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Empleos hn - Ofertas de empleo y Bolsa de trabajo
¿Buscas ofertas de trabajo? Encuentra todas las ofertas de empleo en esta web. | {
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Decades-old racially charged allegations against Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL) parroted by the establishment media and a handful of far left Senate Democrats do not hold up under scrutiny, an extensive investigation conducted by Breitbart News has found.
There are essentially three central allegations the left levels against Sessions. The first pertains to his involvement in a 1980s voter fraud case, which, evidence shows, Sessions prosecuted to ensure a fair election for black Democratic citizens of the county. The second involves allegations from a former assistant attorney, who was described by co-workers as a “disaffected” employee with a “bad attitude problem” and whose testimony was vigorously debunked by highly credible witnesses. The third involves accusations from an ex-Department of Justice attorney whose credibility was brought into question after he was forced to recant portions of his testimony, in which he fabricated false allegations against Sessions.
In recent weeks, the populist Senator’s partisan opponents—eager to relive the contentious 1986 confirmation hearings that resulted in Ted Kennedy’s successful “Borking” of Sessions from a federal judgeship before such a term even existed—have dredged up these sensational allegations from their 30-year slumber.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren said in mid-November:
Instead of embracing the bigotry that fueled his campaign rallies, I urge President-elect Trump to reverse his apparent decision to nominate Senator Sessions to be Attorney General of the United States. Thirty years ago, a different Republican Senate rejected Senator Sessions’ nomination to a federal judgeship. In doing so, that Senate affirmed that there can be no compromise with racism; no negotiation with hate. Today, a new Republican Senate must decide whether self-interest and political cowardice will prevent them from once again doing what is right.
Breitbart News, however, went back and read the original 565-page transcript of the 1986 hearing to separate fact from fiction. Upon reviewing the transcript and interviewing individuals with first-hand knowledge of the case, the portrait that emerges is one of a faithful public servant derailed by discredited allegations.
Contrary to the slander peddled first by Kennedy and regurgitated now by Warren, the evidence and testimony from the 1986 hearing depicts a man who cares deeply for the equal and just treatment under the law of all Americans, and who has stood at the vanguard of the various civil rights battles of our times. Sessions, whose favorite book is To Kill a Mockingbird authored by his fellow native Alabamian Harper Lee, was credited during the hearing for helping to obtain the first death penalty conviction of a white man for the murder of a black citizen in Alabama since before World War I.
Throughout the hearing, multiple civil rights leaders testified to Sessions’ dedication and “unequivocal commitment to the prosecution of criminal civil rights cases”— describing him as a prosecutor who went “above and beyond” the call of duty to aid the civil rights division of the Department of Justice at a time when it was not always politically popular to do so in the South.
During the course of the hearing, Judge Cain Kennedy, an African American judge on Alabama’s 13th judicial circuit court, testified to Sessions’ “excellent” reputation in a letter he signed with the other circuit judges. In it he endorsed Sessions and asserted that he was “confident” Sessions “would rule impartially in all matters presented to him” and that the court would be “fortunate” to have someone of Sessions’ stature. Similarly, Larry Thompson, an African American and former U.S. attorney in Atlanta who went on to serve as Deputy U.S. Attorney General under President Bush, described Sessions as a “loyal colleague” and a “good man and an honest man untainted by any form of prejudice.”
Indeed, the contrast between the originally reported allegations and the revelations of the hearing was so stark that the Birmingham News editorial board, which initially called on “Sessions’ sponsors… [to] withdraw his nomination” in March of 1986, eventually reversed its position entirely by May of 1986—urging the Senate to reconsider and “put aside partisan motives” to view Sessions’ “nomination with an open mind.”
Yet despite all of the revelations to come out of the hearings’ proceedings, a new generation of reporters have now taken up their predecessors’ role as chief organ for the same few grave, yet baseless, soundbites proffered by Ted Kennedy and the ghosts of Democrats past.
Sessions’ 1986 confirmation hearing, the Washington Times’ Charlie Hurt writes, was Kennedy’s trial-run for what would become his sabotage just one year later of President Reagan’s Supreme Court nominee, Robert Bork. “Even before they coined a term for it — Borking — they did it to Jeff Sessions, a decent man with a stellar legal reputation,” Hurt wrote. “With only the flimsiest of accusations and innuendos from suspect testimony, Mr. Sessions was duly smeared in the worst way he could imagine.”
“Kennedy took the truth and warped it. He lied,” wrote the state editor of Sessions’ hometown paper, the Mobile Press-Register, in March of 1986.
Against the backdrop of the Sessions attainting led by the late Massachusetts Senator — marred with his own record of moral impropriety spanning from his expulsion from Harvard for cheating to the abandonment of Mary Jo Kopechne to suffocate in an air pocket in his car submerged on Chappaquiddick Island — emerged a formidable foil to Kennedy, who stepped forth as Sessions’ greatest advocate, American war hero, Alabama Senator Jeremiah Denton. The unwavering patriot, who famously outsmarted his North Vietnamese captors to expose how American POWs were being tortured, described the 1986 hearing as a “circus” and characterized the media’s treatment of Sessions as “a tragedy.”
THE PERRY COUNTY VOTER FRAUD CASE
To this day, one of the left’s central allegations against Sessions stems from his involvement in prosecuting a 1985 voter fraud case in which three black defendants were accused of having altered the absentee ballots of black voters in order to thwart the election of black Democratic candidates, whom the defendants opposed, and instead to help hand the election over to candidates the defendants favored.
Because the defendants, most notably, Albert Turner, were civil rights activists, the U.S. attorney’s office — and Sessions, by extension — was accused of having prosecuted the case out of racial motivations.
Sessions’ opponents in corporate media have been quick to pick up on this narrative and have even demonstrated a willingness to obscure inconvenient facts that would undermine it. For instance, USA Today’s Mary Troyan and Brian Lyman wrote an entire article about the Perry County case and the accusations of the prosecution’s racial motivations without once mentioning that both the complainants and the victims in the case were also black Democrats.
Washington Post “fact-checker” Michelle Ye Hee Lee claims to have “read the ~600 page 1986 Jeff Sessions hearing transcript so you don’t have to.” Yet if readers were to rely upon Lee’s synopsis for their information on the case, they would have no knowledge of the significant testimony of LaVon Phillips, a 26-year-old African American legal assistant to the Perry County district attorney with intimate knowledge of the Perry County case who testified on Sessions’ behalf during the 1986 confirmation hearing.
Phillips testified that in the 1980s, black voters in Perry County began “voting more of their convictions, their interests, rather than relying on the, per se, black civil rights leadership.”
“When this happens,” Phillips said, the established “black power base… becomes neutralized” and may object to the loss of power. “This is what is happening in Perry County.”
Phillips explained that in 1982 the Perry County’s district attorney’s office had “received several complaints from incumbent black candidates and black voters that absentee ballot applications were being mailed to citizens’ homes without their request.” Phillips said that their office performed an investigation and sought an indictment against Turner — empaneling a grand jury whose racial makeup was eleven blacks and seven whites.
Phillips additionally testified that, in 1982, Turner was alleged to have engaged in illegal voting activities by picking up absentee ballots, even though he himself ran as a candidate in that election. Phillips testified that Alabama’s criminal code “sternly spells out that no candidate is to solicit, pick up, or even… touch an absentee ballot.” Sessions has separately said that a handwriting expert informed his office that Turner had even written his name on absentee ballots during that election.
While the majority-black grand jury returned no indictments against Turner in the 1982 election, it did find that a fair election was “being denied the citizens of Perry County, both black and white,” and “encourage[d] vigorous prosecutions of all voting laws”— even requesting that an outside agency monitor the election.
After the grand jury issued its findings, the district attorney approached Sessions about taking additional action, but Sessions “literally refused to prosecute the case,” Phillips said. According to Sessions’ testimony, that’s because “it was expected that these problems would not continue after the actions of the Perry County Grand Jury.”
Nevertheless, the problems apparently persisted, and a week before the 1984 primary election, Sessions said he received a call from the district attorney informing him that two black Democratic officials, Reese Billingslea and Warren Kinard, whose candidacies were opposed by Albert Turner, “were very concerned that a concerted effort was being made to deny a fair election” through the use of absentee ballots.
Billingslea wrote a letter on Sessions’ behalf for the 1986 confirmation hearing in which he expressed his appreciation for Sessions’ “professionalism” and role in the investigation.
“I was one of the first black candidates elected in Perry County Alabama,” Billingslea wrote. “During the [1984 primary] campaign I was approached by many of my supporters who informed me… that my opposition had stated publically that they would do anything to get rid of me…. I became convinced that there was concerted, well-organized effort was being made to steal the election from me through the absentee ballot box…. I spoke with him [Sessions] and requested his assistance…. From everything that I was aware, Mr. Sessions and the United States Attorney’s office handled the investigation with the highest professionalism.”
After receiving the call, Sessions took limited action: requesting visual surveillance of the post office building the day before the election.
An examination of the absentee ballots deposited revealed that some had been visibly altered, Sessions said. The altered absentee ballots collected and deposited by Turner had all been “changed in the same manner,” Sessions explained, from “non-Turner-supported candidates to Turner-supported candidates.”
The Sheltons, an African American family in Perry County, were “devastated” to learn their ballots had been changed by Turner without their permission, Phillips said.
Turner apparently even admitted to having changed the Sheltons’ ballots from the candidates they initially voted for to candidates that he favored—claiming that he had their permission to do so. However, the Sheltons ardently denied this, and Sessions noted that it was unlikely they would have given Turner permission since the candidate the Sheltons wanted to vote for, but whom Turner opposed, was their cousin.
However, Sessions explained that despite the evidence, the prosecution was “outgunned” by an impressive team of lawyers representing the defendants (only two lawyers in Sessions’ office had been assigned to the case to face off against the, at one time, 11 lawyers filing motions for the defendants). Testifying on Sessions’ behalf in 1986, William Kimbrough Jr., Sessions’ Democratic predecessor as U.S. attorney, explained that just because a jury returns a verdict against the prosecution does not mean the prosecutor was unjustified in bringing the case forward.
“Quite often, in the South, you do not win civil rights cases. That is not to say they should not be brought,” he explained. “I personally tried a number of civil rights cases involving police brutality or alleged police brutality, and I do not believe I won one of them. I do not apologize to anyone for having brought the case. There was probable cause to believe that somebody’s rights had been abused…. You bring the case because the case needs to brought.”
FIGURES’ ALLEGATIONS
Most of the allegations related to Sessions’ comments on race come primarily from a single source, Thomas Figures, a former assistant U.S. attorney and an African American who worked with Sessions for four years.
Yet, as Sen. Denton noted during the confirmation hearing, “all significant allegations by Mr. Figures have been either refuted or denied—all of them.”
For instance, one of Figures’ most sensational allegations that he “was regularly called boy” by Sessions and others in the office (emphasis added).
Figures’ charge was denied by everyone in the U.S. attorney’s office alleged to have witnessed it. Figures himself, Denton noted, even changed his own story during his testimony—going on to “sheepishly den[y]” his original claim that he was called boy “regularly.”
One of Figures’ proclaimed witnesses, assistant U.S. Attorney Ginny Granade, denied his testimony — as did another colleague, Ed Vulevich.
Vulevich, who had served for 17 years under both Republican and Democratic administrations, testified that Figures suffered from a “persecution complex,” had difficulty “getting along with people” and kept “very much to himself.”
“I might best describe it as the man in a football stadium with 80,000 people but he thinks that when the team huddles, they are all talking about him,” Vulevich said.
The sentiment seemed corroborated by William Kimbrough, Sessions’ Democratic predecessor, who had himself hired Figures. Kimbrough explained that Figures appeared “disaffected” and “had some difficulty” working in a Republican office.
Moreover, although his associations received virtually no media attention, Figures allegedly failed to disclose his ties to individuals who likely harbored ill will against Sessions.
“When Figures testified,” Denton charged, “he failed to disclose his personal and financial interests in the Perry County issue,” namely that the day prior to testifying against Sessions, Figures was hired to defend a disputed election plan in Perry County, which had been drawn up in part by none other than Albert Turner.
Yet perhaps further indicative of Figures’ possible prejudice against Sessions was his allegation involving a joke that Sessions made about the Klu Klux Klan.
The joke was made as Sessions’ office was pursuing the Michael Donald case, in which a black teenager was abducted and murdered by the Klan. Sessions pushed for the case to be tried by the local district attorney rather than the federal government, so that Klansman Henry Hays could be given the death penalty (Hays would not have received the death penalty had the case been tried by the federal government). The successful prosecution ultimately set into motion a series of actions that resulted in financially bankrupting the Klan in Alabama. Democratic Judge McRae credited Sessions as being responsible for getting Hays sentenced to death. “[I] can assure you the State’s conviction of Henry Hays would not have been possible without Jeff Sessions’ assistance,” McRae testified.
This sentiment was echoed by Bobby Eddy, a Democrat and investigator from the Mobile district attorney’s office in the Michael Donald case, who has also been credited with having broken open and solved the 1963 Birmingham church bombing that killed four girls. “Without his [Sessions’] cooperation, the State could not have proceeded against Henry Hays on a capital murder charge,” Eddy testified.
To place this in historical context, Sessions was essentially responsible for helping to make Hays the first white person to be executed in Alabama for the murder of a black citizen since 1913.
While discussing the case with Figures, and by some accounts two Department of Justice civil rights attorneys, Sessions was informed that the prosecution was struggling to collect evidence because some of the Klansmen had been smoking marijuana and were unable recount crucial events. In response, Sessions told the group that he hadn’t known the Klan smoked marijuana and sarcastically joked that he had thought they were okay until he was informed of such.
With the exception of Figures, everyone who heard the joke — including civil rights attorneys Albert Glenn and Barry Kowalski — immediately understood that it was intended humorously.
“I took it wholly as a joke and humor,” Glenn said. “There was no question in my mind at the time that it was meant humorously.”
Barry Kowalski, a self-described lifelong Democrat who would go on to become a famed civil rights attorney and one of the lead prosecutors in the Rodney King trial, testified that he even relayed Sessions’ joke to others “in a humorous vein as well”— something an esteemed civil rights attorney would likely not have done if he had suspected it to have any pretense of racial insensitivity. Kowalski explained that in his mind it was clear “operating room humor” made by a U.S. attorney as he was working to prosecute the Klan.
Yet the media’s reporting on Figures’ allegation has stripped it of all context to distort its meaning and wrongly imply that Sessions respected the Klan. Consider the media coverage below:
“A former coworker testified that Sessions said the Ku Klux Klan was an acceptable organization until he learned that its members used marijuana.” – CNN “As a U.S. Attorney in Alabama in the 1980s, Sessions said he thought the KKK “were OK until I found out they smoked pot.” – Politico “[Sessions] famously said of the Ku Klux Klan that he was okay with them, ‘until I learned they smoked pot.’ Sessions later said he was joking.” – Forbes
In reality, the joke actually conveys the exact opposite sentiment: the humor is predicated upon the condition that the joke teller believes the Klan is evil— otherwise the joke doesn’t make any sense. As Sessions explained during the hearing, it would be the equivalent of saying, in jest: “I do not like Pol Pot because he wears alligator shoes.” Even Joe Biden, who attacked Sessions for having made the joke—despite having his own long record of making racially insensitive jokes— acknowledged: “I could see how someone could say that humorously. That [statement] does not mean you are defending the Klan.”
As Sen. Denton observed, if the media were to apply to Figures the same standard of judging a man’s statements without any regard for context as they applied to Sessions, one could equally accuse Figures of having called the NAACP “subversive”—a comment which Figures claims to have made “in jest.”
For his part, LaVon Phillips rejected Figures’ attack against Sessions for joking about the KKK as “ridiculous.” Daniel Bell, the deputy chief of the criminal section of the civil rights division with the Department of Justice, similarly testified that he has never heard Sessions make remarks that he considered to be racially insensitive. “As a matter of fact, my experience with him is that he does not make racial jokes or insensitive jokes,” Bell said.
The sentiment was echoed by State Judge Braxton Kittrell, a Democrat, who sentenced Henry Hays to death. “I have never known him to make racial slurs or remarks,” Kittrell testified. “If he, in fact, had made the remarks which have been attributed to him, I am satisfied that they have been taken out of context, as Jeff Sessions is not that kind of person.”
‘DISGRACE TO HIS RACE’
Perhaps some of the gravest allegations leveled against Sessions come from a J. Gerald Hebert, who during the 1986 hearing was accused of having undermined his own credibility — raising the specter of perjury and defamation — by smearing Sessions with demonstrably false allegations, which he eventually had to admit were “in error.” Hebert now directs the voting rights and redistricting program at the George Soros-funded Campaign Legal Center.
In 1986, Hebert, then a senior trial attorney in the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division who has also reportedly been one of the main redistricting lawyers for the Democratic National Committee, testified that Sessions had called the NAACP and the ACLU “un-American.” Figures testified to having had a similar discussion with Sessions.
When questioned about the allegation, Sessions explained that he was referring to particular positions the groups have taken on foreign policy issues — such as their views on the Nicaraguan Sandinistas. Both then and now, the media have seemed eager to deny this essential context. Sessions “never said he thought that the NAACP or the ACLU were flatly un-American or Communist inspired, yet he has been convicted of it in the media of our land,” Denton observed at the time.
Hebert additionally testified that he once asked Sessions about a judge, who apparently called a white lawyer who handled civil rights cases a “disgrace to his race.” Hebert claimed that when asked about the judge’s comment, Sessions said either, “well, maybe he is” or “well, he probably is” (Byron York notes that Hebert changes his testimony throughout the hearing as to how Sessions responded).
Denton noted that it was Hebert — not Sessions — who, in quoting another, described the white civil rights lawyer as a “disgrace to his race.” Hebert himself never accused Sessions of using the phrase.
Yet while Hebert’s allegations have been parroted ad nauseam in recent media reports, journalists fail to mention that Hebert was forced to recant testimony in which he made up serious, yet demonstrably false allegations against Sessions. Specifically, Hebert falsely testified that Sessions sought to block an FBI civil rights investigation. “Mr. Sessions had gotten in touch with the agents and had called off the investigation,” Hebert claimed. Hebert even said that there had been a conversation with Sessions about the particular investigation in which Sessions “indicated that he did not think the investigation should go forward” — a conversation, which, as it turns out, never actually took place.
A review of the Department of Justice’s record revealed that Hebert’s testimony was not true. Sessions had nothing to do with the investigation because the case arose prior to Sessions’ being U.S. attorney. Yet during his testimony, Hebert “constructed a conversation with Mr. Sessions on that subject… [which] never took place at all,” Denton explained.
“My testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee…. [regarding the FBI voting investigation] was in error. My recollection on this matter has now been refreshed. I have no knowledge that Mr. Sessions ever interfered with any voting investigations in the Southern District of Alabama… I apologize for any inconvenience caused Mr. Sessions or this Committee by my prior testimony,” Hebert said in written testimony.
Interestingly, Hebert “has a history of crying wolf about claims of racial discrimination,” with profound consequences for innocent people, J. Christian Adams told Breitbart.
“Hebert, the leading critic of the appointment of Senator Jeff Sessions as attorney general, has a history of making things up about racial issues— so much so, in fact, that a federal court imposed sanctions in one of Hebert’s voting cases,” Adams recently wrote. “Hebert’s exaggerations about racism in one federal court case [United States v. Jones] resulted in sanctions being imposed by a federal judge, costing the United States taxpayer $86,626.”
In that case, the court chastised Hebert’s team at the Justice Department, writing that it was “unconscionable” that they would “carelessly” hurl “unfounded allegations” of racial discrimination and impugn a person’s good name without any regard for the truth. The court wrote:
A properly conducted investigation would have quickly revealed that there was no basis for the claim that the Defendants were guilty of purposeful discrimination against black voters. Unfortunately, we cannot restore the reputation of the persons wrongfully branded by the United States as public officials who deliberately deprived their fellow citizens of their voting rights. We can only hope that in the future the decision makers in the United States Department of Justice will be more sensitive to the impact on racial harmony that can result from the filing of a claim of purposeful discrimination. The filing of an action charging a person with depriving a fellow citizen of a fundamental constitutional right without conducting a proper investigation of its truth is unconscionable.
A cursory review of recent news coverage shows that more than a dozen reports cite Hebert’s allegations against Sessions without mentioning that Hebert was accused of undermining his own credibility and had to recant fabricated allegations he made against Sessions.
Ryan Reilly of the Huffington Post tried to justify his omission of Hebert’s recanted testimony by characterizing Hebert’s accusation that Sessions blocked an FBI civil rights investigation as a “minor” issue.
“The story stands for itself,” Reilly told Breitbart in an email, referring to his story which prominently featured Hebert’s accusations against Sessions. “That Hebert corrected the record on a minor aspect of his testimony that was based on mistaken recollection does not change the facts laid out in the piece.”
Interestingly, despite opposing Sessions in 1986, Hebert still testified to Sessions’ character and described him as “a man of his word.”
Today, however, apparently emboldened by the passage of time from the original events and the media’s evident refusal to critically examine any of the allegations made against Sessions before printing them, Hebert has adopted a greater flourish for the dramatic in laying out his indictment of Sessions.
Jeff Sessions as attorney general “should make every American shudder,” Hebert wrote in a Washington Post op-ed last month.
In his op-ed, Hebert expressed his need to “once again” add to the public record the now 35-year-old conversation he claims to have had with Sessions. It is unclear from his op-ed, however, why Hebert — now 30 years more senior — thinks the reader ought to believe his recollection of his interactions with Sessions, considering that his recollections had previously been “in error” and needed to be “refreshed.”
‘MOST POPULAR PERSON IN ALABAMA EXCEPT FOR MAYBE NICK SABAN’
While many things are a testament to Sessions’ character, perhaps nothing speaks more than his actions after enduring Kennedy’s 1986 “Borking.”
While most individuals subjected to such a campaign of personal destruction would retreat from public service, Sessions, without complaint and without carrying a grievance, would go on to become the state’s Attorney General and eventually its U.S. Senator.
He succeeded Sen. Howell Heflin, the Alabama Democrat who ultimately voted against Sessions during his 1986 confirmation. When Senator Arlen Specter switched party registration, Sessions ironically replaced the former Republican who voted against him in 1986 as the ranking Republican on the Judiciary Committee. As Congress’s fiercest champion of a pro-American worker agenda that upholds the legacy of late civil rights leader heroine Barbara Jordan, Sessions has squarely taken on what is perhaps the most lasting legacy of his 1986 nemesis, Ted Kennedy: namely Kennedy’s 1965 immigration rewrite that threw open the nation’s floodgates to foreign workers, imperiling civil rights by diminishing the wage and job opportunities of black Americans.
As a lawmaker, Sessions went on to develop a reputation for his firm commitment to the rule of law, so much so that a vote against Sessions for Attorney General could stand to imperil conservative Democrats— such as Sens. Joe Manchin, Claire McCaskill, and Joe Donnelly— as it could be viewed as a decision to throw in with Chuck Schumer against law and order.
Sessions “is the most popular person in Alabama except for maybe Nick Saban. And it’s all earned in my opinion,” Tucker Carlson said in 2014, noting that Sessions made history by running unopposed in both his last primary and general election contests.
“For twenty years, Sen. Sessions has been representing a state whose population is nearly one-third African American,” one Republican operative recently told Breitbart. “If he were as bad as the left is now falsely trying to paint him out to be, why didn’t they run a Democrat against him?”
As the late Senator Arlen Specter said upon looking back on the 1986 hearing, “My vote against candidate Sessions for the federal court was a mistake because I have since found that Sen. Sessions is egalitarian.”
As for Joe Biden, one of Sessions’ chief opponents in 1986, he told CNN in December, “The president should get the person that they want for that job, as long as they commit, under oath, that they are going to uphold the law.”
While he would not go so far as to admit his own error three decades ago, he acknowledged that he no longer regards Sessions as insensitive to race. “People change,” Biden said simply.
As Alabama’s elected representative, Sessions eventually came to sit upon the very Senate Judiciary Committee that rejected him— harboring no ill will nor animosity towards the men who opposed him, but instead becoming their partners and forging meaningful relationships with them, such as his friendship with far-left progressive Senator Al Franken.
With these men, Sessions spearheaded legislative reforms and never once voiced a complaint about their unfair treatment of him. Confident in his own dignity rendered to him by both his faith in God and the people of Alabama whom he represents, Sessions similarly never felt the need to plead his case publicly after all these years — assured in the belief that his own actions would speak louder than the allegations of his opponents.
While corporate media seems willing to allow a handful of partisans to resuscitate the discredited allegations of the ghosts of Democrats past to once again smear the good name of a decent public servant, those who know Sessions best say they are unwilling to “stand idly by” and let history repeat itself.
“Sen. Sessions is a good man and a great man. He has done more to protect the jobs and enhance the wages of black workers than anyone in either house of Congress over the last 10 years,” U.S. Civil Rights Commissioner Peter Kirsanow recently told Breitbart.
“I know him personally and all my encounters with him have been for the greater good of Alabama,” said Sen. Quinton Ross, the Democratic leader of the Alabama Senate who is also African American. “We’ve spoken about everything from civil rights to race relations and we agree that as Christian men our hearts and minds are focused on doing right by all people.”
“I should have volunteered to stand by his side and tell the story of his true character at his confirmation hearing,” Donald V. Watkins, an African American who attended law school with Sessions, wrote on his Facebook page. Watkins recalled how Sessions was the first white student to invite him to join a campus organization, LifeZette reports. “The fact that I did not rise on my own to defend Jeff’s good name and character haunted me for years,” Watkins wrote. “I promised Jeff that I would never stand idly by and allow another good and decent person to endure a similar character assassination if it was within my power to stop it.” | {
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Mr. Trump’s team has been conducting opposition research on Mr. Mueller and his growing staff, searching for points of vulnerability. Already the president and his allies have publicly pointed to some of the lawyers Mr. Mueller has hired on his staff who contributed money to Mrs. Clinton or other Democrats in the past; one represented the Clinton family foundation. Contributions to Democrats have not been a disqualifier for Mr. Trump in putting together his own staff — including his new communications director, Anthony Scaramucci, who donated money to Mrs. Clinton and Barack Obama in the 2008 campaign cycle — but the president and his team now argue that Mr. Mueller’s team is compromised as a result.
Mr. Mueller has not responded to the attacks, and the Justice Department has said any potential conflicts will be dealt with under normal procedures. In using the term “conflict of interest,” Mr. Trump may be laying a predicate for eventually ordering the Justice Department to fire Mr. Mueller. Under current procedures, the special counsel can be dismissed only under certain circumstances, including for conflicts of interest.
Whether Mr. Trump can do to Mr. Mueller what the Clintons did to Mr. Starr remains an open question. The Clintons did not go on the attack when the first special counsel, Robert Fiske, was picked to look into their land dealings. They shifted strategy only after Mr. Starr was named to replace Mr. Fiske by a three-judge panel led by a conservative judge who, shortly before the appointment, had lunch with two Republican senators who were harsh critics of the Clintons.
Though Mr. Starr, a former solicitor general and appeals court judge, was widely respected before becoming independent counsel, he was seen as a conservative whose partiality was immediately questioned. Over the course of his investigation, he made judgment choices that gave ammunition to the Clintons as they assailed his handling of the case.
Mr. Mueller, by contrast, is not seen as a political figure. A Marine veteran decorated for combat in the Vietnam War, he was a career prosecutor who worked his way up to head the F.B.I., appointed by Mr. Bush and reappointed by Mr. Obama. Known as a straight arrow, he led the bureau for 12 years, making him the longest-serving director other than J. Edgar Hoover.
“They’re taking the Clinton playbook from a much later stage in that investigation when gradually the public was itself questioning Ken Starr’s behavior and outraged by the Starr report,” said Ken Gormley, president of Duquesne University and author of “The Death of American Virtue,” a definitive history of the struggle between Mr. Clinton and Mr. Starr. “But what can happen when you start attacking someone who you haven’t seen do anything and they’re only doing their job, they may be generating significant sympathy for the special counsel and undercutting their purpose.”
Veterans of the Clinton team said that assailing Mr. Starr’s handling of the investigation was important in rallying Democrats behind Mr. Clinton and giving them a focus other than the president’s conduct. | {
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No Clásico is complete with a pre-match banner, and the game with Real Madrid on July 29 will be no exception. One of the sides of the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami will be converted into the blaugrana colours and the message “In our style we trUSt”. The U and the S of the word ‘trust’ will appear in a special yellow colour as a sign of courtesy to the fans throughout the country who have shown such passion for the club during its ten-day trip to the United States.
It is also yet another way for FC Barcelona to highlight to the world how strictly it adheres to its famous philosophy. This game against fellow Liga side Real Madrid will be the last of its three stateside fixtures in the International Champions Cup, following successive victories against Juventus and Manchester United. | {
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Hotel proposal at Watermill in Smithtown irks residents
A proposal to build a four-story, 94-room hotel at the Watermill Catering Hall in Smithtown has some residents upset.
They say the project would attract noise, unruly guests and drunk drivers to the area.
“It's like somebody dropped Godzilla in the middle of our neighborhood and destroyed it forever,” one resident said.
Watermill owner Tony Scotto says residents have it wrong.
“Everything that I build is special, and this hotel will be special,” he told News 12, insisting that it will be a boutique hotel and a welcome addition to the town.
“At the end of the day, this is going to be a hotel that Smithtown doesn't have, and needs, and deserves,” he says.
According to the plan, the hotel would be built on a piece of the property that's currently being used as a parking lot near Route 347.
In the end, the Watermill would lose four parking spaces.
The project needs approval from the Town Board to move forward. Smithtown Supervisor Ed Wehrheim has expressed support for the plan. He told News 12 that he's listening to residents' concerns.
He says no decision will be made until “public hearings are concluded.”
Officials say the proposal is still in the planning stage. A public hearing is scheduled for May 23. | {
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Scumbag Governor Mike Pence
says he won t meet privately with women out of respect for his wife.
cuts his wife s entire gender out of opportunities that spring from meeting privately with a vice president. | {
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WASHINGTON: Pakistan’s deal to purchase eight F-16 jet fighters from the United States became effective on Friday, a day after the US Senate rejected a measure to block the sale.
“We appreciate the leadership of the US Congress in consistently supporting Pak-US counter-terrorism partnership,” said Pakistan’s Ambassador Jalil Abbas Jilani while commenting on the Senate vote. “The vote is a demonstration of the strength and resilience of Pak-US Relationship.”
On Feb12, the US State Department notified Congress of its intention to sell $700 million worth of weapons to Pakistan, which included eight Block-52 F-16s. The department argued that the jets were critical to Pakistan’s efforts to deny terrorists a safe haven within its borders.
Congress had 30 days to convey its objection to the administration. After this mandatory period the deal would automatically become effective.
On Thursday, the US Senate rejected a measure to block the proposed sale by 71 to 24 votes
Although the mandatory period expires on March 12, the Senate adjourned on Friday and would not resume until Monday, which leaves no room to mount another measure for blocking the deal.
On Thursday, the Senate rejected a measure to block the proposed sale by 71 to 24 votes but Pakistan has to overcome another hurdle before the deal is finalised: Getting partial US financing, a little more than 50 per cent of the total, for the weapons.
Last month, the Obama administration earmarked $860m in aid for Pakistan for the next fiscal year, including $265m for military hardware.
Published in Dawn, March 12th, 2016 | {
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This is a shameless plug of a great resource.
Ryan Koo of No Film School has just announced he is offering the DSLR Cinematography Guide for free via PDF. I have been following Ryan since 2006, and greatly appreciate his part in education and sharing information for indie creatives and filmmakers. So grab your copy here: | {
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A few months ago I bought some of the very detailed and immensely attractive Xingbao Chinese Town buildings. I’ve only built (and reviewed) XB-01003 Xinya Palace (review, buy) thus far, and really like the way it looks. I’ve also got XB-01020 Chinese Theatre (buy) and XB-01001 Silk Shop (buy) waiting to be built, and I look forward to both of them. When I first saw 06066 Ninjasaga City (a clone of the Danish brand’s 70620 Ninjago City), I was very intrigued. The set came out in 2017, not long before I found out about clones. I was hesitant to dive in to the brand in such a major way, so I sort of put this one on the back burner of my mind, so to speak. As I became better acquainted with the clone brands and both their idiosyncrasies and advantages, I became less risk-averse, and have gone “all in” with major sets such as the Bugatti Chiron, Hogwarts Castle, Star Wars UCS sets, and a sizable modular city.
There is something inherently attractive in my mind about Asian urban design. I love the compactness of it all, for one. Having lived briefly in China (long enough to be counted in the 2011 census in Hong Kong!…that could be a fun diversion for my descendants doing genealogy research centuries from now!), I find a certain charm in the randomness and hodge-podge appearance of many of the buildings in the more densely packed parts of town, which is of course common to many Asian cities. One of my favourite anime films is the 2011 “From Up on Poppy Hill” (partly because I love the backgrounds). Though our Ninjasaga city is clearly more modern-looking, there are nods to mid-20th century Japanese urban scapes, as shown in that lovely animated film.
Of course, this set is based on the 2017 Lego “Ninjago Movie“, which I rather enjoyed and found to be quite hilarious and clever in parts. I love the visual chaos that is evident in the Ninjago City world of the film, and to see part of that translated into actual bricks is really fun and enticing. It took me a while to commit to buying the set, because it is one of the more expensive brick sets, either in its original Danish form or the Chinese clone version. But there’s no question that the Chinese clone at less than half the price is a good value…as long as the quality is good (more on that below).
Even though Ninjago, and by extension, Ninjasaga, has it roots in Japan, there are still a lot of similarities between urban areas in the two neighboring countries, where packing as many shops or flats as possible into a city block is seen as an urban design goal. Ninjasaga City brings this design aesthetic to the world of clone blocks. Sporting a colour palette that spans the spectrum, focusing largely on the brightest shades, the design is very striking and imposing, and draws immediate attention. It’s definitely one of the more attractive sets released in recent years, and one of the more unusual-looking. Let’s dig in to the set and look at some of its cool features and hidden gems.
Starting out, the build is divided in 16 building stages, with numbered bags, a very thick instruction manual, and two sheets of stickers (numbering over 50 in all). The manual is printed on thick, glossy stock, and between each stage includes some fun “concept art” based on the build.
First, we must build the city’s foundations and the lovely blue river that flows through the city. It’s clearly intended that one might link up Ninjasaga City with the City Docks that were also released in 2018. Among the highlights of the first stages are the traditional fishing boat (complete with a fisherman and a spear for fishing) and the traditional fish market stall along the river’s edge. When I dumped out the bags and found dozens of crow bars in the mix, I was quite curious as to their use. Turns out a bunch of crow bar elements snapped onto a lateral bar all in a row make a great awning.
There is also a “wooden” dock, which looks really cool when finished. I did find this to be one of the more troublesome parts of the build, due to having to shove a technic axle into a series of stacked cylinders. As is well-known, some cloned technic parts can sometimes lack the tight tolerances necessary to go together as easily as their other-branded counterparts. It took some real effort, but I did get the axles all the way into the columns of cans, and get them attached flat into the dock layout.
Other little gems along the way include the lily pads throughout the transparent blue/green river waters, sewer outlets, and a little shack in which the city’s mechanical maintenance man is stored. The maintenance/sweeper robot is cute (is it ok to call something in the Ninja world “cute”?), especially with his traditional kasa hat: it’s a perfect mix of the ancient and the new-fangled.
Other major features on the ground level include a taxi stand with a somewhat anachronistic telephone (how many kids of the Ninjago target age have even seen a phone like this, I wonder?), a walkway, and a traditional-looking river bridge with mock stone decorative finials.
As we work our way up the multiple storeys (this is a very tall set: including the radio tower on top, the total height is 65 cm), we’ll build a section of hand-operated elevator with each storey. It became evident early on that the cloned reproduction of this elevator was going to be the weak link in an otherwise very good clone set. I chalk this up to those slightly wigglier tolerances in the clone bricks, which are not noticeable on static elements but which become more problematic when mechanical movement is involved. The photos show some of the ways in which the elevator pieces don’t all fit quite right, which results in an elevator that is tricky to move through the entire height of the city. I found it a bit easier to move the lift platform by removing the small pinion that interfaces with the track along the back of the shaft. Since there’s plenty of friction within the confines of the elevator, the lift stays put even without the rack and pinion interface being utilized. Of course, due to the variances in the bricks–which are the source of this problem–your set may not experience quite as dramatic of a problem once complete.
“You’ll never get away from me on THAT lift!” — Officer Noonan
Poorly fitted bricks make an inoperable lift. Deal killer? I don’t think so. All parts are pretty common and can easily be replaced with major brand if an operable lift is required.
