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My post on hormones, nitrites, and antibiotics left me pondering bacon. Okay, so it doesn’t take all that much to get me thinking about ba... | {
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"How can you say we got some resistance from Palolo, we got some resistance from Halau Ku Mana, so we'll magically take those out of the picture as if it's not going to make a difference on how it's going to impact on the Ala Wai Canal?" asked property owner Dave Watase. | {
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Rachel Axon
USA TODAY Sports
Maria Sharapova is the most noteworthy athlete to have failed a drug test for meldonium, but in the month since the tennis star revealed her use of a drug that she contends is for medical reasons a slew of other top athletes have been implicated.
They include fellow Russians Yuliya Efimova, a four-time breaststroke world champion, and Nikolai Kuksenkov, the country’s best male gymnast. In all, 140 athletes have tested positive for meldonium in the three months after it was banned on Jan. 1, according to a World Anti-Doping Agency spokesman.
But as the tally of failed tests increases, critics are raising questions about its performance enhancing benefits and how WADA could ban the drug with what they say is relatively little scientific evidence.
“There’s really no evidence that there’s any performance enhancement from meldonium. Zero,” said Don Catlin, a long-time anti-doping expert and the scientific director of the Banned Substances Control Group.
Those supporting meldonium’s ban point to its potential to enhance performance and measures of its use by athletes, both before and since the ban.
Drug used by Maria Sharapova banned after tip to USADA
Those questions highlight a difficult position for WADA. With scant existing research, how does it know meldonium enhances performance? Does it need to ban a drug like meldonium before it understands its benefits and potential harms because it sees athletes using the drug? And if it’s not enhancing performance, why are a large number of seemingly healthy athletes taking a drug used to treat patients with heart problems?
Criteria for banning drugs
Meldonium’s journey to WADA’s prohibited substances list began in March 2014 when the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency received a confidential tip that Eastern European athletes were using the drug to enhance performance.
By October of that year, meldonium — which also goes by the brand name Mildronate — was on WADA’s monitoring list. In February 2015, scientists completed a study of global athlete usage of the drug.
In reviewing 8,320 urine samples, the study — which was funded by the Partnership for Clean Competition — found that 182 samples contained meldonium. At 2.2% of the sample, it was more than double the rate for any other drug on the list. While stating that the findings of meldonium in samples was not limited to a particular sport, the paper notes use of the drug was found to a greater extent in strength sports (67%) and endurance sports (25%).
Results from the European Games in Baku, Azerbaijan, in June seemed to support concealed use of the drug. That research, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, showed positive tests for meldonium in 66 of 762 urine samples but that only 23 athletes of the 662 athletes tested had declared their use of the drug.
Of the 662 doping-control forms the study reviewed, 525 declared the use of a medication or nutritional supplement. Use of meldonium was found in 15 of 21 sports, and the total count included 13 medalists.
While acknowledging evidence of meldonium’s performance enhancing effects is “limited,” the study concluded that since the drug was not being used primarily for therapeutic reasons it was “evidently being used with the intention to either improve recovery or enhance performance.”
To be considered for WADA’s prohibited list, a substance must meet two of three criteria: that it enhances or has the potential to enhance performance, that it presents an actual or potential health risk or that it violates the spirit of sport.
Once it was up for consideration, WADA’s expert group could consider public discussion on the drug, information from medical literature, monitoring, the availability of a test for the drug, among other factors.
In September, WADA decided to ban the drug and that went into effect on Jan. 1. In its explanatory note, WADA wrote that it was banned because of evidence of use with the intention of enhancing performance.
No clear answer on how long meldonium stays in system
Dr. Andrew Pipe, medical and scientific advisor to Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport, acknowledged there is little English-language literature available on meldonium, which was created in Latvia in the 1970s and is not approved for use in the United States and many other Western countries.
But Pipe defended its addition to the list, saying that while he was not speaking for WADA that the committee did follow WADA’s process. In a statement, a WADA spokesman similarly noted that the agency followed its process in banning meldonium.
“If you have a substance that has a purported mechanism that is capable of enhancing performance, you have evidence it is being used by large numbers of athletes and you have evidence that it is used by a large number of athletes concealed, then I think you come to the conclusion that this is a substance that should be placed on the prohibited list,” said Pipe, who was chair of the expert group at the time.
