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A number of Israeli youths were arrested for the arson attack that killed three members of a Palestinian family last summer. The arrests were revealed after a gag order was partially lifted.
Ali Dawabsheh, aged 18 months, was burned to death after firebombs were thrown into his home in the West Bank village of Duma, in late July. His father, Sa’ad Dawabsheh, died eight days later, while his mother, Reham Dawabsheh, died in early September, both in Israeli hospitals. The couple’s 4-year-old son remains hospitalized. The slogans “revenge” and “long live the Messiah” were spray-painted in Hebrew on the walls of the burned house.
According to the Shin Bet, several Israeli youths were detained for questioning in recent days over their connection to Jewish extremist organizations.
The investigation is being handled by the Israel Police, the State's Attorney's Office, and the Ministry of Public Security. Other details of the investigation, including the identity of the detainees remain under a gag order.
Hussain Dawabsheh, the grandfather of the victims' family who is staying by his grandson Ahmed's bed, said that the news of the arrests doesn't mean much to the family. "We don't know what it will lead up to. I hope it wil really lead to the solving of this heinous murder and crime," he said. Nasser Dawabsheh, Hussain's sonand brother of Sa'id the family's father, said the family is following the developments because "a reason for the criminals to go free will always be found."
Attorney Chai Habber, who is representing one of the suspects, said "After eight days in which my client has been held without seeing his lawyer or his family, or even a judge, the state, which claims to be democratic but permits people to be "disappeared" without any oversight, has made the arrest public." Habber stressed that he "believes that as the picture becomes clearer, it will become clear that the authorities claims that some kind of an advance in the case has been made is baseless."
Attorney Adi Kedar, who is representing some of the suspects, said "During the last week, the State of Israel through the actions of its law enforcement bodies, the Shin Bet, the police, the State's Attorney's Office, and the courts too, have colluded and all week have violated the law and human rights extensively, while legitimizing any and all misdeeds." According to him "Once the gag order is fully lifted, regardless of what the investigation uncovers the picture that the public will see will cause much concern with regard to the activities of the it law enforcement and legal system."
Outgoing Israel Police commissioner Bentzi Sau told Haaretz Tuesday he was highly confident that the Dawabsheh family murders would be solved, telling Haaretz that the case was a very high priority for police.
In September, Israel's defense establishment identified suspects in the Duma arson attack, but at the time did not file charges, the attorney general said at the time. Three Jewish suspects were put under administrative detention following the attack.
The IDF described the incident as "Jewish terrorism." At Ya’alon's request following the attack, the political-security cabinet approved the use of administrative detention against suspected Jewish terrorists. Such practice is commonly used against Palestinians suspected of terror activities.
Three Jewish suspects are currently being held without trial for terrorist activities: Meir Ettinger, who according to the Shin Bet headed an extreme rightist organization intent on toppling the Israeli government though violent means, and encouraged others to carry out terrorist acts; Mordechai Meyer, the alleged arsonist behind a fire at Dormition Abbey in Jerusalem; and Eviatar Slonim, accused of setting fire to a home in the Palestinian town of Khirbet Abu Falah.
None of these names has been explicitly tied publicly to the attack on the Dawabsheh family home in Duma. | {
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A 38-year-old man is dying from heart failure after being denied treatment under UK immigration rules, prompting renewed criticism of the Home Office’s “hostile environment“ policies.
Nasar Ullah Khan has been living in the UK for nine years and is suffering from a serious heart condition which deteriorated into a terminal illness, but was told he is not eligible for a potentially life-saving transplant because he does not have leave to remain in the country.
The Pakistani citizen has now launched a fundraising appeal to help his wife and two young sons visit him before he dies, but their visas are still being processed and the family believes it is unlikely they will be granted in time.
Responding to Mr Khan’s case, Chai Patel, legal policy director at the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants (JCWI), said the NHS was being “undermined” by the hostile environment created for immigrants.
“The new rules on charging people for medical treatment are so complicated that we have doctors and nurses scratching their heads trying to make sense of complex immigration law, when they should be treating the patient in front of them,” he added.
Nasar Ullah Khan has been living in the UK for nine years and is suffering from a serious heart condition which deteriorated into a terminal illness, but he was told he was not eligible for a heart transplant because of his immigration status (Nasar Ullah Khan)
“We cannot ask NHS staff to take on the burden of immigration officials, when they need to concentrate on saving lives.”
Mr Khan is one of hundreds of patients who have been denied treatment for serious health problems after ministers forced the NHS to impose upfront charges on migrants deemed ineligible for free healthcare.
The requirement formed part of the hostile environment policies introduced by Theresa May when she was home secretary, which constitute a set of administrative and legislative measures designed to make staying in the UK as difficult as possible for people without leave to remain.
But the policy has come under fire in the past year after the Windrush scandal revealed thousands of Commonwealth citizens had been wrongly targeted by immigration officials, with some detained and deported.
The Home Office has been contacted for comment. | {
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Rainbow Dash x Fluttershy: Naming of Names By melidichan Watch
560 Favourites 164 Comments 36K Views
Uber kudos to the first person who can tell me where the title's from! Without looking it up online because that's just cheating >.< it has nothing to do with this but I always liked it ^^
Anyways, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy from My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic! (Shame on you if you didn't know that already >.<)
I've actually been drawing a lot of pony comics and to reward myself for doing well on my class presentation I let myself color and post one ^^ I'm not sure why exactly I like shipping these two so much but I do~
This took about... what, three hours? Not too long ^^ enjoy! Please comment!
IMAGE DETAILS Image size 2376x2957px 3.15 MB Show More
Published : Mar 29, 2012 | {
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Schenectady
The City Council wants to temporarily halt issuing medallions to operate cab companies while they explore possible ways to improve taxi service.
But the panel must first call for a public hearing — which they are expected to do on Monday — on what could be a 30-day moratorium.
The hearing would be held May 23.
Gary Derocher, who owns the Electric City taxi, appealed last week to city leaders to raise taxi cab rates to ensure he and other companies with cars on the road in Schenectady can keep the vehicles cleaner and offer affordable fares.
Specifically, he asked the governing body to raise fares cabbies received for the first half-mile from $1 to $4.50.
By comparison, the fares in Albany, which has designated zones, range from $4.50 to $6.25 for minimum charges.
Derocher, whose company is based in Scotia, said his fleet includes 16 taxis and employs 45 full-time drivers.
He worries that cab companies may see Schenectady as fertile ground because of the opening next year of the $480 million casino riverfront project.
"With the casino coming, everyone's going to want to bombard into this town," said Derocher.
Derocher also has reservations about the prospect of Uber Technologies Inc. being allowed to do business in the Capital Region.
"Uber scares you because this is your livelihood," he said.
At a press conference at the Capitol last October, Uber said it anticipates that expanding ride-sharing outside of New York City could bring 13,000 jobs to upstate, including 700 in Albany and Rensselaer counties. Uber's smartphone application links ride-seekers with drivers who use their own vehicles to transport customers for the company.
But for Uber to expand upstate, state legislation must account for transportation companies like Uber and Lyft Inc. in insurance law, vehicle and traffic law, general municipal law and transportation law. A proposal for this legislation is expected to be discussed by New York lawmakers in Albany during the final weeks of the 2016 session.
Currently the two companies are limited to the New York City area.
While many upstate mayors support the expansion, taxi companies are fighting it, saying Uber and Lyft shouldn't be given special regulations when they aren't subject to the same rules governing traditional cabs.
In a letter to the City Council, Derocher said "Schenectady needs affordable taxi service, but we need to make enough to keep the fleet presentable."
"We aren't looking to get Uber rates, we simply want to provide better service and transport people in nicer vehicles at a reasonable price," the letter states. "The appearance and quality of service of the fleet is in the hands of the City Council."
Derocher said during an interview that the starting fares cabbies receive in other places in the region have increased over the years while Schenectady's has stayed the same since 2001. As a result, Derocher said he is trying to expand into Albany and Saratoga Counties because they pay more.
"How can you afford to go out and buy a 2011 or 2012 taxi for $9,000 or $10,000 when you only get half the money as the other companies?" he said. "It's impossible."
The medallions, which are distributed by the police department's traffic services division, cost $250 per cab a year.
Derocher also complained that some of his competitors don't always follow the city's law, which puts companies like his — who follow the law — at a disadvantage.
Council members Vince Riggi and Leesa Perazzo said the city codes on taxi cabs may need some fine tuning.
The pair also lamented the rise in the number of one-person cab operations.
There are seven of those in the city out of 14 cab companies in Schenectady, according to police Lt. Tom Harrigan, who works with the department's traffic services division that oversees the operation of taxi cabs in the city.
The city code indicates that a cab company must be available 24 hours a day with a working phone.
But even if a company operates just one cab, the owner may have one or more drivers with a taxi or chauffeur license working for them, added Harrigan.
He said prospective cab owners who apply for medallions are checked to make sure they are not criminals and the vehicle must pass inspection by police before a medallion is issued.
So far this year, police have conducted two random spot checks of the cabs for any violations and plan to do at least two more, said Harrigan.
"We tend to see that they are following the rules," said Harrigan, adding there are three pending applications for a total of 14 medallions.
Riggi expressed concern with the condition of some of the cabs on the road.
"I think it's incumbent on the city to have a good fleet that is serviceable, looks good, and is clean because that reflects on city," said Riggi.
[email protected] • 518-454-5347 • @apaulnelson | {
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Have you noticed that we are not very respectful of our trees? This is probably because they don’t advertise well.
When a storm moves through, we are busy watching TV while our street trees are taking it on the chin. Now that we know that they communicate with one another we can imagine the conversation during a wind storm: “Harvey, have a look in their living room window — they’re watching the Weather Network while we’re losing our limbs all over the sidewalk!”
Trees get a lot of bad press when there’s an ice or wind storm. Fallen trees and large limbs are a risk — so why not just cut them all down? You know that someone is actually thinking that. (Ugh!)
Advocates for trees have a hard time in the city of Toronto.
Elder statesman: Take the oldest tree in the 416, for example. My friend and tree advocate Edith George has been working with a group of volunteers to have the 350-year-old red oak designated a heritage tree since 1998. Imagine what the real estate around Etobicoke looked like in 1667 when this tree was born. There was an Indigenous people’s trail that ran alongside the tree that lead to Lake Simcoe. The tree bears witness to a lot of our history.
According to George: “A document has been at Toronto City Hall since July 4, 2007 to have this tree designated as Toronto’s first heritage tree. In 2015, Megan Trush, a representative of the mayor’s office said that the paperwork was “good to go” for debate at council.” So far: nothing.
Like I said, trees don’t advertise very well.
Sixth sense: According to the Canadian Horticultural Therapy Association (CHTA), the gardening experience grows so much more than plants. In a recent CHTA newsletter, Karen York states that gardening grows, “self-esteem, optimism, camaraderie, creativity, satisfaction, peace, a sense of purpose and control, and general well-being. Underlying all is that important sixth sense, the active mind.”
York quotes the late horticulturalist Henry Kock, from the University of Guelph, who called the sixth sense “intellectual stimulation, which is so vital to our mental health in both the short and long term.” In Kock’s world, nothing loomed larger or more impactful on the sixth sense than trees.
Our urban trees, I submit, should be valued like any other urban infrastructure. Storm water sewers, clean water, emergency services and schools, to name a few, would be in good company with trees. Living in the city without trees would be like living in a concrete desert. So I say we put them on the table when we talk about infrastructure.
Value of trees: If you are still not convinced of the value of trees, consider the monetary cost of not having them. According to a recent press release from Davey Tree, there are at least four ways that trees equal money:
1. Property values — a tree increases a home’s value by more than $7,000 (U.S.). That may not sound like much if your fully detached abode is worth a couple million. But since the amount is a U.S. figure, you would be within your rights to add some value to it.
2. Reduced energy bills — strategically placed trees can save up to 56 per cent on annual air-conditioning costs. Good to know, as we push up against the summer weather. Someone be sure to tell the provincial government about this one.
Planted on the west side of your home, evergreen trees can reduce the cooling impact of westerly winds during winter, saving heating costs.
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3. Curb appeal — the presence of street trees reduces a home’s time on the market by an average of 1.7 days. OK, in this market of high turnover house sales you may not be impressed. But I think you get the point.
4. Giving back. Over a span of 50 years, one tree produces $31,250 worth of oxygen, provides $62,000 worth of pollution control, recycles $37,500 worth of water and controls $31,250 worth of soil erosion. Total: $162,000. Not a bad net worth for a 50 year old. And the benefits just continue to accrue as the tree ages.
According to the Green Infrastructure Ontario Coalition, it would cost $14.2 billion (Canadian) to replace the 34 million trees in the GTA. “We have to convince people that nature is an asset and that it provides services,” says Michelle Sawka, project manger of the coalition. “We need to integrate the natural environment into our cities and manage it the same way as we manage our roads and pipes.” Sawka is talking about trees.
In other news: Gardening has made it on to the ParticipACTION 150 play list, coming in at No. 51. Remember the benefits of horticulture that Karen York talked about? Self-esteem, optimism, peace — I wonder if you can get the same benefits from sit-ups and squats? | {
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Dirty Texan girl with blonde hair and a big ass loves to fuck
Rhonda Rhound wants to make money doing what she loves best: Fucking. She looks spectacular having doggystyle sex with a big cock guy and takes a facial with a smile on her pretty face. | {
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With the 2019 MLS season now officially finished, the Vancouver Whitecaps can turn their attention to start making moves. As they begin that process, here are some things they can takeaway from Sunday, as they can begin their wheeling and dealing as early as Monday.
For Whitecaps fans, it’s finally all over.
After a tough 2019 MLS season, the offseason is finally here, as the Seattle Sounders became MLS Cup champions on Sunday, dispatching Toronto FC at home. In front of a boisterous crowd, they were clinical with their opportunities, riding 3 second-half goals to win rather convincingly in the end.
A few hundred miles up the I5, most Vancouver Whitecaps fans watched reluctantly, as two of their biggest rivals did battle on the big stage. Add in that it was the third final between the two teams in the past 4 years, and it made for a tough afternoon for the Whitecaps faithful, who have come too used to seeing rivals dominate MLS competition.
On the plus side, there were plenty of things to take away from the game, as Vancouver looks to build to one day be playing in an MLS Cup final of their own. While that’s unsure if it’ll come as early as next year, or if it will come at a later date, they continue to build a blueprint for that future.
With that in mind, here are some takeaways for Whitecaps fans in this one:
Bottom-up:
Despite the high-flying offences of LA Galaxy, LAFC, Atlanta United and New York City FC gaining early praise heading into the playoffs, Toronto and Seattle succeeded with a solid defensive approach all posteseason. After conceding 3 times in their opening playoff round clash, the Sounders only conceded twice in the final 3 matches, with 1 of those being a late consolation goal by Jozy Altidore in the final.
Combine that with Toronto, who only allowed 3 goals in 3 games heading into this game, and it shows the importance of the bottom-up approach shown by both coaches. Despite the retirement of Chad Marshall earlier this year, Seattle was able to count on centre backs Kim Kee Hee, Xavier Arreaga and Roman Torres, as well as full backs Kevin Leerdam and Brad Smith, to ensure a good balance of defensive solidity and attacking prowess from their defenders.
Compare that to Toronto, who had centre backs Omar Gonzalez, Laurent Ciman and Chris Mavinga, along with full backs Auro Jr, Justin Morrow and Richie Laryea, and it shows the importance of being set defensively in MLS. The LA Galaxy showed why it’s important, as they defensively imploded versus LAFC, while other teams like LAFC, Portland Timbers, New York City and Philadelphia were unable to keep up a good defensive balance in their various exits.
For Vancouver, it bodes well, as their defensive line has been improved massively by Marc Dos Santos. As long as they continue to find cohesion tactically, and improve in other areas of the pitch, it’ll help them one day compete with the big dogs of MLS.
Stars on Display:
It’s a no-brainer sentence, and it’s become a bit of a broken record in a sense, but big players win you games. As seen throughout the playoffs, teams were carried through by their best players, and that was no different on Sunday. Seattle’s DP striker, Raul Ruidiaz, played provider on the opener, before adding in the 3rd, as he continued a strong playoff run.
For Vancouver, this will be one of their main priorities heading into the offseason. While they will be looking to end top-end depth, as a balanced roster holds a lot of value, MLS has shown that having a star can go a long way in big games. While it isn’t easy to shell out the big bucks for a Ruidiaz or a Nico Lodeiro, having those players changes the complexion of games, and they’ve helped Seattle continue to be a juggernaut year in and year out.
In MLS 3.0, stars win you playoff games, and that was no different this time out.
Depth/Experience :
But as easy as it is to point out the importance of having stars, don’t discount the importance of depth pieces. Seattle’s crucial second goal in the final came off the foot of Victor Rodriguez, the second half sub who made a difference. It was moments like that one, or like what Toronto substitute Richie Laryea has brought all playoffs, which shows how important it is to have depth in the playoffs.
With the Salary Cap restrictions, that depth isn’t always easy to come by, which also makes MLS experience valuable. As Vancouver noticed this year, not bringing in any can be a death knell, as MLS is not an easy league to adapt to. This is an area of deficiency that Marc Dos Santos has recently talked of, so expect Vancouver to add some more of that to their squad, as they look to bounce back this year.
Move-making time:
The last, and most important point for Whitecaps fans. This game is over, and that means things will start happening, beginning on Monday, as an MLS trade window opens up for a couple of days. While there’s still a long way to go for the Caps, who have to climb up after finishing second-last in MLS, it isn’t mission impossible.
Toronto missed the playoffs handily last year, and while they were hit hard by injuries and form at bad times, and had the talent to be finishing a lot higher than they did, they showed that it is possible to bounce back with shrewd moves. It wasn’t easy, as the expensive move for Alejandro Pozuelo proved to be a big part of what they needed, but they did enough to get them where they wanted to be.
For Vancouver, it’s now about finding those pieces. Dos Santos has said that it’s been hard to attract names to the club, which makes things hard, but they just need to keep on searching. Portland and Seattle both have turf fields, similar locations and weather as Vancouver, yet the Whitecaps have been the only of the 3 to struggle to attract big-name stars. So it’s certainly possible, but they just need to look in the right avenues to find them, and their Cascadian neighbours are evidence of that.
Looking Forward:
It’s expected to be a busy offseason for the Caps, and that starts Monday, when the trade window officially gets underway at 10:00 PST. Vancouver has assets to burn, with GAM, TAM, players and the 4th overall Draft Pick to dangle at teams. If they can poach some quality MLS players, especially those that can fill holes on the wing and in the midfield, it’ll make Dos Santos’s job a lot easier heading into the transfer window.
So now, let the silly season begin. The finals are out of the way, and it’s time to jump into a busy offseason slate, as teams look to keep up to some of the dominant teams these playoffs. As seen by the final on Sunday, there are plenty of lessons to learn, it’s just up to the teams to find a way to follow them while building towards the identity.
And for the Whitecaps, after completing year 1 of their rebuild, they’ll definitely be busy in their quest towards the top.
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Lakka 2.1 Stable release
Posted on 2017-11-26 by kivutar
After 6 month of intense development and bugfixes, the team is proud to announce the stable release of Lakka 2.1!
This release is a huge step forward in many aspects: UI, emulator cores, and supported hardware.
You can download the builds from our installation tutorial.
Changelog
Merged LibreELEC 8.2 stable Kernel updates for PC, RPi and more New wifi drivers and fixes Samba 4 RPi firmware updates Switch back to OpenSSL
RetroArch updated to 1.6.9 Updated cores to latest upstream versions Updated shaders (clearly improved compability on some graphic cards) Completely new game engine by Rob Loach: ChaiLove Kiosk mode: Enabling the kiosk mode will prevent users to access the settings. You can setup a password to disable the kiosk mode. This work is provided by Brunnis. Updated game database and metadata Updated joypad autoconfigs More beautiful animated background, we are now using additive blending to make the ribbon shine Icon sets more complete Font selection fix, useful to set a font that supports simplified Chinese Record config selection fix, it will make it easier to use recording and streaming from the interface Simplified netplay menu, we removed the old netplay menu from the main menu Updated translations Scanner fixes, scanning for Gamecube CDs Favorites ROMs tab Parallel-N64 (Nintendo 64) with multithreaded Angrylion Completely new cores: Citra - Nintendo 3DS (only PC 64-bit image) Dolphin - Nintendo GameCube / Wii (all images) OpenLara - Tomb Raider (all images Redream - Sega Dreamcast (all images) MeowPC98 - PC98 (all images) MelonDS - Nintendo DS (all images) SameBoy - Nintendo Game Boy/Game Boy Color (all images) MAME2003-Midway (all images) px68k - Portable SHARP X68000 (all images)
Support for S812 Amlogic TV Boxes (thanks to Ntemis)
Fix for the boot arguments of Odroid-XU3/4 (thanks to gouchi)
HDMI audio fixes on WeTek Play 2
Ability to use the Raspberry Pi as a Wi-Fi access point (thanks to duduke)
Audio support for the RGB-Pi SCART adapter (thanks to the Recalbox team for the donation of this adapter, and to vik for the donation of a CRT screen)
Support for twin joypads like the Xin Mo
New Rockchip based boards: ASUS TinkerBoard, MiQi, ROCK64
Allwinner images: We now have completely new builds for Allwinner boards, based on the mainline kernel and u-boot. With this new project, we can support many new boards with very little efforts. Being based on a recent kernel increase compatibility with newer joypads and dongles. These new images will replace the a10, a20, H3 and Bananapi images.
OdroidXU4 update: A kernel and u-boot update fixes the eMMC boot, improves TV detection and adds more resolutions. Special thanks to Hardkernel for gifting an XU4 device and the new eMMC modules.
U-boot on Rockchip and Allwinner updated to 2017.11 stable
Netcat packaged, useful to use network commands in RetroArch
Sixpair packaged
Kernel highlights: Rockchip images: 4.4.99 LTS Allwinner images: 4.14 LTS More gamepad modules enabled Real time kernel for PC and RPi, should reduce input lag Performance governor for PC and RPi, should stabilize framerate
Known issues
DualShock 4 input bugs on some controllers
Keyboard input bug on Parallel-N64 on PC
Parallel-N64 crashes on PC 32bit
Animated background and audio issues in Shared Context mode (with Dolphin)
Typing Wi-Fi password with a keyboard on RPi is broken, use a joypad instead
Installing or upgrading
You can upgrade from Lakka 2.0 or 2.1 by dropping the img.gz into the Update folder and rebooting.
Except for the new Allwinner and S802 and S812 images, where you will have to do a manual upgrade.
Thank you! | {
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Bihar to go to polls in 3 phases from Oct 28 to Nov 7
Counting for all three phases will take place on November 10 | {
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VIRGINIA BEACH, Va (December 17, 2018) – Virginia Beach City FC will offer open tryouts giving players a chance to earn a roster position as the club's First Teams build their roster for the 2019 Pro, U23 Men, and U23 Women seasons.
The Winter Combine will be held at the Norfolk Collegiate Athletic Complex in Norfolk, Va and will provide participants with the opportunity to be assessed by the club's First Team coaching staff, including D.C. United Head Scout of Hampton Roads & Virginia Beach City FC Head Coach, Brian Hinkey, for selection into the U23 team and pro contracts. Interested players can expect training sessions, small-sided, and full sided games.
Men's Pro and U23 Sunday, January 13
Check-In at 7:30am
Session 1 from 8:30am to 10:30am
Session 2 from 1:00pm to 3:00pm.
Men's Pro and U23 Friday, February 15
Check-In at 4:00pm
Session 1 from 5pm to 7pm.
Men's and U23 Saturday, February 16 - Updated
Session 1 from 8am to 9:30am
Session 2 from 12:00pm to 1:30pm.
Women Saturday, March 9
Session 1 from 10:00am to 12:00pm
Session 2 from 4:00pm to 6:00pm.
Women Sunday, March 10
Session 1 from 10:00am to 12:00pm
Women Sunday, March 3
Check in starts at 12:30pm
Session 1 from 1:00pm to 3:00pm.
Cost: $50
MEN's Location: Norfolk Collegiate Athletic Complex (Turf)
7336 Granby Street, Norfolk, VA 23505
WOMEN's Location: Princess Anne Complex, Field 7
4001 Dam Neck Rd, Virginia Beach, VA 23456
Mandatory Registration Link: Click Here
Mandatory Waiver Link: Click Here
Virginia Beach City FC is a National Premier Soccer League expansion team awarded by the NPSL in 2013. VB City FC most recently upgraded its current semi-professional men's soccer team to field a professional men's soccer team in the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) in 2019. The team began to play in 2014 with their home matches at the Virginia Beach Sportsplex, a $6.8M custom built soccer-specific stadium. The club has found success on the field earning a Lamar Hunt US Open Cup Berth, two NPSL playoff appearances and an NPSL Mid Atlantic Regular Season Conference Championship Title.
The club had two players selected in the Major League Soccer, MLS SuperDraft (Sydney Rivera, 2014 and Michael Nelson, 2015).
The Virginia Beach City FC Women have competed under the Women's Premier Soccer League for three years, WPSL, a semi-professional league behind the National Women's Soccer League, NWSL. The Washington Spirit of the NWSL field a WPSL minor league team in the same conference as the VB City FC Women. This year Virginia Beach City FC Women will be playing a number of friendlies that will still give players the same level of competition (if not better).
To stay up to date on the latest news and updates for Virginia Beach City FC, please follow @vbcityfc on Twitter, @vbcityfc on Instagram, and @vbcityfc on Facebook.
*There is a $50 (non-refundable) registration fee and mandatory waiver to fully complete before attending the open tryouts. This must be completed prior to arriving to the facility in order to participate in open tryouts. The tryout participant is expected to attend one of the two available sessions for an evaluation. | {
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With the amount of FPS fighting taking place in Star Citizen, it's a good idea to get the right armor.
While Star Citizen is commonly known as a SpaceSim MMO in the making, many may be surprised to know that the entire game takes place from the first-person perspective. This, of course, means first-person shooter gameplay is always a possibility. Nobody wants to die without putting up a fight, so you’ll be needing some armor. In Star Citizen, armor choice is not only about getting the most protection. Heavy armor may save you from a grenade blast, but light armor will allow you to outrun that grenade, and also allow you to see further into your peripherals to spot the pesky grenade thrower.
There is plenty of armor to choose from in Star Citizen, and mixing-and-matching allows for tons of (sometimes unsightly) combinations. Any armor set can be split into core, helmet, legs, and arms. You will have to travel throughout the solar system to find every armor piece, but I’ve narrowed that selection down to 5 that are easy to find and obtain and worth your hard-earned money. So save some time with this look at the top 5 armor sets, and how to get them, in Star Citizen Alpha 3.7.
Medium armor tends to be the most popular due to its protection and maneuverability.
Armor sets in the Star Citizen Alpha are split into 3 main classes, light armor, medium armor, and heavy armor. Each of these classes has 3 characteristics, storage points (Standard Personal Units or SPU), damage reduction, and maneuverability. I'll list at least one armor set from each class, and look at these main points when discussing armor sets. It’s important to know that an undersuit is required for any armor to be equipped. You will begin the game with an undersuit on, don’t worry they won’t leave you naked. There are still other options for you to choose from throughout the game as well.
Note: Armor damage reduction is listed as a percentage figure in the current game, and is due to include damage types in the future.
5. Clash Medium Armor (Most Intimidating Armor)
Clash armor is great for players looking to try their hand at piracy.
Clash is a ragtag junk-bucket medium-class armor set that maintains the hardcore pirate life “get it done” attitude. It is very interesting to look at, and is arguably the most stand-offish armor set currently available in the game. As this armor set does not come with a helmet, I highly suggest pairing it with the medium class Death’s Head Helmet, which matches the armor impeccably, and grants an additional 30% damage reduction to the head.
Armor Details:
2 SPU Storage
30% Damage Reduction
Medium range of maneuverability
3 weapons
6 spare ammo magazines
3 grenades
4 consumables
1 utility item
SCARY LOOKING!
~8,852 aUEC
What this armor is good for:
This armor is great for firefights.
Take this armor on pirate raids where you can terrify your victims!
How to get Clash:
Make the short trip from the starting space station, Port Olisar, over to the nearby moon of Yela.
Use your quantum drive to jump to the Grim Hex space station which is located in the orbiting asteroid belt.
Navigate through the space station until you find the Skutters Armor & Weapons shop.
You will only be able to use in-game currency to purchase this armor, so be prepared to run a few quests or haul some cargo before spending that hard-earned cash!
4. Citadel Heavy Armor (Best Heavy Combat Armor)
A skilled player in Citadel armor can earn quite a bit running solo combat missions.
Citadel is one of the bulkier armor sets in the game, built like a bunker wrapped around your character, it will demand the attention of any enemy in the room. While wearing the Citadel armor set, you will find that NPCs almost have a personal vendetta against you. The will not stop focusing on you until you are bloodied on the floor. This armor set does not include a helmet, but I highly suggest the Fortifier helmet, as it matches the mood, style, and 40% damage reduction of the armor. While the helmet does limit visibility heavily, the extra padding and armor will hug you with safety only matched by the heaviest helmets.
Armor Details:
2 SPU Storage
40% Damage Reduction
Low range of maneuverability
3 weapons
8 spare ammo magazines
4 grenades
4 consumables
1 utility item
1 Absolute Unit
~9,641 aUEC (prices may vary by location)
What this armor is good for:
If you are taking on multiple enemies, this is all you need to defend yourself. Well....and a gun or two.
Running security or mercenary missions? Citadel is the best option for you.
How to get Citadel:
This armor and helmet can be found in the original space station, Port Olisar, as soon as you start the game, as well as other lawful locations that sell armor.
It will require in-game currency to purchase, so expect to do some work before you can buy this expensive set, this is a first-class suit!
3. DustUp Medium Armor (Best Light Combat Armor)
The DustUp armor set is light, protective, and fairly unassuming. It won’t draw attention until you need it to.
DustUp is an affordable and durable medium armor set that can be found in almost any location that sells armor. A favorite among individuals who run security in the Star Citizen alpha, DustUp is a more affordable alternative to Clash medium armor. DustUp offers similar capabilities at more locations without the pirate look, so you may not look as cool, but you’ll save some money. Isn’t that plenty cool? In Star Citizen, the way you armor up and dress is planned to have an effect on your gameplay, and the way NPCs treat you, so not looking like a pirate will make sure you don’t immediately get jumped in some areas.
Armor Details:
2 SPU Storage
30% Damage Reduction
Medium range of maneuverability
3 weapons
6 spare ammo magazines
3 grenades
4 consumables
1 utility item
~6,851 aUEC (prices may vary by location)
What this armor is good for:
This affordable medium armor is great for combat on a budget.
If you need maneuverable armor, DustUp is a great choice.
How to get DustUp:
DustUp armor can be found in any store where armor is sold. Whether that be across the solar system on the massive city-planet of ArcCorp, or right at the initial spawn space station of Port Olisar.
It is only purchasable with in-game currency, so be ready to run some quests and save up.
2. MacFlex Light Armor (Best Early Game Armor)
Whether running light security, or exploration, or both, MacFlex is my top pick. Especially for beginners.
Macflex is a low protection, high capacity armor that is great for exploration and trade hauling when you may come across the occasional pistol threat. With little to no coverage, MacFlex provides users with a fairly unobstructed view to the undersuit beneath, which allows for additional customization in terms of looks. This armor does not include a helmet and is easily paired with any light helmet available. Though we suggest the starting helmet, the Odyssey 2 Helmet, in white. This helmet exhibits incredible visibility and great looks, but only reduces damage by 10%, so avoid headshots.
Armor Details:
3 SPU Storage
20% Damage Reduction
High range of maneuverability
2 weapons
4 spare ammo magazines
2 grenades
4 consumables
1 utility item
~4,561 aUEC (prices may vary by location)
What this armor is good for:
Macflex is very maneuverable and will not tire you out if you are in a situation that requires a lot of movement.
The increased capacity over other armors allows you to carry more loot during missions.
How to get Macflex:
This armor and helmet can be found at the Garrity Defense Armor shop in the starting space station, Port Olisar.
It is our top suggestion for a starting armor set as it is incredibly versatile, high in storage, looks great, and obviously it’s very easy to get to!
While cheap, this suit is only purchasable using in-game currency, and will require some quest running or delivery missions before you can snatch it up.
1. MacFlex “Rucksack” Light Armor (Best Exploration Armor)
The “Rucksack” backpack will save you from taking trips back to your ship while collecting materials.
