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Shoppers look at a store window decorated for Christmas on Oxford Street in London, Britain, November 25, 2017. REUTERS/Darrin Zammit Lupi
LONDON (Reuters) - Britain’s economy grew at a solid rate of 0.5 percent in the three months to November, the country’s National Institute of Economic and Social Research estimated on Friday following strong industrial output data.
NIESR said this growth supported the Bank of England’s decision to raise interest rates for the first time in a decade last month and represented a pick-up from a weak first half of the year, as well as the 0.4 percent recorded in the last quarter.
“GDP growth at 0.5 per cent is somewhat higher than the economy’s speed limit,” NIESR economist Amit Kara said.
“If, as we expect, the economy continues to expand around this pace and inflation remains elevated, there is a case for the Bank of England to gradually raise the policy rate to stop the economy from overheating,” he added. |
Eight days after the 2016 presidential election, Douglas Schoen — President Bill Clinton’s past pollster and advisor — charged that former defense intelligence chief Michael Flynn was “dangerously pro-Russian” because he participated in the 10th anniversary celebration of RT, the Russian state-owned Television network formerly known as Russia Today.
Only a few weeks after Flynn resigned as President Donald Trump’s national security advisor, Attorney General Jeff Sessions faces resignation demands from congressional Democrats making similar charges based on two meetings he held in 2016 with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak.
Sessions recused himself Thursday from official investigations of alleged Russian meddling in the U.S. election.
But the Daily Caller News Foundation Investigative Group has learned that a host of liberal American political activists and journalists have much more than occasional meetings with RT. Many of them in fact draw regular paychecks from Russian President Vladimir Putin’s flagship TV network.
It’s rarely reported in the U.S. news media, but many of the liberal activists and journalists who participate in RT programming openly bash the United States and defend Russia.
The American “star” at the Dec. 10, 2015, RT celebration was Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein. Speaking on a panel titled “Frenemies,” which challenged the view that Russia was an “enemy state,” Stein condemned “this very simplistic defense of who is our friend and who is our enemy is counterproductive.”
RT also was the sole television sponsor of the Green Party event that chose Stein as the party’s 2016 standard-bearer.
Besides Stein, other American participants included Max Blumenthal — son of Sid Blumenthal, who worked with 2016 Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton. Legendary TV host and celebrity interviewer Larry King’s shows also broadcast on RT.
Max Blumenthal — a virulent opponent of Israel and U.S. foreign policy — charged Israeli leaders with “war crimes” and publicly praised the Iranian-backed terrorist outfit Hamas for its deadly attacks on Israel. Blumenthal praised RT for its coverage of Moscow’s role in Syria, telling conference participants, “I think RT was trying to do was to introduce an alternative narrative on the drive to war on Syria.”
Before Blumenthal spoke, an RT-produced video charged that “there are reports ISIS was trained by U.S. instructors in a secret base in Jordan to prepare to fight [Syrian President] Assad as ‘rebels.’” No one on the panel challenged the assertion.
Other Americans who spoke at the RT conference included two disaffected CIA analysts, the former mayor of Salt Lake City who opposed the war in Iraq, an American professor who opposed dropping atomic bombs on Japan to end World War II, and a Christian Science Monitor reporter who denounced Western “disinformation” campaigns against Putin.
Also speaking at the conference was WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who appeared via video from the Ecuadorian Embassy in London.
RT may be seeking credibility and legitimacy by recruiting American hosts. A year ago, RT hired former MSNBC anchor Ed Schultz as a prime-time host, reporter and political analyst.
Tyrel Ventura, daughter of former Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura (who also has a show on RT) and Sean Stone, son of left-wing filmmaker Oliver Stone, are co-hosts of RT’s “Watching the Hawks.”
Chris Hedges, a 15-year New York Times veteran reporter, hosts an RT show called “On Contact.” Hedges is highly critical of American foreign policy, even claiming ISIS is simply mimicking Israel’s founding fathers.
Thom Hartmann, a self-described “progressive” syndicate talk show host, heads up RT’s “The Big Picture” program.
Mike Papantonio served on the board of directors of Minnesota Democrat Sen. Al Franken’s short-lived talk radio network, “Air America.” Today, he hosts RT’s “America’s Lawyer.”
Huffington Post writer Matt Keiser hosts RT’s “Keiser Report,” which covers business.
King’s RT shows are “Larry King Now” and “Politicking with Larry King.” Both are broadcast by RT under a licensing agreement with ORA TV. Jesse Ventura’s ORA show “Off the Grid” is on the RT network too.
ORA TV is a venture is jointly owned by King and Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim — who also is a major shareholder of the New York Times.
King has effusively praised Putin, saying, “I had an affinity with him. You try to get that with a lot of guests, but I really had it with him … he has qualities that have nothing to do with politics … they change a room.”
John Dickey, CEO of ORA TV, defended his partnership with RT, saying it was a “good fit” with his company.
“There’s a fit or else we wouldn’t be doing business with them and they wouldn’t be doing business with us,” Dickey told TheDCNF.
But Dickey quickly pointed to the “hypocrisy” of other news outlets like the liberal Washington Post and New York Times. The two newspapers regularly publish supplements called “Russia Beyond The Headlines.” The supplements are written by the Russian state-owned media company Rossiyskaya Gazeta.
“Those papers publicly, objectively and verifiably take advertising dollars from Russia, and they run inserts which to the average reader could be confused as editorial content or of content those papers support,” Dickey said.
Neither the Post nor the Times have disclosed the income they derive from publishing the Russian supplements.
RT also broadcasts a program from Russian media outlet Sputnik, which is hosted by former British Member of Parliament George Galloway and his wife.
Galloway became a pariah in the United Kingdom when he defended Saddam Hussein and publicly praised the deceased Iraqi dictator in a meeting. The RT host was later accused of raking in millions of dollars from the United Nation’s “Oil for Peace” program, charges he denied.
The British Labor Party had enough of Galloway when he urged British troops in the Middle East to “defy orders” in a 2003 Abu Dhabi TV program. He was expelled by the party for “bringing the party into disrepute.”
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Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org. |
WASHINGTON ― Donald Trump’s rallying cry for the final few weeks of the campaign was “Drain the swamp!”
It was so effective in his closing-argument rallies that his enormous crowds chanted it when he talked about kicking the lobbyists and special interests out of their corrupting positions of influence.
But asked about Trump’s pledge to drain the swamp recently, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) was not grabbing for the buckets.
He said he didn’t think that’s the sort of thing voters want, or that it would affect their lives.
Instead, he ran through a familiar list of GOP agenda items the Trump administration could achieve that he’s been pushing since Barack Obama won the presidency with his own appeal for change.
“We’re going to address the real concerns of the American people,” McConnell said.
Watch McConnell’s dismissal of Trump’s call for draining the swamp in the video above. |
A young startup in India wants to makes autonomous driving technology more widely available for truck operators, especially those outside of the U.S., by lower the cost significantly.
The concept of self-driving trucks sat in the background for some time as the vision of autonomous cars ferrying consumers from A to B hogged the limelight, but the potential for trucking is at least on par if not higher — particularly on a global level. Beyond potential safety gains, integrating elements of autonomous car tech can help boost efficiency, too.
Thus far the technology has been pioneered in Silicon Valley, where giants like Uber and Google are working on bringing the tech into trucks — via their Otto (now Uber ATG) and Waymo business units, respectively — while Tesla is preparing to enter to foray. All these solutions require expensive kit that isn’t deployable on all vehicles. That combination means it is likely to be out of reach for most of the world’s trucking community once it is finally available on a commercial basis.
That’s where Flux Auto, a 16-person startup based in Bangalore, hopes to make a difference by democratizing autonomous systems. It is developing technology that, when finished, could enable any kind of truck to be retrofitted with self-driving car technology at a far lower price.
To make its tech accessible, Flux Auto has had to make a compromise. It doesn’t use Lidar — Light Detection and Ranging — sensors which have become the standard for autonomous vehicles, but are incredible expensive. Waymo CEO John Krafcik recently revealed a Lidar would cost $75,000 a few years ago, but these days he claims it is just 10 percent of that price. Even still, at $7,500 it remains prohibitively costly for many truck operates — and that’s just one component.
“While the competition is focusing on LIDAR technology which is very expensive and processing heavy (due to a lot of unneeded data), our vision algorithms can be used with any cheap cameras and has a much quicker response time. This drives down our cost and in turn, the cost for the customer as well, all while having similar levels of accuracy as a LIDAR system,” Flux Auto founder Pranav Manpuria explained to TechCrunch.
Uber ATG’s trucks use a Lidar mounted above the cab
Flux Auto is looking at a product that would retail for around $3,000-$4,500, the price range would be dependent on the level of features a customer wants.
The system is being developed to handle cruise control, lane keeping and collision avoidance. Like Uber AG and Waymo, the idea is to take the strain off of drivers and help make journeys more efficient.
“We’re using cameras along with other sensors — sonar, radar, ultrasonic, etc — to understand everything that’s happening around the vehicle, and make decisions based on that,” Manpuria said. “We’re developing our entire tech stack as an after market accessory. This allows us to target the massive market of already existing commercial vehicles.”
[gallery ids="1525516,1525517,1525518"]
Flux Auto’s Lidar-less test truck
Manpuria, who graduated from the Illinois Institute of Technology and previously ran a payment startup, said the company is looking to raise around $1.5 million to fulfill its goal of deploying its systems on trucks in a range of markets beyond India. Initially it began testing on cars, but it has just equipped its first truck (see above) for the next stage of testing before the end of this month.
Money from investors will go towards expanding the team and developing its technology. Flux Auto is aiming to deploy its tech on 2,500 vehicles within the next twelve months. That’s likely to necessitate a U.S. office, and Manpuria said the business may need to migrate to the U.S. to continue its development in the future. That’s particularly true if India bans autonomous cars, as its transport minister has threatened.
“I’ve been very interested in self-driving and it’s benefits for a while now. However, working on a self driving car didn’t seem appealing since car owners would be reluctant to spend a few thousand dollars on technology where the benefits to them aren’t that obvious,” he said.
“Where this technology makes the most sense, and can have the biggest impact is the trucking industry — and the benefits we provide with our technology are worth an investment into it by truck owners,” said Manpuria. |
The helmets of the police bobbed about.
"The Convert" by Elizabeth Robins
Her air-tube entered her helmet at the back.
"Madge Morton's Victory" by Amy D.V. Chalmers
Two others were standing by, ready to place the helmet over his head, when Leutnant Rix had finished giving him minute directions.
"The Submarine Hunters" by Percy F. Westerman
The removal of his helmet has revealed the face of Parsifal, but another Parsifal, even as Kundry is another.
"The Wagnerian Romances" by Gertrude Hall
The men's faces were scarlet and glistening with sweat under their conical steel helmets.
"The Saracen: Land of the Infidel" by Robert Shea
Simon went to the door, and saw no one in the corridor but a helmeted man-at-arms standing about ten paces away.
"The Saracen: The Holy War" by Robert Shea
With this magic helmet and my ring I can make the whole world smart if I choose.
"Operas Every Child Should Know" by Mary Schell Hoke Bacon
Kent and Liggett prepared to don their space-helmets, and before entering the airlock, Kent turned to Krell.
"The Sargasso of Space" by Edmond Hamilton
Then he noticed three dwarfs in bulky, helmeted moon-suits, shuffling clumsily across the copper plates.
"The Copper-Clad World" by Harl Vincent
For a moment the Earthman was dazzled, despite the smoked quartz eye-pieces in his helmet.
"The Great Dome on Mercury" by Arthur Leo Zagat
Their glass helmets, in addition to containing water for their breathing, protected them from our knives and axes.
"Astounding Stories of Super-Science September 1930" by Various
One set was located in the extremely thick soles of the heavy boots; the other rested on the top of the helmet.
"The Bluff of the Hawk" by Anthony Gilmore
Enda took the helmet, dress, and spear, and it was not long until he came to the sedgy banks where his little boat was waiting for him.
"Irish Fairy Tales" by Edmond Leamy
He is a mighty soldier, with a golden helmet, breastplate and complete armor.
"Japanese Fairy World" by William Elliot Griffis
A helmeted, begoggled figure opened the door and stepped out.
"Astounding Stories of Super-Science April 1930" by Various
He purchased a desert unionall suit, proof against the heat of day and cold of night, and a wide-brimmed Martian pith helmet.
"The Martian Cabal" by Roman Frederick Starzl
He saw it in the instant before he threw one metal-clad arm across the eye-piece of his helmet to shut out the glare.
"The Finding of Haldgren" by Charles Willard Diffin
Then he put on his helmet again and strode out of the room; a man, indeed, over whom the soldier heart of Schumann rejoiced.
"'Jena' or 'Sedan'?" by Franz Beyerlein
The Constable wore gilt armour and a plumed helmet, and bore a poleaxe in his hands.
"Old and New London" by Walter Thornbury
The transparent helmet glowed red, then blue, green, yellow, and finally red again.
"The Scarlet Lake Mystery" by Harold Leland Goodwin
*** |
To combat this dreary weather, the never-ending workday, and the anxiety of a long commute, we spend the day dreaming of what to eat for dinner -- because a hard day should be rewarded with nothing less than a soul-satisfying meal.
So step away from your computer screen and let dinner tonight whisk you away to a place where dreams of tortillas, roasted vegetables, and fried eggs reign. The combination of Chilaquiles Verdes and Escalivada is guaranteed to set you at ease.
Click through on the recipe photos or titles to see (and save and print) the full recipes, grocery list and game plan below.
Shop the Story
Chilaquiles Verdes by lisina
Escalivada (Catalan Roasted Vegetables) by Marian Bull
The Grocery List
Serves 6
2 bell peppers (preferably one red and one yellow)
1 medium eggplant
1 small onion
3 pounds tomatillos in the husk
1 large red onion cut in 1/2-inch slices
2 jalapeños
8 cloves of garlic, unpeeled
1 handful of cilantro leaves, plus more for garnish
1 lime
1 heaping spoonful of crema or sour cream
1 quart chicken stock
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
12 corn tortillas
1 cup queso fresco in large crumbles, or shredded Monterey Jack
1/2 cup crumbled Cotija cheese
We are assuming you have olive oil, sherry vinegar, salt, and pepper. If not, be sure to add those to your list, too.
The Plan
1. Roast the vegetables for the Escalivada: Preheat your oven to 350° F. Wash and dry the bell peppers, eggplant, and onion, rub them with olive oil, and sprinkle with a few pinches of salt. Wrap the vegetables in foil, place them on a baking sheet, and roast for 2 hours.
2. Assemble the Escalivada: Once the vegetables are roasted, remove them from the oven and let them cool. Peel the skins off of the eggplant and the peppers. Slice your vegetables into 1/2- to 1-inch slices. Add a pinch of salt, drizzle generously with oil, and add a big splash of sherry vinegar -- start with a teaspoon or two, taste, and adjust to your liking.
3. Broil vegetables for the verde sauce: Lay tomatillos, onions, jalapeños, and garlic on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Place the baking sheet under the broiler, until the vegetables are wilted and blistered, about 10 minutes (time will vary based on the heat of your broiler). Remove the vegetables and let them cool until you are able to handle them.
4. Prepare the chicken: While the vegetables are still in the oven, bring the chicken stock to a gentle simmer in a Dutch oven. Add the chicken breasts and allow them to simmer until tender, about 20 minutes. Move the chicken to a cutting board and use two forks to shred it. Return the chicken and any juices to the pot.
5. Finish the verde sauce: Remove the husks from the tomatillos, squeeze the garlic from the cloves, and remove the stem from the jalapeños. Throw the roasted vegetables into a blender, along with any juices that may have accumulated on the baking tray. Add the cilantro leaves, the juice of the lime, and the crema. Purée until the mixture is very smooth. Add the tomatillo purée to the chicken broth, taste for seasoning (note the sauce should be tangy, almost sour, so add another squeeze of lime if necessary), and bring to a simmer. Cover and let the mixture simmer for about 20 minutes.
6. Add the tortillas: Cut the tortillas into quarters. If your tortillas are fresh, dry them out in the oven or toaster oven. If they're stale and dried out, add them right to the chicken pot. Stir the mixture and let simmer for another 10 minutes. The tortillas will cause the sauce to thicken.
7. Serve and enjoy: Uncover the pot and stir in the queso fresco or sprinkle with the Monterey Jack. Cover the pot again, allowing the cheese to melt. Uncover, sprinkle with Cotija and cilantro, and serve alongside the Escalivada.
Note: The Chilaquiles are just as good -- maybe better -- the next day. If you'd like, put a crispy fried egg on top of the Chilaquiles. Serve the Escalivada with bread, cheese, meat, or fish -- whatever you'd like, really.
First photo by James Ransom, second by Eric Moran |
SCP-2356
Item #: SCP-2356
Object Class: Safe
Special Containment Procedures: SCP-2356 is contained in a standard containment locker at Site-17's high-security Safe-class items wing. Access to SCP-2356 requires Level-3 clearance and authorization from SCP-2356's current case manager.
Psychological screening for depression must be completed prior to handling SCP-2356. Experimental trials involving SCP-2356 are currently suspended, pending investigation of the object's origins (see addenda).
Description: SCP-2356 is a red cylindrical rod, measuring 30 cm in length and 1 cm in diameter. Chemical analysis indicates that the object is composed of copper, gold, titanium, and an unidentifiable metal. The outer coating of the rod is believed to be nontoxic acrylic paint.
SCP-2356's anomalous properties activate upon being held by a human. Should an individual holding the rod bring it into contact with an inanimate object, said object will spontaneously transform into a different item, most commonly toys suited for young children including model trains, action figures, building blocks, and plush animals. Objects altered by SCP-2356 retain their original composition and size, and if undamaged, can be reverted to their initial state upon making contact with SCP-2356 while held by the individual who first transformed the object.
Experimental trials indicate that SCP-2356's primary anomaly affects only non-organic material. A discovered exception is food items, which when exposed to SCP-2356's effect, are transformed into calorie-equivalent servings of assorted fruits, sliced thin and arranged in shapes resembling trees and flowers. The types of manifested fruits vary, though a high antioxidant count is consistent between all generated fruits. These fruits cannot be reverted to their original form by SCP-2356 and are considered safe for consumption.
SCP-2356 has intermittently failed to manifest any anomalous properties when handled by certain test subjects. As of current data, SCP-2356's highest number of successful object transformations (though notably, SCP-2356 has never demonstrated a 100% success rate with any test subject to date) result when the rod is handled by an individual between six to twelve years of age.
Psychological profiling suggests that success rate is linked to lower scores on depression scales. Notably, in three separate cases, adult individuals who have high depression ratings have triggered activation of SCP-2356's anomalous effects even when not in direct contact with the object (resulting in transfiguration of various furniture or writing apparatus within roughly one meter of the adult individual involved). The maximum proximity between individual and SCP-2356 that will initiate this unique activation is currently undetermined.
Addendum SCP-2356-1: The Foundation was made aware of SCP-2356's existence when agents embedded in a healthcare collective involving █████ ████████ Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia, recovered a collection of unclaimed keepsakes (including SCP-2356) belonging to a Mr. Huey Sharp. Hospital staff recalled that Mr. Sharp was "a polite man who frequently visited his son" in intensive care, and was once reprimanded for bringing toys and snacks into the patient rooms against hospital policy.
The recovered items included a blank, pocket-sized notebook, a child's diary marked with the owner's name "Sky", and a leather pouch filled with marbles made of the same unidentifiable metal incorporated into SCP-2356. All items were determined to be non-anomalous.
Records obtained by Foundation staff indicated that Mr. Sharp's son, Skylar Sharp, was diagnosed with leukemia at age five and referred to the hospital for long-term care before passing away seven months after the initial diagnosis.
Selected excerpts from Recovered Document SCP-2356-2, diary of Skylar Sharp
Note: While the beginning series of entries possesses substantial portions of text, the majority of entries contain little to no text and include simple drawings, which become less complex as entries progress with time. Merch 3 ████
Papa got me this book to wite in to make my handwighting and spelling bettr. He wants me to wite every day in this as practis. I am not very good spelling but I well try my bist. March 7 ████
Papa wanted to get me sum new shirts and pants but I saw this awsum bowtie. I tride to put it on but it was hard to get on. Papa helpt me get it in and it lookt good so he bot it. He looks good in it too. I told him to keep it until Im redy I can put it on myself. May 4 ████
The docturs told me they are working on a medsine that will fix me. They also said that I need to stay in bed. I hate this. I cant even have candy any more. But papa did say that he was working on something that will cheer me.
Addendum SCP-2356-2: Subsequent Foundation investigation of Mr. Sharp's home resulted in the discovery of a workshop located in the basement, outfitted with modified blacklights. Exposure of Mr. Sharp's previously-recovered notebook to the blacklights revealed a series of diagrams believed to be designs for preliminary prototypes of SCP-2356. Additionally, various notes on separate pages confirmed Huey Sharp's affiliation with the Doctor Wondertainment product line and his intention of adapting SCP-2356 into a Wondertainment toy targeting children currently in hospital treatment.
No other documents found in the workshop displayed hidden material when exposed to the modified blacklights. However, a wall-affixed hand-drawn picture portraying two stick-figure individuals with bow ties holding hands was marked on the bottom with the words "Happy with just Dad" followed by a date.
Addendum SCP-2356-3: As of ██/██/████, Mr. Sharp is believed to have abandoned the workshop. Priority has been given to agents currently stationed to observation of the ████████ Cemetery, where Mr. Sharp's son was interred at. Interviews with the cemetery staff thus far have failed to provide further information on Mr. Sharp and his family, save for a single employee referring to Skylar Sharp as "the little boy with the bow tie". |
Tuli, front and center
oland dragged me to the Nixon Library one time; to him it's like going to see a Pyramid, a Great Wall or a sequoia tree. He's uh... about half my age. And for me it was a tad more emotional. He was mortified and fled unceremoniously when, after waiting patiently on line with the other fine burghers, I very ceremoniously spat on Nixon's grave. (Digby and John reminded me-- and our guests-- the other day that I'm like that. They're still mortified that I screamed out some epithet about Blue Dogs being Wall Street whores at the screen when Michael Moore interviewed Baron Hill, probably because it was the world premiere and we were sitting a few rows behind Moore and Arianna.) Anyway, I have nothing bad to say about George Steinbrenner. I don't follow sports and I have no idea what position he played or how many goals he scored. I just remember he had something to do with the Yankees -- the owner I think-- and that people used to refer to him as the Evil Empire for driving up player salaries into the stratosphere. Oh, yeah-- and that he was indicted on 14 criminal counts in 1974, at the height of the Vietnam War and Nixonian dirty tricks, for illegally funneling a great deal of cash into Richard Nixon's campaign coffers. (Within a day or two of Reagan becoming president, he pardoned him.) Tuesday Steinbrenner died in Tampa of a heart attack, about a week shy of his 80th birthday. Sorry to hear it; rest in peace. Ken did the official-- and appropriate-- DWT obituary last night. Aside from Ken, Matt Taibbi had the best commentary of any I've heard on the passing of Steinbrenner. Hit that link and read his Slobituary, comparing Steinbrenner's passing to Stalin's and Reagan's. Hint: it ends in "Whatever happened to Ding, Dong, the Witch is Dead?" |
London, England (CNN) -- UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown was under mounting criticism on Tuesday over his perceived casual attitude towards soldiers killed in Afghanistan as support for the mission collapses.
Attacks over equipment shortages for British troops in Afghanistan, his failure to bow at a war memorial, and his misspellings in a condolence letter to a soldier's grieving mother all led one commentator to ask: "Can't Gordon Brown do anything right?"
The Afghan and military issues dominated the British prime minister's monthly news conference at 10 Downing Street on Tuesday, taking up 40 of the 50 minutes he spent at the lectern. Brown stated over and over his sympathy for the families of fallen troops and his determination to see the war effort through.
"Each life lost is an irreplaceable loss from a family," Brown said. "It reminds us all of the stark human cost of armed conflict in the service of our society."
The latest embarrassment for the prime minister emerged Monday, when The Sun newspaper told the story of Jacqui Janes, who received the condolence letter from Brown after her 20-year-old son was killed by a bomb in Afghanistan.
Janes told the paper she was "so angry" that the hand-written letter was filled with spelling errors -- including her own last name, which Brown spelled "James."
Brown also crossed out a mistake in spelling the soldier's name and spelled four other words wrong, the newspaper said.
"The letter was scrawled so quickly I could hardly even read it and some of the words were half-finished. It's just disrespectful," she told The Sun. "He said, 'I know words can offer little comfort.' When the words are written in such a hurry the letter is littered with more than 20 mistakes, they offer no comfort."
Brown called Janes to apologize after the article appeared, according to The Sun. Janes recorded the conversation and gave it to the paper, which recently announced on its front page that it was dropping support for Brown's Labour Party in favor of the Conservatives.
The paper printed a transcript and published the audio Tuesday; in it, Janes tells Brown that the letter was an "insult" to her son and that the spelling mistakes were "disrespectful."
The prime minister says in the conversation that he had only "good intentions" and sympathy for the mother's loss.
"The last thing on my mind was to cause any offense to Jacqui Janes, and I think people know me well enough to know that it would never be my intention -- by carelessness or by failure -- to cause any grief to a grieving mother," Brown said at the news conference Tuesday.
Just two days earlier, some criticized Brown for another military gaffe -- not bowing his head when he laid a wreath at the Cenotaph, the London military monument those who died in the two world wars, on Remembrance Sunday. It was fodder for talk radio and Twitter, where people debated whether it was intentional.
"It's disgusting because it is not respectful," an unnamed former Royal Air Force serviceman told The Daily Telegraph.
Some columnists seemed to forgive the prime minister for not nodding his head.
"He attends Remembrance Day at the Cenotaph looking solemn and dignified, black tie and poppy carefully in place, lays a wreath, steps back in thoughtful silence -- and is abused in the papers next day for failing to bow his head," wrote John Walsh in The Independent. "If a politician lays a wreath at the Cenotaph, it's not an insult; it's an expression of respect. And forgetting to adjust your head a certain way indicates you have personal feelings and aren't just going through the motions."
The Guardian's Tom Meltzer suggested that Brown -- who is blind in one eye -- may have been "distracted by the difficulty of walking down the steps backwards" after he laid the wreath and simply forgot.
But simply the fact that Brown was criticized for not bowing his head indicates how widely unpopular he has become, wrote Richard Littlejohn in the Daily Mail.
"These so-called 'gaffes' can be attributed to Brown's characteristic clumsiness and social dyslexia," he wrote. "But they are magnified by both the unpopularity of the war and the (prime minister) himself."
Brown has already come under repeated criticism for the level of equipment for the 9,000 British troops in Afghanistan, which some have said is too low. The prime minister has defended equipment levels and said he seeks assurances from military officers in the field that troops have the supplies they need.
Last week, Brown defended equipment levels in a major speech on Afghanistan. It followed the release days earlier of a military memo, sent in early June, from a British officer that warned a shortage of helicopters was putting British troops at risk because they were forced to travel on the ground, increasing the chances they could be killed by a roadside bomb.
The memo was written by Lt. Col. Rupert Thorneloe, who died a month later in a roadside bombing. He remains the highest-ranking British serviceman to die in combat since the 1982 Falklands War.
Janes brought the issue up in her recorded phone conversation with Brown, saying her son bled to death because there was no helicopter to take him for treatment. She said she had even had to buy military gear for her son to use -- something other military parents have said as well.
"We have tried to provide the best equipment in the world," Brown said Tuesday. "We have increased the investment we have made in helicopters and in vehicles and in the equipping of the armed forces in a way that we have never done in our country before."
Asked about Janes' accusation that her son died because of a lack of helicopters, Brown said he had asked for a full report on all aspects of the guardsman's death.
"I am assured that in normal circumstances, there is always helicopter capability," he said.
Tuesday was also the day that the bodies of six British soldiers killed in Afghanistan returned to Britain, their coffins draped in the Union Flag. Five of them were killed in a single incident November 3 at a base in the southern province of Helmand, when an Afghan policeman they had been training fired on them.
The Taliban claimed responsibility for that attack.
The somber day and the days of criticisms led The Guardian's Meltzer to write, "Can't Gordon Brown do anything right?"
Roy Greenslade, a media columnist for The Guardian, said no -- not because Brown is doing things wrong, but because the press gives him little slack.
"Brown, it would appear, has no ally in the popular press," Greenslade wrote. "He is being hung out to dry and it is painful to watch. I fear it will get even worse in the coming months." |
WASHINGTON — Absent Congressional or court action to extend or make permanent an existing exigent surcharge for mailing products and services – including the Forever stamp -- the Postal Service will be required to reduce certain prices on Sunday, April 10, 2016. This mandatory action will worsen the Postal Service’s financial condition by reducing revenue and increasing its net losses by approximately $2 billion per year.
“The exigent surcharge granted to the Postal Service last year only partially alleviated our extreme multi-year revenue declines resulting from the Great Recession, which exceeded $7 billion in 2009 alone,” said Postmaster General and CEO Megan J. Brennan. “Removing the surcharge and reducing our prices is an irrational outcome considering the Postal Service’s precarious financial condition.”
An order from the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) requires the 4.3 percent exigent surcharge to be reversed after the Postal Service has collected surcharges totaling $4.6 billion. As outlined in a notice filed with the PRC today, that amount is expected to be reached by April 10th.
Postal Service prices for Mailing Services are capped by law at the rate of inflation as measured by the Consumer Price Index for all urban consumers (CPI-U). However, the law does allow for exigent pricing (price increases beyond the CPI-U cap) due to extraordinary or exceptional circumstances. That was the case when the Postal Service sought and ultimately received approval for the current exigent pricing, citing the severe effects of the Great Recession on Postal Service mail volume.
However, the PRC did not accept the views of the Postal Service concerning the extent of the harm resulting from the Great Recession, and the PRC strictly limited the period of time that the Postal Service could continue to collect the exigent surcharge. While the Postal Service has experienced rapid growth in package volume over the past few years, it is not nearly enough to offset the decline in revenues from Market-Dominant products, especially First-Class Mail.
Brennan added that the Postal Service’s current pricing system, where products that generate roughly 76 percent of its revenues fall under the statutory price cap, is fundamentally unsuited to the Postal Service’s current business environment in which First-Class Mail volume continues to decline and the network costs required to provide universal service continue to rise.
According to Brennan, “our current pricing regime is unworkable and should be replaced with a system that provides greater pricing flexibility and better reflects the economic challenges facing the Postal Service.”
The surcharge removal means these First-Class Mail prices will be adjusted to the following:
Current Mandated Reduction • Letters (1 oz.) 49 cents 47 cents • Letters additional ounces 22 cents 21 cents • Letters to all international destinations $1.20 $1.15 • Postcards 35 cents 34 cents
Commercial prices will also decrease. A complete listing of the new prices, effective April 10, is available at www.usps.com.
The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.
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A survey by an RSS affiliate on the impact of demonetisation on the medium and small scale industry shows that nearly 70% of the respondents complained of their business being affected by the move.
Conducted by Laghu Udyog Bharati, the survey findings, shared with the government on Wednesday, indicate that as many as 69.9% of the respondents stated that they find the demand for products decreased post demonetisation while over 60% complained of slow debt recovery.
As opposed to the government’s claims of public support for the move, the LUB has cautioned that if the cash crunch caused by demonetisation is not immediately addressed, it could lead to layoffs.
Respondents of the survey — mainly LUB’s members across 400 districts in the country — have also stated that it will take more than six months for the industry to recover.
The findings also counter the government’s claims that the move will eradicate graft, as 57% of the respondents stated they did not notice any decrease in corruption among government employees since the announcement was made on November 8.
Assurances by Union minister of state for finance, Arjun Ram Meghwal, that the concerns of the sectors will be heeded and the hint of a possible dip in interest rates did not cut ice with the LUB.
At an interaction with the minister on Wednesday, issues such as “disruption of daily operations and harassment by authorities” were flagged.
The minister was also informed that payments to daily wage earners and contractual staff are being affected and in some cases withheld as most of them do not have bank accounts or means to switch to digital platforms.
The government’s push for cashless economy and digital payment options notwithstanding, 49.5% of the respondents said it is not possible for them to shift to cashless transactions immediately, while 33.6% said the transition would take over six months.
This is not the first time that an RSS affiliate has voiced concerns about demonetisation.
Read more | Small-scale industries hit big by notes ban
First Published: Dec 16, 2016 00:40 IST |
In an interview with CBS This Morning, Microsoft chairman Bill Gates has admitted that the software giant didn't nail the mobile market when it had the opportunity. "There's a lot of things like cellphones where we didn't get out in the lead early," says Gates. "We didn't miss cellphones, but the way that we went about it didn't allow us to get the leadership." Gates says this strategy was "clearly a mistake."
Describing himself and Ballmer as "self-critical", he praises the work on Windows 8, Surface, and Bing. However, Gates admits the recent products aren't enough. "He [Ballmer] and I are not satisfied that in terms of breakthrough things that we're doing everything possible," says Gates. The honest and frank interview is a rare glimpse into Gates' role at Microsoft after he stepped down as CEO to focus on his philanthropy.
With the recent departure of Windows chief Steven Sinofsky, and an apparent focus on merging the Windows and Windows Phone efforts, it's clear that there's an effort at the top of Microsoft to ensure divisions work on a common goal to surface the innovation that the company requires. Gates doesn't hint at any future plans in the interview, but his frustrations show that he's still very much involved in the company he helped start all the way back in 1975. |
Extensive re-shoots, a last-minute script rewrite and creative issues force Paramount's $170 million-plus zombie war movie to June 2013 from a planned December release.
This story appears in the June 22 issue of The Hollywood Reporter.
Brad Pitt went into producing and starring in Paramount’s World War Z, based on a best-selling Max Brooks novel about zombies in a postapocalyptic world, hoping to kick off a trilogy that would amount to more than just a series of PG-13 popcorn movies.
“Can we take this genre movie and use it as a Trojan horse for sociopolitical problems, and what would the effect on the world be if everything we knew was upside-down and pulled out from under us?” he told The Hollywood Reporter in January, suggesting that his inspiration was the iconic 1974 disaster epic, The Towering Inferno.
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It now seems that everything was upside-down on World War Z. “A nightmare from top to bottom,” describes one source with ties to the production, which appears to have been hampered from the outset by a lack of clear creative direction. Pitt hired the director of his choosing, Marc Forster (The Kite Runner, Finding Neverland), but Forster -- who has limited experience on effects-heavy tentpoles -- was not allowed to bring along his usual team. Instead, several more seasoned players were hired. The result, say multiple sources, is a seemingly headless enterprise driven by conflicts. At this point, the movie, with a price tag now said to be north of $170 million, needs as many as five weeks of complex reshoots, which are not expected to get underway until at least September. Paramount has taken the unusual step of hiring Prometheus scriptwriter Damon Lindelof to rework the film’s third act. The studio announced in March that it was moving the film to June 2013 from December.
Trouble emerged early: Three weeks before shooting was to begin in June 2011, sources say Forster had not made critical decisions about what the zombies would look like and how they would move. “They just couldn’t get it right,” one insider says. “There was a lot of spinning of plates, a lot of talking. [But] they did not have a plan.” Meanwhile, seasoned below-the-line talents were hired, then replaced, including line producer Colin Wilson (Avatar) and Oscar-winning effects man John Nelson (Gladiator). Cinematographer Robert Richardson, who has three Oscars, is said to have asked to leave the production on more than one occasion. (None would comment for this report.)
World War Z is one of several recent projects that underscore the risks associated with big effects films, especially when untested directors are involved. Disney saw first-time live-action director Andrew Stanton’s John Carter bomb in March, and Universal is facing serious problems with the $175 million to $200 million Keanu Reeves samurai film 47 Ronin, which it pushed into 2013 after first-timer Carl Rinsch presided over a chaotic shoot. Industry veterans say World War Z is another example of a film that was greenlighted and sent into production with a concept and script that were not fully baked. And they cite this situation as one of many in which studios set release dates and then push to finish in the timeframe allotted, leaving insufficient prep time.
In Paramount’s case, World War Z is the third film -- along with Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters and G.I. Joe: Retaliation -- to be shoved out of 2012, leaving the studio with just a trickle of movies for this year. Sources involved with the project believe it was assured a greenlight because of the longstanding relationship between Pitt and Paramount chief Brad Grey, who once managed the star and was a partner in Pitt’s Plan B production company. (When Grey took the job at Paramount in 2005, Plan B promptly moved there from Warner Bros.)
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Paramount insulated itself on World War Z to some degree by taking on partners, including producer Graham King and Silicon Valley scion David Ellison’s Skydance Productions. Sources say both made efforts, to little effect, to intervene as the movie got into trouble.
Several sources question Pitt’s choice of Forster to direct. The only film on Forster’s résumé in the action vein is the 2008 James Bond movie Quantum of Solace, which disappointed creatively compared to its immediate predecessor, Casino Royale. Sources with ties to World War Z say the hope was that Forster could focus on character and story while a strong crew could guide him on action and effects. Among those brought on was Simon Crane, the second-unit director who helped to salvage Pitt’s 2005 film Mr. & Mrs. Smith. But even Forster’s detractors say the attempt to bolster him created its own problems.
“The director was not empowered,” says one insider. “There was nobody that steered the ship. … When you get [a director] who can’t do it all … you get a struggle as to whose is the singular voice.”
There were other problems. As the movie was being prepped last spring, Pitt and his producing partner, Dede Gardner, were busy with Killing Them Softly, a small film that played Cannes in May. Then Pitt was unavailable because he was spending time with his family. By the time Gardner began to focus on the project a few weeks before shooting, a source says, “the disaster was already well in the making.” (Gardner, Pitt and Forster did not respond to requests for comment.)
It was unclear to several people working on the film whether Paramount was fully aware of the mounting issues, including the insufficient time allotted for the shoot. While Crane is said to have wanted 60 days or more for second-unit work, for example, the schedule called for about a third of that. Some insiders expected that Pitt could use his influence with Grey to get more time and money, but sources say the studio provided neither. Instead, it replaced key crew members such as line producer Wilson. (Ian Bryce, whose credits include Transformers, took his place. Wilson did not respond to a request for comment.)
As the production wended its way through locations in London, Glasgow, Malta and Budapest, there was still more trouble. By several accounts, cinematographer Richardson struggled to impose order, antagonizing other crewmembers in the process. A colleague says Richardson is highly gifted but doesn’t respond well to weakness at the top. “If you waffle at all, you get slammed,” he says.
Then in October, proceedings were disrupted when a Hungarian anti-terrorism unit raided an airport warehouse and confiscated 85 fully functional automatic assault rifles that were to be used on the shoot. (The guns were not supposed to be operational, and it is illegal to transport such weapons into the country.) With the movie already behind schedule and over budget, Pitt was said to be livid at the mistake — and perhaps wearying of a project that was showing no sign of ending.
While such significant problems do not ordinarily augur well, it is possible to pull troubled movies back from the brink. (The Bourne Identity is one vivid example.) “The footage from this film looks fantastic, but we all agreed it can have a better ending,” Paramount film group president Adam Goodman tells The Hollywood Reporter. “Getting the ending correct is essential, and we are in that creative process. World War Z is a giant summer movie and we are confident it will be a global hit when it’s released June 2013.”
Another source associated with World War Z says he believes the movie can be saved. “It’s a great first 45 minutes, maybe even an hour,” he says.
And in that January interview, Pitt seemed sure the movie would find at least some enthusiastic fans. “I know my boys are going to like it,” he said. He seemed less sanguine, however, about the prospects for a trilogy.
Stephen Galloway and Borys Kit contributed to this report. |
Abstract: A surreptitious usurpation of our sovereignty and wealth is being prepared by the EU and the USA on behalf of Rockefeller´s/Brzezinski´s Trilateral Commission: The Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) – alongside with a Transpacific Partnership. It intends to take over all of our legislation to make it fit for legalizing maximal looting of our states and citizens – as well as to control our minds by means of intensive internet censorship. A similar partnership has been negotiated with Canada – as a jumping board for multinationals.
The UNCTAD of Rockefeller´s UN plans big one-world government with attacks on tax competition alongside with demands for greater seizure of wealth from the citizens to finance this bigger government and furthermore, the abolition of financial privacy worldwide for global taxation.
The Commission proposal introduces a system that brings each new environmental, health and labor standard at European and national levels in risk
Most sensitive is a corporation / state arbitration board with parity for the corporations – completely independent of civilian EU and national courts. Many profitable lawsuits are expected – and the taxpayers will pay the money. Already, Italy and Spain have such problems with the Energy Charter Treaty.
Monsanto, which owns the US government, obtains free access to the European market and with complaints, it can sweep any resistance to its toxic GMO / Round-up products off the table.
UNCTAD calls for a “global New Deal” similar to that of Franklin D. Roosevelt´s in the 1930s. This would mean absolutely independent revenue sources (taxes) for the UN, mass redistribution of wealth, enforcement actions, kangaroo courts.
583,000 jobs in the EU will be lost by 2025, exports will shrink as will the gross domestic product. Wages and tax revenues will fall. But these key figures will rise in the United States. Those who benefit in the EU, are capital assets.
The EU said the agreement could increase annual economic output by 0.5%! The German industry association BDI, was forced to cut its estimate of economic benefits through the TTIP for Europe by a factor of 10 from the original 100 million euros estimate.
For these 30 Judas silver coins “our” politicians are selling our freedom and sovereignty to the Communist one-world government, the Agenda 21, of Rothschild´s corporations.
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EUObserver 1 May 2015: A six-person Regulatory Scrutiny Board will be tasked with scrutinising impact assessments for new bills to make sure they do not impose unnecessary burdens on businesses and evaluating the costs of existing laws. All impact assessments will require a positive opinion from the Board before the draft law is considered by the 28 commissioners. Three of the Board members will be hired from outside the EU institution.
Finance Watch spokesman Joost Mulder says it is “in practice likely to give the financial industry an even bigger say on the supposedly technical implementation of political agreements.”
The Investor State Dispute Settlement of the TTIP/CETA
DWN 01 05 15:“States should not sign contracts with international companies when arbitration clauses (ISDS) are included, says Pia Eberhardt of the Corporate Europe Observatory. These contracts represent a dangerous threat backdrop with which global politics is made. Taxpayers have to pay for the consequences – often without even being aware of them. Italy and Spain are already caught in a similar trap: the Energy Charter Treaty.
In future CETA complaints, investors will continue to have the privilege to determine 50% of the judges of the Tribunal. The CETA agreement does not even forbid these referees to work alongside as lawyers for investors in other processes – a screaming conflict of interest.
There is absolutely no justification for any special private property rights courts and special courts for foreign investors.
In terms of TTIP, the European Commission has recently made it clear that it absolutely wants to include ISDS in the TTIP negotiations, i.e. here no rethinking is evident “(ISDS = Investor State Dispute Settlement).
On 2 Dec. 2013 I wrote i.a.: The perspective of the TTIP is wide-ranging: David Rockefeller and Zbigniew Brzezinski’s Trilateral Commission makes full steam ahead: At the same time, negotiations are run on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership ( TTIP ) and the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) under pressure from the Fed/Wall Street puppet, Pres. Obama. The aim is to fuse a belt of regions around the world: a North American Union, the EU/ the Union for the Mediterranean, which is to extend to the Persian Gulf, as well as a far Eastern region. Unwilling states in the middle (Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Iran) are to be conquered.
It is very, very important to the Illuminati that the TTIP and TTP negotiations take place in complete secrecy. The EU has imposed on Member States to ensure that their communication strategy will only publish positive stories about these so disastrous negotiations for living people!
This video makes it clear that the TTIP and the TPP are the plans of Rockefeller/Brzezinski´s Trilateral Commission and here to rule the world by means of their corporate trade rules. To them free market means market free from public scrutiny.
Public uprisings in protest will have to be militarily quelled – acc. to Trilateralist spokesman Donilo.
The New American 9 Oct. 2014: In a new report on “global governance” and “policy space for development, the dictator-dominated United Nations blasted free markets and said it was time for what the outfit described as an “international ‘New Deal.’” The wild demand, issued by the UN “Conference on Trade and Development” (UNCTAD) in its recently released annual report, also included attacks on tax competition, along with calls for more wealth extraction from citizens to fund bigger government, abolishing financial privacy worldwide to faciliate global taxation, and much more.
From the start, the latest UNCTAD report makes the theme clear — global, centralized Big Government under any pretext is the goal.
The reference to a “New Deal” in and of itself should also spark alarm. That “progressive” plot, orchestrated by U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt in the mid-1930s, involved the unprecedented explosion of the federal government and its powers far beyond any semblance of constitutional or even legitimate governance. Much of the scheming was launched using “executive orders.”
Now imagine such a plot at the global level. It would necessarily require independent revenue streams (taxes) for the UN, mass wealth redistribution, enforcement operations, kangaroo courts, and much more like in the United States. A global “New Deal” would produce nothing but out-of-control government and more poverty, only on a much larger scale and (even more) incompetent politicians and bureaucracy.
The Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) is an attempt by the banksters – the Rothschild/Rockefeller syndicate – to establish one world government by means of dominating the legislation, finances and economies of individual countries by means of the dictatorship of their corporations.
Of course, their corporate NWO model, and here, the EU, is cooperating at our economic and democratic expense.
The geopolitical (Trilateral Commission) role of the TTIP and TPP is illustrated by this map
A free trade agreement with Canada (CETA) has already been agreed upon. Thus, multinational companies like Monsanto will have free access to Europe on Canadian / U.S. conditions, i.e.
EU Commission 24 April 2015 – Comments by EU Chief Negotiator Ignacio Garcia Bercero
Most important is authorisation of GMO’s for food and feed. The proposal gives the possibility for Member States to opt out for legitimate reasons unrelated to risks to human and animal health or the environment!
Comment – (EUbusiness 22 april 2015): This is of great concern to Monsanto-bought US government.
But, no worry: EU Commission 24 April 2015: Indeed, earlier today, the Commission approved 19 pending GMO applications.
EU Commission 24 April 2015: We believe that if under TTIP we are able to construct ambitious outomes that go beyond what we have done so far and to contribute to global rules and standards in areas such as competition, energy and raw materials or sustainable development, to name a few.
I: The New American 9 Oct. 2014: TTIP means dictatorship, sale of US subprime mortgages and job loss
These agreements impose on the Americans and Europeans very strict Internet copyright rules (write punishments/dictatorship), all “Buy American” laws are prohibited, they will give the Wall Street banks a lot more freedom to trade their risky derivatives, and more local jobs will be off-shored.
II: The TTIP means huge taxpayer costs to greedy US corporations
There is a silly rule: A Canadian – or US, since these corporations are borderless – company could build a cottage in Germany, stating it wants to produce chemicals. If denied the corporation can file a complaint demanding damages for lost profits to be settled by the partners´mediator – not by national or EU courts – and paid by taxpayers. This is a clever way for Rothschild´s US corporations to loot Europe. Few Europeans can do it the other way round.
T he Independent 20 April 2015: Critics say it could reduce European safety standards and allow the privatisation of services such as the NHS.
III: Extreme Secrecy
But we cannot be sure, because the negotiations occur behind closed doors. One MEP told the Guardian she had to sign a document of some 14 pages, reminding her that ‘EU institutions are a valuable target’ and of the dangers of espionage. She also had to agree not to share any of the contents with her constituents.
IV: Monsanto´s US Government gets free access
“This means that American investors in NHS services that are privatised now or in the future will be able to use TTIP to sue the government if it tries to bring them back into public hands.” But the NHS is not the only concern. It could also open EU markets to Monsanto’s toxic GMO products that are banned at the moment or loosen US regulation on banking to bringing it more in line with UK rules. It might result in job losses as employers switch to the US, where trade unions are less powerful.
V: Our legislation will be changed into agreement with Corporations´interests
Global Res. 21 April 2015: According to a new leaked European Commission proposal in the ongoing EU-US Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) negotiations, EU member state legislative initiatives will have to be vetted for potential impacts on private business interests.The proposal forms part of a wider plan for so-called “regulatory cooperation”. Civil society groups have already denounced earlier iterations of this plan as being a tool to stop or roll back regulation intended to protect the public interest. The new elements in the leaked proposal expand the problem.
The “regulatory exchange” proposal will force laws drafted by democratically-elected politicians through an extensive screening process. This process will occur throughout the 78 States, not just in Brussels and Washington DC. Laws will be evaluated on whether or not they are compatible with the economic interests of major companies. Responsibility for this screening will lie with the “Regulatory cooperation body“, a permanent, undemocratic, and unaccountable conclave of European and American technocrats.
The TTIP Chief negotiators, Dan Mullaney from the US (L) and Ignacio Garcia Bercero from the EU (R).
VI: More US governmental and EU influence on our governments at our cost.
“Both the Commission and US authorities will be able to exert undue pressure on governments and politicians under this measure as these powerful players are parachuted into national legislative procedures. The two are also very likely to share the same agenda: upholding the interests of multinationals,” says Kenneth Haar of Corporate Europe Observatory.
