education and food insecurity — that may contribute to disadvantaged communities.
Tuckson and Jayne O'Donnell, a healthcare reporter at USA Today, will serve as program directors.
Students will work under the guidance of professional journalists, faculty and college interns. Their work will be featured on a new website, in a book, and occasionally on USAToday.com.
The project is funded by $300,000 from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. Interested high school students must apply by the end of December at http://bit.ly/urban-health-media.
[email protected] |
Image copyright Reuters Image caption North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has been accused of numerous human rights violations
The UN General Assembly has voted in favour of referring North Korea to the International Criminal Court to face charges of crimes against humanity.
The resolution was passed by 116 votes to 20, with more than 50 abstentions.
The UN Security Council is expected to discuss the resolution on Monday, but it is likely to face stiff opposition from China and Russia.
North Korea said the resolution was "a product of political plot and confrontation".
A UN report released in February revealed ordinary North Koreans faced "unspeakable atrocities".
The report detailed wide-ranging abuses in North Korea after a panel heard evidence of torture, political repression and other abuses.
It added that those accused of political crimes were "disappeared" to prison camps, where they were subject to "deliberate starvation, forced labour, executions, torture, rape and the denial of reproductive rights enforced through punishment, forced abortion and infanticide".
Most of the evidence came from North Korean defectors who had fled the country.
North Korea refused to co-operate with the report and condemned its findings.
The report led to a vote in the UN's human rights committee last month, which voted in favour of referring North Korea to the International Criminal Court (ICC).
China, North Korea's main international ally, is expected to veto any Security Council resolution when the matter is discussed next week.
Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption The UN's human rights committee passed a similar resolution last month
Iran and Syria accused
On Thursday, the General Assembly also passed resolutions condemning the human rights records of Syria and Iran, but did not go as far as recommending a referral to the ICC.
General Assembly resolutions are non-binding but are seen as indicators of world opinion.
Both Syria and Iran condemned the respective resolutions against them.
Iran said the vote condemning its human rights record was "political, prejudicial and unbalanced".
The Syria resolution condemned both the government's violence against civilians and abuses perpetrated by the Islamic State group. |
French building materials giant Lafarge admitted that it provided funds to “certain armed groups” and “sanctioned parties” in Syria when it faced operational and security challenges. The company called the measures “unacceptable.”
In a statement, LafargeHolcim (created after Lafarge merged with the Swiss company Holcim in 2015) said it was reacting to the allegations involving Lafarge.
Read more
In June 2016, Le Monde published the results of its investigation which claimed Lafarge paid taxes to Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) in 2013-2014 to continue operations in northern Syria.
Following an internal inquiry, the company announced that “different armed factions controlled or sought to control” territories around its plant, posing “very difficult challenges for the security and operations of the plant and its employees.” This included “threats to safety” of the workers as well as the disruption of supplies.
“It appears from the investigation that the local company provided funds to third parties to work out arrangements with a number of these armed groups, including sanctioned parties, in order to maintain operations and ensure safe passage of employees and supplies to and from the plant,” the announcement by LafargeHolcim reads.
The company, however, noted that it could not establish the “ultimate recipients” of the funds. All money transactions were made between 2013 and September 2014, when the plant was evacuated.
Read more
The plant in question started production in May 2010 and “was a source of meaningful employment for the surrounding communities, providing cement for homes, businesses, roads and the like for various communities throughout Syria,” the industrial giant said.
However, the measures which the plant took – paying money to these ‘armed groups’ – were “unacceptable,” the internal inquiry concluded.
“Those responsible for the Syria operations appear to have acted in a manner they believed was in the best interests of the company and its employees. However, the investigation revealed significant errors in judgment that are inconsistent with the applicable code of conduct.”
In June, Le Monde said Lafarge made a deal with IS which allowed the French to operate on their territory. The company’s trucks were allowed to pass through checkpoints set by IS, among others, the paper reported.
LafargeHolcim is the world’s leader in building materials and one of the biggest players in the cement, aggregates, and concrete industries. Around 90,000 employees are working for the group in more than 80 countries. |
There are approximately 70,700 imprisoned youth in the United States.
This number is set against the backdrop of a jarring total of 2.3 million incarcerated individuals in America alone, meaning a staggering 1 in 100 American adults are currently under detention.
In Richard Ross' new book, "Juvenile In Justice" the veteran photographer documents imprisoned youth from more than 200 detention centers across the United States. Throughout almost 150 images, Ross takes his viewers into the isolated world of youth under lock and key. Whatever their crimes — and some are horrendous -- the series raises serious questions about the workings and purpose of the juvenile justice system. Are we really offering any chance of transforming these young people's lives? Ross offers a thought provoking entry into this dark world. Scroll down for a slideshow.
The photographs are accompanied by short vignettes about the young people Ross photographed and interviewed over the course of five years, and this harrowing montage gives a face and a voice to the young people hidden outside our view. Ira Glass of This American Life and Bart Lubow of the Annie E. Casey Foundation have also written essays to accompany these images. In a press release for the book, Ross notes that he hopes his work “offers visual evidence of a system that desperately needs reform, revealing an aspect of American society that is rarely seen or understood.”
Ross' photographs harmonize with the images and stories from Susan Madden Lankford's new book "Born, Not Raised: Voices from Juvenile Hall." In the book, Lankford chronicles the two years she spent speaking with incarcerated youth as well as a number of psychologists, lawyers, and experts in the field of juvenile justice. She paints a poignant yet distressing picture of the aspirations, fears and pain these young people grapple with. We've included one excerpt from the book that powerfully illustrates a young person's reflection upon seeing a photograph of an empty jail cell.
Excerpt from "Born, Not Raised."
In 2007, Ross was awarded the Guggenheim Fellowship for "Architecture of Authority," a photographic series that chronicles architectural spaces around the world that employ power over individuals in a Foucaultian fashion.
Artists like Ross and Jessica Blank/Erik Jensen of The Exonerated, as well as programs like Bard’s Prison Initiative and The Public’s Mobile Unit point out that small waves are being made in helping illuminate the need for prison reform, as well as providing educational and cultural connection to thousands of Americans behind bars.
See more images from Ross’ “Juvenile In Justice” in the slideshow below and be sure to check out the Juvenile In Justice webpage where you will find more information about the book and project.
What do you think? Should teens be imprisoned like adults? |
Jon Ossoff Share
Pinterest
Email
In a race as close as the congressional runoff between Jon Ossoff and Karen Handel, a few hundred votes can make a big difference. That’s one of the reasons cybersecurity experts are raising alarms about possible hacking into Georgia’s voting system.
“I was absolutely stunned, just the sheer quantity of files I had acquired,” Logan Lamb, a computer science researcher told Politico, recounting how he was able to gather information on the Web site of Georgia’s balloting firm that included all the registration records of the state’s voters and passwords to secure portals where votes are tallied and verified.
He notified the state, and his revelations led the Rocky Mountain Foundation to sue Georgia to stop the use of its current voting machines in the upcoming special election. “The security weaknesses recently exposed would be a welcome mat for bad actors,” the head of the organization told Politico.
Georgia and the balloting firm it uses have defended the integrity of the vote and are fighting the suit in court. But it’s another disturbing revelation, on the heels of news that Russian hackers attempted to tamper with voter registration systems in numerous states during last November’s presidential contest.
Contact Daniel J. Solomon at [email protected] or on Twitter @DanielJSolomon |
'Mob Psycho 100' Live-Action Adaptation Release Date, Latest News: TV Tokyo–Netflix Collaboration Project to Air in January
Email Print Whatsapp Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin
With the new year fast approaching, TV Tokyo has finally revealed some significant details about the upcoming special live-action adaptation of ONE's other popular web manga series, "Mob Psycho 100."
ONE is more famously known for being the original creator of the bald-headed caped hero Saitama of the popular "One Punch Man" anime and manga series. However, he did also create yet another character named Shigeo Kageyama, who is often underestimated like Saitama, but is also just as powerful in a different way.
Because of his average looks and disposition, Shigeo has been nicknamed Mob, which literally means "background character." What a lot of people don't know, however, is that Mob is actually a powerful esper or psychic.
The original web manga series was first launched on "Ura Sunday" in 2012, then later on in Shogakukan's "Manga ONE" app in 2014. An anime adaptation was released in Japan in 2016 and streamed via Crunchyroll. And now, through the collaborative efforts of TV Tokyo and Netflix, a live-action drama special is all set to air in 2018.
It will star Tatsuomi Hamada as the titular character, Mob, with Nogizaka46 member Yuuki Yoda playing Mob's childhood friend and crush, Tsubomi Takane, and Kazuki Namioka as Mob's pseudo-psychic master, Arataka Reigen.
When he was cast as Mob, Hamada, who also plays the titular character in the tokusatsu series, "Ultraman Geed," reportedly commented, "It wasn't clear to me how to portray a minimalist character like Mob, but I was determined to do it and now I'm really excited."
Kouichi Sakamoto, who also works with Hamada in "Ultraman Geed," is directing the special, with Reiko Yoshida and Kei Kunii writing the scripts, and Fuminori Kobayashi serving as producer.
The live-adaptation of "Mob Psycho 100" is scheduled to air on Friday, Jan. 12, on Netflix. It will also premiere on Thursday, Jan. 18, on TV Tokyo's "MokuDora25" timeslot in Japan, and on Tuesday, Jan. 23, on BS Japan. |
North Korea has successfully launched what they claim and we believe to be an intercontinental ballistic missile. It only went about 600 miles, but its exaggeratedly high arc showed enough inherent energy for it to travel about 4,000 miles with a normal trajectory, enough to reach targets in Alaska, but not (yet, at least) the Lower 48.
We always figured we'd be here one day, since Pyongyang sees nuclear reach as a question of regime survival.
The Kim dynasty of North Korea has always viewed the world as hostile. In fact, they NEED to see the world that way to justify the kind of regime that the family has built: brutally autocratic, extravagantly militarized, self-consciously destitute.
Words unfamiliar to most westerners are holy writ in the Kims’ hermit kingdom. Juche, self reliance, is the doctrine that underpins keeping the rest of the world out while demanding incredible personal sacrifice within. Songun, putting the military first, was so pervasive that it insulated the regime from the worst effects of the “arduous march,” the 1990s famine that killed half a million people. Byungjin, a nod to the need for economic development, was only made possible by the drive to nuclear weapons, a cheaper form of combat power than armor or infantry brigades.
So, to respond to a recent presidential tweet taunting Kim Jong Un: “Does this guy have anything better to do with his life?” The answer is, well, no. Nuclear weapons and long-range delivery systems are as essential to regime identity as they are to regime survival.
ADVERTISEMENT
I negotiated with the Korean People's Army at the truce village of Panmunjom in the late 1990s. Our side wasn't trying to do much, just some increased transparency and some confidence-building measures to prevent or contain incidents along the demilitarized zone between the two Koreas, the most heavily fortified patch of land on the planet.
We made little progress. The best we could do was to arrange the dignified return of the remains of some North Korean commandos who had intentionally blown themselves up in a midget submarine that had become disabled during an infiltration of the South.
At the time, I marveled about the cognitive dissonance that my North Korean counterparts had to tolerate in order to say and believe some of the things they told me. In retrospect, though, I think I had my own issues trying to build tactical bridges of trust and confidence with a system that thought that I represented undying enmity and abject perfidy. It wasn't an act on their part. They inhabited a system that took meaning, even existence, from that perception of enmity and perfidy.
Which brings us back to today and the problem faced by the Trump administration — a problem recognized, addressed but not resolved by the last three administrations.
Team Trump has certainly been focused, but even with all the energy of the last six months — charged rhetoric, a presidential promise that this wouldn't happen, bashing the Obama administration’s “strategic patience,” multiple naval deployments, alternately leaning on and incentivizing China to do more — Kim Jong Un remains undeterred.
Even with an occasional presidential shout out — Kim’s a “pretty smart cookie” and “I would be honored” to meet him — or signals of restraint like Pacific Commander Harry Harris characterizing this as about changing minds, not regimes, Kim has been unresponsive.
All of which tends to confirm a quiet intelligence community judgment that's been around for more than a decade: North Korea is not about to give up its nuclear status.
Back in my Panmunjom days, we thought that Pyongyang was on its last legs. No longer. The North’s struggling economy is modestly improving under Kim.
If there ever were a viable military option to cripple North Korea’s strategic weapons program, that day has passed. Even a one-time advocate of such a strike, former Secretary of Defense Bill Perry, has admitted as much.
President Trump Donald John TrumpHouse committee believes it has evidence Trump requested putting ally in charge of Cohen probe: report Vietnamese airline takes steps to open flights to US on sidelines of Trump-Kim summit Manafort's attorneys say he should get less than 10 years in prison MORE has a flair for the dramatic, so one hopes that he is quickly disabused of any aggressive military options. Some might suggest unilaterally going big in the other direction — accommodating Kim with a peace treaty, meeting him, formally conceding nuclear status, perhaps less robust and less hostile — but that should be equally distasteful to us and our friends.
This leaves the administration with a familiar list of options: more ballistic missile defenses in the region and in North America; more U.S. deployments to the Korean peninsula; overt and covert efforts to slow the North’s technical progress; more aggressive sanctions against North Korean entities to raise the costs to the regime; really holding overall Sino-American relations hostage to Beijing, amping up the pressure on Pyongyang.
These would limit (but not eliminate) the threat, but could also cause enough pain to lead to renewed negotiations in one format or another (we've already tried bilateral, four-party and six-party talks).
There, of course, we would ultimately have to make a painful decision on whether to concede some degree of nuclear status to the North in return for a freeze on weapons activity that would be fragile and difficult to monitor.
That may actually constitute “winning,” and it's not very pretty.
President Trump recently complained that Clinton and Obama had been outplayed by the Kims. He is now seeing that this isn't as easy as it looks — and perhaps is recognizing that his predecessors weren't as inept or as weak as he may have previously claimed.
Gen. Michael Hayden is a former director of the CIA and the National Security Agency.
The views expressed by contributors are their own and are not the views of The Hill. |
An electrical and computer engineer from Raytown wants to rebuild Interstate 70 with so-called “smart pavement” technology to allow for vehicles with no drivers.
President of Integrated Roadways Tim Sylvester, will present his plan to Department of Transportation officials and the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission next week.
“We plan to present a public/private partnership to rebuild I-70 using smart pavement,” said Sylvester. “Smart pavement provides intelligent transit services as a subscription service in order to support driver-less vehicles and wireless electric vehicle charging.”
Sylvester said smart pavement also has the capability to provide WI-FI to the general public traveling the interstate. He said there would be no difference in the visual appearance of the road.
“Smart pavement is a pre-cast pavement system that has a variety of sensors in the pavement and communication services to provide location and navigation information to support driver-less vehicles,” said Sylvester.
Sylvester said profits from the subscription-based service would be shared with MoDOT, but drivers are not required to have it in order to drive on the interstate.
“After ten years of implementation of this service, the profits shared with the Department of Transportation would essentially double their budget,” said Sylvester. “If you don’t subscribe, you’re just using it like a road.”
Sylvester thinks the service would appeal to commercial fleet operators and suggests the commercial trip fee would be two and a half cents per ton, per mile.
“This is primarily geared towards commercial fleet owners who can save about 15 percent on their shipping costs by using this service and double their shipping capacity, but it would also be available to private drivers,” said Sylvester.
Sylvester said smart pavement is more cost-effective than vehicles that can drive themselves made by Google or Mercedes.
“Those cars are hundreds of thousands of dollars and they’re not going to be cheaper for decades,” said Sylvester. “We can make driver-less a lot cheaper and a lot more accessible by providing it as a subscription using sensors installed in the roadways.”
Sylvester said users would need to install a system into the vehicle similar to a Garmin after-market navigation unit or a GM OnStar kit. Sylvester estimates the target price to install a driver-less system would be near $1000 to $1500 for passenger vehicles and a little more for commercial vehicles.
“The technology that we’re talking about to upgrade your vehicle is so much simpler than if you’re trying to upgrade your vehicle to be driver-less completely on its own without any sort of outside support,” said Sylvester.
Sylvester is planning to ask MoDOT for their recommendation to go forward with a pilot project to test the technology. Sylvester said it would be a one mile stretch of road with smart pavement, but it would not be on I-70.
“It would take place somewhere that we’d be able to interrupt traffic and nobody would get upset with us,” said Sylvester.
Sylvester said the biggest obstacle against his smart pavement project will be dealing with political and legislative issues.
“We’ve got to get legislation for driver-less cars and we’ve got to get legislation for public/private partnerships,” said Sylvester. “The best thing that the average person can do in order to support this is to call their legislator and voice their support and advocate for improving I-70 in a way that prepares us for the future and for all of the exciting technology to come.”
Sylvester said MoDOT estimates it would cost between $2- and $4 billion to rebuild I-70. Sylvester estimates his smart pavement would cost $3.6 billion, but said MoDOT would only be responsible for 10 percent of the project under his public/private partnership plan. |
New Zealand's No. 3 is a cricketing form of artificial intelligence. And he will destroy you
Play 01:21 Play 01:21 Guptill hails 'freak' Williamson
There must be a weakness. A way in. There must be something wrong with him.
His average is not yet 50. Not yet. But it seems like he should average infinity. His wicket brings puzzled looks, and you want to see the replay straight away, to make sure that something weird didn't just happen.
There are no wild triggers. He isn't clearing his front leg, letting his hands grope or slicing inside the ball. There will be no children copying his idiosyncrasies. There is one twirl of the bat, his feet going into a wide stance. He taps his bat between three and five times. And he bats.
He is programmed to bat.
You feel he would do it the exact same way if someone was throwing stones at his head from gully or the band Cannibal Corpse were playing at short leg.
In defense he has this almost boring characteristic of using the very middle of the bat, and watching the ball until it hits it in a freakishly earnest way. If the ball is short, he gets on top of it. If it is full, he moves positively towards it. The moment it leaves his bat, he looks for a single, as if his mind says, "home secure, must source food".
Kane Williamson dismisses a bouncer in typically calculated fashion © Getty Images
Balls outside off stump have him into position so early that his biggest decision seems to be where he wants to hit it, not if. Often he doesn't play at all, which consists of him moving across his stumps and hiding his bat behind his back. Watching the whole display from a bunker of his own design.
Then there are the guides. If there is a hole in the field, Williamson will put the ball there. He may not smash or slash it there, but he will guide it there and take whatever runs he needs. Modern cricket has decided that hole will be third man. Williamson will keep hitting the ball there until cricket has to make a decision.
If he thinks he needs to do something more than a guide, he hits through and turns his guide into a cut, or a back-foot punch. He's in the right spot for all of them. It just depends on where his artificial batting consciousness thinks there is a better chance of the maximum amount of runs.
If the ball is full, from a position almost identical to his forward defence, he pushes through the line. The follow through is finishing as mid-off or cover is scrambling to stop the unerringly well-timed shot. If the ball is straight and full, it is punched back past the bowler. It's not a sexy on drive, it's a repeatable on drive. When too straight, it is turned, midwicket, backward square, wherever there is no one to stop it. All of it on autopilot.
Short balls at his body are pulled with a security that mocks other men who play the same shot. It's not risky, or hurried, it's just played hard to the boundary. Bouncing him seems like a complete waste of your energy levels.
Bowling to him seems like a complete waste of your energy levels.
Kane Williamson will complete his hundred at Lord's on Saturday. If not, the only thing that can stop him making a hundred at Lord's would be a sudden zombie outbreak or Test cricket being smothered to death by a bag of T20 franchise cash.
At 24, he has an unbeaten 242 and eight other Test centuries. He should be on billboards. People should be drinking his soft drink. His face should be tattooed on tramp stamps the world over.
But he is the style-less assassin. An amalgam of all the best cricket technique. Too perfect and correct to be a rock star. He's too appropriate for a rock star. He makes too many correct choices.
Cricket academy leaders the world over have been trying to birth Williamson in cricket test tubes. And here he is. He does it all, simply, without fuss or gimmick. A child could not imitate him any better than they could bring a textbook to life.
He doesn't bring vengeance and pain with the bat, he brings the appropriate action. Then another appropriate action. Then hundreds more. All perfectly planned, brilliantly executed and almost joyless in their execution.
Williamson is a state-of-the-art modern batting machine. An unbeatable cricket cyborg.
Jarrod Kimber is a writer for ESPNcricinfo. @ajarrodkimber
© ESPN Sports Media Ltd. |
via press release:
Network Announces the Third Season of “Melissa & Joey,” The Second Seasons of Both
“Baby Daddy” and “Switched At Birth,” and Gives a Back-Order Pick-Up to “Bunheads”
BURBANK, CA (August 17, 2012) – ABC Family, the Millennial-skewing network, continues its forward momentum as it greenlights additional seasons of its hit series. The network has ordered a third season of “Melissa & Joey,” a second season for both “Baby Daddy” and “Switched at Birth,” and has given a back-order pick-up to “Bunheads,” Michael Riley, President of ABC Family, has announced. The original dramas will premiere in Winter, with the hit comedies returning in Spring 2013.
After launching a successful Wednesday night comedy block with “Melissa & Joey” and “Baby Daddy,” cable TV’s #1 telecasts in their half-hours across the network’s core Adults 18-34, Adults 18-49 and Millennial demos, ABC Family has ordered a third season of “Melissa & Joey” and a second season of “Baby Daddy.” Already established as a destination for hit dramas, the network will also produce a second season of the award-winning hit series “Switched at Birth,” and ordered additional episodes of the critically-acclaimed series “Bunheads.” These pick-ups join the previously announced “Beverly Hills Nannies” reunion special that will air on September 4.
“Two years ago we embarked on a bold strategy to grow the breadth and scope of original programming and create a Wednesday night summer comedy destination,” said Riley. “The new series have resonated with our viewers, and the combination of drama, comedy and reality brings great depth to our lineup. Our stable of strong series continues to grow, and I’m thrilled with the strength of our schedule.”
Kate Juergens, executive vice president, Original Series Programming and Development, ABC Family, continued: “I’m so pleased to add more ‘Baby Daddy’ and ‘Bunheads’ to our lineup, and to have already put a ‘Beverly Hills Nannies’ reunion special into production. So many returning originals spotlight how well our programming resonates with our audience. It also furthers our promise to continue to deliver programming that is engaging, optimistic and relatable.”
“Baby Daddy,” which launched as the network’s #1 comedy series in ABC Family history, is pacing as the #1 new cable comedy this summer in Women 18-34 and Females 12-34, and launch to date is the network’s #1 comedy ever and cable TV’s #2 comedy in Prime in the core demos. Providing a solid launch pad for “Baby Daddy,” “Melissa & Joey” is delivering its best season on record, ranking as cable TV’s #1 series in the half-hour across key measure 18-34, 18-49 and 12-34 demos. Newcomer “Bunheads” is a key player on Monday nights, standing as cable TV’s #2 series on Mondays at 9 o’clock in Women 18-34 and Females 12-34.
“Baby Daddy”
“Baby Daddy” follows Ben (Bilodeau), a young man in his early 20s living the life of a bachelor as a bartender in New York City with his buddy, Tucker (Mowry), and his brother, Danny (Theler), a professional hockey player. Their lives are turned upside down when they come home one day to find a baby girl left on the doorstep by an ex-girlfriend of Ben’s. After much deliberation, Ben decides to raise the baby with the help of his friends and his protective and sometimes over-bearing mother, Bonnie (Peterman), and his close female friend, Riley (Kane), who has had a secret crush on him since childhood. Riley is hopeful that Ben will finally take notice, but she doesn’t realize that Ben’s brother, Danny, is harboring a secret crush on her.
The series stars Jean-Luc Bilodeau (“Kyle XY”), Derek Theler (“90210”), Tahj Mowry (“The Game”), with Melissa Peterman (“Reba”) and Chelsea Kane (“Dancing with the Stars,” “Jonas LA”). “Baby Daddy” is created and executive-produced by Dan Berendsen (“The Nine Lives of Chloe King,” “Sabrina, the Teenage Witch” and “Hannah Montana: The Movie”). “Baby Daddy” is a multi-camera comedy that shoots in front of a live studio audience in Los Angeles.
“Bunheads”
Executive-produced by Amy Sherman-Palladino (“Gilmore Girls”) and headlined by Tony Award®-winning actor Sutton Foster, “Bunheads” is the tale of a Las Vegas showgirl who impulsively marries a man, moves to his sleepy coastal town, and takes an uneasy role at her new mother-in-law’s dance school.
Michelle Simms (Foster) had a promising career as a classically trained professional dancer, but was drawn to the lights of Las Vegas. Now, with a dead-end job as a 30-something showgirl, she’s found the excitement of Sin City has lost its appeal, and her persistent suitor, Hubbell Flowers, is gaining it. With promises of a cushy life in his coastal town of Paradise, CA, Hubbell convinces Michelle to marry him and move away. Once in Paradise, Michelle discovers that Hubbell forgot to mention that he lives with his mother, the strong-headed, imperious Fanny Flowers, who is not pleased that Hubbell has run off and married a stranger.
A former dancer herself, Fanny runs the local dance studio, which Michelle comes upon and ends up bonding with some of Fanny’s dance students — sweet “Boo,” who would give anything to be a “bunhead” but struggles against her body type; rebellious Sasha, who possesses the classic ballet dancer’s body and talent but — distracted by family issues at home — doesn’t seem to have her heart in dancing; shapely Ginny, who is not yet comfortable in her own skin; and fun-loving Melanie, who is ready for whatever life throws at her. Michelle’s budding relationship with these girls helps her adapt to small town living and her uneasy role as a new daughter-in-law.
The series stars Sutton Foster (“Flight of the Concords”) as Michelle Simms, Kaitlyn Jenkins as Bettina “Boo” Jordan, Julia Goldani Telles as Sasha Torres, Bailey Buntain as Ginny Thompson and Emma Dumont as Melanie Segal, with guest star Kelly Bishop (“Gilmore Girls”) as Fanny Flowers.
“Melissa & Joey”
In the hit ABC Family original comedy series “Melissa & Joey,” Mel (Melissa Joan Hart) is the former wild child of a political family who is now a successful councilwoman in Toledo. Thanks to a financial scheme gone horribly wrong, Mel’s sister ends up in prison and sends her brother-in-law on the run from the law, leaving Mel as the legal guardian for her teenaged niece, Lennox, and nephew Ryder. Spread too thin to manage by herself, Melissa gets help in the unlikely form of Joe (Joey Lawrence) who, desperate for a job, agrees to move in and becomes the family’s “manny.” Together Mel, Joe, Lennox and Ryder form an unlikely family as they navigate the comedic twists and turns of life.
“Melissa & Joey” is a half-hour multi-cam comedy executive-produced by Bob Young & David Kendall, Paula Hart, Melissa Joan Hart, Joey Lawrence and John Ziffren. Melissa Joan Hart (“Sabrina, the Teenage Witch”), Joey Lawrence (“Blossom”), Taylor Spreitler (“Days of Our Lives”) and Nick Robinson star.
“Switched at Birth”
In “Switched at Birth,” two families are forever altered when they discover their daughters were switched at birth. Life hasn’t been easy for hard-working, single mom Regina Vasquez, but along with her mother, Adriana, Regina has provided her 16-year-old daughter, Daphne — a typical teenager who just happens to be deaf — with a loving and secure home. Although she attends a school for the deaf and hard-of-hearing with best friend Emmett, Daphne’s hearing loss does not prevent her from leading a full life. In sharp contrast to the Vasquezes, Kathryn, a stay-at-home mom, and John Kennish, a retired professional athlete, lead a seemingly perfect life with their two children, Bay and Toby. But when the Kennishes learn the hospital made a grievous error and that Bay is not their biological child, their entire world is turned upside down. Regina, Kathryn and John must learn to co-exist as parents and to blend two families into one for the sake of their daughters, despite overwhelming socio-economic, ethnic and cultural differences.
“Switched at Birth” recently received a Television Critics Association Award for Outstanding Achievement in Youth Programming and an Imagen Award for Best Primetime Program, and has been honored with AFTRA’s (American Federation of Television and Radio Artists) American Scene Crystal Award®, the Producers Guild of America George Sunga Award and a Gracie Award.
“Switched at Birth” is executive-produced by Lizzy Weiss (“Blue Crush”), Paul Stupin (“Make It or Break It”), Becky Hartman Edwards (“Parenthood”) and John Ziffren (“Melissa & Joey,” “Make It or Break It”). The series also stars Katie Leclerc as Daphne Vasquez; Vanessa Marano (“Gilmore Girls”) as Bay Kennish; Constance Marie (“George Lopez”) as Regina Vasquez; D.W. Moffett (“Friday Night Lights”) as John Kennish; Lea Thompson (“Back to the Future,” “Caroline in the City”) as Kathryn Kennish; Lucas Grabeel (“High School Musical”) as Toby Kennish; and Sean Berdy as Emmett Bledsoe, along with guest stars Gilles Marini (“Dancing with the Stars”) and Marlee Matlin (“The West Wing”).
“Switched at Birth” will return with all new episodes on Monday, September 3 at 8:00 p.m. In advance of the premiere, Hyperion will release a Switched at Birth book (available at online retailers on
August 28), divulging the contents of a memoir authored by the character Kathryn Kennish (played by Lea Thompson) in the series.
Part of the Disney/ABC Television Group, ABC Family is distributed in over 97 million homes. ABC Family features programming reflecting today’s families, entertaining and connecting with adults through relatable programming about today’s relationships – told with a mix of diversity, passion, humor and heart. ABC Family’s programming is a combination of network-defining original series and original movies, quality acquired series and blockbuster theatricals. Emmy® Award-winning ABCFamily.com provides a variety of interactive entertainment and community features, from rich, fan-centric programming – including blogs, viewing parties, webisodes, full episodes of the network’s hit programming, along with sneak peek exclusive previews and behind-the-scenes clips. ABC Family is also the destination for annual Holiday events with “13 Nights of Halloween” and “25 Days of Christmas.” ABC Family. A New Kind of Family. |
'A club with an edge' Journal of Western Martial Art
February 2005 by Dr. Timothy Dawson The image of medieval and Renaissance weaponry in Europe, just as many other areas of life in the period, is the subject of many widely accepted 'facts' of uncertain origin. The remark that gives this article its title embodies two of the most widespread of these. Originally published in "Medieval History Magazine", Volume 2, Number 3
Enormous "bearing swords" on display in the Topkap Palace, Istanbul. The full-sized samuari armour on the right provides an indication of the scale. (Photograph © Timothy Dawson)
The two ideas it expresses are that swords of the narrowly-defined 'Middle Ages' (that is prior to c.1400, to pick a somewhat arbitrary figure) were clumsy, heavy bludgeoning implements, and that, conversely, swords of the 'Renaissance' (after c.1400), and especially the late Renaissance, were light and dexterous tools. This dichotomy is by no means confined to proponents of Renaissance pretension over 'Dark Age barbarism', nor those steeped uncritically in popular culture imagery. No, even some partisans of the Middle Ages hold to this view, noted scholars have been heard to say such things, and even some medieval re-enactment groups espouse such notions as part of their performances. But how true is it? There are many thousands of surviving swords in collections around the world, with the quantity increasing as the period progresses. Unfortunately it is not yet the prevailing custom for curators to weigh their weapons, let alone to publish that information. The following information was collected from published catalogues of two collections, the Wallace Collection in London, and the Stibbert Museum in Florence, and from the files of the Royal Armouries Museum in Leeds. The RAM also kindly arranged for the weighing of some pieces in its collection which had previously not been so recorded.
Typical examples of single-handed and two-handed swords from the Royal Armouries collection. The outlines of hands give scale. (Photograph © Trustees of the Royal Armouries.) Main classes of swords In terms of contextualising the weight of a sword, it can be assigned to one of three functional categories of weapons intended for combat use -
1: designed for use in one hand;
2: designed for use in one hand or in two (referred to as 'hand-and-a-half' or 'bastard');
3: designed for use in two hands. Non-combat swords A 'non-combat sword' may sound like an oxymoron, but there were two types of such swords in the period. One was the headsman's sword used for judicial executions. Since only one good swing was supposed to be needed, they could be heavier than a combat sword. Headsman's swords generally take the form of a short bladed two-hander squared off at the tip. The other type of non-combat sword are those which are excessively large or excessively heavy, and sometimes called 'bearing swords' because at times they were carried in ceremonial processions. A spectacular example of the type can be seen in the Topkapi Palace Museum in Istanbul. It has the form and proportions of a standard European battlefield twohander but scaled up to over three metres long!
A characteristic hand-and-a-half sword from the Royal Armouries collection. The outlines of hands give scale. (Photograph © Trustees of the Royal Armouries.) Obviously when a sword was custom made, the size and strength of the owner will have some effect, but even so, the intended use is commonly reflected in the length of the hilt. A sword intended for single handed use will have a grip little longer than the width of a palm, ~10cm / 4in. The grips of two-handed swords range from two palms to more than four palms, ~20-45cm / 8-18in. The category of hand-and-a-half swords is a little less clear and tends to merge with that of two-handed swords. As its name suggests, the minimum grip of a hand-and-a-half sword will be a palm and a half, ~15cm/6in, with the remainder of the second hand enclosing the pommel. But many such swords, particularly made in Germany, had a grip long enough to fully accommodate both hands while still being of such a weight that they could be used in one hand.
Swords of different eras Single-handed swords run throughout our period. Cut and thrust swords ranged from 75 cm / 29 in to around 120 cm / 46 in. Their supremacy was unchallenged up to the later twelfth century and was re-affirmed in the seventeenth century. And, of course, they continued to be made and used to modern times. The swords sampled in this category range from plain, cross-hilted Viking swords of the eighth to tenth centuries to swept-hilted rapiers and basket-hilted swords of the sixteenth century. 'Bastard' swords begin to be seen in use from the end of the twelfth century. They persist to the end of our period (1600), and were particularly popular in the fifteenth century, but overall never attained the eminence of the other two forms. Hand-and-a-had swords cluster at both the upper weight and up length range of single-handed swords. The development of somewhat longer swords which could deliver more force by the use of two hands is associated with more protective armour as the long-established mail became more widespread and was supplemented by padded under- and over-garments brought back from the East. The evolution ofarmour continued as from the thirteenth century mail was increasingly covered, then replaced, by rigid pieces of armour. This led to the creation of the two-handed sword in the early fourteenth century. Over the next two centuries the armour became more protective and the swords longer until they reached their greatest functional size of around 150cm/5ft in the sixteenth century..
The results The weights of surviving single-handed swords plotted by century. Red dots = Royal Armouries Collection, Leeds, UK. Blue squares = Wallace Collection, London, UK. Green triangles = Stibbert Museum, Florence, Italy.
Click to enlarge the chart The weights of surviving hand-and-a-half swords plotted by century. Red dots = Royal Armouries Collection, Leeds, UK. Blue squares = Wallace Collection, London, UK. Green triangles = Stibbert Museum, Florence, Italy.
Click to enlarge the chart The weights of surviving two-handed swords plotted by century. Red dots = Royal Armouries Collection, Leeds, UK. Blue squares = Wallace Collection, London, UK. Green triangles = Stibbert Museum, Florence, Italy.
Click to enlarge the chart Summary These results show that full size single-handed swords normally occur in the range of c.650g / 1lb 7oz to c.1400g / 3lb 1.5oz, with a few heavier examples, presumably made for men of greater strength. Weapons at the lower end of that range are extremely fine and light, and yet, as the present author's own experiments have shown, they are nevertheless remarkably effective. Swords at the top of the range are still light enough that an average man can use them with dexterity and precision. Hand-and-a-half swords had to be capable of being used effectively with one hand, so it is no surprise to find that they fall largely within the same range as single-handed swords, albeit clustered at the top end - ~800g / 1lb 12oz to ~1400g / 3lb 1.5oz. The greater strength and control that can be exercised with two hands can lead to a more than doubling in weight - ~1500g / 3lb 3oz to (in this sample) just ~2600g / 5lb 8oz. Conclusion From these examples it can be seen that the idea that medieval and Renaissance swords were heavy, clumsy objects is far from true. Single-handed swords could be very light, and even the heaviest two-hander was amenable to dexterous use. And the evidence is clear that even quite early in the period there were sophisticated techniques available to best employ such finely made tools ... but that is another story! So when next you hear anyone talking about the great weight of medieval swords, set them straight. Glossary Hilt: the full handle section of a sword, including pommel, grip, and guard.
the full handle section of a sword, including pommel, grip, and guard. Pommel: the terminal at the and of the hilt. This can range from a large metal counterweight, to a largely decorative piece made of metal or other materials.
the terminal at the and of the hilt. This can range from a large metal counterweight, to a largely decorative piece made of metal or other materials. Grip: the portion enclosed by the hand, generally wood, of ten covered with leather or wire binding.
the portion enclosed by the hand, generally wood, of ten covered with leather or wire binding. Guard: the variously shaped piece between the grip and the blade. As its name suggests, it is often designed to provide some protection for the hand. About the author: Involved in the then-embryonic medieval re-enactment scene in Australia since 1979, Timothy Dawson rapidly established himself as not only a skilled fighter, but also a dedicated researcher and accomplished teacher of historical European combat, laying the foundations for a style that came to dominate Australian medieval re-enactment. Timothy operated Australia's first historical European combat school, Amyna (Greek for 'defence'), near Sydney from 1984 to 1987, and in 1985 published a training manual embodying techniques practiced at that time. This manual was rapidly superceded by further research, which has continued to the present day, along with his teaching in Australia and now in Europe. Through the 1980s and 1990s Timothy was also known as one of Australia's finest makers of swords and other military equipment. This activity embodied and informed his research and teaching in both arms and armour and combat. Since then he has gone on to be internationally recognised academically as an expert on certain forms of arms and armour. For more information go to www.levantia.com.au. Journal of Western Martial Art
February 2005 |
Simon Danczuk has led the front pages this week with his explosive account of how an MP could hide a lifetime of abusing children.
The Westminster reaction to his Cyril Smith allegations? Embarrassed coughs.
Good on Simon for having the courage to speak his mind. Since his 2010 election, itself a feat of endurance, he’s demonstrated a forensic mind and a canny eye for a story. He represents a diminishing Westminster breed, a ‘character’ who speaks with an authentic voice and with conviction. In the bland world of party slogans and ‘lines to take,’ he stands out. I admire him.
And despite these qualities, maybe even because of them, I hope our colleagues in the Parliamentary Labour Party are rallying round to support Simon. Because he’s about to realise what it’s like to be on the receiving end of the liberal establishment at its most savage.
Our central concern should always be the survivors of sexual abuse.
Yet the daggers are already being sharpened in the salons of North London. ‘How can he serialise in the Mail?,’ ‘Why is he criticising Labour people?,’ and ‘He’s not a proper journalist’ are just three of the attacks I’ve heard whispered in the last few days.
This is an attempt to undermine the substance of his argument: that career child abuser Cyril Smith covered up his activities with the collaboration of colleagues in Westminster and beyond. Since then the fog of collective amnesia has enveloped his party and anyone ever associated Smith.
I’ve not yet read Simon’s book but I saw the report of television journalist Liz MacKean, who was one of the first to highlight that Special Branch intervened so that Cyril Smith died avoiding the justice which his victims deserved.
As Simon pointed out on Radio 4 yesterday, Smith is not the first MP to be named as a child abuser. Two former ministers have named Sir Peter Morrison as a ‘well-known pedarast’.
There are three things that need to happen in relation to these serious allegations.
First, all the child abuse inquires in local authorities, the NHS and other public institutions such as the BBC must be wrapped into one national independent review of historic abuse cases. In Australia, they’re having a Royal Commission. We could adopt the same practice. MPs of all parties have written to the PM urging him to make a decisive move in the right direction.
Secondly, let’s acknowledge what the police privately admit: investigating child abuse is hopelessly under-resourced. Worse, whistle-blowers in the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre tell me their work is being diluted as the National Crime Agency (NCA) absorbs them into the new organisation. Recent parliamentary questions have yielded obfuscated answers on how many dedicated specialist investigators with arrest powers are working full-time on abuse inquiries. One whistle-blower told me that a very senior director at the NCA said child abuse is ‘not their priority.’
What also needs to happen is for political parties to unite on child abuse. They need to work with campaign groups who wish to see the law changed so we have mandatory reporting of suspected abuse in regulated settings such as private boarding schools. There’s a remarkable man called Tom Perry who runs the organisation Mandate Now- he needs our support.
I’ve already documented my reasons for asking the Prime Minister about an historic case of child abuse in October 2012.
Since then, there have been numerous arrests and people are facing charges, so I have to be careful what I write.
But I can say there have been some shocking claims made, many of which police are investigating.
The source of my original question is a retired child protection officer who was working with the Met police on a major child abuse inquiry in the 1990s. Their inquiries began to focus on a theory that an MP was involved with a group of known child abusers. At this point, the investigation was, according to my source, shut down after “orders from on high.”
Others were given the courage to contact me after the press picked up my parliamentary question and police launched an investigation into the alleged crimes.
The former civil servant who told me how he raised concerns that taxpayers may have been asked to fund the Paedophile Information Exchange has co-operated with the police but we await the results of the internal inquiry at the Home Office, set up last November.
The official also shared an interesting anecdote. The civil servant at the Home Office in charge of the budget that may have funded PIE was called to a crisis meeting at the Reform Club on the day the scandal involving Jeremy Thorpe broke in the newspapers.
In an interview at the time, Cyril Smith showed how he had some decision over the fate of his leader saying “Mr Thorpe had advised me that if I went to him and said that in my view he should resign then he would resign. I’ve not been to him and said that and I have no intention of going to him and saying that and so Mr Thorpe has not offered his resignation.”
Thorpe did eventually resign and was replaced by David Steel in July 1976, who made Smith the party’s Social Services spokesman, despite their relationship according to Smith being “not frigid but not at a high temperature”.
Even accounting for the times, Smith’s approach to his brief was distinctly illiberal. In a letter of complaint to the editor of Social Work Today in May 1977 he said “You describe myself as a ‘political buffoon’. All this is apparently because…in my view on occasions a juvenile offender was a case for a good hiding rather than a child psychiatrist”
Then there’s the matter of child abuser Peter Righton. I’m working with a number of courageous and dedicated former child protection workers who are concerned that Righton, after his conviction, retired to a cottage on the estate of Lord Henniker.
Henniker continued to allow his estate to be used by the Islington Suffolk project that gave holidays to vulnerable children from Islington. Many of the children were in the care system at a time when Islington was thought to have had a major problem with child abuse in its care homes. The retired social workers tell me that even despite the Chief Constable of Suffolk visiting personally to warn Henniker that Righton was a career paedophile, and would put the dozens of young boys who visited Thornham Magna at risk, he ignored this advice and Righton lived there until his death in 2008
My team have had two meetings with the woman who alleges rape by a man who went on to be a senior minister. It’s being investigated.
The child of a former MP came to see me alleging his father was an abuser. He claimed a teacher had told him his father had acted inappropriately with a child at a school and that it was covered up.
In a meeting in North Wales I met councillor who told me of police intimidation when he first raised concerns about child abuse in Bryn Alyn all those years ago.
All these people who’ve had misgivings are credible, honourable and decent. They believe that child abuse was covered up because powerful people wanted it to be so.
Yet there have also been a number of time-consuming false leads. The photograph of the cabinet minister at a ‘kings and queens’ party, as far as I can tell, does not exist. The story of the MP who abused his agent’s son is a myth. There are two vulnerable survivors who are undoubtedly the victims of abuse but it’s unlikely to have been carried out by a former minister as they claim, or at least their recollection of events is not good enough to stand up to detailed scrutiny.
Why do I reference these stories? Because they’re all scenarios that have been put to me as working theories by a number of journalists. Some journalists who called me have even investigated the claims, but not many. Those that do, embark on a complex trail that is yet to yield hard evidence.
Why is it important to know this? I say it because right now the Daily Mail is leading a campaign for deeper investigation into historic cases of abuse. Yet at any point in the future they are just as likely to do a ‘reverse ferret’ and claim that many allegations of sexual abuse involving politicians are sensationalised. Last year, after raising the question in Parliament, a columnist in the Mail described me as the ‘nonce finder general.’ They can’t make their mind up. But if you’re the Daily Mail, you don’t have to.
That’s why Simon Danczuk needs our support. There are many survivors of sexual abuse now depending on him, those who have never received justice and whose lives have been destroyed by the impact of child abuse.
As with Savile, the question we all have to ask ourselves is this: ‘How can an MP abuse kids and get away with it?’ |
The Palestinian Authority has paid out some NIS 4 billion — or $1.12 billion — over the past four years to terrorists and their families, a former director general of the Ministry of Strategic Affairs and ex-head of the army’s intelligence and research division told a top Knesset panel on Monday.
Setting out the figures, Brig.-Gen (res.) Yossi Kuperwasser told the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee that the longer the period for which a Palestinian security prisoner is jailed, “the higher the salary… Anyone who has sat in prison for more than 30 years gets NIS 12,000 ($3,360) per month,” said Kuperwasser, according to the (Hebrew) NRG website. “When they’re released, they get a grant and are promised a job at the Palestinian Authority. They get a military rank that’s determined according to the number of years they’ve served in jail.”
Kuperwasser also told the committee that PA claims that the payments to terrorists’ families are social welfare benefits to the needy are false. The Palestinians’ own budgetary documents, he said, “clearly state that these are salaries and not welfare payments.”
Get The Times of Israel's Daily Edition by email and never miss our top stories Free Sign Up
Kuperwasser was briefing MKs days after US President Donald Trump visited Israel and held talks with PA President Mahmoud Abbas in Bethlehem. In an apparent public upbraiding of Abbas over the payments, Trump told him at their joint press conference: “Peace can never take root in an environment where violence is tolerated, funded or rewarded.”
Israel’s Channel 2 TV reported on Sunday night that, behind closed doors in Bethlehem, Trump fumed at Abbas for lying to him. “You tricked me in DC! You talked there about your commitment to peace, but the Israelis showed me your involvement in incitement [against Israel],” Trump was said to have shouted at a shocked Abbas.
The TV report said the outburst was followed by several minutes of silence from the Palestinians, and that the meeting was very tense before the two sides managed to get back on track.
Palestinian sources denied the report, saying the meeting was good and to the point. And the Palestinian Ma’an news agency quoted a PA official on Monday accusing Israeli media of “lying” about what went on in the talks in order to torpedo a return to the negotiating table “because the Israelis don’t want to achieve peace.”
The Israel Hayom daily on Monday quoted an unnamed Palestinian official offering further details of the alleged stormy confrontation, however. This official said the talks “started on a positive note,” but the meeting “deteriorated after Trump accused Abbas of supporting incitement and terrorism with the salaries paid to prisoners.”
According to this report, “Trump made it clear to Abbas that he must curb anti-Israeli incitement in the Palestinian education system, saying Abbas cannot turn a blind eye to Palestinian incitement and pay stipends to terrorists’ families while simultaneously setting conditions that hinder any progress in the peace talks.”
Abbas reportedly responded that “in the past, there was a joint Palestinian-Israeli committee that sought to deal with incitement on both sides, but it has not met for years. As for the prisoners’ stipends, those are paid by the PLO’s prisoner authority, not the Palestinian government.”
At this point, according to the Israel Hayom report, “Trump lost his patience and interrupted Abbas, banging his fist on the table and admonishing him, saying, ‘You can talk about how much you want peace, but that’s empty [rhetoric].'”
At the Knesset meeting on Monday, Kuperwasser, today a project director at the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs think tank, said that for many years the US and Israel had largely ignored the significance of the payments and that it only became a major issue in the last six months. Now the US Congress is pushing punitive legislation — the Taylor Force Act. The PA channels the payments indirectly, via a non-government “payment fund,” he said.
“There was a willingness to believe the lies that it was social support. In practice, no steps have been taken to change the situation and in the meantime, the Palestinians are trying to depict themselves as supporting peace while they are still paying the families of terrorists,” said Kuperwasser. “Assurance of a cash prize for acts of terror is encouragement to terrorism, and is against international law, international conventions, the Oslo accords, and other agreements that they have signed on.”
The committee’s chairman, Avi Dichter (Likud), said he would schedule a session with top-tier security and political officials to review what action Israel should take in response to what he said was continued Palestinian incitement to terror.
Dichter, a former director of the Shin Bet security service, declared: “The State of Israel cannot get involved in a political process aimed at peace when those who are supposed to be our partners incite [to terror]. For years, not only has it [incitement] not decreased, it has increased.”
Israel has long accused the Palestinians, including Abbas’s Fatah party, of fanning hatred on social media and calling for violence against Israelis.
According to PA law, Palestinian security prisoners serving time in Israeli jails and families of assailants killed while carrying attacks against Israelis are eligible to receive stipends and other benefits. According to the Middle East Media Research Institute, the allowances range from $364 (NIS 1,500) a month for a term of up to three years to $3,120 (NIS 13,000) for a term of 30 years and more. There is a monthly $78 supplement for terrorists from Jerusalem and a $130 supplement for Arab Israeli terrorists.
At Monday’s Knesset committee meeting, Dore Gold, a former Foreign Ministry director-general, said Israel’s opposition to terror payments had not been made sufficiently clear since he left his post in October 2016. “The idea that a body such as the Palestinian Authority pays money as compensation to families who lost their sons as they were engaged in terror is unacceptable and contradicts common sense. Former US secretary of state Colin Powell called it ‘providing an incentive to terrorism,'” he said.
Haim Jelin (Yesh Atid) criticized the government, saying, “There is a lack of willingness to to take steps against the Palestinian Authority. They’re frightened of an escalation or that the PA will collapse, or that it won’t look good to Muslim communities around the world.”
Moti Yogev (Jewish Home) claimed that Hitler and former Iraqi strongman Saddam Hussein were being held up as role models in the Palestinian education system, and that “little girls in kindergarten declare that the Jews are worse than pigs, that they raped their mothers and murdered their fathers with axes.” Yogev called for economic and security-related sanctions to be imposed on the PA.