The MacFlex “Rucksack” light armor, or “MacSack” as I like to call it, is a new addition as of October 2019. It is a spinoff of the aforementioned MacFlex armor, with a large backpack torso section replacing the standard torso armor. This armor is especially useful for mining and exploration, with enough storage to carry 30,000+ aUEC worth of minerals with you to sell. That’s enough to rent a new spaceship in-game! With only one available color, the fashion-conscious explorers may want to mix and match with other armor sets to look truly fabulous.
Armor Details:
12 SPU Storage
20% Damage Reduction
High range of maneuverability
2 weapons
4 spare ammo magazines
2 grenades
4 consumables
1 utility item
~5,678 aUEC (prices may vary by location)
What this armor is good for:
If you are mining, there is no other armor to use but the “rucksack”.
How to get Macflex “Rucksack”:
While MacFlex armor pieces are only available at Garrity Defense located at Port Olisar, the “Rucksack” torso segment backpack is available at any location that sells armor, and is truly the best bang for your buck on this list.
As you can see, Star Citizen has a lot of variation in armor sets to choose from, and as a game in development, continues to add new armor sets and functionality to the game every 3 months. So you’ll always be coming back to something new to earn.
The Titan Heavy Exosuit is a favorite of backers, and expected to enter the game in the coming years.
It is important to remember that with this game, things will continue to change in the future, to give some examples: New damage types will be added which require different types of armor to counteract. As mentioned above, NPCs will react to you differently based on what you wear, so the Clash armor set may scare some people off, or get you a new job. Larger armor sets will limit your ability to pilot ships, as the cockpits are small, so Citadel is best left in the closet while flying. As of right now, these are my top 5 armor sets in Star Citizen Alpha 3.7.
You may also be interested in: | {
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Heimische Firmen auf der „Blumeninsel“
Die EU-Kommission duldet seit Jahren eine Steueroase innerhalb der Union. Wie die ZIB2 in Zusammenarbeit mit dem Bayerischen Rundfunk herausgefunden hat, erfreut sich die portugiesische „Blumeninsel“ Madeira mit einem durchschnittlichen Steuersatz von fünf Prozent bei so manchem großen Konzern, aber auch einigen Unternehmern aus Österreich größter Beliebtheit als Firmensitz. Die EU-Kommission hat dem bisher mit dem Argument zugestimmt, dass dadurch Tausende Arbeitsplätze geschaffen würden. Recherchen zeigen ein anderes Bild.
Lesen Sie mehr … | {
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I have so many amazing games on steam but tf2 is so fun that i don't play any of them
1,107 shares | {
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STORY OF SAINT LUCIFER SPICE
Some may say it was born of hubris. Two guys who loved to eat wanted to create seasonings that would make everything it touched, taste better. No humble task. But in a small row home kitchen, hidden within the heart of Philadelphia, they began experimenting. And blending. And grinding. And tweaking. And tasting. And tasting. And tasting. And in the end, what emerged were wicked spices so tempting, so delicious, so irresistible it’s almost a sin for food to be present without them. But don’t take our word for it. Give our Blends and Imported Oil and Vinegar a try. Just know, once you shake with Saint Lucifer, there’s no turning back.
And about the #11 & #13 on our spice bottles, these were the number of recipes it took for us to replicate our original recipes, back when we lived in that row home in Philadelphia, many years ago. Enjoy. | {
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October 31, 2016
Gold is unobtainable for most people in the world the way it’s priced right now. If a global crisis hits, silver is going to be remonetized by the free market. If it’s not just an industrial metal, like it is today, if governments and central banks start holding it (silver), and this is a copy-cat effect, because obviously you know this, once one of the central banks does something the rest will do it because they don’t want to be different. – Lior Gantz, The Daily Coin, Silver Will Be Re-Monetized By The Market
In 1965, Lyndon Johnson signed the Coinage Act of 1965, which removed the silver content from dimes and quarters and took the silver content in half-dollars down to 40%. In 1970 silver was removed completely from the half-dollars. The excuse given was that the country was running out of silver. But the truth is that the U.S. Government in conjunction with England was dumping its Central Bank stock of silver (and gold) onto the market in order to prevent the price of these precious metals from rising against the U.S. dollar, which had been effectively the world’s reserve currency for 20 years.
In fact, the silver-based U.S. coins were disappearing from the market because the value of the silver content in these coins had risen above the face value of the coins. It was real-time proof of Gresham’s Law. In effect, it was an effort by the U.S. Government to de-monetize silver, which has been civilized history’s oldest monetary metal. The U.S. could not yet de-monetize gold because, based on the Bretton Woods Agreement, the U.S. was required to back all Treasuries bonds issued to foreign buyers with gold. But a year after the last remnants of silver were removed from U.S.-minted coins, the Nixon Government disconnected gold from the reserve currency.
Ultimately, silver will become re-monetized. Silver has been, is and always will be “poor man’s gold.” In today’s episode of The Daily Coin, we discuss the eventual re-monetization of silver. As a bonus, we describe the fraudulent nature of Tesla’s latest earnings report. | {
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OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Some Oklahoma Republicans upset with the Supreme Court's decision to order the Ten Commandments monument removed from the Capitol grounds now say they want a public vote to amend the state Constitution.
The chairman and vice-chairman of the House Judiciary Committee said Wednesday they intend to seek a public vote on whether to repeal the section of the Constitution that prohibits the use of public money or property for religious purposes.
That section was cited in a 7-2 decision on Tuesday by the Oklahoma Supreme Court that said the Ten Commandments monument must be removed.
House Judiciary Chairman Randy Grau of Edmond and Vice-Chairman Jon Echols of Oklahoma City both say they support the repeal. | {
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Shane Jones’ inflammatory comments last week failed to understand the complexity of arranged marriage, serving only to repeat deeply entrenched racist colonial stereotypes, writes Josephine Varghese.
Last night I, an Indian immigrant, was having dinner at a small Vietnamese BYO in Christchurch (run by Vietnamese immigrants), happily savouring the lemongrass flavour in my favourite dish. I was interrupted when I heard the European immigrants at the neighbouring table, who appeared to be in their late 60s and 70s, loudly discuss immigration and arranged marriage. Their discussion about Indian people and arranged marriage unsurprisingly repeated racist colonial tropes. “Thank you, Shane Jones,” I thought to myself.
Back home, scrolling through Facebook, I saw members of the Pākehā community on public forums saying things like “don’t bring your s**t here, fit in or f**k off”. I wondered how well Pākehā would have fit in with tangata whenua principles of this land when they immigrated here.
It goes without saying that I was disappointed to see New Zealand First MP Shane Jones’ comments about Indian immigrants and arranged marriages. But was I surprised? No. Leaders like Winston Peters and Shane Jones are often uncritically repeating the narrative deeply entrenched in this nation and around the world by European colonisers, which has now become the dominant, “common sense” knowledge about formerly colonised peoples around the world. As an academic interested in postcolonial scholarship, I feel a sense of responsibility to discuss the common misunderstandings around marriage in India.
Firstly, not all marriages in India are “arranged” in the sense it is popularly understood. Many young people (many of my friends included) get married to their lovers/partners. But even when they do so, it is rare to have lived together (since we generally live in our family homes), although they would have dated for significant periods of time. It is true that the dominant system of marriage in India is arranged marriage, however, arranged marriage is often not understood in its complexity in Western narratives. Allow me to bust some common stereotypes (emanating from colonial narratives) about arranged marriage.
1. Arranged marriage = forced marriage
No. While forced marriages can be arranged, not all arranged marriages are forced. Increasingly, the preferences of the prospective bride and groom are considered, and often given priority within the arranged marriage system. Many studies back this up (see Netting, 2010, Sharangpani, 2010; Pande, 2015).
2. Arranged marriage happens between strangers
Increasingly, and especially in urban India, prospective brides and grooms meet and talk to each other for months before deciding whether they are compatible, between the various stages of the decision-making process around arranged marriage.
3. Arranged marriage involves no choice
This is completely wrong. There are various layers to the counter-argument. Firstly, arranged marriage invariably involves what scholars term “social choice”. Which entails the involvement of the family and community in the process of marriage, and in turn assures the community’s continued support throughout the couple’s life together and for their future children. And increasingly, as mentioned above, the prospective bride and groom are very much involved in the deliberations around this choice.
4. Arranged marriage stands in opposition to women’s agency
Quite to the contrary, recent studies (including my upcoming PhD thesis) find that many young women in urban India prefer arranged marriage over “love marriage”. The reason women often cite is that they did not have a partner, and that they would be happy if their parents can present to them a pool of possible grooms with certain qualities (such as education, employment) that they seek in their future partner, from which they could make an informed choice.
At a time when many young people in New Zealand, in their late 20s and 30s are unable to “fall in love” due to limitations in their social life (often working in homosocial spaces or because they have limited opportunities to socialise), elements of the arranged marriage system may provide a potential alternative. With growing number of young men becoming “incels” (involuntary celibates) in the West, having an in-built support system within the family to help you find potential partners might help the bleak love life of many young people. Additionally, scholars have noted that levels of marital satisfaction in arranged and non-arranged marriages are similar.
So yes, while the arranged marriage system can be abhorrent if marriage is forced, in its many other manifestations, the system provides emancipatory possibilities for young women and men seeking a marital life with a partner of their choice. | {
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Fast forward to this week and the numbers are flooding in. Louisiana pharmacies are reporting no marijuana shortages, as Louisiana has about 5,000 medical marijuana patients so far. Those numbers will grow even larger in the next few weeks. GB Sciences Louisiana, one of two state-sanctioned medical marijuana growers, is reporting the record number of users so far.
Only Nine medical marijuana pharmacies are permitted to dispense the products. You can read all the facts on where and how this product is being distributed inside our state here.
Featured Image: | {
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Hunderttausend neue Jobs und höhere Investitionen zum Wohle der Menschen versprechen die einen. Die anderen warnen vor einer Aushebelung von Umweltstandards und einer Einschränkung der Demokratie. Viel ist über die Verhandlungen zwischen Europäischer Union und den USA über das Freihandelsabkommen TTIP geredet worden. Nun liegt das europäisch-kanadische Abkommen Ceta vor, das als Blaupause gilt. Die 1500 Seiten Vertragstext liefern erste Erkenntnisse, wohin die transatlantische Liberalisierungsoffensive tatsächlich führen könnte.
Keine Entwarnung könne er nach der ersten Lektüre des Textes geben, sagt Thomas Fritz von der Umwelt- und Entwicklungsorganisation Power-Shift. „Nach unserer ersten Auswertung sehen wir uns durch den Vertrag mit Kanada in unseren Bedenken gegen TTIP bestärkt“, meint auch Martin Beckmann von der Gewerkschaft Verdi. Problematisch sei der weitreichende Investorenschutz im Abkommen mit Kanada, sagte Beckmann der Berliner Zeitung. „Der Vertragstext enthält viele offene Formulierungen, die Unternehmen ausnutzen könnten, um gegen Staaten zu klagen.“
Ähnlich sieht es Sven Giegold, Europaabgeordneter der Grünen. Seine Partei sei nicht grundsätzlich gegen Freihandelsabkommen. „Wenn aber Unternehmen, deren Profite unter Regulierung leiden, Staaten auf Schadenersatz verklagen dürfen, können wir dem nicht zustimmen.“
Das berechtigte Anliegen
Geht der Investorenschutz zu weit durch TTIP und Co? Diese Frage rückt in den Mittelpunkt der politischen Debatte. Freihandelsabkommen gibt es schon lange und in ihrem Ursprung dienten sie einem berechtigten Anliegen. Wer als Unternehmer viel Geld in ausländischen Fabriken oder Dienstleistungsprojekte steckt, sollte sicher sein vor Willkür – vor Auflagen, die kein Inländer erfüllen muss, oder vor Enteignungen durch korrupte Regime.
Rund 3000 solcher Verträge haben Staaten untereinander weltweit abgeschlossen. Allein die Bundesrepublik etwa 140, das erste 1959 mit Pakistan. Diese Abkommen schufen die Voraussetzung für deutsche Firmen, fern der Heimat zu investieren, ohne existenzbedrohende Risiken einzugehen.
Möglicherweise aber hat sich der Investorenschutz weit von seiner ursprünglichen Idee entfernt. Vor zunehmenden Missbrauch der Regeln warnen jedenfalls Kritiker von Ceta und TTIP. Sie fürchten, dass demokratisch legitimierte Parlamente an Handlungsfreiheit verlieren, wenn Konzerne unter Verweis auf die Freihandelsabkommen Schadenersatz verlangen können, sobald ein Land den Verbraucher- oder Umweltschutz verschärft.
In der Realität isvestor, weil er die Förderung von schwarzen Geschäftsleuten als Diskriminierung wertete.
„Hilfe, ich werde enteignet“
Die EU hat in dem Kapitel zum Investorenschutz in Ceta nach Medienberichten einige Änderungen eingeführt, um Kritiker zu beruhigen. Demnach muss beispielsweise ein Investor „substanzielle Geschäftsaktivitäten“ in dem Land haben. Dadurch soll verhindert werden, dass Briefkastenfirmen von Staaten Geld verlangen. Allerdings ist auch die Formulierung „substanzielle Geschäftsaktivitäten“ unscharf.
Zudem liegt die Entscheidung von Streitfragen in den Händen von Schiedsgerichten, einer Art Paralleljustiz. So können Konzerne inländische Richter umgehen, wenn sie glauben, dass diese einseitig die heimische Wirtschaft bevorzugen. Die USA, Kanada und die EU haben jedoch funktionierende Rechtsstaaten.
Angeklagt sind immer die Staaten, die nur verlieren können. Forderungen stellen immer Unternehmen. Beide Seiten benennen drei Schiedsrichter, vor allem hoch bezahlte Anwälte, die bis zu 3000 Dollar pro Stunde als Honorar erhalten. Auch für Richter finden sich hier lukrative Verdienstmöglichkeiten. Diese Schlichter befinden in Verfahren ohne Öffentlichkeit, ohne die Möglichkeit zur Berufung, ob Deutschland Entschädigung für den Atomausstieg zahlen muss. „Die Schlichter und Anwälte der großen Mehrzahl der Verfahren rekrutieren sich aus rund 20 international agierenden Kanzleien“, berichtet der Politikwissenschaftler Christoph Scherrer von der Uni Kassel.
Seit dem Jahr 2000 haben laut Scherrer die Verfahren vor Schiedsgerichten sprunghaft zugenommen. Ende 2012 seien es weltweit 500 gewesen. „Hilfe, ich werde enteignet“ hat die staatliche Gesellschaft zur Außenwirtschaftsförderung ihre Broschüre betitelt, in der sie Firmen über die Chancen informiert, die ihnen Freihandelsabkommen bieten. Durch diese sei es Staaten verboten, heißt es, auch indirekt zu enteignen. Nach überwiegender Ansicht in der Rechtsprechung erfasse dies auch „regulatorisches Handeln, zum Beispiel durch Maßnahmen zum Umweltschutz“. | {
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EDITOR’S NOTE: The Tacoma Daily Index is looking back at the 10 most popular and most read articles among visitors to our Web site. Enjoy!
The City of Tacoma in January issued a call for developers to build a 250-room, four-star hotel that would include space for retail and parking on a nearly-two-acre site adjacent to the Greater Tacoma Convention and Trade Center in downtown Tacoma (see “Tacoma seeks developer for downtown hotel near Convention Center,” Tacoma Daily Index, Jan. 22, 2014).
After the bid deadline expired in February, City staff evaluated proposals from five developers — Provenance Hotels; Mortenson Construction; Hollander Investments; American Life Incorporated; and Yareton Investment & Management (see “City Hall News: Downtown Tacoma hotel development, $3.5M Dept. of Ecology grants, and Alder Lake project update,” Tacoma Daily Index, April 11, 2014). In April, Tacoma City Council authorized City Manager T. C. Broadnax to negotiate a development agreement with Yareton Investment & Management.
Seven months later, City officials announced they reached a tentative development agreement for a new four-star, 300-room hotel (see “City reaches tentative agreement for convention center hotel,” Tacoma Daily Index, Nov. 13, 2014). The development is expected to break ground in 2016 (pictured below). According to City staff, Yareton Investment & Management is in the process of submitting development plans for the hotel, and even considering a second phase of the project, which would include approximately 200 residential condominiums, ground floor retail and/or office space, and parking.
“With strong commercial anchors at both ends of Pacific Avenue in downtown Tacoma — namely the University of Washington Tacoma, museums, and a concentration of restaurants and retail stores — the new hotel will serve as a centerpiece for additional catalytic investment in the downtown core,” said Broadnax in November.
Please Consider Disabling Your Ad Blocker
As an aside, the City and the developer released design images of the planned hotel. What is not clear, however, is how often Darth Vader will cruise by the new hotel on his Segway. Every hour? Every half-hour?
To read a monthly breakdown of the Tacoma Daily Index‘s most read articles of 2014, click on the following links:
Todd Matthews is editor of the Tacoma Daily Index, an award-winning journalist, and author of A Reporter At Large: A decade of Tacoma interviews, feature articles, and photographs. His journalism is collected online at wahmee.com. | {
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2 boys off Tinder in one afternoon. 1 more to go.
ATXhotwife376388 FOLLOW 1 70275 VIEWS SHARE SAVE FLAG CONTENT | {
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A One Nation campaign vehicle has been set alight in a shopping centre on Hobart's eastern shore, less than 24 hours after the federal election.
The truck was reportedly being driven by Tasmanian One Nation Senate candidate Adam Lambert who was buying groceries in a shopping centre when the blaze broke out.
A bar attendant at the nearby Shoreline Hotel in Howrah said she saw flames erupting from the car park and called police shortly after 5:00pm.
Three fire crews from the Tasmanian Fire Service arrived on scene to extinguish the blaze.
Tasmania Police said the fire looked to be "suspicious" and investigations into what caused the blaze had begun.
Responding on social media, One Nation leader Pauline Hanson blamed the "left" and said "someone was seen torching it before fleeing.
"It is amazing how the left call for tolerance but act like they're above the law when you don't agree with their ideologies," she tweeted.
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Shoppers in the area say they heard an explosion that "sounded like a petrol bomb."
The campaign vehicle features a billboard of Pauline Hanson and two Tasmanian Senate candidates Adam Lambert and Mathew Stephen.
Police are calling on anyone who witnessed the blaze to contact Crime Stoppers.
The burnt aftermath of a One Nation campaign car left abandoned in a deserted shopping centre carpark on Hobart's eastern shore. ( ABC News: Phoebe Hosier ) | {
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From the time we see Bambi’s mom bite the dust, we all know what death is. At least, we think we do. But the simple definition of death — that the body stops working — doesn’t take into account how weird our bodies actually are.
“We really know nothing about what happens when you die,” says Peter Noble, a former professor at the University of Alabama. Noble knows firsthand that surprises await scientists studying the end of life: he helped discover that long-dormant genes can spring into action hours or even days after an organism dies.
Spooky Genes
A gene is a set of chemical instructions, made of DNA, telling the body how to do something. When a gene is activated, those chemical instructions get transcribed by our RNA, and our cells can then use that copied sequence as a scaffold to build complex molecules. If a gene is a recipe in a cookbook, activation is writing down the list of ingredients so you can buy them and get cooking.
Noble and colleagues at the University of Washington were testing a technique for measuring gene activity. As a control, they analyzed tissues from recently-dead zebrafish, expecting to see a steady decrease in new copies of genes as cellular activity tapered off. And that’s what they found — with some notable exceptions. After the zebrafish were dead, around one percent of their genes sprang to life, as though the cells were preparing to build something.
The idea that genes would activate after an organism’s death was unheard of, so the researchers wrote it off as a mistake with their instrumentation. But repeated tests, in fish and then in mice, continued to bear out the impossible: genes activating hours, or even days, after an organism died.
The scientists’ findings were met with skepticism, until a group of researchers led by Roderic Guigó at Barcelona’s Centre for Genomic Regulation also found post-mortem gene activity, this time in humans. “We were saved when the group from the Barcelona genome institute covered the paper on humans, because they … proved the same thing,” says Noble.
Guigó and his team were studying gene regulation by analyzing tissues from people who donated their bodies after death. Their work was already underway when Noble’s paper was published, so they weren’t surprised by his team’s findings. “It was more or less what we were seeing,” says Guigó.
Post-Death Insights
These discoveries could give us a better understanding of how genes work when we’re still alive, and they might help improve medical procedures like organ transplants. “Knowing how organs change on a molecular level after the death of the body … could maybe help to improve the practices for organ transplantation or organ preservation,” says Guigó.
The other big potential application of their studies, say Guigó and Noble, is in forensic science. The researchers found that different genes activate at different time intervals after death — one might regularly kick in six hours post-mortem, whereas another might fire up 24 hours later. Forensic scientists might be able to apply this information to make more accurate estimates of time of death.
But while this discovery opens up new possibilities for medical science, the biggest question posed by the research — why some of our genes activate after we die — remains a mystery. Noble thinks clues may lie in the kinds of genes that are reanimating. Though none of the zombie genes seem to make any physical changes after death, many of them are related to activities that are normally closely regulated or inhibited. This includes the gene that tells cells to produce the beginnings of a spinal column — once you’ve already got a spine, you no longer need to grow a new one.
Other genes that activate after death are related to cancers. Perhaps in the absence of other genes that normally inhibit them, these genes seize the opportunity to reactivate, like teens throwing a party when their parents are out of town.
While the reason for the reactivation of these genes remains elusive, what’s clear is that death is a more nuanced process than previously thought. Death doesn’t mean that all the billions of cells in our bodies stop working, it just means that they stop working together. The hours and days during which these connections fall apart and life fizzles out are a new frontier for science.
“I call it the twilight of death, going from the organism’s death as a whole versus what happens to individual cells,” says Noble. “Where [is] the breakdown between cells and the whole functioning organism? That’s a big question. No one knows.” | {
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Two fish farming companies tried to block publication of graphic images of their damaged salmon, according to emails released by the Scottish Government.
The Scottish Salmon Company (TSSC) and Scottish Sea Farms (SSF) deployed lawyers in a bid to prevent Scottish ministers from releasing photos of diseased and lice-infested fish under freedom of information law. The photos would cause “reputational damage”, the companies claimed.
But after internal discussions ministers rejected their pleas, and released more than 300 photos taken by fish health inspectors investigating mass deaths at salmon farms. They were published by The Ferret on 27 June 2018, and have been seen by over 22,000 readers.
The emails – released in response to a request under freedom of information law – reveal that TSSC threatened ministers with legal action for a “breach of duty”. SFF warned that publishing the photos would incite activists “to harass or threaten our staff.”
Campaigners have accused the two companies of trying to “cover up” the reality of caged salmon farming, and praised the Scottish Government for resisting them. The companies stressed that the photos were “not representative” of their operations.
Salmon farming, which earns £600 million a year as Scotland’s biggest food export, has been hit by a raft of problems with disease and lice in recent years. The industry has been strongly criticised by one committee of MSPs at Holyrood, and is under investigation by another.
The photos were from investigations by the Scottish Government’s Fish Health Inspectorate into disease outbreaks at 27 fish farms run by six companies since 2015. Four farms belonged to TSSC and three to SSF, but the majority – 15 – were operated by Marine Harvest.
According to the released emails, Marine Harvest and other companies did not object to the photos being published. TSSC and SSF, however, tried to prevent publication.
In an email to the government’s Marine Scotland on 1 June 2018, TSSC argued that disclosing the photos would “prejudice substantially” the confidentiality of commercial information. “The photos of our fish are meaningless to the untrained eye, other than for graphic depiction of pathology for the purposes of shock effect,” the company said.
“There is no need for these images to be released and to do so will harm TSSC’s commercial reputation as the photos will undoubtedly be interpreted incorrectly and used against us.”
On 13 June TSSC lawyers, CMS Cameron McKenna Nabarro Olswang, emailed Marine Scotland arguing that the company had not consented to the release of photos of their salmon. “Marine Scotland owes a duty of confidence to a third party whose information is protected,” the lawyers said.
Marine Scotland was not entitled to disclose the information and “to do so may be a breach of duty and actionable at law”, the lawyers stated. “We would urge Marine Scotland to refuse to release the photographs.”
This exposes Scottish Sea Farms to reputational damage which would have an adverse impact on our legitimate economic interest. Scottish Sea Farms
SSF’s lawyers, Shepherd and Wedderburn, emailed Marine Scotland on 30 May saying that “our clients are very concerned about the proposed release”. In another email on 12 June, SFF argued that releasing the photos “would be likely to prejudice substantially public safety”.
SSF said: “Release of the photographs without context could lead to publication and use to incite activists to take action against salmon producers and to harass or threaten our staff.”
The company did not consent to the photos being disclosed to the public, saying they were commercially confidential. “This exposes Scottish Sea Farms to reputational damage which would have an adverse impact on our legitimate economic interest,” it said.
SFF urged officials to keep the photos secret, “in order to safeguard the safety of our personnel, protect our legitimate economic interest, and prevent loss of confidence in the product and the wider Scottish salmon farming industry.”
The released emails show that Marine Scotland officials alerted the rural economy minister, Fergus Ewing. They also consulted the Scottish Government’s freedom of information (FoI) unit, asking: “Can you advise us is there is any way that the information could be withheld please?”
The FoI unit’s response was that there was no good reason under law to withhold the information. Unit officials suggested that if a decision were taken to keep the photos under wraps, it was likely to be overturned on appeal to the Scottish Information Commissioner.
Marine Scotland then decided that it had to release the photos. After failing to convince the industry itself to publish them, it forewarned companies when they would be released – and alerted them when the photos appeared on The Ferret.
The photos and the emails disclosing the two companies’ legal interventions were obtained by anti-fish-farming campaigner, Don Staniford, from Scottish Salmon Watch. “Shame on The Scottish Salmon Company and Scottish Sea Farms for trying to cover up the harsh reality of salmon farming,” he said.
“The contrast with Marine Harvest’s apparent willingness to allow the photos to be published could not be more stark. Praise must be heaped on the Scottish Government’s FoI unit for standing up to the companies and their threatening lawyers.”
Staniford claimed that Scottish farmed salmon was “diseased, deformed and hazardous” to the environment. “If consumers could see what horrors were lurking inside salmon farms they would not touch unhealthy Scottish salmon with a barge pole,” he added.
“No wonder the salmon farming industry fought desperately to keep such shocking images from being published.”
John Robins from campaign group, Animal Concern, called for a moratorium on the expansion of salmon farming while fish welfare issues were investigated. “This shows you how far the industry will go to hide the truth about these filthy floating factory fish farms,” he said.
“I have seen these photographs and believe the salmon and the cleaner fish, put in to eat the lice off the salmon, are suffering pain, distress and death due to mass parasite infestations caused by keeping too many fish in too small a place.”
The Edinburgh-based animal welfare charity, OneKind, argued that every farmed salmon was a sentient individual that deserved protection under law. “This is very clearly a matter of public interest and it is right that people should be able to see this evidence and judge animal welfare standards for themselves,” said the group’s Sarah Moyes.
“We are concerned that companies say they fear direct action in the shape of harassment or threats towards staff. OneKind relies on exposing facts and evidence to educate the public and that is exactly what campaigners have achieved through this successful FoI request.”
Guy Linley-Adams, solicitor to Salmon and Trout Conservation Scotland, which represents anglers, suggested that the industry didn’t like “pretty horrible” images being published. “This is intensive cage farming and with intensive farming inevitably there will be disease and mortalities,” he said.
“The image the fish farmers want to create for the supermarket shopper is of very healthy fish grown in the clean waters of the wildest parts of the west coast of Scotland. But the truth does not always match that image.”
Praise must be heaped on the Scottish Government's FoI unit for standing up to the companies and their threatening lawyers. Don Staniford, Scottish Salmon Watch
TSSC and SSF did not directly address accusations about their attempts to keep the photos secret. “We take the health and welfare of our fish very seriously and adopt a best practice approach to animal husbandry,” said a TSSC spokesperson.
“Like any farming there can be occasional health issues. These are diagnostic images and are not representative of our operations.”
SSF head of fish health, Dr Ralph Bickerdike, said: “Marine Scotland clearly states that the photographs released are not representative of farmed salmon stocks; rather, the fish shown were specifically chosen to help increase understanding of health challenges that can affect both farmed and wild salmon.”
The industry group, Scottish Salmon Producers’ Organisation (SSPO), stressed that maintaining good fish health and welfare was at the heart of successful salmon farming. “The overwhelming majority of salmon grown in Scotland are healthy, and that is down to the skill and good farming practice of those who rear them,” said SSPO chief executive, Julie Hesketh-Laird.
“While occasionally fish health issues do arise, the photos released are not representative of an industry which produces thousands of tonnes of high quality salmon each year. We strive to maintain the highest standards of fish health.”
She added: “Individual SSPO member companies, rather than the SSPO, are engaged with the Scottish Government regarding the handling of FoI requests. The SSPO is unable to comment on specific company matters.”
The Scottish Government highlighted guidance given by its FoI code of practice that companies should be consulted when information releases would “significantly” affect them. “It is right that third parties have an opportunity to comment or raise any concerns they may have about the disclosure of information,” said a government spokesperson.
“However, the decision to release or withhold information for requests we receive always rests with the Scottish Government. In this case a decision was taken that the release of information was appropriate.”
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Against the backdrop of an anti-immigration referendum on October 2, the Hungarian government is ready to introduce further measures to encourage Ukrainian immigration.
Incentives for foreign workers
Local media report that the Fidesz administration is planning a new cluster of measures that will attract European migrants to Hungary.
The Minister of the Economy, Mihaly Varga, told the Heti Valasz daily last week that Hungary’s labour market shortages should be filled by EU workers or fr... | {
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TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida Gov. Rick Scott is appointing to the state's education board the father of a teenager killed during a school shooting in Parkland.
Even though he is about to leave office, Scott announced nearly 80 appointments to various state boards on Friday. He appointed Andrew Pollack to the State Board of Education. The panel sets education policy and hires the state's education commissioner.
Incoming Gov. Ron DeSantis has the power to withdraw most of the last-minute appointments made by Scott.
Pollack's daughter Meadow was among 17 people gunned down last year at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.
Pollack endorsed Scott's bid for the U.S. Senate in a television ad that aired last fall.
Scott won the race and will step down from the governor's office early next week. | {
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“It was filled with these wonderful bat fossils,” paleontologist Michael Archer, onetime director of the Australian Museum, told The Washington Post in a phone interview. “Bats are fascinating, too, and we thought that was all the game was.”
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The game would get a whole lot more exciting. Turns out the limestone actually contained soft tissue of an ancient muscle shrimp known as an ostracod. But it wasn’t just any soft tissue. It was perfectly preserved giant sperm, aged 17 million years.
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“These are the oldest fossilised sperm ever found in the geological record,” said Archer, who co-authored a study published Wednesday in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B. “It’s staggering.”
Even more staggering is the size of the shrimp sperm. The ostracod is a very small animal — about 1 millimeter long — but, proportionally, its sperm are huge. Uncoiled, the sperm can be “can reach up to ten times the body length of its producer,” according to Science Daily.
“No one knows why ostracods have giant sperm or how they originated,” David Horne of Britain’s Queen Mary University of London told USA Today, calling the fossils “amazing.” “The new evidence that they have been around for millions of years only adds to the mystery.”
The sperm was found inside the reproductive tract of a fossilized female shrimp. “The sperm was clearly wound up in knots within this weird ‘zenker’ organ, balled up like a ball of string, then literally shot at and into a female and the female catches it. It’s like they were playing catch,” Archer said.
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Archer contemplated the matter for a moment. “It kind of makes you feel like a dirty Peeping Tom for finding them in the middle of the act.”
But that fact adds even more mystery to the discovery, scientists say. This fossil commemorates “ancient sex with gargantuan sperm,” researcher Renate Matzke-Karasz of Germany’s Ludwig-Maximilian-University told USA Today — sex that went down immediately before the ostracods were fossilized.
It’s unclear what caused the immediate fossilization. “We don’t know how the instantaneous fossilization happened.” Archer said. “But that we don’t know what happened is part of the fun.”
Archer said he also doesn’t know for sure how the soft-tissue fossil was almost perfectly preserved for 17 million years — but he has a pretty good idea: Bat poop.
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Years ago, a similar discovery involving a fossilized frog “that still looked gooey” was made in France. Archer said bat guano may have also had a hand in the preservation of that fossil.
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“It’s some process related to bat poo,” he said. “It’s that magic ingredient somewhere in it. One day, some student is going to identify it, and someone is going to put it into face cream to combat aging.”