“The Commission proposal introduces a system that puts every new environmental, health, labour, and standard at European and member state level at risk. It creates a labyrinth of red tape for regulators, to be paid by the tax payer, that undermines their appetite to adopt legislation in the public interest,” says Paul de Clerck of Friends of the Earth Europe.
“What’s perhaps most scary about this proposal is its potential application to existing regulation: Any current legislation in the public interest that doesn’t sit well with trade interests on either side of the Atlantic could be subjected to the same process to make it conform to corporate interests.”
VII: EU Parliament against the TTIP – but it will be bought
Euractiv 21 April 2015: On 14 and 16 April, six (the Committees on Economic and Monetary Affairs, Legal Affairs, Employment, Environment, Petitions and Constitutional Affairs) of the 14 EU Parliamentary committees involved in drafting the European Parliament’s resolution on the trade deal (TTIP) passed draft opinions rejecting the arbitration clause that is currently part of the deal. Opposition to TTIP among the European parliamentarians, particularly to the proposed arbitration system, appears to be strengthening. “The positions of the committees on Legal Affairs and Economic Affairs are very important because they are responsible for the legal position of the European Parliament,”
Although the European Parliament has no official place at the negotiating table for the transatlantic treaty, where the EU is represented by the European Commission, it will have the power to ratify or reject the final agreement once the negotiations are completed.
EU Business 18 April 2015: According to a YouGov poll published at the end of March, 43 percent of Germans believe that the pact, which has the government’s support, would be “bad” for their country, compared with 30 percent who see it as “good.”
DWN 14 Nov. 2014: The first truly independent study on the effects of the TTIP free trade deal comes to a devastating outcome for Europe: 583,000 jobs will be lost in the EU by 2025. Exports will shrink as will the gross domestic product. Wages and tax revenues will fall. In the US, however, these key figures will rise. Those who profit in the EU are capital assets. The TTIP becomes dangerous turbo for redistribution from poor to rich.
DWN 19 April 2015: According to Attac, 750 actions were planned against TTIP in about 45 countries, including more than 230 in Germany. The protests were also directed against the proposed agreement with Canada (CETA) and a planned service agreement with the United States (TISA).
Comment
The EU said the agreement could add around 0.5 per cent to its annual economic output!
EurActiv 12 March 2015: German industry federation BDI has been forced to slash its estimate of the economic benefits for Europe of a proposed US-EU free trade pact by a factor of 10 from 100 mio euros, it conceded Wednesday (11 March).
Is this minimal gain worth the loss of our sovereignty to the US/Rothschild NWO?
Trade is one of the 2 major motivations of the elite for the NWO. The other factor is their one world government as hatched by the Cecil Rhodes, Alfred Milner, Nathaniel Rothschild secret inner core society “The Society of the Elect” in late 19 century – based on the imperialistic philosophy of John Ruskin. This philosophy is stilll behind “The British Empire”and the “British “Crown” meaning Rothschild´s/Jesuits´ City of London – also called the “Square Mile”, the real ruler of the world. |
Saudi warplanes were called in to strike the al-Atera village in southern Yemen today, a village which is contested between the Saudi-backed government and the Shi’ite Houthi movement. As has so often happened during their war, the strike was a disaster.
At least 20 civilians, identified as internally displaced persons, including women and children, were killed and an undisclosed number of others were wounded in the airstrikes, which fueled new international condemnation for Saudi targeting policies.
The details are still emerging about why the refugees were hit, but the UN High Commission for Refugees’ office says that indications are that most of the victims of the attack were from the same extended family. Killing civilians has been a recurring problem for the Saudis in the Yemen War, despite pledges to improve targeting and seek increased help from the US and UK on reducing the casualties.
Yet once again, with fighting going on somewhere in or around the village, the warplanes instead hit a bunch of apparently random bystanders, adding to growing doubts that the Saudis are honest in their attempts to improve, and putting more pressure on the US and British governments to pare back the arms sales fueling the conflict.
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Residents worried about how San Antonio Water System’s (SAWS) rate structure plan might impact lower-income users had plenty to say during a SAWS Community Conservation Committee (CCC) meeting on Wednesday.
About 40 residents attended the afternoon meeting at SAWS headquarters. More than a dozen criticized the new water rate structure, the study backing it, and SAWS’ long-term water supply project, Vista Ridge.
If the SAWS Board of Trustees and City Council were to approve it, the new structure would raise the number of pricing tiers for residential customers and widen the pricing difference for low-and high-use commercial customers. The utility’s Rate Advisory Committee (RAC) unanimously approved the plan in May.
Critics of the new tiers say the change will disproportionately effect low-income customers that may not be aware or able to take advantage of SAWS’ Affordability Discount or money-saving coupons, among other assistance tools. Several speakers focused on lower-income Westside neighborhoods where a high number of households, with aging plumbing, shelter multiple family members who live together mainly because of financial reasons.
In the present four-tier system, the first 5,985 gallons for residential customers are priced at $0.23 per 100 gallons; the price rises over the next three tiers.
The new structure would set a new first tier price, $0.13, at 2,992 gallons and create eight tiers or “blocks.” Residential users in the first, or lowest, three blocks would be charged with what SAWS calls a “weighted average” of $0.20 per 100 gallons up to 6,000 gallons. SAWS Vice President of Business Planning and Controller Mary Bailey said this amount is the average usage rate between the lowest and second-lowest 3,000-gallon customers.
Customers using less than 2,992 gallons would get a discounted availability charge, the minimum amount that SAWS charges for fixed costs. SAWS calls the new 2,992-gallon figure a “lifeline rate,” a basic amount of water needed for two people to survive in an average home. According to Bailey’s presentation on the new structure on Wednesday, a household using 2,992 gallons or lower for water and sewer currently sees an average bill of $33.37; that household could get an average bill of $28.56 under the new structure.
Commercial users start at a rate based upon the previous year’s monthly average use and would keep doing so under the new rates. The difference here is that users would be charged more beginning in Block 3 (see graph below).
But residents unhappy about the plan say it’s unrealistic for SAWS to think those lower-income, highly populated households can stay under the so-called lifeline rate. Critics add that SAWS’ existing discounts and other low-income aids only do so much.
Maria Turvin said if SAWS aims to promote more conservation with the new tiers – a driving force of this plan – then commercial users will not be affected as much as residential customers, nor will high-end users be incentivized to cut back usage. With help from a Spanish interpreter, homeowner Sandra Duarte said she and her Westside neighbors cannot afford what they feel are imminent rate hikes now or in the future.
Jesse R. Vidales said struggling ratepayers are being “targeted to foot the bill” for the 142-mile-long pipeline that the Vista Ridge consortium plans to design and build to pump water from Burleson and Milam counties to the San Antonio area. Vidales added he knows of neighboring households, with five or six inhabitants, where water is shut off because they cannot afford to pay their current bills.
“My neighborhood consists of people on limited incomes,” Anne Wyatt said, speaking of her Southwest Side community. She called the Vista Ridge project something that only boosts “big businesses in San Antonio and their dreams, and all the oil and gas fracking happening between here and Burleson County.”
Gianna Rendon, a community organizer with the Esperanza Peace and Justice Center, one of the groups represented at the CCC meeting, said she felt SAWS did not adequately publicize Wednesday’s gathering and that the session could have been held in the early evening when even more residents could attend. Rendon also urged SAWS to raise public awareness of its conservation and assistance programs, and to hold more community meetings citywide about the new rate plan.
Bailey reiterated key points in the new rate tiers and the study that supports them. She said the structure will not generate new revenue for SAWS, and that this year’s rates will remain the same until Jan. 1, 2016.
“All we’re doing here is moving chairs around,” Bailey said, describing the new system. She added with the rising cost of water, the new rate structure serves to encourage greater conservation across the board, particularly among high-end users.
“This would send the right pricing signal to those customers,” she said. Bailey insisted lowest-use residential customers would see their rates stay the same or go down under the new structure, and that the new structure would not impact them disproportionately. She added that big water users, especially those with outdoor irrigation, will be charged at a premium.
“We send out about 4 million bills a year and 27% of them never get above 3,000 gallons,” Bailey said of residential users under the new plan. According to Bailey’s presentation, 56% of SAWS water usage belongs to residents and that figure will also reflect the cost of service in the new rate structure.
“I don’t know why people say residential customers are picking up a bigger share of rates. They’re picking up the exact share of water at the same cost of service,” she added. Toward the meeting’s end, Bailey urged departing visitors to pick up information about the low-income assistance services that SAWS offers to low-income customers. SAWS officials added they will are open to publicly meeting with organizations around town about the new system.
Many of the same critics say the $3.4 billion Vista Ridge pipeline project, designed to provide up to 50,000 acre-feet of water annually for 30 years by 2020, will only increase urban sprawl and benefit a growing city looking to lure more big business to town.
A group of protesters involving representatives of Esperanza, Southwest Workers Union and the Texas Organizing Project arrived outside with hand-drawn signs in tow and peered into the meeting room. Later, Meredith McGuire, professor emerita at Trinity University and local Sierra Club spokesperson, took part in a news conference on the SAWS campus. She said during the construction of the Vista Ridge pipeline and afterward, rates will increase each year and take a toll on the most vulnerable of customers.
“We call on the City Council to talk to your constituents about this rate structure. The rate increases that will be built on this rate structure are a matter of social policy. SAWS should not be making social policy, especially about anything so essential for life and health as water,” McGuire said.
CCC Chairman Gabriel Durand-Hollis, a local architect and mayor of Hill Country Village, later agreed with SAWS officials about lower rates for lower-use customers.
“This structure really draws the line at 6,000 gallons. Businesses and other commercial customers use more, and they’d pay more. This helps to send a message to conserve more water,” said Durand-Hollis.
After the new rate structure has been vetted by stakeholders, the SAWS Board of Trustees, then City Council, will take up the recommendations later this summer and into the fall.
Durand-Hollis said SAWS has re-emphasized conservation in different ways over the last few years during the region’s most recent drought period. He added that, despite what critics say, Wednesday’s meeting helped to shed more light on the ways residents can be more water-wise.
“You can even have SAWS do an audit at your home, to see where you’re losing water,” he added. As for criticism about Vista Ridge, Durand-Hollis said his committee was in no position to comment about it because it was not an official topic at the meeting.
“(Vista Ridge) didn’t play into today’s agenda,” he added.
*Featured/top image: People from local organizations, guided by the Texas Organizing Project, protest SAWS’ proposed rate structure. Photo by Edmond Ortiz.
Related Stories:
SAWS Seeks Committee, Public Input for Proposed Rate Structure
Committee Approves New SAWS Rate Structure
Proposed SAWS Rate Structure to Promote Conservation
Council Approves Two Year SAWS Rate Increase
Asking for Less, SAWS Briefs A Receptive City Council on Rate Increase, Major Water Projects |
Age: 35
NHL Statline:
With Carolina: 6 goals, 9 assists, 15 points
With Boston: 6 assists, 6 points
Total: 6 goals, 15 assists, 21 points
Aggregate Grade: C+
Think about the first hopeless job you ever did for an employer.
The first real mess you were thrown into as an employee of anything: A software firm, a fishing boat, a Burger King, a TV station...any of them at all.
Say that the people in charge really want things to be run in a certain way and it's stifling the workflow. Or that some of the work is going really well, but the stuff that's supposed to prop up said work to mean something keeps failing in a consistent manner. A lot. More than you want to admit it might. Imagine that this could lead to a real moment of embarrassment in the company and the boss' first year on the job. It's bewildering, maddening even. People are being productive and there's all sorts of cool things happening but in the end it's coming up for nothing! It'd drive you crazy.
Now imagine that, instead of being on that crazy ride from the beginning, you came into it almost at the end. Imagine the bewildering thought of having to be the stabilizing force within it on a time crunch. Hopefully to make it better before the whole year is wasted.
This is kind of what John-Michael Liles had to come into as a member of the Boston Bruins.
JML is the very model of a good "low event" defensive player. A kind of simple, no nonsense, not many flairs to his game type of guy that keeps the puck out of your end. He is a perfect #3 - #4 defenseman if you're a team in a crunch...which the Bruins were. And this year was more of the same for JML as he began his time as a Carolina Hurricane, being good at what he was doing in Carolina (though certainly not in any danger of competing for the playoffs in the Red, Black and White) before being moved at the very end of the Trade Deadline to the Boston Bruins. The Indianapolis native never scored a goal in the Black and Gold, but was not expected to. What he did do was give a temporary moment of reprieve when the Bruins defense was just not capable of keeping itself together.
Tragically, his efforts would've been much better appreciated had he come in much earlier than the deadline.
Really, the only knock against anything he did this year was more that the Bruins didn't get a hold of him sooner. And JML played his ass off for the Bruins once he got the chance. His no nonsense style immediately gelled with the gaping, bleeding chasm in the earth that the Bruins defense was, and truly gave them the best opportunity that they had all year of being playoff bound. But 17 games is a very small number, and there's no telling how much better off the Bruins would have been had they gotten him around...say...Christmas.
Maybe we'd still be talking about the playoffs? Who knows now.
With being a UFA and plenty of teams needing Top 4 (not necessarily Top 2) defensemen, one will wonder where a capable player like John-Michael Liles will go next.
Hopefully? Nowhere but here in Boston.
...One should hope he knows he's 35 now, so a pay cut might be in order.
Fancy Stats:
That my friends, is a defensive defenseman's defensive defenseman. Doesn't take a whole lot of shots, but goddamn does he suppress them and suppress them with gusto. And as an added bonus, you can see that like Chara, he was able to drag whoever his defense partner was out of the hell they often found themselves in on terms of possessing the puck. Just a good player playing good, solid hockey.
Here's hoping we can get that back. |
General Electric Chairman and CEO Jeff Immelt delivers the opening remarks prior a panel discussion hosted by GE on "The Future of Manufacturing: Growing American Competitiveness" at the Mellon Auditorium in Washington, February 13, 2012. REUTERS/Gary Cameron
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - General Electric Co plans to hire 5,000 U.S. military veterans over the next five years and to invest $580 million to expand its aviation footprint in the United States this year.
The largest U.S. conglomerate unveiled the moves ahead of a four-day meeting it is convening in Washington starting on Monday to focus on boosting the U.S. economy, which has been slow to recover from a brutal 2007-2009 recession.
“We should have the confidence to act and to restore American competitiveness,” Chief Executive Jeff Immelt, a top adviser on jobs and the economy to President Barack Obama, said in a statement.
The U.S. unemployment rate — seen as the main barrier to a move vibrant recovery — fell to a near three-year low of 8.3 percent in January, helped in part by the manufacturing sector adding about 50,000 workers. Even with that improvement, 23.8 million Americans remain out of work or underemployed, which is keeping the economy a key issue heading into November’s presidential elections.
The world’s largest maker of jet engines plans this year to open three new U.S. aviation plants, in Ellisville, Mississippi; Auburn, Alabama, and Dayton, Ohio. After cutting headcount significantly during the recession — as did its major peers including United Technologies Corp and Caterpillar Inc — GE has added about 9,000 U.S. workers since 2009, and has already announced plans to hire another 4,500 people.
The Fairfield, Connecticut-based company, whose operations range from making loans to mid-sized businesses to manufacturing railroad locomotives, plans to discuss these moves at the Washington meeting. Boeing Co CEO James McNerney and Dow Chemical Co CEO Andrew Liveris are also scheduled to speak. |
An F-35 Lightning II from the 34th Fighter Squadron at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, taxis in at Royal Air Force Lakenheath, England, April 15, 2017. US Air Force photo/Rank Name For the first time ever, US Air Force F-35As arrived in the UK to train with pilots of the Royal Air Force as tensions between the West and Russia peak.
On the same day that the F-35s arrived in England, two Russian warships passed through the English channel on their way to Syria, in response to the US's April 7 cruise missile strike on a Syrian airfield.
Meanwhile, Montenegro, who the US Senate just backed for ascension into NATO, has an ongoing Interpol manhunt for two Russian operatives they have accused of terrorism for plotting to kill their prime minister. In internal military communications, Russia refers to NATO as the enemy, and they strongly oppose any expansion of the alliance.
As it stands, Russia's forces in eastern Europe far outnumber NATO's so much so that some experts have speculated that Russian forces could seize Baltic capitals within days.
F-35s will have their work cut out for them training against advanced threats like Russia's Su-35. Wikimedia Commons
The F-35s will arrive in Europe at a time when Russian aircraft outnumbers— and in some cases can outperform— legacy US and European aircraft stationed there.
The F-35, with its stealth design and unparalleled information-sharing capabilities, represents a huge step up for US and NATO's air power, as it can improve the performance of legacy planes it flies with by sharing data from its advanced suite of sensors.
Though Russia has long tried to develop counter-stealth technologies and has even taunted the US about its considerable air-defense capabilities, F-35 pilots who spoke to Business Insider said the new fighter would deliver unprecedented capabilities.
The F-35As now at Britain's Lakenheath air base will train with NATO forces to increase interoperability and deter Russian aggression.
Watch the F-35s arrive in the UK below: |
Before it got derailed by a string of embarrassing gaffes abroad, the Romney campaign was going all in on a misleadingly out-of-context quote that they claimed showed President Obama telling small business owners that they didn’t build their businesses, that it was government investment instead. Team Romney created “we did build this” merchandise, and hosted numerous events and town halls that featured outraged businessmen (several of whom, it was later revealed, had received government contracts).
The Obama comment sparked a new conservative meme, which claimed the government had no role in inventing the Internet. It's completely untrue (government and government scientists were critical), but the revisionist history about the Internet is really just the apotheosis of the conservative backlash against government investment in science and technology in the Tea Party age. There used to be broad bipartisan consensus that federal dollars were well spent on such research, but Romney joined other Republicans in vilifying Solyndra as an example of what he calls on his website “costly government investment [that] has failed to create an economic boom” in green energy. Just yesterday, Romney came out against extending a tax cut for electric wind energy.
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But Romney wasn’t so hostile to government investment in innovation. In fact, in his book "No Apology: The Case for American Greatness" he said it was essential to economic success, and even credited the government with inventing the Internet. Here’s the relevant portion:
He goes on to warn that government shouldn’t “pick winners and losers” and that doing so will inevitably create a spiral effect of more spending, but it’s still a different position from the one he seems to be adopting now, which is adversarial to the very idea of government investment in economic innovation. And while Romney calls for increasing government spending on R&D in his book, he has supported GOP plans like Rep. Paul Ryan’s budget, which would slash this kind of investment. |
‘There is nothing wrong with it, but it just isn’t right for us, and isn’t for lots of other people. We see each other as partners – not as husband and wife – and we didn’t want all the social pressures and expectations that surround marriage, like the bride wearing white virginal dresses and being given away by her father.”
The words of Rebecca Steinfeld and Charles Keidan from London, who recently lost their Court of Appeal case campaigning for heterosexuals to have the right to civil partnerships.
And of course, they have a point. Why should long-term couples not have the same legal rights and protections as married couples? It would be hard nowadays to see how anyone could seriously object to this.
However, Keidan and Steinfeld framed their case as an equality issue, arguing that they were being discriminated against because of their sexual orientation.
“We are being treated differently because of our sexuality,” Steinfeld said after their defeat at the Court of Appeal, flanked by signs calling for “straight equality”.
She was referring to the fact that, at present, same sex couples have the option of entering into marriage, civil partnership or cohabitation while heterosexual couples have simply the choice of marriage or cohabitation.
From all accounts it was a difficult decision for the Court of Appeal to make. Few expected the Court to rule in favour of extending civil partnerships, despite thousands having petitioned for such change.
It was accepted by the Court that there could be a potential breach of the couple’s human rights by not being permitted to enter into a civil partnership instead of a marriage. However, the Court felt the issue was one for the UK Government to address in terms of new legislation.
The government is currently looking into this matter and reviewing the number of civil partnerships, following same sex marriage being legalised in Scotland, England and Wales in 2014.
It may be that the government ultimately decides to abolish the concept of civil partnerships altogether, which would put both same sex and heterosexual couples on the same footing. In any event, reports are suggesting a 70 per cent decrease in civil partnership as more same sex couples opt for marriage instead.
It is unusual for a test case on discrimination to be taken by a majority group in this way. In the absence of any new legislation that protects cohabitants’ rights on property, finances and children, heterosexual couples who do not wish to marry can be left most vulnerable.
Responding to the decision, Nigel Shepherd, chair of Resolution – formerly the Solicitors Family Law Association – said: “It is understandable that some couples are attracted to a form of registered partnership that is not marriage, but which will give them similar protection to marriage. That said, from a purely legal perspective, it makes little sense to retain civil partnership. But, if the option of civil partnerships for same sex couples is to continue to be retained, then civil partnerships must also be available to opposite sex couples in order to avoid discrimination.”
Here in Scotland, limited rights were introduced by the Family Law (Scotland) Act 2006, allowing cohabiting couples to make certain financial claims against one another on separation to address any economic unfairness that had arisen during their period of cohabitation; unfortunately, this particular legislation is still in a state of flux.
Accordingly, it is very difficult for solicitors to predict not only how courts will actually deal with any such claims but also the eventual outcome of any disputed claims.
One way to create certainty, where none exists at present, is for partners to enter into Cohabitation Agreements. Romantic they are not, but practical they certainly are. Being realistic when first moving in together could certainly save future emotional and financial heartache for both parties.
Such agreements might not feature large in the minds of young couples, with little wealth, setting up their first home together – but they really ought to. Likewise, for couples, who may have already come through a divorce and do not wish to marry again, a Cohabitation Agreement would undoubtedly be worth considering.
The shape of family life, across all demographics, has changed hugely over the last 50 years, with many people now choosing simply to live with their partners rather than to tie the knot. However, while trends have changed immeasurably, unfortunately the law has been slow to keep up.
Ewan M Campbell is an Associate and Family Law specialist at Russel + Aitken LLP |
Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) said Friday that he will not support Sen. Jeff Sessions Jefferson (Jeff) Beauregard SessionsFormer Trump refugee director did not notify superiors about family separation warnings Court rejects challenge to Mueller's appointment Trump says he hasn't spoken to Barr about Mueller report MORE’s (R-Ala.) nomination to be attorney general.
“I have serious concerns that Senator Sessions’ record on civil rights is at direct odds with the task of promoting justice and equality for all, and I cannot support his nomination,” he said in a statement.
He added that the attorney general must “enforce laws that protect the rights of every American.”
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Brown, who is not a member of the Judiciary Committee, appears to be the first Democrat to formally say they will oppose Sessions. Other top Democrats have vowed to oppose Sessions, however, with some even calling on President-elect Donald Trump Donald John TrumpREAD: Cohen testimony alleges Trump knew Stone talked with WikiLeaks about DNC emails Trump urges North Korea to denuclearize ahead of summit Venezuela's Maduro says he fears 'bad' people around Trump MORE to drop the nomination.
Brown and Sessions met on Friday and discussed improving the relationship between police and communities, restoring the Voting Rights Act and Sessions's record on civil rights.
The Judiciary Committee will begin hearings on Sessions’s nomination on Tuesday.
The hearing comes roughly 30 years after Sessions’s 1986 nomination for a federal judgeship died in the committee amid allegations the Alabama senator had made racially charged comments.
Sessions is expected to ultimately clear the upper chamber, with Republicans only needing 50 votes to win his confirmation.
Sen. Joe Manchin Joseph (Joe) ManchinThe Hill's Morning Report - Dems appear to have votes to counter Trump on emergency Border rebuke looms for Trump Trump claims Democrats ‘don’t mind executing babies after birth’ after blocked abortion bill MORE (D-W.Va.) has said he will support the confirmation, and other centrist Democrats may also back Sessions.
Brown is up for reelection in 2018 and has also been seen as a potential Democratic vice presidential or presidential candidate. |
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Bang! Everything goes dead mad, dead quick.
Then that feeling kicks in – an unbelievable feeling of satisfaction I get from scoring a goal in the Premier League.
Like the sensation I get when I’ve smashed a golf ball flush off the face of the club and watched it trickle on to the green.
It’s a high, a mad rush of power.
It’s a wave of emotion – but it takes me over like nothing else.
This feeling of putting one away for Manchester United is huge. If I could bottle the buzz, I’d make the best energy drink ever.
A heartbeat later and I’m at normal speed again, I’m coming round. Everything’s in focus: the sound, a roar loud enough to hurt my ears, the aching in my legs, the sweat running down my neck, the mud on my kit.
More and more noise; it’s so big, it’s right on top of me. Someone’s grabbing at my shirt, my heart’s banging out of my chest.
The crowd are singing my name: ‘Rooney, Rooney, Rooooo-neeee!’
And there’s no better feeling in the world. Then I look up and see the scoreboard:
FEBRUARY 12, 2011: United 2 City 1
GOAL! Rooney, 77 minutes
Who I am and what I’ve done comes back to me in a rush, a hit, like a boxer coming round after a sniff of smelling salts.
I’m Wayne Rooney. I’ve played Premier League football since 2002 and I’ve just scored the winning goal in a Manchester derby – probably the most important game of the season to fans from the red half of town.
A goal that puts our noisy neighbours – the other lot – in their place. A goal that reminds them United have more history and more success than they do right now. A goal that warns the rest of the country we’re on our way to winning another Premier League title.
As I stand with my arms spread wide, head back, I can feel the hate coming from the City fans behind me, it’s like static electricity. The abuse, the screaming and swearing, is bouncing off me.
I don’t give a toss.
I know how much they hate me; I can understand where they are coming from though, because I go through the same emotions whenever I lose at anything.
This time, they’re wound up and I’m not. I know it doesn’t get any better than this.
As I jog back to the centre circle, still tingling, I go into rewind. It’s ridiculous, I know, but I’m worried I might never feel this way again. I want to remember what’s just happened, to relive the moment over and over because it feels so good.
We close out the game 2–1. Everyone gathers round me in the dressing room afterwards, they want to talk about the goal. But I’m done in, I’ve nothing left; it’s all out there on the pitch, along with that overhead kick.
The room is buzzing; Rio Ferdinand is buzzing. ‘Wow,’ he says.
Read more exclusive Wayne Rooney extracts on the truth about being overweight, his hair transplant and being injured.
Plus losing the Premier League title in injury time, Why he might play in midfield eventually, How his young son helps him forget pain of losing, and THAT overhead kick against City
Extracted from My Decade in the Premier League by Wayne Rooney with a foreword by Sir Alex Ferguson. To be published by HarperSport on 13th Sept @ £20 ©Wayne Rooney 2012. |
[Episcopal News Service]
In seeking a peaceful resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, people of faith need to be effective partners committed to hearing multiple narratives, say members of a broad U.S. interfaith delegation, led by Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori, during a weeklong pilgrimage to the Holy Land.
The 15-member delegation of Jews, Christians and Muslims engaged in a series of high-level political and religious meetings in Israel and the Palestinian Territories, including with former Israeli Prime Minister Shimon Peres and current Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah, to hear a wide range of perspectives on peace, religion and politics and to share their own views about the role the three Abrahamic faiths must play in helping to shape a better world.
The group heard deep concerns, frustrations, and strong sentiments of distrust in the midst of a stalled peace process, but they were encouraged by countless signs of hope and optimism and they were galvanized to be part of the solution together.
They also met with leaders of grassroots initiatives – the Shades Negotiation Program, EcoPeace and Roots – that bring together Israelis and Palestinians to hear and learn from one another’s narratives, and to build a peaceful society in which everyone can prosper.
“We’ve built bridges this week,” said Jefferts Schori, “and we’re going to keep traveling those bridges, and exploring the chasms beneath them, and looking over the guard rails for new possibilities, until God’s shalom and salaam and peace prevail in the Land of the Holy One and throughout the oneness of God’s creation.”
However, she said, “this cannot be a zero-sum game” in which one side’s gain is equivalent to another’s loss. “When we can back off from ‘what are they going to take from us,’ we might begin to find the answers.”
Along with Jefferts Schori, the group’s co-leaders were Rabbi Steve Gutow, president of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs (JCPA), and Sayyid Syeed, national director of interfaith and community alliances for the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA). Together, they represent about 15 million Americans.
“We have experienced the land and its people as they understand themselves. We leave with a sense of hope that people of faith, on the ground and in America, can truly be part of the solution,” said Gutow. “We heard from Israelis and Palestinians that our presence as religious leaders from three different faiths coming here at such a difficult time gives hope that our dream can come to fruition.”
Syeed said that there is no other solution “but to come up with an end to the present stalemate. It weighs heavy on everyone living in the Holy Land. We will continue to press our people and our government to resume the efforts for negotiations between the parties and help to build mutual trust and confidence. Faith leaders and congregations will continue to pray for success and do whatever we can to support these efforts.”
The visit was planned in response to Resolution B019, passed by the Episcopal Church’s General Convention in 2012, that called for positive investment and engagement in the region and recommended that the presiding bishop develop an interfaith model pilgrimage that experiences multiple narratives. That resolution reiterated the Episcopal Church’s longstanding commitment to a negotiated two-state solution “in which a secure and universally recognized State of Israel lives alongside a free, viable and secure state for the Palestinian people.”
ISNA and JCPA also endorse that vision of lasting peace in the Holy Land through an agreed two-state solution.
“When talking about peace, there is a tendency to look at the obstacles,” said Peres, 91, welcoming the delegation to a 45-minute meeting in Jaffa, Israel, at the Peres Peace Center, which he founded in 1996 to build peace through socio-economic cooperation and development.
“Great things in life cannot be achieved unless you close a little bit your eyes. You cannot fall in love and you cannot make peace unless you close a little bit your eyes. With open eyes you will see all the problems and you will be blind to the opportunities,” said Peres, who twice served as Israeli prime minister – once in the mid-80s and again in the mid-90s – and recently retired as president, largely a ceremonial figurehead role.
Peres, who won the 1994 Nobel Peace Prize for his role in the peace talks that led to the Oslo Accords, said that he believes “there is no separation between God and the spirit … In our land we want religions really to come together. The characteristic of a nation must be multi-cultural and multi-spirited.”
At the headquarters of the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah two days later, Hamdallah shared his desire for peace and reconciliation and described it as an “inspiration” that such a diverse group of religious leaders from the U.S. would visit the region and engage with the people and the issues head on.
U.S.-led peace negotiations between Israeli and Palestinian leaders broke down in May 2014, with both sides blaming the other for failing to make adequate concessions on issues such as borders, the status of refugees, the sharing of Jerusalem, and the construction of Israeli settlements on Palestinian land.
Then in July 2014 in the Gaza Strip, Israel launched Operation Protective Edge against the militant Islamic movement Hamas after a surge in rocket attacks. The Israel-Gaza conflict, which erupted following the abduction and murder of three Israeli teenagers, and the retaliatory abduction and murder of a Palestinian youth, resulted in the death of more than 2,100 Gazans, mostly civilians, and 73 Israelis, mostly soldiers.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has asked the International Criminal Court to investigate alleged war crimes by Israel in the Palestinian Territories. Israel and the U.S. have strongly criticized the move, saying it undermines chances for a negotiated peace deal.
In early January, Israel retaliated by withholding the transfer of $127 million in tax revenues to the Palestinians.
“There’s a serious commitment not to resort to violence,” Hamdallah, who succeeded Salam Fayyad as Palestinian prime minister in June 2013, told the interfaith group. “We condemn all violent activities anywhere, whether in France or Israel, anywhere. We believe that these people who say they are representing Islam, they are not Muslims. Our theme is to achieve our goals through peaceful means.”
But Hamdallah told the religious leaders that he doubts whether the Palestinians could reach an agreement with the current Israeli government, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Other leaders throughout the week told the interfaith group that it is difficult to see how a peace deal could be reached between Netanyahu and Abbas because the two sides have become so entrenched in their positions.
One senior Israeli official, who asked not to be named, said that the Israeli-Palestinian peace process “involves negotiations between two traumatized people, two people scarred by their past and fearful about their future. The essential aim in negotiation is to not only write your own victory speech but to write the other person’s as well.”
He said that the only way to shift from a zero-sum negotiation involves not just tolerating the other side “but being invested in their desired outcome just as you are in yours.”
The grave error in negotiations, he said, is that people “believe they must be involved in bringing the messiah, or in bringing justice and peace in some cosmic sense. Think a little bit less about bringing the messiah and a little bit more about making people’s lives better.”
During the meeting with Hamdallah, Syeed said that people of faith in the U.S. and around the world were hopeful when U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry helped to restart the peace negotiations in 2013 but that they were troubled when those talks broke down a year later. Speaking on behalf of the interfaith delegation, Syeed said: “This is a unique alliance – Muslims, Christians, Jews together, having the same vision, having the same commitment, and expressing our solidarity.”
While much of the meetings centered on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the stalled peace process, and the role of religion, some of the conversations turned to more philosophical and reflective topics and included a number of lighter moments and shared laughter.
“The optimist and pessimist are passing away the same way, so why spend your life as a pessimist?” Peres said. “It’s not the brain that provides us with thoughts and dreams. It’s the other way around. It’s thoughts and dreams that cause the brain to adapt…
“Science has changed the way that people view the world. Science can overcome violence, so you don’t need wars. Science doesn’t have borders, so you cannot establish borders in science. Science cannot be controlled,” Peres added.
Jefferts Schori, a former oceanographer, told Peres that “it is a great blessing to hear you talk about the gift of science and it is leading us to new places. People of faith come with a different kind of knowing and I do not believe that it is different to the kind of knowing that science can offer. But when they come together they invite people to look far more deeply into the heart of reality, to see the connections that emanate from the center and that we cannot survive without one another. It is the driver for peacemaking.”
In other high-level political meetings, the group met with U.S. Ambassador to the State of Israel Daniel Shapiro; U.S. Consul General Michael Ratney; Ruth Calderon, an academic and a member of the Knesset, the Israeli government’s parliament; and Kholoud Al-Faqih, judge of the Sharia Court of Ramallah and the first female sharia judge in the Palestinian Territories.
Al-Faqih spoke to the group in Ramallah about her personal and professional journey, which involved eight years of determination and repeated visits to legal decision-makers until they finally accepted her pleas to enter the judicial training process. It has led to her being ranked by CEO Middle East magazine as number 10 of the 100 most powerful Arab women in the world.
Jefferts Schori relayed the biblical parable, told by Jesus to his disciples, of the persistent widow seeking justice from a judge. “What she does is go and knock on his door every day and bother him until she gets justice,” Jefferts Schori said. “You have done the same thing. You are a wonderful example to us. Thank you.”
Shapiro, who has served as ambassador since July 2011, welcomed the group during a meeting in Tel Aviv, Israel. “The fact that all of you – busy people in your communities – took the time to come and engage in a deep way, is really something I strongly appreciate. It’s a tough set of issues, but it won’t get less tough without people of goodwill throwing themselves into it,” he said.
“There are unfortunately other approaches. Some people turn away from it altogether. Some people choose to attack one side or the other and make it about a point-scoring exercise. Neither of those approaches is going to achieve our goals, which is a peaceful future for Israelis and Palestinians,” he added. “An approach that says we need to come, we need to listen, we need to engage, we need to help create linkages between ourselves and both sides and, of course, across the divide, is to me the only approach that has the chance of succeeding.”
Calderon, a Yesh Atid party member who has served as a member of the Knesset since 2012, said that she believes that religion is often “much more creative than diplomacy.”
“This is the place of God, so how can we think that it’s ours or theirs? The whole talk about whom does it belong to always makes me uncomfortable because we know it belongs to God,” she told the group in Tel Aviv. “If I can say that there is one thing that God has taught me it’s that I don’t own things. I’m here on rent, maximum, and that is so simple for us to understand, but so difficult for us to say in parliament … I think there is in the religious language a way to solve the most painful problems … One of the things that I’ve learned in the last three years in parliament is that you cannot leave it to politicians.”
JCPA’s Gutow thanked Calderon for challenging the group to think about what it is that God would want. “If we take that as the measure of how we look at things, I think we’ll really come up with something beautiful.”
In connecting with grassroots organizations, the group met with leaders from the Shades Negotiation Program, which provides future Israeli and Palestinian leaders with constructive problem solving skills and resources to identify and create opportunities for a peaceful and prosperous future in the region.
The interfaith group traveled to Gush Etzion, where the leadership of Roots comprises Palestinian leaders from adjoining villages with Israeli settlers who, despite disagreement on some core issues, believe it is imperative for the communities to put aside political retrenchment and divisive actions and rhetoric in order to begin sowing the seeds necessary to make an eventual peace agreement take hold.
“Without building trust, the suspicions between us will suffocate the political peace agreements,” said Rabbi Hanan Schlesinger, a project coordinator for Roots.
Their grassroots organizing includes engaging local leaders, non-violence workshops and religious dialogue.
“We know that there is great disagreement over many issues – over the facts of the past and even about the reality of the present – but we believe that effective dialogue is the secure place for argument and deeper understanding,” according to Shaul Judelman, a project coordinator who has lived in Gush Etzion for the past 13 years. “It is in this space that solutions can be built.”
And in Tel Aviv, the interfaith group heard from EcoPeace Middle East, which brings together Jordanian, Palestinian, and Israeli environmentalists through cooperative efforts “to protect our shared environmental heritage. In so doing, we seek to advance both sustainable regional development and the creation of necessary conditions for lasting peace in our region,” according to the organization’s website.
The initiative has launched a campaign to raise awareness of the demise of the Jordan River, which is drying up and has been polluted with untreated sewage over the course of the past 50 years.
“The problems we saw seemed intractable and a two-state solution felt like a faraway dream,” said Gutow. “But when we met with people on the ground, we saw people who believed in that dream and were in an effort to find a solution to the problems in the land.”
Other members of the delegation were:
Episcopalian
• Bishop Prince Singh of the Episcopal Diocese of Rochester
• The Rev. John E. Kitagawa, rector of St. Philip’s in-the-Hills Episcopal Church in Tucson, Arizona
• The Rev. Charles K. Robertson, canon to the presiding bishop
• The Rev. Margaret Rose, deputy for ecumenical and interfaith relations
• Alexander D. Baumgarten, director of public engagement and mission communication
• Sharon Jones, executive assistant to the presiding bishop
Jewish
• Rabbi Leonard Gordon, interreligious relations chair for the Jewish Council for Public Affairs
• Ethan Felson, vice president and general counsel for the Jewish Council for Public Affairs
• Rabbi Batya Steinlauf, director of social justice and interfaith initiatives for the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington
Muslim
• Dr. Muhammad Shafiq, director of the Hickey Center for interfaith studies and dialogue at Nazareth College in Rochester, New York
• Azhar Azeez, president of the Islamic Society of North America
• Mohamed Elsanousi, director of external relations for Finn Church Aid
— Matthew Davies is an editor/reporter for the Episcopal News Service. |
Senate Finally Holds Weak 'Debate' On FISA Amendments Act... But Terrorism!
from the and-therefore-we-shouldn't-even-know-what's-going-on dept
provisions
While some in the Senate tried to skip over debate of the likely unconstitutional FISA Amendments Act, the Senate finally held a rushed and scripted "debate" today, which did very little to actually explore the issues (and the Senate Chamber was mostly empty during the "debate"). Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley did their best to raise significant issues, but Senator Dianne Feinstein kept shutting them down with bogus or misleading arguments, almost always punctuated with scary claims about how we had "only four days!" to renew the FISA Amendment Acts or "important" tools for law enforcement would "expire." It turns out that's not actually true. While the law would expire, thesweeping orders already issued would remain in place for a year -- allowing plenty of time for a real debate.Furthermore, Feinstein continued to mislead (bordering on outright lies) about the FISA Amendments Act. While some of the proposed amendments focused on finally forcing the secret interpretation of the FISA Amendments Act to be disclosed, Feinstein held up the text of the bill and insisted there "is no secret law" and that "the text is public." That assumes that "the law" and "the text of the legislation" are one and the same. They are not. As Julian Sanchez notes, imagine that Supreme Court rulings were all classified, how would you interpret the Constitution ? You could make guesses, based on what the law said, but without the court's rulings, you would not know what that meant in practice. That's exactly the situation we have with the FISA Amendments Act... and it's made even worse by the fact that those who have seen the still-secret interpretation -- such as Senator Wyden -- have made it clear that its quite different than what most people think the law says.Even more ridiculous is that the text of the FISA Amendments Act has been set since September. There's been plenty of time todebate these issues. Hell, last year's renewal for just one year wason the promise from the Senate that there would be debate this year. Yet they wait until December 27th to hold this fake "debate" with Feinstein spreading FUD up and down about how not renewing this for another five years means the terrorists win? This is a really shameful display of Congress caving to law enforcement's almost certainly unconstitutional desire to be able to widely spy on almost any information it can get its hands on, so long as they claim collecting that info might possibly somehow help in discovering illegal behavior by non-US citizens.What's amazing is that those supporting the renewal of the FISA Amendments Act continue to take it on faith that the law is not being abused, even as there's already been an admission that some of the activities violated the 4th Amendment (but no further evidence of what happened or how that would be prevented), and even other tools that we were told were "proven" and "crucial" to the "war on terrorism" later turned out to be expensive boondoggles that were no help at all. Senator Saxby Chambliss was particularly ridiculous in this discussion, insisting that because there was that admission earlier this year that the 4th Amendment was abused, it shows that "oversight is working." This ignores that no further exploration followed to see how widespread the abuse was. Again, Julian Sanchez highlights just how ridiculous this is by noting that the fact that the argument is completely tautological in saying that oversight works because abuse has been discovered.Congress has both the mandate and the obligation to oversee how law enforcement is using its surveillance powers -- and yet many of its members, led by Senator Dianne Feinstein and Saxby Chambliss, appear to be abdicating that job due to OMG TERRRORISM!@#!@#!!: And they just voted on Senator Leahy's amendment, which was a pretty simple one, just shortening the term of this extension from 5 years to 3 years. All it would do is require that the next debate on this happen sooner, rather than later, but it was voted down (52 to 38) by Senators who'd rather not even discuss the fact that they're allowing the NSA and other law enforcement officials to regularly violate the Constitution. Just punt that question as far down the field as possible, I guess.: And, down goes another amendment. Senator Merkley's amendment would have "encouraged" that secret interpretations of the FISA Amendments Act made by the FISA court be made public (in redacted form). This seems like common sense, but the Senate voted it down (54 to 37) -- because, apparently they like secret laws which the public isn't even allowed to know about, even if it means the NSA can snoop on nearly all of their communications without a warrant.: And there goes another one. Senator Rand Paul introduced an amendment clarifying that the 4th Amendment protects all of your communications. The Senate rejected it by an overwhelming margin, 79 to 12, because apparently protecting your privacy and upholding the 4th Amendment is not the kind of thing the Senate supports these days.
Filed Under: 4th amendment, dianne feinstein, fisa, fisa amendments act, jeff merkley, privacy, ron wyden, saxby chambliss |
Modifications Made to USA Ultimate Algorithm for 2014 Season
Boulder, Colo. (January 17, 2014) – USA Ultimate, the national governing body for the sport of ultimate in the United States, and the organization’s Algorithm Working Group announced today improvements to the algorithm used to calculate rankings in the college and club divisions. The new model, USA Ultimate Top 25 (version 2.0) was devised by the volunteer Algorithm Working Group with guidance from members of the USA Ultimate competition department.
The major change to the algorithm comes in the total rating points awarded based on margins of victory. The new model adjusts the existing scale to more accurately reflect the value of wins and reward teams appropriately for their margins of victory.
Modifications were made to the formula that determines rating differential, which in turn determines the number of rating points associated with each win or loss. The revised function was devised to address inconsistencies in the way the old model awarded points based on similar margins of victory.
Version 2.0 allows each additional goal to be worth more when games are close.
Every game decided by one point is awarded the same differential, no matter the game total.
The maximum differential awarded is 600.
The maximum differential is awarded if and only if the winning score is more than twice the losing score.
Adjustments were made to how earlier results are weighted relative to more recent results.
For more information regarding the changes to the algorithm and to view the algorithm and corresponding explanation in its entirety, please visit play.usaultimate.org/teams/events/rankings/#algorithm.
The ranking algorithm is used in the college and club division regular seasons to help determine strength wildcard bid allocation for the Championship Series. The first set of college rankings for the 2014 regular season will be released by the first week of March.
In the ongoing effort to enhance the level of competition and achieve organizational goals, USA Ultimate continues to look to improve the ranking algorithm through consultation with volunteers on the Algorithm Working Group. Any additional changes or alterations to the algorithm will be communicated as they are made.
Have any questions or comments? We welcome community feedback and discussion made in a respectful manner. Please refrain from profanity or personal attacks, as such public comments negatively reflect on our sport and community. |
Brief Description of the Myth
Police have to identify themselves if specifically asked whether they are law enforcement.
Example: "Are you scared that your friend or enemy is an undercover cop, just ask, they are required to tell you if they are reporting to law enforcement." 1
"Are you scared that your friend or enemy is an undercover cop, just ask, they are required to tell you if they are reporting to law enforcement." Undercover officers aren't allowed to initiate a drug sale without pre-existing suspicion. 2
Example: "An undercover cop comes up to you and asks, 'Do you want to buy some drugs?' You say, 'Yes', and they arrest you. THAT is entrapment, and will be thrown out." 3
"An undercover cop comes up to you and asks, 'Do you want to buy some drugs?' You say, 'Yes', and they arrest you. THAT is entrapment, and will be thrown out." Undercover officers aren't allowed to ask for an illegal drug by name. Example: "He tells me that [undercover police] cannot ask you for drugs by name, or even common slang terms. They must call it something else, like 'fun stuff'."4
Entrapment
Factors Considered
in an Entrapment Defense The character of the defendant (whether the defendant was more "predisposed" to commit the crime than the ordinary citizen; e.g. having a record of illegal activity of this sort). Who first suggested the criminal activity. Whether the defendant engaged in the activity for profit. Whether the defendant demonstrated reluctance (and not just "no thanks, well ok": more like repeatedly refusing and then eventually, months or years later, giving in). The nature of the government's inducement (how much did they persuade, threaten, coerce, or harass).
Are Police Allowed to Lie?
Are Police Allowed to Break The Law?
Possible Sources of the Myth
Most on-duty police are required to wear both a uniform and a uniquely numbered badge identifying themselves as police. Police must generally identify themselves before executing a search warrant or arresting someone. Though it varies by jurisdiction, there are some situations in which off-duty police may be required to identify themselves, including if confronted by another police officer or before acting in their capacity as a police officer. The simple summary is that undercover police are given a great deal of latitude when investigating suspected criminals. They may lie, break controlled substance laws, ask to buy substances by name, offer drugs for sale and are not required to identify themselves during the course of their undercover investigations.
There is a persistent rumor that if you ask an undercover police officer or police informant if they're a cop, they are required to tell you. Based on this myth, many people believe they can safely conduct illegal transactions just by making sure to ask "Are you a cop?" first.This idea is widespread and like many such myths, is most often transmitted by word of mouth. Examples can also easily be found on bulletin boards and newsgroups, in subculture publications, and in the media. The major variations of the myth include:These types of myths are generally based on the belief that it is illegal for a police officer to entrap a citizen into committing a crime. Following this theory, many people believe that related actions by police, such as lying about their identity, would also be illegal or invalidate a prosecution. While a claim of "entrapment" by police can be used as a defense in a criminal case, it is both uncommon and rarely successful. Additionally, police entrapment itself is not illegal -- just potential cause for a not-guilty verdict.Loosely defined, entrapment is a situation in which, if not for the actions of the police officer or police informant, the defendant would not have committed the crime. This defense is generally only successful in situations where law enforcement officers create a criminal plan, plant the idea of that plan into an otherwise innocent person's mind, and then instigate the plan for the purpose of prosecuting the suspect.The mere presentation of an opportunity or request by an officer that an individual commit a crime does not qualify as entrapment. An officer may engage a citizen in conversation and ask to buy an illegal substance -- even if they have no reason to suspect the person of illegal activity.They may offer to sell an illegal substance and arrest the buyer after the sale.They can go out of their way toa person to commit a crime. What they can't do, is unduly persuade, threaten, coerce, or harass the person, such that a normally law-abiding citizen would participate in the unlawful action. Unfortunately, even in cases where the governmentinduce a crime, evidence that the defendant was "predisposed" to committing the crime is likely to undermine an entrapment defense. If the prosecution can show that the defendant agreed to participate too quickly or had a record of similar crimes in the past, the entrapment defense rarely succeeds.One example of such a case was U.S. v. Bogart (1986) in which Bogart agreed to sell presidential campaign posters to a police informant. When the informant arrived to purchase the posters, he informed Bogart that his only method of payment was with cocaine. Though Bogart initially refused, he eventually agreed because he needed the proceeds from the sale. He was arrested and his entrapment defense was denied based on his "predisposition" to commit the crime.The question of whether or not the police may lie during the course of their work goes hand in hand with the question of entrapment.It is well accepted that deception is often "necessary" to catch those who break the law. There is no question that police officers are allowed to directly mislead and/or deceive others about their identity, their law enforcement status, their history, and just about anything else, without breaking the law or compromising their case.Conversely, it is illegal for an ordinary citizen to lie to the police in many jurisdictions.Police officers working undercover have exceptions from certain criminal laws. For instance, law enforcement officers directly engaged in the enforcement of controlled substance laws are exempt from laws surrounding the purchase, possession, sales or use of illegal substances.This means that there's no way to identify an undercover officer based on their willingness or refusal to use an illegal drug. Reverse stings are common in the enforcement of controlled substance laws. In a reverse sting operation, a police officer sells drugs that have previously been confiscated and then arrest the buyer.The myth that undercover police must admit to being police if asked has been around since at least the mid-1970s. In addition to the belief that entrapment is illegal, it may have roots in requirements that law enforcement identify themselves in some other situations. |
Ever wonder which breweries are an essential Canadian experience? They're the ones that scream "this is what our country has to offer!" From coast to coast, we have some incredible beer and hundreds of breweries that could sit on this list. But for the sake of brevity, I've broken it down to the 10 essential ones that any beer lover should visit. Arguably, this could be broken down into 10 best per province, and I may revisit that concept later, but for now it's the 10 best country wide.