Along with criticism, Trump, at his press conference with Abbas, offered praise to the PA leader for being “committed to taking firm but necessary steps to fight terrorism and confront its hateful ideology.
On May 3 in Washington, at the first meeting between the two, Trump urged Abbas to stop incitement, crack down on terrorism, and “resolve” his government’s police of paying stipends to terrorists and their families.
Abbas, for his part, told Trump in their joint White House press conference that “we are raising our youth, our children, our grandchildren on a culture of peace.”
In the wake of that claim, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu slammed Abbas for the remark, saying it was “unfortunately not true.” The PA, Netanyahu charged, “names their schools after mass murderers of Israelis and pay terrorists.”
A report released last month from the Monitoring Peace and Cultural Tolerance in School Education (IMPACT-se) group found that PA textbooks for first to fourth grades were demonizing Israel and glorifying “martyrdom.” The document cited an “alarming deterioration” in content since the previous study.
The issue has taken on increasing significance of late, as members of Congress have threatened to decrease US aid to Palestinians if PA-sponsored incitement is not curbed. |
Outrage at reservation 'scalping' site that makes last-minute bookings at popular restaurants and sells them for $12 each
Brian Mayer launched his startup ReservationHop.com on July 4
Mayer makes reservations at in-demand San Francisco restaurants under false names and then sells the booking to diners for $5-$12
Restaurant owners say they could lose business if bookings aren't sold
Critics say the site is unethical because it capitalizes on a free service
Following the backlash, Mayer calls himself 'the most hated person in San Francisco'
Follows New York apps that allow people to buy reservations and even spaces in line for cronuts
A new 'reservation scalping' website which makes last-minute restaurant bookings under false names before selling them for up to $12 each has caused outrage.
ReservationHop.com is the latest entrant in the pay-to-play booking wars, buying up tables at popular San Francisco restaurants and selling them back to customers for a $5 to $12 fee.
While the creator says he's helping users get a spot at in-demand eateries, critics claim the site is 'unethical' because it makes money off a free service and could damage businesses if bookings aren't sold.
The service: Brian Mayer launched the ReservationHop.com website (pictured) on July 4 and it currently applies to San Francisco restaurants
HOW RESERVATIONHOP.COM WORKS
The website buys last-minute bookings from popular restaurants
It sells the bookings online for $5-$12, giving customers false names
The website cancels any bookings it hasn't sold up to four hours before the reservation
Richie Nakano, owner and head chef of Japanese restaurant Hapa Ramen, said the website is 'disgusting and hurtful to restaurants that already operate on razor thin margins'.
'An app like that, while not breaking any rules or laws per se, has the potential to be hurtful to small businesses that rely on having a reservation book full of diners that actually show up ,' he said in an email to Valley Wag.
'What happens to the reservations that no one winds up buying? This is a perfect example of tech trying to 'disrupt' something without thinking of the consequences.
'I hate this idea.
'It's awful and selfish and if it was my restaurant I would check that site everyday to see if my place were listed there so I could delete those reservations.'
ReservationHop.com creator Brian Mayer said he developed the website, which applies only to San Francisco restaurants, after waiting 30 minutes for a burrito.
He said he cancels reservations that aren't purchased four hours in advance and that 'in the interest of ethics and fairness', he wants to talk to restaurants about working with them directly.
Twitter users have slammed Mayer as self-interested and 'sleazy'.
Observers have noted the website could make it harder for diners who don’t want to use ReservationHop.com to get a reservation, and have compared it to apps that allow users to sell street parking.
'I'm the most hated man in San Francisco': Brian Mayer (pictured) has infuriated many restaurant owners and tech writers with the launch of 'scalping' website, ReservationHop.com
Inspiration: Brian Mayer (pictured left and right) said he created ReservationHop.com after waiting 30 minutes for a burrito
NEW YORK'S RESERVATION APPS Similar apps are available in New York for everything from spaces in line to buy cronuts to table reservations.
Reservation apps for New Yorkers include: Killer Rezzy- restaurants in New York and The Hamptons Resy - New York restaurants Shout - everything for theatre shows and cronuts to restaurants
Zurvu - restaurants
Others have commented that the website capitalizes on and exploits a free service to the detriment of customers and restaurants.
Beyond Twitter, Josh Ong at The Next Web described the idea as 'sleazy' and as 'tech enabled scalping'.
After receiving a torrent of abuse for his website, Mayer defended himself on his blog in a post titled, 'How I became the most hated person in San Francisco, for a day'.
'I built this site as an experiment in consumer demand for a particular product, and the jury’s still out on whether it will work...,' the University of Chicago history graduate wrote.
'Reservations aren’t free.
'Restaurant tables are limited, in high demand and people wait a good long time as walk-ins to get them.
'Reservations take time and planning to make and the restaurant assumes an opportunity cost from booking them...
Backlash: Twitter users, including Selena Larson (pictured), are outraged that startups like ReservationHop.com are capitalizing on services that have always been free
Backlash: Twitter user Mat Honan (pictured) has labelled startups such as ReservationHop.com 'irresponsible' and 'sleazy' Backlash: Observers and restaurant owners say ReservationHop.com puts businesses in San Francisco at risk if it fails to sell bookings
'What about ethics? We are talking about an asset that most people don’t think about having a value. ... If someone does pay for it willingly, is it really unethical?
'The consumer has made a choice, the reservation stands, the restaurant gets a table filled as planned, and I have made money for providing the service.
'That seems perfectly ethical to me.' |
David Greene is a senior staff attorney at the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), and Mark Jaycox is a legislative analyst at the same organization. This piece first appeared on the EFF's Deeplinks blog.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit has determined in American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) v. Clapper that the National Security Agency’s telephone records program went far beyond what Congress authorized when it passed Section 215 of the Patriot Act in 2001. The court unequivocally rejected the government’s secret reinterpretation of Section 215. Among many important findings, the court found that Section 215’s authorization of the collection of business records that are “relevant to an authorized investigation” could not be read to include the dragnet collection of telephone records. The court also took issue with the fact that this strained application of the law was accomplished in secret and approved by the secret and one-sided Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISA Court).
The EFF filed amicus briefs in this case in both the district and circuit courts, and we congratulate our colleagues at the ACLU on this significant victory. The Second Circuit’s opinion stands as a clear sign that the courts are ready to step in and rule that mass surveillance is illegal. That’s great news.
The Second Circuit’s decision, however, also marks a significant change in the context of the ongoing legislative debate in Congress. Above all, it is clear that Congress must do more to rein in dragnet surveillance by the NSA.
Clean reauthorization
First, the Second Circuit’s opinion should stop the idea of a "clean reauthorization" (a reauthorization with no reforms) of Section 215, which is set to expire on June 1. Last month, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Senate Intelligence Chair Richard Burr introduced S. 1035, a bill that would extend the current language of Section 215 through 2020, thereby continuing the mass spying rubber-stamped by the FISA Court.
The morning of the Second Circuit decision, both senators took to the Senate floor to vehemently defend the bulk collection program and push for a clean reauthorization. But a clean reauthorization is much more complicated now. Congress can’t pretend that the Second Circuit's narrow reading of “relevant to an authorized investigation” doesn’t exist. It’s likely that if Congress merely does a “clean” reauthorization of Section 215, then the district court in ACLU v. Clapper will enjoin the government from using Section 215 as authorization for the call records dragnet because the district court is bound by the Second Circuit decision. However, if a reauthorization made it clear that Congress intended to reject the Second Circuit’s narrow reading of the law, it could cause further confusion, and the government could argue that Congress has fully embraced the dragnet. We’re encouraging people to call Congress and tell their lawmakers to reject Senator McConnell's clean reauthorization in order to avoid the risk that Congress might reject the Second Circuit’s decision.
The USA Freedom Act must be strengthened
In light of the Second Circuit’s decision, the EFF asks Congress to strengthen its proposed reform of Section 215, the USA Freedom Act. Pending those improvements, the EFF is withdrawing our support of the bill. We’re urging Congress to roll the draft back to the stronger and meaningful reforms included in the 2013 version of USA Freedom and affirmatively embrace the Second Circuit’s opinion on the limits of Section 215.
Most importantly, the Second Circuit’s correct interpretation of the law should be expressly embraced by Congress in order to avoid any confusion going forward about what the key terms in the statute mean, especially the terms “relevant” and “investigation.” This recognition could be in the bill itself or, less preferably, in legislative history. The House Judiciary Committee has already included such language in its report to the full House of Representatives, but now the Senate must include the language in the bill or in its own legislative history. This easy task will make sure that the law is not read as rejecting the Second Circuit’s reading and will help ensure that the USA Freedom Act actually accomplishes its goal of ending bulk collection.
The House Report on USA Freedom (PDF), issued Tuesday, takes a step forward by stating that:
Congress’ decision to leave in place the ‘‘relevance’’ standard for Section 501 orders should not be construed as Congress’ intent to ratify the FISA Court’s interpretation of that term. These changes restore meaningful limits to the ‘‘relevance’’ requirement of Section 501, consistent with the opinion of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in ACLU v. Clapper.
Ensuring that the Senate doesn't move away from the legislative history should be a top priority as the bill moves forward. But that’s the bare minimum Congress must do.
The Second Circuit, and especially Judge Sack’s concurrence, noted a lack of both transparency and a true adversary in the FISA Court. The 2014 and 2013 USA Freedom Act had stronger FISA Court reforms, particularly around the creation of a special advocate who would argue against the government in the FISA Court.
The Second Circuit’s opinion also emphasizes that typical subpoenas seek only records of "suspects under investigation, or of people or businesses that have contact with such subjects." Under the current USA Freedom Act, the government can collect records of a "second hop,"—the numbers, and associated metadata, that have been in contact with the numbers collected initially—without any additional authorization. The bill should be changed so that the government must file another application for any further records it wants to collect. Automatically obtaining a "second hop" is unacceptable because it sweeps in too many people’s records.
The current USA Freedom Act is also out of sync with the court’s narrow view of permissible collection of records because it lacks a rigorous definition of the "specific selection term" that the government can use to identify the records it wants to collect. This can be addressed by two changes: (1) drawing upon last year's definition in the USA Freedom Act and (2) closing down potential loopholes like the definition of "address" or the use of a "person" to include a corporate person.
Restoring important parts of 2013’s USA Freedom Act
This is also an opportunity and a new context for Congress to address the shortcomings of the newly introduced USA Freedom Act that we previously wrote about. Congress should put back key provisions that were dropped along the way as well as remove those that were introduced at the behest of the intelligence community.
First, the "super minimization" procedures, which were key privacy procedures that mandated the deletion of any information obtained about a person not connected to the investigation, should be reintroduced. Key provisions establishing a higher legal standard and compliance assessment for the use of pen register/trap-and-trace devices, legal standing to sue the government over surveillance practices, and the original transparency provisions allowing government and corporate disclosure of surveillance orders should also be resuscitated.
Second, provisions introduced by the intelligence community that must be deleted include an increase in the maximum sentence for material support to terrorism to 20 years. Another change was the introduction of a clause allowing the intelligence community to obtain an emergency exception to spy within the United States on a “non-United States person” for 72 hours—without any court order. These were added as “sweeteners” without any public showing that they are necessary.
Congress must demand more for themselves and for the public
The Second Circuit decision has changed the playing field. Members like Senators Leahy and Mike Lee and Representatives Jim Sensenbrenner, Robert Goodlatte, and John Conyers should be applauded for working incredibly hard to get the USA Freedom Act through Congress. Yet as a result of the Second Circuit decision, the USA Freedom Act's modest changes appear even smaller compared to the now judicially recognized problems with the mass collection of Americans’ records. We've supported the USA Freedom Act through all three iterations, more reluctantly each time, but with this new court opinion, we’ve decided that Congress can significantly strengthen the bill if we are to support it.
The Second Circuit aptly compared the current debate to the troubled times of the 1970s. Two years ago, Senator Leahy mentioned that his first vote in the Senate was for the Senate resolution that created the Church Committee. The Church Committee investigated the intelligence community for three years and ushered in the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act in 1978—one of the most robust surveillance reform bills ever. In that same speech, Senator Leahy vowed to "recalibrate" a failing surveillance system via the USA Freedom Act.
We urge Senator Leahy and others to draw upon the vigor of that first vote to push for a stronger reform bill. The Second Circuit’s decision mandates that we not settle for less and that we strengthen the USA Freedom Act so it better protects our rights and freedoms. |
| by Jack Landau |
Since the mid-August closure of the GO Transit Bay Concourse at Union Station, work has been proceeding behind the hoarding to transform and modernize the space as part of the transit hub’s revitalization. Following the design principles established in the newly-built York Concourse to the west, the enlarged and modernized Bay Concourse will feature improved platform access, ticket booths, seating areas, lighting, while a whole new retail level will be added as well.
Diagram showing location of Bay Concourse, image courtesy of Metrolinx
Behind closed doors, work on the Bay Concourse is essentially invisible to passersby, but thanks to UrbanToronto Forum contributor tnarduzzi, we now have images showing what's going on. Most of the concourse's interiors have now been demolished, leaving the space is practically unrecognizable. Some relic signage and finishes are still visible in certain areas though, including the former main north exit leading to the moat and subway beyond.
Looking north towards the second set of doors to the Front Street Moat, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor tnarduzzi
Old staircases leading from the Concourse up to platform level are in the process of being removed. The image below reveals a space in transition, with a pair of stairs now unconnected from the floor below.
Staircase being demolished, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor tnarduzzi
To add in a floor in some parts and achieve higher ceilings in others without disrupting commuter traffic in the historic station above, crews are excavating the former concourse down a few metres in a complex operation that also involves the lengthening of existing support columns.
Facing south at current site of excavation, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor tnarduzzi
Columns have been stabilized with steel bracing, installed temporarily to provide additional structural support.
Temporary steel bracing on support columns, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor tnarduzzi
Taking into account the confined nature of the site, crews have progressed quite far on the excavation. In the image below, the roughly textured lower sections of support columns are telltale signs of the original floor surface.
GO Bay Concourse excavation, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor tnarduzzi
As work continues below-grade, Union Station's iconic Great Hall is now undergoing renovation and restoration work. A large scaffold has been erected below the Great Hall's eastern archway to facilitate the restoration of the limestone.
Interior Great Hall restoration work, image by Craig White
Substantial completion of the Union Station Revitalization project is currently scheduled for the end of 2017. In the meantime, many more recent photos will give you a fuller idea of the extent of the work now underway. You can find them on this page of our dedicated Forum thread, or for more information on and renderings of the revitalization project, visit our dataBase file for it, linked below. You can also get involved in the aforementioned discussion in thread, or leave a comment at the bottom of this page. |
My video review
The company
So, I decided to start with an artisan soap company. Many of you may have heard of Barrister & Mann. It’s a company that’s owned by a guy named Will, who is a law student. As a medical student, I know that it could be very tough balancing work and professional school at the same time. He is based out of Boston, and makes these soaps with all natural ingredients. His main ingredient is tallow, which most soap enthusiasts will agree produces some pretty solid lather. I own all of his current scents, and I have to say that his Winter Spice scent is one of the best I have used thus far (I haven’t used them all yet). There are many things that I like about his company. First, the fact that he does seasonal scents is brilliant! I believe he started in March 2013, and since then he has come out with Ferox (spring), Solstice (summer), Nocturne (Fall), Dickens & Winter Spice (Winter). He also has some new scents on the way, and he takes suggestions from customers.Second, he has great customer service and is a vendor as well as a user of a lot of the same products we use and I respect that. Here is a link to his website. With that said, on to the soap.
The Soap
Lather Quality – 10/10: The reason I give this soap a 10 is because it is one of the EASIEST lathers to whip up by far. It also produces a bunch of “yogurty” lather the second your brush hits your bowl/face. The lather is dense and thick and you can hardly see any air bubbles in it. It is the closest you can get to yogurt in my opinion. I have to say in terms of lather, Barrister & Mann is one of the BEST.
Scent – 10/10: The scent is a cinamon sweet scent that smells like a dessert that I’ve tried before but can’t exactly point out. It’s really hard to describe scent, but I have to say, this one is one that you’ll be sniffing throughout the day. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve walked into my bathroom and took a sniff of this thing.
Price – 4/5: A puck of this soap is about 3.75 oz and costs $10, so that puts it at $2.67 per ounce. Some may consider that pricey, compared to mass produced soaps, but I say it’s well worth the money and it falls in the price range of many other quality shaving artisan products.
Slickness – 9/10: My razor glides on my face with no tug at all. It doesn’t even feel like I’m shaving. This lather is SUPER protective and it’s almost hard to nick yourself. The only reason I don’t give this category a 10 is because I have 2 other products that I feel are a little more slicker, but I will get to those in other reviews.
Post-shave feel – 10/10: This is where Barrister & Mann really wins. I can’t stop touching my face throughout the day. It is so DAMN soft! I think that’s mostly because of the lanolin and tallow, but Will does something magical to these soaps. It makes your face feel like sex. I couldn’t believe it when I first shaved with this stuff. Absolutely amazing post-shave feeling!
Overall – 9.6/10: I’m not being generous with this rating. I have an entire excel sheet on my computer of everything I’ve used and this is by far one of the BEST I have ever put on my face. I had lather sitting around when I started writing this review and it’s still laying there strong! It is definitely in my top 5 Soaps.
Ingredients: Potassium Stearate, Sodium Stearate, Potassium Tallowate, Sodium Tallowate, Aqua, Glycerin, Citrus sinesis (Sweet Orange) Oil, Fragrance, Potassium Ricinoleate, Sodium Ricinoleate, Coconut Milk, Potassium Kokum Butterate, Sodium Kokum Butterate, Unrefined Shea Butter, Potassium Cocoate, Sodium Cocoate, Lanolin, Allantoin, Silk Protein, Tocopherol Acetate.
Advertisements |
Participants.
24 healthy participants (20 female) aged 20–32 years (mean 24.2 years) were recruited from the MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit volunteer panel. They all had normal or corrected-to-normal vision and reported no history of neurological or psychiatric disease. The experiment was approved by, and conducted in accordance with requirements of, the Cambridge Psychology Research Ethics Committee (CPREC), including the requirement of written informed consent from each participant before the beginning of the experiment.
Materials.
The word material used as verbal cues consisted of 72 English words drawn from the MRC linguistic database (http://www.psych.rl.ac.uk/). Words were selected on the basis of having relatively low imageabilty (mean = 571.3, s.d. = 37.3) and concreteness (mean = 545.1, s.d. = 54.6) ratings such that they would not elicit concrete mental images by themselves when presented to participants in the scanner. Pictures were 144 photographs of well-known faces, well-known scenes, and everyday objects (48 pictures per category) from a range of in-house databases as well as the internet (including http://cvcl.mit.edu/MM/exemplarPairs.html)37. All images were converted to black-and-white and scaled to cover the same visual angle. Note, however, that faces and objects were background stripped and thus contained extensive areas of white background, while scenes always covered the full angle of the picture. In addition to the materials used in the main experimental runs, three additional words and six additional pictures were used for demonstration purposes during practice runs outside the scanner. The 144 pictures were split into two sets of 72 pictures each (24 per category). One set was trained together with a cue word as first associates, and the other set was trained together with the same cue words as second associates. The two associates linked to the same cue word always came from different categories (for example, a face and an object; Fig. 1). 54 pictures out of the 72 first associates (18 per category) later became the to-be-retrieved targets, and 54 pictures out of the 72 associates later became competitors. The remaining 36 pictures (18 first associates, 18 second associates) were linked to cue words that never appeared during the scanned selective retrieval task and thus served as baselines for the targets and competitors, respectively. Assignment of pictures to conditions was counterbalanced such that across participants, each picture equally often served as a target, competitor and baseline item.
Experimental procedure.
Familiarization with the pictures, and the training on word-picture associations was carried out in a separate testing room outside the scanner. The first task was a familiarization phase, during which participants were presented with all 144 pictures used in the experiment as well as their corresponding similar lures (used in the visual recognition test, see below), and thus saw a set of 288 pictures in random order. Each picture appeared alone first; followed by its verbal label (for example, 'Charlie Chaplin') after 1 s, the label remaining on the screen for another 1.5 s. Participants indicated with a button press whether they recognized (that is, were familiar with) the face, object or scene shown on the photograph. In cases in which they indicated that they were unfamiliar with an item, the same picture was presented to them for a second time at the end of the familiarization phase.
After familiarization, participants were trained on the first set of 72 word-picture associations. To facilitate learning, the training was separated into three blocks, each consisting of an initial learning, a test, and a re-test cycle for 24 out of the 72 word-picture pairs. At the beginning of each block, participants were presented with the 24 word-picture pairs for 4.5 s each (4 + 0.5-s inter-stimulus interval). The word was shown above the picture, and it was emphasized to participants that they should make an effort to memorize the picture in as much detail as possible in order to be able to bring back a vivid mental image of the picture when cued with the word, later in the scanner. To build strong links between the words and the pictures, we instructed participants to use a mental imagery strategy, that is, to use the word and picture in an interactive way (for example, use the cue word to make the picture move, change color, etc.). This initial learning was followed by two cycles of test-feedback practice. On each trial, participants first saw a word (for example, sand) on a blank screen, and were asked to orally provide the label (or a short description) of the picture they had learned to associate with this word. Two similar versions of the correct picture associate (the same versions also used in the later visual recognition test) appeared 3 s later, and participants had to indicate which of the two pictures they had previously linked with the word. This procedure was again aimed at emphasizing the encoding of as many visual details as possible.
After finishing training on the first set of pictures (which would become the targets during later selective retrieval), participants were instructed that they would now be trained on a second set of associates for each word (which would become the competitors during selective retrieval), and that later in the scanner they might need either of the two associates. It was emphasized to participants that they would be required to retrieve the two associates separately, and should thus not inter-relate the two pictures associated with the same cue word (that is, they should not form an integrated mental image). We did so because integration between competing memories has been shown to be a main factor limiting retrieval-induced forgetting1. In terms of the procedure, training of the second set of associates (which would later become the competitors) was performed exactly as for the first set, with the exception that the test-feedback practice involved only one instead of two cycles. After training of the second set, participants were given a short practice on the tasks they would perform in the scanner.
During the recall task in the MRI scanner, participants were prompted with a cue word for 4 s each, followed by a response prompt (“F – O – S – ?”) asking them to indicate the category of the picture they were currently recalling (fingers 2–5 of the right hand corresponding to “face”, “object”, “scene” and “don't know”, respectively). The response prompt was presented for 1.5 s (inter-stimulus interval = 1 s). Feedback was given as soon as participants pressed a button, with the correct response option lightening up in green color. We instructed participants to always press a button while the response prompt was still present on the screen, because they would miss the feedback when responding too late. However, responses given during the following inter-stimulus interval were still included in the data analysis. The selective recall task was followed by a short (∼2 min) period of rest, followed by the final recognition test. In this task, each trial presented participants with two similar pictures, both of which had been presented before in the familiarization phase, but only one of which they had initially been linked with a cue word. Notably, the cue words were not shown during the final test. The two pictures were presented simultaneously, to the left and right of the fixation cross, for 3.5 s (inter-stimulus interval = 1 s). Participants used their right index and middle finger to select the picture they had linked with a word during training.
The final task conducted in the scanner was a pattern localizer for individual pictures, conducted to obtain the item-unique sensory templates. During the localizer, the BOLD activity pattern in response to a subset of 72 of the initially trained 144 pictures was sampled (only half of the items were sampled due to time constraints). The subsample of pictures was chosen randomly for each participant, with the constraint that it had to include 18 target pictures, the 18 corresponding alternative associates from the same word-picture triples, 18 baseline pictures that had been trained as first associates, but were not recalled during the selective recall task, and the 18 corresponding alternative associates from the same word-pictures triples. The latter two picture types were used to obtain baseline templates to compare the targets and competitors, respectively, against. Each of the sampled pictures was presented 6 times overall. Picture presentation occurred in the context of a one-back task, where each picture was shown for 1.5 s (inter-stimulus interval = 1 s) and participants were instructed to respond with their index finger as fast as possible whenever two consecutive items in the picture sequence were the same.
The sensory templates were sampled at the end of the scanning phase for several reasons. First, the localizer overall lasted for ∼25 min, and we did not want to introduce a delay of this length between study of the word-picture pairs and the selective retrieval task. Second, and more importantly, one might expect a priori that the similarity between the recall patterns and the sensory templates would become higher with increasing temporal proximity between the localizer and the time at which the templates are sampled. Such an increase could occur simply because any neural pattern sampled at a given time during scanning would show a drift toward or away from the localizer patterns depending on how far in time from the localizer it is sampled. Based on such pattern drifts, recall patterns should overall become less similar to the sensory templates if the localizer is conducted before the selective recall phase; and more similar to the templates if the localizer is conducted at the end of the experiment, after selective recall. Because our main effect of interest in this study was an effect of decreasing similarity across retrieval repetitions (for the competitors), it was a more conservative approach to conduct the localizer at the end of the experiment, such as to not risk the effect to be confounded with spurious similarity decreases caused by pattern drifts. Note that such spurious similarity changes might, according to this reasoning, have affected the increasing similarity we found with the sensory templates for target representations. Having said this, we believe that it is unlikely for all our effects to be caused by spurious correlation through pattern drifts, because of the use of very well controlled baseline measures. In particular, pattern drifts toward the 'template state' should have affected the similarity with all templates, including the sensory templates of control items.
However, one might still argue that differences inherent in the localizer templates may affect the overall correlation between the neural patterns during selective retrieval and the different types of templates. We took several measures to minimize this concern, the results of which are shown in Supplementary Table 2 and Supplementary Figure 5. These analyses showed that the templates did not significantly differ in signal-to-noise ratio (SNR; computed as mean t-value across all voxels in the template divided by the s.d.); in informational content as measured by Shannon entropy; or in the degree to which they correlated with other templates from the same condition (correlationability). Importantly, because the aim of these analyses was to show no difference between conditions (i.e., between target templates and their respective baseline templates, and between competitor templates and their respective baseline templates), Supplementary Table 1 also reports Bayes factors38 together with the P values, giving an indication of the strength of evidence in favor of the null hypothesis.
For all tasks conducted in the scanner, event sequences were optimized for rapid event-related designs using self-programmed MATLAB code, based on a previously published genetic algorithm39. For the multivoxel pattern localizer, the output of the algorithm was modified to obtain a reasonably high number of picture repetitions (11–15% of the trials), as to keep participants engaged in the one-back task. In each of the scanned tasks (selective retrieval, visual recognition, and the pattern localizer), events were interspersed with null-trials (fixation periods covering the same period as actual events) corresponding to one-third of the overall trial number.
fMRI data acquisition and pre-processing.
Imaging data were acquired on a 3-T Siemens Trio scanner using a 32-channel head coil. High-resolution (1-mm3 isotropic voxels), T1-weighted anatomical scans were acquired at the beginning of each session using a magnetization-prepared rapid acquisition gradient echo (MP-RAGE) sequence resulting in 192 sagittal slices. Functional volumes were obtained in three separate sessions corresponding to the recall phase (772 volumes), the final picture discrimination test (274 volumes), and the picture localizer (727 volumes). Functional volumes consisted of 32 axial slices (3.75-mm slice thickness, 3- × 3-mm in-plane resolution) covering the full brain, and were acquired using a descending T2*-weighted echo-planar imaging (EPI) pulse sequence (repetition time = 2.0 s, echo time = 30 ms, flip angle = 78°). The first five volumes of each session were discarded to allow for stable tissue magnetization.
SPM8 (http://www.fil.ion.ucl.ac.uk/spm/) was used for pre-processing and univariate analyses. For all analyses, images were slice timed and realigned in space to the first image of each session, and global effects within each session and voxel were removed using linear detrending40. All multivariate analyses were conducted in native (subject) space without normalizing or smoothing the EPI images.
Univariate data analysis.
For univariate analyses, EPI images were additionally normalized (using the segmentation algorithm as implemented in SPM8) and smoothed with an 8-mm full-width-at half-maximum (FWHM) Gaussian kernel. Events of interest were modeled as delta (stick) functions and convolved with a first-order canonical hemodynamic response function (HRF). Button presses were included in all single-subject models as events of no interest, and the movement parameters from spatial realignment were included as nuisance variables. For univariate group statistics, single-subject activation maps of each condition of interest were entered into a within-subject ANOVA using pooled errors. The main comparison of interest between early and late retrieval trials (Fig. 5a) was calculated within this ANOVA, and results are reported on an uncorrected p-level of < 0.001 (minimum extent threshold k = 10 voxels). For the regression analysis reported in Figure 5c, an activation map contrasting early and late retrieval trials was calculated in each single participants, and entered into a whole-brain, group-level GLM using multivariate indices of target enhancement and competitor suppression (see below) as linear regressors.
Similarity-based multivariate data analysis.
A template-based variant of representational similarity analysis (RSA41,42) was used to assess the degree to which the neural patterns that were active during recall were similar to the neural pattern templates obtained from the pattern localizer. To this end, each trial and repetition during selective retrieval was modeled as a single event (regressor) in a general linear model by convolving a delta stick function at the onset of the event with a canonical HRF. For obtaining the sensory templates, the six repetitions of the same item as visually presented during the pattern localizer were modeled as one event (regressor). For the item-specific linear pattern classification analysis (Fig. 6), we modeled the six repetitions of each item as separate regressors. With respect to selective retrieval activity, each retrieval trial was modeled as a single event (regressor). Overall, this procedure produced 54 (items) × 4 (repetitions) t maps from the selective retrieval task, and 72 t maps from the pattern localizer. Only the 18 × 4 recall patterns for which item-specific localizer templates were available were included in the item-specific analysis, whereas all 54 × 4 recall patterns were included in the categorical analysis.
Anatomical regions of interest (ROIs) were built based on the human atlas as implemented in the WFU pickatlas software (http://fmri.wfubmc.edu/software/PickAtlas), and back-projected into native space using the inverse normalization parameters obtained from SPM during segmentation. The large ventral visual cortex ROI was comprised of bilateral inferior occipital lobe, parahippocampal gyrus, fusiform gyrus, and lingual gyrus (all bilateral and based on AAL definitions). The hippocampal ROI contained only the bilateral hippocampi, based on the Talairach Demon's brodmann areas (dilated by a factor of 2 as this yielded optimal coverage of our individual subjects' anatomies). The multivariate patterns used in the correlation approach were obtained by extracting the raw beta values from each ROI and in response to each event of interest, converting them to t-values and finally vectorizing these t values43,44. All similarity-based analyses were based on a correlation approach, using Pearson correlation as a metric of similarity between the sensory canonical templates and selective retrieval activity.
For the item-specific RSA analysis, we computed the correlation between each single selective retrieval trial and the corresponding target template (yielding an index of target reactivation), and the correlation between the same trial and the corresponding competitor template (yielding an index of competitor reactivation). To obtain an appropriate baseline for target and competitor reactivation on each single trial, we computed the correlation between the selective retrieval pattern and each single baseline template corresponding to the same category as the target (used as a baseline for item-unique target reactivation), or the same category as the competitor (used as a baseline for item-unique competitor reactivation). For the target and competitor baseline measures, correlations were first computed between the retrieval pattern and each single available baseline template from the target's and competitor's category, respectively. We then used the average correlation with the baseline templates (as opposed to the correlation with the average baseline template, which is an important difference) as a measure of baseline similarity. All further analyses performed on the raw similarity values, including linear fits, are described in the main text.
For the categorical analysis, we first computed an average face template, an average object template, and an average scene template based on all available baseline pictures from the pattern localizer task. To assess categorical target enhancement and competitor suppression, we then correlated each selective retrieval trial with the categorical template of the current target category (for example, a face), the categorical template of the current competitor category (for example, an object), and the average template of the category that was currently not involved as target or competitor category (for example, a scene). All methods using linear pattern classifiers are described below.
Repeated measures ANOVAs and t tests were used to test for differences in multivariate pattern similarity. All t tests were used to test directional hypotheses, and unless indicated otherwise, one-tailed p-values at an alpha threshold of 0.05 are thus consistently reported throughout the results section. Brain-brain and brain-behavior relationships were tested both within- and across subjects. For across-subjects relationships, Spearman correlation coefficients were used. All within-subject, item-by-item correlations (including logistic regression) were computed from fixed-effects models in order to increase power to detect a relationship. Empirical P values for the logistic regression analyses were derived by randomly re-assigning the observed outcome on the final recognition test (with a value of 0 or 1) across trials, and computing the regression for 10,000 of these random models. Note that for the correlations between prefrontal cortex and neural suppression slopes, the same results were obtained when using a random-effects model; for the logistic regression relating neural suppression slopes to behavioral outcome on the final test, there were not enough forgotten trials on an individual subject basis to yield stable beta coefficient estimates. For reasons of consistency, were therefore report fixed-effect analyses throughout. Before collapsing trials across subjects, outlier trials were identified within each subject, and rejected according to an absolute deviation from the mean (with a criterion of 2.0)45.
Classifier-based multivariate analyses.
All pattern classification analysis used linear support vector machines as implemented in the LIBSVM library (http://www.csie.ntu.edu.tw/~cjlin/libsvm/). For the diagnostic voxels analysis reported in the main text and in Figure 6, we trained separate binary classifiers, based on the six repetitions of each item during the sensory pattern localizer, to distinguish an individual target and competitor item from each same-category baseline item. For example, to derive the linear weights that optimally separate the “hat” pattern in ventral visual cortex from the pattern elicited by other baseline objects, six binary classifiers were trained to distinguish the hat from the goggles, the hat from a chair etc. During this procedure, each voxel is assigned a linear weight (ω), the absolute value of which directly reflects the importance of a feature (voxel) in discriminating the two classes. We defined the intersection of those voxels that consistently yielded the 10% highest weights across the separate classifiers for each competitor/target as the diagnostic voxels for a given target or competitor. The same procedure was used to determine the diagnostic voxels for each baseline item, except that here we trained five binary classifiers for each item, separating this baseline item from all remaining, same-category baseline items.
Having derived these diagnostic voxels for each localizer item, we were then able to compute the average activity (average t values) of the voxels most diagnostic for the target and competitor item or a given recall trial during the selective retrieval task. In order to ensure that the diagnostic target and competitor voxels did not overlap, we also removed the intersection of those two sets of voxels for this analysis. This rationale was purely theory-driven, as competitor voxels (features) that overlap with target voxels (features) should not be subject to inhibition1,17. Finally, to parallel the similarity-based analyses using our template tracking approach, we subtracted from those average activity estimates on each retrieval trial the average activity of other voxels that are diagnostic for same-category baseline items, but not the specific target and competitor items involved in this trial. The results of this analysis are described in the main text and depicted in Figure 6 and Supplementary Figure 3.
For our categorical classification analysis, we trained binary linear classifiers purely on the patterns elicited in ventral visual cortex by the baseline items during the sensory pattern localizer. Three separate classifiers were trained to optimally distinguish faces from scenes, faces from objects, and objects from scenes. We then tested the accuracy of those classifiers to guess, on each selective retrieval trial, the category of the target by using the binary classifier representing the target versus non-involved, baseline category (for example, the face-scene classifier for the examples shown in Figs. 1 and 2), and to guess the category of the competitor by using the binary classifier representing the competitor versus non-involved, baseline category (for example, the object versus scene classifier in the example shown in Figs. 1 and 2). Note that this way of setting up the analysis automatically builds in the non-involved category, that is, the one category that should not be elicited by a given cue word, as a baseline on each trial. The results reported in the main text and in Figure 7 and Supplementary Figure 4 correspond to the average accuracy, across all 54 retrieval trials, to predict the target and competitor categories, respectively.
A Supplementary Methods Checklist is available. |
Sign up for the best newsletter EVER!
Are you a robot?
Probably not, but take a test: look around your place of work. How many of your co-workers are actual people – as opposed to virtual people you only ever meet via email, co-working platforms and an occasional conference call?
The machines are taking over the world. Fine, I made that sound scarier than it probably is; after all robotization is not a new or exceptional situation – jobs have always been lost to technology, what is new is that jobs long deemed secure are now eyed by robots. Not any old jobs, but those your parents told you to study hard for: real estate agents, office clerks, accountants and, of course, the World Chess Champion.
Here’s a nifty little tool to help you calculate how likely you are to be replaced by a microchip.
How did you do? Will you still be making rent by the end of this year? And wouldn’t it be nice if we had a system in place that would act like a safety net while we’re figuring out what to do next.
Such a system could be implemented: it’s called the universal or unconditional basic income, the UBI or BIG and it seems to be a pretty neat concept. The idea itself is not new, but has been falling in and out of public discourse (and favor) for the last two hundred years, depending on the economic and political climate.
It was popular in the 1960s and 1970s, all but “forgotten” in decades that followed, and has been gaining traction since the millennium. For good reasons, too: it is pricy, but as a society, we can definitely afford it. If you think this is too humanitarian, the good people of the World Economic Forum also think we should have some sort of UBI – the changes in the economy require a change in income distribution. Strangely enough, the UBI is supported and rejected across the board: there are traditionally more progressive parts of the society that support it, while some have reservations – and the same is true on the more conservative side.
It would distribute income more equally and help people get through hard times – or give them some fun times.
Ah, but doesn’t the current system of benefits take care of this? Well … no. Benefits target specific groups and problems, and they often carry a stigma. The UBI is, well, universal.
As Roope Mokka of the Helsinki-based think tank Demos Helsinki explains: “It’s creating something that is universal, that is for everyone. We haven’t seen anything like that in politics or in governance for, I don’t know, 40 years or something.” And he should know: Demos Helsinki has been helping the Finnish government set up and run the largest recent experiment with the UBI in Europe: for two years, “560 euros […] will be handed out to 1,500 people.”
Which people? Well, the pilot study eventually selected 2000 Finnish unemployed – 500 more than Mokka had originally anticipated – and started providing them with a fixed guaranteed basic income at the beginning of this year. All three adjectives are of utmost importance here: the income will be fixed at 560 € no matter what, it will be guaranteed by the government regardless of the employment status of the recipient and it will be considered basic – in other words, if recipients find work with which they will be earning a little or a lot more, this will not make one iota of difference to the 560 € they receive every month during the two years of the study.
Why is that important? Says Mokka: “You have a state that provides some universal stuff, like basic income,” – universal stuff that he refers to depends on the said state’s definition of “universal”: could be health care, could be housing, could be food stamps – “[…] basically you can live with the income you get from the state, if you’re unemployed. Not in the big cities, but you can – not a fancy life, but you can support yourself in the countryside, no problem. No problem with that. However, you know, when you start working, or you start a company, or you work too much in an NGO for example, you’re gonna lose your benefit or some of it.”
And that is exactly the point of the UBI: it is yours regardless of your employment status, income, or any other circumstance. You can do whatever you want with it – it’s money in your bank account and you can use it to pay off your mortgage, put it in a college fund for your kids, go on holidays, go on a bender, no questions asked.
This apparently scares the shit out of some people. It would be a disincentive, they say. It’s worth noting that often they’re the same people who oppose living wage, but let’s leave this debate for another occasion. According to them, however, the UBI will be the end of the world as we know it (and not for the first time, of course).
Could it be a disincentive? Sure, but every small scale experiment shows that it would be much less so than the current system. As Mika Ruusunen, one of the participants in the pilot programme, told the Guardian, under most current systems around the world: “If someone wants to start their own business, you don’t get unemployment benefits even if you don’t have any income for six months. You have to have savings, otherwise it’s not possible.”
This is an important point that comes up over and over again: in today’s world of gig-based economy, where a growing proportion of workers belong to precariat (are self-employed, if that sounds better, but really, it’s pretty much same difference), some sort of guaranteed income could be the difference between whether you eat or not.
Those of us who freelanced through the last economic cataclysm can vouch for that. Informal interrogations of my tribe of freelancing writers and translators reveal that none of us would stop working if we received some sort of guaranteed income. Think about it: Finnish 560 € every month, $1500 in the pilot study in Oakland, around 4000 pounds per year that the above Guardian article cites, or 300€ a month that would be considered adequate (and sustainable) for Slovenia, are not nearly enough to live on. (At least I can say that for Slovenia, which is where I live: 300€ will pay basic utility bills and put cheap food on the table for most of the month, but you’re on your own to make the rent.)
The fear that I hear from freelancers lies elsewhere: with UBI, how do we prevent clients from continuing to lower our fees? Considering that “human resources” are often seen as “cost” in today’s economy and not as added value, this is a serious concern. Particularly for workers in precarious forms of employment, who are much less protected by the current labor laws than workers employed in “traditional jobs” and rarely have unions to back them up in their negotiations and disputes.
So, is the universal/unconditional basic income a good idea? Yes, but it has to come hand in hand with new understanding of the labor market.
We should be watching pilot programs in Finland, Oakland, Kenya and elsewhere learn the good practices and improve the not so good ones.
And while it’s not cheap and there might be people who’d abuse it … well, it’s not all sunshine and lollypops right now, transparency-wise, as the Oxfam reports for 2016 and 2017 show – particularly the parts explaining how the elites are currently, ahem, creatively using the existing system of tax havens. We even wrote about it here.
If you’ve ever lived on a freelance income, you know very well how important it is to be able to take a breather from time to time. The UBI could be a safety net to provide such a breather.
Roope Mokka of Demos Helsinki was interviewed by Stuart Schuffman in December 2016. |
Remember the other day we mentioned that Gearbox might be working on Halo 4? Here’s the quick and dirty to catch you up. Bungie will no longer be working on the Halo franchise and there’s no doubt that Halo 4 is coming at some point in the future. Gearbox Software was responsible for the PC Halo title Halo: Combat Evolved.
Here’s where it gets interesting, Gearbox head Randy Pitchford stating in February that he’d be directing the new project that’s really, awesomely big and now Gearbox’s Director of Platform Technology Corrinne Yu is leaving for the Halo team at MS. A purported internal e-mail was obtained by Kotaku that details Yu’s transition from Gearbox to Microsoft. We’re not sure what this means, but it certainly lends some fat to the rumor that Gearbox is working on H4.
Hello, friends. I am Corrinne Yu, Director of Technology of Gearbox Software . I was offered and recruited to the position of Principle (Lead) Engine Architect of Halo Franchise Team at Microsoft . I accepted the offer to lead the team to build the engines and games for future Halo’s on Xbox’es and PC’s at Microsoft. I am staying to simu-ship Brothers In Arms all versions. I will start Halo after BiA starts manufacturing. Aliens: Colonial Marines and Borderlands are more than mostly completed. I assure you I will continue to help Gearbox. I am starting on Halo Team at Microsoft after 09/15/2008. My email after that day will be [email protected]. I would be glad to introduce my friendly helpful Corrinne replacements at Gearbox to you. I am stoked to program and design and build some awesome Halo’s. Let’s stay in touch! after 09/15/2008 Corrinne Yu
Principle Engine Architect
Halo Franchise Team
Microsoft after 09/15/2008:
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected] before 09/15/2008 Corrinne Yu
[email protected] before 09/15/2008:
[email protected]
[email protected]
Director of Technology
Gearbox Software
Since Gearbox confirmed with Shacknews it makes me wonder if this letter is real considering Yu’s title is not Director of Technology. Either way they confirmed that Yu is leaving for MS, so I guess it doesn’t matter. |
In his latest essay, Emmet Scott explores the parallels between the barbarian invasions of Rome in the 4th century A.D. with the migrant invasions of Europe in the 21st century.
The Barbarians Who Sacked Rome Came Into the Empire as Refugees
by Emmet Scott
Over the past century many commentators have remarked on the parallels between the modern West and ancient Rome in its period of decadence and decline. The most influential proponent of the idea, perhaps, has been Oswald Spengler, whose Decline of the West is now widely viewed as a classic of conservative thought. As might be imagined, “progressives” have consistently sneered at the idea, but, then again, they would scarcely be progressives if they didn’t. One is reminded of the Chinese saying: “When a fool sees the Tao [Truth] he laughs. If he did not laugh it would not be the Tao.”
The parallels between decadent Rome and the modern West are actually there. And they are uncanny, and they are becoming more numerous by the day.
In 410 A.D. the walls of Rome were breached and the city plundered by a barbarian army under the leadership of Alaric the Goth. This was the first time since the Gallic sack of the city around 390 B.C. that the imperial metropolis had been entered by a hostile enemy. The fall of Rome shocked the world at the time, but what is not generally known nowadays is that the Gothic army that carried out the atrocity had entered the Empire thirty years earlier as refugees.
Until the second half of the fourth century the Goths had inhabited a vast swathe of territory taking what now comprises Romania as well as the Ukraine. In 375, however, they were attacked by the Huns, a tribe of nomad warriors from central Asia who had been moving steadily westwards during the preceding century and a half. In the ensuing war the Goths suffered a crushing defeat and large numbers of them fled westwards towards the Roman Empire. By the summer of 376 an enormous host of Goths, generally estimated at around 100,000, arrived at the River Danube and pleaded with the Roman authorities to be allowed into the Empire.
The Eastern Emperor Valens, at that moment stationed in Antioch, eventually gave permission for the Therving tribe, which comprised about half the total number of Gothic refugees, to be ferried across the river. For at least two centuries prior to this the Romans had actively recruited barbarians into the army (necessary because of Rome’s abysmally low birth-rate) and Valens reasoned that the Goths would provide a valuable pool of new and cheap recruits. The operation to ferry these people across the Danube was an enormous and costly one and took several weeks to complete and, as Ammianus Marcellinus sarcastically comments, “diligent care was taken that no future destroyer of the Roman state should be left behind, even if he were smitten by a fatal disease.”
Unsurprisingly, within a few weeks of their entry into the Empire, the first clashes with the Roman authorities occurred, and by the end of the summer the Goths were at war with Rome. After several military disasters, the Emperor Valens made a hasty return to Constantinople to personally take charge of the campaign, and was killed in battle at Adrianople in 378 — just two years after he had sanctioned the mass immigration.
But worse was to come. A decade and a half of uneasy peace was terminated in 395 by a renewed Gothic war, this time under the leadership of Alaric. Commanding an enormous host of warriors (who were in fact officially soldiers in the Roman army) Alaric moved south from Thrace into Greece, a land which he proceeded to devastate. City after city was taken, its male population massacred, its female population raped and sold into slavery, and its wealth plundered. Finally, in 396 the Western Empire bestirred itself and its greatest general Stilicho was dispatched with a sizeable force to the relief of Hellas. After a lengthy game of cat and mouse around the Peloponnesian Peninsula the Goths were trapped by the superior science and tactics of the Roman general. Unfortunately, however, Stilicho did not prosecute the siege to its conclusion and the Goths effected a daring escape and made their way to Epirus.
At this moment a Greek political philosopher named Synesius published a widely-discussed treatise on the present emergency and the measures that needed to be taken. He exhorted the emperor to, “revive the courage of his subjects by the example of manly virtue; to banish luxury from the court and from the camp; to substitute, in the place of barbarian mercenaries, an army of men in the defence of their laws and of their property … to rouse the indolent citizen from his dream of pleasure. … At the head of such troops who might deserve the name, and would display the spirit, of Romans, he [encouraged the emperor] never to lay down his arms till he had chased them [the barbarians] far away into the solitudes of Scythia, or had reduced them to the state of ignominious servitude …” In the words of Gibbon, “The court of [Emperor] Arcadius indulged the zeal, applauded the eloquence, and neglected the advice of Synesius.” Instead of exile in the solitudes of Scythia, Alaric was actually promoted to the rank of master-general of the province of Eastern Illyricum, and the Roman provincials, remarks Gibbon, “were justly indignant that the ruin of Greece and Epirus should be so liberally rewarded.”
Does all of this sound eerily familiar? Yet even worse was to come; for the patriot who had saved Greece from Alaric, the general Stilicho, was himself only a decade later denounced by the Roman ruling class and murdered, along with his entire family. This was after Stilicho had saved Italy from a second attack by Alaric, as well as from another barbarian host led by one Rhadagastus which had crossed the Alps and devastated the Po Valley.
What kind of society brings in barbarians who cannot be assimilated in order to replace the children it refused to have; which excuses and rewards the horrific crimes of those barbarians; and which punishes patriots who try to stop the depredations of the said barbarians?
Previous posts by Emmet Scott: |
As anticipated, the Democratic debate began with a heavy focus on the horrific terrorist attack in Paris on Friday.
After the candidates, positioned in front of a patriotic Microsoft Paint graphic, stood in a moment of silence for the lives lost in the violence Friday, each was given the opportunity to speak for one minute about the atrocity.
Bernie Sanders, who often fumbles the ball when not discussing domestic economic issues, was first up to bat. In a miscalculated move, arriving just hours after reports surfaced that Sanders' aides were upset that the debate would now focus heavily on foreign policy, the senator from Vermont shifted from discussing the bloodbath in France to delivering his token economic stump speech.
“Well, John, let me concur with you and with all Americans who are shocked and disgusted by what we saw in Paris yesterday,” Sanders began, addressing moderator John Dickerson. “Together, leading the world, this country will rid our planet of this barbaric organization called ISIS.”
This was a mere few seconds of his allotted minute. What followed was not exactly on target.
“I’m running for president because as I go around this nation, I talk to a lot of people, and what I hear is people's concern that the economy we have is a rigged economy,” Sanders said, seemingly from rote memory.
“People are working longer hours for lower wages and almost all of the new income and wealth goes to the top one percent. And then on top of that, we've got a corrupt campaign finance system in which millionaires and billionaires are pouring huge sums of money into Super-PACs heavily influencing the political process. What my campaign is about is a political revolution. Millions of people standing up and saying, 'Enough is enough. Our government belongs to all of us and not just the hand full of billionaires.'"
The problem is that everyone was aware of what Sanders’s campaign was about. And this simply wasn’t the moment for a rehash.
When asked later about what he deemed to be the greatest threat to national security, the zany Larry David inspiration named global warming.