Little scientific evidence
Catlin and others question whether meldonium meets the basic criteria to be considered for the list. It’s not that it doesn’t enhance performance, Catlin said, it’s that there’s not research to show that.
“They have to try to show that it enhances performance, but by banning it they’ve already said it enhances performance and that will make people turn to it,” Catlin said.
“You can find that it has effects, but it’s difficult to link those to performance enhancement,” said Catlin. “I’ve tried and tried to figure out why so many athletes seem to be taking it.”
The drug, which is used to primarily to treat heart and cardiovascular diseases, works by shifting cells’ metabolism from fatty acids to carbohydrates for energy, a process that requires less oxygen.
A 2002 paper from researchers at Tbilisi State Medical University in Georgia found the drug has a positive effect on the physical working capacity of judokas, concluding it did not have side effects. Research presented in 2012 at the Baltic Sport Science Conference found much the same, noting it was not on the doping list.
For its part, Grindeks, the company that manufactures Mildronate, says it is not a performance-enhancing drug because it prevents the death of ischemic cells and does not increase performance of normal cells.
In guidance issued after the drug was banned, the Finnish Anti-Doping Agency noted there is “little scientific evidence of meldonium being able to enhance athletic performance.”
WADA does not have to prove a substance’s performance enhancing effects, and athletes are not able to challenge a drug’s inclusion on the prohibited list.
Catlin contends WADA incorrectly used evidence of use as a criterion. While few question whether use of the drug violates the spirit of sport, the broadest of the three criteria, some question how much it meets the first two.
“If you take those criteria seriously, then you would think that substances need to be innocent before proven guilty,” said Roger Pielke Jr., a University of Colorado professor whose book, The Edge: The War against Cheating and Corruption in the Cutthroat World of Elite Sports, is due out this year. “You can just say here’s a substance, athletes are taking it therefore we have suspicion that it has performance enhancing effects. Your anti-doping list would expand very rapidly if any substance that out there and you just add it to the list.
“If evidence is to matter, then the meldonium ban was put into place before that evidence became readily available,” he added.
Getting that evidence is part of the problem WADA faces. First, there is the cost. Conducting a study of the drug’s effect on elite athletes that would include a big enough group to draw conclusions can be expensive.
Then there are ethical considerations. At what doses could a study give a drug, even to consenting participants? Athletes often ascribe to the theory that if some is good, more is better and might be doubling, tripling or even quadrupling the dosage, said Victor Conte, founder of BALCO.
Athletes would need an exemption to compete with the drug or be held out of competition for the duration of the study.
All of that can make it hard for WADA to respond to evidence of misuse of a drug by athletes.
“(It’s) extremely difficult given that WADA is not only underfunded, but it has to deal with several substances, many of which have effects that WADA is unable to determine due to lack of research and literature,” said Dr. Gregory Ioannidis, a sports lawyer and anti-doping expert in the United Kingdom.
While not impossible, conducting that research for each drug WADA considers banning presents a significant barrier. Without it, WADA faces the difficult position of banning a substance without knowing its effects.
“It does have the real potential to enhance performance,” said Dr. Tom Bassindale, anti-doping scientist and forensic toxicologist at Sheffield Hallam University in the United Kingdom. “It’s just there hasn’t been enough background research to prove that it does it yet.”
‘Rampant use’
So what can be concluded from the high number of athletes using meldonium?
Catlin found little reason behind Sharapova’s explanations, which included a magnesium deficiency and a family history of diabetes, and suggested there was little to infer from the number of failed tests other than that many athletes used meldonium.
But others accept the conclusion from some researchers and from WADA — that its use is at least with the intent to enhance performance.
“They must believe it does to all be on it,” said Bassindale. “It’s very hard to believe they all have angina or diabetes.”
For his part, Conte, who has worked to help anti-doping efforts after serving a prison sentence related to the BALCO case, said athletes’ use of meldonium is an endorsement of its performance enhancing effects.
“They know when it works. When you take drugs, you know when you’re stronger, faster, have more endurance,” he said.