How the list is broken down: Breweries must be independent (aka, not owned by a multi-national), no more than two breweries per province and the breweries chosen really need to demonstrate the strengths of their province and local ingredients.
Garrison Brewing
Garrison is one of those breweries that just gets craft beer. From their Maritime-grown base malt to locally sourced ingredients like spruce tip, lavender and rhubarb, they've been producing top-notch, intensely local beer since 1997.
Troubled Monk
Troubled Monk has only been open since 2015, but they've already managed to make an impact on a global scale. This little-known brewery took home second place for their American Brown Ale at the World Beer Cup just one year after opening. Maybe it's the Alberta-grown malt, but they've got a winning formula.
PEI Brewing
Launched in 2012, PEI Brewing has brewing roots going back more than 20 years in P.E.I. Their most prominent beer, Sir John A's Honey Wheat Ale, utilizes lots of local honey to produce the award-winning brew, but their entire lineup is distinctly P.E.I.
Yukon Brewing
Yukon Brewing opened its doors in 1997 under the name Chilkoot Brewing Co. Ltd. Owners Alan and Bob conceived their idea around a campfire on a canoe trip, and it was history from there. Yukon Brewing is a testament to the Canadian spirit, and a love of beer, no matter how damn cold it is!
Spinnakers
Spinnakers is the undisputed pioneer of craft beer in Canada. Not only can they boast a guesthouse that was constructed back in 1884, but they are also credited as Canada's first in-house brewpub of the modern era. Brewing since 1984, you would be missing out if you didn't visit Spinnakers when in Victoria.
Amsterdam Brewing
Amsterdam Brewing has a simple slogan: Damn Good Beer. They also happen to have a damn good location right on the Toronto waterfront. As far as popularizing the craft beer culture in one of Canada's biggest cities, Amsterdam is one of the leading contenders for making craft beer "cool."
Four Winds Brewing
There is magic happening at Four Winds. Oddly placed in an out-of-the-way industrial area, Four Winds has a spark that many breweries never achieve. Special releases are met with fevered anticipation, and those who know them will swear by their brews. Plus, they have excellent tacos.
Bellwoods Brewing
Bellwoods broke onto the scene in 2012 and started right out of the gates with ambitious plans. They haven't shied away from tackling the more difficult imperial stouts, sours, wild ales and barrel-aged beer, and the reception has been as phenomenal as the booze. A second production location was launched in 2016 to keep up with demand.
Le Trou du Diable
"The Devil's Hole" is anything but a hellish experience. In fact, Le Trou Du Diable is a true embodiment of the craft-beer spirit: experimental, bold and intensely local. The production list is constantly rotating, and you're likely to find some truly wild beers like a California Ale with oats, cucumber, watermelon and cantaloupe.
Note: When I wrote this list, Trou Du Diable was independently owned, but as of two weeks ago, is now owned by Molson. However, the brewpub remains independent, so still qualifies.
Dieu du Ciel
Yes, the top two breweries on this list are from Quebec; and no, that's not a mistake. There's true mastery in the quality and variety of beer coming out of Dieu du Ciel, and their stouts can rival any other producer in the world. Dieu du Ciel is a must-try for any Canadian beer lover.
Also on HuffPost: |
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Yuichi Nakamura, best known for his role as Kamen Rider Zeronos from Kamen Rider Den-O, announces via his blog he will start acting again.
The actor, who was under Watanabe Entertainment when he retired in 2012, will now be signed with G-Star.pro.
Nakamura took to his blog for the announcement stating “This time I can begin fresh as an actor.”
Nakamura also had a message for his fans and sets a goal for himself:
To every fan left behind with worry, and to other persons concerned that I may have been possibly hurt, I will continue to go on as best I can. I will devote my days keeping in mind that I will be starting from zero. I aspire to become an actor that fans will send their warm thoughts, so please watch over me. I look forward to working with all of you.
Nakamura’s notable roles include Kyosuke Kiriya in Kamen Rider Hibiki, Otoya Hanazono in Princess Princess D, which also starred Kamen Rider Den-O, Takeru Sato. He was also part of Watanabe Entertainment’s acting group, D-Boys.
All English translations are accredited to The Tokusatsu Network staff members. Please do not repost without crediting and directly linking back to the original Tokusatsu Network article.
Source: Yuichi Nakamura’s Official Blog
Image Source: Kamen Rider Wiki and G-Star.pro Official Website |
This story was originally published by Slate and is reproduced here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration.
A new study and related press release from the Royal Astronomical Society is making the rounds in recent days, claiming that a new statistical analysis of sunspot cycles shows “solar activity will fall by 60 per cent during the 2030s” to a level that last occurred during the so-called Little Ice Age, which ended 300 years ago.
Since climate change deniers have a particular fascination with sunspot cycles, this story has predictably been picked up by all manner of conservative news media, with a post in the Telegraph quickly gathering up tens of thousands of shares. The only problem is, it’s a wildly inaccurate reading of the research.
Sunspots have been observed on a regular basis for at least 400 years, and over that period, there’s a weak correlation between the number of sunspots and global temperature — most notably during a drastic downturn in the number of sunspots from about 1645 to 1715. Known as the Maunder minimum, this phenomenon happened about the same time as a decades-long European cold snap known as the Little Ice Age. That connection led to theory that this variability remains the dominant factor in Earth’s climate. Though that idea is still widely circulated, it’s been disproved. In reality, sunspots fluctuate in an 11-year cycle, and the current cycle is the weakest in 100 years — yet 2014 was the planet’s hottest year in recorded history.
If you look closely at the original press release, the study’s author, Valentina Zharkova, never implied a new ice age is imminent — only that we may see a sharp downturn in the number of sunspots. Yes, the sun is a variable star, but its output is remarkably stable. The amount of energy we receive from the sun just doesn’t change fast enough to cause a rapid-onset ice age in just a few decades.
The root of the problem here may be a poorly worded quote in the press release implying an imminent 60 percent decline in solar activity. Yes, numbers of sunspots can vary by that much or even more on an 11-year cycle, but the sun’s output — the total amount of energy we get — is extremely stable and only changes by about 0.1 percent, even in extreme sunspot cycles like the one Zharkova is predicting.
[tweet https://twitter.com/CColose/status/620346148885295105]
But let’s play devil’s advocate: What if Zharkova is right about the decline in solar activity? There’s still no need to worry (or to become complacent about global warming). Even assuming sunspots are in the process of shutting down, as happened during the Maunder minimum and Little Ice Age, it wouldn’t matter much.
An interesting new study published in June showed that a sharp decline in solar activity to record lows could have a relatively large impact on regional climate over a period of decades. But even the return of a Maunder minimum type slowdown in solar activity — an extreme scenario, by any measure — would slow global warming by only about a half-degree in northern Europe. That’s essentially negligible, on a global scale. A half-degree is within the margin of error of predictions for the continued decline in frost-free days in the United Kingdom, for example. Winter will still be a month shorter, on average, by the end of the century. Past research suggests that an extreme decline in solar activity would lead to a shift of just 0.16 degrees C globally — and even that is erased once a more typical solar cycle resumes in a few decades.
For reference, we’ve already warmed the planet by about 0.8 degrees C since 1880 thanks to fossil fuels, and, despite all our decades of discussion about the problem, we’re still on pace for a worst-case scenario of between 3 and 4 degrees C of warming by century end.
If anything, changes in the oceans — especially the Pacific, our largest ocean — over the last couple of years point to an imminent increase in the rate of global warming. El Niño has already grown to record levels in the Pacific for this time of year, and ocean temperatures in the vast patch of sea from Hawaii to California to Alaska are also without precedent. Similar events have coincided with a 10- to 20-year surge in global temperatures.
No matter what the sun does over the next century, we are not heading in to a new ice age. Why am I so sure about that? It may have something to do with the 110 million tons of carbon dioxide humanity is pumping into the atmosphere every single day. The resulting change to our global climate system is so huge, it overwhelms all natural atmospheric forces, including the sun. There is no other plausible explanation for global warming except us.
Future Tense is a partnership of Slate, New America, and Arizona State University. |
BEACHWOOD, Ohio -- New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said Sunday night he's "disappointed" presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump didn't choose him as his running mate.
But Christie expressed zero resentment about being passed over for Indiana Gov. Mike Pence.
"Of course you're disappointed," he said at the New Jersey delegation's hotel on the eve of the Republican National Convention in Cleveland. "I mean, you know, I don't ever get into anything that I don't want to win, and so when you're not picked, of course you're disappointed."
"It didn't happen," he added. "That's fine."
Trump announces Pence as his VP
Christie praised Trump's decision to tap Pence as his running mate. Trump nearly selected Christie as his second-in-command.
"It's just the way it goes," Christie said.
After dropping his own presidential bid in February, the governor was one of the first mainstream Republicans to back Trump. He also leads Trump's transition team.
Trump heard "a last-ditch appeal" from Christie on Thursday as news broke that Pence was poised to win the position, according to a separate report by the New York Times.
Trump was leaning toward Christie as late as Tuesday, according to the CNN report, which cited unnamed sources familiar with the events.
But, the report said, advisers told Trump that Pence would do more to strengthen the campaign and unify the Republican Party, according to the report.
NJ Advance Media staff writer Brent Johnson contributed to this report.
Matt Arco may be reached at marco@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MatthewArco or on Facebook. Follow NJ.com Politics on Facebook. |
Image via Netflix
It seems like the long-awaited fifth season of Arrested Development is actually going to happen. The show's executive producer Brian Glazer told the Wrap this week that they're "really close to pulling [a new season] off."
Arrested Development, of course, began its life on FOX in 2003, but the network killed it after three seasons because of bad ratings. The show became a cult hit, though, and its popularity only grew after it went off the air.
Netflix got the Bluths back together in 2013 and revived the series for a fourth season, but there hasn't been much in the way of fifth season plans until now. Glazer had hinted at the idea of another season back in 2015, but apparently the pieces are only falling into place now.
"All of the actors have agreed to do it, and I think they've agreed to their compensation structure," Glazer said. "It should be happening soon."
Netflix's fourth season was an obtuse, sometimes frustrating puzzle of interlocking plots that didn't really work on an episode level and only really came together when viewed as a whole. The wonky-ass narrative structure was mostly due to the fact that scheduling conflicts made it difficult to get the entire cast together in one place, so hopefully Glazer's got that figured out this time around.
There's still no official start date for filming or even a definitive promise that filming will actually happen, but a fifth season is at least a strong possibility at this point, so that's something. |
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A young boy is cruelly robbed of his new £1,000 bike in a shocking video.
The family of the teenage victim managed to get hold of CCTV footage showing the incident in Salford on Monday afternoon.
The 13-year-old victim, whose first name is Colin, is seen struggling with the older thieves as they wrench the £1,000 bike from his hands.
It was the first time the boy had been out on the bike after it was bought for him as a treasured bar mitzvah present by his parents, who had scrimped to buy him something special.
The boy tries to seek refuge in a warehouse but the thugs are seen dragging it off him, before the youngster is seen running down a busy main road after them.
Police are now investigating the incident which happened at 4pm in Bury New Road, Higher Cheetham.
In the meantime, a GoFundMe appeal launched to buy Colin a new bike raised £1,000 in just six hours.
In an interview, Colin’s mother Brocha, who did not want the family’s surname to be published for fear of reprisals, described the impact the theft had had on her son.
She told the M.E.N.: “My son had been cleaning and polishing the bike. I asked him to go an errand for me on it to get some light bulbs. He had the bike for one day.
“He was a bit hesitant and asked me if I thought he would be okay. He got the light bulbs, and took the bike into the shop with him. These boys were waiting for him outside the shop. We have taught him to go to a public place if he is in trouble.
“He tried to get into a clothing warehouse next door to get away and get help. But they wrestled it off him. He fought so hard to keep it – wrapping his leg round the bike.
“It is very upsetting. But at least he did not get punched. It was very professional what these boys did – one put on gloves before grabbing the bike.
“Theft of bikes has been a problem in the area for a few weeks now. Several were tied up in the area of Broughton Green, the locks were cut and they were all taken. The police need to step up and stop this.”
The stolen bike is a Trek Superfly carbon fibre, which is black with white and green markings.
Police say three boys, believed to be around 16 years old, are being sought.
Two of the boys were white and the other was Asian. All were wearing grey tracksuit bottoms and hooded tops.
Pc Andrew Moore, from GMP’s North Manchester division, said: “We are keen to identify the three individuals involved in this robbery and are asking for any witnesses, or anyone that knows who these three boys are, to please get in touch.”
A fund has been set up to raise money for a new bike - you can contribute here |
What a difference a year makes.
Last June, the Yankees were headed toward becoming major trade deadline sellers -- with the Chicago Cubs looming as the team with the right farm system to make a deal work.
Now the current Yankees look like the real deal, with reinforcements in the system -- thanks in part to the deal that sent Aroldis Chapman to the Cubs for Gleyber Torres.
While Torres could be the perfect summer addition to the 2017 Yankees, he wasn't the most-talked-about Cubs youngster last June and July. That title belonged to slugger Kyle Schwarber, a player Chicago refused to trade for Chapman.
According to two MLB insiders, the Cubs might want a do-over on that thought -- and brought up the idea of New York and Chicago reconnecting on a Schwarber deal.
On a recent episode of ESPN's Baseball Tonight podcast, host Buster Olney and guest Keith Law talked about how -- with the benefit of hindsight -- the Cubs would probably like to switch the price tag on last year's Chapman deal. Instead of giving up Torres, surrendering the struggling Schwarber (.167, 10 HR, 71 SO) could have been the smarter play.
As for the idea of Schwarber and his power bat eventually ending up in the Bronx? Don't rule it out.
Olney: If I was in the Yankees' shoes -- if you get the sense at all the Cubs are willing to talk about Schwarber -- I would be all over that. And I'm not talking about Torres (going back). I'm talking about another prospect or something else, because Schwarber in Yankee Stadium would be something else.
Law: Yeah, because he can hit. I understand he's had a rough start. I don't know anyone that's given up on him. That's not the issue. He's had a rough start. His knees may not be 100 percent and he needs to not play left field. He's a first base, DH-type. The Yankees could use him there. I wonder what the Cubs would be looking for. Could they get a couple arms? Maybe they could line up with a couple of arms going back for Schwarber.
With Matt Holliday only signed through 2017, the Yankees could be in the market again for a DH soon.
Yanks shopping for 3B
Imagine a middle of the order in 2018 with Aaron Judge, Gary Sanchez and Schwarber. Now we're talking about crazy power in the Bronx.
Joe Giglio may be reached at jgiglio@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JoeGiglioSports. Find NJ.com on Facebook. |
A message of sympathy for the victims of the flight MH17 disaster, is written on a wooden klomp, a traditional Dutch footwear for farmers, placed together with bouquet of flowers in front of the Netherlands Embassy in Washington, July 21, 2014.
Dutch officials in charge of identifying survivors explain the difficult task of matching the missing with surviving family members. By Aliya Sternstein
Dutch officials expect precise accuracy from DNA-matching software that will be used to identify many of the 298 Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 victims. But it is unknown whether there will be enough genetic evidence from the remains and relatives of the missing to ID everyone.
As of Friday, 171 people who died after the July 17 crash had not been recovered.
Shortly after the disaster, the Netherlands Forensic Institute, a nonprofit, government-owned agency, was tasked with the DNA-matching portion of an ID effort led by international experts from the Dutch National Forensic Investigations Team.
“The NFI received DNA samples that were taken from over 600 bodies and body parts,” institute spokeswoman Suzan Demirhan told Nextgov on Tuesday. “We were asked to make a DNA profile of each sample.”
In order to link remains to a last name, automated technology called “Bonaparte,” as in Napoleon, will be used. In 1811, French emperor Bonaparte established a Dutch registry of births, deaths and marriages that required a last name from everyone.
Bonaparte will compare the DNA profiles from body parts against each other, and against DNA samples provided by relatives of the missing, officials said.
The institute’s automaton has a good track record. Bonaparte helped name the 103 passengers killed by a 2001 Afriqiyah Airways crash over Tripoli — in less than three weeks.
When several children in a family are missing, it is possible to identify them by extracting cell material from personal objects, according to a July institute report on identifying victims of large-scale disasters. As many as 80 children were killed when MH17 was downed by an allegedly Russian-made missile.
“The software recognizes patterns of similarity in the DNA profiles,” the July report states. “When the DNA profile of a body (or body part) fits the DNA profiles in a family tree, Bonaparte subsequently calculates the scientific evidentiary value of that resemblance.”
Genetic matches are not always the basis for identification. Often, fingerprints or dental records provide enough forensic evidence to determine someone’s name.
Institute officials said they do not have data on how many of the 127 identifications were derived from DNA matches.
Genetic samples can be taken from the muscle or bone tissue of a victim, as well as a molar or tooth.
But DNA matching is not always perfect, according to experts. A landmark 2009 National Research Council study on the strength of U.S. forensic science found that while “DNA analysis is considered the most reliable forensic tool available today, laboratories nonetheless can make errors,” such as mislabeling samples, losing samples or misinterpreting the data. |
A deadly disease is set to hit the shores of the US, UK and much of the rest of the northern hemisphere in the coming months. It will swamp our hospitals, lay millions low and by this time next year between 250,000 and 500,000 worldwide will be dead, thousands of them in the US and Britain.
Despite the best efforts of the medical profession, there’s no reliable cure, and no available vaccine offers effective protection for longer than a few months at a time.
If you’ve been paying attention to recent, terrifying headlines, you may assume the illness is the Ebola virus. Instead, the above description refers to seasonal flu – not swine or bird flu, but regular garden variety influenza.
Our fears about illness often bear little relation to our chances of falling victim to it, a phenomenon not helped by media coverage, which tends towards the novel and lurid rather than the particularly dangerous.
Ebola has become the stuff of hypochondriacs’ nightmares across the world. In the UK, the Daily Mirror had “Ebola terror as passenger dies at Gatwick” (the patient didn’t have Ebola), while New York’s news outlets (and prominent tweeters) experienced their own Ebola scare.
Even intellectual powerhouses such as Donald Trump have fallen into panic, with the mogul calling for the US to shut off all travel to west Africa and revoke citizens’ right to return to the country – who cares about fundamental rights during an outbreak? Not to be outdone, the endlessly asinine “explanatory journalism” site Vox informed us that “If the supercontinent Pangaea spontaneously reunited, the US would border the Ebola epidemic”.
Ebola is a horrific disease that kills more than half of people infected by it, though with specialist western treatment that death rate would likely fall a little. It’s unsurprising that the prospect of catching it is a scary one. The relief is that it’s not all that infectious: direct contact with bodily fluids of a visibly infected person is required, meaning that, compared with many illnesses, it’s easily contained.
Even in the midst of the current outbreak – the worst ever – the spread of the disease has not been rapid in west Africa: around 400 new cases were reported in June, and a further 500 or so in July. This is a linear spread, meaning each person at present is infecting on average around (actually just over) one additional person.
Far more worrying are diseases that spread exponentially: if one infected person spreads the disease to two or more on average, the illness spreads far quicker and is a much more worrying prospect, even if mortality is considerably lower.
The 800-plus deaths from Ebola in Africa so far this year are indisputably tragic, but it is important to keep a sense of proportion – other infectious diseases are far, far deadlier.
Since the Ebola outbreak began in February, around 300,000 people have died from malaria, while tuberculosis has likely claimed over 600,000 lives. Ebola might have our attention, but it’s not even close to being the biggest problem in Africa right now. Even Lassa fever, which shares many of the terrifying symptoms of Ebola (including bleeding from the eyelids), kills many more than Ebola – and frequently finds its way to the US.
The most real effect for millions of people reading about Ebola will be fear and stigma. During the Sars outbreak of 2003, Asian-Americans became the targets of just that, with public health hotlines inundated with calls from Americans worried about “buying Asian merchandise”, “living near Asians”, “going to school with Asians”, and more.
Similarly, during the H1N1 “swine flu” outbreak, which had almost identical spread and mortality to seasonal flu, patients reported extreme fear, prompted largely by the hysterical coverage.
In the coming months, almost none of us will catch the Ebola virus. Many of us, though, will get fevers, headaches, shivers and more.
As planes get grounded, communities are stigmatised, and mildly sick people fear for their lives, it’s worth reflecting what the biggest threat to our collective wellbeing is: rare tropical diseases, or our terrible coverage of them. |
Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton speaks to members of the media before boarding her campaign plane at Westchester County Airport in White Plains, N.Y., on Thursday. (Photo11: Andrew Harnik/AP)
Reopening Hillary Clinton's FBI investigation isn't a political ploy, nor is it an "October Surprise." But it could be God's early Christmas gift to America.
Hillary Clinton's top aide, Huma Abedin, says she doesn't know how her emails showed up on husband Anthony Weiner's computer. The FBI stumbled upon another treasure trove of Clinton-related emails while investigating Abedin's now estranged husband, who is under investigation himself for allegedly exchanging lewd messages with a 15-year old girl.
Additional emails released in August found that Abedin carelessly toted around classified government information in her car, once asking Clinton's personal assistant to intercept "a bunch of burn stuff in the pocket of my front seat" she'd left unattended.
If this wasn't so incredibly dangerous it would be Saturday Night Live-worthy.
Despite how we feel about WikiLeaks, Americans should be thanking the good Lord the belly of the beast that is Hillary Clinton has been exposed for what it is. Emails have revealed, as the old song goes, corruption so high, you can't get over it, so wide, you can't get around it, and so deep, you can't get under it.
Hillary wasted $2 million conducting focus groups to help positively brand her in hopes that voters would overlook the six-figure paid speeches from Clinton's Wall Street buddies, ethical issues with the Clinton Foundation, and the optics of her Benghazi cover-up.
But as President Obama once said, "You can put lipstick on a pig, but it's still a pig."
People fail to understand that if Hillary wasn't using an illegal server in the first place, there'd be no scandal and no FBI investigation. Hillary created this mess. All of it.As Watergate journalist Carl Bernstein recently said, the FBI wouldn't reopen the investigation unless there was "a real bombshell."
What a sham for the people who've already voted. And what a crisis of confidence we'll have should Hillary win and preside over the Department of Justice. The presumption of "justice for all" will be flushed down the same toilet Obama's DOJ placed it in the day Bill Clinton and Loretta Lynch met on a Phoenix, Arizona tarmac when their planes "just happened" to park beside each other.
The day Lynch announced the DOJ would not pursue charges against Hillary was the same day this once "Never Trumper" became a staunch, hell-or-highwater "Never-Hillary" pro-Trump-policies supporter.As GOP Committee Chairman Reince Priebus said about Lynch's decision: "By so blatantly putting its political interests ahead of the rule of law, the Obama Administration is only further eroding the public's faith in a government they no longer believe is on their side."
At least we can count on the press to do its job. Oh, wait. Journalism is dead. The big media doesn't report news anymore because they are too busy sifting through and disposing of facts which might reflect poorly on Democrats. Surely they are scrambling right now to change the subject with another unfounded allegation about Trump.
Recently leaked emails from WikiLeaks and Guccifer 2.0 help to explain why it's impossible to distinguish between where the Democrat Party ends and big media begins. These leaked emails and documents show that rather than reporting news, Clinton's media "friendlies" most of you watch and read parroted the propaganda and news stories the Clinton campaign provided them.
With all the corruption and media collusion, as a columnist I am finding it hard to keep track of it all. But this I know: All we have is our vote. So, ignore the polls put out by the Hillary-friendly media and go vote. And if for some unconscionable...inconceivable...lamentable...deplorable reason she wins, expect a pardon from Obama just in time for Christmas. By the way, I've heard Costa Rica is a nice place to live this time of year.
© 2016 Susan Stamper Brown
(Photo11: Cagle Cartoon Syndicate)
Read or Share this story: http://www.baxterbulletin.com/story/opinion/2016/10/31/corruption-cornerstone-clinton-campaign2/93070668/ |
Washington (CNN) White House chief strategist Steve Bannon appears to be fighting for his political life following stunningly lukewarm comments about him from President Donald Trump on Tuesday.
"I like Steve, but you have to remember he was not involved in my campaign until very late," Trump told New York Post columnist Michael Goodwin . "I had already beaten all the senators and all the governors, and I didn't know Steve. I'm my own strategist and it wasn't like I was going to change strategies because I was facing crooked Hillary."
Then, just in case anyone missed the point (they didn't), Trump added: "Steve is a good guy, but I told them to straighten it out or I will."
Whoa.
Comments like that at any time would be major news and a major cause of concern for Bannon. Coming as they do on the heels of a very public fight between Bannon and Jared Kushner, another top Trump adviser and the president's son-in-law, suggest that the chief executive has totally lost his tolerance for Bannon.
It's been a remarkable arc for Bannon and Trump. The former head of Breitbart News joined Trump's presidential campaign as chief strategist in August 2016 amid a campaign shakeup that also installed Kellyanne Conway as campaign manager. He quickly rose to prominence, the strategist widely credited with putting skin and muscle on the bare bones of Trump's "America First" worldview.
Bannon's rise continued once Trump won and he was installed as one of four top advisers in the White House. And, in the early days of the Trump administration, Bannon seemed ascendant. He -- along with deputy Stephen Miller -- were the guiding lights behind Trump's travel ban. Bannon's fingerprints could be seen in almost every Trump public pronouncement -- particularly when it came to his savaging of the media.
In an appearance in late February at the Conservative Political Action Conference, Bannon cast the Trump presidency as a nonstop fight for the " deconstruction of the administrative state ." He appeared to be the architect of that deconstruction -- with a direct line to the President.
It was right around that time that Bannon got a little too big for Trump's liking. He appeared on the cover of Time magazine -- a close-up of the brooding Bannon -- with the headline " The Great Manipulator ." "Saturday Night Live" did a skit in which Bannon was portrayed as both the Grim Reaper and the shadow president.
One of the most important truisms of the Trump presidency is that no one gets bigger than the boss. It's Donald Trump and the Trumpettes, not Donald Trump with Steve Bannon. Donald Trump shares top billing with absolutely no one.
You can hear Trump's annoyance with Bannon's growing profile in the quotes to Goodwin. Trump notes that Bannon got involved in the race long after he had secured the Republican nomination, adding: "I'm my own strategist and it wasn't like I was going to change strategies because I was facing crooked Hillary."
The message? The reason I won is because of me, not Steve Bannon. I developed the strategy. I executed it. No one else. This is my victory. My presidency.
Trump's comments are an unmistakable and purposeful shot across the bow of Bannon. Get in line or get out, Trump is not so subtly telling Bannon. Now the ball's in Bannon's court. |
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – It was less than two years ago that the Dallas Mavericks were first-time NBA champions. With the front office focusing on the future instead of a chance to repeat with an aging roster, the team made major changes.
According to star Dirk Nowitzki, the franchise actually considered trading him before deciding to get rid of nearly everyone else in hopes of landing a marquee free agent such as Dwight Howard, Deron Williams or Chris Paul.
The plan hasn't worked. Nowitzki, Shawn Marion and Rodrigue Beaubois are the only players remaining from the title team, and the struggling Mavericks, who failed to land a major free agent, could miss the playoffs. While Nowitzki is still holding out hope for an “unbelievable” free-agent splash this summer, he has pondered the possible success that was lost after the post-title changes.
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“That's what we went for [a marquee free agent]. Unfortunately, now it ain't looking too good,” Nowitzki said after the Mavericks' 117-112 overtime win over the Sacramento Kings on Thursday night improved their record to 14-23. “But I think you can judge if we made a mistake or not on what we do with the [salary] cap space. We don't know if we can actually turn that cap space into something unbelievable.
“If we can do that, maybe it's a good choice. As of right now, it's tough. We are fighting for the eighth seed. It's obviously not what we want to do in Dallas. We want to win championships and we want to always play for the top four seeds. So right now, it's tough to see where the future is going.”
Nowitzki, who turns 35 on June 19, took some time recently to talk with Yahoo! Sports about a number of topics, including the future, the Mavericks’ direction and his health after having knee surgery in October.
Story continues
Q: Could it be in the best interest for the Mavericks to trade you while you still have strong value?
Nowitzki: “That is a tough question. You have to ask that to [owner] Mark [Cuban] and [general manager] Donnie [Nelson] if that's something they would consider. As far as I'm concerned, I think I am going to finish my career in Dallas. I really only have this year and next year left on my contract for big money and then we will see what happens. The good thing is we have [salary] cap space for the first time in my career. We've always been over the cap. We've never been able to sign someone flat-out. We always had to do different deals to get somebody in.
“The good thing with cap space is you can turn your situation around pretty quick. It might look a little ugly at times this year, but you can take chances on a contract and be a player in free agency this year.”
[Also: Wake up, Lakers; trade Dwight Howard now]
Q: How much were you involved in the recruitment of Dallas native Deron Williams before he chose to re-sign with the Brooklyn Nets last off-season rather than with the Mavericks?
Nowitzki: “I talked to him actually. We partied at one of the All-Star Games a long time ago. I've had his number. We've been talking. He's from Dallas, I know that. But he made the decision that was best for him and for his family. I wasn't mad at that. It is what it is. I have to move on.
“I've said a million times, 'You got two options: If you don't get the big fish and there was nobody else out there, either blow up the whole team or trade me or trade everybody; or keep your core, get a bunch of one year deals in and try to be a player in the next summer when you have cap space again.' [The second option] is the best option we went for.
“People said I said I wanted to be traded. What I said was you have two options and we tried to go for the second option and sign eight, nine new guys, which is tough at times. We are still battling through that. They played together for two months and now I am new again trying to play with guys. It's been a real adjustment period, but hopefully from here on out it's going to get better.”
Q: Do you think the option you spoke of that included trading you was seriously considered?
Nowitzki: “I don't think so. They didn't tell me. A fresh start basically with a lot of young guys was not an option. The option was to bring a bunch of one-year deals in and go for it, trade for somebody or go for it next summer. The decision was made pretty quickly and so here we are now.”
Q: Are you going to recruit Los Angeles Lakers center Dwight Howard when he becomes a free agent this off-season?
Nowitzki: “We're not that close. It's going to be tough. Dwight is in L.A. Obviously, CP3 [Chris Paul] is with the Clippers and they're both in great situations. So, we will have to wait and see what the summer brings. Maybe we can still do something at the trade deadline. We still got a couple weeks to get better and you know Mark and Donnie are always working something to make the franchise better.”
Q: How different could it have been if the Mavericks’ roster were kept in tact after winning a championship?
Nowitzki: “Great question. What Mark didn't want to do, especially now with the new CBA, was lock himself in where he has a bunch of older guys with big deals. And then when we get too old, you're basically locked in for another two to three years and you can't do any moves. As I understood the CBA more, how the taxes are going to be, I understood his point of view on it.
“But us as players, we would have loved to have kept Tyson [Chandler], Caron [Butler], J.J. [Barea], all those guys who really would have had another shot last year. But it is what it is and you have to make tough decisions in this league, and Cuban thought it would be better to have the [salary] cap space for the future.”
Q: How does your surgically repaired right knee feel now?
Nowitzki: “After my first game on [December] 23rd, I figured this was going to take me a while. Now I feel three steps better with everything. I just had a tough time getting going. It's all right. I've had some good games. Obviously, back-to-backs are tough. My minutes have been up to 30, 35 a game. I look forward to getting better from game to game.”
[Also: Grizzlies' Rudy Gay leaning on NBA friends amid trade speculation]
Q: Would you be heartbroken if you are not an All-Star this year after making it 11 straight seasons?
Nowitzki: “It would be sad a little bit. It's been a long streak. Actually, [shooting coach] Holger [Geshwindner] said when I made my first All-Star Game, 'Now we are going to park here for the next 10 years.' I was laughing and I said, 'No chance.' Now it's at a number I can't remember. It's been a great ride. I'd be really disappointed. But obviously, with our record and I've been out for two months, I think this year is going to be the year [I don’t make it].”
Q: How have you taken losing?
Nowitzki: “It's been frustrating. I think we lost 13 out of 15 or something like that [13 of 16 actually]. Some of it at the beginning I sat out, but for the most part I was there since Christmas. It has been tough. I've been wanting to push, especially in the fourth quarter when the game is on the line. But my body ain't quite ready yet to take games over after I played 30 to 35 minutes. Hopefully as I keep working we are going to close some of those close games out, find a way to win some of those and make a push at the eighth seed here in the second half of the season.”
Q: You have said you want to finish your basketball career with the Mavericks, but has there been any consideration to finishing it where it started in your native Germany?
Nowitzki: “Germany is over the hill for me. It's been so long since I've been gone. I have this year and next year on my contract. By then I am 36. I will probably play a couple years after that if the body holds up and there are no knee issues.”
Q: Do you think what you have done in the NBA is respected in the United States?
Nowitzki: “That was never really one of my focuses. I made the All-Star Game and that was great and then after that it was about winning a championship. That was all that I was working on. Everything else was secondary to me. I will never forget the 2010-11 [championship] season. That was one for the ages where we were the underdog in just about every series and we came out winning it all. That still brings chills down my spine. Other than that, I don't play for anything else.”
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John Tortorella is not a lunatic.
Some people in the hockey world would agree with that statement. Others would not.
Last week, Tortorella replaced Todd Richards as head coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets, a team that began the season 0-7-0. Since the firing, the Blue Jackets are 2-1-0 under the tantalizing Tortorella.
He's an intense coach. He's candid and straightforward. It doesn't matter if you're a superstar player or a fourth-line guy, he will give you an honest opinion about what he sees. There's a reason he won a Stanley Cup as a coach with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2004, a reason Team USA named him coach of its 2016 World Cup team. He understands and enjoys the tactical side of the game, but probably his biggest strength is crisis management.
Not everyone can play for him because he's demanding. But the players who learn to play for him are ultra-competitive and successful.
"He's earned his reputation," one former NHL coach said. "Most people see the tip of the iceberg, but there's more substance under the surface that he doesn't get credit for."
Tortorella has a strong presence in front of the players, and he has a clear understanding of how he thinks the game should be played. Those convictions sometimes can be interpreted negatively, but he's able to convey his message with confidence.
"He's a very intense individual," Blue Jackets veteran forward Scott Hartnell said. "Watching film, he calls guys out on film, which didn't happen too much before, even before I got here. It's a different atmosphere. It makes guys be held accountable, which is a great thing. Hopefully, it means a bunch more wins here. I wear my heart on my sleeve and he does the same thing, so it's great."
Tortorella's presence can be influential -- and it can be intimidating. As players get to know him and understand how he operates, the intimidation factor can go away. Players will learn that his approach is sincere. "I want the players talking to me," Tortorella said. "I want to listen to what they have to say because we're in a little bit of a rut and I'm still trying to get used to who they are. I want them to feel that they can come to the coaching staff and we can grow together here."
Some might think he has an agenda. He doesn't. He only wants to win and he'll do whatever it takes to do it.
"It's accountability," said Tortorella, who did some TV work for ESPN during last season's playoffs. "It's holding athletes, no matter who you are, accountable. You can use that word 'accountability' and it's a really nice word to use in the summertime, it sounds really good, but it's hard. You have to go through a process with your team, and individual athletes, to create that type of accountability, so we're in the middle of that process here."
John Tortorella is with his fourth NHL team as head coach. Michael Martin/NHLI/Getty Images
He believes in facing challenges head on to get past them. If that involves conflict, so be it. Tortorella believes conflict brings people closer together when you go through challenging times. If you get on the other side of it, you can reach another level of respect from both sides.
"I'm not so worried about peoples' reputation," Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen said. "The character that they come with is much more important than their reputation, because reputation is often formed from sources that are not as familiar with the character of the person.
"Everything that I've come up with from my good sources that I trust have told me he's a good, honest coach who is willing to ... get involved so much that he's not afraid of his own reputation to help the players, help the team and get the most out of them."
It's safe to say Tortorella doesn't have a filter. If nothing else, he's completely honest and some people tend to take that the wrong way. And that's one of the reasons the Blue Jackets wanted him as their coach.
"I'm a big believer that honesty is the best policy. I'm sure he's rough around the edges every once in a while, but I don't mind that either," Kekalainen said. "I also think that some of the things that may have haunted him a little bit in the past, he's learned from them. We're getting a new and improved version of John Tortorella."
Before making the decision to change coaches, Kekalainen said he did his due diligence and spoke with players and personnel who had worked with Tortorella with the Lighting, New York Rangers and Vancouver Canucks.
"Most of the reports came back that players thought [Tortorella] was the best coach they ever had," Kekalainen said. "The winning and record speak for itself, but we wanted to get a coach that pushes players to get better and develop young players."
Kekalainen said he was looking for a coach who would be a good teacher and leader, and that's what impressed him about Tortorella.
"We've talked about a new voice and new directions when he came in, and you can certainly see that in his approach," Kekalainen said. "Every coach is different, and obviously he has a reputation as being a demanding coach who can push players and helping them get to the level to be the best they can be."
Tortorella is not afraid to do his job. If he has to make a hard decision because he thinks it's in the best interests of the team, he'll do it and he's not concerned if it means he puts himself in the line of fire. But it never influences his decision-making.
Veteran forward Brad Richards, now of the Detroit Red Wings, helped the Tampa Bay Lightning win a Stanley Cup with Tortorella as coach in 2004. When Richards hit the free-agent market in 2011, many teams were in the mix, but he decided to sign with the New York Rangers because Tortorella was the coach.
As close as they were, their relationship became strained during the 2013 Stanley Cup playoffs when Tortorella sat Richards for the final two games of the second-round series against the Boston Bruins. After Boston won that series, Tortorella was fired. Benching Richards was seen as one of the decisions that cost Tortorella his job.
His time with the Vancouver Canucks wasn't pretty and he lasted just one season. Injuries didn't help and the lack of organizational depth also caused setbacks. The Pacific was also one of the toughest divisions in the league with the likes of the Los Angeles Kings, San Jose Sharks and Anaheim Ducks. And we can't forget the infamous incident in which Tortorella went to the Flames' dressing room between periods, apparently trying to get at coach Bob Hartley, incensed by a game-opening line brawl. Tortorella was suspended by the NHL for 15 days without pay.
Now that he's with the Blue Jackets, Tortorella will be the first to admit he has changed as a coach. He has adapted. He understands today's athletes are different. For an old-school guy, he has evolved with the game strategically. He loves the teaching aspect of the game. He's hands-on when it comes to the X's and O's.
John Tortorella appears to be on the same page with Blue Jackets management. Jason Mowry/Icon Sportswire
"I think it's a perfect fit for him," one Eastern Conference executive said. "Columbus has a team capable of playing his preferred big-bodied style and it really helps him that they have been overhyped without ever having any success. He will use that to motivate him."
"I thought Todd did a good job with the team in the past and felt for him with the start to this season, especially given their success in the preseason," one Western Conference executive said. "That said, John is a very good coach and his attention to detail will certainly grab the attention of the entire group."
A Western Conference scout agreed.
"He will be fine in Columbus," the scout said. "They have a good team. I think they were reading how good they were all summer and did not do it on the ice to start the season. They need a guy to kick their ass a little bit."
Tortorella still has an old-school side to him. He feels it's beneficial to help players grow and mature and deal with the adversities that the game presents.
"I'm always trying to change," Tortorella said. "No matter what the perception is that I'm just some sort of idiot that won't change, I'm always trying to learn about the game. I think as a coach, if you don't, it's going to go by you. I think there is a little bit of a perception out there that's it's my way or the highway, which is totally false. I love listening to the players because they see the game differently and I learn from them, so that's what we're trying to do."
Off the ice and away from the rink, there's a different side to Tortorella, one that he doesn't allow the public to see. There are certain things that are close to his heart and he continually gives his time and resources to help others. He doesn't do it for the positive publicity. He does it because he's sincere.
Taylor Ryan, 13, has a rare form of brain cancer called histiocytosis. As part of the Garden of Dreams, Taylor participated in the Rangers' Shirts Off Our Backs ceremony at the end of the 2013 regular season. Afterward, she met Tortorella and the two made an instant connection.
Even though Tortorella was fired after that season, he still attended a fundraiser for Taylor that summer and the two families remain in constant communication.
"It's surreal," said Teresa Ryan, Taylor's mother. "He's just a guy and he is one of the nicest people we have ever met. We're really blessed to have him in our life. We'll text him and he'll say, 'I don't want to talk about me. Tell me how everyone there is.' I can't explain it to anybody. He's not who you see. He's truly a genuine person. I love him. I love his wife, everybody. He's like family now."
Last year, Taylor was having a tough time with her illness when Tortorella's wife, Christine, contacted Teresa Ryan. Without any publicity, the Tortorella family wanted to send the Ryans to Disney World for Christmas -- no questions asked.
"That was unreal," Teresa Ryan said. "They had asked us a couple of times if they could do that for us, and we said, 'Absolutely not. We cannot accept that. It's way too much.' It was very awkward.
"It was the perfect time for it. We needed those few days to just get away. I'll never forget when they told them."
Using FaceTime, the Tortorellas informed Taylor, and her younger sister, Sami, of their upcoming trip to the theme park.
"It was unbelievable," Teresa said. "It was unreal."
Back at the rink, Tortorella is the type of person who knows everyone who works in the building. He knows the Zamboni drivers and will go out of his way to help the equipment and training staffs.
"Torts was absolutely amazing with our staff," one former co-worker said. "He's extremely loyal. He would do anything for the guys that worked their tail off for him. To this day, he still keeps in touch and he's always looking to make sure everything is OK at home and with your family. He was demanding, but you knew where you stood. I definitely enjoyed working with him."
John Tortorella's time in Vancouver was a rough ride. Jeff Vinnick/NHLI/Getty Images
It's a given that Tortorella will push buttons. People will get upset with him. He'll push his players, but he'll also be the first one to defend those same players. He makes an impression on players both good and bad.
Some will say he's the biggest jerk on the planet. But many believe there's a method to his madness. He can bring players' games to a level that they didn't even know they had.
Blue Jackets forward Brandon Dubinsky played for Tortorella in New York and has witnessed that first-hand. Their time in New York was tumultuous, and after Tortorella was fired, Dubinsky said his relationship with the coach "fell apart." But both player and coach seem to have moved on.
"It's interesting too because where I was at in my career when I had him the first time, I was in a much different place than I am now in my career and in life," Dubinsky said.
"He's come in here and he's working on getting an understanding of what this group's like," Dubinsky added. "He's definitely started imposing himself, as far as the way he teaches and the way he coaches. ... He's got us headed in the right direction. He's got us working for him, and really working for ourselves. He's getting more out of guys and driving the ship. He's going to be a big asset for us."
John Tortorella is not a lunatic. He's passionate about everything he does, both on the ice and off it. He created this negative persona, but he's not what most people think he is.
"People should know the other side of him," Teresa Ryan said. |
For the past year and a half, a grandmother in rural Pennsylvania has been turning away drivers following directions suggested by Apple Maps to a local ski area.
According to the iPhone app, the best route to Roundtop Mountain is via Beaver Creek Road. One slight problem: It's a dead end. Judy Saltsburg, who lives at the end of the road, told WGAL-TV she comes out several times a day and explains to confused travelers that her driveway does not lead to the resort.
"I've had three in less than 24 hours," Saltsburg said. "Their big argument is that 'My app says this is the way to Roundtop.'"
The road is clearly marked as a dead end, and Saltsburg has put up several signs at her front gate ("Due to price increase on ammunition, do not expect warning shot" one reads), but that doesn't seem to deter the trickle of unwanted traffic.
"Some really bad kids went around another gate that we use for four-wheelers and horses, went over a downed pine tree and got stuck," she said.
Saltsburg says she's tried calling Apple — to no avail.
Of course, it's not the first time the Apple Maps app has been accused of giving bad directions.
In 2012, police in Australia urged motorists not to rely on Apple's then-new Maps app after several people became stranded inside a national park in scorching heat.
At the time, officials in Mildura, Australia, said Apple listed the town of 30,000 as being inside Murray-Sunset National Park — 45 miles from its actual location. |
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Homicide detectives are investigating in Bellflower after a woman's ex-boyfriend allegedly shot her to death Monday afternoon and then fled.
Kenia Buckner, 26, was pronounced dead at the scene, in the 16000 block of Cornuta Avenue around 1:35 p.m. She was identified to KTLA by her family.
"She's a good girl. I don't know who would ever think to do her like that," said Karena Hinton, the victim's friend.
The victim's ex-boyfriend, Antowan Parker, 27, showed up at her apartment and allegedly shot her in the torso with a handgun, according to a news release from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
"He fired at her numerous times in front of her family," said sheriff's Lt. Joe Mendoza. "None of her family was hurt. The suspect was last seen leaving this location on foot."
Parker is also the father of Buckner's three children, ranging in age from 3 to 7 years old, according to family and friends.
Bunkner was a hair stylist and was studying in college to become a nurse, friends said.
"She was nice, she was a helping person, loving," said Endaka Gammage, a friend of Buckner. "I don't know what would make him do such a thing. Someone to hurt someone who has a good heart."
Parker is still at large and the investigation is ongoing, police said.
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Collection SoundTribeSector9
Tzolkin Show
Set I:
Untitled* >
Untitled (Mobsteresque feel) >
Drums >
We'll Meet In Our Dreams ** >
Untitled
Jebez
Set II:
Jazz Groove **
Untitled ***
We'll Meet In Our Dreams
Untitled ****
Untitled **
Encore:
King Pharoah's Tomb
Notes
Notes:
* ='s w/ Zach wearing his "interactive midi-trigger" suit (for lack of a better description) for the 1st time.
** ='s w/ Cecil Daniels "Penut" on electro-sax
*** ='s w/ Scottie
**** ='s w/ Saxton and Scottie
Source Notes:
- Set II & Encore Only
- Bob also matrixed out of V2 with Sound Board for the STS9 Archives
- I patched into Bob's V2 with my D8
- My flight was delayed and I ended up getting to this show late - The first set was recorded (Schoeps CMC64v>V2>MiniDisc) but this has yet to surface |
You could have pre-ordered a Nexus 9 or a Nexus Player two weeks ago, and I have no doubt that many of you did. But for everyone taking the wait-and-see approach, the two devices are both now available for purchase from the Play Store.
If you have your eyes set on the tablet and live in the US, it will ship out in one or two business days. This timeframe holds up regardless of whether you want the 16GB or 32GB version, as long as it's black or white. Sand is still listed as "coming soon," as is the LTE variant. In case you've forgotten, the price ranges from $399.99 to $479.99.
As for the Nexus Player, the story's a little more depressing. You can buy it now, but it won't ship for another 2 - 3 weeks. It goes for $99.99.
The Nexus 9 is also up for sale at Best Buy, but your luck may vary depending on location. The tablet is no longer listed as a pre-order, but it appears for me as either not available for shipping or sold out online. If your nearby store has one in stock, though, you could can place an order for in-store pickup.
As for people living in other parts of the world, Google is willing to ship the Nexus 9 out to residents of Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. The Nexus Player is only available in the US and Canada.
$99 Nexus Player on Google Play
$399 16GB Black Nexus 9 on Google Play
$399 16GB White Nexus 9 on Google Play
$479 32GB Black Nexus 9 on Google Play
$479 32GB White Nexus 9 on Google Play
$399.99 16GB Nexus 9 at Best Buy
$479.99 32GB Nexus 9 at Best Buy |
This article is over 4 years old
Want to see Kim Jong-un's latest PR stunt, or sing along to Moranbong Band's hits? North Korea Tech rates the most popular YouTube channels posting footage on the secretive state
It’s easier than ever to watch the latest video from North Korea thanks to a handful of YouTube channels that have sprung up in the last few years.
Here’s a list of some of the best North Korea-focused channels that I’ve found on YouTube, organised by their start date.
The views, subscriber numbers and video count are given as of 8 February 2014, and are intended to indicate their popularity.
Much of the fresh video comes from one of two sources: the KCNA state news agency or KCTV state television.
Facebook Twitter Pinterest State TV images of a Moranbong Band concert, where childhood pictures of Kim Jong-un were shown
Launched on 22 July 2010, StimmeKoreas is the most popular YouTube channel dedicated to North Korea. It has had more than 15m views for the hundreds of videos it hosts, and has 12,000 subscribers. Footage is fairly varied, and includes state TV news clips.
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Part One of a series on mourning the death of North Korea's founding father Kim Il-sung
Launched in September 2007, and claims to be the official YouTube channel for North Korea. It's banner says it has had more than 11m views and 11,000 subscribers. Mostly posts TV clips, travel videos and music.