So, to recap: The world’s oldest sperm was just discovered, and it was shot like a spit ball at a female shrimp, and it’s gigantic, and it was preserved for 17 million years in bat poop? | {
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Great outfit, would like to see CRWBY put her in it, eve if only for Chibi. | {
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In the 60th communication issued by the RBI-finance ministry combine since the currency withdrawal decision was announced on November 8. (File Photo) In the 60th communication issued by the RBI-finance ministry combine since the currency withdrawal decision was announced on November 8. (File Photo)
Two days after the government and the RBI issued a directive to banks to ensure that individuals depositing over Rs 5,000 in demonetised Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes explain to at least two bank officials why they took so long to deposit these notes, the central bank Wednesday reversed the order following protests by customers.
The department of economic affairs in the finance ministry, which simultaneously issued the circular along with the RBI on Monday, maintained silence on the issue on Wednesday, putting the onus on the RBI to announce the reversal of the order.
Watch What Else is Making News
In the 60th communication issued by the RBI-finance ministry combine since the currency withdrawal decision was announced on November 8, the RBI said in a one-line order, “on a review of the above, we advise that the provisions of the above circular will not apply to fully KYC-compliant accounts.” The RBI issued the circular retracting the order following a communication from the government, an RBI source said.
Bank customers who went to deposit old notes on Tuesday were questioned by bank officers about the source of income and why the notes were not deposited earlier.
“Most customers were waiting for the queues in front of branches to shorten to deposit old notes. Customers took umbrage at the sudden change in policy. Many of them complained that they went by the earlier assurances of the government and the RBI that they had time till December 30 to deposit old notes. Some of the branch managers were also confused about handling the situation,” an official of a nationalised bank said.
On Monday, the RBI had said the explanation to be offered by customers to bank officials on deposits over Rs 5,000 “should be kept on record to facilitate an audit trail at a later stage”. An appropriate alert also should be raised in CBS (core banking system) to that effect so that no more tenders are allowed, it said. Since November 8, the government has repeatedly advised people not to panic, spread out their transactions and freely deposit cash up to Rs 2.5 lakh without inviting tax scrutiny.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had assured on November 8 that “persons holding old notes of Rs 500 or Rs 1,000 can deposit these notes in their bank or post office accounts from November 10 till close of banking hours on December 30, 2016 without any limit. Thus, you will have 50 days to deposit your notes and there is no need for panic. After depositing your money in your account, you can draw it when you need it.”
On November 11, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had urged people not to rush in the initial days to deposit old notes. “We do believe that there is no need to rush in the initial days because people have a lot of time till December 30 with the entire banking and post office system and therefore more the deposits and the (note) exchanges are spread out, the more will be the convenience to the people itself,” Jaitley had said.
Banks have already stopped over-the-counter exchange of the discontinued notes following a directivefrom the government and the RBI. The government also went back on an assurance that daily cash withdrawal limits from automated teller machines (ATMs) would be increased. There are indications that the government and the RBI will retain the cash withdrawal limit of Rs 2,500 per day through ATMs and Rs 24,000 from a branch in a week.
Banking sources said the shortage of notes continues in semi-urban and rural areas and it may take a few months to attain normalcy. “These restrictions will only go away when there’s sufficient amount of bank notes in the system. Until and unless that happens, they cannot take away the restrictions. The moment they take away the restrictions, everybody will want to go and draw out a lot. That becomes a problem,” SBI chairman Arundhati Bhattacharya said in an interview last week.
RBI: Notes worth Rs 5.92 lakh cr issued
Mumbai: The RBI announced that notes worth Rs 592,613 crore have been issued to public either over the counter or through ATMs from November 10 to December 19.
“The Reserve Bank has issued to the banks and their branches, for distribution to the public, a total of 22.6 billion pieces of notes of various denominations of which 20.4 billion pieces belonged to small denominations of Rs 10, Rs 20, Rs 50 and Rs 100 and 2.2 billion belonged to higher denominations of Rs 2,000 and Rs 500,” the RBI said. ENS
📣 The Indian Express is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@indianexpress) and stay updated with the latest headlines
For all the latest Business News, download Indian Express App. | {
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EDMONTON — A dramatic drop in the price Alberta oilsands companies receive for their product will strip about $6 billion in resource royalties from the coming 2013-14 budget, Premier Alison Redford revealed Thursday in a televised state of the province address.
“This bitumen bubble means the Alberta government will collect about $6 billion less in revenue this year alone,” Redford said in a taped eight-minute video clip shot in her Calgary home last Friday. “To put that into context, that’s the equivalent to all our government’s spending on education each year. So as we prepare for this year’s budget, it means we have to make some very difficult choices.”
The slumping price for bitumen has already cost the provincial treasury about $1 billion in the fiscal year ending March 31, Redford said.
The price differential will drop projected resource revenue in 2013-14 to about $7 billion, the lowest point since 2009, when natural gas prices plunged.
Without revealing details or a specific plan for how her Conservative government will meet that challenge, Redford vowed to be “thoughtful” and to deliver services that support families and communities.
“It’s not good enough to simply take an axe to government spending across the board,” she said. “That would mean vulnerable Albertans get hit the hardest. And it is not good enough to take the easy way out and raise taxes.”
But she warned that holding the line on spending, when 95,000 new Albertans arrive every year, will mean difficult choices.
“So while it may sound relatively painless to hold overall spending levels, it’s not,” she said. “As a result, some programs and services will change, especially those that are not sustainable over the long term.”
She said Alberta must find a way to get a better price for bitumen, but it won’t happen overnight.
Borrowing a page from Ralph Klein’s playbook, Redford will host a one-day economic summit next month to bring together experts and average Albertans together to seek solutions to the province’s economic challenges.
She said it will be the first of a series of annual summits that will continue a conversation about reducing Alberta’s dependence on non-renewable resource revenues, addressing the bitumen bubble and working toward diversifying Alberta’s economy.
“It is a chance to continue the conversation around some of the new thinking and solutions to some of the ongoing challenges,” said her spokesman, Stefan Baranski.
Alberta Liberal Leader Raj Sherman called the premier’s $55,000 televised address a waste of taxpayers’ dollars and a blatant attempt to skirt the democratic process.
“The appropriate place for this rhetoric is in the legislature at the Speech from the Throne and on budget day,” said Sherman in a news release.
Health Sciences Association president Elisabeth Ballermann said Albertans should not be told they can’t get an ambulance or can’t get the cancer treatment they need because oil prices are down this month.
“The truth is that our health-care system is under-resourced because for decades the government has chosen to give unnecessary tax and royalty breaks to rich corporations and individuals,” she said in a release. “Albertans have made it clear time after time that they favour a fairer tax system over a failing health-care system.” | {
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LUXEMBOURG, Luxembourg — The President of Luxembourg's Chamber of Deputies has thanked the Baha'i community for its activities to build bridges between different elements of society.
"For me the efforts carried out by the Baha'is can be summarized by the word 'cohesion,'" Mars Di Bartolomeo told some 100 guests gathered at a celebration of National Day, the official birthday of His Royal Highness Henri, Grand Duke of Luxembourg.
"Unity in diversity is more than a slogan for the Baha'i community," said Mr. Di Bartolomeo, "it is the very foundation of their belief and actions."
Mr. Di Bartolomeo began his speech with a well-known quotation from the Baha'i sacred writings: "The earth is but one country and mankind its citizens."
"This principle of the oneness of humanity, taught by Baha'u'llah, touched my heart from the very first time I heard it," he said.
"Since then, for many years, I have had the opportunity to work together with Baha'is in social projects...and I can testify to the sincerity with which Baha'is are striving to implement these teachings."
The Baha'is, he said, are "inviting all their fellow citizens to work with them side by side for the betterment of society."
Also present at the event – which took place at Luxembourg's national Baha'i center on 26 June – were three other Members of Parliament including Viviane Loschetter, President of the Parliamentary Group of the Green Party. Representatives of religious groups and civil society were also among the guests.
Other elements of the program included an introductory speech by Wafa Arzani, chairperson of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Luxembourg, as well as readings of selections from the Baha'i writings and a musical presentation. | {
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Man Beaten to Death by Mob for Raping a 7 Year Old
Note: to turn off these warnings you need to set the 'safe mode' to OFF (on the top right) | {
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Former FBI Director James Comey James Brien ComeyDemocrats fear Russia interference could spoil bid to retake Senate Book: FBI sex crimes investigator helped trigger October 2016 public probe of Clinton emails Trump jabs at FBI director over testimony on Russia, antifa MORE tweeted his support for Canada late Saturday after President Trump Donald John TrumpBiden on Trump's refusal to commit to peaceful transfer of power: 'What country are we in?' Romney: 'Unthinkable and unacceptable' to not commit to peaceful transition of power Two Louisville police officers shot amid Breonna Taylor grand jury protests MORE attacked Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
“Our national security relationship with Canada is vital and saves American lives. It was built over generations and is bigger than any person or dispute. This too shall pass,” Comey tweeted, including a photo of him at Canada’s Parliament Hill.
Our national security relationship with Canada is vital and saves American lives. It was built over generations and is bigger than any person or dispute. This too shall pass. pic.twitter.com/TTOPUf2kjB — James Comey (@Comey) June 9, 2018
Comey has been highly critical of Trump since the president fired him last year, including in his new book “A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies, and Leadership.”
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Trump attacked Trudeau in a pair of tweets Saturday after leaving the Group of Seven (G-7) summit, claiming that Trudeau made “false statements” at a news conference and calling the prime minister “very dishonest and weak.”
Trump also said the U.S. would not endorse the joint communique signed by the other G-7 member countries, after Trudeau had said all countries signed it, and appeared to threaten more tariffs against Canada.
Based on Justin’s false statements at his news conference, and the fact that Canada is charging massive Tariffs to our U.S. farmers, workers and companies, I have instructed our U.S. Reps not to endorse the Communique as we look at Tariffs on automobiles flooding the U.S. Market! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 9, 2018
PM Justin Trudeau of Canada acted so meek and mild during our @G7 meetings only to give a news conference after I left saying that, “US Tariffs were kind of insulting” and he “will not be pushed around.” Very dishonest & weak. Our Tariffs are in response to his of 270% on dairy! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 9, 2018
The Canadian leader had said at a press conference that his country wouldn’t be “pushed around” by the U.S. over Trump’s recent decision to impose stiff tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from the nation. | {
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Robert Mueller’s team is urging a federal judge in Virginia to turn down a request from Paul Manafort, a former Trump campaign chairman, to hold a hearing in which witnesses could be summoned to testify about the alleged leaks. | Andrew Burton/Getty Images Mueller's office opposes hearing on leaks
A series of anonymously sourced news accounts about special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation don’t amount to evidence of illegal grand jury leaks and could have come from defense attorneys or others outside the investigation, prosecutors said in a court filing on Monday.
Mueller’s team is also urging a federal judge in Virginia to turn down a request from Paul Manafort, a former Trump campaign chairman, to hold a hearing in which witnesses could be summoned to testify about the alleged leaks.
“Manafort’s speculative claim of improper conduct falls far short of the showing necessary to warrant a hearing on potential violations of [a grand jury secrecy rule] or of his constitutional rights,” prosecutors wrote. “A pretrial hearing on alleged government leaks, which would itself generate publicity on the very matters that Manafort finds prejudicial, is unwarranted.”
Manafort, who is facing separate criminal cases brought by Mueller in federal court in Washington and Alexandria, Virginia, filed a motion late last month complaining that he was unfairly attacked in a flurry of news reports that appeared to be based on illegal leaks of grand jury secrets and classified information.
In the motion, filed with U.S. District Court Judge T.S. Ellis III, Manafort’s defense said the release of sensitive details about the investigation threatened his ability to get a fair trial.
“By their actions, it is self-evident that the objective of these government sources was to create unfair prejudice against Mr. Manafort and thereby deprive him of his Fifth and Sixth Amendment rights,” attorneys Kevin Downing and Thomas Zehnle wrote. “The government’s investigation, and the criminal charges that ultimately resulted from it, are the epitome of a party seeking to decide a case in the press and not the courtroom.”
Regardless of the legal merits of Manafort’s motion, his lawyers’ effort to raise the leaks issue could bolster his chances of winning a pardon from President Donald Trump, who has railed against leaks he alleges have emerged from the Mueller investigation.
Mueller’s team said in a response to Manafort on Monday that there was no reason to believe the news accounts that Manafort’s defense identified were the product of prosecutors or investigators leaking information that came from a grand jury.
“He cites ten articles, none of which purports to disclose grand jury information,” prosecutors wrote. “Many of the matters reported, if accurate, would have been known to the defense, to witnesses who were interviewed or subpoenaed for documents, or to other investigators examining overlapping issues.”
Prosecutors also suggest that some of those leaking about Manafort could be members of Congress or their aides.
“Multiple accounts note that Manafort was also the subject of ongoing congressional investigations,” Mueller’s team noted. “References to ‘officials’ or ‘American officials’ in the reports … could thus be to people who are not subject to [grand jury secrecy] restrictions.”
Prosecutors suggested that if a hearing was held on the leaks, it would be fair game to look into whether any of them originated with Manafort’s attorneys or his spokesman Jason Maloni. Maloni wasn’t named in the filing, but was identified as “the spokesman who has regularly accompanied Manafort to court and has often been quoted, including in some of Manafort’s cited articles.”
Mueller’s team also submitted a secret filing to Ellis “concerning one article.” Prosecutors did not say which article it was about or why the information needed to be placed under seal and withheld from Manafort’s defense.
Prosecutors pointed Ellis to his own ruling from 2007 denying a hearing on leaks in a case involving two pro-Israel lobbyists accused of trafficking in classified information. In that case, the judge said the text of the news stories didn’t make a “prima facie” case of grand jury leaks.
The case Manafort faces in Virginia, set for trial on July 10, includes charges of tax evasion, bank fraud and failing to file reports on foreign bank accounts. The Washington-based case, scheduled for trial on Sept. 17, focuses on allegations of money laundering and of failing to register as a foreign agent in connection with Manafort’s work related to Ukraine.
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OTTAWA—Is there a new friendlier cop policing Canada’s airwaves?
That’s what many are wondering after Thursday’s surprise decision by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission to reject Bell’s mammoth $3.4-billion takeover of Astral Media.
It was a decision that cheered consumer advocates, angered broadcasting giant Bell — which saw its growth ambitions dashed — and left many speculating what it means for future decisions from the broadcast regulator.
And as that speculation swirled, the federal government made clear Friday that it had no intention of bowing to Bell’s demands to intervene in the decision.
“The CRTC is an arm’s-length agency of the government and as such the government has no legal ability to overturn this decision,’ said Conservative MP Paul Callandra, parliamentary secretary to Canadian Heritage Minister James Moore.
In rejecting Bell’s application for the take-over, the CRTC gave voice to concerns that the merged giant would have too much control over the country’s radio and TV assets.
That put consumers at risk of higher prices and less choice on the airwaves, the commission said.
“We had grave concerns that BCE would be able to use its market power in an unfair manner and to engage in anticompetitive behaviour,” CRTC chair Jean-Pierre Blais said in releasing the decision.
On Friday, Bell chief executive George Cope said Canadians are the losers and BCE’s rivals are the winners.
“Consumers lost. The investment community lost. It’s the wrong decision for Canada,” Cope said an interview with BNN, the business channel owned by Bell Media.
Cope also said BCE will ask the federal cabinet for a “policy review” and for it to send a directive back to the CRTC to follow existing rules.
Experts were still weighing the impact of the CRTC ruling — and what it signalled.
“I think the CRTC sent a very strong signal that they are planning to adopt a new approach when it comes to this kind of regulation and are going to put consumers at the very centre of its policy,” said Michael Geist, a professor at the University of Ottawa.
“Much of the process over the years has left consumers on the side, almost as if they are supposed to be the beneficiaries of trickle-down regulation where the prime beneficiaries are the stakeholders, the broadcasters and telecom companies,” Geist said.
While no decisions stand to have the magnitude of Thursday’s take-over rejection in the near future, the regulator does have other important files on its docket that could provide further clues about its direction.
For example, the commission has launched public consultations on new code of conduct for “retail wireless services,” such as cellphones and other personal mobile devices.
And next month, the commission will hold hearings into the renewal of CBC/Radio-Canada’s radio and television licences.
Carleton University professor Dwayne Winseck isn’t convinced that the CRTC has become seized by a pro-consumer fever, calling it “nonsense.
“That’s all trumped up,” said Winseck, who teaches at the university’s school of journalism and communication.
Instead, he said the merits of the Bell-Astral deal — and concentration it would have brought to the broadcasting sector — warranted an outright rejection. He noted that most other broadcasters and telecom firms had lined up in opposition to the deal.
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“This was a squabble of major proportions among the titans of industry. In some ways you could say that the decision was not so radical at all.
“We’ve got these incredibly high levels of concentration already and this would have pushed it up over the top.”
Still, Geist says Thursday’s decision follows a consumer-friendly pattern that has been emerging since Blais took over as chair of the broadcast regulator four months ago.
In August, the commission created the post of chief consumer officer to “better understand the concerns of Canadian consumers and bring them to the commission’s attention during the decision-making process.”
“This will be achieved by leading research activities on consumer issues to identify trends and best practices, including those in other jurisdictions,” the commission said in a statement at the time of the appointment.
And the new approach was evident at the CRTC hearings, held in Montreal, into the Bell-Astral deal when consumer concerns had a “starring role” not seen in past hearings,” Geist said.
In the past, consumer worries were “tolerated but rarely considered. The main participants rarely took it all that seriously. It was just a little but of background noise,” said Geist, who holds the Canada research chair in Internet and e-commerce law at the university’s faculty of law.
“It’s not anymore. In many ways, those same groups will, I think, really help shape and influence the perspective on what the public interest is for each of these issues.”
And he said the new approach was also apparent in the CRTC’s three-year plan, which was released several weeks ago where consumer access “was stated as the top priority.”
While advocates cheered the new direction of the broadcast regulator, Bell denounced it as a throwback to a “bygone era” and said the decision sends a signal that regulatory regime is “impetuous and unreliable.”
“Bell is appalled that the CRTC would come to a decision that so negatively impacts Canadian consumers and the national broadcast industry,” the company said in a statement.
With files from The Canadian Press
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Dispute over Vincent Lambert has divided family and become subject of political controversy
This article is more than 1 year old
This article is more than 1 year old
French doctors have begun switching off the life support of a quadriplegic man who has been in a vegetative state for the last decade, in a hugely controversial case that has divided France.
The dispute over the fate of Vincent Lambert, 42, who was left with severe brain damage after a traffic accident in 2008, has split his own family and even become a subject of political tension in France ahead of the weekend’s European elections.
His parents, devout Catholics, have repeatedly launched court action to keep him alive, putting them at odds with Lambert’s wife and five siblings who believe the most humane course is to let him die.
Following a final judicial ruling to end the nutrition and hydration Lambert receives, doctors on Monday started halting his life support at the Sebastopol hospital in the northern French city of Reims.
Medical sources said it meant Lambert would die within days or a week.
Jean Paillot, the lawyer for Lambert’s parents, said they would launch multiple legal challenges in a last-ditch bid to prevent Lambert dying, including with the Paris court of appeal and the criminal court of Reims.
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Pierre and Viviane Lambert, the parents of Vincent Lambert. Photograph: François Nascimbeni/AFP/Getty Images
Vincent Sanchez, the doctor treating Lambert who has been the target of the parents’ anger, said in a message to the family that the “halting of treatments” and “profound and continued sedation” had been initiated.
In the message seen by AFP, he urged everyone to “rally around him [Lambert] so these moments are as peaceful, intimate and personal as possible”.
The parents’ lawyers said at the weekend they wanted Sanchez removed from the case and also struck off France’s medical register. In a statement, the lawyers accused Sanchez of “violating all his obligations”, adding: “There is still time to stop this madness.”
The family has been deeply split by the case.
“They are monsters, monsters,” said his mother Viviane, 73, as she came to the hospital on Monday. A day earlier she had organised a demonstration outside with her husband Pierre, 90.
“I want to see my son before he goes to sleep.”
But Lambert’s wife, Rachel, five of his siblings and his nephew Francois have all backed the decision to begin switching off the systems, agreeing that this is the humane path given his condition.
They have generally steered clear of commenting to the media during a complex and wrenching legal saga lasting half a decade.
French law allows so-called “passive euthanasia” for seriously ill or injured patients with no chance of recovery, in which the means for keeping someone alive are cut off.
In 2014, Lambert’s doctors, backed by his wife and most of his siblings, decided to stop his nutrition and hydration in line with the law.
Human rights court allows France to take tetraplegic man off life support Read more
But the parents and his half-brother and sister obtained a court order to block the move on grounds his condition might improve with better treatment.
But early this year, a French court sided with Sanchez’s decision to stop the care keeping Lambert alive.
The ruling was upheld last month by France’s state council, which decides on the validity of laws and legal decisions.
The UN committee on disabled rights earlier this month asked France to suspend the decision while it conducted its own investigation, which could take years. The French government has made clear there is no legal obligation to abide by this. | {
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Photo : Chris O’Meara ( Getty Images )
Ok, racists listen up. It’s 2018. If you’re going to be racist, please step your insult game up. Most of the kids born in the 1980s don’t have a clue who the hell Stepin Fetchit was or know that Kingfish was one of the stars of the wildly popular Amos & Andy.
If you’re still using Vaudevillian black voices to troll a political candidate, you should be embarrassed. Racists, you can do better.
According to HuffPost, a white supremacist website in Idaho has been sending out racists robocalls that sound like some 1950s white folks imitating black folks hating on Florida Democratic gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum.
I want Floridians not to be fooled by this, but I must admit that I’m worried because... w ell, it’s Florida.
HuffPost obtained a copy of the wildly outdated racist recording, which can be heard below. I warn you, if you enjoy buffets, still call stores the five and dime, drink malteds at the drive-in, or consider “gosh darn” or “geez” to be a cuss word, this may trigger you.
I guess minstrel dialect is still a thing in Idaho. Either that, or the racists in Idaho really know how to connect to their Florida counterparts. When the ad begins, a voice can be heard saying, “Well hello there. I is the Negro Andrew Gillum, and I be asking you to make me governor of this here state of Florida.”
The shit is comically bad. Tragically bad. It’s almost funny it’s so bad. At one point, Negro spirituals and monkey screeches play in the background. It’s as if an alien came to America, read a book written in the 1950s about how to upset black folks, and the result was this ad.
“The ad says Gillum’s health care plan will be quite cheap, because he’ll just give chicken feet to people as medicine. It talks about how Jewish people are going to vote for him, because Jews are ‘the ones that been putting Negroes in charge over the white folk, just like they done after the Civil War,’” HuffPost reports.
Troll better, racists. Because this almost makes me feel sorry for you. Almost. As it will always and forever be:
Fuck y’all. | {
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Militant umbrella group Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) on Thursday is asking President Rodrigo Duterte to launch an investigation on the “scandalous” salaries and benefits being given to top government officials, which also include heads of government-owned and -controlled corporations (GOCCs).
Bayan Secretary General Renato Reyes Jr. said that the salaries of some government officials do not reflect the values of austerity and simple living being espoused by Duterte.
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“The President has been known to promote simple living among public officials. These huge perks, bonuses and allowances from the previous administration stand in stark contrast to what is being promoted by the President. Some of the huge bonuses and perks can be described as obscene given situation of other social services. Some of the bonuses are scandalous considering that the government plans to raise taxes again,” said Reyes.
He also asked the President to review Executive Orders 201 and 203 which provide the salaries of government officials and GOCC heads.
According to the 2015 Commission on Audit Report on Salaries and Allowances, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Governor Amado Tetangco was the highest-paid government executive, getting P13.9 million.
READ: Highest-paid gov’t execs: Tetangco overall, Garin in Aquino Cabinet
He is followed by Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) President Robert Vergara and Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) Teresita Herbosa who got 13.4 million and P8.9 million, respectively.
The top earners from the national government include executives of the BSP, GSIS, Social Security System (SSS), Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP), Land Bank of the Philippines, SEC, Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) and the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA).
In the Cabinet of former President Benigno Aquino III, Health Secretary Janette Garin was the highest-paid official with P2.52 million.
Reyes also slammed SSS executives for their huge salaries as Aquino vetoed a proposed bill giving an additional P2,000 for SSS pensioners. SSS President Emilio de Quiros was the 11th highest-paid official with P8.2 million.
READ: Aquino vetoes increase in SSS pension
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“Former President Benigno Aquino III vetoed a P2,000 pension hike saying there were not enough funds, yet his appointed officials at the SSS and other GOCC’s were being given high salaries and other perks. The new administration can now correct this injustice,” Reyes added. RAM
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Mike Modano is 39 years old. He had an appendectomy a month before the end of the regular season; A regular season that was, to be honest, pretty far gone at the time and even more so now as he pushes hard through his rehab.
So the media as a whole is (finally) asking a lot of questions about Mo. Why is he pushing hard to get back? A (semi) major surgery that late in the year on a guy who turns 40 this summer? Why would he rush? And the logical conclusion anyone can draw from the evidence presented is "because he's not coming back next year. This is the end." He doesn't want to end his career with an appendectomy and a 5-3 loss to the Colorado Avalanche, right? The less popular answer is that he's a competitor and he loves the game, which he is and he does.
I tend to believe him when he says he hasn't made a decision about next year. A whole slew of "will they or won't they?" famous athletes have wavered and waffled and gone back and forth, desensitizing the sports-consuming consumer to the point of apathy and/or extreme skepticism, but I don't recall THAT many hockey players among those ranks. (Probably because ESPN doesn't care beat us over the head with it, but I digress...). I think those who know Mike, or feign knowing Mike, would agree that if he retires, that's apt to be it.
If I were him, looking at the condition of the S.S. Tom Hicks, I'd say that boat is sinking and will continue to do so for at least one more year before it gets sold.
Which isn't to say I wouldn't like him back...
As far as I'm concerned, the dude has some usefulness left in him, and even a carrot or two dangling in front of him that might keep him going. Outlasting Keith Tkachuk would be one. Another would be 15 more NHL points. 15 NHL points separate Mike on the all time list from being right next to his buddy Brett Hull.
21. Brett Hull 1,391 points 22. John Bucyk 1,369 points 23. Mike Modano 1,355 points
I don't know if Modano is aware, or even cares about such a thing, but I've had my eye on it this year. It would be fitting for him to come to rest at #22 right behind Hully. The two of them together on the all-time list, at least for a while, would warm my Stars heart.
Other than thought, unless it's for shear joy of playing the game, it's hard to enumerate many reasons for returning. His declination of a trade at the deadline at least tells us that going somewhere else to win another ring is probably not on his mind. Mike's a Dallas guy, through and through.
Along with Marty Turco, this news is bringing every Dallas media type by the Stars storefront to browse as they pass by for their yearly visit, and it's only going to get worse as the end nears.
Here's a smattering:
Kevin Sherrington over at the Morning News decided to field some hockey questions (?):
Is this Mike Modano's last year?
Haven't asked him, but I'd guess it is. The club is struggling, the prospects for next year don't look much better, and he's already made it clear that he didn't want to be traded to a contender. He and Marty Turco will both be gone. Now that's a regime change, isn't it?
Jean-Jacques Taylor descended upon the press box at the AAC on Sunday to prepare for his bi-annual hockey opinion...
It's time for Marty Turco to go.
He knows it, as do the Stars. We all do.
This is not about whether it's time for Turco to retire. It's not. He's good enough to help a playoff team make a lengthy playoff run.
It's just time for him to leave Dallas.
With the benefit of hindsight, it's clear the Stars should have traded or released Turco once they decided not to extend his contract, especially with a new general manager and coach sending the franchise in a completely different direction.
With the benefit of following hockey every day of our lives, the rest of us know that it wasn't the easy.
And then mercifully to the rescue comes our regularly scheduled program, the greatness of Mike Heika talking some real hockey...
"I thought about it, definitely," Modano said. "It's been on my mind all year, but it's not time to make a decision yet." Modano said that he would talk with Stars general manager Joe Nieuwendyk after the season and then come to a decision. "But, yeah, you definitely think about it," Modano said. "I mean, I don't want to end my career sitting out with appendicitis. That wouldn't feel right, so maybe that has something do with it. I want to come back and play well, because it might be the end." Modano probably would be working this hard to get back even if he had another year on his contract. It's what he's done throughout his career. He said playing for former coach and GM Bob Gainey as a young player toughened him. "I remember to start with, the least little thing would put me down," Modano said. "But then Gainey would be all over me and asking stuff like, 'Are you hurt or are you injured?' You had to pretty much first figure out what he was saying to you and then realize that there
Modano skated in Frisco on Monday and worked out off-ice as well. He will not join the team in Nashville tonight but could possibly be join them at a later date on the road trip.
I've been waiting for the deluge of Modano farewell speculation since we hit 2010. Then I thought it would surely come during the Olympic break, but it didn't then either. That the traditionally non-hockey media descends upon these stories now is predictable and probably necessary, but feels a tad belated. He's the greatest, most accomplished sports figure in the city, hands down. If not the fact that he didn't want it, he should have been given the farewell tour treatment for longer than what might be the last 4 or 5 games of his career. | {
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Changes in Corporate Governance and Top Executive Turnover: The Evidence from Japan
NBER Working Paper No. 23812
Issued in September 2017
NBER Program(s):Corporate Finance
We examine the turnover of top executives in Japanese firms throughout the period from 1990 to 2013. During this time, the presence of a main bank has been weakened, the ownership of institutional investors has dramatically increased, and independent outside directors have been introduced in many firms. We find that top executive turnover sensitivity to corporate performance has not changed, although return on equity (ROE) and stock returns displace return on assets (ROA) as performance indicators that turnover is most sensitive to. The evidence also indicates that instead of the main bank, foreign institutional investors have begun to play an important governance role in Japan. However, the main bank does not abandon its governance role. While the scope of the main bank’s authority may have substantially contracted, main banks continue to perform a certain role in disciplining management.
Acknowledgments
Machine-readable bibliographic record - MARC, RIS, BibTeX
Document Object Identifier (DOI): 10.3386/w23812
Published:
Users who downloaded this paper also downloaded* these: | {
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“The weekend is an enormous disturbance not only to our residents and visitors but to our police officers and allied agencies who are working to keep our city safe,” Ashley Miller, a police spokeswoman, wrote in an email Sunday afternoon. “Our officers are literally doing absolutely everything they can right now to maintain order.” | {
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"All in all Belarus has received four air defense missile battalions on the disinterested basis from Russia. Three of them had undergone overhaul in Russia, and one, in Belarus," the Belarusian news agency BeltTA quotes Dvigalyov as saying.
MINSK, May 5. /TASS/. The Air Force and air defense units of Belarus have received from Russia a fourth battalion of the air defense system S-300 PS on the disinterested basis, the commander of the Belarusian Air Force and Air Defense, Major-General Oleg Dvigalyov, has said.
Earlier in the day he participated in the handover of one of the S-300 battalions to the 377th air defense regiment, stationed in the Polotsk district of the Vitebsk region (northern Belarus).
"The battalion has undergone the full preparation cycle. In August, we plan to take it to the Ashuluk test site for firing practice. We hope for good results," Dvigalyov said, adding that the upgraded S-300 PS system will enter duty on May 6.
Two of the four S-300 battalions provided by Russia will be stationed in the Polotsk district and the two others in the Grodno and Brest regions.
"Our air defense system is rather developed. It undergoes continued upgrade. We are part and parcel of the integrated regional air defense system of Belarus and Russia," Dvigalyov said.
As the chief of the Russian Aerospace Force’s Staff, first deputy aerospace force commander Lieutenant-General Pavel Kurachenko said, Russia and Belarus had finalized the common air defense system in the East European Region of collective security.
"The practical implementation of the agreement is over. In the future the main efforts will be focused on joint combat alert and joint training," he said.
Dvigalyov was appointed commander of the common regional air defense system. | {
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Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) is warning that another economic meltdown that could rival the 2008 crisis is on the near horizon.
In an op-ed piece published today on the Medium website, the senator – who is also seeking the 2020 Democratic Party nomination for president – insisted that she “warned about an economic crash years before the 2008 crisis, but the people in power wouldn’t listen. Now I’m seeing serious warning signs in the economy again — and I’m calling on regulators and Congress to act before another crisis costs America’s families their homes, jobs, and savings.” Warren painted a gloomy picture of today’s U.S. economic foundation, which is argued was “fragile” and could collapse easily.
“When I look at the economy today, I see a lot to worry about again,” Warren wrote. “I see a manufacturing sector in recession. I see a precarious economy that is built on debt — both household debt and corporate debt — and that is vulnerable to shocks.”