“Of course it works. Now is there a double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover clinical trial with a sufficient total of subjects involved to be published in a credible scientific journal? No. But is there rampant use of it in Olympic sports? Yes.” | {
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LONDON – A Ramat-Gan based start-up introduced its prototype for Elli•Q, a robotic companion for the elderly, at the Design Museum in London last week.The device, whose design came about from a collaboration with Swiss designer Yves Béhar, was unveiled at the opening night of the museum’s New Old: Designing for our Future Selves exhibition.Designed to address the loneliness and social isolation experienced by many older adults, Elli•Q inspires participation in activities by proactively suggesting and instantly connecting older adults to digital content such as TED talks, music or audio books; recommending physical activities such as taking a walk after watching television for a prolonged period of time; keeping appointments and taking medications on time; and connecting with family through technology like chat bots linked to Facebook Messenger.In terms of companionship, Elli•Q might remind a user that she has bridge in the evening, and suggest that the user might want to practice with the robot ahead of time.Or, it might remind a user that he wanted to Skype with his daughter, while practicing tai chi.The device itself has two main parts: a moving robot head and a tablet.Akin to a small, highly stylized lampshade, Elli•Q exhibits human characteristics and is animated by movement, speech, sound and light.Speaking to The Jerusalem Post on opening night, Intuition Robotics CEO and founder Dor Skuler said: “It’s very exciting to be here now.We started the company in mid-2015 and we self-funded it, and then exactly a year ago we raised our seed funding.“The company’s been full throttle for about a year, which is a relatively short time from concept to execution for something of this scale,” he added.Skuler noted that the robotic companion, which will begin its trial phase in California’s Bay Area in February 2017, had also proved a hit with the elderly British audience that had tried it earlier in the day.“It’s been wonderful to see the reception we’re getting,” he said. “We spent the morning with older adults we invited to interact with Elli•Q to give us feedback and we were just blown away.”Asked whether Elli•Q would replace human companionship, Béhar said: “Elli•Q could never replace human interaction, [but] it can be an important motivating factor in keeping older adults healthy and active when living alone.” | {
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From June 24, 2018, all JFrog Cloud services will stop supporting the TLS 1.0 and 1.1 protocols which have been deprecated, but will continue to support TLS 1.2. For more details, click here | {
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This is the fifth article in a series in which philosophers discuss the greatest moral challenge of our time, and how we should address it. Read part one here, part two here, part three here, and part four here.
My first real awareness of our psychological attitudes to technology came from an unusual source: the British comedian Eddie Izzard. Izzard describes two diametrically opposed attitudes to technology: techo-fear and techno-joy.
Those with techno-fear are hesitant, blundering and worry that technology will cause the end of the world. Those with techno-joy are blindly optimistic about what technology can do. Izzard explains his own techno-joy:
When I get a new machine I think, “Yes! This machine will save my life, I’ll never work again!” … And the first thing you do if you’ve got techno-joy is you get the instructions and throw them out the window!
One of the great moral challenges of our time will be to find something between the categories of techo-joy and techno-fear. We need to find something resembling “techno-wisdom” (though I doubt it would make for good comedy).
It’s going to take a lot of people working together to map out exactly what this techno-wisdom looks like. Happily, lots of different academics and organisations have been working on versions of this for a while.
Argumentative themes
Most arguments about technology centre around three distinct themes:
technology overcomes: technology will either save the world by overcoming our greatest challenges or it will overcome us. An example is the debate around lethal autonomous weapons systems
technology influences: technology will either free us up to focus on what matters or it will distract us from what matters. Negative examples appear in just about every episode of the television series Black Mirror. More optimistic versions can be found in the debate over “ethical nudging”.
technology amplifies: with technology we’ll either be able to do great things quickly, efficiently and at scale or we’ll be able to do horrible things in the same fashion.
Read more: Looking for truth in the Facebook age? Seek out views you aren't going to 'like'
The parameters of the debate are set and nobody seems to be budging in their opinions. But this impasse itself generates ethical challenges. The opportunities are too great to ignore technology, but the risks are too high to allow it to proceed unrestrained.
Understanding technology is vital
In Izzard’s comedy, ignorance and ineptitude drive those who fear technology. Interestingly though, he paints those with techno-joy in much the same way. Neither understands technology. This is where our techno-wisdom should begin: understanding what technology is and how it works.
Philosophers of technology such as Martin Heidegger, Jacques Ellul and Albert Borgmann have argued that technology reflects a distinctive way of seeing the world around us. It tends to reduce the world to a series of technical problems to solve and an assortment of things to use, measure, store and control.