Throughout the set, there are numerous signs and posters bearing fake kanji script which lend an additional Asian aesthetic to the town. These all require the careful application of stickers, which were all printed very well. There were no mis-cuts or mis-prints among the 50+ stickers in the set.
The next level contains a tea-room with a bonsai tree and a small flat, complete with fold-out “solar panels”: Ninjasaga City might be traditional in many respects, but it is working on being “green”! The use of fence elements with square holes and adjoining arches placed opposite one another on their sides, to form a circle, also adds to the Asian ambiance. These Ninjas know their feng shui (Fusui, in Japan). Each room contains pleasant surprises in the level of detail. The sliding shōji that lead into many rooms or buildings are another realistic touch. Though these are made of window panes here, the printing definitely looks like the transparent paper it’s meant to mimic.
Working up the tower, the next level contains more fabulously detailed buildings. The largest of these is a crab restaurant with a grill that “magically” grills a raw crab into a cooked crab. A turn-knob and elastic system on the outside wall are responsible for this magic. The restaurant’s also got a brick-built crab looming over the entrance, and its windows are flanked by red lanterns and orange “bubbles”. Next door is an ATM (cash point) that dispenses stacks of 100-stud notes (thanks to a clever handle and elastic system operated from the back of the ATM). Further to the right is a comic and collectibles shop, with comic books, collectible statuettes and action figures, and more. One of the highlights here is the brick-and-plate “comics” sign above the entrance. This requires a handful of 1×1 plates with a small black mark on one side. To the left of the crab shack is an alleyway to access the rears of the buildings and the elevator, and to the left of the alley is a hoarding which features four interchangeable billboards and cleverly secreted storage for those not on display. The street sign in the alley doubles as a lever to change out the signage, which advertises all manner of Ninjasaga goods and services from films to automobiles (“Tired of walking?”)
Next, is a modern fashion and skateboarding shop, complete with mannequins modeling the latest Ninjasaga fashions including headwear and samurai suits. This shop has a large curved window, which came packaged in its own small plastic bag. I found all the large window pieces, including the curved “glass” (also found in the Downtown Diner set), to be clear and free of scratches or cloudiness. This level also houses a nod to nature, which is often lacking in urban settings: a large cherry tree, in full pink and white blossom, grows from within a small greenhouse and wends its way out the window into full display. The construction of the tree limbs and the blossoms involves particularly clever yet simple techniques.
At the very top, we find a rooftop terrace sushi joint with a modern conveyor belt sushi delivery system (I loved this build as well–another simple yet creative technique, which I can see being useful in other applications), brick-build sushi, plenty of seating for Lloyd and his pals, a bathroom with the most modernistic brick-build toilet to date, and radio and TV antennae broadcasting the latest hits and “Good Day Ninjasaga” to audiences all around town.
Lloyd and his mom’s flat is also on this level, and is surprisingly well outfitted for such a tiny footprint (Asian flats tend to be that way). The bunk beds built into the wall are another clever feature, as is the attic storage compartment for Lloyd’s ninja attire.
The puffer fish and octopus sculptures are very cool, as are the techniques used to make traditional Japanese roof tiles and flying eaves. Using car doors and upside down hinges for roofs is quite functional and provides a very convincing appearance of terra cotta tiles. Compliments to the designers responsible for such techniques!
All in all, you get 16 mini-figures and 2 mini-figure mannequins with which to fill your city. I found this to be a generous allocation of population, with a great variety of characters including Lloyd, a sushi chef, boatman, a croissant-eating Kai, Sally, Shark Army Gunner, and Officer Noonan. There’s plenty of playability in this set even if it’s your only Ninja set. Of course, for more fun, add any of the dozens of other cloned or Lego Ninja sets such as the City Docks (a natural addition adjacent to the city) or the temple of Airjitsu.
Once I started building, I knew I would be in for a treat. From the outset, even though I loved the build, I saw the completion of each additional stage as a slightly sad milestone toward not having any more Ninja city to build. To me, that’s a sure sign of a successful set design: when I never want the build to end. This was so fun to build and looks great on display. It’s huge, as mentioned before, so make sure you’ve got room, or make room! If you’ve never built a clone set, this is a good introduction to the brand: it’s pretty high quality, with the caveats noted in this review, which sort of summarizes the overall brand experience. For the price, it can’t be beat! For perfection, stick with the more expensive major brand.
At 166 USD for 4,867+ pieces and 18 mini-figures, the price per piece is attractive: about 3.4¢ per piece US, before shipping (which will vary, of course). Our friends at Building Toy Store are offering a coupon for 10 USD off your order, exclusively for readers of Alt-Blocks, in addition to other discounts on their site. Just go to BuildingToyStore.com using this link, create an account (which gets you a 10% discount), and use coupon code K7CXYREL. You may also find a coupon code on their site for an additional 5% discount.
Like most blogs, Alt-Blocks.com is supported by readers clicking affiliate links within posts, which links result in Alt-Blocks.com receiving a small commission on purchases made by readers. Your support is appreciated and helps us to keep providing thorough reviews and photos of brick sets. | {
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Dearest Reader,I'm afraid I've committed a terrible sacrilege. I've never used Morale. I know, it's a travesty I aim to reconcile when running my next LotFP campaign. In the past I hand waved when I wanted my NPCs to fight or flight and it always felt cheap. After reading Jeff Rients ' writings in Broodmother Skyfortress regarding morale I feel obligated to try it. Using morale should help my NPCs feel more alive instead of just fighting till the end like the mindless robots I tend to do out of habit/laziness(yes, I suck). Im really looking forward to when some hired retainers turn on the PCs when they cheap out on their pay or even better run from a crucial fight.Being the lazy fat man I am, I didnt want to keep constantly flipping to the moral chart in the book so I made this quick info page. I'm gonna print it out and keep it in front of me while running my game then I'll have no excuses to not use the moral rules. | {
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Welcome to Ars UNITE, our week-long virtual conference on the ways that innovation brings unusual pairings together. Today, we examine the evolution of solar and how business—not tech—may be holding it back. Join us this afternoon at 1pm Eastern (10am Pacific) for a live discussion on the topic with article author John Timmer and his expert guest; your comments and questions are welcome.
In the US, the future of solar energy will be made in California. Earlier this month, the state's governor signed legislation that commits California to obtaining half of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030. And to some extent, that future is now—the state's utilities are working to meet a goal of one-third renewables by 2020.
In a lot of ways, this should be easy for California. The price of solar power has plunged—for utility scale solar, it can be cheaper to build and operate a plant (given existing incentives) than it is to simply supply fuel to a natural gas plant. Plus, countries like Spain and Germany (which also has a goal of 50 percent by 2030) have already done extensive solar rollouts and can provide valuable lessons.
Further Reading Utility-scale solar costs down by half in last five years alone
And on top of that, California is nearly ideal solar territory. Extensive deserts and scrubland see mostly cloudless days and little of the dust that plagues deserts in other parts of the world. These regions are generally close to major urban areas and existing transmission infrastructure, and you'd expect that California would have a relatively smooth time ramping up its renewable power.
But there are challenges inherent in the structures we use to handle and pay for electricity. Going half renewable doesn't just strain the grid as a distribution method; it challenges the economic assumptions on which we've built our electric grid. To have a grid where half the power is supplied by intermittent renewable sources, we'll have to completely rethink how we manage the electric grid.
So in many ways, solar power is likely to be a truly disruptive technology. And it's likely to cause some destruction in the process of disruption.
What do we need from solar?
Remarkably little, as it turns out. Most classes of photovoltaic power—thin film, silicon, etc.—are seeing incremental improvements, and that's likely to continue. But we're unlikely to see any radical leaps in these areas. There are also a number of areas in active research, primarily involving concentrating solar power—technologies that focus sunlight on highly efficient (but highly expensive) photovoltaic devices. So far, none of these technologies have gotten to the point where they're close to competitive with traditional tech like silicon.
We talked to two people who focus on solar energy at the Department of Energy: Landis Kannberg of the Pacific Northwest National Lab and Paul Basore, a Principal Engineer at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Neither of them knew of any technologies in the works that were likely to reduce the costs of installation or support hardware.
Silicon photovoltaics have gotten so cheap, in fact, that the panels themselves are only a small part of the total expense of installing a system. This is the one thing that could make concentrating solar economically viable. As installation and permitting costs grow to dominate the price of photovoltaics, it starts to become more economical to harvest more energy from each panel—precisely what concentrating solar allows. However, it's not certain that this trend will ever intersect the price trend of concentrating solar.
Plus there's a non-technological solution to the cost of installation: simplifying the permitting process. "You only have to look to Europe to see that it could be a lot better than it is now in the US," Basore told Ars. "In Italy, modules there are less than half the cost. It's gotten to the point where modules are maybe a third of the cost in Europe. In the US, we approach that at utility scale. But anything smaller than utility scale in the US, the modules become an almost negligible part of the total cost."
Other areas where policy could help out is a consistent approach to tax credits. "In the US at least, the changing policies relative to tax credits has a whipsaw effect on demand," Kannberg told Ars. That, in turn, has sent mixed messages to hardware manufacturers. But the market has now grown to the point where the specific policy in place in the US doesn't have as much of an effect on global manufacturing. "The prices are dropping or have dropped to where, at least from an international standpoint, it's a pretty compelling technology now, and I suspect that manufacturing capacity may soon become an issue."
Assuming manufacturing continues to ramp up, supplying California with the hardware it needs shouldn't be a problem. And if the US can get its policy house in order, getting that hardware to homes should be manageable as well.
What does a 50 percent renewable grid look like?
We don't have to imagine what California's 50 percent renewable grid will look like. Since their businesses depend on it, a number of California utilities asked a group of analysts to look into it. The organization they hired modeled a variety of different potential scenarios, including some with a diverse portfolio of renewable sources and some relying heavily on rooftop or utility-scale solar.
The biggest challenge with going to half renewables is overgeneration. The state receives power from a number of sources that simply can't be shut down—combined heat and power systems and nuclear plants, for example. Layered on top of that are renewable sources like solar that generate power whether you want them to or not. This isn't a problem with California's 2020 goals (33 percent renewables) even on sunny days in the spring. But by the time the grid reaches 40 percent renewables, there could be as much as five GigaWatts of overproduction on a sunny afternoon. At half renewables, there's a staggering 20GW of overproduction.
By 5pm, however, the overproduction is gone. As people get home from work and start the largest demand peak of the day, stored electricity and out-of-state imports have to be called into play to meet it.
The analysis found a variety of ways to limit the impact of this overproduction. The simplest is storage. California has targeted adding 1.3GW of storage to its grid within the decade, and it currently has about three Gigawatts of pumped hydro, the most economic form of storage. But given the recent drought, it's not clear whether all of that will be available at any moment. In any case, it's not going to be sufficient to absorb all of the overproduction, even assuming the storage was empty to start the day.
Other options include diversifying the mix of renewables used to reach the 50 percent goal. A scenario that supplemented the photovoltaics with other sources—such as biomass, wind, geothermal, and solar thermal power—cut the overproduction by roughly half. Further efforts to integrate California's grid to those of surrounding states would also allow it to export some of the excess. All of these things would help to varying degrees, although it's still likely that some electricity would have to be discarded.
All of it comes at a cost. The 33 percent renewable grid isn't expected to add significantly to the rates California consumers would pay; they'd go up, but largely from work that would have to be done anyway. By going to 50 percent, however, the report estimates the state's rate payers will be on the hook for an increase of anywhere between nine and 23 percent. | {
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Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor Story Trailer Sauron’s Servants
at 8:46 pm by - August 12, 20148:46 pm by Kelvarhin
Today, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment (WBIE) and Monolith Productions released the Shadow of Mordor Story Trailer Sauron’s Servants.
Talion sets out to rage war against Sauron’s servants, The Black Captains, who forced the Ranger to watch as his son and wife were murdered.
Get a look behind the scenes of this fall’s highly anticipated action game, Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor, as Troy Baker, who stars as Talion (The Last of Us, Batman: Arkham Origins) and Alastair Duncan, who stars as Celebrimbor (Mass Effect, Uncharted 3), discuss their experiences creating the game.
Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor delivers a dynamic game environment where the player orchestrates their personal plan of vengeance as they bend Mordor to their will. The game begins on the night of Sauron¹s return to Mordor, as his Black Captains brutally execute the Rangers of the Black Gate. Players become Talion, a ranger who loses his family and everything he holds dear, only to be returned from death by a mysterious Spirit of vengeance. Based on the player¹s actions with the in-game Nemesis System, every enemy encountered is distinct and can evolve to become a personal archenemy through the course of the game. As Talion¹s personal vendetta unfolds, players uncover the mystery of the Spirit that compels him, discover the origin of the Rings of Power and confront the ultimate nemesis.
The Palantir App is available to download for free from the App Store. A partnership between WBIE and Wikia, Palantir will sync with game assets and the final game, to reveal additional layers of information, insights and fan-authored content, creating a unique second-screen experience. Enable Palantir¹s sync mode while the Shadow of Mordor Story Trailer Sauron’s Servants video plays to try it out.
Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor will launch in the Americas on September 30, 2014 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360; and on October 2, 2014 for PC and Steam. | {
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Ecclestone caused a stir on the morning of the Monaco Grand Prix when he suggested that Rosberg and Sebastian Vettel were not good for F1 because they were not popular with fans.
"From a pure business aspect - sorry Nico if I have to say this - you are not so good for my business," Ecclestone said in an interview with the official Formula 1 website.
Hamilton more showbiz
Rosberg readily accepts that Ecclestone prefers a more high-profile driver like Lewis Hamilton, but thinks that there is no need for him to become more outgoing.
"None of that surprises me because he has been very open about that all the time, criticising anybody who is not as out there in the world like Lewis is and his manner," said Rosberg.
"The more you are out there, the better it is because you create more tension. That is obvious.
"He [Ecclestone] is the commercial rights holder, so what does he want? He wants a movement out there. And Lewis does a lot of that in his own way. I am a bit more reserved in that sense.
"So it is not something that surprises me. I understand his opinion, everybody does, it is pretty obvious.
"It is a straightforward thing but at the same time I care for the sport, I do think about it and I try to give a lot back to it in my own way."
Arrivabene: take my pass away then
Rosberg and Vettel were not the only ones who came in for criticism from Ecclestone.
When asked if Ferrari team principal Maurizio Arrivabene's character was good, Ecclestone said: "Only for himself and not for Formula 1."
Asked to respond to Ecclestone's comments, Arrivabene said that if the sport's commercial boss was so unhappy with him then he should remove his access to the paddock.
"I didn't hear anything about this, so he can take my [F1 paddock] pass tomorrow morning," said Arrivabene.
"If he doesn't like that, then fine. What can I do? I am not going to change because he is asking me to change." | {
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“This is not about bathrooms. It’s about whether or not you can codify hate and discrimination into the laws of the state,” said the Rev. William Barber II, who leads the North Carolina NAACP. (Nikki Kahn/The Washington Post)
In this state where the modern bathroom wars began, some church and civil rights leaders have begun to spread the word that there’s plenty else to worry about in the controversial new law known formally as the Public Facilities Privacy and Security Act.
The law not only reverses a Charlotte ordinance that had extended some rights to gay and transgender people. It also prevents city and county governments from setting a minimum-wage standard for private employers and limits how people can sue for discrimination in state court. And it contains a provision allowing for remaining parts of the law to stand if others are struck down in court.
Those provisions, opponents say, are pernicious attempts to roll back rights, and they have been tucked into a bill that has a very different public face.
“This is really a devious bill that harms workers under the guise of regulating bathrooms,” said Harold Lloyd, a professor at Wake Forest University School of Law.
A campaign is underway to explain just that to North Carolinians such as John Houston, a 70-year-old pastor from Kinston, who says he shares Gov. Pat McCrory’s moral conviction that a law is needed to make people use the bathroom that corresponds to the gender on their birth certificate.
On May 9, North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory (R) and U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch announced dueling lawsuits regarding HB2, a law that requires people to use public restrooms according to the sex they were assigned at birth, rather than the one they identify with. (Monica Akhtar/The Washington Post)
Activists and groups including the state NAACP are now on a crusade to educate conservative voters such as Houston, who agree with the law because of deeply held religious beliefs or live in more-conservative parts of the state, about its additional components.
They say the totality of the law disproportionately affects African Americans, women and immigrants along with gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people, and is reminiscent of the policies of the segregation era.
Even as the heated debate on transgender bathroom accommodations spreads across the country in response to Friday’s directive from the Obama administration to all public schools, opponents of the new law are crisscrossing the state, often invoking the civil rights battles that took place here and throughout the South in the 1950s and 60s.
“This is not about bathrooms. It’s about whether or not you can codify hate and discrimination into the laws of the state,” said the Rev. William Barber II, who leads the North Carolina NAACP and is also fighting the state over its voter-identification law.
Barber and other opponents said the law, which was introduced, debated, passed and signed in a single day in March, was put forward to help McCrory (R) and Republican legislators hang onto their seats in what is bound to be a contentious November election in a state whose liberal cities and conservative countryside have turned it a solid shade of purple. McCrory is in a tight race with Democratic Attorney General Roy Cooper, who has denounced the law and said he wouldn’t defend it.
“This is about November. It’s about wedge issues, and it’s about sexual and racial fears,” Barber said. He said it is the latest manifestation of the “Southern strategy” employed by Republicans to gain political support based on fear of the other.
“It’s almost sad that they’re living in a historical time warp and they believe that they can run these little wedge issues and people can’t see through them.”
A spokesman for McCrory did not return requests for comment, nor did the bill’s sponsors. The governor took action to try to blunt the backlash, banning discrimination in state personnel decisions and calling for the legislature to enact a law reversing the provision that makes it difficult to sue for discrimination in state court.
But in places like rural Kinston, whose population is about 68 percent black, many said they agreed with the transgender bathroom part of the law for moral or religious reasons, but that they knew little about the minimum-wage and employment-discrimination provisions.
“If you’re going to lose millions of dollars and affect everyone in this state, maybe it ain’t right,” Houston said. Lenoir County, where Kinston is located, gives free breakfast and lunch to all students, a program funded in large part by federal dollars.
The White House said Thursday it would not cut federal funding to North Carolina while the lawsuits are winding their way through court.
[Federal judge upholds controversial North Carolina voting law]
Barber went to western North Carolina earlier this month to talk about the issue, and he plans to have what he calls a “Moral Monday” protest in Raleigh this week. At least 54 people protesting the law, which is also called House Bill 2 (H.B. 2) and which Barber calls “Hate Bill 2,” were arrested at a sit-in at the state Capitol last month.
Barber said he tries to present the totality of the law, and people typically disagree with it once they learn more about the transgender issue and minimum-wage provisions.
At least one legislator who voted for it said he didn’t realize all that the law encompassed. North Carolina state Rep. George W. Graham Jr., who represents Lenoir County and voted for the bill, told the Raleigh News and Observer that he didn’t know until after the vote that the legislation dealt with issues of minimum wage and discrimination suits.
“Those are two of the major things that are antithetical to what the state’s history has been about and its evolution over the last 50 years,” said state Sen. Daniel T. Blue Jr. (D).
The campaign against H.B. 2 is similar to one that advocates waged in the wake of a battle over voting rights here after the state passed a controversial voting rights law, one of the strictest in the nation in 2013. The Justice Department and state civil rights groups sued. In April, a federal judge upheld North Carolina’s law; the groups have appealed.
Barber said the law and a redrawing of the state’s congressional maps led to an “unconstitutionally constituted legislature passing unconstitutional legislation.”
U.S. Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch, a North Carolina native whose father grew up in the segregated South, also used the language of the civil rights movement that Barber and others have employed when talking about H.B. 2. In a news conference Monday, she compared conflicts about bathrooms and transgender people to Jim Crow laws.
McCrory said on “The Mark Levin Show” on Monday that he takes issue with people comparing the bathroom law to the civil rights struggle.
“There is absolutely no relevance between the issue of civil rights for African Americans, which went through a tremendous struggle, and the issue of how do we determine the gender of a person going into our public showers or public restrooms or public locker rooms,” McCrory said.
He said the church in which Lynch grew up supports the law; her father was the pastor at White Rock Baptist Church in Durham for years. The church said last week the pastor has not taken a public position on the law.
Lynch’s lawsuit is suing over “compliance and implementation of Part I” of the North Carolina law, not the other sections. The Justice Department did not respond to a request seeking comment.
“Who would you be in 1963?” Nancy “Mama Nia” Wilson, executive director of SpiritHouse, an arts and organizing group in Durham, said she asks people after she explains the law.
That appeal has not yet changed the minds of voters such as Carlos Parker, who was chatting with a friend at Christian Cuts barbershop in Kinston. He didn’t know about the other provisions of the bill but agrees with McCrory’s stance on bathrooms.
“I’m with McCrory. I hate to say that,” said Parker, 38. “I think McCrory is standing his ground for religious beliefs.” | {
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lunes 17 julio, 2017
Imagínense una sociedad en la cual sus ciudadanos sean incapaces de coimear a un policía o quedarse con un vuelto. Imaginen ahora que esa sociedad está representada por líderes políticos que son mayoritariamente corruptos. Difícil de imaginar, ¿no? Algo no cerraría en esa sociedad de representados honestos y representantes ladrones.
Tampoco cerraría el escenario opuesto: habitantes corruptos y funcionarios honestos.
Bertolt Brecht decía: “Esta cerveza no es una cerveza, pero este hecho queda compensado por el hecho de que este puro tampoco es un puro. Si esta cerveza no fuera una cerveza y este puro fuera realmente un puro, entonces habría un problema”.
Parafraseándolo, se diría que la sociedad argentina no es totalmente honesta, pero eso queda compensado porque sus representantes tampoco lo son. Si en cambio la sociedad fuera honesta y sus representantes no, entonces habría un problema.
La Argentina no tiene ese conflicto. Hay un orden y una coherencia en un país donde tanto una porción de su sociedad como una porción de sus políticos coinciden en prácticas con distintos niveles de ilegalidad.
Investigación. Latinobarómetro es uno de los centros de estudios más prestigiosos del continente, en especial es reconocido por su informe anual sobre Percepción de la corrupción. Su estudio abarca a 20.000 entrevistados de 18 países y su responsable es Marta Lagos. Desde hace dos años, trabaja en conjunto con el programa de Bienes Públicos Regionales del BID, coordinado por Gustavo Beliz. Beliz es aquel ministro de Justicia que se fue del gobierno de Kirchner enfrentado a la SIDE y es ejemplo de que la honestidad y la función pública pueden ser absolutamente compatibles.
El último estudio de la entidad sobre la tolerancia de las sociedades ante la corrupción, arroja resultados muy significativos en el capítulo argentino (no muy distintos al del resto de la región):
Cuando se pregunta cuál es el nivel de corrupción que se está dispuesto a aceptar en pos de que un gobierno solucione los problemas (el “roban, pero hacen”), el 34% está de acuerdo o muy de acuerdo en que cierto grado de corrupción es aceptable.
Dos de cada 10 personas dicen que han conocido en forma directa o a través de un pariente un caso concreto de corrupción.
El 60% de los argentinos no cree que se pueda erradicar la corrupción.
La mitad no está convencida de que sea aceptable denunciar la corrupción a nivel general. Un 29% aseguro que no la denunciaría o no está seguro de hacerlo, ni siquiera si la presenciara directamente. Este porcentaje asciende al 40% cuando se le aclara al encuestado que tendría que pasar un día en Tribunales.
Sólo el 27% de las personas tiene algún grado de confianza en la Justicia. Sólo el 38% en el Gobierno, 32% en la Policía y 19% en los partidos.
Ese descreimiento con las instituciones en general, se traduce en otra pregunta. El 68% de los argentinos responde que está gobernado por “Grupos poderosos en su propio beneficio” (un nivel parecido al histórico y algo más bajo que el de la región).
El 28% piensa que “todos” o “casi todos” los empleados públicos están involucrado en actos ilícitos. El 38% cree eso de los empresarios, el 39% de los jueces y el 46% de la policía.
Co-rromper. Las conclusiones del estudio no difieren demasiado de las de otros análisis internacionales como los de Transparency International, o nacionales como los de Giacobbe & Asociados.
Algunos resultados del sondeo de Latinobarómetro expresados en porcentajes revelan la abierta permisividad de los encuestados con la corrupción. Pero cuando esos porcentajes se pasan a cantidad concreta de personas, queda más claro aún hasta qué punto la corrupción de políticos, jueces y empresarios, es apenas una representación armónicamente brechtiana de lo que sucede en distintos sectores sociales.
Por ejemplo, aquel 34% de quienes aceptan como razonable algún nivel de corrupción, significa 10 millones de argentinos, tomando sólo a los mayores de edad. Como ese 34% general debería ser representativo de las distintas profesiones y empleos, cuando se lo pasa al universo de los funcionarios públicos nacionales (un total de 770 mil entre los tres poderes, empresas públicas, Fuerzas Armadas y de seguridad, etc.), se traduciría en 260 mil personas con acceso a diversos resortes de poder público que también son flexibles frente a la corrupción.
Sin embargo, las preguntas más inquietantes de la investigación son las que interrogan sobre el reconocimiento del propio entrevistado de haber participado en casos que impliquen algún nivel de corrupción, desde hacer regalos hasta pagar sobornos para obtener un beneficio que siguiendo los caminos legales no se obtendría.
Los resultados son tan alarmantes que si la encuesta se hubiera hecho en presencia de un fiscal, el encuestado quizá hubiera terminado con una causa en su contra… a menos que arreglara con el fiscal. Los porcentajes llaman la atención tratándose de una pregunta incriminatoria: es posible que no todos los encuestados se hayan sentido motivados a decir la verdad.
Cuando esa pregunta se refiere en especial a haber dado algún tipo de sobornos a un policía en el último año, el 25% de los argentinos que manifiestan haber tenido contacto con alguno, admite que sí lo hizo.
Entre quienes dicen haber tenido contacto con la Justicia en los últimos doce meses, la mitad también reconoce que actuó del mismo modo. Justo allí donde se vigila el cumplimiento de las normas en una sociedad, es donde su cumplimiento resulta más flexible. Porque, además, que la mitad haya pagado significa que del otro lado del mostrador hubo miles de funcionarios judiciales que aceptaron o exigieron alguna forma de soborno.
Porcentajes similares de participación directa en el pago de algún tipo de corruptela cotidiana, se repiten cuando se pregunta si se lo hizo para acelerar un trámite, frente a un asunto educativo o de salud.
“Co-rromper” es romper algo entre dos o más personas. La corrupción siempre requiere de al menos dos partes. El problema es que si un amplio porcentaje social acepta haber participado de cierto nivel de corrupción, eso muestra que las normas no escritas de esta sociedad no son punitivas frente a eso. Los funcionarios que están enjuiciados por corrupción pueden haber roto las normas escritas pero, según estos estudios, no habrían roto las normas reales, no escritas.
Otra vez Brecht: habría entonces armonía y coherencia entre esos funcionarios y la enorme cantidad de argentinos que reconoce cierto nivel de corrupción personal.
Ser ladrón. Se podría decir que una cosa son los bolsos de los millones de José López y otra muy diferente es darle 50 pesos a un policía para que no haga una multa.
Es correcto, pero habría que preguntarse si quien está dispuesto a pagar esos 50 pesos para no ser multado, o 100 para que una empleada acelere un trámite, o falsear una nota de un examen, o pegarle a un maestro porque aplazó a un hijo, o piratear un libro, o hackear una computadora, o no devolver un celular perdido a su dueño, o romper una vidriera para reclamar por un derecho o tantas otras actitudes que aceptamos como normales aunque sean anómalas, podría ser el mismo que –puesto a tener la oportunidad de hacerlo– pediría un 10% de retorno en una obra pública y escondería bolsos llenos de dinero no declarado en el lugar menos pensado.
Es cierto que es más fácil indignarse con los demás que con uno (por aquello de ver la paja en el ojo ajeno y no la viga en el propio), pero no hace falta una encuesta internacional para saber que la ambigüedad frente a las normas cruza a toda la sociedad.
Está claro que hay una responsabilidad mayor de quienes son gobierno para dar señales claras, de arriba hacia abajo, de que ser corrupto está simplemente mal.
Empezar a ver presos a los culpables será socialmente saludable y ejemplificador. Pero hay una responsabilidad de todos por asumir que la corrupción bien entendida no puede empezar más por casa. | {
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AUDIOBOOKS Audiobook Narrator: Here's How To Prep The
Book Before You Record (DIY Or Outsource)
March 26, 2020
By Ann Richardson By Ann Richardson Audiobook Narrator
In these unprecedented times of turmoil and "shelter in place," many people suddenly find themselves with loads of free time on their hands.
The search for temporary employment done from home can be daunting, but take heart! There are some opportunities in the audiobook world that don't require a degree, large muscles, or driving.
Narrators are beginning to farm out an important step in the audiobook creation chain, in an effort to support unemployed friends, as well as keep themselves on schedule.
A quick background on the audiobook narration process...
PREP BEFORE YOU READ
In order to turn out a top-notch audiobook, a narrator must "pre-read" the manuscript before stepping into the booth, and be prepared to inhabit the story, whether fiction or non-fiction.
Much of this prep work is done at night after we've already spent the day sequestered, narrating. As one can imagine, this doesn't leave much time for family or extracurricular activities.
If your spouse, offspring or best friend suddenly needs income and something to occupy their mind while they're not mingling in public or touching their faces amidst the current Covid-19 crisis, it could be a win-win situation if they could prep a manuscript for you!
PAYING FOR PREP
How much to pay a prepper?
You might want to barter with family members (cleaning the garage or walking the dog can be more valuable than money sometimes), or you might want to pay friends/associates the going market rate for this service.
There are organizations that specialize in manuscript preparation for audiobooks, and the first one that comes to mind is Rip City Research . But for this article I'm focusing on the individual who is new to prepping.
Preppers usually charge by the hour (independent of the runtime of the audiobook) and rates range from $25 per hour to $45 per hour or more.
GET ON THE SAME PAGE
How do you communicate exactly what you need to a person new to prepping?
The process will flow smoother if you're both on the same page, and headaches will be avoided if details are established up front. Plus, you don't know what you don't know (or what THEY don't know), and it's best to be specific with your needs.
I'd like to take this opportunity to mention that Karen Commins ' website NarratorsRoadMap.com has a section dedicated to the subject of prepping an audiobook, and it even includes comprehensive guidelines to her iAnnotate process.
But for brevity and ease of quickly sharing, following are two guides I've put together that a narrator can share with someone new to book prepping. One is for non-fiction and the other for fiction.
Obviously, there is overlap of information, but I felt the need to create two separate guides, given the stark differences between the two types of literature, so they can be shared separately.
How To Prep A NON-FICTION Book
There is no need to give a synopsis of each chapter or a description of characters, unless it's a fictionalized, story-style learning text.
Skip the Table of Contents , any indices and glossaries as well as footnotes. Do include research on call-out boxes, tables, graphs, charts, unless otherwise specified.
Pronunciation research should include all foreign words, proper nouns, and any seldom used words that are outside common usage, with links to audible pronunciations. You may need to consult several sources in order to find an authoritative answer. The first pronunciation listed in a dictionary may not be correct for this book. Also, names of cities, towns, and streets should be pronounced the way the locals say it. For instance, Milan, Georgia is pronounced "MYluhn".
Submit only completed research in one document/spreadsheet, unless otherwise discussed.
Think like a narrator as much as possible. ALL of the words will have to be spoken, and every one of them must be pronounced correctly!
Valuable research sites include:
www.youtube.com
www.merriam-webster.com
www.Youglish.com
www.Forvo.com , and
www.audioeloquence.com (for foreign words)
Note: you may not find the pronunciation on any of these sites. You may have to do further research online or consult a local establishment via phone or find another creative way to get the correct pronunciation.
PRONUNCIATION SPREADSHEET EXAMPLE
Example of words (in bold ) to research in a non-fiction manuscript:
" psychologists call working memory and executive functions-how a person plans a strategic approach to a task, controls what is attended to, and how he or she manages the mind in the process, so it doesn't become flaccid . Psychologist Chandramallika Basak , then at the University of Illinois, and her colleagues showed that training in a real-time strategy video game that demands planning and executive control Some studies have also increased the amount of practice provided. For instance, Florian Schmiedek and one of us ( Lindenberger ) of the Max Planck Institute for Human Development in Berlin and Martin Lövdén of the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm asked 101 younger and 103 older adults to practice 12 different tasks for 100 days...."
How To Prep A FICTION Book
Story synopsis can be from the inside cover of the book, or back flap or Amazon listing.
Chapter synopsis should be brief yet comprehensive. Acting suggestions are not necessary, but rather, focus on significant developments in each chapter including main plot points and all spoilers.
Example:
Chpt 1 Introduces main characters John and Jane Doe, who live in a suburb of Chicago during the Great Depression. John gets laid off and comes home to Jane, who is reluctant to share that she just discovered she's pregnant.
Character descriptions should include name, relation to other characters (especially if this is revealed in a plot twist later in the book), any significant physical descriptions or descriptions of vocal qualities. Any other hints that would help a narrator solidify a character's voice would be helpful, such as if a character was hard of hearing, or a high-ranking military officer, or was an abused wife with low self-esteem. List any factors that will help a narrator make a voice choice.
Examples:
John Doe main character, married to Jane Doe, brother to Tom Doe. Snide personality, selfish, rushes to judgment. Was a drill sergeant before being dishonorably discharged and treats others like the newly-enlisted.
Jane Doe Married to John Doe, grew up in deep South, only daughter with seven older brothers, meek, subservient. In chapter 34 it is revealed that she was adopted and is actually the kidnapped heiress of a wealthy department store owner.
Pronunciation research should include all foreign words, proper nouns, and any seldom used words that are outside common usage, with links to audible pronunciations. You may need to consult several sources in order to find an authoritative answer. The first pronunciation listed in a dictionary may not be correct for this book Also, names of cities, towns, and streets should be pronounced the way the locals say it. For instance, Milan, Georgia is pronounced "MYluhn".
Submit only completed research in one document/spreadsheet, unless otherwise discussed.
Valuable research sites include:
www.youtube.com
www.merriam-webster.com
www.Youglish.com
www.Forvo.com , and www.audioeloquence.com (for foreign words)
Note: you may not find the pronunciation on any of these sites. You may have to do further research online or consult a local establishment via phone or find another creative way to get the correct pronunciation.
PRONUNCIATION SPREADSHEET EXAMPLE
SUPPORTING EACH OTHER
I hope that this health crisis soon resolves, and life gets back to mostly normal.
It would be nice if we learned, by living through this experience, how to shop smarter, be kinder and more conscious of how we interact with and support each other, even when contagious illness is not looming over our heads.
In the meantime, hopefully this article helps facilitate us supporting others by sharing some of the work, if we can.
I invite you to visit my blogs on my website for more information on what it takes to be a successful narrator, outside of the booth.
------------------
ABOUT ANN
Ann Richardson has been narrating for major publishers as well as independently published authors since 2008. She has been awarded multiple AudioFile Magazine Earphones Awards, as well as having been a finalist in the Voice Arts Awards competition in 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019. She is a guest instructor at VoiceOne in San Francisco, teaching audiobook narration, and from time to time speaks to author groups and at writers' conferences about the process of making an audiobook.
Email: [email protected] Web: https://hersmoothvoice.com
SEE MORE HELPFUL AUDIOBOOK NARRATION ARTICLES
Your Daily Resource For Voice-Over Success Follow News & Features | {
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An anon posted Q’s 3 Apr drop saying “We are under attack. WAR” along w/this military force projection video and Q confirms by replying to that post number.
I always suspected these ship crashes were not accidental. Bad actors have the capability to hack into electronic systems on planes, trains, ships, and cars and remotely wreak havoc.
The Chinese Space Station that came crashing down appears to be another example of bad actors hijacking systems remotely. Are CLOWNS responsible? I can’t imagine we would do that unless that satellite was really CLOWN controlled & we retaliated for the military “accidents”.
Hussein was in China last Nov, after @ POTUS was there. What was he up to? Some anons speculate he sold Xi classified military info. IF China is really responsible for taking out our planes, helos, & ships, it would be considered acts of war. Not convinced China is responsible.
Everyone jumped on the “W” signature on the previous drop wondering what it meant. Q confirms it was a typo. | {
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Mustapha Bali a purgé une peine de prison de 17 ans, principalement pour des faits de drogues. En mai 2018, il a écopé de trois années supplémentaires pour viol.
La Belgique n’est pas parvenue à expulser le criminel Mustapha Bali, car le Maroc, son pays d’origine, refuse de lui délivrer les documents nécessaires, rapporte Het Laatste Nieuws, lundi. Il a dû être remis en liberté en Belgique.
L’homme est le frère de Samira Bali, qui a été condamnée à une peine de prison de 27 ans pour l’assassinat de son ex-conjoint et est mariée à un ancien combattant syrien. Selon Het Laatste Nieuws, Mustapha Bali s’est radicalisé.