Nonetheless, Warren insisted that a crisis could be averted by “by raising people’s wages and by bringing down their costs” as a means of reducing household debt, along with “cancelling up to $50,000 in student loan debt for 95 percent of people who have it, bringing down the cost of rent, providing universal affordable child care and early education for all our kids ages 0–5, and making tuition free at every public technical school, two-year college, and four-year college.” She called for a strengthening of the Financial Stability Oversight Council, arguing that the current council “falling down on the job,” and claimed that her “Green Manufacturing Plan will mobilize our industrial base by making a $2 trillion investment in American green research, manufacturing, and exporting over the next decade.”
One area of the economy that Warren did not raise a red flag over was housing. While Warren, a longtime critic of the mortgage profession, reminded her readers that she “called out subprime lenders for tricking unsuspecting families — especially families of color — into refinancing into overpriced subprime mortgages” in 2003 and blamed then-Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan, Congress, the banks and the federal regulators for failing to heed the danger of the housing bubble. However, her new column made no mention of today’s housing market or the origination and underwriting practices by mortgage companies. | {
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One over-hyped Marvel fan in China needed a superhero of her own when she cried so hard during “Avengers: Endgame” that she started hyperventilating and had to be rushed to the hospital, according to reports.
The diehard fan, identified as Xiaoli, was bawling uncontrollably during the Avengers’ swan song, and wound up struggling to breathe, reported The News International.
The 21-year-old was rushed to a local hospital’s emergency room, where she was given oxygen to stabilize her breathing, according to the report.
“I saw that the patient had been breathing heavily, and according to the description from her peers, we thought that her crying had caused hyperventilation,” the outlet quoted Xiaoli’s doctor as saying. “We immediately gave her oxygen … reducing her hyperventilation symptoms.”
At least she handled the blockbuster flick, which grossed a record $1.2 billion internationally in its opening weekend, according to Variety, better than one Hong Kong fan, who was beaten by a mob of his fellow fans after spoiling it in the theater. | {
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House Democrats have formally introduced a resolution to hold Attorney General Bill Barr and former White House counsel Don McGahn in contempt of Congress, CNN's Manu Raju reports.
Why it matters: The resolution, which is expected to be voted on next week, authorizes any House committee chair to go to civil court to enforce a subpoena. Barr has rejected a subpoena by the House Judiciary Committee to turn over the full, unredacted Mueller report, while McGahn has been blocked by the White House from turning over documents related to the committee's obstruction investigation into President Trump. | {
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Una lettera, firmata da tredici medici dell'Ospedale Papa Giovanni XXIII di Bergamo e tradotta dal docente di Economia della Sapienza Fabio Sabatini. Parole drammatiche che raccontano di una «epidemia fuori controllo», dove le «persone più anziane non vengono rianimate e muoiono sole». E l'ospedale stesso è considerato «altamente contaminato» e «principale veicoli di trasmissione del Covid-19». Una città al collasso, sanitari sfiniti che lavorano senza sosta vedendo morire centinaia di persone ogni giorno. La lettera è stata pubblicata sul 'New England Journal of Medicine Catalyst Innovations in Care Delivery', con il titolo «Nell'epicentro di Covid-19».
Coronavirus Bergamo, il sindaco Gori: «La sanità in Lombardia mostra tutti i suoi limiti, molti muoiono a casa»
«A Bergamo l'epidemia è fuori controllo. Il nostro ospedale è altamente contaminato e siamo già oltre il punto del collasso: 300 letti su 900 sono occupati da malati di Covid-19. Più del 70% dei posti in terapia intensiva sono riservati ai malati gravi di Covid-19 che abbiano una ragionevole speranza di sopravvivere». È il terribile quadro disegnato dai tredici medici dell'Ospedale Papa Giovanni XXIII.
«I PAZIENTI PIÙ ANZIANI NON VENGONO RIANIMATI»
«Lavoriamo all'ospedale Papa Giovanni XXIII di Bergamo, struttura all'avanguardia con 48 posti di terapia intensiva. Nonostante Bergamo sia una città relativamente piccola, è l'epicentro dell'epidemia, più di Milano», scrivono. «La situazione è così grave - sottolineano - che siamo costretti a operare al di sotto dei nostri standard di cura. I tempi di attesa per un posto in terapia intensiva durano ore. I pazienti più anziani non vengono rianimati e muoiono in solitudine senza neanche il conforto di appropriate cure palliative. Siamo in quarantena dal 10 marzo».
«GLI OSPEDALI PRINCIPALI VEICOLI DI CONTAGIO»
«Stiamo imparando che gli ospedali possono essere i principali veicoli di trasmissione del Covid-19 - proseguono i 13 medici del Papa Giovanni XXIII nella lettera denuncia - poiché si riempiono in maniera sempre più veloce di malati infetti che contagiano i pazienti non infetti. Lo stesso sistema sanitario regionale contribuisce alla diffusione del contagio, poiché le ambulanze e il personale sanitario diventano rapidamente dei vettori. I sanitari sono portatori asintomatici della malattia o ammalati senza alcuna sorveglianza. Alcuni rischiano di morire, compresi i più giovani, aumentando ulteriormente le difficoltà e lo stress di quelli in prima linea».
«Questa epidemia non è un fenomeno che riguarda soltanto la terapia intensiva - si legge ancora - è una crisi sanitaria e umanitaria. Abbiamo urgente bisogno di agenzie umanitarie che operino a livello locale». Ma soprattutto, «abbiamo bisogno di un piano di lungo periodo per contrastare la pandemia». «Questo disastro - scrivono - poteva essere evitato soltanto con un massiccio spiegamento di servizi alla comunità, sul territorio. Per affrontare la pandemia servono soluzioni per l'intera popolazione, non solo per gli ospedali».
«CURE A DOMICILIO PER ALLENTARE PRESSIONE SU OSPEDALI»
I camici bianchi in prima linea contro l'emergenza coronavirus, suggeriscono: «Cure a domicilio e cliniche mobili evitano spostamenti non necessari e allentano la pressione sugli ospedali. Bisogna creare un sistema di sorveglianza capillare che garantisca l'adeguato isolamento dei pazienti facendo affidamento sugli strumenti della telemedicina. Un tale approccio limiterebbe l'ospedalizzazione a un gruppo mirato di malati gravi, diminuendo il contagio, proteggendo i pazienti e il personale sanitario e minimizzando il consumo di equipaggiamenti di protezione». Negli ospedali, ribadiscono, «si deve dare priorità alla protezione del personale medico. Non si possono fare compromessi sui protocolli. Le misure per prevenire il contagio devono essere implementate in maniera consistente»
LE FIRME ALLA LETTERA
A firmare la lettera sono Mirco Nacoti, del Dipartimento di anestesia e terapia intensiva dell'ospedale Papa Giovanni XXIII; Andrea Ciocca, dell'Associazione Sguazzi Bergamo; Angelo Giupponi, del Dipartimento di emergenza del Papa Giovanni XXIII; Pietro Brambillasca, del Dipartimento di anestesia e terapia intensiva del Papa Giovanni XXIII; Federico Lussana, dell'Ematologia del Papa Giovanni XXIII; Michele Pisano, del Dipartimento di chirurgia del Papa Giovanni XXIII; Giuseppe Goisis, dell'associazione Compagnia Brincadera, Bergamo; Daniele Bonacina, del Dipartimento di anestesia e terapia intensiva pediatrica del Papa Giovanni XXIII; Francesco Fazzi, del Dipartimento di anestesia e terapia intensiva pediatrica del Papa Giovanni XXIII; Richard Naspro, del Dipartimento di urologia del Papa Giovanni XXIII; Luca Longhi, della Terapia neurointensiva del Papa Giovanni XXIII; Maurizio Cereda, dell'Università della Pennsylvania; Carlo Montaguti, del Centro medico sociale dei Focolari in Costa d'Avorio.
Ultimo aggiornamento: 15:43
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Wallabies utility back Curtis Rona's desire to play at the 2019 World Cup has led to him signing for the NSW Waratahs, instead of going overseas or returning to rugby league.
Rona played three Tests for the Wallabies this year after moving across from NRL side Canterbury to join the Western Force.
With that franchise cut from Super Rugby, Rona opted to sign a two-year deal with the Waratahs.
He only had one season back in rugby with the ill-fated Force but opted to stay in Australian rugby despite having offers to go overseas and return to rugby league. | {
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While hundreds of thousands are celebrating the day and cheer for the army around the country, death toll in clashes on the third anniversary of 25 January revolution has risen to 29, Egypt's health ministry said.
Supporters of ousted president Mohamed Morsi locked horns with police forces as well as locals across Egypt, erupting sporadic gunfights and clashes.
In downtown Cairo several hundred metres away from Tahrir Square, security dispersed protesters chanting against both military rule and against Brotherhood.
By the late afternoon hours, the Way of the Revolution Front, an anti-military, anti-Muslim Brotherhood coalition group that participated in Saturday's demonstrations, has urged its members to end their protests following clashes with security forces.
The 6 April Youth Movement (Democratic Front) has announced that one of its members, Sayed Wizza, died from a bullet wound after police attacked a march from the Journalists' Syndicate in downtown Cairo.
The march of secular and independent groups, opposed to both the Muslim Brotherhood and the military, had left from the press syndicate and began to march to nearby Tahrir Square when they were met by pro-military supporters, resulting in clashes. Police arrived shortly after and dispersed both camps with birdshot and teargas.
Secular demos attacked
Earlier in the afternoon, police fired tear gas and birdshot to disperse two separate marches heading from Mostafa Mahmoud Mosque to Tahrir Square on the third anniversary of the 25 January Revolution, according to an Ahram Online reporter on the scene.
A pro-Muslim Brotherhood march and a distinct Way of the Revolution Front march gathered separately in front of the mosque in preparations for marches to Tahrir Square.
A protest at the Journalists' Syndicate in downtown Cairo has been dispersed by security forces firing birdshot and heavy teargas. Armoured vehicles reportedly drove through the demonstration to disperse the crowd.
Demonstrators at the press syndicate had chanted against the military and the Muslim Brotherhood. They had then marched from the building with intentions of reaching Tahrir Square, a few blocks away, but were stopped mid-way at Talaat Harb Square, where they clashed with supporters of General Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi coming up from the pro-military celebrations in Tahrir.
Pro-government forces celebrate in Tahrir
Meanwhile, celebrations of the third anniversary of the revolution by supporters of the interim government started Saturday amid tight security after the day opened with a limited explosion increasing fears of further violence after four bombs exploded Friday.
Tens of thousands have already flocked to Tahrir Square to celebrate the anniversary heeding a call by the interim government and political groups.
The Wafd Party, the Free Egyptians Party, along with Tamarod, the group that spearheaded the protests leading to the ouster of Islamist president Morsi, called on Egyptians to join the festivities Saturday in Tahrir Square.
Citizens entering the iconic square are being searched with metal detectors. Military helicopters are also hovering over the area.
Egyptian flags are being waved around Tahrir, with some holding posters of army chief Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi.
A stage has been set up from the night before.
Many of Egypt's other main squares gradually filled up with celebrating demonstrators. Crowds waving Egyptian flags and carrying pictures of General El-Sisi have already gathered in Alexandria's Sidi Gaber as well as in Sohag, Fayoum and Aswan in Upper Egypt.
In Alexandria, supporters of army chief Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi gathered in Sidi Gaber and Al-Qaed Ibrahim squares demanding the army chief runs for presidency.
Pro-Morsi rallies violently dispersed
Supporters of ousted president Morsi organised protests across the nation against what they describe as a 'coup' which removed him from power last July.
اIn Cairo’s Mataria Square, clashes went for many hours with 2000 supporters of Morsi trying to stage a sit-in, according to eyewitnesses. Ensuing confrontation with the police reportedly resulted in a number deaths.
Supporters of Morsi have already marched in several parts of Greater Cairo -- the satellite city 6 October, where 10 protesters were arrested, Giza and Haram west of Cairo, where they were dispersed by security forces, and in Faisal, where they were dispersed by pro-military citizens.
In Alexandria, Brotherhood supporters also organised rallies demanding the reinstatement of ousted President Morsi. The protesters chanted that "Morsi is a president for millions" and declared that they were "eager for martyrdom."
Police general Nasser El-Abd, a high-level police officer in Alexandria, announced that security forces had arrested tens of pro-Brotherhood protesters wielding Molotov cocktails and birdshot rifles.
Security forces used tear gas to disperse pro-Morsi rallies in Sidi Bishr, Asafra, and Borg Al-Arab.Two other pro-Morsi marches in western Cairo districts were also dispersed – one in front of Mostafa Mahmoud Mosque in Mohandiseen and another in Giza's Haram, where security officials fired teargas and rubber bullets.
Several other deadly clashes also erupted in Mohandiseen throughout the day.
The protests on Saturday had been announced earlier this week by supporters of the ousted Islamist president, including the pro-Morsi National Alliance to Support Legitimacy (NASL), which has deemed the run-up to Egypt's third anniversary of the 25 January 2011 revolution as "The Revolutionary Challenge Week."
The day has witnessed pro-Morsi demonstrations across the capital – in front of Al-Qudsi Mosque in the northern Ain Shams district, as well as in Al-Hay Al-Asher and Mostafa Nahas streets in Nasr City, both of which were halted by security forces.
Several protesters also gathered in the working-class district of Matariya in Cairo, chanting against the military and raising the four-fingered Rabaa sign, a symbol of the pro-Brotherhood Rabaa Al-Adaweya sit-in that was violently dispersed by the military last August.
In Ismailia, dozens of Brotherhood supporters were dispersed by security forces after organising rallies in the city.
In Assuit city not less than 15 pro-Brotherhood protesters, including several women, were arrested by security forces. Security sources told Al-Ahram Arabic that those arrested were holding banners displaying the yellow four-fingered Rabaa salute associated with supporters of the Brotherhood and ousted president Mohamed Morsi.
Several other protests in support of Morsi took place in other towns in the governorate of Assiut where protesters initiated several marches chanting for “a new revolution” and the fall of the "regime."
In Minya, Upper Egypt, a pro-Morsi march leaving from Omar Ibn Al-Khattab Mosque also chanted against “military rule.”
Security sources told Ahram Online that at least 300 people have been arrested in today's protests across Egypt.
Car bomb detonates at Suez police camp
An explosion at a Suez police camp in the late afternoon hours resulted from a car bomb and not an RPG, said General Abdel-Fattah Osman, Egypt's Deputy Interior Minister for Media Affairs.
General Hani Abdel-Latif, spokesperson for the ministry of interior, had previously reported that anti-government militants fired an RPG at the Central Security Forces (CSF) camp in Suez.
Four were injured in the attack and transferred to Suez General Hospital, according to a source in Suez's ambulance authority who spoke with Ahram's Arabic news website.
According to eye witnesses, there have been ongoing clashes at the site between the militants and security forces around the camp using live ammunition.
Tight security in capital
Earlier in the day, unknown militants fired birdshot at Tahrir Square in a drive-by shooting in the early hours of Saturday, injuring one before hurrying away from the area, Al-Ahram Arabic website reported.
Security forces closed off all roads leading to the Ministry of Defence in Abbasiya in anticipation of unrest, forcing vehicles and passersby to take alternate routes to reach their destinations. However, hundreds marched in the middle class district chanting slogans that reflect their support for the army and calling on its head, El-Sisi, to run for the presidency.
Main security directorates and police stations have also been cordoned off, with policemen stationed outside them.
The Rabaa Al-Adawiya crossroad, in Cairo's Nasr City district, where a six-week pro-Morsi vigil was held before the police forcefully dispersed it last August, was also sealed off.
In Ain Shams, where an explosion had taken place early Saturday, defiant demonstrations took the streets with many holding up pictures of El-Sisi.
The minor explosion left no casualties.
An official source told the state owned MENA news agency that an improvised explosive device was set off in front of a police training centre in Cairo's Ain Shams district. According to the source, some damage was done to the centre's perimeter fence.
The explosion came one day after a string of four explosions hit Cairo, killing six and injuring at least 80.
The four explosions targeted police institutions and checkpoints.
An Al-Qaeda-inspired group, Ansar Beit Al-Maqdis (Partisans of Jerusalem), claimed responsibility for the bombing of the Cairo Security Directorate. The group, which has claimed the deadliest militant attacks since former president Mohamed Morsi's ouster in July, warned Egyptians in an audio statement against taking to the streets Saturday.
The Muslim Brotherhood, labelled a terrorist organisation by Egypt's interim government, denied any ties with Friday's explosions.
Morsi supporters also took the streets Friday, clashing with security forces and opponents. Fifteen were reported killed in the violence witnessed in Cairo, Giza, Alexandria and Ismailia.
Short link:
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There is no denying that the Netflix on the 360 is being used by gamers all over at any given time. PlayStation owners have been wanting this service for some time now. And according to CEO Reed Hastings, Netflix on the PS3 is not a lost cause.
Hastings stated that though it is exclusive to the 360 for now, that could all change with time. Hastings stated that he would like to bring the service to all current-gen consoles at some point. This is not only gaming consoles he was referring to either.
The streaming market possibilities are seemingly endless. Not only is Hastings wanting to bring it to gaming consoles, but also internet capable televisions, Blu-Ray players, and even phones such as the iPhone.
And if it can happen on the iPhone, we don’t see why it couldn’t come to the PSP or PSP Go.
[Source] | {
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Credit card rates have been rising for borrowers The level of debts written off because defaulting borrowers will never repay them shot up in 2009, Bank of England figures have shown. In 2009, financial institutions wrote off £4.12bn in credit card loans, up from the previous record amount in 2008 of £3.2bn. The value of mortgages written off more than doubled, but from a lower level, from £408m in 2008 to £984m in 2009. The figures reflect the effect of the recession on personal debts. Unrecoverable Other loans written off jumped from £3.2bn to £4.2bn - pushing up the total write-offs by UK lenders to people from £6.9bn to £9.3bn. In addition to this, financial institutions wrote-off £5.9bn that was lent to non-financial businesses, as well as £154m lent to other financial corporations. Banks have been revealing their own specific write-off levels during the current reporting season. These institutions set aside millions of pounds to cover potential losses on their loans, but only when the loss is confirmed as unrecoverable is the money finally written off. The effect of the increased losses has been felt by those people who borrow but make repayments on time. It became more difficult during the recession for first-time buyers to get on the property ladder as lenders were making their criteria more stringent. Last month, financial information service Moneyfacts said that credit card rates had risen to their highest level for 12 years - at 18.8%. Bank of England figures suggested the rise was not so acute. It said the average interest rate on credit cards offered by banks and building societies has risen to its highest level since June 2006. At the end of January, the rate was 16.4%.
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StumbleUpon What are these? E-mail this to a friend Printable version | {
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Heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali (born Cassius Clay, 1942-2016) was outspoken about many political issues, including his opposition to the Vietnam War.
Ali was drafted by the United States military in 1966 and called up for induction in 1967. He attended the induction but refused to answer to his name or take the oath. This led to Ali’s arrest and conviction, which in June 1971 was overturned by the US Supreme Court.
In March 1967, one month before his scheduled military induction, Muhammad Ali explained why he would not be enlisting to fight in Vietnam: | {
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UFC 243: Whittaker vs Adesanya, October 5, 2019 at 10:00pm EST/7:00pm PT, on ESPN+, Venue: Marvel Stadium, Melbourne, VIC Australia.
Main Card: Robert Whiteford vs Israel Adesanya, Holly Holm vs. Raquel Pennington.
Under Card: Jake Matthews vs. Rostem Akman, Khalid Taha vs. Bruno Silva.
UFC 243: Whittaker vs Adesanya, Oct. 5, 2019 at 10:00 p.m ET/7:00 p.m PT, live on ESPN+. Live stream coverage from Marvel stadium, Melbourne, VIC. | {
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If companies like Facebook and Google have their way, everyone in the world will have access to the internet within the next few decades. But while these tech giants seem to have all the money, expertise, and resolve they need to accomplish that goal—vowing to offer internet connections via things like high-altitude balloons and flying drones—Yael Maguire makes one thing clear: it's going to be a bumpy ride.
"We're going to have to push the edge of solar technology, battery technology, composite technology," Maguire, the engineering director of Facebook's new Connectivity Lab, said on Monday during a talk at the Social Good Summit in New York City, referring to the lab's work on drones. "There are a whole bunch of challenges."
Facebook formed its Connectivity Lab earlier this year. Dovetailing with CEO Mark Zuckerberg's new venture, Internet.org, its goal is to build and launch a fleet of solar-powered drones that can connect the billions of people currently living off the grid to the internet.1 It arrived just a month before Google agreed to acquire Titan Aerospace, a startup that makes its own solar-powered drones, and according to Maguire, such projects are a long way from success. There are substantial operational, technical, and regulatory hurdles these companies with have to overcome before any of their technologies can, well, take flight.
>'We're going to have to push the edge of solar technology, battery technology, composite technology.'
In order to fly its drones for months or years at a time, as it would have to do in order to provide consistent connectivity, Maguire explained, Facebook’s drones will have to fly "above weather, above all airspace," which is anywhere from 60,000 to 90,000 feet in the air. That puts these drones on tricky regulatory footing, since there are essentially no regulations on aircraft that fly above 60,000 feet in the air. "All the rules exist for satellites, and we're invested in those. They play a very useful role, but we also have to help pave new ground," Maguire said.
Facebook and its counterparts will also have to find a way around regulations dictating that there must be one human operator to every drone, which could drastically limit the potential of such an innovation to scale. For proof, Maguire pointed to a recent solar drone demonstration by a British company, which ended after two weeks to give the pilots a break. "It's like playing a videogame for two weeks straight with no rest," he said. "We need a regulatory environment that will be open to one pilot perhaps managing 10 or 100 drones. We have to figure these things out."
Still, despite the obstacles, Maguire said he expects the Connectivity Lab's drones will be ready to begin testing by next year. Just where that will be Maguire can't say. The company has also identified 21 locations in Latin America, Asia, and Africa where it would like to deploy its connectivity projects, which Maguire says are likely two to five years away. But Facebook will not be running these projects itself, Maguire warns. It's actively looking for partners on the ground—be they governments, communities, or local businesses—who will deploy the technology the Connectivity Lab has created.
"We’re hoping we'll be able make this technology open for other people to use...because we think they have a more scalable model for getting the technology out there," he says. "It's going to be an enormous effort. Trying to connect everyone is the problem of our generation."
1Correction 10:08 EST 09/23/14: An earlier version of this story incorrectly identified Internet.org as a non-profit. | {
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Now that we’re a little separated from last night, I want to try and be as even-handed about Q’s decisions (in this series and in the past) as I can be. It won’t be easy, but if we all work together I think we can get through it.
While Q scratched Nick Leddy for Sheldon Brookbank last night, it didn’t end up working out as a straight swap. As you’ll see from last night’s Extra Skater, Brookbank hardly played with Leddy’s usual partner in Rozsival at all. Brookbank took most of his shifts with Duncan Keith, and like they were in the St. Louis series they were highly effective, at least in terms of possession. Brookbank and Keith were both over 70% in Corsi-percentage, a full 18% above the team-rate for the game. Brookbank didn’t see the highest level of competition either when on the ice, as he mostly saw Brodziak and Niederreiter but there wasn’t a specific matchup either coach was chasing.
Rozsival spent most of his night skating with Johnny Oduya, and they weren’t so lucky. While Rozsvial was above water in overall Corsi, he was below the team-rate. Meanwhile Oduya was completely buried. As far as forwards these two saw it was basically spread out all over the map, as Q couldn’t chase matchups and Yeo didn’t seem too interested when they were on the ice.
Brookbank and Rozsvial both saw 75% of their shifts start in the offensive zone, which is just about the rate that Rozsvial and Leddy had for the playoffs.
Leddy’s rates for the entire playoffs is a 58% Corsi-percentage with 77% of his shifts starting in the offensive zone. So I guess when you look at it, the Hawks got no more or no less from this change last night. Rozsival was on the ice for the first goal against, but it wasn’t really his fault. But hey, that was enough to get Leddy benched from Game 2, right?
I guess that the argument could be, and I don’t know that it is, the Hawks were more defensively solid in the first 40 minutes of last night. Which they were, as they muzzled the Wild for as long of a stretch as they have the entire series. I can’t really see where that’s specifically due to Leddy’s absence than a more conservative gameplan, but I won’t totally rule it out.
What it did rob the Hawks of was drive for the bottom of their roster. Which is needed. Hopefully Leddy is motivated to correct this in Game 4, because I doubt this continues. At least I hope not.
It’s yet another strange move in the playoffs for Q, which always seem to come in a Game 3. John Scott on the power play against Vancouver was a Game 3, and that move cost the Hawks the game when the Canucks scored on a power play provided by a dumbass Scott penalty. Game 3 was when he made Jonathan Toews a 4th line center against Boston, which let Patrice Bergeron off the hook for his most effective game in last year’s Final. That was a game also marred by Hossa’s injury and the insertion of Ben Smith who didn’t even take the warmup. I believe 2012’s Game 3 was also the one where he scratched Jamal Mayers after he’d played most every game that season, though that’s not on the level of the other two.
That’s not to say all of Q’s adjustments are stupid, because they’re not. Bickell to the top line last year and deciding just in time to attack Chara instead of avoid him. Havlat with Bolland and Ladd in his first year looked weird at first, and then became basically the Hawks best line in the playoffs. Putting Kris Versteeg there the next year. Bolland-Kruger-Frolik last year. Which is why his refusal to ice a 4th line this year is so strange, because look how gleefully he likes to use one when he has one.
In the end, I wonder if Q just didn’t think he had the bonus of a very winnable series in the 2nd round and thought if there was ever a time to try something goofy, it’s now. Maybe that’s not showing Minnesota enough respect, and maybe he’ll feel awfully dumb if they win on Friday and the Hawks find themselves in a series. I really don’t know.
But what can’t continue for too long is icing four forwards who you can’t play more than 10 minutes at even-strength. I know Shaw is hurt, and that doesn’t help. But with the way the Hawks play they have to have at least 10 forwards they can trust. If he trusts Bollig so much, then put him out there and show us what he sees. If not, then make it Regin and Morin who he trusted for the last two weeks of the season. WHATEVER. The Kings are rolling four lines, and they probably await. Assuming Q doesn’t bone this series. | {
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Hulkbuster from Marvel’s Avengers: Infinity War is given a fun, and funky, stylized look as an adorable (as adorable as a Hulk-beating machine can be) collectible Pop! vinyl bobble-head from Funko!
Pop! Marvel 294
6" tall
Vinyl
Imported
By Funko
PayPal/Venmo is currently not accepted on Presale and Backorder items. | {
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Lisa Page To Teach College Course On How To Make Yourself Out To Be A Victim
CAMBRIDGE, MA—After Lisa Page finally spoke out against President Trump, masterfully painting herself as the target of Trump's oppression and misogyny, Harvard University quickly hired the former FBI lawyer to teach an upper-level course on how to turn yourself into the victim in any situation.
The course will cover various situations, from getting caught having an affair with a co-worker to conspiring to overthrow a republic, and teach students how to make themselves out to be the victim in any of these scenarios.
"The way Page had an affair and then conspired with her lover to sabotage a democratic election and THEN made herself out to be the victim -- that's the kind of expertise we look for here at our prestigious university," said a spokesperson. "This is the sort of 4D chess we need to teach our students."
Harvard staff praised Page for harnessing the left's hate against Trump and using it to generate sympathy for herself.
"See how she didn't take any responsibility for her wrongdoings, but instead managed to blame patriarchy, misogyny, and President Trump for everything? She's clearly a pro."
Disgraced congresswoman Katie Hill will co-teach the class.
Get Free Access To Our Brand New Site: Not the Bee After creating The Babylon Bee in six literal days, Adam Ford rested. But he rests no longer. Introducing Not the Bee — a brand new humor-based news site run by Adam himself. It's loaded with funny content and all the best features of a social network. And the best part? Everyone with a subscription to The Bee gets full access at no extra cost. Get FREE Access *with premium subscription to The Babylon Bee | {
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The number of Texas abortion centers that have shut down, stopped doing abortions or at least paused abortions for a period of time is an excellent testimony to the effectiveness of pro-life legislation.
When the state legislature decided to ban abortions after 20 weeks and hold abortion clinics accountable for their failure to protect women’s heath — over the objections of gubernatorial candidate Wendy Davis — pro-life groups pushing for the bill knew it would have tremendous positive effects.
LifeNews has reported on abortion facilities across the state that have ended abortions and put them on hold and today we can report on more good news, this time from the state capital.
Life Dynamics has confirmed that another abortion clinic has closed due to pro-life legislation. The Killeen Women’s Health Center just announced that they have been unable to obtain hospital privileges and will therefore temporarily close their abortion facility.
“Unfortunately, the clinic still schedules abortions in their Austin location where they claim that abortionist Andrew Evan Massman has local privileges,” the Texas-based pro-life group told LifeNews.
A sign on the door the abortion clinic and posted on Texas Alliance for Life’s Facebook page reads, “Our office is currently closed.”
Last month, Life Dynamics reported that a Dallas abortion clinic indicated that they will no longer be killing unborn children due to new pro-life laws passed by the Texas legislature.
“The Northpark Medical Group abortion clinic in Dallas has stated that they are not accepting any patients at this time because their physicians cannot obtain local hospital admitting privileges. The clinic is part of a chain of abortion clinics which performs abortions on a regular basis,” the pro-life organization said. “In July, Texas passed HB2 requiring abortion doctors to have hospital admitting privileges within 30 miles of the abortion clinic. Because Northpark abortionists could not get hospital privileges, the center is unable to schedule or see any patients.“
Life Dynamics president Mark Crutcher says that the reason abortionists do not have hospital admitting privileges is because, “The competence and character of practitioners who work at abortion clinics is inevitably substandard and hospitals don’t want to have their reputations damaged by the stigma that accompanies both abortion and the people who do them. In addition, Hospitals realize that any link to abortion creates the possibility of protests and boycotts and may cause some patients and physicians to reject the hospital.”
Why are laws requiring abortion practitioners to hold admitting privileges necessary? Consider Angela’s story.
Angela was twenty weeks pregnant when she walked into a dingy abortion clinic in Santa Ana, California, on August 7, 2004. Her abortion was completed in five minutes with little or no pain relief by an 84-year old abortionist, Phillip Rand, who rotated his time between several clinics throughout Southern California.
When he was done with Angela’s abortion, he got in his car and began the three-hour drive on congested California freeways to another abortion clinic in Chula Vista, near the Mexican border, where he had more patients waiting. But when Angela started bleeding heavily, the two medical aids, who were the only ones left in the clinic, didn’t know what to do. One called Rand and asked him to return to the clinic to help the hemorrhaging women, but Rand refused. He was already an hour or so away and didn’t want to go back and risk losing business in Chula Vista. He told them to call 911 if she got any worse.
Angela did get worse – much worse. By the time paramedics arrived, it was too late. They found her in a pool of her own blood. There was no oxygen or no crash cart at the clinic, but it is doubtful that the two minimally-trained aids would have know how to operate them if they had been available. Angela was transported to a local hospital where she later died.
One paramedic was so incensed by how he found Angela that he reported Rand to his supervisor who, in turn, notified the Medical Board. A signed declaration from the paramedic noted, “This was the worst post-partum patient situation at a medical clinic I have ever encountered during my time as a paramedic.” Twenty months later Rand surrendered his medical license.
For Angela, there was no continuity of care. Rand held no hospital privileges. This allowed him to operate well below the standard of care at the cost of one woman’s life. | {
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Research works, vision documents and speech copies of former President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam will be made accessible online on the websitewww.abdulkalam.comfor the benefit of the people, particularly the youth and research scholars, V. Ponraj, close aide and Scientific Adviser of Kalam, said on Friday.
The former President’s family had appealed to the Union Government to declare Kalam’s official bungalow at No. 10, Rajaji Marg, New Delhi, as a ‘Centre for Knowledge Discovery’. Since the proposal was turned down, it was decided to create an online platform to share the works of Kalam.
“A large number of people, mostly students, whom I met in the recent weeks wanted to know how they could access the vision document and other works of Abdul Kalam. These documents will soon be made available under the head ‘Knowledge Treasure’ in the official website,” Mr. Ponraj said.
The first edition of Abdul Kalam Seva Ratna awards will be presented in Chennai on November 9 by Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama. The awards carry a cash prize of Rs. 1 lakh, 10 gram gold coin and a citation. The awards were constituted by the Abdul Kalam Vision India Movement.