Facebook Twitter Pinterest North Korea propaganda video
Launched in July 2010, Uriminzokkiri is a semi-official channel from a China-based website and has received more than nine million views. It has posted over 8000 videos, including many clips from state TV.
Facebook Twitter Pinterest A presenter reports North Korean news
Tonpo Mail had had more than 1m views and posts original videos and TV clips from a North Korean-related newspaper in Japan.
Facebook Twitter Pinterest A rendition of 'Footsteps of Soldiers' performed by Kim Jong-un's now wife, Ri Sol-ju
With more than 1m views, Koryo Media features videos from Mokran, one of North Korea’s major movie production houses. They appear to be unofficially uploaded.
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Moranbong Band, Kim Jong-un's favourite Pyongyang pop group, perform 'Let's Study!'
The DPRKMusicChannel, as it says in its name, mostly posts North Korean music videos, including clips from state TV. It's had more than 1m views. It also posts North Korean films with English subtitles, such as Flower in the Snow
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Kim Jong-un gives a speech in 2012 after North Korea launched a satellite
Appears to be the official YouTube channel for The Korean Friendship Association (KFA), "founded on November of the year 2000 with the purpose of building international ties with the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea". Mostly shows KCNA state media TV footage with English subtitles
Facebook Twitter Pinterest North Korean music video
Launched in 2007, VOK216 has had around 600,000 views. Mostly posts music and videos from North Korea and other socialist countries
As the name suggests, DPRK Video Archive posts grainy, old propaganda footage of North Korea, mostly to music.
Facebook Twitter Pinterest The official title of this video, uploaded by North Korea's state media agency, is: KPISF Men and Officers Vow to Annihilate War Maniacs
A relatively new addition to the spectrum of channels, these videos from KCNA news agency are automatically scraped from its website. Many, like the one above, are military-themed and intended to be a show of strength. The channel has had around 250,000 views.
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Footage from the 2014 Pyongyang Marathon, the first to allow foreign amateur runners to compete
Launched in 2011, DPRK Sports is dedicated to clips of sporting endeavours in North Korea (with separate channels for a whole host of sports including football, basketball and even water sports). |
This is a list of members of the Electoral College, known as "electors", who cast ballots to elect the President of the United States and Vice President of the United States in the 2016 presidential election. There are 538 electors from the 50 states and the District of Columbia.[1] In the 2016 Presidential Election, 227 electors were female while the remaining 312 electors were male. While every state except Nebraska and Maine chooses the electors by statewide vote, many states require that one elector be designated for each congressional district. Except where otherwise noted, such designations refer to the elector's residence in that district rather than election by the voters of the district.
Electors: 9, pledged to vote for Donald Trump for President and Mike Pence for Vice President[2]
Perry O. Hooper Jr., Pike Road, At-Large [3]
Grady H. Thornton, Birmingham, At-Large
Frank Burt Jr., Bay Minette, CD1
Will B. Sellers, Montgomery, CD2
James Eldon Wilson, Montgomery, CD3
Tim Wadsworth, Arley, CD4
J. Elbert Peters, Huntsville, CD5
Mary Sue McClurkin, Indian Springs, CD6
Robert A. Cusanelli, Carrollton, CD7[4]
Electors: 3, pledged to vote for the Nominees of the Republican Party of the State of Alaska[5]
Sean Parnell, Palmer
Jacqueline Tupou, Juneau
Carolyn Leman, Anchorage[4]
Electors: 11, pledged to vote for Donald Trump for President and Mike Pence for Vice President
J. Foster Morgan, Glendale [6] [7] — The youngest elector, at 19. [8]
— The youngest elector, at 19. Walter Begay Jr., Kayenta
Bruce Ash, Tucson – National Committeeman
Sharon Giese, Mesa
James O'Connor, Scottsdale
Jerry Hayden, Scottsdale
Robert Graham, Phoenix – State Party Chairman
Edward Robson, Phoenix
Carole Joyce, Phoenix
Alberto Gutier, Phoenix
Jane Pierpoint Lynch, Phoenix[4]
Electors: 6, pledged to vote for Donald Trump for President and Mike Pence for Vice President
Electors: 55, voted for Hillary Clinton for President and Tim Kaine for Vice President[4][10]
Dustin R. Reed, Concord
Javier Gonzalez, San Jose
Shawn E. Terris, Ventura
John M. Ryan, San Rafael
Mark W. Headley, Berkeley
Gail R. Teton-Landis, Santa Barbara
Faith A. Garamendi, Davis
Ana A. Huerta, Bakersfield
Marie S. Torres, Hacienda Heights
Kathleen R. Scott, Lincoln
Donna M. Ireland, Pleasanton
Robert S. Torres, Pomona
Timothy J. Farley, Martinez
Christine T. Kehoe, San Diego
Dorothy N. Vann, Long Beach
Analea J. Patterson, Sacramento
Vinzenz J. Koller, Carmel – Had indicated that he was undecided, currently suing California over law forcing him to vote for Clinton. [11] [12]
David S. Warmuth, Pasadena
Janine V. Bera, Elk Grove
Andrew R. Krakoff, Orinda
Karen D. Waters, Inglewood
Sandra M. Aduna, Laguna Woods
Katherine A. Lyon, Coronado
Shirley N. Weber, San Diego
Saundra G. Andrews, Oakland
John P. MacMurray, La Habra
Denise B. Wells, Victorville
Jane C. Block, Riverside
Sheldon Malchicoff, Westlake Village
Gregory H. Willenborg, Los Angeles
Edward Buck, West Hollywood
Nury Martinez, San Fernando
Laurence S. Zakson, Los Angeles
Francine P. Busby, Cardiff
Gwen Moore, Los Angeles
Laphonza R. Butler, Los Angeles
Cathy A. Morris, Rancho Cucamonga
Benjamin Cardenas, Montebello
Stephen J. Natoli, Visalia
Jacki M. Cisneros, Los Angeles
Mark A. Olbert, San Carlos
Raymond L. Cordova, Garden Grove
Christine Pelosi, San Francisco – Signed letter demanding an intelligence briefing on the alleged Russian hacking. [13]
Steven D. Diebert, Fresno
Carmen O. Perez, Long Beach
James A. Donahue, El Cerrito
Celine G. Purcell, Redwood City
Patrick F. Drinan, Escondido
Andres Ramos, Elk Grove
Susan Eggman, Stockton
Olivia A. Reyes-Becerra, Stanford
Eileen Feinstein Mariano, San Francisco
Priscilla G. Richardson, Cathedral City
Natalie P. Fortman, Valencia
Steve J. Spinner, Atherton
Electors: 9, voted for Hillary Clinton for President and Tim Kaine for Vice President[14]
Celeste Landry, Boulder (replaced Micheal Baca, Denver, who [15] was removed as an elector after voting for John Kasich [16] [17]
was removed as an elector after voting for John Kasich Terry Phillips, Louisville
Mary Beth Corsentino, Pueblo
Jerad Sutton, Greeley; had indicated he would not vote for Hillary Clinton. [18]
Robert Nemanich, Colorado Springs; had in early December not planned to vote for Hillary Clinton. [18]
Amy Drayer, Greenwood Village
Ann Knollman, Arvada
Sen. Rollie Heath, Boulder
Hon. Polly Baca, Denver; had indicated she would cast her vote for an alternative Republican candidate[19]
Electors: 7, pledged to vote for Hillary Clinton for President and Tim Kaine for Vice President
Barbara Gordon, West Hartford [20]
Ellen Nurse, Hartford
Edward Piazza, New Haven
Tyisha Walker, New Haven
Christopher Rosario, Bridgeport
Robert Godfrey, Danbury
Steven Jones, Tolland[4]
Electors: 3, pledged to vote for Hillary Clinton for President and Tim Kaine for Vice President
Lynn Fuller
Lydia York
Linda Cavanaugh[4]
Electors: 3, pledged to vote for Hillary Clinton for President and Tim Kaine for Vice President
Electors: 29, pledged to vote for Donald Trump for President and Mike Pence for Vice President
Electors: 16, pledged to vote for Donald Trump for President and Mike Pence for Vice President
Bruce Allen Azevedo
Brian K Burdette
Lott Harris Dill
John David Elliott
James Randolph Evans
Bobbie D. Frantz
Linda D. Herren
Rachel Blackstone Little
Deborah M. McCord
Michael Neil McNeely
Mary L. Padgett
Neil L. Pruitt
Joshua Kirk Shook
Frank B. Strickland
John Padgett (replaced Baoky Nguyen Vu, who resigned) [25]
John B. White[4]
Electors: 4, pledged to vote for Hillary Clinton for President and Tim Kaine for Vice President[26]
(Clinton received three votes and Bernie Sanders received one for President.)
(Kaine received three votes and Elizabeth Warren received one for Vice-President.)[27]
Electors [ edit ]
First Alternates [ edit ]
Kainoa Kaumeheiwa-Rego
Eileen McKee
Michael Golojuch Sr.
Yvonne Lau
Second Alternates [ edit ]
Carolyn Golojuch
Julie Patten
Michele Golojuch
Leo Caries
Electors: 4, pledged to vote for Donald Trump for President and Mike Pence for Vice President[28] Two (Bangerter and Smyser) shall be replaced on Electoral College Monday, inasmuch as Federal employees cannot be electors.[29]
Layne Bangerter
Caleb Lakey
Jennifer Locke
Melinda Smyser[4]
Electors: 20, pledged to vote for Hillary Clinton for President and Tim Kaine for Vice President[30]
Electors: 11, pledged to vote for Donald Trump for President and Mike Pence for Vice President[31]
Stephanie Beckley, Jamestown
Daniel Bortner, Bedford
Laura Campbell, Carmel
Jeff Cardwell, Indianapolis
Donald L. Hayes, Jasper
Randall Kirkpatrick, Ligonier
Ethan E. Manning, Peru
Macy Kelly Mitchell, Indianapolis
Edwin J. Simcox, Fishers
Kevin Steen, Muncie
Chuck Williams, Valparaiso[4]
Electors: 6, pledged to vote for Donald Trump for President and Mike Pence for Vice President
James Whitmer
Don Kass
Dylan Keller
Alan Braun
Kurt Brown
Polly Granzow[4]
Electors: 6, pledged to vote for Donald Trump for President and Mike Pence for Vice President
Ashley J. McMillan, Concordia, party vice chair. [32]
Helen Van Etten, Topeka, national committeewoman.
Mark Kahrs, Wichita, national committeeman.
Ron Estes, Wichita, Kansas State Treasurer.
Clayton L. Barker, Leawood, party executive director.
Kelly Arnold, Wichita, party chairman.[4]
Electors: 8, pledged to vote for Donald Trump for President and Mike Pence for Vice President
Jim Skaggs
David Disponett
Robert Duncan
Michael Carter
Scott Lasley
Walter Reichert
Mary Singleton
Troy Sheldon[4]
Electors: 8, pledged to vote for Donald Trump for President and Mike Pence for Vice President
Chris Trahan, CD1 [33]
Lloyd Harsch, CD2
Charles Buckels, CD3
Louis Avalone, CD4
Kay Katz, CD5
Lennie Rhys, CD6
Garret Monti, At Large
Scott Wilfong, At Large [4]
(1st-alternate) Candy Maness
(2nd-alternate) Jennifer Madsen
(3rd-alternate) Christian Gil
(4th-alternate) Constance Diane Long
(5th-alternate) Verne Breland
(6th-alternate) Glenda Pollard
(At Large-alternate) John Batt
(At Large-alternate) Raymond Griffin
Electors: 4[34]
Democratic Party [ edit ]
3, pledged to vote for Hillary Clinton for President and Tim Kaine for Vice President
(1st) Diane Denk of Kennebunk
(At Large) David Bright of Dixmont – voted for Bernie Sanders, then voted for Hillary Clinton in a second round of voting. [35]
(At Large) Sam Shapiro of Winslow[4]
Republican Party [ edit ]
1, pledged to vote for Donald Trump for President and Mike Pence for Vice President
Electors: 10, pledged to vote for Hillary Clinton for President and Tim Kaine for Vice President[36]
Lesley Israel
Robert Leonard
Lillian Holmes
Salome Peters
Hagner Mister
Claudia Martin
Courtney Watson – Signed letter demanding an intelligence briefing on the alleged Russian hacking. [13]
Karen Britto
Susan Ness
Wayne Rogers[4]
Electors: 11, pledged to vote for Hillary Clinton for President and Tim Kaine for Vice President
Nazda Alam
Mary Gail Cokkinias
Marie Turley
Dori Dean
Donna Smith
Cheryl Cumings
Marc R. Pacheco
Curtis Lemay
Jason Palitsch
Paul Yorkis
Parwez Wahid[4]
Electors: 16, pledged to vote for Donald Trump for President and Mike Pence for Vice President
John Haggard
Jack Holmes
Kelly Mitchell
Judy Rapanos
Henry Hatter
Robert Weitt
Wyckham Seelig
Ross Ensign
Michael Banerian
Brian Fairbrother
Ken Crider
Mary Vaughn
Jim Rhoades — Motorcycle lobbyist. [37]
William Rauwerdink
Hank Fuhs
Joseph Guzman[4]
Electors: 10, voted for Hillary Clinton for President and Tim Kaine for Vice President[4]
Electors: 6, pledged to vote for Donald Trump for President and Mike Pence for Vice President
Ann Hebert
Joe F. Sanderson Jr.
Bradley R. White
J. Kelley Williams
William G. Yates Jr.
Wirt Yerger[4]
Electors: 10, pledged to vote for Donald Trump for President and Mike Pence for Vice President
Tim Dreste (1st)
Jan DeWeese (2nd)
Hector Maldonado (3rd) – Says he will vote for Trump stating: "I took an oath once to become a U.S. citizen," he said, "and on Aug. 14, 1995, that was the first oath that I've taken to support the U.S. Constitution. A year later I took the oath again, to support the duties of being an officer in the U.S. Army. This was the third oath that I've taken to execute what I promised to do." [42]
Sherry Kuttenkuler (4th)
Casey Crawford (5th)
Tom Brown (6th)
Cherry Warren (7th)
Scott Clark (8th)
Al Rotskoff
Susie Johnson[4]
Electors: 3, pledged to vote for Donald Trump for President and Mike Pence for Vice President[43]
Thelma Baker
Nancy Ballance
Dennis Scranton
Vondene Kopetski (alternate)
Becky Stockton (alternate)
Thomas Tuck (alternate)[4]
Electors: 5, pledged to vote for Donald Trump for President and Mike Pence for Vice President
Craig Safranek, Merna
Chuck Conrad, Hastings
John Dinkel, Norfolk
Phil Belin, Omaha
Paul Burger, Kearney
Electors: 6, pledged to vote for Hillary Clinton for President and Tim Kaine for Vice President
Dayananda Prabhu Rachakonda
Larry Jackson
Joetta Brown
Paul James Catha II
Greg Gardella
Teresa Benitez-Thompson[44]
Electors: 4, pledged to vote for Hillary Clinton for President and Tim Kaine for Vice President
The only all-female slate of electors, all four of whom are the first Democratic women to hold their elected offices.
Electors: 14, pledged to vote for Hillary Clinton for President and Tim Kaine for Vice President
Alaa R. Abdelaziz of Paterson [45]
Tahsina Ahmed of Haledon — The first Bangladeshi-American female to hold elected office in the nation [46] [47]
Anthony Cureton of Englewood
Lizette Delgado-Polanco of Ewing
Edward Farmer of Piscataway
Christopher D. James of East Orange
Leroy J. Jones Jr. of East Orange
Retha R. Onitiri of Clarksburg
Marlene Prieto of Secaucus
Ronald G. Rios of Carteret
Hetty M. Rosenstein of South Orange
Kelly Steward Maer of Manasquan
Mary Ann Wardlow of Lawnside
Heriberta Loretta Winters of Williamstown[4]
Electors: 5, pledged to vote for Hillary Clinton for President and Tim Kaine for Vice President[48]
Roxanne Allen, a Democratic ward chairwoman in Albuquerque.
Noyola Padilla Archibeque, chairwoman of the San Miguel Federation of Democratic Women in Las Vegas.
John Padilla, a Bernie Sanders delegate to this year's Democratic National Convention and a ward chairman in Albuquerque.
Lorraine Spradling, a grassroots organizer in Los Lunas.
E. Paul Torres of Isleta Pueblo.
Electors: 29, pledged to vote for Hillary Clinton for President and Tim Kaine for Vice President[49]
Electors: 15, voted for Donald Trump for President and Mike Pence for Vice President
Linda Harper
Charles Staley
Karen Kozel
Martha Jenkins
Celeste Stanley
Donald Webb
Robert Muller
Jennifer Dunbar
Andrea Arterburn
Glenn Pinckney Sr.
Mark Delk
David Speight
Ann Sullivan
Lee Green
David Smuski[4]
Electors: 4, pledged to vote for Donald Trump for President and Mike Pence for Vice President[50]
Leon Helland
John Olson
Duane Mutch
Bev Clayburgh
Electors: 18, pledged to vote for Donald Trump for President and Mike Pence for Vice President
Marilyn Ashcraft [51]
Curt Braden [51]
Rob Scott (Replaced Christina Hagan, [51] who resigned position, possibly ineligible, being in the State Legislature)
who resigned position, possibly ineligible, being in the State Legislature) Lee-Ann Johnson [52]
Ralph King [53]
Alex Triantafilou [53]
Mary Anne Christie
Corey Schottenstein
Jim Dicke II
Cheryl Blakely
Richard Jones
Tom Coyne
Judy Westbrock
Leonard Hubert
Tracey Winbush
James Wert
Brian Schottenstein
Ed Crawford[4]
Electors: 7, pledged to vote for Donald Trump for President and Mike Pence for Vice President[54]
David Oldham
Teresa Lyn Turner
Mark Thomas
Bobby Cleveland
Lauree Elizabeth Marshall
Charles W. Potts
George W. Wiland, Jr.[4]
Electors: 7, pledged to vote for Hillary Clinton for President and Tim Kaine for Vice President
Frank James Dixon, Portland [55]
Karen A. Packer, Newberg
Austin Folnagy, Klamath Falls
Leon H. Coleman, Aloha
Harry W. "Sam" Sappington III, Albany
Timothy Norman Powers Rowan, Portland
Laura Gillpatrick, Eugene[4]
Electors: 20, pledged to vote for Donald Trump for President and Mike Pence for Vice President
Bob Asher
Mary Barket
Robert Bozzuto
Theodore (Ted) Christian
Michael Downing
Margaret Ferraro
Robert Gleason
Christopher Gleason
Joyce Haas
Ash Khare
James McErlane
Elstina Pickett
Patricia Poprik
Andrew Reilly
Carol Sides
Glora "Lee" Snover
Richard Stewart
Lawrence Tabas
Christine Toretti
Carolyn Bunny Welsh[4]
Electors: 4, pledged to vote for Hillary Clinton for President and Tim Kaine for Vice President
Electors: 9, voted for Donald Trump for President and Mike Pence for Vice President
Glenn McCall
Matt Moore
Terry Hardesty
Jim Ulmer
Brenda Bedenbaugh
Bill Conley
Shery Smith
Moye Graham
Jerry Rovner[4][56]
Electors: 3, pledged to vote for Donald Trump for President and Mike Pence for Vice President
Electors: 11, pledged to vote for Donald Trump for President and Mike Pence for Vice President
Beth Scott Clayton Amos, a State Executive Committee member for the Republican party, member of the Board of the Estate Planning Council of Middle TN, At Large
Joey Jacobs of Brentwood as a statewide delegate (Pres & CEO of Acadia Healthcare), At Large
Jason Mumpower (Bristol), CD1
Susan Mills (Maryville), CD2
Liz Holiway (Harriman), CD3
Lynne Davis (Lascassas), CD4
Tom Lawless (Nashville), CD5 – Says he will vote for Trump stating: "Hell will freeze and we will be skating on the lava before I change," he said. "He won the state and I've pledged and gave my word that that's what I would do. And I won't break it." [42]
Mike Callahan (Monterey), CD6
Pat Allen (Clarksville), CD7
Shannon Haynes (Alamo), CD8
Drew Daniel (Memphis), CD9[4]
Electors: 38, pledged to vote for Donald Trump for President and Mike Pence for Vice President. (One, Christopher Suprun, pledged not to vote for Donald Trump.)[58]
(Ron Paul received one vote and John Kasich received one vote for president. Carly Fiorina received one vote for vice president)
Candace Noble, At Large [59]
Fred Farias, At Large
Marty Rhymes, CD1
Thomas Moon, CD2
Carol Sewell, CD3
John E. Harper, CD4
Sherrill Lenz, CD5
Nicholas Ciggelakis, CD6
Will Hickman, CD7
Landon Estay, CD8
Rex Lamb, CD9
Rosemary Edwards, CD10
Matt Stringer, CD11
Debra Coffey, CD12 (replaced Shellie Surles, ruled ineligible)
Benona Love, CD13 (replaced Melissa Kalka, ruled ineligible)
Sherry Clark, CD14 (replaced Kenneth Clark, ruled ineligible)
Sandra Cararas, CD15
David Thackston, CD16
Robert Bruce, CD17
Margie Forster, CD18
Scott Mann, CD19
Marian K. Stanko, CD20
Curtis Nelson, CD21
Tina Gibson, CD22
Ken Muenzler, CD23
Alexander Kim, CD24
Virginia Abel, CD25
John Dillard, CD26
Tom Knight, CD27
Marian Knowlton, CD28
Rex Teter, CD29
Christopher Suprun, CD30 – Voted for John Kasich and Carly Fiorina. On May 14, 2016, at the Republican Party of Texas convention in Dallas, per state party Rule No. 39 - Presidential Electors, Suprun filed with the Chairman of the National Nominations Committee an affidavit in writing as to Suprun's commitment to vote for the Republican Party's nominees for President and Vice President. [60] He later reneged on this commitment, stating in a New York Times Op-Ed that he would not vote for Trump, along with claims of being a 9/11 Responder, a claim that has been challenged by multiple news sources including the Dallas Morning News. [61] [62] [63]
He later reneged on this commitment, stating in a New York Times Op-Ed that he would not vote for Trump, along with claims of being a 9/11 Responder, a claim that has been challenged by multiple news sources including the Dallas Morning News. Jon Jewett, CD31
Susan Fischer, CD32
Lauren Byers, CD33
William "Bill" Greene, CD34 – Voted for Ron Paul and Mike Pence. On May 14, 2016, at the Republican Party of Texas convention in Dallas, per state party Rule No. 39 - Presidential Electors, Greene filed with the Chairman of the National Nominations Committee an affidavit in writing as to Greene's commitment to vote for the Republican Party's nominees for President and Vice President. [64] [65]
Mary Lou Erben, CD35
Janis Holt, CD 36 (replaced Arthur Sisneros, who resigned from Texas Electoral College rather than vote for Trump.)[62][66]
Electors: 6, pledged to vote for Donald Trump for President and Mike Pence for Vice President[67]
Cherilyn Eagar
Kris Kimball
Jeremy Jenkins
Peter Greathouse
Chia-Chi Teng
Richard Snelgrove[4]
Electors: 3, pledged to vote for Hillary Clinton for President and Tim Kaine for Vice President
Peter Shumlin
Martha Allen
Tim Jerman[4]
Electors: 13, pledged to vote for Hillary Clinton for President and Tim Kaine for Vice President[68]
Bethany J. Rowland, Chesapeake [69]
Debra Stevens Fitzgerald, Harrisonburg
James Harold Allen Boyd, Culpeper
Jasper L. Hendricks, III, Pamplin
Jeanette C. Sarver, Dublin
K. James O'Connor, Jr., Manassas
Kathy Stewart Shupe, Sterling
Keith A. Scarborough, Woodbridge
Lashrecse D. Aird, Petersburg
Susan Johnson Rowland, Chesapeake
Terry C. Frye, Bristol
Virginia L. Peters, Alexandria
Vivian J. Paige, Norfolk[4]
Electors: 12, pledged to vote for Hillary Clinton for President and Tim Kaine for Vice President[70]
(Clinton received eight votes, Colin Powell received three, and Faith Spotted Eagle received one.)
(Kaine received eight votes and Elizabeth Warren, Susan Collins, Maria Cantwell, and Winona LaDuke each received one for Vice-President.)[71]
Electors: 5, pledged to vote for Donald Trump for President and Mike Pence for Vice President
Electors: 10, pledged to vote for Donald Trump for President and Mike Pence for Vice President[80]
Kim Travis, Williams Bay, CD1
Kim Babler, Madison, CD2
Brian Westrate, Fall Creek, CD3 – Tweeted that he will vote for Donald Trump [81]
Brad Courtney, Whitefish Bay, CD4
Kathy Kiernan, Richfield, CD5
Dan Feyen, Fond du Lac, CD6
Kevin Hermening, Wausau, CD7 (replacing Jim Miller, Hayward [82] )
) Bill Berglund, Sturgeon Bay, CD8
Steve King, Janesville, At Large
Mary Buestrin, River Hills, At Large[4]
Electors: 3, pledged to vote for Donald Trump for President and Mike Pence for Vice President[83]
Bonnie Foster
Teresa Richards
Karl Allred[4]
See also [ edit ]
References [ edit ] |
Image: Yle
The Social Democrat Minister for Foreign Affairs joined the public debate that has been raging since Räsänen of the Christian Democrats made her comments last week. At the time, she said that the word of God takes precedence over the law, if the two come into conflict.
Writing in his blog, Tuomioja notes that even in democracy there may be grounds for conscious civil disobedience at times – provided that this is open and public, and that those undertaking such resistance are ready to take responsibility for their actions, like Gandhi or Martin Luther King.
“The conviction leading to this [kind of action] can only be based on universal ethical human norms, not on directives handed from above, as in the case of the Bible, Koran, or Mein Kampf”, Tuomioja writes.
According to the Foreign Minister, there are numerous societies with intolerable laws that violate human dignity. In such countries civil disobedience is more like a virtue.
Tuomioja says that these kinds of states are usually theocracies founded upon sacred scriptures.
The Social Democratic Minister has come out in public as an atheist. He has also criticized using tax-payers’ money to train priests at theological faculties. |
The numerous military checkpoints, queues of trucks coming from Beirut and tons of presidential candidate posters hung in the streets are currently dominating the Syrian capital.
The first thing that draws the attention of people visiting Damascus from the Lebanese capital through the al-Masnaa border crossing is the dense traffic between the two countries. Syrians are moving in both directions, and the Lebanese gather at the gates where travel documents between the “two brotherly countries” are inspected.
There are endless big buses full of Shiite pilgrims. Asking them about their destination gets a double surprise. Some of them are going to visit the Shrine of Zeinab near Damascus, in an area that has remained for two odd years an axis of heavy fighting until the sacred Shiite site finally became safe in the custody of the pro-regime forces following the developments in the Ghouta area. Others will cross the entire Syrian territory to visit the Shiite holy places in Iraq. These two directions are supposedly fraught with danger, but the Lebanese Shiite pilgrims are reassured by authorities, and the Syrians crossing the border are keen to confirm. They answer with confidence: There is no risk at all. Syria is open to the peaceful movement of people.
Once you cross the border, a series of military checkpoints begin. At least nine checkpoints along the 40-kilometer (25-mile) road between the crossing and Damascus are set up to maintain security. They thoroughly inspect all the vehicles and passengers. In the long queues, some Syrians explain that remaining on high alert is a necessary duty. Despite the Syrian army’s control over the region, it is still exposed to all kinds of risks and intrusions as it is a few hundred meters away from insurgent sites. Here, you cross the center of Zabadani, where thousands of armed men await reconciliation efforts between them and the regime.
The residential area at the other end of the border is Moadamiya, a Damascus suburb where reconciliation was reached a few weeks ago and gunmen are still around. It is true that security is prevailing here, and is maintained by this long series of checkpoints and inspections and the hassle of waiting under the sun.
At the entrance to Moadamiya, you forget the security issue and get caught up in the economic and trade dimension of the crisis. An endless row of trucks are parked on the highway, blocking all lanes and exits. It is the far entrance to the free zone that starts at the doors of the Syrian capital. Where does this huge number of trucks come from? The Port of Beirut, which is the only economic and commercial hub left for Damascus and Syria. Drivers endure endless waiting. Sometimes it takes them more than 12 hours to cross less than 200 kilometers (124 miles) between the Lebanese port and Damascus. The same thing happens at the southeast entrance to Damascus. Had it not been for the Port of Beirut, Damascus and Syria’s trade would have been different. All kinds of imported goods are loaded on those trucks, including electric generators and basic consumer goods.
There is busy commercial activity that suggests a huge wealth could be made from the Syrian crisis. People there have come to use the terms “crisis traders” and “war profiteers.”
The pictures of the three leading presidential candidates form the most prominent scene in Damascus: current President Bashar al-Assad, Hassan Nouri and Maher Hajjar. Their posters are all over the streets, electric poles, buildings — every place where a picture can be hung or a banner can be raised. It is a heated election campaign scheduled to end June 3, and there is an open war of slogans, which have in common the official campaign slogan “Sawa,” or together, in reference to the unity of all Syrians behind the president.
Not a single Syrian has any doubt about the results. Hajjar, who occupies a seat in parliament, is a former communist and a leftist. But his popularity is limited. Nouri is a university professor with ties to some regime officials. His candidacy was born out of principle rather than serious will. Assad’s victory may be decisive in his third presidential term, but official efforts are being made to raise participation in the elections, and this is the most prominent issue that the Syrian media campaigns are focusing on.
Al-Monitor met a Syrian government official who preferred to remain anonymous in his office in Damascus, and he confirmed that he expects the turnout to be high. How is this possible when the country is divided between conflict zones, when the Syrians are split across this explosive map and some of them have been displaced outside the country? The official answered with full confidence, "More than 85% of the Syrian citizens and voters are located in areas controlled by the official Syrian authorities."
"How?" Al-Monitor asked.
“It is not a matter of geographic spaces. The areas controlled by the insurgents have been almost emptied of their inhabitants, especially where extremists are in control. The towns and villages have become completely deserted. For instance, more than 90% of the residents of Raqqa province — which has been controlled by the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) — left the province. As for those who moved outside Syria, their number is also documented with the competent international organizations. There are about 2.9 million displaced people. The Syrians amount to about 25 million people today. At the time of the last parliamentary elections, there were 24,117,000 people. They must have become around 25 million today, 3 million of which, maximum, are outside Syria. The rest, which accounts for 85% of the population, live in areas under the control of official Syrian authorities, and they will heavily and excitedly participate in the presidential elections."
As far as the displaced are concerned, the official said, “We were keen to facilitate their participation. There are about 67,000 who are registered to vote in the embassy in Beirut. We also established polling stations in all of the land, sea and air border facilities. Any displaced [person] can vote at these stations, including airports, ports and land crossings. The elections will be quietly held and they will reflect the will of the Syrian people.” |
Nov 7, 2016 | By Benedict
22-year-old Jawwad Patel, an engineering student from Hyderabad, India, has developed a 3D printed self-filling water device that can turn humid air into around 1.8 liters of water in just one hour. Patel has been working on various inventions and electronics since the age of 10.
3D printed Dewdrop water device
3D printers are impressive things. In just a few hours, they can make incredible, intricately designed objects out of nothing more than a coil of plastic, a tray of liquid resin, or a bed of powdered metal. However, it’s beyond even a 3D printer to make something out of thin air. That task has seemingly been left to the “Dewdrop,” a 3D printed device developed and built by engineering student Jawwad Patel that is capable of producing drinkable water using only air from the atmosphere. It’s quick, too: in humid conditions, the device can produce nearly two liters of water in an hour, and can still squeeze out about 1.2 liters in dryer climes.
The 3D printed Dewdrop sounds like magic, but in fact simply harnesses the power of condensation. A system of electric fans within the 3D printed Dewdrop device serves to cool air below its dew point, turning it into water vapor which then collects in a vessel below the contraption. The gadget is even able to filter out foreign materials such as dust with a UV filter, separating the unwanted stuff from the mineralized mater. The 3D printed water-making device requires a 12-volt connection and electric current of 6000 mAh. While it is currently powered by batteries, it could also make use of solar energy through solar panels.
3D printer-savvy student Jawwad Patel
The 3D printed Dewdrop, which is essentially a compact atmospheric water generator (AWG), has the potential to serve various important uses, such as generating essential drinking water in areas of drought, and even has a hot/cold option, making it ideal for those in cold climates or for those who simply love coffee or tea. The 3D printed device is not Patel’s first invention, with the engineering student previously developing a “smart helmet” for motorcyclists that prevents the rider from starting his or her engine if they are over the alcohol limit, and which automatically alerts the emergency services in the event of an accident.
In recognition of his engineering achievements, Patel has been nominated for two notable awards in his home country: the National Youth Award 2015-16, given to recipients aged 15-29 who achieve excellence in the field of national or social service, and the Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Excellence Award 2016, an award that recognizes contributions to scientific development and the humanities.
Posted in 3D Printing Application
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Hugh - David wrote at 11/23/2017 3:42:59 AM:The concept is great but not complete without proper filtration of the contaminants that will be in the air that will come out in the condensed water. My dehumidifier gets out about 8 - 9 gallons daily depending on how much time I let it run and how dry I want the air. My dehumidifier will run continuously if set at 25% relative humidity but never seems to get there. It will cycle off occasionally when set to 30%. Lot's of sediment from the collected water though. I have not sent in the sediment for testing but to be safer i use a sawyer water filter designed to purify water and follow up with a activated charcoal filter to remove any VOC's that might have condensed as well. I would like to know more about this device though including availability and price.The_Monkier wrote at 11/18/2016 5:20:11 AM:This is retard scam-bait. Hey Jawwad, stop wasting our time.BS Fakecrap wrote at 11/15/2016 9:55:26 PM:Bullshit, this does not work. Open it up and you will find a hose inside. Fake, fake and even more fake than "Waterseer"Shandor wrote at 11/11/2016 3:22:30 PM:I agree with the naysayers: 3D printing has not contributed anything new to this old concept. It's excellent to get water from the air, as every dehumidifier does, and South American engineering students integrated a larger AWG into a billboard sign along the highway some years ago. Passersby can get a drink at the base of the big sign. Now, if this fellow had used 3D printing to innovate some new flow channel design which reduced the electricity required to cool the air below its dew point, I'd be cheering him on!dave r wrote at 11/10/2016 2:20:30 PM:You should call the drought stricken city of Cape town in South Africa, you will sell thousandsAlex C wrote at 11/9/2016 10:36:55 PM:Indeed, this thing is essentially a 70W dehumidifier (probably using an extremely inefficient peltier element). I also doubt the performances. My home humidifier gathers a few liters on a very humid day, while using a much more efficient compressor and condenser, while using hundreds of watts.Don s wrote at 11/9/2016 5:12:06 PM:Of course evaporated water is ok for human consumption. You just have to keep the unit clean and free of any bio organisims. I.e. Chlorox.Gary Toothman wrote at 11/9/2016 2:55:31 AM:I hope the comments give you thoughts for improving a great concept. Grace and PeaceMr Magic wrote at 11/8/2016 6:24:41 PM:math does not work out. Fake as nuts on a cow.Yuri S wrote at 11/8/2016 6:22:32 PM:math does not work. fake as nuts on a cow.I.AM.Magic wrote at 11/8/2016 4:14:19 PM:Will not work-willy- wrote at 11/8/2016 2:56:26 PM:This is a great idea for campers and users of tiny homes. So many areas this would be useful. Hope this gentleman becomes a billionare on his designs.I.AM.Magic wrote at 11/8/2016 9:11:40 AM:I call BS on this. My 250 € dehumidifier (which this thing is) manages 4-5 liters in 24 h in a hot humid day. That works out at 0.2 l/h in the best conditions! and it is 350 W There have been many attempts on indiegogo and kickstarter for such devices, and they are all scampaigns.Hernan Crespo wrote at 11/7/2016 10:22:35 PM:sounds like a reverse engineered de-humidifier, getting water as byproduct of condensation...which is not apt for human consumption...so I would not drink a drop of this thing |
How well do you know yourself? Do you know what you’re like – alone or in a group – and what others think of you? Do you think you could predict what you would score on a personality test…do you think that your own description of your personality would match what a trained psychologist would observe?
According to a recent Perspectives on Psychological Science article by Erika Carlson, most people don’t know themselves that well…but if they wanted to find out, they might take up mindfulness. She reports two barriers to knowing ourselves, information and motivation, and argues that mindfulness can help with both.
Information is a bottleneck to knowing ourselves because we just can’t observe ourselves as well as we can observe others. I remember watching a friend acting in a play get feedback from a director about how often he shrugged his shoulders – which was something like every third sentence, and he had no idea until it was pointed out, because frankly most of us have better things to do than watch our shoulders. Thoughts are even harder to observe, because any time your thoughts are potentially interesting and revealing, you’re probably in conversation with someone else, and therefore busy paying attention to their thoughts, or at least their words and their body language.
The problem of information can be overcome because of mindfulness training’s well-documented cognitive benefits: with mindfulness we will be more likely to pay attention to our actions, shoulder shrugs and all, and also have the memory capacity to listen to someone else and recognize and store our own reactions to consider later.
Even if you’re able to pay attention to your own mind and actions, though, you might not want to, because of the second barrier, motivation. Honestly, it’s a little scary to look too closely: What if we don’t like what we find? (Answer: We’ll probably forget it, or lie to ourselves about it). Mindfulness training might help with this, too, because of “nonevaluative” emphasis, more commonly known as the pillar of non-judging. Mindfulness training emphasizes recognizing thoughts, good or bad, and putting them aside instead of reacting to them. In doing this, mindfulness practitioners might be more willing to look inside and encounter potentially negative aspects of ourselves, and then less likely to get emotional even if we find out something we don’t like.
The evidence supporting Carlson’s argument about the barriers and mindfulness’s ability to overcome them is indirect and often correlational, but it does present a compelling case for looking harder with some more carefully designed studies.
The trick, of course, is whether people actually want to know themselves better. Many fans of mindfulness might have no problem with this idea, even see all of this theorizing as obvious, because the possibility of knowing your own thoughts better – at least, say, what triggers you to crave a cigarette or snap at a colleague, so you could avoid those actions in future – attracted them to the practice to begin with. But not everyone necessarily wants to know themselves better; ignorance is bliss, a little knowledge can be a dangerous thing, and self-knowledge might just be why mindfulness can trigger a psychological disturbance.
One key question for future scientists, then, is whether mindfulness can have these self-knowledge benefits even for people who don’t necessarily think all that introspection is a good thing from the outset. A broader philosophical question those researchers might want to keep in mind is whether we should really be trying to get people to know themselves better. As a college professor I’m rarely a proponent of ignorance, and my first instinct it to propose a heavy dose of self-awareness for every first year college student out there…but I’d want to make sure the non-judging took a firm hold first. If we’re going to get to know ourselves that much better, we need to be prepared to like who we’re going to meet.
Carlson, E. (2013). Overcoming the Barriers to Self-Knowledge: Mindfulness as a Path to Seeing Yourself as You Really Are Perspectives on Psychological Science, 8 (2), 173-186 DOI: 10.1177/1745691612462584 |
Who says palindromes that begin with X aren’t common?
Photo By BSIP/UIG Via Getty Images
What would Don Draper make of Xalkori? Pfizer’s lung cancer drug, released in 2011, has a name that would make an old-school ad wizard scratch his Brylcreemed head.
It begins with one of the least commonly used letters of the alphabet. It’s impossible, at first glance, to know how to pronounce it correctly. It looks like it could be the name of one of the creatures from the Star Wars cantina.
In any other industry, calling your product Xalkori would be the business blunder of the century. But this isn’t any other industry; this is pharma.
“Xalkori is not just a crazy name,” says R. John Fidelino, who, as director of creative at the firm InterbrandHealth, helped bring the word into existence.
Interbrand is an international marketing consultancy responsible for some of the most strikingly odd words to enter the lexicon in recent years. In addition to Xalkori, Interbrand created Zelboraf, Yondelis, and Horizant. It also helped invent Prozac and Viagra—words that initially seemed bizarre but are now instantly recognizable.
Fidelino walked me through the thought process that leads him and colleagues to a name like Xalkori. Their objectives are twofold: First, Fidelino needs to come up with a name that can be trademarked. (It also helps if the name doesn’t have a negative connotation in any foreign languages.)
His second goal, both more important and more difficult, is to come up with a name that can win approval from the Food and Drug Administration and its counterpart the European Medicines Agency.
The FDA has veto power over the monikers attached to all brand-name prescription drugs sold in the United States. (Generic drug names, which are often even more bizarre than their brand-name counterparts, go through a different and much more complicated approval process.)
When considering a brand name for approval, FDA reviewers run tests to see how likely it is that a proposed name could be mistaken for an already existing drug with a similar-sounding or similar-looking name. They do handwriting tests to catch names that might look alike when scribbled out on a prescription pad. They also reject any names that could be seen as a boast about the drug’s power or efficacy, which is why you won’t see any drugs named Cholesterol Busters, or Angina-B-Gone. (Too bad. I’d love to see a commercial for that one.)
The development of a brand name can take up to five years, Fidelino says, and the FDA usually doesn’t issue its final ruling until 90 days before a drug is scheduled to go to market. “So if you got it wrong, you better have a backup,” he says. “It can be a very expensive process of throwing things at the wall if you don’t think strategically about it.”
When concocting the name for Xalkori, Fidelino and his team wanted something that conveyed how the drug works. It’s one of the first treatments for a rare form of lung cancer that affects nonsmokers, shrinking tumors by blocking a receptor on the ALK gene, which can cause cancer if it malfunctions.
“With Xalkori, we went straight to the science,” Fidelino says.
His team took the gene’s letters—ALK—and added an X in front to signify that this drug targets that gene. Because Xalkori is a specialty drug designed to treat a very rare, very grave disease—not the kind of drug you’d see an advertisement for on TV—Fidelino says it made sense to give it a science-focused name that probably only doctors and scientists would understand.
“When you start to think of it this way,” he says, Xalkori “is actually a language that is uniquely speaking to the physician community.”
“If a brand name is really good, it can do a lot of heavy lifting up front,” says William Leben, an emeritus professor of linguistics at Stanford. “It can arouse our curiosity, or make a long-awaited promise, or change our minds about things, or just make a spectacle of itself.”
Many of the names of drugs now on the market would seem, at first glance, to be aiming for that last category: Zosyn, Ziac, Qnasl, Xeljanz, Isentress, et al., ad infinitum.
Believe it or not, the recession might have something to do with the proliferation of these head-scratching brand names. During tough financial times, Fidelino says, many drug manufacturers skip human consultants and use computerized algorithmic name generators because they just want something that will get quick approval from the FDA and don’t care how ridiculous the name looks or sounds.
While this might make short-term sense, Leben says the companies using this strategy miss out on crafting a brand name that can retain value for the life of the drug, even after its patent expires. “Like one’s choice of words when introducing a friend, a brand name can communicate so much,” Leben says.
However, spending five years developing a highly communicative, aesthetically pleasing brand name is only going to become more challenging in the years to come. Because the FDA requires all drug names to look and sound unique, any time a new drug comes on the market it reduces the linguistic real estate available for the next drug. In this crowded field, turning to quick and easy computer-generated names becomes more and more tempting.
What worries some doctors and pharmacists is that while drug names are becoming more confusing and less intuitive, more drugs are falling through the FDA’s regulatory cracks.
Yes, that’s right: The FDA’s screening process is not perfect.
Even though the administration can strike fear in the hearts of pharmaceutical companies (and their stockholders), it occasionally lets slip some look-alike and sound-alike names. Think of Zantac and Xanax, Paxil and Plavix, Neulasta and Lunesta. Those three pairs are all on a list of medications that doctors and pharmacists have reported as being confused for one another. The list, compiled by the Institute for Safe Medication Practices, is eight pages long.
Medication confusion is nothing to scoff at. If cancer patients think they’re taking Neulasta to boost their immune system after chemotherapy, but they’re unwittingly taking the sleeping pill Lunesta instead, that can have serious consequences. According to my analysis of the FDA’s database of adverse drug events, there have been 174 incidents of drug name confusion since the beginning of 2009. Of these, 16 resulted in death and at least nine more caused life-threatening illnesses.
(The FDA wouldn’t grant me an interview for this story, but it did refer me to these white papers on its name approval process.)
Medication confusion is an especially acute hazard for physicians in certain drug-heavy fields. One day last year, Marc Garnick, an oncologist at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston who specializes in treating prostate cancer, was looking over the treatment options for castration-resistant metastatic prostate cancer, a highly advanced form of the disease. “It became just sort of uncanny to me that the trade names of so many of these drugs were so similar,” he says.
These are the five drugs approved at that time for people suffering from this form of cancer: Jevtana, Xgeva, Zytiga, Xtandi and Zometa.
“There’s this proclivity to begin drugs with either an X or a Z,” Garnick says, “and it’s somewhat confusing.”
Garnick was becoming frustrated with this trend, so he wrote a letter voicing his concerns to the New England Journal of Medicine, which published it earlier this year. The FDA responded several months later with its own letter, stating that all of the new prostate cancer drugs “underwent a thorough safety analysis” and that “a review of recently approved and pending proprietary names did not find a disproportionate number of names commencing with X or Z.”
Garnick was satisfied. After reading the FDA’s response, he was confident that the issue was on its radar and that the administration would take steps to make drug names less confusing.
Then, a few weeks later, Garnick saw that a new, sixth drug had been approved to treat castration-resistant metastatic prostate cancer.
Its name: Xofigo.
“The oncology field is proliferating with very exciting new drugs that need to be named and need to have distinguishing characteristics,” he says. “I don’t understand why five out of six begin with X or Z.”
Garnick is no Don Draper, but he thinks big pharma and the FDA need to up their branding game. |
Shane Doan called it a career on Wednesday and announced his retirement, reports 98.7 FM Arizona’s Sports Station’s John Gambadoro.
Doan spent 21 seasons in the NHL, all of which were spent with the Arizona Coyotes franchise.
The decision was reached despite Edmonton, Calgary, Nashville, Dallas and the New York Rangers showing interest in Doan as a free agent.
One team had even offered him a contract, but Doan told Gambadoro that he didn’t want to move his family and risk becoming a fourth-line player in an unfamiliar place.
Doan said he was at peace with his decision.
The long-time captain placed a “thank you” letter published in The Arizona Republic.
Doan closes the book on his career as the team’s all-time leader in games played (1,540), shots (3,945), goals (402), assists (570), points (972), power-play goals (128) and game-winning goals (69).
The long-time Coyotes captain will speak about his decision at 3 p.m. Wednesday when he joins 98.7 FM Arizona’s Sports Station for the Burns and Gambo show.
The decision comes months after he appeared to be leaning toward returning for another go-around.
As Doan considered playing in 2017-18, the Coyotes decided against offering him a new contract in mid-June, shocking their fans and but not necessarily Doan himself.
“I wasn’t necessarily shocked that they didn’t want me to play again,” Doan told Burns and Gambo days later on 98.7 FM Arizona’s Sports Station. “I understand the direction that they’re going.
“I don’t completely agree with a lot of the decisions that they’ve made, but at the same time it needs to be reaffirmed that I am a player and I think that was the biggest part of it.”
RELATED: 19 memorable moments in Shane Doan’s Coyotes career
Owner Anthony Barroway, who recently became majority owner, apologized for how he handled telling the face the of team a contract would not be negotiated for his return.
“Shane’s a bedrock of this community and a pillar of the Valley since we came here,” the owner said in a July press conference. “I think we made the right hockey decision with Shane, I’m confident we did, but in retrospect — I should have flown out and met with him myself and told him that.
“And for that, I’m sorry. I apologize to Shane and the fans. I definitely could have done that better.”
The Coyotes released a statement concerning Doan’s retirement Wednesday morning:
“On behalf of the entire Arizona Coyotes organization, our fans and our corporate partners, we would like to thank Shane for everything that he’s done for our franchise over the past 21 years. Shane had an incredible career on the ice and we are very proud of everything that he accomplished in a Coyotes uniform. He will be remembered as one of the greatest captains in NHL history. Off the ice, Shane was a great ambassador for growing the game of hockey in Arizona and his contributions to the community are immeasurable. Shane will be a Coyote for life. Thank you Captain!”
The team’s official Twitter account also put out the following:
You believed in us when no one else believed.
And for that, we’ll be forever grateful. Simply put, thank you for being you, Shane Doan. pic.twitter.com/X1xrE28zDl — Arizona Coyotes (@ArizonaCoyotes) August 30, 2017
Editor’s Note: Shane Doan will speak about his decision at 3 p.m. Wednesday when he joins 98.7 FM Arizona’s Sports Station for the Burns and Gambo show. That interview can also be heard online or the 98.7 FM app.
Follow @AZSports |
Share. Don't panic we might be heading back to Funkotron. Don't panic we might be heading back to Funkotron.
SEGA Mega Drive cult classic ToeJam & Earl (1991) and its sequel ToeJam & Earl in Panic on Funkotron (1993) could be coming to PlayStation 3.