>Quotas de demandes d’asile suspendus : De Block estime que « plus vite les demandes sont introduites, plus vite les personnes peuvent être expulsées »
M. Bali ayant la nationalité marocaine, l’ex secrétaire d’Etat Theo Francken (N-VA) lui a retiré son titre de séjour en Belgique afin qu’il soit rapatrié. Mais la successeure de Francken, Maggie De Block (Open Vld) déclare désormais que le Maroc refuse de fournir à Mustapha Bali les documents de voyage nécessaires à son retour dans le pays.
Comme la durée de rétention maximale de huit mois a été atteinte, il a dû être remis en liberté par l’Office des étrangers.
Sans papiers, l’homme est en séjour illégal. Il pourrait retourner en prison prochainement, pour purger sa peine de 3 ans. « Nous avons interjeté appel contre ce jugement. Dans l’attente du procès, il est libre », affirme son avocat, Me Bart Vosters. | {
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Home » Exceptional Assets and Favorable Modules of AlignBooks Bookkeeping Software Business Exceptional Assets and Favorable Modules of AlignBooks Bookkeeping Software
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Hi, my name is Edward Chung, PMP®, PMI-ACP®, ITIL® Foundation. Like most of us, I am a working professional pursuing career advancements through Certifications. As I am having a full-time job and a family with 3 kids, I need to pursue professional certifications in the most effective way (i.e. with the least amount of time). I share my exam tips here in the hope of helping fellow Certification aspirants!
If you have any queries, I am more than happy to help. Please review the certification FAQ here OR leave your queries in the comment section. I promise to attend to them asap.
Wish you certification success!
P.S. my PMP® / PMI-ACP® Certification status can be verified here (last name: Chung, first name: Chi Wing). | {
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Microsoft has released updates for two different Android apps, as the company remains very committed to providing its users with full app functionality regardless of the platform they choose.
Today, both Skype and Outlook are getting updates, and in both cases, the new versions come not only with bug fixes and improvements, but also with new features.
First of all, it’s Skype. Last year, Microsoft overhauled Skype to push it from a VoIP client to more of an instant messenger, adding not only a new look, but also a bunch of features that were previously unavailable on mobile devices. Since then, the company has been trying to refine the experience in Skype on both Android and iOS, and this new version does just that.
Skype gets new call options
Now at version 8.15.0.4, Skype for Android comes with improved audio controls which lets users quickly switch between an earpiece, speaker, wired or Bluetooth devices during a call. This is certainly a neat touch that provides users with more control over their calls right within the call UI.
Outlook, on the other hand, has reached version 2.2.102, and the main new thing in this version is a sidebar that provides quick access to all accounts and folders.
At this point, Outlook is one of the best email clients for mobile devices on both Android and iOS, after Microsoft purchase Accompli, the company that developed the app originally called the same.
The acquisition was part of Microsoft’s commitment to mobile apps, and since then, the company has invested aggressively in both Android and iOS, especially given the collapse of its own Windows 10 Mobile platform. The company says it wants users to benefit from the full functionality no matter the platform, and this is why updates are released at such a fast pace.
You can download the latest version of Skype and Outlook for Android using these two links right now. | {
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A re-run of the party leadership election would see Jeremy Corbyn re-elected – but an early general election would see him comprehensively rejected
Like Gaul in Julius Caesar’s time, Labour these days is divided into three parts. There are those who voted for Jeremy Corbyn to be party leader, those who voted against him and – by far the biggest group – Labour voters across Britain who played no part in his election.
The main conclusion from YouGov’s latest poll for The Times is simply stated. The first group still loves Mr Corbyn, the second group still rejects him and much of the vital third group see him as a principled but wrong-headed vote loser. An early re-run of the party leadership election would see him re-elected with a big majority – while an early general election would see him comprehensively rejected.
Two current controversies illustrate both points. By five-to-one, those who voted for Mr Corbyn oppose Britain taking part in air strikes against Syria. However, those who voted for one of the other three candidates back air strikes by three-to-two; while among Labour voters generally, support for air strikes runs at almost two-to-one.
On welfare, the pattern is the same. Most Corbyn supporters reject the £26,000-per-family cap on benefits. But most of those who voted against him support the cap – as do two-thirds of all Labour voters.
What will worry many Labour MPs is that Mr Corbyn’s supporters seem to know that they they are out of touch with the wider public, but don’t mind. We asked Labour party members, and the electorate generally, to say which of seven attributes they associate with Labour’s leader. The figures differ, but the rankings are much the same. Corbyn’s supporters, his detractors, and Labour voters generally, all put “principled” at the top of the list, and “likely to lead Labour to victory at the next general election” last. It was the only one of the seven qualities picked by fewer than half of those who voted for him.
However, his supporters don’t seem to mind. Our survey shows that they prefer purity to power. By 71 to 15 per cent, they think a political party should stick to policies it believes in, even if they would lead to election defeat, rather than compromise “on some of its policies” in order to get into government and put what it can into practice. By 55-32 per cent, those who voted against Corbyn disagree.
Overall, this survey echoes Labour’s condition in the early 1980s. Its leader, Michael Foot, was widely seen a decent man: principled and honest. He also enthused many Labour activists, who flocked to his rallies in the 1983 election campaign. But he could not persuade voters generally that he was up to the job of Prime Minister, and many traditional Labour voters thought he was far too left-wing. As a result, the party suffered its worst election result since the 1930s. Our poll offers no sign that Mr Corbyn will fare any better.
PA image
See the full poll results | {
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Stop what you are doing and watch this video right now.
The finish of today’s Firestone Indy Lights race — the IndyCar equivalent of Class AAA baseball — might have been the best in the century-long history of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Actually, forget “might.” It was.
Open-wheel racing is not like horse racing, where a bunch of competitors can run side-by-side on the same line. The track simply isn’t wide enough, and there’s too much to lose if cars bump wheels.
Amazingly, though, the top four drivers at the end of the Freedom 100 crossed the finish line four-wide led by Peter Dempsey, who went from fourth to first in the final turn to win by 0.0026 second.
That just doesn’t happen at a place like Indy, where people would go nuts over even a two-wide finish.
Three-wide would have been a race for the ages. But FOUR-wide? Unheard of! | {
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One of the reasons Marvel Studios has been able to maintain such consistency throughout its inter-connected Marvel Cinematic Universe (which is now 11 films deep) is because Kevin Feige, the studio’s President, has remained the creative driving force since its inception. A producer on every Marvel Studios film, Feige is the “grand architect” of the MCU, and he’s the one who helps implement the studio’s ambitious plans.
Steve recently spoke with Feige at the press day for Avengers: Age of Ultron, and he asked the Marvel Studios head an incredibly important question: when is his Marvel contract up?
So obviously this doesn’t mean that Feige is leaving the Marvel world in 2018, but at that point in time—assuming Marvel continues to churn out massive hits (they will)—he’ll be in a position to decide if he wants to extend his post at the studio.
Again, Feige is one of the main reasons Marvel has been able to execute what’s essentially a series of comic books in film form. Directors, writers and stars vary from movie-to-movie, but Feige is intimately involved in every single one from conception to release, ensuring that they all feel part of one universe no matter their specific eccentricities.
It’s unclear when exactly in 2018 Feige’s contract is up, but currently Marvel has three films slated for release that year: Black Panther, Captain Marvel, and the first half of its two-part Infinity War saga. I’d be shocked if Feige didn’t stick around to see Infinity War conclude in 2019, since it’s the culmination of the Thanos battle that Marvel first teased in The Avengers, but it’ll be interesting to see what else Marvel has on the horizon beyond 2019 once that event concludes.
Click here if you missed what Feige had to say about the next Spider-Man movie. Look for more from Steve’s interview with Feige on Collider soon. For a refresher on all of Marvel’s confirmed releases, see below. And for a catalog of all upcoming superhero movie release dates, click here. | {
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Story highlights Chris Rock hasn't been on tour for nine years
He announced on Facebook
(CNN) Chris Rock is coming to a venue near you.
On Monday, the comic announced on his official Facebook page that he is heading out on tour in 2017 for the first time in nine years.
Rock used the Los Angeles Comedy Store as the background for his announcement and said the "Total Blackout Tour" will have brand new material and be a world tour
"Been a little busy, you know, writing 'Pootey Tang 3' and everything," Rock joked. "But hey, it's time, okay?"
Read More | {
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“What is it if not sorcery, that I can tax a single belltower in Salia and set half a dozen cities ablaze?”
– First Princess Anaïs of Cantal, referring to the incident that began the First Liturgical War. Later became the Proceran shorthand of ‘Salian belltower’, referring to a small act carrying disastrous consequences.
As a girl Cordelia had made a deep study of ruling, knowing that she would day inherit Rhenia and intending to serve her people as best she could. Her few journeys south had made her feel the limits of Lycaonese wisdom acutely, and so she had sought answer beyond the traditions of her people: not to simply discard the lessons of her forbears, but to pair them with the learning of other realms. She had looked far, in acquiring tomes. There was little literature of worth out of Callow, save for Jehan the Wise’s sharply-tongued memoirs, but the the Free Cities and the Thalassocracy had borne greater fruit. The Ashurans had led a remarkably stable state for centuries in the face of episodic warfare with Nicae and its allies, and their admittedly dry records were worth the reading if one could stomach the tediousness of the minutia. The islanders, however, had few lessons to offer beyond those touching on the establishment and maintenance of a strong bureaucracy. In matters of ruling philosophy, they either parroted the faraway Baalite Hegemony’s onw sages or lapsed into the mysticism particular to their national cult. The League, on the other hand, was a treasure trove of learning and scholarship.
Of contradictions also, though that was only to be expected of such a fractious people. The asekretis of Delos had bled rivers of ink on the subject of the ideal state, attempting myriad reforms as opposing factions of the ruling Secretariat came to power, and from both failures and success there had been much to learn. Cordelia had modelled the examinations now necessary to enter civil service in Salia on those required to rise higher in the Secretariat, and found them more than adequate a method to root out the highborn parasites who’d infested the city and replace with previously unknown talents. From faraway Penthes, ever bickering with its two closest neighbours and stirring uneasy in the Empire’s shadow, she had learned the value of leveraging gold and treaties where force of arms would fail. By the most famous Tyrants of Helike, Theodosius and his always ambitious brood, Cordelia was taught the art of sowing dissent and fear to humble greater opponents.
She considered herself to have first crossed a line when she’d obtained Praesi works, all of which were illegal to possess within the Principate.
Yet there had been wisdom in those as well. Not in the rants and rambles of the most colourful foolsto climb the Tower, but in the likes of the first Dread Emperor Terribilis and Dread Empress Maleficent the Second. It would only be years later, after she was crowned Prince of Rhenia, that her reach grew long enough to acquire more recent Praesi works. Dread Empress Malicia’s treatise ‘The Death of the Age of Wonders’ had cost her a fortune and over sixty dead to acquire a mere incomplete transcription, and what she’d found had been a chilling read. It’d been a lucid, strategic look at the historical failures of the Dread Empire followed by laying out foreign policy that would prevent such disasters from happening again. The suggested rapprochement with Ashur had been the greatest danger among those put to ink, and the cause of many a sleepless night after Cordelia became First Prince. To her dismay, the Prince of Rhenia had found that much the Empress deemed the path to a better Praes was eerily similar to what she herself intended for the Lycaonese principalities. Strengthened internal trade, central oversight of crucial resources, the establishment of common institutions that would make old regional conflicts irrelevant.
The Evil now dwelling in the Tower was unlike any the Principate had faced before, she’d then understood. She had learned what she could from the enemy, and kept those lessons close. Even in those days she’d known there would be a reckoning with the East.
When she’d grown old enough to undertake the diplomatic missions her mother had always disdained and largely allowed to lapse under her reign, Cordelia had immersed herself in the teachings of broader Procer. There was an old and proud contempt for southern squabbling, among her people, and Lycaonese as a rule paid little heed to the ways of the Alamans and the Arlesites. What did the debates of the Highest Assembly matter to them, they argued, when no matter the ruler no soldiers ever marched north to help hold the passes against the dead and the rats? There was truth in that, but also bitterness that blinded. Beyond the complex tapestry of marriage alliances and shifting interests, Cordelia had found the the heart of Procer’s art of rule had been birthed by two books. The first, and oldest, was the work of Sister Salienta of the House of Light. Once royalty in Salamans, after taking her vows she had spent years penning her life’s work, the Faith of Crowns. One hundred and three pages over which the former princess had attempted to lay out the duties and responsibilities of one ruling over others as a child of the Heavens. It was beautiful prose, in truth, and thought at times it was more liturgy than practical it had very much been intended as manual for blessed rule.
Salienta had been the first to argue that the Right of Iron, the ancient prerogative by which the princes of Procer could war as they wished, was no simple allowance: that regardless of permission, only a just war should ever be waged. She’d spoken of the right of those who toiled over land to own it, of the unholy greed behind taxes serving to enrich instead of serve. It’d been highly contentious at the time, but after open endorsement by the House of Light it had grown wildly popular and the book had since grown to permeate political discourse in Procer. Cordelia herself had drawn on the Faith of Crowns when declaring the Tenth Crusade, qualifying it as a just war according to the third definition laid out by Salienta. Still, as much as the writings had resonated with her it was what had come from them she’d studied closest. How, in essence, the royalty of Procer had found ways to follow its instructions to the letter while violating their spirit. The manufacture of ‘just cause’ to enable wars of expansion, allowing common folk to own the land yet to keep it only for a fee, the complex array of moral pretexts to justify often gouging taxes.
Salienta’s work had always been closely linked with the power of the House of Light, and so in a way it was no surprise that its first written rebuttal was offered after the last of the Liturgical Wars came to a close. None had ever claimed authorship of the small work simply titled On Rule, yet it was an open secret in Procer that its father was Prince Bastien of Arans, the same man who later became the very first of his homeland to be elected First Prince of Procer. Where the Faith of Crowns had been a religious and moral guide to dominion, On Rule was a dispassionate study of the acquisition and preservation of power. To this day, it was considered impious to a copy of the book, for within it Prince Bastien baldly observed that the House of Light was an earthly force like any other, with interests and obligations, and should be treated no differently. The book pragmatically advised that guile and treachery were functional tools, if sparsely used, and that it was usually better to be a victor of ill-repute than a saintly cadaver. Going even further, it argued that moral law was a matter different from a ruler’s interests and on occasion even opposed to them. There were few princes and princess in Procer who would admit to having such a volume.
Cordelia had never met any royalty south of Neustria who did not.
Therein lay the dichotomy at the heart of the Principate, she’d thought, and she was hardly the first. To have Salienta’s tongue and Bastien’s hand, the saying went. Spoken like an insult, an implicit accusation of hypocrisy, yet it was observed more scrupulously than many laws among Alamans and Arlesites. And herself as well, she was honest enough to admit. There was beauty in the Faith of Crowns, but it was no shield for the vicious intrigues that thrived in the Highest Assembly. As the years passed, however, the blue-eyed prince had come to look at the treatises differently. Less as exercises of philosophy and more as inheritances from different eras of Procer. One where the House of Light had been entwined with the ruling class of the realm, another where it had stood rival and opponent. Since the year On Rule had been written, the nature of the pillars holding up the Principate had shifted. Though in many ways the victors of the Liturgical Wars, the priests had been estranged from the halls of power just as the once-powerful mages had been. They had kept their wealth, their ancient rights, but their foes had not forgotten the dangers of allowing the House too much influence and so slowly uprooted it from the tallest peaks of Proceran authority. Cordelia had scrupulously observed this habit, save in one matter.
That mistake, she thought, was now coming home to roost.
“Someone organized this,” the First Prince of Procer spoke with deliberate calm. “Of that there can be no doubt. The last recorded conclave involving the full priesthoods of the west dates to Triumphant’s conquest, gentlemen. This is not happenstance.”
Three men shared her solar, this morning, none of them younger than fifty. All were Alamans whose tenure as the heads of the informal triumvirate of largest Proceran spy networks preceded her second crowning. Her eyes lingered on Louis de Sartrons, a skeleton of a man with rapacious features and a bald head. As far as the Principate’s records were concerned, he was a middling official in the lower ranks of Salia’s diplomatic service. In truth man was the highest patron of the Circle of Thorns, an ancient cabal of Salian officials whose charge was to run the foreign spies of Procer. The Circle had a long tradition of abstaining from politics, providing unflinching service no matter who sat the highest throne of Procer: at the height of the Great War, before it had been clear Cordelia would triumph, the man across from her had provided regular briefings to all major contenders without playing favourites. The blonde did not particularly like him, but she could respect his dedication and sharp competence. The depths of his failure in this particular instance was made deeper disappointment for it.
“We were blindsided,” the old man admitted in a rasp. “I’ve had my people in the Thalassocracy and the Dominion scrambling for answers, but as far as we can tell there is no Ashuran committee behind it and we all know the Majilis has not held session in months. Or even informal council, for that matter. It could be the Seljun, Your Highness, but his position remains weak. He should not have the pull or coin to arrange something so far-reaching.”
The Seljun of Levant carried a dozen fantastical titles, though the only one that truly mattered to Levantines themselves was the last: First of the Pilgrim’s Blood. Direct descent from the most revered of the Dominion’s ancient founders made the ruling line of Levant effectively sacrosanct to its people, but that respect did not historically extend to lords and ladies obeying a Seljun’s instructions beyond half-hearted lip service, if even that. The current figurehead ruler of the Dominion, the Most Holy Wazim Isbili, was impotent even by the standards of his predecessors. He was an unlikely culprit in this, Cordelia was inclined to agree. If there was a foreign agent at work, she suspected it would be a committee buried somewhere in the convoluted maze the Ashurans called a government. Still, the failure now at her door was not the Circle of Thorns’ alone. Cordelia’s gaze shifted to Balthazar Serigny, a hirsute bear of a man with a thick black beard and eyebrows almost defiantly large. Balthazar the Bastard, as his subordinates often called him without a speck of fondness, was former fantassin of common birth who’d ruthlessly risen to the top of the Silver Letters by blackmailing and discrediting his every rival.
He’d thrived there, unsurprisingly, as the Silver Letters were a vicious band of thieves and murderers who’d been skilled enough at the work that over a century ago they became the left hand of the rulers of Procer. The Cordelia’s most recent predecessors had used them to keep an eye on the unrulier princes and occasionally sow internal dissent when a faction in the Highest Assembly grew dangerous, though she herself employed them as knives only to remove Eyes of the Empire. Of this shadowy triumvirate, it was Serigny she had the worst relation with. Unlike the Circle, the Silver Letters had taken sides during the Great War and several times tried to assassinate members of her inner circle on Constance of Aisne’s behalf. She’d given serious thought to having him hanged after taking the throne, but it would have antagonized the web of informants she now needed the most to remain in power. Instead she’d made it clear he was on a very thin leash, and that he would immediately begin training the successor she had chosen for him.
“It’s not us, First Prince,” Balthazar the Bastard grunted, unmoved by the unspoken reproach. “I’ve shaken every tree in the Highest Assembly and nothing fell out. The Lanterns almost caused a diplomatic accident when they passed through Orense, so they weren’t expected in the slightest. Been keeping an eye on our own temple rats ever since, but they’re closing ranks. Not a peep out of the priests. They’ve got a hand in this, sure as day.”
“There hasn’t been a word out of the House because your pack of thugs was caught out, you blundering fool,” Simon de Gorgeault hissed. “Do you know how many pointed questions I’ve had to answer?”
The man was in his seventies, closely-cropped silver hair topping an angular face that had been a poor fit when he’d still been named Simone but a reputably popular one after the oversight was corrected. He was a lay brother of the House of Light, and unlike the other two men the organization he oversaw was only one foot in the shadows. The Holy Society was more informal channel to the leadership of the House of Light than true web of spies, an association of nobleborn lay brothers and sisters who facilitated dialogue with the throne and occasionally passed along whispers the priests did not prove willing to surrender on their own. He was diplomat as much as he was a spymaster, and Cordelia had sometimes wondered where the man’s loyalty truly lay. He’d been in her service for only a few years, while his friendships in the House were decades old.
“I have some questions of my own, Brother Simon,” the First Prince said. “It is somewhat offensive that before arranging a conclave the House would not reach out to me.”
The silver-haired man grimaced.
“I’ve told them as much myself,” he said. “Yet it appears they consider this to be a religious matter, not a political one, and so consider the throne’s involvement to be unnecessary.”
“Which begs the question of what exactly that matter is, Simon,” Louis de Satrons’ reedy voice mused. “It’s customary for a conclave to be proclaimed openly and the subject of debate announced beforehand.”
The leader of the Holy Society sucked at a loose tooth, as if hesitant.
“I am told this is to be a closed session,” Brother Simon said. “By the request of a Chosen.”
Cordelia stilled. One of the heroes? The Chosen had no formal authority over any priesthood, save for those come of it, yet it would be a lie to say they had no influence. And yet none of the Chosen had caused ripples, when they had first gathered in Procer at the eve of the crusade’s first assaults.
“Which one?” the First Prince coldly asked.
“I was refused that knowledge,” the silver-haired man admitted. “And warned any meddling by the throne would be severely censured by all participants.”
The House of Light could be handled, Cordelia thought, and the Speakers were more mystics than political force, but the Lanterns? The Levantine priesthood considered strife to be a holy duty. If prodded too harshly, they would bare blades without hesitation. That would be utter disaster, the kind of diplomatic incident that could begin a breakdown of the Grand Alliance if it was not carefully handled.
“We will set that offered slight aside for now,” she said. “What is the to be the subject of the closed session?”
“Heresy,” Brother Simon said. “As pertaining to Callow.”
Cordelia did not close her eyes or sigh. She was better-mannered than that, and showing weakness in front of these men would bring no good. The temptation remained there, however, even as her mind raced. A lesser conclave in Salia had already declared Catherine Foundling to be an abomination in the eyes of the Heavens for perverting the sacred act of resurrection for the purposes of Below. This was not a minor thing, yet it carried no true legal consequences and was essentially empty censure unless the declaration was also adopted by the House of Light in Callow. Which it had not been.
Unlike its Proceran cousin, the priesthood of Callow was no monolith of shared practices and beliefs. Distant regions of the kingdom stubbornly denied the leadership of the influential cohort of priests in Laure, who had seen said influence sharply decline with the end of House Fairfax. In the latter years of the imperial occupation, the priesthood of the southern half of Callow had effectively become a separate entity from the rest. The Doom of Liesse had shattered that state of affairs, however, leaving behind disparate packs of clergy preaching stances on the Black Queen that were just as disparate. The centre had largely fallen behind her reign, and parts of the east as well – Marchford heart and soul, as she remained wildly popular there, Summerholm more reluctantly and she was mostly spoken of there as a preferable alternative to Praes. The rest was lukewarm of opinion, though many priests in the south had involved themselves with Hakram Deadhand’s care of the refugee tent cities.
Proceran priesthood often spoke of its eastern counterpart as a backwards cousin, considering its refusal to bestow titles to its own greater than Brother or Sister as archaic and its insistence to rely only on the Book of All Things as scripture as rather misguided. Callowan priests were ever quick to remind their western cousins that their practiced dated back to the founding of the kingdom, when the Principate had been nothing but a mess of warring tribes, and did not shy from sharp reminders that faith could only be tainted by involvement in earthly matters. Still, save for the occasional minor squabble the relationship between the priesthoods had been largely cordial over the last two centuries. It helped, Cordelia, had often thought, that Callowans priests were often more interested in arguing with each other than foreigners. Off-hand, she could think of only one thing that would make them band together.
Foreign meddling.
“Dread Empress Malicia is Arch-heretic of the East,” the First Prince carefully said. “Only one person can carry such censure at a time.”
“She is presumptive Arch-heretic, as the woman who holds the Tower,” Brother Simon corrected. “In the absence of a formal declaration, the matter is not writ in stone. And even if it was, the decision of a Proceran lesser conclave would be overturned by a true conclave’s own proclamation.”
The man was not a fool. He’d immediately understood the first measure she would turn to in order to prevent the blunder: rustling up enough Proceran priests to declare the Empress the current Arch-heretic, preventing the same title from being granted to the Black Queen.
“Atalante is a renowned stronghold of faith in the Gods Above,” Cordelia said. “Could such a debate be delayed until representatives from its priesthood arrive?”
They would have to travel by land, the Lycaonese thought, likely through Tenerife. The ruling princess of that principality was a close and trusted ally, who could be counted on to arrange gentle delays. If the First Prince was able to slow down the proceedings, the conclave could still be persuaded to turn aside from this mistake.
“That matter was already settled by secret ballot,” Brother Simon said ruefully. “As the Hierarch of the League is of Bellerophon, a city long in the service of Below, it was determined that the priests of Atalante should be considered lapsing in the faith. The same holds for Delos and Nicae, much less Penthes – which all known to be suborned by the Empire.”
No word was spoken of the Titanomachy, yet Cordelia knew better than to try that particular avenue. Levant had ancestral ties to the Gigantes, while the giants still slew every Proceran to approach their lands. Any approach there by a First Prince would carry great dangers.
“Then the House of Light in Callow should be sent for,” Cordelia said, struggling to sound calm. “To justify its anointing of the warlord Catherine Foundling.”
“That cannot be,” the silver-haired man said quietly. “For I am told the priesthood of Callow is to stand judgement as well, for that very blasphemy.”
Her worst fears in this, confirmed.
“Brother Simon, this is a grave blunder,” the First Prince quietly said. “There are better ways to return Callow to the embrace of the Heavens. This will be seen as an attack, a spiteful blow in the wake of defeats on the field.”
The man stiffened like an angry cat.
“We speak of holy conclave, Your Most Serene Highness,” he woodenly replied. “Servants of the Heavens do not concern themselves with the sentiments of mundane powers, only that their acts are just in the eyes of Above.”
What is this, if not an act of mundane purpose? Cordelia thought. She could not treat with the Black Queen, if she was condemned a heretic by every signatory of the Grand Alliance. Worse, there would be no treating with Callow. The pattern of history there would cut too close to home. After the Fourth Crusade, when a young Principate had turned on Callow after being unceremoniously thrown out of the Wasteland by Dread Emperor Terribilis the Second, there had been attempts to crown one the the slain king’s children as a puppet to ease occupation until the pretence could be safely discarded. Juliana Fairfax had instead cut her own throat at her own coronation, immediately after declaring her rebelling cousin as heir. King Henry Fairfax the Landless had promptly been declared to be Damned by a lesser conclave in Salia, a plot that was deeply reviled in Callow to this day. The recipe here was different, yet too many ingredients were the same: a young ruler who’d fought Praes with distinction, heavy defeat followed by a Salian proclamation of heresy and the perceived collusion of priesthood with an invading force. That the Lanterns and the Speakers joined their voiced to the conclave would change little, she thought. How many Callowans had ever seen an Ashuran or Levantine? The kingdom had been closed, under Praes, and now the only living memory of either people was as a Proceran ally. Even those who despised the Black Queen’s reign would have to bow to popular sentiment and fall in line, lest they be accused of collusion with the Principate. And worse yet…
Woe, Cordelia. Woe to the north and to the south.
“I must urgently address the conclave, Brother Simon,” the First Prince said.
The old man frowned.
“That would be difficult to arrange,” he said.
“Allow me to be perfectly clear,” Cordelia Hasenbach said. “It matters not to me how many favours you must call upon, how many bridges must be burned and quiet threats made. This is no longer a question of diplomacy. It is now a question of survival.”
Brother Simon’s face smoothed out, though not before she read scepticism in the cast of it.
“I understand that the Callowan question of of import to the throne,” he slowly said.
He paused to choose his words carefully, and as as backhanded reminder of who answered to the other Cordelia smoothly placed answer to a reply unfinished.
“There is more to this than the affairs of Callow,” the First Prince said. “See it done, Brother Simon. By evening tomorrow. Or choose the abbey to which you will retire, after designating a successor less prone to dithering.”
She would not allow the Kingdom of Callow to be driven into the arms of Below. She could not.
Not after Agnes had told her the Dead King would be on the march by winter solstice. | {
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By Thomas Sowell - June 8, 2010
All sorts of "global warming" advocates have all sorts of ideas for cooling the planet. I would be happy if they would just cool the rhetoric.
A newspaper headline said: "U.S. Growing Impatient with Iran." Boy, won't that scare them to death? If they keep going, and make enough nuclear bombs to blast us to smithereens, we will go to the United Nations and get a resolution passed, condemning their actions - or, if the U.N. won't go that far, deploring their lack of cooperation.
Contrary to what has been widely believed, scholars say that Neanderthals had bigger brains than we have. Why did they become extinct, then? Maybe they got too smart for their own good.
When someone in New York City says, "Excuse me, sir," you know that you are really old.
Umpire Jim Joyce, who publicly admitted that his wrong call cost pitcher Armando Galarraga a perfect game, and Galarraga himself both exhibited grace in the way they reacted to the situation. How long has it been since anyone has done anything that called for the word "grace"?
When you consider what an enormous windfall gain it is to be born in America, it is painful to hear some people complain bitterly that someone else got a bigger windfall than they did.
After North Korea torpedoed a South Korean ship, killing 46 sailors, was there even one-tenth the outrage that is ringing out loudly around the world because of nine deaths that resulted from Israeli commandos intercepting a ship headed for the Gaza strip?
In political rhetoric, "comprehensive immigration reform" means amnesty up front and promises of border control later - promises that have not been kept in the past and are unlikely to be kept in the future. Anyone who is serious, as distinguished from political, knows that you have to control your own borders before you can have an immigration policy that means anything in practice.
Even though some people say we are living in a "knowledge economy," we are living in a political atmosphere in which ignorance has more power than ever. Washington politicians who have never run any business are telling all kinds of businesses - from automobile companies and banks to hospitals and insurance companies - how they have to run their businesses. This is the golden age of ignorance in power.
Electrical cords seem to be very sociable. Whenever there are two that are near each other, they almost always seem to get intertwined.
It is one of the signs of our times when people in the media ask how some of our home-grown terrorists could "turn against their own country."
Even experienced politicians would have a hard time coming up with a more grossly misleading phrase than "the Middle East peace process."
We cannot recapture the past, but sometimes it can recapture us - if we are not careful.
Just as the American Left has adopted blacks as mascots, so the international Left has adopted Palestinians as mascots. In both cases, the actual well-being of the mascots is not the point.
Mascots exist to be symbols for others. In all the years when the Arab states controlled the area that Israel took over after the 1967 war, nobody cared what happened to the Palestinians, much less offered them a homeland.
Whether Barack Obama is simply incompetent as president or has some hidden agenda to undermine this country, at home and abroad, he has nearly everything he needs to ruin America, including a fool for a vice president.
We have now reached the truly dangerous point where we cannot even be warned about the lethal, fanatical, and suicidal hatred of our Islamic extremist enemies in our midst, because to do so here would be politically incorrect - and in some European countries, would be a violation of laws against inciting hostility to groups. | {
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We thought you might be interested to see some of the working of this post from yesterday. Of the 2.4m votes cast in Scotland in the 2010 UK general election, not far short of a million – if a recent YouGov poll is to be believed – are currently likely to be cast for different parties in 2015. And it’s intriguing to see where they’ll go.
NB The poll had an “Other” category which didn’t specify UKIP, Green, SSP etc. The overall split of those three parties’ votes broke down in a ratio of 6:4:1 (in that order), but there was no mechanism for determining whether, say, Labour voters planned to defect more to Green/SSP and Tory voters to UKIP. So readers will have to make that judgement for themselves.
PROJECTED DESTINATION OF 2010 LABOUR VOTES IN 2015
Labour: 579,896 (56%)
SNP: 331,369
Other: 72,487
Conservative: 51,776
Lib Dem: 10,355
For all Labour’s endless decades of screaming “Tartan Tories!” at the Nats, the fact is that the latter remain the first port of call for dissatisfied Labour voters, picking up more than six times as many Labour defectors as the Conservatives.
PROJECTED DESTINATION OF 2010 SNP VOTES IN 2015
SNP: 402,397 (82%)
Other: 34,397
Conservative: 34,397
Labour: 19,655
Lib Dem: 0
While Labour has shed over 40% of its vote, the SNP holds onto more than 80% of the people who backed it in 2010, with the rest splitting reasonably evenly between everyone else except the poor old Lib Dems.
PROJECTED DESTINATION OF 2010 LIB DEM VOTES IN 2015
SNP: 195,498
Lib Dem: 97,749 (21%)
Other: 88,439
Labour: 65,166
Conservative: 23,274
Oooft. You know it’s bad when you can’t even take the highest vote share among your own supporters. In fact, twice as many Lib Dem voters from 2010 plan to defect to the SNP next year as to stay with Nick Clegg’s dead party walking. Labour can’t even manage third place, and we honestly wouldn’t like to speculate about the UKIP/Green split among the “Other” section.
PROJECTED DESTINATION OF 2010 CONSERVATIVE VOTES IN 2015
Conservative: 280,741 (68%)
Other: 57,800
Labour: 37,156
SNP: 28,900
Lib Dem: 12,386
On the other hand, we suspect we can make a pretty good stab at which horse Tory defectors to “Other” will be backing. But it’s worth noting that more former Tories find Labour a better fit for a switch than the SNP. And interestingly, the Tories pick up almost twice as many votes from their coalition partners as move the other way. Because people tend to hate the bully’s toady more than they hate the actual bully.
It’s remarkable that the party which has carried the burden of government for seven and a half years – pretty much all of it through a tough recession – appears to have by a considerable distance the most loyal voters. Conversely, for the main opposition party, free of responsibility on either side of the border, to have driven away close to half of its own support is an astonishing feat of incompetence.
(A survey this month by the Unite trade union produced even worse findings, with an astounding 54% of 2010 Labour voters – at least those defined by unspecified criteria as “working people” – saying they didn’t expect to vote Labour again next year.)
But perhaps the most striking fact about these figures is that Labour isn’t the first choice for defectors from ANY of the other parties. The SNP and “Others” hoover up the biggest share of vote-switchers across the board, and – combined with the UKIP phenomenon south of the border – that could be a sign of the most radical change in UK politics in living memory.
After several false dawns, the UK may finally be about to witness the extinction event marking the end of the two-party dinosaur age. | {
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Last week, in Louisiana, a man driving a Hyundai Sonata was allegedly “driving erratically” and caused a small crash. The driver then got out of the car, grabbed a gun, and began shooting at a tractor-trailer. Then he ran away.
He didn’t get very far.
He was later apprehended and booked on several charges, including aggravated assault with a firearm, aggravated criminal damage to property, illegal carrying and discharge of weapons and reckless operation.
So naturally, you all know how this story ends.
The driver turns out to be Christopher “Checkerz” Williams, the lead pastor at Baton Rouge’s Renew Church.
The church’s website is suddenly “under routine maintenance” (right, sure) and the Facebook page isn’t available, but the internet never forgets.
Of course all of this gets even more ironic when you consider the church’s mission.
“These are the things we don’t shy away from at Renew Church. We make it very clear that every single person is created in (the image) of God,” Williams said. “Every person needs to be treated with dignity, respect and with love and compassion regardless of their race, ethnicity, their socio-economic status, religious background or political affiliations.”
Right. Dignity and respect. Unless you happen to be driving an 18-wheeler and minding your own damn business, in which case this pastor might just have to fire a gun in your direction.
It’s also ironic that the church has a sermon up on YouTube in which Pastor Checkerz talks about the “value of life.”
If that’s the man teaching morals to people in this church, members need to find a new place to worship.
(Screenshot via YouTube. Thanks to Joe for the link)
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Each day through the NHL Draft on June 21-22 and free agency on July 1, TSN.ca breaks down the latest news and rumours around the NHL.
Wanting Out?
Winnipeg Jets forward Jack Roslovic parted ways his agent on Wednesday, with Aaron Portzline of The Athletic reporting on Twitter that the 22-year-old asked for a trade at least once last season because he was unhappy with his role on the team.
Roslovic's former agent, Kenneth Robinson, responded to Portzline on Twitter and, while he confirmed Roslovic was not happy on the team's fourth line, he denied that the winger ever requested a trade.
"First, Jack never once asked for a trade from the Jets. He was disappointed with his role, but he had every right to be," Robinson wrote. "He wasn’t on the 4th line (because) he was a 4th line player. It was just a real frustrating situation on the Jets... but things will get better for him.
"Second, Jack is as solid as they come. He is hardworking, thoughtful, decent and thankful for all of his blessings. He is a terrific role model for young people because of who he has become. He loves his family. He is a good friend. He is charitable. And I am proud my son looks up to him... even after he fired me. I’ll always be a fan of his."