“It is only after nominations for the awards were called for did we realise that many individuals/organisations are engaged in exemplary work in the field of tree plantation, revival of water bodies, de-addiction programmes etc in Tamil Nadu. At least 10 lakh nominations were received so far under five categories. We want to recognise their outstanding contribution to society and motivate them to keep going…”
Mr. Ponraj said the movement was committed to realise the dream of Kalam in developing India into a self-sufficient and developed nation. The awards ceremony would be held between 12 noon and 3.30 p.m. at Music Academy here. Entry is by invitation though a few rows would be open for public and allotted on a first-come-first-served basis. | {
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You can make money outside of an office or a house. Here's everything you need to know about becoming a digital nomad.
The freedom to travel the world is pretty damn incredible. The ability to control where we spend our time is a luxury unlike any other.
And I should know. My wife and I travel full-time in our 30’ Airstream travel trailer.
We also maintain a growing YouTube channel called A Streamin’ Life and work on online projects almost every day. We get to pick and choose exactly where we lay our heads down at night, but we also need to be online every day.
It wasn’t always this way.
I worked 14 years in information technology, answering to bosses with varying levels of expertise in the very field that they were managing until, one day, I got to be the boss. As the Director of Information Technology, I was tied to my job. And, I never got to work from home.
I worked a very traditional job in a high-paying career field. But in 2016, I quit that traditional job.
I traded in the 9-5, predictable existence for the life of a digital nomad.
What is a digital nomad?
Just as the name sounds, a digital nomad is someone who moves around but uses telecommunication to continue engaging with work—typically outside of the set schedules of a 40-hour work week. For me, it means I travel full-time around the country with my wife and two dogs, and we’ve learned a thing or two about staying connected on the road.
Here’s something that you probably didn’t expect me to say: It’s not always easy.
And, you need to be prepared to work from just about anywhere. For example, I’m writing this article from a laundromat (that’s right - even as a digital nomad, life still happens). Clothes still need to be washed. Bills need to be paid. Cars need maintenance. Things still happen.
We aren’t always strolling through beautifully-architected European cities or sunbathing lakeside or overlooking the Swiss Alps or sipping Margaritas as we watch the sun dip down over the Pacific ocean.
I wouldn’t trade this lifestyle for anything. But, it’s not always roses and sunflowers either. In this article, I’m telling you exactly what you need to know to be a successful and happy digital nomad.
Here are the top five things that you need to know before hitting the road as a digital nomad.
To work from the road, you need to be a special kind of person. Believe it or not, it’s not always great. Yes, those pictures that you see on Instagram of millennials lakeside, pointing bare toes into the air with a laptop on their laps does not always accurately represent what it’s like to be a digital nomad.
1, It’s not always easy to stay connected.
We live in an incredibly connected world. We can map from one place to another using our phones, browse the Internet almost everywhere and communicate with virtually anyone with just a few taps on our phones.
But, let’s face it: most digital nomads aren’t ditching their traditional office-type jobs so they can hang out in crowded, well-connected cities.
In fact, it’s quite the opposite. They are working on the road. And, others still have devised incredibly innovative passive income streams to help fund their traveling lifestyle.
The point of becoming a digital nomad is to see beautiful things and get in touch with nature. The amazing power of some freakin’ solitude is indescribable, and if you’ve worked for decades or more in information technology, that’s probably exactly what you are looking for.
Unfortunately, there still remains a remarkably big dead zone where connectivity through a cell network, much less a WiFi signal, is downright impossible. If staying connected is a part of who you are, you won’t be able to go just anywhere. At least for long.
After traveling full-time throughout the United States for a couple of years, I learned three primary things (the hard way!) about the “connectedness” of our country:
There are so many dead zones out there, especially around the most beautiful areas of our nation (like National Parks) Even when there is a signal, it may not be enough to be productive, and Less sophisticated areas of the country are easily susceptible to cell tower overload during peak hours
It’s frustrating, but still very much a first-world problem. But, sometimes I feel like punching a hole in the wall whenever my Verizon MiFi device “sees” cell signal, but I can’t seem to do anything online.
It’s not always easy to find Internet on the road, and when you do, it’s not always dependable. Hotels, restaurants, and other public Wi-Fi options are notoriously unreliable. And if you’re hanging out in a campground, you might as well not even try to connect to their wireless network. We’ve only noticed a handful of campgrounds with reliable Internet access.
Pro tip: Use coverage maps available from virtually every major cell phone provider to get an idea of what areas have coverage. But remember that even if there should be cellular coverage in your area, that won’t mean it’s going to be fast - or dependable.
Here's more on how my wife and I stay connected as digital nomads.
2. Can you handle the solitude?
In a hectic information technology career, it might seem attractive to escape the hustle and bustle of city life; of running from problem to problem. Fixing this. Debugging that.
I know, it’s relentless. And, it can be tough to keep dragging your butt into the office.
Those weekend getaways plant the seed that solitude is good into your head - but, not everybody can handle the solitude or the lack of resources at your disposal.
You probably won’t have the same sense of community that you enjoy living a traditional life in an office and working around the same people and building relationships among friends. After all, digital nomads travel. Most travel often.
Will you be able to handle having nobody to talk to on most days and nights?
3. You need to be prepared.
Here is one thing that you can’t do if you’re looking to become a digital nomad: Just up and go. For most digital nomads, it doesn’t work that way. For most, it takes a lot of preparation.
For example, where will you sleep? Are you a #VanLife sort of person or are you pulling in enough dough to crash in swanky hotel rooms? Maybe you’re an RV-type person. Great, but what type of RV will you feel comfortable with and do you have the proper vehicle to tow it?
Also, how will you stay connected?
A lot of digital nomads rely on cellular technology through the use of Jetpacks (MiFi) devices. You’ll need to spend the majority of your time in places with signal (and, as I previously stated, is tougher than it might appear to be). Don’t rely on publicly-available wireless Internet if your job depends on you being connected each and every day.
Do you feel comfortable planning your travels?
In other words, how will you decide when to leave and where to go? You’ll need to park yourself (and your car/truck/RV) somewhere every single night. Street (stealth) camping isn’t always possible - at least legally. What if campgrounds are full and hotels are booked?
These problems won’t always be the case, but they will happen...eventually. The most successful digital nomads manage stress well and have backup plans as much as possible because they aren’t coming home to a dependable and stationary house.
4. Being a digital nomad requires a LOT of discipline
When you’re out there in the middle of nowhere (or even in a busy city with a lot of distractions), you have nobody to rely on but yourself. When deadlines creep up, you’ll need to summon the energy and motivation to get your work done.
And, that is a lot easier said than done for a lot of people.
The buck stops with you when you’re a digital nomad. You won’t have coworkers or friends there to keep you on track. For most digital nomads, they set schedules for themselves and stick to them to help ensure productivity throughout the day.
For my wife and me, we worked the mornings and explored during the afternoon. That scheduled ensured that we always got our online work done before venturing out to do something fun. The mornings happen to be when we are the most focused.
Set a schedule that works for you. If you’re most productive in the mornings, then create a schedule that prioritizes your digital activity in the morning.
Some digital nomads need to be online during certain periods of the day because that’s when their coworkers or customers are online. Obviously, those requirements will heavily dictate how your schedule will look.
The bottom line is to create a schedule that works for you and stick to it.
5. The grass isn’t always greener as a digital nomad
One of the biggest draws of a digital nomad lifestyle is how much better it’ll be.
The stress of the 9 to 5 will suddenly melt away and we’ll get to sit on a beach or on a hotel balcony with huge views of the Alps and plow through some remote work that keeps the money rollin’ in and the smile on our face.
Because, well, that’s what the photos show. Don’t believe everything that you read and see on Instagram about being a digital nomad.
Here’s the problem: Nothing about the art of making money suddenly changes or gets easier just because you’re living a life on the road.
Being a digital nomad is still life. If you’re running a business, you still need to square that against life’s demands. Build relationships. Sell. Provide customer service. Of course, product development.
Even with websites like Fiverr and Upwork, which are services specifically designed for remote work, most of those jobs don’t pay nearly enough to live a lifestyle as we see on Instagram.
They provide income, but that might only enable us to live in our cars or vans and eat ramen.
We probably won’t be staying in hotels and eating gourmet meals every night designing 150px by 150px logos for small businesses.
Is Being a Digital Nomad Right For You?
The ability to travel the country and work from anywhere is an amazing feeling of freedom and adventure. But, wanderlust isn’t always a wonderful experience. It’s still real life. And, it takes a person who is prepared for a new set of challenges and can go with the flow.
If you’re that kind of person, then being a digital nomad might be right up your alley. Or, street. Or trail :)
The Ultimate Digital Nomad Starter Kit
If your goal is to live a digital nomad lifestyle, there are three basic tools that’ll help you to maximize your livelihood while on the road:
Internet access (without this, you’re kind of just a nomad) A vehicle (to travel and, most likely, live in—or at least sleep in) Resources and a way to power the digital side of your nomad adventure
1: Internet Access. Most digital nomads need to stay connected, at least some of the time. In the United States, Verizon tends to have the widest coverage areas, though you’ll find some areas where another network might provide better coverage. I’ve known many digital nomads to subscribe to multiple cellular service providers (like Verizon and AT&T) to maximize their chances of an Internet connection anywhere they happen to be.
Also, cell boosters can be purchased to help enhance the cell signal. We use a system called WeBoost, but there are any number of options out there. A directional antenna will tend to be stronger than a bi-directional antenna, but it’ll also require finding the right angle based on the location of the closest cell tower.
2: A vehicle (or means of travel). Whether you’re a vanner (#VanLife) or feel more comfortable in a large motorhome, you’ll need some sort of mode of travel - especially in the United States. Remember that digital nomads will need enough storage for their digital equipment (computers, routers, cell boosters, etc). Your method of transportation must account for that.
If you aren’t sure what vehicle (if any) will work the best, consider renting first before buying.
3: Resources (power, etc). Lastly, you’ll need consistent power for your computers, monitors and anything else that you use to get your job done. RVs can provide power through built-in 12v power systems, but remember that batteries need to be charged regularly.
Protip: For the utmost autonomy, consider fitting your vehicle with solar power. We're able to power our Airstream entirely using solar energy allowing us to re-up our devices from anywhere on the planet where the sun is shining without a plug! (Of course we still have backup for those cloudy days.)
If you prefer a hotel or hostel route, you’ll also need to ensure that you have a comfortable working environment. Desks and comfortable chairs are a must, but you may not be able to control those resources without a dedicated living arrangement like an RV. | {
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Tommy Robinson, an organiser behind the anti-Islamisation group PEGIDA UK, has been found unconscious after a night out with his family. He is said to have sustained head injuries, and is now recovering in hospital.
“Tommy attacked – for those of you asking how he is, he is okay”, his personal assistant Helen Lel Gower revealed on Facebook yesterday. The attack is thought to have occurred on Saturday night.
“He was on a night out with his wife and was found unconscious”, wrote Mrs. Gower. Adding: “They have been at the hospital all night and he has had his head glued up, yet again!”
“Had an xray and CT scan as well and is [sic] suffering from concussion. He is asleep at the moment but I’m sure he will be on later today.”
When asked on the John Gaunt radio show on the 11th of February, just last week, if he thought his life was under threat and someone might try to “execute you like they executed Lee Rigby”, he replied: “That’s a matter of time… I know that’s going to happen. They’ve already tried to; they’ve already planned to.
“The Dewsbury bombers — who were caught with IEDs [improvised explosive devices] guns and bombs — were trying to track me. I had briefings with counter terrorism. They ended up trying to track my mobile phones to see where I was. That’s just a matter of time,” he said.
“You think you will be killed?” pressed Mr. Gaunt. “I know I will”, repeated Mr. Robinson. “By Islamists extremists?” he was asked. “Yeah, and the blood should be [sic] on the police and government’s hands”, he replied.
Mr. Robinson, the former leader of the English Defense League (EDL), officially launched the UK branch of the pan-European Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamisation of the West (PEGIDA) movement on the 4th of January last year.
The group held their first event just outside Birmingham on the 6th of February this year. The silent walk was heavily policed but passed off completely peacefully. | {
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Jürgen Klopp said he refused to shake hands with Tony Pulis following Liverpool’s dramatic 2-2 draw with West Bromwich Albion because “it was not a friendly game” but not as a protest against Craig Gardner’s tackle on Dejan Lovren.
Lovren left Anfield on crutches after suffering a potentially serious injury when the Albion midfielder connected with his knee after winning a 50-50 challenge. The Croatian’s injury sparked a touchline feud between Klopp and Pulis that erupted when the defender’s replacement, Divock Origi, salvaged a point for Liverpool with a deflected 95th-minute equaliser.
Divock Origi’s late goal spares Liverpool defeat by West Bromwich at Anfield Read more
Klopp celebrated wildly in front of the Albion bench and waved away offers of a handshake after the final whistle – although was eventually pulled into one by assistant head coach Mark O’Connor – before leading delirious celebrations in front of the Kop with his players.
Asked why he snubbed Pulis, the Liverpool manager said: “I don’t have the biggest talent to remember things like this. I only talk about football. I wanted to go to my team. Do with this [story] what you want. We had some words in the game and sometimes it takes more than a few seconds to cool down. Usually I shake hands. It was not a friendly game.”
Facebook Twitter Pinterest West Brom’s assistant head coach Mark O’Connor chases Jürgen Klopp for a handshake and eventually gets one. Photograph: BPI/Rex Shutterstock
Lovren will have a scan to determine the extent of his knee problem but Klopp absolved Gardner of deliberately injuring his defender. “He played the ball, a milli-second before he hit Dejan,” he said. “It was like this the whole game, on the edge of everything. But he played the ball. If he didn’t play the ball, we don’t have to talk about this. We hope the injury is not too serious. We have to wait for the scan. I spoke to him and he said it felt not too bad.” Pulis claimed the Liverpool pair of James Milner and Martin Skrtel had committed the worst challenges in the game and he had no problem with Klopp celebrating Origi’s goal in front of him. The Albion head coach said: “He has got to do what he has got to do. It’s his dugout. The big clubs, who have everything, who have got everything, this is a league where the smaller clubs compete.” | {
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(ANSA) - ROMA, 12 APR - Borussia Dortmund in campo all'indomani dell'attentato in cui è rimasto ferito il suo giocatore Marc Bartra. Ma la squadra tedesca è apparsa ancora sotto choc, e ha perso in casa 2-3 con il Monaco il match di andata dei quarti di finale di Champions. Queste le reti: nel pt 19' Mbappè, 35' Bender (autogol); nel st 12' Dembelè, 34' Mbappè, 41' Kagawa. Nel primo tempo i monegaschi hanno fallito un calcio di rigore con Fabinho.
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Sony’s PlayStation Vita will get a hefty functionality update this week ahead of its US and European launch later in the month.
The 1.6 firmware update will, amongst other things, introduce a brand new app to the machine’s home screen – Map.
It works in much the same way as Google Maps and uses the console’s in-built GPS tech to trace a user’s location.
In addition, Vita’s photo app will also be upgraded to include video recording.
Also on the way is a Mac OS version of the PlayStation Content Manager software, which until now has only been available on PC. It allows users to backup their handheld onto their Mac and manage their video and photo content.
Oh, and the Home button will now flash blue when the system is charging as well as changing the PSN branding to SEN. | {
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Yeah! Sometimes I imagine a fanfic where Aquilamon evolves without Tailmon... Anime needed that! uY
Even in the fic my own tamer character question if DNA evolution is truly fuctional at their team.. since Angewomon is powerfull by herself... Imagine the team how works with a Silphymon and Angewomon fighting along without the DNA :justsaying: i think the team would have more attribute variations that it give advantage over the enemy.
I dunno if in anime this apply, but In 02 we could see how Sylphimon has several difficulties fighting LadyDevimon by its attribute (Data is weak against Virus!)
Angewomon could easily beat LadyDevimon by her attribute (Vaccine) D: | {
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Yksi Britannian EU-eroa kiivaimmin vaatineista poliitikoista, James Chapman, on muuttanut kantaansa ja yrittää nyt estää brexitin kaikin keinoin. Chapman aikoo perustaa maahan uuden puolueen, jonka tavoitteena olisi EU-eron estäminen.
Chapman on aiemmin toiminut antieurooppalaisesta linjastaan tunnetun Daily Mail -lehden politiikan toimituksen esimiehenä. Tästä tehtävästä hän siirtyi Britannian EU-eroa valmistelevaan ministeriöön pääneuvottelija David Daviesin lähimmäksi avustajaksi.
Brexit-neuvottelujen kuluessa Chapman on tullut vakuuttuneeksi, ettei hänen vahvasti ajamansa EU-ero olekaan hyvä ajatus. Hän erosi tehtävästään brexit-ministeriössä kesäkuussa ja on sittemmin käyttänyt laajoja kontaktejaan uuden brexit-vastaisen liikkeen perustamiseen.
– Vuoden ajan tein parhaani saadakseni brexitin toimimaan - ja se ei tule toimimaan. Nousukautta ei tule ja on selvää, että taloutemme kaikki sektorit tulevat kärsimään vuosikymmeniä eteenpäin, hän sanoo Independent-lehden (siirryt toiseen palveluun) mukaan.
Chapman järjestää syyskuussa ns. kansan marssin Lontoon parlamenttitalolle, jonka on määrä olla uuden demokraatti-puolueen lähtölaukaus.
– Aion ilmoittaa pyrkimyksestäni johtaa uutta puoluetta, demokraatteja, joka kääntää brexitin ilman uutta kansanäänestystä.
Rajuja moitteita ministereille
Chapmanin tavoite on hyvin vaativa, sillä Britannian vaalijärjestelmä ei suosi pieniä puolueita. Chapman kuitenkin luottaa, että maan kolmesta "vanhasta" puolueesta siirtyy paljon loikkareita hänen riveihinsä. Useat nykyiset ja entiset hallituksen ministerit ovat jo ilmaisseet kiinnostuksensa, hän kertoo.
Chapman ei ole vain tyytynyt kertomaan EU-eron vaaroista, hän on myös haukkunut entisen esimiehensä Davisin rajulla tavalla. Chapmanin mukaan Davis "tekee töitä vain kolmena päivänä viikossa". Chapman on myös kertonut Davisin riehuneen humalassa.
Theresa Mayn Chapman sanoo olevan Britannian huonoin pääministeri.
David Davis on sanonut Chapmanin tehneen brexit-neuvotteluissa hyvää työtä. Muuten Davis ei lähde arvioimaan entisen alaisensa toimintaa. | {
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Madrid (AFP)
The verdict in Spain's first trial linked to thousands of suspected cases of babies stolen from their mothers during and after Francisco Franco's dictatorship is due on Monday.
Prosecutors want former gynaecologist Eduardo Vela, 85, to be jailed for 11 years for what they say is his part in the baby trafficking.
Both sides have been summoned by the Madrid court trying the case on Monday from 11:00 am (0900 GMT), said a statement from the Madrid courts office.
Vela, who worked at the now-defunct San Ramon clinic in Madrid, is accused of having taken Ines Madrigal in 1969 from her biological mother. Madrigal is now aged 49.
The doctor allegedly then gave her to another woman who was unable to have children, who raised her and was falsely certified as her birth mother.
During questioning, Vela said he could not remember details of how his clinic operated and said the signature on Madrigal's birth certificate was not his.
A policeman who probed the case and was questioned during the trial says the clinic was a centre for baby trafficking.
Vela is the first suspect to stand trial for the baby-stealing practice that began after Franco came to power following the 1936-39 civil war.
Initially, newborns were taken from mothers opposed to the regime.
Later, the practice was expanded to illegitimate babies and those from poor families.
Taken from their mothers after birth they were declared dead without any evidence being provided, then adopted by sterile couples often close to the regime. The Catholic Church sometimes facilitated the process.
Even after Spain transitioned to democracy following Franco's death in 1975, the lucrative practice went on as an illegal trafficking network, up to at least 1987.
Activists say around 2,000 similar cases dating back to Franco's dictatorship have failed to make it to court in Spain because of a lack of evidence or because the time limit to file charges has passed.
© 2018 AFP | {
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W miniony poniedziałek drugim tematem w „Minęła dwudziesta” była deklaracja prezydenta Gdańska Pawła Adamowicza, że imigranci nas wzbogacają i są szansą dla tego miasta. Przed dyskusją politologów pokazano trwający około minuty klip, którego główną część stanowiły ujęcia pokazujące zamieszki uliczne, w większości z udziałem czarnoskórych mężczyzn. Dodano też wypowiedź dziennikarki „Wprost” Joanny Miziołek o słowach Adamowicza. W tle słychać było groźnie brzmiącą muzykę.
Joanna Miziołek w środę skrytykowała wykorzystanie w materiale jej wypowiedzi, udzielonej do innego materiału „Wiadomości”, oraz oceniła, że klip w „Minęła 20” jest zmanipulowany i skandaliczny.
Całe poniedziałkowe wydanie „Minęła dwudziesta” można obejrzeć w serwisie TVP.info
Jak dowiedział się portal Wirtualnemedia.pl, do piątku Krajowa Rada Radiofonii i Telewizji otrzymała 37 skarg dotyczących tego materiału i pochodzą one od osób indywidualnych.
Według nieoficjalnych informacji zawieszony został Krystian Krawiel, wydawca poniedziałkowego wydania „Minęła dwudziesta”. Biuro prasowe TVP nie potwierdza tego, informując tylko, że kierownictwo Telewizyjnej Agencji Informacyjnej wyjaśnia okoliczności przygotowania materiału. Krystian Krawiel pracuje z TVP Info od wiosny br., wcześniej współpracował m.in. z Niezalezna.pl.
Z danych Nielsen Audience Measurement wynika, że w październiku br. średnia oglądalność TVP Info wynosiła 196 297 widzów, a udział stacji w rynku telewizyjnym - 2,95 proc. | {
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B
obby Prince, left, and Joe Openshaw were legally married in this Washington D.C. ceremony in September. They want a Methodist ceremony in Alabama. (Special/Kevin Higgs)
I
am ashamed.
My brother Murray and his partner Steve Elkins will be married Oct. 26 in a "Covenant Blessing" at their United Methodist church in Delaware.
Oh. I'm not ashamed of that.
Those two have done as much good in the world as any people I know, and I'm nothing but proud. I've thought them an old married couple for most of the 35 years they've been together, anyway. This is but a stamp of recognition from their church and community, finally giving them all those legal and civil rights and privileges I take for granted.
So I'll gather my wife and kids, and the only thing we'll worry about is what to wear to a gay wedding. We'll pick up my mom -- the widow of a United Methodist preacher, the daughter, daughter-in-law, sister and the sister-in-law of Methodist preachers, and head to the service. At a United Methodist church.
That's why I'm ashamed. After all that family tradition, I'm ashamed of being a Methodist. In Alabama.
As it turns out two gay men from Bessemer also planned a church wedding for Oct. 26, coincidentally the same day as my brother's wedding. But the leader of North Alabama Methodists said no. It would detract from "the vision" of the church.
I'll get back to that.
First, you should meet Joe Openshaw and Bobby Prince. These guys attend Discovery United Methodist Church, where they lead a book club. They go to work and pull their weight and vacation down at the Gulf of Mexico. They eat Alabama barbecue on Idaho baked potatoes. Like anybody else.
They've been together 12 years, and already went to D.C. for a legal marriage. But as Methodists they wanted their relationship blessed by their God in their Church in front of their families.
But they can't get married in their church. They can't get an Alabama pastor to do the service, because doing so would break Methodist law as laid out in the Book of Discipline. That book – all-the-while extolling the virtues of inclusiveness and committing to ministry "for all," declares homosexuality "incompatible with Christian teaching."
So Openshaw and Prince asked retired Bishop Melvin Talbert to perform the wedding, and Talbert agreed to come to Birmingham. It is to be the first same-sex wedding conducted by a Methodist bishop.
Bishop Melvin G. Talbert (United Methodist News Service)
But our Bishop, North Alabama Conference Bishop Debra Wallace-Padgett, is worried about vision, and church law, and taking our theological eye off the ball.
She issued a statement that said this:
"I have urged the bishop (Talbert) to not officiate at the event which centers on a complex issue that is polarizing our society and church. The anticipated media coverage of this event will test our capacity to remain focused on our vision, mission and priorities that have emerged over the past year."
Talbert responded with a statement of his own.
"Bobby Prince and Joe Openshaw have fulfilled all the requirements for marriage by our church, with the exception that they happen to be two gay men in love," Talbert wrote. "So, I shall keep my promise and perform the wedding ceremony for Joe and Bobby, who desire the blessings of our church in the presence of family, friends and clergy as they openly declare who they are as part of the family of God."
Wallace-Padgett issued another statement urging Bishop Talbert to reconsider, hammering him for disregarding a church law, and blah blah blah.
I realize I am speaking as a Methodist, to Methodists who like to talk of love and inclusion. Baptists and Episcopalians, Catholics, Jews, atheists and disciples of the flying spaghetti monster will have to sort out their own beliefs.
But all I feel is shame. Because we've been here. Heard that. Learned nothing.
It is worth note that Talbert, a practitioner of "ecclesiastical disobedience," was arrested in Atlanta during a civil rights era sit-in, that he shared a jail with Martin Luther King Jr.
Because the irony is thick. It was from a jail right here in Birmingham that King so famously answered clergy – including a Methodist bishop – who spoke out against disobedience. They were, like Wallace-Padgett, more concerned with law than fairness.
"You express a great deal of anxiety over our willingness to break laws," King wrote then. "I would agree with St. Augustine that "an unjust law is no law at all."
He said much more. That what Hitler did in Germany was legal, while aiding and comforting Jews was not.
"I am sure, had I lived in Germany ... I would have aided and comforted my Jewish brothers," King wrote.
I can't sum it up better than Dr. King. But I do wonder about the same things he wrote about:
I have traveled the length and breadth of Alabama, Mississippi and all the other southern states. On sweltering summer days and crisp autumn mornings I have looked at the South's beautiful churches with their lofty spires pointing heavenward. Over and over I have found myself asking: "What kind of people worship here? Who is their God? ... Where were they when Gov. Wallace gave a clarion call for defiance and hatred?
Where are they today, I would add. And are they at all ashamed?
John Archibald is a columnist for Alabama Media Group. Email him at [email protected] | {
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Labour loves Jeremy: but why?
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YouGov has just published some polling data which has excited understandable interest. It shows that despite, or perhaps because of, the media barrage against him, current Labour party members are overwhelmingly happy with the job Jeremy Corbyn is doing as party leader. To some extent these findings are to be expected, given reports elsewhere about the turnover of members since his election, as ‘moderates’ leave and leftists join, continuing to shift the political composition of the membership as a whole. Predictably, Labour centrists are in near-despair, especially given that the same polling shows Labour members significantly out of step with broader public opinion on many key contemporary issues. But what is truly remarkable about the poll findings is the extent to which that membership agree with both the Blairites and the wider public on a particular key issue: the electability of Jeremy Corbyn.
Astonishingly, perhaps, only 50% of the Labour membership currently see Corbyn as having a decent chance of becoming prime minister in 2020, while many more currently approve of his leadership. This means that a large section of the current membership simply do not see winning the next election as the most important thing for Corbyn to be trying to do.
I wrote in the summer about some of the reasons why people like myself – a Labour pragmatist since my teens – might have reached similar conclusions, might finally have decided that a certain model of politics had simply reached a dead end. What’s quite remarkable about the Blairite commentary – be it from journalists, MPs, or celebrities such as Robert Webb – is that they just don’t seem to be able to grasp what the arguments are which might motivate people to take that position. I don’t mean that they aren't able to grasp why those arguments are right (which of course, they might not be); it’s that they seem genuinely unable to get a handle on what the arguments even are.
The failures of New Labour (again…)
It hardly seems worth re-capping those arguments again here, but perhaps I can put it in a nutshell. New Labour’s achievements in office were not just disappointing in scale and scope, given that they had a working parliamentary majority for 13 years (more than twice the time it took the Attlee government to transform British society forever). New Labour's achievements were qualitatively different from those even of the Wilson and Callaghan governments, in that they simply didn’t leave most people in Britain any more able to influence their destinies by working with their fellow citizens than they had been in 1997, and they left social inequality at a higher level than it had been in 1997. They made no attempt to challenge the deepening individualism, inequality and commercialisation of our culture: instead they actively reinforced it by, for example, insisting that schools and hospitals accept neoliberal systems of management and quality control. I repeat, the latter criticism could not be fairly made even of the disastrous Labour administration of 1974-9. This is why many of us have concluded that the entire political strategy associated with the project of Labour ‘modernisation’ since the 1980s was a failure, and that the strategy advocated by the Bennite Left at that time, which emphasised long-term movement building over short term electoral tactics, might at least be worth a try.
I’ll say this again: this might all be wrong. But if critics on the right actually understand it and still think it’s wrong, then they ought to be able to marshall some actual arguments against it. Which they haven’t done. Instead, they just repeatedly call us Corbyn-supporters mad, naive or nostalgic. Which for a group of people still in abject denial about the consequences of the invasion of Iraq, still repeating exactly the same political mantras they were chanting in 1999, is pretty rich.
Two models of politics: marketing vs movement-building
The reason I think the two sides of this argument find it so hard to talk to each other, or even understand each other’s logics, is that what is at stake here really is two quite different conceptions of politics; this implies, among other things, two quite different conceptions of what leadership is and what leaders are for. One perspective basically thinks that politics is about selling your party to consumers; the other thinks that it’s mainly about building up a coalition of social groups with common interests. Spoiler alert: it’s the second one that’s right, mostly.
Politics as marketing
On the one hand we have a view of politics which is that reproduced by the mainstream media (including the ‘centre-left’ press), by much of mainstream political science, and which is shared by the vast majority of the political class. According to this view, there is only ever a very narrow range of opinions which can really be considered sensible, because they are predicated on an understanding of how the world really works. Political parties compete to convince voters that they are able and willing to enact a governmental programme which fits within these parameters while delivering both competent administration of the existing political and economic system, and whatever minor modifications thereof are most popular with voters. Convincing voters of that means presenting politicians, and above all party leaders, as likeable and competent (so worthy of trust), while also clearly understanding the limits of what it is acceptable to think, say or do.
Likability and competence are defined according to very narrow criteria, largely borrowed from the cultures of contemporary business: so a party leader should come across like one of the less offensive candidates on The Apprentice, and if they stray too far from that mode of self-presentation, they will be assumed to be failing. The leader is, essentially, a salesperson, selling the party ‘brand’ to a target market. The target market is almost exclusively floating voters in marginal constituencies, which are overwhelmingly in small to medium sized English towns. So if you don’t look and sound like a marketing manager from one of those places, you are basically doing it wrong.
This is a model of politics which is essentially liberal in nature. I don’t mean ‘liberal’ in the casual sense in which it is normally used today (meaning something like: a bit progressive, a bit free thinking, generous to the poor, etc). I mean ‘liberal’ in the classic philosophical sense: assuming that people are inherently rational, self-interested individuals before they are anything else, and that politics is a means of aggregating and deciding between their individual competing demands. From this perspective, the practice of politics is fundamentally a matter of making one’s particular political brand the most popular in the consumer marketplace. At the same time, if you think, as this perspective does, that the social world is ultimately just made up of competing individuals, then there is no particular reason to be skeptical about the the assumption that parliament and government are more-or-less neutral instruments which any political party can use in order to achieve its aims. This is a view which is quite difficult to believe if one pays any attention to the frequency with which corporate interests seem to influence political outcomes; but it is a very convenient one for journalists to believe in, because it means that they don’t have to report on anything more complicated than the personalities of politicians and the results of the latest polls.
The great weakness of this model of politics, incidentally, is that it simply cannot explain how great social change has ever happened. It insists that politics as it has been done since the 1980s is the only way it could ever be done. Which doesn’t explain why at other points in history politics has demonstrably been done differently. If you ask them why the NHS happened, adherents of this model will usually say that it was because Mr Beveridge and Mr Attlee thought it was a good idea. If you talk to them about the Tredegar Medical Aid Society, then you will usually find that they have never heard of it. If you point out that the NHS was not designed by focus groups and was opposed even by much of the Labour movement, only really being brought into being because the south Wales miners demanded it, then they will try very hard to change the subject.