According to a report on Siliconera, the games will be released as part of a forthcoming SEGA Vintage Collection.
This would be in keeping with SEGA's recent drive to re-release its back catalogue in HD. Recently, the publisher announced that Sonic Adventure 2 HD and NiGHTS Into Dreams will be coming to Xbox Live Arcade and PSN later in the year.
If you've never played ToeJam & Earl read IGN's twentieth anniversary retrospective of this much-loved game.
Daniel is IGN's UK Games Writer. You can be part of the world's worst cult by following him on IGN and Twitter. |
Inspiring From The Back
You will inspire others to action. People respect effort. For a senior player, there is nothing more inspiring than seeing a rookie putting it all on the line, at training or at a workout. If you are sick of your team sucking, or weary of the senior players on your team lazily setting the pace, then set your own pace. Inspire them with your effort. Social media has made it so easy to share training programs. Start a Facebook group with your team and share your workouts, or sign everyone up to a Snapchat group and snap every time you’re in the gym or on the track. Don’t be afraid to tell your team that you’re putting in the work. There may be some initial resistance from your less motivated team mates, but their taunts will quickly fade when you start towelling them up on the field. So don’t wait for your team or the senior players on it to pull you up with them. That may very well happen in time, but if you want the results now, if you and your team want to see more success on the field, then set your own agenda and inspire from the bottom.
Sometimes we forget that it's not just the leaders job to inspire the team.
If you're already a leader for your team or club, this article is not for you. I’m here to talk to the back end the roster, the last five people selected on a team, the injured team mate.
Never underestimate your ability to inspire from behind.
It can be easy, when you feel like you’re at the lower-end of a team, to wait, watch and draw inspiration from players that are better or more senior than you. I think we forget sometimes that those above us, leading the charge, also need inspiration.
We’re lucky to be at a stage in Ultimate where, if you are driven to train harder (and smarter) than those around you, you will start to see success. Part of the charm of our sport is that success is not restricted only to the extremely athletically gifted; there are still roster spots on teams for the ‘hard workers’ out there.
With this in mind, if you choose to flick that mental switch, if you choose to train harder/smarter than anyone else on your team or even just harder than anyone expects of you, then two things will happen:
You will improve, quickly.
If you asked all the top players in Ultimate right now, for an approximate date of when they ‘decided’ to put in the required effort and become a ‘good player’, they could tell you. This might be six months ago or it could be a decade ago, but most high profile players have, at one point or another, said “Fuck it, I’m better than this”. They’ve signed up to a gym, pushed themselves on the track and started to throwing more frequently and with more focus than their teammates. If you make this decision, to train harder than anyone else, you will very quickly surpass all those around you. |
Federal agents have launched a criminal investigation of instructors who claim they can teach job applicants how to pass lie detector tests as part of the Obama administration’s unprecedented crackdown on security violators and leakers.
The criminal inquiry, which hasn’t been acknowledged publicly, is aimed at discouraging criminals and spies from infiltrating the U.S. government by using the polygraph-beating techniques, which are said to include controlled breathing, muscle tensing, tongue biting and mental arithmetic.
So far, authorities have targeted at least two instructors, one of whom has pleaded guilty to federal charges, several people familiar with the investigation told McClatchy. Investigators confiscated business records from the two men, which included the names of as many as 5,000 people who’d sought polygraph-beating advice. U.S. agencies have determined that at least 20 of them applied for government and federal contracting jobs, and at least half of that group was hired, including by the National Security Agency.
By attempting to prosecute the instructors, federal officials are adopting a controversial legal stance that sharing such information should be treated as a crime and isn’t protected under the First Amendment in some circumstances.
“Nothing like this has been done before,” John Schwartz, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection official, said of the legal approach in a June speech to a professional polygraphers’ conference in Charlotte, N.C., that a McClatchy reporter attended. “Most certainly our nation’s security will be enhanced.”
“There are a lot of bad people out there. . . . This will help us remove some of those pests from society,” he added.
The undercover stings are being cited as the latest examples of the Obama administration’s emphasis on rooting out “insider threats,” a catchall phrase meant to describe employees who might become spies, leak to the news media, commit crimes or become corrupted in some way.
The federal government previously treated such instructors only as nuisances, partly because the polygraph-beating techniques are unproven. Instructors have openly advertised and discussed their techniques online, in books and on national television. As many as 30 people or businesses across the country claim in Web advertisements that they can teach someone how to beat a polygraph test, according to U.S. government estimates.
In the last year, authorities have launched stings targeting Doug Williams, a former Oklahoma City police polygrapher, and Chad Dixon, an Indiana man who’s said to have been inspired by Williams’ book on the techniques, people who are familiar with the investigation told McClatchy. Dixon has pleaded guilty to federal charges of obstructing an agency proceeding and wire fraud. Prosecutors have indicated that they plan to ask a federal judge to sentence Dixon to two years in prison. Williams declined to comment other than to say he’s done nothing wrong.
While legal experts agree that authorities could pursue the prosecution, some accused the government of overreaching in the name of national security.
The federal government polygraphs about 70,000 people a year for security clearances and jobs, but most courts won’t allow polygraph results to be submitted as evidence, citing the machines’ unreliability. Scientists question whether polygraphers can identify liars by interpreting measurements of blood pressure, sweat activity and respiration. Researchers say the polygraph-beating techniques can’t be detected with certainty, either.
Citing the scientific skepticism, one attorney compared the prosecution of polygraph instructors to indicting someone for practicing voodoo.
“If someone stabs a voodoo doll in the heart with a pin and the victim they intended to kill drops dead of a heart attack, are they guilty of murder?” asked Gene Iredale, a California attorney who often represents federal defendants. “What if the person who dropped dead believed in voodoo?
“These are the types of questions that are generally debated in law school, not inside a courtroom. The real question should be: Does the federal government want to use its resources to pursue this kind of case? I would argue it does not.”
In his speech in June, Customs official Schwartz acknowledged that teaching the techniques _ known in polygraph circles as “countermeasures” _ isn’t always illegal and might be protected under the First Amendment in some situations.
“I’m teaching about countermeasures right now. The polygraph schools are supposed to be teaching about countermeasures,” he said. “So teaching about countermeasures in and of itself certainly is not only not illegal, it’s protected. You have a right to free speech in this country.”
But instructors may be prosecuted if they know that the people they’re teaching plan to lie about crimes during federal polygraphs, he said.
In that scenario, prosecutors may pursue charges of false statements, wire fraud, obstructing an agency proceeding and “misprision of felony,” which is defined as having knowledge of serious criminal conduct and attempting to conceal it.
“When that conspiracy occurs, both parties are guilty,” said Schwartz, a veteran federal polygrapher who heads Customs’ polygraph program. “And it makes more sense to me to try to investigate the party that’s doing the training because when you do that, you eliminate dozens or hundreds or thousands of people . . . from getting that training.”
Schwartz, who was involved in the federal investigation, cited the risk of drug traffickers infiltrating his agency as justification for prosecutors going after instructors. However, he told the crowd of law enforcement officials from across the country that he wasn’t discussing a specific case but a “blueprint” of how state and local officials might pursue a prosecution.
Urging them to join forces with his agency, he declared in a more than two-hour speech that “evil will always seek ways to hide the truth.”
“When you identify insider threats and you eliminate insider threats, then that agency is more efficient and more effective,” Schwartz said.
The Obama administration’s Insider Threat Program is intended to deter what the government condemns as betrayals by “trusted insiders” such as Edward Snowden, the former National Security Agency contractor who revealed the agency’s secret communications data-collection programs. The administration launched the Insider Threat Program in 2011 after Army Pfc. Bradley Manning downloaded hundreds of thousands of documents from a classified computer network and sent them to WikiLeaks, the anti-government secrecy group.
As part of the program, employees are being urged to report their co-workers for a wide range of “risky” behaviors, personality traits and attitudes, McClatchy reported in June. Broad definitions of insider threats also give agencies latitude to pursue and penalize a range of conduct other than leaking classified information, McClatchy found.
Customs, which polygraphs about 10,000 applicants a year, has documented more than 200 polygraph confessions of wrongdoing since Congress mandated that the agency’s applicants undergo testing more than two years ago. Many of the applicants who confessed said they either were directly involved in drug or immigrant smuggling or were closely associated with traffickers.
Ten Customs applicants were accused of trying to use countermeasures to pass their polygraphs. All were denied jobs as part of Customs’ crackdown on the methods, dubbed “Operation Lie Busters.”
“Others involved in the conspiracy were successful infiltrators in other agencies,” Customs said in a memo about the investigation.
Documents in Dixon’s case are filed under seal in federal court, and prosecutors didn’t return calls seeking comment.
Several people familiar with the investigation said Dixon and Williams had agreed to meet with undercover agents and teach them how to pass polygraph tests for a fee. The agents then posed as people connected to a drug trafficker and as a correctional officer who’d smuggled drugs into a jail and had received a sexual favor from an underage girl.
Dixon wouldn’t say how much he was paid, but people familiar with countermeasures training said others generally charged $1,000 for a one-on-one session.
Dixon, 34, also declined to provide specifics on his guilty plea but he said he’d become an instructor because he couldn’t find work as an electrical contractor. During the investigation, his house went into foreclosure.
“My wife and I are terrified,” he said. “I stumbled into this. I’m a Little League coach in Indiana. I don’t have any law enforcement background.”
Prosecutors plan to ask for prison time even though Dixon has agreed to cooperate, has no criminal record and has four young children. The maximum sentence for the two charges is 25 years in prison.
“The emotional and financial burden has been staggering,” Dixon said. “Never in my wildest dreams did I somehow imagine I was committing a crime.”
Williams, 67, has openly advertised his teachings for three decades, even discussing them in detail on “60 Minutes” and other national news programs. A self-professed “crusader” who’s railed against the use of polygraph testing, he testified in congressional hearings that led to the 1988 banning of polygraph testing by most private employers.
Some opponents of polygraph testing, including a Wisconsin police chief, said they were concerned that the federal government also might be secretly investigating them, not for helping criminals to lie but for being critical of the government’s polygraph programs. In his speech to the American Association of Police Polygraphists, Schwartz said he thought that those who “protest the loudest and the longest” against polygraph testing “are the ones that I believe we need to focus our attention on.”
McClatchy contacted Schwartz about his speech, but he refused to comment.
Some federal officials questioned whether people who taught countermeasures should be prosecuted.
Although polygraphers, who are known as examiners, are trained to identify people who are using the techniques with special equipment, “there’s absolutely nothing that’s codified about countermeasures,” said one federal security official with polygraph expertise, who asked not to be named for fear of being retaliated against. “It’s the most ambiguous thing that people can debate. If you have a guy who’s nervous about his test, the easiest way out of it for the examiner is to say it’s countermeasures, when it’s not.”
The security official described Williams as a “gadfly” who’s known for teaching ineffective methods. Polygraphers assert that one of Williams’ signature techniques produces erratic respiration patterns on a polygraph test. Demonstrating their disdain for his methods, many polygraphers call the pattern the “Bart Simpson.”
“Prosecutors are trying to make an example of him,” the official said. “It serves to elevate polygraph to something it hasn’t been before, that teaching countermeasures is akin to teaching bomb making, and that there’s something inherently disloyal about disseminating this type of information.”
Federal authorities, meanwhile, have concluded that some of the applicants who sought advice on countermeasures and were hired didn’t use the training after all. The list of people who sought out Dixon and Williams mostly comprises people who bought books or videos but didn’t hire the men for one-on-one training.
Charles Honts, a psychology professor at Boise State University, said laboratory studies he’d conducted showed that countermeasures could be taught in one-on-one sessions to about 25 percent of the people who were tested. Polygraphers have no reliable way to detect someone who’s using the techniques, he said. In fact, he concluded that a significant number of people are wrongfully accused.
Honts, a former government polygraph researcher, attributed the criminal investigation to “a growing institutional paranoia in the federal government because they can’t control all their secrets.”
Russell Ehlers, a police chief in Wisconsin, said he wouldn’t be surprised if federal authorities had scrutinized him. Schwartz cited an unnamed police chief in the Midwest who was “advertising on the Internet that he would like to teach people to pass the polygraph” as an example of someone who should be investigated. In the last several months, Ehlers said, he’s noticed what appears to be Internet visitors from the Justice Department checking out his website that advises applicants on how to get a job at a police department.
In his off-duty hours, Ehlers sold a video that discussed countermeasures, but he said he’d recently stopped selling it as a precaution after hearing about the criminal investigation. He said he’d intended it to help “good” police officer candidates pass the test because he thought that innocent people were routinely accused of lying during polygraph tests.
“Imagine you’re a 25-year-old who has dreamed of serving in the field of law enforcement,” he said. “You finally make it, only to find yourself booted out of the hiring process, the result of a false-positive exam result. In my opinion, that’s a real problem, not the sharing of information on countermeasures.”
George Maschke, a former Army Reserve intelligence officer who’s a translator and runs a website that’s critical of polygraph testing, said he also suspected he’d been targeted although he’d done nothing illegal.
In May, the translator received an unsolicited email in Persian from someone purporting to be “a member of an Islamic group that seeks to restore freedom to Iraq.”
“Because the federal police are suspicious of me, they want to do a lie detector test on me,” the email read.
The emailer asked for a copy of Maschke’s book, which describes countermeasures, and for Maschke to help “in any other way.”
Maschke said he suspected the email was a ruse by federal agents. He advised the person “to comply with applicable laws,” according to an email he showed McClatchy.
Although federal authorities haven’t contacted him, Maschke said he worried that visitors to his site, AntiPolygraph.org, would be targeted simply for looking for information about polygraph testing.
"The criminalization of the imparting of information sets a pernicious precedent,” he said. “It is fundamentally wrong, and bad public policy, for the government to resort to entrapment to silence speech that it does not approve of."
Tish Wells contributed to this article. |
It’s a literal road to nowhere. Stretching out from a roundabout outside the Robin Hood Airport in Doncaster, a small village in Northern England, it’s a wholly unremarkable stretch of slowly cracking pavement, bushes, and weeds, an idle strip of asphalt near long-term parking and a bland business park.
For 35-year-old runner Simon Wheatcroft, however, this stretch of unused roadway may as well be his gym, training center, and proving grounds, his own private version of the 72 stone steps that make up a Rocky montage. Wheatcroft knows every inch of this one-third-mile strip of asphalt — from the contours of the roadway to the feeling of its double yellow lines of paint under his sneakers. Despite the mind-numbing bore of jogging such a short length in endless loops, Wheatcroft had to memorize it. He’s blind.
Imagine getting up from your desk or couch, closing your eyes, and walking to the other end of the room, or perhaps crossing the street in midday traffic. Most people wouldn’t have the audacity to do that without guidance or aid. Meanwhile, Wheatcroft has run the New York and Boston marathons, covered 100 miles in the Sahara Desert, and — perhaps most impressive — sprinted solo alongside the curving roads and streets of his small corner of rural England, sometimes alongside oncoming traffic, all without the benefit of actually seeing where he was going. Instead, he used the twin yellow lines on the side of the road, feeling them through his sneakers, to avoid stepping into the road. (Cars usually make it a point to avoid hitting people, he says, and honestly, they hate cyclists more.)
Wheatcroft knows every inch of this one-third-mile strip of asphalt
For the last few months, Wheatcroft has been training along these roads with renewed intensity. Though he’s finished countless races and even ultramarathons, he’s now focused on the New York Marathon, the premier event of its kind. He’s completed the race twice before, but this year carries another challenge. Thanks to the technology of a Brooklyn-based startup called WearWorks, and their prototype wearable navigation device, Wheatcroft aims to be the first blind runner to cover the course unaided and unassisted.
When it comes to technology developed for the visually impaired, “the biggest thing is accessibility and affordability,” says Wheatcroft. “How do we make visually impaired people more mobile? If these technologies exist, eventually they trickle down to people, and everybody uses them.”
The New York Marathon represents an edge case, a stress test, an extreme. Wheatcroft believes that by finding a way to navigate the route amid thousands of runners, he can help test technology that could assist the quarter of a billion people around the world today who are blind or suffer from vision impairment. Many of the visually impaired don’t have a job — 70–80 percent in the US are unemployed — and suffer varying degrees of mobility and navigational challenges.
“It upsets me that so many blind people don't work, and a lot of that is due to mobility,” he says. “We should be at a point where we should be able to solve these things. I want to make better technology for the community as a whole.”
Walking through Doncaster with Wheatcroft, on the route where he takes his sons, Grayson and Franklin, to school, it’s difficult to tell he’s visually impaired. Even when he’s out walking with his guide dog, Ascot, Wheatcroft’s mental map of the surrounding roadways is so acute that he often gives precise directions to people too dependent on their smartphones to find their way without one.
“People would see me running and ask what I was doing, and eventually, I’d end up telling them where to go,” he says. “‘To your left, there’s a building, about 0.9 miles down the road, then you can turn right.’”
Wheatcroft often looks people in the eye when he talks, a force of habit from when he could see. He started losing his vision at 17 due to a degenerative eye disease called retinitis pigmentosa, a genetic condition that also blinded his uncle. (Only 1 percent of Americans who are blind are blind from birth.) At this point, Wheatcroft can only vaguely make out changes in light, or what he calls the “fog of dull color.” (He could tell when I stood in front of him and blocked the afternoon sun.)
“When I was young, I thought, ‘Oh, this’ll never really happen,’” he says of going fully blind. “I was always a little bit concerned about the things that I'd miss out on, like I wouldn’t be able to see my kids. That used to plague me. But at the same time, I thought medical science might solve the problem.”
Wheatcroft grew up near Doncaster and dreamed of being a fighter jet pilot, but his diagnosis ended that dream. During high school, he rarely talked about his situation. After graduating, he went to college in Sheffield, where he received an undergraduate degree in psychology. He milled around a bit, and eventually worked at a friend’s video game store for a few years before finding a job in IT. At 26, his vision rapidly deteriorated. The shift initially devastated him; he says his situation became “depressing as hell.” Without work, he felt like he had lost purpose. Over time, Wheatcroft found ways to acclimate to his condition — he recalls memorizing the route between local pubs — all part of what he says was a constant adjustment.
Wheatcroft came back to the UK struggling with what had happened in Yosemite
But during a three-week vacation traveling across the United States in 2009, Wheatcroft was reminded of his limits. He had planned to propose to his girlfriend Sian at the summit of Half Dome in Yosemite, California, a romantic vista accessible via an arduous hike. But Wheatcroft had trouble navigating the ascent, and as they crossed the tree line, Wheatcroft, with a ring in his pocket, became exhausted. The loose ground and steep incline were proving difficult. Light rain started falling, making the route even more treacherous. Sian asked him to stop and rest, and when he sat down at the halfway point, he realized he had to turn back. In the end, Wheatcroft proposed to Sian at the base of the mountain during a snack break. A few weeks later, still crisscrossing the US, they wed in Las Vegas.
Wheatcroft came back to the UK struggling with what had happened in Yosemite. He decided to take a “voluntary redundancy” and quit working. His failure to propose at the summit ate at him for weeks, then months. What if he kept giving up on his aspirations because he was blind?
It was then time that Wheatcroft picked up a book given to him by an old university teacher: Ultramarathon Man by Dean Karnazes, a famed ultramarathon runner. Wheatcroft, who wasn’t very involved in sports as a teenager, thought that if Karnazes could endure long distances, and find significance and self-confidence in running, maybe he could, too. The idea marinated in his head for a few months. Maybe running could be his way to overcome obstacles, like the one that had forced him down the mountain.
In 2010, Wheatcroft started practicing in what he thought was a safe space: a soccer field in the back of an elementary school in Doncaster. He had done some weight lifting and CrossFit in high school and into his 20s, but this was different. Wheatcroft barely had the money to afford serious training: he ate candy bars from the corner store as a cheap source of calories, and wrote to Brooks running shoes, explaining his cash-strapped situation, and got a free pair of shoes in the mail. Sprinting between posts in endless loops, he’d feel out the paint on the grass to help himself navigate, but it was far from foolproof. Occasionally he’d run into a dog walker, a post, or someone who just assumed he could see and swerve around them. Eventually he moved to the empty airport road and, after gaining confidence, ventured out onto surrounding streets and roadways.
“Had I not lived here, I don't think I'd have even been able to start training,” he says. “Right location right time, more than anything.”
In 2011, inspired by Karnazes and feeling confident after six months of training, Wheatcroft attempted his first ultramarathon: a 100-mile race in the Cotswolds, a rural area of rolling hills in South-Central England. At mile 83, he was dragged off the race when he could no longer stand. But he didn’t stop running.
Over the next six years, he would go on to finish numerous marathons and ultramarathons: he ran the Boston Marathon in 2016 (which he finished in four hours and 45 minutes), the New York Marathon twice (in 2014, he finished in five hours and 14 minutes), and even ran the 220-mile route from New York to Boston over the course of nine days in 2014.
For most of these races, Wheatcroft ran with a guide, his friend Neil Bacon, who’s been running with him for four years. But increasingly, he’s been turning to technology to wean himself off of human guides. He attempted the Four Deserts Marathon in Namibia last May — a 155-mile-long, multi-day race through scorching, shade-free desert where temperatures climbed to 104 degrees Fahrenheit — using corrective navigation technology he helped develop with IBM engineers. The device used a series of audio cues to keep him on track; beeps would steer him and keep him within a virtual corridor mapped out by the program. They named the device “eAscot” after Wheatcroft’s dog.
Wheatcroft ran without Bacon trailing him; he hit an unmapped flagpole 10 miles in
Wheatcroft says the device functioned well as a proof of concept for corrective navigation, but it was a rush job and had too many functional constraints. The navigational corridor wasn’t tight enough, and the device assumed that the desert would be free of obstacles. On day two, Wheatcroft ran without Bacon trailing him; he hit an unmapped flagpole 10 miles in.
Competitive running is a notoriously injury-prone pastime, even for those with full sight. Long-distance runners face twisted ankles, runner’s knee, and shin splints. Wheatcroft says the most significant issues he and other blind runners face is drifting from their paths. He’s clipped countless lampposts and traffic lights during training, and tripped over ditches, piles of dirt, and even garbage left on the road. A few years ago, Wheatcroft was running down a roadway near his home when he unknowingly came upon a battered car, abandoned on the shoulder the day before. Wheatcroft hit the damaged vehicle running at full speed, cutting his shins. Disoriented, he tried to right himself and in the process cut his arms. He got up, dazed, covered in what he thought was sweat. When he realized it was blood, he panicked, unable to see himself, identify his injuries, or find landmarks that could help someone locate him. He located his phone amid the wreckage and called his wife, frantically telling her to come find him. Luckily, she was able to locate him by driving up and down his normal route.
“If I’d have smashed my phone,” Wheatcroft says, “I would have been fucked.”
Wheatcroft’s running career coincided with an advance that made his life as a blind person better: the 2009 release of Apple’s iPhone 3GS, the first smartphone with a built-in screen reader, VoiceOver.
“It was night and day,” he says. “It wasn’t just about training. Now I could read newspapers. I could cue up a song on Spotify. I can do it now, thanks to that phone.”
More important for Wheatcroft is the issue of mobility. Despite a massive market, one that’s forecast to grow as baby boomers age, there has been no truly affordable or readily attainable breakthrough navigation technology for the visually impaired. Meanwhile, the established everyday aids are imperfect: canes require environmental cues to work, and can’t provide directions to the store; guide dogs can master an area or a series of tasks, but can’t immediately learn a new neighborhood, or help navigate through an unfamiliar city.
“The basic skills we need to navigate aren’t the challenge,” says Karl Bélanger, a technology expert at the National Federation for the Blind. Canes and guide dogs work, he says, for general, day-to-day navigation. But it’s important to have supplements to basic mobility, especially in specialized circumstances.
“That’s why the dog and cane still reign supreme.”
Some new technologies have offered steps forward: Google Glass, in conjunction with a subscription service called Aira, can “see” for the blind. Aira give the visually impaired immediate access to a remote, sighted assistant who can tell them what’s in their field of vision. (Erich Manser used Aira to run the Boston Marathon earlier this year.) It’s incredible technology, but it’s also expensive — the unlimited plan for Aira costs $329 a month — which may explain why Aira has less than a thousand subscribers. Other programs and devices, such as Microsoft’s Seeing Eye, tap phone cameras and visual recognition software to help navigate certain scenarios, but they don’t offer wider navigation cues. Not to mention, with constant need for power and a Wi-Fi connection, they’re limiting.
“That’s why the dog and cane still reign supreme,” says Wheatcroft. “The only input a dog needs is food.”
The first technology Wheatcroft experimented with was a relatively basic app called Runkeeper, which simply told him how far he had gone with regular audio reminders. Those reminders helped jog his memory and maintain focus, as well as create detailed mental maps of his surroundings.
“It was just a data point, but that data point was like a comfort blanket,” he says. “That voice helped tell me what to do, and that almost becomes your internal voice. If I didn’t have that technology, I wouldn’t have had the extra confidence to go out.”
Now, Wheatcroft trains with Runkeeper and uses a treadmill at home; it’s a Nordic model that’s hooked up to a program called iFit to run preprogramed routes, practice pacing, and get used to inclines and markers on his upcoming routes.
During races and long runs, Wheatcroft, like many other blind runners, relies on a much more low-tech way of getting around: human guides. Professional blind runners rely on volunteers and practice partners who are literally tethered to them by ropes in order to help them avoid hitting anything or anyone on the course. It’s both a liberating, and limiting, factor.
“When you ask people why they run, it’s normally about freedom and independence, to go out and push yourself,” Wheatcroft says. “But you can only push yourself as much as the person you’re connected to.”
“But you can only push yourself as much as the person you’re connected to.”
New Yorker Charles-Edouard Catherine, also a blind runner, is a member of Achilles International, an organization that helps pair volunteers and athletes with a variety of disabilities, including vision impairment, autism, and amputations. With chapters in more than 60 countries, the group fields a large team at marathons and other running events; at the New York Marathon, the group can field over 300 athletes with nearly 700 accompanying guides. (Many racers have multiple guide runners.) Catherine, who also has retinitis pigmentosa, says his first time running with Achilles in 2012 was life-changing.
“When you become blind, you get in a phase of denial where you do not want to accept the new condition you're in, the new requirements that it implies. You don't like to ask for help. I didn't know what to do,” he says. “It was awkward. But I paired up with people depending on speed and level, and right away, it felt like a new community.”
Catherine started running regularly with Achilles, and he quickly realized the advantages and limits of running with a guide. He felt camaraderie with fellow runners, who would share the experience of a long race with him, and having someone with him to warn other runners and pedestrians to get out of the way felt like having a presidential escort. But the more Catherine trained, the more dependent he felt.
“I always need someone,” he says. “And that's limiting. In New York in February, if it's snowing and frozen, and you want to do hill repeats, you're not going to find lots of volunteers.”
Most of the technology Wheatcroft has used to date relies on audio cues. But audio is a constricting form of communication. Imagine a Siri or Alexa-like interface describing every single object in your field of vision. Consider the cognitive overload that it would create on an already loud street crowded with obstacles.
“When I’m walking down the street to my house, hearing that there’s a bush or a lamppost doesn’t really help me,” Wheatcroft says. “Just help me avoid it.”
That’s why Wheatcroft has become increasingly focused on the sense of touch. Haptic technology, Wheatcroft believes, can steer a visually impaired person without overloading their senses. A haptic device could be called up by a voice command to access existing GPS data for directions, then “steer” someone via gentle taps on their skin. (The system could be combined with additional sensor systems, or even a service animal or cane, to help avoid obstacles, grade changes, and immediate impediments.)
Earlier this year, Wheatcroft went searching for a company working on a haptic solution. That’s how he came across WearWorks.
Co-founded by a trio of graduate students at New York’s Pratt Institute, WearWorks traces its origins, at least in part, to visions of a kung fu suit and an “iTunes for movement.”
Keith Kirkland, a dreadlocked designer and engineer born in Camden, New Jersey, knew his way around clothing. A graduate of the Fashion Institute and Technology, a freelancer for Calvin Klein, and a one-time handbag engineer for Coach (“every bag has to be stress-tested to hold 150 pounds,” he says), Kirkland was inspired to explore haptic design while working on 3D modeling. An ex-girlfriend saw him hunched over a computer from across the room, noticed his poor posture, then walked over and shifted his shoulders.
“What if you could read my body posture and compare it to what’s right, all without being there?” he remembers thinking at the time. “What does it look like to have movement fully digitized?”
“What does it look like to have movement fully digitized?”
He spent months trying to fashion a crude prototype, which was the foundation for his thesis at Pratt. Imagine Neo uploading his martial arts mastery into The Matrix as a file. The end result was a crude punching meter, a sleeve that would measure the strength of a strike. The project fell apart due to the difficulty of connecting wires and motors to the elastic sleeve, but it got Kirkland thinking about haptics and feedback: how can we communicate movement instruction via touch?
Kirkland partnered with two classmates, Yangyang Wang, and Kevin Yoo, a sculptor and painter turned industrial designer who had worked with Wang for a 2015 competition called America’s Greatest Makers for Intel. The million-dollar contest, focused on wearable technology, was a perfect place to pool their design skills to work on designing a better haptic interface.
The team’s original idea was to create a general market notification device, but then Yoo remembered the story of Marcus Engel, a famous blind author and consultant, who Yoo once heard speak. (Engel would later become a friend and adviser for the group.) The team began discussing how they could create a device that could help the visually impaired navigate, “offloading” the communication of directions from verbal to tactile.
WearWorks’ early Wayband prototype didn’t win at the Intel competition, but a few weeks later, it did help them become fellows at the Next Top Makers incubator, an event sponsored by the New York Business Development Corporation. The recognition helped the team take the device to SXSW last year, and landed them a spot in the Urban-X incubator in Brooklyn’s Greenpoint neighborhood, where they recently finished a year-long residency. That’s where Wheatcroft came upon the group, and began working with them to develop and refine the technology.
“What they’ve understood is that it’s not about the maps. It’s about how you communicate with a person,” says Wheatcroft. “With verbal systems, you need to lose one of your senses for directions; hearing becomes dedicated to navigation. By using touch, which isn’t often used, you still leave audio free.”
The core technology behind the Wayband is relatively simple: users pair the Wayband with their phone, and it utilizes GPS to create and map a route. The path is surrounded by virtual “fencing,” and any time a user steps in the wrong direction, or approaches a mapped object or obstacle, the band buzzes in a sort of Morse code. (Four quick taps on the bracelet signal a turn left, for example, while two long taps signal a right turn.) It’s corrective navigation. Testing out an early version of the device at the Urban-X accelerator earlier this summer, I found myself slowly spinning in circles, eventually righting myself after getting the hang of the haptic cues. Kirkland compares it to creating an alphabet and vocabulary from scratch.
“Keep it functional and simple,” says Yoo. “We actually went to the National Federation for the Blind, and they told us high-tech canes and proximity sensors are great, but what really would help us is wayfinding.”
Instead of reinventing navigation, or relying on new computer models, the device simply creates a more easy-to-understand, universal system of directions, which connects to a GPS mapping system. The team is quick to note this doesn’t entirely solve the problem of navigation; though the Wayband can steer a blind person to the Post Office, it can’t help them avoid a pothole or cross a street. For that, Wheatcroft will be partnering the Wayband with an ultrasonic device the team devised to help with micro-scale navigation. Called the Tortoise, the green plastic device, roughly measuring two inches square and strapped to Wheatcroft’s chest, broadcasts and receives ultrasonic vibrations. (The antennae looks like the small bump of a camera on a smartphone.) The Tortoise’s constant, low-level vibration will speed up when the reflected waves indicate another runner or object is close.
Catherine, who became one of a number of blind consultants for the WearWorks team after they reached out to him, loves the concept behind the technology.
“You have this bittersweet feeling. Why haven’t we figured this out five years ago?” he says. “I think this technology has been there for a long time.”
“You have this bittersweet feeling. Why haven’t we figured this out five years ago?”
Throughout the last year, WearWorks and Wheatcroft have refined the technology. He tested an early prototype in April, and it was impressive enough that he was almost ready to use it for the actual race. During a visit to New York City in September, Wheatcroft briefly ran around Central Park with the updated device.
Wheatcroft loves the Wayband system because it’s what he calls a “safe sandbox.” Instead of running within a wide digital corridor between 10–50 meters wide (the system he developed with IBM), WearWorks’ Wayband works within a 2.5-meter corridor, which offers more accuracy and safety, especially in a race environment.
For the marathon, he’ll wear a larger armband-sized version of the device in addition to the Tortoise. Neil Bacon, Wheatcroft’s longtime guide runner, will be at the race as a precaution, but won’t be helping Wheatcroft along on this record-breaking attempt.
“My main concern is running into somebody,” Wheatcroft says. “If this is their first marathon, and they’ve been training for years, I don’t want to be the bloody idiot who runs into them and takes them out.”
After the race, WearWorks plans to begin selling early versions of the Wayband, including an armband-sized version for athletes, similar to what Wheatcroft will be wearing, starting at $300.
Catherine says the potential independence this device promises would be like going from a child to an adult, a graduation. It would be a different race. But he knows exactly what he’d like to do first.
“I would really love to guide someone else,” he says. “I would like to be on the other side.”
Wheatcroft’s bet on a haptic, rather than audio, navigation system was a smart one: the New York Marathon engulfs runners in noise.
Started in 1970 as a race that took place entirely within Central Park and had roughly 100 spectators, the New York City Marathon has become the largest and most important race of its kind. Last year, a record-setting 51,394 runners, representing every state in the US and 124 countries completed a course that winds through each of New York City’s five boroughs. More than a million cheering and screaming fans, along with bands, DJs, and announcers, line the 26.2-mile course.
This year’s race took place on Sunday, November 5th. At 7AM, runners started to gather in corrals on Staten Island. They were itchy with nervous energy, ready to shed blankets and jackets, and — after long mornings of commuting on boats, buses, and trains to the edge of Staten Island — eager to just run.
Wheatcroft’s day started at 5AM with coffee, oatmeal, and so many press calls to UK media that he didn’t even have time to talk to his family. By 9:15, he was at the starting line, part of group of athletes with disabilities that include other blind runners (and guides from Achilles International) as well as those using handcycles.
They were itchy with nervous energy, ready to shed blankets and jackets
The 24 hours before the marathon were full of last-minute preparations. Wheatcroft and the WearWorks team ran final trials in Central Park on the eve of the race, and discovered that the ultrasonic sensor wasn’t sensing objects in Wheatcroft’s vicinity. That night, the WearWorks team huddled at a Thai restaurant in Manhattan to hack together a solution, and Yoo fabricated a new module overnight. Yoo, who was going to run with Wheatcroft to observe the Wayband and Tortoise in action, made last-minute adjustments to the devices.
Press swarmed over Wheatcroft with questions and photographers snapped photos. New York Times reporter Jeré Longman was there, and would shadow Wheatcroft for the first few miles. Runners in front of Wheatcroft started asking members of the entourage if they should know who he was.
Minutes before the start, a stoic Wheatcroft, more serious and slightly more rigid than he was back in England, slipped out of his black tracksuit. At 9:57, as a slight drizzle fell on the crowd, the start gun was fired and the pack of hundreds began to move. Wheatcroft hung at the rear, and was one of the last of his group to begin crossing the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge.
Wheatcroft was running as the forward point in an invisible triangle. Though he was navigating independently, his guide runners, who previously guided him at the Boston Marathon last year, ran 10 feet behind. As Wheatcroft cleared the bridge with a smooth, steady gait, Bacon and Croak hung back, giving him a wide lead. A water station appeared in Wheatcroft’s path and both guides bit their tongues to avoid tipping him off. This was the Tortoise’s first test. Wheatcroft felt the device vibrate faster, so he slowed down and weaved around the obstacle.
“Then it became a totally different race,” says Bacon. “I’d never seen him dodge things like that on his own. The hard thing was standing back and letting him go. ”
From there, Wheatcroft continued through Brooklyn and Queens, picking up the pace, enjoying the freedom provided by the twin devices. Bacon and Croak, accustomed to chatting with Wheatcroft, hung back. They watched him avoid large groups of runners, the Tortoise functioning like it was meant to.
“At the beginning, it was like, ‘Oh my god, we’re doing it,’” says Wheatcroft. “It was exactly how I imagined we’d avoid people in the crowd. I was running faster because I was enjoying it working.”
But the team didn’t count on rain. Around mile 15, the functionality of the Tortoise, which had been steadily deteriorating as rainfall picked up, stopped working. At the same time, the Wayband was having difficulty picking up signals. The sheer volume of data and cellular traffic along the route didn’t help, says Yoo.
“We had every single problem possible,” Yoo would later say, during a post-race stretch near the finish. “There was lots of high-rises causing signal issues, issues with navigation while crossing bridges. We did the hardest thing we could do: testing the Wayband during the marathon.”
As the navigation aids faltered, Wheatcroft found himself working more, forced to concentrate harder to move ahead. Combined with his early surge, he began to feel drained. By the time they crossed the East River and headed through Manhattan, Bacon, Croak, and Yoo assumed typical guide duties. As the group passed through Manhattan’s Upper East Side, Wheatcroft and his guides ran side by side.
As the group passed through Manhattan’s Upper East Side, Wheatcroft and his guides ran side by side
Wheatcroft crossed the finish line at 3:15PM, five hours and 17 minutes after the start, with Yoo and Bacon flanking him. Over the last leg of the marathon, he demonstrated the same steady gait he had at the start, but it was clear he was spent. Huddled under two blankets and clutching a cup of sugary, milky tea in the finish area, he said the sheer amount of mental energy required to navigate with the system added to the physical exhaustion of the race. He expelled too much energy at the beginning, and didn’t anticipate the energy needed to navigate.
After Wheatcroft crossed the finish line, he put his arm around Bacon and flashed a grin. He appeared excited and relieved to have met the physical challenges of the race. But the unproven technology, which showed promise under the harshest of conditions, ultimately didn't last the entire marathon, and Wheatcroft was unable to finish unaided.
I asked Bacon what he thought of the entire thing: he felt it was a great success. Exhausted, Wheatcroft couldn’t muster up a response:“Right now, I really don’t know. I’m too tired to think,” Wheatcroft said.
In the hours after the race, Yoo cataloged improvements for next time: the software algorithm needs to sort out data discrepancies better, the hardware needs to stand up to more duress, and they need a better GPS system. WearWorks clearly doesn’t have the budget to launch a fleet of satellites, but Yoo believes a mass-market GPS chip coming to the smartphone market next year will allow accuracy to within roughly a foot, and significantly improve the performance of their system.
Despite being exhausted, Wheatcroft lit up a little when asked about the future of the Wayband after the marathon.
“We took something we always knew was going to be an intense test,” he says. “We tested so many worst-case scenarios. Let’s take the lessons learned, and see how we can improve it.”
Wheatcroft is already looking toward the future, and even more strenuous challenges. Already an advocate and an occasional speaker, next, he’d like pursue triathlons. In addition, he’s consulted with tech companies about inclusivity and designing for the visually impaired, and he’s continuing his studies, including computer coding. (He’s currently working at home with a braille reader, and pursuing a master’s in computer science.) Wheatcroft wants to be more than a runner; eventually, he doesn’t just want to test the technology, he wants to help develop and build it.
“As a blind person, you always strive for independence,” says Wheatcroft. “But it’s a bit of a contradiction, because oftentimes, you’re using somebody with sight to become independent. What we’re trying to do is use this technology to really achieve true independence. This race isn’t about time, it’s proving that something is possible.” |
The possible meeting stirred controversy during Trump's press conference last week
The Congressional Black Caucus says it will meet with President Donald Trump after all. Rep. Elijah Cummings is a senior member of the group. He told CBS' "Face the Nation" that Trump answered the caucus' Jan. 19 request for a meeting "a day or so ago." The Maryland Democrat says he expects the two parties will meet when Congress returns from a weeklong break and discuss prescription drugs and urban issues. The possible meeting stirred controversy during Trump's press conference last week. Responding to a reporter's inquiry, Trump suggested that Cummings had declined a meeting and asked the reporter, who is black, to set up a meeting. Cummings says he never rejected a meeting. On Sunday, he attributed the late acceptance to Trump apparently not being "in contact with his staff properly."
The Congressional Black Caucus says it will meet with President Donald Trump after all.
Rep. Elijah Cummings is a senior member of the group. He told CBS' "Face the Nation" that Trump answered the caucus' Jan. 19 request for a meeting "a day or so ago." The Maryland Democrat says he expects the two parties will meet when Congress returns from a weeklong break and discuss prescription drugs and urban issues.
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The possible meeting stirred controversy during Trump's press conference last week. Responding to a reporter's inquiry, Trump suggested that Cummings had declined a meeting and asked the reporter, who is black, to set up a meeting.
Cummings says he never rejected a meeting. On Sunday, he attributed the late acceptance to Trump apparently not being "in contact with his staff properly."
AlertMe |
Question: What is the best HCG diet meal plan? And that Work! HCG diet has been around for ages and it is why it has been refined and made it into the best diet ever. Many people are always looking for ways to lose their weight in a healthy way and this could be just the one.
HCG diet plan will involve a person going through several phases in order to complete the objective of losing weight.
The diet needs a person to follow all the stages strictly if he or she wants to get the best results. Always make sure that you keep the health part in mind to avoid any complications to the body. Below is an example of a HCG diet meal plan that a person can use.
HCG Meal Plan For Lunch And Dinner
People tend to eat more during the lunch and dinner hour. However, you will need to minimize the amount of food for dinner because your body will not be active at night. You could try to have some grilled chicken with some asparagus for lunch and then fish combined with cucumbers for dinner. This will bring a balanced diet and at the same time they things that people love to eat. This diet will not deprive you of any food that the body needs. You can choose from the following types of meats:
Chicken breast
Shrimp
Veal
Crab
White fish
Always make sure to remove all the fat from the meats before cooking them. The fats might set you back on the road to losing weight. A person could still use the following types of vegetables:
Asparagus
Cucumbers
Beet-greens
Green salad
Onions
Celery
Tomatoes
This should help a person to balance between all the different types of foods they have to eat. You could throw in some fruits to bring in more vitamins in the body. The recommended fruits include apple, orange, grapefruit, and even strawberries. Remember that you need to eat these foods twice a day so no skipping of meals.
HCG Meal Plan For Drinks And Seasoning
For this HCG diet meal plan, you need to ensure that the body gets the necessary fluids that it needs to operate optimally. You are advised at least to drink tea, coffee or just plain water throughout the day. When it comes to seasoning, use salt, vinegar, mustard powder or pepper for your food.
They all have health benefits that your body needs. This is the part where you can also use lemon juice to help with the weight loss issues. Lemon juice is known for its antibacterial and antioxidant features that the body needs.
When it comes to personal care and beauty product, the HCG diet meal plan also plays an important role. Yes, you can continue with using lipsticks, lotions, or powder but make sure that they are entirely free from fatty substances.
Avoid using products such as Suntan oil for the body. It might lead to some complications. By following the correct diet, you should expect that you would lose the weight in a healthy and natural way. |
New York film fans! This one's for you. The 39th Asian American International Film Festival, presented by Asian CineVision, is going down July 21-30 at various venues in Manhattan and Flushing. As the nation's oldest and longest-running Asian-interest film festival, AAIFF 2016 is a ten-day celebration of inspiring Asian and Asian American works in film and video by innovative artists from around the world.Here's the AAIFF 2016 trailer And here are some highlights from this year's festival:In his feature debut, director Andrew Ahn shares the Korean-American immigration story with homage to Korean spas, which often serve as a meeting place and bridge between cross-generations of immigrant families. Following the lives of one struggling family, SPA NIGHT explores the complexities and realities when personal desire, disillusionment, and sense of tradition overlap with one another. SPA NIGHT will screen on Thursday, July 21st at 7:00pm at Asia Society.Based on the true story of Jackie Chan's parents and brought to the screen by two of Asia's biggest stars, Sean Lau (MY NAME IS FAME, LIFE WITHOUT PRINCIPLE, OVERHEARD 3) and Tang Wei (LUST, CAUTION; FINDING MR. RIGHT; THE GOLDEN ERA; BLACKHAT), director Mabel Cheung tells a story about love that reflects a generation's strength in a time of despair, and a country's hope for a brighter future. A TALE OF THREE CITIES will screen on Saturday, July 23rd at 3:00pm at Village Cinema East.FRONT COVER tells the story of Ryan Fu, a gay Chinese-American who has learnt to suppress his Chinese heritage to climb up the social ladder as a fashion stylist. Ryan gets assigned to Ning, an actor from Beijing and their egos and opinions clash, resulting in a difficult working relationship. Soon enough, however, a mutual attraction begins to develop. As they fall in love, a Chinese tabloid magazine exposes Ning as gay. Ryan must now decide whether to help Ning or stay true to himself. Directed by Ray Yeung (CUT SLEEVE BOYS), FRONT COVER is a "bittersweet dramatic comedy that looks at the Asian American experience with humor, irony, and insight." FRONT COVER will screen on Saturday, July 30th at 8:00 pm at the Museum of Moving Image.For the second year in a row, AAIFF 2016 is returning to Flushing to celebrate one of New York's fastest-growing and vibrant Asian American communities. This year, AAIFF will be showing PEOPLE ARE THE SKY on Tuesday, July 26th; BRIGHT SUN MANSION on Wednesday, July 27th; and BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA on Thursday, July 28th at Flushing Town Hall.AAIFF 2016 is proud to present the following films as New York premieres.Arrested at 16 and tried as an adult for kidnapping and robbery, Eddy Zheng served over 20 years in California prisons and jails. Ben Wang's BREATHIN': THE EDDY ZHENG STORY paints an intimate portrait of Eddy—the prisoner, the immigrant, the son, the activist—on his journey to freedom, rehabilitation and redemption.Born in Cambodia in 1975 during the bloody regime of Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge, filmmaker Mike Siv and his mother barely escaped the infamous "killing fields." Growing up as a refugee in America, Mike has been haunted by the ghosts of memory ever since. "Our parents don't want to talk about the past, and the next generation inherits the scars of their silence." Thirty-five years later, Mike is given the opportunity to film a small group of Cambodian Americans who are civil parties in an historic trial against the Khmer Rouge. Given the opportunity to face the very criminals who forever changed their lives, the survivors are joined by an unexpected guest who happens to be the son of one of their most hated enemies. Mike Siv is undertaking DAZE OF JUSTICE as a culminating project through which he will establish himself as an independent documentary filmmaker.PAINTED NAILS brings us unprecedented insight into the personal nature of the political movement to regulate one of the fastest growing industries in the U.S. The documentary follows Van Nguyen, a Vietnamese nail salon owner and worker in the Mission District of San Francisco, who serves an ethnically diverse group of working class women with acrylic nails and intricate airbrush designs. However, lack of oversight has allowed the cosmetics industry to pour unregulated amounts of toxic chemicals into nail products, some of which are known to cause reproductive harm, cancer, and respiratory illness. After learning that her near-daily exposure to these chemicals has caused her life-threatening health problems, Van becomes a resolute activist in the fight to regulate chemicals in personal care products, advocating for the safety of nail salon workers and their clientele. Providing a unique glimpse into the world of women, their nails, and the people who paint them, PAINTED NAILS takes us from the simple pleasures of manicures to Van and her family's fulfilling transformation.TYRUS is about the unlikely and untold story of 105-year old Chinese-American artist Tyrus Wong, who overcame poverty and racism to become a celebrated modernist painter, Hollywood sketch artist, and ‘Disney Legend' for his groundbreaking work on the classic animated film, Bambi. Tyrus's incredible rise to acclaim shines against a common backdrop in the story of Chinese-Americans in the 20th century.Director Lam Can-zhao leads a small film crew as they shoot a film about a stray dog in the streets of Guangzhou, leading the viewer into an unpredictable, peculiar and incredible journey. Shot documentary-style while employing characteristics of hybrid cinema, THE DOG's low-tech, casual style reveals a wealth of stories that reflects both the authenticity and occasional absurdity of the living situations of migrant workers and of those who otherwise live "below the line." As the debut feature film directed by Lam, THE DOG reads more like a lonely rebel's exploration and revelation to the world.On the surface, Ollie and Blair are a typical fun, young couple – comfortable enough to be constantly picking at each other's flaws, secure enough to start making long-term plans together. They just happen to earn a dishonest living by breaking and entering into poorly secured, upper-class homes. Directed by Viet Nguyen and starring Christopher Dinh (EVERYTHING BEFORE US) and Katie Savoy (FIRELIGHT, THE RESTORATION, EVERYTHING BEFORE US), CRUSH THE SKULL is a "mix of throwback genre tropes (including some great scene of gore taken to extreme and humorous heights) and straight-up comedy," as IndieWire puts it.UNDER CONSTRUCTION is about Roya, a modern middle-class Muslim woman struggles to find herself in the sprawl of urban Bangladesh. After being replaced by a younger actor for the character of ‘Nandini'—the epitome of Bengali womanhood, the central character of Rabindranath Tagore's political play ‘Red Oleanders;' she delves into a psychological journey and battles to reconstruct ‘Nandini,' reclaiming her identity and sexuality in the process. As she sets the play in a modern day ready-made garment factories in Dhaka; her journey to establish her individuality as a middle class woman is juxtaposed with the journey of her teenage housemaid Moyna, who later joins the industrial workforce.In HOLLOW, A 6-year-old girl falls into a river and drowns. One week later, her uncle, a police captain, travels to a remote village to claim her corpse, only to find that the girl is very much alive. He brings her home, but does not tell her parents that she was found dead. Strange things begin to happen as her family discovers that she is possessed.Dongguan is simultaneously the manufacturing hub and inadvertent sex capital of China; it is home to 1.7 million female factory workers, 300,000 of which comprised of former factory girls turned sex workers. It is here that 22-year- old country girl, Jolin, has worked for the past five years, and where her story begins. JOLIN is a documentary that focuses on a former factory girl, 22-year-old Jolin, who is the only child of her family and has found work as a stripper in Dongguan. She undergoes risky plastic surgery to look more 'sexy' and tries to find her estranged father for reasons that go beyond healing her fractured family. She hopes to leave Dongguan behind and become a famous actress in Shanghai. Jolin's story depicts a young girl's "Chinese Dream" and the sadness of China's loneliest generation.Huang Dawang is a eccentric musician, noise performer, music aficionado, and a pillar of Taiwan's underground music scene but also denies himself as an artists and refuses to define what art is. TPE-TICS is an intimate look into his way of life – incredibly different from the norm, largely incompatible with society. As links between Huang's past trauma and present creations are revealed, his psychological anxiety is at once enlightening and heartbreaking. Despite his bouts of depression, Huang's humour and witty introspection relieves the melancholy. More than merely music, the film examines human experiences and nuanced values that are precious yet rarely accessible.That's just a small sampling of AAIFF's packed schedule of screenings, talk-backs, panel discussions, parties and more. For further information about the festival, including ticket sales, venues and programming, head over to the AAIFF 2016 website . This website is a proud media sponsor of AAIFF 2016.Support independent Asian American cinema! |
If you keep a close eye on the tech news, you couldn’t help but notice the terms “token”, “ICO” and “Tokenization” spreading like wildfire from one publisher to another.