“In fact, climate change is directly related to the growth of terrorism,” Sanders said. “And if we do not get our act together and listen to what the scientists say, you're going to see countries all over the world—this is this is what the C.I.A. says—they're going to be struggling over limited amounts of water, limited amounts of land to grow their crops.”
“You're going to see all kinds of international conflict. But, of course, international terrorism is a major issue that we have got to address today," he added. "And I agree with much of what the Secretary and the Governor have said."
Even as he had the opportunity to go negative against his opponents, Sanders, for better or worse, took the high road again.
“But let me have one area of disagreement with the Secretary. I think she said something like the bulk of the responsibility is not ours. Well, in fact, I would argue that the disastrous invasion of Iraq, something that I strongly opposed, has unraveled the region completely and led to the rise of Al-Qaeda and to ISIS. Now, in fact, what we have got to do—and I think there is widespread agreement here—is the United States cannot do it alone. What we need to do is lead an international coalition which includes very significantly the Muslim nations in that region who are going to have to fight and defend their way of life.”
Now it makes sense why Sanders’ camp didn’t want him riffing on foreign policy. |
A number of recent moves suggest that Iran's mullahs and secular leaders are bridging their recent differences, even if their reconciliation is a begrudging one. These developments are not wholly unexpected. Essentially, the two sides are putting their political, confessional, and personal self-interest above all other considerations. But although the shift will result in a short-term loss of leadership figures for the opposition, the Green Movement's desire for sweeping change has now become mainstream.
Perhaps the most prominent among opposition leaders who have recently come in from the cold is former two-time president and consummate political survivor, Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani. Having failed in his efforts to convince the Assembly of Experts to remove Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, Rafsanjani once again accepted Khamenei's authority, claiming that "enemies' plots against Iran's Islamic system and the concept of velayat-e faqih [rule of the jurists] have been foiled." He then extolled his former foe as "the most qualified person to resolve the current problems," and even remarked fawningly, "The Supreme Leader has never endorsed extremism or transgression of the law by any political party." ... |
Saving Private RIM
Jean-Louis Gassée Blocked Unblock Follow Following Aug 5, 2012
Over the past couple weeks, we’ve read a number of bedtimes stories about RIM’s next move. They all start with the same trope: Once upon a time, late last century, Apple was on the edge of the precipice and still managed to come back — and how! Today, RIM’s situation isn’t nearly as dire as Apple’s was then. Unlike Apple, it doesn’t need a cash transfusion and, in the words of Thorsten Heins, RIM’s new CEO: “If you look at the platform it’s still growing, if you look at the devices we’ve got a single phone that’s sold 45 million units.” RIM will pull off an Apple-like rebound and live happily ever after.
Equating RIM 2012 with Apple 1997 is, in so many respects, delusional. Let me count the ways.
First, the context, the marketplace. In its dark days, Apple faced PC clones running Windows. With Microsoft’s 95% market share, it wasn’t even a two-platform race. Microsoft came to Apple’s rescue with a $150M investment and a commitment to continue writing apps for the Macintosh. This was enlightened self-interest on Microsoft’s part: Discreetly tucked into the agreement was the settlement of a brewing IP suit. And by keeping their highly visible (if economically unthreatening) competitor alive, Microsoft hoped to score a few goodwill points in the face of the DOJ’s antitrust investigations.
Fifteen years later, there’s no looming smartphone monopoly. We have a genuine two-horse race between Android and iOS, and a third horse, Microsoft, circling in the paddock. This is a very different world, a much rougher one with bruisers such as Apple, Samsung, Huawei, and ZTE…with this many players, there’s no rationale for investing in a fallen player.
Second, ecosystems. In Stephen Elop’s ringing (if infelicitously timed) words, yesterday’s platform struggles have become all-out ecosystem wars. To claw back into the race, let alone to return to its former CrackBerry glory, RIM must build an array of content and services that can equal or better those that will be offered by the dominant players in 2013.
This isn’t just about app stores — a challenge unto itself when developers ask why they should commit to a troubled player. Smartphone and tablet users expect entertainment, navigation, synchronization between their devices and other Cloud services.
In the Daily Telegraph interview quoted earlier, Thorsten Heins boasts that BB10, the upcoming BlackBerry 10 OS, will have “true multitasking, … potentially running a car’s navigation, entertainment and gaming systems for the whole family”. Elsewhere, he refers to a new world of applications in which your Blackberry will connect to “the embedded systems that run constantly in the background of everyday life — from parking meters and car computers to credit card machines and ticket counters”. (Home automation can’t be very far off.) Even more majestically, Heins tells us that RIM’s mission is “to build a new mobile computing platform to empower a people in a way they didn’t think possible”.
This all sounds like a noble and worthy goal…but it’s a bit vague. How will RIM’s approach be different from — or better than — the competing ecosystems?
This leads us to our third point: The engineering team (or, “it’s simply a matter of implementation”). When Steve Jobs reverse-acquired Apple in 1997, he brought with him the creators of NextStep, the likes of Avie Tevanian, Bertrand Serlet, and Scott Forstall. They led a team of talented, like-minded computer scientists whose goal was clear: Replace the decrepit Mac OS with a truly modern foundation. It took them the better part of five years to produce what we know as OS X.
RIM acquired QNX, the foundation for BB10, a mere two years ago. After a quick bow to the work ethic and technical manhood of RIM’s engineers, one must ask if they’re in the same league as the team Jobs brought to Apple 2.0, if they can accomplish everything they need to do by early 2013. Weren’t most of these engineers already onboard when RIM fell asleep at the switch?
Fourth and last, leadership. Using Apple 1997 as the model for turning around a once-great company invites challenging comparisons. Or, more accurately, a single comparison: Is Thorsten Heins made of the same unobtainium as Steve Jobs? This isn’t a question of IQ, of neo-cortex, but of Mind, of being sufficiently agitated, of having the right animal inside.
The prodigal Jobs returned to Apple having known stellar business success with Pixar, and just-as-stellar lack thereof at NeXT (despite the company’s technical prowess). Heins, by contrast, is an insider. He’s been part of RIM’s problem since 2007.
But enough of this fantasy. Let’s turn to the latest story: RIM’s CEO has conceded that the company might have to license its platform:
To deliver BB10 we may need to look at licensing it to someone who can do this at a way better cost proposition than I can do it.
Dumbfoundingly, the licensing idea (which, presumably, will include BlackBerry Messenger), has been met with approval: “RIM is in trouble and is seemingly finally listening to reason”.
This gambit doesn’t work. It didn’t work for Palm (twice!), nor for Nokia with Symbian. And it really didn’t work for Apple when it licensed the Mac OS to PowerComputing and Motorola in 1995. The Mac clones quickly underpriced the original products and siphoned profits out of Apple’s income statement. Jobs reversed that decision in 1997, and, after much initial criticism, was ultimately vindicated.
With these examples, what drives Heins to think that the BlackBerry 10 clones won’t underprice RIM’s own devices and empty the cash register? BlackBerry Messenger may be well-liked, but it’s also under attack by free, multi-device services such as iMessage.
So, where does this leave RIM? The use of “Private” in this note’s title isn’t a facile pun. It points to a possible avenue for the BlackBerry maker. If it decides to license the software layer of its (formerly) proprietary platform, RIM will indisputably see hardware dollars disappear much faster than software licenses can be signed. RIM will forego a known source of revenue in order to grow a new income stream that, given enough time, might be strong enough to keep the company solvent.
For a publicly-traded company, switching business models in this way is a factual impossibility, it defies business gravity. Shareholders might applaud the long-term strategy but when the cheering stops, they’ll dump the stock.
If RIM wants to do something bold, such as focusing on software and services, they might consider taking the company private. As I write this, RIM has a market cap that’s less than $4B and more than $2B in apparently unencumbered cash. Management and the Board could work with a Private Equity fund, a KKR-type organization, and buy the company from the shareholders.
The ink dries, the curtains close. Backstage, in private, the company performs painful surgery, sheds the groups and businesses that are no longer required by the new, tighter focus. This may be hard on employees, but it’s unavoidable either way: Lose some of the company now, or the entire thing soon enough.
In theory, the company re-emerges smaller but stronger, with a highly profitable software and services business model.
Will this work for RIM? I don’t think so. Given the company’s low market cap and the availability of private capital, if this were an attractive move, it would have been attempted already. Cold-hearted investors looking at the risk involved must have already asked themselves the burning question: How do you compete with free? How do you sell licenses when Android hands them out, gratis (even if licensees have to pay for a few Microsoft patents)?
Sadly for former BlackBerry fans like yours truly — or for current ones who appreciate its core functionality — there aren’t many moves left for RIM on the smartphone chessboard.
— [email protected] |
D.C. police are continuing to investigate after an officer shot and killed a motorcyclist Sunday morning. As News4’s Mark Segraves explains, the officer did not turn on his body camera until after the shooting, and now police are changing their policy. (Published Thursday, Sept. 15, 2016)
What to Know Witnesses say a motorcyclist fatally shot by a D.C. police officer did not intentionally drive into the officer's cruiser as police said.
Police said the officer was trying to get out of the passenger side of the cruiser when he shot the man, but witnesses say he was inside.
The officer didn't have his body camera on at the time and, as a result, the Metropolitan Police Department has changed its body cam policy.
A man who D.C. police say was fatally shot by an officer after he rammed his motorcycle into a police vehicle did not intentionally hit the cruiser, according to witnesses.
Police said the motorcyclist, 31-year-old Terrence Sterling, of Fort Washington, Maryland, purposely drove his bike into the passenger side of a police cruiser early Sunday morning as an officer was trying to get out of that side of the car.
The officer fired his service weapon, hitting Sterling, police said. Sterling was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
However, witnesses told police a different account of the crash.
Several witnesses said the collision was unavoidable and Sterling did not intentionally strike the cruiser. They also said the officer was not trying to get out of his car, but instead rolled his window down and shot Sterling from inside the car after the crash.
Police have acknowledged the officer who fired the fatal shot did not turn his body camera on until after he fired his weapon. He and the officer who was driving the cruiser have been place on administrative leave.
Thursday, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser announced a change to the city's body camera policy in response to the shooting.
"We have immediately implemented procedures to ensure that body worn cameras are being activated properly and as intended by the body worn camera protocol," Bowser said. "Dispatchers began reminding officers to turn on their body worn cameras when they are dispatched to calls for service."
The Metropolitan Police Department said the shooting is still under investigation.
"This is an investigation. You have to get all the evidence. You have to get all the witness testimony," said Interim Police Chief Peter Newsham. |
Fox News is exclusively reporting that Russia has demanded American warplanes exit Syrian airspace immediately, as Russia begins its bombing campaign on behalf of Bashar Assad.
The news came from a senior U.S. official, who said there was “nothing to indicate” the U.S. was complying with Russia’s demand.
Another defense official said, “We have had every indication in recent weeks that (the Russians) were going to do something given the build-up.” That’s an interesting claim, because just a few days ago, Secretary of State John Kerry was saying Russia’s long-term intentions were unclear, and he thought their buildup of air power in Syria was merely for “force protection.”
The inventory of aircraft and weapons Russia moved into Syria includes advanced air supremacy fighters and surface-to-air missiles, which would have no conceivable use against the Islamic State, al-Qaeda, or any other Syrian rebel group, as none of them have an air force. The planes were slipped into Syria using clever subterfuge designed to defeat satellite surveillance, which is something else no element of the Syrian rebellion has.
“The Russian demand also mirrors one made by Turkey this past July, when Ankara asked U.S. planes to fly only in airspace south of Mosul, Iraq. In that case, 24 Turkish jets bombed Kurdish positions, catching the U.S. off guard,” Fox News writes.
Also on Wednesday, the Russian parliament unanimously voted to give President Vladimir Putin war-fighting authority in Syria. Putin’s chief of staff, Sergey Ivanov, said only a “time-limited” air campaign is envisioned.
Russian bombs are already falling on Syria according to some sources, and the first targets reported include a rebel group vetted and supplied by the United States:
#PT “Tajamu Ala’azza” HQ (TOW vetted) targeted by the alleged Russian strike in Ltamenah https://t.co/RLQhdSIPaA. pic.twitter.com/gt0qvqoXJy — Green lemon (@green_lemonnn) September 30, 2015
Update, 10:30 AM EST: According to CNN, the Russians sent an official to the U.S. embassy in Baghdad to announce the Russian strikes, and “request” the removal of American planes from Syrian airspace, with only an hour or two of warning before the Russian strikes began.
The CNN report also notes that the Russians have given “no geographical information” about where they planned to strike. That’s a remarkable gesture of contempt, an incredibly reckless and dangerous approach, and possibly an indication that the Russians are planning to blow up some people they think the United States would have warned.
Update, 11:00 AM EST: Further testimony that Russia isn’t primarily interested in bombing ISIS positions, and has caused significant civilian casualties with its first wave of bombings: |
France-based satellite provider Eutelsat removed PKK-affiliated Med Nûçe TV from its list, after the channel ignored a series of warnings to stop broadcasting propaganda for a terrorist organization.
According to reports, the move followed efforts by the Turkish government to stop terrorist PKK's propaganda on TV channels.
In this regard, the government approached relevant European authorities to take action.
Med Nuçe broadcasts in Turkish and Kurdish and openly supports PKK terrorists.
Recently, Turkey's national satellite operator TurkSat has also removed nearly two dozen TV and radio stations from its lineup citing threats they pose to national security and their support for terrorist groups, said a source at the state-owned satellite operator.
Following the increasing terror attacks by the PKK, the Turkish government has intensified its counterterror operations.
The PKK is listed as a terrorist group also by the U.S. and the EU and resumed its 30-year armed campaign against the Turkish state in July 2015. Since then, PKK terrorist attacks have killed more than 600 security personnel and also claimed the lives of numerous civilians, including women and children, while more than 7,000 PKK terrorists have been killed in army operations.
Belgium is among several European Union countries where PKK supporters are active, acting as political activists. Several TV stations based in Belgium broadcast pro-PKK coverage. Belgian authorities occasionally conduct raids targeting the PKK, but many supporters of the terrorist group who claim persecution in Turkey find asylum in European countries. The PKK, exploiting several nongovernmental organization fronts, is also active in other countries including Germany, Austria, Denmark, France, the Netherlands, Sweden and Greece.
Belgian authorities have repeatedly rejected Turkey's demands to extradite members of terrorist organizations, including the PKK and the Revolutionary People's Liberation Party Front (DHKP-C). Zübeyir Aydar, a senior PKK figure also designated as an international drug trafficker by the United States, was arrested in Belgium six years ago but released three weeks later. Similarly, Fehriye Erdal, a DHKP-C member accused of murdering a prominent businessman in Turkey, was released by Belgium.
Belgium has come under fire from Turkish authorities before for their tolerance for allowing PKK demonstrations in the country such as setting up a tent in downtown Brussels with an exhibition of pro-PKK propaganda. In a rare sign of intolerance for the PKK, Brussels municipality has rejected allowing a PKK-linked group to stage an event in the city last month. |
They say silence is worth its weight in gold, or in this case, crude oil. Members of various social media networks are loudly criticizing Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton for her silence concerning the Dakota Access Pipeline, or Bakken Pipeline, as it’s also known.
Clinton’s former rival, Senator Bernie Sanders, has come out in strong opposition against the DAPL, calling it dangerous. Green Party candidate Dr. Jill Stein has joined the protesters in North Dakota, staying true to her activist roots.
null
So, where, everyone wants to know, is Hillary Clinton? Why has she remained silent in the face of one of the most contentious environmental protests in recent years?
Actress and Bernie Sanders supporter Susan Sarandon has been one of Clinton’s most vocal critics, and the DAPL situation is no different. On September 6, Sarandon tweeted a section from Clinton’s website where she claims that she will support Native Americans.
null
“And Hillary will continue to stand for Tribal sovereignty and in support of Tribal resources and sacred sites.”
Although some Clinton supporters have criticized Sarandon for questioning where their candidate’s loyalty lies, Sarandon has a point. No one but Clinton can say for sure why she has not come out in opposition to the DAPL, but one can deduce the reason for her silence by looking at her financials.
null
One of Clinton’s biggest contributors through SuperPACs is Goldman Sachs. Democracy Now has revealed that one of the DAPL’s major investors is — drumroll please — Goldman Sachs. During a show on September 6, Amy Goodman discussed this, and named several other DAPL investors.
“A new investigation has revealed more than two dozen major banks and financial institutions are helping finance the Dakota Access pipeline, the investigation published by the research outlet LittleSis. It details how Bank of America, HSBC, UBS, Goldman Sachs, Wells Fargo, JPMorgan Chase and other financial institutions have, combined, extended a $3.75 billion credit line to Energy Transfer Partners, the parent company of Dakota Access.”
This means that each of these banks wants a return on their investment, and they will not go quietly into the night. The DAPL construction began in May 2016, but once it hit North Dakota’s Standing Rock Sioux Tribal nation, the pipeline met with fierce resistance.
Hillary Clinton will not likely not oppose the DAPL, or will skirt the issue when confronted. Her running mate, Tim Kaine, has already done so, telling 350 Action that he needs “more information” before he can decide whether to side with indigenous leaders or with the DAPL.
null
Simon Moya-Smith, cultural editor of Indian Country Today and a member of the Oglala Lakota Nation, points out that the DAPL is a “clear violation of the Treaty of Fort Laramie,” which was signed in 1868 between the United States government and several Indian nations and tribes.
“That document guarantees land, sovereignty, and hunting rights, and promises that the territory will be closed to all whites.”
Moya-Smith has also questioned whether Clinton will oppose the DAPL and references her official stand on Native American issues where she promises to support indigenous peoples’ rights as sovereign.
It is unlikely that Clinton will voice opposition against the DAPL, and if she does, it will be weak. Lee Fang and Steve Horn pointed out her hypocrisy in May regarding major polluters China and India. In the report, they reference a Clinton ad promising to protect New Yorkers from hydraulic fracturing, also known as fracking, ignoring the fact that during her time as Secretary of State she was an avid proponent of fracking in other nations around the world, including Poland. While fracking is different than transporting crude oil, it illustrates a pattern of Clinton’s, in which she appears to favor the fossil fuel industry.
null
On September 6, the Wall Street Journal reported that Clinton had raised more money from people in the natural gas and oil industries than Donald Trump.
“Individuals who work for oil and natural-gas companies donated $149,000 to Mr. Trump’s GOP campaign through July 30 … compared with $525,000 to Mrs. Clinton.” “The industry’s executives and employees have also donated $470,000 to a fundraising account Mr. Trump established … compared with $650,000 to a similar account Mrs. Clinton set up with Democrats.”
Pipelines, whether they are underground or above ground, are notorious for their leaks. As the Inquisitr reported previously, between 1996 and 2015, nearly 12,000 pipeline incidents occurred with a total cost of nearly $6.9 billion. In 2015 alone, the United States experienced 708 pipeline incidents with 12 deaths, 49 injuries, and nearly $340 million in damages.
Energy Transfer Partners, the main builder of the DAPL, knows that such pipelines are not immune to leaks, yet the company’s website claims they are safer than train transport. While the number of spills is lower with pipelines, the damage wreaked by such disasters is much worse. To compound this, the DAPL is set to be buried a mere three feet underground, and its own website states that the pipeline will run only 60 inches below waterways, such as the Missouri River.
When an existing leg of the Keystone pipeline leaked earlier this year, then-candidate Senator Bernie Sanders was also critical of it. Another the Inquisitr report states that Sanders vowed to fight to protect the lands of Native Americans across the country, and while he is no longer running for president, his outspoken recriminations against the Keystone and DAPL have not gone unnoticed by supporters.
Now that social media mavens have called Clinton out for her silence regarding the fight against the DAPL, it will be interesting to see whether she takes a stand on this issue and what it will be.
[Photo by Andrew Harnik/AP Images] |
LONDON (Reuters) - The British entrepreneur who sold a football Web site at the age of 17 for $40 million (20 million pounds) has switched his attention to help launch a social networking site on Sunday designed to fight malaria.
A Border Security Force (BSF) soldier walks past a warning sign in the remote Maharanicherra area, about 198 km (123 miles) southeast of Agartala, capital of India's northeastern state of Tripura December 11, 2007. REUTERS/Jayanta Dey
Tom Hadfield set up Soccer.net in his bedroom before selling it to U.S. sports network ESPN, but now hopes the power of sites such as Facebook can curb a disease that kills an estimated one million people a year, many of them in Africa.
“I believe in the power of friends telling friends telling friends,” self-styled part-time student and full-time entrepreneur Hadfield told Reuters in an interview.
“Our dream is tens of thousands of people will use social networking tools to build a movement that eradicates malaria.”
Now 25 and a fourth-year political science student at Harvard university, Hadfield came up with the idea for www.MalariaEngage.org after a trip to Zambia last summer that gave him a close-up look at the mosquito-born disease.
“Travelling across Africa and seeing the devastation caused by malaria made me realise there was more to life than putting up soccer scores,” said Hadfield.
“Everyone I met at an aid project making mosquito nets in Zambia had either lost a child to malaria or knew someone who had.”
Hadfield then travelled to Dar es Salaam in Tanzania where he met researchers working on malaria treatments and discovered that their efforts were being held back by a lack of resources.
“It’s shocking that thousands of people are dying every day from a preventable disease,” said Hadfield, who was honoured as Global Leader of Tomorrow by the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, in 2001.
“When I came back from Africa last summer, a lot of people asked me what they can do to help.”
The site encourages people to donate $10 or more to help support seven different research projects in Tanzania, such as developing plants like lemongrass to repel mosquitoes. But Hadfield sees MalariaEngage.org as more than a fundraising tool.
“MalariaEngage.org increases the return on investment of donors by connecting them directly with researchers working on malaria prevention treatment,” said Hadfield.
“It’s about more than about giving money — it’s about creating connections. By encouraging individual participation and involvement, we will create international communities of common interest. This is the essence of social networking.”
The seven projects were recommended by Tanzania’s National Institute for Medical Research and once those have been funded, MalariaEngage.org will look to support new schemes across developing countries.
Due to marry in November, Hadfield co-founded the site with health professors Peter A. Singer and Abdallah S. Daar at Canada’s McLaughlin-Rotman Centre for Global Health at University Health Network as well as the University of Toronto.
“We feel young African scientists have very good ideas that end up in the dustbin,” said Singer. “This is about helping committed young researchers with good ideas to help themselves create a better future.” |
Why the Financial System Should Be Based on Bitcoin
Reggie Middleton explains it's not just digital money
To make outsized returns or avoid some nasty losses in investing, you have to go against the grain.
There are few people who live that principle more than Reggie Middleton, the CEO of fintech company Veritaseum.
On his independent research website BoomBustBlog, he called the demise of Bear Stearns, Lehman Brothers, and Blackberry maker Research in Motion, the subprime market, and a correction in Apple. Now Reggie is betting on bitcoin to become the infrastructure of our future financial system.
In this exclusive interview with Epoch Times, Mr. Middleton spoke about how bitcoin is more than digital money, and how he wants to revolutionize the way we trade stocks with Veritaseum.
Epoch Times: Bitcoin is a different market, independent from central banks. You have been active in the space for some time, can you explain to our readers what the digital currency is all about?
Reggie Middleton: Bitcoin is a protocol-based consensus network. Think of it as a large canvas that you can paint upon. The most famous protocol-based network that I think most are familiar with is the internet protocol (IP). The protocol is just an instruction set of how to do things. The bitcoin protocol is similar to the internet protocol in that you can go to a lot of interesting platforms and add applications on top of it.
With the internet protocol, you have basic things such as email, the file transfer protocol (FTP), or more advanced things such as the worldwide web and then applications on top of that: Facebook, YouTube, Google Voice, the list goes on.
On top of the bitcoin protocol, analogous to email, the most basic service would be bitcoin’s digital currency, which is an application on top of the protocol. It is a P2P currency that has its own transportation rails that is censor-proof and doesn’t require third parties at all to make free transactions.
Epoch Times: What is your company all about?
Mr. Middleton: Veritaseum uses a bitcoin protocol to allow any two or more parties to transact directly with each other, peer to peer. The application allows you to buy and sell the value of any of 45,000 financial instruments with ticker symbols. Stocks, commodities, bonds, fixed income, indices, currencies…
You trade this value through a digital swap, peer to peer without using a bank or a broker or exchange, and in doing it, you’re guaranteed to get paid the value of the contract because it’s counterparty [and so] risk-free. Both parties put the value up on the Blockchain, which is the consensus database that ensures everybody can see all transactions, and everybody gets paid.
This value is transferred up front and there’s no way not to get paid in this scenario, because if your counterparty goes down, there is still value in the transaction. The transaction is called a smart contract, basically the same as a legal or social contract, but executed in computer code.
Economic Rent
Epoch Times: How do you avoid third-party fees?
Mr. Middleton: The elimination of third parties is interesting because you don’t need an exchange or a bank or a broker to trade the value of financial instruments.
In a peer-to-peer capital market, which is what Veritaseum is attempting to create, you have the elimination of all friction or all entities who do not add value to any transaction.
Charging money without adding value is called economic rent. Think of a land owner where there’s a movie theater, and then there’s a 10-foot strip of land in front of the movie theater just enough where people can’t jump over it.
And he charges actual rent or tax to go through that 10-foot strip of land to get into a movie theater. Then there’s a fire in the movie theater, and everybody rushes through one exit, and this landlord now charges everybody to get out the exit, and if you don’t have the money or you can’t pay enough, you burn. He is extracting rents or value from a transaction, but they are not adding any economic value.
What Veritaseum is doing, is allowing those who are stuck in the fire to build their bridge over that 10-foot piece of land and go directly to the other side. So now economic rent seekers no longer have power in a transaction because they no longer have proprietary access to bridges for transactions.
Individuals can now make their own transactions, and when there is a rent seeker in any way, they could build a bridge over it.
So, banking, brokering, financing deals, lending, etc. could be done peer-to-peer. The old-school rent seekers, banks, brokers, exchanges, insurers, etc. should be out of business unless they up their game significantly and bring in additional value.
You have a win-win situation. You get rid of an additional expense which goes into the pockets of the end-users. We have new business models, a greater world tomorrow, all thanks to Veritaseum.
It’s the Banks’ Problem
Epoch Times: Where is the price of Bitcoin headed?
Mr. Middleton: I get asked that a lot. To be honest, I have no idea, but if we break this down to a binary option whether it’s buy and sell, I think it will go up. The Bitcoin Blockchain is the most proven. It has grown $9 billion to $10 billion dollars worth of market value since 2009. It hasn’t been hacked as of yet, not once.
Epoch Times: It’s the bitcoin exchanges, the private companies that get hacked, like BitFinex recently, but not Bitcoin itself.
Mr. Middleton: Right, the exchanges have been hacked, it’s the same as saying Citibank being robbed is negative for the U.S. dollar.
Epoch Times: Back in the 19th century, when you had your gold stored at a bank in Texas and half of it was stolen, that’s not the gold’s fault.
Mr. Middleton: Right. Because the value of gold is still the same. The guy who got robbed might be out of a couple of dollars, but gold is
gold. Also interesting: There is no developed nation that doesn’t use digital currencies. A quick example is how much money you have in your pocket.
Epoch Times: Maybe $50.
Mr. Middleton: I doubt $50 is the sum of all your assets and net worth, which means the vast majority of the money you have is somewhere else in digital form. Actual tangible and non-digital money is usually less than 1 percent of what every user has.
It’s on private banks’ balance sheets. And the private bank balance sheet, to put in digital asset words, is a non-consensus database, basically an old-school analog Blockchain. The bank itself is a centralized digital wallet, and that’s exactly what it is. It’s the same as bitcoin regarding concept; it’s just the other side of the equation. Bitcoin is a wide-area network, consensus algorithm.
Epoch Times: Decentralized.
Mr. Middleton: Banks are a localized area network centralized, they have server-based networks, but still hold the digital assets. So Bitcoin has never been hacked. Banks get hacked regularly. There’s a report that J.P. Morgan gets 100,000 hack attempts daily.
And who knows how many are successful because J.P. Morgan doesn’t report that. But if you are a bank robber, like Willie Horton, and you had one entity that had a trillion dollars in assets and then you had another entity with 10 billion. But the second entity is spread around 400 million nodes, so you could go on trying 400 million passwords or you just hit the one big honeypot.
Everybody’s always going to go to the bank. That makes the bitcoin archetype just significantly safer. Like Willie Horton said when he’s asked why he robbed banks, the answer was, “Because that’s where the money is.” |
You read the tweet wrong. It sounds like it works exactly as it works on Xbox 360 today (and maybe PS3, not sure, didn't buy Digital Games on PSN)
Let's say Person X and Person Y buy 2 Playstation 4s, okay? Now, Person X and Person Y want to buy Pokerman, but they want only buy one copy, but play it together at once, so they can have a Poker battle.
Person X buys Pokerman on his Playstation 4 (Playstation X). Pokerman is now licensed to Person X's account AND console. ANYONE can play Pokerman on Person X's Playstation 4. So now, Person Y can play Pokerman without paying, no restrictions, as long as he plays on X's console.
This is what they do, and what YOSP tweeted.
Person Y plays Pokerman on X's Console, no problems!
Now, Person X plays Pokerman on Y's Console. Y's console doesn't have the license to play Pokerman, but X. X can play Pokerman on any console, so X just downloads and plays Pokerman through Y's console.
So, exactly how it works now on the Xbox 360. This isn't an account being signed twice with no problems. It makes more sense if you read the full Twitter conversation. |
Get the biggest Sport stories by email Subscribe Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Could not subscribe, try again later Invalid Email
RUSSELL KNOX is eyeing a place on the European Tour as he hunts down a dream debut at The Ryder Cup.
The 30-year-old wrote his name into the history books by becoming the first Scot to win a World Golf Championships event.
Knox’s four-under par final round took him two clear of USA star Kevin Kistner, with English pair Danny Willett and Ross Fisher tied for third a further stroke behind.
The Inverness star was only seventh reserve for the HSBC Champions in Shanghai, but belied his status going into the tournament to storm to victory.
Victory propelled Knox to third in the US PGA FedEx Cup standings and caught the eye of European Ryder Cup captain Darren Clarke.
Knox is not a member of the European Tour and so would be ineligible for next year’s showdown against the United States at Hazeltine next year unless he joins.
However, the Tartan hero has indicated it is very much in his thoughts as he looked at the prospect of wearing European blue and representing his continent.
(Image: SNS)
Knox said: “Obviously, it’s going to be a goal of mine to make the European Ryder Cup team.
“But I have no idea where I stand or what I need to do to make the team. But I look forward to finding out and giving it a run.”
Knox said he was “speechless” after the triumph, which came on the American-based player’s first trip to Asia following his appearance in the PGA Tour’s CIMB Classic in Malaysia last week, where he tied for 21st place.
He added: “Winning any professional tournament is a massive accomplishment.
“You’re never quite sure if you’re ever going to, because there’s so many incredible players.
“To come and be on top this week is a dream come true and I still can’t quite believe I’m here.
“As a kid I don’t know if I ever would have guessed I would have been on the PGA Tour winning a huge tournament like this.
“I’m speechless. This is going to take a long time to sink in.”
Ten years ago, Knox moved from the Highlands to college at Jacksonville University, Florida, to pursue his golfing dreams.
He paid an emotional tribute to his coach and mentor there Mike Flemming, who died two years ago.
Knox said: “I thought about him throughout the day to be honest.
“I thought about him on the 18th when I had to tap in to win, and my eyes started tearing up. I probably will now.
“I owe him everything. He was my coach for eight years, and he passed away a couple years ago.
“He’s been my inspiration and he taught me everything I know. It finally paid off.”
With superstars such as Jordan Spieth and Dustin Johnson breathing down his neck Sunday at Sheshan International Golf Club, Knox remained remarkably composed to card six birdies and just two bogeys en route to the $1.4 million winner’s cheque, the biggest pay day of his career by some distance.
Knox said: “I was quite calm, actually, way more than normal to be honest.
“But at the same time, it was the most nerve-racking thing I’ve ever done.
“There’s just so many unbelievable players on tours all around the world and to win at this stage is a dream come true. I still can’t quite believe it.
“Deep down in my bones I felt I was capable of winning. I thought it was going to be maybe another year. But I’m glad it happened now.
“Winning any level is the hardest thing you can do, and especially because I’ve never won a big one like this. It was tough but I just kept holing putts, and golf is so much easier when that happens.”
Willett, meanwhile, piled the pressure on Rory McIlroy in The Race to Dubai with his stunning final round of 62.
The Englishman now moves onto next week’s BMW Masters with just a 74,214 point deficit to make up on McIlroy, who birdied his last hole to finish in a share of 11th place.
Willett said: “This could be a very big result for me.
“With Rory not playing next week, I could gain a few more points on him and give us a nice buzz going into the final week into Dubai.”
(Image: SNS Group)
McIlroy is relishing the prospect of fighting for the crown and added: “Danny’s got a great chance to do something next week.
“He’s obviously playing very well, so he has a great chance to creep up on me or even overtake me.
“But I still rate my chances. Dubai is a bit of a second home for me, plus I’m going for the double after winning there earlier in the season.
“I’m looking forward to it. I always enjoy it there, and I’ve obviously done well there before.
“So I just need to go there and try and get the win, and hopefully that will be enough.” |
Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus on Monday took a shot at Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham ClintonSanders: 'I fully expect' fair treatment by DNC in 2020 after 'not quite even handed' 2016 primary Sanders: 'Damn right' I'll make the large corporations pay 'fair share of taxes' Former Sanders campaign spokesman: Clinton staff are 'biggest a--holes in American politics' MORE's tax plan, asking her accountant if she is putting "her money where her mouth is" and paying additional taxes.
“As Hillary and Bill Clinton William (Bill) Jefferson ClintonInviting Kim Jong Un to Washington Howard Schultz must run as a Democrat for chance in 2020 Trump says he never told McCabe his wife was 'a loser' MORE’s financial and estate planner, as well as their personal accountant, I am writing to you on this annual tax day to inquire as to whether Hillary Clinton has chosen to put her money where her mouth is and pay the additional taxes she is hypocritically proposing that other Americans of similar income pay, but not said she is willing to voluntarily pay herself,” he wrote in a letter to Rorrie Gregorio, national partner-in-charge at the Family Office Group.
ADVERTISEMENT
“As a part of Mrs. Clinton’s tax policy proposals, she has called for an unprecedented new tax on Americans who earn more than $5 million annually,” he added. "This 4-percent ‘surcharge’ would effectively create an entirely new tax bracket for people at the top 0.01 percent, such as herself.
“With the Clintons’ tremendous income, I am calling upon them to fully embrace her new tax by applying the ‘surcharge’ to her family’s previous income since 2001 when her family income has been in excess of $10 million on average annually.”
Priebus also calculated how much money Clinton would owe in back taxes under her own proposal.
“As a member of the top .01 percent of American income-earners and a proponent of higher taxes, Clinton should practice what she preaches by sending the U.S. Treasury the over $4.6 million she would have owed under her new tax,” he said.
“In addition, it is imperative that the Clintons continue to lead moving forward, and pay this 4-percent ‘surcharge’ tax on their 2015 federal income tax filings and each year moving forward,” Priebus added.
“The American people are tired of the Clintons playing by their own set of rules. I urge Hillary Clinton to put aside her family’s tax hypocrisy, put her money where her mouth is and pay the IRS the costs of her own tax hiking agenda." |
EPISODE DESCRIPTION
This week, I got an amazing set of electro with the new hit from Afrojack & R3hab, a new remix of Dada Life's "Fight Club is Closed," and my new bootleg of Lady Gaga's "Judas."
Also, we have a new contest running for free 3-day pass to EDC Las Vegas, just go to http://www.facebook.com/cataluxx, "Like" the page, and then write "I want to go to EDC Las Vegas with CATALUXX" on the wall. For more information and rules and conditions, head over to the following link:
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=130366437039601
Tracklist:
Lady Gaga - Judas (CATALUXX Drum Roll Bootleg) [R3hab, John Dahlback, and Chris Lake Remixes]
Chuckie & Gregori Klosman - Low Mutfakta Battery (Jason Alamo Bootleg)
Wippenberg - U R
Laidback Luke & Steve Aoki - Turbulance (Feat. Lil Jon) (Sidney Samson Remix)
Jono Fernandez - Hear Me (Feat. Katrina Noorbergen) (John Dahlback Remix)
Afrojack & R3hab - Aces High (Prutataaa) (Original Mix)
Nari & Milani and Christian Marchi - Take Me to the Stars (Feat. Shena) (Nari & Milani Mix)
Chis Lake & Nelski - Colours (Original Mix)
Bassjackers - Mush Mush (Original Mix)
Billy the Klit & Dani L. Mebius - Kniftig (Original Mix)
Dada Life - Fight Club is Closed (It's Time for Rock'n'Roll) (R3hab & Ferruccio Salvo Remix)
The Immigrant - Summer of Love (She Said) (Tommy Trash Remix) |
I am not very proud of the time I ate a lot of mushrooms. Loneliness and boredom are terrible reasons to consume an eighth of psychedelic foodstuffs, but one lives and learns. I was about a half hour into my “trip” before reality melted into a nauseous hodgepodge of panic and elation. Thoughts became rapid and cyclical, like a single pair of hot underwear in a dryer. One such thought insisted I should go to Blockbuster and rent a videogame about 50 Cent (I think I had just seen a commercial on TV or something). I found myself walking at a thrilled pace to the local video store wearing sky blue swim trunks, my dead grandpa’s corduroy blazer, and a t-shirt which featured both a happy cat, and a frazzled cat at different points in the work week demonstrating coffee’s wacky role in 9 to 5 employment. I was totally on drugs. With pupils eclipsed into black pennies, my shroom-thusiasm swiftly morphed into extreme depression over the uninspired gameplay of 50 Cent: Bulletproof (something like NFL Blitz meets GTA). I panicked at the thought of returning the game sans explanation (was that allowed?). Ever the idea man, I scratched up the disc with a steak knife, and returned to the store claiming that the game wasn’t working. “I don’t know, it’s not playing, and stuff,” I mumbled, eyes reeling. “Really?” the butch female manager prodded, “because you’re the first person to ever check this game out, and if you ruined this game you’ll have to replace it.” I can’t remember how this situation resolved itself, but I know I never paid for the game. I also never go to Blockbuster anymore, so who knows.
Safely home again, I stared down at my feet and felt excellent about my shoe presence (apparently Reeboks can have auras). Then I took the logical next step, and gazed at a light on my smoke detector for a half hour before getting ass naked and taking a bath. I watched my legs grow like accelerated tree trunks and observed the faucet head floating around listlessly on the tile wall. Then it was out of the tub and onto Google images, looking at pictures of forests. Drawn to a dark area of a green setting, I grew bitter at a perceived invisible wizard who had cast a spell on me and was responsible for my altered state. I had forgotten all about the mushrooms, and reluctantly acknowledged the wizard’s powers, vowing to meet him again when I was more prepared. I also erratically scribbled “Fuck You Wizard!” on a notebook page and held it up to my monitor. He was too cowardly to show himself so I put some clothes on and remembered a Mr. Show sketch where a character having a freak out eats orange slices. I left my apartment for Ralph’s, passing picnicking Hispanics with droopy, textured faces, like characters from The Labyrinth. My heart felt like a hummingbird made of sadness that itself was hopped up on cocaine made of fear. I also found the geometry of plant life profound. Thankfully coming down, I forgot about the orange altogether and instead discovered Sour Patch Connectors, which have since become my favorite candy. In conclusion, do a lot of drugs...and eat candy! |
The Federal Trade Commission cannot prevent AT&T from throttling unlimited data customers because of AT&T’s status as a common carrier, the company claimed in a motion to dismiss an FTC lawsuit this week.
Mobile voice is a common carrier service—similar to the utility status of the traditional wireline telephone network—placing it under the Federal Communications Commission’s jurisdiction. The FTC’s October 2014 lawsuit against AT&T applied to mobile broadband, which is not a common carrier service. However, AT&T claims that mobile voice’s common carrier status prevents the FTC from taking action against the cellular data portion of its business.
AT&T pointed to a provision in Section 5 of the FTC Act which exempts common carriers from the commission’s jurisdiction.
“AT&T plainly qualifies as a ‘common carrier’ for purposes of Section 5 because it provides mobile voice services subject to common-carrier regulation under Title II of the Communications Act,” AT&T wrote. “The fact that AT&T’s mobile data services are not regulated as common-carrier services under the Communications Act is irrelevant. The text, structure, history, and purpose of Section 5 leave no doubt that its common-carrier exemption turns on an entity’s ‘status as a common carrier subject to [an Act to regulate commerce],’ not its ‘activities subject to regulation under that Act.’”
"The FTC cannot rewrite the statute to expand its own jurisdiction," AT&T also wrote.
Despite this argument, in October AT&T settled a lawsuit filed against it by the FTC over alleged bill cramming, agreeing to pay $105 million to refund customers billed for unauthorized premium text message services. We’ve asked AT&T why it accepted the FTC’s jurisdiction in the text messaging case but not the data one, and the company said it would provide a response today. (The FCC was also involved in that case and invoked its authority over common carriers despite never classifying text messaging as a common carrier service—AT&T did not object to that, either, TechDirt wrote at the time.)
UPDATE: AT&T did not directly answer our question but pointed to a statement the company made on the day of its cramming settlement, which said, "We reached a settlement today to resolve claims that some of our wireless customers were billed for charges they did not authorize. Although these charges were made by other companies, we take seriously claims that charges on our customers’ bills were not accurate. This settlement gives our customers who believe they were wrongfully billed for PSMS [premium short messaging service] services the ability to get a refund."
AT&T's filing in the unlimited data case this week pointed to previous statements by FTC commissioners on the commission's jurisdiction over the non-common carrier portions of a common carrier's business:
In 2002, an FTC commissioner stated that the Section 5 exemption hinders its ability to regulate “business activities of telecommunications firms [that] have now expanded far beyond common carriage,” such as “Internet services,” and urged Congress to repeal the exemption so the agency would not be “forced to” “litigat[e] this issue” in court. In 2003, the FTC informed a House subcommittee that the exemption “hamper[s] the FTC’s oversight of the non-common-carrier activities” of common carriers. And in November 2011, FTC Commissioner J. Thomas Rosch acknowledged the strong arguments that “constrain[]” the agency’s jurisdiction over mobile data. The FCC’s decision not to classify data services as common carriage, Commissioner Rosch explained, “does not necessarily mean that the service is therefore subject to regulation by... the FTC.” “[W]e get our jurisdiction directly from Congress . . . not from another agency.”
As for the data throttling suit, the FTC complained about AT&T’s practice of slowing the data speeds of unlimited customers after they use a certain amount of data each month. AT&T is still throttling unlimited data users with LTE devices after they exceed 5GB each month. These customers see their speeds dramatically reduced even when AT&T’s network is not congested. Later this year, AT&T claims it will stop throttling these customers except in cases when cell towers are congested. AT&T already applies this less strict policy to non-LTE devices.
AT&T awaits FCC rulings over throttling and common carrier status
Even if the FTC data throttling suit is thrown out, AT&T could face punishment from the FCC.
“The FCC’s Enforcement Bureau is now actively considering whether to issue a Notice of Apparent Liability against AT&T alleging that AT&T’s public disclosures of its MBR [maximum bit rate] program failed to satisfy the FCC’s transparency rule and proposing statutory forfeitures,” AT&T wrote in its motion to dismiss. “The FTC seeks to litigate the very same issues in an inappropriate parallel proceeding.” Although mobile data is not a common carrier service, it does face some regulations under Title III of the Communications Act and Section 706 of the Telecommunications Act, AT&T wrote.
We asked the FTC for a response to AT&T’s claim. A spokesperson answered, "we can't comment since the case is in active litigation." The FTC has not yet filed a formal response in the court proceeding.
AT&T could end up winning its argument, but not in a manner the company would like. As reported yesterday, FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler signaled that he will propose reclassifying Internet service providers as common carriers in order to enforce net neutrality rules. That status could be applied both to fixed and mobile broadband. AT&T and other large ISPs have urged the FCC not to do this.
FTC Chairwoman Edith Ramirez acknowledged in an interview with Ars that such a move would reduce the FTC’s jurisdiction over Internet providers, but she did not argue against the potential reclassification. "The FCC is of course looking at the issue of net neutrality,” Ramirez said. “I also believe that there needs to be an open Internet, that the Internet needs to be an open platform. How one goes about achieving that is obviously something that we’re going to see and that the FCC is considering with a whole host of very complicated legal, technical, and economic questions attached to that issue. So I’m looking forward to see how the FCC ends up handling it, and I know that we’re supposed to be hearing some news, some proposed rules fairly soon." |
The National Bank of Ukraine has issued a warning to the country’s regional banks, global financial institutions and its executives regarding the financial risks involved in the use of digital currencies like bitcoin.
The announcement of the Ukraine National Bank follows the organization’s investigation of the development and the use of emerging financial and payment systems. As a joint initiative, Central Banks of the EU countries and the National Bank of Ukraine warned all banks, payment organizations and executives to fully understand the necessary risks and potential damage when using digital currencies.
The National Bank is especially worried about the purely decentralized nature of bitcoin and that the users have to be liable for the risks and losses associated with the use of bitcoin in transacting payments and assets on the blockchain network.
Citizens and residents of Ukraine were advised to use regulated bitcoin exchanges and wallet service platforms for “customer protection” and “consumer rights.”
However, Kuna Bitcoin Agency of Ukraine told Cointelegraph that the National Bank issued a warning to the country’s banks due to “consistent requests” from the banking community.
“We have discussed this with the National Bank a lot. As clearly stated in the article the reason for publication was because of consistent requests from the banking community. There are no clear rules of the game when it comes to bitcoin and bank,” explained an agency spokesman.
“It's a problem not only of Ukraine but the world in general. Bitcoin companies know how difficult it is to open a bank account in Europe or USA. This is exactly what NBU has stated.”
He continued:
“But there is a positive note. We are working hard to be pioneers in this field. The bitcoin revolution will happen not in the USA or Europe, where you have decent banking and free flow of capital. It will happen in the countries like Ukraine. We have no other choice, it's a matter of our survival. And surprisingly to us our best ally is NBU.”
Covert Investigations on Bitcoin Transactions
In March 2015, the Ukrainian authorities launched covert operations to investigate if bitcoin is used to fund “separatist campaigns.” Over the past few months, bitcoin has been subject to multiple investigations and operations on the part of the Ukrainian authorities, which has led to the closure of local bitcoin startups and exchanges.
“Another aspect of the joint work of the SBU and the ministry of Internal Affairs is to block accounts, cards, and a new variety of payment instruments, like Bitcoin and so on, commonly used as a financing method by the separatists,” announced Valentyn Nalyvaychenko, Chairman of the Security Service of Ukraine.
Ukraine National Bank Participates in Bitcoin Conference Kiev
Disregarding the indecisiveness of both the Ukrainian authorities and the Central Bank, on September 24, Director of the Payment Systems Department Nataliia Lapko and Director of the Retail Payments Department Serhii Shatskyi spoke at the second International exhibition and conference Bitcoin Conference Kiev on behalf of the Ukraine National Bank.
“The National Bank of Ukraine keeps a close eye on the launch of innovative products in the payments market and policies pursued by the central banks and public institutions of other countries to adopt the rules and regulations governing the use of cryptocurrencies in the European and global context,” said Lapko.
Despite the National Bank’s skepticism towards bitcoin, the organization is interested in its underlying technology, the blockchain. Shatskyi of the National Bank stated that cryptocurrency represents the best chance of turning the idea of a cashless economy into reality in Ukraine.
“Today, we have heard a lot of interesting information about the Bitcoin operation, and the advantages of using cryptocurrencies. The regulator welcomes all the initiatives that contribute to the development of cashless payments in Ukraine and is open for discussions of all new developments in this area,” Shatskyi added. |
Considering the popularity of IPAs, it’s a bit surprising the style’s just now getting its own glassware. Kölsches have narrow stanges, hefeweizens have curvaceous weizen glasses and pilsners have those “v”-shaped pilsner glasses, but the IPA has always been lumped into catch-all shaker pint glass territory with a ton of other beer styles. Nonic, if you drink on the other side of the pond. That might be about to change.
On top of their new collaboration IPA Rhizing Bines, Dogfish Head and Sierra Nevada (along with glassware company Spiegelau) have designed a new glass that’s customized to elevate your IPA drinking experience. That’s it above. It looks kind of weird. But, its weirdness comes with purpose. Let’s take a closer look.
First, let’s start with the top half—the most normal-looking part of the glass. Its mouth is wide (to better stick the nose into) the glass is thin and rounded (to better maintain temperature) and the vessel’s bow shape allows the hop scents to billow out of the glass. The bottom half of the glass looks like it was created with grip in mind, but according to the brewery, the “wave-like” design helps aerate the beer as you’re pouring and sipping. Couple that with the top half and you’re in for an intense aromatic experience.
I’m kind of hoping this new glassware catches on. Non-beer-drinking spouses across the country, though, are a bit dubious about the prospect of yet another beer glass in the house. |
ROME — The Italian Navy has released fresh details about its seven new, multifunctional ships as it seeks to wrap up a system design review (SDR) of the innovative vessels by the end of June.
As planners mull the use of a Google Glass-type kit for navigators on the bridge, they have also opted for a so-called wave piercing bow, which is expected to add almost a knot in speed.
With industry contracts signed last year thanks to a €5.4 billion (US $6.1 billion) funding package, the Navy now hopes it is on course to have its seven, 4,500-ton, 133-meter-long vessels delivered between 2021 and 2026.
Conceived with a hefty input from the Navy's own design office, the vessels will be given dual role capabilities to help assist in civilian disaster operations or the interception of migrants in the Mediterranean, as well as fight wars.
The SDR is set to be completed by the end of this month — with some fine tuning on genset options to be made — and a critical design review is planned for February, an Italian defense source said.
Before then, steel cutting on the first ship by state-controlled shipbuilding yard Fincantieri is expected in the autumn.