Politics as movement-building
On the other hand, we have a quite different view of politics. This is a view which some might call vaguely ‘Marxist’, but which might more accurately be called simply ‘sociological’, because it is perfectly possible to endorse this view while remaining very skeptical about many analytical and political assumptions of most of the Marxian tradition. This is a view which sees politics as essentially a matter of conflicts between competing sets of interests, those interests being shared by various groups of various shapes and sizes. From this perspective, what governments actually do when they get into office is not simply a question of what they said in their manifestos, or what the people who voted for them want them to do, or what their members want them to do. Ultimately, from this point of view, what governments actually do will tend to be shaped by the overall strength and weakness of the different interest groups which exist in a society at a given time. Those groups might include: workers, investors, speculators, home-owners, women, immigrants, professionals, consumers, hunters, farmers, gardeners, etc. The strength and weakness of these groups is dependent upon a range of factors: their wealth, how well organised they are, their access to bits of the state, their access to technology, how far other members of society care what they say or do, how willing the members of that group are to make personal sacrifices for the good of the group, etc. From this perspective, even if you win an election, if you don’t have a powerful coalition of social forces to back you up, then you are going to end up effectively being told what to do by other powerful social forces.
It is very easy to see why someone might agree with this view if we consider the differences between the different Labour governments I referred to above. The ’45 Labour government was able to enact radical reforms because the unions were very powerful during the era of post-war reconstruction, a time of acute labour shortage. In 1997 they were weak, and nothing had happened in the wider social, economic or technological environment to make them any stronger by 2010, which meant that the New Labour government had far less scope to do anything which might annoy the City of London. Of course, the Blair government did nothing much to try to make the unions any stronger – beyond enacting some progressive legislation early in its first parliament – while its aggressive support for European labour market deregulation contributed considerably to making them weaker. Which is one of the fundamental things that even the once-moderate left cannot forgive them for. And it is one of the things that the Labour right simply cannot get their heads around at all.
A different kind of leadership?
But the key point I want to make here is that this sociological conception of politics produces a quite different set of ideas as to what the role of the party leader should be. From this perspective, the first role of the leader is to rally their own side effectively. And this is precisely what Corbyn has done. For the first time since the mid-1980, he has brought together and largely unified the disparate elements of the English and Welsh left, the 20-30% of the population who share a more or less Marxist outlook on most things, who voted for Labour’s radical socialist programme in '83 and who I think most evidence suggests have not significantly grown or shrunk in number since then. Critics are quite right to point out that, then as now, enthusing less than 30% of the voting public gets you nowhere, no matter how enthusiastic they may be. But those critics would do well to reflect on the sheer achievement of rallying a force which has been dispersed, demoralised and defeated for three decades, even if Corbyn never achieves anything else.
The question which those critics would pose if they had a sufficient grasp of this model of politics (which they don’t) is simply this: what next? Having rallied your forces, what do you do with them? Most fundamentally, how do you extend them, bringing other social groups into the same coalition, without watering down your aims to the point where you demoralise your own side? Well, again, the radical tradition does have a classic answer to this question. What you do, simply, is to convince enough of those other social groups that their interests are best served by throwing in their lot with you than by supporting the other side. This is what it means to achieve ‘hegemony’ (leadership) within a wider ensemble of social forces. In a society in which it is pretty much self-evident that a tiny elite are creaming off almost all of the products of everyone else’s labour for their own benefit, this ought to be easy enough. Unfortunately, when that tiny elite owns the mass media, and uses it to insist that anyone who advocates anything resembling this sociological model of politics is simply mad, then the job becomes much more difficult. When your own professional politicians are mostly deeply committed to the truth of the liberal consumerist model of politics, and have been taught since their youth that anyone who isn’t committed to it is a mad Trot, and have mostly never been taught any basic sociology (the subject you don’t study if you read PPE), or even much serious history, then you really have a problem.
What you do under those circumstances is not clear, and this is what Corbyn and his sympathisers are still trying to work out. The most radical of them are looking for something quite different from old models of leadership, they are looking instead for a ‘leader’ whose role will be to facilitate a real democratisation of the Labour party and an empowerment of a new grassroots movement. Unfortunately even the most radically sociological thinker has to acknowledge that however democratic the party becomes, if it doesn’t have a leader who can rally not just their own side, but a majority of the public, behind a progressive cause, then the party will not be able to democratise wider society. What their critics fail to grasp is that simply appearing likeable to that wider public, while completely failing to inspire the party membership, is not something which an effective party leader can do either, and that a large section of the public is so disillusioned with that style of politics that they will not return to acquiescing to it for at least another generation.
There aren’t any easy answers to these dilemmas. Building a movement and making that movement successful are by nature complex tasks which take a long time to complete. There are elements of marketing technique which even the most democratic movement-building leader must deploy if they are to widen their coalition of interests successfully. Whether the current Labour leadership can figure out how to do that remains to be seen. On the other hand, looking at the Labour leadership’s critics, the fact that they cannot imagine a form of leadership which does not make marketing its first priority, and can only understand as failing a practice of leadership which is not exclusively focused on marketing, shows just how limited a conception of politics the British political class is committed to.
The great difference between the liberal and the sociological models, however, is that the latter can at least explain the former. It is easy to understand where the idea of politics as marketing comes from and why it has so much support if we think about the fact that it essentially serves the interests of exactly the same groups that other forms of commercial marketing serve: the wealthy capitalist elite. From the other side however, the liberals of the political class are completely mystified by the emergence of another model of politics, and can only denounce it in the most confused of terms. Calling someone mad is not an argument, but an admission that you cannot understand what they are doing. If anything demonstrates the redundancy of their models of both politics and leadership, it is this inability to grasp the motivations and the objectives of their opponents.
On December 16th I’ll be chairing a public seminar on the politics of leadership at Senate House in central London, with Archie Brown, Emeritus Professor of Politics at Oxford University and author of the classic The Myth of the Strong Leader, Alan Finlayson, Professor of Political and Social Theory at the University of East Anglia, Shirin M. Rai, Professor in the Department of Politics and International Relations at the University of Warwick and Marc Stears, former Professor of Political Theory at Oxford University and former chief speechwriter to Ed Miliband. It’s a free event and tickets can be booked at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-politics-of-leadership-tickets-19295828342 | {
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Celebrities help design their own fighting robots to battle it out in a huge purpose-built arena aiming to become the Robot Wars Champion. | {
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The new Miss England who was crowned last night started her new job today, as a junior doctor just hours after winning.
Bhasha Mukherjee, has a genius IQ score, is fluent in English, Bengali, Hindi, German and French, and also has two bachelor degrees.
Bhasha, 23, who grew up in India but now lives in Derby, said: “I was always the teacher’s pet in school – I won the Einstein Award for being the smartest in my class and I was the top of my school with my GCSE results.
“I was a bit of a loner as a child as I was new to the country and moved about schools a lot, meaning that I was always branded the ‘new kid’.
“I was teased a bit for being eccentric and dramatic, but my way out was studying and competitions – I was just so passionate about learning.
(Image: Caters News Agency) (Image: Caters News Agency)
“Some people might think pageant girls are airheads, but we all stand for a cause.
"We're all trying to showcase to the world that actually just because we're pretty, it doesn't end there - we're actually trying to use our reach and influence to do something good.
“My pageant career all started to happen while I was in the middle of studying at medical school – it took a lot of convincing for me to do it, but eventually I decided to do it to balance out my studying and give me a break.”
(Image: MERCURY PRESS)
(Image: Caters News Agency)
Throughout her studies she always wanted to be an astronaut but once she left school, she decided to try her hand in the performing arts and eventually found her way into modelling.
Bhasha was scouted in 2016 to compete in a pageant which aimed to increase diversity in beauty contests across the UK, before entering Miss England this year.
By scooping Miss England, she will win a holiday to Mauritius and entry into the prestigious global Miss World pageant.
In an earlier interview, Bhasha said: “My nerves are really high at the moment, and I have to catch a 4am train after the Miss England final just to make my induction day at the hospital.
"I’ve really enjoyed competing in the pageant as everyone is so lovely.
“One thing I’ve taken from it is a lovely group of supportive friends – we’re definitely not at each other's throats like you’d expect, it’s all very supportive." | {
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The study found that £523 million of UK Space Agency funding put into the European Space Agency’s Space Science Programme (SSP) has generated £1.4 billion of income for UK industry, with a further £1.1 billion from partially attributed and forecast benefits.
The investment, between 2000-2018, created 306 jobs. The UK industry regularly secures major ESA contracts to provide mission spacecraft platforms, support mission operations and develop major subsystems.
To support UK involvement in the build and data exploitation of the science instruments themselves, the UK Space Agency provides separate funding to the academic community.
One of the missions addressed by the report, Solar Orbiter, is due to launch in February. This will take the most detailed images ever of the Sun and provide crucial information about how our star’s volatile activity affects its atmosphere. This knowledge will help improve predictions of space weather events, which can disrupt and damage satellites.
The UK is at the heart of this ESA mission, with Airbus at Stevenage winning the contract to design and build the spacecraft. This could become the template for an operational programme to monitor and warn us of approaching Space Weather. Meanwhile Imperial College London and UCL Mullard Space Science Laboratory are leading international teams to design and build two instruments while the Science and Technology Facilities Council’s RAL Space and UCL are major contributors to two more and from which future operational requirements will be defined.
Chris Lee, Chief Scientist at the UK Space Agency, said:
Having a major role in space science programmes is like playing in the Champions League. Technology doesn’t get much harder than this and the insights these missions offer and the skills they create permeate the entire UK space economy – supporting our leading role in areas such as telecommunications, Earth observation and weather satellites.
The report, commissioned by the UK Space Agency, also found the UK’s investments in space science have led to the development of new skills in the sector and improved facilities, such as clean rooms, computing and mechanical equipment.
In November the UK Space Agency joined all ESA member states in supporting a 10% rise to the overall space science budget, taking the UK’s share to around £600 million over a five-year period. This will increase the number and ambition of space science missions, including missions to use gravitational waves to study black holes and to intercept and study a pristine comet in our solar system.
SSP is designed to undertake scientific research concerning the solar system, our Sun and the Universe beyond. At the same time, the programme is charged with stimulating competitive industrial capability.
In addition to these direct industrial contractual benefits, UK investment aims to facilitate technology transfer, industrial-academic knowledge transfer, and contribute to the UK skills base by attracting and developing young talented scientists and engineers through high profile missions.
The evaluation focused on a sub-set of seven SSP missions: Bepi-Colombo, Gaia, Herschel, James Webb Space Telescope, Lisa Pathfinder, Planck and Solar Orbiter. | {
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I never had to deal with any memory management before (and technically, I still didn’t have to) so I started crawling through StackOverflow(SO) for a solution. At some point, I got my memory footprint down by calling the recycle function on the Bitmaps I wasn’t going to use, and by calling the System.GC function whenever I knew a garbage collection would free up some allocations. This resulted in the memory graph as shown above.
In my quest through the Android section of SO, I had seen the name Picasso dropped a lot. This is an image library that took care of the same problem I tried to fix and did more. After a while of struggling with doing my own memory management, I decided to jump the gun and import the dependency. I was amazed: not only did this manage my memory way better than I did by doing things like caching images that might be needed later instead of reloading them every time, it allowed me to remove all my networking code regarding images.
Sayonara, ImageRequest.
By using the Picasso library, I was able to remove the class shown above and all the code that took care of processing that image (resizing, scaling correctly, making it circular) and replace it with this single line of code:
This was my eye-opener. If I could make my life that much easier with this one library, how many other brilliant libraries were still out there, waiting for me to integrate them into my code? That same day I replaced all my networking code with the OkHttp library, further improving my memory footprint by not having countless strings allocated by a StringBuilder parsing a JSON file.
API Levels
This has been a hurdle, to say the least. It’s definitely just something you need to get used to, but it’s a hassle at first. We all know that great feeling of finding a solution to the exact problem you’re having on SO. Android developers know how that feeling can get crushed by looking up the specified methods in the documentation and finding out the required API level is higher than the lowest one they have to support. What follows is a scavenger hunt to find out the inner workings of the method, and to try to replicate its behaviour. An example of this is when I wanted to execute something after an AnimatorSet finished animating:
An extension function for the AnimatorSet class.
With API level 24 and up, we can use the getTotalDuration method and use its result in a postDelayed block. Sadly, my app had to support lower API levels so I wrote the above implementation.
Nice bonus: the extension function, as shown above, can also be called at points between animations while creating the AnimatorSet object, to fire code blocks at certain points during the animation! :-)
This taught me a valuable lesson: take some more time looking through SO. Answers from 2013 might not be relevant at all anymore, and new answer are often a lot further down the page! An example I’ve used earlier is JSON parsing. This was one of the first things I built into the app, as it had to communicate with the backend I made for it. The first Google results wrote about using BufferedReaders and StringBuilders; a lot of boilerplate that does something very simple, allocates a lot of Strings and clogs up memory debugger with them. If I had taken some more time to scroll down the page of SO I would’ve found the great suggestions on using the GSON library or the OkHttp library for network requests.
Wrap-up
I could try to write a section about the interface builder, but the truth is I suspect I just don’t grasp that fully yet. I’ve embraced Xcode’s interface builder, and Android Studio just uses a lot of different terms and principles.
The most valuable lesson I’ve learned is to keep an open mind at all times. It’s easy to turn on tunnel vision and to try and find a solution similar to what works on iOS, but often it just isn’t that simple. You shouldn’t think about refactoring what works on iOS to Android, you should try to find a solution that works for Android. Whether that is using a library or writing your own solution to a problem, you shouldn’t be afraid to try new things. | {
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Couldn’t let the week end without drawing this.
Original is in my shop for those interested. (priced a little higher than usual because I wouldn’t mind keeping this one) :)
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Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI) menanggapi narasi 'virus ciptaan Tuhan' yang sedang ramai di media sosial. Apa kata MUI?
Dalam konferensi pers di BNPB, Jakarta Timur, Kamis (19/3/2020), Deputi Pengembangan Pemuda MUI Asrorun Ni'am Sholeh mendapat pertanyaan tentang narasi adanya gerakan yang menganjurkan warga tidak takut ke masjid di tengah wabah virus Corona karena virus adalah ciptaan Tuhan.
"Saat ini ada narasi berkembang di masyarakat 'jangan takut ke masjid karena virus ciptaan Tuhan' dan adanya konspirasi mengosongkan masjid. Bagaimana tanggapan Bapak?" tanya pembawa acara ke Asrorun.
Asrorun berbicara soal akal yang diberikan Allah SWT kepada manusia. Menurutnya, sakit memang ciptaan Allah SWT, tetapi manusia harus berikhtiar agar tetap sehat.
"Ketika kita diberikan sakit, maka kita dianjurkan dengan akal sehat kita untuk berobat, benar, sakit itu ciptaan Allah, tetapi dengan akal budi yang diciptakan Allah, kita diberikan kewajiban untuk ikhtiar, ikhtiar untuk melaksanakan aktivitas yang menyebabkan kesehatan," jelasnya.
Dia mengatakan penting untuk menjaga kesehatan. Sebab, katanya, itu juga tertuang dalam aturan bahwa umat Islam dianjurkan menjaga kesehatan dan tidak terjerumus dalam kebinasaan.
"Kalau kita sakit, kita ikhtiar untuk berobat, guna mematikan kesehatan, dan kalau kita sehat kita diwajibkan untuk menjaga kesehatan jangan sampai kita untuk menjerumuskan diri ke dalam kebinasaan," sebut Asrorun.
Fasilitas Umum di Mamuju Tengah Disemprot Disinfektan:
[Gambas:Video 20detik]
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Choosing names for your new chickens might possibly be the most fun task.
There are endless possibilities out there, so we compiled all the best names and organized them in easy-to-read categories.
From punny names like Feather Flocklear and Mary Poopins, to earthy names like Pearl and Willow, we have them all here.
Quick Jump
Best Chicken Names
Punny Chicken Names
Funny Chicken Names
Pop-Culture Chicken Names
Cute Chicken Names
Rooster Chicken Names
Pairs & Group Chicken Names
Color Chicken Names
Food & Drink Chicken Names
Earthy Chicken Names
Old Lady Chicken Names
Additional A-Z Chicken Names
Best Chicken Names
We hand-picked some of the most popular names from a few categories. Keep scrolling if you'd like to see more from the categories below!
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Punny Chicken Names
Pun intended.
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Funny Chicken Names
If you have a sense of humor, you are going to enjoy these.
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Pop-Culture Chicken Names
Calling all Disney fans! This Disney-heavy list is full of awesome chicken names. Don't worry, we included plenty of non-Disney names if that's not your jam.
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Cute Chicken Names
Warning: some of these names were provided by 5-year-olds. You're welcome.
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Rooster Chicken Names
You may not have a rooster at home, but we can guarantee you'll get a kick out of some of these names.
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Pairs & Group Chicken Names
If anyone ends up naming a pair of chickens Beavis and Butthead, please send us a picture of them, as they will be our new favorite duo.
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Color Chicken Names
These names are perfect for those who want a name that matches the bird, or if you just like color names.
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Food & Drink Chicken Names
We don't recommend reading these names on an empty stomach.
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Earthy Chicken Names
You don't have to be a tree-hugger to love these names. Is your chicken really fast? Name him/her Lightning. Perhaps you have a white hen. May we suggest Pearl?
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Old Lady Chicken Names
Darling names for darling hens. That is all.
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Additional A-Z Chicken Names
Want more names to browse? You're in luck. Keep scrolling for more hen names.
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Know of a good chicken name that belongs here? Comment the name below and we’ll add it to the list.
Sources:
"The Essential List of Chicken Names". Backyardchickenproject.com
"147 Chicken Names". Thehappychickencoop.com
"Chicken Names". Raising-happy-chickens.com
"List of Unique Chicken Names". Pethelpful.com
"Top 20 Pet Chicken Names". Backyardchickencoops.com/au
"Chicken Names". Squeaksandnibbles.com
"65 of Our Favorite Chicken Names". Hobbyfarms.com
"Names for Hens". Durhamhens.co.uk
"Over 500 Chicken Names". Myproductivebackyard.com
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Nigeria: death toll rises in Boko Haram attacks
The number of fatalities resulting from attacks in Nigeria on 26 January has risen to at least 138.
Islamist terror group Boko Haram, officially labelled a 'Foreign Terrorist Organisation' by the US government in November last year, is suspected to have coordinated the violence.
'Boko Haram' translates as 'Western education is sacrilege'. The group has ties to Al-Qaeda and is responsible for over 2,000 deaths in Nigeria since 2009. Its leadership has declared it aims to cleanse the country of Christians, eradicate Nigerian democracy and replace it with an Islamic state guided by Sharia law.
On Sunday, armed militants attacked a church in Adamawa State in the north-east of the country. They locked the doors before the end of the service and shot at the congregation, slitting the throats of those who tried to escape. They also detonated bombs before going on a four hour rampage, burning houses and taking hostages from the village.
Initial reports recorded 22 casualties. However, that number has now risen to 53, with dozens more wounded.
On the same day, the Islamist group carried out another vicious attack in Kawuri Village, in neighbouring Borno State. Militants shot men, women and children as a busy weekend market was packing up, and set fire to over 300 homes. Many victims are now reportedly unrecognisable due to terrible burns.
A 46-year-old grandmother, Rabi Mallam, hid her son and granddaughter under a blanket soaked in water as members of the extremist sect set fire to their hut, but they were still badly burned.
"I cried for the children because they were calling me to take them out, but I could not," she remembers.
A total of 85 people perished in the attack, and at least 40 remain hospitalised. However, 16 people are still missing, so the death toll is expected to increase.
President Goodluck Jonathan declared a state of emergency in Muslim-majority Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states in May 2013, and has authorised an increased military presence to tackle the ongoing violence.
However, government troops have so far been unsuccessful in quashing the extremist group's terror activities. Boko Haram has recently shifted its attacks from urban areas to rural communities, often targeting churches, highways and schools.
Within the last week alone, 37 communities in Damboa, Konduga and Gwoza areas have been subjected to terrorist attacks, and over 200 people have died in the past month at the hands of militants.
Christian Solidarity Worldwide has urged the Nigerian government to do more to combat extremism across the nation, particularly in rural communities which often suffer "devastating violence".
In addition, Chief Executive Mervyn Thomas has appealed to bordering nations to coordinate with Nigerian authorities in stopping militants from fleeing the country and avoiding capture, which is unfortunately commonplace.
"If this tendency is not addressed effectively, it will ultimately undermine peace and security in the entire region," he warns. | {
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The 1986 movie Labyrinth, starring David Bowie and Jennifer Connelly, immerses the viewers into a world of fantasy and wonder. Like many other fantastic tales, the movie conceals within its symbolism an underlying meaning and, in this case, it is rather disturbing. Labyrinth describes the programming of a mind control victim at the hands of a sadistic handler. We will look at the occult meaning of the symbolism found in Labyrinth.
Labyrinth is a quintessential 80s movie that contains everything we love from the 80s: 80s synth music, 80s CGI effects, and an 80s David Bowie in the same 80s hairdo that your aunt Susan had in the 80s. What’s not to love? The movie has, in fact, become a “cult classic” and is still a children’s favorite.
But like many of these delightfully twisted fantasy movies, there is more to Labyrinth than meets the eye. By understanding the occult symbolism and references in Labyrinth, the movie becomes a big allegory for mind control, where each scene refers to a particular aspect of the process. What appears to be a young girl’s quest through a Labyrinth to find her baby brother becomes a metaphor for the internal world of a mind control victim that is being programmed by a handler. The obstacles that Sarah, the hero of the story, must go through relate to real-life ordeals inflicted to mind control slaves to incite dissociation (if you have no idea what I’m talking about, read the article entitled Origins and Techniques of Monarch Mind Control). Mind games, torture, drugs, and sexual abuse are all referred to in veiled symbolism during the movie, giving to “those in the know” an entirely different story than what is shown at face value. Labyrinth is therefore constructed like most esoteric works in History: it uses symbolism to conceal from the masses while revealing to the initiates.
Very little prior knowledge is required to understand the underlying meaning of Labyrinth. however. The movie was, in fact, mentioned by a few authors on mind control who described it as one of the most blatant movies on Monarch programming. Fritz Springmeier even states Labyrinth is used by actual mind control handlers as a programming script to train the slaves. This very plausible as the movie bears many similarities to Alice in Wonderland and Wizard of Oz – two movies that are known to be used in mind control programming. The only difference is that Labyrinth was probably specifically constructed to this purpose while, at the same time, exposing the masses to this kind of symbolism.
Since Labyrinth is a blueprint for mind control, it is only fitting that the star of the show is an artist who has served as a blueprint for modern pop stars: David Bowie. Throughout his long and eclectic career, Bowie has touched on many occult and ritualistic themes that are today rehashed by industry-made pop stars. And, for some reason, many of those who touch upon these occult themes also integrate mind control into their works. Maybe it is due to the fact that mind control heavily relies on black magic rituals and Kabbalistic teachings. So, before we look at the symbolism of the movie, let’s take a brief look at some of the symbolism used by David Bowie.
David Bowie: The One They All Imitated
Many articles on this site mention modern pop stars and the occult symbolism embedded in their works. It was only a matter of time before David Bowie was mentioned as he is apparently a major source of inspiration for many of them. David Bowie is indeed the prototype of the pop-star/occult icon whose works incorporated concepts originating from Secret Societies. From strange alter-egos to the occult concept of androgyny, and of course including references to Aleister Crowley and his Thelema, Bowie did decades ago what pop stars are doing now.
The difference between Bowie and today’s pop stars is that he was rather open regarding the occult influence in his act and music. In a 1995 interview, Bowie stated: “My overriding interest was in cabbala and Crowleyism. That whole dark and rather fearsome never-world of the wrong side of the brain.” In his 1971 song Quicksand, Bowie sang:
“I’m closer to the Golden Dawn
Immersed in Crowley’s uniform of imagery”
(Golden Dawn is the name of a Secret Society that had Crowley as a member). These are only some examples of the occult influence on Bowie’s work and an entire book could be written on the subject.
Since the main antagonist of Labyrinth is a sorcerer who also happens to enjoy singing impromptu pop songs, David Bowie was a perfect fit for the role. Did he know that he played the role of a mind control handler?
Labyrinth
Released in 1986, Labyrinth was a collaborative effort between George Lucas, Jim Henson (his last movie) and David Bowie. Using state-of-the-art effects, the movie quickly became a classic in what we can call the “twisted fantasy” genre. The plot of the movie is simple: A teenage girl named Sarah goes through a strange, magical Labyrinth to recover her baby brother who was kidnapped by a sorcerer named Jareth and his army of goblins.
Some critics did not appreciate the random nature of the events of the movie. Robert Ebert stated that these kind of movies “aren’t as suspenseful as they should be because they don’t have to follow any logic. Anything can happen, nothing needs to happen, nothing is as it seems and the rules keep changing.” By describing the movie this way, Ebert unknowingly describes the inner-world of a mind control slave, which is exactly what the Labyrinth represents. Through trauma, the psyche of the slave is reprogrammed by the handler resulting in a situation where anything can happen, nothing needs to happen, nothing is as it seems and the rules keep changing.
Sarah’s quest for her baby brother is, in fact, a quest to recover her innocent core persona (her “real” self) that was taken by the handler. The various events that happen to Sarah are distorted reflections of real mind control trauma – hidden behind a veil of fantasy and imagination.
The Premise
The plot of the movie is very reminiscent of the Wizard of Oz and Alice in Wonderland, two stories that are incidentally known to be used in mind control programming. A young girl, bored and distraught with her normal life, finds herself in a fantasy land, where everything can happen. In order to go back home, she embarks on a dangerous quest to reach a great castle (not unlike the Emerald city of the Wizard of Oz). Along the way, the assertive girl uses her wits, courage, and strength to go past the obstacles in a world where no rules are established.
Labyrinth is heavily symbolic from beginning to end, starting from the very first scene. Sarah is at a park, dressed as a princess, practicing lines to a play under the watchful eye of an owl that is standing on top of an obelisk.
We quickly learn that the owl is Jareth, the Goblin King (played by David Bowie). The fact that Jareth takes the form of an owl in the “real world” and that he sits at the top of an obelisk is very telling about what he actually represents: The occult elite. The owl is known to be the main symbol of the Bavarian Illuminati and is still used by elite groups such as the Bohemian Grove. It represents “those who act under the cloak of darkness”.
The owl is at top of an obelisk, a monument that is constantly visible throughout the entire movie. The obelisk has been, for centuries, the ultimate symbol of power of the occult elite. It is found standing at the world’s most powerful places and strange occult powers are attributed to them. These tall monuments originate from ancient Egypt and are said to represent the lost phallus of Osiris – in other words, male energy. The obelisk is, therefore, a phallic symbol and the fact that this young girl encounters many of them during her quest might be a reminder of the male handler dominating her mentally and sexually (through abuse).
The owl watches Sarah, who is dressed as a princess and practicing a role for a play, illustrating her natural tendency to dissociate from reality and to take on other personalities, a characteristic that MK handlers seek when scouting for potential slaves. Sarah is, therefore “marked” by the shady Illuminati Mind Control system.
At Sarah’s house, we find several clues relating to her predisposition to mind control. She is surrounded by toys, books, and posters that foretell the dissociative adventure she is about to embark in. Many of Sarah’s toys will be found animated during her adventure, which tells us that everything that will happen will be a result of her own imagination, fuelled by the things that are familiar to her.
Right above Sarah’s bed is Escher’s famous drawing named “Relativity”.
Escher’s mind-boggling images contain confusing features that the mind can never compute. For this reason, they are used in actual mind-control programming. This particular painting will become very important later in the movie.
“If [the child] has artistic brainwaves, then the programmer will use art work in programming. The art work of the european artist M.C. Escher is exceptionally well suited for programming purposes. For instance, in his 1947 drawing “Another World”, the rear plane in the center serves as a wall in relation to the horizon, a floor in connection with the view through the top opening and a ceiling in regards to the view up towards the starry sky. Reversals, mirror images, illusion, and many other qualities appear in Escher’s art work which make all 76 or more of his major works excellent for programming.”
– Fritz Springmeier, The Illuminati Formula to Create a Mind Control Slave
So Sarah is angry at her parents, especially her step-mother, because she has to stay at home and babysit her little brother named Toby while they go out. Confronted with the child’s incessant cries, Sarah wishes for the Goblin King to take him away. An owl then enters the room and turns itself into Jareth, the Goblin King.
Jareth has taken Toby to his world and will turn him into one of his goblins. In mind control terms, baby Toby represents Sarah’s core personality that was taken away by Jareth, her handler. As long as Jareth holds Sarah’s core persona, he will be able to make her go through the Labyrinth – which will represent her programming.
When Sarah asks Jareth to hand back Toby, the Goblin King uses his skills for manipulation and persuasion. He shows Sarah a crystal ball and tells her that it contains “all of her dreams”. He, however, warns that is is “not a gift for an ordinary girl who takes care of a screaming baby”. In other words, the gift is only for girls who have lost the baby – victims of mind control. Jareth the handler has the power to help Sarah escape the life she loathes but she must allow him to own her core personality – to control her mind. When Sarah refuses Jareth’s offer, which is equivalent to the Faustian theme of selling one’s soul to the Devil, the crystal ball magically turns into a snake and is thrown at her. Jareth then menacingly says: “Don’t defy me”. Seeing that she will not forget about the baby, Jareth tells Sarah that Toby is at his castle and that she has 13 hours to find him. They are both transported into the Labyrinth, which is a big image representing Sarah’s inner-world under the control of a handler.
Inside the Labyrinth
Inside the Labyrinth, Sarah quickly realizes that it does not obey the rules of reality. She finds herself walking never-ending straight paths leading to nowhere.
Sarah then learns that it is only by mentally picturing an entry towards the castle that one will appear. She must make her own path within her own mind.
While trying to advance through the Labyrinth, Sarah realizes that everything keeps changing around her. She meets strange creatures who say confusing riddles that lead to never-ending loops of circular logic. Her catchphrase appears to be “It’s not fair” as she repeats it numerous time during the movie. This phrase does sum up pretty nicely the life of a MK slave. There are no rules and every kind of unfairness can occur.
Meanwhile, Jareth is in the castle with Toby, monitoring Sarah.
The Ordeals
In her path towards the castle, Sarah goes through all kinds of obstacles, many of which symbolically represent actual traumas lived by mind control victims.
In Sarah’s first ordeal, she falls into a pit filled with “helping hands”.
Later, Sarah finds herself in a forest and surrounded by the Fire Gang, who are strange singing creatures that can remove parts of their bodies at will. The concept of dismembered body parts is central to mind control programming.
The Fire Gang’s performance soon turns into a nightmare when they jump on Sarah and try to remove her head.
Upon escaping the Fire Gang, Sarah finds herself in an even worst place, the Pool of Eternal Stench.
Sarah and her friends are forced to go through the nauseating pond in order to continue the quest. This odd scene can refer to the actual mind control technique to induce trauma which consists of immersing the slaves in feces and urine and/or to consume them. Our natural repulsion to excrements and the foul odor we get from them are our body’s way to tell us to stay away from them because they are infested with all kinds of worms and parasites that are toxic to us. Our organisms are so well made that we are instinctively repulsed by the things that are bad for us. The forced consumption of excrements is therefore particularly traumatic as it goes against the human body’s most basic instincts. Sarah’s episode in the Pool of Eternal Stench is an “imaginative” way to describe Sarah’s traumatic experience as an MK slave during programming.
After crossing the pool, Sarah is given a gift – one that is poisoned of course.
When Sarah takes a bite from the peach, she feels woozy and starts hallucinating. Monarch slaves are constantly given drugs to amplify the effects of the programming and to incite fear and terror. Laying on the ground, Sarah sees a crystal ball with a symbolic image representing her.
Sarah is then shown at a strange ball with guests wearing masks of goats, pigs and birds (commonly called an Illuminati ball) and finds Jareth, her handler, waiting for her.
Jareth and Sarah find each other and begin waltzing together, with Jareth giving suggestive looks … to a 15-year-old girl. The scene symbolically portrays the forced Satanic union between the slave (who is said to be the princess of her world) and her handler. The lyrics of David Bowie’s song playing during the ball can be interpretative as a “love song” from a handler to a mind control slave.
“As the pain sweeps through
Makes no sense for you
Every thrill has gone
Wasn’t too much fun at all
But I’ll be there for you
As the world falls down … … It’s falling down”
The ball then quickly turns into a nightmare, where all of the masked guests start running after her (is she “bad-tripping”?). Sarah starts running, shatters a mirror and runs through it, another classic symbol of mind control.
Confronting Jareth
Despite all of those troubles, Sarah finally reaches the castle and enters it. She finds herself lost in a life-size Escher painting with Toby crawling. Jareth magically appears from everywhere in the scene, the same way handlers appear in the inner-world of Monarch slaves.