Aaron, you always have been an excellent reporter. Always my first read. I know u won’t mind a correction. First, Jack never once asked for a trade from the Jets. He was disappointed with his role, but he had every right to be. s — Kenneth J Robinson (@Krobinson5335) June 6, 2019
Roslovic played in a career-high 77 games this season, scoring nine goals and posting 24 points while averaging under 10 minutes of ice time per game. He was held pointless point in six playoff games, with his average ice time dropping to 8:29.
The 2015 first-round pick of the Jets is signed through next season under his entry-level contract.
Backup Plan?
The Philadelphia Flyers acquired the rights to pending unrestricted free agent Kevin Hayes on Monday in hopes of filling their No. 2 centre spot.
However, if the team fails to get Hayes under contract, Sam Carchidi of The Philadelphia Inquirer suggests the team could pursue Nazem Kadri from the Toronto Maple Leafs to fill the void.
Flyers general manager Chuck Fletcher left the door open to trading the team's first-round pick last week and Carchidi believes Kadri could fit what the team is looking for.
"We’d certainly consider trading our pick if can get a good player," Fletcher said at the NHL combine. "I don’t think we’re looking to trade the 11th overall pick for a 31-year-old player with one year left on his deal, but if we can get a good player at the right stage of his career and with some term left on his contact, we’d certainly look at it.”
Kadri, 28, is signed for three more seasons at a $4.5 million cap hit. He scored 16 goals and posted 44 points this season in a reduced role after scoring 32 goals in each of the previous two seasons.
Carchidi notes that the Flyers could also use their top pick to pursue Jacob Trouba from the Winnipeg Jets, William Nylander from the Maple Leafs or Jason Zucker or Jared Spurgeon, who Fletcher had on his roster as general manager of the Minnesota Wild.
Comparing Notes
The Athletic released their NHL trade board of 20 players who could be moved this summer on Wednesday with Trouba taking the top spot.
Three of the top five names on Craig Custance's list are also in the top five on the TSN Hockey Trade Bait board in Trouba, Phil Kessel and P.K. Subban. However, T.J. Brodie and Justin Faulk, neither of whom are on the Trade Bait board, round out of The Athletic's top five.
The TSN Trade Bait top five is currently Kessel, Trouba, Zucker, Nikita Zaitsev and P.K. Subban. While Brodie is not listed on the TSN Trade Bait board, his fellow Calgary Flames blueliner Travis Hamonic sits at No. 11, with TSN Hockey Insider Bob McKenzie reporting the team is willing to deal one of the two this summer.
“I’ve been hearing a lot that Calgary is very intent on moving a defenceman, either Travis Hamonic or TJ Brodie. Brodie and Hamonic are two names we’re hearing a lot of because the Flames have good young defencemen they feel can take over for one of those guys," McKenzie said on the TSN Hockey Bobcast last week.
"And also like when I mentioned the Michael Frolik potential trade, they are trying to free up dollars to be able to sign restricted free agent Matthew Tkachuk.”
See the full Trade Bait board here. | {
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If—or, depending on your outlook, when—the world ever endures a nuclear war, scientists have an inkling of what the environmental effects could be thanks to devastating Canadian wildfires from 2017.
According to a new Rutgers University study published Thursday in Science Magazine, wildfires in British Columbia in August 2017 expelled so much smoke into the atmosphere that the pyrocumulonimbus (pyroCb) cloud sat in the upper atmosphere for eight months. Soot in the cloud was heated by solar radiation and lifted the cloud higher into the sky, combining with the dry air in the north to keep the cloud aloft until the next spring.
"This process of injecting soot into the stratosphere and seeing it extend its lifetime by self-lofting, was previously modeled as a consequence of nuclear winter in the case of an all-out war between the United States and Russia, in which smoke from burning cities would change the global climate," study co-author and professor in the Department of Environmental Sciences at Rutgers University–New Brunswick Alan Robock said in a press release announcing the findings.
Not that the world's two most powerful militaries need to be involved—a relatively low-level nuclear war between India and Pakistan, for example, could "cause climate change unprecedented in recorded human history and global food crises," said Robock.
The study used the smoke from the wildfires as a model, but the scale of smoke in the atmosphere from an all out nuclear war would be orders of magnitude greater.
The smoke cloud contained only about 0.3 million tons of soot, while a nuclear war between India and Pakistan could produce 15 million tons and a U.S. vs. Russia war could generate 150 million tons. Still, the scientists validated their previous theories and the climate model they're using for ongoing research on nuclear war impacts by studying the wildfire, according to Robock.
On Monday, Common Dreams reported on two potential crises going on right now that could result in nuclear conflagration: the dismantling of the 32 year-old Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty between Russia and the U.S. and rising tensions between India and Pakistan—and, reportedly, China, another nuclear-armed state—over the territory of Kashmir.
Referring to the destruction of the INF treaty, Kate Hudson, general secretary of the U.K.-based Campaing for Nuclear Disarmament, said that it did not bode well for peace.
"It's a game of nuclear tit for tat," said Hudson, "in which there can be no winners as the threat of nuclear war rises." | {
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UPDATE: 'Christian' philosophy removed from school job ad, apology offered after ACLU complaint
MCBAIN, MI -- McBain Rural Agricultural Schools' search for a new superintendent who has "a strong Christian background and philosophy" is under scrutiny from the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan.
State ACLU leaders wrote a letter to the district on Tuesday, March 3, urging the district remove any reference to religion, saying the requirement violates multiple federal and state laws against discrimination
"There is no principle more fundamental to American public education than the requirement that schools be welcoming of all students, employees and administrators regardless of religious or ethnic background," Dan Korobkin, ACLU of Michigan deputy legal director wrote. "Our Constitution wisely requires public schools to remain neutral in matters of religion. When a school favors one religion over another, or religion over non-religion, students and teachers who do not subscribe to the favored religion are made to feel like they do not belong."
Korobkin, Steve Morse, chairman of the Northwestern Michigan ACLU Lawyers Committee and Marc Allen, ACLU of Michigan attorney, wrote the letter to McBain School Board President Chad Brunink, as well as Scott Crosby and Michael Wilmot of the Michigan Leadership Institute. The district is in between Cadillac and Lake City.
In the letter, Korobkin, Morse and Allen noted that that the ACLU received a complaint about the superintendent job description last week. The position, which is available online, has been posted on the website for the Michigan Elementary and Middle Schools Principals Association since mid-February. The district's current superintendent, Michael Harris, will retire in June, according to the district's office.
Harris was not immediately available for comment Tuesday.
The ACLU letter also expressed concern that the district had posted the listing even though the board reviewed the job description beforehand and the district is working with a professional search firm to hire its next superintendent.
"Even if it was a mistake, however, we are distressed by how many administrators and staff must have read the job announcement without thinking it was wrong or demanding that it be changed," the letter states. "Moreover, we wonder how many excellent candidates who are Muslim, Jewish or not religious read the job description and decided not to apply because they believed they were not wanted."
Korobkin said the ACLU is waiting for the district's response.
"We're pretty confident that they'll review it and realize they need to make a change," he said in a phone interview with MLive and the Grand Rapids Press on Tuesday morning.
The ACLU notes in the letter that there is nothing against the district hiring a leader who is religious, but that those beliefs cannot the the basis for a hiring decision.
"Candidates of any religious background, or no religious background, must be welcome to apply and must be given full and equal consideration for the position," the group wrote.
Kyle Moroney covers suburban schools and general assignments for MLive/Grand Rapids Press. Email her at [email protected] or follow her on Twitter or Facebook | {
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U.S. President Barack Obama with the first family and Cuban President Raul Castro attend a baseball game between the Tampa Bay Rays and the Cuban national team in Havana. Obama was criticized by Republicans for attending the game just hours after terrorist attacks in Brussels killed more than 30 people. Photo by Olivier Douliery/Pool
BUENOS AIRES, March 23 (UPI) -- U.S. President Barack Obama sharply criticized the Republicans running to succeed him Wednesday, saying their proposals in the wake of the terrorist bombings in Brussels are "wrong and un-American."
Obama took specific aim at Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, who called for police in American cities to "secure" Muslim neighborhoods by placing mosques and other community groups under surveillance.
Obama chastised Cruz for seeking to implement the kind of state-sponsored spying Cruz's family fled in Cuba.
"As far as the notion of having surveillance of neighborhoods where Muslims are present, I just left a country that engages in that kind of neighborhood surveillance, which, by the way, the father of Sen. Cruz escaped for America, the land of the free," Obama said. "The notion that we would start down that slippery slope makes absolutely no sense. It's contrary to who we are, and it's not going to help us defeat [the Islamic State]."
RELATED Rolling Stone endorses Hillary Clinton over Bernie Sanders
The president was also left to play some defense after Republicans assailed him for attending a baseball game where he was seen doing "the wave" with Cuban President Raul Castro in the hours after the Brussels attack, which killed at least 30 people and injured hundreds more.
Obama defended his decision to attend the game, saying he did not want the terrorists to have the power to alter his schedule or set the example that Americans should allow terrorist threats to alter their daily lives.
Obama was similarly criticized for leaving the country to go to Asia on a planned diplomatic trip the day after a Paris terrorist attack happened.
As for the presidential candidates, Democrats and Republicans alike outlined further steps they would take in the battle against the Islamic State, which claimed responsibility for the Brussels attacks. The Democrats, Hillary Clinton and Sen. Bernie Sanders, essentially argued for more of the same on national security policy.
Cruz and Republican front-runner Donald Trump each outlined far more drastic steps to combat Islamic terrorism.
Trump flatly called for the torture of suspects in custody and said if the Paris bombing suspect who was apprehended three days before the Brussels attack had been tortured, it may have given authorities the information necessary to halt the bombings at a train station and the Brussels airport.
RELATED Calls increase for Bernie Sanders to wind down his campaign
Cruz reiterated his call to restart and intensify home-state surveillance of Muslim-Americans, referencing a since-shuttered program put in place in the wake of the Sept. 11 terror attacks by the New York Police Department to infiltrate mosques and spy on Muslims living in New York City.
NYPD Police Commissioner William Bratton panned the program -- and Cruz for supporting it -- saying it did not yield any leads that assisted in terrorism-related investigations and only served to further alienate the city's Muslim community when it became public. | {
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Creating ‘designer babies’ to enhance their looks or intelligence could be morally acceptable, according to an expert report.
The Nuffield Council on Bioethics said the key issues in genome editing were the welfare of the future person and the wider impact on society. The body, which explores ethical questions raised by advances in biology and medicine, called on the Government to support public debate on the issue and ensure a ‘responsible way forward’. It is now becoming possible to alter DNA in a human embryo, potentially correcting genetic diseases. However there is also the possibility of enhancing intelligence or selecting for height or hair colour.
Genome editing involves changing the DNA in an embryo – cutting out and replacing parts of the genetic code. Under the technique, which is not permitted in the UK, the altered embryo is then implanted in the womb.
The Nuffield Council on Bioethics has concluded that genome editing could be morally acceptable (file photo)
Professor Karen Yeung, chairman of the Nuffield Council’s working party, said: ‘We have concluded that ... genome editing could be morally acceptable.
‘More specifically, it is our view that ... genome editing is not unacceptable in itself, and therefore there is no reason to rule it out in principle.’ The council’s report recommends any interventions must be in the interests of the social, physical and psychological welfare of the future person, and ‘should not increase disadvantage, discrimination or division in society’.
A technique used to manipulate DNA can cause unexpected damage, a study shows. Scientists at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute in Hinxton, Cambridgeshire, tested the CRISPR/Cas9 process and detected ‘scrambling’ of the genetic code, with sections deleted and replaced. | {
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Is it weird that I referenced the Elder Scrolls dragon alphabet to actually spell out “penis” in dragon-ese? Am I a messed up individual? Yes, but by god I’m thorough.
Quick note: reader Jake pointed out that the archives section should be flipped, so that the newest comics would appear on top and make navigation easier. I thought that was a great idea and made it so! Check out the archives for a (hopefully) more user friendly format.
Story time! I was in the store (obviously) helping out a customer with some televisions. About a minute through talking with her, some chick pushing a carriage yells from behind, “I’VE BEEN WAITING.”
I turn around and let her know that I was with someone else at the moment, and would be with her as quickly as possible, as I was the only one in the department at the time. Apparently this was not good enough for her, as she demanded my immediate assistance “or else.”
The first, and much nicer customer allowed me to leave, whispering to me “good luck, she sounds awful” as she left.
“I NEED A BLU-RAY PLAYER, WITH INTERNET AND 3D.”
“Alright, ma’am,” I said, and took her to the blu-ray aisle. She told me, using her outdoor voice, that she wanted the cheapest one available.
I showed her the cheapest.
“WELL IS IT THE BEST ONE?”
Now, I don’t know about you, but I’ve never really found myself in a situation where words like “best” and “cheapest” are used to describe the same thing. I explained that no, it wasn’t the best.
“THEN WHY ARE YOU SHOWING ME THIS $^@&?”
I explained that I had shown her the cheapest because she asked me to, to which she responded, “SHOW ME THE BEST.”
I did.
“THAT’S TOO &%@&#!^ EXPENSIVE,” she exclaimed, and then sprinted from the store, pushing her baby like it she was in a wheelbarrow race.
This event touched two nerves with me:
1. Having a baby with you does not elevate your importance, nor does it make your time worth more than someone else’s. That first customer had her experience cut short due to baby momma’s rudeness.
2. I’m a really honest guy. If you ask for the cheapest, I’ll show you the cheapest. If you ask for the best, I’ll show you the best. Don’t ask for something and then get upset when I do exactly as you say.
Maybe I was being trolled for a TV show or something… I hope that’s the case, because I fail to believe that someone can be that rude and disgusting in public.
My condolences go out to her child. | {
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Brasília
O presidente Jair Bolsonaro (PSL) afirmou nesta quinta-feira (29) que pretende indultar no final do ano “policiais presos injustamente no Brasil”.
“Final do ano espera aí. Aqueles indultos, eu vou escolher alguns caras, colegas policiais que estão presos injustamente no Brasil. Presos por pressão da mídia. Até o final do ano vai ter policial nesse indulto. Espero que o pessoal me abasteça de nomes, para a gente analisar. Para quem estiver em condições a gente poder colocar na rua”, declarou o presidente em uma live transmitida nas redes sociais.
Presídio Romão Gomes, na zona norte de São Paulo, onde ficam presos policiais militares - Rubens Cavallari - 15.fev.18/Folhapress
Bolsonaro não deu mais detalhes sobre sua intenção de indultar policiais.
Tradicionalmente o presidente da República edita ao final do ano um decreto de indulto de Natal. O presidente estabelece no decreto determinados requisitos mínimos para definir quem pode ser beneficiado com o perdão. Essa prerrogativa presidencial gerou polêmica em 2017.
No indulto natalino daquele ano, o então presidente Michel Temer reduziu nos casos sem grave violência ou ameaça o tempo de cumprimento da pena para a obtenção do perdão.
Alguns setores criticaram a medida de Temer por entenderem que ela era leniente com condenados por crimes de colarinho branco.
O ministro Luís Roberto Barroso, do STF (Supremo Tribunal Federal), suspendeu o decreto de Temer, mas a decisão foi revertida em maio deste ano pelo plenário da Corte.
Na live, Bolsonaro abordou em outros momentos pautas relacionadas a policiais.
Ele defendeu um projeto que está elaboração no governo que, segundo ele, "dá retaguarda jurídica" para policiais. "Que permite ao policial, ao terminar uma missão, ser condecorado e não processado", concluiu o presidente. | {
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Hi Everyone!
Today I’m wearing another Barry M texture effect nail polish called Princess. I have to say this polish is amazing. It’s so sparkly. This one is a pink, matte texture with loads of gold flakes and silver glitter. The gold glow from the flakes makes it the prettiest pink ever.
I paired it with this OPI, called I Think in Pink, because it matched the colour of the pink in the texture polish perfectly. The OPI is a jelly formula so I used three coats here, but if you wanted a less intense colour, you could use one or two coats.
I want to show you the bottles too, because you can see how the Barry M is jam packed with gold flakes and silver glitter.
Isn’t it pretty? :)
I have to include this pic too :)
My little kitten jumped up to investigate what I was doing and I had to take a pic of her little paw.
Thanks for looking! :) | {
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EA designed it to be 'accessible'
Electronic Arts' CFO Blake Jorgensen admitted Star Wars Battlefront's "accessible" design "may not have the depth [hardcore players] wanted in the game."
Talking at the Nasdaq Investor Conference in Europe and reported by Gamespot, Jorgensen has now acknowledged that the game's design may lack substance for experienced gamers.
"Star Wars Battlefront is a first-person shooter, but it is [one of] the only teen-rated first-person shooters," Jorgensen said. "We had designed it to be a much more accessible product to a wide age group.
"So, an 8-year-old could play with his father on the couch, as well as a teenager or 20-year-old could play the game and enjoy it. It is more accessible. And for the hardcore, it may not have the depth that they wanted in the game."
Electronic Arts COO recently reported that he was "a little bit" surprised by GameStop's comments that Star Wars Battlefront had "underperformed."
What do you think of Jorgensen's comments? | {
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Check out our new site Makeup Addiction
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COnstantly downvoted Spends all day upvoting in "new" | {
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Jelle Martens
Eight years ago, Polish hacker Joanna Rutkowska was experimenting with rootkits—tough-to-detect spyware that infects the deepest level of a computer's operating system—when she came up with a devious notion: What if, instead of putting spyware inside a victim's computer, you put the victim's computer inside the spyware?
At the time, a technology known as virtualization was becoming easier to implement on PCs, allowing anyone to create a miniature operating system, known as a virtual machine, inside their main operating system. Rutkowska manipulated virtualization into a mind-contorting weapon called a Blue Pill attack. Without them knowing, her rootkit moved the victim's entire OS into a virtual machine controlled by the hacker, allowing everything the target did to be watched. The victim's digital world would suddenly exist inside an alternate reality, and no amount of antivirus or antirootkit scanning could break the system out of that aquarium. “Your operating system swallows the Blue Pill and it awakes inside the Matrix,” Rutkowska wrote in a blog post explaining the trick. Eventually she honed the maneuver so that not even launching another virtual machine inside the Blue Pilled system would glitch the illusion—her attack supported a dream within a dream.
Joanna Rutkowska | The metahacker turned the notion of spyware—and defenses against it—inside out. Joe McKendry
But as years passed, no real-world instances of Blue Pill attacks were discovered, even after other researchers developed tests capable of detecting the technique. Rutkowska's explanation? For normal spies and cybercriminals, ordinary rootkits work just fine. “There are still so many places in a Windows kernel to hide traditional malware,” she says. “I was as vulnerable as any other user. This was annoying.”
So Rutkowska flipped the game, this time in favor of the defenders. Four years ago her Warsaw-based firm, Invisible Things Lab, started developing its own operating system known as Qubes. The free open source OS lets users set up a collection of virtual machines on their PC, with a simple central interface to manage each quarantined system. Careful users can keep their personal online activities isolated in one virtual machine, for instance, while they do their work in another, and their banking in a third. (Rutkowska typically runs about 15.) Open a malicious email attachment or click on an infected website and the malware can't break out of that one contaminated container.
If it works as promised, even NSA-level exploits would be contained to a single compartment in Qubes’ architecture, one that could be evaporated and re-created at will. Recovering from even the nastiest hacker attack, in other words, could soon be as easy as waking from a bad dream.
This story appears in WIRED issue 22.12, guest edited by Christopher Nolan. | {
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PARIS (Reuters) - Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV and Renault SA are looking for ways to resuscitate their collapsed merger plan and secure the approval of the French carmaker’s alliance partner Nissan Motor Co Ltd , according to several sources close to the companies.
Nissan is poised to urge Renault to significantly reduce its 43.4% stake in the Japanese company in return for supporting a FCA-Renault tie-up, two people with knowledge of its thinking also told Reuters.
It is still far from clear whether any concerted effort to revive the complex and politically fraught deal can succeed. FCA Chairman John Elkann abruptly withdrew his $35 billion merger offer in the early hours of June 6 after the French government, Renault’s biggest shareholder, blocked a vote by its board and demanded more time to win Nissan’s backing. Nissan representatives had said they would abstain.
The failure, which FCA and Renault blamed squarely on the French government, deprived both companies of an opportunity to create the world’s third-biggest carmaker with 5 billion euros ($5.6 billion) in promised annual synergies.
It also shone a harsh light on Renault’s relations with Nissan, which have gone from frayed to fried since the November arrest of former alliance Chairman Carlos Ghosn, now awaiting trial in Japan on financial misconduct charges he denies.
REVIVAL TALKS
Italian-American FCA - whose brand stable encompasses Fiat runabouts, Jeep SUVs, RAM pickups and Maserati sports cars - has so far turned a deaf ear to suggestions by French officials that its merger proposal could be revisited.
But since the breakdown, Elkann and his French counterpart Jean-Dominique Senard have had talks about reviving the plan that left the Renault chairman and his Chief Executive Thierry Bollore upbeat about that prospect, three alliance sources said.
Renault and a spokesman for FCA declined to comment.
One of Elkann’s senior advisors on the Renault merger bid, Toby Myerson, was expected at Nissan headquarters in Yokohama on Monday for exploratory discussions with top management, two people with knowledge of the matter said. Nissan CEO Hiroto Saikawa is likely to attend. Myerson did not respond to a message from Reuters seeking comment.
The meeting comes amid mounting strains that may preclude compromise, after Senard warned Saikawa that Renault was prepared to block key Nissan governance reforms in a dispute over board committees.
Alternatively, the escalating tensions and negotiating positions could give way to a breakthrough, as FCA-Renault’s industrial logic and savings prove hard to ignore.
REBALANCING ACT
Saikawa, who has argued consistently that alliance shareholdings need “rebalancing” to reflect Nissan’s superior size, would press for a substantial reduction to Renault’s stake as part of any agreement, according to the same people. Nissan’s 15% stake in Renault carries no voting rights.
“If FCA are expecting some sort of negotiation, they must be anticipating that request,” said one.
The FCA-Renault deal that Elkann whipped off the table – at least for now – would have seen both companies acquired by a listed Dutch holding company owned 50-50 by current FCA and Renault shareholders, after payment of a 2.5 billion euro special dividend to FCA shareholders.
Paris had secured stronger job guarantees and terms including a cash payment to Renault shareholders, following public criticism that the bid undervalued Renault.
FILE PHOTO: The logos of Renault and Fiat carmakers are seen in Nice, France, June 3, 2019. REUTERS/Eric Gaillard/File Photo
For Nissan, however, the merger would “swap out one small 43% shareholder for a bigger 43% shareholder it doesn’t know,” said a source familiar with top management thinking. Nissan could back the FCA-Renault deal only with a “substantial reduction” in the French carmaker’s holding, they said.
France may not automatically oppose a reduction to the Nissan holding if it secured Renault’s place at the heart of a consolidated group. The government has also said it could reduce its own 15% Renault holding, to the same end.
“All options can be considered,” Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire told Le Figaro after the deal collapsed, when asked about Japanese pressure for Renault to reduce its Nissan stake.
But a senior ministry official declined to elaborate on that possibility. “The proposal is gone,” he said.
FCA may also be prepared to compromise for a tie-up that promises to plug the technology gaps threatening its ability to keep pace with vehicle electrification and emissions compliance.
It has few other potential partners, after talks with Peugeot maker PSA ended inconclusively earlier this year. Estimated FCA-PSA synergies were closer to 3 billion euros, according to one person briefed on the matter.
FCA has already floated a call option that would allow Nissan to increase its 7.5% voting stake in the combined FCA-Renault, another person involved in the talks said.
Nonetheless, anything beyond a token reduction of Renault’s Nissan stake would likely upset the deal valuations and prove unpalatable to its prospective merger partner.
“It’s not something FCA would want to reduce,” the same person said. “It’s an intrinsic part of the value of Renault.”
Elkann and Senard had planned to press ahead with a merger agreement and formal talks over Nissan’s abstention, in the belief that the deal economics would compel it to follow and cooperate, sources close to the Renault board have said.
By blocking that strategy at the eleventh hour, the French state may have handed the Japanese company a new negotiating opportunity. One thing Renault and Nissan can agree on is that any window to revive the merger is likely to be short.
“If there’s going to be a deal it will probably be in weeks rather than months,” one alliance executive said. | {
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Chad Wolf testified this week before Congress, where he had to answer for Trump’s dangerously incompetent coronavirus response and defend Trump’s budget, which prioritizes his unnecessary border wall over essential health care, education and social safety net programs.
Wolf’s first budget hearing yesterday was rough. Senators from both parties called him out for his lack of expertise on key issues, including Trump’s coronavirus response.
Washington Post: “Trump’s DHS head has a brutal exchange on coronavirus — courtesy of a GOP senator.”
Politico: “At the homeland security budget hearing, Sen. John Neely Kennedy (R-La.) criticized Wolf for not providing enough information about risks from the outbreak. ‘You’re supposed to keep us safe, and the American people deserve some straight answers on the coronavirus, and I’m not getting them from you,’ Kennedy said.”
Washington Post’s Nick Miroff: “Wolf told senators he doesn’t know how many times smugglers have tried to saw through new sections of border wall. We asked DHS and CBP for that info when we wrote this story back in Nov. We’re still waiting”
As Trump’s budget called for cuts to essential health care, education and social safety net programs, it boosted funds for his cruel immigration agenda.
New York Times: “President Trump is expected to propose on Monday a $4.8 trillion budget that will include billions of additional dollars for his wall along the southern border and steep cuts to safety net programs like Medicaid, disability insurance and housing assistance, according to senior administration officials and documents reviewed by The New York Times.”
Axios: “The White House is asking for a boost to this year’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) budget, a proposal that includes 60,000 detention beds … ICE held record numbers of migrants in detention during and shortly after the border crisis last summer — reaching an average of 55,000 detained migrants per day. But the detained population never reached close to 60,000.”
Vox: “He would also allocate a total of $126 million to support his Migrant Protection Protocols, also known as the “remain in Mexico” policy, under which more than 60,000 migrants have been sent back to Mexico to wait on a decision on their asylum applications in the US. The vast majority of that money would go to the operation of temporary tent court facilities in US border towns, where Democrats say migrants affected by MPP aren’t getting fair hearings.”
Trump is seeking $2 billion in taxpayer dollars for his unnecessary border wall while planning to steal billions more from military projects.
Wall Street Journal: “The Trump administration plans to request $2 billion in new funding for border-wall construction, significantly less than the amount it sought last year … The smaller proposal, the officials said, reflects the fact that the administration needs fewer resources to build a wall along the U.S. southern border, as it has essentially met its funding goals by shifting money from the military toward construction.”
Politico: “The surprise reprogramming of another $3.8 billion, transmitted to Congress and provided to POLITICO, means the Pentagon will have forked over nearly $10 billion since last year to help pay for President Donald Trump’s border wall.”
Trump’s budget aims to cut FEMA’s flood mapping program and funding for repairs of “high-hazard” dams that could cause catastrophic harm if they fail.
E&E News: “The administration also is trying again to cut FEMA’s flood-mapping budget to $100 million from $263 million, saying that mapping the nation’s floodplains ‘is not solely a federal responsibility.’ Congress has blocked each attempted budget cut.”
E&E News: “The administration is renewing its effort to eliminate a $10 million FEMA program, enacted in the final month of the Obama administration, that helps communities pay for repairs to ‘high-hazard’ dams whose failure could result in loss of life.” | {
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Image copyright Getty Images
Councils in England will be banned from charging people to take part in weekend fun runs under rules being proposed by the government.
Free events, organised by the Parkrun group to encourage fitness, attract thousands of runners on 5km courses (3 miles) in parks across the country.
A parish council near Bristol last year proposed charging entrants £1 each, citing the cost of upkeep of paths.
Communities Secretary Sajid Javid is to consult on the proposed legislation.
The proposals would make it illegal for local authorities to charge Parkrun or junior Parkrun, which organises 2km runs for children, for the use of a public park.
'Free access'
Ministers will also examine whether the plans should be extended to other organisers of fun runs, and to different users of parks such as professional dog walkers and personal trainers.
The consultation says that "local authorities quite legitimately charge for a variety of different events and specific activities that take place in local parks".
It continues: "However, the government does not consider it appropriate for a local authority to charge a volunteer community seeking to provide a free weekly event for the use of a public park, overturning our long standing convention of free access to parks for their everyday use."
Parkrun, a not-for-profit company which organises free, weekly, timed runs around the world, began life in 2004 with an event in Teddington, south-west London.
'Fantastic opportunity'
Olympic Gold medallist Dame Kelly Holmes was among those who condemned the decision by Stoke Gifford Parish Council's to charge Parkrun competitors a fee in April last year.
The council said the three-year-old event had led to "increased wear on the park". But Parkrun closed the event over the decision saying its ethos was to stage it at no financial cost to each entrant.
The government has said it supports the principles behind the runs - community and volunteer led opportunities for people to get involved in healthy exercise.
Mr Javid added: "These sporting events offer a fantastic opportunity to bring people together and improve their fitness too. These new rules will make sure this continues and prevent any council from charging for the everyday use of public parks."
Tom Williams, chief operating officer for Parkrun UK, said not being charged for access was key to sustaining the runs set up by the group.
He added: "It's fantastic to see the government committed to protecting the principle of free community access to public parks.
"However, it's just as important that local authorities receive the support required to ensure these wonderful areas of open space are available for future generations.
"This consultation represents a fantastic opportunity for us all to consider the most appropriate strategy for increasing engagement across our parks whilst protecting their future." | {
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Shocking video has emerged of a suspected engine fire at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York late on Thursday evening.
The Argentina Airlines flight, set to fly to Buenos Aires, was on the runway preparing for takeoff when a loud bang and flash of orange light surrounded the plane. | {
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On former President Jimmy Carter's farmland, where nut and soybean crops once stretched as far as the eye could see, there are now 3,852 solar panels providing clean energy for much of Plains, Georgia.
Carter has long championed clean energy — he was the first president to use solar panels at the White House, explaining in 1979: "A generation from now, this solar heater can either be a curiosity, a museum piece, an example of a road not taken, or it can be just a small part of one of the greatest and most exciting adventures ever undertaken by the American people."
In 2017, the SolAmerica company worked with Carter to install solar panels on 10 acres of his farm, with the goal of powering most of Plains. Plains is home to 727 residents, and today, those solar panels provide more than half the town's power. One megawatt produces enough energy to keep the lights on in 400 to 900 homes, and the Carter farm's solar panels can provide 1.3 megawatts a day under the right conditions, People reports. SolAmerica Energy President George Mori told the magazine that by 2042, the panels are expected to have provided more than 55 million kilowatt hours of power.
The solar panels at the White House were dismantled by former President Ronald Reagan, and are on display at museums around the world, including the Smithsonian National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C., and the Carter Presidential Library in Atlanta.
More stories from theweek.com
The coronavirus recession?
The real third way in 2020
Top member of Trump's coronavirus task force asks Twitter for help accessing map of virus
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WASHINGTON — Banks, fintech firms and data aggregators are asking regulators to provide more clarity on how to handle consumer data and who is responsible for leaks when it is shared between firms — a request that’s seemingly a reversal from the deregulatory approach the industry often takes.
The potential liability stemming from consumer data has become a critical concern for the financial industry as more data aggregators and fintech firms rapidly enter the space, seeking access to customers' bank account information in order to offer loans and other products.
While banks, fintechs and aggregators are working to develop their own standards, there is a growing recognition that regulators also need to step in.
“It’s all well and good for us to have contractual agreements even amongst the banks and the fintechs” but “ultimately there will have to be regulatory involvement here to spell out what the expectations are from a regulator safety and soundness standpoint,” said Steve Boms, president of public policy strategist Allon Advocacy LLC, during a Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. conference this week.
Boms was speaking on behalf of the Consumer Financial Data Rights Group, a consortium of data aggregators and fintech firms who are backing a set of data sharing standards just launched by three leading aggregators: Envestnet’s Yodlee, Quovo and Morningstar’s ByAllAccounts. The four standards announced Thursday are meant to encourage data sharing without creating safety and soundness concerns across parties. Other groups have launched similar standards.
The problem, however, is that such rules have to be voluntarily adopted by the industry and do not have as much of a widespread impact as formal guidance or rulemaking.
“You have to be sure the consumer data will be protected. There has to be standards of policing, reliability and accountability, which is a big problem right now,” said Jo Ann Barefoot, CEO of Barefoot Innovation Group and a former deputy comptroller of the currency. “Policymakers need to explore it and allow some breathing room for some experimentation and testing of these ideas. And to do so in a way that does not leave the industry terrified that any little well-intentioned mistake could end up with regulatory catastrophe.”
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau released a set of principles in October 2017 as part of a requirement in the Dodd-Frank Act. That measure, in Section 1033 of the law, said banks must provide data upon the consumer’s request and electronically to be used by computer applications. Many fintech firms and data aggregators say this means banks should give them access to the data when the customer gives permission.
“This is life or death for financial innovation,” Barefoot said. “These innovators have to have access to the kind of information. If they can’t get it, then financial innovation will die.”
But bankers are concerned that if too much data is given or hacked, the blame will fall largely on the banks, where most of the regulation on data security is applied.
“When a customer is harmed, the bank is usually the first place they come,” Rob Morgan, vice president of emerging technologies at the American Bankers Association, said during the FDIC conference. “But when it moves out of my environment and I have no ability to control for that risk . . . we think that that liability needs to sit” with the responsible party.
Morgan added that this concern was the reason banks have been careful not to give third parties full access to consumer when authorized, though he added that banks are not resisting requests either.
“I’m dispelling the myth that banks don’t want to share this data,” he said. Banks will share the data “so long as it’s done right by the customers.”
In an attempt to find a middle ground, Boms said the Consumer Financial Data Rights group is working on technology that would allow greater “traceability” when consumer data is moving from a bank to various third parties and data aggregators. Essentially each piece of data is encoded with a unique identifier that every party has access to. When a breach occurs, they can decode exactly when and who is liable.
“At the end of the day, the liability cannot rest solely on one entity in the chain and by that, I mean it can’t rest solely on the banks” or data aggregators, Boms said during the FDIC conference. “To do this though . . . you need to be able to implement traceability and that’s something that our community, the CFDR, is in the process of doing right now.”
During the FDIC conference, agency officials moderating the event were careful not to take a stance on any potential policy positions with regard to data aggregation, only emphasizing the CFPB’s existing principles.
However, FDIC Chairman Martin Gruenberg said FDIC officials wanted “to gain a deeper understanding of emerging technologies” being used by banks and the potential risks, namely, cybersecurity.
“This emphasis on risk management is especially important for the FDIC and our fellow regulatory agencies to understand as we supervise insured institutions with evolving business operations,” he said.
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Last night on 19th September for the very first time on French soil, World Warriors Fighting Championship held a martial arts event under the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) and in a caged MMA ring.
‘WWFC Cage Encounter 4’ at the Cirque d’Hiver in Paris marked the fulfilment of a long held dream for France’s mixed martial arts community. Although MMA is not technically illegal in the country, it has in practice been impossible for promoters to secure licenses permitting the use of the caged safety enclosure or strikes on the ground. IMMAF affiliate, the Commission Française de Mixed Martial Arts (CFMMA), has been engaged in a drawn out lobbying campaign for the right to hold MMA competitions.
WWFC made history by utilising an MMA ring in a public event that police refrained from closing down, despite forewarning. With police in attendance, new territory was also charted by the inclusion in the ruleset of strikes on the ground, although elbow strikes were excluded. The event was organized by WWFC promoter Vladimir Teslya.
CFMMA President and IMMAF Board Director Bertrand Amoussou commented:
“We always knew there was a loophole (in the law) but nobody took the risk until yesterday to go so far as to actually organise an MMA event with MMA rules in a cage. This could have been stopped at any time but the police were informed and came only to witness the sportsmanship of MMA.”
The Commission Française de Mixed Martial Arts (CFMMA) commented in a public statement:
“For the first time an event reported to the authorities was held under the Unified Rules of MMA. This sets a legal precedent. We now expect a reaction from the government. However last night it was shown publicly that the fighting is regulated, structured and sanctioned; that the fighters are professionals trained in the various techniques, including those used on the ground; that the audience are people who attend in a spirit of friendly sportsmanship. It is for these reasons that the CFMMA requests again that the state and its highest representative, Francois Hollande, legislate to recognise the existence of this sports discipline, and for it to be permitted under federal guidelines.”
The CFMMA believe that the event, which was sponsored by Adidas Combat Sports, marks the beginning of a new era for MMA in France and predict that the breakthrough may encourage other promoters to hold Unified Rules MMA events. This in turn will make government recognition of mixed martial arts as a sport essential, in order to enable the necessary sanctioning of events.
Source: IMMAF Press Release | {
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SÃO PAULO – O relator da reforma da Previdência no Senado Federal, Tasso Jereissati (PSDB-CE), entregou, na manhã desta terça-feira (27), seu parecer sobre a PEC (Proposta de Emenda à Constituição) que trata do assunto na casa legislativa.