In the meantime, the Navy teamed with Italian defense magazine Rivista Italiana Difesa this month to produce a special issue unveiling details of the design of the ships, which are known by their Italian acronym PPA, starting with an unusual looking sharp protrusion out from the bow near the water level.
× Fear of missing out? Fear no longer. Be the first to hear about breaking news, as it happens. You'll get alerts delivered directly to your inbox each time something noteworthy happens in the Military community. Thanks for signing up. By giving us your email, you are opting in to our Newsletter: Sign up for our Early Bird Brief
"This simply extends the length of the vessel at the waterline, improving wave resistance without increasing the dimensions of the ship," the source said. "We think this technique is a first for a naval ship."
The source also said the system should add almost a knot to speeds.
The technique was developed by Fincantieri and first used on a Swedish ferry the firm built, according to Rivista Italiana Difesa.
Fincantieri will build two PPA vessels in "Light" configuration, three in "Light Plus" configuration and two in "Full" configuration, with prices including ten years of logistic support ranging from about €430 million for the Light versions to €530 million for the Full versions.
All vessels will feature Leonardo-Finmeccanica's 127mm and 76mm naval guns as well as 25mm and 12.7mm guns. To house the rear-facing 76mm guns on top of a hangar, the Italian group has developed a lighter version of its standard model, known as the Sovraponte.
The Light Plus and Full versions will offer Aster 15 and 30 missiles.
The Light vessels will offer an X-band AESA radar, which uses four flat panels, giving a 360-degree view housed above the bridge. The Light Plus vessels will use a C-band radar, while the Full version will offer both C- and X-band radars, requiring eight panels to produce a single integrated radar image.
Much has been made of the unusual bridge on the PPA vessels, which was designed with help from naval aviators to resemble an aircraft's cockpit. On the PPA bridge, two navigators will sit in a protruding section resembling a cockpit, doing the work that eight navigators do on Italy's FREMM frigates, the source said.
Studies are underway to replicate the heads-up display of an aircraft in which data can be projected onto the windows of the bridge for the two navigators, indicating for example the depth of the water they can see through the windows.
The Light vessels, artists impression shown, will offer an X-band AESA radar, which uses four flat panels, giving a 360-degree view housed above the bridge.
Photo Credit: Ufficio Stampa - Marina Militare
Another plan is to develop Google Glass-type glasses linked to external cameras, which would allow navigators to have a 360-degree view of the outside of the ship.
"This type of study will likely continue beyond the critical design review next year," the source said.
Much of the lobbying to secure the funding for the PPA vessels was undertaken by Navy Adm. Giuseppe De Giorgi, earning him kudos in the Navy but also attention from the media when he was placed under investigation earlier this year for corruption.
Magistrates suspected he had deliberately handed a contract to an entrepreneur who is the partner of the head of Italy's industry ministry, who authorized the €5.4 billion in funds.
As news of the investigation broke, an anonymous dossier was sent to prosecutors accusing the admiral of spending funds on excessive entertaining.
De Gregori denied he had been seeking to win favors at the ministry and gave a blistering speech on June 22 in which he blasted his critics at a ceremony where he handed over control of the Navy to the service's new chief, Vice Adm. Walter Girardelli. |
Draves was born in 1924 in San Francisco’s South of Market area, still a key landing area for Filipino immigrants in the Bay Area. In 2006, on the site where she attended elementary school, the city named a park in her honor.
Draves died in 2010 at the age of 85.
On October 10, the city will place a plaque at the park that bears her name in honor of her Olympic triumphs.
Draves did not begin diving until high school at age 16. She initially sought training at San Francisco's Fairmont Hotel Swimming and Diving Club, but was rejected because of her Filipino name, according to the New York Times.
She was able to compete after she changed her last name to her mother’s maiden name, Taylor. |
Should the Oklahoma City Thunder decide to move on from head coach Scott Brooks, whose partnership with the team is currently being “evaluated” by executives, Florida Gators head coach Billy Donovan “could emerge as a serious candidate” to be his replacement, according to Yahoo! Sports NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski.
Brooks has gone 545-338 in seven years with the organization, finishing first in the Northwest Division in four straight seasons and making the playoffs in five consecutive campaigns. But Oklahoma City has yet to win an NBA title under Brooks and the team is facing some tough decisions in 2015-16 with injured superstar Kevin Durant’s health and contract situation both major concerns for the franchise.
Brooks, who is beloved by Durant, many of the Thunder players and a number of executives within the organization, is guaranteed through 2015-16 with a team option for 2016-17, but Oklahoma City may choose to go in a different “organizational direction” ahead of a season of change for the franchise, reports Wojnarowski.
With “several league sources close to Brooks [having] doubts about his job security,” Wojnarowski further reports that Donovan “could emerge as a serious candidate” for the job due to his “longstanding friendship” with general manager Sam Presti.
It has long been known that the Thunder job is one of a handful of especially interesting NBA opportunities for Donovan, who would only leave the Gators – and a close friend and trusted partner in athletic director Jeremy Foley – for a position where he felt an equal level of trust with management.
Donovan is not as close with Presti as he is with Foley, certainly, but a relationship has been forged, and it has long led to rumors about Donovan being interested in Oklahoma City should the organization move on from Brooks.
The Thunder have already hired two former Gators staffers and have long shown their respect for Donovan and his coaching methods.
This report also comes less than 24 hours after Florida signed the final two players in its 2015 recruiting class to National Letters of Intent and less than 72 hours after the Gators announced the return of assistant coach Anthony Grant. |
a minimum of 40-60 girls were dress coded at my school this morning, but not even ONE male was. a percentage of those girls weren’t able to have a change of clothes delivered to them by a parent and were forced to miss a number of final exams. no one at our school has ever been particularly fond of the dress code, however this is taking it too far. if you’ve successfully fought/know someone who successfully fought against dress code please help us by informing us on how to go about ridding our school of this sexist code. honestly, calling a student a skank???? NOT OKAY. we live in Southern California, and right now our weather averages about 100°F (roughly 38°C) and girls are expected to wear long pants. girls were FORCED to miss FINAL EXAMS just because what they were wearing was deemed “distracting”. a large portion of these girls proved they were not breaking dress code (no shorter than four inches above the knee) by measuring with a ruler, but were not released. please help spread this and let us know if there’s any way to fight this without causing us more trouble! |
For as long as humans have lived on Earth, the moon has been our nearest celestial companion, and a rich natural canvas for the human imagination. When the Earth passes between the moon and the sun early on April 15, resulting in a total lunar eclipse, darkness will cover the craters and mountains in which humans, for millennia, have spotted faces and figures.
In Western cultures, perhaps the most familiar vision is "the man in the moon." In East Asian cultures, moon-gazers might point to a rabbit; in India, a pair of hands. From ancient times to the modern era, from different spots on the globe, a tree, a woman, and a toad have all been found hiding in the moon's shining face.
View Images PHOTOS: PAULO CASQUINHA (NORTHERN HEMISPHERE); JOHN SANFORD, SCIENCE SOURCE/PHOTO RESEARCHERS, INC. ART: HANNAH TAK, NG STAFF
"When you first look at the moon, you pretty much see light areas and dark areas, and some are more gray than others," said planetary geologist Cassandra Runyon of the College of Charleston, in South Carolina. "The lighter areas are the mountains, often referred to as the highlands. The dark areas are volcanic—the mare, which is Latin for 'seas.'"
In the contours and colors of the lunar surface, people can find meaningful figures for the same reason that we "see" the face of Elvis in a potato chip or Jesus in a grilled cheese sandwich. It's just the way our brains work.
"The brain is really a predictive organ," said Nouchine Hadjikhani, a neuroscientist at Harvard University. "We try to find sense in the noise all the time, and we fill things with information."
The phenomenon of seeing faces where there are none is a form of information-filling called pareidolia. It's something all humans do.
Looking for Meaning
Joel Voss, a cognitive neuroscientist at Northwestern University, Chicago, is studying how our brains help us ascribe meaning to otherwise random assortments of shapes and lines. In studies, he has presented research participants with computer-generated squiggly lines—meaningless shapes derived from triangles or circles—and asked subjects whether the shapes resemble something meaningful.
"About half end up being meaningful, on average," Voss said.
Voss used fMRI—a neuroimaging procedure that measures brain activity by tracking changes in blood flow—to study the brain regions activated when a person sees the squiggles. He found that the same areas involved in processing actual, meaningful images lit up when the squiggles were viewed.
"To your visual system, there's no difference between a picture of a frog and some weird collection of dots and lines you've never seen before that vaguely resembles a frog," Voss said. "Your brain is very happy to treat those things as the same thing."
Brain Wiring and Storytelling
Why do our brains do this? In The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark, astronomer Carl Sagan offered a possible explanation. Perhaps recognizing faces, even in vague shapes, was evolutionarily advantageous, Sagan suggested: "Those infants who a million years ago were unable to recognize a face smiled back less, were less likely to win the hearts of their parents, and less likely to prosper," he wrote.
Voss proposes another explanation. Think of the human brain as a flexible, all-purpose machine meant to succeed in whatever random environment it inhabits. To triumph in strange places, Voss says, the brain must be able to quickly process unfamiliar visual stimuli—like new shapes and lines—and figure out what's worth paying attention to. Seeing faces and figures is merely a consequence of the brain's tendency to match stored information with new stimuli.
"Although we see the world as this very structured, object-containing environment, it's really just a bunch of random lines and shapes and colors," he said. "The reason why it's so easy to see meaningful things in nonsense shapes is that those nonsense shapes have a lot of the same features as meaningful things."
In scientific terms, what a moon-gazer sees may come down to brain wiring. But through the ages, what civilizations perceived in the moon's face took on greater significance, in the preservation of cultures, origin stories, and beliefs.
"The night sky is one of the greatest storytelling panoramas," said Adrienne Mayor, a science historian at Stanford University in California who studies how ancient cultures interpreted data and derived meaning from the natural world.
"Things in the natural world are the hints and clues for the story," Mayor said. "When you see the moon, you remember the story you heard when you were a kid and you pass it on." |
Rohit Sharma’s name will be forwarded for the 2015 Arjuna award. (Source: PTI)
BCCI Working Committee meeting took place in Kolkata on Sunday
The major development that came out from the meeting:
Advertising
*A cricket advisory committee will be formed which will constitute of prominent cricketers who will share their recommendations on the overall conduct and development of the game.
Other developments from the meeting:
* The hunt for the national team’s coach will be undertaken by the president Jagmohan Dalmiya and secretary Anurag Thakur.
* Rohit Sharma’s name was also forwarded for the 2015 Arjuna award.
* BCCI will also seek legal opinion on the demerger and transfer of shares of CSK for further action.
Advertising
* The BCCI paid homage to the departed young cricketers from Bengal, Mr. Ankit Keshri, Mr. Gaurav Kumar of Jharkhand and the unfortunate victims of the Nepal earthquake. |
Sen. John Hoeven John Henry HoevenDem lawmaker 'confident' bipartisan group will strike deal on border funding Congress in painful start to avoid second shutdown Republicans want Trump to keep out of border talks MORE (R-N.D.) criticized Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Scott Pruitt for holding a closed-door meeting during a trip to the state last week.
“I think [meetings] should be open,” Hoeven told The Bismarck Tribune on Friday. “And when my office organizes them, that’s how we do it.”
Hoeven’s office told the Tribune that it had encouraged the EPA to open up Pruitt’s meetings with state officials last Wednesday.
ADVERTISEMENT
Pruitt spent the day with Hoeven, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum (R) and Rep. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) and held closed-door meetings with agriculture and energy industry representatives.
Pruitt spoke with some media outlets during the trip, but reporters for the Grand Forks Herald clashed with EPA officials over access during his trip there. The National Press Club and the North Dakota Newspaper Association both later criticized the meetings.
A spokesman for Burgum told the Tribune the meetings' logistics amounted to a “misunderstanding.” Cramer said “there certainly would have been no reason to feel threatened by North Dakotans,” because he said the EPA’s positions are in line with those of people in the state.
The EPA did not reply to a request for comment Monday. |
The AHL's Rockford IceHogs sure settled on a curious way to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Weekend. On Friday, Nov. 16, the IceHogs will be showing their respect for Hispanic culture and fans by wearing the jerseys above, showing Hammy Hog, the team's mascot, adorned with a sombrero and thick mustache. ¡Que racista!
The idea of Hispanic Heritage Weekend was probably well-intentioned, but the end product is a disaster. Only dumb white people who can't think of a good Halloween costume still consider sombreros and mustaches to be signifiers of Hispanic culture.
It doesn't just stop at the sweaters. If you visit the IceHogs' website, they're upping the ante on this ham-handed gesture by giving out maracas to the first 2,500 fans and hosting a special appearance from Dora the Explorer. White people!
[Puck Daddy] |
Quarterback play is always under the microscope for every college football team. Finding and developing a reliable starter isn’t easy for some programs, but for other schools, the next quarterback steps in and the offense doesn’t miss a beat.
With the 2016 season just beginning, who has the best quarterback situations in college football? And which teams should be concerned? We ranked all 128 quarterbacks – with a few stipulations. This is not a list of career achievements or NFL Draft stock. Both of those elements were considered, but we also weighed value to the team, supporting cast, track record of coaches and teams for developing quarterbacks, scheme, projection for 2016, recruiting background, talent and production so far. Anything you can think of to evaluate quarterbacks was used in this ranking.
Here’s an updated look at how the projected starting quarterbacks for all 128 teams rank for 2016:
Ranking All 128 College Football Starting QBs for 2016
128. Justin Agner, Kent State
Kent State’s offense desperately needs a spark after averaging 13.1 points a game in 2015. With Colin Reardon shifting to receiver, Bollas, Mylik Mitchell and Justin Agner were the top three candidates competing for the job this fall. Bollas threw for 756 yards and two touchdowns in 12 appearances in 2015 but was edged by Agner – a true freshman – for the starting nod.
Podcast: QB Extravaganza
Subscribe: iTunes | Stitcher
127. Glen Cuiellette, Tulane
Willie Fritz is one of the top coaching hires for 2016, but Tulane is headed for a rebuilding year this fall. Cuiellette has played in only one game and won the starting job over freshmen Johnathan Brantley and Darius Bradwell. However, it's possible both Brantley and Bradwell see playing time early in the 2016 season.
Related: Grading College Football's New Coach Hires for 2016
126. Dallas Davis, South Alabama
The Jaguars opened fall camp with three quarterbacks vying for the starting job. Davis edged Marshall transfer Cole Garvin for the No. 1 spot. Davis played in six games as Cody Clements’ backup in 2015 and completed 11 of 23 throws for 108 yards and one score.
125. Conner Manning, Georgia State
Manning and Aaron Winchester are locked into a tight battle for the starting job. There’s big shoes to fill at Georgia State after Nick Arbuckle expired his eligibility after winning Sun Belt Player of the Year honors in 2015. Manning – a graduate transfer from Utah – attempted six passes in his career with the Utes.
124. Ikaika Woolsey, Hawaii
If new coach Nick Rolovich can get steady play from his quarterbacks, the Rainbow Warriors should make big progress on the stat sheet after averaging only 17.6 points a game in 2015. Woolsey (908 yards and five scores) edged Aaron Zwahlen and Dru Brown for the starting nod this fall.
123. Kevin Olsen, Charlotte
Olsen signed with Miami as one of the nation’s top quarterback recruits in the 2013 signing class but transferred after the 2014 season. After a stint at Riverside City College, Olsen is back on the FBS level for two years at Charlotte. He’s an intriguing option for a program entering its second season at the FBS level.
122. Tyler Stehling, Rice
Stehling worked as Driphus Jackson’s backup over the last two seasons and enters 2016 with 479 passing yards and two scores in 10 career appearances. The 6-foot-6 signal-caller inherits a solid supporting cast, which includes receiver Zach Wright, running back Darik Dillard and three starters on the offensive line.
121. Jason Driskel, FAU
Driskel and redshirt freshman Daniel Parr were locked into a tight battle for FAU’s starting nod this fall. Driskel played in 10 games and threw for 965 yards and three scores last season, while Parr took a redshirt year in his first on campus. Driskel eventually edged Parr for the No. 1 spot.
120. Ross Comis, UMass
Comis opened fall camp with an edge over junior college recruit Andrew Ford for the starting nod. Comis showed promise in a limited stint last season, throwing for 171 yards and two touchdowns in six appearances. UMass faces a brutal schedule in 2016, but Comis (and Ford) provide coach Mark Whipple with options under center.
119. Josh Allen, Wyoming
Bad luck is the best way to describe Allen’s 2015 season. In his first career start (Week 2 against Eastern Michigan), Allen completed 3 of 4 passes for 32 yards and rushed for 40 yards. However, he suffered a season-ending collarbone injury early in the contest.
Related: College Football's Most Underrated Players for 2016
118. Chason Virgil, Fresno State
New coordinator Eric Kiesau was brought in to spark a Fresno State offense that averaged only 22.3 points a game in 2015. Finding consistency at quarterback would be a huge plus for Kiesau, and Virgil is back as the starter after watching his 2015 campaign end after three games due to injury.
117. Tyree Jackson, Buffalo
Jackson is competing with Iowa State graduate transfer Grant Rohach for the starting job. The 6-foot-7 redshirt freshman is an intriguing prospect for second-year coach Lance Leipold.
116. Billy Bahl, Miami, Ohio
The RedHawks are a sleeper team to watch in the MAC East this fall. Bahl (1,409 yards and eight scores) is competing with Gus Ragland for the starting job.
115. Ryan Higgins, Louisiana Tech
Higgins is slated to replace Jeff Driskel as Louisiana Tech’s starter, but he won’t start the opener due to a DWI arrest in early August. Sophomore Price Wilson or redshirt freshman J’mar Smith will take the first snap of the year against the Razorbacks.
114. Greg Windham, Ohio
With J.D. Sprague retiring, Windham gets the nod over redshirt freshman Quinton Maxwell for the No. 1 spot on the depth chart. Windham completed 19 of 40 passes for 298 yards and one touchdown in limited action last year.
Related: College Football's Top 50 Defensive Lines for 2016
113. Tyler Rogers, New Mexico State
Rogers was off to a good start last year before a season-ending thumb injury in the fourth game. Prior to the injury, Rogers threw for 974 yards and seven scores.
Podcast: Win Totals and Prop Bets
Subscribe: iTunes | Stitcher
112. Zack Greenlee, UTEP
Greenlee left Fresno State as a graduate transfer and is the favorite over Kavika Johnson and Ryan Metz for the starting job. In seven games with the Bulldogs last year, Greenlee threw for 866 yards and 13 scores.
111. Anthony Jennings, UL Lafayette
Can the Ragin’ Cajuns find consistency at quarterback in 2016? Three signal-callers received snaps last year, with Jordan Davis emerging as the best option at the end of 2015. However, Davis was edged by LSU graduate transfer Anthony Jennings this fall. Jennings was LSU’s starting quarterback in 2014 and passed for 1,611 yards and 11 scores and rushed for 292 yards on 108 carries.
110. Ahmad Bradshaw, Army West Point
Bradshaw started seven games in a promising sophomore campaign last fall but faced a push from sophomore Chris Carter for the starting nod. Bradshaw is a promising option for coach Jeff Monken, as he ranked second on the offense with 468 rushing yards in 2015.
109. Kurt Benkert, Virginia
Matt Johns threw for 2,810 yards and 20 scores in his first full season as Virginia’s starter in 2015, but the senior was edged by East Carolina graduate transfer Kurt Benkert for the starting job. Benkert missed 2015 due to a knee injury but completed 8 of 10 passes for 58 yards in 2014.
Related: College Football 2016 All-America Team
108. Perry Hills, Maryland
Walt Bell was one of the Big Ten’s top coordinator hires for 2016, and the first-year play-caller should make a difference for a unit that averaged only 24.7 points a game last fall. Five quarterbacks are set to battle for the starting nod in fall practice, with Hills the frontrunner after ending spring camp at No. 1. The Terrapins used four quarterbacks last season and led the Big Ten with 29 interceptions. Hills seems to have the best balance of run/pass ability to fit Bell’s scheme and has a good group of receivers at his disposal. True freshman Tyrell Pigrome’s progress is worth monitoring in fall practice.
Related: Big Ten Predictions for 2016
107. Chris Laviano, Rutgers
Laviano (2,247 passing yards and16 TDs in 2015) is listed as Rutgers’ projected starter here, but the No. 1 spot is up for grabs this fall. New coordinator Drew Mehringer is looking for more mobility and rushing potential out of the starting quarterback, and the offense needs more overall consistency after the Scarlet Knights averaged only 21.3 points in Big Ten games last year. Laviano will be pushed for time by TCU graduate transfer Zach Allen, true freshman Tylin Oden and junior Hayden Rettig.
106. Ryan Willis, Kansas
A case could be made for Willis to be a spot or two higher on this list. In 10 appearances as a true freshman in 2015, Willis threw for 1,719 yards and nine scores. Willis didn’t have much help from his supporting cast and was often playing from behind for a Kansas team that finished 0-12. While Willis showed promise last fall, he spent the spring recovering from a wrist injury, which allowed backup Montell Cozart to make a push for the starting job. Is there actually a battle between Cozart and Willis for the starting job? Or was Cozart’s appearance at Big 12 Media Days more of an indication he will play some role in the offense this fall? If Willis is the starter, move him up a spot on this list.
Related: The Big 12's Top 10 Heisman Candidates for 2016
105. Richard Lagow, Indiana
Kevin Wilson is one of the Big Ten’s top offensive-minded coaches, but he will have his hands full in replacing Nate Sudfeld this fall. Junior college recruit (and former UConn and Oklahoma State signal-caller) Richard Lagow left spring with an edge over Danny Cameron and Zander Diamont for the starting nod and was named the starter in fall camp. Lagow threw for 2,285 yards and 21 touchdowns at Cisco Community College in 2015.
104. Jesse Ertz, Kansas State
Injuries took a toll on Kansas State’s quarterback depth chart last year. Three players received a start under center, with Ertz suffering a season-ending knee injury in the first drive of the opener against South Dakota. Ertz accumulated just one rush attempt for five yards in game action last year. He’s expected to return to full strength in 2016 and should hold off Joe Hubener and Alex Delton for the starting job. Ertz earned Iowa Gatorade Player of the Year honors in 2012 and threw for 7,317 yards in his high school career.
103. David Blough, Purdue
Marked improvement in the win column is unlikely for the Boilermakers in 2016, but with 16 returning starters in place, coach Darrell Hazell’s team could be more competitive in Big Ten action this fall. Hazell needs better play from his quarterbacks to help an offense that averaged only 25.1 points a game in 2015. Blough showed promise in his first season, throwing for 1,574 yards and 10 scores. In Purdue’s 55-45 upset win over Nebraska, Blough threw for four scores and 274 yards. There’s potential here, but Blough could be pushed for time by redshirt freshman Elijah Sindelar.
102. Bart Houston, Wisconsin
Paul Chryst has a good track record of finding and developing quarterbacks throughout his coaching career. How quickly will the second-year coach find the right answer in 2016? With Joel Stave expiring his eligibility, Houston and redshirt freshman Alex Hornibrook competed this offseason for the starting job. Houston was considered the favorite, but Hornibrook seemed to close the gap late in spring practice. However, Chryst eventually settled on Houston late in fall camp. Even though he’s a senior, Houston hasn’t played much in his career. In seven games last fall, Houston completed 27 of 47 passes for 281 yards and three scores. This group is a question mark, but the guess here is Chryst finds the right answer during the 2016 season.
Related: College Football Bowl Projections for 2016
101. Daniel Jones, Duke
Thomas Sirk was on track in his recovery from a torn Achilles suffered in February workouts, but the senior aggravated the injury in fall camp and will miss the 2016 season. While junior Parker Boehme has one career start (Pitt in 2015), coach David Cutcliffe picked Jones as the No. 1 quarterback for the opener against North Carolina Central. Jones – a redshirt freshman – could be Cutcliffe’s next star pupil under center.
100. Alec Morris, North Texas
New coach Seth Littrell is a good hire for North Texas, but wins could be tough to come by in 2016. The Mean Green have new schemes on both sides of the ball, including a switch to a new wide-open attack on offense. Morris transferred in from Alabama with one season of eligibility and should be a good fit in the new system.
99. Johnny Stanton, UNLV
Stanton is a former Nebraska signal-caller and a breakout candidate for 2016. He was named the starter in late August, but second-year coach Tony Sanchez has indicated both Stanton and backup Kurt Palandech will both see time in the opener.
98. Christian Chapman, San Diego State
San Diego State’s offense is going to lean heavily on running back Donnel Pumphrey, but Chapman showed promise in a limited stint under center last season. He threw for 203 yards and one score in the Mountain West title win over Air Force and completed 8 of 11 throws for 113 yards against Cincinnati in the Hawaii Bowl.
97. Brogan Roback, Eastern Michigan
Roback was a bright spot for an Eastern Michigan team that went 1-11 in 2015. Roback threw for 2,304 yards and 16 scores last year and should take those numbers up a notch in 2016. However, he's suspended indefinitely for a violation of team rules.
96. Justice Hansen, Arkansas State
The battle between Hansen and Pitt graduate transfer Chad Voytik could extend into the season. Regardless of who starts, the Red Wolves should be in good shape under center.
Related: College Football's Top 25 Coaches on the Rise for 2016
95. Nate Romine, Air Force
Romine reclaims the starting job after suffering a season-ending knee injury in Week 2 of the 2015 season. The California native has been solid in limited action, throwing for 954 yards and seven touchdowns and rushing for 410 yards and five scores in 16 career appearances.
94. Bryant Shirreffs, UConn
Defense is the strength of Bob Diaco’s team, but UConn needs more from an offense that ranked 121st nationally in scoring last fall. Shirreffs accounted for 2,581 yards and 12 scores and completed 60.2 percent of his throws in 2015. The junior’s production should improve with a supporting cast that returns eight starters.
93. Manny Wilkins, Arizona State
Three candidates are vying to start for Arizona State this season, with Wilkins and redshirt freshman Brady White a step ahead of Dillon Sterling-Cole in the battle to replace Mike Bercovici. Bryce Perkins was in the mix to start, but he will miss the 2016 season due to injury. Wilkins was a four-star recruit in the 2014 signing class and played in four games as a redshirt freshman in 2015. In his limited action, Wilkins rushed for 55 yards on seven carries and did not attempt a pass. White – the No. 67 overall recruit in the 2015 247Sports Composite – is the name to watch this fall. Regardless of who starts, Arizona State’s offense is in good hands under the direction of new coordinator Chip Lindsey. If there was a clear starter, we would move that player up a spot or two on this list.
Related: Pac-12 Coaches Talk Anonymously About Conference Foes for 2016
92. Philip Nelson, East Carolina
Nelson hasn’t played a down of college ball since the 2013 season and has been on a long journey to get to East Carolina. In two years at Minnesota, Nelson threw for 2,179 yards and 17 scores and ran for 548 yards and six touchdowns. He could have a solid senior year under new coach Scottie Montgomery.
91. Riley Ferguson, Memphis
Paxton Lynch will be missed, but Ferguson is a talented and capable replacement. After signing with Tennessee out of high school, Ferguson eventually landed at Coffeyville Community College and threw for 2,942 yards and 35 scores last year. Ferguson could surprise in 2016.
90. Jared Johnson, UTSA
New coach Frank Wilson is known for his recruiting prowess, and the former LSU assistant landed a couple of graduate transfers this offseason to speed up UTSA’s rebuilding process. Johnson started 30 games at Sam Houston State and ended his career with 6,953 total yards and 50 overall scores.
89. David Washington, Old Dominion
Washington provided a spark for Old Dominion’s offense in the second half of last year before suffering a season-ending knee injury against Southern Miss. The senior tweaked the knee in fall practice but isn’t in any danger of missing the opener against Hampton. If he can stay healthy, Washington should guide the Monarchs to the program’s first bowl appearance.
Related: Ranking All 128 Teams for 2016
89. Darell Garretson, Oregon State
Coach Gary Anderson didn’t sit idle this offseason after watching his offense rank last in the Pac-12 by averaging only 19 points a game in 2015. Kevin McGiven and T.J. Woods were promoted to co-offensive coordinators, and this duo is tasked with helping Garretson get acclimated to the Pac-12 level of play in his first opportunity for snaps in Corvallis. Garretson isn’t without experience, as he threw for 2,586 yards and 18 scores in two years at Utah State. The junior should provide a spark and stability for the Beavers’ offense.
87. Jalan McClendon, NC State
McClendon finished spring practice with a slight edge over redshirt freshman Jakobi Meyers for the starting nod. However, this battle isn’t a two-man race anymore, as Boise State graduate transfer Ryan Finley joined the mix this summer. McClendon and Finley are both expected to play in the Sept. 1 opener against William & Mary. Regardless of which quarterback wins the job, there are big shoes to fill in replacing Jacoby Brissett. McClendon played in eight contests last year, completing 8 of 14 passes for 69 yards.
86. Drew Lock, Missouri
Lock was pressed into action as a true freshman last season, which was certainly earlier than anyone in the program likely anticipated. As expected with any true freshman quarterback, Lock had his share of ups and downs. The Missouri native ended 2015 with 1,332 yards and four passing scores. He also completed only 49 percent of his throws and tossed eight interceptions. Lock certainly has the talent to move up this list, but his supporting cast is littered with question marks for 2016.
Related: Ranking the SEC RB Tandems for 2016
85. Kyle Shurmur, Vanderbilt
Vanderbilt’s offense has room to improve after averaging only 15.2 points a game last fall. But coach Derek Mason’s team has reason for optimism, as running back Ralph Webb is one of the best in the SEC, and two key players – receiver C.J. Duncan and tackle Andrew Jelks – are back after missing 2015 due to injury. Additionally, Mason seemed to find his quarterback of the future late last year in Shurmur. In five appearances, Shurmur threw for 503 yards and five scores. His best performance came in the season finale against Tennessee, completing 15 of 34 throws for 209 yards and three touchdowns.
84. Sean White, Auburn
Gus Malzahn is regarded as one of the SEC’s top offensive minds, but the Auburn offense needs a spark after struggling in 2015. The Tigers averaged only 27.5 points a game and 5.4 yards per play last season. A three-man competition in fall practice between White, John Franklin and Jeremy Johnson eventually led to Malzahn naming White as the team's starter for the opener against Clemson. Franklin transferred in from the junior college ranks and brings more mobility to the position than White or Jeremy Johnson. However, how consistent will Franklin be as a passer? White only threw for one touchdown in seven games last year, but he's the best passing option for Malzahn.
83. Brandon McIlwain, South Carolina
New coach Will Muschamp has major holes to fill for a team that returns only seven starters in 2016. However, Muschamp has three promising options at quarterback, including last year’s starter Perry Orth and freshmen Brandon Mcllwain and Jake Bentley. McIlwain gets the nod as our projected starter for South Carolina, as the true freshman enrolled in time to compete for spring practice and finished with an impressive performance in the final scrimmage (19 of 26 for 169 yards).
Related: College Football Bowl Projections for 2016
82. Mike White, WKU
Replacing Brandon Doughty won’t be easy. However, Jeff Brohm is one of the nation’s top offensive-minded coaches, and the Hilltoppers have a strong supporting cast in place to minimize the transition period. White was named the starter over Louisville transfer Tyler Ferguson and sophomore Drew Eckels for the job. White threw for 2,722 yards and 11 scores in a two-year stint at USF.
81. Nick Fitzgerald, Mississippi State
It’s no secret Dak Prescott leaves big shoes to fill in Starkville. After all, a strong case could be made Prescott was the best player in program history. Four quarterbacks are vying to replace Prescott, with Fitzgerald the early favorite to take the first snap of the year against South Alabama. He played in eight games last year, completing 11 of 14 passes for 235 yards and three scores and recording 127 yards and three touchdowns on the ground. Fitzgerald has intriguing upside and could move up this list by a couple of spots – assuming he wins the job – in 2016.
80. Luke Del Rio, Florida
Florida’s offense struggled mightily after Will Grier was suspended in mid-October. The Gators only eclipsed more than 200 passing yards once over the final seven games and recorded just two passing scores in the last three contests. While drastic improvement is unlikely, expect Florida’s offense to take a step forward in 2016. Del Rio – a transfer from Oregon State – was named the starter late in the fall. He played in three games with the Beavers in 2014 and completed 8 of 18 passes for 141 yards. If Del Rio stumbles, Purdue graduate transfer Austin Appleby is likely the next quarterback on the depth chart.
Related: Ranking All 128 College Football Teams for 2016
79. Lamar Jordan, New Mexico
Jordan has room to improve as a passer (51.7%), but he’s a dangerous runner and ranked third on the team with 807 yards last year. Austin Apodaca is expected to share the snaps for the Lobos in 2016.
78. Riley Neal, Ball State
Neal is one of Athlon’s breakout quarterbacks for 2016 after an impressive stint (2,276 yards and 16 scores) last fall. First-year coach Mike Neu should help this offense take a step forward.
77. James Knapke, Bowling Green
The Falcons suffered some heavy personnel losses and there’s a new coaching staff in place. However, Knapke is a good building block on offense for new coach Mike Jinks. He started 13 games in place of an injured Matt Johnson in 2014 and threw for 3,173 yards and 15 touchdowns.
76. Troy Williams, Utah
Williams was sidelined at the end of spring practice due to an arm injury, but the junior college recruit (and former Washington signal-caller) is back at full strength for fall workouts. Even though the Utes tied for last in the Pac-12 with just 12 passing plays of 30 yards or more, there is optimism about the aerial attack for 2016. Most of that optimism is based upon the addition of Williams, as the California native thrived at Santa Monica College in 2015. Williams threw for 2,750 yards and 31 scores at the junior college level last season and was previously regarded as the No. 101 high school recruit by the 247Sports Composite in the 2013 signing class. There’s certainly upside to Williams, but he also needs help from an unproven group of receivers.
Related: 5 Reasons Why Utah is the Pac-12’s South Sleeper Team in 2016
75. Drew Barker, Kentucky
New play-caller Eddie Gran should help Kentucky’s offense take a step forward after a disappointing 2015 campaign. The Wildcats averaged only 24.7 points a game last fall but return nine starters for 2016, including big-play running back Boom Williams and a handful of experienced receivers. Barker redshirted in his first year on campus and played in five games in 2015. Patrick Towles led the team with 2,148 passing yards, but Barker completed 35 of 70 throws for 364 yards and one score last year. Can Barker take the next step in his development with Gran at the controls?
74. Tyler Jones, Texas State
Missouri graduate transfer Eddie Printz made a push for the starting nod, but Jones was picked as the team's starter in late August. Can Jones regain his 2014 form (3,209 total yards and 28 overall scores)? New coordinator Brett Elliott is a rising star to watch over the next few years.
73. Garrett Smith, ULM
Smith is one of the building blocks for new coach Matt Viator. He passed for 2,033 yards and 17 scores and rushed for 250 yards and two touchdowns in a promising freshman campaign last year.
72. Tyler Stewart, Nevada
Stewart was steady in his first year as the starter, throwing for 2,139 yards and 15 scores and rushing for 322 yards and four touchdowns. He should thrive under new play-caller Tim Cramsey.
71. Matt Linehan, Idaho
Idaho is a sleeper team to watch in the Sun Belt this year. Linehan is a big reason why the Vandals could challenge for a bowl bid after a promising sophomore campaign (2,992 yards and 16 scores).
Related: College Football's Top 20 Most Underrated QBs for 2016
70. Logan Woodside, Toledo
Woodside was pressed into the starting lineup in 2014 after Phillip Ely suffered a season-ending injury in Week 2. Woodside threw for 2,263 yards and 19 scores that year and reclaims the starting job after taking a redshirt season last fall.
69. Joel Lanning, Iowa State
New coach Matt Campbell was a standout hire for Iowa State, and his background on offense should help the Cyclones take a step forward on that side of the ball in 2016. Lanning showed promise in a late-season stint as the starter, throwing for 1,246 yards and 10 scores and running for 330 yards and four touchdowns. With two talented skill players (RB Mike Warren and WR Allen Lazard) at his disposal, Lanning could move up this list by a spot or two during the 2016 season.
68. Trace McSorley, Penn State
Penn State’s offense has struggled during James Franklin’s two seasons in Happy Valley, but there’s optimism for this group to improve in 2016. New play-caller Joe Moorhead is one of the nation’s top coordinator hires, the Nittany Lions are loaded at receiver and return standout running back Saquon Barkley. McSorley was picked as the team's starter over Tommy Stevens to replace Christian Hackenberg under center this fall and showed promise in last year’s TaxSlayer Bowl. Even though the Nittany Lions fell short, McSorley played well in the second half and completed 14 of 27 throws for 142 yards and two scores. The sophomore could have a breakout year under Moorhead’s direction this fall.
RELATED: Penn State Football Schedule 2016
67. Thomas Woodson, Akron
Woodson’s emergence was a big reason why the Zips earned the second bowl appearance and first postseason win in program history. In 13 appearances, Woodson threw for 2,202 yards and 16 scores and rushed for 591 yards and three touchdowns.
66. Shane Buechele, Texas
After averaging only 25.3 points in Big 12 games last season, Texas coach Charlie Strong hit the reset button on offense. Former Baylor assistant Sterlin Gilbert was hired from Tulsa to coordinate the Longhorn attack, and all signs suggest the new play-caller will hand the controls of the offense to Buechele. The Arlington native ranked as a four-star prospect in the 2016 signing class and enrolled in time to compete in spring ball. Buechele completed 22 of 41 passes for 299 yards and two scores in the final spring scrimmage.
65. Tago Smith, Navy
Keenan Reynolds leaves big shoes to fill, but Navy’s offense is still going to be a handful for the rest of the American Athletic Conference. Smith has impressed in limited action and should keep this offense performing at a high level. In 18 career games, Smith has completed 12 of 17 throws for 245 yards and four scores and rushed for 294 yards and five touchdowns.
64. John Wolford, Wake Forest
Wake Forest is another team with an unsettled quarterback situation headed into fall camp. The Demon Deacons have struggled on offense over the last two seasons, finishing near the bottom of the ACC in scoring. Quarterback play isn’t necessarily the area to blame for the lack of production, as the offensive line has struggled mightily in recent years. However, improvement is coming for the Demon Deacons in 2016, as the offense returns eight starters and two experienced options at quarterback. Wolford gets the nod here after throwing for 3,828 yards over the last two years. However, sophomore Kendall Hinton brings more dual-threat potential to the offense and has a stronger arm than Wolford.
Related: ACC Coaches Talk Anonymously About Conference Foes for 2016
63. Ryan Burns, Stanford
Replacing the steady play of Kevin Hogan won’t be easy for the Cardinal in 2016. However, coach David Shaw has a couple of talented passers ready for their first opportunity at extended action. Keller Chryst worked as Hogan’s backup in 2015 and was expected to win the job this fall. However, Chryst was edged by Ryan Burns in camp. Both quarterbacks are expected to play in the opener against Kansas State. Regardless of who is under center for coach David Shaw, the offense is going to lean heavily on running back Christian McCaffrey this fall.
Related: Ranking the Pac-12’s Heisman Candidates for 2016
62. Hayden Moore, Cincinnati
Cincinnati's quarterback battle ended just over a week before the season opener against Tennessee-Martin. Moore edged Gunner Kiel for the starting nod, and the promising sophomore takes full control of a Bearcat attack that averaged 33.8 points per game in 2015. Moore threw for 1,885 yards and nine scores as a freshman last fall.
61. Brandon Silvers, Troy
Silvers quietly had a solid 2015 campaign under new coach Neal Brown, throwing for 2,378 yards and 20 scores in 11 appearances. The junior should challenge for All-Sun Belt honors in 2016.
60. Matt Davis, SMU
Second-year coach Chad Morris has SMU moving in the right direction, and the Mustangs should make another jump on the stat sheet after averaging 27.3 points a game in 2015. Davis threw for 2,263 yards and 16 touchdowns and led the offense with 761 yards.
59. Justin Holman, UCF
UCF’s offense was hit hard by bad luck and injuries last year. Holman is a better quarterback than his 2015 numbers (1,519 total yards) indicate. Look for a bounce-back year under new coach Scott Frost.
58. Patrick Towles, Boston College
Injuries hit Boston College’s offense hard last season, as the Eagles managed only 9.1 points in ACC action. But with more experience returning in the trenches, Towles stepping in at quarterback, and a healthy Jon Hilliman at running back, the Eagles should take a step forward on offense in 2016. Towles transferred to Boston College as a graduate transfer from Kentucky. He threw for 5,099 yards and 24 scores in three years with the Wildcats and should provide some immediate help for a passing attack that generated only one play of 40 yards or more last fall.
57. Jerod Evans, Virginia Tech
Virginia Tech should improve on offense under first-year coach Justin Fuente. Evans ranked as the No. 7 junior college recruit and was regarded as a four-star prospect by the 247Sports Composite in the 2016 signing class. The Texas native averaged 395.5 passing yards a game and tossed 38 scores at Trinity Valley Community College last season. Evans earned the starting job late in fall camp over Brenden Motley and is a good candidate for a breakout campaign this fall.
Related: ACC Predictions for 2016
56. Nick Stevens, Colorado State
Despite throwing for 2,679 yards and 21 touchdowns last year, Stevens is fighting for the starting job this fall. Georgia transfer Faton Bauta and true freshman Collin Hill are pushing for the No. 1 spot.
Podcast: QB Extravaganza
Subscribe: iTunes | Stitcher
55. Alex McGough, FIU
After a solid sophomore campaign (2,722 yards and 21 TDs), the arrow is pointing up on McGough’s career entering 2016. He’s a big reason why FIU should challenge for a bowl berth this fall.
54. Clayton Thorson, Northwestern
As expected, Thorson had his share of up-and-down moments in 2015. The first-year starter threw for 1,522 yards and seven scores (with nine interceptions) and ranked second on the team with 397 rushing yards. While Thorson’s running ability is a valuable asset, he has to become a better passer in 2016. He only completed 50.8 percent of his throws and ranked near the bottom of the conference with just three completed passes of 40 yards or more. Thorson has potential to climb this list and will improve in his second season as the starter. However, the sophomore also needs help from a revamped receiving corps to spark the passing attack.
53. Mitch Leidner, Minnesota
There’s growing optimism about Leidner’s potential for 2016, especially after offseason foot surgery and a return to 100 percent. The Minnesota native has started 29 games in his career and is coming off career highs in passing yards (2,701), passing scores (14 TDs) and completion percentage (59.5 percent). Additionally, Leidner has recorded 23 rushing scores in three seasons with the Golden Gophers. Is Leidner ready to take the next step under new coordinator Jay Johnson and finish his career on a high note?
Related: College Football's Top 25 Breakout QBs for 2016
52. John O’Korn, Michigan
The Wolverines enter 2016 with uncertainty under center, but Jim Harbaugh is one of college football’s top quarterback gurus. While it may take a game or two, it’s safe to assume Harbaugh will figure things out under center. O’Korn transferred to Michigan after throwing for 4,068 yards and 34 scores in two seasons (2013-14) at Houston. But O’Korn isn’t guaranteed the job. Sophomore Wilton Speight is also in the mix and left spring locked into a tight battle with O’Korn for the No. 1 spot.
51. Tyler O’Connor, Michigan State
Connor Cook leaves big shoes to fill in East Lansing, but the Spartans have two capable candidates vying for the starting nod. O’Connor gets the advantage over Damion Terry as the starter and enters 2016 with 54 career pass attempts. The Ohio native received the most-extensive playing time in his career last fall, starting for an injured Connor Cook against Ohio State, leading the Spartans to a 17-14 upset victory. While O’Connor is largely unproven, the limited sample size is promising, and it’s safe to assume coach Mark Dantonio will prevent the passing game from suffering too much of a drop in production this year.
Related: Ranking All 128 College Football Coaches for 2016
50. Kenny Potter, San Jose State
Potter’s emergence was a big reason why San Jose State showed improvement over the second half of 2015. The former junior college product finished the year with 1,984 passing yards and 15 scores and ranked second on the team with 415 rushing yards and seven touchdowns.
49. Austin Allen, Arkansas
Brandon Allen closed out his career with a standout senior season (3,440 yards, 30 TDs), but the Razorbacks may not see too much of a drop in the passing game this fall. The receiving corps is among the SEC’s best, and coordinator Dan Enos was instrumental in the development of this group last year. Austin Allen – Brandon’s brother – was picked as the starter in spring practice. The Arkansas native has completed 9 of 19 passes for 188 yards and one score in two seasons of action. Allen may not replicate his brother’s overall totals, but don’t rule out a solid all-around first year as the starter.
48. Cooper Bateman, Alabama
In Lane Kiffin we trust. Sure, this is the third consecutive season the Crimson Tide enter fall practice with uncertainty at quarterback, but Kiffin’s track record suggests the offense won’t miss a beat in 2016. Cooper Bateman made one start in 2015 and finished the year with 291 passing yards and one score on 37 completions. Bateman has the edge in experience over Blake Barnett, Jalen Hurts and David Cornwell and opened fall camp as the favorite to start. However, Barnett has the most overall talent among the signal-callers on the roster. His progress is worth monitoring early in the year.
Related: Alabama 2016 Football Schedule Analysis
47. Kent Myers, Utah State
Myers has shined in limited action over the last two years and is Utah State’s unquestioned No. 1 quarterback for 2016. Expect a breakout season.
46. Sefo Liufau, Colorado
A Lisfranc injury suffered in early November against USC clouded Liufau’s status in the spring. However, all signs point to a return to 100 percent by Liufau for 2016, and that’s good news for coach Mike MacIntyre after Davis Webb decided to transfer to California instead of Colorado. Liufau had a promising 2014 campaign (3,200 yards and 28 scores) but took a step back last season, finishing 2015 with 2,418 yards and nine passing touchdowns. Liufau won’t have standout receiver Nelson Spruce to throw to this fall, but the senior should close out his career on a high note.
45. Max Browne, USC
Settling the quarterback battle between Browne and redshirt freshman Sam Darnold was the top priority in fall practice for new coach Clay Helton. While Darnold made a strong push for the starting job in the spring and again in the fall, Browne was named the starter. Browne was a five-star recruit in the 2013 signing class and completed 11 of 19 passes for 143 yards over the last two years. The junior has all of the necessary tools and potential to have a breakout season in 2016.
44. Eric Dungey, Syracuse
The ACC has a solid group of quarterbacks returning in 2016, but it wouldn’t surprise us if Dungey climbs this list by the end of the year. New coach Dino Babers is a standout offensive mind and was instrumental in developing high-powered attacks at Eastern Illinois and Bowling Green over the last four seasons. Dungey showed promise in eight games last fall, throwing for 1,298 yards and 11 scores. He should thrive under Babers’ direction and is due for a breakout year in 2016.
Related: College Football's Top 25 Breakout QBs for 2016
43. Chase Litton, Marshall
Rakeem Cato left big shoes to fill at Marshall, and it took the Thundering Herd offense a few games to find the right replacement under center. Litton emerged as Marshall’s starter as a true freshman last fall and ended the year with 2,605 yards and 23 scores. He should have a breakout year this fall.
42. Nathan Peterman, Pitt
Peterman quietly posted a solid debut as Pitt’s starting quarterback in 2015. He unseated Chad Voytik for the No. 1 spot on the depth chart early in the year and threw for 2,287 yards and 20 scores. Peterman also added 232 yards and one touchdown on the ground and finished second among ACC quarterbacks by completing 61.5 percent of his throws. New coordinator Matt Canada is a solid replacement for Jim Chaney (left for Georgia) and should keep Pitt’s offense performing at a high level. However, the Panthers have to find a replacement for standout receiver Tyler Boyd.
Related: College Football Bowl Projections for 2016
41. Wes Lunt, Illinois
Is this the year Lunt puts everything together and ranks as one of the Big Ten’s top quarterbacks? The senior has experienced his share of bad luck over the last two seasons with coaching changes and injuries, while top receiver Mike Dudek will miss his second consecutive year with a knee injury. After transferring from Oklahoma State, Lunt settled in as Illinois’ starter in 2014 and threw for 1,763 yards and 14 scores in eight appearances. He started all 12 games for the Fighting Illini last year and threw for 2,761 yards and 14 touchdowns. New coordinator Garrick McGee should help this offense take a step forward in 2016, allowing Lunt to end his career in Champaign on a high note.
40. Trevor Knight, Texas A&M
Texas A&M’s quarterback depth chart changed dramatically before last year’s game against Louisville in the Music City Bowl. Kyle Allen and Kyler Murray transferred, leaving Jake Hubenak as the team’s No. 1 quarterback. While the losses of Murray and Allen were a setback, the Aggies found a solid one-year solution in Knight. The graduate transfer from Oklahoma should be a good fit for new coordinator Noel Mazzone’s offense and will be throwing to one of the nation’s top receiving corps. Knight threw for 3,424 yards and 25 scores and rushed for 853 yards and eight touchdowns during his career at Oklahoma. His best performance came in the 2014 Sugar Bowl, guiding the Sooners to a 45-31 win over Alabama by completing 32 of 44 passes for 348 yards and four scores.
Related: SEC Coaches Talk Anonymously About Conference Foes for 2016
39. Brandon Harris, LSU
LSU’s hopes of contending for the SEC title and a spot in the College Football Playoff likely hinge on Harris’ development. It’s no secret the Tigers need to jumpstart their passing game to complement running back Leonard Fournette, and the pieces are in place for improvement. In his first full year as the starter, Harris threw for 2,158 yards and 13 scores and added 226 yards and four touchdowns on the ground. Additionally, Harris tied for third among SEC quarterbacks by completing 12 passes of 40 yards or more. LSU doesn’t need Harris to throw for 300 yards every week. However, after completing 53.6 percent of his passes in 2015, Harris certainly has room to improve this fall.