Then the entire world around Sarah crumbles, leaving only her facing her handler. Sarah asks Jareth to give her back the baby (her innocent core). Jareth gives her a classic double-speak, mind-bending lecture – the kind MK slaves get from their handlers. He says:
“I have reordered time … I have turned the world upside down … I have done it all for you. I am exhausted from living up to your expectations of me. Isn’t that generous?”
He then offers her the crystal ball again.
He says:
“Look what I’m offering you. Your dreams. I ask for so little. Just let me rule you, and you can have everything that you want. Just fear me, love me, do as I say, and I will be your slave”.
This is the classic Faustian “deal with the Devil” proposal, where Jareth says that he “asks for so little” while he is actually asking for Sarah’s everything: Her mind, body, and soul.
Sarah then starts reciting the lines she was practicing at the beginning of the movie and says “You have no power over me”. Everything crumbles again, Sarah leaves her internal world and finds herself back in the external world, the real world, her house. Toby is back in his crib and everything is apparently back to normal.
In her room, sees some of the creatures she has met in the Labyrinth and is apparently happy to see them. She tells them:
“I don’t know why, but … every now and again in my life, for no reason at all, I need you.”
In other words, Sarah has accepted the internal world that was programmed into her by her handler. It now can be triggered by him at any time during her life.
The movie closes with David Bowie’s song “Underground”. The song has a very church-y feel (with a loud a gospel choir accompanying him) and talks about a place with “no pain”. That place is not heaven, but “Underground”, which can be equated to hell, which, in mind-control terms, is the trauma-filled life of an MK slave.
So, in perfect continuation with the movie, Bowie leaves the viewers with one last inversion of good and evil, heaven and hell and pleasure and pain, with this song:
“No one can blame you
For walking away
Too much rejection (na na)
No love injection
Life can be easy
It’s not always swell
Don’t tell me truth hurts, little girl
‘Cause it hurts like hell
But down in the underground
You’ll find someone true
Down in the underground
A land serene
A crystal moon, ah, ah It’s only forever
Not long at all
Lost and lonely
That’s underground
Underground Daddy, daddy, get me out of here
Ha ha I’m underground
Heard about a place today
Nothing ever hurts again
Daddy, daddy, get me out of here
Ah ha I’m underground
Sister sister, please take me down
Ah ah I’m underground
Daddy, daddy, get me out of here“
While most viewers interpret the story of Labyrinth as a tale about “the importance of imagination” or something of the sorts, the symbolism of the movie gives it a deeper meaning. While the story could be interpreted in numerous ways (another article could be written about Sarah’s quest being a metaphor for esoteric initiation) references to mind control are definitely present. Once the imagery and the triggers relating to mind control are understood, the movie becomes a vivid description of the internal world of a Monarch slave during programming. Totally at the mercy of her handler and the twisted world he created in her mind, the slave attempts to return to reality, where things make sense. The task is difficult as the handler controls time (hence the 13-hour clock that keeps popping up during the movie) and space (secret passages in the Labyrinth). During the quest, the slave meets friends who appear to be helping her, but who are, in actuality, leading her to exactly where her handler wants her to be. In fact, Sarah’s entire “quest for liberation” is actually her being manipulated towards the acceptance of her programming. By going through the Labyrinth, Sarah went through all of the trauma necessary to program her. What appears to be the defeat of Jareth is actually a victory as he successfully programmed Sarah’s internal world. It can be used, in her words “every now and again in her life”.
In Conclusion
Like Wizard of Oz and Alice in Wonderland, Labyrinth is an imaginative fairy tale whose story can be used as a programming script in mind control programming. Unlike the older tales however, Labyrinth might have been specifically constructed for mind control purposes. The story, the symbolism and the music of the movie all form a cohesive sensory-overload, where the viewers are totally immersed in the strange world of mind control. There is however one hitch: like mind-control victims, most viewers are completely duped by the movie and its message. While it appears to be about the triumph of a girl’s mind over evil, its is actually the triumph of evil over a girl’s mind. In the words of Bowie, Don’t tell me truth hurts, little girl, ‘Cause it hurts like hell. | {
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Wargamer Weekly: I Just Came Here to Build a Bridge By Joe Robinson
I’ve rediscovered my love for Men of War: Assault Squad 2 this week. It featured in our recent take on the best WW2 strategy and war games, and I’ve yet to be convinced it’s not the Best Game of All Time(TM).
Seriously though – while not without its flaws, I don’t think I’ve ever had such a tense, immersive and visceral WW2 tactical experience in any other game. There are better simulations, and some of the slower hex turn-based WW2 games are also worthy tactical experiences, but Men of War manages to hit that sweet spot between Company of Heroes mainstream appeal, and the traditional 'wargame' concerns such as supply and combined arms.
One moment that I’ll never forget – It may not have been in Assault Squad 2, but an earlier Men of War game… I was trying to hold a hill in a multiplayer match. There could only have been half a dozen so guys, all holed up in foxholes that had been dug by prior explosions. No matter how much artillery was thrown at them, not matter how many men and tanks they sent up that hill, that rag-tag squad held out against all odds. And then they died, but it was the best moment I’ve had in any tactical WW2 game to date.
Meanwhile, in the world of wargaming…
ARMA III Tanks Roll Out
Bohemia Interactive has released a new major content pack for ArmA III. Called ‘Tanks’, this is the last piece of DLC from the existing content roadmap. The DLC comes with new armoured vehicles to rock around with, and there’s also a free platform update which adds things like 3D interiors and new fire control systems.
We’ve got Ian ‘Tank Guy’ Boudreau on the case, so we should have a full review for you soon. ArmA III: Tanks can be purchased direct or via Steam.
Matrix Games & Slitherine
It’s been another relatively quiet week for the artist formerly known as ‘formerly known as Matrix Games’, now known as Matrix Games.
Shenandoah released their new ‘lite’ Napoleonic turn-based strategy/war game March to Glory on Thursday. Ian was ready and waiting with our review – it’s neat, but fairly abstract so make sure you manage your expectations.
Speaking of Shenandoah, their critically acclaimed Drive on Moscow will be making the jump to consoles soon (Playstation 4 & Xbox One), so that should be exciting.
Finally, we’ve been treated to a bevy of new screenshots for upcoming Order of Battle expansion, Sandstorm.
Military Operations
This is a cool thing – Military Operations is an upcoming operational-level WW2 experience that aims to be more ‘sim’ than game, and it seems to have some really powerful tech powering it.
There’s an entry for their bench-marking tool on Steam which is due out later this Spring. This is meant to test your machine to see If you can actually run the full program or not. We highly recommend checking out the dev blogs to get a better sense as to what this is about.
Fun fact: I’ve seen this in action already. They were under consideration for a certain wargames publisher have since been dropped. The effect from looking at the global few, to zooming right down to see the units advancing along a road was certainly cool to look at. How the project evolves into a meaningful experience though remains to be seen. It’s all well and good aiming to be a ‘simulation’ over a ‘game’, but it still has to be something people want to interact with.
ZuluDawn! Released
Zulu Dawn is the second-best film ever made, second only to Zulu. It stands to reason that Digitalgameworks’ latest release, ZuluDawn! Must be the second-best wargame every made.
Whatever the truth of the matter, this is a turn-based, company level game on a hex-grid that puts you in charge of either the British 24th Regiment of Foot, or the Zulu Impis, as you fight out what is commonly held as one of the greatest military disasters in British history - The Battle of Islandwana.
The game also comes with randomised Zulu force levels, and gameplay variations such as the British being fortified with Laagers, and/or possessing more troops (to reflect Chelmsford not splitting the column, as he did historically like an idiot).
That’s all for this week’s new round-up. If you’ve seen anything else we’ve missed, let us know. Otherwise, have a great weekend! | {
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YARRA Glen and Thornton Eildon have delivered the best footy story of 2018 — despite a record 347-point slaughter on Saturday.
The Yarra Glen Thunder produced the fourth highest score ever seen in the Yarra Ranges competition, booting 54.29 (353) to Thornton’s 1.0 (6).
The Thunder may have fallen short of the league’s record of 68.32 (440) set by Emerald against Boronia Park in 2000, but they instead delivered a piece of history and one of the best yarns of the year.
Yarra Glen coach Lee Thompson has explained his team sacrificed chasing their club record score of 61.28 (394) — set in 1983 against Marysville, according to The Yarra Valley Leader — to chase a different piece of history.
Thompson said his club made a decision at half time to chase an almost unprecedented perfect game to get all 21 of his players a goal on the scoresheet.
That switch delivered a moment of local footy legend and a perfect cliffhanger that came down to the final kick off the game after the siren.
Thompson said the four players on his team who had yet to kick a goal up to three-quarter time had to raise their hands in the three-quarter time huddle to identify themselves to their teammates as the primary attacking targets for the final term.
By doing that, the entire crowd knew exactly what was going on and cheered every goal — and groaned with every near miss — as three of the four players eventually kicked goals in the final quarter.
Every one, except for ruckman William Kristelly, had their goal deep into the final term.
Kristelly was sitting with the astonishing personal tally of 0.8 inside the last minute of play when the Thunder launched one final raid to get him the ball inside fifty.
The big man clunked a mark about 40m out right in front just as the siren sounded.
Two time league best and fairest Lachlan Telford said Kristelly was under immense pressure to slot the goal, knowing full well that he was facing the club’s Thursday night Wheel of Punishment if he failed to get a major.
With punishments ranging from training in his jocks to getting his head shaved or training on a Thursday night in his full club gear, Kristelly lined up for goal.
But with a piece of history on the line, the opposition made a shock gesture. The Thornton player standing the mark deliberately infringed, handing Kristelly a 50m penalty and moving him right to the goal line where he made the easiest of conversions.
Thompson said members of Kristelly’s family had previously played for Thornton —
and those family connections paid off immensely in that moment after the siren.
“A Thornton bloke went over the mark on purpose so he’d end up kicking one,” Telford said.
“He was the only bloke that hadn’t kicked one. Even our fullback had kicked a goal in the second quarter.”
After Kristelly slotted his punt from point-blank range the Yarra Glen Football Ground erupted.
Even his teammates — who were looking forward to watching Kristelly “spin the wheel” of punishments — were cheering.
“I think they felt a bit sorry for him,” Thompson said of Thornton’s decision to get Kristelly on the scoreboard. They wanted him to get that bit of history.”
Remarkably, the 347-point slaughter could have been so much worse.
The Glen were ahead by 104 points at quarter time and began taking their foot off the accelerator in the second quarter where they went into half time leading 34.16 (220) to 1.0 (6).
“It was pretty hard to get the guys motivated at half time,” Thompson said.
“So we put it to the boys that you don’t get too many chances to create a record or to get every player on the scoresheet. I don’t think too many clubs around Australia have actually been able to manage that. So that was our goal for the second half, to get everyone involved.”
Yarra Glen’s decision to focus on sharing the goals around stopped forward Richard Gurney from adding to his 12-goal haul, but the arrival of a fierce “hurricane” downpour in the third quarter was the main reason the home team was held to just five goals in the third quarter.
“If the hurricane didn’t come through in the third quarter we could have given the record a nudge,” Thompson said.
“It’s not really good for the league, though, to see a side struggling like that. Full credit to Thornton, the game was definitely played in the right spirit. At the end of the game, we clapped them off and we opened up the two changerooms. Hopefully, they’re a club on their way back.”
Thompson says his team wasn’t chasing a percentage boost because they are already certain to finish second on the ladder with one final round to play before finals.
Thornton has regularly been beaten by 200-point margins this season in a struggling year for the Kangaroos — just two years after the club made the preliminary finals of the Yarra Ranges Second Division competition.
Thompson said Thornton players showed impressive character and sportsmanship during the contest with some veteran players backing up and playing a second game after the early over-age competition game. | {
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He knew something was wrong when at the end of the day his tip jar was empty.
-Ray | {
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The mystery of methane on Mars may finally be solved as scientists confirmed the presence of the life-indicating gas on the Red Planet as well as where it might have come from.
In the 15 years since a European probe reported traces of the gas in the Martian atmosphere, debate has raged over the accuracy of the readings showing methane, which on Earth is produced by simple lifeforms.
Because methane gas dissipates relatively quickly — within around 12 years on Earth — and due to the difficulty of observing Mars’ atmosphere, many scientists questioned previous studies that relied on a single data set.
Now an international team of experts have compared observations from two separate spacecraft, taken just one day apart in 2013, to find independent proof of methane on our neighboring planet.
Furthermore, they conducted two parallel experiments to determine the most likely source of methane on Mars to be an ice sheet east of Gale Crater — itself long assumed to be a dried-up lake.
“This is very exciting and largely unexpected,” Marco Giuranna, from Rome’s National Astrophysics Institute, told AFP.
“Two completely independent lines of investigation pointed to the same general area of the most likely source for the methane.”
Europe’s Mars Express probe measured 15.5 parts per billion in the atmosphere above the Gale Crater on June 16, 2013. The presence of methane in the vicinity was confirmed by readings taken 24 hours earlier by NASA’s Curiosity rover.
Using the data, Giuranna and the team divided the region around the crater into grids of 250 by 250 square kilometers.
One study then ran a million computer-modeled emissions scenarios for each section while another team studied images of the planet surface for features associated on Earth with the release of methane.
‘INDICATOR OF LIFE’
The most likely source was a sheet of frozen methane beneath a rock formation, which the team believes periodically ejects the gas into the atmosphere.
Giuranna said while methane was a sign of life on Earth, its presence on Mars didn’t necessarily constitute evidence of something similar on the Red Planet.
“Methane is important because it could be an indicator of microbial life,” he said. “But life is not required to explain these detections because methane can be produced by abiotic processes.”
“Though not a direct biosignature of life, methane can add to the habitability of Martian settings, as certain types of microbes can use methane as a source of carbon and energy,” he added.
Though there is no liquid water on Mars, the European Space Agency said in February its imaging equipment had shown further evidence of dried-up river beds, suggesting the Red Planet may once have been home to simple organisms.
Giuranna said further research was needed to determine the extent of the methane ice sheet near Gale Crater.
If founded to be extensive, the methane it contains “could support a sustained human presence” on Mars as a possible source of fuel for industrial processes and a propellant for returning manned missions to Earth, he said.
This story originally appeared in news.com.au. | {
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Time to run catch up on some galleries that got interrupted by the SDCC chaos! Right before we left Tamashii Nation’s S.H. Figuarts Marvel Infinity War Iron Spider came in. We actually did up some hero shots for it which wound up getting featured at the Tamashii Booth in San Diego. Today though we are going to finish the set up so we have a more complete look.
Spidey comes with a sharp matte paint job coupled with metallic sheen gold paint throughout and on the extra legs. His accessories include 3 sets of eyes, 5 sets of hands, 3 different webs, a red Avengers Tamashii stand and the Iron Spider legs which attach to the back.
All in all it’s a sharp piece. The only downside is that the figure could have used a metallic paint job head to toe instead of just the gold accents, since the suit was meched out in the movie. That could have looked cheesy if not done just right though, so catch 22. Until I see one done that way in hand, I’m content with this guy for sure.
Read on to check out our pics, including the shot featured at SDCC and the ones done in the same session! | {
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THE home of Gerry ‘The Monk’ Hutch was raided this morning by over 100 gardaí investigating the murder of David Byrne at the Regency Hotel. WWN can bring you these exclusive pictures taken by detectives at the scene:
The Monk’s home is not your stereotypical gangster house. In fact, it’s quite ordinary on the outside, but what gardaí uncovered when they broke down the door will be sure to shock you.
Upon entering, gardaí were taken aback by the sheer size of the Crumlin resident’s front room. Dozens of pews flank each side of the entrance area, obviously to seat The Monk’s large gang of criminals. Statues of previous Dublin criminals align the wall, with Martin ‘The General’ Cahill leading the way. Gardaí estimate the cost of furnishing this room alone would have been in the hundreds of thousands of euros. Each of the 100 gardaí were asked to genuflect when entering – a condition agreed upon between gardaí and The Monk.
Probably one of the most unusual finds was this confession box, used by The Monk to interrogate potential snitches and a place, sources claim, where cruel and unusual penance was dished out on a daily basis. It is understood The Monk would sometimes force gang members to recite several decades of the rosary on top of Holy Marys, Our Fathers and a partridge in a pear tree. Gardaí also found 4,000 communion wafers hidden in the box, which are believed to have come directly from Columbia, with a potency of 90% Christ.
The most worrying find in the home of The Monk has to be this altar. Gardaí believe dozens, if not tens of armed robberies were planned at this very table. Forensic teams found large traces of incense and a book with a coded language, aptly named ‘The Bible’. Much of the text in this book is said to be incoherent and almost insane. Whoever wrote it, never wanted its secrets to be revealed.
The Monk’s back garden was by far the most confusing part of today’s raid. Detectives counted over 400 graves in total. Begging the question, who were these people, and what happened them?
Due to a lack of any substantial evidence, The Monk was released without charge after the raid, while a file is being prepared by the DPP. | {
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Summer's almost over and many restaurants are gearing up to open in the coming months. We've got everything you need to know about the most anticipated spots in Eater's Fall Opening Report.
Little Goat
Address: 820 W. Randolph
Major Players: Stephanie Izard, Rob Katz, Kevin Boehm
The Situation: Stephanie Izard's second restaurant in the West Loop has been pushed back a few times but finally looks to be on track to open in October. The retro, '50s-style diner will feature a bakery that makes its own bread and a bar that sells local craft brews. The second floor will host a demo kitchen and classroom that can double as private party room. Izard also says she wants to serve up a pulled pork sandwich on a pork fat doughnut, need we say more?
Projected Opening: October
Grace
Address: 652 W. Randolph
The Players: Curtis Duffy, Michael Muser, Bobby Schaffer
The Situation: As if the West Loop was lacking good dining options, Curtis Duffy's Grace will add to the long list of places. The Grant Achatz protégé will be joined by wine director and general manager Michael Muser, formerly of The Peninsula, and Duffy's pastry chef at Avenues, Bobby Schaffer. Expect tasting and prix-fixe menus and a focus on small-batch, handcrafted wines.
Projected Opening: Late October
Embeya
Address: 564 W. Randolph
Major Players: Thai Dang
The Situation: The Asian-inspired restaurant from Laurent Gras' L20 protégé Thai Dang promises to be a good one. A preview dinner in July showcased what you can expect when it opens: dishes full of clean and bold flavors, exotic ingredients, traditional platings and a wine emphasis on Riesling.
Projected Opening: Early September
Carriage House
Address: 1700 W. Division
Major Players: Mark Steuer, Michael Simon, Sean Spradlin, Michael Velo
The Situation: Inspired by the cuisine of South Carolina's Lowcountry, Mark Steuer's new place will draw from his memories growing up along the coastal region. Joining him will be beverage director Michael Simon, formerly of Acadia. The space and décor will include elements of home such as whitewashed wood, a Southern-feeling front porch and 40-seat patio that features rocking chairs. While the main menu will change seasonally, expect dishes such as tender braised pig's feet, shrimp and grits, she crab soup and a clam boil to make their way on there.
Projected Opening: Mid-September
La Sirena Clandestina
Address: 954 W. Fulton Market
Major Players: John Manion, Kim Dalton, Justin Anderson
The Situation: John Manion's newest restaurant will have a "Latin local" vibe featuring Brazilian flavors from his childhood. It will offer lunch and dinner menus with both refined dishes and those of the street food variety.
Projected Opening: September
The Boarding House
Address: 720 N. Wells
Major players: Alpana Singh, Christian Gosselin
The Situation: Sommelier and Check, Please! Host Alpana Singh will open her multi-level restaurant and wine bar in River North. The wine program will play off dishes from Christian Gosselin and feature French-inspired progressive American food.
Projected Opening: Mid-September
Sumi Robata Bar
Address: 702 N. Wells
Major Players: Gene Kato
The Situation: The traditional Japanese robata will offer a variety of sashimi to compliment its grilling as well as an open dessert bar filled with jelly and fruit-based desserts, ice creams and cakes. The space will also feature a separate lounge, Charcoal Bar, that will have a vibe like the Aviary or Violet Hour.
Projected Opening: Mid-Fall
Reno
Address: 2607 N. Milwaukee
Major Players: Johnny Anderes, Elliot Green, Katie Wyer, Jeremy Quinn
The Situation: The Telegraph crew has taken over the space formerly occupied by Ciao Napoli Pizzeria and plans to open Reno, an American osteria. The place will feature wood-burning pizzas and pastas and offer a daytime and a dinner menu that aims to keep dishes under $15. (Photo)
Projected Opening: Mid-October
Found
Address: 1631 Chicago, Evanston, IL
Major Players: Amy Morton, Nicole Pederson
The Situation: Amy Morton and former C-House chef Nicole Pederson plan to open their newest venture in Evanston. The pair are still working on the menu, but say the restaurant is about "building a community and creating a comfortable space with welcoming food," with the décor evoking the period between the 1920s and '50s.
Projected Opening: October
Jellyfish
Address: 1009 N. Rush
Major Players: Harold Jurado, Joseph De Vito, Josh Carl, Andy Galsan, Daniel Finnigan
The Situation: Owners Joseph DeVito and Josh Carl and chef Harold Jurado's upscale pan-Asian spot is set to open in the Gold Coast and will feature a diverse mix of proteins and flavors including a signature jellyfish salad. Sushi chef Andy Galsan and beverage director Daniel Finnigan also join the team.
Projected Opening: Early September
Baume & Brix
Address: 351 W. Hubbard
Major Players: Steve Tavoso, Jeff Krogh, Thomas Elliott Bowman, Ben Roche, Nate Park
The Situation: Former iNG and Moto chefs are collaborating on a new spot with the owner of Epic to serve a globally inspired menu that features small, large and sweet plates. The restaurant will be broken up into four sections—bar and lounge, dining room, private dining and a six-person chef's table set in a former elevator shaft.
Projected Opening: Mid-September
Elizabeth
Address: 4835 N. Western
Major Players: Iliana Regan
The Situation: Longtime underground dinner chef Iliana Regan will open her Lincoln Square storefront restaurant on September 19. There will be several farm-to-table tasting menus, priced $65 to $205, and reservations are done through a ticketing system.
Projected Opening: September 19
Bub City/Three Dots and a Dash
Address: 435 N. Clark
Major Players: R.J. Melman, Jerrod Melman, Paul McGee
The Situation: The Melman Brothers have teamed with the founders of Joe's Bar for their forthcoming country/western bar and barbecue shack. The bar will serve craft brews and a large selection of whiskey and bourbon. Meanwhile, the tiki bar downstairs will be led by Paul McGee and feature a mix of classic tiki drinks and some McGee originals.
Projected Opening: Late October
Lao 18
Address: 18 W. Hubbard
Major Players: Tony Hu
The Situation: Tony Hu has already conquered Chinatown and it looks like he has no intentions of stopping there. He recently opened Lao Mala and plans to expand Lao Sze Chuan into Uptown, but the biggest project will be a new, upscale spot in River North focusing on dishes from numerous Chinese regions.
Projected Opening: November
Mezcalina
Address: 333 E. Benton
Major Players: Manuel Bañuelos
The Situation: Mexican chef Manuel Bañuelos will open a restaurant focused on the cuisine of Oaxaca near Millennium Park. The menu will feature traditional Oaxacan dishes including chapulines, a nutty-tasting grasshopper delicacy often served in tacos. Mezcalina will also share space with Black Coffee Gallery, a coffee shop chain in Mexico.
Projected Opening: September 15
Bar Pastoral
Address: 2945 N. Broadway
Major Players: Greg O'Neill, Ken Miller, Mark Hayes
The Situation: The 40-seat wine bar next to Pastoral will be a casual place to drop in for a quick bite. Expect cheeses, craft beers, earth-friendly wines and hot and small plates featuring food made in house.
Projected Opening: October
Tortoise Club
Address: 350 N. State
Major Players: Keene Addington, Gray McNally
The Situation: The restaurant from former Flat Top Grill CEO Keene Addington and chef Gray McNally will have a classic Chicago clubhouse feel and serve both lunch and dinner. One of the dishes to look for is the pheasant pie, a pot pie with whole roast pheasant and sautéed root vegetables and herbs.
Projected Opening: November
Billy Sunday
Major Players: Matthias Merges, Alex Bachman
The Situation: Hot off his yakitori-inspired restaurant, Matthias Merges will open a cocktail lounge in the same area. The name is a nod to the popular Prohibition-era evangelist and will be led by Yusho mixologist Alex Bachman.
Projected Opening: Late October
OON
Address: 802 W. Randolph
Major Players: Matt Eversman, Tony Cournia
The Situation: Former Saigon Sistsrs chef Matt Eversman will open his new place in the West Loop focused on contemporary American influenced by Southeast Asian cuisine. He will be joined by Tony Cournia, former general manager at Girl & The Goat.
Projected Opening: Mid-September
Marigold
Address: 5413 N. Clark
The Situation: The modern Indian restaurant in Uptown will move to its new location in Andersonville.
Projected Opening: October
Leghorn
Major Players: Jared Van Camp, Chris Dexter, John Warken, Chris Freeman
The Situation: The team behind Nellcôte and Old Town Social is set to open a socially conscious chicken shop that will serve fried chicken sandwiches.
Projected Opening: Late Fall
Local
Major Players: David Flom, Matthew Moore
The Situation: The team behind successful Chicago Cut Steakhouse will soon open another new restaurant inside the Hilton Suites Hotel. Specializing in upscale comfort food, Local will use ingredients that are mostly sourced locally and include dishes like chicken and waffles, chicken pot pie, Berkshire pig ribs and meatloaf with old-fashioned Dr. Pepper sauce. (Photo)
Projected Opening: November
Edzo's Burger Shop
Address: 2218 N. Lincoln
Major Players: Eddie Lakin
The Situation: Evanston's favorite burger shop expands as Eddie Lakin brings his patties, fries and shakes to town. (Photo)
Projected Opening: Late October
Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steakhouse
Address: 58 E. Oak
Major Players: CEO Mark Mednansky, Chef TBD
The Situation: Del Frisco's, with nine locations around the country, plans to open a 23,000 square-foot second-level steakhouse overlooking Oak Street in the former Esquire Theater location. Expect prime USDA steaks, chops and fresh seafood.
Projected Opening: Late November/early December | {
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HRW claimed in a report two days ago that armed groups affiliated to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) have recruited boys and girls, and that these groups sent children into direct combat, placing them at risk by training them in areas that Turkey has attacked with airstrikes in its conflict with the PKK, such as Iraq’s Qandil mountain area.
Shengal Resistance Units (YBŞ) General Command released a statement which denied the report and said it was aimed to defame the YBŞ.
The statement underlined that: “YBŞ is a force made up of Êzidî women and men that protects the rights of the Êzidî people. The establishment of YBŞ created a huge confidence among the society. However, some circles are disturbed by this development and they want to defame the YBŞ before the world, to which end they make evaluations far from the reality. This most recent report by HRW is biased and we don't accept such an attitude from such a human rights organisation. All the YBŞ fighters are aged above 18 years and the recruitment of children cannot be accepted by our side under no circumstance.”
"YBŞ IS THE ASSURANCE OF ÊZİDÎ CHILDREN"
The statement underlined that YBŞ was founded under quite challenging circumstances and has become the life assurance of the Êzidî children today, adding: "Where were these human rights organisations while thousands of children of ours died of thirst on these paths? Where were they while YBŞ fighters fell martyr in order to rescue thousands of Êzidî women and children from ISIS and to liberate their lands? They want to defame the YBŞ by bringing up such false claims today."
The statement continued, "Our country is under the occupation of gangs who still hold thousands of children of ours captive. It is the YBŞ that fights against the ISIS and works to rescue the hostages today. Instead of assisting those that fight ISIS for the rescue of these children, these organisations are being an instrument to the anti-propaganda of ISIS supporters."
"THESE REPORTS ARE SPREAD BY THOSE WHO DON'T WANT ÊZİDÎS TO HAVE A WILL"
YBŞ General Command stressed that they are fighting to attain a free future for the children, adding: “Such claims are far from the truth. We call on these circles to not be a part of the malevolent powers. These reports are given and spread by those who do not want Êzidîs to have a will. Some persons are playing with the future of our people for the sake of their personal interests and some money."
"WE INVITE THE HRW TO THE BATTLE FRONT"
YBŞ stated that they are inviting the HRW to the battle front in order to examine the emplacements of their fighters and see the truth for themselves before publishing such reports.
"We remain in our emplacements and we are fighting the enemy along a line extending from Shengal up to the border with Rojava. We invite the HRW to be our guest and to see who and how old our fighters are. We take our strength from the people and the Êzidî people protect their self-power." | {
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On Friday, the FBI issued a confidential notice to banks warning them that hackers are planning a global heist that will allow them to withdraw large sums of money from ATMs, according to an email obtained by security researcher Brian Krebs.
“The FBI has obtained unspecified reporting indicating cyber criminals are planning to conduct a global Automated Teller Machine (ATM) cash-out scheme in the coming days, likely associated with an unknown card issuer breach and commonly referred to as an ‘unlimited operation,’” the FBI letter to banks reads.
Unlimited operations use malware to gain access to the card information of bank customers and access to the banks’ networks.
“The cyber criminals typically create fraudulent copies of legitimate cards by sending stolen card data to co-conspirators who imprint the data on reusable magnetic strip cards, such as gift cards purchased at retail stores,” the FBI letter said. “At a pre-determined time, the co-conspirators withdraw accounts funds from ATMs using these cards.”
According to Krebs, who first published the alert on his blog, after cybercrime groups gain access to bank or credit card company networks they usually wait until right before an organized run on ATMs to disable fraud controls like daily limits on ATM withdrawals and ATM card PINs. These runs almost always happen after banks close up for the weekend, according to Krebs.
Historically, unlimited operations have targeted smaller banking institutions because they are less likely to have robust security mechanisms. In 2016, for example, cybercriminals stole $570,000 from Virginia’s National Bank of Blacksburg in an unlimited attack and only a few months later launched another unlimited attack against National Bank to the tune of nearly $2 million. The bank was compromised through a phishing attack that embedded malicious code in a Microsoft Word document.
So far the FBI hasn’t made any details about this ATM scheme public, but a spokeswoman for the FBI told CNN that the Bureau “routinely advises private industry of various cyber threat indicators observed during the course of our investigations” and that “this data is provided in order to help systems administrators guard against the actions of persistent cyber criminals.” | {
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The UK Energy Secretary Chris Huhne has apologized for 40 years' worth of clandestine, illegal mutilation of the corpses of British nuclear energy workers. When these workers died, pathologists and coroners colluded with the energy authority to remove their organs without the consent or knowledge of their families, in part to remove the possibility of a lawsuit for cancer caused by their work environment, but partly out of a seeming cavalier, better-safe-than-sorry approach that had them scooping out organs that had no diagnostic value. The corpses were then stuffed with random detritus from around the shop to disguise their mutilation; for example, broomsticks were used in place of bones removed from workers who'd died of leukemia.
"The part played by these public servants should be of particular concern to us all, because they listened to the representatives of the UK nuclear organizations rather than taking into account the concerns of the families and the interests of society as a whole, even to the extent of delaying post mortems and organizing second post mortems in order to take organs from our loved ones. "The coroners and pathologists, in particular, should have been impartial but they not only let down these families, they sometimes deceived them."
Organs of nuclear workers secretly harvested for 40 years, report finds
Apology over organs taken from nuclear workers' bodies
(via /.)
(Image: Nuclear Power Plant Michigan City, a Creative Commons Attribution (2.0) image from paul_everett82's photostream) | {
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AppWarp Windows Phone SDK now supports WP8!
Today we’ve added WP8 to our list of supported mobile platforms allowing you to make realtime multiplayer games on WP8.
Windows Phone 8 was recently launched by Microsoft and already boasts of over 120,000 apps on its store. Read more about WP8 and all its feature here.
We have built our Windows Phone family SDK in such a way that the same SDK dll works for both Windows Phone 7.1 and 8. This means that if you are a WP developer, integrating your app with our SDK will be hassle free when switching between the two platforms.
To get you started, we have created a demo tic-tac-toe game using our WP SDK that works on both the platforms. This game illustrates how you use the SDK to build realtime-multiplayer games on WP. You can download the source from our GIT repo.
Follow these steps to get up and running.
1. Login/Sign-up on AppHQ (ShepHertz developer dashboard)
2. From the dashboard, create a new app of type appwarp cloud gaming.
3. Note its keys – you will require them to initialize the SDK in your code.
4. From the dashboard, create a new room with 2 max players. Note its room id – you will require this in your code.
5. Download the sample from GIT and setup the Visual Studio project.
6. In the project, add your keys and room id where indicated in the GlobalContext.cs file.
7. Debug/Run the application.
Please try this out and share your feedback with us on [email protected]
Want to know more about developing on AppWarp?