Previously, I tried to lay down in plain language what is ICO and why you might care, to later realize that to understand the rising popularity of ICOs, you need to understand the concept of tokenization first.
So What is Tokenization?
The concept isn’t new. You are probably familiar with tokenization already. Think about casino chips or subway tokens you use to “pay” your fare. Or when you are asked to exchange your cash for branded tokens to pay for drinks or entertainment at a certain event. All these tokens replace physical money and reduce the cash handling risks such as theft or fraud for instance.
Basically, “tokenization” stands for the process of substituting a sensitive data element (your cash) with a non-sensitive equivalent (token), that has no extrinsic meaning or value – you can’t pay with a subway token for anything else than the subway.
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Sounds simple?
Now, let’s take a step further and apply the concept to the digital world.
Tokenization, Blockchain, and Cryptocurrencies
The particular appeal of tokenization is that it reduces the friction and cost of conducting a certain transaction. Again, think about a subway token – it’s priced exactly to match the fare amount and is not prone to volatility.
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Now think about your typical financial transaction – a card payment for a fare:
The transaction occurs at a lower speed (not instantly). Your card is actually billed a couple of days later.
(not instantly). Your card is actually billed a couple of days later. There’s a need to trust the chain of intermediates – the POS terminal should work with your card.
the chain of intermediates – the POS terminal should work with your card. It relies on a single party . If your bank software is down, you can’t conduct the payment.
. If your bank software is down, you can’t conduct the payment. Limited interoperability. Paying in other currencies means additional conversion fees and so on.
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Tokenizing an asset can reduce this friction and when it comes to financial operations – blockchain-based tokenization has proven to be the best solution so far.
To remind, here’s a great explanation of blockchain from Autonomous Research:
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So the blockchain enabled the creation of tokens that could be transferred between two (or more) parties over the Internet without requiring the consent of any other party (e.g. a central authority such as a bank). All these transfers and changes are recorded in a public ledger (“Excel spreadsheet”).
All the bitcoin transactions are recorded in the Bitcoin blockchain. Other tokens keep the records related to transfers and changes to their monetary base in their own blockchains respectively.
This is an important point as a token’s codebase is different from its blockchain databases.
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Here’s a quick example to illustrate this point.
Someone decides to repurpose the US banking infrastructure to operate Canadian dollars. After all, both the US and Canada use “dollars” and they have a shared cultural origin. Yet, their monetary base is entirely different.
The idea is similar with the tokens – the two token types can use similar codebases, but have different blockchain databases.
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Where Do Tokens Come From?
Bakaj Srinivasan has proposed the next broad classification of tokens to explain how tokens are typically generated.
Tokens based on new chains and forked Bitcoin code. Some enthusiasts started experimenting with the Bitcoin codebase and as a result came up with the so-called alt currencies as ZCash (boasting even higher privacy then Bitcoin) or Litecoin (a faster mind alternative to Bitcoin that uses another type of algorithm for mining). These tokens spur off the bitcoin blockchain and initiated their own blockchains.
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Tokens based on new chains and new code. The next step of tokenization was the creation of a whole new breed of tokens based on new codebases. The most common example is Ethereum. Its codebase was built from scratch with new capabilities introduced through advanced programming.
Tokens based on forked chains and forked code. At some point, Ethereum faced a security crisis and part of the initial adopters decided to split and introduce their own “monetary policy”, which is now known as Ethereum Classic.
Next, the new token needs to be adopted by a larger majority to retain its value. Typically either of the following scenarios takes place:
The new token is pre-mined – a portion of that tokens are allocated for the creators and related parties.
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It goes on “crowdsale” – anyone interested on the web is invited to purchase the tokens.
The token is used in an ICO – A company launches new digital currency using either of the ways described above and sells the tokens to the crowd of investors. Those, who chip in, don’t get an equity share in the company or receive dividends as it happens in traditional investment schemes – yet, they own the currency tokens and assume that those tokens will increase in value for a future sale.
Mining Tokens
You probably know that bitcoin and similar cryptocurrencies are obtained by “mining” – aka conducting complex calculations to redeem the reward.
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The incentive for miners to participate in creating hashes for blocks is the reward of “coins.” For example, an early miner of Bitcoin was paid 25 coins for successfully creating a hash. If he had held onto those 25 coins, even if he had never mined anything else successfully, he would now have a U.S. dollar value of $100,000.
It is no wonder that many tech-savvy individuals have decided to become miners and compete with one another to be the first one to create a successful hash for a block and collect the coins, using software that has specifically been written to mine blocks. And the more a miner is willing to spend on hardware and software, the greater the potential for “winning” and getting those coins.
The problem is this: It’s very easy for software to create a hash from a collection of data, in this case, financial transactions. So, there are protocols put in place that establish criteria for how a hash must look.
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This makes mining much more difficult, and more sophisticated hardware and software are required for miners to be successful. For this reason, a lot of would-be miners have dropped out of the “race,” usually because they cannot afford the sophistication now required to be competitive. So the more people get on the mining bandwagon – the scares the rewards become.
As Sebastian Quinn-Watson, a consultant with Blockchain Global, a bitcoin mining firm, pointed out:
“Today, about 1,700 bitcoins are generated a day. Basically, we are all fighting over one coin every 10 minutes.”
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Basically, that why mining alt tokens has become more promising for professionals. For instance, Neuromation, a deep learning startup generating synthetic data for training neural networks, has developed a new reward system for miners.
For executing certain services (such as generating labeled data), miners are rewarded with the platforms currency – neurotoken. The price for each action directly correlates with the price per unit of computation, meaning there’s a minimum token price floor setting. By optimizing computational resources and balancing the supply/demand in the marketplace, this startup plans to achieve a more fair reward system and avoid the scenario, where everyone is fighting for a single coin with little reward.
So basically, the miners are among the first to benefit from pursuing alternative tokens that are tied to a product-related token.
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Tokenization At Large
The creation of tokens, however, isn’t limited to financial transactions only.
Considering its convenient, decentralized and secure nature, tokens have now become an attractive way to represent a certain business asset on the blockchain.
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Here’s one curious example:
SingularDTV is pioneering in the decentralized entertainment industry. Their main idea is to give content creators full control over their content and provide a new monetization method – SNGLS token that represents the intellectual rights for the product.
Content creators will get paid instantly when their content is consumed, instead of waiting for a monopolistic payout from some third-party mediator (e.g. YouTube or Netflix that takes a hefty cut out of profits too).
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Each viewer will make a direct smart contract with an artist, choose appropriate usage policy to pay the artist for the specific content they want to access. Meaning, you are paying only for what you want to watch, rather than a bundle of all available/suggested content as it is now with most live streaming platforms.
The same approach could be applied to govern and manage relationships in multiple centralized industries such as stock trading, precious metal trading and basically any procedure assuming a paper certification process.
Your asset (stock, diamond, real estate) becomes a token and it’s placed on blockchain to confirm the transaction, trace ownership and any other changes that happened along the way with no centralized authority to rely on as a mediator.
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Specifically, that is why tokenization has become such a “hot” area across different industries lately. |
“The Iranians have a lot of experience at this point in evading sanctions,” said Michael Jacobson, an intelligence and sanctions specialist at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. “They are adaptable, learn from mistakes, see where the United States cracks down and move elsewhere. And on the part of businesses, there is a lot of willful blindness.”
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton acknowledged last week that existing economic sanctions against Iran were “leaky.” But several senior administration officials said the latest revelations of Iran’s secret nuclear efforts had generated unprecedented solidarity behind new measures to apply pressure to Tehran.
On Thursday, Iranian officials met in Geneva with representatives from the United States and other world powers. At that session, the Iranians pledged to give nuclear inspectors access to its clandestine enrichment facility and to ship most of its openly declared uranium outside the country to be further enriched by France or Russia.
While viewed as progress, the meeting drew further attention among diplomats to the role of possible new sanctions. To hold Iran to its pledges, and to prevent it from dragging its feet on the larger objections to its nuclear program, officials said Iran would need to feel a credible threat of punitive measures.
“If you don’t put yourself in a position where you can act on the pressure track, you’ll be less likely to have the engagement track work,” said a high-ranking administration official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the delicacy of the matter. “The key is for the Iranians to see both sides of this.”
To that end, he said, the United States is refusing to take any measures off the table, even an embargo of gasoline and other refined fuel. European countries fear such measures would inflict misery on the Iranian people by creating shortages that would make them angry at the West and drive them into the arms of an unpopular government.
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“We’re not going to be in the business of pre-emptively excluding anything,” the American official said. “The key is not what ought to have an impact on them, but what in their eyes will have the most impact on them.”
For several months, officials said, the administration has been talking with other countries about a list of potential sanctions against Iran. Congress is weighing legislation to expand financial sanctions, while the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Representative Howard L. Berman, Democrat of California, is pushing a bill that would levy sanctions on foreign companies that export gasoline to Iran.
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Existing sanctions have had some practical consequences. In Tehran, the power goes out regularly, a result of a shortage of electricity generators, which are on the list of prohibited goods because of their potential for military use. That did not happen even a decade ago.
Still, the experience of the United States in policing its own unilateral economic sanctions — which were imposed after the 1979 hostage crisis and expanded several times since then — shows that restrictions are more likely to drive up prices of banned foreign goods than to stop them totally from flowing into Iran. The world is full of rogue nations and smugglers skilled at hiding illicit goods in the vast stream of global trade, and other nations may not be as willing as the United States to police sanctions rigorously.
The guilty plea by the Dutch avionics company late last month was just the latest in a string of indictments against several hundred such defendants since 2007, when the Bush administration significantly increased efforts to enforce the United States’ own trade restrictions with nations like Iran.
In separate cases over the past few months alone, prosecutors have accused defendants of illegally routing fighter jet parts to Iran through Colombia, electronic components through Malaysia and helicopter parts through Singapore. The list goes on, with accused intermediaries based in places including Ireland and Hong Kong.
Financial sanctions have also been violated. In January, the London bank Lloyds TSB agreed to pay $350 million in fines for hiding the involvement of entities in countries including Iran on wire transfers with United States banks over a 12-year period. In 2006, regulators fined the Dutch bank ABN Amro for similar sanctions-busting dealings from 1997 to 2004.
Such enforcement, administration officials say, has persuaded other major European banks that it is not worth the risk of doing business with Iran. But rather than being cut off from access to letters of credit and insurance, Iran has instead turned to smaller financial institutions that are based in Asia and have no business dealings in the United States.
That kind of displacement, said Mr. Jacobson, the sanctions expert, shows that even strict sanctions, enforced with broad international support, would be unlikely to entirely seal off a country as large and complex as Iran. But, he said, the restrictions have a comparatively modest but nevertheless real benefit: they increase the cost and difficulty for Iranian elites of doing business, providing an incentive for the country’s leaders to negotiate.
“While it’s unrealistic to expect that you can isolate Iran from the international economy,” he said, “the narrower and more realistic goal of raising their cost of doing business may change their leaders’ calculations.” |
The number of biomedical science postdocs in the US greatly outstrips the number of research faculty positions available. As a result, competition for independent positions has become fierce and postdoctoral training has lengthened. Previous suggestions to address this issue included a major cut in numbers of graduate students (Bourne, 2013; Alberts et al., 2014). However, this recommendation received little support from the UW-Madison research community. Cutting the number of students would limit the number of trained scientists entering the workforce, which was not favored. In addition, casting a wide net was viewed as the best way to capture the most talented and diverse graduate students, as argued previously by others (Kelly and Marians, 2014; Marder, 2014). And there was little support among faculty for the proposal to shift funding for graduate students from research project grants to training grants. There were three main reasons for this: training grants only cover a portion of training costs; they fund few non-US citizens; and the relatively narrow focus of training grants would limit intellectual diversity. The prevailing view was that dramatic cuts to graduate student numbers and a shift to training grants would do more harm than good.
Instead of cutting the number of graduate students, we recommend a narrowing of the workforce pipeline at a later stage. Our first recommendation is that fewer PhD students continue as academic postdocs. Most workshop participants preferred this option and supported the broadening of PhD programs to include experiences relevant to non-academic careers. In the trainee-only discussions, students reported feeling pressure from their mentors to pursue an academic career, and they argued that opportunities for experience with non-academic careers should be expanded to make them less likely to ‘default’ to an academic postdoc (see Box 2). This suggestion need not extend the length of graduate training, but it does require a cultural shift within some disciplines.
Box 2 Input from students and postdocs. As UW-Madison graduate and postdoctoral trainees who attended the March pre-workshop discussions and the April workshop, we recommend the following proposals to address the systemic flaws in biomedical research in the US: Too many PhDs for too few PhD-worthy careers: Expand Masters programs as an honorable option within PhD training programs, which may be coupled with secondary training in law, policy, communication, business or other areas.
Inherent conflict of interest in trainee funding: Decouple trainee support from investigator funding and provide trainees with time to pursue career-oriented training. We recommend two weeks of protected time per semester.
Inflexible and outdated definitions of success: Broaden the metric of success used at NIH and promoted by principal investigators to recognize successful careers outside academia and reward diverse training opportunities.
Limited knowledge of funding system among trainees: Require a course on research administration, funding mechanisms and institutional policy to educate and empower junior scientists to more effectively engage in these national discussions. Kimberly A Haupt, Carlton P Frost, Dominique N Lisiero PhD, Patrick E Nyman, Funita P Phan, Aman Prasad, Megan E Spurgeon PhD. https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.09305.005
In parallel with these changes to PhD programs, the NIH must revise its criteria for evaluating training grants so that non-academic science careers are considered as successful training outcomes for students funded by such grants. To increase transparency about the career paths open to PhDs, all NIH-funded labs and training programs should post trainee career outcomes on their websites. Grant holders should also be required to be supportive of trainees who want to pursue careers outside research. This pipeline change will not reverse the current crisis immediately but it should have a major impact within a few years. A second mechanism is for a subset of graduate students to earn a Masters of Science degree instead of a PhD. One problem with this suggestion is that a Masters degree is sometimes viewed as a consolation prize, rather than a valuable postgraduate qualification: to combat this perception, we suggest that a Masters degree should be made a mandatory step towards a PhD.
Our second recommendation is to increase the number of scientists who have a supporting role, rather than the leading role, in a lab: the idea of increasing the number of such ‘staff scientists’ has also been proposed by others (Alberts et al., 2014; Daniels, 2015). Such a shift has the dual advantage of reducing reliance on trainee labor and improving career prospects in biomedical research. But that shift comes with increased expense and a need for more stability of the staff scientist career track, a concern voiced by UW-Madison staff scientists (see Box 3). We suggest a few mechanisms to foster this career track. First, the NIH should provide funds to cover the extra cost of replacing a trainee position with a staff scientist; the mechanism for doing this could be similar to the supplements used to promote the diversity of the research workforce. Second, the NIH should expand the number of Research Specialist Awards recently introduced at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) to support staff scientists. Finally, institutions should develop mechanisms to recognize staff scientists and promote their careers.
Box 3 Input from staff scientists. We believe that an increasing reliance on staff scientists is an attractive way to redress the imbalance between the number of PhDs and the opportunities for PhDs in research. However, academic staff scientist positions often lack stability and opportunity for advancement. Accordingly, we recommend that the stability of the staff scientist position should be increased progressively with time of employment by the development of federal or institutional funding mechanisms that cover at least part of the salary of the staff scientist. We also recommend that institutional rules be modified to explicitly increase the opportunities open to staff scientists for promotion, recognition and compensation. Additionally, we recommend that staff scientists be allowed multiple roles as a means to both broaden the work experience of the scientists and to provide a potential fallback if support for research is lost: these other roles could include administration (e.g., at a core facility), teaching or outreach. Finally, we recommend that the roles and expectations of staff scientists be clearly defined. Andrea Bilger PhD, Mats W Johansson PhD, Suzanne M Ponik PhD, Megan E Spurgeon PhD. https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.09305.006
Our final recommendation is that institutions should increase incentives for retirement. We did not favor an NIH emeritus award to support lab closure, because such awards take funds from more competitive research, and we did not favor NIH grants explicitly partnering senior and junior investigators, because forced collaborations rarely yield innovative science. Instead, institutions should remove barriers to retirement and provide incentives for lab closure as a way to open more faculty positions. |
The NFL made headlines last year for poor ratings during the regular season.
Even though they rebounded in the post season, the NFL has been vocal about the need to speed up games and change the structure of commercial breaks.
In a letter to fans on Wednesday, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell explained how those changes would take place.
The NFL plans to use a play clock after the extra point to get back to the action faster. It may also use a play clock after touchdowns. Another idea under consideration: standardizing the length of halftimes during all games to reduce downtime.
Cutting down on the number of commercials is unlikely to happen anytime soon: The NFL and its partner TV networks generate a ton of revenue from ad sales -- Super Bowl LI ads cost about $5 million. But Goodell said the league is going to try to cut down on the frequency of commercial breaks so the action isn't interrupted as much.
"We know how annoying it is when we come back from a commercial break, kick off, and then cut to a commercial again," Goodell said. "I hate that too. Our goal is to eliminate it."
He also said that during broadcasts, there's going to be more emphasis on content that's relevant to what's happening on the field.
"All of these changes are meant to give you more of what you want: a competitive game with fewer interruptions and distractions from the action," Goodell said.
Related: 'America's Team' is right: Dallas Cowboys are the NFL's ratings savior this season
Several factors affected the poor ratings seen last season -- competition from the presidential campaign, poor match-ups and the number of weekly games.
Goodell publicly addressed the ratings slump in November when viewership was down 12%.
But he said the new changes are a response to fan feedback that the league has been gathering since before the 2016 season.
That's how the league learned that fans were concerned about the pace of games, play stoppages and commercials.
The NFL is also considering changing how replays work to make them faster. Refs would be given a tablet and would be able to confer with the NFL's officiating headquarters to come to a decision.
Owners are expected to rule on this proposed change during their annual meetings, which begin on Sunday. |
Dino De Laurentiis at the "Hannibal Rising" photocall on Feb. 2007 in Rome. (TIZIANA FABI/AFP/Getty Images) TIZIANA FABI
NEW YORK (CBS) Dino De Laurentiis, a famed Italian Oscar-winning producer, has died Wednesday in Los Angeles. He was 91.
According to Agence France-Presse news service, Italian media reported the news Thursday.
De Laurentiis, who is the grandfather of Food Network star Giada De Laurentiis, produced more than 500 films throughout his entire career. He won an Oscar in 1956 for Fedrico Fellini's "La Strada," and another in 1957 for "Nights of Cabiria," which starred Giulietta Masina.
"My grandfather was a true inspiration. He was my biggest champion in life and a constant source for wisdom and advice. I will miss him dearly," the younger De Laurentiis said in a statement obatined by the Hollywood Reporter
At the 2001 Oscars, he received the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award for demonstrating "a consistently high quality of motion picture production."
He also won a lifetime achievement award at the Venice Film Festival in 2003.
"Cinema has lost one of its greats," said Walter Veltroni, an Italian lawmaker and former mayor of Rome who founded the Rome Film Festival, according to the AFP.
De Laurentiis was born in Torree Annuziata near Naples to pasta-maker parents on Aug. 8, 1919. He moved to the U.S. in the late 1960s.
He began his career in film at age 20 and later went on to work with actors Al Pacino, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Audrey Hepburn, among others.
Other film credits include, "Riso Amaro" (1949), "Barbarella" (1968) with Jane Fonda, "Serpico" (1973), "Dune," (1984), and David Lynch's "Blue Velvet" (1986). |
UPDATE: Board grants Deep Ellum's request.
The Boston Licensing Board decides tomorrow whether to let Deep Ellum, 477 Cambridge St., extends the hours of both its dining room and patio to 2 a.m.
Several nearby residents attended a board hearing this morning to support the plan, saying people who work late in the area deserve a place to go and relax that doesn't involve either pizza or bros with beers ogling sporting events on TVs. Deep Ellum has TVs, but they only show old movies - westerns and stuff like Woody Allen.
"There aren't any places that serve food this good that late," Matt Maloof told the board. Deep Ellum's attorney, Karen Simao, gave the board a petition signed by 1,500 people - the vast majority Allston and Brighton residents, she said - in support of the idea.
Simao said that, unlike certain other nearby establishments she could name, Deep Ellum would continue serving food until just before it shut its doors.
The proposal to extend the inside hours from 1 a.m. and seasonal patio hours from 11 p.m. drew opposition from City Councilor Mark Ciommo and the Allston Civic Association, both of which have long fought battles to keep Allston sleepy. |
Two Republican senators are pitching an Affordable Care Act replacement that they hope will appeal to the law’s supporters.
States that like Obamacare, they argue, should get to keep it.
Sens. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) and Susan Collins (R-ME) held a press conference Monday to roll out the Patient Freedom Act. They propose giving states three options: Keep Obamacare, switch to a different insurance expansion, or go forward with no coverage expansion at all.
“California and New York, you like Obamacare, you should keep it,” Cassidy said at the press conference. “It’s not for us to dictate.”
The Cassidy-Collins proposal is a sharp departure from the plans offered by House and Senate leadership, which would not let Obamacare continue in any form. Cassidy argues that this is a middle-way approach that might bridge Democrats and Republicans’ sharp divisions over Obamacare.
“At some point in this process, we will need a bill that can get to 60 votes,” Cassidy says. “Now you can say to a blue-state senator who is invested in supporting Obamacare, ‘You can keep it, but why force it on us?’”
The Cassidy-Collins proposal is a compromise, one that could preserve the Affordable Care Act in some places while letting other states try something new. Problem is, neither political party is in the mood for compromise when it comes to Obamacare.
Democrats have quickly blasted the proposal, which could lead to coverage declines in places that oppose the health care law. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) described it as “an empty facade that would create chaos.” Republican leadership, meanwhile, has been conspicuously quiet on the bill, suggesting little interest in making this the party line.
The Cassidy-Collins proposal, explained
The Patient Freedom Act would, as described by Sens. Cassidy and Collins, give states three options:
Continue to run the Affordable Care Act as is without any changes Switch to a different health insurance expansion that emphasizes auto-enrolling all uninsured residents into a federally subsidized catastrophic plan Offer no coverage expansion at all, and the state would lose the money it currently receives for insurance subsidies and Medicaid expansion
Options one and three are relatively straightforward: You continue Obamacare, or you don’t.
But option two is the biggest unknown, and what most of the press conference focused on — the one the senators expect lots of conservative states would adopt. “I believe most states would embrace this option, which allows states to cover the uninsured by providing a standard plan that has a high-deductible, basic pharmaceutical coverage, some preventive care and free immunizations,” Collins said.
There are lots of details still missing from the Cassidy-Collins plan, which only exists as a one-page background document. There is no legislative language at this point. But from the press conference and the background document, here’s what we know.
Redistribute premium subsidies, Medicaid expansion to create a universal tax credit
For option two, Cassidy and Collins propose adding up all the money a state would get from the health care law’s private insurance subsidies and Medicaid expansion (even if a state has not expanded Medicaid, it would still get the funds). That money would get divided up on a per-person basis to people who purchase their own health coverage. States would also have the option of leaving Medicaid expansion in place and just divvying up their premium subsidy dollars.
The tax credits that Cassidy has previously worked on have allowed for variation based on age and geography, but not income. This would be very different from the Affordable Care Act, where people who earn less get more generous subsidies to put toward insurance coverage.
Cassidy confirmed at the press conference that tax credits would be distributed on a per-person basis that was agnostic to income. Under this approach, anyone up through Bill Gates would qualify for help, so long as he or she does not have an offer of insurance at work.
Economist John Goodman, who helped Cassidy with the plan, argues that this would make the program much easier to administer and that “if there is an income or asset test, enrollment becomes burdensome and complicated.”
That may be true, but it also means the lowest-income Americans could have a lot to lose in a plan like Cassidy-Collins.
Automatically enroll the uninsured into a low-premium, catastrophic plan
Cassidy-Collins gives states the opportunity to create a default catastrophic health insurance plan with low premiums and a high deductible into which states could automatically enroll uninsured residents. The premiums would theoretically be low enough to have the tax credit cover the entire bill.
“All those young immortals who are not about to pay through the nose on the exchanges will be automatically signed up,” Cassidy told me in an interview a few months ago, about a similar proposal of his from 2015. “You restore some of the actuarial soundness to the market.”
States that go down this path would no longer have an individual mandate — and automatic enrollment would be meant to take its place. People would have to actively opt out of insurance rather than proactively sign up. The exact logistics of administering this type of program haven’t been sorted out yet.
Cassidy said at his press conference today that states would also use the tax credits to pre-fund health savings accounts, which individuals could draw from to pay medical bills while they’re still within their deductibles. There would still be some gap, however, between when the HSA dollars ran out and the catastrophic coverage kicked in.
How big this gap would be — or even how big the subsidy would be — is not clear at all, and a big question mark around this plan. Cassidy and Collins made clear it would be big enough to cover a catastrophic health insurance plan, which suggests it will need to be somewhere in the thousands (or perhaps tens of thousands for older Americans). Conversely, if they don’t have that funding, they may need to make the plan less generous in order to get the premiums down to match the size of the tax credit.
The size of the tax credit — how much it covers before enrollees fall into the gap between HSA and coverage — would likely matter a lot to those enrolling in coverage. The biggest frustration that Obamacare enrollees have with their plans right now is that the deductibles feel unaffordable. If the gap between the HSA contributions and the catastrophic coverage is really large, that might exacerbate such complaints.
Cassidy-Collins is a compromise bill at a moment when no one wants compromise
One of the things that makes Cassidy-Collins work policy-wise — and makes it distinct from other Republican proposals — is that it does not take aim at the new taxes and fees in the health care law. It leaves all of that in place, so that the government has a way to fund the states that continue Obamacare and pay for a coverage expansion in places that don’t.
But this exact feature is what makes Cassidy-Collins not work so well politically. Republicans have been adamant that they need to dismantle the health care law’s taxes and fees. This was the focus of President Trump’s executive order on Friday, and of much Republican rhetoric around the health care law.
Cassidy admits that his bill does need more revenue than other Republican plans; that’s implicit in expanding coverage to millions of people. “The revenue is essential,” he says. He argues that the pay-fors could change at some point in the future, which his party may find more palatable.
Democrats, meanwhile, were not won over by the Cassidy-Collins plan. I reached out to about a half-dozen Senate Democrats’ offices Monday afternoon and got a universally negative reception. Nobody liked the idea of giving some states the option to dismantle the health care law and replace it with something else — or potentially nothing at all. The fact that some states could simply end the coverage expansion is, according to one Democratic Senate aide, “a nonstarter.”
Still, I think this proposal will be important to keep an eye on. Rep. Tom Price (R-GA) brought up a similar idea when he highlighted the bipartisan legislation he worked on in 2006 that “empowered states to come up with new ideas to provide health care coverage to their uninsured populations.” Republicans, meanwhile, will continue to court Sen. Collins’s vote as she has voiced concerns about passing a repeal plan without a replacement. And now she has made it quite clear what type of replacement she wants.
Watch: Republicans have one major problem on Obamacare |
Thirty one per cent of people paying a mortgage or rent spend more than a third of their disposable income each month doing so, a survey for BBC Panorama suggests.
Housing charity Shelter said that makes mortgage or rent costs "unaffordable".
It said family budgets are being put under "enormous pressure" because of a "shortage of affordable homes".
The survey of 1,003 people also suggests 46% of people think property prices are too high in their area.
According to Shelter and the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, spending more than a third of your disposable income on rent or a mortgage means you may not be able to afford other basic needs.
'Impossible choices'
Shelter chief executive Campbell Robb said: "The widely accepted test of affordability is that housing costs should take up no more than a third of your income."
BBC housing calculator Lets you see where you can afford to live - and if it would it be cheaper to rent or buy
Enter how many bedrooms, which end of the market and how much you want to pay each month
As you move the payment slider, parts of the UK light up to show you where you can afford
Based on pricing and rental data from residential property analysts Hometrack BBC housing calculator
"But in reality, many families don't have any option but to pay out much more," he said.
"This sees some faced with impossible choices every day - including between putting enough food on the table or paying for the roof over their head."
Among those affected by rising property prices is Abi Reilly, a 33-year-old special needs school teacher.
She lives in a terraced house in Reading with her husband, Chris, and two children, five-year-old Daniel and four-month-old Elsie.
They spend around 40% of their disposable income on rent.
Having rented 13 different properties over the past 10 years, Mrs Reilly said homeownership does not feel realistic.
"It feels too far away," she said. "How can we save for a deposit when our rents are going up, energy's going up, everything's going up, wages stay the same, house prices go up? Mathematically it doesn't work."
The Ipsos MORI survey commissioned by Panorama questioned a total of 1,003 adults - of whom 697 pay a mortgage or renting a property. Mrs Reilly would belong to the 31% of people in this latter group who pay more than a third of their disposable income on their mortgage or rent.
The survey also suggested that 46% of people think property prices are too high in their area and 39% would like to see property prices fall.
In August, the Office for National Statistics said the average price of a property had reached a record high of £247,000.
ONS figures also show that home ownership peaked at 69% of households 12 years ago. Since then it has been falling and is now at 64%.
'Risk of overheating'
Panorama has also looked at the Help to Buy scheme set up by the government in April to assist people who could afford mortgage repayments but were struggling to raise a deposit.
It allows buyers of new-build homes to put down a 5% deposit and take out a government loan for up to 20% of the value of the property. Help to Buy was extended to existing homes in October, under which the government partially guarantees mortgages.
Since it began, there has been a 6% rise in the number of new homes being built.
Merryn Somerset Webb, editor-in-chief of MoneyWeek magazine, said Help to Buy risks inflating prices and overheating the housing market.
"It's like pouring petrol over the car and setting fire to the whole thing," she said.
"You know you might get a little heat in the short-term but the end result is not actually what you wanted."
But the government has dismissed concerns about a property price bubble.
Housing Minister Kris Hopkins said: "In Yorkshire, the North East and Scotland, house prices have moved very little or in some cases have actually gone backwards."
"And that's reflecting where wages are and what money people have actually got to spend. "
He also told Panorama: "We've seen nothing yet to suggest there is anything, going anywhere near a bubble at this moment in time."
Panorama: The Great House Price Bubble?, BBC One, Monday 11 November at 20:30 GMT and then available in the UK on the BBC iPlayer. |
Some new details regarding FIFA 12 have surfaced via the Playstation Magazine(French). French FIFA fan-site, FIFA-fuma, has posted some of the key features detailed in the mag. Below is the rough translation from the site.
New camera will be a bit closer to the ground.
New menu interface appears to be simpler and more ergonomic soft.
Evolution and calculating actions will take place in real time.
New Vision IA game (Pro Player Intelligence in English) will influence more developed players in assists.
The team AI in "Be a Pro mode" has been improved and will play according to the player's strengths.
The automatic laundry (round or square button) will simply follow the player. It will now support a second time on the button to launch an intervention.
Integration of a new short dribble with the left stick.
Re-balancing between attack and defense, and between average players and players with more skill.
New presentation of games that looks very inspired by English games (More colors, more vivid).
Three new arenas.
Integration of benches along the sidelines.
Impressive lighting effects according to journalists.
A new "Impact Engine," making players more vulnerable in the hip and knee areas possibly during tackles.
No more Blind passing: This means that players will be able to pass properly in their vision and blind passing would probably be inaccurate.
AI vision of play: This makes the AI act more human in different situations, for example, the AI will act more cautiously when confronted by the likes of Fabregas.
Cover courtesy FIFA-fuma. |
Jon Taffer may be America’s most notoriously foul-mouthed bar critic, offering sage advice to failing bar, restaurant, and nightclub owners and managers across the nation, but in this incredible interview with Male Standard, Jon reveals his genuine intentions and true passion for life, and of all the people he meets each day. Jon confesses that he’s not in the business of Bar Rescue, though his hit TV show on Spike TV can sure make it look that way, with over 30 years of entertainment and entrepreneurial expertise, Jon proudly proclaims he is in the business of making people successful; be that behind the bar, in a room full of beautiful woman, or when starting your company or three — he’s a man who doesn’t take no for an answer, or an excuse as an example.
Take it from a man who has stood on both sides of success, and who appreciates failure is not avoidable, but an indicator that it’s time to step up your game. Jon shares with us his experiences on hit TV show Bar Rescue, and how the late nights, early mornings, and long days only made him work harder to perfect his art. How he’s a family man, who also happens to be a fantastic wing-man, and why he reveals the truth in that male grooming is essential if you want to get anywhere in life. He shares with us some of his most prized wisdom, which you must use in your daily life, and confidently calls the shots on when to man up. We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again, life is not a game folks. This is the main event, so how are you managing your life as the lead bartender?
Introducing Jon Taffer, of Bar Rescue
Have you always been an entrepreneurial; how did that start?
When I was about ten years old, I went to summer camp and created a company called Aardvark Enterprises. We used to buy Coca-Cola for $0.20 a can and we would sell it to counselors for $2 a can late at night and we would sell counselor massages and services to the counselors. I had eight campers working for me and I’d pay them a quarter a night and I made $3 a night. So even when I was ten years old, I used to do this stuff. I’ve been doing it my whole life. As a matter of fact, right now I’m in the middle of writing my second book and it’s a children’s book. It’s the story of a brother and sister who open up a local lemonade stand, but they have inventory issues and then they got to plan their hours better. They’re not open at the right hours and it’s a book that teaches children the principles of business in a really fun way.
I know there’s a lot of kids that can use that, especially teaching entrepreneurship at such a young age, just because it’s so common to think, “Go out and get a job”, but starting your own business is definitely the way to go so that’s really great to hear.
That’s true. I got to tell you, jobs are hard today and sometimes we need to take control of our own lives. And, you know there’s a lot of people out there that are looking for jobs, struggling. I think maybe some people should say, rather than looking for a job, let me look for a job and pursue something entrepreneurial, because you know, an entrepreneurial idea can take off and many people have them, but don’t finish them through. How many times do people say, “I should try this. I should try that”? I’ll tell you this, I don’t regret anything I’ve ever tried, but I do regret things that I haven’t tried.
Knowing of your experience as a business owner, what do you feel is the common denominator of failure?
Before Bar Rescue, I’ve done about 800 consulting projects around the world for companies from high hotels to independent bars in Indiana, all over the place. It taught me everything about success for over 30 years. I really understand the building blocks of success, the words of success, you know, all the things it requires to be successful. Then I do Bar Rescue, and for 43 episodes, I learned more about failure than any business consultant in the world because business consultants are brought to businesses that can afford them, businesses that typically have a chance. I’m brought into places that can’t afford to buy me lunch. They can’t afford to buy me a plane ticket. They’re $900,000 in debt. They’ve made thousands of bad decisions that have led me to be there that day. I have experienced a depth of failure the past two years of my life that I’m going to suggest no other business professional has ever experienced. Now knowing what I know about success and knowing what I know about failure, I’m going to tell you that the education of that failure has been more meaningful to me as a consultant and here’s why; I have found the common denominator of failure. I’ve figured it out. I know exactly what it is and here we go. Excuses.
For example, you own a bar, a restaurant, a salon, a tie store, could be any of those things. You wake up in the morning, business isn’t good. It’s been a month, business isn’t good. So you blame the economy. You blame the president. You blame Congress. People are blaming Greece. “Aha. Greece did it. The bad economy in Greece destroyed my bar in Idaho.” The Mayor, construction in the street, recessions, the products stink. You look in the mirror every morning and you have a reason why that business is failing, but it’s never you. It’s always something else, right?
In Bar Rescue, I’ve learned that. That’s why I force them and that’s why it’s so confrontational. I force them to look at me and say, “I am failing because of me.” Now if you wake up in the morning and look in the mirror and your sock store is failing and you say, “It’s the economy. God damn construction in the street. This mayor’s destroying my business.” Or you wake up in the morning and look in the mirror and see a failure, say, “I am failing man. Other businesses are succeeding now, why not mine? I am a failure.” You’re not going to like it, but you’re going to change. As long as you can pass that blame to something else, you have no incentive to change.
When I make you own that failure, you don’t like it. You don’t like looking in the mirror and seeing a failure and suddenly you start changing things. I can fix any business. My challenge is fixing people. The only way I can fix people is by getting down to the core and making them accept the fact that their failure is due to them, only them and the choices that they make. Once they buy into that, their brain cracks open, and then I can walk right in and really change their behavior. You’ve seen it happen on some of my Rescue episodes. Obviously, it was almost more of a people rescue that it was a bar rescue or family rescue than it was a bar rescue. Last week’s episode was a great example of that, if you happened to see it.
So when I look in your face and challenge what you believe, you’re not going to like it. You’re going to dig your heels in. You’re going to fight back. These are your beliefs. That’s why Bar Rescue gets ugly, because when I dig my heels in and attack your beliefs, you are not going to like it. Hence, we fight it out but I have got to hold my ground. I’ve got to hold my ground because I have to make you see yourself as failing before I can fix it. That’s really in a nutshell the process that I go through in Bar Rescue before I try to change anyone.
One excuse we hear a lot is, “I don’t know how to get started.” Or “I have too much on my plate.” I’m sure you, as much as anybody, you’re a businessman, you have a ton on your plate. What does a typical day look like for you? How do you balance it?
I don’t like to let people down. As a person, that’s a powerful trait of mine. I don’t like to disappoint people I work really hard on my TV show because I don’t want to disappoint the audience. So when my employees need something from me, if I don’t do it I feel terrible about it. When a client needs access to me, if they don’t have it I feel terrible about it. If I have a deadline and I don’t meet it, I feel awful about it and I beat myself when those things happen. I don’t like it. So whatever I commit myself, I do overload myself sometimes. I’ll go in at one or two in the afternoon and I’ll shoot until two-thirty, three in the morning. I’m back at my hotel at three-thirty in the morning. I’ve been shooting all day and sometimes it’s a bad intensity, right? So my adrenaline’s pumping. I’ve been screaming and yelling. It takes me an hour and half to come down. I’m going to sleep at four-thirty, five in the morning typically because I don’t have to wake up at seven-thirty, eight in the morning.
My phone starts, particularly when I’m on the west coast. It starts early. I have responsibilities. I try not to book myself until ten, ten-thirty in the morning, but what happens is I just wake up on my own; my problem is sleep deprivation. What will happen is I’ll run three, four, five days going to bed at five, five-thirty in the morning and getting up at seven-thirty, eight. Just naturally waking up at that time. I start yawning. I’m exhausted during the course of the day. I don’t do energy drinks. I just don’t happen to like them. So every third or fourth day I wind up taking a sleep-enhancer. You know, an Ambien or something my doctor give me, and make sure I get at least six hours every third day or so.
I also run one of the largest trade shows in America, the Nightclub and Bar Convention in Las Vegas, I’m the president; one of the founders of it 30 years ago. That convention, it happens every year. It’s three years it’s been a Las Vegas convention. It’s the largest convention in the nightclub industry. I run one of the largest trade shows in America. Nightclub.com is our website. It’s the portal to the nightclub industry. We communicate with 200,000 bars every month through that website sending promotions and it’s like a bar intelligence website. You go there to get recipes and promotions and learn and we run that. It’s a media company. I also run Taffer Dynamics, which is my consulting company, where we do our products and our books and our publishing. Right now, as we speak, I’m building a studio in Las Vegas so that we can do a podcast, video podcasts, and create video content easier without having to go into other studios. So we’re creating a really great high-definition streaming studio. And on top of all of that, I have my wife and my daughter I want to spend time with. My daughter’s 24, it’s not like she’s a little girl anymore, but still I speak to her every day. I want to spend time with her when I can.
So I’m incredibly busy and what I find is this; I’m an insomniac to some degree because I work so much. If you research insomniacs, you’re going to find something interesting; Henry Ford, Harry Firestone, Thomas Edison, almost every one of the great industrialists of our time were insomniacs. When you look at a guy like Henry Ford, or Thomas Edison, this guy slept about three hours a day. So he was awake five to six hours a day more than anyone else and he used those five to six hours a day to be productive. If I work twice as many hours as somebody else, doesn’t it stand to reason that I’m going to get ahead faster? I’m going to learn more faster? I’m going to be exposed to more faster? I put in 20 hour days very often and it’s what’s gotten me here. So do I over-do sometimes? Yea, I do, and it takes its physical toll on me, but I’m passionate about what I do and I’ve been able to manage through it.
Let’s say, I have a dream of owning a bar or restaurant. What’s the best way for to get started?
Well, you know, first thing is work in one, period. You don’t know you want to own a bar until you’ve worked in one. Bar businesses are tough, man. It’s a lot of hours every day. It’s a tough business. You got to control your inventory by the minute. Theft is rampant. Lawsuits are rampant. Customer liabilities are rampant. Employee liabilities are rampant. This is not an easy business. Going into the bar business because you love business, not because you love bars. On the Murphy’s episode of Bar Rescue, the two frat brothers loved bars so they open up a bar. Look what happened. These guys lost a fortune. Back when I went in and did my Bar Rescue, you know what the first thing they did was? They sold it. The two of them looked at each other and said, “We should not be in this business,” since I had remodeled and set it all up, they sold it, got their money out, and they went into another business. You know, people that love liquor and love hanging in bars should not be in my business.
Would you say that business, the fundamentals of business, translate across many industries?
Jon: Absolutely, in my book, ‘Raise the Bar’ (that comes out October 8th) is all about the fundamentals. It’s funny, ‘Raise the Bar’ could also be the mantra of Male Standard, which is remarkable. Here’s the premise of the book. I don’t believe that any company’s in the product business. Let’s take a restaurant. The cook in the kitchen thinks he’s cooking an entree and the owner of that restaurant thinks the entree is his bestselling product. He’s dead wrong. When that plate hits the table, one of two things happens. Okay, let’s say you’re out with a friend tonight for dinner. You come to a restaurant of mine and you sit down at the table. The server brings the entree plate out, puts it in front of you. One of two things is going to happen. Maybe you’re going to react to it and I’ll see it if you do. You’ll sit up. You’ll look at it with enthusiasm. The plate looks great. You look at the other person’s plate and I see you guys physically reacting to that plate or food. Or nothing happens. So I suggest to you that the cook in the kitchen is not preparing an entree at all. He’s preparing a human reaction. He’s achieving it through the entree. So the entree is not the product. The human reaction is.
Let me take it a step further. I don’t play music in bars. I play human reactions. I achieve it through music. We don’t impress girls as guys, we create reactions in girls. When those reactions serve us well, we’ve got exactly what we want. We don’t serve people, we create reactions. I suggest that Verizon doesn’t sell cell service, they sell reactions. If they don’t treat you right, you’re gone. You react to things they do badly and you’re not going to be on Verizon very long, are you? When people relate too much to their product, they blow it.
I own the term ‘reaction management’, it’s actually mine, I own the trademark term. Everything in my life has been about reactions. I own the only patent ever issued by the federal government for controlling music to achieve the desire ambiance in hospitality properties. I took 60,000 songs, color-coded them, aligned them be beats-per-minute, even put them in listings by key so I can manipulate beats-per-minute levels and make you chew faster if I want to, dance faster, talk faster, slow down. I can manipulate lighting to create different body temperatures in you and effect the flow of morphine. There’s so many sciences that I can play with. The fact of the matter is, you’re not in the business of writing because the article doesn’t mean shit. It’s the way people react to it that matters. You’re writing a reaction, man. You’re achieving it through the article, aren’t ya? If you write something that gets no reactions, you’re not going to be writing for long. That’s my point. When a writer sits down and thinks he’s writing a piece, he’s wrong. When a cook sits down and thinks he’s cooking something, he’s wrong. We are all in reaction business and make no mistake, he or she that creates the best reaction wins. End of story. That’s life. Whether the reactions are with women, life, your boss, or your employees, when you get the right reactions around you, you win.
So, how do you do that in a pre-meditated way? How do I walk into a room with people with an understanding of the reactions I need to create and a plan to create those specific reactions knowing that when I do, I’m going to own them? That’s what my book is about. I mean, if you can dress like a millionaire, rent a Bentley, take a girl out to the most expensive restaurant in town, meanwhile you’re sleeping on the sidewalk somewhere in a cardboard box, but you pulled this off tonight. When that girl goes home, she’s fucking yours, man. Because she’s reacting to what you presented whether it’s true or real or not, doesn’t matter. She’s reacting to what she perceives. And those of us that can manage the reactions of others become millionaires. I’m one of them.
What is, speaking of the reaction in that sense, the lifestyle aspect. You know, as a guy, you want to get the girl. You want to be successful. What are some things that guys can do at a bar to get that positive reaction? How do you get that VIP treatment?
Well, you know it’s interesting. We when we look at women and we look at men, there’s a lot of statistical differences. I just did an episode on bacon for Bar Rescue and you’ll find this fascinating. 43 percent of men in America would rather have bacon than sex. That’s an actual statistic. That’s a hard number, man. 20 percent of men in America say they can’t live without bacon and bacon is a seventh most popular smell across men in America. Women don’t feel that way about any food product. So in as much as men think it’s sex, sex, sex, all you want to do is get laid, the fact of the matter is, it’s not true. In very many ways, women are more focused on intimacy than men are. So when you look at women and you start to pick them apart and I’ve been running nightclubs for 35 years. You know how many guys I’ve watched make assholes of themselves? You know how many pick-up lines I’ve heard? I see what works and what doesn’t.
Number one, a guy walks up to a girl that’s dressed in a way that clearly evidences pride. Her nails are done. Her hair is colored. Her dress is properly picked. She’s color coordinated. This is clearly somebody who has pride in themselves. They’re going to look for a guy who also has what? Pride. They’re not likely to be with somebody unkempt. So you go to a bar, nine out of ten women are dressed really really well and eight out of ten men are dressed like bums. That’s one. No girl likes that. Because what happens is you pass on pride for cool vanity, which makes you substance-less. So the first thing that women have to see is confidence and pride. That’s the number one thing that I believe they react to. You walk in with your chest out like you own the place. You can’t walk in like you own the place unless you look like you own the place. It’s a presence. It’s a feeling of confidence that you walk in. Nobody walks in that confidence when they’re wearing torn up jeans and flip flops in a fucking bar. If you don’t walk with that posture in that outfit, you don’t come off confident, you come off like an asshole. Years ago, let’s just pick horror movies for a moment because this is an interesting conversation. Years ago, women were always the victims in horror movies, weren’t they? Always the victim. Now they’re the enforcers. They catch the bad guy. They stand toe to toe with guys. There are badass women in movies today. You know, the day of the victim dainty woman is over. These women hold their own. You’ve got to hold your own too, brother. It’s a different world. Women have a confidence today and expect you to have the same. They expect you to have pride and cool comes from confidence.
I was with a bartender last night in an episode of shooting and the guy has his head shaved as a Mohawk, he’s got tattoos, you know, sleeves up and down his arms and this guy probably gets laid X amount of times a month. He’s fucking everybody in sight and I look at him across the room and I say, “You’re a failed bartender in a failed business that’s going to close in a week. What the fuck is cool about that?” Hair will never make you cool, man. Confidence makes you cool.
Can you fake confidence?