On this understanding, technology isn’t value-neutral. It encourages us to seek control, values efficiency and effectiveness over other considerations, and reduces everything to a unit of measurement.
Read more: We need to become global citizens to rebuild trust in our globalised world
There are countless examples to prove this point. Online technology is challenging traditional journalistic values in favour of speed and reach. Dating apps commodify our potential romantic partners and try to free dating from the perils of rejection or unwanted advances. Computer-generated porn allows you to make your favourite celebrity crush do whatever you want. She doesn’t have to consent. She doesn’t even have to know.
If this is the values system behind technology, are we comfortable with it, even if it does make life incredibly convenient? If not, what should we do about it?
Focus on means
Despite being polar opposites, techno-fear and techno-joy have a common ethical thread: a focus on outcomes. Each side agrees that ethical technology must lead to positive change in the world (or at least, not create more problems). They disagree about whether technology will end up being a force for good or ill.
However, focusing on outcomes blinds us to another dimension of technological ethics: the means by which those outcomes are achieved.
Many people are thinking about technological processes and their ethical implications, but often they’re focusing on them because they’ve brought about bad outcomes. The discussion becomes another battlefield on which to have a debate about outcomes.
Read more: Don't shoot the messenger when confronted with inconvenient ideas
For instance, debate about COMPAS – the data sentencing algorithm that was the subject of a widely-read Pro Publica investigation – focused on the fact that it tended to produce racially-loaded outcomes. That’s important. But it’s also important to understand how COMPAS worked, even if the outcomes weren’t so evidently problematic.
Let’s imagine we knew an algorithm like COMPAS was 100% effective at predicting an offender’s likelihood of re-offending. Let’s also imagine that the reason it was so accurate was because its data set was so comprehensive. It included every piece of private communication an offender had produced in the past ten years. Every text message, Facebook post, email, phone call, webpage view – all of it. This data enabled a crystal-clear psychological profile of the offender and incredibly precise predictions of re-offending.
There would still be reason to object to this technology, not because it achieved awful results, but because it achieved good results in a way that undermined our commonly-held principles around privacy and civil liberty. That’s where an exclusively outcome-driven philosophy becomes a real problem.
Humans first
Technology is likely to be part of the solution to most of our great moral challenges. But not alone. One of technology’s functions is to amplify human activity. This means humans need to get their own house in order before tech can be helpful.
We also need to get the technological process right. We need to change our standard of what counts as “excellent” technology away from the logic of speed, effectiveness and control. If we don’t, technology is likely to become our next great moral challenge. More worrying, by then we may have ceded too much power to the machines to be able to do anything about it. | {
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As the Empire State gets ready for its moment in the primary spotlight, New Yorkers have a lot to be happy about on the presidential level. Not only is their primary relevant and important for the first time in a generation, but three of the leading candidates have deep New York ties. After more than half a century in the political wilderness, New York looks like it is finally ready to be back in the spotlight.
The Republican front-runner, Queens-born Donald Trump, is uniquely indentified with his home state. Trump’s entire career, as a real estate mogul, reality TV star and “tell-it-like-it-is” candidate, is based on his New York connections and New York personality. On the Democratic side, both candidates have strong New York roots. Bernie Sanders is Vermont's senior senator, but he was born and bred in Brooklyn. And Hillary Clinton may have been born in Illinois and lived in Arkansas and the White House, but her political ascent started in the Empire State, where she was twice elected New York’s junior senator.
This is really a long-awaited return to form for the state. Back in the days when it was the largest Electoral College prize, New York was the lynchpin of presidential elections. Its leaders served as critical kingmakers on both sides of the aisles. The result was that New Yorkers were well represented on the presidential tickets.
From 1868, with Horatio Seymour, through Thomas Dewey’s famously failed run in 1948, New Yorkers were on the ballot as either a presidential or vice presidential pick in all but two elections (1908 and 1924). New Yorkers were sometimes the only choice—in 1904 and 1944, the Democrats and Republicans both put up New Yorkers as their presidential candidates.