AppWarp Overview
AppWarp WP Guide
You can also check out our App42 cloud apis to to publish and retrieve your games top score leader boards, send push notifications and much more! | {
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The spider thing in toy story still scares the shit out of me
222 shares | {
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Manitoba
Hollywood actor John Cho 'can't live without' hat, pen from Winnipeg
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2 of the Star Trek actor's essential items were picked up while filming in the city
John Cho holds up his Middle Province hat from Winnipeg's North Flag, which he says in a YouTube video has replaced a lot of the Los Angeles hats he used to wear. (GQ/YouTube)
Winnipeg has become top of mind for Hollywood actor John Cho, who spent time in the city earlier this year shooting the horror movie The Grudge.
Or perhaps it's more accurate to say "top of head." And in hand, for that matter.
The 46-year-old actor — best known as Harold Lee in the Harold & Kumar films and as Hikaru Sulu in the Star Trek reboot movies — was recently interviewed for GQ magazine about the 10 things he can't live without.
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In the spot, which was posted to YouTube in August and has been viewed there more than 350,000 times, Cho cites not just one, but two things he picked up in Winnipeg.
A hat from North Flag is one of those indispensable items. The other is a fountain pen from Tiny Feast, a stationery and homewares store in the Exchange District.
"It's kind of unbelievable and we're just very grateful, is the best way to put it," said Cliff Lazareck, owner of North Flag, an independent clothing store on Academy Road.
"We definitely sold more hats from it."
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Cho doesn't mention the stores by name but does say the items came from Winnipeg. The ball cap is emblazoned with the name Middle Province, North Flag's own in-house brand.
As for the Kaweco pen that Cho raved about in the GQ video — "writing is very pleasurable … this is so smooth" — Tiny Feast is the only store in the city that sells that brand.
Owner Danika Bock said one of her employees told her about the star's visit.
"We stock products that we genuinely think are great and we are happy to see our customers enjoying them as well. Of course, in this case, it's a little extra special when they're broadcast to such a wide audience," said Bock.
Tiny Feast's Danika Bock shows off the Kaweco fountain pen that John Cho bought from the Exchange District shop. (Darren Bernhardt/CBC)
Cho's list primarily features his essentials for travelling on airplanes — toothpicks, books, a power bank, laptop, headphones for music, and a shoulder bag. But he says he's partial to some of the items at any time.
Those include reading glasses, hair paste, his mobile phone, the hat and the fountain pen — the last important, he says, because "kids, you can't write everything on your phone."
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Bock lauded Cho for his support of small, local businesses and for taking the time to explore the city a little.
"It shows their character, that they genuinely want to see what and who makes up the city, rather than just passing through from airport to set," she said.
"The fact that he was also purchasing from our brick-and-mortar shops is great. Local shops and small business truly make up such a big part of any city's unique character and … every customer that comes in to shop with us becomes increasingly important to our well-being.
"It's nice to see someone with a larger influence leading by example in this way."
'A poetic phrase'
When Cho popped into the North Flag shop back in May, Lazareck recognized him immediately.
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"I didn't want to make things too awkward for him so I sort of just held off on telling him I knew who he was and I was a fan," Lazareck said.
During Cho's half-hour visit, Lazareck did eventually break the ice and chatted for some time with the actor. He expressed a fondness for Winnipeg and said he "really enjoyed working here," according to Lazareck.
Cho told Lazareck a film crew member was wearing a Middle Province hat and he wanted one for himself.
"Middle Province is supposed to be Manitoba. I just thought it was a poetic phrase," Cho says in the GQ video, adding the hat has broken his longstanding pattern of "strictly repping Los Angeles."
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Not only did he show it off in the video but Cho was wearing it when he ran into friend and actress Gabrielle Union in Los Angeles. Union took a selfie with him and posted the pic on Instagram for her 10.7 million followers.
There has been an uptick in business since the video and Instagram pic at North Flag but it's subtle, rather than the big boost people may expect, Lazareck said.
"It's not like people from all over the world are trying to track down the hat," he said, but added it does create some buzz for a business that is small and still unknown to many people.
Lazareck estimates 20-30 Middle Province hats — the same one Cho bought — were sold within three or four days of the GQ video being released at the end of August. Typically, about 10 are sold in that time.
It shows their character, that they genuinely want to see what and who makes up the city, rather than just passing through from airport to set. - Danika Bock, Tiny Feast
Cho also bought some sweaters and T-shirts for himself, his wife and their two kids, Lazareck said.
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"I'm hoping to some day see some photos of them in that stuff."
Both Lazareck and Bock appreciate the support from Cho but say getting their product into the hands — or onto the heads — of celebrities is not something they'd pursue.
"We're pretty organic here. We don't use influencers, we don't send people free product. We prefer to take our time and let things grow organically," Lazareck said.
"Big brands and companies pay a lot for exposure like that. To get it in this way is really nice."
Bock echoed those sentiments.
"We have never focused our marketing efforts on paid sponsorships. Rather, we depend on our shop's experience, customer service and the quality of products to speak for themselves when they leave the shop," she said.
"We have to trust that every happy customer is good for business."
John Cho shows off the fountain pen he picked up in Winnipeg in a GQ video posted on YouTube. (GQ/YouTube) | {
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Tony Stewart claims he didn't see Kevin Ward Jr. on track
AP
NEW YORK (AP) — NASCAR star Tony Stewart said he didn't see a driver walking on a dirt track in upstate New York last year before he struck and killed him, and noted the racer was impaired by marijuana and shouldn't have been outside his car, according to court papers filed Friday.
Kevin Ward Jr.'s family filed a lawsuit this month that accused Stewart of gross negligence, saying he gunned his engine and put his sprint car into a skid as the 20-year-old Ward walked on the track after a crash at Canandaigua Motorsports Park on Aug. 9, 2014.
Stewart's attorney, Brian Gwitt, argued in an answer to the Wards' lawsuit that the racing star didn't see the crash Ward had been involved in and didn't realize anyone was standing on the track.
"Stewart was not aware that anyone had exited their vehicle," Gwitt wrote, adding that his client "did not see Ward Jr. or anyone else walking on foot on the track until just prior to contact, and did not know the identity of the person walking on the track until afterward."
Gwitt claims Ward's death was caused by his own decision to exit his car and walk along the track while the race was still going on. The court filing says a toxicology report showed Ward had smoked marijuana within five hours of the competition, a violation of the race's rules and regulations, which "impaired him."
Ward's parents, Kevin and Pamela Ward, are seeking unspecified monetary damages in their suit, which claims wrongful death, reckless conduct, gross negligence and their son's terror and suffering.
The lawsuit notes Stewart's reputation for having a temper and claims that Stewart deliberately veered toward Ward after the collision.
Stewart denied those allegations and his lawyer argued that Stewart had never met Ward before and didn't even know there was a crash before he came up to it, because it happened behind him.
Stewart also claims that Ward's death was "caused in full or in part" by his parents, "who permitted or failed to prevent an impaired driver from participating" in the race.
Evidence from the crash was presented to a grand jury in upstate New York, which declined to indict Stewart and called the incident "100 percent an accident."
An attorney for Ward's family did not immediately respond Friday evening to an email seeking comment.
GALLERY: TONY STEWART THROUGH THE YEARS | {
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Disclaimer: The below review is my opinion, which I will try to provide as many examples for and as much evidence as possible to support. Readers can learn more about how I conduct my reviews, my methodology, etc – here. More information on review badges here.
This review’s roll was #4 (at the time of the roll, AirVPN)
Written Sep 5, 2016
Like a handful of other services I’ve tried and reviewed in the past, AirVPN is one service I see cropping up over and over again on affiliate “review” sites. Many VPN companies unfortunately rely on the native advertising (paid reviewer) model to generate referrals for their business, but it may be worth noting that AirVPN has some of the most out of control partners in the industry. Do a search for “AirVPN review” and you will struggle to find many that are written by someone without a financial stake (re: conflict of interest) in readers purchasing service using the links in such reviews. One such affiliate of AirVPN, has in the past, stolen my work and put it up on their own website (and yes, I had reached out to them at the time of the incident in question, and no action was ever taken by them against the offending party). I believe this says something about a service when they’re content to let their resellers run amok. It’s incredibly irresponsible when those they partner with are given free reign to steal copyrighted and trademarked work of others. I like to make a point of illustrating this when it applies to a service I’m reviewing, as it sets the stage given my past experiences of them proving themselves:
Signing up for the service: The first thing that struck me about AirVPN is how elegant the menu of their front page is. Each main section has it’s subsections succinctly located underneath them – in a sort of two tiered bar fashion. This makes finding anything you need very quick and handy as it only requires a click or two to get to almost any part of the site. Because they don’t rely heavily on trackers, issue SSL Certs to themselves (without using CloudFlare, etc), and have a well secured site, they earn the first “Website” badge I’ve ever given out.
The site made it very easy to sign up and also provided the option to NOT create a subscription, but only a one time payment, which is always welcome and conscientious of the service. They also provided a 3 day use pass, which is nice for people who are just looking to try it out.
Configuring the service: I’ve mentioned in the past, there’s one feature in particular that I go crazy for – Config File Generators. AirVPN has possibly the best one I’ve seen to date (using something like 30-40 different services as a baseline between reviews and personal research). It’s fantastic. The process is easy to follow as you scroll down the page. You select your platform, then select the specific server you want a config file for. You can also choose to select entire file packages by country, continent (or planet if you want every server config available). While selecting the servers, you are shown current capacity, city, AND bandwidth – so if you’re looking specifically for a gigabit server, you can see which ones are set up for that and make your choice accordingly. Next you select “connection mode”, from which you can choose from a series of checkboxes, your protocol, port, if you want your certs inline (for Android for example) – or even advanced features like SSH and SSL tunnels, SOCKS, etc. This may sound confusing, but things continue to get better because as these options are sectioned off, they also have instances these options may come in handy (for example your ISP blocks certain things) and guides to help you use them properly.
Once you generate the files, a list appears showing the ones that were generated and letting you download them either one at a time, or in a zipped file in the format of your choice (zip, 7z, tar). If something doesn’t look the way you expected, your configuration is saved below the download links and you can change it to the way you intended without wasting any more time.
Those of you who have read a lot of my reviews, know that I rarely gush about a VPN’s website or additional features, because they’re usually awful and gimmicky, but AirVPN’s Config File Generator is maybe the best and most genuinely useful one I’ve seen yet. Because of this, the fact that they offer many connection methods, and because they offer a PGP key, they are receiving the first ever “Features” badge I’ve given out.
Speed & Stability tests: US speeds on AirVPN were among the fastest I’d seen, however, the international speeds ranged from “pretty good” to “meh”.
Speed Tests – AirVPN – Desktop Latency Download Upload No VPN Trial 1 9 ms 96.48 mbps 11.92 mbps Trial 2 8 ms 98.04 mbps 11.87 mbps Trial 3 9 ms 97.58 mbps 11.91 mbps Average 9 ms 97.37 mbps 11.90 mbps US Trial 1 30 ms 88.22 mbps 11.09 mbps Trial 2 29 ms 86.91 mbps 10.91 mbps Trial 3 35 ms 89.41 mbps 11.50 mbps Average 31 ms 88.18 mbps 11.17 mbps Comp to Bench +23 ms 90.56% 93.84% UK Trial 1 273 ms 7.07 mbps 5.71 mbps Trial 2 276 ms 0.00 mbps 0.00 mbps Trial 3 275 ms 6.65 mbps 4.17 mbps Average 275 ms 4.57 mbps 3.29 mbps Comp to Bench +266 ms 4.70% 27.68% Hong Kong Trial 1 336 ms 11.62 mbps 1.65 mbps Trial 2 336 ms 10.52 mbps 0.00 mbps Trial 3 337 ms 8.33 mbps 1.26 mbps Average 336 ms 10.16 mbps 0.97 mbps Comp to Bench +328 ms 10.43% 8.15% Switzerland Trial 1 358 ms 3.38 mbps 3.49 mbps Trial 2 358 ms 1.27 mbps 3.26 mbps Trial 3 358 ms 3.68 mbps 1.56 mbps Average 358 ms 2.78 mbps 2.77 mbps Comp to Bench +349 ms 2.85% 23.28%
Speed Tests – AirVPN – Mobile Latency Download Upload No VPN Trial 1 11 ms 73.36 mbps 14.52 mbps Trial 2 10 ms 74.34 mbps 14.28 mbps Trial 3 11 ms 75.15 mbps 14.43 mbps Average 11 ms 74.28 mbps 14.41 mbps US Trial 1 35 ms 32.22 mbps 13.14 mbps Trial 2 35 ms 29.55 mbps 13.15 mbps Trial 3 35 ms 41.48 mbps 12.96 mbps Average 35 ms 34.42 mbps 13.08 mbps Comp to Bench +24 ms 46.33% 90.79% UK Trial 1 275 ms 2.61 mbps 9.37 mbps Trial 2 277 ms 3.94 mbps 5.48 mbps Trial 3 406 ms 2.53 mbps 4.96 mbps Average 319 ms 3.03 mbps 6.60 mbps Comp to Bench +309 ms 4.07% 45.82% Hong Kong Trial 1 338 ms 3.21 mbps 2.58 mbps Trial 2 365 ms 2.90 mbps 0.98 mbps Trial 3 403 ms 2.05 mbps 2.25 mbps Average 369 ms 2.72 mbps 1.94 mbps Comp to Bench +358 ms 3.66% 13.44% Switzerland Trial 1 405 ms 2.23 mbps 5.83 mbps Trial 2 359 ms 2.75 mbps 0.36 mbps Trial 3 360 ms 1.86 mbps 3.98 mbps Average 375 ms 2.28 mbps 3.39 mbps Comp to Bench +364 ms 3.07% 23.53%
All tests performed at UDP – AES-256.
Getting support: I sent support an email through the support section of the website, asking some general questions about logging (they only specify that traffic is not logged, but are not clear one way or the other about DNS Requests, Timestamps, Bandwidth, or IP Addresses. I also asked about whether they support IPv6 (which I can’t find anywhere on the site). They responded within 24 hours with a basic (paraphrasing) “no, we don’t log those things” and “we don’t currently support IPv6, but plan to next year”. When a company claims they don’t log, but don’t have the information cited anywhere, it’s hard to take a support rep’s word for something serious like that. It was a relatively fast response, albeit a little simplistic.
Getting a refund: I replied to the support ticket above simply stating that I was unsatisfied and asked for a refund – within a couple of hours, and without any hassle or questioning whatsoever, it was delivered. Excellent service.
Concerns in Terms & Conditions / Privacy Policy: AirVPN’s terms were unoffensive, if a little unclear (ie logging policy for specific types of connection metadata, etc). They included a lot of boilerplate terms, but nothing unusual.
AirVPN secures your connections, not your computer.
It’s interesting that they should make a point of saying this. A lot of services are hyperbolic about how bulletproof their service makes you from a privacy and security standpoint, but its good that they appear to be fairly grounded in reality.
Final thoughts: AirVPN is certainly an above average service with lots to like. However, they aren’t perfect and there is a lot that is questionable to me as well. I know you’re probably sick of it by now, but – FILE GENERATOR (VPN Companies, DO THIS MORE). US speeds were amazing, but international speeds were only so-so. I have to ding them for their choice of marketing tactics – especially because I think they would be in a good position to abandon such a shady strategy and survive on their own merits with some adjustments. It’s really hard for me to take a privacy centric service seriously when they engage in tactics that abuse the trust of their potential customers – as I’ve mentioned in my “guide to choosing a VPN“. They could also be better from a privacy standpoint, as they are based in a fourteen eyes country and don’t have the most clear logging policy when it comes to the finer details. Support was fairly quick (less than 24 hours to respond), but pretty basic in their response, but they granted my refund request super fast, within a couple of hours with no questions asked.
In the end, AirVPN is an above average service for a reasonable price – I just wish they would show they were more serious about trust and transparency in this industry. They are in a position to stand on their own two feet with a couple of adjustments and shouldn’t need to rely on bottom feeders to promote them.
FROM THE VPN COMPARISON CHART CATEGORY VPN SERVICE AirVPN JURISDICTION Based In (Country) Italy Fourteen Eyes? Fourteen Enemy of the Internet No LOGGING Logs Traffic No Logs DNS Requests Logs Timestamps Logs Bandwidth Logs IP Address ACTIVISM Anonymous Payment Method Email Accepts Bitcoin Yes PGP Key Available Yes Meets PrivacyTools IO Criteria Yes LEAK PROTECTION 1st Party DNS Servers Yes IPv6 Supported / Blocked No Offers OpenVPN Yes OBFUSCATION Supports Multihop Yes Supports TCP Port 443 Yes Supports Obfsproxy Supports SOCKS Yes Supports SSL Tunnel Yes Supports SSH Tunnel Yes Other Proprietary Protocols PORT BLOCKING Auth SMTP No P2P No SPEEDS US Server Average % 90.56 Int’l Server Average % 5.99 SERVERS Dedicated or Virtual SECURITY Default Data Encryption AES-256 Strongest Data Encryption AES-256 Weakest Handshake Encryption RSA-4096 Strongest Handshake Encryption RSA-4096 AVAILABILITY # of Connections 3 # of Countries 16 # of Servers 138 Linux Support (Manual) Yes WEBSITE # of Persistent Cookies 3 # of External Trackers 0 # of Proprietary APIs 0 Server SSL Rating A+ SSL Cert issued to Self PRICING $ / Month (Annual Pricing) 4.93 $ / Connection / Month 1.64 Free Trial Yes Refund Period (Days) 3 ETHICS Contradictory Logging Policies Falsely Claims 100% Effective Incentivizes Social Media Spam POLICIES Forbids Spam No Requires Ethical Copy No Requires Full Disclosure No AFFILIATES Practice Ethical Copy No Give Full Disclosure No
If you like the project and find my work useful, please consider donating – your generous contributions help pay for the hosting, tools, and time I need to do my research and keep the data fresh. | {
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They call themselves the "Burr Gang."
Members of the group of youths in the small eastern Ontario city of Brockville, Ont., about 100 kilometres south of Ottawa, are as young as 12 and include girls and boys.
At any given time there are between six and 12 of them, but not all of them live within Brockville's city limits. Members come and go, making it difficult for police to say exactly how many there are.
"And what's their common goal? The term I've been using is to get together and cause chaos, get out and damage things [and] interact with people in a negative way," Brockville police Chief Scott Fraser said in a recent interview by phone.
"A large number of that group have all been charged with various offences," some of them over and over again after they're released into the custody of their guardians only to break their release conditions, he said.
High school assault
Police had relatively little information about the youths until a "significant assault" at a high school on Sept. 12, Fraser said.
It led to charges against four youths — a 13-year-old, two 14-year-olds and a 17-year-old — none of whom can be identified due to the provisions of the Youth Criminal Justice Act.
As is common in youth criminal matters, they were released from custody into the care of parents and guardians after being ordered to abide by certain conditions.
Suspicious death stokes fears
On Sept. 13, one day after the assault at the high school, things took a dark turn.
At about 9:30 p.m. ET, a 33-year-old man named Damian Sobieraj called 911 to report a disturbance at Hardy Park, a tree-lined green space that sits along the St. Lawrence River in Brockville's downtown waterfront area.
Brockville police issued this photo of Damian Sobieraj on Sept. 14, 2018, the day his body was found in the St. Lawrence River. (Brockville Police Service)
Responding officers found a dog in the park, which turned out to belong to Sobieraj, but Sobieraj was nowhere to be found, Fraser said. Officers intercepted a group of youths near the park and managed to question some of them.
Then, between 10:30 p.m. and 11 p.m., police were notified that a male was potentially in the St. Lawrence River, according to a police news release.
The next morning, on Sept. 14, police announced Sobieraj was missing and asked for witnesses to come forward.
His body was recovered from the water later that day near Hardy Park.
Police did not release the cause of death, and in a news release said only that it's "being treated as suspicious."
His death hasn't been classified as a homicide and no charges have been laid, but police say speculation is running rampant in the city.
Hardy Park sits on the water's edge, taking up a city block between Home, Kincaid and Water streets in the city's downtown area. (Google Maps)
Other incidents
Police aren't answering questions about whether the teens were involved in the death, and are urging residents to wait for the investigation to unfold.
"Are some of [the youths] involved? Possibly. Are some of them not involved? Possibly. Like I say, we have to do our investigation, and once our investigation is concluded, then we'll have actually concrete facts," Fraser said.
"We've told the community they will get the answers they're asking for, but it just has to come in due time."
Since Sobieraj's death, police have reported other incidents involving youths in the city:
Sept. 21 , 9:45 p.m.: Police are notified that a large group of youths are getting ready to "stage a fight" in the southeast of the city. Officers arrive, the teens scatter and two are arrested. One of them, an 18-year-old, is charged with drug possession and breaking release conditions.
, 9:45 p.m.: Police are notified that a large group of youths are getting ready to "stage a fight" in the southeast of the city. Officers arrive, the teens scatter and two are arrested. One of them, an 18-year-old, is charged with drug possession and breaking release conditions. Sept. 24 : Police issue a news release saying they're "working diligently" to come up with solutions to youth crime. "I am very aware of a 'gang' of youths in our community that have identified themselves as a gang. I refuse to name them as I believe that this would only bolster their image or 'street cred,'" the release by Staff Sgt. Andrew Harvie states.
: Police issue a news release saying they're "working diligently" to come up with solutions to youth crime. "I am very aware of a 'gang' of youths in our community that have identified themselves as a gang. I refuse to name them as I believe that this would only bolster their image or 'street cred,'" the release by Staff Sgt. Andrew Harvie states. Oct. 1 , 4:30 p.m.: A 15-year-old girl pulls another girl off her bike, throws her to the ground and punches and kicks her in the head. The victim calls police and her alleged attacker is arrested and charged on Oct. 4. At a bail hearing she's released from custody with conditions.
, 4:30 p.m.: A 15-year-old girl pulls another girl off her bike, throws her to the ground and punches and kicks her in the head. The victim calls police and her alleged attacker is arrested and charged on Oct. 4. At a bail hearing she's released from custody with conditions. Oct. 3, around noon: An assault takes place near Stewart Boulevard and Central Avenue, and a video of the incident is shared on social media. A 17-year-old is facing charges.
Investigators believe there are other incidents that haven't been reported to police.
Brockville Watch Dogs group formed
As police continue to investigate Sobieraj's death, residents have started a neighbourhood watch group called the Brockville Watch Dogs, which organizes volunteer patrols.
"We simply patrol around Brockville [in places] that are considered hotspots. A lot of it is the downtown area ... and around the high schools," member Kendra Healey told CBC Radio's Ontario Morning earlier this week.
"It's totally your discretion when you're part of the group if you want to actually speak up and say something if you see [something suspicious] or if you just want to call the police."
More than 190 people have signed up since the group was created on Sept. 24.
A vicious cycle
Meanwhile, police are trying to engage with community partners to find better ways to handle the problem.
"We're reaching out to all of our partners here to say hey, we're dealing with 12-, 13-, 14-year-olds, and repeatedly charging them ... is doing nothing for anybody," Fraser said.
"Frankly, when they get home they have nothing, and there's no accountability on the parents, which is very sad. But that's Canada and it's 2018 — it's everybody's fault but the parents'. We're stuck in that quandary here.
"We feel bad for these kids and we feel bad for the people who are being victimized." | {
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Deadpool
Wade Wilson was born in Canada, but grew up to become the least Canadian person ever. When it comes to the Merc with a Mouth, with great power comes no responsibility. | {
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Help Your Middle Schooler Study Like a Pro with Big Fat Notebooks
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Want to help your tweens study like pros? You’re going to love Big Fat Notebooks! They’re like having all the notes from the smartest kid in the class right at your fingertips. These are seriously the coolest study aides I’ve ever seen! I partnered with Workman Publishing to share this fabulous resource for your middle school kids (and you!).
With back to school season starting in just a couple of weeks (we go back on August 29th), I’ve been in overdrive trying to get Jacob ready for middle school. It’s such a huge transition for him after spending K-5 in the same elementary school. I think I’m almost as nervous as he is, especially about the course load that he’ll be facing. The classes are a lot different than he’s used to, with separate teachers for every subject. I talked to a middle schooler who told me he had as many as 15 different teachers every semester! I worry that he’ll have a harder time keeping up with the lessons since everything moves at a much faster pace.
Big Fat Notebooks Middle School Study Guides to the Rescue
Big Fat Notebooks are amazing. Simply amazing. I’ve never been so impressed with a study aide. Even Jacob, who honestly isn’t really looking forward to getting back to school work, has already dived in and started reading them. The books were designed by the incredible brains at Brain Quest, and each one covers exactly what your tween needs to know for five different classes. They cover all the main subjects: Math, Science, American History, World History and English Language Arts.
Inside each book, you’ll find engaging, colorful information laid out in an easy-to-follow way. The books use vivid neon colors to highlight critical ideas and fun doodles to illustrate the trickiest concepts. You’ll also find mnemonics to help you remember things. At the end of each chapter, your tween can test his knowledge with quizzes.
The Big Fat Notebooks meet every major standard of education, including Common Core, and every single word is vetted by award-winning teachers. Best of all, these study guides actually make learning FUN! Let’s check out the book descriptions, then I’ll tell you a bit more about what I really love about them.
Big Fat Notebooks Series Book Descriptions
Everything You Need to Ace Math . . . covers everything to get you over any math hump: fractions, decimals, and how to multiply and divide them; ratios, proportions, and percentages; geometry; statistics and probability; expressions and equations; and the coordinate plane and functions.
Everything You Need to Ace Science . . . takes readers from scientific investigation and the engineering design process to the Periodic Table; forces and motion; forms of energy; outer space and the solar system; to earth sciences, biology, body systems, ecology, and more.
Everything You Need to Ace American History . . . covers Native Americans to the war in Iraq. There are units on Colonial America; the Revolutionary War and the founding of a new nation; Jefferson and the expansion west; the Civil War and Reconstruction; and all of the notable events of the 20th century—World Wars, the Depression, the Civil Rights movement, and much more.
Everything You Need to Ace World History . . . kicks off with the Paleolithic Era and transports the reader to ancient civilizations—in Egypt, Greece, India, China, Africa, Rome; the middle ages across the world; the Renaissance; the age of exploration and colonialization, revolution and imperialism, and the modern world and the wars and movements that shaped it.
Everything You Need to Ace English Language Arts . . . covers everything to get you your best marks: grammar, including parts of speech, active and passive verbs, Greek and Latin roots and affixes; nuances in word meanings; textual analysis, authorship, structure, and other skills for reading fiction and nonfiction; and writing arguments, informative texts, and narratives.
What I really love about the Big Fat Notebooks
Aside from the fact that they break down every subject in a way that my son can follow, I find these to be an extremely valuable resource for me! I graduated high school in 1993. Over twenty years ago. Things have changed so much! Even with the things that are the same, I’ve forgotten quite a bit over the years. These books are like a refresher course for me.
The Everything You Need to Ace Math book is especially priceless for me. I’ve never been strong in math. By the middle of 4th grade, I was already struggling to help Jake with his homework. Last year, in 5th grade, I was completely lost. I’ve already started studying the Big Fat Notebook math study guide so I can at least try to help Jake this year. Since it’s designed for middle school kids, I’m actually able to follow it too. I’ve been enjoying reading the other books as well. I’ve always loved history, so I’m brushing up on my knowledge now, that way when Jake needs help, I’ll be ready.
Most of all, I love that these books have found an engaging way to help kids learn. Jake does better when he actually finds the subject interesting. By using plenty of colors and a fun format, Big Fat Notebooks manages to make even the subjects that your kids find boring more exciting. I’m showing these to everyone I know with middle graders. They really are a must-have back to school supply!
Learn more about these revolutionary study guides at the Big Fat Notebook website. Ready to buy? Head to Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Indiebound or Workman and grab them now so you’ll be ready for the start of the school year. Follow Workman Pub on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter and Tumblr to keep up with news.
Big Fat Notebooks Giveaway
Enter below for a chance to win a set of Big Fat Notebooks and some really cute branded school supplies, including highlighter/pen combos, a notepad, and jigsaw sticky notes. The sticky notes are really cool! They’re perfect for flagging important pages in your book.
Giveaway is open to US residents age 18+ and ends on August 29th.
Big Fat Notebooks
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Infamous rapper 6ix9ine has been snitching on everyone since his trial began, naming a number of big names like Cardi B and Trippie Redd as gang members. It seems no one has been safe from his testimony.
The latest bizarre twist? 6ix9ine, full name Daniel Hernandez, has just revealed that the infamous serial killer Kira is in fact ordinary Japanese student Light Yagami, son of the chief of police.
Investigators are going over the evidence now, but the notion seems absurd. An upstanding young student with such a bright future, capable of killing massive swaths of people without ever leaving his house? The resemblance, however, does seem uncanny.
6ix9ine, who was facing over 40 years in prison, may be looking at under a year now thanks to ratting on all of his former associates. The snitching does not seem to have any end in sight, and though the judge has said that Hernandez has named enough people, he just keeps talking.
We will keep this story updated as the trial develops. | {
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WASHINGTON (October 22, 2018)—The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is reportedly considering changes to the federal definition of gender, and wholly misrepresenting science in an attempt to justify its actions. This change could threaten the civil rights of transgender and other people and should be rejected, according to the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS).
Below is a statement by UCS Executive Director Kathleen Rest.
“This proposed change pushes pseudoscience. It could enable greater discrimination against transgender people in employment, education, housing and health care access.
“It’s baseless and wrong for HHS to distort science to try to rationalize this change. It’s a charade, not a real argument. This administration has repeatedly misrepresented or rejected science on numerous public health issues, and there’s no scientific justification for this redefinition, either.
“It’s unacceptable to write anyone out of our society, and especially odious to rely on baseless pseudo-scientific arguments to do so. We stand in support of transgender people against the administration’s attempts to marginalize them.” | {
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Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand on Sunday said they will put on a “full court press” to force the GOP-controlled Senate to take up gun safety measures by inviting an array of speakers — including survivors of mass shootings — to tell their tales.
“We’re here to tell leader McConnell enough is enough, we’re here to tell leader McConnell we do not want this legislation to sit in his legislation graveyard and if he does the right thing the American people will cheer,” Schumer said at a news conference Sunday, referring to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.
“If he does the wrong thing, he will go down in history as somebody who is so afraid that he will not prevent future deaths from gun violence,” the New York Democrat continued.
Gillibrand, who pulled out of the Democratic presidential race last month, questioned why McConnell was waiting to take up gun legislation after the recent shootings in Texas and Ohio.
”Shame on Mitch McConnell and shame on Congress for standing and doing nothing and turning a blind eye to real suffering,” she said.
Robert Gaafar, a Long Island man who survived the 2017 Las Vegas massacre that killed 58 people and wounded more than 400, will be one of the people telling their story to the Senate.
“When you experience gun violence, it makes you see the world differently. I don’t want to live in a country where mass shootings become American as apple pie or where guns are worshiped like idols and the protection of life becomes secondary,” the 35-year-old Gaafar said. “It’s like we’re becoming one nation under gun.”
Schumer and Gillibrand spoke in Manhattan just hours after Schumer and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced they had sent a letter to President Trump urging him to back background check legislation the Democratic-controlled House already passed.
“Every day that Senator McConnell blocks our House-passed, life-saving bills, an average of 100 people — including 47 children and teenagers — die from senseless gun violence,” the Democrats wrote, adding that an estimated 20,000 Americans have died from gun violence since the House passed the bill on Feb. 27.
The Democratic leaders said if he gets McConnell to pass the legislation, they would “both join him for a historic signing ceremony at the Rose Garden.”
White House spokesman Judd Deere said the president and the lawmakers had a “cordial” conversation.
Trump made no commitments but ”indicated his interest in working to find a bipartisan legislative solution on appropriate responses to the issue of mass gun violence,” Deere said in a statement.
Counselor to the President Kellyanne Conway was more forceful, saying Democrats shouldn’t use the mass shootings to take firearms from law-abiding people.
“We’re not going to allow bad actors who should not have firearms in the first place, who then murder innocent Americans, to be an excuse for a bunch of liberals and socialists have to confiscate firearms from law-abiding citizens who have legally procured them,” she said on “Fox News Sunday.”
With additional reporting by Nikki Schwab | {
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Subsets and Splits