A previsão inicial era que o tucano apresentasse uma primeira versão ainda na semana passada, mas ele pediu mais tempo para concluir o substitutivo e consolidar uma “PEC paralela”, com modificações em relação à versão encaminhada pela Câmara dos Deputados.
A economia projetada por Tasso com as duas PECs é de R$ 1,35 trilhão em dez anos, montante superior ao projetado pelo governo tanto na versão aprovada pelos deputados (R$ 933,5 bilhões) e da proposta original (R$ 1,237 trilhão). A estimativa é que seja gerada economia de R$ 1 trilhão aos cofres da União e mais R$ 350 bilhões aos estados e municípios.
PUBLICIDADE
O texto deverá ser lido nos próximos dias na CCJ (Comissão de Constituição e Justiça), onde será submetido a votação. A presidente do colegiado, Simone Tebet (MDB-MS), disse que, se não houver acordo para a leitura amanhã, uma reunião extraordinária da comissão poderá ser convocada para quinta ou sexta-feira.
Quer saber o que esperar da política nos próximos meses? Insira seu e-mail abaixo e receba, com exclusividade, o Barômetro do Poder – um resumo das projeções dos principais analistas políticos do país:
Depois de tramitar pela CCJ, o projeto vai a plenário, onde precisa ser aprovado por maioria de 3/5 (ou seja, pelo menos 49 votos) em dois turnos. A expectativa do presidente do Senado, Davi Alcolumbre (DEM-AP), é que a PEC seja aprovada em plenário entre os dias 1º e 10 de outubro.
Caso não haja modificações em relação à versão aprovada pela Câmara dos Deputados, a proposta vai a promulgação. Por outro lado, se os senadores decidirem mudar o texto, ele precisa voltar para apreciação dos deputados – o que atrasaria sua tramitação.
É por isso que Tasso trabalha com a construção de uma PEC paralela, com todas as modificações discutidas pelos senadores. Assim, apenas este texto precisaria do aval dos deputados. Dentre os pontos em discussão neste caso estão a reinclusão de estados e municípios e modificações na pensão por morte, benefício que agora não poderá ser inferior a um salário mínimo.
Em coletiva de imprensa, Tasso disse que também suprimiu alguns pontos da PEC aprovada pela Câmara dos Deputados, entre eles um que trata do BPC (Benefício de Prestação Continuada). Ele reiterou, porém, que tal alteração não faz a proposta voltar à análise dos deputados.
Recomendado para você Intervenção cirúrgica Bolsonaro passa por cirurgia e apresenta quadro estável e sem dor, diz boletim O procedimento demorou cerca de 1h30, de acordo com boletim médico do Albert Einstein
(com Bloomberg e Agência Senado) | {
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Since mid-2011 human rights organizations have been denouncing the attacks of the Sudanese arm on civilians in the province of South Kordofan and have spoken of "ethnic cleansing." African media has been reporting of bomb attacks by the Sudanese air force. The most recent reports, at the beginning of February, said a school building was hit and 17 people were killed.
"The north Sudanese army is still trying to conquer this region and occupy it," said Raphael Veicht from Cap Anamur, a German relief organization. For four years, he has been responsible for healthcare provision in South Kordofan and neighboring province, Blue Nile. There are airstrikes almost daily and now, in the dry season, there is fighting on the ground, he told DW.
The African Union demanded the Sudanese government to go into talks with the rebels - the ultimatum ended on Friday (15.02.2013). The United States also called on Khartoum to negotiate with the rebels.
Experts have said Sudan is interested in the oil reserves in South Kordofan and Blue Nile. Tension has run high along the border of Sudan and South Sudan since the south's secession and independence in July 2011. In April 2012, tensions almost escalated to a war.
Tensions on the border
South Kordofan and Blue Nile are in southern of Sudan, on the border with South Sudan. Originally, the provinces were supposed to hold a consultations to decide whether to remain part Sudan or become part of the newly independent South Sudan. Such consultations have not taken place.
Raphael Veicht at work in South Sudan
"Because the people in the Nuba Mountains felt that they were not being represented adequately by the government in Khartoum, they decided again to rebel," said Ernst Jan Hogendoorn from think tank International Crisis Group.
The rebels fighting the government call themselves the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) - it is an offshoot of the SPLM, which fought for the independence of South Sudan in a long civil war. A peace agreement signed the government in Khartoum and SPLM led to the eventual independence of South Sudan in 2011.
More than 3.5 million people live in South Kordofan and Blue Nile. Most of them are dark-skinned and believe mainly in Christianity or traditional religions, as opposed to the population in the north which tends to be lighter-skinned and Muslim. This could also be part of the conflict, according to Jehanne Henry, who heads the Africa Department at Human Rights Watch in Kenya.
The rebels don't want really want to be part of South Sudan or create their own country, she said.
"What they want are their rights," Henry said. "What they are trying to do is get power and wealth sharing arrangements in place, so that they can have more power in the central government, and they also talk about the new constitution having human rights be protected."
Difficult access for humanitarian help
The humanitarian situation in South Kordofan and Blue Nile is alarming. Around 700,000 people are threatened by hunger, according to the United Nations. But there's not much that relief organizations can do to help the people.
"The Government of Sudan does not want to give access to humanitarian agencies in [...] north-controlled areas because they claim that that assistance would also go and support those forces that are fighting the government," Hogendoorn said.
Refugees from the two provinces have a difficult time escaping
In addition, the provinces are difficult to reach, German doctor Andreas Hansmann said. He volunteered for two months at a hospital in South Kordofan.
"The only way to leave the provinces is through South Sudan," he told DW.
But South Sudanese capital is 2,000 kilometers (1,242 miles) away from the two provinces. Also, roads are impassable during the rainy season.
Hard to flee
There are few possibilities of places to flee to for anyone who wants to leave. The easiest place to reach is Yida, a border town in South Sudan. At the moment, there are more than 65,000 people there in the refugee camps, according to Doctors Without Borders. Around 300 new refugees arrive daily. That makes the provision of health care difficult, said Doctors Without Borders' Jordan Davidoff.
"There are essentially children who do die because of things like diarrhea and also malaria," he added.
Aid organization said they were concerned about the increase of the population in the refugee camps. They are planning to build additional refugee camps in South Sudan because the conflict looks like it is far from over. | {
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On Monday, Mike Huckabee threatened the GOP with abandonment – of himself and other evangelicals – if Republicans don’t conform to his ‘objective’ standard on marriage equality. The occasion was an interview on Newsmax TV, wherein commentator Kathleen Walter asked:
“Do you see the [GOP] ever pivoting or doing a 180 on gay marriage?”
Huckabee answered:
“They might. And if they do, they’re going to lose a large part of their base because evangelicals will take a walk. And it’s not because there’s an anti-homosexual mood, and nobody’s homophobic that I know of, but many of us, and I consider myself included, base our standards not on the latest Washington Post poll, but on an objective standard, not a subjective standard.”
Hold the phone! An objective standard? What, exactly, is that standard? Huckabee obliges:
“Let me explain what I mean by that. If we have subjective standards, that means that we’re willing to move our standards based on the prevailing whims of culture. Politicians have an obligation to be thermostats, not just thermometers. They’re not simply to reflect the temperature of the room, or the culture, as it were. They’re to set the standards for law, for what’s right, for what’s wrong, understanding that not everybody’s going to agree with it. On this issue, I recognize the culture is moving away from the traditional standard…”
What’s right and what’s wrong are objective calls, free from the influence of culture? And they have to do with tradition? Someone buy the man a dictionary! Please. In the meantime, here are a few definitions, straight from Merriam-Webster:
“Definition of OBJECTIVE…of, relating to, or being an object, phenomenon, or condition in the realm of sensible experience independent of individual thought and perceptible by all observers.”
Got that? PERCEPTIBLE BY ALL OBSERVERS. Like, maybe a hurricane or the Ozarks. But, to expand on the definition:
“…expressing or dealing with facts or conditions as perceived without distortion by personal feelings, prejudices, or interpretations.”
Of course, Huckabee’s standards are free from distortion by feelings, prejudices, and interpretations – since they are founded on tradition – right? Let’s see what Merriam-Webster has to say about that:
“Definition of TRADITION…an inherited, established, or customary pattern of thought, action, or behavior (as a religious practice or a social custom)…a belief or story or a body of beliefs or stories relating to the past that are commonly accepted as historical though not verifiable…the handing down of information, beliefs, and customs by word of mouth or by example from one generation to another without written instruction…cultural continuity in social attitudes, customs, and institutions.”
Social custom? Culture? Tradition is a cultural attitude? An inherited pattern of thought that’s NOT VERIFIABLE?
Who does Mike Huckabee – ordained Southern Baptist minister, former religious radio broadcaster, and current Fox News commentator – think he’s fooling, claiming to be an objective arbiter of standards, free of cultural influences and personal opinions? Aside from himself, conservative Newmax listeners, and such media outlets as The Christian Post, he’s apparently got the backing of the GOP’s Republican National Committee Chair, Reince Priebus. Last week, Priebus told reporters that Republicans should listen to Huckabee on the issues:
“I always tell people: Listen to Governor Mike Huckabee. I don’t know anyone that talks about them any better.”
Really, Reince? ‘Cause your boy is telling evangelicals to take a walk and he’s going with them – due to his ‘objective’ standards on the issue of equal marriage. Listening to Huckabee is likely to result in the formation of a third political party – or maybe a fourth and fifth. After all, the GOP has splinters and fractures galore, and who wants to wind up in a party made of evangelicals? With no glue to hold the rest of the Republicans together, they’ll go flying off in every direction. Like confetti. How entertaining for the ‘subjective’ part of the country.
I’d be delighted if you joined me on Facebook or checked out my previous articles. | {
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The podcast about chain restaurants. Comedians Mike Mitchell and Nick Wiger review fast food/sit-down chains and generally argue about food/everything.
The 'boys are joined by Ify Nwadiwe (Nerdificent, Candy Dinner, Who Shot Ya?) to discuss their favorite fat food chains in high school and to review Lee's Sandwiches, a Vietnamese-American chain specializing in bánh mì sandwiches. Plus, a listener submitted edition of Cereal. | {
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Georgia PSC chairman says Vogtle in “in a better position to move forward” than recently cancelled Plant Summer project
In a recent statement, Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC) Chairman Stan Wise emphasized the differences between the Plant Vogtle nuclear expansion project in Burke County, Georgia and the South Carolina Plant Summer project, which was recently cancelled.
Because of these differences, Georgia Power’s Plant Vogtle project “may be in a better position to move forward” than the Plant Summer project, Wise said.
Wise also announced his intent to ask the PSC, its staff, and Georgia Power to develop a schedule that
results in a decision by the end of the year on whether the project will move forward and, if the project continues, to approve changes to the schedule and cost.
“The dissimilarities of these projects should be recognized before making any suppositions on whether construction will continue at Plant Vogtle based on decisions made in South Carolina,” Wise said in the statement.
Santee Cooper and SCANA Corp. in July announced their intent to abandon their expansion plans for the Summer Plant in South Carolina. Problems with Westinghouse Electric’s AP1000 reactor design contributed to significant cost overruns, leading to the cancellation of the project. These design problems led Westinghouse, the project’s construction contractor, to file for bankruptcy.
That decision left Plant Vogtle as the only nuclear plant under construction in the United States. The plant, however, has been experiencing similar reactor design and cost overrun problems.
While Wise recognized that the $100 million currently spent each month on the project poses a risk to ratepayers, he listed four factors that he said separate the current project from the one that was recently cancelled.
Wise noted that the rate impact of the Georgia project will be spread over three times as many customers as the South Carolina project, and the rate impact has so far been only 5 percent compared to Plant Summer’s 18 percent.
Toshiba, the parent company of Westinghouse, also offered $3.7 billion as a parental guarantee for the Plant Vogtle expansion, while it offered just $2.2 billion for the Summer expansion. This gives Plant Vogtle’s owners a better chance of making up the costs caused by Westinghouse’s departure.
Lastly, Wise said, the cost of the Plant Vogtle project is spread across four co-owners, while the South Carolina project had just two.
“These factors suggest the Plant Vogtle project may be in a better position to move forward than the project in South Carolina,” Wise said. | {
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Bitcoin has a capped maximum supply of 21 million coins and its network is secured by miners. The miners are specialized hardware that uses a consensus mechanism called “proof of work” to verify each block of bitcoin transactions. Miners are rewarded when they ‘find’ a block with the newly-created bitcoins. This is called the block reward and this is how new bitcoins are released into the system.
A new block filled with transactions is added to the Bitcoin blockchain approximately every 10 minutes and the miner that verifies each block receives the block reward. The current block reward is 12.5 bitcoins per block. On average, 144 blocks are mined per day. 12.5 new bitcoins are generated with each block. This gives an approximate of 1,800 new bitcoins mined per day.
The number of new bitcoins that are created via the block reward is reduced by half every 210,000 blocks, approximately four years. This is known as the Bitcoin Halving. In 2009 the Bitcoin mining rewards started at 50 BTC per block. On 28th November 2012, the first Bitcoin halving took place to reduce the mining rewards to 25 BTC. On the 9th of July 2016, the second halving took mining reward down to 12.5 BTC. The next halving will be the third halving, which is expected to happen on the 4th of May 2020. At that time the block reward of 12.5 bitcoins will be reduced by half, to 6.25 bitcoins.
Each halving reduces the rate of new Bitcoin entering into the supply until no more new Bitcoins are created at all in the year 2140. In 2140 the 64th and last Halving occurs and no new Bitcoin will ever be created. This process was coded in Bitcoin’s code by its creator, Satoshi Nakamoto. This mechanism is reducing the total supply over time.
How will the halving affect miners?
The main source of income for a miner is the block reward that you get when you ‘find’ a block. The amount of Bitcoin that is mined in that block could then be sold for fiat currency. This means that the actual profitability of a miner is highly dependent on the price of Bitcoin and how many Bitcoins are mined. The mining process has some costs for miners, like the hardware cost and the electricity cost. So when the halving occurs a miner would earn 50% fewer Bitcoins per mined block, while the costs remain largely the same. So in order to offset this and keep the same profitability the price of Bitcoin would need to double.
This is most noticeable when looking at the minimum price of Bitcoin that is needed for mining viability — the price for a miner to make back all the costs including the purchase of machines. This minimum price will now increase significantly, in itself this does not have to be a bad thing, but it is something that needs to be taken into account should the price of Bitcoin decrease. If the price of Bitcoin falls under the minimum price for a miner to be profitable that miner will shut off the machine, and when that happens the network difficulty will drop.
According to the laws of demand and supply, the scarcity of the Bitcoin supply will lead to an increase in Bitcoin demand, leading to a rise in prices. But this is only in theory, and no one can predict when this will happen. What the miners can do is stay ahead of the problem and find various ways to deploy the most efficient mining hardware and have low electricity prices.
Elite Mining takes these future events into account by making sure to get good deals on equipment and very low electricity costs. This helps keep the minimum price of Bitcoin that EMI needs remarkably low, therefore making us extremely competitive.
—
Written and researched by Erald Cipi from the EMI R&D department. | {
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This is definitely one of the best shots in the sport of Hockey that I have ever seen.
In this video, the shooter manages to shuffle the puck through his legs, then do a full spin and hit it in backwards with his stick.
Enjoy! | {
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Southwest Airlines' Hawaii service debuted Sunday, finally giving the nation's largest domestic carrier a footprint in the vacation hot spot.
Southwest Flight 6808, a 5 1/2-hour nonstop flight from Oakland, California, to Honolulu, landed at 2 p.m. local time. It was met by Hawaii Governor David Ige and Southwest Airlines President Tom Nealon.
Passengers on the inaugural flight were treated to leis and in-flight hula dancing and were the first to sample the expanded snack pack that will be served on the no-frills airline's Hawaii flights. In addition to the airline's standard red bag of pretzels, passengers got Wheat Thins, Welch's fruit snacks, Tic Tacs and a white-cheddar cheese spread. New drinks include Longboard Island Lager from Kona Brewing Company, Minute Maid pineapple orange juice and Blue Chair Bay coconut spiced rum.
"It's been a big hole in our network," Southwest Airlines Executive Vice President and Chief Revenue Officer Andrew Watterson said. "We fully expect because of our new service that more people in California will be able to enjoy warm water in the Hawaiian islands and also the people of Hawaii, to be able to come to the mainland for education, jobs and also for their vacation time."
Southwest has talked about adding Hawaii to its route map for years and made it a priority in late 2017 when it applied for Federal Aviation Administration certification for long over-water flights with its Boeing 737s. A slew of competitors, including United, Alaska, Delta, American and Hawaiian Airlines, have long had flights to the bucket-list destination.
Southwest's approval from the FAA arrived in late February, and the airline started selling tickets to Hawaii on March 4, with fares as low as $49 each way. The cheapest seats sold out within hours, and some flights sold out completely.
More:These are all of the routes U.S. airlines fly to Hawaii
The airline is starting small, with one flight each way daily between Oakland and Honolulu.
Southwest will add a second daily flight between Oakland and Honolulu on March 24.
Related:Why can't Midwest and East Coast travelers find Southwest Airlines return flights from Hawaii?
In April, the airline will add daily flights between Oakland and Maui and begin inter-island flights.
In May, the airline begins flights between San Jose and Honolulu and Maui.
These are the starting dates for those routes:
Oakland-Maui: April 7
Oakland-Kona May 12
San Jose-Honolulu: May 5
San Jose-Kona: May 12
San Jose-Maui: May 26
Southwest plans to fly nonstop from San Diego and Sacramento to Hawaii and also plans to serve the island of Kauai, but it has not announced when those flights will begin.
Travelers pepper the airline daily with questions about when those routes will begin and when tickets will go on sale.
Southwest CEO Gary Kelly has repeatedly called Hawaii a big opportunity for the airline, especially given its strong presence in California.
The airline's initial Hawaii flights are on the Boeing 737-800, but Southwest has long said it plans to use the newer, more-fuel-efficient Boeing 737 Max 8 on flights to Hawaii.
But that's the plane that was grounded by the FAA last week in the wake of two fatal crashes in less than five months.
More: You don't have to be on a 737 Max to be affected by the grounding
More: Boeing 737 Max: How many of these planes fly for Southwest, American, United, and where?
The grounding won't impact Southwest's Hawaii plans in the near term because the airline hasn't even had the plane certified for long over-water flights. Spokesman Brian Parrish said last week that Southwest has no timetable for seeking ETOPS certification for the Max 8. ETOPS stands for extended range twin engine operational performance standards.
ETOPs certification, a lengthy process involving new flight manuals and procedures, training and exercises and test flights with FAA officials, is required for twin-engine planes on routes where alternate airports aren't in close range should flight troubles arise.
The grounding did affect some Hawaii flights on competitor United Airlines. The carrier uses the Boeing 737 Max 9 on some flights between Los Angeles and Hawaii.
More: Why can't Midwest and East Coast travelers find return flights from Hawaii on Southwest
More: Southwest flights to Hawaii: 12 things you need to know
More:Here are 10 things to do on Oahu when you get there | {
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Read the entire “Are We Ready?” series here.
In the 1920s, developers led by businessman Walter Dillingham carved a 1.5-mile channel across the Waikiki landscape, draining the wetlands that had supported taro farming there for generations.
At the time, the goal was to replace those wetlands with a neighborhood that evoked coastal Southern California.
What ultimately sprung up instead, as chronicled in a 2013 Civil Beat special report, was a dense skyline of towering hotels and condominiums, high-end boutiques, souvenir shops and congested streets. Waikiki took off. Today, the millions of visitors drawn there each year form the cornerstone of the state’s tourism economy.
But the Ala Wai Canal also left one of the island’s most crowded destinations dangerously susceptible to flooding.
Cory Lum/Civil Beat
The low-lying wetlands that once absorbed the heavy rain waters that rush down Oahu’s steep mountain slopes and out of its eastern valleys are gone.
In their place lies an unfinished man-made canal — one that’s incapable of handling the full force of swift-moving flood waters from the Makiki, Manoa and Palolo watersheds in a severe storm, including a hurricane.
When Hurricane Lane approached, “lucky for us, the rain didn’t transpire here,” said Michael Wyatt, chief of the civil and public works branch at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Honolulu. Nonetheless, “It is notoriously difficult to predict where that rain is actually going to land.”
The Ala Wai was originally supposed to have at least two outlets to the ocean: its existing mouth at the boat harbor and a second one that flowed all the way to Kaimana Beach.
Instead, its developers abruptly stopped the canal near Kapiolani Park — partly because they ran out of money and partly because they realized the pollution from the Kaimana outlet would drift across Waikiki Beach.
Now, thanks to the Ala Wai, a severe storm could leave much of Waikiki and its surrounding neighborhoods underwater.
“When the water hits that valley floor, for better or for worse, that’s where all our development is,” Wyatt said.
Cory Lum/Civil Beat
The Corps of Engineers estimates that each year the popular tourist hub, along with its 54,000 residents and nearly 80,000 daily visitors, faces a 1 percent chance of a major flood that would cause $1.14 billion in damage to more than 3,000 structures. In July, Congress dedicated $345 million to fortify the canal and the streams that now feed it.
Related Cory Lum/Civil Beat Feds Will Spend $345 Million To Prevent A Devastating Waikiki Flood July 17, 2018
Cory Lum/Civil Beat Courtesy of U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Ala Wai Canal Flood Control: The High Cost of Protecting Waikiki September 1, 2015
Courtesy of U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Hawaii State Archives Ala Wai Canal: Hawaii’s Biggest Mistake? May 20, 2013
Local and federal officials hope that funding will finally address a potentially fatal engineering mistake committed almost a century ago. But the project will still take at least four years to complete.
In early September, heavy rains from Tropical Storm Olivia gushed down Nuuanu Valley — another Oahu watershed that’s just west of Makiki.
Board of Water Supply crews knew the water was coming and started siphoning water out a reservoir near the base of the valley ahead of time. Despite that work, the waters rose worrisomely close to breaching an earthen dam there — about 1.5 feet shy of the spillway.
Fire department crews eventually doubled BWS’ efforts to drain more water and avert a breach. Had that happened, some 10,000 people in the waters’ path to the harbor would have been evacuated.
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NOVEMBER 7 – I made the decision to leave the church and become an atheist sometime in 2012.
I was a Christian for a decade and attended an evangelical church where I had led a small group of fellow believers. As cell group leader, I was very passionate in the faith. I’d even participated in an evangelism course to learn how to attract others to church.
Like the diligent student that I was, I completed every assignment in the course and took non-Christian friends out for badminton or dinner to try to share the gospel with them, besides inviting them to tea parties or other social outings organised by the cell group.
I was not raised a Christian. I don’t know any Sunday school songs. When I was a child, my parents had taught me a vague version of Buddhism mixed with Taoism.
There was a small statue of the Monkey God on the altar at home, glowing in an ominous red light. I used to pray before it for things like exams. I did not have any real belief that this little wooden thing would actually hear me and grant my wishes for straight As, but praying to it became a routine every evening, like reading the newspaper or brushing teeth.
Then my father died from cancer when I was 16. I had converted to Christianity shortly before. Jesus Christ seemed more relatable than an impersonal wooden god with a stick that had failed to prevent my father’s illness and death.
The sense of community in the church was strong and soothing like the thrum of a washing machine. A bunch of church members helped my family move house after my father’s death, even though they barely knew us.
For a while, I revelled in my newfound faith. The pastors told me that my father’s death was in accordance with God’s will and that His ways are higher than ours. It didn’t make much sense to me, but death never does, even till this day.
At that time, I just pushed aside the illogicality of the church’s explanations. The close ties, the sense of belonging, the way everyone seemed so together in their worship gave me a sense of purpose at a time when my world had plunged into chaos.
Throughout the years, however, cracks began to appear in my tightly constructed faith.
After the euphoria over my conversion settled down, I started examining my beliefs. I started asking questions.
Chief among them was how women are perceived in the bible. I struggled to reconcile my feminism with verses like how wives are to submit to their husbands just as they do to God (Ephesians 5:22), the head of a wife is her husband (1 Corinthians 11:3), and a wife must be chaste, respectful and possess a gentle and quiet spirit (1 Peter 3: 2-4).
I was most certainly not “quiet”; I was outspoken and very opinionated. I’d begun writing letters to the editor about various issues since I was a teenager.
Then there’s also the Old Testament story of Lot offering his daughters up to be gang-raped when men outside his house demanded sex with his two male visitors.
I tried to rationalise it away. Perhaps what the bible meant by the husband being the “head” of his wife was that men are just the “source” of women, in that God created Eve from Adam’s rib.
I also tried to marry the evolution theory with the bible. God creating the world in seven days was a myth. I believed it more likely that God was the Creator that allowed the natural process to go on its own, a position that Pope Francis recently took when he said evolution was not opposed to the notion of Creation as “evolution presupposes the creation of beings that evolve.”
The church’s obsession with sex, or the control of sexual impulses, disturbed me too. More often than not, the focus on purity and virginity was targeted at women. I used to be torn with guilt at every risqué thought, wondering if God up there was watching, listening, waiting to strike.
The abstinence-only sex education propounded by religious groups instead of safe sex seemed like a harmful public health policy.
In the end, the church could not give me satisfactory answers.
So I decided to leave. After I left the church and stopped praying, I found that my life went on exactly the same. If I wanted to get something done, I’d just work at it as I used to do, only without prayer. It got me the same results.
God became unnecessary.
I don’t have to try to fit in the divine when science can explain the way the world works. It’s not so much that science is opposed to faith; it’s more like science renders God an extraneous variable. Whatever mysteries that remain can be solved in due time as science is constantly evolving and questioning, unlike dogmatic religion that has a fixed view of the world.
Most of all, I don’t have to bother reconciling my idea of women’s rights and the sexist notions in Christianity and other major religions. If other women are happy being submissive to their husbands because the bible tells them to do so, that’s up to them. But at least now, I can choose not to and I'm free to seek a more egalitarian relationship outside the misogynistic boundaries of religion.
I found freedom in atheism, the freedom to think.
*This is the personal opinion of the columnist. | {
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The saga that is the Mueller report is a consequence of what happens when you begin with a conclusion and then desperately seek evidence you hope will confirm it.
The conclusion: Donald Trump was illegitimately elected and that he and/or his campaign conspired with the Russians to undermine Hillary Clinton’s presidential candidacy.
The Chicago Tribune reports that a summary of the report delivered to Congress Sunday by Attorney General William Barr says Special Counsel Robert Mueller “found no evidence President Donald Trump’s campaign “conspired or coordinated” with Russia to influence the 2016 presidential election but reached no conclusion on whether Trump obstructed justice.”
THESE ARE THE PEOPLE WHO STARTED PHONY RUSSIA PROBE – AND MUST ANSWER FOR IT
The president claimed “full exoneration.” Democrats claim Mueller only suggested there was insufficient evidence to prove obstruction of justice and that, as the report says, “It does not exonerate him.”
Democrats will have a hard time making that case with the public because of their stalwart defense of former FBI Director James Comey who said of Hillary Clinton and her email server, “Although we did not find clear evidence that Secretary Clinton or her colleagues intended to violate laws governing the handling of classified information, there is evidence that they were extremely careless in their handling of very sensitive, highly classified information.”
So committed are Democrats to their narrative that Trump is crooked, unfit, unqualified, unstable and unsuitable for the presidency, that no amount of evidence to the contrary will keep them from continuing investigations. House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., says he intends to ask Attorney General Barr to testify before his committee. We can expect plenty of grandstanding by Democratic committee members if that happens.
This is all the Democrats have, other than their presidential candidates promising the moon along with higher taxes to help them reach their impossible social dream.
As The Wall Street Journal noted in a Saturday editorial: “Starting about the time of Donald Trump’s inauguration in January 2017, the press ran story after story based on anonymous ‘intelligence sources’, purporting to establish links between the Trump presidential campaign, or various individuals in the Trump orbit to, well, to what was never exactly clear -- whether Vladimir Putin himself or ‘the Russians.’ This in turn led to multiple congressional investigations, much of them centered on the FBI’s handling of these matters.”
As a result of the Mueller probe, several key Trump advisers have admitted crimes or been convicted since the election, writes The Guardian -- George Papadopoulos, Michael Cohen, Michael Flynn, Rick Gates and Paul Manafort. Manafort, Trump’s former campaign chairman, was recently sentenced on tax and bank fraud charges that date back before the 2016 campaign. Trump was not implicated.
The Mueller investigation is estimated to have cost the U.S. taxpayers about $25 million. Given the results, the report is not worth the expenditure.
The full report should be released as soon as possible, but even that is unlikely to satisfy Democrats, many of whom hate the president and look for any opportunity to harm him politically. But the report won’t stop the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, whose office is investigating Trump’s businesses prior to and even after becoming president.
Nothing will stop the Democrats from coming after the Trump administration.
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One is reminded of what Sir Winston Churchill said in a different context after a small British victory near the start of World War II: “Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.”
That will likely be the mantra of Democrats leading up to the 2020 election. They have only just begun. Voters will have the last word and it may harm Democrats if the president is seen as being persecuted for partisan reasons.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM CAL THOMAS | {
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They almost made it: Mitchell Marsh and Steve Smith leave the field at the WACA Ground on day three of the second Test. Credit:AAP
It is hardly cricket's first-order problem, I know. But it does matter. Great sport is great theatre, in which the entrances and exits matter because they are part of the show, and the stage and the staging has to allow for this, rather than permit the performers to be swept up a gaggle of the forces of commercial imperative before they are three-quarters of the way towards the wings. Can you imagine this for, say, Geoffrey Rush, after doing Shakespeare? Can you imagine it for Don Bradman doing Don Bradman? One of cricket's most evocative photographs is of Bradman walking off the SCG for the last time in 1949, in sunshine still, but about to be swallowed by long shadows. He is alone, and that is the image's undying power.
The sporting stage has another aspect to it. I'll illustrate it obliquely. I once saw the horror on the faces of a couple of ex-Australian players as another ex-player barged blithely into the Australian change room at the MCG. To them, though it was really just an assemblage of bench seats and lockers, you had to earn your right to enter at will, and held it only as long as you were in the team. Thereafter, whether by days or decades, it was strictly by invitation.
Likewise, the playing field is consecrated ground. You earn rather than presume the right to tread it, and for as long as players are on it, it is their domain. This will be too overwrought for some. But in the drama called sport, we consent to the idea of the players as demi-gods, even as we know it not to be true, and so we must also conspire to agree that the arena, though just a swathe of turf, while the players are on it is not a place for mortals. The boundary rope is not merely a length of twine.
I know this will fall on ears that were already deaf before they realised there was a buck to be made out of deafening all others' ears, all day. I ask only that at the MCG on Boxing Day, the consortium that puts on the show and claims to understand what Test cricket is all about demonstrates it by minimising the sundries, ancillaries and ephemera on the arena, literally clearing the stage so that it can be held by the masters of it, and so that whoever emerges as the day's hero gets to walk off in a way that says this day he stands splendidly alone, and not into a mugging. | {
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Hi, @wcarle,
I've been watching Giant Bomb videos through the beta Roku channel for the past couple months and it had been working great. Today when booting it up I saw it had a new layout. I really liked it! The only immediate criticism I had about it is the video's runtime was not listed in the video preview as it had been in the last channel revision.
Anyway, my post is not about that. When loading up that Roku channel, I was able to watch some videos but not premium content ones. To make sure everything was on the up-and-up, I brought up the Roku activation code in-channel and proceeded to https://www.giantbomb.com/app/roku/activate where I attempted to put the code in. Doing so gave me an error, and when I tried to generate a new code on Roku nothing seemed to happen. I figured I would restart the app, but since closing the Giant Bomb Roku channel I have been unable to open it again. I have tried turning the device off and on and also deleting/reinstalling the app. Still no luck.
If you might know how to fix the issue, I'd love to hear it!
Thanks for your time. | {
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As a scholar of modern German history, I've been working on a study of anti-Semitism in Germany and the United States in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. What I saw unfold over the weekend in Charlottesville, Virginia, and then at Bedminster, New Jersey, gave me the horrible, sinking feeling that my book is going to need a new chapter.
On Saturday 12 August 2017, thousands of young Americans marched through the streets of Charlottesville, chanting hate-filled slogans like “blood and soil” and “Jews will not replace us,” and carrying the swastika flag. They clashed with protesters and caused dozens of injuries. A car ploughed into a crowd of people protesting the white supremacist demonstration, killing one person and injuring many more.
Later that day, President Donald Trump issued a statement: “We condemn in the strongest possible terms this egregious display of hatred, bigotry and violence on many sides, on many sides. It has been going on for a long time in our country… not Donald Trump, not Barack Obama. It has been going on for a long, long time. It has no place in America.”
The “hatred, bigotry and violence” he said, came from “many sides” (a point he apparently felt he needed to stress). He did not mention the fact that one side was carrying swastika flags, the flag of Adolf Hitler’s National Socialist Party, the flag of Nazi Germany. He did not specifically condemn those who carried that flag. They were, according to the president, all equally responsible: those who marched under the Nazi banner, and those who opposed them. All equal. Nazis and anti-Nazis.
Violence on the streets of Charlottesville Show all 9 1 /9 Violence on the streets of Charlottesville Violence on the streets of Charlottesville Protesters clash and several are injured White nationalist demonstrators clash with counter demonstrators at the entrance to Lee Park in Charlottesville, Virginia. A state of emergency is declared, August 12 2017 Violence on the streets of Charlottesville Trump supporters at the protest A white nationalist demonstrator walks into Lee Park in Charlottesville, Va., Saturday, Aug. 12, 2017. Hundreds of people chanted, threw punches, hurled water bottles and unleashed chemical sprays on each other Saturday after violence erupted at a white nationalist rally in Virginia. AP Photo Violence on the streets of Charlottesville State police stand ready in riot gear Virginia State Police cordon off an area around the site where a car ran into a group of protesters after a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia AP Photo Violence on the streets of Charlottesville Militia armed with assault rifles White nationalists, neo-Nazis and members of the 'alt-right' with body armor and combat weapons evacuate comrades who were pepper sprayed after the 'Unite the Right' rally was declared a unlawful gathering by Virginia State Police. Militia members marched through the city earlier in the day, armed with assault rifles. Getty Images Violence on the streets of Charlottesville Statue of Confederate General Robert E Lee The statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee stands behind a crowd of hundreds of white nationalists, neo-Nazis and members of the 'alt-right' during the 'Unite the Right' rally 12 August 2017 in Charlottesville, Virginia. They are protesting the removal of the statue from Emancipation Park in the city. Getty Images Violence on the streets of Charlottesville Racial tensions sparked the violence White nationalists, neo-Nazis and members of the 'alt-right' exchange insults with counter-protesters as they attempt to guard the entrance to Lee Park during the 'Unite the Right' rally Getty Violence on the streets of Charlottesville A car plows through protesters A vehicle drives into a group of protesters demonstrating against a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. The incident resulted in multiple injuries, some life-threatening, and one death. AP Photo Violence on the streets of Charlottesville Rescue personnel help injured people after a car ran into a large group of protesters after an white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia AP Photo Violence on the streets of Charlottesville President Donald Trump speaks about the ongoing situation in Charlottesville, Virginia from his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey. He spoke about "loyalty" and "healing wounds" left by decades of racism.
But how is that possible? How can it be that in 2017, the President of the United States, a country that fought Hitler’s Germany and sacrificed hundreds of thousands of its young men in order to ensure its ultimate defeat, could not or would not bring himself to condemn Americans who marched under the flag of the Third Reich?
What does it mean to march under the swastika flag? What does the swastika flag symbolise? What did it mean to the people who hoisted it in Germany – the people who inspired the Americans who marched this weekend in Charlottesville?
Those who inspired the marchers in Charlottesville marched through the streets of Germany, provoking violence, and singing “when Jewish blood spurts from the knife.”
Those who inspired the marchers destroyed democracy and eliminated all civil liberties in Germany.
Those who inspired the marchers demonised Jewish citizens, physically assaulted them, removed them from all aspects of public life, stripped them of their rights, their property, their very ability to survive in the only country they had ever called home.
Those who inspired the marchers carried out the biggest pogrom in modern German history, destroying 267 synagogues, vandalising Jewish businesses, attacking Jews in their homes, and killing hundreds, all in a single night in November 1938.
They demonised and physically attacked political opponents, homosexuals, Roma and Sinti, the handicapped, and any others they considered outside the boundaries of the German racial community.
They murdered more than 70,000 men, women, and children – German citizens! – who had been diagnosed with mental and physical disabilities in just two years between 1939 and 1941.
They started the most destructive war in the history of the world, causing the deaths of tens of millions of people, mostly innocent civilians.