You got to fake confidence; you got to wear things that a confident person would wear. You got to wear things that somebody that money would wear because unfortunately money and confidence are equated in very similar ways, right? People that are wealthy tend to be confident or are perceived that way. People that are really confident and walk and carry themselves in that way are either perceived as wealthy or will be wealthy. So the two travel in hand. The fact of the matter is that you have to walk up to a girl, have her in ten seconds eye you up and down and make a determination of three things. One, this guy’s got some pride. Two, this guy’s got some confidence. Three, this guy could be interesting. That’s the walk-up objective. You’re not going to do that looking like a fucking bum. And when I go to bars and nightclubs today I’m shocked by the difference level of attire between the men and women. And I’m not suggesting you go in you’re in a sport jacket. That’s not what I’m saying. You know, you can still wear jeans. You can still be totally casually dressed, but you can do it in a way that portrays some connection to pride and style.
That’s just the way it is. I studied bars for 35 years. I’ve watched groups of women and I see who do they look at? When a table of five or six girls are in a bar, see, I’m a fucking nutcase, if you watch my show, you know this. I will stand in a corner of that bar and for an hour, hour and a half I will do nothing but watch that table. I’ll see where their eyes go, what they buy, what they smile at, what they don’t, but I also see which men they look at and which men they don’t. I’m going to tell you, the men they looked at were the ones described. The other ones didn’t matter. They were invisible. So you want to do it yourself? Go to a bar, pick a table of four women, go stand off in a corner and you watch the girls that catch their eyes; you watch the guys that catch their eyes. You watch the guys that they lean in, “Oh look at him over there.” Watch and then do what the they looked at. That’s the business of getting women, man.
What’s your Male Standard? What’s your motto or credo that you live by?
Simple. When I lay down on my death bed, my wife and daughter have to think the world of me, And that’s the way it works for me. You know, in Bar Rescue, I have been given this unbelievable platform where I can actually inspire and help people. If you want to do something fun, go on YouTube, there’s a video called ‘The Concept of Success’ that was made by one of my fans. Please do this, Victor, it’s a three-minute video. Go on YouTube, just put in ‘Jon Taffer The Concept of Success‘, it’s a three-minute video and this guy was inspired to make this video by the work that I’ve done on TV. To think that I could inspire thousands of people to become entrepreneurs, you know, to be better. I was in an airport the other day, a young man walks up to me, about 22 years old. Urban guy, missing two teeth in the bottom of his mouth, comes up to me as I’m waiting for my breakfast at six in the morning in a Burger King in Atlanta airport. He goes, “I wanted to tell you that I’m a manager because of you.”
I said, “What do you mean?” He goes, “Well I used to work in the back and I would bring stuff in and out all day long and after watching your show I said, ‘I can be better.’ And now I’m a manager.” The guy walked away. That happens to me, Victor, 50 to 100 times a month. Tweets, emails, people that have told me I have changed their lives. I’ve inspired them. I’ve made their marriage better. Man, that is motivating. Do you hear me? That’s as motivating as anything that’s ever happened to me before in life. So to be able to inspire people is great, but at the end of the day my wife and my daughter know me, my heart, and my soul better than anybody in the world. They’re the ones that will judge me.
Where can we learn more? Where can we get the book?
Jon: The book is available at Amazon. Advance orders are available now. It’ll be in bookstores nationally, publicly released on October 8th, but it is available for pre-order on Amazon. And there will be some excerpts available around the country as well next month. People can see. The fourth season of Bar Rescue starts October 6th. And you know, I don’t know if you know this, I run the world’s largest nightclub and bar convention in Las Vegas every March. I founded it 30 years ago and it’s one of the largest conventions in Las Vegas. So I’m not just a bar guy, I run one of the largest trade shows in the world. I also run the Nightclub and Bar Media Group, which are newsletters, websites, a whole B2B media company for the bar industry. And I’m an executive producer of Bar Rescue. And you were talking about time before, I should mention this, the press release comes out tomorrow. My second show, Hungry Investor, we just picked up and we go in production on that in February. And I will have two shows on TV at the same time.
You are an inspiration, Jon. It was an honor to be able to interview you. Thank you so much.
About Bar Rescue Season 3
Spike TV’s hit reality series “Bar Rescue” will resume its mission to overhaul struggling bars nationwide when its third season, consisting of twenty episodes, premieres February 10 at 10:00 PM, ET/PT. From the producers of “The Biggest Loser” and “Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition,” the series features Jon Taffer, one of the country’s top nightlife consultants, as he wields nearly three decades of experience in the food and beverage, hotel and hospitality industries to help give failing drinking establishments one last chance to transform themselves into vibrant, profitable businesses.
Take the Bar Rescue video tour with Jon here, or visit http://www.jontaffer.com/.
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If you’re among the estimated 8 million vegetarians and 1 million vegans in the United States, don’t think that you have to stick close to home to maintain a plant-based diet. A growing number of resources online and on the ground, as well as changes in the hospitality industry, are making veg-friendly travel easier than ever before.
“I actually believe that travel is more fun as a vegan,” said Wendy Werneth, a native Alabamian who has lived in Europe since 1999, first in Switzerland and now in Portugal. “For one thing, vegan travel is like a treasure hunt, a fun challenge. At first, I thought I’d starve looking for sustenance, but the reality is I find too many things to try them all.”
Werneth initially feared that traveling while vegan would be difficult and stressful. During a trial vegan trip to Greece in 2014, she discovered that vegan travel was not only doable, it was enjoyable. “Since I had all these fears and misconceptions, I knew that other people out there had the same concerns,” said Werneth, who guides fellow travelers with insights and tips at the Nomadic Vegan, a blog for practicing and aspiring vegans.
Here are some trends and tips from Werneth and others.
The mascot of HappyCow — the world’s top directory of vegan, vegetarian and veg-friendly restaurants — appears at Vegas VegFest in 2016. (LazyManVegan)
Get the app: Since HappyCow.net started in 1999 as a primitive website, it has grown to become the world’s top directory of vegan, vegetarian and veg-friendly restaurants around the world. Travelers can use it for advance planning and, while on the road, let HappyCow’s mobile app steer them to the nearest options.
The Santa Monica, Calif.-based site, with 157,000 registered members who have left more than 212,000 reviews, continues to grow by about 20 percent each year, said spokesman Ken Spector. HappyCow’s nearly 57,000 listings also include retreats and lodging, bakeries and farmers markets. It recently teamed up with Werneth to publish the site’s free guide, “9 Steps for Easy Vegan Travel.”
Splurge: High-end hotels, while they might not mention “the V-word,” are increasingly catering to their vegetarian and vegan customers. “Without a doubt, there’s more movement in that direction,” said Paul Eyers, who with his wife, Caryl, writes the blog Vegan Food Quest, which includes luxury hotel reviews. The couple left Britain for Southeast Asia four years ago and are now based in Cambodia. “You’ve already got eastern religion and western animal compassion,” he said, “and now people are turning to veganism because of health and environmental concerns.”
Eyers, who also advises properties (and their restaurants) on catering to vegans, says that little things can go a long way. “High-end hotels, which usually ask for your preferences ahead of time, should know you’re vegan, so they shouldn’t leave chocolate on pillows or milk in the fridge,” he said. “If I go into a room and there’s fruit, soy milk and a butter alternative, I know they understand my diet, and that makes me confident in the hotel in general.”
Research local cuisine: Even cuisines that have a reputation for being extraordinarily difficult for vegans and vegetarians still dish up plenty of surprises if you dig deep enough, Werneth said. Spain, for example — known for its cured meats and seafood — has gazpacho, vegetable paella and a huge selection of vegan tapas. France — famous for cheese and rich beef flavors — has vegan specialties such as socca, a savory pancake made from chickpea flour that is hugely popular in the southern part of the country.
Sushi from Edamame Vegan Sushi in Warsaw, one of two vegan sushi restaurants in the Polish capital. (Ken Spector)
Researching vegan options, she said, offered her a new way to approach different cultures and cuisines, many of which she explores in her recently published book “Veggie Planet: Uncover the Vegan Treasures Hiding in Your Favorite World Cuisines.” “For instance,” she said, “there are a lot of what I call accidentally vegan dishes in the Greek cuisine because of religious restrictions in the Greek Orthodox Church.”
Network: Werneth, Spector and Eyers all recommend that travelers research destinations before traveling, including connecting with local vegans via such outlets as Facebook, Couchsurfing, Airbnb, Meetup, local blogs and vegan restaurants and festivals.
State your needs: Once at your destination, introduce yourself as vegan wherever you stay and eat. When confronting a language barrier, Spector recommended using Google Translate’s photo scanner (for menus) and also showing pictures of veg-friendly dishes. In case you run out of options, bring your own vegan snacks and a stash of vitamins and also carry containers, plastic bags and minimal eating utensils to set up your own kitchen.
Above all, the experts say, bring an open mind and an open heart, staying curious, respectful and positive, especially when eating fully vegan is not possible. “The whole point of the vegan movement is to create a more peaceful and compassionate world,” Werneth said. “I think it’s counterproductive to negatively focus on those small things that might not be vegan. I’d rather that 98 percent of what I’m eating is vegan and that I’m setting a positive example in the hopes that that is going to encourage more people to give veganism a try. That’s going to help a lot more animals in the end.”
Book a vegan tour: Donna Zeigfinger, who is celebrating 20 years of running Greenearth Travel in Cabin John, Md., recently pored over her notes to prepare an anniversary timeline. “Wow, has it gotten so much easier to find vegan options,” she said. “Still, some people think they’re going to starve to death if they travel vegan and they’re freaked out. That’s where I come in.”
About 40 percent of Zeigfinger’s work these days is arranging custom vegetarian and vegan-friendly trips. For the rest, she collaborates with vegan tour and cruise companies with jaunts to destinations including Indonesia, India, Croatia, Italy and Ireland. Closer to home, she’s offering a package-deal trip to the Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Baltimore Orioles baseball game on Sept. 26 for PNC Park’s first vegan event.
Werneth, meanwhile, next year will lead tours in Italy and Portugal with Veg Jaunts and Journeys, a new company based in Asheville, N.C., whose trips often include vegan cooking classes and festivals, as well as visits to vegan-friendly stores. Owner Kim Giovacco also offers customized travel planning.
Pick veg-friendly destinations: HappyCow recently released its first Top-10 list of vegan-friendly cities worldwide determined by number of offerings, population density and the staff’s impression of the “overall vegan-friendliness” of the city. Winners, starting with first place, are: Berlin; Los Angeles; Warsaw; Taipei, Taiwan; New York City; Singapore; London; Tel Aviv; Portland, Ore.; and San Francisco.
“I think Europe has seen the most tremendous growth,” Spector said. “Berlin has had a massive explosion, and of really high quality. In Warsaw, Poland, I had some of the best vegan food I’ve had in Europe. They have two vegan sushi restaurants that are phenomenal. I’m even speaking at a vegan event in Kiev.”
Spector, a frequent visit to the District, noted that the Washington area has considerable room for growth, but he praised several spots, including HipCityVeg, NuVegan Cafe, Shouk and Sticky Fingers Sweets & Eats.
HappyCow has been invited to dozens of vegan fairs and festivals around the world, which Spector said are growing in number and size. “I remember going to vegan events with 200 or maybe 500 people; now it’s up to 30,000,” he said. “I’m going to vegan event in China; they’re expecting 35,000.”
Daniel is a writer based in the Netherlands. Her website is bydianedaniel.com.
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The Democratic-controlled General Assembly began the process of overriding Republican Gov. Larry Hogan's vetoes Wednesday, with one chamber upholding legislation that would allow felons to regain the right to vote as soon as they leave prison.
After a passionate 45-minute debate, members of the House of Delegates voted 85-56 to uphold the bill they passed last year. The House reached the minimum number of votes needed to override Hogan's veto after the bill received 82 votes last year.
The House also voted to override the governor's vetoes of a Howard County bill that changes the way hotel taxes are collected and $2 million in the state budget that was earmarked for the Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts, a community arts center in House Speaker Michael E. Busch's district.
The Senate is expected to vote on veto overrides on Thursday.
Republican delegates argued Wednesday that felons have committed crimes such as murder, rape and human trafficking, and should complete their full sentence — including parole and probation — before regaining the right to vote.
"There are consequences to being a convicted felon," said Del. Jason Buckel, an Allegany County Republican.
Supporters of the bill — mostly Democrats — argued that ex-inmates trying to rejoin society deserve a say in how they are governed. Some pointed out that former felons have jobs and pay taxes, and shouldn't be taxed if they can't vote for their representatives in government.
Del. Cory McCray, the Baltimore Democrat who sponsored the bill, said restoring voting rights is an important step toward helping ex-offenders.
"This in no way is a silver bullet, but this is a step in the right direction," he said.
Del. Eric G. Luedtke, a Montgomery County Democrat, said voting is a sacred right and lawmakers should think very carefully when considering whether to take that right away.
"Voting is not just a right, it is the fundamental right," he said. He urged lawmakers not to give into the "fear-mongering" of opponents who evoked images of murderers and rapists.
Most people convicted of felonies are simply people who "made a mistake," he said.
Del. Dan Morhaim, a Baltimore County Democrat, made a statistical argument in favor of overriding the veto. He said after Florida restored voting rights to felons, recidivism — instances of offenders committing more crimes and returning to prison — fell from 33 percent to 11 percent.
"This is actually an anti-crime bill," he said.
Del. Anthony O'Donnell, a Southern Maryland Republican, said he sympathized with arguments about redemption for people out of prison. But he said redemption can come only after an individual has paid his debt to society.
"That's what judicial punishment is," he said.
After the vote, ex-convicts Perry Hopkins and Reginald Smith-Bey expressed relief. The men, who worked with the advocacy group Communities United to lobby for the bill, watched the vote from the House gallery.
"It made me cry," said Hopkins, a 54-year-old man from Baltimore's Upton neighborhood who has been in prison several times, mostly for drug offenses. He was last released in 2012 and recently completed probation. He hopes to vote for the first time this year.
"All through my life, because of my criminal record, I couldn't vote," he said. "I could only witness. I couldn't participate."
Smith-Bey, 53, said he served 14 years in prison for attempted murder before being released in 2012. If prison officials think he's ready to be released, he said, he should be able to participate fully in society — including voting.
He said he has often encouraged young people to vote but "couldn't lead by example" because he's on probation.
Current law allows felons to vote after they complete their parole or probation. But advocates say the law is confusing, and as a result, some ex-offenders were reluctant to try to register to vote.
The legislation would extend the vote to an estimated 40,000 former felons who are out of prison but still on parole or probation.
Three delegates joined the 82 who voted for the legislation last year: Del. Michael A. Jackson, a Prince George's County Democrat who missed last year's vote; Del. Elizabeth G. Proctor, a Prince George's Democrat who has taken the seat of her late husband, who was absent during last year's vote; and Del. Pamela G. Beidle, an Anne Arundel County Democrat who changed her vote this year.
Six Democrats joined 50 Republicans in opposing the override.
Hogan declined to comment on the vote. When he vetoed the bill, he wrote to legislative leaders that making felons wait to vote until completing all aspects of their sentence "achieves the proper balance between repayment of obligations to society for a felony conviction and the restoration of the various restricted rights."
Hogan vetoed three other measures passed by the legislature last year. One would make possession of a marijuana pipe a civil offense, not a crime. One would tax hotel rooms that are reserved through online-booking sites. One would set higher thresholds for law enforcement to seize cash and property in suspected drug deals.
Because those laws originated in the Senate last year, senators will vote first on whether to override those bills when they meet Thursday.
Baltimore Sun reporter Michael Dresser contributed to this article.
pwood@baltsun.com
twitter.com/pwoodreporter |
NEW YORK (Reuters) - A top adviser to presidential candidate Mitt Romney on Tuesday dismissed an idea to cap the size of big banks floated last week by a senior U.S. Federal Reserve official.
Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney arrives in Ronkonkoma, New York October 16, 2012 for his upcoming debate with U.S. President Barack Obama. REUTERS/Brian Snyder
Glenn Hubbard, an economic advisor in the Republican camp, said market forces would keep the size of financial institutions in check better than difficult and arbitrary government limits on banks judged too-big-to-fail.
Last week, Fed Governor Daniel Tarullo surprised Wall Street when he called on Congress to legislate “an upper bound point of reference” for banks based on their percentage of U.S. Gross Domestic Product.
The issue of too-big-to-fail banks could resurface later on Tuesday when Romney faces off against President Barack Obama in the second of three debates ahead of the November 6 poll. The stumbling economic recovery since the financial crisis has so far dominated in the campaign.
The comments from Tarullo, appointed to the Fed board by Obama, suggest regulators are still keenly worried that massive and complex banks can threaten the financial system, four years after the worst of the crisis.
Hubbard, dean of the Columbia Business School, on Tuesday added to the criticism that has since come from Wall Street.
“I understand Dan Tarullo gave those remarks. I disagree with them. First of all I’m not quite sure what a cap would be and how I would figure it out,” Hubbard said in response to a question at a National Association for Business Economics conference.
“The reason we’re concerned about big banks is that they’re too big to fail,” he added. “If the market forces say these banks are too big and too complex, they will be wittled down to size. And I think that’s a much better (solution) than arbitrary limits on bank sizes.”
Hubbard made the argument as news headlines surfaced that the chief executive of the third-largest U.S. bank, Citigroup Inc’s Vikram Pandit, had abruptly resigned.
Citi was among the banks to receive a bailout during the 2008 crisis. It has since been under close watch by regulators. The Fed rejected Citi’s capital plans this year after administering a stress test on the bank.
TOO-BIG-TO-FAIL COULD RESURFACE IN DEBATE
Tarullo, the central bank’s point person on regulation, made his surprise proposal last Wednesday as he noted the difficulties regulators face in deciding which proposed bank acquisitions should be approved.
The absence of a well-established cap on the size of banks complicates such decisions, he said at the University of Pennsylvania Law School, in Philadelphia.
An ever larger bank “increases perceptions of at least some residual too-big-to-fail quality in such a firm,” bringing a possible funding advantage that “reinforces the impulse to grow,” said Tarullo, a one-time aide to former President Bill Clinton. He floated tying the non-deposit liabilities of banks to a specified percentage of the country’s GDP, though he did not suggest a number.
“There is, then, a case to be made for specifying an upper bound,” Tarullo said, adding, “it would be most appropriate for Congress to legislate on the subject.”
During the previous presidential debate, Romney reiterated his plan to repeal the landmark Dodd-Frank financial regulation bill, while Obama countered that the economic crisis was brought on by insufficient oversight of reckless behavior on Wall Street and elsewhere.
Asked about Romney’s debate strategy, Hubbard told Reuters on the sidelines of the conference: “His objective is to continue the conversation with voters about what the right economic policies are for the country.
“He did that really well last time, and I’d be stunned if he doesn’t do it well tonight,” the adviser added. |
In this Fuse Lollapalooza exclusive, host Esteban Serrano sat down with English electro-pop duo London Grammar to talk touring, unexpected fanbases and vocal injuries.
"Every time we’ve come to America it’s been wonderful," guitarist Dan Rothman said. "I think we’ve cultivated a very devoted fanbase, which is lovely. We feel very grateful. We’ve always been welcomed."
Stateside fans are luckier than those in Australia, who never got to see the band. The group canceled the tour following singer Hannah Reid's vocal injury. "I just started to lose my voice. It does happen after touring for like eighteen months. I have to be careful now when I speak. I’m trying to speak lightly and sort of high. I was in a fair amount of pain, really," she explained. "When that happens you have to just be really really careful about it." |
Steph Curry describes what it was like to be ejected from an NBA game for the first time and says he found the foul calls against him "hilarious." (1:05)
CLEVELAND -- Stephen Curry and Steve Kerr on Friday were each fined $25,000 by the NBA for their outbursts during the Golden State Warriors' 115-101 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 6 of the NBA Finals.
Curry was fined for throwing his mouthpiece into the crowd -- for which he was automatically ejected -- with 4:22 left in the fourth quarter Thursday night after being called for his disqualifying sixth foul. The mouthpiece hit the son of one of the Cavs' minority owners, who was sitting in the front row and later received an apology from Curry.
Curry was angry about several fouls that were called against him throughout the game, as was Kerr, who was fined for his remarks about the officiating.
"He had every right to be upset. He's the MVP of the league. He gets six fouls called on him, three of them were absolutely ridiculous," Kerr said. "He steals the ball from Kyrie [Irving] clean at one point. LeBron [James] flops on the last one. [Referee] Jason Phillips falls for that -- for a flop. As the MVP of the league, we're talking about these touch fouls in the NBA Finals.
"Let me be clear: We did not lose because of the officiating. They totally outplayed us, and Cleveland deserved to win. But those three of the six fouls were incredibly inappropriate calls for anybody, much less the MVP of the league."
Game 7 is Sunday in Oakland, California.
ESPN Senior Writer Brian Windhorst contributed to this report. |
Former Bank of England Governor Mervyn King has told Sky News that the plunge in the pound is a "welcome change" for the UK economy.
Lord King said that recent fears over the behaviour of the pound, which has fallen to its lowest level against the dollar since 1985, were overblown.
Speaking in New York, where he is currently teaching, he said: "The economy was slowing somewhat before the vote and we are in a position where the rest of the world is not offering us much help.
"So from that point of view the fall in sterling is a welcome change."
The comments are highly significant, in part because any central banker's remarks on currencies are closely watched, and in part because of the growing consternation about the possibility of a sterling crisis in the wake of the Brexit vote.
'Flash crash' as pound falls to new 31-year low
Last week the pound suffered a "flash crash", falling suddenly from $1.26 to $1.14 in the space of a few seconds, prompting the Chancellor Philip Hammond to warn that the UK would face an extended period of turbulence as it adapted to its new circumstances.
But Lord King said: "The whole thing has generated reactions which are over the top."
"During the referendum campaign, someone said the real danger of Brexit is you'll end up with higher interest rates, lower house prices and a lower exchange rate, and I thought: dream on.
"Because that's what we've been trying to achieve for the past three years and now we have a chance of getting it."
He concluded: "I don't think we should fear (Brexit). It's not a bed of roses, but nor is it the end of the world."
Chancellor on Brexit: The full interview
Senior Conservative MP and Leave campaigner Bernard Jenkin agreed that the fall in the pound was not something to get the alarm bells ringing.
He told Sky News: "The fall in the value of the pound would be of great concern if we were already suffering inflation, because obviously it puts up import costs.
"But inflation is not a concern in our economy at the moment.
"If anything, we've been teetering on deflation, and if there is a minor inflationary effect from devaluation, that really isn't going to do us any harm."
But the economist and former government adviser Vicky Pryce, also talking to Sky News, struck a note of caution, saying: "We import an awful lot of our goods.
"If you look at what goes into manufacturing production, a lot of the import prices are rising very rapidly right now.
"(It) means that manufacturing costs are increasing, it means that their profits are being squeezed because they can't pass it on to consumers.
"So we're likely to be having higher costs all across, and of course inflation generally is going to rise." |
Tips are classified as taxable earnings. Does this hotel declare them?
BOSSES at a top hotel allegedly sacked one of their waiters after finding a “fair tips” leaflet in his locker, the union Unite said yesterday.
Trade unionists and supporters of Robert Czegely held a protest last night outside the five-star STK restaurant in central London’s plush Melia ME Hotel, which charges well over £1,000 a night for one of its suites, as he prepared for an employment tribunal hearing tomorrow, after Unite lodged the claim.
Unite accused Melia bosses of “heavy-handed, anti-union bias” and victimising Mr Czegely for organising workers against management’s 15 per cent levy on tips.
In a statement issued to the Star, Mr Czegely said: “I believe I’ve been victimised for speaking out about something all the staff felt to be unfair and for campaigning for the union to be recognised.
“I hope someone at a more senior level in the company will look seriously at what has been going on at STK and the ME London Hotel and make the correct decisions to resolve this.” |
James Corden is a little bit nervous about his chat show debut tonight on CBS.
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The 36-year-old Brit, who we know and love for Gavin & Stacey, The Wrong Mans and History Boys, is taking on established US format The Late Late Show. After weeks of rehearsals, his first episode – starring Mila Kunis and Tom Hanks – premieres tonight, but the actor isn’t feeling all that confident.
“I’ll be back in no time. This show will be cancelled in a heartbeat, believe me,” he told RadioTimes.com.
“It’s a bit more terrifying than exciting. I feel very, very anxious about it. I really do. I hope I can pull it off, you know. We will see. I’m not holding out a huge amount of hope.”
Speaking to RadioTimes.com shortly before his move stateside, Corden said “the nature of living in California is something that feels so alien” but that he hopes his family – wife Julia and children Max and Carey – “enjoy the adventure that it is.”
“If it doesn’t work – which is very likely – then I don’t think we’ll have lost anything because it’s not what I do, or what I’ve ever done. Hopefully we’ll just have a real nice time living in the sunshine for a bit.”
Not that leaving Britain behind has been easy: “I’ll miss British sensibilities from time to time. I’ll miss Match of the Day, good football analysis – because from what I’ve seen on American TV it’s not the case!”
Corden has been in the US since January prepping for his much-anticipated debut. Reports suggest it hasn’t been an entirely smooth ride. Audience members in rehearsals didn’t understand British slang terms like “knackered”, “dodgy” and “bladdered” (all worth learning, if you ask us).
Nevertheless, he’s already managed to snag an exclusive story. During the recording of his first show, Mila Kunis admitted that she’d secretly married Ashton Kutcher.
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The Late Late Show with James Corden, starring guests Mila Kunis and Tom Hanks, premieres tonight on CBS in America |
The unrelenting message was “that you had to be cheerful and accepting and that you would not recover unless you were,” said Ms. Ehrenreich, who also writes frequently for The New York Times. Most infuriating, she added, was the advice to “consider your cancer a gift.”
Every rosy affirmation — the advertisements for breast cancer teddy bears and other tchotchkes, the inspirational slogans (“When life hands out lemons, squeeze out a smile”), and the politically correct language (“victim” and “patient” are avoided because they suggest passivity) — sharpened her keen sense of outrage.
“I have to say I took it personally,” she said. At one point she wrote a rant on Komen.org, a Web site that focuses on breast cancer education and research, about her anger over environmental carcinogens, endless battles with insurance agencies, toxic treatments and “sappy pink ribbons.” She recalled a typical response to her post: “You need to run, not walk, to get therapy. You can’t get better without poisoning your system.”
Her eyes widened at the memory. “If I don’t get better, it’s my fault,” she continued. “It’s a clever blame-the-victim sort of thing.”
Ms. Ehrenreich underwent a mastectomy and chemotherapy and wore a wig to cover her hair loss during her book tour for “Nickel and Dimed.”
Photo
Over the next few years, however, she kept encountering the same smiling insistence elsewhere that a positive outlook itself was the solution to problems. It had infiltrated the large career-counseling industry that serves the unemployed; the Ivy League, where “positive psychology” has nested in the curriculum; the best-seller list, where “The Secret” has taken up residence; mega-churches run by evangelists; and conferences for motivational speakers.
Then the financial crisis hit. “Wham,” she said. “It was so clear to me that it was connected.” The relentlessly optimistic forecasts about subprime mortgages and endless increases in real estate values were the product of the positive-thinking culture. One of the fundamental tenets of the literature, Ms. Ehrenreich said, is to surround yourself with other positive thinkers and “get rid of negative people.”
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“We’ve been weeding out anybody capable of rational thinking, of realism,” said Ms. Ehrenreich, a longtime activist in leftist politics. “That was, for me, ‘Wow!’ ”
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Meanwhile, a background in science — she has a Ph.D. in biology — made Ms. Ehrenreich especially skeptical of pseudoscientific claims that positive thinkers often cite.
In “Bright-sided,” she traces the roots of the nation’s blithe sunniness to a reaction against Calvinist gloom and the limits of medical science in the first half of the 19th century. Starting with Phineas Parkhurst Quimby, perhaps one of the first American New Age faith healers, she draws a line to Mary Baker Eddy, the founder of Christian Science; the psychologist William James; Ralph Waldo Emerson; Norman Vincent Peale, who published “The Power of Positive Thinking” in 1952; and the toothy television minister Joel Osteen, who preaches the gospel of prosperity.
To Ms. Ehrenreich, the reliance on one’s personal disposition shifts attention from the larger social, political and economic forces behind poverty, unemployment and poor health care. “It can’t all be fixed by assertiveness training,” she said wryly.
Ms. Ehrenreich found that the more she listened, the surlier she became. All that shiny optimism, she said, was “like sitting in a warm bubble bath for too long.” Luckily she found other churlish comrades, scholars and doctors who were similarly skeptical of undimmed positivity.
“We began to call ourselves the Negatives,” said Micki McGee, a sociologist at Fordham University and the author of “Self-Help, Inc.: Makeover Culture in American Life.” The group would meet on occasion and discuss their research and the news of the day. The thread of positive thinking that runs through self-help culture says, “If you dream it and believe it, it becomes reality,” Professor McGee explained. “That kind of thinking contributes to the economic bubble that we just saw explode in enormous ways. Barbara’s take on it is very important.”
Richard Sloan, a professor of behavioral psychology at Columbia, is a more recent member of the Negatives. He has written at length about the absence of scientific evidence showing links between prayer and healing in his book “Blind Faith: The Unholy Alliance Between Religion and Medicine.”
“There is some relatively recent evidence of the benefits of positive affect, but not the simplistic approach that is advocated by coaches that all you need to do is be happy,” he said. “There is no evidence that trying to put on a happy face makes a difference.” Rather, those who are characteristically more optimistic may have an advantage over those who aren’t, but, he said, “you just can’t change who you are very easily.”
The Negatives are quick to note that they are positive about some things. Despair is not the only alternative to positive thinking, Ms. Ehrenreich maintains; a spiral of negativism can be just as bad as a positive one. She is, as Mr. Osteen would say, living her “best life.”
Still, if people insist on seeing her as a “messenger of doom,” she gracefully accepts the role: “I will see what I can do to awaken us to this mass delusion.” |
Chivas USA announced late Wednesday night that the club has mutually agreed to part ways with head coach José Luis “Chelís” Sánchez Solá, "due to the team’s poor performance on the field," according to the club's statement.
The Rojiblancos currently sit last in the Western Conference standings heading into Week 14 of the 2013 Major League Soccer season.
As Chivas USA’s head coach, Chelís has earned a record of 3-7-2, amassing a total of 11 points in 12 games.
"Since his hiring," the statement said, "Sánchez Solá had at his disposal a competitive team with the institutional premise of a formal interaction, based in communication in which the club listened to his petitions to incorporate players approved by him. However, he was not able to reflect it with results."
Chivas USA's statement also said that Chelís had not always “followed the patterns of respect and conduct implemented by Major League Soccer, as well as by Chivas USA.”
Effective immediately, head coaching duties will now be assumed by José Luis Real, who currently acts as sporting development director at Chivas de Guadalajara. |
Senator Joseph Lieberman (I-Conn.) predicted on Sunday that President Obama would not get the votes needed to pass his nuclear arms reduction treaty with Russia unless there were significant modifications to the administration's approach.
Appearing on "Fox News Sunday," the Connecticut Independent suggested that he himself would oppose ratification of the START II Treaty that Obama signed in Prague this past week, in part because, he reasoned, the language left America vulnerable to a nuclear Iran.
"I don't believe that there will be 67 votes to ratify the treaty unless the administration does two things," Lieberman said. "First: commit to modernize our nuclear stockpile, so as we have less nuclear weapons we know that they are capable if, God forbid, we need them. And secondly, to make absolutely clear that the statements by Russian president [Dmitry] Medvedev at the signing in program, that seemed to suggest that if we continue to build ballistic missile defense in Europe they may pull out of this treaty, is just not acceptable to us. We need that defense to protect our allies and ourselves from Iran."
Lieberman's comments foreshadow what seems likely to be a piqued and difficult battle for the White House on the nuclear arms control front. The president is set to meet with a host of world leaders this week to discuss and outline a system for weapons reduction. Domestically, however, his administration needs to cobble together at least eight Republicans (nine, if Lieberman crosses party lines) to get START II into law. As for the specific complaints that Lieberman has with the proposed treaty, tinkering with the missile defense approach seems to be the most difficult task, as it was a major sticking point in U.S.-Russia negotiations.
Asked whether he thought the treaty would end up passing the Senate, Lieberman's co-panelist on Fox News, Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) refused to offer a prediction, except to say it would be at least a year before the issue was considered. |
A gang of up to 30 youths vandalised a number of cars in Dublin city centre last night.
A gang of up to 30 youths vandalised a number of cars in Dublin city centre last night.
Shocking video footage shows gang of 'up to 30' youths vandalising cars in Dublin city centre
Some members of the group were armed with metal bars.
Video footage below sent into Independent.ie shows the wing mirror of one car flying into the air after one of the youths struck it with an object.
The shocking incident happened at around 9pm on Railway Street, in Dublin's north inner city.
Council staff were cleaning up broken glass in the area this morning and gardai said they are now investigating three incidents of criminal damage. No arrests have been made.
One person working nearby described what happened.
"Around 9pm two big groups of teenagers started throwing metal objects and glass and they started to become very aggressive, shouting and screaming. They then started destroying cars in the street.
"This happened two days ago too. I'm very concerned and hope that the gardai can do something about it."
An eye witness said he saw two gangs around the same area on Sunday night also.
He said the youths were armed with bars and some even had knuckle dusters.
"They were around the Talbot Street area and one fella shouted at his friend to pass him his knuckle duster. They scattered towards the Abbey Street area when gardai arrived in the area."
Local councillor Nial Ring said this kind of vandalism is happening on a "regular basis" and he is liaising with gardai to address the issue.
"It’s a nightmare. We tend to see this kind of behaviour coming up to Halloween and we are hoping more gardai will be deployed in the area.
"The increased garda patrol in that area over the past few months has had a significant impact. The problem is the people doing this vandalism are getting more brazen and they are getting younger.
"There are a lot of youth clubs in the area who have done huge work to get kids off the street but this little cohort is causing a lot of problems. There's around 20 to 30 of them."
Vandalism incidents involving cars have also been happening on the south side of Dublin recently.
Independent.ie previously reported how 12 cars have been burned out in the Portobello area over the past two months.
This car was burnt out in the area in July
Jim O'Callaghan TD has condemned the acts and believes the burnings are a ploy to occupy gardai while other criminal activities are happening in the area.
"This is an issue that has been going on for nearly 2 months now," he told Independent.ie.
"I met the superintendent in Kevin Street recently to talk about the issue.
"The gardaí are aware of who is behind it and the reasons. It appears that these burnings are being carried out to distract the gardaí from doing other important work there in the area. I have asked for increased garda presence."
Online Editors |
For me, and most people I know, the word “empire” has a negative connotation. As well it should. The economic and military might of human empires has been one of the most destructive forces in history. From the genocidal campaigns of Genghis Khan to the modern day invasions of Iraq, the prerogative of empires is to establish their power through conquest and domination. In the process, they’ve destroyed the lives of billions.
The early Christian communities knew this. The ancient church lived under Roman occupation – first as Jews in Roman Palestine, and eventually as people of all tribes and tongues throughout the Roman Empire. The first Christians experienced first hand the deadly power of empire. Jesus was tortured and executed at the hands of the Roman legion. Many of the most dedicated saints were martyred by Caesar or his local representatives.
The earliest followers of Jesus had every reason to reject empire. They saw on a daily basis how the powers distort the image of God in humanity. The power of the Roman state enforced conformity to a worldview that was profoundly twisted, life-denying, and oppressive. Caesar and his minions directed worship to themselves, rather than to the one true God of love whom Jesus reveals. In the midst of this suffocating atmosphere of state violence, the disciple community composed and circulated the Book of Revelation, one of the most powerful denunciations of human empire ever written.
Yet the Christian tradition also embraces the language of empire. Throughout the whole Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, the power of God is presented in imperial terms. Even Jesus, who was murdered by Caesar’s army, is fashioned a conquering king, come to establish an empire of peace and justice without end. The many of the titles that the church uses for Jesus – such as “lord”, “messiah,” and “savior of the world” – are firmly rooted in the vocabulary of imperial rule. In Jesus, we are presented with a leader who overcomes the powers and principalities of human empire, conquering death and oppression with the legions of love.
This framing is strange for someone like me, who has always assumed that empire is simply evil. Why would a good and loving God be described in imperial terms? Could even empire play a role in God’s vision? If God in Jesus has created everything for a helpful purpose, perhaps it is only our twisting of God’s good creation that has turned empire into a destructive force.
God created empire as a positive good. That sounds crazy, I know. But consider this: Would we really want a world without empire? Do we want a society without a central source of governance and authority? Would we prefer that every man, woman, and child be forced to fend for themselves – survival of the fittest? Even pacifists like me are sometimes grateful for the presence of police.
All empires derive their authority from the promise of bringing order to a chaotic world. This is why human beings have embraced dictators, warlords, kings, and parliaments for as long as we have a written record. Despite the terrible track record of human power structures, we tend to think that the order and stability they provide are worth the cost.
What God offers us in Jesus is a holy center of power and justice who can resolve the hostilities and divisions among people and nations. In Jesus we find the emperor that we’ve all been waiting for – one who rules the nations in justice and establishes real peace wherever he reigns. In him, all things hold together. Out of chaos and confusion, he brings order – and joy.
In the United States, and in nations around the world, we are presently experiencing a crisis of empire. The structures of authority that once seemed stable have become increasingly shaky. We don’t know where to turn for strength, vision, and direction. We are looking for leaders we can trust – men and women who will re-establish an empire based on justice, care for those on the margins, and peace with our neighbors. In a moment like this, we have a great opportunity to point to Jesus as the leader we’ve been longing for. He is present to lead us, if we are ready to follow him.
What would it mean to invite Jesus to be president of our communities, our culture, our nation? What would it look like to live as part of the empire of peace, righteousness, and social justice that he promises? What if empire is just what we need?
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Image copyright Getty Images
Britain has become "internationally renowned" for having "really lousy" teeth, according to TV doctor Chris van Tulleken, with people not caring enough about staining and decay. Is this label fair?
Having bad teeth is one of the stock American jokes about British people. In the world of film, spoof super-spy Austin Powers cavorts around London as a would-be sex symbol, not realising that his discoloured, crooked grin is being mocked.
In one episode of the Simpsons, a dentist scares a young patient into better oral hygiene by exposing him to a horrific publication called The Big Book of British Smiles. It features mocked-up pictures of gappy, unaligned teeth belonging, among others, to Buckingham Palace guards, the Prince of Wales and Sherlock Holmes.
Chris van Tulleken, a British doctor and TV presenter, has joined the criticism by telling Radio Times magazine that British dental standards are globally infamous and having "brown, foul teeth doesn't really bother us".
But are British mouths really in such a state and is there such a lack of vanity?
Image copyright Getty Images Image caption US v UK: American presenter Ryan Seacrest and Simon Cowell, either side of Randy Jackson
Lance Knight, a dentist from Manchester, dismisses van Tulleken's comments as "out-of-date". "People in the UK want their teeth to look better," he says.
He thinks cosmetic dentistry in the US is based on people wanting to "look the same way", with rows of perfect, shiny white teeth, like those flashed by the Osmonds or the Kennedys.
Image copyright Getty Images
In the UK it's more about patients going for cleaning and some straightening but maintaining a more "natural look", he adds.
While 90% of Knight's cosmetic dentistry customers want just an "improved smile", he estimates, the rest want brilliant white teeth seen on reality TV shows like Big Brother and The Only Way is Essex, influenced by the more dazzling American aesthetic.
Image copyright PA; Getty Images Image caption Cheryl Fernandez-Versini in 2002 and 2015
Whatever the priority, UK private spending on improving teeth has increased sharply. It reached £1.86bn last year, according to the market research group Mintel, up 27% since 2010.
Just 3% of people in the UK have had teeth-whitening work, lagging behind the 14% in the US, it says. But there's little sign of the complacency van Tulleken describes, with three in 10 UK adults unhappy about the appearance of their teeth, Mintel adds.
"The media are more aware now of teeth," says London dentist Uchenna Okoye, "and beauty pages now cover teeth and toothpastes, which years ago just didn't happen.
"Rightly or wrongly, we are appearance-driven and, as teeth have become more of a focus with makeover shows and celebrity news, people have become more interested - and naturally the health of their teeth as well as the appearance becomes a focus."
Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Women in London sit down for express teeth whitening
It's going to take some time to overcome but the UK is definitely making progress.
Statistics suggest that, taken on pure oral health rather than appearance, the UK does better than the US.
According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development's (OECD) figures, the average number of missing or filled teeth for a 12-year-old in the UK in 2008 (the latest figures available) was 0.7. This was the joint best rating that year.
The last figure reported by the OECD for the US, in 2004, was 1.3 - when the UK also got 0.7. The UK's decay and replacement rates started falling below those of the US during the mid-1990s. Going back to 1963, the UK rate was as high as 5.6.
Average number of missing or decayed teeth at age 12 (2008 figures) Denmark, Luxembourg, United Kingdom 0.7 Sweden 0.9 Australia 1.1 US (2004 figure) 1.3 New Zealand, Norway 1.4 Japan 1.5
Source: OECD - the 2004 figure for the US is the latest available. At that time the UK's figure was also 0.7.
"We have seen real progress," says Mick Armstrong, chairman of the British Dental Association, "but dental disease and deprivation still go hand in hand. We need parents, educators and government to work together to help dental teams secure further improvements to the nation's oral health."
In some ways risks to dental wellbeing are high across the developed world. Children in the US, UK and elsewhere are constantly exposed to sugary foods and drinks, a major cause of decay.
Image copyright Getty Images Image caption The NHS provides free metal braces for children if they're deemed necessary
The National Health Service provides free orthodontics to under-18s "who need it". The braces provided are metal. Parents who want less obvious ceramic or plastic versions, often clear or even invisible, have to go to private companies, at a cost.
Orthodontics still has perhaps a feeling of luxury rather than necessity in many cases, but nearly one million people started treatments in 2012, the British Orthodontic Society says.
The image, some might say cultural stereotype, of British teeth being so bad might have had some truth once. Only 6% of UK adults have no natural teeth, the British Dental Association says. In 1978, the figure was as high as 37% in Wales. And people in the UK are among the most likely in Europe (72%) to attend dental surgeries, second only to those in the Netherlands (79%), the BDA adds.
Meanwhile, two in three children aged 12 are now found to be free of visible dental decay, compared with fewer than one in 10 in 1973.
Image copyright Getty Images
So, are the jokes likely to stop?
"I have many patients that come see me if they are being posted to the States or have important deals there because they have been told they will not be taken seriously if they do not sort out their smiles," says Uchenna Okoye. "The Americans view it almost like personal grooming. If you can't be bothered to look after yourself, why should they trust you with million-dollar deals?"
But could a transatlantic exchange once unthinkable be taking place? Okoye is currently in Phoenix, Arizona, teaching dental students "how to create more natural British smiles".
"I got involved with cosmetic dentistry because I got fed up with the Americans making fun of British teeth," she says. "Yes, there are things that we are playing catch-up with. They tend to have the innovations, materials and equipment there first. But we are fighting back."
Chris van Tulleken's The Truth About Your Teeth airs on Thursday 4 and 11 June, BBC One at 9pm.
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Image caption Obama said his national security team was "extraordinarily dedicated" to the US
US President Barack Obama has named US ambassador to the UN Susan Rice as his national security adviser.
In a second-term shuffle of his foreign policy team, the president also nominated human rights researcher Samantha Power to replace Ms Rice.
Ms Rice will take over from Tom Donilon, who will step down in July.
She was once seen as a contender for the job of secretary of state, but was forced to withdraw amid opposition from Republicans in Congress.
The criticism - dismissed by the White House - centred on her remarks after an attack on US diplomats in Libya.
'Champion for justice'
Analysis Republicans will bristle at Susan Rice's new job but are impotent to do anything about it. How the appointment of two liberal interventionists changes the debate about what the US could or should be doing in Syria is harder to gauge. Samantha Power has a long history of the study of genocide. Susan Rice is said to have been in the forefront of those arguing for intervention in Libya. But as the Benghazi "talking points" episode demonstrated, the UN ambassador does pretty much what she or he is told. Ms Power won't be able to get out in front of US policy, even if she wants to. Ms Rice will be in a more critical position. It would be unwise to expect a sudden change on Syria, but frustrated advocates of intervention will be hoping for a shift.
"Susan is the consummate public servant, a patriot who puts her country first," Mr Obama said at the White House.
He said Ms Rice was a "fierce champion for justice and human dignity" and praised her defence of Israel and her support for an independent South Sudan during her time at the UN.
On Wednesday, Mr Obama nominated Ms Power, a Harvard professor and former White House adviser, to replace Ms Rice as the US ambassador to the UN.
Mr Obama said his national security team was "extraordinarily dedicated to America".
Ms Power, 42, left her White House adviser role earlier this year. Her nomination will require Senate approval.
She was born in Ireland and wrote a Pulitzer Prize winning book on America's foreign policy response to genocide.
The personnel shift comes as Mr Obama prepares for a summit in California later this week with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
'A partner'
Image caption Power was a White House adviser on human rights and international affairs
Mr Donilon, who is due to accompany the president on the trip, said it had been the "privilege of a lifetime" to serve in the Obama White House.
He praised Mr Obama's thoughtfulness as a leader and said that to people around the world, "you send a clear message that America wants to be their partner".
Ms Rice, 48, dropped out of the running to be secretary of state under sustained Republican attack for her suggestion the armed assault on the US compound in the city of Benghazi, Libya in September 2012 sprang from a spontaneous anti-American protest.
That account was later proven to be incorrect.
The attack left four Americans dead, including the US ambassador to Libya, Christopher Stevens.
Mr Obama later nominated John Kerry for the secretary of state job, but he has always defended Ms Rice - seen by US analysts as his close political ally.
Ms Rice's new post as national security adviser does not require Senate confirmation.
Mr Donilon, 58, is expected to remain in the role until July to oversee Mr Obama's visits to Africa and Europe. |
by
Photo by Nathaniel St. Clair
During the Presidential campaign of 1988, the Reverend Jesse Jackson was asked, “How you are going to get the support of the white steelworker?” He replied: “By making him aware he has more in common with the black steel workers by being a worker, than with the boss by being white.” Jackson also did speak of reviving a “rainbow coalition”, but in spite of being associated with black radicalism by much of the country, he was able to obtain almost 50 percent of the Democratic delegates at the Atlanta convention through an explicit appeal which transcended race, instead invoking class. Jackson himself is not the likely future leader of the Democratic Party, but his model is one the Dems would be well to consider if they wish to recapture much of the country that they lost in last week’s election.
To a large degree, Bernie Sanders understood and appreciated this, although as we now know, the Wall Street/Silicon Valley donors which comprise the donor class of the DNC were appalled by this and actively worked to sabotage his campaign. By the time we got to the general election, the party’s message was watered down and muddled, in some races focused almost entirely on gender issues and attacks of Trump’s lack of suitability for the office.
To be sure, Donald Trump did make a strong appeal to racists, homophobes, and misogynists and whilst his GOP colleagues publicly recoiled in horror, there is no question that Trump was merely making explicit what Republicans had been doing for decades – since the days of Nixon in 1968. The dog whistle was merely replaced by a bull horn.
But that alone doesn’t explain Trump’s success. As I wrote in an earlier analysis of the Trump phenomenon, he became the voice for an increasing number of Americans, who counted themselves amongst the biggest losers of globalization and free trade. In most elections, U.S. politicians of both parties pretend to be concerned about their issues, then conveniently ignore them when they reach power and implement policies from the same Washington Consensus that has dominated the past 40 years. That’s why so many Americans have simply stopped voting (and this year was no different, as it looks like a mere 57.9% of the voter eligible population turned out). And perhaps Trump is a faux populist, who is merely deploying bait and switch tactics, but he explicitly addressed his campaign to those who have been marginalized by the neo-liberal policies dominant in both parties.
The difference this time is that once Senator Bernie Sanders lost the nomination, the Democrats made little effort to recapture these voters. That is largely because the party’s nominee was the very embodiment of the establishment policies that has created so much misery for these groups and Hillary Clinton had no credible message for what the press condescendingly termed “flyover country”. These voters instead went for the change candidate, even though his platform lacked much of the coherence of, say, the Sanders program and in many respects might make their position worse. But when you live in Youngstown, Ohio, or Scranton, Pennsylvania, and have virtually no stake in the existing system, is it at all surprising that you’re willing to place your bets with a bomb-thrower?
No question that today there is a kind of all-encompassing pessimism which transcends economics. In addition to the growing inequality and concomitant wage stagnation for the middle and working classes, 9/11 and its aftermath has certainly has contributed to it as well, as, making people long for the the Golden Age of Managerial Capitalism of the post-WWII era, which was a dynamic period of great economic achievements and pax Americana. Distilling it into movies (America’s version of a cultural yardstick), the American zeitgeist today is a weird mashup of Bladerunner, Mad Max, and Reality TV – with the characters longing for Ozzie and Harriet Nelson, hardly a recipe that brings hope for a positive future.