38. Kevin Ellison/Favian Upshaw, Georgia Southern
Ellison is expected to start, but Favian Upshaw is going to see his share of opportunities. This duo only combined to throw for 824 yards and four touchdowns last year, but Ellison and Upshaw was a dynamic combination on the ground. Ellison ranked third on the team with 712 yards, while Upshaw averaged 7.3 yards per carry and ended 2015 with 583 yards.
37. Drew Hare, Northern Illinois
Hare was on his way to another standout season but an Achilles injury in early November ended his 2015 campaign. All signs point to a return to full strength for 2016.
36. Phillip Walker, Temple
Walker is one of the nation’s most underrated quarterbacks. He already owns the Temple school record for passing touchdowns and total offense and is on the verge of setting a new mark for most passing yards in a career.
35. Dakota Prukop, Oregon
Vernon Adams was a dynamic one-year standout for the Ducks. Will Oregon have success once again with a FCS transfer under center? Prukop earned first-team FCS All-America honors by the Associated Press after throwing for 3,025 yards and 28 scores and running for 797 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2015. Prukop isn’t as dynamic of a passer as Adams, but he brings more of a running threat to the Ducks’ offense.
34. Skyler Howard, West Virginia
Howard capped his first season as West Virginia’s starter with a huge performance (532 yards and five touchdowns) in the Cactus Bowl victory over Arizona State. Will Howard pick up where he left off? In 13 games last fall, Howard threw for 3,145 yards and 26 scores and rushed for 502 yards and six touchdowns. Those are solid totals, but Howard needs to perform better in conference action (50.4%, 12 TDs, 11 INTs in Big 12 games in 2015).
Related: Ranking the Big 12's Running Back Tandems for 2016
33. Kenny Hill, TCU
Hill and Foster Sawyer left spring neck-and-neck for the starting job and the tough assignment of replacing standout Trevone Boykin. Hill was picked by coach Gary Patterson as the starter in late August. Coordinator Doug Meacham has transformed this attack into one of the Big 12’s best, and the Horned Frogs are loaded with promising skill players. Hill threw for 2,649 yards and 23 scores as Texas A&M’s starter in eight games in 2014. He transferred to TCU after losing his starting job to Kyle Allen and left spring locked into a tight battle with Sawyer for the No. 1 spot.
32. Dane Evans, Tulsa
Evans thrived under new coach Philip Montgomery’s high-powered attack in 2015, finishing the season with 4,332 yards and 25 passing scores. Evans’ 333.2 per-game average in passing yards ranked seventh nationally.
31. Tommy Armstrong, Nebraska
Another offseason to learn under coordinator Danny Langsdorf and coach Mike Riley should pay dividends for Armstrong. The Texas native ranked second among Big Ten quarterbacks by averaging 285.8 total yards per game in 2015 and accounted for 29 overall scores. However, Armstrong’s biggest trouble spot was turnovers. He tossed 16 picks on 402 attempts and completed only 55.2 percent of his passes. Expect Armstrong to cut his mistakes and become a better overall player for the Cornhuskers in 2016.
Related: College Football's Top 25 Non-Conference Games for 2016
30. Justin Thomas, Georgia Tech
Georgia Tech is leaning heavily on Thomas to rebound after a disappointing 3-9 campaign in 2015. The Yellow Jackets aren’t as bad as last year’s record indicated, and with more experience and big-play ability returning on offense, getting back to a bowl game is a realistic expectation. Thomas is the catalyst for the triple-option attack, as he averaged 200.4 total yards per game and 26 overall scores in 2014. However, Thomas struggled with a revamped supporting cast and generated only 488 rushing yards and six scores last year. A rebound season should be in order for the senior in 2016.
29. Deondre Francois, Florida State
After an uneven season of production from Everett Golson and Sean Maguire, Florida State’s quarterback situation should be in better shape in 2016. Maguire will miss the start of the 2016 season due to a foot injury, but Francois is ready to step into the spotlight under center. The redshirt freshman ranked as the No. 64 overall prospect in the 2015 247Sports Composite.
Related: College Football's Top 25 Breakout QBs for 2016
28. Jacob Eason, Georgia
There’s no guarantee Eason takes the first snap of the year against North Carolina. However, we are banking on the true freshman winning the job at some point during the year and finishing 2016 as one of the SEC’s top quarterbacks. Eason was rated as a five-star prospect and the No. 2 overall quarterback by the 247Sports Composite. He enrolled in time to compete in spring practice and completed 19 of 29 passes for 244 yards and a touchdown in the G-Day scrimmage. Eason should be the top freshman quarterback in the nation this fall.
27. Anu Solomon, Arizona
Injuries took a toll on Solomon last season, and the Las Vegas native was unable to build off a promising freshman campaign. In 14 games in 2014, Solomon threw for 3,793 yards and 28 scores and added 291 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. Additionally, Solomon’s performance as a freshman was instrumental in guiding Arizona to an appearance in the Pac-12 Championship Game. He was limited to just 11 games last season and ended the year with 2,667 passing yards and 20 touchdowns. Solomon seems poised for a rebound year, but he will be pushed for time by sophomore Brandon Dawkins.
26. Mitch Trubisky, North Carolina
Marquise Williams departs Chapel Hill after earning second-team All-ACC honors last fall, but coach Larry Fedora isn’t too worried about the quarterback position. That’s due to the progress and development of Trubisky over the last two seasons. The junior is one of the nation’s rising stars under center and steps into the No. 1 role after completing 40 of 47 passes for 555 yards and six touchdowns in 2015. Trubisky is surrounded by a standout supporting cast, including one of the nation’s top running backs (Elijah Hood) and a deep receiving corps.
Related: North Carolina 2016 Football Schedule Analysis
25. Cooper Rush, Central Michigan
Rush is one of the nation’s most underrated quarterbacks. He’s started 36 games over the last three seasons and passed for 9,354 yards and 67 scores in that span.
24. Zach Terrell, Western Michigan
Terrell eclipsed the 3,000-yard mark for the second year in a row and guided Western Michigan to back-to-back bowl games for the first time in program history in 2015.
23. Brent Stockstill, MTSU
Stockstill was one of the nation’s top freshmen quarterbacks last season. And here’s the scary thought for the rest of Conference USA: Stockstill is only going to get better as a sophomore. Stockstill connected on 66.7 percent of his throws for 4,005 yards and 30 scores last year. Look for the sophomore to connect with dynamic receiver Richie James early and often in 2016.
22. Taylor Lamb, Appalachian State
Appalachian State should have the Sun Belt’s best offense in 2016. The Mountaineers are deep at running back, while Lamb returns under center after a breakout 2015 campaign. En route to guiding Appalachian State to an 11-2 record, Lamb set the school record for touchdown passes (31) and threw for 2,387 yards. He also added 436 yards and five scores on the ground.
21. Davis Webb, California
Jared Goff leaves big shoes to fill, but the late-spring addition of Webb should prevent a steep drop off at this position for coach Sonny Dykes. Webb left Texas Tech as a graduate transfer and has one season of eligibility remaining. The senior played in a similar offense with the Red Raiders, so the transition to California’s Bear Raid attack should be an easy one. In three seasons at Texas Tech, Webb threw for 5,557 yards and 46 scores. With Webb entrenched under center, the biggest question mark on offense for Dykes shifts to the revamped receiving corps.
20. Brett Rypien, Boise State
Rypien is one of college football’s top rising stars at quarterback and is due for a huge season in 2016. Rypien was pressed into the starting job last year after Ryan Finley suffered a season-ending ankle in mid-September. Rypien played in 11 games and threw for 3,350 yards and 20 scores.
19. Quinton Flowers, USF
Willie Taggart’s decision to implement the “Gulf Coast Offense” last offseason helped to jumpstart USF's program back on track. Flowers proved to be the perfect triggerman for Taggart, emerging as one of the top Group of 5 quarterbacks last fall by averaging 252.4 total yards per game and accounting for 34 overall scores.
18. Nick Mullens, Southern Miss
Todd Monken’s late departure to the NFL was a setback for Southern Miss, but with Mullens back for his senior season, the Golden Eagles are still one of the favorites to win Conference USA in 2016. Mullens was thrown into the fire as a true freshman in 2013 and has developed into one of the nation’s top Group of 5 quarterbacks. In 14 games last season, Mullens threw for 4,476 yards and 38 touchdowns (both marks set new school records).
17. C.J. Beathard, Iowa
Beathard’s emergence was a big reason why Iowa won the Big Ten’s West Division and nearly earned a spot in the College Football Playoff in 2015. In 14 appearances last year, Beathard threw for 2,809 yards and 17 scores and added 237 yards and six touchdowns on the ground. With Beathard at the helm, the Hawkeyes increased their plays of 40 yards or more from 12 in 2014 to 17 last fall. Beathard battled injuries last year but never missed a start and ranked third among Big Ten quarterbacks with a 61.6 completion percentage.
Related: Ranking All 128 College Football Teams for 2016
16. Taysom Hill, BYU
BYU’s quarterback situation was one of the nation’s most intriguing position battles this fall. Tanner Mangum replaced Taysom Hill after he was lost to a season-ending foot injury in the opener against Nebraska and threw for 3,377 yards and 23 scores last year. Mangum and Hill were locked into a tight battle this fall, with Hill eventually winning the starting nod. Prior to his injury last season, Hill was regarded as one of the nation’s top quarterbacks. The senior has accounted for 4,606 passing yards and 31 touchdown tosses and rushed for 2,210 yards and 24 scores since 2012.
Related: College Football's Top 50 Linebacker Units for 2016
15. Lamar Jackson, Louisville
The combination of Bobby Petrino’s offense and Jackson’s dynamic playmaking ability is going to provide plenty of headaches for the ACC in 2016 and beyond. Jackson showcased his potential and raw talent as a true freshman last season, throwing for 1,840 yards and 12 scores and adding 960 yards and 11 touchdowns on the ground. Jackson’s emergence as the starting quarterback helped Louisville finish 2015 by winning six out of its final seven games. Now that Petrino has a full offseason to build around Jackson’s ability, expect the sophomore to have a breakout year and challenge for All-ACC honors.
14. Jake Browning, Washington
The continued development of Browning is a big reason why Washington is poised to challenge for the Pac-12 title in 2016. Browning showed flashes of promise and plenty of potential in 12 starts as a true freshman last season. He completed 63.1 percent of his passes for 2,955 yards and 16 scores and guided the Huskies to wins in four out of their last six games. Expect Browning to be one of the nation’s top breakout quarterbacks this season.
13. DeShone Kizer, Notre Dame
Pencil in Kizer or Malik Zaire at this spot. Coach Brian Kelly has already indicated both quarterbacks will play in the opener against Texas and the two-quarterback system could extend deep into the season. Kizer replaced Zaire after he was lost for the year in Week 2 last season and threw for 2,880 yards and 21 scores. While Kizer isn’t as dynamic on the ground as Zaire, he still rushed for 520 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Related: College Football Bowl Projections for 2016
12. Seth Russell, Baylor
Russell’s 2015 season was cut short by a neck injury in late October. But prior to the injury, Russell was one of the nation’s best quarterbacks, throwing for 2,104 yards and 29 scores in seven appearances. Russell is back to full strength and will participate in fall practice. His return is a huge boost for coordinator Kendal Briles and new coach Jim Grobe.
11. Mason Rudolph, Oklahoma State
Considering the uncertainty surrounding Baylor’s offense after the firing of coach Art Briles, let's give Rudolph a slight edge over Baylor's Seth Russell for the No. 3 spot. Rudolph struggled with a foot injury late in the 2015 campaign but still threw for 3,770 yards and 21 scores last season. With J.W. Walsh out of eligibility, Rudolph is poised for his best all-around year in Stillwater.
10. Joshua Dobbs, Tennessee
The development of the passing game could be the missing piece in Tennessee’s quest to win the SEC and earn a spot in the College Football Playoff. Dobbs is clearly the No. 2 quarterback in the SEC and will be looking to take the next step as a passer in 2016. Dobbs led all SEC quarterbacks by rushing for 671 yards and 11 scores. And in 13 games last season, Dobbs threw for 2,291 yards and 15 scores. Dobbs connected on just three plays of 40 yards or more and averaged only 6.7 yards per attempt. However, Dobbs will have more help on his side with an improved group of receivers, allowing the senior to connect on more big plays in the passing game in 2016.
Related: Ranking All 128 Coaches for 2016
9. Brad Kaaya, Miami
Kaaya is already one of the ACC’s top quarterbacks, but new coach Mark Richt should help the junior take the next step in his development this fall. After throwing for 3,198 yards and 26 scores as a true freshman in 2014, Kaaya had a solid sophomore campaign, ending the 2015 season with 3,328 passing yards and 16 touchdowns. Kaaya missed one game due to a concussion but increased his completion percentage to 61.2 percent and ranked second among ACC passers with 28 passes of 30 yards or more.
8. Luke Falk, Washington State
It’s a close call between Luke Falk and UCLA’s Josh Rosen as the Pac-12’s top returning quarterback for 2016. Do you go with overall production or pure talent? It’s a coin flip, but we give a slight edge to Rosen. Falk threw for 4,561 yards and 38 scores in his first full season as Washington State’s starter and was a big reason why the Cougars improved their win total by six games from 2014. With one of the nation’s best receiving corps at his disposal, Falk is primed for another monster season under coach Mike Leach.
7. Josh Rosen, UCLA
As mentioned under Luke Falk, it’s a coin flip on the top Pac-12 quarterback for this season. However, we lean slightly with overall talent and give Rosen the No. 1 spot among Pac-12 passers. Rosen started all 13 games as a true freshman last fall and threw for 3,669 yards and 23 scores. Additionally, Rosen completed 60 percent of his passes and ranked fifth among Pac-12 quarterbacks with 22 plays of 30 yards or more. There’s no question Rosen can only get better as a sophomore and should benefit from UCLA shifting to more pro-style looks in its offensive scheme.
Related: Ranking College Football's Top 50 Defensive Lines for 2016
6. Patrick Mahomes, Texas Tech
Mahomes guided Texas Tech’s high-powered offense to an average of 45.1 points a game in 2015. In 13 games, Mahomes passed for 4,653 yards and 36 scores and rushed for 456 yards and 10 touchdowns. But here’s the scary thought for defensive coordinators in the Big 12: 2015 was just his first year as the full-time starter. Mahomes should be even more dangerous (and productive) for coach Kliff Kingsbury in 2016.
Podcast: QB Extravaganza
Subscribe: iTunes | Stitcher
5. Chad Kelly, Ole Miss
Kelly delivered a standout season in his debut at Ole Miss and is easily the SEC’s top returning quarterback for 2016. In 13 starts, Kelly threw for 4,042 yards and 31 scores and rushed for 500 yards and 10 touchdowns. Kelly’s 65.1 completion percentage ranked fourth among SEC passers, while his 8.8 yards per attempt ranked second behind Arkansas’ Brandon Allen. Additionally, Kelly connected on 25 passes of 30 yards or more – the most in the SEC. Even though receiver Laquon Treadwell will be missed, Kelly should push for All-America honors this fall.
4. Greg Ward, Houston
The combination of coach Tom Herman and Greg Ward guided the Cougars to a 13-1 record last season. High expectations surround this duo once again, as Herman has molded Ward into one of the nation’s top quarterbacks and a dark horse Heisman candidate for 2016. Ward averaged 281.1 total yards per game last season and scored 38 overall touchdowns.
Related: College Football's Top 25 Coaches on the Rise for 2016
3. J.T. Barrett, Ohio State
After splitting time with Cardale Jones in 2015, Barrett is back as the clear No. 1 quarterback for the Buckeyes. And now that Barrett is a full year removed from the leg injury that ended his 2014 campaign early, the junior is poised to emerge as one of the nation’s top quarterbacks once again. As a redshirt freshman in 2014, Barrett accounted for 3,772 yards and 45 overall scores and finished fifth in the Heisman voting.
2. Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma
The combination of Mayfield and coordinator Lincoln Riley helped to spark Oklahoma’s offense last season, guiding the Sooners to the Big 12 title and a berth in the College Football Playoff. Mayfield earned Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year honors after throwing for 3,700 yards and 36 scores and running for 405 yards and seven touchdowns in 2015. Mayfield is the catalyst for the dynamic Sooner offense and is one of the favorites to win the Heisman Trophy in 2016.
1. Deshaun Watson, Clemson
Watson set the bar high in his first full season as the starter. However, the junior is capable of elevating his game just a notch higher in 2016. That won’t be easy for a quarterback that accounted for 5,209 total yards and 47 overall scores, but Watson is capable of inching those numbers even higher with one of the nation’s top receiving corps in place, and the junior could lower his interceptions (13) just a bit. Of course, that’s just being picky for a quarterback that finished third in the Heisman voting in his first year as the starter. Watson should be the frontrunner to claim college football’s top honor and is easily the No. 1 overall player returning for the 2016 season. |
TVF CEO Arunabh Kumar arrested on sexual harassment charges; released on Rs 10,000 bail
TVF CEO and founder Arunabh Kumar was arrested by the Mumbai Police on Saturday (22 April 2017) and released later the same day.
Kumar has been at the centre of a sexual harassment row, ever since an anonymous blogger claiming to be a former TVF staffer put up a post on Medium, detailing allegations of sexual misconduct on the part of the company's CEO. The blogger, who used the moniker Indian Fowler (taking off from Susan Fowler, who wrote the viral blog post about the toxic work culture at Uber), wrote that Kumar had behaved inappropriately with her on several occasions — and while her post was later deleted, it triggered similar claims from several other women; two of whom have gone on to file police complaints against the TVF honcho.
On 17 April 2017, Firstpost had reported that Arunabh Kumar secured anticipatory bail from the Dindoshi Sessions Court. At the same time, it was also reported that Kumar had been summoned by the police at least eight times for interrogation.
Mumbai Mirror reported that on 22 April, Arunabh was called in for questioning by the police. He was then arrested by the police, before being immediately released after posting Rs 10,000 in bail. “He was arrested and let out on bail. Investigations are on. We will be filing the chargesheet soon,” Mirror quoted DCP Vinayak Deshmukh of Zone X as saying.
Meanwhile, TVF's creative director and star of the series Bisht Please Nidhi Bisht sent out a letter to the 200 employees of the firm, decrying the allegations against Arunabh Kumar.
Stating that the harassment claim originated from a 'fake, anonymous' source, she wrote: "Did anyone bother to ask us, the real women at TVF, what we believe, having breathed the (company's) culture day in and day out?"
Kumar himself has denied the accusations of wrongdoing.
After securing anticipatory bail, Kumar had issued a statement to the police in which he alleged that the harassment claims were a conspiracy against him. "I have strong feeling that someone is trying to hamper my business by doing all of this," Kumar said.
Updated Date: Apr 25, 2017 10:22:53 IST |
Seven in 10 Americans have an unfavorable impression of the financial institutions on Wall Street, a point of resonance with the protesters camped out in Lower Manhattan and elsewhere. But while that sentiment is broadly shared, its intensity rests heavily on political partisanship.
Groups such as Democrats and liberals express the most negative views of Wall Street in this ABC News/Washington Post poll. Conservatives and Republicans are less apt to slam the brokers and bankers, and more likely to direct their ire at the federal government.
Given this partisan and ideological cast, the results make the Occupy Wall Street movement look like an expression, on the left, of the same kind of frustration voiced by the Tea Party movement, on the right.
Overall, this poll, produced for ABC News by Langer Research Associates, finds that 70 percent of Americans see Wall Street unfavorably, and essentially as many, 68 percent, hold an unfavorable opinion of the government in Washington. Negative views of Wall Street soar to 84 percent among liberal Democrats, versus 59 percent among conservative Republicans. Negative views of the government in Washington, meanwhile, reach 89 percent among conservative Republicans, versus 57 percent among liberal Democrats.
Sharp differences also appear in intensity of sentiment, an important measure because people with strong views can be more motivated to act on them. Fifty-six percent of liberal Democrats have a “strongly” negative opinion of Wall Street, as opposed to 32 percent of conservative Republicans. By contrast, 69 percent of conservative Republicans have a strongly negative view of the federal government, compared with 32 percent of liberal Democrats.
Partisanship isn’t the only factor in views of Wall Street. It’s rated more negatively by better-off Americans, and more strongly negatively by those approaching retirement age, two groups that may have been particularly exposed to the market’s troubles.
Among Americans age 50 to 64, 55 percent have a strongly unfavorable view of Wall Street institutions, markedly higher than among other age groups. (Indeed, Wall Street’s unfavorable ratings actually ease off among young adults.) And overall negative views rise from 66 percent in less-than $50,000 households to 78 percent among those who are better off.
ET TU, MEDIA? – A third group tested in this survey does better – or less worse – in comparison: 53 percent of Americans have an unfavorable opinion of the national news media. While no bunch of roses, that’s significantly better than either the feds or Wall Street.
But the media, too, engender political and ideological divisions. They’re rated unfavorably by 69 percent of Republicans and 76 percent of conservative Republicans. That declines to 45 percent of Democrats, and similar numbers of liberals and moderates alike. |
The much-respected Des Moines Register poll was published on Saturday night and shows Mitt Romney in the lead in the Iowa caucuses, with 24 percent of the vote to 22 percent for Representative Ron Paul of Texas and 15 percent for Rick Santorum.
However, as The Des Moines Register’s Jennifer Jacobs noted, there is a “twist” in the survey. Over the final two days of polling on Thursday and Friday, Mr. Santorum got 21 percent of the vote, much better than he polled on Tuesday or Wednesday. Mr. Paul, meanwhile, dropped to 18 percent in the final two days of the survey, while Mr. Romney’s standing remained intact at 24 percent.
Because voter preferences in a primary or caucus can be fickle and can change on a near-daily basis, there is a premium in accounting for the most recent information. Thus, we have entered The Des Moines Register’s poll, which sampled 602 likely voters, as two separate surveys for purposes of our forecasts: treating it as equivalent to a 300-person survey conducted on Tuesday and Wednesday and another 302-person poll conducted on Thursday and Friday. The more recent Thursday and Friday interviews thus receive more weight in our forecasts.
Still, our numbers remain very close to what they were yesterday, as our model had already detected a lead for Mr. Romney and favorable momentum for Mr. Santorum. The model estimates that Mr. Romney has a 63 percent chance of winning the caucuses on Tuesday, Mr. Paul a 21 percent chance, and Mr. Santorum a 12 percent chance.
There is a 5 percent chance of a dark-horse winner — Newt Gingrich, Gov. Rick Perry of Texas or Representative Michele Bachmann of Minnesota. None appears to have favorable momentum in the surveys, but upsets are possible in primaries and caucuses, especially in the first few voting states when voter preferences can be volatile.
Some information in The Des Moines Register’s poll, like the standing for lower-tier candidates such as Jon M. Huntsman Jr., was not included with the initial release of data on Saturday night and will instead be published in the print edition of the newspaper on Sunday. Our forecasts are based upon the information that the newspaper had made publicly available as of Saturday night and they will be updated as these additional details are disclosed.
The Des Moines Register Iowa Poll, run by J. Ann Selzer, is one of the very best surveys in the country. It abides by industry best practices and takes a sample that includes cellphone-only households.
Ms. Selzer is confident enough to let her data speak for itself rather than putting her finger on the scale. On this date in 2007, The Des Moines Register poll showed Barack Obama with a solid lead over Hillary Rodham Clinton and John Edwards, contradicting most other surveys that showed a roughly tied race. But Mr. Obama prevailed in the Democratic caucuses by about the margin the poll projected. No pollster should be judged on the basis of any one election, but Ms. Selzer’s polls have a very good track record over the longer-term as well.
Still, it should be remembered that polls aren’t magic. In fact, there are fundamental constraints on how accurate any poll might be. One of these constraints is imposed by sampling error: somewhere between 100,000 and 150,000 Iowans are likely to attend the Republican caucuses on Tuesday, but a typical poll might survey 400 or 600 or 800 of them.
Another source of error is that polls are conducted some amount of time in advance of the actual voting. This is not always a huge deal in general elections, when voter preferences are locked in early. But in primaries and caucuses — when a great number of voters decide upon a candidate or change their mind at the last moment — taking voters’ temperature even 24 or 48 hours in advance of an election can sometimes miss last-minute shifts in momentum.
Meanwhile, relatively few Iowans turn out for the caucuses and the pollsters can at best make some educated guesses about who will and who won’t.
Even the very best polls, like The Des Moines Register’s, cannot avoid these types of mistakes, so their results should always be interpreted with caution rather than an expectation of perfection. Nevertheless, Mr. Romney and Mr. Santorum should be having an especially happy New Year’s Eve. |
Sen. Lindsey Graham questioned whether former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn was directed to talk about the United States' sanctions on Russia by someone on Trump's transition team, Talking Points Memo reported.
"I want to know, did Gen. Flynn do this by himself or was he directed by somebody to do it?" Graham told CNN's Kate Bolduan on "At This Hour."
Flynn resigned late Monday from his position, a few days after The Washington Post reported he had misled Vice President Mike Pence about his conversation with the Russian ambassador. Pence publicly claimed Flynn had not spoken about the sanctions, which were issued by Barack Obama after intelligence agencies found evidence Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election.
Flynn, in a statement, said he had given "incomplete information" and he had spoken about the sanctions with Sergey I. Kislyak in late December.
Graham, who served in Afghanistan with Flynn, said he had "a hard time" believing Flynn would "get on the phone with an ambassador and say, don't worry, we'll revisit this when we get to the president in terms of executive sanctions, without some understanding that the administration would be sympathetic to the idea."
"I may be wrong. Maybe he did this in a rogue fashion. Maybe Gen. Flynn went rogue, but that's . . . I don't know. He's a pretty strong-willed fellow," Graham continued.
"But I think most Americans have a right to know whether this was a Gen. Flynn rogue maneuver or was he basically speaking for somebody else in the White House?" |
Update 9/8/14 – Many of you thought this was a fake, but the supposed owner just commented and apparently our little discussion got him motivated enough to pull it out and get it running again! He also claims that it does in fact have a CSX COX number…
From 8/10/14 – Submitted by David Meyer – Nestled away in a rural back garden just 40 or so miles away from central London UK, I’ve found treasure! Yes, it’s aluminum. Yes, it has a FE engine. And yes, it has a CSX chassis number and registration. Does this qualify as a barn find?
I ran across the car by accident. I went to buy a couple of Lucas SQ8 fog lamps. I got to talking to the guy and that’s it. All I know is that he’s an old retired Ford Design Engineer and that he’s had the car for years. He keeps it in an old shed, but pulled it out just to show me. I noticed it has an FE big block with a T10. The guy said it has inboard rear disc brakes and that AC only made a few like that. It’s got a locker, standard AC wires, and Prince of Darkness (Lucas) electrics. I don’t think its ever been restored and looks complete but very tatty. Unfortunately, I don’t think it’s for sale…
Thanks for sharing this with us David! Looks like it has lived a very interesting life. So what do you guys say, does it qualify? |
Switzerland's nationalist-conservative Swiss People's Party (SVP) contributed to the country’s growing political turmoil Thursday, Dec.13 by splitting into two and leaving the government for opposition after controversial SVP politician Christoph Blocher was denied re-election to the cabinet.
Blocher was ignored by both chambers of parliament in favor of his more moderate colleague Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf in the cabinet vote on Wednesday while Defense Minister Samuel Schmid, also of the SVP, was likewise retained in the new Swiss Federal Council.
The nominations prompted the right wing faction of the SVP to split off in protest, rejecting the appointment of the two moderates and officially declaring its opposition.
The right-wing faction of the SVP was led by the outspoken Blocher, who has spearheaded the SVP's isolationist and anti-foreigner stance. The party as a whole won 29 percent of the vote in the October general election.
The SVP had campaigned in October on an anti-foreigner ticket illustrated by the now infamous poster of white sheep kicking out a black sheep. It promised a harder line on policies such as cooperation with Europe and on defense on which they had been silenced up till now due membership in the cabinet.
Blocher goes out fighting
Blocher was voted out of his post
Blocher made a bitter speech to parliament on Thursday, claiming that he had been deceived and that he did not understand the reasons behind the decision against him. "You will have to make do with a government where only three parties are represented plus two ministers without a party," he said.
"The deception is not that you have chosen someone else for the government but the way in which you have done it," Blocher said, and added that had no aim to quit politics as some may have hoped.
After the chambers of parliament voted for her, it was not immediately clear if Widmer-Schlumpf would take the post due to extreme pressure from the right-wing faction of the SVP to reject the seat after Wednesday’s decision against Blocher. Finally, early Thursday, she accepted stressing the "importance of tolerance." The SVP announcement followed soon after.
Nationalists taste the lash of intolerance
Widmer-Schlumpf stressed the need for tolerance
SVP president Casper Baader said during his announcement of the split that while Widmer-Schlumpf had been an SVP member for 30 years, she had views which differed widely from the party's. He also accused parliament of ignoring the wishes of voters.
His displeasure was echoed by SVP member Hans Fehr who told Swiss Radio: "We have said from the start if our two cabinet members were not re-elected we would put ourselves in opposition and that is what we have done. From now on, Samuel Schmidt and Madame Widmer-Schlumpf are no longer members of this faction and thus are no longer our representatives."
A country divided
The elections prompted unparalleled scenes of unrest
The developments have thrown Swiss politics into new turmoil. Some claimed the cabinet elections were a victory for the left, namely the Socialists and the Greens, who had conspired to remove Blocher.
Others in the SVP itself defended the party's two ministers who they insisted had been elected as party members by the voters in their cantons and could not be ostracized.
Meanwhile some 1,500 people demonstrated outside parliament in Berne to celebrate Blocher's forced ouster from the cabinet. |
A congratulatory video about shipbuilding in the Halifax harbour posted online by the Conservatives has some viewers doing double takes.
The video was posted to Conservative Leader Stephen Harper's Facebook page on Tuesday to celebrate the start of construction on the lead vessel of the Royal Canadian Navy's new Arctic offshore patrol ships. It kicks off Irving Shipbuilding's 25-year contract to build new patrol vessels and warships in Halifax.
Harper spends all of the 36-second video touting the city's shipbuilding efforts while standing in front of a body of water and a large suspension bridge in what first appears to be Halifax. The video cuts to a grain elevator and flora (both common sights in Halifax's harbour), while Harper battles to speak over a windswept mic.
However, astute viewers realized it's not the Halifax harbour at all, but rather another, similar looking body of water and suspension bridge.
The similarity was first pointed out on Twitter.
Stephen Harper congratulates the ship building contract starting in Halifax.... but this isn't Halifax? <a href="https://t.co/U0Lgv5b72U">https://t.co/U0Lgv5b72U</a> —@Allisomething
The backdrop in the video looks like it could be Halifax's A. Murray MacKay Bridge (or the New Bridge as its known locally), with the Bedford Basin in the background.
Working off this, Twitter users tried to determine precisely where Harper was standing in the Halifax harbour when the video was filmed.
Like am I losing my mind? Is it possible maybe the McKay looks like that from a different angle? But how? It'd have to be the Basin... —@Allisomething
<a href="https://twitter.com/Allisomething">@Allisomething</a> He's standing to the north of the new bridge, on the dartmouth side, I think. It took me a lot longer than it should of. —@IneffectiveMath
<a href="https://twitter.com/Allisomething">@Allisomething</a> Maybe? Looking toward the bridge? <a href="http://t.co/DTWBFQAjUQ">pic.twitter.com/DTWBFQAjUQ</a> —@joelkelly
But they quickly noticed some inconsistencies with the Halifax shoreline – and that led to an online manhunt for the mystery bridge.
<a href="https://twitter.com/Scott_HFX">@Scott_HFX</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Bobby_OK">@Bobby_OK</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Tim_Bousquet">@Tim_Bousquet</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Nicki_Doyle">@Nicki_Doyle</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Allisomething">@Allisomething</a> It's not it. There's no blue building near it <a href="http://t.co/34ie9h9fjf">pic.twitter.com/34ie9h9fjf</a> —@halflockofoppo
<a href="https://twitter.com/Tim_Bousquet">@Tim_Bousquet</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Nicki_Doyle">@Nicki_Doyle</a> Still trying to figure out the location of Not-Halifax. —@Scott_HFX
<a href="https://twitter.com/Tim_Bousquet">@tim_bousquet</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Scott_HFX">@Scott_HFX</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Nicki_Doyle">@Nicki_Doyle</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Allisomething">@Allisomething</a> It looks an awful lot like the bridge to Ile d'Orleans in Quebec City. —@Bobby_OK
Turns out the real bridge is actually the Ogdensburg-Prescott International Bridge on the American border in Johnstown, Ont.
The bridge is about 90 kilometres outside of Ottawa and spans the St. Lawrence River between Johnstown and Ogdensburg, N.Y. A spokesperson with the Port of Johnstown identified the bridge in the video as theirs — recognizing it by the grain elevator.
There are some similarities between Halifax's MacKay bridge and the Ogdensburg-Prescott bridge in Johnstown. Both are suspension bridges and share a distinct green colour. The Port of Johnston grain elevator that is featured in the video could be mistaken for the grain towers in the Port of Halifax.
The bridge's identity was further verified by a few locals.
<a href="https://twitter.com/glen_mcgregor">@glen_mcgregor</a> Cough - as a proud Prescott resident, I can tell you it is the Prescott-Ogdensburg Bridge. —@brucejameshayes
After the revelation was made on Twitter, the complete findings were gathered in Halifax's Chronicle Herald newspaper.
This is the Ogdensburg-Prescott Bridge in Johnstown, ON. Winner winner chicken dinner? <a href="http://t.co/hxT5xOFRBC">pic.twitter.com/hxT5xOFRBC</a> —@notandrea
Conservatives say it was never meant to be Halifax.
In the video, Harper does not identify where the video is set and the description on Facebook makes no mention of location. Cory Hann, a spokesperson for the Conservative Party, said the video was never meant to be misleading. He said Harper filmed the congratulatory video for the Maritimes while out on the campaign trail.
"It was never said to be Halifax, it was never inferred to be Halifax and it was never meant to be assumed to be Halifax," Hann told CBC News in a statement.
"Given the [Ogdensburg-Prescott bridge] was featured prominently in the video, it's clear it was not Halifax."
Of course, that didn't stop people from poking fun.
"Oh I'm sure no one in Nova Scotia will realize this is neither the McKay nor the MacDonald bridge, which they see literally every day" —@anne_theriault
head + desk = slam <a href="http://t.co/Nh3DWDnSdf">http://t.co/Nh3DWDnSdf</a> —@Ginger_Polo
CPC staffer: don't you think people will know it's not Halifax? Harper: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ <a href="https://t.co/3N62T0fM82">https://t.co/3N62T0fM82</a> —@elbrwn
It even led people to mockingly create their own interpretations of the video.
<a href="https://twitter.com/notandrea">@notandrea</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/haligonia">@haligonia</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/CBCNS">@CBCNS</a> Don't worry Mr. Harper, I've got your back <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Halifax?src=hash">#Halifax</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CloseEnough?src=hash">#CloseEnough</a> <a href="http://t.co/csfi3GLgbR">pic.twitter.com/csfi3GLgbR</a> —@thejimpster
ICYMI: <a href="https://twitter.com/pmharper">@PMHarper</a> tries to pass off a bridge in ON as one of Halifax's iconic bridges (<a href="http://t.co/WYML9SlwTw">http://t.co/WYML9SlwTw</a>) <a href="http://t.co/CU9ZBvgZhL">pic.twitter.com/CU9ZBvgZhL</a> —@cganders
After a busy day in "Halifax", Stephen Harper gives a 1 on 1 interview with Brian Williams..I think from Moncton. <a href="http://t.co/bLIQQI3vYT">pic.twitter.com/bLIQQI3vYT</a> —@thejimpster |
Customers at the Starbucks coffee shop on Lincoln Way were in for a surprise Wednesday morning.
Customers at the Starbucks coffee shop on Lincoln Way were in for a surprise Wednesday morning.
Beginning at 7:45 a.m., a pay-it-forward chain began in the store’s drive-thru and lasted for another three hours. By the end, a total of 196 customers had participated in the chain.
A pay-it-forward chain begins when one customer pays for their order, as well as the order of the person behind them. The chain continues when each customer pays for the following order. Wednesday’s chain only ended when the last customer had no one behind them.
Earlier in the morning, Ames resident Tom Haggas stopped at the shop for a non-fat vanilla macchiato and became No. 29 in the chain.
Haggas said Wednesday’s event was the fourth time he had seen the chain happen at the store in recent weeks. Haggas said he couldn’t break the chain, and the ongoing event shows the generosity the Ames community has to offer.
"It just makes me happy for Ames," he said. "We’re a very generous community and even something like that, where you don’t even know anybody else in it, it’s kind of cool to be a part of that."
Marcie Wilson, an Ames resident, was No. 146 in the chain and said she had participated in similar acts in the past.
While Wilson said she had started pay-it-forwards before, this was her first time continuing someone else’s.
As she went through the line Wednesday morning, purchasing two skinny caramel lattes for Gilbert preschool teachers, Wilson said the chain was "an amazing feeling" to start her day.
"Something like this shows generosity and genuine caring," she said. "It’s been a long, chilly, rainy streak here, and I guess we all just felt a bit of kindness and understanding." |
Claim: Image shows an AT&T telephone bill with a “Lawful Interception Recovery Fee” to cover government wiretaps.
FALSE
Example: [Collected via e-mail, August 2013]
Are We Paying a Tax to Fund the NSA Spying on Americans? Are We Paying a Tax to Fund the NSA Spying on Americans? I was looking at my bill and didn’t know what this lawful interception charge was … I googled it … WIRE TAPPING!!! I called and they said it was a new fee for the vost incurred by the government. I don’t have anything to hide so if they wanna tap my phone go ahead … but why should I have to pay for it??!!! This is ridiculous, please share this so we can get the word out there. Oh, and check your phone bills people!!
Origins: This image was circulated in the first week of August 2013 as a supposed picture of an AT&T phone bill which includes a $0.23 surcharge for a “Lawful Interception Recovery Fee,” supposedly to cover the costs of government wiretapping or monitoring public phone conversations.
The image looks to be one fabricated by manipulating a picture of an older AT&T bill, leaving curiosities such as the surcharges listed on the bill not lining up with their descriptions (there are six charges but only five line items, leaving a $0.61 charge with no explanation)
and the total shown at the bottom not equaling the sum of the individual charges. (The ITSAP surcharge suggests the original bill was for a customer in Idaho, as ITSAP is an abbreviation for the Idaho Telecommunications Service Assistance Program.)
Additionally, one has to wonder why this is the only example on all of the Internet showing an AT&T bill (or any other phone bill) with such a surcharge added on. If “Lawful Interception Recovery Fees” were now commonly being imposed on phone customers and provoking the level of astonishment and outrage seemingly prompted by this example, the Internet should be awash in images of bills from multiple phone customers showing the same thing.
To settle the matter, we contacted AT&T to inquire about this issue directly, and a customer service representative told us that the company does not (and never has) included any such surcharge in customer bills. |
No Utah football player has traveled a rockier road in recent months than Dominique Hatfield. The 5-foot-10, 175-pound junior endured a personal hell through much of the offseason, but now the door is open again for him to retake his place as a defensive leader and playmaker for the Utes.
The door also is wide open for Utah's defense to become even more imposing now that Hatfield's talents are once again available to use.
Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham announced on Monday that Hatfield had been reinstated to the team after being dismissed in July following his arrest on suspicion of aggravated robbery. Hatfield was charged with aggravated robbery after a man alleged that the Utah defensive back stole money from him at knife point outside a convenience store where the victim allegedly set up a meeting with him to buy an Xbox.
All charges were dropped at the end of July when video surveillance footage from the convenience store showed that Hatfield was not involved in the robbery. An unrelated misdemeanor assault charge is still pending with the Salt Lake City Police Department, but the university cleared Hatfield and let him return to school. Whittingham believed his cornerback also deserved to rejoin the football team.
“I just felt he had served enough of a punishment,” Whittingham said. “As things are turning out, it was our belief, he was deserving to be reinstated back on the football team.”
What will Hatfield's return do for Utah's secondary? Simply put, he is a player that instantly makes that unit much more dangerous.
Hatfield made a switch from receiver to cornerback a year ago and enjoyed a breakout season. He started 10 games, recording 38 tackles with an interception and nine pass breakups. By season's end Hatfield had emerged as an excellent cover corner and the Utes anticipated bringing him back as a key building block for the secondary this fall.
Now Hatfield will get a second chance to make an impact. Whittingham said he will play as soon as he is in game shape. His experience will definitely help strengthen a pass defense that yielded 279 yards to Michigan last week – even while forcing three interceptions.
Utah can't afford to let any team pile up yardage through the air since the Utes will see plenty of pass-happy offenses once Pac-12 play begins. Hatfield's presence will help keep those offenses honest.
His teammates are eager to see exactly what Hatfield can do to build on what he did as a sophomore.
“Everybody is excited for him to come back,” senior defensive end Jason Fanaika said. “He's obviously a playmaker. You saw that last year. Having him out there on the island, I definitely trust him. We're excited to see him and how well he does.”
— Written by John Coon,who is part of the Athlon Contributor Network. Coon has more than a decade of experience covering sports for different publications and outlets, including The Associated Press, Salt Lake Tribune, ESPN, Deseret News, MaxPreps, Yahoo! Sports and many others. Follow him on Twitter @johncoonsports. |
AP Photo/Orlin Wagner Representative Ray Merrick, speaker of the Kansas House of Representatives, which passed a broad bill allowing discrimination against gays and lesbians last week.
Count it as yet another thing wrong with Kansas, where schools teach kids Adam and Eve rode the dinosaurs and it's safer to be a gang member than an abortion provider. Last week, lawmakers in the state's Republican-controlled House of Representatives set off outrage across the country by passing a law that would not only make it legal for private businesses to discriminate against gays, lesbians, and transgender people; it would also permit state employees—long obliged by our legal tradition to serve all customers on equal terms—to deny LGBT people basic services as long as they are motivated by "sincerely held religious beliefs." Narrow exemptions for religious and religiously-affiliated institutions have increasingly become a standard part of gay-marriage bills as more and more states begin to enact equal marriage legislatively instead of in response to a court ruling. But the Kansas law goes far beyond such targeted exemptions by sanctioning anti-gay discrimination in nearly every arena of public life. Get in a car accident? You'd better hope the triage nurse at the public hospital's not a Rush Limbaugh fan.
What makes Kansas House Bill 2453 especially vicious is that it's already legal to discriminate against gay people in Kansas, where gay marriage has been banned by constitutional amendment since 2006. Unlike states like New York or California, which outlaw discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation in employment and "public accommodations," gays and lesbians in Kansas have no similar laws making it illegal to kick someone who is gay or lesbian out of a restaurant on Valentine's Day, refuse to rent them an apartment, or fire them from a job on account of their sexual orientation. "This is new in that the Kansas law aims to create exemptions to protections that don't even exist yet," says Jenny Pizer, law and policy director at Lambda Legal, a gay civil-rights group, and a member of the legal team that successfully challenged California's gay-marriage ban. "It's the exemption before the rule is even on the books." Despite claims from supporters that the bill safeguards "religious liberty," Kansas Republicans' attempt to strip rights from a minority group that has none can only be interpreted as a mean-spirited attack motivated by prejudice. As the Daily Beast's Jamelle Bouie writes, it's the equivalent of Jim Crow.
Thankfully, it looks like the Kansas bill is going nowhere. Responding to the avalanche of news stories sounding the alarm among gay-rights supporters, the president of the Republican-controlled state Senate assured the bill would not pass the chamber in its current form. "Public service needs to remain public service for the entire public," she said in a statement. Kansas's anti-gay discrimination bill was a clear case of conservative overreach. Kansas's anti-gay discrimination bill was a clear case of conservative overreach, says Douglas Laycock, a law professor at the University of Virginia who has advised state legislatures on crafting religious exemptions to gay-rights legislation—one that could make it harder for religious conservatives to secure more narrow exemptions in the future. "It plays into stereotype from [gay-marriage supporters] that there's no difference between religious faith and plain old-fashioned bigotry."
Kansas's anti-gay discrimination law is just the beginning. As I argued back in November, seeing defeat on the horizon in the gay-marriage wars, social conservatives have shifted gears. Instead of trying to stop the tide of social change, they are seeking to exempt themselves from it under the banner of "religious liberty." Typically, social conservatives have pushed for exemptions in blue states like New York or Vermont only once the legislature has begun considering gay-rights legislation. But starting with Kansas, followers of the gay-marriage saga should expect to see more and more red states considering such preemptive measures as stand-alone bills.
This strike-first strategy is nearly identical to the one conservatives adopted after Hawaii's state Supreme Court struck down the state's ban on same-sex marriage in 1993. In the wake of that scare, lawmakers there and in 29 other states amended their constitutions to outlaw same-sex marriage. Now, as these bans succumb to history, the right has begun erecting new barriers. "A lot of religious conservatives come back to get exemptions only after they lose, by which time they have zero bargaining leverage," says Laycock, who supports same-sex marriage as well as more narrow exemptions to protect religious conscience. "[The Kansas bill] is an attempt to lock in religious-liberty protections before they become more difficult to enact." With public opinion shifting quickly on gay rights, the window of opportunity for such exemptions is closing fast.
If you look at how quickly the ground has shifted since last summer's Supreme Court decision on DOMA, it's no surprise why legislators in red states are rushing to act.If you look at how quickly the ground has shifted since last summer's Supreme Court ruling striking down Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which precluded the federal government from recognizing same-sex marriages performed in the states, it's no surprise why legislators in red states are rushing to act. Since then, it's been open season on state gay-marriage bans. Within a month of the DOMA decision, lawyers filed lawsuits seeking equal marriage in five states. By the end of the year, nine more states saw their bans challenged in the courts. Since 2014 kicked off, gay-rights legal advocates have sued the state of Florida, Arizona, Missouri, Louisiana, Alabama, and Wisconsin. They aren't just taking their case to the courts; they're winning. The number of states recognizing same-sex marriage has doubled in the last year. It's all part of the "roadmap to victory" outlined by gay-rights group Freedom to Marry, which seeks to get gay marriage in a critical mass of states before going back to the Supreme Court—a benchmark the movement seems to be approaching more quickly than expected. Freedom to Marry founder and President Evan Wolfson says he expects gay-marriage to be back at the high court by 2019.
The idea that the advance of gay rights poses a threat to religious liberty isn't entirely new—or limited to the gay marriage debate. Social conservatives have raised the specter of religious persecution as legislatures consider anti-discrimination legislation covering LGBT people. They've also sought to exempt religious students from anti-bullying legislation and challenged the contraception mandate of the Affordable Care Act on similar grounds. In the public debate over same-sex marriage, some opponents of marriage equality have warned that if gay marriage passes, religious officials will be forced to perform same-sex marriages or hire a gay, lesbian, or transgender employee; the First Amendment clearly precludes such a scenario. Even so, blue-state legislatures have reiterated that same-sex-marriage laws should not be construed in such a way simply to appease social conservatives.
The real area of debate, those on both sides of the issue say, is whether religiously affiliated institutions like schools or churches and for-profit, non-religiously affiliated businesses should be able to turn away gay and lesbian customers. It's the wedding-cake scenario, where an employee at a bakery or a photographer is asked to provide services to a same-sex couple celebrating a wedding. Thus far, efforts to insert what are known as "wedding vendor exceptions" in gay-rights legislation have been unsuccessful. There's an obvious reason for that. "They fail because those are blue states," says William Eskridge, a professor of law at Yale University. "If the state is liberal enough to enact same-sex marriage, it's not going to be willing to protect merchants in this way."
As the Kansas debacle suggests, socially conservative states are inclined to pass more expansive exemptions. But legislators in other red states will likely take a lesson from the debacle and limit their scope; however, they will still be broader than those in, say, liberal Massachusetts. Just how broad depends on how quickly legislators in red states act. With each passing day—and whether or not it's accurate to say all exemptions to gay-rights laws are driven by prejudice—public opinion shifts more and more to seeing "religious liberty" exceptions as a guise for discrimination. "Gay-marriage opponents are trying come up with ways to stall whatever the new norm might be," says Douglas NeJaime, a law professor at the University of California, Irvine who studies sexual orientation law. "But it's really a way to try to make any right to same-sex marriage less meaningful." |
Three more states have reported illnesses linked to the outbreak of Salmonella infection likely caused by raw sushi tuna imported from India, and the total number of confirmed cases has risen to 258, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Wednesday.
The CDC’s previous update (April 26) on the Salmonella Bareilly and Salmonella Nchanga infections tied to the product called tuna scrape listed 200 cases from 21 states and the District of Columbia. California, Nebraska and Tennessee have now reported outbreak-related cases.
The 58 new cases include 13 reported by Pennsylvania, 8 by Illinois and New Jersey, 7 by Virginia, 6 by New York, 4 by Maryland, 3 by Massachusetts, 2 by California and Tennessee, and 1 each by Connecticut, Georgia, Nebraska, North Carolina and Wisconsin.
The number of ill people with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Bareilly reported in each state is: 39 from New York; 27 from Massachusetts; 25 from New Jersey; 24 from Maryland; 23 from Illinois; 20 from Pennsylvania; 16 from Virginia and Wisconsin; 10 from Georgia; 9 from Connecticut; 6 from Rhode Island; 4 from Missouri, North Carolina and Texas; 3 from Louisiana and South Carolina; 2 from Alabama, California, the District of Columbia, Mississippi and Tennessee; and 1 from Arkansas, Florida, Nebraska and Vermont.
Eleven people infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Nchanga have been reported from 5 states: 5 from New York, 2 from Georgia and New Jersey, and 1 from Virginia and Wisconsin.
Onset of the first illness was January 28 and the most recent illness onset date was April 20.
Those sickened range in age from 4 to 86 years, with a median age of 30. Fifty-seven percent of patients are female. At least 32 have been hospitalized.