They murdered more than 33,000 Jews in just two days at Babi Yar, outside Kiev, Ukraine, in 1941.
They shot one million unarmed Jewish civilians – men, women, and children – across Eastern Europe in just the last six months of 1941.
They murdered close to three million Jews in the gas chambers of Chelmno, Treblinka, Sobibor, Belzec, Majdanek and Auschwitz.
They enslaved millions of people – Jews and non-Jews – from across Europe to work for their war of conquest.
They fought to destroy the most basic values that America has claimed to stand for over more than two centuries: the fundamental dignity and equality of all people.
The world is a complicated place. There are rarely simple, black and white answers to the problems that confront us. But sometimes, every once in a while, there are. And this is one such moment. If the President of the United States cannot condemn individuals who march under the flag of Adolf Hitler and Nazi Germany, how can he possibly claim to represent America, its values, and all of its citizens? In perhaps the easiest test of his young presidency, Donald Trump has failed, and failed miserably.
Jeremy Corbyn slams Donald Trump over Charlottesville response
It isn’t often that historians get to see their work gain such relevance in the present. And for those of us who study the history of hatred, bigotry, and the evils of Nazi Germany, the prospect of such relevance is most uncomfortable. If my work has taught me anything, it’s the importance of keeping the boundaries of one’s moral universe as wide as possible. In the early twentieth century, too many Germans pushed too many others beyond the boundaries of their moral universe – beyond the borders of the German racial community – where their fate was at best no longer of any concern to them, at worst, they represented an existential threat.
When that happens, the horrors committed under the swastika flag become possible. How safe are we today? How extensive are the boundaries of our own moral universe – each and every one of us? Those who marched in Charlottesville under Hitler’s flag and the President who chose not to condemn them revealed the boundaries of their moral universe to be sadly and frighteningly small. The flag that flew on that horrible day – with that symbol of ultimate evil at its heart – should remind us all just where such a limited sense of fellow feeling can lead. | {
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Brian Greenspun is taking some time off and is turning over his Where I Stand column to others. Today’s guest columnist is Tony Sanchez, who is entering his second season as UNLV’s head football coach.
I have a vision for UNLV football — one that is as big and bold as the place we all call home. I see a day when our football program reflects the success of this great city and helps open our university to a much wider audience.
This is an exciting and important time for UNLV football — not just because we are preparing to open our season in less than two weeks but because of the conference-realignment talks taking place across the country.
One of the steps we must take to be a part of that expansion conversation is something that has been lacking over the past few decades: investment in infrastructure. One factor Power Five conferences look at when considering new members is whether the community has bought into the program, and one of the major ways to determine that is by your facilities.
Yes, we have what we need to compete. But if UNLV is to someday join the highest level of college football, it is important, as President Len Jessup and Athletics Director Tina Kunzer-Murphy have said, to show recruits and potential suitors that we are serious about sustained success. That means building a state-of-the-art team facility on our campus and supporting the building of a stadium near campus.
UNLV didn’t open until 1957 and didn’t field a football team until 11 years later. We don’t have a century’s worth of graduates to help us financially, so it’s going to take more than just alumni to move us forward. It’s going to take businesses, lifelong residents and transplants who have made Las Vegas their home to help us make our dream a reality and help this community become even more attractive.
What better way to tell our story — about our new medical school, our young but acclaimed law school, our world-class hotel program, our impressive engineering department and the work being done to become a Tier One research university — than through a nationally televised three-hour broadcast on Saturday afternoons while playing in a Power Five conference? Those are opportunities that you just can’t put a price tag on. By displaying positive energy, work ethic and determination on all fronts, we can build this program into something that will widen the front porch of this university for student-athletes in all sports, but even more so for generations of future students.
I’m excited and grateful for the people who are stepping up to help us do what we need to do to build the program. We want to add to the success and energy that have made this city world-famous.
Building a state-of-the-art training facility on campus is imperative. We love our home at Sam Boyd Stadium, but we also hope the new stadium deal comes to fruition. Nothing would solidify the city more than being home to an NFL franchise. However, it would also have a major positive impact on this university and football program. The opportunities a new stadium would create are greater than anyone realizes.
My vision for 10 years from now sees us sharing an NFL stadium and playing in a Power Five conference. One aspect that will help make this a reality is our proximity to so many high-level recruits in the Las Vegas area. When I moved here in 2009, Las Vegas was sending seven or eight players to Division I schools every year. This year there will be more than 20, with many going to Power Five programs. What a great thing that would be if we are able to keep our kids home. A perfect example of how to do that in a short amount of time is the University of Houston. The school built a stadium, upgraded its staff and facilities, and put a symbolic fence around the city to keep the best kids at home to play for the hometown team. Last season Houston beat Florida State in a bowl game, and it’s now ranked in the preseason op 10 by some — and is suddenly being talked about as a leading candidate to join the Big 12 Conference.
Why not us, and why not now? We have the benefit of offering the keys to the world’s most exciting and vibrant city and a growing media market that will soon boast state-of-the-art facilities.
Make no mistake, I am fully aware as we approach the 2016 season that it’s important our program shows improvement on the field. And I’m confident our guys will do just that. But there are many steps that need to be taken for this vision of UNLV football to become reality.
Like all great success stories, nobody does it on their own. It all starts Sept. 1 against Jackson State. If you’re on the fence, climb over to join us and see what we can do together.
Go Rebels, and Viva Las Vegas!
The Rebels open their six-game home schedule at 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 1. Season and single-game tickets are available by visiting www.unlvtickets.com or calling 702-739-FANS. | {
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Thiruvananthapuram: The Ministry of Finance has given nod to accept loan from the German financial institution KfW for post-flood rebuilding Kerala activities. Kerala will get Rs 1400 crore ($ 20 crore) as loan and the contract for the same will be signed soon.
The state is going to avail loan from the German bank soon after the World Bank allotted Rs 1725 crore. The fund from the World Bank will be used for the rebuilding of roads in rural areas and the loan from German bank for road development package of the PWD.
KfW has put forward a condition that the state government also should spend an amount equal to the loan amount for the package. Interest rate of the loan is upto 4.5-5 percent.
German bank interested in road construction
The German firm expressed interest to rebuild the PWD roads in a better quality. A rebuilding package for an extensive road system will be designed using the loan amount of Rs 1400 crore and the state’s share of Rs 1400 crore, said Rebuild Kerala CEO and Revenue Principal Secretary V. Venu. The project will be completed within 5 years.
Bigger project than KSTP
The World Bank had granted a loan for rebuilding the roads in Kerala before and it was used up for Kerala State Transport Project (KSTP). A total of 450 km road was constructed in two phases as part of the project. It is assessed that at least 560 km road can be renovated using the German bank loan. In the new project, more length of roads can be completed within 5 years whereas KSTP was completed in 12 years.
AC Road and tunnel in Wayanad
Maintenance of Alappuzha-Changanassery road which was damaged in heavy rains is a permanent headache for the government. The new project may include renovation of this road in a way that can survive floods and rains. Also, a fund for the building of a tunnel through Wayanad Ghat is likely to be allocated.
In the post-flood census, it was decided to prioritize the rebuilding of 1600 km roads. In order to complete these roads in the standard of KSTP roads, it may cost about Rs 8000 crore in Rs 5 crore per km rate. 560 km in this will be reconstructed with the help of German fund. | {
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Don’t Breathe’s Fede Alvarez to write and direct the long-rumoured follow-up to the cult musical, but the film will not feature Bowie’s Goblin King character
A follow-up to Labyrinth, the 1980s musical fantasy film that starred the late David Bowie as a villainous Goblin King, is in the works.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, film-maker Fede Alvarez will write and direct the film, while Lisa Henson, daughter of the original film’s director Jim Henson, will produce.
How Labyrinth led me to David Bowie Read more
Released in 1986, Labyrinth starred Jennifer Connelly as Sarah, a teenager who has to journey through a magical realm to free her brother after he is kidnapped by Bowie’s Goblin King Jareth. Along the way, Sarah encounters a number of puppet creatures, produced by special effects company Jim Henson’s Creature Shop. The film was a notable box-office flop at the time of release but has since gained a large cult following; a Labyrinth-themed masquerade ball is held each year in Los Angeles.
A possible remake of the film has been long been rumoured. Last year, Guardians of the Galaxy screenwriter Nicole Perlman denied that she was working on a new version of the film, after reports of a reboot surfaced in the weeks following Bowie’s death. Perlman expressed anger at the implication that she would seek to profit from Bowie’s death, describing the timing of the reports as “like a punch in the gut”.
The Hollywood Reporter article suggests that the new Labyrinth film would be a continuation of the previous film’s story, rather than a reboot or remake. Bowie’s character would not feature in the film.
Uruguayan film-maker Alvarez is best known for directing the 2013 remake of Sam Raimi’s supernatural horror film Evil Dead as well as Don’t Breathe, which became a surprise sleeper hit in 2016. The director is currently working on The Girl in the Spider’s Web, a sequel to psychological thriller The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. Alvarez will begin work on Labyrinth once The Girl in the Spider’s Web, scheduled for release in October next year, is completed. | {
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PlayStation 4 owners: you're no longer forced to use Live from PlayStation (and limit your viewing to fellow PS4 gamers) if you want to watch Twitch through a native app. As promised, Twitch has launched a full-featured PS4 client that lets you tune into any stream, no matter which platform it's coming from. It'll seem quite familiar if you've used the Xbox One app (shh!), but there is a section to help you find PS4-specific broadcasters. The app is ready at this very moment, so give it a shot if you enjoy viewing games as much as you do playing them. | {
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Squid are in session, we'll be talking about the 6 Music Festival line up and we have a first play of brand new music from GHUM. Plus Lammo brings the best new music, classic tracks, archive sessions and forgotten treasures. | {
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http://kansascity.craigslist.org/w4m/4703693222.html
This lady’s got some serious nerve. One, she WANTS you to take her. Secondly, ONLY if you’re not obese. Also, she sometimes roots for the Red Sox?! Also, who finds chubby girls adorable?! (There’s nothing wrong with chubby girls, stay with me.) You aren’t a dog or a baby!
Does she really think it’s going to be that easy to be super picky on Craig’s List to get someone to take her to probably the hottest ticket in postseason baseball history? How about some pleases? Some, I’ll buy you a beer? Some, I’ll buy you a foam finger? Not “if you like some of the things I like, you can take me!”
Women be trippin’. | {
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Two of the world's largest digital currency exchanges have changed their minds and decided to support the new asset "bitcoin cash", but customers will have to wait until January 2018 to gain access to their tokens.
"We've examined all of the relevant issues and have decided to work on adding support for bitcoin cash for Coinbase customers," David Farmer, director of communications at Coinbase, posted online on Thursday. An almost identically worded press release was posted by GDAX.
"We are planning to have support for bitcoin cash by January 1, 2018, assuming no additional risks emerge during that time."
Coinbase, which claims to have 9 million users, and its subsidiary the Global Digital Asset Exchange (GDAX) initially told customers they could not safely support the new crypto currency created on Tuesday on their exchanges, citing concerns about the asset's stability and security.
However, the exchanges decided to change their stance due to customer demand and trading volumes, among other reasons.
Charles Hayter, chief executive and founder of digital currency comparison website CryptoCompare, says there is also an economic reason for the shift in stance.
"Some exchanges are realising that they are missing out on trading fees and also seeing an exodus of clients to platforms that do support bitcoin cash," he told CNBC via email.
Some Coinbase and GDAX customers are unhappy with the exchanges' decision and took to Twitter to express their frustration. Others decided to withdraw their funds from the exchanges due to their initial stance.
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"Bitcoin cash" was created on Tuesday after the underlying bitcoin technology known as the blockchain underwent a "fork", meaning it split to create a new digital currency. This happened because the community disagreed on how to increase the blockchain's capacity and reduce transaction delays.
Every bitcoin investor was entitled to the same number of "bitcoin cash" tokens, but not every exchange or bitcoin payment company is accepting the new coin, or allowing it to be traded. | {
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WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Speaker of the House of Representatives on Thursday called on the White House to temporarily stop sending crude oil into the nation’s emergency stockpile.
Slideshow ( 2 images )
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told reporters she was calling on President George W. Bush to work with Democrats to find a way to “temporarily suspend” oil deliveries to the Strategic Petroleum Reserve.
The White House immediately rejected the plea. “We don’t believe the fill rates have a meaningful impact on oil supplies,” White House spokesman Scott Stanzel said.
“We continue to fill the reserve to provide an added layer of protection to the American people in cases of severe supply disruption.”
Pelosi said suspending deliveries would save drivers 5 cents to 24 cents per gallon at the pump.
As U.S. benchmark crude oil prices hit a record near $120 a barrel this week, the Bush administration insists that filling the reserve accounts for less than one-tenth of 1 percent of daily supply, and has no meaningful effect on prices.
The nearly 701 million barrels of crude oil stored in underground salt caverns in Louisiana and Texas are meant as a supply buffer in case of major supply disruptions like the 2005 hurricanes that hit the Gulf Coast oil patch. It was created by Congress in 1975 after the Arab oil embargo.
Current shipments come to about 70,000 barrels per day, while the United States uses about 21 million bpd.
Democrats in the Senate are also pursuing legislation that would require the Energy Department to suspend shipments to the reserve if prices are too high.
Democratic Senator Byron Dorgan of North Dakota said he would seek to attach an amendment to an upcoming supplemental appropriations bill that would forbid the government from sending oil to the SPR if oil prices are above $75 a barrel.
“I believe I have the votes,” Dorgan told reporters. “I think I’m going to be able to get this dome.” | {
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For some reason the one part of a game that almost never fails to instantly draw me in for the long haul is when I first catch a glimpse of the world map and realize how much there is to explore. Some games take this opportunity to make really cool looking world maps that also give off a great sense of place.The most recent game that really drew me into the world like this was. As far as I've seen it's almost the only RPG world map that actually tries to look like a medieval map. I'd post it here to kick off the thread but it's slightly NSFW . For some reason the world map fordid this for me to despite being a map of an actual country. | {
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José Andrade, fundador
Twitter
Allá en 2005 yo trabajaba como ingeniero de sistemas instalando servidores en varios lugares de Estados Unidos. Me di cuenta que cada vez pasaba más tiempo leyendo Engadget, porque la gente que escribía y comentaba en ese sitio era como yo: fanáticos de la tecnología. Sin embargo, los editores y lectores no hablaban español, y yo presentía que mucha de la información que se comunicaba no llegaba a mis geeks hispanoparlantes.
Un buen día escribí a los editores de Engadget y les propuse abrir Engadget en español. La respuesta fue positiva, y después de unas pocas semanas el sitio empezó a publicar artículos en mi idioma. Fue inesperado vivir el interés que generó esa simple idea. La respuesta de la gente confirmó de manera inmediata la necesidad de un medio como el que había imaginado.
Han sido trece años de publicaciones en Engadget en español. Durante este tiempo he hecho amigos entrañables, no solo con los editores que pasaron por estas páginas, sino también con lectores y representantes de compañías tecnológicas. He conocido a gente mucho más inteligente y mejor que yo, a personalidades del mundo de la tecnología y más allá de este. He viajado por el mundo, aprendido más de lo que me hubiera imaginado, y por sobre todo, he crecido como persona con cada experiencia vivida.
En muchos momentos el trabajo fue abrumador. Varias veces puse más de 15 horas frente al teclado en un solo día, escribiendo siete días a la semana, pero la recompensa fue ser testigo de la existencia de una comunidad global de amigos con quienes compartir esta pasión.
Hoy me uno a ustedes mientras nos despedirnos del sitio que empezamos sin mayores expectativas. Los lazos que hemos creado seguirán por siempre, a donde la vida nos lleve. No existen palabras para agradecerles la oportunidad que me dieron con cada letra escrita, cada foto publicada y cada podcast grabado. Ustedes, los lectores, crearon Engadget en español, y su historia nos unirá y acompañará por siempre.
Drita, editora jefe
Twitter / Instagram
Aún recuerdo cuando me contactaron para trabajar en Engadget en español. La idea me parecía tan surrealista que incluso creí que se trataba de una broma. Finalmente accedí y lo hice por una clara razón: las condiciones que me planteaban me dejaban tiempo suficiente para prepararme las oposiciones para psicóloga clínica. A estas alturas de la película, ya puedes imaginar dónde acabaron mis apuntes.
Durante estos diez años he crecido profesionalmente como nunca lo imaginé. Cada vez más y más atrapada por Engadget, tengo la suerte de decir que he vivido una etapa de 10 largos e intensos años en las que he disfrutado como nunca de la tecnología y de trabajar particularmente en este medio. Puedo decir con orgullo que hemos vivido un periodismo tecnológico muy libre: ese que escribe lo que quiere y lo que piensa siempre, sin atender a números o a campañas publicitarias. Jamás cambiamos una palabra de lo que firmamos a pesar de las presiones -y haberlas, las hubo- ni nos sentimos obligados a decir algo que no pensábamos. Hemos formado un equipo editorial que siempre ha apostado por la transparencia, sin medias tintas.
Lograr esto no hubiera sido posible sin la ayuda de mi inseparable compañero de batallas (y de vida), Carlos Martínez; de nuestro siempre talentoso editor y amigo, Jose Mendiola; y de alguien que ha sido algo más que un simple compañero de trabajo, Jose Andrade, mi mentor (y amigo), al que debo tantos años de aprendizaje y guía. No puedo imaginar un equipo mejor para cerrar esta genial etapa engadgetera.
Se cierra un proyecto muy bonito del que siempre quedarán cientos de análisis, coberturas en directo, miles de fotos, episodios de podcast -ojo a nuestros seguidores, regresaremos, y hasta aquí puedo leer ;-)-... pero, por encima de todo, una gran historia que contar. Marcamos una diferencia en el panorama tecnológico español y hasta el último día de hoy hemos seguido presentes entre los medios de referencia del sector. Y eso... eso no nos lo podrán quitar jamás.
Carlos Martínez, editor senior y productor del podcast
Twitter/Instagram
Que mi historia en Engadget en español comenzara un día de los enamorados no podía ser casualidad. Ha sido y será mucho más que un trabajo en mi vida, 10 inolvidables años a los que lamentablemente hoy le ponemos el punto y final. Tras 11.073 artículos escritos, estas son mis últimas palabras en esta maravillosa página que me ha regalado increíbles experiencias, fantásticos lectores por todo el mundo y un equipo formado por lo que ahora son grandes amigos.
Mentiría si dijera que esto es el final, pero se perfectamente que dentro de mí hay ahora un hueco que será irremplazable. Hasta siempre, Engadget.
Jose Mendiola, editor senior
Twitter/Facebook
Allá por 2007, no recuerdo cómo, vi un anuncio de un blog que buscaba editores; era Engadget en español y ni lo dudé. Envié mi candidatura sin mucha fe (bueno, sin ninguna fe) y pasaron semanas y meses sin ninguna noticia. De pronto, un buen día recibí un correo de Jose Andrade, fundador del blog, en el que se me pedía una prueba. No me lo podía creer. Pues claro. La envié y a partir de este punto, todo transcurrió más rápido: "¡bienvenido al equipo!", escribió Jose.
Reconozco que las primeras semanas fueron muy duras; yo trabajaba por cuenta ajena y no estaba preparado psicológicamente para el trepidante ritmo de la tecnología. Jose me ayudó y me tranquilizó; hoy es amigo y mentor y le debo mucho. Como también a Carlos y Drita, ese tándem de oro que logró, con el esfuerzo de un equipo, elevar el listón a niveles increíbles.
Qué puedo decir de un sitio que de alguna manera me ha dado forma y que ahora debo despedir con tristeza. Dejo detrás a los mejores profesionales en el mundo del blogging y a unos lectores que siempre nos han apoyado y han perdonado que muchas veces los dedos volaran más rápido que lo correcto. No quiero olvidar tampoco a todos los ex compañeros que también dejaron un rastro de su talento por el sitio y del que todos aprendimos. Hasta siempre, Engadget.
------
Los editores de Engadget en español tenemos nuevamente que agradecerte por la oportunidad que nos diste durante todos estos años. Aunque el sitio deje de existir, la experiencia compartida nos unirá y acompañará por siempre.
El equipo de Engadget en español. | {
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THE SPIRIT OF MINNESOTA
Fans in Minnesota got their first taste of MLS soccer in the driving wind and snow, and the Drift jersey evokes how snow drifts and accumulates here in the frozen North. It serves as a reminder that even though we play most of our games in summer, there's ice in our veins. We carry it with us. Whatever the elements or the game throws at us, we're ready. | {
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For indispensable reporting on the coronavirus crisis, the election, and more, subscribe to the Mother Jones Daily newsletter.
It’s official. George W. Bush’s selective and self-serving book is a best-seller. He sold 775,000 copies in the first week and the publisher has rushed to print an additional 350,000. The amount of debunking the book deserves could, well, fill a book. But there’s one trenchant portion of the book that reeks with hypocrisy. In discussing the absence of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, Bush notes, “That was a massive blow to our credibility—my credibility—that would shake the confidence of the American people.” He then adds: “No one was more shocked or angry than I was when we didn’t find the weapons. I had a sickening feeling every time I thought about it. I still do.”
A sickening feeling every time he thought about it? Really? Let’s rewind the video back to a moment that crystallized the Bush-Cheney era. It was March 24, 2004. Washington’s political and media elite had gathered at the Washington Hilton for the annual Radio and Television Correspondents’ Association Dinner, which is something of a cousin to the yearly White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner. As thousands of DC’s swells enjoyed their surf-and-turf meal, Bush was the entertainment. The tradition is that at such affairs the president is the big speaker, and he has to be amusing, poking fun at himself and his political foes.
Bush was no fan of such gatherings, and he and his aides had decided he ought to narrate a humorous slide show, instead of doing a stand-up routine. Large video screens flashed pictures of him and his aides, which he augmented with funny quips. One showed him on the phone with a finger in his ear. He explained this shot by saying he spends “a lot of time on the phone listening to our European allies.” There were humorous bits about his mother and Dick Cheney.
Then Bush displayed a photo of himself looking for something out a window in the Oval Office. His narration: “Those weapons of mass destruction have got to be somewhere.” The audience laughed. But the joke wasn’t done. After a few more slides, there was a shot of Bush looking under furniture in the Oval Office. “Nope,” he said. “No weapons over there.” More laughter. Then another picture of Bush searching in his office: “Maybe under here.” Laughter again.
Bush was actually joking about the missing weapons of mass destruction. He was making fun of the reason he had cited for sending Americans to war and to death, turning it into a running gag. His smile was wide and his eyes seemed bright, as the audience laughed. At the time I wrote,
Few [in the crowd] seemed to mind. His WMD gags did not prompt a how-can-you silence from the gathering. At the after-parties, I heard no complaints.I wondered what the spouse, child or parent of a soldier killed in Iraq would have felt if they had been watching C-SPAN and saw the commander-in-chief mocking the supposed justification for the war that claimed their loved ones. Bush told the nation that lives had to be sacrificed because Saddam Hussein possessed weapons of mass destruction that could be used (by terrorists) against the United States. That was not true. (And as [WMD search team leader David] Kay pointed out, the evidence so far shows these weapons were not there in the first place, not that they were hidden, destroyed or spirited away.) But rather than acknowledge he misinformed the public, Bush jokes about the absence of such weapons.
In yet another act reminiscent of Soviet-style revisionism, Bush in his book does not mention this dinner and his performance there. If he indeed felt ill whenever he pondered the missing WMDs—as he insists in his memoirs—how could he turn this into a crass punchline? Asking that question provides the answer. He is fibbing in his book. Moreover, this small episode is proof of a larger truth: Bush’s chronicle is not a serious accounting of his years as the decider. As for the hundreds of thousands of readers who shelled out $35.00 for the book, expecting the former president to level with them, the joke is on them. | {
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Top 5 Packers and Movers in India
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Moverspackersdirectories.com are one of the changing trends of the new era and this trend is now quite famous in these emerging cities as well apart from the metro cities. The main concept of the movers and packers is that everyone in these busy era of life style are so much distracted from their life style and is so much merged in their daily routine that they don’t have such time to make their home transfer or make their office transfer.
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Top 5 Packers and Movers in India
We work on the proper basis that as from the point you call them they come on the pre decided date and then we start on the packing in that you have to do nothing apart from just telling what to pack what are the breakable materials and nothing else they all come along with the packing material and transporter and then they just pack all the things after packing they just deliver the language to the decided destination it doesn’t matter that the destination is in the city or out of the city.
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After estimating the amount you have to decide the date on the day you have to make the shift and transfer your place
Then after checking all the available option you just have to make the final decision that when you just have to shift your house or the office then you just has to call to make the final move.
Moverspackersdirectories.com merely serves the several states like Delhi, Mumbai, up, NCR etc these includes various cities.
There are various companies which also provide various packages and offers regarding the shifts and the transfers. All these are the important features which a company could give and which a company could make all their options so that they can also promote their business and get more and more options for their work which they would prefer for their business growth. | {
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By Morichika Nakamoto, KYODO NEWS - Aug 25, 2019 - 21:22 | Sports, All
The medals for next year's Tokyo Paralympics were revealed Sunday, one year to the day before the games kick off in Japan's capital.
At an event to mark the one-year countdown, the bronze, silver and gold medals, which for the first time can be distinguished by touch for those with visual disabilities, were shown to the public.
Designer Sakiko Matsumoto employed the motif of a spreading Japanese ogi fan, symbolizing sending out a breath of fresh air and the pivotal point bringing people together.
"I was looking for a motif that would be easily recognized as Japanese," Matsumoto told reporters. "Athletes are people who can influence the world...and when you think of the games, the pivot will be the athletes."
On the reverse side of the medals, 10.7 millimeters at their thickest point, are designs of rock, flower, wood, leaf and water portraying nature in Japan in different textures.
To help visually impaired athletes, each medal has one to three indentations on their edge, with gold having one, silver two and bronze three.
Related coverage:
Countdown to 2020 Summer Paralympics hits 1-year mark
60% of para athletes fret public interest may wane after Tokyo Games
Paralympics: Japan faces obstacles to increased para sports growth
"I didn't want them just to look beautiful on the outside but also to be things that are recognizable when touched, a universal design," Matsumoto said. "My mind went blank when I got the call saying my design had won."
The medals were created entirely from metals recycled from mobile phones and other electronic devices, just as the Olympic medals for next year will be.
Approximately 5,000 medals will be produced using metal collected from small recycled electronic devices. These were donated by the Japanese public in a nationwide campaign April 2017 through March this year.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike and Tokyo Games organizing committee president Yoshiro Mori all attended the event before Mitsunori Torihara, the president of Japan Paralympics Committee, made the announcement that Aug. 25 will be "Japan Paralympic Day" from next year.
"I hope understanding about the para sports will deepen across the nation, and the symbiosis of society with those with or without disabilities will accelerate," he said.
Tokyo last hosted the games in 1964 and will be the first city to host the Summer Paralympics twice. Japan is aiming for 22 gold medals -- a result that would be its best -- despite finishing with none in Rio de Janeiro four years ago.
A record number of para athletes of up to 4,400 will compete in 540 events across 22 sports through Sept. 6, with badminton and taekwondo added to the program for the first time replacing seven-a-side soccer and sailing.
"With one year to go I could not be more excited and optimistic about the success of the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic games," Duane Kale, the vice president of International Paralympics Committee who won four gold medals in swimming for New Zealand, said.
"With such great conditions in facilities, I'm convinced the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic games will be the best in terms of performances, with athletes pushing their limits to what is humanly possible."
With more broadcasters than ever before, Kale said the expected television audience will hit 4.25 billion with an unprecedented number of people in Japan and across the globe watching events.
"All the ingredients for an outstanding Paralympics are coming together -- the prospect of superb sports, stunning venues, billions of TV viewers and millions of spectators."
"That's why I'm so confident that Tokyo 2020 will surpass the success of London 2012, and have more impact in transforming society than any previous Paralympics." | {
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We were blissfully in love and thrilled to be on our honeymoon. Then came day five—we had our first argument. That put us on a slippery slope moving swiftly toward desperation. Within the first nine months of our marriage, Gina and I were both convinced that we not only married the wrong person, but also were condemned to a loveless marriage.
One very tangible side effect of our difficulties was poor communication. I would ask, “What’s for dinner?” She would hear, “I can’t believe you haven’t prepared dinner again tonight!”
She would say, “What time are you coming home?” I would hear, “You better get here and help me because you’re never here.”
We could not express anything we wanted to. We resorted to hurting each other with our words. We did not build each other up … we tore each other down and caused deep, emotional pain. Quite honestly, we had endured so much hurt that we could not see any hope for ever communicating well. Our despair was overwhelming.
In counseling we began learning about intentional communication. I remember thinking, “That is the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard. This stuff is so simple … I can’t believe I’m paying this guy for this.”
But, once I got off of my high horse, I realized something very simple yet profound: If communication was really that simple, everyone would be doing it and all of our communication would glorify God and reflect His image (1 Peter 4:11; Ephesians 4:29). Glorifying God did not describe my communication, and it may not describe yours either. In fact, many of us struggle to communicate well even with those we love the most: our siblings, our parents, our children, our spouse.
The road I took to learn about communication was a tough one. Here are some of the tools that helped transform my marriage and change my heart.
1. The Principle of First Response: The course of a conflict is not determined by the person who initiates, but by the person who responds.
You may feel it’s okay to strike at someone verbally because, “He is picking a fight with me.” You may be correct, but that person does not have the power to decide whether a fight actually occurs. That power rests with the responder. As Proverbs 15:1 says, “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.”
Jesus has a well-worn track record with the Principle of First Response. Recall the times that the Scribes and the Pharisees came to question Him. They were the initiators in nearly all of their communication. Their intention was to defraud Jesus and corner Him. In how many cases were they successful? None. They failed because the power to decide the direction of each conflict rested with Jesus, the responder (Luke 20:19-26).
The implications of following Jesus’ example were huge. My wife’s sin did not give me free license to sin in return. And conversely, my sin did not give Gina free license either. By following the principle of first response, we were being called to take a poorly spoken comment and redirect it.
2. The Principle of Physical Touch: It is difficult to sin against someone while you are tenderly touching him or her.
A difficult time to apply this principle is after an argument has begun. However, a perfect time is when you know you are about to sit down and have a discussion about something that might lead to tension.
You know what those topics are in your marriage. Maybe it’s a conversation about a specific child. Maybe it’s your in-laws or your finances. For us, as you might imagine, it was when we sat down to talk about our communication. Those were tough conversations.
During these times, we would sit down and pray together … and touch. Usually we were at opposite ends of the couch with Gina’s legs stretched out across mine while I held them. (You may prefer holding hands or sitting close enough that you naturally touch.)
As we talked, we would inevitably notice something. When our conversation began to drift toward conflict, we stopped touching. We found what I’m certain you’ll find: It is very difficult to fight with someone you are tenderly touching. So, we had a choice at that point: to stop fighting so we could keep touching or to stop touching so we could keep fighting.
This type of tender touching has served us in two ways. First, it is a deterrent from arguing. Second, when we do drift into an argument, our physical separation is a visual and physical cue that our conversation is no longer glorifying God. We notice it, correct it, and get back on the right track.
3. The Principle of Proper Timing: The success of a conversation can be maximized if the timing of the conversation is carefully chosen.
The book of Proverbs tells us, “A man finds joy in giving an apt reply—and how good is a timely word!” (15:23).
Typically, the first opportunity Gina and I have to talk about the day is at dinner. We often take time then to catch up. With four young children, our dinner table is an active and busy one. Consequently, we cannot practically have an extended and meaningful conversation.
So, if something has occurred that I must discuss with Gina, I will wait until the children are asleep. To bring it up during dinner is to invite frustration and ineffectiveness.
Let’s look at a couple of scenarios where we’re more likely to fail.
Gina is a very intentional homemaker and often has wonderful ideas on how to better serve our family. Let’s say she is contemplating a new approach to family dining. She’s been thinking through this for weeks and she’s now ready to get my input. This is a very good thing—but probably not at 1:30 on a Sunday afternoon when I’m watching a football game.
I’m also prone to fall into the poor timing trap. For example, Gina and I could be downstairs enjoying normal conversation. We head upstairs at 11:30 p.m. and Gina is ready for bed. As the lights go out, I ask, “What do you think God is doing with the children?” This is a question Gina would love for me to ask … about three hours earlier. When 11:30 comes, she’s ready for bed—not an extensive discussion.
There are times when a conversation is critical to have at that very moment. In those cases, of course, the football game goes off and we talk. Or, the lights go back on and we’re up until 2 a.m. However, those should be the exceptions rather than the rule. The majority of the time, we should be more strategic in the timing of our conversations.
4. The Principle of Mirroring: Understanding can be enhanced if we measure it often throughout a conversation.
The Scriptures inform us that, if we are to understand and become wise, we must be sure to incline our ears. Proverbs 22:17 states, “Incline your ear and hear the words of the wise, and apply your mind to my knowledge.”
Have you ever meant one thing by what you said but the person you were talking to heard something else? It can make for very frustrating communication. If you’re not sure if your spouse is getting what you’re talking about, check to see if you hear this phrase a lot: “What do you mean by that?”
Mirroring can help you test whether you are hearing your spouse properly. Once your spouse makes a point … repeat it to him or her. Say something like this: “So, what I hear you saying is …” or, “Are you saying … ?” Then, in your own words, tell your spouse what you understand to have been said. Then, the most important part of mirroring comes. You must allow your spouse to either affirm or correct what you’ve said.
As we learned this principle, I often didn’t like Gina’s negative or inaccurate summaries of my statements. So, I defended them and failed to allow her the freedom to speak honestly. In time, I learned that her summaries actually were quite accurate; my reactions were negative because I didn’t like how they exposed me.
The point of mirroring is not to be right, not to defend yourself, but to know that you are hearing accurately. If you seek to understand rather than to make yourself understood, then you are primed for success with the principle of mirroring.
5. The Principle of Prayer: Success in communication is more likely when we invite God to be an active participant and guide.
This principle is not complicated, but it requires our close attention. We’ve become so accustomed to hearing about prayer that its importance often passes us by.
No matter what principle you might be using at the time or what subject you might be talking about, no scenario is beyond prayer. I have tended to overestimate my own ability to communicate well and righteously. That was evidenced in our first year of marriage.
We will eventually and inevitably sin in our communication with each other. When it begins to drift away from God’s intended purpose for it, we have a choice: Will we be puffed up with pride or will we have the humility to stop right where we are and ask God to help redeem our conversation?
I wish someone would have shared with me what late 19th and early 20th century evangelist R.A. Torrey said on prayer:
The reason why many fail in battle is because they wait until the hour of battle. The reason why others succeed is because they have gained their victory on their knees long before the battle came … Anticipate your battles; fight them on your knees before temptation comes, and you will always have victory.
One of the greatest difficulties that couples face with this principle is awkwardness. They are not used to praying together. So, as they begin to like each other less in the midst of unconstructive communication, the thought of praying together is not very appealing.
We learned an easy fix to this … start praying together. Begin with 30 seconds of prayer as you go to bed each night. Pray regularly as a family prior to eating. Pick one night a week to pray for your children, your pastor, and your marriage. Among the enormous benefits that you’ll see in your family, the regularity of prayer will make praying in the midst of communication breakdown more probable.
The transformation never ends
As a result of God’s grace intersecting with these principles, communication is now among the greatest strengths of our marriage. It’s not that we don’t still mess up—we do. Thankfully, God continues to work on me. He’ll continue to work on you, too.
At one time, I was convinced that I married the wrong woman. She was convinced she married the wrong man. Now, we cannot imagine knowing, loving, or enjoying anyone more than we do each other.
Your relationship with your spouse may differ from ours, but this much is true: Your spouse should be the single most important person you have in your life. Like it or not, communication is the tool that God has given us to knit our hearts and our minds together. Success is possible if we’re willing to apply some intentional principles. We’ve all been called to God-honoring communication. Step forward in humility and faith and watch Him transform you.
Copyright © 2005 by FamilyLife. All rights reserved. | {
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One of the most compelling American athletes of the 20th century died last week. Odds are that you have not heard of Dave Sime. He never played professional sports. He took more pride in his post-athletic career as a world-class eye doctor in Miami than anything he accomplished on the fields of play. His name wasn’t even pronounced the way it looks. Forget the “e” — Sime rhymes with him, not lime.
Some readers will remember his son-in-law, Ed McCaffrey, who as a wide receiver won three Super Bowl rings during the 1990s, two with the Denver Broncos and one with the San Francisco 49ers. An even greater number of football fans probably know of his grandson, Christian McCaffrey, the most electric all-purpose back in college last season, leading Stanford to the Pacific-12 title and a victory in the Rose Bowl.