And if the Democratic Party is honest, it will have to concede that even the popular incumbent President has played a huge role in contributing to the overall sense of despair that drove people to seek a radical outlet such as Trump. The Obama Administration rapidly broke with its Hope and “Change you can believe in” the minute he appointed some of the architects of the 2008 crisis as his main economic advisors, who in turn and gave us a Wall Street friendly bank bailout that effectively restored the status quo ante (and refused to jail one single banker, even though many were engaged in explicitly criminal activity). He followed that up with a bailout of the private health insurance industry under the guise of so-called “health care reform” legislation, the “Affordable” Care Act (which contained no provision for containing the cost of the health insurance oligopolies, because the marginal “public option” was gutted out of the final legislation, courtesy of the lobbyists invited to craft the legislation). All of the Rubinites were brought back in to run economic policy. Wall Street and the stock market boomed, but wages continued to stagnate, and the vast majority of all the gains went to the top 1 percent of income earners. The rest of the population was left far behind.
So this gave force to the idea that the government was nothing but a viper’s nest full of crony capitalist enablers, which in turn helped to unleash populism on the right (the Left being marginalised or co-opted by their Wall Street/Silicon Valley donor class). And this gave us Trump. Add to that HRC’s neocon foreign policy instincts, which could have got us in a war with Russia and maybe the American electorate wasn’t so dumb after all. They could read Podesta’s odious emails as well as the rest of us could. (As an aside, regardless of the source of the leaks, we should be thankful for the hacked emails, which allowed us to discover that nation’s media works directly with one of the nation’s major political parties to manipulate coverage of their opponents and curry favor for their chosen nominee.)
Obama is personally likeable, but did he really give us anything as great and durable as FDR did in the 1930s? The Affordable Care Act was effectively RomneyCare (with the comparable problem that there remains no means of controlling private health insurance costs, a fact that was cruelly revealed days before the election when 25% hikes in health insurance premiums were announced), much as Dodd-Frank was a joke in terms of achieving genuine financial reform, especially when one compares it to the legislation that emerged out of the Great Depression (which lasted unchanged for over 40 years). The Pecora Commission (established in the GD’s aftermath) was given relatively free rein to investigate the causes of the crisis and to go after the fraud. Widespread defaults and bankruptcies wiped out a lot of the private sector’s debt. The financial sector was downsized and rendered relatively unimportant for several decades.
The establishment, especially the Democratic Party establishment, keeps enforcing what divides people rather than what unites people by embracing identity politics and ignoring class. Yes, a huge majority of women were offended by Trump’s “locker room talk”, but a large chunk still voted for him, and larger numbers of Hispanics voted for Trump than Romney. Doesn’t that suggest that identity politics has reached some sort of limit? Why not find common ground on the issue of class? As former Jackson advisor, Vicente Navarro wrote: “The objective of the ‘billionaire class’ is to co-opt African Americans and women into the system so they are closer and more aligned to the dominant class. The fact that so little is spoken about class in the US is because the billionaire class does not want people to speak or think in class terms.” It’s also the case that it is difficult to get a man to understand his own best interests after he’s swallowed a handful of Oxycontins and chased them with half a quart of Wild Turkey. But emphasizing class-based policies, rather than gender or race-based solutions, will achieve more for the broad swathe of voters, who comprehensively rejected the “neo-liberal lite” identity politics on offer by the Democrats this time around. It is true that this process is likely to be resisted by the donor class and it may well take another financial crisis before their power is fully broken. Voters crave effective action to reverse long term economic decline and runaway economic inequality, but nothing on the scale required will be offered to them by either of America’s money-driven major parties. This is likely only to accelerate the disintegration of the political system and economic system until the elephant in the room – class – is honestly and comprehensively addressed. |
I've been excited about the remake of 1980s classic Ghostbusters since I first learned writer/director Paul Feig was planning a reboot. My excitement tripled when I found out the reboot would have an all-female cast, and went off the charts when casting decisions were announced. Melissa McCarthy! Kate McKinnon! Kristen Wiig! Leslie Jones!
I knew, given the rampant misogyny that exists in the film industry on social media everywhere that there would be backlash. Even before the movie was released, each new announcement, trailer and teaser's been met with derision, hate and vitriol. But what African-American comedienne and actress, Leslie Jones, best known for her work on Saturday Night Live, has endured on Twitter simply by being herself and doing her job is a full-on psychological and emotional hit job planned, coordinated and carried out by a mob of racist, sexist and misogynistic internet users. Many of whom also participated in Gamergate and are ready at their keyboard to invade and perpetuate attacks, slurs and harassment toward women, the LGBTQ community, people of color and on pretty much anyone who dares to participate in the world as anything but a straight, white male.
These people are evil and cruel. They're going far beyond what could be considered their right to express an opinion and they're deliberately trying to harm another human being -- in this instance, simply because they don't like her role in a movie. A movie.
And Twitter, for all its hand-wringing and exhortations about the awfulness of what's being done to Jones, is complicit in these attacks. Yeah, I said it. And I believe that. Yes, as of July 20, they've permanently banned the ring leader, Milo Yiannopolous , a notorious right-wing instigator of hate and exclusion. He and his minions have done this before and suffered little to no consequences. Why wouldn't he feel emboldened to do it again?
I can't imagine that Twitter, using the tech resources available to them, are unable to identify, head off and block attacks like these before they escalate. There should be steps you can take to weed out people like Yiannopolis and the armies of trolls.
The fact that it took Twitter this long to finally restrict Yiannopolis is one thing. What scares me even more is that, if this is the tepid response when a high-profile celebrity like Jones is publicly tormented and abused, what hope is there for us regular folk who are harassed and abused; we certainly can't expect CEO Jack Dorsey to reach out to us, but the least we should be able to expect is that the media platform could step up and give us a little help. Or, apparently not.
Thanks for nothing, Twitter. |
About a week ago, blogger Perez Hilton issued a DMCA takedown notice, asking YouTube to remove a video created by the National Organization of Marriage (NOM). The video used a clip from Hilton's blog in which he strongly criticized Miss California USA Carrie Prejean, in response to comments she made criticizing gay marriage.
NOM's use of Hilton's video clip was clearly fair and non-infringing — it is brief, transformative, critical, and does not pose a competitive threat to Hilton's market. As such, Hilton's takedown notice was, like takedown notices from Universal Music, Warner Music, Uri Geller and Michael Savage before him, a baseless attack on free speech.
Here's what's different about this takedown: NOM's lawyer asked YouTube to restore the video immediately, rather than keeping it off-line for the standard 10-14 business day counternotice period. And YouTube, after doing its own fair use analysis, agreed and obliged.
YouTube's decision is both laudable and perfectly sensible — as we've often noted, there's no need to follow the DMCA safe harbor procedures if the disputed content is a clear fair use and, as a result, there's no risk of liability.
That said, NOM's sudden championship of fair use rights is striking, considering that NOM appears to have sent a slew of improper takedown notices of its own recently. The irony is palpable, especially for critics of NOM who've been denied the same free speech rights that NOM is now enjoying. |
Mumbai: Actress Priyanka Chopra has been nominated by many to take up the ALS ice bucket challenge, but she doesn`t seem to be interested.
The challenge involves dumping buckets of ice water over one`s head to spread awareness for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), or Lou Gehrig`s disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord.
Apart from Hollywood stars like Tom Cruise, Robert Pattinson and Nicole Kidman accepting it, Bollywood stars like Akshay Kumar, Bipasha Basu and Abhishek Bachchan also took up the challenge.
But Priyanka is not joining the league.
“Thank u for all the nominations but... RT @shrishtiarya: Newsreader Beautifully Shuts Down Ice Bucket Challenge pedestrian.tv/news/arts-and-culture/newsreader-beautifully-shuts-down-ice-bucket-chall/600a2c06-7dec-4f27-a74a-1ab99a534c75.htm …… (sic),” the “Don” star tweeted Sunday.
The link shared by her shows an Australian newsreader Lincoln Humphries, who firmly shuts the idea down. Humphries acknowledged the good that the ice bucket challenge has done, then suggested some other things that can be done to make a difference, including spreading the love around to other deserving causes like cancer and fresh water charities, and not wasting so much ice.
Earlier, Sonam Kapoor had refused to take up the challenge after being nominated by “Fukrey” fame Pulkit Samrat.
“@PulkitSamrat already made a donation!! Not dumping water :-( waste of resources!”, she had tweeted.
Hollywood actress Pamela Anderson has also refused as she said she can`t support an organisation that does testing on animals. |
October 14th, the Obama administration's principal piece of financial service reform legislation, the Consumer Financial Protection Agency, will be up for committee consideration in the House Financial Services Committee. The most important thing to know about the bill? It creates a new federal agency in Washington whose sole purpose is to protect consumers from the deceptive tricks and traps of the financial services industry. The most important thing to know about the committee reviewing the bill? It's on FIRE.
The Sunlight Foundation has documented that the Finance, Insurance and Real Estate (FIRE) industries have a huge stake in everything that happens in the committee and they invest heavily in certain committee members. Just take a look at this chart by Sunlight and Opensecrets.org:
Take Congresswoman Melissa Bean (D-IL), for instance, she is the top recipient on the committee of FIRE campaign finance dollars in 2009. She is also one of the biggest threats to meaningful reform. Evidently, Bean's take away from the financial crisis -- which threw 7 million Americans out of work and cost taxpayers $3 trillion -- is that consumers need less protection not more. According to watchdogs at Public Citizen, Bean is planning to introduce an amendment to the CFPA bill tomorrow which would take away the right of states to protect consumers more aggressively than the feds.
That's what got us into this mess in the first place.
Many years before the 2008 financial crisis, state attorneys general (AGs) noticed a big problem in their communities. Angry consumers descended upon their offices to complain about a new type of predatory-lending in the housing sector. Consumers were being offered deceptive teaser rates on mortgages that later skyrocketed. There was a raft of undisclosed charges and fees. The interest rates eventually ballooned beyond their ability to pay, and they started losing their homes.
Many state AGs started investigating, demanding answers and cracking down on abusive mortgage lenders. As early as 2002, a group of AGs went to court to force one of the worst offenders, Household International, to repay customers a record breaking $484 million and reform its lending practices. These state top cops recognized the predatory lending boom as a national problem, demanding a national response.
Some looked to Washington, D.C. for help. But rather than jumping on board to clamp down on the phony mortgage machine, federal regulators went in a different direction. The Federal Reserve and the Security and Exchange Commission looked the other way. Worse, in 2003, authorities at the obscure Office of the Comptroller of the Currency issued new rules that preempted many state enforcement actions and protected the banks.
Yup that's right, top bank regulators in Washington sided with the crooks and not the cops. Just think if it all could have been stopped in the first year or two that the scams was unveiled. Just think if consumers had an advocate for them in Washington, D.C. working hand and hand with the authorities at the state level. Maybe the whole mortgage meltdown could have been avoided.
It's time to put out the FIRE on Capitol Hill. The House Financial Services Committee needs to pass a strong bill, one that does not preempt states and polices both banks and nonbanks offering a wide range of financial goods and services to consumers. Anything less will surely lead to the next conflagration.
Click here to tell Congress to pass a strong CFPA bill! |
G2 Esports will be the third EU LCS representative at IEM Katowice (IEM/ESL)
After Cloud9 dropped out of the 2016 IEM Katowice tournament, ESL had to find a quick replacement for the North American roster. As it turns out, G2 Esports is the answer to their prayers.
G2 currently holds the top spot over in the European LCS with a 6-0 record and are considered by many to be the standout team in the league. They will be joined at Katowice by their European brethren Unicorns of Love and H2K.
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The other teams include M19 (formerly Albus NoX Luna), Kongdoo Monster, ROX Tigers, EDG, and Flash Wolves. Interestingly, that means there won’t be a single North American team at the tournament.
IEM Katowice starts on February 25, so head over to the Yahoo Esports League of Legends hub for full coverage.
Follow Taylor Cocke on Twitter @taylorcocke. |
President Obama is ready to make an aggressive push for Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham ClintonREAD: Cohen testimony alleges Trump knew Stone talked with WikiLeaks about DNC emails County GOP in Minnesota shares image comparing Sanders to Hitler Holder: 'Time to make the Electoral College a vestige of the past' MORE’s presidential campaign between now and Election Day.
Ensuring that Clinton becomes his successor is a top goal for Obama, who is eager to protect his legacy.
The president is expected stump for the Democratic nominee at least a dozen times during the final stretch of the campaign, according to The New York Times.
Here are the five states where the president can help Clinton most.
North Carolina
Obama and Clinton chose Charlotte, N.C., for their first joint campaign appearance, a sign that Democrats are serious about putting the Tar Heel State back in their column.
To accomplish that, they’ll need the support of African-American voters. The Clinton campaign believes there’s no better figure to rally them than the first black president.
In 2008, Obama became the first Democratic presidential nominee to win North Carolina since 1976. That year, nearly a quarter of the state’s electorate was black and 95 percent voted for Obama, according to exit polls.
Clinton will need to maintain those numbers to have a shot at winning the state. She currently holds a narrow lead over Republican nominee Donald Trump Donald John TrumpREAD: Cohen testimony alleges Trump knew Stone talked with WikiLeaks about DNC emails Trump urges North Korea to denuclearize ahead of summit Venezuela's Maduro says he fears 'bad' people around Trump MORE there, according to recent polls, and she is winning more than nine in ten African-American voters nationwide.
But it’s unclear if she can rekindle the same enthusiasm among the state’s black voters they had for Obama.
Her supporters are hoping that direct appeals from the president — combined with a Supreme Court ruling against the state’s voter ID laws — will help.
Iowa
The Hawkeye State has long been a trouble spot for Clinton, but her campaign is hoping Obama will help change that.
She lost to Obama in the 2008 Iowa caucuses and barely eked out a victory this year against her primary challenger, Bernie Sanders Bernard (Bernie) SandersSenate Dems seek to turn tables on GOP in climate change fight Bernie Sanders Town Hall finishes third in cable news race, draws 1.4 million viewers Woman to undecided Biden: 'Just say yes' to 2020 bid MORE. Trump holds a 1-point lead in the state over Clinton, according to the RealClearPolitics polling average.
Obama has often mused about his fondness for Iowa, and voters there seem to feel the same way about him.
He won the battleground state in both 2008 and 2012. More than half of Iowa voters views Obama favorably, according to an August Quinnipiac University poll, compared to 37 percent who have a favorable view of Clinton.
“I was missing you guys,” the president told the crowd at a town hall in Des Moines last September. “You know, I landed at the airport and saw the Hampton Inn there that — I must have stayed there like a hundred days. I'm sure I've got some points or something.”
Florida
The Sunshine State is once again a prime battleground; polls show a neck-and-neck race between Clinton and Donald Trump.
Personal visits by the president could boost Clinton’s chances. Obama pulled off narrow victories in 2008 and 2012 to win Florida’s crucial 29 electoral votes.
Obama could help widen Clinton’s advantage among the state’s growing population of Latinos, who now make up 18 percent of the electorate.
An August survey conducted by New Latino Voice found that just 13 percent of Hispanics in the state back the Republican nominee. By comparison, 2012 GOP nominee Mitt Romney won nearly four in 10 Florida Latino voters while losing the state by 1 percentage point.
Obama cut into Republicans’ traditional advantage in South Florida’s influential Cuban-American community and he’s likely to campaign in their stronghold of Miami-Dade County.
He could also appear in the Tampa and Orlando areas, which have a growing population of Puerto Rican voters.
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania has been solid Democratic territory for more than two decades.
But Trump is making a concerted push to win the state’s 20 electoral votes, hoping to tap into discontent among white, working-class voters in former industrial hubs.
Clinton has opened up a comfortable lead over Trump after running close with him there for weeks. But she’s not leaving anything to chance.
Obama is scheduled to make his first solo campaign stop for Clinton in Philadelphia on Sept. 13.
Clinton has tapped Vice President Biden to blunt Trump’s pitch to blue-collar voters in both Pennsylvania and neighboring Ohio.
But she is counting on Obama to motivate African-Americans, young people and suburban woman to vote for her in those states.
Nevada
Clinton is clinging to a narrow lead over Trump in Nevada, a state that many pundits expect her to win.
Obama won the state twice by wide margins, and the Democrats are thought to have significant demographic and organizational advantages over Republicans there.
But Trump won the state’s caucuses earlier this year. He has appealed to conservative and libertarian voters, many of whom are still suffering the aftereffects of the economic recession.
The Nevada unemployment rate was 6.5 percent in July, well above the national rate of 4.9 percent.
Enter Obama, who could help lift Clinton’s campaign by appealing to Nevada’s Mexican-American population. Those voters have bristled at Trump’s hard-line rhetoric on immigration and criticism of a federal judge of Mexican descent.
“I know for a fact he plays well in Nevada,” said Jim Manley, a former senior adviser to Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid Harry Mason ReidSenate confirms Trump court pick despite missing two 'blue slips' Can Lindsey Graham take the politics out of judicial battles? Bottom Line MORE (D-Nev.), said of Obama.
In addition to the presidential race, Reid is retiring from Congress. His Senate seat is the only one held by Democrats that is considered a toss-up by the independent Cook Political Report.
“Nevada, by all accounts, is going to be one of the toughest places out there,” said Manley. “Sen. Reid is going to do everything he can to keep that seat, and if he asks the president to lend a hand, I have no doubt he would be happy to do it.” |
Governor Rick Snyder took barely 18 hours to sign into law bills that allow state-funded adoption agencies to discriminate against gay people for religious reasons.
Rick Snyder wasted no time in signing three controversial and possibly unconstitutional bills into law this morning. The Republican Governor of Michigan last night was presented with the bills, which allow taxpayer funded adoption agencies to discriminate against LGBT people if they cite a sincerely held religious belief, including refusing to let gay people or same-sex couples adopt from their agency.
That means that the 14,000 children in need of adoption in Michigan will have it even harder, and will cost the state even more financially. Currently, those adoption agencies receive about $10 million annually via state and federal funds.
LOOK: Michigan Governor Rick Snyder Tells Lesbian Couple And Their Three Children: You Are Not A Family
"The state has made significant progress in finding more forever homes for Michigan kids in recent years and that wouldn't be possible without the public-private partnerships that facilitate the adoption process," Gov. Snyder said in a statement. "We are focused on ensuring that as many children are adopted to as many loving families as possible regardless of their makeup."
The governor applauded the legislation which will "prevent faith-based agencies from having policies forced on them that violate their religious beliefs."
As NCRM reported yesterday upon passage of the bills, Gov. Snyder fought hard against legal attempts to strike down his state's ban on same-sex marriage.
One of those Michigan court cases, Deboer v. Snyder, was brought in 2012 by two women, both pediatric emergency room nurses, who were able to adopt several special needs children, some of whom were not expected to live. Due to Michigan state law, the couple cannot jointly adopt the children, so one woman is the legal mother to two of the children, and the other is the legal mother to the other two.
NCRM profiled the women and their children in 2012. They adopted their fourth child in November.
That case is now one of the four that were heard in April by the U.S. Supreme Court.
Image by Michigan Municipal League via Flickr and a CC license
See a mistake? Email corrections to: [email protected] |
ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) - Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, regarded by the West as a bulwark against Islamic militancy, died while being treated abroad for an undisclosed illness, the government said on Tuesday.
Ethiopia's Prime Minister Meles Zenawi attends a session at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, January 26, 2012. REUTERS/Christian Hartmann
Speculation that Meles, 57, an ally of Washington who twice sent troops into neighbouring Somalia to help crush rebellions, was seriously ill had grown after he failed to attend an African Union summit in Addis Ababa last month.
“After attending medical services abroad, the prime minister passed away around midnight. It’s time for his remains to come back in Ethiopia,” government spokesman and Meles’ right-hand-man, Bereket Simon, told reporters in the capital.
He said Meles had been recuperating well before being suddenly rushed to intensive care but did not say where he was being treated, highlighting the secretive tendencies of the tightly-controlled state.
Meles seized power in 1991 from Mengistu Haile Mariam’s military junta and went on to become a towering political figure on the continent. He was considered a leader the West could count on in its fight against al Qaeda-linked groups.
He was also widely credited for steering one of the world’s poorest countries to sustained high economic growth but he cracked down hard on dissent and his image abroad was tainted after he jailed opposition leaders following the disputed 2005 election.
State media said Deputy Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn would be sworn in as acting prime minister by parliament. National television broadcast footage of Meles against a backdrop of solemn, instrumental music.
Ethiopia’s government said last month that Meles was taking a break to recover from an unspecified condition. Diplomats in Addis Ababa had said Meles was being treated in Brussels for an undisclosed illness, while others said he was in Germany.
Some opposition media have said he died in July.
LARGER-THAN-LIFE STATESMAN
Bereket, who declared a time of national mourning until Meles’ body was returned, was quick to assure citizens of Africa’s second most populous the country was stable and would continue on the path charted by Meles.
The ruling party will meet to select a permanent successor, although a date has not yet been set.
“I believe that any successor to Meles will focus first on domestic issues and for the most part leave the regional and international engagement to other countries, at least until the new leader is firmly established in office,” David Shinn, former U.S. ambassador to Ethiopia, told Reuters recently.
“For internal security reasons, there will be a continuing focus on Somalia and I do not foresee any significant change towards Eritrea,” he said, referring to Ethiopia’s arch-foe with whom it fought a decade-long border war.
Meles presided over a seven-year run of double digit economic growth, advocating a mix of heavy state spending and private investment.
He was widely applauded for ploughing money into infrastructure but criticised by some for selling off swathes of land to foreigners. Many Ethiopians complain that while he has forged closer business ties with China, that did not translate into more jobs for Ethiopians.
“While life remains a struggle for many Ethiopians, millions of others have been lifted out of abject misery in just a generation,” Africa expert, J. Peter Pham of the Atlantic Council think-tank, said.
“Anyone who has visited the country more than once notes the transformation taking place constantly as infrastructure is built out and will remark on the dynamism of the people.”
NO TOLERANCE FOR DISSENT
However, international rights groups say Meles was intolerant of dissent. He rounded up opposition leaders after the disputed 2005 polls and several opponents and journalists have been arrested under a 2009 anti-terrorism law.
“Today is a day of joy for most Ethiopians and all freedom loving people around the world,” opposition website Ethiopian Review said, describing Meles as a “genocidal tyrant”.
Acting PM Hailemariam, 47, was an advisor to Meles in 2006, before being picked as his deputy in 2010, an appointment met with surprise because of his relatively young age.
He had also replaced Meles as chair of a number of parliamentary committees in the past few years, a tell-tale sign of grooming, diplomats say.
State television said details of Meles’ state funeral would be announced soon.
“It’s a pity, he never had a day’s rest since he came to power. Meles and his good and bad side, but was a much better choice than any of the other existing politicians,” taxi driver Alemayehu Mesfin, said. |
Suarez: Uruguay will cause problems for England in Brazil
Liverpool player Luis Suarez has commented on the forthcoming World Cup match between England and his own home side Uruguay.
The game, scheduled for 19 June could prove critical for both teams and Suarez is hopeful he can carry his impressive performances, where he scored 31 goals playing for the Redmen, through to secure victory for his home team. Playing in the UK last season has given the 27 year old an insight into the possible strategy the England Team may employ.
Suarez said: “They have very good players that are in form and that are part of the big teams.
“Most of the players come from the big names of the Premier League and that means a lot. But we also know that they have some troubles and we know we can hurt them.”
Suarez who’s side finished fourth in South Africa four years ago, says he is confident Uruguay will play better this year
He said: “It is clear that Uruguay knows the meaning of a World Cup in Brazil.
“It is more important because of what happened in the past but now we are living in the present.
“Brazil eliminated us in the Confederations Cup last year and it was not fair because I think we played better. But that’s football and sometimes despite playing a great game, you can’t always win.
“We realise that the World Cup in Brazil motivates us a lot because all the things that we have experienced in the past.
“We are a small country but the percentage of players we have is unbelievable. There’s a strong desire to achieve and to win something. That’s what we have as Uruguayans, that desire.”
Knowing he will play against such International superstars as Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo this summer, he has clearly been studying their form. Commenting on this, he said:
“Messi and Ronaldo are totally different players.
“I can’t say who’s the better one of them. Messi has beautiful technique, scores a lot, is an excellent dribbler also because he’s a little guy.”
“Ronaldo, on the other hand, looks like a machine. It all looks so perfect with him. He combines power with intelligence and always strikes the ball perfect. They’re both on the same level.
“But I also admire Andres Iniesta a lot. He’s the kind of player that always thinks faster then every other player and sends incredible passes.
“He does the things you don’t expect. He sees possibilities no one else sees. But it’s not just his way of playing, it’s also his way of living. He’s always calm.” |
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A cricketer who assaulted his wife with his own bat and made her drink bleach has avoided a jail sentence... and is now free to join another club.
A court heard Mustafa Bashir, 34, of Cheetham Hill, terrorised and brutally attacked his wife and even urged her to kill herself.
Bashir, who played in a local cricket league in Oldham , repeatedly beat her, berated her for wearing westernised clothing, tried to turn her against her own family, and would call her a 'slag' when she went out socialising with female friends.
Although the court was told he had been offered a professional contract with Leicestershire County Cricket Club, the club has now distanced itself from the claims and says no contract was ever offered to Bashir.
During the stormy marriage, he struck her over her back with his cricket bat because he felt she spent too long talking to a friend on the phone – saying: “If I hit you with this bat with my full power then you would be dead.”
In another terrifying meltdown, Bashir forced his wife to take tablets and drink bleach and told her to kill herself during a row over him going on a cricket tour to the Netherlands.
Bashir admitted assault occasioning actual bodily harm but his lawyer said if he was spared prison he would be able to accept a place at Leicestershire.
His victim eventually went to police and said: ‘I now feel strong enough to report this to the police. I did fear for my life, he told me he was going to kill me.’’
In a statement she added: “Before I met Mustafa Bashir I was a confident, active and humorous person. I looked after myself and liked dressing up.
“I spent money on myself and enjoyed going shopping. I felt the future was bright. I was in good mental health and felt strong. After the abuse my confidence was very low and I hid myself away from family and friends.
“He didn’t like me socialising and I couldn’t accept my friends requests to go out. Once we split it took months for me to get my self belief back and I am not back to the person I was before.
“It will take a long time to get back to how I was before. My education results got better after the split and I got a 2:1 and was able to qualify for my masters. I still find it very difficult to trust people.
“I can’t see how I could trust another man again after what happened to me. I dreamt of being in a happy relationship and I do not feel now that that will ever happen with someone else.”
However Judge Richard Mansell QC ruled he did not believe the victim was vulnerable as she was ‘an intelligent woman with a network of friends’ and had a college degree.
Passing an 18 month jail term suspended for two years Judge Mansell QC ordered Bashir to attend a workshop entitled ‘’building better relationships’’ pay £1000 costs and banned him from contacting his victim indefinitely under the terms of a restraining order.
He told Bashir: “ This relationship started well but you began controlling her and how she spent her money.
“You told her how to spend her money and you tried to turn her against her family who you regularly insulted. She would buy clothes that were of a western style which you disapproved of and called her a slag and said her friends were ‘English slag girls.’
‘’But I am not convinced she was a vulnerable person. Sometimes women who moved her from their country become trapped in a relationship where they lose their support network of family and friends and cannot speak the language.
“This is not the case her. She is plainly an intelligent woman with a network of friends and did go on to graduate university with a 2:1 and a masters – although this has had an ongoing affect on her. She had difficult trusting people now, especially men.’’
(Image: Cavendish Press/Pat Isaacs)
He added: “With regard to the mitigating factors I am not convinced of your remorse for her, but you are sorry for the position you find yourself in over the last two years. Your current partner is supporting you in court and she complains of no violence. You have employment prospects of being employed in cricket for Leicestershire Cricket Club.
“This court will not tolerate violence in a relationship of this nature. It is a very fine line between imprisonment and a suspended sentence.”
Manchester Crown Court was told the pair met in their native Pakistan and married in 2013. But Bashir was said to be a ‘controlling and dominating’ husband who told his wife what she could spend her money on and what she should wear, who she could see.
The couple had been on a day out to Rochdale Lake in April 2014 when an argument broke out about Bashir travelling to the Netherlands and he grabbed Ms Karim by her neck and was squeezing, until a member of the public threatened to go to the police.
Prosecutor Roger Brown said: “The parties went back home where the argument continued. He grabbed her neck again, so much that she said it was hurting a lot and at one point he picked up a knife and said that he would kill himself and she begged him not to.
“He took her into the bathroom where he grabbed a bottle of bleach and he made her drink the bleach so she would kill herself. She spat that out as she was unable to swallow it. Then he gave her tablets from the house and told her to take them. She did but again she was unable to swallow them.
“He said to her “I want you to kill yourself.” She left the bathroom and went into the living room where the defendant called her family to tell them they had an argument and that she was not obeying him. Her family urged her to obey him and told him that she would obey.
‘’She did take photos of her injuries to her neck and to her upper arm. When making her statement she said that he grabbed her neck very hard and she thought she was going to die. She was pulling at him trying to get him to stop but he was stronger and she couldn’t stop him. After that incident he left the house and she didn’t see him for some two days.’’
The marriage continued but on New Years Eve 2014 the couple were at home when a row broke out about Miss Karim speaking on the phone in their living room.
Mr Brown added: “She describes the defendant as becoming angry after she had been on the phone for just over half an hour, and after the conversation finished he took the phone off her and said she couldn’t have it back and he wanted to search it and look at the messages.
“She said her friends weren’t saying anything bad but he began insulting her father called him a ‘dog’ and she replied with “you don’t have a dad that’s why you don’t know how to respect mine”.
“He became more angry and slapped her, and grabbed her hands and started bending her fingers back trying to break them. He slapped her so hard again that she fell on the floor and lost consciousness. The next thing she remembers is waking up on her bed, she went to get her phone but he was there. She said to him: ‘it’s over please leave me alone’ but he called her a slag, and strangled her until she was struggling to breathe.
“He grabbed a cricket bat that was in the bedroom and her over the back with it. She recalls feeling a sharp pain.
‘’He said to her ‘If I hit you with this bat with my full power then you would be dead’. He went into the hall and she took the opportunity to call 999.’’
In mitigation Bashir’s lawyer Hugh McKee said: “ He has continued to play professionally in a local cricket league but of some importance certainly to him is if he is allowed to keep his liberty he will be employed by Leicestershire as a professional.
‘’He was about to sign the contract when he was arrested.’’
He said of the couple’s relationship. ‘’It had been going for some 10 years and during that time Mr Bashir was working in that time for long hours and having two jobs and she had no jobs. He says that he gave her money and got into debt to allow her to go on holiday with her friends. He struggled and continues to struggle and to this day he hasn’t been able to give an explanation about what led him to do what he did.
“This was a relationship he wanted to keep alive but whatever she did or whatever he thought she was doing let him to lose his temper and to behave in the way described. He has continued to work, and he has a second job and potentially a very good job doing what he has always done - ie playing cricket.”
After the sentencing Leicestershire County Cricket Club issued a statement denying Bashir was signing for them.
It said: "Leicestershire County Cricket Club are aware of stories that have been published this morning regarding Mustafa Bashir.
"The club are bemused by these stories. Any references to Mustafa Bashir signing or being approached to sign for Leicestershire County Cricket Club are completely false. The club have never spoken to Mustafa Bashir or an agent, nor offered a contract to the player." |
Ever since Android 5.1 began rolling out to the Nexus 6 a few months ago, there have been numerous builds at the same time, depending on country and carrier. This can be a lot for even the most hardcore of Nexus fans. Fret no more, however. We are here to help.
Disclaimer
This post is intended for people who have locked bootloaders and flash OTAs - you know, the people who keep their phones stock. While I realize that a lot of Android Police's readership are power users, a very large number of us, myself included, have neither the time nor sufficient amounts of interest to unlock bootloaders, root devices, etc. Plus, unlocking your bootloader comes with security risks, which could be a deal breaker for a lot of people, especially if their phone is used for business or contains sensitive information.
A Brief Timeline
All was well in Nexus 6 Land until Android 5.1. At the beginning of the rollout, every Nexus 6 everywhere in the world was using the same build of Android 5.0.1, LRX22C. It was right around this time that the two holdout US carriers, Verizon and U.S. Cellular, came on board. At that point, things started getting interesting. New builds of Android 5.1 were released for certain carriers and certain regions, which had the effect of confusing a lot of people, especially those who got impatient and flashed a build manually that turned out to be "wrong." Let's examine this on a carrier-by-carrier and region-by-region basis, so you can make sure you're on the right build and, thus, the correct update path.
International - Excluding The United States And Oceania
This is widely considered to be the "standard" update track. As far as anyone is aware, there are no carrier-specific builds to be found anywhere outside of the US, Australia, New Zealand, and India. For anyone outside of these countries, your update track is LRX22C -> LMY47D -> LMY47Z.
Oceania
Australian carriers are notorious for pulling the same shenanigans with software updates that US carriers do, and that appears to have reared its ugly head beginning with Android 5.1. Instead of getting LMY47D like everywhere else in the world, devices with SIM cards from Australia, New Zealand, and India received LMY47I. As an aside, I'm aware that India isn't included in even the most liberal definitions of Oceania, but it's close enough for the purposes of Nexus 6 updates. For right now, there is no Android 5.1.1 OTA for devices running LMY47I yet, so we have no way of knowing if Oceania will get back on the main build (LMY47Z) or get something different entirely.
Sprint And U.S. Cellular
America's #3 and #5 carriers, respectively, have thus far mirrored the international upgrade track, so those devices also went from LRX22C -> LMY47D -> LMY47Z.
T-Mobile USA
The Uncarrier was the first to get the "got to be different" train rolling down the track. Instead of going down the same upgrade path as the international models, it instead had its own unique Android 5.1 build, and that has continued into Android 5.1.1 as well. T-Mobile's official upgrade path is LRX22C -> LMY47M -> LYZ28E. In the case of T-Mobile, it's understandable that it would have its own Android 5.1.1 build since it includes Wi-Fi calling. That feature is very carrier-specific and Google could have felt it needed to be tested further before baking it into the "main" Nexus 6 builds. As a software developer myself, I can tell you that major features like that should always be rolled out to as small a group as possible in the beginning as a method of damage control in case something goes majorly wrong. I wouldn't be shocked to see T-Mobile get back onto the main build with the next OTA, but that's purely speculation.
Verizon Wireless
Big Red was the last of the big five US carriers to get on board with the Nexus 6. As a matter of fact, the carrier was so late to the party that its device launched with Android 5.1, LMY47E, which was unique to Verizon. In addition, Google also released an OTA for non-VZW Nexus 6s with Verizon SIMs that would update them from LRX22C to LMY47E. So far, there is no Android 5.1.1 OTA yet for devices on this build, and there most-likely won't be until Verizon gives the OK. There's also no way for us to know if Big Red will continue having a unique build or if it will get back on the main update path by moving to LMY47Z.
AT&T
America's largest GSM carrier has been on the Nexus 6 train since the beginning, just like T-Mobile and Sprint. Amazingly, AT&T has not strayed from the international update path so far. Devices on AT&T have gone from LRX22C to LMY47D, although that OTA was delayed for over a month for AT&T customers. Since an OTA from LMY47D to LMY47Z is available, you can flash that update manually, however it could take you off the carrier's official update path if AT&T gets its own Android 5.1.1 build for some reason. We won't know what its build will be until there's an official announcement, so it may be best to just sit on the fence a while longer.
US Devices Purchased From Google Play Or Motorola
If you bought your Nexus 6 SIM-free from Google or Motorola, then your update path will follow whatever SIM card you've got in your phone. Your choice of carrier dictates your update path, and it will mirror that of a device that was purchased from that carrier. Sadly, there is no magic way to avoid carrier approvals, even if your Nexus 6 wasn't bought from a carrier. That's the way the cookie crumbles this time around.
Visualized
Android 5.0.1 Android 5.1 Android 5.1.1 International (exc. US and Oceania) LRX22C LMY47D LMY47Z Oceania LMY47I N/A Verizon Wireless N/A LMY47E N/A AT&T LRX22C LMY47D N/A Sprint LMY47D LMY47Z T-Mobile USA LMY47M LYZ28E U.S. Cellular LMY47D LMY47Z
What To Do If You Got Impatient And Flashed The Wrong Build
So, what happens if you're on T-Mobile and flashed LMY47D because you just couldn't wait for Android 5.1? Well, now you're stuck because the Android 5.1.1 update with Wi-Fi calling is only rolling out if you're on LMY47M, which is the official T-Mobile build. Well, the only way to get around a scenario like this is to flash factory images. If your bootloader is locked, though, that's going to mean unlocking it, and losing all your data in the process. Unfortunately, there's no magic option to get around that. If your bootloader is already unlocked, though, you can flash the factory images for the proper build, and not lose your data. Simply don't flash the userdata.img file.
In the end, if you sideload OTAs with a stock system and locked bootloader, you're going to run the risk of having the wrong build for your device. For some, it's immaterial if it's the wrong build or not, and that's fine. If you do care, though, it's probably best to just stay patient and wait for that OTA notification to show up on your phone, that way you always know you're on the right build for your carrier or region. |
New York City comptroller John Liu has accused Hewlett-Packard of overbilling the Big Apple to the tune of $163m on a long-delayed upgrade to the 911 emergency call system. HP says Liu is misinterpreting the contract and it is delivering its part of the 911 call center upgrade under budget.
According to a statement put out by Liu, the comptroller's office did an extensive audit of the Emergency Communications Transformation Program (ECTP) project – which is managed by the city's Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications (DoITT) – back in March. At the time, it reckoned that the project, which was awarded to HP in 2004 and was supposed to be done in 2008, was going to take until 2015 to complete.
Having gone through that ECTP audit report (PDF) with a fine-toothed comb, Liu is accusing HP of not performing up to spec on the contract between April 2005 and April 2008 and for incorrect billing for time and materials on its portion of the contract to upgrade the 911 system used by NYPD and the Fire Department City of New York (FDNY). DoITT has been chastised, as it was back in March, and told it needed to put in place better vendor selection and payment control processes.
By Liu's reading of the original ECTP contract, the system was supposed to cost no more than $380m over a five-year term with two options to extend until June 2012. In January of this year, the city projected it would have spent $307m by mid-April. In January last year, Northrup Grumman was awarded $286m to do a second part of the original contract, ballooning the cost to $632m, and Liu's office is now estimating that cost overruns beyond this could be as high as an additional $362m.
The equipment and systems integration portion of the original HP contract was supposed to cost $270m, with $156m coming from hardware and software and $114m for integration services.
The comptroller is suggesting that HP has overbilled the city by $113m during the 2005 through 2008 time period despite "unsatisfactory performance" that meant the HP was not entitled to the funds, as far as Liu's office is concerned. Liu is also estimated that based on a sampling of timesheets filled out by HP and subcontractors on the project that found $2.5m in time and material charges that as much as $50m in similarly unjustified costs might have been added to the ECTP contract by HP. Add it up, and the city could recoup as much as $163m from the HP portion of the contract by the comptroller's math.
"With one month to go before the City's budget is ratified, and with devastating cuts on the table, taxpayers should be outraged at the fleecing that transpired under City Hall's watch," Liu said in his statement.
Liu, who is no stranger to controversy himself and who is in the midst of a fundraising scandal of his own, has handed off the report to the Manhattan District Attorney's office for a review to see if fraud charges should be brought against HP.
Cas Holloway, Deputy Mayor for Operations for the City of New York, was quoted by the Associated Press defending the HP contract, saying that Liu "is not going to allow the facts to get in the way of the story he wants to tell" and adding that Liu was misreading portions of the HP contract and that there was "rigorous oversight" of the billing.
HP seems to agree with the Deputy Mayor in its assessment of what HP was originally contracted to do, and that was only to deliver the Public Safety Answering Center (PSAC1) system, not a unified computer-aided dispatch system or the PSAC2 system that was awarded to Northrup Grumman.
"HP is undergoing a process to review and analyze the audit, checking its findings against our records," an HP spokesperson tells El Reg.
"HP is committed to helping the city of New York build an effective and innovative 911 call center for the city’s greatest public servants – those at the front lines of emergency response every day. To date, HP's work on the ECTP project has been delivered under the originally estimated budget of $380m, and HP anticipates that when its scope of work is 100 per cent complete at the completion of Phase 1 on June 30, it will remain under the original budget." ® |
This article is also available in: Shqip Македонски Bos/Hrv/Srp
Mourners at the Srebrenica memorial on Monday. Photo: Anadolu.
Thousands of mourners gathered on Monday at the genocide memorial in the village of Potocari near Srebrenica to commemorate the victims killed by Bosnian Serb forces after the fall of the UN ‘safe zone’ to Bosnian Serb forces in July 1995.
Buses brought mourners from all over the country for the 21st anniversary commemoration of the massacres of more than Bosniak 7,000 men and boys.
Flowers will be laid for the victims and there will be Muslim prayers for 127 more victims whose remains are being buried at the memorial site this year.
The Bosnian Council of Ministers has declared July 11 as a day of mourning in the entire country and flags at state-level institutions have been lowered to half-mast.
The mayor of Srebrenica, Camil Durakovic, and Theodor Meron, the president of the Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunals, which has taken over the work of the UN war crimes court in The Hague, will address guests at a special commemoration at the memorial.
The annual commemoration has again been tinged with controversy after the organising committee, headed by Durakovic, said that Serbian political leaders who denied that the mass killings were genocide would not be invited to attend.
Last year the 20th anniversary commemorations were marred when Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic was pelted with bottles and stones by angry mourners.
Serbia admits that the Srebrenica massacres were a crime, but does not define them as genocide, despite the rulings of international courts.
Hajra Catic, a genocide survivor who returned to live in Srebrenica after the war, told BIRN that she hoped the commemoration would go off peacefully this year.
“Whenever July 11 approaches, we find it hard to cope, because we go through what happened on that day. It is difficult. You go back to the past and remember all the things that happened – especially us, the mothers who have not found their children,” Catic said.
Bosnian state prosecution spokesperson Boris Grubesic said that an investigation aimed at identifying Vucic’s attackers was still open.
“The investigation is underway. The special prosecution of [Bosnia’s Serb-dominated entity] Republika Srpska referred a case to us recently. Once the cases have been merged, a detailed analysis will be conducted. After that a decision about the future activities that are necessary will be made with the aim of rendering a prosecutorial decision in that case,” Grubesic said. |
To sell full strength beer and wine in grocery stores or not, the debate is still on Copyright by KXRM - All rights reserved The debate on whether or not full strength beer and liquor should be sold in grocery stores is still heated / Mike Duran -- FOX21 News [ + - ] Video
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- The debate on whether or not full strength beer and liquor should be sold in grocery stores is still heated.
Colorado ranks third in the number of craft breweries per capita, but it's one of the only states that does not allow craft beer to be sold in grocery stores. One group is hoping to change that.
"In 42 states you can buy and sell Colorado craft beer and wine in grocery stores but right here where they're brewed, you can't and we fundamentally feel that for a number of reasons right now is the right time for a change in our prohibition era laws," said Matt Chandler, spokesperson for Your Choice Colorado.
Using statistics from a recent study by an applied economist at the University of Denver, Your Choice Colorado said the change could bring more money to Colorado's craft beer industry.
"What he found was that allowing full strength beer and wine in Colorado grocery stores would
potentially add up to 22,000 jobs and generate an additional $125 million for the Colorado craft beer industry through sales," Chandler said.
But not everyone is convinced.
"There's about 287 small, independent, local brewers like myself across Colorado and much of the reason that Colorado is the state of craft beer is because of the small, independent, local distributors," said Steve Stowell, owner of Triple S Brewing Company in downtown Colorado Springs.
Such as mom and pop liquor stores.
"It's the large grocery store chains that are pushing to do this," Stowell said. "It is likely that they would just hit the easy button and they would use a lot of the large, regional breweries so kind of cutting out all of the small guys."
"We do have a number of stores in our coalition who are backing this but I think you know what's really important is the impact of what this would mean for not only the Colorado consumer but the craft brew industry," Chandler said.
Comparisons are being made between Colorado craft beer sales and the sales of other states.
"Safeway and Kroger sales in local craft beer in Oregon and Washington are well over $100 million. That is something we're really interested in bringing here to Colorado," said Chandler.
But Stowell says that's because craft brewers in those states grew up having relationships with grocery stores.
"Here we don't have that," Stowell said. "We've had this 3.2 beer law for quite some time. It would be a radical change from the norm that again would prevent the small, independent, local guy from getting his beer on the shelves."
He said the best part about craft beer is that it's always about quality, not convenience.
Ballot proposals are being filed to end the ban on full strength beer and wine sales in grocery stores for a potential statewide vote in November 2016. |
FILE - This Jan. 16, 2013 file photo shows President Barack Obama, accompanied by Vice President Joe Biden, gesturing as he talks about proposals to reduce gun violence, in the South Court Auditorium at the White House in Washington. Supporters of President Barack Obama's gun control plans are plotting a methodical, state-by-state campaign to try to persuade key lawmakers that it's in their political interest to back new restrictions. To do that, they have to overcome two decades of conventional wisdom that gun control is bad politics _ and the National Rifle Association is confident its supporters will prevail. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, File)
This week, President Obama and Vice President Biden announced a bold series of new gun control regulations designed to restrict access to the deadliest weapons available, while also focusing on other firearm-related areas through a series of 23 executive orders, which the president immediately authorized. Needless to say, the roster of actions went far beyond the expectations of gun control advocates, while blunting some of the paranoid delusions of the gun lobby and the Republican Party.
The president plans to resurrect the expired assault weapons ban and close all of the loopholes created by the NRA's puppets in 1994. There are "bullet control" proposals: no more magazines larger than 10 rounds, and no more armor-piercing bullets. Background checks will be expanded to private sales, and the gun-show loophole will be permanently closed. Additional funding has been authorized for states to report criminals to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System. The administration will request congressional appropriations for hiring more police officers, as well as more effective tracing of firearms. The president will restart CDC research into gun violence which was blocked by the NRA -- ironically, the CDC's research examined the effects of violence in media which is, of course, one of the NRA's primary talking points since Sandy Hook. The Consumer Product Safety Commission will evaluate gun-safes and other gun-safety measures. One thousand new counselors will be added to public schools; eight thousand schools will receive anti-bullying funding; and the president will expand Medicaid to include mental health services -- a long overdue measure.
Bottom line: nobody from the administration is planning to confiscate James Yeager's death toys. But the administration does indeed plan to make it more difficult for malcontents and felons to get their hands on firearms, and who can seriously object to that? And who the hell needs a magazine containing more than 10 bullets -- other than a guy who's trying to take down Godzilla or a legion of zombies perhaps. Come to think of it, I wouldn't be surprised if Alex Jones and other unhinged "Sandy Hook Truther" paranoiacs began to pop-off with the zombie apocalypse argument against gun control.
As for the assault weapons ban, the president will definitely have his work cut out for him here, especially in the NRA-owned House of Representatives, not to mention all of the NRA-owned conservative Democrats like Rep. John Barrow (D-GA-12th). You might recall Barrow from the 2012 campaign when he released an over-the-top love letter video to the NRA featuring the congressman cocking his personal firearms and not-so-subtly threatening anyone who tries to take them away from him. By the way, the non-profit activist group, The Coalition to Stop Gun Violence, released a compelling video attacking Barrow's love affair with the NRA and the gun culture, and implying the gun culture's complicity with the Sandy Hook massacre.
In addition, don't be surprised if the Republicans try to strong-arm the administration on the NRA's latest gun-sales gimmick: turning public schools into a U.S./Soviet style arms races, with escalating caches of firearms entering buildings in which nothing more dangerous than spitballs and cafeteria tater-tots should be present. (I was about to write a line joking that the NRA is attempting to transform schools into post-apocalyptic Thunderdomes, but then I recalled from the Mad Max trivia cortex of my brain that guns weren't even allowed inside the walls of Bartertown.) Regardless, the NRA sees the school arsenal argument as a two-pronged win for them: it distracts from real gun control laws and, if actually enacted, it would create a new market for firearms and a cash cow for the private security industry.
The coming legislative battle will be huge, infuriating and exhausting. Perhaps not as lengthy as the healthcare reform debate, but almost as heated given the NRA's power and cashflow. And this week we witnessed just a taste of what the NRA plans to unleash. They released a snarky, almost cartoonishly ridiculous video in which they shamefully looped the Obama daughters into the debate. The video notes that the Obama girls have armed guards at their school, so why can't there be armed guards at every school?
First, shame on the NRA for hitting the president's children and then having the audacity to accuse the president of not caring about children. I also noticed that none of Wayne LaPierre's online bios list anything about his family. The NRA seems to be keeping that information well hidden. Why? Perhaps because LaPierre doesn't want his political enemies to use his family in advertisements and political statements.
Secondly, yes, the president and the First Lady send their children to a private school that features armed guards because, well, you know, national security. Should we really need to explain this? Due to the obvious fact that they're so visible and because enemies might target them as a way to undermine and incite the president, the First Daughters also receive extensive Secret Service protection. If they were ever kidnapped, there would be serious executive branch and international ramifications. But it goes without saying that these distinctions don't really matter to a faction that deals in misinformation, lies and propaganda. |
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