Salmonella Bareilly with a pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) pattern identical to the outbreak strain was found in two samples of Nakaochi Scrape yellowfin tuna. One of those samples also yielded a PFGE pattern indistinguishable from the cluster of Salmonella Nchanga infections.
Nearly 59,000 lbs. of the frozen yellowfish tuna scrape has been recalled by the distributor, Moon Marine Corp. of Cupertino, CA. Nakaochi Scrape is backbone meat that remains after the fish has been filleted. It is scraped off with a spoon-like device and used fresh or frozen to make sushi, sashimi, ceviche and similar dishes. Many of the people sickened in this outbreak reported eating “spicy tuna” sushi before they became ill.
CDC Outbreak Map |
By Tom Geoghegan
BBC News Online
Get caught with heroin and you face seven years in prison. But not Erin O'Mara, one of 440 addicts in the UK to get a regular fix from an NHS prescription - an arrangement she says has turned her life around. Erin O'Mara is a bright, bubbly magazine editor - hardly the stereotype of someone who injects heroin four times a day. But her habit, now in its 20th year, does not line the pockets of a drug dealer. The 34-year-old gets her fix from her local chemist in west London. This "perfect prescription", as she calls it, began two years ago and rescued her from a life of prostitution, drug dealing and serious illness. The downward spiral began with Erin's first taste of heroin aged 15 while in her native Australia, and has included 10 unsuccessful methadone programmes along the way. To finance her habit, she began working as a masseuse, which led to escort work and then street prostitution. That stopped when she discovered she was HIV positive. But the prescription has transformed her life. As founder of Black Poppy, a magazine by and for drug users, she addresses drug conferences and is being consulted about pilot projects. Sitting in her office, she says: "My prescription has meant I have money now, and choices I can make in my life - simple things like what I want for dinner. I can do things I haven't done for years and can think five years ahead. Before I was just thinking about my next 'hit'." ERIN'S DAILY PRESCRIPTION 4 x 100mg diamorphine (solid) 4 x sterilised water 4 x sterilised needles 4 x swabs pharmaceutically prepared advice leaflet enclosed Each shot supplied by her chemist is just enough to enable Erin to function properly and prevent the onset of withdrawal. She only feels the buzz if she relaxes. The NHS allows only licensed doctors to prescribe diamorphine, the medical name for heroin, to addicts if they have failed to respond to methadone treatment. At present just 0.5% of those in treatment are prescribed heroin, but new pilot projects are expected to increase that number. Supporters of this policy, such as the independent research group DrugScope, say controlled distribution by the state can drastically reduce crime. They also argue that clean heroin like diamorphine is not in itself dangerous, just incredibly addictive. And a pharmaceutical prescription excludes all the risks associated with unsafe injecting and enables the user to gradually be weaned off the drug. Topped up doses Erin believes this approach can save lives. But prescribing heroin is not always the answer, as she herself knows from the first programme she took part in in 1998. HEROIN & THE NHS Prescriptions peaked in 1960s The UK is one of the few countries to allow it Any doctor can prescribe it for medical conditions, but need Home Office licence to treat addiction Home Office says every £1 spent on drug treatment saves £3 in less crime Source: Drugscope
Prescribed heroin 'safe' "The whole set-up was really oppressive and heavy-handed, but the doses were too low so people were using other drugs and too scared to admit it. No-one was happy and no-one was doing well on it. The carrot and stick approach doesn't work because you can't punish users enough to make them stop". One patient, a 45-year-old woman, threw herself off a tower block two days after being penalised by having her prescription withdrawn, Erin says. And with strict attendance requirements and supervised injections, it prevented users from getting full-time employment. Erin claims she was forced off the course after 18 months when she tried to start a support group. She then founded Black Poppy to give a voice to drug users, and address issues missed by treatment programmes. Why did I have to wait until I'd finished selling my young body to men?
After leaving the prescription programme, Erin was put on methadone injections, which she topped up with crack. This period was one of her lowest and her veins began to collapse. When she heard about a vacancy on a pioneering prescription course at the Maudsley Hospital in south London, she cornered the doctor in charge at a drugs conference. "I remember my sense of complete and total desperation. I felt I could not go on any longer, that if they didn't help me, I didn't know where I would be. I felt that this was my last hope, that I'd tried everything. And I begged." Her powers of persuasion paid off and she joined what turned out to be a more flexible programme. She was able, for instance, to spend a few months at her mother's in Colchester and pick up her prescription from a local chemist, so long as she visited the doctor every fortnight. Her immune system strengthened, and two years on she is on a reduced dosage and aims to come off heroin completely. HEROIN IN THE UK 200,000 heroin users 88,000 in treatment , of which 40,000 on methadone Heroin is an opiate which depresses the nervous system It can combat physical and emotional pain Users can feel warm, relaxed and detached Purity of street heroin varies, with a risk of fatal overdosing Unsafe injecting means risk of HIV, hepatitis, abscesses and ulcers Source: DrugScope, NTA As she looks to the future, there is a trace of anger about the years spent on and off treatment programmes. "Why did I have to wait until I'd finished selling my young body to men, until I'd got sick and deeply depressed, until I'd used every vein in my body from my neck to my feet, until I'd contracted both HIV and Hep C?" But she is optimistic that the government has begun to move in the right direction and listen to what drug users want. What do you think of this story? Do you have experience of treatment for heroin? Send your comments on the form below: My sister died of a heroin overdose at 25 because there were no programmes like this. She tried to get off and was left with what the street had to offer because drugs are not regulated. Now a clever beautiful woman is dead, and society, quite apart from my family, is all the poorer. It could have been avoided if we were rational about dealing with drug addiction.
Craig Arnott, UK My sister has chronic asthma, which she's had since a child. She has to pay for her treatment - why can't the NHS fund her condition, instead of a self-inflicted drug habit?
Louise, UK I whole-heartedly support any effort that is being made to help people turn their lives around from the desperation of addiction. Too often people are treated as scum, for mistakes that they made when young and impressionable.
Sophie, UK It is long overdue to help break the criminal cycle attached to drug addiction. This country - and addicts - would be better off if we faced up to helping people rather than vilifying them. I fail to see how Erin's story would encourage people to take up the drug; addicts have a role to play educating the young and the ignorant.
Dave, UK To those who despise drugs and users: why do you want to pay to keep them tortured in prison when they can be working and paying taxes? Reform of heroin laws would be the single most profound move the government could make in reduction of property crime, prostitution, HIV and human suffering.
Richard, Sheffield, UK I was denied this treatment by the NHS, and even basic methadone maintenance, because every area has a different approach. There are few doctors in the private sector willing to prescribe heroin, and to go private the costs are in excess of £60 for a weekly prescription. Where are the other doctors offering this service? There won't be many, as too few want to work with those seen as undesirable patients.
Anon, UK I'm still to be convinced about these programmes, but remain open-minded. However, I take offence about her attitude that she had to sell her body, and that she's angry about the years spent on various courses. She must take some responsibility for her position. I wonder how much the programme costs the NHS (and me)?
Stephen Kerin, UK Stephen asks how much this program will cost him. Well, it's nothing like £60 a week. Heroin is a cheap drug, about as expensive as aspirin, and only costs more if you buy it illegally. Chances are it'll cost the taxpayer much less than Erin will pay in tax - tax she wouldn't pay without this programme. And it probably costs less than the standard prescription charge she pays.
Simon Richardson, UK Having been a long term heroin user for over 15 years, my life was made manageable by being prescribed morphine. It took all the stress out of an already painful problem. And eventually gave me enough time to address the total problem on my terms, rather than my dealer's. I have now been free of drugs for over five years, and could not have done it without a program like this.
James W, US I have watched a friend's lovely, intelligent, 17-year-old descend into the hell of heroin addiction. Her days are spent shop lifting, finding money to pay the dealer. Her family in abject despair, fear for her life & have nothing left for her to steal. A scheme like this one would surely be much more likely to help addicts recover and live without the daily fight for drug money, not to mention reduce the crime that heroin causes.
Wendy, UK What utter tosh! Will we be paying for her beer and fags next!
Gary Clarke, Hong Kong Name
Your e-mail address
Country
Comments
The BBC may edit your comments and not all emails will be published. Your comments may be published on any BBC media worldwide.
Terms & Conditions
E-mail this to a friend Printable version |
Texas’ top environmental regulator suggested Thursday that the state may ignore a proposed directive from the Obama administration in June to reduce carbon emissions from power plants.
“I’m concerned that if this is not contested, if we don’t dispute this, if we don’t win, the implications … are only the camel’s nose under the tent,” Bryan Shaw, chairman of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, said at an event in the Texas Capitol sponsored by the Texas Public Policy Foundation.
The last time Texas refused to follow federal environmental rules, there were unintended consequences that caused a slow-down of the permitting process that prompted the energy industry to cry foul after losing millions of dollars.
About 150 people attended the event Thursday to hear Shaw and two other panelists speak about the proposal from the Obama administration, which could require Texas to reduce its carbon emissions from power plants by close to 200 billion pounds in the next two decades.
The general consensus among both the panelists and the audience was that the state should sue the Environmental Protection Agency over the rules if they are finalized, and should refuse to follow them. Karen Lugo, director of TPPF’s Center for Tenth Amendment Action, said she is working with state lawmakers on legislation affirming that Texas should ignore the rules unless Congress acts on climate change legislation, which it has never done.
The last time Texas regulators refused to implement federal environmental rules, lawmakers ended up reversing the decision. In 2010, the Obama administration started requiring companies that wanted to build new industrial plants to get “greenhouse gas permits” before beginning construction. When the TCEQ refused, the EPA had to take over, causing delays for some companies that lasted up to two years.
The result was legislation — supported by Koch Industries and the Texas Conservative Coalition, among others — that explicitly gave the TCEQ authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions so that companies could get their permits quicker.
Asked whether Texas could avoid the same result this time around, Shaw acknowledged that the delays did cause some "economic development costs.” But he said the costs would have been greater had Texas acquiesced to what state regulators say is federal overreach.
“I think those costs were smaller … than not making a principled stand,” Shaw said.
If Texas ignored the most recent proposed rules, the state would simply not develop a plan to reduce carbon emissions from power plants, prompting the EPA to do so instead. It’s unclear how the federal agency could force Texas to follow the plan, though.
Lugo said that if enough states resist the rules, the federal government wouldn’t have the resources to develop plans for all of them. “A significant number of states must rise to this challenge,” she said.
The other strategy of resistance — suing the federal government — also has potential pitfalls. Texas has not won any of its lawsuits against EPA climate regulations, which have cost the state more than $350,000. In June, the U.S. Supreme Court largely struck down Texas’ challenge to the 2010 greenhouse gas permit requirements.
Though that decision was mostly a loss for Texas, some Republicans have pointed to the fact that Justice Antonin Scalia suggested that the EPA could be getting close to overstepping its authority. Both Shaw and Lugo said that while Texas should again sue over the Clean Power Plan, it cannot count on being successful. Other states and lawmakers need to get involved to force the federal government to back down, they said.
“Lawsuit action can help to mobilize public opinion and focus things,” said John Hays, an adjunct professor of energy law at the University of Texas at Austin, who was the third panelist. “But I think it’s fair to ask, what else might be done?” |
Facebook Gives Users New Options To Identify Gender
Enlarge this image toggle caption Noah Berger/AP Noah Berger/AP
Gender identity online is evolving.
Facebook is rolling out changes to its 159 million members in the U.S. that will allow people to have a wider choice than simply male or female when selecting a gender description on the site.
A third option now appears in the gender field: custom. Users who select that option can then choose from roughly 50 options including Trans Male or Female, Cisgender or Androgynous.
"There's going to be a lot of people for whom this is going to mean nothing, but for the few it does impact, it means the world," Facebook software engineer Brielle Harrison told The Associated Press.
The AP noted Harrison is undergoing gender transformation herself, from male to female and that on Thursday, while overseeing the new software for problems, she said she was also changing her Facebook identity from Female to Trans Woman.
"All too often transgender people like myself and other gender nonconforming people are given this binary option, do you want to be male or female? What is your gender? And it's kind of disheartening because none of those let us tell others who we really are," she told AP. "This really changes that, and for the first time I get to go to the site and specify to all the people I know what my gender is."
Jeff Johnston from the conservative religious group Focus on the Family told the AP that Facebook was entitled to run its service any way it saw fit. "Those petitioning for the change insist that there are an infinite number of genders, but just saying it doesn't make it so," he said. "That said, we have a great deal of compassion for those who reject their biological sex and believe they are the opposite sex."
A UCLA study estimated that that there are roughly 700,000 transgender people living in the U.S., or a less than 0.5 percent of the population.
However, Carl Siciliano, the executive director of the Ali Forney Center for LGBT homeless youth, told NPR's Margot Adler that of the of the nine homeless young people who have been murdered in New York since he ran the center, seven of them were transgender.
"It's just so abundantly clear to me that trans kids face an enormously disproportionate burden of the bigotry and the hostility and the hatred that's directed against the LGBT community," Siciliano said.
In Adler's July story, she reported that many young people on college campus across the country have embraced an effort to change how we talk about gender.
"They are going way beyond transgender. They are arguing for a world beyond the gender binary — beyond male and female. And it's something many people over 30 like myself are totally unaware of," Adler said.
Her story is worth a listen. |
Protesters rally against David and Charles Koch's rumored plans to buy the Los Angeles Times. Photo via Flickr user peoplesworld
The largest media outlets in the country routinely describe the conservative billionaires David and Charles Koch, the shadowy megadonors behind much of the modern political infrastructure on the right, as selfless libertarians. Matthew Cooper of Newsweek claims they are "more libertarian than Republican, more Austrian economics than Christian Coalition." Daniel Schulman, author of a new book on the Koch family, recently told Jon Stewart on The Daily Show that the brothers do not "align with Republicans at all," adding that "David Koch has come out and said he's pro-gay marriage; they're pro-reproductive rights."
It’s almost as if these journalists can’t accept that the rich men whose names are plastered all over elite cultural institutions in cities like New York are conservative Republicans. But the reality is that the Kochs are underwriting powerful political organizations with decidedly anti-libertarian views—like arbitrarily killing foreigners in detention and using the heavy hand of government to force women to carry undesired pregnancies to term.
The evidence for the Koch clan’s supposedly libertarian beliefs—particularly on polarizing issues like gay marriage, war, drugs, and abortion—tends to consist of off-hand remarks made by David and Charles in the 1970s and 1980s, as well as a comment at the 2012 Republican convention.
Following the Koch money paints a different picture.
"It is far past the time that we reject the lie that homosexuality and redefining marriage has no consequences," Alison Howard of Concerned Women for America roared at the anti-gay March for Marriage rally earlier this year. "Marriage does not need to be redefined. It needs to be underlined! Marriage is between a man and woman!"
Howard's group has barnstormed the country, holding rallies to support the contraception-subverting Hobby Lobby Supreme Court decision, fighting for state laws to define a six-week old fetus as a legal "person," and advancing other goofy right-wing causes. The Americans United for Israel conference held in Washington, DC, last week—an End Times theology event that has served as a stage for thousands of Christian Evangelicals to cheer the brutal Israeli invasion of Gaza—has been heavily promoted by Concerned Women for America. As I pointed out in a recent column for VICE, Jody Hice—an activist who just locked up the GOP primary in Georgia's tenth congressional district—was endorsed by CWA. Hice campaigned on ending the separation of church and state, insists Muslims do not have First Amendment rights, and has openly questioned 2012 Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney's Mormon religion.
None of these projects sound particularly libertarian to me.
Just look at who is keeping CWA afloat. Freedom Partners Chamber of Commerce, the "secret bank" controlled by Koch Industries' lobbyists and used to distribute funds to favored groups, gave more than $8.1 million to CWA's issue-advocacy branch. During roughly the same time period, CWA brought in about $8.7 million—meaning the Kochs have been largely footing the bill for CWA's anti-gay and anti-abortion antics.
Other Christian Right advocacy groups obsessed with social causes count on the Kochs' donor network, too. Citizen Link, a Colorado Springs–based offshoot of the virulently homophobic Focus on the Family, received $4.1 million from a Koch-controlled fund during roughly the same period that the group raised about $9.8 million. Citizen Link spends a great deal of money mobilizing voters against gay marriage laws and reproductive rights. Americans United for Life Action, the Susan B. Anthony List, and Heritage Action—all groups with similar positions on abortion rights—have received hefty Koch fund checks in recent years.
When it comes to foreign policy, the Koch network funds several think tanks that lobby for more wars. There’s the the American Enterprise Institute, for instance, where experts have recently called for special forces to be deployed to both Iraq and Syria.
And the Kochs now have their own advocacy group for military issues: Concerned Veterans for America.
It’s a relatively new group that not only received 100 percent of its start-up funds from a Koch-controlled limited liability corporation (LLC), but was also founded by a former Koch Industries lobbyist. The organization is mostly partisan in nature and has aired TV ads promoting Republicans for Congress while attacking the Obama White House on issues ranging from Benghazi to the Veterans Affairs scandal.
Classical libertarians are skeptical about war and view the prison at Guantánamo Bay as an inhumane waste of taxpayer resources. Koch's Concerned Veterans outfit takes a different approach. "My advice to the president is at a minimum have an air strike—at a minimum you have to flex on some level—as these men will think we're tolerant of their behavior," Jessie Jane Duff, an organizer for Concerned Veterans, said during a radio interview about how to deal with ISIS, the Sunni militia in Iraq. Last month, Duff agreed with a Fox News host that the US government should execute all of the prisoners at Guantánamo Bay. She tweeted: "If we kill evryone in Gitmo (it wouldn't cost much) we'd be sending a very clear message to jihadist [sic]."
Duff's kill-'em-all rhetoric surprised Morris Davis, an assistant professor at Howard University's law school and a former chief prosecutor for terrorism at Guantánamo Bay. "It was really kind of disappointing," Davis told me, pointing out that Duff was endorsing war crimes.
Duff isn't the only Concerned Veteran with a history of hawkish views, either. The CEO of the organization, Pete Hegseth, is the former executive director of Vets for Freedom—a now defunct group that aired pro-Iraq war messages on behalf of President George W. Bush and his congressional allies. In June, Concerned Veterans brought on Bill Turenne Jr. as director of communications. Turenne, a former lobbyist to the government of Qatar, was once a personal media aide to former Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz, a major architect of Bush's neoconservative agenda. In other words, this is not a pair you would imagine at the helm of some kind of libertarian fantasy.
While Charles Koch certainly funds social libertarian causes like the Cato Institute—a think tank he tried to seize control of by attempting to appoint avowed neoconservatives to the board in the summer of 2012—the amount now wanes in comparison with the many millions he donates annually to socially conservative and interventionist-advocacy groups. For instance, the latest available tax returns show the Charles Koch Foundation gave $10,000 to Cato while gifting $510,000 to the American Enterprise Institute, a place where warmongers like former UN Ambassador John Bolton hang their hat. Moreover, Koch-backed socially conservative groups are constantly airing ads to promote their views (here's the Koch-funded Susan B. Anthony List claiming a Democrat running for re-election voted for taxpayer money to cover abortions).
Where are the Koch funds to air ads encouraging people to keep the peace and respect the reproductive independence of women?
Rather than pledging a profound respect for personal liberty, Charles Koch has explained his strategy in more narrow terms. Accepting an award from a gathering of Christian Right donors at the Council for National Policy in 1999, he said his goal was "to rally the troops and unite social and economic conservatives to make a difference."
That's a nice strategy for winning political power, especially if your aim is to eliminate the estate tax and to radically reduce the powers of the Environmental Protection Agency, chief among Charles's self-interested obsessions. But it's not a great strategy for promoting a free society—unless your idea of a free society includes government-mandated transvaginal probes and nonstop wars in the Middle East.
Lee Fang, a San Francisco–based journalist, is an investigative fellow at the Nation Institute and co-founder of Republic Report. |
A high school teacher is being disciplined for some advice he gave to students who were taking a survey about drug use and other risky behavior.
The teacher, John Dryden, characterized all of this as a “teachable moment.”
The school board disciplined him for advising students they could plead the Fifth Amendment instead of taking the survey.
Last night, the community showed it’s support for the social studies teacher.
On April 18th, students were given a 34 question social emotional learning survey. It included questions about drug and alcohol use. Students were also instructed to put their names on the surveys.
School officials say the questions were intended to identify teens who may need counseling or other help.
But Dryden told his class they had a Fifth Amendment right to not give any answers.
“We ask students to think critically full-time, all the time and this instance was no different than that,” Dryden told WGN. “This was a critical thinking exercise in which apparently what was asked for instead was reflexive for obedience.”
School officials say the teacher “mischaracterized” the intentions of the survey.
But many at the meeting thought the survey was handled the wrong way.
Dryden said he was simply doing his job.
Students created an online petition to support Dryden and they have more than 7,000 signatures.
School board members voted to give Dryden a letter of remedy outlining certain things Dryden must complete or face further discipline.
However school officials would detail what those things were. |
Meet Unmesh and Hetal
How important is measuring impact to you?
Well, to husband-wife team Unmesh and Hetal Sheth finding better ways to help companies and organizations measure social impact is their life’s work.
This episode of The Innov8social Podcast features a conversation with Unmesh and Hetal, who each lead the for-profit and non-profit entities of a tandem social initiative focused impact measurement. Unmesh Sheth, is a software engineer with over 25 years of experience in Silicon Valley who has spent the last few years focusing on launching social impact entities, SoPact and Ektaa.
Founded in 2013, SoPact is a social enterprise that delivers software tools to enable organizations and companies to effectively track, measure, and grow their impact. SoPact’s goal is to better support the social sector and catalyze long-term change and sustainable models which transform the lives of our businesses, investors and beneficiaries.
Ektaa is the non-profit, led by Hetal Sheth, and provides strategic planning and knowledge sharing to other nonprofits to help develop metrics, capacity, and transparency related to impact. Ektta, (pronounced as ek-ta) means “unity” in Hindi/Gujarati and is also an acronym for Employment Knowledge & Technology Transfer Access.
Hetal brings to her role decade of experience across the public healthcare, geriatrics and disability sectors. Her lens into the importance of measurement and tracking as a career pharmacist informs and
Listen to the Interview Find Out More
More About SoPact
More About Ektta
Website: http://ektta.org
Value proposition: “Ektta is a non-profit organization made up of cause-based staff and volunteers striving to preserve and sustain our community..” More About Unmesh and Hetal Unmesh’s interview on YourStory
What should we write about next? |
Hello everyone, and Happy New Year!
If you're anything like us, you're probably hoping the game will come out soon so you can start burning off any excess pounds you built up over the holidays - at least, that's what we've been doing in our own testing! But it's not long now before the game comes out, and until then, we have some fun things to reveal...
Look and Feel
When we first designed Zombies, Run! we had a pretty simple, spartan look in our minds - it's the one you can see here on our Kickstarter project page and on our website. We did this because we wanted to make sure we could create the game with as few resources as possible.
But then we got 3464 backers, so that changed our calculations a little. Along with more content and features, we've been able to make the game look much richer and sharper, and we've included some screenshot mockups below that reflect this.
We can't say that the game will look exactly the same at launch (the beta definitely won't!) but this is the look that we're aiming for, and some of the graphics are already implemented. There aren't many smartphone games at all that have to convey the same mix of running information, in-game information, and world-building screens, so we're really inventing a lot of this on the fly, and we'll be evolving the design over time based on how people play the game - but we think it's a good start.
ZR Advance (formerly known as "The Beta")
Everyone who pledged more than $45 will have access to ZR Advance, which is what we used to call "the beta" but does more or less the same thing.
ZR Advance will be published to the App Store in the next few weeks as a free app (we can't say exactly when because it depends on a lot of things, including Apple) and will require users to log in via ZombieLink to play the first 2-3 missions of the game, along with various other neat things. It'll have much simpler graphics than the launch version of the game, but it works and it's definitely fun!
Everyone else will still be able to download the app and see some of the content, but you won't be able to run the missions until we start our early access period, which will begin in February.
If any of this is confusing, don't worry - this is just a heads up. You don't need to do anything yet, and we'll be releasing more details and instructions in the coming weeks!
T-shirts
We're still investigating how much and how long it'll cost to use American Apparel T-shirts. However, it's looking like it will take longer if we do this and could mean that people may not receive their T-shirts until March, which we know will be disappointing.
Alternatively we can get Gildan soft-style T-shirts in quicker, which are fine (we have tried some samples) but not quite as nice. We still haven't made a decision on this yet, so if you feel strongly about it, please let us know in the comments!
Not Long Now...
We know, we say this every time, but it really isn't that long now until Zombies, Run! comes out! But that won't be the end of our job - we still have three add-ons to make and plenty more features as well.
Stay safe and stay fast,
Six to Start and Naomi Alderman |
When I was designing the above hooded onesie, for the longest time I couldn’t decide wether to put lamb’s ears or bear ears on the hood. In the end I went with the lamb’s ears, not only because they fit the overall look and yarn choice better, but also because a) lamb’s ears for a hood are more rare, and b) it seemed a good way of tricking myself into thinking that Easter (and warm weather) is just around the corner, because lambs, and, you know, spring….please?
*buries head in ice cold hands*
After some experimentation I came up with a shape and look that I think will turn every hood into the epitome of cuteness (particularly when combined with a puff stitch or other structured design). Enjoy!
The ultimate lamb’s ears for hoods and snoods:)
Yarn: any worsted weight yarn (less than half a skein)
Hook: 5mm / H 8 US / 6 UK
Level: advanced beginner
Finished ears measure about 7 cm / 2.5 inches.
START: make a magic loop.
Row 1
Into magic loop, do 4 puff st | ch 1, pull up long loop, turn
Row 2
Do 2 puff st in every st | ch 1, pull up long loop, turn (8 puff st)
Row 3
Inc in st 1-2 | 4 puff st | inc in st 7-8 (12 puff st)
Row 4
Inc in st 1-2 | 3 puff st | in st 6-7, do dc-four-together* | 3 puff st | inc in st 11-12 (15 puff st)
Row 5
Ch 1, turn work 45 degrees counterclockwise | 12 sl st along the bottom of the work (divide evenly) | ch 1, turn
Row 6
Right ear: 6 puff st | 6 sc | ch 1, turn
Left ear: 6 sc | 6 puff st | ch 1, turn**
Row 7
Right ear: 6 sc | 6 puff st | ch 1, turn
Left ear: 6 puff st | 6 sc | ch 1, turn
Row 8
Right ear: 6 puff st | 6 sc | ch 1, turn
Left ear: 6 sc | 6 puff st | ch 1, turn
Yo, pull through to knot off, cut yarn and work in end.
* = do a dc-two-together in the first st, but instead of finishing, you leave 3 loops on the hook. Do a dc-two-together in the second st. You have 5 loops on the hook. Yo and pull through all 5.
** = Left/right for the wearer, not the viewer.
Here’s a chart for the right ear!
Assembly
With the front of the ear (even rows) facing you, fold double (it will want to curl naturally). Because you made sc on one half for the bottom rows, one side should be shorter than the other. Pin the short ‘sc’ sides of the ears to the hood. Then pin the longer ‘puff st’ sides on top of them, so that the ears slant downward. When satisfied with poisition of the ears, sew them to the hood. You’re all done!
As always, feel free to use in whatever (commercial) project you want. Links and mentions get you brownie points! Please do NOT redistribute this pattern, copy, quote, sell or present as your own.
Happy lamb-making, guys! 🙂 |
Victor Silva, who also directed the first two films, was convicted of sexual misconduct in 1988.
“Jeepers Creepers 3: Cathedral” is tentatively scheduled for release later this year, and a boycott of the upcoming horror film has already been called for. The move has been called for due to the fact that Victor Salva, the film’s writer/director, was convicted of sexual misconduct with a minor in 1988. Annie Swital has started a change.org petition calling on others to actively oppose the film on the grounds that “monsters belong on the screen, not behind the camera.”
READ MORE: 7 New Netflix Shows to Binge Watch in March 2017, and The Best Episodes of Each
Here’s the full text of the petition:
“Jeepers Creepers 3 is currently in production. The director and creator of this franchise, Victor Salva, used his position to rape a 12 year old boy in 1988 during the filming of the movie Clownhouse. He was convicted and served a measly 15 months in prison. As the three largest movie theater chains in the US, I urge you to not show this movie at your theaters. The profits from Jeepers Creepers 3 line the pockets of a pedophile. Monsters belong on the screen, not behind the camera. I also urge other members of the horror movie community to take a stance. Spread the word and don’t watch this film!”
READ MORE: ‘Dark’ Trailer: Netflix’s First German Original Series is a Drama/Thriller with a Supernatural Twist
742 people have signed the petition as of this writing. The first two “Jeepers Creepers” films, which were also written and directed by Silva, were released in 2001 and 2003, respectively.
Stay on top of the latest breaking film and TV news! Sign up for our Email Newsletters here.
Sign Up: Stay on top of the latest breaking film and TV news! Sign up for our Email Newsletters here. |
I‘ve been at my current day job for well over a decade now, and I enjoy working there. At times, however, it pays to be prepared for any eventuality. For me that means planning ahead in case I were to leave my current job, or be laid off. It isn't a remote possibility as there have been layoffs in the past couple of years. While I feel reasonably secure I still plan on making sure I'm planning ahead.
So how am I planning ahead? First things first, I'm making sure that we're set financially. I've saved up a nice emergency fund, I've got a nice second income though my online ventures like this blog, and I'm making sure we have all the insurance necessary to plan for any eventuality.
Another thing I'm thinking about is what I would do with all of the money that is currently living in my company 401(k) plan. I've currently got two 401(k) plans at my day job, one that they started out with back when I first started that has quite a bit of money in it (that will be transferred over to the other 401(k) soon), and a second plan that they opened a year or two ago.
Neither plan is particularly great and I know I could do better on fees by transferring the money elsewhere if and when I do leave my job.
MY LATEST VIDEOS MY LATEST VIDEOS
So today I decided to look into what it would take to do a 401(k) to IRA rollover from my company 401(k) plan, to my account at Betterment.
How Does A 401(k) To IRA Rollover Typically Work?
When doing a 401(k) rollover, here's the process you would typically follow.
Open an IRA with the company of your choice : If you don't already have an IRA open, you'll want to open an account with the brokerage or mutual fund company of your choice. Personally I have an account with Betterment and Vanguard for most of my investing needs. Opening an account shouldn't take more than a few minutes some afternoon.
: If you don't already have an IRA open, you'll want to open an account with the brokerage or mutual fund company of your choice. Personally I have an account with Betterment and Vanguard for most of my investing needs. Opening an account shouldn't take more than a few minutes some afternoon. Get forms for your old 401(k) plan provider : You'll want to talk with your plan administrator or account rep for your 401(k) to make sure you don't have any plan limitations on rolling funds over. Then you'll want to get any necessary forms that you'll need to fill out and verify with administrators what information you'll need from your new IRA account company.
: You'll want to talk with your plan administrator or account rep for your 401(k) to make sure you don't have any plan limitations on rolling funds over. Then you'll want to get any necessary forms that you'll need to fill out and verify with administrators what information you'll need from your new IRA account company. Contact IRA provider, verify account information : Contact your new IRA company rep to ensure that your account is opened and ready to receive funds. Then get the information from them that you need for your forms from the old 401(k) provider.
: Contact your new IRA company rep to ensure that your account is opened and ready to receive funds. Then get the information from them that you need for your forms from the old 401(k) provider. Fill out 401(k) rollover forms, confirm what type of rollover you're doing: When doing a 401(k) rollover there are a couple of different options. You can do a direct rollover of funds (or trustee-to-trustee transfer) where the 401(k) company transfers your balance of funds directly to the new company. You can also do an indirect rollover of funds where the company cuts you a check for the balance of your 401(k), minus tax withholdings of 20%. Then within 60 days you have to deposit 100% of the 401(k) balance amount into your new IRA or be subject to taxes and penalties for early withdrawal. Because an indirect rollover is much more complicated, requires you to have money outside of your 401(k) to deposit into the new account within 60 days, I personally find a direct rollover far preferable.
So the best process is to open an IRA, work with your old 401(k) plan administrator to do a direct rollover of funds to your new IRA. No mess, no fuss.
How Does Betterment Implement 401(k) Rollovers?
Since I already have accounts with Betterment.com and I'm pretty happy with the service they offer, I wanted to look into what it would take to rollover my 401(k) funds to an IRA with them. What process do they use – a direct rollover or an indirect rollover? Would I be able to rollover my Roth 401(k) funds as well?
Here's what Betterment told me about the process of rolling over a 401(k):
Thank you so much for inquiring about rolling over a 401(k)/IRA. The general rule is to rollover only Traditional funds into a Betterment Traditional IRA, and only Roth funds into a Betterment Roth IRA. Rolling over an IRA, 401(k), or any similar plan into Betterment is generally simple, painless, and without any negative tax repercussions. For rolling over IRAs, we use the indirect rollover method for ease. This means that the funds go through you. You simply request a full early distribution from your current provider, and then re-deposit those funds into your Betterment IRA within 60 days. As long as you complete the rollover within this time period, there are no penalties for doing so. You will simply need to note the rollover on Form 1040 (usually on line 15) on your taxes. For rolling over 401(k)s, we use the direct rollover method, to avoid any withholding of funds from your current provider. This is where your current provider sends us a check of your 401(k) funds directly (instead of going through you). This process involves you filling out one or two simple forms from your current provider. We assist you through the entire process, and are here for you, should you have any questions. Just let us know when you'd like to get started!
So for rolling over funds in a 401(k) like I have, it sounds like they use the direct rollover method. That means the funds would be going directly from my old 401(k) account over to my new Betterment IRA. No need to worry about having extra funds available in order to fully fund the new IRA account after 20% in taxes are taken out – as with the indirect rollover method. If you're rolling over another IRA Betterment will do the indirect rollover method since the old IRA provider is not required to take out taxes, like with a 401(k) indirect rollover. You'll have 60 days to complete the transfer.
So how to get started? The FAQ talks about how to start the rollover process.
You have two options to start the rollover process. When you set up your IRA account, we will ask you how you would like to fund it, and you can select the rollover option here. Alternatively, you can elect to rollover your 401(k) at a later point by going to the Transfer tab, selecting your IRA account from the dropdown menu, and clicking the “Rollover IRA or 401(k)/403(b)” button. When you select either option, we will follow up with an instructional email containing a few simple steps to complete the process.
So it sounds like to get started you just open an account with Betterment, and select rollover as the funding option, or open an account and then go through the “transfer” tab later on.
Open Your Betterment IRA Now
Since I also have a Roth 401(k), it sounds like I should be able to do a direct rollover of those funds into my existing Betterment Roth IRA as well. Once again, just a matter of filling out the forms from my 401(k) company, and giving them my account information for my Betterment account.
Why Am I Using A Betterment?
I've written about Betterment on this site more than once, and I've been extremely happy with their service in the 5 years that I've been with them. Originally when I first opened my account with them their fees were a bit high. In the past year, however, their fees dropped significantly, to around a 0.25% annual fee for most account holders. I now think they offer a better value to investors, including myself.
Not only do they offer low fees, but they offer a great easy way to invest automatically in the entire market via ETF index funds that stays balanced according to your requested asset allocation of stocks vs. bonds. You never have to go in and re-balance your portfolio, they do it for you on a quarterly basis. They're a great company – one I highly recommend. If you're looking for a place to rollover your 401(k), they're worth a look!
Get Started On Your 401(k) To IRA Rollover With Betterment |
Mohenjo Daro likely was, at its time, the greatest city in the world. Roughly 4,500 years ago, as many as 35,000 people lived and worked in the massive city, which occupies 250 acres along Pakistan’s Indus river.
Mohenjo Daro sat beneath the soil for thousands of years, a preserved relic of the ancient Indus Valley civilization. But excavation exposed the city to the elements, and now, says the Telegraph, the ruins may have as little as 20 years left.
he once lost city is in danger of disappearing again as its clay wall houses, grid system roads, great granaries, baths and drainage systems crumble to dust, a victim of government neglect, public indifference and tourists’ fears of terrorism. Archaeologists have told The Sunday Telegraph that the world’s oldest planned urban landscape is being corroded by salt and could disappear within 20 years without an urgent rescue plan.
Last year, heavy flooding threatened the ruins, but even outside of natural disasters the town is fading fast.
Preservation work has been going on since the first major excavations in 1924 and intensified after it was made a World Heritage Site in 1980, but the effort has flagged as scarce government funds have been diverted by earthquakes and floods, officials said. They need 350 labourers, as well as masons, supervisors and technical staff, but on the day The Sunday Telegraph visited there were just 16 men wheeling barrows of mud to shore up the walls.
More from Smithsonian.com:
Flooding in Pakistan Threatens Remains of 4500-Year-Old Civilization
Can Computers Decipher a 5,000-Year-Old Language? |
Saleh Abdullah Kamel, a Saudi banker who is now worth billions of dollars thanks to his success with Sharia-compliant financing, has donated $10 million to Yale University as part of a successful effort to build an Islamic Law Center at the Ivy League school.
“Mr. Kamel’s extraordinary generosity will open up exciting new opportunities for Yale Law School and for the entire university, said Yale President Peter Salovey. “The Abdullah S. Kamel Center for the Study of Islamic Law and Civilization will enhance research opportunities for our students and other scholars and enable us to disseminate knowledge and insights for the benefit of scholars and leaders all over the world.”
Professor Anthony Kronman, a new co-director of the Islamic Law Center, said of the school’s new addition:
“The contemporary challenges of Islamic law are broadly relevant to political events throughout the entire Islamic world and those are developments that are watched by a much larger audience of people who in many cases have not much knowledge at all of the history and traditions of Islamic law.”
“It’s the responsibility of universities to teach and instruct and that obligation applies with particular force where an issue or a subject tends to be viewed in an incomplete or inadequate or even caricatured way. There the responsibility to teach and enlighten is even stronger,” he added.
Noticeably left out of the press release is the fact that Mr. Kamel’s Dallah Al Baraka Group, for which he is the Chief Executive, has been investigated by U.S. officials for bankrolling al-Qaeda’s operations worldwide.
Moreover, the bank was founded by former al-Qaeda chief Osama Bin Laden along with a group of Sudanese jihadists, the State Department has alleged, according to the Wall Street Journal.
And in the 1998 New York City trials of al-Qaeda members, witnesses testified that Mr. Kamel’s bank had previously transferred hundreds-of-thousands of dollars to al-Qaeda to help them buy an airplane, the report stated.
Additionally, Kamel’s father’s name appears on the “Golden Chain,” a list of alleged al-Qaeda funders that was confiscated by Bosnian authorities after raiding an al-Qaeda front group in 2002.
The new Yale Islamic Center becomes the latest of many Saudi-funded influence operations on American university campuses throughout the continental United States. Some more notable Saudi-funded campus outfits include the $20 million Prince Alwaleed Islamic Studies Program at Harvard University and the $20 million Prince Alwaleed bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding at Georgetown University. More Saudi-backed Professorships and Islamic Centers have made their way to Columbia University, Rice University, the University of Arkansas, University of California in Los Angeles, the University of California/Berkeley, and countless other institutions. |
Mercedes bounced back from a difficult weekend in Monaco to beat Ferrari to pole position in Montreal, with Hamilton lapping 0.33 seconds clear of F1 title rival Sebastian Vettel to equal Ayrton Senna’s tally of 65 career poles.
Ferrari looked to have a clear advantage over Mercedes in practice, but Mercedes set the pace throughout the three segments of qualifying. That suggested it had made a breakthrough with the set-up of the W08, which has so far this performed inconsistently on the ultrasoft compound.
Wolff said Hamilton benefited from Mercedes altering its tyre preparation strategy midway through Q2 – opting do only one slow lap to build up tyre temperature after the out-lap, rather than two – but confirmed Mercedes had made no radical set-up changes heading into qualifying.
“I don’t think we have discovered the holy grail,” said Wolff. “But the more data we collect the more we learn, the better we put the jigsaw together.
“There’s always changes in set-ups [between sessions] but there was no major change – it was just trying to optimise the car with the base set-up that was already in place.”
“Unknown territory”
Valtteri Bottas said on Thursday that Mercedes had lightened its car for this race and made some tweaks to the suspension in a bid to improve its form on the ultrasoft compound.
Wolff confirmed the team had altered its approach for Canada in the wake of its Monaco struggles. But Bottas only qualified third, more than seven tenths slower than Hamilton in Q3 having been fractionally quicker in Q1 and within a tenth of Hamilton in Q2.
Wolff called this gap “unknown territory” for Mercedes, and said it supports the impression the team still doesn’t have a full understanding of its car’s performance on the ultrasoft tyre.
“The way we put the car on track was different to how we would have done without having had the slap in Monaco – therefore, yes there is a learning curve in relation to set-up and its effect on the tyres,” Wolff added.
“But it is still a complicated picture. We can see differences between the two cars with no major discrepancies in set-up - still very different performances between the drivers.
“The car went towards Lewis, the tyres went towards Lewis, and for Valtteri the tyres got worse throughout the session - and were probably at their worst at the end.
“There is a difference in how they perceive the car.” |
There were five minutes left in the “Southern Charm” finale Monday night, and for a second I was legitimately worried that this would not be nearly enough time to wrap up all the loose ends from season three.
I panicked. Five minutes? But … but … Bravo ...
Then I thought, what loose ends?
Did anything actually happen this season that stirred a desire in me to see a resolution?
Sign Up and Save Get six months of free digital access to The Island Packet
Was there any remaining question without an answer? Any drama that didn’t already end in a final curtain call? Any cast member whose trajectory wasn’t clear?
We already knew Landon wasn’t going to convince Shep that she is his destiny. No matter how many Grimace costumes she borrowed from Patricia Altschul.
We also could easily assume Landon wasn’t going to realize her dream and succeed as a Something (I actually don’t know what her dream is, but I’m pretty sure if we asked her she’d literally say “Something”).
Likewise, we could have guessed that Cameran’s therapist — Myra Gasser, formerly of Hilton Head Island … what! — was never going to make it so that Cam would be less afraid to get pregnant and therefore fall in life-milestone step with what would have been her Southern sorority sisters had she gone to college.
Actually, this one wasn’t about guessing. It was about never having cared in the first place.
Have a baby.
Don’t have a baby.
I still have to go to work Tuesday morning.
Will The Craig Gatsby quit his deadend-y Gentry job and return to his long-lost legal aspirations?
That is a question I never once asked myself.
Not once did I ponder Craig’s future.
Not once did I think, Gee, I hope he gets his open-ended career settled so he can afford that Porsche he’s driving and his next shipment of hair gel. I can’t wait to see what happens.
Here is a question I DID ask myself, however: Will Whitney unplug his mother’s oxygen therapy tank, wait for her to die and then put on her caftan and earrings, ring the bell for Michael and make out with him until the police arrive?
Will he sigh deeply when the police handcuff him and say, “In my day, a man would buy a woman a Rothko or a Jackson Pollock before politely asking if he could shackle her.”
Hold up for just one second. Can we discuss that oxygen tank Patricia was hooked up to for a second?
I want one.
And not at all because Patricia said, “The fact that I’m 105 years old and look as good as I do, I can attribute to my oxygen therapy.”
I know she meant for us to laugh like “Haha. 105! What a jokester!,” but are you, Patricia? Are you 105? I am not judging. I just think you might actually be from another era.
Mark my words, one day we’re going to find out “Lovers Patricia Altschul and Whitney Sudler-Smith died in 1892 in their Charleston home from what appeared to be bite marks to their necks …” and we will all need oxygen tanks to help us better torch their mansion.
Back to my point and on to Shep Rose.
What unresolved drama did he put out there for us this season? He’s a self-actualized man who once upon a time said yes to a reality show. He likes to have fun. His mother buys his clothes. He goes to his mailbox for money. He’s not in love with Landon.
Not much else to ponder there — except for Landon’s sobbing interview during the Shep-shows-up-with-her-friend-Robyn-to-the-stupid-Founders-Ball scene. I honestly didn’t know that her feelings for Shep were that real and I bet he didn’t either. I thought she was just hamming it up and trying to keep herself on TV.
So I did feel bad for a tiny second. Then the dolphin squeaking started up again.
Anyway, although it was touching to hear Shep say that it crushes him to hurt someone’s feelings, I’m done with hearing about how easy it is to take the high road.
“It’s so easy to take the high road. It’s so easy to take the high road,” he says in the midst of the Kathryn-Landon showdown.
Um, shut up or there’s no show. If everyone on reality TV takes the high road we’ll be back to watching sitcoms with laugh tracks and incorrigible next door neighbors.
Shep is a good guy. But again, we knew that before the finale.
Now onto the last non-loose end we didn’t need tied up on the finale: Kathryn and Thomas.
What didn’t we already know there?
The chemical reaction between Kathryn and Thomas was practically discovered in a Los Alamos lab.
Plus I read Daily Mail.
And I’m not a silly goose.
Name one person out there who was rooting for this couple. If it’s you, if you’re the person who was rooting for this couple, please don’t email me. If you do, I will forward your email directly to Homeland Security.
Will they finally be a family? I can’t wait to find out in these final five minutes … oh no! The show is over. What’s the conclusion?
So I guess what I want to ask is, why did we watch this show at all?
Why did we subject ourselves to 12 episodes of goofiness?
Oh I’ll tell you why.
Because Shep’s date gave us the biggest mic drop in the history of Bravo mic drops.
Shep’s date: “Do you think Landon is going to admit she slept with Thomas?”
Shep: “Whaaaaat.”
And the screen goes black.
Other fun moments from the finale:
— Kathryn saying “Nobody likes to hear the truth. It’s an age-old story. Tennessee Williams wrote about. F’real.” Tell us more, professor.
— That preview for the reunion show. It’s finally on a set and not in the Bravo Clubhouse! And it’s Part One, which means there are other parts!
— “I like your blow out.” Danni’s compliment to Craig’s bouffant makes me again wish she were an actual cast member.
— The dress Kathryn stole from the set of “Mommy Dearest” and wore to the Founders Ball. Who wore it best? Kathryn Dennis or Joan Crawford’s wire hangers?
— Landon thinking she’s a mini-Patricia all night. Girrrrrl, you ain’t her till you’ve cradled your 48-year-old son in your arms and rocked him gently while patting down his cowlick and murmuring “You’re the best executive producer of reality shows set in Charleston, my love.”
— And, finally, the last episode of Everybody Hates Landon:
So translation from Landon's interview "I'm turning into the new Patricia" #girlplease #SouthernCharm — KC (@__KCsWorld) June 21, 2016
I'm confused as to what Landon has that makes her the whole package... #southerncharm — Caselina (@Caselina) June 21, 2016 |
The publisher behind the popular farming video game Story of Seasons has teased an announcement in regards to Nintendo Switch – to be made very soon. Reddit user Elyklord has reached out to XSEED games, asking if video games like Trails in the Sky 3rd and both Trails of Cold Steel would come to Nintendos latest console.
XSEED responded that they are big supporters of the Switch, and they will defiantly make some announcements very soon, however it may not be about the games the reddit user inquired about. Instead the announcement may be for Story of Seasons Switch that is going to be released later this year on the hybrid console. Other similar highly awaited games like Snack World by LEVEL5, which is set to release this summer have yet to make an appearance on the Switch. The sequel to Fantasy Life, will be a mobile only title, and will be released this month on iOS and Android in Japan. You can watch some new exclusive gameplay footage for Fantasy Life Online right here. Here is a list of the most exciting Video Games coming to Nintendo Switch this year, this includes the already announced Story of Seasons Switch.
Hello $$$$,
We are big supporters of the Switch so you’ll definitely be seeing some announcements about it from us soon, though it may not specifically be for the titles and series you’re looking for.
XSEED Games
source |
Moccasins are traditional slipper-like leather shoes that have been worn by Native Americans for hundreds of years. The design of moccasins varies by geographical location, tribe, and time period, but the basic construction has remained relatively unchanged. While modern-day footwear is typically made up of a separate upper material and outsole, moccasins are cut from a single piece of deer or elk leather, often brain-tanned, that comprises both the upper and outsole material, and is typically stitched above the instep (referred to as a 'gathered toe') and down the heel with sinew.
Despite the seemingly primitive construction, these shoes are highly utilitarian, and helped Native Americans keep their feet from freezing during the harsh North American winters. The ankle flaps seen on some moccasins that at first glance seem superfluous can actually be flipped up and wrapped around the ankle for additional warmth. For tribes living in the coldest regions, rabbit fur or sheep skin was added as an insular lining. Although moccasins do not possess typical outsoles, tribes that lived in desert areas often used thick pieces of hardened leather on the bottom of their moccasins to protect from rocks or cacti, while tribes located near forested areas were able to wear soft-soled moccasins for use on the primarily grassy terrain.
Vamps (an additional piece of leather on top of the instep) allowed for even more design freedom. Beading, embroidery, and porcupine quillwork were common techniques used for decorating moccasins, and by looking at a pair of moccasins, |
Getty The plane could have been a British aircraft
The terror group has told how it changed its target to a Russian plane due to President Vladimir Putin's forces directing air strikes at its fighters in Syria. MetroJet flight 9268 crashed on October 31 over Sinai province in Egypt just 23 minutes after it set off from tourist resort Sharm el-Sheikh as it headed to St Petersburg.
All 224 passengers and crew - mainly Russians - were killed, with officials saying wreckage and bodies were strewn across a 12 square mile area. ISIS claimed responsibility shortly after, with Britain and the US saying they believed the plane was blown up by a bomb. Russia denied it was a bomb until yesterday when President Putin announced it must have been a bomb from within the aircraft and said he is giving a £33million reward to anybody with information about the assailants.
Getty The plane was in smithereens by the time it got to the ground
Today, the English-language ISIS magazine, Dabiq, wrote: "The blessed attacks against the Russians and the French were successfully executed despite the international intelligence war against the Islamic State. "On 30 September 2015 after years of supporting the Nusayri taghut in the war against the Muslims of Sham (Syria), Russia decided to participate directly with its own air force in the war. "It was a rash decision of arrogance from Russia, as if it held that its wars against the Muslims of al-Qawqaz were not enough offence.