New York’s days as a presidential incubator came to an abrupt end once Dewey did not in fact defeat Truman. Since 1948, New York has not had a single presidential nominee. It has seen three vice presidential candidates make the ticket, but all three lost, two of them in the biggest blowouts in history. The state did manage to get one of its own appointed vice president, but Nelson Rockefeller then had the ignominious distinction of being dropped from the ballot when it was election time.
New York’s fall seemed to track closely with its drop in population, from first to fourth. The two states that have elected more than one president since 1948 are now the top two in terms of population: California and Texas.
But now, New York is back. It’s even seeing surprising success on the congressional level, as Charles Schumer is to become the first-ever party leader in the Senate to come from New York.
What explains New York’s back to glory campaign? For one, the state is use to producing and handling outsize, TV-ready personalities—such as Trump and even Clinton, who ranks among the most famous people globally. New York City was always a staging ground for movies and TV shows, though it has moved from the setting of "Death Wish" and "The Warriors" to the 1990s successes of "Seinfeld" and "Friends."
New York became in the popular imagination a prime location for fun and enjoyable living. Even us natural-born hayseeds in Brooklyn have seen the borough transformed into a hot spot, and Bernie Sanders’ accent and behavior are no longer seen as an ethnic or urban oddity. Instead, Brooklyn might as well be any cool city.
The road back to political relevance has been as bumpy and unpleasant as a trip on the Cross-Bronx Expressway. But on April 19, New Yorkers can finally celebrate a rare high point in their political travels. The Empire State will be back on top.
Joshua Spivak is a senior fellow at the Hugh L. Carey Institute for Government Reform at Wagner College. He blogs at recallelections.blogspot.com. | {
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An antenna analyzer is one of those things that every ham should have, or they should at least know where they can borrow one. Naturally, being a ham for 20 years, I’ve never owned one, but I’d always read great things about RigExpert so when they came out with the new AA-230 Zoom, I decided that this was the analyzer for me. Why the AA-230 Zoom specifically? I’ll tell you why!
The AA-230 Zoom seems to be an odd solution on the surface. The AA-170 covers almost the same range and unless you really need to cover 1.23cm band, why not spend just a little bit more for the fabulous AA-600? Sure the AA-230 Zoom has a great screen and some sort of “zoom” functionality, but the AA-170 is less than half the price, so why not get that one instead? I asked myself those same questions and did some digging. Let’s see what led me to purchasing the AA-230 Zoom over those other choices by comparing the key specs that influenced my decision.
AA-170
The AA-170 does not generate signals up to 170 MHz natively. Instead it uses measurement frequencies up to 34 MHz (DDS1) and mixes those with set tones and harmonics of the original measurement. My guess is that this is one of the reasons why the AA-170 is so much less expensive than the AA-230 Zoom. This analyzer also has a monochrome screen and a slower processor than the AA-230 Zoom, both of which also likely contribute to the lower price.
AA-600
The AA-600 uses a similar technique as the AA-170 to accomplish its greater range, this time using frequencies up to 200 MHz as the DDS1 frequency. With a higher range for DDS1, higher frequencies are possible using harmonics and mixing. In fact, the AA-600, 1000, and 1400 allow extended range by using even higher harmonics than those available natively through the use of the AntScope software.
AA-230 Zoom
From what I can gather from the RigExpert web pages, the AA-230 Zoom does not use harmonic mixing for signal generation, and instead is capable of natively creating signals up to 230 MHz.
The argument could be made that the AA-230 Zoom is akin to an AA-600 without the extended frequency capability afforded by the harmonic mixing technique, so why not get the AA-600 for only a little bit more money?
The AA-230 Zoom is substantially smaller than the AA-600, which for me is a pretty important selling point. Additionally, though I do rarely use the 70cm band, I really don’t have a need to measure above the 2M band, so I’m really not getting anything for my money with the bigger, more expensive unit. My needs are primarily HF and 2m.
User Interface
The screen is magnificent. I mean, it’s really nice. It’s dark enough that it has great contrast, but bright enough that you can easily see it outdoors. Whoever designed the screen on this thing should get a raise.
This review was written using Firmware v1.4 on an AA-230 Zoom with a serial number within the first 120 units. New versions of software and hardware may alter the results seen on future devices.
As a fun aside, it sounds like a 1980s video game when you turn it on and push the buttons. Hell, it even kind of resembles an old Coleco Electronic Quarterback game!