But when David William Sime died of a heart attack at age 79, it brought to a close a singular life story that played out on the world’s stage. For a time in the mid-1950s, Sime was considered the fastest man in the world. He ended up with only one Olympic silver medal to his name, but if not for various misfortunes — an injury, the questionable ethics of a haughty West German opponent who beat him at the tape and the disqualification of a relay teammate — Sime might have won three golds, one in Melbourne in 1956 and two in Rome in 1960. And if not for what he considered the brusque, off-putting behavior of an intelligence agent at a restaurant on the Via Merulana, he might have returned from Rome with a more important prize, the defection of a Soviet athlete.
If his grandson can do it all in football, it was Sime who set the standard for all-purpose. As a 13-year-old from Fairview, N.J., he won a speed-skating contest at Madison Square Garden, an accomplishment that made the front page of the New York Daily News. This despite the fact that he hated to skate. He was so talented at football that he was recruited to play at West Point by an assistant coach named Vince Lombardi (and later drafted by the Detroit Lions).
His favorite sport was basketball, the game of his father, who had played briefly for the old Original Celtics based in New York. But when he enrolled at Duke University, it was not for football or basketball but to roam center field on the baseball team, and once at Duke, his raw speed led him to the track and national stardom in the dashes.
Dave Sime’s grandson, Stanford running back Christian McCaffrey, had a huge game against Iowa in the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1. (Mark J. Terrill/AP)
Sime taught himself the art of sprinting by reading every book on the subject in the university library. In the Jim Crow south, the big redhead often trained privately alongside the track stars at Durham’s historically black college, North Carolina Central, including its world-renowned hurdler, Lee Calhoun. After emerging from the 1955 Millrose Games with the fastest time in the world, he was favored to win gold at Melbourne but could not make the trip because of a leg injury suffered during the Olympic trials. By the time of the 1960 Games, he was 24 years old and being overshadowed on the American dash scene by Ray Norton, a heralded sprinter from California, but Rome offered him a final chance at glory.
Shortly before the U.S. team left New York for the flight to Italy, Sime received a call in his room at the Vanderbilt Hotel from a government agent, who persuaded him to accompany him to Washington that day for a clandestine meeting. The CIA had decided that Sime, who already was a medical student at Duke by then, was the perfect athlete to make an approach in Rome to Igor Ter-Ovanesyan, a Soviet long jumper from Kiev who had taught himself English and was known to love western books, movies and jazz. During the heat of the Cold War, he seemed like the likeliest athlete to bolt for the West if offered the opportunity.
The plan was for Sime to befriend Ter-Ovanesyan during the Games and set up a few dinners with him, after which a veteran agent would appear and close the defection deal. All went according to plan until the end of a second dinner at the Scoglio de Frisio, when the agent, known to Sime only as “Mr. Wolf,” arrived and started talking to Ter-Ovanesyan in his regional dialect. The Ukrainian long jumper, who already had won a bronze in Rome, was spooked by this and walked out of the restaurant with Sime. “David,” he said, “I don’t know if this guy’s a double agent or not, but I don’t really want to talk to him. I’m too scared.”
Events on the track at the Stadio Olimpico were even more frustrating for Sime. With Norton, the American favorite, undone by a debilitating case of nerves, it was left to Sime to battle Armin Hary of West Germany for the gold in the 100. Hary was a hustler who was surreptitiously taking money on the side from two German shoe companies, Puma and Adidas, and was considered so adept at anticipating the starting gun, or jumping it, that his nickname was the Thief of Starts.
In the final, after two false starts, Hary fired into the lead, but by the hallway point Sime was closing in on him with his long, erect strides, and they hit the tape almost simultaneously, Sime lunging so ferociously that he lost his balance and went sprawling onto the track. Both men were timed at 10.2 seconds, but photos showed that Hary won by at most an inch. A few days later, Sime seemed to get revenge on the West Germans, running anchor on the 4x100 relay, but he learned after hitting the tape first that his team had been disqualified when the luckless Norton took the baton too late on the second leg.
Rome marked the end of Sime’s track career. He returned to Duke, completed his medical degree and settled in South Florida, where he became such a renowned eye doctor that his clients included celebrities Ted Williams, Eddie Arcaro, the swimmer and actress Eleanor Holm and Nixon pal Bebe Rebozo. He also served as one of the physicians for the Miami Dolphins during the Don Shula era, when his main job was to help quarterback Bob Griese deal with various eye difficulties.
Sime was no saint. He loved to drink and tell stories, a foul-mouthed jokester. His first wife left him, and he had a difficult relationship with his children before he married his second wife, Illeana. But in his final years, as he battled cancer first in his eye, then his liver, then his lungs, he developed a relationship with his grandson and watched with swelling pride as Christian McCaffrey went from a high school star in Colorado to the national football stage at Stanford. They became texting buddies, and in his messages Sime called his grandson Snowball. He said that Christian was like a snowball rolling down a mountain, gathering momentum, growing larger, unstoppable.
Christian’s rise coincided with Dave’s demise. The old man had been in and out of the hospital from June through the fall months of the football season and died in the hospital Jan. 12 after suffering a heart attack. It was from his hospital room on New Year’s Day that he watched his grandson have his finest game, setting a Rose Bowl record of 368 all-purpose yards in Stanford’s 45-16 win over Iowa. Sime was rail thin by then. He had lost more than 20 pounds and could get fatigued just stepping out of bed. But for a few hours he was reborn, screaming so loud that the entire hospital floor could hear him. “He wanted to be everything at once,” Illeana said later of her husband. And now here was this amazing kid, Sime genes coursing through his blood, out there on the grass, in the California sunshine, being exactly that.
David Maraniss, an associate editor of The Washington Post, is the author of “Rome 1960: The Olympics that Stirred the World.” | {
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Supernova in Galaxy UGC 9379
Avishay Gal-Yam, Weizmann Institute of Science
A brilliant supernova (right) explodes in the galaxy UGC 9379, located about 360 million light-years from Earth, in this before-and-after view. The left image was taken by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, while the right image was obtained with a 60-inch telescope at the Palomar Observatory.
RCW 86 - First Documented Supernova
NASA/ESA/JPL-Caltech/UCLA/CXC/SAO
This image combines data from four different space telescopes to create a multi-wavelength view of all that remains of the oldest documented example of a supernova, called RCW 86. The Chinese witnessed the event in 185 A.D., documenting a mysterious "guest star" that remained in the sky for eight months.
Close Type Ia Supernova PTF 11kly
Peter Nugent and the Palomar Transient Factory
The arrow marks PTF 11kly in images taken on the Palomar 48-inch telescope over the nights of, from left to right, Aug. 22, 23 and 24. The supernova wasn't there Aug. 22, was discovered Aug. 23, and brightened considerably by Aug. 24.
X-ray Stripes in Tycho Supernova
X-ray: NASA/CXC/Rutgers/K.Eriksen et al.; Optical: DSS
This image comes from a very deep Chandra observation of the Tycho supernova remnant. Low-energy X-rays (red) in the image show expanding debris from the supernova explosion and high energy X-rays (blue) show the blast wave, a shell of extremely energetic electrons. These high-energy X-rays show a pattern of X-ray "stripes" never previously seen in a supernova remant.
Mock Supernova Created by Supercomputer
Hongfeng Yu
This astrophysics simulation seeks to discover the mechanism behind core-collapse supernovae, or the violent death of short-lived, massive stars. The image shows entropy values in the core of the supernova, different colors and transparencies assigned to different values of entropy. By selectively adjusting the color and transparency, the scientist can peel away outer layers and see values in the interior of the 3-D volume.
Supernova Remnant Casseopeia A
X-ray: NASA/CXC/xx; Optical: NASA/STScI; Illustration: NASA/CXC/M.Weiss
This image presents a composite of X-rays from Chandra (red, green, and blue) and optical data from Hubble (gold) of Cassiopeia A, the remains of a massive star that exploded in a supernova. Inset: A cutout of the interior of the neutron star, where densities increase from the crust (orange) to the core (red) and finally to the region where the "superfluid" exists (inner red ball).
Evidence Found for Youngest Black Hole Ever Seen
This composite image shows a supernova within the galaxy M100 that may contain the youngest known black hole in our cosmic neighborhood. The black hole would be about 30 years old and was born from the supernova SN1976C.
Distant Star Explosion Chokes on Its Own Dust
NASA/JPL-Caltech/R. Hurt
While searching the skies for black holes using the Spitzer Space Telescope Deep Wide Field Survey, Ohio State University astronomers discovered a giant supernova that was smothered in its own dust. In this artist's rendering, an outer shell of gas and dust — which erupted from the star hundreds of years ago — obscures the supernova within. This event in a distant galaxy hints at one possible future for the brightest star system in our own Milky Way.
Supernova Shrapnel Discovered Inside Meteorite
NASA/ESA/R. Sankrit and W. Blair (Johns Hopkins University)
This false-color image of Kepler’s supernova remnant combines data taken in X-rays (Chandra X-ray Observatory), visible light (Hubble Space Telescope) and infrared radiation (Spitzer Space Telescope). Nicolas Dauphas, from the University of Chicago, and his colleagues have been analyzing meteorites for the microscopic remnants of a supernova that exploded approximately 4.5 billion years ago.
Astronomers Find Supernova First Spotted 2,000 Years Ago
Chandra: NASA/CXC/University of Utrecht/J.Vink et al. XMM-Newton: ESA/University of Utrecht/J.Vink et al.
The combined image from the Chandra and XMM-Newton X-ray observatories of RCW 86 shows the expanding ring of debris created after a supernova.
Explosive Debate: Supernova Dust Lost and Found
NASA/JPL-Caltech/S. Stanimirovic (UC Berkeley)
An infrared image of the portion of the Small Magellanic Cloud containing supernova remnant E0102, plus a composite X-ray, optical and infrared image of E0102. | {
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Indian national Ravi Thakar was found dead on Friday morning after reaching the peak of the highest mountain in the world on Thursday.
JOHANNESBURG - A man who was part of Saray Khumalo’s Mount Everest climbing team has died.
Indian national Ravi Thakar was found dead on Friday morning after reaching the peak of the highest mountain in the world on Thursday.
It’s being reported that Thakar was found dead inside his tent on Friday morning, but details surrounding the cause of his death were not yet known.
Thakar and Irish Professor Seamus Lawless, who is missing, were among team members who reached the peak of the mountain on Thursday together with Khumalo, who became the first black African woman to achieve such a feat.
The search and rescue operation on Mount Everest for 40-year-old Lawless was called off on Friday.
The Irish professor has been missing since Thursday after he reportedly fell during the descent with Khumalo.
Rescuers took the decision to call off the search for Lawless due to high winds and chilly temperatures of -27 degrees.
Lawless reportedly fell from an altitude of 8,300 metres on Thursday.
He was attempting the climb to raise money for a charity dedicated to helping seriously ill children and their families.
Despite the emotional pain of losing their fellow climbers, Khumalo and her five other teammates must now continue with the dangerous journey down Mount Everest. | {
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At humanist conferences, gatherings, and events, I look around and often find myself wondering, “Where are all the women?” At the American Humanist Association conference this past May, my mouth dropped when I saw on the schedule a talk by Elsa Roberts (co-president of Secular Woman) entitled “Should Humanists Be Feminists?” It was important and necessary, but it’s hard to believe that we’re really still asking that question. How is it not obvious that humanism needs to embrace women, along with trans, genderqueer, and non-binary folks? That humanism needs to lift up their voices and create spaces they want to be in?
We need to do this not only because it’s the right thing to do (after all, it’s 2016, and women are people) but for the success of the secular movement. We won’t succeed without more gender diversity. Feminism needs to be a stated value of humanism, not a question in our minds.
I’m not the only one thinking about gender and humanism. There is an entire conference dedicated to this intersection, Women in Secularism, the fourth iteration of which is happening in Arlington, Virginia, September 23-25. Secular Woman does great work to amplify female voices and celebrate our secular successes. College students like Kristen Kennedy are writing theses on the topic. The Humanist has many talented non-male writers. I could go on and on.
I decided to do some of my own research to find out why folks are or are not taking on the label of humanism, whether or not they participate in secular communities, and how these communities can adapt to appeal to a broader gender base. I’m collecting data through an inclusive survey of those who identify as nonbelievers (to participate, email me), and I have conducted interviews with three women so far. These women do not participate in atheist or humanist communities, but they are living out humanist values every day. How can we get such women to be a part of our movement, to take our label, and to attend our events? More importantly, how can we serve and support their values and missions?
Chelsea Norman, a hard-working queer woman of twenty-five, grew up in poverty in rural Tennessee, taking advantage of many social services, including food stamps, free lunch, and Medicaid. Her sex education as a youth was minimal and inaccurate. Now she’s living in Washington, DC, and working intensely to expand reproductive healthcare access in anti-choice states through community organizing. Norman believes that “all people deserve healthcare that’s free of ideological biases and that access to abortion services is a critical piece of economic security for women.”
Norman identifies as a queer, nonreligious agnostic, though she once served as a Christian missionary. She believes in paying it forward and knows her impact on the world: “My feelings are contagious—which is both good and bad. I want to be a positive influence to people in my life…We are all feeding off of each other’s energies. I try to remember that every time a toxic thought or action comes out of me.” She says she’s driven by fairness and justice but unlike most other aspects of her life, which are informed by community influence and engagement, her agnosticism is something she prefers to think about and act on alone.
Dawn Bovasso, a thirty-nine-year-old creative director at DigitasLBI, is living, working, and parenting in Boston, Massachusetts. She finds great energy and community in her work: “My job is creative and innovative and demanding and full of people who are passionate and loving and who’d lie down in front of traffic for each other—and I can’t imagine a better place to go each day to earn money.”
Instead of raising her son in any religion, Bovasso puts her efforts toward instilling values she has spent the last thirty-five years cultivating for herself. She says she is unsure enough about religion to feel comfortable identifying with a particular label. “I believe in being kind, first and foremost. Most people are trying to do their best, and when we help each other be successful, we are all successful,” she said. Dawn has a love-filled, joyous life. She and her son decide what to do each night together, whether it’s going to the library or cooking a delicious meal. When he’s sleeping, she doesn’t rest–she reads avidly, refinishes old furniture, or thinks and writes about women’s inequality in the workplace. In her advertising career, she has experienced and witnessed how women “aren’t treated equally, aren’t paid equally, aren’t promoted at the same rate, and aren’t given equal opportunities” and works to correct the fact that “there aren’t role models or advocates for the younger women to look up to, learn from, or know are fighting for them.”
Stephanie Eng is a Chinese American student from New Jersey studying international business at Northeastern University. Her driving goals are to raise up those who are not as privileged and, simply, to “be good.” She said, “The issue I want to dedicate my life toward is more and more equal representation for marginalized groups. I hope to work within the system to reform the way media is created and disseminated and to change people’s perceptions by providing a more multifaceted view of the human experience.” Eng cares most about healthcare and safety for trans folks, sensible gun control policies, and the dismantling of rape culture.
In order of importance, Eng’s priorities are mental health, physical health, academics, career, and social/family connections. She enjoys meditation and visiting museums, both of which she finds spiritually connective. She also remarked that she enjoys “bullshitting philosophy and talking about life” with her friends.
These women are living out humanist values everyday. They are thoughtful, driven, compassionate, and human-focused. I want to sit next to these women at humanist events—at author talks, volunteer days, discussions, meditation, conferences, and at a “Harry Potter and the Sacred Text” class. I want to turn to them, learn from them, and be a part of their lives. I want us to share the label of humanist and hold them in my community. I want our community to offer something of value to such women. We need their insight, their compassion, and their intellect. Our movement should support them in their work and family lives. So how do we do it? Check back in a few weeks to see the results of my survey. | {
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The man, a French citizen of Tunisian descent, caused a terrorist scare two weeks ago, shortly after the terrorist attack with a vehicle in London. At first, it was thought he had planned a terrorist outrage by driving through Antwerp's high-street shopping area at high speed, but soon more details emerged pointing in a different direction.
The man turned out to be drunk and he hadn't tried to hit any shoppers - nobody got injured. The riotgun he was transporting in his car, did not work. There was no ammunition either.
The man himself explained he was looking for his girlfriend and accidentally ended up on the Meir after having too much to drink. However, he remains in custody for illegal possession of weapons. | {
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Amazon Aurora is a fully managed relational database that combines the performance and availability of commercial databases with the simplicity and cost-effectiveness of open source databases. In April 2017, we announced an open preview of the PostgreSQL-compatible edition of Amazon Aurora. The service is now generally available to all customers. | {
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PM Images via Getty Images
Imagine the government started handing out $10,000 annually to every adult in the country, or implemented a negative income tax rate so that low earners and people out of work would receive tax money instead of paying it. Sounds like the ultimate socialist scheme, doesn’t it? Exactly the sort of thing the business community and conservative economists would label a job-killing farce destined to create a nation of lazy, uncompetitive good-for-nothings. But a growing number of economic thinkers -- and not only on the left -- are saying it could be the exact opposite: that it could be the policy idea of the century. While not exactly a silver bullet to solve all ills, it could eliminate poverty to a great extent, and set the stage for a healthier and more productive society. And if that idea appeals primarily to those on the left, there is one principal reason why it would appeal to those on the right as well: It promises to reduce the size and intrusiveness of government. Read more about the minimum income: A Canadian City Once Eliminated Poverty, And Almost Everyone Forgot About It Glen Hodgson, an economist with the Conference Board of Canada who wrote a policy paper in 2011 calling for study on a minimum income, sees it replacing what he calls a “dog’s breakfast” of social spending programs. Welfare, EI, various tax credits for parents and low-income families could all be replaced by one payment program. If designed properly, a single, universal plan to support low-income Canadians would remove the “welfare wall” that keeps some people dependent on social assistance, Hodgson argued in his paper, and would actually strengthen the economy by creating better incentives for work. Hugh Segal, a former Senator and cabinet minister in the Progressive Conservative government of Brian Mulroney, and one of Canada’s highest profile supporters of a guaranteed income, echoes a lot of Hodgson’s points. “We don’t want to confront the fact that our safety net is not strong enough to raise people out of poverty but is strong enough to entrap people,” he told HuffPost Canada in an interview two years ago.
Hugh Segal In Segal’s view, a minimum income would mean a significant clawing back of government involvement in citizens’ lives, and the elimination of the “judgmental” aspects of social programs like welfare and EI -- government officers deciding who is and who isn’t worthy of aid. Instituting a guaranteed income would end “micromanagement by provincial civil servants” and would raise the dignity of low-income citizens, he argues. Segal points out that a guaranteed income already exists in Canada -- in the form of Old Age Security and the Guaranteed Income Supplement, which act as a minimum income for seniors. He notes that when Ontario led the way in creating an income supplement for seniors in the mid-1970s, it reduced the poverty rate among them to 3 per cent from 30 per cent practically overnight. “If we trusted seniors to manage that money, I don’t know why we wouldn’t trust people in their forties and fifties,” Segal says. Segal has been arguing for the idea for decades, but the notion has taken on a life of its own in recent years, and is now the subject of experiments in the developing world and a part of the political debate in some European countries. There are a growing number of economic arguments being made in favour of the idea as well, though most people seriously looking at a minimum income are calling for more research -- much more research -- to be done. Here are some core facts to know about what may be the first big policy idea of the 21st century. How would a minimum income work? There are two overall types of guaranteed income models: The universal basic income (UBI) and the negative income tax (NIT) rate. These two models are very different and would likely have different outcomes, but unfortunately in the public debate about minimum income they are talked about interchangeably. Under a negative income tax, there would be an income cutoff point below which your tax rate would be negative -- the government would pay you instead of the other way around. The less you earn, the larger your tax “return.” This would probably be the less-expensive of the two models, but it poses administrative problems. If you lose your job and your income falls below the cutoff, the government won’t respond until you file your income tax return next spring. So, what do you do instead? Monthly income tax filings? One way to eliminate those problems would be to implement the other minimum income model, the universal basic income. Under the UBI, every adult gets a monthly cheque from the government, regardless of their income or circumstances. That would solve the administrative problems of the NIT, but political objections to this could be stronger. After all, everyone would get this cheque, including billionaires. For higher earners that cheque would be offset by income taxes, but the optics of a “money for everyone” plan could be problematic.
If campaigners get their way, the Swiss could soon be voting on the implementation of a minimum income. Where is it happening? Where are they discussing the idea? There have been a number of guaranteed income experiments done over the years, primarily in the developing world by groups experimenting with new ideas for alleviating poverty. There was also a series of experiments carried out in the U.S. in the 1970s by the Nixon administration; those “income maintenance experiments’ took place in Colorado, Indiana, Iowa, New Jersey, North Carolina and Washington. There was one such experiment in Canada in the Trudeau era, in Dauphin, Manitoba. In Switzerland, there is a campaign currently running to hold a referendum on a universal basic income. The Swiss proposal would see each adult receive 30,000 Swiss francs, or about CAD$35,000, per year. That is a far more generous plan than most basic income proposals. That referendum, if it takes place, is still a year or two away. Why now? One argument being made today has to do with the massive explosion of automation in the digital era. A 2013 study from Oxford’s Martin School estimated that 47 per cent of today’s jobs are at risk of being replaced by machines within 20 years. In the long run, that may not be a problem. Most economists point out that we’ve gone through similar job-destroying automation processes before (like the invention of the assembly line) and new jobs have always taken their place. But in the short run, we could be facing a major problem. If new industries and activities don’t take the place of disappearing jobs fast enough, we could see a similar sort of displacement and impoverishment as seen in the early years of the industrial revolution, when many skilled craftsmen were put out of work by machinery. In a 2013 article, Nobel prize-winning economist and liberal pundit Paul Krugman argued for a minimum income as a way of cushioning the blow from the automation revolution -- a way of ensuring the middle class isn’t decimated in this transition to a new economy. In an economy like this, “the only way we could have anything resembling a middle-class society ... would be by having a strong social safety net, one that guarantees not just health care but a minimum income, too,” Krugman concluded. Story continues below
Would some people stop working if there was a minimum income? Plenty of (mostly conservative) thinkers have argued that a guaranteed income would mean fewer productive people because some portion of the population would be happy living off the government subsidy and wouldn’t work. In a recent article, entrepreneur Pascal-Emmanuel Gobry cited the experiments with a negative income tax in the U.S. and Canada in the 1970s, citing research showing that the programs did reduce the incentive to work. If a guaranteed income is introduced, “millions of people who could work won't, just listing away in socially destructive idleness,” he concluded. But things aren’t quite so clear cut. First of all, the experiments in the 1970s looked only at the negative income tax, and not a universal basic income. Secondly, the most thorough study of the Canadian experiment in Manitoba concluded that it did not disincentivize work -- or at least not in the way critics expect. There was some dropout from the workforce in Dauphin when the "mincome" experiment was running, but it consisted largely of younger people looking to further their education, or parents choosing to spend time with young children. Finally, some researchers have concluded that the disincentive to work in those U.S. experiments often consisted of employed people hiding their income so they could get larger sums from the government. Recent research suggests that while the negative income tax would create some disincentive to work, or at least cause people to hide their income, the basic income wouldn’t. That was the conclusion of Ed Dolan, the founder of the American Institute of Business and Economics in Moscow. Dolan argues that it’s actually existing social programs like employment insurance and welfare that disincentivize work because recipients lose those benefits when their circumstances improve. But with a basic income, everyone gets the same no matter what, and there is no additional disincentive to getting a job and earning more money. “Replacing our current welfare system with a universal basic income would substantially increase incentives to work, especially among the low-income households that are the greatest cause for concern,” Dolan concluded. A recent experiment by Oxfam seems to have borne out Dolan’s predictions. The aid group handed out a basic income to residents of eight farming villages in India and compared the results to 12 villages that received no basic income. The villages with a basic income saw “improvements in child nutrition, child and adult health, schooling attendance and performance, sanitation, economic activity and earned incomes, and the socio-economic status of women, the elderly and the disabled,” wrote Guy Standing, a professor at the University of London. Interestingly, a basic income made it easier for people to start up their own businesses. “Contrary to what sceptics predicted (including Sonia Gandhi), the basic income resulted in more economic activity and work,” Standing concluded. Of course, an experiment in farming villages in the developing world tells us little about how it would work across an advanced economy, which is why economists continue to call for more experiments on guaranteed income. How much would a minimum income cost? That depends on what kind of program it is and how generous it is. The negative income tax rate would be easier to make revenue-neutral (i.e., no tax hikes) than a basic income. One recent estimate puts the cost of bringing everyone in Canada up to the poverty line at $32 billion. A negative income tax rate could be set so that it would cost that much, and the reduced costs from other now-eliminated or scaled-back social programs could offset that cost. In fact, a negative tax rate “might produce sizable net fiscal savings, especially for provinces,” the Conference Board of Canada said in its 2011 research paper. That’s because of the reduced burden on the health care system as a result of everyone being granted a basic standard of living. Poverty and health care costs are statistically linked. And because it would reduce the “welfare wall” that keeps people dependent on government handouts, it would mean more people engaged in the workforce, and that would raise government revenue in the long run, the Conference Board report argued. From that perspective, there is no increase in costs to government associated with a negative income tax. But a basic income, issued to everyone, would likely require higher government revenue even if other social programs were cancelled. Assuming an annual basic income payment of $10,000 (about 20 per cent of average earnings) to every adult over the age of 20 (27.7 million Canadians), the total payout would come to $277 billion. A scary number, larger even than the $215 billion governments spend on health care, but then you subtract much of the cost of the $139 billion in payments governments make to Canadians currently, and you basically cut that cost in half. Plus, you've just given everyone (including high earners) a $10,000 tax break, so you would offset that with higher income tax rates. Or, as Paul Krugman suggests, slap the added tax burden on corporations. They are seeing an ever-larger share of total income, so they are in a better position to pay, he argues.
Depending on whom you ask, a company like Walmart will either feel pressure to raise wages under a minimum income -- or it would have more freedom to underpay workers than ever. What would the impact be on businesses and the labour market? There are basically two schools of thought here. One school says that a guaranteed income would make people less dependent on their jobs, giving them more leverage in negotiating wages or the option to hold out for a better job. That’s a positive for workers but a negative for businesses, who would see their labour costs rise. (It could also give people more opportunity to go to school or retrain for new jobs, which in the long run should help the economy by creating a more adaptable, flexible workforce.) But the other school of thought says the opposite would happen. With a guaranteed income, low-wage employers like Walmart or McDonald’s would feel little pressure to pay better wages. That would be a bonus for employers, who would save on pay hikes, but that could end up offsetting some of the benefits to low-income workers. A minimum income would certainly smooth out incomes for people in seasonal work, and make it possible for some people to make ends meet working a part-time job when that's all that's available. But, again, that could translate into companies becoming reliant on the minimum income, and being more trigger-happy with layoffs. Who’s opposed to the basic income, and who supports it? These days, the guaranteed income idea belongs to neither right nor left. In the U.S., the negative income tax was championed by Milton Friedman, the grandfather of modern conservative economics and a noted libertarian. In Canada, the idea was popular among some Progressive Conservatives of the Robert Stanfield era in the 1960s, from which hails Hugh Segal. The Liberal Party of Canada earlier this year made running a pilot project for a basic income supplement a part of its policy platform. That doesn’t necessarily mean it will run on the issue as part of its election platform in 2015, but it’s a significant step forward for the idea. The pro-business Conference Board of Canada has also come out in favour of at least studying a guaranteed income, and the Green Party endorsed the notion as part of its platform. But concerns about the potential costs of a minimum income, whether founded or unfounded, combined with moral arguments against “giving everyone free money,” would likely form the backbone of the opposition to the idea. | {
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Sport Lisboa e Benfica e Paços de Ferreira dão o pontapé de arranque na Liga NOS às 21h30 de sábado, dia 10 de agosto, no Estádio da Luz, conforme revelou esta terça-feira a Liga Portugal.
A 1.ª jornada da competição inicia-se na sexta-feira (dia 9 de agosto), com o Portimonense a receber o Belenenses, e fecha na segunda-feira posterior, com a deslocação do CD Tondela a Setúbal.
Antes do arranque da Liga NOS, o SL Benfica abre a temporada oficial com a disputa da Supertaça, no Estádio Algarve, perante o Sporting CP. O dérbi está marcado para as 20h45 de domingo, dia 4 de agosto.
Fotos: Aqruivo / SL Benfica | {
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CD Projekt has confirmed that Bandai Namco will be the company responsible for publishing and distributing Cyberpunk 2077 in Europe. The news comes soon after the announcement that Warner Bros. will be handling those duties in the US. The studio still hasn’t announced a release date for the upcoming RPG, however. Nevertheless, these announcements are likely a good sign that development is proceeding apace.
Bandai Namco to Publish Cyberpunk 2077 in Europe
CD Projekt’s decision to partner with Bandai Namco should come as no surprise; Bandai Namco was the European publisher for both The Witcher 2 and 3. The publisher also distributed The Witcher 3 in Australia and New Zealand. However, it’s currently unknown whether their partnership for Cyberpunk 2077 will extend into that region as well. According to CD Projekt, Bandai Namco will publish their next game in “selected European markets.”
Michał Nowakowski, SVP of Business Development at CD Projekt, said of the announcement; “Our current distribution partnership with Bandai Namco is built on the strong foundation and trust developed during our previous projects. We’ve successfully cooperated on The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings and The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, and I’m convinced Bandai Namco will take good care of Cyberpunk 2077.”
The selected markets in which Bandai Namco will publish the game spans a total of 24 different countries in Europe; Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, The Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. It’s still unknown when Cyberpunk 2077 will actually release. A recent rumour seemed to suggest that it could be mid-to-late 2019.
Bandai Namco’s European VP of Business Development, Alberto González Lorca, was also optimistic about the continuing partnership; “CD Projekt Red has become, in just a few years, one of the leading studios in this sector with a truly innovative approach to each game and we are both proud and excited to confirm that we’ll be part of the Cyberpunk 2077 project,” he says; “We’re looking forward to working once again with CD Projekt Red and distribute another of its games in Europe, providing first-class services to one of the most eagerly awaited games of the coming years.” | {
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Actress Susan Sarandon called former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton “very dangerous” Sunday — and said the United States would be at war had she won the 2016 election.
The vocal Bernie Sanders supporter slammed Clinton as “not authentic” and an “opportunist” in an interview with the Guardian.
“I did think she was very, very dangerous,” Sarandon said of the former US secretary of state when asked if Clinton was more threatening than Donald Trump. “We would still be fracking, we would be at war [if she was president].”
Sarandon had said in June 2016 that she believed Clinton’s foreign policy background made her a greater risk to national security than Trump.
Yet the 71-year-old appeared to backpedal on that statement with the Guardian.
“Not exactly, but I don’t mind that quote,” she said when asked about the comment. | {
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Lufab och NCC ska ingå i ett så kallat partneringsamarbete, som är en strukturerad samverkansform där partnerna samarbetar för projektets bästa.
I detta fall för att hitta den långsiktigt mest hållbara lösningen för simhallen, i en öppen dialog och i en transparent arbetsmiljö.
Niclas Camarstrand, projektledare på Lufab, säger att detta är bästa sättet att ta tillvara på den kompetens och engagemang som finns inom båda parter:
– Både NCC och Lufab införstådda med att entreprenaden behöver bedrivas med stor öppenhet för alternativa lösningar samt teknik- och metodval.
Tidigare har det gjorts en första badutredning, med olika alternativ för om- och tillbyggnad, för den nya simhallen.
Ett antal alternativa utformningar har diskuterats vilket legat till grund till för Falu Kommuns inriktningsbeslut att påbörja projekt för ny simhall i Falun.
Fakta/Viktiga mål och inriktningar för simhallsprojektet: | {
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Eurovision is on its way (Picture: Guy Levy)
It’s May, and you know what that means. No, not just two bank holiday weekends and the Game Of Thrones finale.
The Eurovision Song Contest begins in two weeks’ time, with 41 countries set to compete to take over Netta’s reign as champion.
There’s plenty to look forward to, from Norway’s act planning to stage an Arctic version of The Lion King to Iceland’s entry leading men around the stage in dog collars, but will anything make it into the history books?
Over the last 10 years, Eurovision has given us some majorly memorable moments, from cheese and campness to contemporary classic, and some songs have changed the face of the contest for good.
So, in anticipation of the contest in Tel Aviv, we’ve taken a look back over the last decade of contests to decide our top 20 songs from that time. There’s bangers, there’s ballads, there’s drag queens, there’s dancing grandmas – what more could you want?
20. Beauty Never Lies: Bojana Stamenov (2015) – placed 10th for Serbia
OK, so the vocal performance on the night wasn’t spot on, so its 10th place wasn’t so surprising. But tell us you didn’t get chills at the drop.
Bojana’s song was all about self-love and acceptance, with the star belting out ‘here I am’ and challenging anyone to question her beauty and badassness.
We’re big fans of a costume change, so the dancers whipping off their outfits at the tempo drop was Eurovision heaven.
19. It’s My Time: Jade Ewen (2009) – placed 5th for UK
The UK’s most recent shining moment came in 2009, when Jade Ewen and Andrew Lloyd Webber reached the top five with this very West End ballad. The lyrics were a bit earnest and cheesy, but you just couldn’t dislike this song, and Jade gave a great performance.
It represents a time when the UK really put in the effort. Getting Andrew Lloyd Webber and Diane Warren to write the song? Sending a soon-to-be Sugababe? Perfect.
Come to think of, there are hundreds of other Sugababes to enlist for Eurovision. Get on it.
18. Lipstick: Jedward (2011) – placed 8th for Ireland
Say what you want about Jedward, but they gave Eurovision their all. Lipstick was a slice of classic Eurovision fun, complete with exaggerated costumes and a very enthusiastic performance.
The twins loved Europe and it loved them back, with Ireland getting their best score in years. This is a great example of giving in to the madness and OTT-ness of Eurovision, and it was tailored to leave a smile on your face.
17. Fairytale: Alexander Rybak (2009) – placed 1st for Norway
Fairytale won with the highest score in Eurovision history at the time, and it managed to make tradition work. Going super traditional can be incredibly dodgy, but Alexander’s fun-time chimney sweep persona and his admittedly brillaint violin skills made this work.
Looking back on it now, I can’t imagine it having the same effect today – the dancers and the walk-on backing singers are all a bit distracting. But there’s no denying this is a classic Eurovision winner.
16. Only Teardrops: Emmelie de Forest (2013) – placed 1st for Denmark
Emmelie de Forest perfectly combined tradition and contemporary on Only Teardrops. Sure, there were pan pipes and drums, but there was also a super-catchy chorus and distinctive vocals.
This is one of the most downloaded Eurovision songs in the UK, and could easily fit in the charts anywhere. Unlike some recent winners, Only Teardrops still holds up as current.
15. Love Injected: Aminata (2015) – placed 6th for Latvia
Aminata’s dramatic entry for Latvia deserved a higher placing in what was admittedly a very strong year. The eerie, ethereal verses teamed with the booming chorus gave us goosebumps, with Aminata’s voice being the standout star of the performance.
This could be released by London Grammar and it would be an instant indie hit.
14. Party For Everybody: Buranovskiye Babushki (2012) – placed 2nd for Russia
Eurovision may be introducing more and more contemporary songs – for the better – but we do love a dose of the ridiculous. And nothing puts a smile on our face more than Buranovskiye Babushki – better known as the dancing Russian grandmas.
The babushki teamed traditional verses with a ridiculous earworm of a chorus, and baked bread while doing it. Good luck getting this one out of your head any time soon.
13. Sound Of Silence: Dani Im (2016) – placed 2nd for Australia
Anyone who complains about Australia being part of Eurovision – show them this.
We reckon Dani Im’s entry was more deserving of a win than Jamala’s 1944, and was a ballad that dodged cheesiness and went straight into arena territory.
While Dani was decked out in crystals, the staging was fairly simple, and it was all about her voice and that chorus. This is the benchmark Australia need to meet each year – and it’s a high bar.
12. Occidentali’s Karma: Francesco Gabbani (2017) – placed 6th for Italy
Occidentali’s Karma was a hot favourite to win the 2017 contest, but it seemed to be a bit lost in translation on the night. Opting not to sing in English is always a risk, and it’s a shame it didn’t pay off for Francesco.
The good-natured ribbing of materialism was wrapped up in a super-catchy chorus – and then a dancing gorilla came on. What more could you want, Europe?!
It only came sixth, but for true Eurovision lovers, it remains a favourite.
11. Rise Like A Phoenix: Conchita Wurst (2014) – placed 1st for Austria
Rise Like A Phoenix is more than a song – it represents a real moment in Eurovision history. Conchita Wurst, the drag persona of Thomas Neuwirth, was mocked throughout the contest, and was branded ‘not natural’ by the Armenian entry. But on the night, there could not have been another winner.
The song was like a Bond theme, Conchita’s vocals were on point, and Europe fell in love. Even non-Eurovision viewers knew all about Conchita and her victory over the haters.