ISIS ISIS released this picture claiming to have passports of some of those killed
"And so after having discovered a way to compromise the security at the Sharm el-Sheikh International Airport and resolving to bring down a plane belonging to a nation in the American-led Western coalition against the Islamic State, the target was changed to a Russian plane. "A bomb was smuggled onto the airplane, leading to the deaths of 219 Russians and five other crusaders only a month after Russia's thoughtless decision."
Dabiq This is the bomb ISIS claims to have used in the Russian plane |
In 7.2 Blizzard added Mask Textures to World of Warcraft. Those basically allow Textures but be clipped by a second texture. The Mask Textures can be used to create circular icons.
WeakAuras relies on Masque to style the icons in WeakAuras and thus I looked into adding Mask Texture support to Masque and wrote a patch for Masque that added that.
I sent that patch to the Masque maintainer StormFX a few weeks ago, and he improved and integrated it into a recent Masque release.
He also created a skin using that new feature, which you can see in that video.
Creating a bare minimum Masque Skin for WeakAuras is actually very easy and I'd like to explain how to do that:
I've create a minimal Example skin here and I want to explain how to create your own Skin based on that example.
Each Masque skin is actually its own addon. World of Warcraft addons consist of a folder and a .toc file with the same in it. Thus, the folder is named Masque_Example and contains a Masque_Example.toc file.
The .toc file is a text file containing information on the addon.
So, first choose a name for your skin.
Rename the folder to e.g. Masque_MySkin
Rename the .toc file to Masque_MySkin.toc
Edit the .toc file to change the line "Title:"
If you have done that all correctly World of Warcraft should list your skin as a addon in the addon list. (You must restart WoW completly!)
In the folder is also a "Example.lua" file, this is the addon's source code. If you want, you can rename this file. If you do, you need to adjust the file name in the .toc file too.
The Example.lua file contains lua code, and it would take too long to fully explain all of that, so I'll just touch upon the places that need to be edited:
On line 8, change "Example" to the name of your skin. This the actual name Masque shows for the skin.
In lines 16, 24, 30, 35 the skin refers to the individual textures that the skin uses. Since you renamed the folder above, you must edit those strings to match your folder name.
Each Masque Skin contains several layers of textures. We are just using 4 of the many layers.
The "Icon" layer, is the actual icon and we tell masque to use a Mask Texture.
The "Cooldown" layer is the Texture that is used for the cooldown swipe. For a circular skin, this texture needs to be circular too.
The "Normal" layer is layed on top of the "Icon" layer and usually contains the border.
The "Gloss" layer adds a gloss effect to the icon. In the video above I had the gloss effect enabled at full strength. This can be configured in the Masque settings for each icon.
There are lots of different layers mostly because Masque can also style action bars and there are lots of different states for those. |
Cloud Imperium Games’ founder, Christopher Roberts has repeatedly made it clear that Star Citizen would hold on to no compromises when it comes to the game’s experience. But considering the ambitious scale of the game and what the creators mean to deliver, the game’s requirements are may be beyond the realm of even mid-range PC games.
In the scenario where Star Citizen manages to relent and actually mean to accommodate the not so hard-core gamers and above average PC users, here are a few reasons as to why Star Citizen should be on the new gen consoles.
15. Console market is huge
The new gen consoles have a huge fan base as of now and that has to work in favour of a game that is on to tackle such an immense audience. |
Posted on 31 August 2010
Ministers meeting on climate finance in Geneva this week should stick to financial commitments made in Copenhagen to help developing countries reduce emissions and cope with climate change impacts.
: Ministers meeting on climate finance in Geneva this week should stick to financial commitments made in Copenhagen to help developing countries reduce emissions and cope with climate change impacts.While the Copenhagen climate conference ended with disappointingly little result, the Copenhagen Accord stipulated at least a set of concrete promises by different countries, including setting out levels of climate finance to be delivered by developed countries.Ministers and representatives from more than 30 countries are gathering at the invitation of the Swiss and Mexican governments to discuss key climate finance issues in the lead-up to the next UN climate conference in Cancun, Mexico, from 29 November to 10 December 2010."By transparently mobilising public sector finance to meet the commitments made in Copenhagen, ministers can help set the scene for progress at climate talks in China and Mexico,” said Gordon Shepherd, Leader WWF Climate Initiative.According to WWF, the private sector can and should play an important role, but if industrialized nations start counting private investments as a significant part of meeting their Copenhagen commitments, it is going to be seen by developing countries as an attempt to shirk their responsibilities.."It is clear what Ministers need to do - the promises of the Copenhagen Accord exist and need to be kept if developing countries are to re-gain trust and engage in a wider global climate treaty," said Shepherd.In the short term (2010 to 2012), US$ 30bn were promised with a special focus on helping most vulnerable communities to adapt to climate change, while by 2020 developed countries promised to provide US$ 100bn annually.However, there is little transparency on the delivery of the promised short term funding that has been made available already, and there has been little visible progress towards a framework for delivery on longer term funding commitments.Public funding needs to be clearly identified even when leveraging private funding, WWF says. Private sector finance can contribute much of the investments needed in clean energy technologies, but public funding is critical for research and development, adaptation and resilience building, infrastructure and construction, as well as for leveraging much greater private sector investments.WWF estimates that public funding at the level of USD 200 billion will be necessary by the year 2020 for adaptation and mitigation activities in developing countries, and this is still small compared to the scale of private finance that needs to be mobilized for the energy transition, which WWF estimates at ten times as much. However, meeting the $100b pledged in Copenhagen would still be a significant milestone. |
Express News Service By
CHENNAI: The Swastika extensively found in the Indus Valley Civilization and considered as auspicious in Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism, is found in a coin of famous Tamil king Adhiyaman, one of the seven chieftains known for charity.
The coin, which was found by R Krishnamurthy, a well known numismatist and Dinamalar Editor, also shows warriors with Greek style of headgear and writings in Brahmi and Tamil-Brahmi. The coin could show the Tamils’ link with the early Indus Valley and later Greek civilizations.
According to some historians, Adhiyaman is said to be from the Mazhava tribe, which ruled a territory in the Indus Valley between Jhelum, Chenab and Ravi rivers. The finding could show a link between the Indus Valley civilization and Tamils of Sangam age. Besides, the Swastika symbol, otherwise called gammadion cross, which was also used by the Nazis, could have originated in the Indus Valley, which is one of the ancient civilizations along with the Egyptian and Sumerian civilizations.
Explaining the coin, Krishnamurthy said: “The front side shows an elephant near a flag mast, while Swastika symbol is found on the top left. The name Adhiyaman is seen on the top of the elephant. On the back side, a river and two fishes are found. A horse and a soldier wielding a shield and sword-like weapon are seen. The soldier is wearing a headgear with Greek style hair decorations.” King Adhiyaman, referred in several poems of classical Tamil poetry of the Sangam age was the ruler of Thagadur, now known as Dharmapuri. His name is found in ancient Tamil poem collections of Purananooru, Agananooru, Kurunthogai and Natrinai. |
Drop in shark fin prices lures people smugglers
Updated
Sorry, this video has expired Video: Collapse in shark fin price pushes fishermen towards people smuggling (ABC News)
Indonesian fishermen from the island of Rote have hunted sharks in the Timor Sea for generations.
But the falling price of shark fin in Hong Kong and China, a crushing debt cycle, and increasingly restrictive Australian maritime policies mean many are turning to what they see as the only other viable option for using their seafaring skills: people smuggling.
Rahman Djalilan comes from the village of Papela, on the island of Rote off West Timor.
Like most men in Papela, he has been a shark fisherman his entire adult life, sailing south on the eastern monsoon each year to the waters near Ashmore Reef.
The fishermen spend up to two months at sea, sleeping on deck, battling rough weather, and using long lines to reel in sharks for their fins.
In a good month, Mr Djalilan says he could make several hundred dollars.
But in 2012, a slump in Chinese demand caused shark fin prices to fall dramatically, having a huge impact on Papela's fishermen, many of whom are heavily indebted.
"We have thousands of dollars of debt. Even if we get a lot of fins, we can't pay the debt. Now we only get $50, sometimes $40 per month," Mr Djalilan says.
80 per cent of shark fishermen have considered people smuggling: researcher
Earlier this year, Mr Djalilan decided he would try his luck people smuggling.
"This risks of those jobs are the same. But people smuggling pays more than shark fishing," he says.
"The purpose was to earn a lot of money to be able to repay our debts to the shark fin boss."
But Mr Djalilan's trip was a failure. The motor on the shoddy boat provided by the smuggling boss broke down just off West Java, he was apprehended by Indonesian police and sent home with a warning. He was paid nothing.
Mr Djalilan's story is all too common in Papela.
Vanessa Jaiteh is a marine biologist from Murdoch University researching shark fishing in eastern Indonesia.
This year she spent three months in Papela, and interviewed more than 80 fishers.
"I'd say that 80 per cent of my respondents have said that they've thought about taking asylum seekers to Australia," she says.
Australian policies in Timor Sea have massive implications for Indonesian fishermen
Mr Djalilan's decision to become a people smuggler clearly has implications for Australia. But his story - and his crippling debts - are also intimately tied to Australian policies in the Timor Sea over the past four decades.
Starting in the 1970s, the area around Ashmore, Cartier and Scott reefs was progressively - and unilaterally - claimed by Australia as part of the country's expansion of sovereignty to 200 nautical miles from the coast.
In 1974, Australia signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Indonesia, allowing "traditional" Indonesian fishermen to continue to fish in the area, which became known as the MoU Box.
A statement from the Australian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) says the MoU was a gesture of good will recognising these communities' long history fishing in those waters.
"The MoU Box is one of the few places in the world where one country allows its neighbour access to its economic zone and permits extractive activities for the purposes of pursuing traditional fishing activities," it says.
But there are strict rules: fishing inside the Ashmore Reef marine reserve is banned, and the fishermen must use "traditional methods". Under the MoU, that is defined as fishing with long lines from wooden sailing boats with no motors.
These rules are a source of resentment among the Papela fishers. Almost every year, fishermen die at sea when their boats are caught in rough weather.
Tobi Nasrudin Ginang, a veteran Papela fisher, lost two of his sons in a storm last year.
"If they had had a motor maybe they wouldn't have died," he says. "They could have reached land before the storm came."
But DAFF says the MoU Box is already "over-fished and very depleted" and the rule helps to limit the amount of fishing, as there is no official list of "traditional fishers".
"The rule allowing only non-motorised vessels was a practical, enforceable and agreed definition for the traditional activities," the statement says.
"Winding back this rule would result in every fishing vessel in Indonesia potentially gaining access to the MoU Box."
Fishermen breaking rules risk losing boats, equipment and catch
When fishermen are caught breaking the rules, their catch and equipment are confiscated, and they are fined.
As they can rarely afford to pay they are imprisoned, paying back the fine through jail time.
In some circumstances, Australia also burns the fishermen's boats - although DAFF says that decision is not taken lightly.
In the mid-2000s, the Australian Navy in collaboration with Customs launched a crackdown on illegal fishing.
In 2006, the Australian Fisheries Management Authority says 359 Indonesian boats were apprehended fishing illegally in Australian waters. Most were destroyed.
Last year, that number dropped to 10, suggesting the policy has been a successful deterrent.
But in Papela it has had a lasting unintended legacy because most fishermen do not own their own boats or fishing equipment.
They are borrowed on credit from a local boss and paid back with the shark fin profits.
When the boats were burned, equipment confiscated or captains and crew jailed, fishermen like Mr Djalilan ended up with debts they are still trying to pay back - either by taking more risks shark fishing, or attempting people smuggling.
"My debt is reducing because I've kept shark fishing whatever the risks, and despite being caught I kept sailing to pay the debt and feed my wife and children."
Few other options for indebted fishermen
But are shark fishing and people smuggling really the only options for this community?
Rote is nothing like the fertile volcanic islands of Bali and Java to the north-west. It is remote, arid, ill-suited to agriculture, and is one of the poorest islands in Indonesia's poorest province, Nusa Tenggara Timur.
The fishermen say they can just survive by fishing off Rote, but it does not allow them to pay back their debts.
"We go fishing, but we never have anything left over. The money comes in and it's gone straight away," Mr Djalilan says.
"In Rotenese we say it allows us to 'keep breathing', but beyond that it's impossible to get more if we just fish locally."
A series of Australian Government initiatives have aimed to provide alternative livelihoods for the fishers, including a scheme to grow seaweed in Papela harbour. So far, though, these have had limited success.
"It's very difficult to find solutions," marine biologist Vanessa Jaiteh says.
"Basically a solution has to be economically equal or better than shark fishing, and in these remote areas where the access to markets is very difficult, tourism is not really an option."
According to DAFF, "the greatest assistance we can offer to the traditional fishers is to try to restore and manage more healthy fish stocks in the MoU Box. The saying goes like this: 'A fisherman's best alternative is a well-managed fishery'."
But in the meantime, fishermen like Mr Djalilan believe they are left with little choice.
"Bringing immigrants is illegal. I didn't want to do it," he said.
"But the economy is so low. So I was forced to try it - whatever the risks."
Topics: immigration, refugees, shark, illegal-fishing, fishing-aquaculture, indonesia, australia, asia, nt
First posted |
Real Ale Brewing’s latest beer features a special local ingredient — the Leander-malted barley of Blacklands Malt, Texas’ only malthouse.
Although Blacklands, founded by entrepreneur Brandon Ade, has been supplying the malt for many area breweries, including Jester King and Black Star Co-op, Real Ale is especially meaningful for him.
“To me, this recent collaboration is a dream come true,” Ade said in a press release. “To partner for the first time with Real Ale on the Brewers’ Cut ESB is a culmination of many years of hard work, planning and execution. Placing this beer on many store shelves gives Blacklands Malt unprecedented exposure. Not to mention it makes me extremely proud to be part of a delicious beer from a brewery I have respected for many years.”
He and Blacklands’ J.C. Salgado arrived one morning in December to deliver the malt and ceremoniously add it to the brewing ESB, Brewer’s Cut Project# 23, with Tim Schwartz, Real Ale’s brewing director.
The ESB, an extra special bitter that has long been a staff favorite at the Blanco brewery, is now in six-packs at local stores and on draft at local bars. Although Real Ale has made the ESB before, this one won’t taste quite like the others.
“Real Ale’s ESB has had a diverse upbringing as a child of multiple collaborations,” according to the press release. “The first version of this classic English ale was a draft-only offering adopted, at one time, by the Alamo Drafthouse as their house beer. Round two brought Real Ale and Austin metal greats the Sword together for their first collaboration, Iron Swan.”
The recipe has changed anew “to showcase the complex malt character of Blacklands’ North American Pale Malt,” highlighting the biscuit notes the malt is known for. Plus, East Kent Goldings and Bramling Cros hops balance the beer with “elements of herbal citrus and a spicy fruitiness,” according to the brewery.
Being able to supply malt to Real Ale is a good sign of growth for Blacklands Malt, which has been bringing in barley from other states to malt in-house since late 2013. The project started out small, but Ade’s increasing list of customers keeps his business booming.
“When I first moved to Austin I cut my ‘beer-drinking’ teeth on Real Ale Fireman’s #4 in the summertime and Real Ale Coffee Porter in the winter,” Ade said in the release. “Needless to say, when I started my malthouse, I had Real Ale on the short list of hopeful customers, but the realities of scale prevented us from working together. I just could not keep up with the amount of malt Real Ale was using.”
Real Ale’s Brewers’ Cut series allows for its brewers to stretch their creative muscles on fun new beers. For more information, visit realalebrewing.com. |
About this talk
Azure Service Fabric is the Microsoft microservices framework and this talk explains how to build applications that can be deployed in Azure or on your own infrastructure. Service fabric lets you deploy your own existing services or build them using the service fabric framework to take advantage of the built-in microservices features that service fabric provides.
Transcript
Okay so, this talk is about Service Fabric, so another talk about Service Fabric. We probably need to talk a bit about Microservices first. Then I'll go into how you build things in Service Fabric, and then we'll do demos, and talk about scalability, that sort of thing. So this is a lot more technical than the last one. So I'm hoping my demos going to work. I've got VMware running, and it's not running it really well. So I've got a bit of time to talk. So, hopefully, I've restarted it, and hopefully, it'll be ready by the time I get to that point, but I did say the demos were going to fail, didn't I? So, we'll see. So when we build applications, we tend to do some sort of layered application, so a three-tier type thing. So, traditionally, you'll have some sort of web frontend, some business layer. You may have a couple layers there. It depends and you have some sort of data store, and you, generally, then have multiple machines which we talked about in the last talk actually, and you'll put your application on those relevant tiers. If you want to scale those out, then you'd have to replicate each of those boxes. So your web frontend, you'll build another box, you'll put IS on it. You'll deploy your applications with it, similar with the middle tier and with the database. When you're talking Microservices, you'll take those applications and you'll, generally, break those down into smaller chunks. Now you could do the whole application if you wanted to, if your application is that well architectured, you can split it down. You may want to do that. You may have some things you can take out automatically, some sort of services that you could port to some sort of Microservices framework or you might only have bits of it. So while we've got this replicating and representing your whole application, it doesn't necessarily mean that's what you have to do. It's there. So you'll build these services. You'll push them out onto multiple boxes because they're smaller you can generally get more than one there. You probably have things running at higher density than you would in your previous model, which will actually have multiple applications running in the same sort of space. This is where Service Fabric comes in. So if you're building on a Microservices framework, you could do that now with Web Services in IS. You can have Windows Services running, doing various things, but if you do that, then you have to manage all that yourself. So if you put Windows Service on a machine, and it goes down, you've got to configure it to make sure it pops back up. If it fails for some reason, you've got to look at it, you've got to try and work out why. If the machine it's on fails, you've got to then rebuild the machine and put it on again. So what Service Fabric does is it provides that framework, where you can push your applications into there, and then it manages the lifecycle of that service. So if it falls over, it ultimately spins it up. If the hardware fails, it'll move that service or that service that's on a machine onto another node in the cluster. It allows you to update all your services independently. So you can configure them any way that it allows, as long as you've got more than one instance size, you should be able to upgrade your application without it affecting your services, really. If you've only got one, you've got to take it down and spin it back up. There's no way about that, but it does it. They also allow you to build applications that are either stateless or stateful. And I'll talk about the frameworks that the Service Fabric SDK gives you to help you build those applications. You'll also note that along the bottom, I've got lots of different blobs of different things. So you might be surprised to hear that we've actually got Service Fabric in Azure. Who knew? Let's talk on Azure, Service Fabric. But what it also does is the same executable that they run in Azure, you can deploy into your own private cloud. So if you've got a data center, you've got some virtual machines, on-prem, you can take that same deployment, and push it into your own hardware. Because it's the same set of executables, you can actually push that into Amazon cloud if you wanted or some other cloud provider that's got virtual machines. You could just basically configure those up as a Service Fabric cluster, and you basically push them anywhere. Equally, I've got Visual Studio installed here. We installed the Service Fabric SDK. When I run in the demo mode, and press F5, it actually spins those same executables up locally on my machine, and it runs it as if it was a cluster, an actual Service Fabric Cluster. It doesn't do an emulate like most of the tools do in Visual Studio. It actually runs it locally. So you'll see later, it actually spins up five clusters, a five-machine cluster as a test rig, and it'll deploy the applications throughout, and whatever. It's pretty good. You also might note on the site, it's got that little penguin thing. It's actually you can run Microservices, you can actually run Service Fabric in Linux now. So you can basically build any application in any language, and host it in Service Fabric. And it's actually really flexible, so if you have a lot of Java stuff host still based on Linux, maybe you can pull that over fairly easily. Ooh, I'm going to have to use something else. Sorry about that. So, the one thing I like about Service Fabric is Microsoft are using it for their own applications. So if they're spending the time and effort to build this framework, and they're actually trusting it to run things like SQL Database, that gives it a lot of credibility to me. They've put a lot of effort in it. And if they run those services now, they must've got rid of a lot of the bugs. Because databases need to be pretty resilient and if they're basing their business on it, then that's good for me. I'm quite happy for them to build stuff and test it, and then I'll come along, and use it when it's ready and when it's working. So things like Event Hubs, that has a lot of things happening at one go, so it shows that it can scale. And then we've got... We won't talk about Skype for Business. But Azure DocumentDB is your infrastructure. A lot of this stuff, a lot of the new services are all using Service Fabric under the hood now. So if they're trusting their business on it, then I'm quite happy to trust my applications to it because mine are nowhere, ever going to be anywhere near as big as this stuff that Microsoft are doing. So we're going to have a quick demo now. The first thing I want to show you is if you've not seen Azure, this is the portal that you get. So you do a lot of your configuration and deployment stuff in there if you want. Whatever you can do in the user interface here, there's a whole set of PowerShell and CLI script that you can do automatically. So to base everything around their own API, so you can build everything you see in there, you can generally do, via some API, and probably do more than you can on here. If I want to create a new Service Fabric cluster, I click the plus button and it should come up with Service Fabric, so put in a unique name. Hope nobody's nicked that since yesterday. That's fine. And one of the nice things it does is, I've typed admin in there. It's actually saying username you can't put admin in there anymore. They'll stop you doing that, so you've got to use your own user names now. Similarly, if I do what I did earlier pass that word one, it's doing exactly the same, so it won't let me now do that thing I did previously. So it's actually pretty good there, but it doesn't actually just stop me putting another one on the end. And it also uses Azure Resource templates, so it needs a resource group. I've already got one created, because I've already deployed out, so I'll use mine I've already got. And you can change where you want it located, so I want to put it into North Europe which is actually Dublin, which is a bit weird because West Europe's, Amsterdam. We click on OK, that should take us to the next thing, and this is where we configure up the actual machines. And what you're doing in Service Fabric is you have different application types. So you create nodes, different nodes for those application types. Now I only want one. I'm just going to create the same sort of machine, but you could create a different sort of node types, but depending on what your workload is. So if you've got something that's computer heavy and needs a big machine, you could actually have a specific node type for that, and you can scale these out. Service Fabric will manage where all the applications go based on what node type you configured. So I just want one. I complete the type of machine I want. So let's just give this a name. So we'll say it's a web type and start the [inaudible]. Now this is going to come with a recommended set of machines. It seems to know what I want to use, but when the process should come up here in a second. What I'm doing though is, I don't want any of those because I just want to build a test. I'm waiting for the prices to come up. There we are. So you can see some of these can range depending on what you want to use. They've actually got quite a big range of pricing. So we'll just keep scrolling down, and we'll keep going down, and keep going down. Where's mine, the one I want to use? There it is. That's the smallest you can get. So that's a shared CPU core, but if you want to build something in Azure as a demo for most of things, it's suitable. The other thing I want to do is you've got different tiers of reliability. It recommends five as the minimum, but because this is only a test, I want to go down to three. You can specify endpoints. So if you've got a web app you want to publish out into the real world, you can put the endpoint that you want it to publish that out and you configure that up when you build your application. The next one should be a security tab. I've clicked the right button. I don't want any security. It's only for testing this so I'm not that bothered. And what it's done now is you're just going check, and make sure that I've set everything, and if you notice, it took a little while for the create button to enable. So if I click that now that'll go and spin up that Service Fabric cluster to your machines in Azure. But what I want to do is I can actually download the template, and if you're familiar with Azure Resource Manager, you can actually take this template, and what it does is it allows you to configure your environment. So you can see it's got a few things in there, like a load balancer, the cluster. You can actually configure all these up. So if you actually had, say a machine that you wanted to build in there, that couldn't be put in Service Fabric, you wanted a server with your some legacy application in that only works on the same machine, you can spin that up and deploy your application into there. So, even though I'm building a Service Fabric cluster, I can put other machines in there. I can have different sets of resources that I want. So I can go away and customize that if I wanted to. Then I'd just go and deploy it using PowerShell, and it would go, and build all those machines in Azure, and it will set the Service Fabric cluster up. And also my other machines, it'll set load balancers up or set the security groups up, all those sort of things, if I wanted to which actually gives you quite a lot of flexibility. I've also deployed this on-prem, so when you deploy an on-prem cluster, I've actually created three virtual machines, and I'm hoping that they've all spun up. So I know you can see there, I've got three machines that have Basic Windows Service 2016. I set these up because I wanted to get Docker running in Service Fabric. So I configured Docker on those machines, the Windows servers, and that's pretty much all I did. So I created a base 2016 image. I've got Docker working on that, and then that was it, and then on the first server...so they're what I've called SF-0. I've basically copied all the install files on there, and you get this config file which is a block of JSON, and in there, you'd basically define what each machine is. So that's my machine, I've called the node and the machine the same thing, so each of my three machines that were SF-0, SF-1, SF-2, it's using the same node types. So this is one I set in the Service Fabric config, the multiple node types, these are all the same. I could have made them different, and I'd have a different set of configuration. These two are actually quite important. So I've got fault domain and upgrade domain. So fault domain means that if you've got hardware, you can set it up so that you create your applications, deployed into different fault domains. So if something goes wrong, it means that they're not sharing the same hardware. So if you've got a bigger network than I've got here, you could set that up. But what's probably more important is your upgrade domain. If you've got multiple upgrade domains, it means it will put your services into different upgrade. If you only upgrade your server, then it will upgrade domain one, then domain two, and domain three. So if you've got three instances, it'll take the first one down, upgrade it, put it back, and then take the second one down, and upgrade it, and the third one down. So I actually have an upgrade domains in there. It's actually really useful. So when you configure that up, basically take that thing, copy it back onto the virtual machine, and run a PowerShell script. There's two PowerShell scripts you run. The first one is a test. What it does is it basically takes that JSON file, and goes and tries and connect to all three machines. Then it'll come back, and tell you what's wrong. It's most likely you've got some file reports on it, service file reports. Run it again, it'll pass. Then you run the second one which basically deploys everything, so you don't actually need to go into any of the other machines. You just go and run it from the one. It goes into all the machines in that config, and deploys it all out, and configures up the cluster, and sets everything up for you. Also in Visual Studio, I've installed the Service Fabric SDK . So you install the Azure SDK first, and then you need your Azure Service Fabric SDK, so they're different. But all that means is when I create a new project, they've tried going down the route they've done with ISP.net where you set up a new ISP on that site, it puts its wizard up that allows you pick what you want, the different sorts of things. So, in my cloud options, I've got this Now Service Fabric. When this spins up you actually get a whole set of different services that you can do. So I'm going to talk about stateless and stateful today mainly, but you can have a whole load of other ones. So guest executable is a good one. I'll talk about that briefly. I'll talk about containers, but I won't really talk about these. So what it does is it guides me through the process and it's actually really easy to use. It's all familiar tools. I've not had to learn much to actually use this. I'm familiar with Visual Studio and how to use it, but what this does is it actually creates you a project. I clicked stateless, so it'll create me a project with a stateless service in it which I can just deploy straight out into Service Fabric, and it would run. It would do something. So I've not had to build anything. I'm not having to understand that, how it all works. I can just go and take that template, and actually, deploy and it proves everything worked. So what that actually gives me is, it gives me two things. The first one is the application. So this is basically a set of config files that define what the application is, and then it creates a set of services. So I only picked one service, but I could go into here, click add, new service, and it would pop that same dialog up that we had, and I could pick another service. You have this thing called an application manifest file which basically this defines what your application is, so it says, "This is your application. These are the services in there." And then each service has its own service manifest which basically defines what the service has at the endpoints where they execute it, and that sort of thing, the type. It also creates this stateless class, and what this has is a run async. So it, basically all this does, it's like a thread, a worker thread. So you've just go this little worker literally that does something, right, and all this line does in the middle there is fetch the data out. There's a diagnostic window that pops up which you'll see all these traces coming out. So all this service does is every second, it just increments that iterations that current and displays on the script, and the debug window working. So whatever you do, you can build your application, and put your code into there. So I could take that now and I could actually do that, and customize it for myself. The other thing we have. When I installed the Azure SDK, we got this thing called Cloud Explorer. Let me log that out. It gives me the sort of subscription that my... So I've logged into my machine using my Microsoft account. So it's picked that, and found how many Azure subscriptions I'm subscribed to and it's displayed them. So you can actually see I've got Service Fabric in here, and this is what I've deployed. This is actually deployed in Azure, so you should be able to see that I've got an application in there, and as you can see, I should have three nodes in there. I've also got this because I've installed the SDK, you get this local cluster. So that's what I was saying, I've effectively got the same execute running on my laptop. So if I press F5 on that program which I'll do, it should then go and build the application, deploy it to that local cluster, and we should see, if I looked in here, there should be a local one as well, which is up here, and Service Fabric. So in here, it probably hasn't got anything in it just yet, so it's still building it. So as soon as it starts, we should see it appear in here. What we also get is, I could right-click on here, I could. Oops, I should log that out, shouldn't I? I can right-click on here and open what's called Service Fabric Explorer which I've already got open here. Let me just see if this is actually coming up. Ooh, that might've worked. So, Service Fabric Explorer, if you can see that this says, local host. So that's effectively showing you what's on my cluster on my machine on that demo environment. Because I've actually got it deployed we've got one application there which I can click through, and you'll see that it's made up of one stateless service. So that's that one service that I deployed. If we go back to Visual Studio, we should see that it's actually just doing that increment in that account all the time. So all that is I've run it straight away straight out of the box. There's not been any code change or anything. The nice thing about this Service Fabric Explorer is, I've got it running locally. I've also got it running on that cluster on my machine, so the reboot worked. Hopefully, the next bit will work for this. And this is the same UI that I've got, and the same one that I've got in the cloud. So this one, you can see it's got an Azure URL. This one's got a local, so that SF-0, that's one of my machines in my cluster, and this one's got local host. So they're all the same UI, the same familiarity. It makes it easier to use. What we can do is, I can actually go in here and do some sort of management. So I could go into this node, and there's a few options. So I can do some control a little bit. So if I wanted to restart something or if I've got a machine that's playing up, I could take it out. I could deactivate it, reset it, whatever. I won't do that on my local cluster because I'm just debugging it. So because I'm running it in Visual Studio, I've got the same experience I would do if I was developing any application. So I could go in and I could put a breakpoint in there. So I shouldn't have turned this off. So it's deploying that out against it, so it's going to push that out onto my local cluster. But this should just allow me to break, as you would normally. So you'd expect this to come through, and break when we get there. There we are. So we do exactly the same thing, so you can look at the...there was a watch Windows, all that sort of thing, so exactly the same as you would normally. So I'll take that breakpoint off. What we could also do, if you've got it configured is you can actually right-click and attach a debugger to the one that's running in Azure. I've actually configured this so that when I set it up, there's one of those options on there allows me to enable debugging. See, this won't work in here because I needed to open it in the project that I deployed in there because all the code that I deployed is on that project. I haven't got a share on that code. So what that would do, hitting that would pop up all the processes it can see in that cluster, and you'll see one of the nodes is in there. It's got your application as well. So you can click that, and then run it in the debugger. And you'll then allow it to put breakpoints in so you're actually connected to a running service in Azure which I think's pretty good. You can also do streaming traces down. So if you've got it configured, you can have those logs that I've got coming out of that diagnostic window, you can get them being traced down. You can stream them down. It's the same way you can actually see the login. So it's pretty powerful. So I talked about there's a couple of configuration files in there. So the first one's the service types. This defines what your service does in the Service Fabric. So it explains where the code is. It says what configuration you want, and if you want additional data, it puts that it in there. You wrap that all up, so you have a collection. Basically, you have a set of services, and then you wrap those up in an application. So service type one might actually be part of multiple applications. So the application manifest file basically defines what services you need to compose with that application, and it just wraps those up together. So you can actually have a whole set of different services and different applications, and then deploy them out onto one cluster if you want. There's a number of different ways you can program this. So basically from left to right is the easiest, from a migration point of view to the more complicated. So if you've got things that are services now, so, for example, if you built some services in Topshelf that can run as a command, as a console app, and you can basically configure those up as a guest executable in Service Fabric, and run them straight out with the boxes, without doing any additional code. Similarly, you can build a container. So that's what I'm hoping works because over the weekend, I've built a container that hosts the website, and I've got that deployed as a container host in Service Fabric, running on my local cluster. So I should be able to attach the website and run that from the container. So Service Fabric is managing that. So if that container falls over, it'll restart it, and if that machine goes, it'll pull the image down from the Docker Hub repository, and spin it up, and whatever. So that's pretty good, pretty easy to use. So I can migrate my applications fairly easily using the first column on its own. So a lot of things I've got, I could actually build without having to do anything. If I take the Reliable Services Model approach, that gives me a lot more features there. So I can build stateless and stateful services. So that test app I built, that I justshowed you, that was a stateless service, and that uses the Reliable Services framework, and I want to talk a bit more detail about that. The Reliable Actors is a set of, effectively, templates Microsoft are building to sit on top of these Reliable Services. So Actor's the first one. They've done a Dev CF [SP] one. They've done a web API one, whatever. So this is sort of abstracting again, another layer up on top sort of to make it easier for you to build applications. I'm not going to talk about Reliable Actors in this, because I think there's a lot to talk about without that, at the moment. So when we build something on Service Fabric, all those three models will be getting these benefits, so you get fast deployment. So you saw, even running it locally, it was fairly quick to get that service out there. And it's probably a similar length of time if I want to deploy it out into Azure. It depends how complex your application is. Service Fabric decides where's best to place those services, as well. So, you could say how many instances you want of those services. You may just have a single one because your service you've got will only ever run...because of the way it's written, it can only run as a single instance. But you may have multiple ones and Service Fabric will decide where to place those, and it also manages the reliability. So if something falls over, it tries to spin it back up again. If there's something wrong with that node, it'll try and move the services up onto another node, that sort of thing. So you've got all that robustness built in. It also tries to put as many services as it can in the resources it's got, and it balances those out. So it sort of tries to make efficient use of the resources you've built into your cluster. And as you can see on those screens, we've got those nice little pictures which are all green. And if something had gone wrong, you'd have had red, and I could have drilled in, and looked at where that problem was. So it might be there's a problem with one of the nodes. It might be one of the applications that are being hosted on one of those nodes that's got a problem. Here's what I had earlier. So I had a whole load of red on one of them, and it wasn't really very good, so I had to reboot everything. So it also coordinates the upgrades. So as I talked about the upgrade domains, if I wanted to upgrade my application, it would take them down one at a time and do that for you. So you don't have to worry about any of that. It's really useful, really powerful. So guest executables and containers, I'll show you part of the demo, how easy it is to set these up. But it's pretty much you take your executable, so whatever you've got, if you can run an executable on the command line, then you can run it in as a guest executable in Service Fabric. So I've seen demos where they've run no JS server, which actually is what this example's showing you in Service Fabric, without actually having to do anything other than putting node exe in the file name that you want to run. If you've got something, it generally needs to run in some sort of, like a service where it's got some sort of worker thread type model. Otherwise you just run it, and you stop, and you fall over. It was no point putting it in. But similarly, with containers, you still have an exe host. You have a container host. And you basically appoint it to wherever your image is so that it can download the image and run that, and if you want, need any commands. There's a bit of extra config which I'll show you. It's part of my demo which I hope to map ports across. If you've got exposing ports in your container, you want to map those out to the real world, so people can access it, there's a few bits of mapping you need to do. But pretty much it's just, tell it where the image is and configure that up. Where you get the most power really is if you start using this Reliable Services stuff, so the features that I've showed you when I did that brief demo. One of the things that is important, especially if you're building, like Web Services, is you need to be able to discover the endpoint. So if you're building a web service, and you're hosting it in Service Fabric, you don't know exactly where the Service Fabric has put that service,so you need a way of being able to find that service. So they've got this Service Endpoint Discovery. So if it gets moved, you don't have any hard-coded URLs in there, you'll just go and ask for the end service, and it will tell you where it is at that moment in time. So if something's gone wrong, it's had to move it from one server to another, next time you get the connection, it will give you the new location. We'll also look at how well each of those applications are being used. So each service will run, and you can add extra monitoring in. So you can actually put that instrument in your service and use that to trigger when Service Fabric can move stuff around, so you'll know a bit more about how much load your application's running. And it'll try and balance that across all the nodes in the cluster, so you'll get a fairly efficient way of using the resources. I've talked about the actor pattern. There's also web API and the dev CF pattern. So they're trying to build, Microsoft's trying to build these patterns that sit on top of their Reliable Services. And as you also saw, it's using Visual Studio. It's a familiar environment, F5 debugging, see the diagnostic stuff. It's real easy to use and to package it up, and deploy it. So you could package your application up, use PowerShell to deploy. So I could take that service, the application, run it, compile it in Visual Studio, build it, package that up as a package it, give it to my friendly IT guy with a bit of PowerShell. Say, "Here, go and deploy that on your piece of tin you've got in your backroom. I don't need to worry about it." Or I could do something in my Release Manager, for example, or else just deploy whatever and run those same scripts. They're all part of the framework that you get. So I've been talking about stateful a bit, and stateless. So the example I showed was a stateless service. So if we were building this in our traditional three-tier model, you generally have a stateless web tier, and a stateless computer, and then all your states stored in some data store somewhere, and each of those arrows will add some latency to the journey. So from getting to frontend to the backend, you're going to add these extra hops. You're going to have this extra latency. So you maybe actually put some sort of cache in there to speed that up. But what the stateful does in a computer, in Service Fabric is, is it moves that data store away from your SQL database and puts it local to the computer engine. So it's a different program model to what you're used to, so you might use this as more of a transitionary store. So if you've got some data you want to store locally, then push it out to the database later, you could use a stateful compute. They use that using what's called Reliable Collections. So there's two at the moment. There's a Reliable Dictionary and a Reliable Queue. So if you look at how these collections have evolved over the time of dot.net, you started off with standard collections which basically are single threaded on single machines. And then we went to concurrent collections which gave you that thread safe way of accessing the data in a multi-threaded environment. And now we've come to these reliable connections, which actually run on multiple machines in a high availability scenario. They've got durable storage. It's all asynchronous and actually transactional, which means that whenever you want to access one of these stores, you have to put it in a transaction. So what you can see here is I'm creating a transaction. I'm getting something off the queue, then I'm adding it to a dictionary. So you're basically doing some work in here, and some of that work could go wrong, and if it goes wrong, before you call the commit, it will roll everything back. So eventually it would remove it from each of the dictionaries, and it would actually put the message back on the queue, and that transaction won't be committed. So this commit won't complete until it's copied the data to the main partition, and it also replicates it to multiple ones. So it depends on the size of the nodes, and how many nodes you've got in your cluster. And there's a whole set of rules to determine when it's transactionally safe to say it's committed it to a sensible number of replicas. But let's just say if you've got three, it's going to copy to two of them. It won't return the commit until it's done that. So if something goes wrong with the machine that you're on after the commit, you've still got the data in the other server. You'll then try and replicate them over. So what it does is you have a master node scenario, primary, secondary. So you'll store it in the first node, the primary node. And then as soon as it commits it will then replicate that out across the different nodes in the cluster, so you've got that high availability, that resilience. Similarly, if you've got a machine that goes down, Service Fabric will take those services, and push them somewhere else. It will find the right appropriate clusters with the right sort of node types or capacity, whatever and do that for you. You don't have to worry. I don't have to think about, "Oh, that machine's gone down. How's my service going to run." Service Fabric will move them over. We'd probably have to go and worry about fixing it because if the machine's gone down, I need to sort out why, but in the meantime, my services are still running. I can spin another machine up and add it to the cluster, and those machines, those services will then get spread out over those different nodes. Similarly with upgrading, so if you see, I've got an application here. So here which I'm upgrading, so I'll start the upgrade going, and what you've noticed now is I've got a version two there, and a version one. So you do have to be careful in this scenario because you've now got two different versions of the same service running. If they're storing your stuff in the database, for example, and you've just changed the schema in version two, you've got to make sure that the version one services still work, otherwise, you're going to break everything. So in this scenario, it's fairly straightforward, but if you could imagine somebody like the size of Facebook, if they were upgrading it, you could probably find they've got more than one version of something all other the thing. You've got to make sure that each of those versions is backup compatible with however many other versions that there are there, so it's just something to be aware of. So that's all upgrading there. So, we'll go to another demo. This is if the application that I deployed out, upgraded and deployed on my machine. My virtual machine's running on here, and also, not exactly the same, but nearly the same in Azure. The only difference is I've only got Docker running on here. I've got a whole number of different services running. I've also got a container service and a guest executable service running. So what I've built with this guest executable, I've used the WebJobs SDK, and the WebJobs SDK basically it allows me to build a console app. So I've built the console app using WebJobs SDK. It basically waits for a message to go on a queue and it pushes it onto Service Bus queue. That's what it does. It's fairly straightforward. I built that application separately. I then go into Services here to add...and I've picked guest executable, and now what it does is it says... put applications?" So you do a browse for it, find the application. Then follow it within, click the executable. You can put any arguments you want in there, pick the program, that sort of thing, and hit OK. And what that does is it takes a copy of that if you've set the thing, it creates this guest executable project. It creates a service manifest and you can see, this is all my assemblies. It's put them in there. So when I deploy it, it copies all those files over into Azure. Now similarly with a container, what I've done is I go back in here, do add. It's the same thing. This time I pressed container, and all I did in there was put my address of the Docker Hub where my container runs. So what I've built is a Docker container that's got an IS website in, and it just basically...hopefully, this is restarted. And all it does is when it runs, I get it to print out the machine name that it's running on. So I have three nodes. I have SF-0, SF-1, and SF-2. They're all running on my local cluster here, and you can see all they are is running on different machines. So that is a Docker container running on Service Fabric on my local box. So I haven't got that working in Azure yet. I think I need to configure up the... I just used the default template, and it didn't work, so I think I need to do something with that resource template to get that to work or just do some configuration or something. I'm not sure yet, but I'm sure I'll get that working at some point. So that was fairly easy to do. So I might already have with those two features alone, I could migrate a lot of my applications that I have into Service Fabric without having to rewrite anything. But what I do have is, I do have a lot of services, that dev CF, for example, which I want to move in, but I don't really want to rewrite them. So I have two applications which...sorry. I have one service which is basically that's dev CF service and that's the SQL data layer that sits behind it, so there are two projects. I've just imported them from my application I have already. I have not done any code changes to those at all. I've just put them in there so I can reference them. I've then created a stateless service, so I can host it in Service Fabric. So that's about how to set up. So if I deploy that now, Service Fabric will push that out and give me a dev CF service. It may give me multiple instances depending on how I've configured it, but I won't know where they are. So I've got the whole of the services. All this does is faithfully take documents that we've received from the customer, it stores them in the database. So I need to use that. I let my services to do this. They process the documents, so I need to know how to connect to them. So what I've done is I've got another service which effectively retrieves the documents, and then loads them into the service. So I have this file loader thing, and all this code is just, basically getting messages off the queue, but the bit that's interesting is I need to work how to find it. So there's a whole load of template code that Microsoft have provided which basically creates a TCP binding. You get your current resolver. You say, "I want it to be this dev CF instance." That's the service interface that I've got. And remember I said that there was a unique address? So that's the unique address for this service. So that's the application name, so if we look in the application manifest, you should see that. If you look in the service manifest for that service, you should see that. And then you basically that gets me a client which I can then call them method on. So this bit of code here is pretty much exactly the same code I would've written if I was using a dev CF client in my application. So I've not had to put any connection string in there. That piece of code there will go, and find out where that service is or find that instance of it, and give me a connection string, a connection to that. I can just call the services normal. So for that, I've not had to modify my dev CF service. I've just wrapped it up in this wrapper thing, and I've got it running. I've got it running in the in the fabric. So I talked partly there about configuration. So if I open the application back up and go to the application manifest file, you'll notice there's a whole set of parameters in here. And these bottom ones here are pretty much my custom properties that I want to send into some of my services. Some of the services will use them, and some of them won't. So I've got connection strings there, connections to queues, Redis, Storage Account, whatever. So if we scroll down a bit, we should see different settings. So this is one of my services there, a different service there. It has a different set of settings and the file store one which we saw just had a connection string. So I've defined those properties. If we go back to that file store service, this bit of code here basically goes and says, "Get me the configuration object called config," and I want to get the database connection string out of that. So that's how I pull that data out of those config files. Now when I'm deploying, every time you deploy you have what's called a publish profile, and each one of those publish profiles has a config file associated with it. So, if I go look at the one that's stored locally on my machine, I can see those connection strings there, so I've got a connection string to my local database. I've got Service Bus connection. I've got Redis connection and whatever. So that's configuring it. If I looked at the one that was in Azure, I'd have an Azure database connection, rather than my local one, and I'd have a different set of connection strings for the queues, and whatever. So every time I package up my application, so I right-click on here and do package. Is that going to pop it? Pop it, dial it up, probably not. If I go on here and do publish, that will pop it up. So this has to go on here, it's got a different set of published profiles. So I pick my demo one, it's pointing to my machine or my local VM. It's saying use a demo XML file. So I can set this up. I can practice that up with each of those. So I want a package for my Azure that I want to push in, give it out to my IT guy. Then I would package it up as the Azure one with the Azure XML file, and that would package that up and you'd be able to deploy that. There's, actually if we go to the scripts folder in here, there's a deploy PowerShell script. So you basically run that past the right parameters into the right files, and that will deploy out to Azure. Let's go back to the demo project. So in this application, I created a stateless service. I can equally do the same thing and go in here, and do... Wrong one. Hit add. I can go in and add a stateful service. So, again, this is going to create another service in the application, this time a stateful one. It'll do all the templated code for me, and, again, I could just publish that out straight away and it would run. I won't have to do anything. But what it's actually done is, again, it's created this stateful class. It's got that run async in there, and this time it's using a dictionary. So this is using that Reliable Dictionary so it pulls that dictionary out. I gave it a unique name and in order to use it, I have to use a transaction. It won't let me access it without putting a transaction in. So we create this transaction around the code. I'm doing something with it. I'm pulling the data out. If it's got a value, I'll print the value out. If not, the value doesn't exist, I then increment it. So pretty much the same as what the other one did, but this time it's stateful. So what that should mean is if things go wrong, I don't lose that data. To find out, hit F5, and deploy that out. So this is what this will do now is it will take my... So if we quickly go back to Service Fabric Explorer local host, I've got nothing in there. So I've got five nodes, but I've got nothing, no applications running. So, hopefully, when this actually deploys... That didn't work. That's the wrong one, anyway. So that's running now. So that should, I've now popped up one. So that's now deployed that application out. So every time I stop debugging, it removes it out of that cluster, and every time I start. So if we go into that application we should now see it's got two services in there, and add one, so it's got that stateful and stateless. I should get my Diagnostics Event window. Let's get rid of that there. And now you can see that this is scrolling up with different values. So the working dash is the stateless one. The current value is the stateful one. So if we go back into here, and look at the nodes, you can see what's deployed. So that's got stateful in there. [Inaudible] This has got stateful and the stateless in there, so I should be able to click through each one of them. So this one on node three is the secondary one, so this one should be the primary one. So what I can do... where are we? There's the stateless one. So this has only got one instance running. So if we just go back quickly to here, and see that we're looking at, it's up going on for 100 now. So next time, yeah, it's on 100. So if I go and do a restart... underscore... Is it two or three? It's three. So that should now restart that thing. So what we should see in Visual Studio is, you see this is now...and it's done something there. You see it caused it. We've lost the working node and now it's come back, and it actually has restarted it. I'll just pause that a sec. So it's restarted it because that was stateless and I restarted the server, it didn't have it stored. So we couldn't do anything about it. I'll keep that off again. So you can see this one's now, the stateful ones up at 150-odd. So if I go and look back to that... I'll get rid of that because that's just annoying me. So that's restarted, you've got that same executable, you've got the same experience. And it runs on Windows and Linux. You can program in any language. So you've got Java and Linux will run. If you've got C Sharp, dot.net, node, whatever, you can build applications. You can host them in Service Fabric. I've showed you the Reliable Services and how you get quite a lot of benefits from building that, and you get the stateful and the stateless. And I've shown you the differences between what events are for each with those, and I'm showing that Service Fabric when I was resetting those servers, it automatically spun them up elsewhere, and it moved the replicas around, and it did all that health stuff that I didn't have to worry about. So it's actually pretty good. And I think, to me, the fact that Microsoft uses it, and they're betting their business on this service, this technology, then I'm quite happy to use it myself. I'm quite happy for them to go and build all their services and get rid of all the bugs, and I'll take the benefits that they can get. I think it gives them credibility if they're actually prepared using it themselves, and that's it. Thank you very much. |
With the higher price of the private system comes better amenities and shorter wait times, but also all of the trappings of fee-for-service medical care. C-sections can be easily scheduled and quickly executed, so doctors schedule and bill as many as eight procedures a day rather than wait around for one or two natural births to wrap up.
“It’s a money machine,” Borges said.
The economics of private insurance certainly play a role, but culture is also a big part of what drives the C-section epidemic here.
“Childbirth is something that is primitive, ugly, nasty, inconvenient,” Simone Diniz, associate professor in the department of maternal and child health at the University of São Paulo, said. “It takes long, and the idea is we have to make it fast. It’s impolite for doctors to leave cases for the doctors on the next shift. There’s a sense that you need to either accelerate it or do a C-section.”
Even in public hospitals, the C-section rate is roughly half of all births. Because so many patients are booked in advance for C-section procedures, women who want natural births find themselves on zero-hour sojourns to find free beds. One Sao Paulo doctor told me that some physicians ask for bribes in exchange for allowing mothers to deliver naturally. And in an extreme example from earlier this month, a woman named Adelir Carmen Lemos de Goés was forced by police to deliver by C-section in the southern Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul.
Poster for the Brazilian C-section protests (Rafael Ricoy)
As a 2005 editorial in the Brazilian Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology put it, "There is no doubt that, even if it contains unnecessary or even greater risk to the mother or the newborn, ceasarean section has a much lower risk for the obstetrician.”
Granted, many women ask for the procedure of their own accord, seeing the convenience and sterility of it all as a marker of liberation rather than oppression. Rio and Sao Paulo are dotted with upscale C-section resort clinics where women get post-op manicures and room service.
But a 2001 study of Brazilian women published in the British Medical Journal concluded that the country’s rise in C-sections was driven primarily by unwanted procedures rather than personal preference. And some women elect to go under the knife only after hearing about the rough treatment of mothers who choose the alternative.
"Here, when a woman is going to give birth, even natural birth, the first thing many hospitals do is tie her to the bed by putting an IV in her arm, so she can't walk, can't take a bath, can't hug her husband. The use of drugs to accelerate contractions is very common, as are episiotomies," Maria do Carmo Leal, a researcher at the National Public Health School at the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, told the AP. "What you get is a lot of pain, and a horror of childbirth. This makes a cesarean a dream for many women." |
The Senate on Thursday passed legislation repealing the core pillars of ObamaCare, taking a major step toward sending such a bill to the president’s desk for the first time.
Republicans hailed it as a political messaging victory and a fulfillment of their promise from the 2014 midterm election to force President Obama to veto the landmark healthcare reform law named after him.
ADVERTISEMENT
The measure passed 52-47 after the Senate voted to significantly strengthen the bill originally passed by the House and brought straight to the floor by Majority Leader Mitch McConnell Addison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellHouse to push back at Trump on border Democrats block abortion bill in Senate Overnight Energy: Climate protesters storm McConnell’s office | Center-right group says Green New Deal could cost trillion | Dire warnings from new climate studies MORE (R-Ky.).
The House will need to approve the amended legislation before it can be sent to the White House.
Thursday’s vote was a major event in the Senate, as Democrats never allowed a stand-alone vote on an ObamaCare repeal bill when they controlled the chamber.
Democrats were also unable to block the GOP measure, which was brought to the floor under budget reconciliation rules that prevented a filibuster.
“For too long, Democrats did everything to prevent Congress from passing the type of legislation necessary to help these Americans who are hurting,” McConnell said on the floor. “Today, that ends.”
The measure guts the law by repealing authority for the federal government to run healthcare exchanges, and scrapping subsidies to help people afford plans bought through those exchanges. It zeros out the penalties on individuals who do not buy insurance and employers who do not offer health insurance.
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), who is running for the Democratic presidential nomination, missed the final vote.
The vote caps weeks of intense and at times acrimonious debate within the Senate GOP conference over how far the repeal should go.
Conservative Sens. Ted Cruz Rafael (Ted) Edward CruzTrump unleashing digital juggernaut ahead of 2020 Inviting Kim Jong Un to Washington Trump endorses Cornyn for reelection as O'Rourke mulls challenge MORE (R-Texas) and Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), who are running for president, and Sen. Mike Lee Michael (Mike) Shumway LeePush to end U.S. support for Saudi war hits Senate setback The Hill's Morning Report — Emergency declaration to test GOP loyalty to Trump The Hill's 12:30 Report: Trump escalates fight with NY Times MORE (R-Utah) threatened to oppose a House-passed repeal bill for not going far enough.
Three moderates, Sens. Susan Collins Susan Margaret CollinsHouse to push back at Trump on border Hillicon Valley: Senators urge Trump to bar Huawei products from electric grid | Ex-security officials condemn Trump emergency declaration | New malicious cyber tool found | Facebook faces questions on treatment of moderators GOP Sen. Tillis to vote for resolution blocking Trump's emergency declaration MORE (R-Maine), Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) and Lisa Murkowski Lisa Ann MurkowskiHouse to push back at Trump on border GOP Sen. Tillis to vote for resolution blocking Trump's emergency declaration Pence meeting with Senate GOP ahead of vote to block emergency declaration MORE (R-Alaska), balked at it for including language defunding Planned Parenthood.
GOP leaders briefly floated the possibility of dropping the Planned Parenthood language but dropped the idea knowing it could spark a conservative backlash.
Instead, McConnell leaned on Cruz, Rubio and Lee to vote yes and sweetened the prospect by crafting an amendment that dramatically beefed up the Senate package. All three voted yes.
“This bill is a substantial improvement over the original House bill, and I’m grateful to Senate conservatives and Senate leadership for joining me in making it so,” Cruz said in a statement after the vote.
It repeals the expansion of Medicaid adopted by 30 states as well as many of the law’s tax increases, which the House bill left in place.
It cuts funding for the Prevention and Public Health Fund and eliminates risk adjustment programs from insurance companies that lose money because of the law.
The House bill eliminates the individual and employer mandates, the "Cadillac tax" on expensive insurance plans and the medical device tax.
The question of how to handle Medicaid was a thorny one for McConnell because it pitted conservatives, who demanded a repeal, against Republican colleagues from states that expanded the safety-net program.
“I am very concerned about the 160,000 people who had Medicaid expansion in my state. I have difficulty with that being included,” Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, a Republican from West Virginia, told The Hill earlier this month.
Vulnerable GOP incumbents face reelection next year in several states that have expanded Medicaid: Illinois, New Hampshire, Ohio and Pennsylvania.
McConnell eased their concerns by phasing in the repeal over two years to give the federal government and states time to come up with a replacement program.
The Senate bill also repeals the over-the-counter medicine tax, the prescription drug tax, an annual fee on health insurers and the tax on indoor tanning services. It reduces the threshold of healthcare costs that can be deducted from 10 percent to 7.5 percent of adjusted gross income.
Cruz and Rubio signaled to GOP leaders earlier in the week that they would vote for the package but Cruz held out, keeping his colleagues guessing.
The GOP leadership braced itself for the possibility that Cruz might attempt to force the Senate to vote on a one-sentence provision repealing the entire bill, which the Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough had ruled out of order.
Cruz could have attempted to overturn the ruling of the presiding chair, who almost always follows the advice of the parliamentarian, with a simple-majority vote. But he decided not to, a pragmatic move since he colleagues were unlikely to back him.
Collins and Kirk voted against the repeal package after an amendment they offered earlier in the day to strike the language defunding Planned Parenthood failed by a vote of 48-52.
Murkowski, another sponsor of the amendment to protect Planned Parenthood funding, voted yes for the broader bill after declining to take a public position before the floor debate.
The Senate voted throughout the afternoon on a variety of amendments, many of them intended to send a political message.
Democrats sought to score political points by offering an amendment sponsored by Sen. Dianne Feinstein Dianne Emiel FeinsteinHillicon Valley: Senators urge Trump to bar Huawei products from electric grid | Ex-security officials condemn Trump emergency declaration | New malicious cyber tool found | Facebook faces questions on treatment of moderators Ocasio-Cortez adviser says Sunrise confrontation with 'old-timer' Feinstein 'sad' Key senators say administration should ban Huawei tech in US electric grid MORE (D-Calif.) to bar suspected terrorists from buying guns. It failed by a vote of 45-54.
The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee blasted vulnerable Republicans who opposed it.
“It’s reprehensible that with everything going on in the world, these senators won’t stand up to the special interests and pass a commonsense measure like closing the terrorist gun loophole,” said Lauren Passalacqua, a spokeswoman for the committee.
An amendment sponsored by Sen. Rand Paul Randal (Rand) Howard PaulThe Hill's Morning Report — Emergency declaration to test GOP loyalty to Trump The Hill's 12:30 Report: Trump escalates fight with NY Times The 10 GOP senators who may break with Trump on emergency MORE (R-Ky.), another presidential candidate, to loosen restrictions on concealed weapons permits fell six votes short of the 60 it needed as a nongermane proposal.
Senators passed by a vote of 90-10 an amendment sponsored by Sen. Dean Heller (R-Nev.) to repeal the "Cadillac tax" on expensive health plans. The provision was included in the House bill but had to be sunset to pass parliamentary muster in the upper chamber. Heller’s amendment removed the time-limiting language.
Jordain Carney contributed to this story.
- Updated at 8:46 p.m. |
A pair of tweets from Horizon Health CEO John McGarry is getting reaction for their use of frank language to draw attention to what he calls a crisis of congestion in all New Brunswick hospitals.
Last Friday, McGarry tweeted that all regional hospitals were facing intolerable congestion.
"Horizon Health network called for urgent action in January, Nurses Association of New Brunswick is now, all regional hospitals are facing intolerable congestion. When will system sit down as one and fix the worsening situation of alternative levels of care and long term care for patients who need their hospital care? Please someone tell us what it will take? " he posted.
McGarry admits he's become very frustrated by the situation, and he feels he had no choice but to go public.
"This is a crisis," he said. "We have to do something."
McGarry says his tweet is the result of years of inaction by successive governments.
"I just had to say something like 'What is it going to take for someone to realize we are in a crisis here?'"
In Fredericton, three surgeries had to be cancelled Tuesday morning.
"In Moncton last week I asked how many were canceled in the month of March, it was 18 to 25 surgeries," McGarry said. "And those are the ones that are canceled just at the last moments."
Health Minister Victor Boudreau, who McGarry answers to, wouldn't speak with reporters about the issue at the legislature Tuesday.
When asked if he thought the tweets could be considered insubordinate, McGarry wasn't sure.
"I was appointed by government, I can be relieved by government, but while I'm sitting in the chair I report to the board of directors and serve them and advise them," he said.
McGarry says, if government doesn't start doing something, anything, to separate those who need to be in nursing homes from the rest of the hospital population, the future of New Brunswick hospitals will be a disaster. |
Construction for the first section is expected to begin in early 2019 and the array is expected to go live in summer 2019. Below is a visual representation of the first section of the array which will be installed in the southeast corner of the property. The existing four-board fence and new landscape buffers on the north and west side of the property along Conner Station Road will blend with the surrounding area.
Step 1 – Choose a subscription level is right for you using our Solar Share Calculator.
Step 2 – Enroll through our online form or by calling 800-356-5467.
Step 3 – Start supporting local solar!
Step 4 – Tell your family and friends!
Avoid the up-front costs and long-term maintenance required for a private system. This type of program is ideal for customers who want to support local solar energy, but are unable to install it on their own property or for whom a private system may be too costly. It’s especially appealing for renters, those with properties predominantly in the shade and those who have deed restrictions. Receive a credit on your monthly bill based on your subscription. The Solar Energy Credit represents the monetary value of the solar energy that will be generated based on your subscription. This credit will vary each month based on the actual amount of solar energy generated by the facility.(More) Example bill. Support the growth of local solar energy. Participating customers are contributing directly to growing solar energy in Kentucky.
Subscribe to shares of solar on a first-come basis; includes a monthly fee per share of solar. You can choose one or more shares based on your preference. Currently, each subscription includes a monthly fee of $6.27, per share of solar, with no up-front enrollment fees. The monthly fee is subject to change during the subscription period, but would only do so if approved by the Kentucky Public Service Commission. Each 250-watt share of solar is currently estimated to produce between 18 and 38 kilowatt-hours of energy per month, depending on factors like weather conditions and time of year. A typical residential household uses approximately 1,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity each month. The program requires a 12-month commitment from the date the solar charges appear on a customer's bill. Customers who subscribe 50 kW or more will be required to sign a five-year contract. The term, "shares," does not create or imply any ownership or investment interest.
Solar Share Program status 100% Section 1 Together, we did it! The first section within the Solar Share program is 100% subscribed and we’re now taking enrollments for the second. Check in periodically for updates regarding construction plans on the first array. 8% Section 2 Now accepting enrollments Enroll now Get an estimate |
Crowdfunding revenues for video game projects appear to have fallen in 2016. The decline is especially large on Kickstarter, where the revenue earned by successful projects was down nearly 60 percent.
This year was the first time since its founding in 2009 that the crowdfunding giant took in less money — roughly 5.8 percent less overall — than the year before. That makes the precipitous decline of the video game category all the more unusual.
So where did the money go? For our analysis, Polygon solicited data from all four of the major video game crowdfunding platforms — Fig, Gambitious, IndieGoGo and Kickstarter — in early December. Only IndieGoGo failed to respond to our request by the end of January. Using that data, we’ve uncovered a picture of an industry in transition, and on the cusp of what promises to be a fascinating New Year.
Kickstarter no longer dominant
The biggest finding was the marked decline in the revenue earned by successful video game projects on Kickstarter.
In 2015, successful video game Kickstarters earned a total of $41.5 million. In 2016 however, successful campaigns earned at most* $17.6 million. That represents a roughly 60 percent decline in revenue for the category.
That 60 percent decline can be applied on a per project basis as well.
There were basically the same number of successful campaigns in 2016 (388) as in 2015 (374). So a successful campaign in 2016 would have averaged $45,360, versus an average of $110,962 in 2015.
While in 2015 tabletop games earned twice as much money as video games, in 2016 they earned nearly six times more. That figure confirms a trend uncovered by ICO partners over the summer.
The tabletop category increased by nearly 20 percent from 2015, growing the amount of revenue raised by successful campaigns from $84.6 million to at most* $101.2 million. The number of successful campaigns was also up by nearly 23 percent.
The growth of equity crowdfunding
Fig was a disruptive force last year, entering the crowdfunding space with a combination of traditional rewards-based options as well as equity investment. But it also pulled several major players out of the Kickstarter ecosystem.
DoubleFine and InXile have both run successful, multi-million dollar campaigns on Kickstarter in years past. In 2016, they took their business to Fig. Even though that company endured an extended period of review by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission that dragged on for months, they made an impressive showing. DoubleFine’s campaign for Psychonauts 2 raised over $3.8 million, while InXile’s Wasteland 3 raised over $3.1 million.
Add to that several smaller projects, and we find that Fig raised more than $7.8 million — nearly half of what Kickstarter did — in its first full year.
Also sharing its numbers with Polygon for the first time this year is Gambitious, which describes itself as a “hybrid crowd finance platform and indie publishing label.” Founded in 2012, they are the first gaming crowd finance platform to actually turn a profit for its investors. But, more importantly for our analysis, they also grew their business and collected nearly $2.6 million dollars of investment.
But even when you add together the money earned by Fig and Gambitious, it doesn’t equal the amount of revenue that Kickstarter declined in 2016. Our figures show that crowdfunding for video games was down roughly $13.5 million last year, or around 33 percent.
Again, the large caveat here is that IndieGoGo, which did not share numbers with Polygon, could have had an impressive year.
So where did the money go?
While it’s true that Kickstarter itself finished down overall in 2016, the decline in the video game category was remarkable. But it’s difficult to say where a third of 2015’s video game crowdfunding money went. Three possibilities come to mind.
First, some consumers could have lost their appetite for crowdfunding video games entirely. The long development times inherent to the video game industry, as well as some high-profile projects that have failed to deliver on their promises, could have soured them on crowdfunding in general.
Second, it is now hard to ignore the fact that the incredible growth of tabletop could be stealing away a portion of the revenue consumers previously used to crowdfund video games. Without much more granular data from Kickstarter, it’s hard to provide a good case for this however. Anecdotally, people who enjoy video games also seem to be big fans of board games, and they’re not shy about spending a lot of money on physical products. But there’s no real way to track where they spend their crowdfunding money.
Third, Fig’s months-long delay getting approval from the SEC could have simply pushed a number of large projects into 2017 that would have otherwise been on the books in 2016. Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire is already off to an amazing start with more than $2 million raised in a matter of weeks. A few more campaigns like that, and the $13.5 million deficit might quickly evaporate.
Whatever the case, it’s clear that equity crowdfunding options, like Fig and Gambitious, are here to stay. It will be interesting to see which independent developers warm up to the model.
How things play out in 2017 will be very interesting. |
Last additions
Liu San Jie 《刘三姐》心想唱歌就唱歌 - Song from Guangxi Lyrics in Chinese with pinyin, english annotations and mp3 audio file to download.
Dao Xiang, Jay Chou (Zhou Jielun) 稻香 （周杰伦） - Chinese song Lyrics in Chinese with pinyin, english annotations and mp3 audio file to download.
Si Ren You, Fang Datong (& Xue Kaiqi) 四人游 （方大同与薛凯琪） - Chinese song Lyrics in Chinese with pinyin, english annotations and mp3 audio file to download.
More about chinese culture
And for the little ones...
Chinese Children's Songs Lyrics in chinese, pinyin and download Children's songs, nursery rhymes, communist and socialist anthems, chairman Mao songs, with some english translation.
Songs in Cantonese
Hong-Kong's music, bands,...
Chinese Ethnic music
Music from Tibet, Mongolia, Xinjiang, ...
Chinese covers of foreign songs
Miscellaneous
Chinese Idol 2005 theme song, Zidane's tribute ... |
Equally Wed, published in a state where same-sex marriage is outlawed, is among a crop of Web sites that are filling the void left by conventional bridal publications. They join companies like OutVite.com , a Massachusetts stationery firm that grew along with that state’s same-sex wedding industry; photographers who promote images of gay weddings on their home pages; purveyors of groom-and-groom cake toppers; and cruise lines that advertise their embrace of gay honeymoons.
“The market doesn’t wait for politics to catch up,” said Katherine Sender, an associate professor of communications at the University of Pennsylvania and the author of “Business, Not Politics: The Making of the Gay Market .” “As gay marriage becomes part of the national imagination, marketing to it and publications concerning it become more and more viable.”
Photo
Gay weddings have been depicted on network television since the mid-1990s, and about 70 percent of daily newspapers now carry same-sex wedding announcements, according to the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation. But some mainstream publications and broadcasters are only now taking their first halting steps toward inclusion.
This month, under pressure from gay rights groups, the “Today” show on NBC welcomed same-sex couples to compete in its annual wedding contest. Also this month, Brides, a Condé Nast publication, ran its first feature about a same-sex wedding, depicting the union of one of the magazine’s photo editors and her longtime girlfriend.
Martha Stewart Weddings, a publication of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia , had already broken precedent in its winter 2010 issue, with a pictorial that showed Jeremy Hooper and Andrew Shulman stomping on glass and sharing a kiss.
Both magazines played it straight, focusing on menus and decorations, with no mention beyond the obvious of the couples’ orientations. “This is a part of the mix going forward,” said Millie Martini Bratten, the editor-in-chief of Brides. “The world is changing.”
But because it must appeal to a broad base, Brides does not plan to spotlight same-sex weddings in any deliberate way or to document their sociological evolution, Ms. Bratten said. That leaves an untapped market for Equally Wed and a handful of other Web sites devoted to same-sex weddings, with titles like Queerly Wed, So You’re EnGAYged, GayWeddings.com and RainbowWeddingNetwork.com.
Advertisement Continue reading the main story
In the six years since Massachusetts broke the barrier, there have been an estimated 40,000 legal same-sex marriages in the United States , according to the Williams Institute for Sexual Orientation Law and Public Policy at the University of California, Los Angeles . A comparable number of gay Americans have married in other countries, and an additional 84,000 couples may be in civil unions or domestic partnerships, according to the institute.
Connecticut , Iowa , New Hampshire , Vermont and the District of Columbia have now joined Massachusetts in recognizing same-sex marriage, and court cases in California and Massachusetts are challenging the constitutionality of state and federal laws against it.
It is not lost on the Palladinos that despite the assertion in their publication’s name, they were wed and continue to live in one of the 41 states that prohibit same-sex marriage. But it is the very absence of state approval, they said, that made their own vows so meaningful and inspired the spirit of their magazine.
Photo
“We’ve done everything we can to be equally wed,” Maria Palladino said.
The couple are publishing their quarterly from a back room in their tidy house in East Point, an emerging gay outpost just south of Atlanta . Maria, 30, who works as a freelance Web designer, is publisher. Kirsten, 32, who manages the lifestyle sections of a weekly newspaper, is editor.
Their magazine, which features a more content-driven format than some competing sites, is attracting about 8,000 unique viewers a month, Maria Palladino said. It has about 20 advertisers, including a jeweler, a hotel chain and a car insurer.
Newsletter Sign Up Continue reading the main story Please verify you're not a robot by clicking the box. Invalid email address. Please re-enter. You must select a newsletter to subscribe to. Sign Up You will receive emails containing news content , updates and promotions from The New York Times. You may opt-out at any time. You agree to receive occasional updates and special offers for The New York Times's products and services. Thank you for subscribing. An error has occurred. Please try again later. View all New York Times newsletters.
Equally Wed can seem driven by conflicting impulses. On the one hand, it is devoted to making same-sex weddings seem ordinary, providing the same obsessive attention to floral arrangement and cake design as bridal magazines. On the other, it celebrates the distinctive, norm-flouting nature of gay unions and guides participants through their specific challenges.
In the summer issue, a feature about planning a green wedding shares space on the home page with an article about the legal dilemmas facing married couples when one spouse changes genders. A feature on boudoir photography gives way to an advice column on managing marriage license waiting periods in Iowa and Massachusetts.
Like traditional magazines, Equally Wed pulses with the love stories of real couples and lush photography of their ceremonies. Kirsten Palladino, who always dreamed of a white-dress wedding, writes a blog called “In Bloom,” which dispenses advice on invitation fonts and summer cocktails.
But she also answers reader questions about whether a man should propose to another man with a ring (why not?) and whether a couple should invite homophobic relatives to their wedding (better to send them an announcement after the fact). Maria Palladino, who said she has not worn a dress since high school, writes a blog from the butch point of view called “Broom Closet,” a term she coined for those who do not quite fit as either bride or groom.
Advertisement Continue reading the main story
The magazine includes a consumer guide to vendors who are practiced in avoiding heterosexist language and customs. When planning their own wedding, the Palladinos quickly learned to detect discomfort among the photographers they interviewed.
“They were so delicate in their handling of it,” Kirsten Palladino said. “They’d say, ‘You know, I’ve never shot a gay wedding, but I’d be happy to.’ And then sign off their e-mail: ‘Much love in Jesus Christ.’ ”
The Palladinos said that what excited them about the future, both of same-sex weddings and their magazine, was the chance to navigate between tradition and innovation. “There are no rules,” Kirsten Palladino said. “We can look to the history of straight weddings and take what we want and leave what we don’t.” |
Review article
Abstract
Nearly three decades have now passed since the discovery of the piracetam-like nootropics, compounds which exhibit cognition-enhancing properties, but for which no commonly accepted mechanism of action has been established. This review covers clinical, pharmacokinetic, biochemical and behavioural results presented in the literature from 1965 through 1992 (407 references) of piracetam, oxiracetam, pramiracetam, etiracetam, nefiracetam, aniracetam and rolziracetam and their structural analogues. The piracetam-like nootropics are capable of achieving reversal of amnesia induced by, e.g., scopolamine, electroconvulsive shock and hypoxia. Protection against barbiturate intoxication is observed and some benefit in clinical studies with patients suffering from mild to moderate degrees of dementia has been demonstrated. No affinity for the alpha 1-, alpha 2-, beta-, muscarinic, 5-hydroxytryptamine-, dopamine, adenosine-A1-, mu-opiate, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) (except for nefiracetam (GABAA)), benzodiazepine and glutamate receptors has been found. The racetams possess a very low toxicity and lack serious side effects. Increased turnover of different neurotransmitters has been observed as well as other biochemical findings, e.g., inhibition of enzymes such as prolylendopeptidase. So far, no generally accepted mechanism of action has, however, emerged. We believe that the effect of the racetams is due to a potentiation of already present neurotransmission and that much evidence points in the direction of a modulated ion flux by, e.g., potentiated calcium influx through non-L-type voltage-dependent calcium channels, potentiated sodium influx through alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid receptor gated channels or voltage-dependent channels or decreases in potassium efflux. Effects on carrier mediated ion transport are also possible. |
The Oakland Athletics, for weeks now, have been terrible. They’ve gone 27-37 in the season’s second half, with a 12-17 record in August and an even uglier 8-15 mark in September. Yet thanks largely to some atrocious play by their AL West rivals in Seattle, the A’s are about to clinch their third straight playoff berth anyway.
Still, few people seem to be taking Oakland seriously as a World Series contender. Some of that disrespect comes from simple math: By having to play an additional one-game playoff just to get to the American League Division Series, the A’s face a tougher climb than MLB’s six division winners. But much of the disdain for Oakland’s chances stems from an overemphasis on momentum. If the A’s have stunk up the joint for most of August and September, why should anyone believe October will be any different?
Because there’s no evidence to suggest that how a team plays heading into the postseason has any correlation with how it fares in the postseason. That’s why.
Last week, we looked at teams’ regular-season road records and whether those can predict playoff success (the answer was yes, they do). Here, we used the same methodology, looking at every playoff game from 1969 through 2013 to see whether we could find a predictive link between late-season performance and playoff success.
In the end, we found that full-season winning percentages were a significant predictor of postseason outcomes. But the degree to which a team was hot after June, July or August was not statistically significant when it came to forecasting playoff proficiency.
Now that doesn’t necessarily prove definitively that there’s nothing to the momentum theory. As Bill James reminds us, an absence of evidence isn’t conclusive proof by itself, and it’s possible that further research using a different approach could yield different results.
Still, given the hot-or-not narratives that pop up every October, and the lack of evidence to support the momentum theory, it’s probably time to take the A’s a bit more seriously as contenders. Jay Jaffe (at Baseball Prospectus) and Dave Cameron (for Fox Sports) both tested the theory by looking at playoff results from 1995 on and couldn’t find any statistically significant correlation either.
Yes, the A’s will probably have to get past a stingy Kansas City Royals squad, one that’s excelled at pitching and defense all year, just to crack the ALDS. But with a pitching staff bolstered by the acquisitions of Jon Lester and Jeff Samardzija, and an offense that has struggled in the second half but looked strong in the first half, the A’s have the talent to compete for a title in a playoff field that lacks a clear favorite.
As sharply as their luck turned down the stretch, it could just as easily turn for the better — starting now.
CORRECTION (Sept. 26, 11:57 a.m.): A previous version of this article incorrectly said the Oakland Athletics have gone 27-39 in the season’s second half and had a 8-14 mark in September. They have gone 27-37 in the second half and 8-15 in September. |
Message Board Posts As lead signer Adam is often also the voice of the band's website. His posts offer an interesting insight as to the meaning behind his songs and the direction of the band.
The AOL Posts (pre-web site)
Before the full website, Adam would post messages on AOL about quick happenings with the band and their work on the latest album Recovering The Satellites. These posts are particularly interesting not just because they are the oldest known posts from the band but also for the name dropping and references to material that has never been released (or would appear 3 albums later on >Saturday Nights and Sunday Mornings) These posts are believed to be older than the Emerald.net Newsgroup Posts, but do not have any firm dates associated with them.
Emerald.net Newsgroup Posts
In December, 1996, the band launched their own independent website (http://www.countingcrows.com/) which utilized a then popular Newsgroup website called Emerald.Net for their message boards (the name of that news group was countingcrows.misc ). Occasionally members of the band's management as well as Adam would post on the message board. The archived posts are the oldest known messages from Adam about the band and their music.
The AOL Posts
By the end of 1997, it appears that Adam returned to posting on AOL (perhaps because the popularity of the service as compared to web pages at the time). |
Dallas County District Attorney Susan Hawk has been released from the residential facility where she had been receiving treatment for severe depression and is expected to resume work Thursday.
Hawk, a Republican, has been off work since July because of a “serious episode of depression.”
She originally announced in August that she planned to take a four-week, unpaid leave of absence that was slated to end earlier this month. Later, she sent an email to her staff saying she would be back at work Friday. On Tuesday, a representative said Hawk — who returned to Dallas over the weekend — will actually resume work a day earlier than announced, on Thursday.
That’s the same day her unpaid leave expires, according to the Dallas County budget office.
Since Hawk took office in January, she has faced a barrage of issues, including an acknowledgment that she once sought help for prescription drug use, falling outs with high-ranking staffers, and most recently, allegations of financial misconduct.
While Hawk was away, her first assistant, Messina Madson, fired a top-ranking prosecutor, Cindy Stormer, for performance reasons. But Stormer called her termination a “ruse” and shot back accusations that Hawk had repeatedly tried — in one case, successfully — to misuse public funds.
Stormer, who oversaw the budget as administrative chief, said she filed complaints with several investigating agencies. The state and local auditor’s offices confirmed to The Dallas Morning News that they were looking into Stormer’s allegations.
Meanwhile, Stormer said she plans to file a petition to remove Hawk from office as soon as this week. Others, including some from within the Republican Party, have also called for Hawk to step down. And some Dallas County lawyers have reached out to the governor’s office and the local GOP chairman offering to serve in Hawk’s place, should she resign.
But in a statement last week, Hawk said she would welcome the opportunity to prove that she can do her job.
“I’m healthier and stronger than ever, and I’m excited to get to work,” Hawk said in the statement. “I did not choose to have a mental illness, but I did make the choice to confront it and take on the hard job of recovery. I just want the opportunity to come back and do my job.”
Staff writer Gromer Jeffers Jr. contributed to this report.
More Susan Hawk coverage
Drugs, divorce and a demanding campaign: The undoing of Dallas County DA Susan Hawk
Dallas County DA Susan Hawk: I sought drug treatment
DA Susan Hawk's nearly 3-week absence creates buzz at courthouse
Dallas County DA Susan Hawk takes leave to battle depression
Dallas County DA Susan Hawk extends leave of absence until early October
Fired Dallas prosecutor levels more accusations about Hawk's behavior
In Susan Hawk's absence, lawyers vie for her seat |
Unbeaten middleweight Billy Joe Saunders is adamant that his next challenger, Willie Monroe Jr, will not be victorious when they meet for the WBO world title.
Saunders makes the second defence of his crown at the Copper Box Arena on September 16th. After a frustrating, injury-filled 2016, the Hatfield man is determined to make up for lost time.
"Can't wait to fight," he tweeted on Tuesday afternoon. "If you think I'm gonna fail put your cash down coz (sic) no American bum will beat me."
The southpaw also called out Gennady Golovkin: "GGG you're next you p*ssy". 'Triple G' defends his WBC, IBF, IBO and WBA 'Super' World Titles against Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez on the same night, with the winner in line to face Saunders for all of the Middleweight marbles.
After linking up with respected Sheffield-based fighter Dominic Ingle, Saunders believes this can be a fresh start as he aims to assert himself of the world scene. Next up, he faces a very confident Monroe Jr, a fellow southpaw who shared the ring with Golovkin in 2015.
Hatfield's Saunders (24-0, 12 KOs) defeated Irish hero Andy Lee to take the WBO strap in a close and absorbing fight back in December 2015 that saw the undefeated star floor the former champion twice in the third round and go on to claim a majority decision from the judges.
A series of injuries led to a frustrating 2016 for Saunders, but he eventually defended his belt last December against Artur Akavov in Glasgow. Saunders was not at his best, but outpointed the game Russian. He was due to take on Avtandil Khurtsidze before the Georgian's arrest in June.
BoxNation subscription is £12 per month plus £8 registration fee for Sky TV. €15 per month plus €10 registration fee for ROI Sky TV customers. £11 per month with no registration fee for Virgin Media customers. £12 per month and no registration fee for TalkTalk, Freeview, EE, online and app (iOS, Android, Amazon) customers. No minimum term. |
INTRODUCTION
Hello, my name is
via Doctor cards (5+6+7+7+7+7+7+7=53 exalts within the first week of HSC)
While this build is not entirely beginner friendly, this build is extremely budget friendly. I started farming lab on day 2 with a 5L and uniques that will certainly not cost more than a chaos EVEN if this build takes off.
If you’re looking a Necromancer version of this build (which I'll be playing in 3.1) you can find my guide
This guide is broken into sections:
Videos - Watch the build in action
Build Breakdown - What's this build all about
Links / Pantheon / Bandits - What I picked
Gearing this build - What type of rares to get here
Leveling - how I leveled the character
Starting Uber Lab - where I was skill and gear wise when I started the lab
Endgame Gear - what to get to make this build really shine
3.1 Changes
Yes, Vaal Pact has changed and it does impact this build; however, this should still be a solid league starter for Uber lab. I plan to test this out without Vaal Pact at first, also forgoing Cloaked in Savagery for War Bringer. With ability to restore a large chunk of health and mana on demand (not to mention obtain regen now) I believe this build should be nearly as strong as it was in 3.0. If you want to see it in action i will be streaming live at www.twitch.tv/donthecrown with a focus on lab farming in the first week. I will update the guide as I discover the best course of action to take.
Videos
Spoiler
Day 2 of HSC
2nd Atziri Trio of HSC
2nd Atziri of HSC, deathless!
First Uber Izaro of League 4k life 1k mana
HH on Thursday of HSC week 1
Build Breakdown
Spoiler
This build is designed to be a boss farmer that has both a large amount of damage and a large effective health pool that can face tank a lot of content with little gear. This build also scales well with gear so the survivability and boss killing speed gets better over time. This build is designed mostly around farming Uber lab.
When you think about Uber lab you really have two separate specialties: killing Izaro / Argus with a low chance of failure and moving through the lab as fast as you can. We use two weapon sets to achieve these goals
Killing
Moving
+ Leap Slam-Faster Attacks - Fortify to navigate the lab. In order to deal with traps and trash we have a 3 link Blade Vortex in our Brightbeak which does a fine enough job.
How I landed on this build
3.0 and Harbinger League brought a lot of substantial changes to the meta and CI / Poison / Double Dip builds were all greatly nerfed by these changes. As someone who had started the last two leagues (Breach / Legacy) with Assassin CI Blade Vortex Poison builds, to remarkable success, I was worried. Since 3.0 also shook up the shaped strand meta, I wasn't confident that I would be able to accurately predict and adapt to the new meta in a profitable way the first week. (The first week of a league is the best time to make money) Because of these factors I wanted a build that I would be comfortable bossing with right off the bat. Atziri is generally always profitable the first week and is a reliable source of character experience. Uber lab likewise is generally always profitable, although it can have some really bad days. Lastly, farming shaper can be a great option early on. To this end I went Berserker (crazy leech) Blade Vortex (crazy damage) Mind Over Matter (crazy effective life, especially with pledge of hands)
This build is designed to be a boss farmer that has both a large amount of damage and a large effective health pool that can face tank a lot of content with little gear. This build also scales well with gear so the survivability and boss killing speed gets better over time. This build is designed mostly around farming Uber lab.When you think about Uber lab you really have two separate specialties: killing Izaro / Argus with a low chance of failure and moving through the lab as fast as you can. We use two weapon sets to achieve these goals+ Leap Slam-Faster Attacks - Fortify to navigate the lab. In order to deal with traps and trash we have a 3 link Blade Vortex in our Brightbeak which does a fine enough job.3.0 and Harbinger League brought a lot of substantial changes to the meta and CI / Poison / Double Dip builds were all greatly nerfed by these changes. As someone who had started the last two leagues (Breach / Legacy) with Assassin CI Blade Vortex Poison builds, to remarkable success, I was worried. Since 3.0 also shook up the shaped strand meta, I wasn't confident that I would be able to accurately predict and adapt to the new meta in a profitable way the first week. (The first week of a league is the best time to make money) Because of these factors I wanted a build that I would be comfortable bossing with right off the bat. Atziri is generally always profitable the first week and is a reliable source of character experience. Uber lab likewise is generally always profitable, although it can have some really bad days. Lastly, farming shaper can be a great option early on. To this end I went Berserker (crazy leech) Blade Vortex (crazy damage) Mind Over Matter (crazy effective life, especially with pledge of hands)
Links / Pantheon / Bandits
Spoiler
Links
Spoiler
Main Damage
Before Pledge
Blade Vortex - Spell Echo - Controlled Destruction - Increased Critical Strikes - Concentrated Effect ~ Increased Critical Damage Added Fire (in that order of importance)
After Pledge
Blade Vortex - Controlled Destruction - Increased Critical Strikes - Concentrated Effect ~ Increased Critical Damage Added Fire (in that order of importance, put this in Pledge of hands!)
Movement
Leap Slam - Faster Attacks - Fortify - Maim (jump on things to make them take more damage)
Aura
Hatred (This must go inside Essence Worm ring)
Totem
Decoy Totem (level up as much as possible and put wherever there is space)
CWDT 1
Cast when damage taken (10) - Firestorm (14) (this provides lots of leech hp back)
CWDT 2
Cast when damage taken (1) - Temporal Chains (1) - Immortal Call (1) ~ Vortex (1) (these keep you alive, not everyone likes Vortex)
Power Charges
Power Charge on Crit - Orb of Storms ~ Increased Critical Strikes(if space allows)
Pantheon
Spoiler
For lab I always used:
Soul of Solaris to help smooth out any slippery big hits from Izaro
Soul of Ryslatha for free flasks back, if you’re using Vaal Pact this is a MUST.
Bandits
Spoiler
I helped Kraitlyn for the movement / attack speed. Alira would also be good for the crit damage and budget assisting all res.
LinksPantheonBandits
Gearing this build
Spoiler
As a Mind over Matter user we want to make sure that we have at least 43% of our max life as unreserved mana. (
In order to maximize our survivability without breaking the bank we are going to use SIGNIFICANTLY cheaper than rares with high Life and high resists, let alone ones with Life/Mana and high res.
Stat Priority on Rares
1 - Maximum Life
2 - A single elemental resist (any resist you're not capped on)
3 - Maximum Mana
4 - Chaos resist (we don't need a ton in the lab)
5 - Extra resist
oh by the way you need a good amount of Dex (151/155/159) for level 19/20/21 Blade Vortex.
Please note that only Energy shield bases will have Mana on them. Armour and Evasion are generally worthless for this build, don't bother stacking them on your gear. Until you have pledge of hands you will likely not have enough mana to cover the Life * .43 ratio. IF you're way over on mana without Pledge then you're likely low on life.
Side note: Amulet / Ring
You can score a LOT of resists on a single piece here. I would generally start with a medium life, HIGH res ring and amulet. Then eventually move towards an amulet with more damage mods, you can get the following on amulets:
Global Crit Multi / Global Crit / Spell Damage / Cast Speed
As a Mind over Matter user we want to make sure that we have at least 43% of our max life as unreserved mana. ( Supporting math found on wiki In order to maximize our survivability without breaking the bank we are going to use Aurumvorax at first. This will give you 40-60% all res (don't break the bank going for 60%) which is a big deal! In order to be resist cap you need 135% in each of the 3 elemental resists, so 405% resists. Since Aurumvorax is going to provide 120-180% of this (~42%) then you're free to buy rares with higher Life/Mana but crappy resists. These items will becheaper than rares with high Life and high resists, let alone ones with Life/Mana and high res.1 - Maximum Life2 - A single elemental resist (any resist you're not capped on)3 - Maximum Mana4 - Chaos resist (we don't need a ton in the lab)5 - Extra resistoh by the way you need a good amount of Dex (151/155/159) for level 19/20/21 Blade Vortex.Please note that only Energy shield bases will have Mana on them. Armour and Evasion are generally worthless for this build, don't bother stacking them on your gear. Until you have pledge of hands you will likely not have enough mana to cover the Life * .43 ratio. IF you're way over on mana without Pledge then you're likely low on life.Side note: Amulet / RingYou can score a LOT of resists on a single piece here. I would generally start with a medium life, HIGH res ring and amulet. Then eventually move towards an amulet with more damage mods, you can get the following on amulets:Global Crit Multi / Global Crit / Spell Damage / Cast Speed
Leveling
Spoiler
Leveling as a spell casting marauder is really odd at first. You'll likely need gear that has both DEX and INT on it in order to level your gems smoothly, although taking nearby +30 DEX/INT nodes is okay. If this is your first character of a league you may need friends / the market in order to obtain skill gems. Otherwise, if you have completed the gem vendor quest in Act 6 you should purchase the following:
Required Gems
Spoiler
- Blade Vortex (quality is nice here)
- Faster Casting
- Added Fire (Marauders get this too)
- Controlled Destruction
- Concentrated effect
- Increased Critical strikes
- Increased Critical Damage
- Spell Echo
- Firestorm
- Cast When Damage Taken x 2
Passives
Spoiler
50 points
115 pts
First 25 points Don't take the 30 DEX/INT nodes if you don't need them for gems
Ascendancy Order
Spoiler
I started with the leech from Pain Reaver and then went directly towards Aspect of Carnage. Although this build will eventually greatly rely on the 100% life leech from Cloaked in Savagery to face tank bosses, it doesn't help you kill your first Uber Izaro as much as the 40% more damage provided by Aspect of Carnage
Fancy Leveling Gear
Spoiler
None of this is required; however, these will add to your leveling ease if you have a base of wealth.
[[[TABULA RASA]]] - easy links are always nice
[[[GOLDRIM]]] - solid resist hat
[[[REVERB WAND]]] - an early BV - controlled destruction - concentrated affect does wonders in this
[[[AURUMVORAX]]] - often underrated, this sword is amazing at fixing your resists when you are broke. I started farming the Uber lab with one of these in each weapon setup to fix my resists for both combat and travel.
Leveling as a spell casting marauder is really odd at first. You'll likely need gear that has both DEX and INT on it in order to level your gems smoothly, although taking nearby +30 DEX/INT nodes is okay. If this is your first character of a league you may need friends / the market in order to obtain skill gems. Otherwise, if you have completed the gem vendor quest in Act 6 you should purchase the following:
Starting Uber Lab
Spoiler
When you start Uber lab I would recommend at least being level 70 and having a 5L Blade vortex (Level 19). Decoy totem and a spell totem linked to Culling Strike Support is also EXTREMLY helpful at this phase. Make sure the rest of your gear has life and mana with a bit of resists. Aurumvorax can carry a lot of the resists (especially if you buy a good roll) so you should be able to buy higher life + mana items than normal since the resists will be middling. Generally, before I do my first Uber I'll do a test Atziri run or two to check the damage and survivability. This league was the smoothest day 1/2 Atziris that I've had yet.
Flasks
Spoiler
Insta Hp Flask - Helps a lot on traps
Mana Flask - it pains me to use this BUT mana is also life and being out of mana is the WORST
Diamond Flask - Lots more Crits
Atziri's Flask - Some more damage
Stibnite Flask - This is great, blinds anything in the 'cloud' that is created when you use it. This makes Izaro have a 50% chance to miss on top of any other defenses you may have.
I would highly recommend ignoring Argus and skipping/bypassing extremely rippy Izaro mods (Charges|Conduits|Essences|Gargoyles are generally more dangerous). I would also EXTREMELY recommend hitting as many Darkshrines (that are somewhat reasonably easy to get) since they are always positive now and can give you permanent shrine mods that can make the lab a cakewalk. (e.g. 100% crit, take no damage)
[/spoiler]
Endgame Gear
Spoiler
As I farmed Uber lab I slowly upgraded some of my rares until I could drop Aurumvorax and then started using another cheap weapon:
This weapon is underestimated in a big way. For our build, we'll get mana for MoM, spell damage, and Culling Strike on spells. This will free up a slot from dropping Culling Strike Support. Eventually I 5 linked a:
and bought a
(3ex on day 3ish)
and switched to these items. This gave me about 2,000 effective life because of the big bumps in both life and mana. Also, you can drop Spell Echo Support and add Increased Critical Damage since Pledge automatically grants you a Spell Echo(lvl 30) for anything in the staff.
At this point you should be able to comfortably defeat any Uber Izaro combination with little to no movement necessary. If you want to keep improving your gear, in case you want to go farm harder bosses, you can get better rare items, maybe even ((((Atziri's Acquities)))
My Final Rares
Final Tree (You could drop Diamond Skin for Purity of Flesh)As I farmed Uber lab I slowly upgraded some of my rares until I could drop Aurumvorax and then started using another cheap weapon:This weapon is underestimated in a big way. For our build, we'll get mana for MoM, spell damage, and Culling Strike on spells. This will free up a slot from dropping Culling Strike Support. Eventually I 5 linked a:and bought a(3ex on day 3ish)and switched to these items. This gave me about 2,000 effective life because of the big bumps in both life and mana. Also, you can drop Spell Echo Support and add Increased Critical Damage since Pledge automatically grants you a Spell Echo(lvl 30) for anything in the staff.At this point you should be able to comfortably defeat any Uber Izaro combination with little to no movement necessary. If you want to keep improving your gear, in case you want to go farm harder bosses, you can get better rare items, maybe even ((((Atziri's Acquities)))
Thanks for reading my guide! This is my first full length guide so feedback is appreciated! If you want to catch me live you can find me at:
Hello, my name is DonTheCrown and in this guide I would like to share with you the build that I used to farm Uber lab from the 2nd day of the Harbinger Softcore league. During the first week of the league I was able to use this build to kill primarily Uber Lab, with a bit of normal Atziri, efficiently enough to be able to afford avia Doctor cards (5+6+7+7+7+7+7+7=53 exalts within the first week of HSC)While this build is not entirely beginner friendly, this build is extremely budget friendly. I started farming lab on day 2 with a 5L and uniques that will certainly not cost more than a chaos EVEN if this build takes off.If you’re looking a Necromancer version of this build (which I'll be playing in 3.1) you can find my guide here. This guide is broken into sections:Videos - Watch the build in actionBuild Breakdown - What's this build all aboutLinks / Pantheon / Bandits - What I pickedGearing this build - What type of rares to get hereLeveling - how I leveled the characterStarting Uber Lab - where I was skill and gear wise when I started the labEndgame Gear - what to get to make this build really shineYes, Vaal Pact has changed and it does impact this build; however, this should still be a solid league starter for Uber lab. I plan to test this out without Vaal Pact at first, also forgoing Cloaked in Savagery for War Bringer. With ability to restore a large chunk of health and mana on demand (not to mention obtain regen now) I believe this build should be nearly as strong as it was in 3.0. If you want to see it in action i will be streaming live at www.twitch.tv/donthecrown with a focus on lab farming in the first week. I will update the guide as I discover the best course of action to take.I would highly recommend ignoring Argus and skipping/bypassing extremely rippy Izaro mods (Charges|Conduits|Essences|Gargoyles are generally more dangerous). I would also EXTREMELY recommend hitting as many Darkshrines (that are somewhat reasonably easy to get) since they are always positive now and can give you permanent shrine mods that can make the lab a cakewalk. (e.g. 100% crit, take no damage)[/spoiler]Thanks for reading my guide! This is my first full length guide so feedback is appreciated! If you want to catch me live you can find me at: www.twitch.tv/donthecrown Last edited by DonTheCrown on Dec 8, 2017, 7:31:25 PM Last bumped on Feb 12, 2018, 5:14:40 PM |
Tobe Hooper, the horror director best known for helming “The Texas Chain Saw Massacre” and “Poltergeist,” died Saturday in Sherman Oaks, Calif. He was 74.
The Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office said it was reported as a natural death.
The 1974 “Texas Chain Saw Massacre” became one of the most influential horror films of all time for its realistic approach and deranged vision. Shot for less than $300,000, it tells the story of a group of unfortunate friends who encounter a group of cannibals on their way to visit an old homestead. Though it was banned in several countries for violence, it was one of the most profitable independent films of the 1970s in the U.S. The character of Leatherface was loosely based on serial killer Ed Gein.
Hooper also directed the 1986 sequel “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2,” which took a more comedic approach, as part of his Cannon Films deal.
The 1982 “Poltergeist,” written and produced by Steven Spielberg, also became a classic of the genre. The story of a family coping with a house haunted by unruly ghosts starred JoBeth Williams and Craig T. Nelson. The film was a box office success for MGM and became the eighth-highest grossing film of the year.
Related Horror Directors Lead Hollywood Tributes to Tobe Hooper: ‘Your Legacy Lives On’
After “Poltergeist,” Hooper directed two movies for Cannon Films, “Lifeforce” and “Invaders from Mars,” a remake of the 1953 alien movie.
His 1979 CBS miniseries adaptation of Stephen King’s bestselling novel “Salem’s Lot” is considered by many fans to be a high-water mark in televisual horror. Combining the intrigue of a nighttime soap opera with the gothic atmosphere of a classic horror film, the two-part program was eventually reedited and released theatrically throughout Europe.
He continued working in television and film throughout the 1990s and 2000s, but none of the films had the impact of his early works. His last film, the 2013 “Djinn,” was set in the United Arab Emirates and produced by Image Nation. His other more recent works included “Toolbox Murders,” “Mortuary” and two episodes of “Masters of Horror.”
Among his other works was the music video for Billy Idol’s “Dancing With Myself.” In 2011 he co-authored a post-modern horror novel titled “Midnight Movie” in which he himself appeared as the main character.
Willard Tobe Hooper was born in Austin, Texas and taught college before starting out in documentaries.
He is survived by a son. |
Food Network, Travel Channel, HGTV Come to Android TV with Live TV
Three channels owned by Scripps Networks Interactive have been turned into Android TV apps that allow users to stream the channels live when they sign in with a cable provider.
Scripps Networks Interactive is an American media company which originally was founded in 2008 as a spin-off of the E.W. Scipps Company. It’s first TV channel was HGTV, which first launched in 1994. Since then, the company has continued to explore lifestyle content in other channels.
They also own channels such as Food Network, Travel Channel, DIY Channel, and Great American Country.
These channels can be watched on the go with mobile apps, although they recently launched apps for Android TV. They all share the same UI, which seems to be developed in-house. It’s not based on Leanback.
Each of these apps gives you on-demand access to the various shows that air on that channel, along with clips and live TV. Live television streaming is handled through the app, not through Live Channels, and requires you to sign in to a cable provider before it’s accessible.
If you don’t have a cable subscription, then you can still watch a few episodes for free. These videos will have ads which play throughout the show.
Some of Scripps’ other channel-based apps, such as the DIY Channel, do not currently support Android TV. This may change in the future.
All of these apps are free to download on Google Play.
Nick Felker Nick Felker is a student Electrical & Computer Engineering student at Rowan University (C/O 2017) and the student IEEE webmaster. When he's not studying, he is a software developer for the web and Android (Felker Tech). He has several open source projects on GitHub (http://github.com/fleker) Devices: Moto G-2013 Moto G-2015, Moto 360, Google ADT-1, Nexus 7-2013 (x2), Lenovo Laptop, Custom Desktop. Although he was an intern at Google, the content of this blog is entirely independent and his own thoughts. More Posts - Website Follow Me: |
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.