If there’s a Eurovision song of the past decade that sums up unity and acceptance, it’s this one.
10. Popular: Eric Saade (2011) – placed 3rd for Sweden
Azerbaijan may have won the contest in 2011, but surely Sweden’s song is the most memorable.
Eric Saade was the perfect popstar – good looks, perfect teeth, edgy leather jacket – and the chorus of this third place tune is still in our heads eight years on.
9. I Feed You My Love: Margaret Berger (2013) – came 4th for Norway
This has to be Norway’s strongest song of the decade – sorry Alexander.
Margaret’s entry was chart-worthy, and was accompanied by flashing lights and simple staging. More songs like this please, Norway.
8. J’ai Cherche: Amir (2016) – placed 6th for France
Another act who was predicted to chart higher thanks to his performance on the promo tour was Amir.
This French-English mash up is catchy AF, and Amir was charming to boot. The result was an irresistible number that is a firm fixture on our Spotify playlists.
7. Heroes: Mans Zelmerlow (2015) – placed 1st for Sweden
The most mainstream winner in recent years, Mans managed to connect a great song with personality and perfect staging – a combo that’s rarely achieved.
The lit-up stick man is one of the most impressive stages in recent Eurovision history, creating an instantly iconic and memorable performance. And Mans’ personality only made the entry stronger. He has gone on to be Mr Eurovision – hosting, presenting You Decide and even returning to perform this year.
Don’t you just love an entry that truly loves Eurovision?
6. Golden Boy: Nadav Guedj (2015) – placed 9th for Israel
No shade at Netta, but there is no song that sums up Israel at Eurovision like Golden Boy. It starts off a bit slow, then sounds a bit like Sing by Ed Sheeran – but by the time Nadav gets to the chorus, we defy you not to be dancing.
It managed to mash up a boyband style track with traditional notes and references to Tel Aviv – and we have to give extra points to Nadav for those winged trainers.
Whack this tune on at any Eurovision party and everyone will lose their minds.
5. I Can’t Go On: Robin Bengtsson (2017) – placed 5th for Sweden
What. A. Banger. I Can’t Go On could easily be on a Radio 1 playlist if recorded by Justin Timberlake, Jason Derulo or Robin Thicke, and proves that Sweden will always be the most formidable country in the contest.
As well as the song being catchy, current and slick, the staging brought Eurovision into a new era with Robin emerging from backstage, before he and his dancers performed on a series of treadmills in suits.
I Can’t Go On represents the new era of Eurovision, and that’s a very good thing.
4. Rhythm Inside: Loic Nottet (2015) – placed 4th for Belgium
Belgium have been consistently producing the coolest Eurovision entries in recent years, and Loic Nottet’s set the standard.
The achingly cool staging teamed with the teenager’s static choreography elevated this above its competitors, and although not a typical Eurovision song, broke the top five and could have gone all the way in any year.
Also, that pirouette still gives us chills.
3. Fuego: Eleni Fourera (2018) – placed 2nd for Cyprus
Again, no shade to Netta – she was a totally worthy winner – but we’re still a bit sad this absolute bop didn’t take the crown.
Bringing Shakira’s Hips Don’t Lie into 2018, Eleni was all about the sex appeal, emerging on stage in a spray on glitter catsuit and throwing around her hair extensions like nobody’s business. Seriously – did she learn that hairography from Queen Bey?
Fuego is the perfect summer song and will no doubt remain in Eurovision fans’ minds in the years to come.
2. Satellite: Lena (2010) – placed 1st for Germany
Lena’s win in 2010 signalled a change in Eurovision – an understated staging could compete with all the bells and whistles.
Like a teenage Lily Allen, Lena’s quirky lyrics and trademark pronunciation made this a clear winner, and remains one of the most commercial Eurovision winners to date.
While she couldn’t replicate her success upon her return, Lena gave us one of the best Eurovision songs of the 21st century.
1. Euphoria: Loreen (2012) – placed 1st for Sweden
Could it have been anything else? Euphoria marks a turning point in Eurovision history – contemporary songs can not only win, but are now the new standard to reach.
The dance track remains not only a staple in Eurovision circles, it went mainstream across Europe and is still played in nightclubs six years on. Euphoria did everything right – an absolute banger, great vocals, pared back yet memorable staging.
We have high hopes for every Eurovision contest – but this song will take some beating.
The Eurovision Song Contest semi-finals take place on 14 and 16 May in Tel Aviv, while the grand final is on 18 May.
Got a showbiz story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us [email protected], calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page - we'd love to hear from you.
MORE: Alan Carr admits he lied to Avengers cast on Chatty Man because he wasn’t a fan: ‘I fell asleep in the cinema’ | {
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BERMANgate: Agent of Deep State Judge Amy Berman Jackson and Her Very “Special Mission”
Queen of Corruptocrats Retains Her Crown
How Judge Amy Berman Jackson and Special Counsel
Robert Mueller Conspired to Irreparably Destroy the
Rule of Law
State of the Nation
The fetid swamp inside the Beltway has been belching the most malodorous swamp gases since the appointment of Special Counsel Robert Mueller by Deep State agent Rod Rosenstein.
However, everyone in the justice biz knows that the only way such a corrupt and unscrupulous prosecutor like Mueller can get away with his transparently malicious prosecutions is to be enabled by an equally corrupt and crooked judge.
Where it concerns the transparently fake Russiagate investigation and legal proceedings, that judge would be Amy Berman Jackson, the United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia.
KEY POINTS: It’s critical to understand that it is the totally corrupt judiciary that is primarily responsible for the current state of the U.S. Criminal Injustice System. That’s because the incorrigibly corrupt lawyers turned judges possess way too much power—judicial power that cannot be challenged in their tightly controlled domain known as the courthouse. Yes, the ultimate unfair outcomes of their stealthily manipulated court proceedings can be appealed, but these judges still rule without challenge in their thoroughly corrupt courts.
Judge Amy Berman Jackson
The current nationwide problem that many understand to be the “The Greatest Constitutional Crisis Since the Civil War” started with an extremely corrupt Obama-era appointee to the U.S. District Court for D.C. — Judge Amy Berman Jackson.
This particular judicial appointment, together with the dubious appointment of cover-up artist Robert Mueller as Special Counsel, has moved the nation into this unprecedented and ever-worsening crisis.[1]
Donald Trump has often referred to the Mueller investigation as a witch hunt where the Special Counsel has unlawfully arrogated powers unto himself which he does not legally possess. However, it’s Judge Berman who is the head witch in this witch hunt; for she’s the Deep State operative who has permitted Mueller to get away with destroying the rule of law.
In her capacity of presiding over the railroading of Paul Manafort, as well as the sitting judge for Roger Stone’s kangaroo court, Berman has brazenly enabled Mueller’s prosecutorial misconduct and malicious prosecutions.
Everyone inside the Beltway knows that Mueller is nothing but a white-collar hitman whose specialty is turning innocent witnesses against innocent targets by coercing them to lie. This is essentially the Mueller MO which Berman is completely okay with. See: This is how Mueller coerces false testimony from innocent victims of prosecutorial misconduct—threats of long prison sentences!
The Gestapo tactics used by Team Mueller are as underhanded and heavyhanded as any prosecutor in Washington, D.C. history. Mueller’s penchant for outright thuggery, particularly in instances that are totally inappropriate, is now the stuff of legal legend.
Fast and Furious
It’s of paramount importance to understand the reprehensible role that Judge Berman played during the Democrat’s “Fast and Furious” fiasco and ensuing scandal.
Judge Amy B. Jackson, DC District Court, has stonewalled the House Oversight Committee’s subpoena for documents related to the U.S. Justice Department’s ill-fated Fast and Furious operation. She is yet another Harvard Law graduate in the ever-growing White House corruption scandal. Tragically, U.S. border guard Brian Terry was killed in Peck Canyon, Arizona on Dec. 15, 2010 by an AR-15 assault rifle. This weapon was part of a cache of weapons trafficked to Mexican drug cartels under Fast and Furious. Mr. Terry’s family has been stonewalled as well. On Jun. 26, 2012 by House Resolution No. 706, Attorney General Eric Holder was held in contempt of Congress for failing to turn over subpoenaed documents regarding Fast and Furious. Since then, Judge Jackson has stalled the Committee’s efforts to get the documents through the courts. Judge Jackson’s evident protection of the administration has led investigators to learn more about her.
(Source: JUDGE AMY BERMAN JACKSON: The Most Corrupt and Conflicted Judge in the D.C. Swamp)
Let’s face it: any judge who will aggressively protect the criminals who were responsible for the Fast and Furious murder and cover-up cannot be trusted to do anything right on the bench. It really does appear that Berman was set up from the very beginning to be a totally crooked judge who would fix any problem that threatened the status quo. Toward that end, she has set up herself as the head witch of the Special Counsel’s reckless witch hunt.
Persecution of Paul Manafort
Now let’s fast forward to the Paul Manafort trial.
First of all, Berman shouldn’t even be there! As follows:
Not in the history of this nation has any citizen been so terrorized by the Criminal Injustice System as Paul Manafort has been. As the presiding judge for Manfort’s purely political show trial, Berman has conducted herself with all the injustice and cruelty of Grand Inquisitor Tomás de Torquemada of Spanish Inquisition infamy. Truly, this so-called judge has no business being anywhere near a courtroom, not even as a bailiff.
What follows is just one headline that is similar to the many others that are routinely issued by The Washington Post about the various Mueller legal proceedings: “Federal judge finds Paul Manafort lied to Mueller probe about contacts with Russian aide“.
Oh, really, this fake judge has somehow determined that Manafort lied! Does anyone know the degree of prosecutorial terrorism and judicial tyranny that this poor victim has been subjected to? They had him unnecessarily locked up in solitary confinement for a protracted period of time — before he was even convicted — with the explicit intention of softening him up.
Most of the harassment that Berman has allowed Mueller to get away with in her court has to do with the frivolous prosecution of process crimes. These nominal non-crimes can be foisted on anybody by a crooked prosecutor working in league with a corrupt judge. In point of fact, Berman and Mueller have become known as the Fric and Frac of the D.C. justice system so joined at the hip are they in their joint manipulations of the legal system, the media and the government.
Really, how is it that Berman gets conveniently assigned to all the cases that are the most politically explosive?! And, how is it that she always manages to completely malign the law like no other judge in the nation? By purposeful design, that’s how! This is precisely how Deep State controls the outcomes of all the politically sensitive and/or governmentally radioactive cases.
Berman the Fixer
It’s quite well known within the judiciary, as well as throughout the legal community, that some judges have been long identified as fixers. Berman is just one of those who can be counted on to always rule in favor of a corrupt prosecutor and reliably decide against an innocent defendant. This is exactly the type of putrid rot that many refer to when they cite the abuses and outrages of the irreparable Criminal Injustice System. It all starts with exceedingly corrupt judges like Amy Berman Jackson infesting the swam for decades.
Roger Stone
The following title of a recent article perfectly captures Berman’s MO: Corrupt D.C. presiding judge will do anything to prevent the truth from coming out during Roger Stone’s kangaroo court proceedings
It’s true: from the very beginning Berman has conducted her court proceedings against Roger Stone as if her job is to make sure he’s put away for life…for doing absolutely nothing unlawful. And, that the facts of the nonexistent case are never allowed to be revealed in the public domain. Some judges can actually control the flow of a trial to ensure the truth never emerges and that falsehoods get the defendant convicted—FOR REAL
Washington insiders know that Mueller is hanging a LOT on the successful prosecution of Roger Stone. However, Mueller knows he’s got nothing on him. All Roger has really done is do a great job as a part-time Alt Media journalist. His limited attempts to contact key platforms within the Fifth Estate such as Wikileaks should be applauded, not condemned. In other words, Mueller is going after Stone for being an effective investigative journalist and armchair PI. This is the extremely sad state of affairs that the DOJ, FBI and Democrat Party have become. Tell the truth and you become an enemy of the state.
KEY POINT: The false conviction of Roger Stone is the only thing that Mueller can hang his hat on. Mueller does not have a single thing to show for the $25 million plus of taxpayer dollars spent for his fraudulent investigation of what amounts to a “Trump-Russia collusion” hoax cooked up and aggressively promoted by the Democrats. Because of this sordid mess, Mueller is desperate to convict Stone on at least one count of collusion. Without this, his Special Counsel appointment is a total failure. Therefore, it’s quite likely that he and Berman will do something very stupid to win a conviction.
As a primo agent of Deep State, SES Amy Berman Jackson is beholden to The Powers That Be as much as any other swamp creature in D.C. What exactly they have on her is anyone’s guess, but there’s no question that just like Mueller, her career is filled with corruption, criminality and compromised acts of every sort and kind. Once anyone has played the Deep State game of mandatory malfeasance, they are vulnerable to blackmail and bribery and extortion for the rest of their life.
With respect to the Stone trial, it’s clear from the two gag orders that Berman means business and will do everything possible to prevent a fair hearing. She will shut down Stone’s voice whenever her judicial powers allow. After all, there’s nothing more dangerous to the fake Russiagate allegations than the truth that it’s a total hoax.
Bermangate
What’s now known as Bermangate started with the multiple conflicts of interest that she has now and has had often during her judicial career.
In matters related to her most recent gigs involving Robert Mueller and Hillary Clinton, here are just a few of the most obvious conflicts.
There’s nothing worse than a corrupt judge. When they engage in such unethical behavior and refuse to recuse themselves, the whole system suffers greatly. How can anyone have confidence in a judge who is so cavalier about violating the rules that govern their profession?
Of course, there are many other dimensions of Bermangate that are well beyond the scope of this short exposé. These will be taken up in a future exposé.
Conclusion
Judge Amy Berman Jackson has been unanimously selected as the “Queen of the Corruptocrats” for very good reason(s).
When she’s not overseeing a blatant miscarriage of justice, Berman is making despotic rulings which guarantee a travesty of justice somewhere inside the Beltway.
Clearly, Judge Berman’s serial judicial misconduct and profound violations of the juridical code qualify her for immediate censure and removal from the bench. To allow her to complete her term would be a tremendous disservice to those many jurists who take their job seriously and perform with integrity.
As a means of delivering justice to the many individuals who have suffered grotesque forms of injustice in Berman’s courtrooms, she should be disbarred and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Who better to make a glaring example of for those other judges who are thinking of leaving the reservation of law and order, truth and justice?
In any event, unless all of these corrupt officers of the court are removed post haste, there will surely come a time for torches and pitchforks.
State of the Nation
February 20, 2019
Endnotes
[1] FBI Director Robert Mueller and the 9/11 Cover-up
KEY POINTS: Robert Mueller was deliberately selected to lead the FBI during the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. It was by purposeful design that his tenure as FBI Director began on September 4, 2001, just 7 days before the 9/11 false flag terror operation. And, that he remained in that job for 12 corrupt years until September 4, 2013 to ensure that the FBI would never professionally investigate the greatest crime and act of terrorism ever perpetrated on US soil. In fact, Mueller’s 12 years are marked by an overwhelming body of evidence which proves his willful neglect, dereliction of duty, official misconduct and misprision of felony. Clearly, Mueller’s greatest crime to date was overseeing the institutional cover-up of the 9/11 government conspiracy to commit acts of terror, murder and destruction against the American people and property.
(Source: ROBERT MUELLER: He’s not a Special Counsel, he’s a Deep State hitman and cover-up artist!) | {
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Recently, TC Magazine commissioned a poll surveying the marital status of Tamils in the diaspora. The poll revealed that over half of all Tamils remained unmarried at ages 30-35.
Family is an important aspect traditional Tamil values. So how does a family-oriented culture with a strong tradition of faith, marriage and family end up with over half of its community unmarried into their 30s?
Over the next few months, TC will interview members of the Tamil community to discuss why this trend exists, to relate from personal experiences, and to address what can be done about it (all names are pseudonyms).
Sanjiv, 27, from Scarborough writes:
While I’m not in the age range polled, I feel obliged to comment. There is definitely a growing rift between young men and women in society, and I think it’s even more pronounced in the Tamil community. Certainly the low marriage rates from your survey attest to this. I’ll try my best to explain my reasons for why this is. Be warned that much of my commentary is not politically correct, but I think it needs to be said if we are to discuss this issue openly and honestly.
First, there is no doubt that Tamil women are outperforming Tamil men both in education and professionally. There are more girls than boys pursuing post-secondary education. And while this is true for all of Canada, this trend is exacerbated in our community. Almost every Tamil girl I’ve met who grew up in Canada has some form of post-secondary education – at minimum a Bachelor’s degree or a college diploma. Numerous women in our community also hold graduate degrees and PhDs.
However, the same cannot be said of our Tamil guys. Tamil women with degrees far outnumber Tamil men. And because most women prefer to marry men who are above them in status, educated Tamil women are finding that there is a shortage of men who meet this criteria. Most are unwilling to compromise their standards and “settle” for a less educated partner. And many will hold out until the right guy comes along, not realizing that a handsome, educated Tamil man with a professional job has plenty of options. With each passing year their marital prospects decline… until they find themselves still alone well into their 30s.
Another critical aspect is that there is a huge element of superficiality in the modern Western society we live in. Given that most young Tamil professionals today marry for love, physical attraction undoubtedly plays a factor. Most men have a preference for slim, fair-skinned girls. A girl who is dark or fat will find it more difficult to attract a partner.
In our parents’ time, such a girl would have found a husband (provided a sufficient dowry) because physicality wasn’t a deciding factor in arranged marriage back home. Most parents sought an educated man for their daughter and a girl who was “adakam ozhukum” for their sons. But with Western media pumping out images of blonde bombshells and Kollywood pushing Shreya as the aesthetic ideal, every guy wants a fair-skinned girl on his arm and not the plump, dark girl with the heart of gold.
So why are so many of our men still single into their 30s? The truth is many Tamil guys today are lonely and embittered. Many Tamil “nice guys” still harbour resentment from Tamil girls ignoring them and going for “gangsta” bad boys back in high school and university. Of course, when these girls mature and realize the gangsta guys are going nowhere in life, it’s too late. You ignored me before, but you’ll settle for me now after being pumped and dumped by bad boys and run out of options? No thanks.
Furthermore, Tamil guys – even educated guys who grew up in Canada – are very judgmental about a girl’s past. Even today, Tamil men have different standards for whom they’ll casually date and whom they’ll marry. And a Tamil girl who has had several boyfriends or sexual partners will not be viewed as marriage material. Tamil men won’t settle for what they perceive as “used goods” with baggage from past relationships. While this double standard may seem unfair to the ladies, it is still the reality in our community.
At the same time, Tamil guys today can’t go “back home” to marry a virgin bride as their uncles or older cousins did. Most guys who grew up here can’t hold a conversation in Tamil , and there is a significant language and cultural barrier between Tamil guys who grew up here and village girls back home. Unlike Indians, the Sri Lankan Tamil diaspora does not have a huge pool of attractive, educated English-speaking girls to draw from back home. So a lot of Tamil guys here are stuck in limbo – either marry a girl whose had multiple past boyfriends in Canada, or sponsor a village girl from Jaffna. Not content with either option, many men still remain unmarried well into their 30s.
As a young Tamil-Canadian male, I find this trend worrisome. If Tamils who are born or raised here don’t form families and reproduce, it will be the demise of our community. We should not be a community of underachieving bachelors and overeducated spinsters. So what can be done to bridge this rift between our young men and women?
Tamil guys – you need to step it up educationally and professionally. Our ladies are doing extremely well, so there’s no reason why you can’t. And don’t be so judgmental about a girl’s past. The archaic values you’re clinging to are from a bygone era when women didn’t have the freedoms they do today. They’re incompatible with today’s modern, egalitarian society.
And Tamil girls – you need to do a better job of picking the right guy while you’re still young. Instead of wasting your prime years with the “exciting” bad boy who’s going nowhere in life, find a smart dependable guy with a good future and stick with him. Your biological clock is ticking and soon it may be too late.
* * * * *
In Part 3 of our series Single, Tamil, Female… And I’m Divorced” Niluja Albert shares her perspective as a divorced Tamil woman.
In Part 4 of our series “Self-Arranged Marriage: The New Tamil Trend” Jana Nadesan discusses the growing “self-arranged marriage” phenomenon in the Tamil community.
Want to share your input? E-mail us at [email protected] We will get back to you shortly. | {
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Eight-year-old Susan La Flesche sat at the bedside of an elderly woman, puzzled as to why the doctor had yet to arrive. After all, he had been summoned four times, and four times he had promised to come straight away. As the night grew longer, the sick woman’s breathing grew fainter until she died in agony before the break of dawn. Even to a young girl, the message delivered by the doctor’s absence was painfully clear: “It was only an Indian.”
That searing moment stoked the fire inside Susan to one day heal the fellow members of her Omaha tribe. “It has always been a desire of mine to study medicine ever since I was a small girl,” she wrote years later, “for even then I saw the need of my people for a good physician.”
Susan LaFlesche (Credit: Smithsonian National Anthropological Archives)
Born in a buckskin teepee on the Omaha Indian Reservation in northeast Nebraska on June 17, 1865, Susan was never given a traditional Omaha name by her mixed-race parents. Her father, Chief Joseph La Flesche (also known as “Iron Eye”), believed his children as well as his tribe were now living in a white man’s world in which change would be the only constant. “As the chief guardian of welfare, he realized they would have to adapt to white ways or simply cease to survive,” says Joe Starita, author of “A Warrior of the People: How Susan La Flesche Overcame Racial and Gender Inequality to Become America’s First Indian Doctor.” “He began an almost intense indoctrination of his four daughters. They would have to speak English and go to white schools.”
While Iron Eye insisted that Susan learn the tribe’s traditional songs, beliefs, customs and language in order to retain her Omaha identity, he also sent her to a Presbyterian mission school on the reservation where she learned English and became a devout Christian. At the age of 14, she was sent east to attend a girls’ school in Elizabeth, New Jersey, followed by time at Virginia’s Hampton Institute, where she took classes with the children of former slaves and other Native Americans.
Omaha means “against the current,” and few members of the tribe embodied the name better than La Flesche, as she proved by enrolling in the Woman’s Medical College of Pennsylvania at a time when even the most privileged of white women faced severe discrimination. Starita points to articles published in journals such as Popular Science Monthly that argued that women faced an intellectual disadvantage because their brains were smaller than those of men or that their menstrual cycles made them unfit for scientific pursuits. A Harvard doctor even wrote a 300-page thesis asserting that women should be barred from attending college because the stress would harm their reproductive organs. “When you read these theories in scientific journals, you realize what all women were facing,” Starita tells HISTORY.
Female physicians, late 19th century. Susan LaFlesche is in the second row from the back, fourth woman from the right. (Credit: Legacy Center, Drexel University College of Medicine)
Still, La Flesche persevered and graduated in 1889 at the top of her 36-woman class to make history by becoming the first Native American woman doctor. Although prodded to remain on the East Coast where she could have lived a very comfortable existence, the 24-year-old La Flesche returned to the reservation to fulfill her destiny.
She became the sole doctor for 1,244 patients spread over a massive territory of 1,350 square miles. House calls were arduous. Long portions of her 20-hour workdays were spent wrapped in a buffalo robe driving her buggy through blankets of snow and biting subzero winds with her mares, Pat and Pudge, her only companions. When she returned home, the woman known as “Dr. Sue” often found a line of wheezing and coughing patients awaiting her. La Flesche’s office hours never ended. While she slept, the lantern lit in her window remained a beacon for anyone in need of help.
La Flesche preached hygiene and prevention along with the healing power of fresh air and sunshine. She also spoke out against the white whiskey peddlers who preyed on the tribe members, continuing her father’s work as a passionate prohibitionis.
As difficult as it may have been to straddle two civilizations, La Flesche “managed to thread the delicate bicultural needle,” according to Starita. “Those with no trust of white doctors flocked to Susan,” he says. “The people trusted her because she spoke their language and knew their customs.”
Susan LaFlesche Picotte Center, which LaFlesche built in 1913. (Credit: Joelwnelson/Wikimedia Commons)
La Flesche again shattered stereotypes by continuing to work after her 1894 marriage to Henry Picotte, a Sioux from South Dakota, and the birth of their two boys at a time when women were expected to be full-time mothers and home makers. “If you are looking for someone who was ‘leaning in’ a century before that term was coined, you need look no further than Susan La Flesche,” Starita says. “She faced a constant struggle to serve her people and serve her husband and children. She was haunted that she was spreading herself so thin that she wasn’t the doctor, mother and wife she should be. The very fears haunting her as a woman in the closing years of the 19th century are those still haunting women in the opening years of the 21st century.”
The evils of alcohol that La Flesche railed against came into her home as her husband struggled with the bottle. He contracted tuberculosis, exacerbated by his alcoholism, and died in 1905, leaving La Flesche a widow with two small boys. By this point, the physician needed some healing herself, as her long hours led to chronic pain and respiratory issues. She pressed on, however, and in 1913 opened a hospital near Walthill, Nebraska, the first such facility to be built on reservation land without any support from the federal government. Her hospital was open to anyone who was ill—no matter their age, gender or skin color.
Starita believes that La Flesche, who passed away at the age of 50 on September 18, 1915, faced greater discrimination as a woman than as a Native American. “When I got into the research, I was stunned by how deeply entrenched gender bias was in the Victorian era. White women were largely expected to just raise children and maintain a safe Christian home. One can only imagine where that bar was set for a Native American woman.” | {
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Settlers of Catan is serious business. The board game, from Mayfair Games, has attracted a significant following in some circles and even has its own worldwide championship tournament, aptly named the World Wide Catan Championship. One of the qualifier tournaments for the World Wide Catan Championship was actually held just this past weekend at GenCon in Indianapolis, Indiana. Meet Alex, the man who won that qualifier and pictured to the right in this image. Unfortunately, Alex won’t be able to attend the world championship because his wedding is the same weekend.
First of all, kudos to Alex for busting most hardcore gamer stereotypes in a single blow. Second, the headline is mostly a joke, but you’d think that his significant other would at least give serious thought to helping him reschedule. After all, instead of marrying the winner of a qualifier, she could be marrying a world champion. Besides, how often does one get this kind of chance? If Alex’s spouse is really there to last, they’d be willing to forgive him.
The World Wide Catan Championship 2012 unfortunately occurs from September 14th to September 16th in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania — which means, with less than a month to go, rescheduling the wedding would actually be an epic pain the size of which we here at Geekosystem can only imagine. Alex may not get a shot at the championship, but given that he’s getting married instead, it’s hard to say he isn’t a winner.
(via reddit, image credit via Alexandre Duret-Lutz)
Relevant to your interests
Have a tip we should know? [email protected] | {
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Finally, you can learn how to properly "sex up" a mailbox.
Feed Dump is the latest in our series of odd news commentary shows. Each week, Graham is joined by two different co-hosts, and armed with a large assortment of hats, they dig through the weird news mines for nuggets of comedy gold. | {
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Cool, very dramatic. However I think the perspective on the bridge/platform is wrong. The vanishing point is clear and when the bridge is above it you'd se the bottom. | {
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Ron Barnett
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A private company has entered into a preliminary agreement to undertake “a large disposal project” that could dump hundreds of thousands of tons of coal ash in Pickens County, according to the state Department of Health and Environmental Control, which has approved landfill construction plans.
The magnitude of the project would require “a significant increase” in the 70,500 tons per year the company was permitted to handle when it received approval for an unlined landfill eight years ago, a DHEC spokesman said.
DHEC has asked for more information from the company and doesn’t know where the coal ash would be coming from or how much would be coming.
An attorney for the landfill property owner, MRR Pickens, LLC, declined to comment.
But county officials who have fielded calls from concerned people who live and work nearby, are distressed about the possibility of contamination from toxic heavy metals found in coal ash, a byproduct of coal-fired power plants.
Coal ash contains contaminants such as arsenic, lead, mercury, selenium, cadmium, and chromium, and has been linked to increased risk of cancer, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
“The acceptance of coal ash in our county is just not acceptable,” said County Councilman Neil Smith, who represents the area where the landfill is to be located. “And potential health problems can’t be offset by the influence and the money of that industry.
“I’m upset about the state even allowing it.”
The 4.61-million cubic yard landfill is under construction at the intersection of State 93 and Cartee Road between Liberty and Easley and borders the Pickens County Commerce Park.
County officials said they had no idea that the company, which had entered into a development agreement with the county in 2007 to build a landfill for construction and demolition waste, was planning to accept coal ash until they started hearing complaints from residents.
“The question I have is why wasn’t there a public comment period on that that we had to go through,” Smith said.
DHEC spokesman Jim Beasley said public notice will be given prior to the agency making a final decision on MRR’s request to increase the volume of waste it can take.
But DHEC already approved the company’s request to install a synthetic liner, which would allow it to take in coal ash, as long as its level of toxicity doesn’t exceed certain parameters, he said.
At the time of the 2007 agreement, the county’s landfill was nearing capacity, and the idea was for the private landfill to take over handling nontoxic waste such as wood and concrete scrap. The company was to begin construction within 30 days of receiving approval from DHEC.
But in a meeting with the Pickens County Planning Commission in January of this year, representatives of the company said they had held off developing the landfill because of the recession and now felt the time was right to move ahead with it.
They said “nothing had changed” about their plans since the 2007 agreement and that the company had donated 160 acres of the 443-acre tract to the county for use as a recreational area, under the terms of the agreement, according to minutes of the meeting.
There was no mention of coal ash in the minutes, although one commission member asked if asbestos would be allowed in the landfill and was told it could be placed in a part of the facility dedicated for that purpose.
Weldon Clark, vice chairman of the Planning Commission, said the commission gave the OK for the landfill project to proceed because it was within the county’s guidelines for development.
“Basically the only thing we’re charged with is enforcing the development standard ordinance,” he said. “So we didn’t find anything they were doing that was opposed to the development standard ordinance.
“As far as coal ash goes, depending on what goes in it, it can be a very benign substance," he added. "If you have some heavy metals in it, it can be a problem.”
Last December, the EPA issued a ruling on coal ash that stopped short of labeling it as a hazardous material and left it up to states to enforce the new regulations.
Coal ash could be disposed of in an unlined, or Class 2, landfill under DHEC regulations that went into effect in 1996, according to agency documents, but the state now requires linings, Beasley said.
Some coal ash can meet the less toxic Class 2 requirements “but must be demonstrated to do so prior to disposal in this or any Class 2 landfill,” he said.
The state environmental agency received a request from MRR on March 31 to modify its 2007 permit which had never been used, by adding a synthetic liner system “so the facility could potentially receive (less toxic) Class 2 coal ash from power generating utilities,” Beasley said.
“Any waste received by the facility must meet Class 2 specifications even with the liner installed,” he said. “Installation of the liner does not allow the facility to take (more toxic) Class 3 solid waste.”
He didn’t know how it would be determined whether the coal ash that would go into this landfill meets the Class 2 standard.
Frank Holleman, a senior attorney for the Southern Environmental Law Center who has been active in battling the power industry over coal ash in the Carolinas, said the toxicity of coal ash can be determined in a lab, but it’s questionable how the public could be assured that what goes into the landfill meets that lower toxicity standard.
“Even though it’s scientifically possible to do it, the question is are they doing it adequately,” he said. “It’s almost always done by paid consultant rather than independent scientists.”
Holleman said he didn’t know anything about the Pickens landfill, but experience with others around the Southeast gives evidence that the public has reason to be concerned.
“These facilities can be done well and they can be done badly,” he said.
SCE&G, for example, has a coal ash landfill outside Columbia and there have been no complaints or problems.
But a TVA landfill in Alabama “has been a source of constant problems."
And in some cases the state and local governments “get left holding the bag,” he said.
“Water contaminated with coal ash pollutants has been known to move more than a mile from coal ash dump sites,” according to the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy’s Southeast Coal Ash website. “Dry landfills also pose dangers to drinking water and aquatic life, and damage air quality when the fine dust from these containment facilities is blown into surrounding neighborhoods.”
Amy Armstrong, an attorney for the South Carolina Environmental Law Project, said MRR, which stands for Materials Recovery and Recycling, tried to open landfills in Laurens and Marlboro counties but couldn’t get permits approved. MRR Pickens is a division of MRR Southern, LLC, based in Raleigh.
The one in Marlboro County would have had capacity to take in a quarter million tons of waste annually.
In that county, residents waged a public campaign against the plan and MRR sued them for defamation. A federal judge threw out the lawsuit, saying the company hadn’t given evidence that the citizens group knowingly made false statements and did so out of malice.
Armstrong cited a DHEC report that showed that South Carolina has more than enough capacity to handle all its own waste.
No coal ash from Duke Energy is destined for any landfill in Pickens County, according to company spokeswoman Danielle Peoples.
Duke, which has two retired coal-fired plants in the state, sends some ash to a site in Homer, Ga., and announced plans last week to store 2.2 million tons of coal ash in a lined landfill that would be on site at the W.S. Lee Station in Anderson County.
Opposition grows to proposed coal ash dump in Pickens County | {
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Mar 5, 2016; Chestnut Hill, MA, USA; Clemson Tigers guard Avry Holmes (12) congratulates center Landry Nnoko (35) after making a basket during the second half against the Boston College Eagles at Silvio O. Conte Forum. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports
The Clemson basketball team picked up a win over Boston College on Saturday. Here is what the ACC Tournament bracket looks like and what it means for the Tigers.
The Clemson basketball team picked up a win over Boston College Saturday afternoon and that set up their ACC Tournament seed. The Tigers finished with the seven seed after Virginia Tech beat Miami to lock up the six seed.
Many were upset that the Tigers ended up with the seven seed, but I believe there are several positives that come out of getting this seed instead of the six seed. First, let’s take a look at the final ACC standings for the 2015-16 season.
ACC Basketball Standings:
1. North Carolina 14-4
2. Virginia 13-5
3. Miami 13-5
4. Notre Dame 11-7
5. Duke 11-7
6. Virginia Tech 10-8
7. Clemson 10-8
8. Pittsburgh 9-9
9. Syracuse 9-9
10. Georgia Tech 8-10
11. Florida State 8-10
12. North Carolina State 5-13
13. Wake Forest 2-16
14. Boston College 0-18
The Match-ups:
Tuesday, March 8 – Opening Day
Noon – No. 12 NC State vs. No. 13 Wake Forest (ESPN2/ACC Network)
2 p.m. – No. 11 Florida State vs. No. 14 Boston College (ESPN2/ACC Network)
Wednesday, March 9 – Second round
Noon – No. 8 Pitt vs. No. 9 Syracuse (ESPN/ACC Network)
2 p.m. – No. 5 Duke vs. Tuesday noon winner (ESPN/ACC Network)
7 p.m. – No. 7 Clemson vs. No. 10 Georgia Tech (ESPN2/ACC Network)
9 p.m. – No. 6 Virginia Tech vs. Tuesday 2 p.m. winner (ESPN2/ACC Network)
Thursday, March 10 – Quarterfinals
Noon – No. 1 North Carolina vs. Wednesday noon winner (ESPN/ACC Network)
2 p.m. – No. 4 Notre Dame vs. Wednesday 2 p.m. winner (ESPN/ACC Network)
7 p.m. – No. 2 Virginia vs. Wednesday 7 p.m. winner (ESPN/ACC Network)
9 p.m. – No. 3 Miami vs. Wednesday 9 p.m. winner (ESPN/ACC Network)
Friday, March 11 – Semifinals
7 p.m. – Thursday afternoon winners (ESPN/ACC Network)
9 p.m. – Thursday evening winners (ESPN/ACC Network)
Saturday, March 12 – Championship
9 p.m. – Friday evening winners (ESPN/ACC Network)
If you’d like a full view at the bracket, click here.
What it means:
Clemson basketball will play Georgia Tech on ESPN 2 at 7 p.m. Wednesday. It will be the second round game in the ACC Tournament and the winner will play Virginia at the same time on Thursday.
I, personally, like the match-ups Clemson has in its side of the bracket. The Tigers will get to game plan ahead of time for Georgia Tech and will play the Yellow Jackets in a neutral-site game. The two teams split earlier in the year, but I would much rather play Georgia Tech than Florida State in the second round.
Had Clemson locked up the sixth seed, they would have to play the Seminoles after they had an easy win against Boston College the night before.
Should the Tigers pick up a win over Georgia Tech, they will have to play Virginia in the quarterfinal round. While the Cavaliers certainly will not be an easy match-up, it is tough to beat a team three times in a row. Clemson basketball will be able to use the film from the first two games and attempt to upset the Cavaliers in the quarterfinal game.
If Clemson was to come away with the upset, that would most likely leave the Miami Hurricanes as the team to beat to head to the ACC Championship game.
It will be interesting to see what happens over this week and if Clemson basketball can make some noise in the ACC Tournament. It will take a concerted effort, but there’s no reason that they cannot make a run if a few things fall into place. | {
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