The user interface is pretty intuitive, which is a good thing because while the manual is useful and explains how most of the features work, it doesn’t explain why you’d want to perform these tests. To be fair, the manual is easy to read and is very straightforward, and in this day of terrible manuals, it’s refreshing to have one that isn’t riddled with bad grammar thanks to poor translations. The fact that the AA-230 Zoom is easy to use is the reason that the manual is so simple, and that’s a good thing.
What I might like to see in the manual is a brief section on how to use an analyzer like this. For example, reading a Smith Chart is not terribly intuitive, and though the material is covered in the amateur radio Extra exam in the US, passing the test doesn’t automatically mean you get the concepts. Still, that may be an unfair thing to complain about since I didn’t buy a class, I bought an analyzer. It’s pretty fair for RigExpert to assume I know what I’m trying to analyze.
Smith Chart
Speaking of Smith charts, generating one is the first option on the analyzer’s on-screen menu, followed by SWR Chart, R,X chart, SWR meter, All Params, Setup, RL chart, TDR chart, MultiSWR, and Tools. Let’s take a quick look at each.
If you don’t know how to read a Smith chart, you’re probably not alone. There was a fair bit of material about the math involved on the amateur radio Extra exam, but in my opinion understanding the math behind the charts is not necessary to using the charts successfully when analyzing your antenna — at least not with a cool tool like the AA-230 Zoom.
One of the best things I’ve seen about reading Smith charts is this video by Antenna Theory.com. It starts off with some math that may hurt your head if you don’t like the idea of imaginary numbers, but hang in there until about the 7:40 mark where it all clicked for me. That’s when I realized that the little red circle on the AA-230 Zoom’s Smith chart indicated that my Diamond X50 seems to be resonant at 50Ω right around the 142 MHz mark. The arrow keys let you move that red circle to see what frequent is being represented at various points on the plot.
All of the tools can be run either once by clicking the [OK] key or continuously by clicking the [F][OK] key combination. At any time you can cancel measurement in either mode by pressing the [cancel] button.
SWR Chart
Next is the SWR chart mode. In this mode, the analyzer will plot the SWR values across a range of specified frequencies. Note that most of these tools can be given a specified range by using the [fq. range] button (3).
In this mode, the ham radio bands will be highlighted in blue (or yellow in the AntScope software) so that you can quickly see if your antenna is tuned the way you want. In fact, you can see in the first example that my Larson NMO2/70B needs to be tuned since it it’s lowest SWR measurement is at 140 MHz which is outside of the US 2M band (144-148 MHz).
In the second example I’ve scanned my magnet mount Cushcraft CS-270 that I’ve probably had for 20 years. From an SWR standpoint, that rusty old thing is spot on with the lowest SWR reading right smack in the middle of the US 2m band.
You can easily change the nationality of these bands in the Setup menu. Available options as of firmware v1.4 are Europe & Africa, Americas, Asia & Oceana, and None (for no highlighting of bands). You may also change the colors on the screen and the units between imperial and metric as well as a variety of other options such as cable velocity factor and the number of data points.
Here is another chart, this time reporting on the SWR of multiple ham bands on my seven-band off-center-fed dipole antenna. This is a great example because you can see how the multi-band antenna behaves when transmitting on various bands. The 40M band is the left-most blue line which is showing about a 1.2 SWR. There is a small line to the right of that which represents 30 meters (about 3 SWR), then 20M (about 1.7 SWR), and so-on. This quick look into the SWR of multiple bands on a single antenna is a very powerful tool. Again, the arrow keys can be used to move the white line and triangle left and right. The value of the frequency where this line occurs is reported on the top of the screen while the minimum SWR for the scan is reported on the bottom.
By the way, if you’ve wondered what the “zoom” in AA-230 Zoom represents, it’s the ability to zoom in and out of any of these charts even as measurements are taking place. Here’s the same chart zoomed into the 20M band. Note that when zoomed out wide there are less data points included over the smaller range, so if you zoom into a wide chart, eventually you’ll zoom beyond the resolution of the chart at which point you’ll need to re-scan. The left chart shows a zoom of the previous chart. Since there are fewer data points in the shown range (only one on-screen and two just off-screen), the chart is very angular. The right example shows a similar range (a little tighter, actually) but with this range containing all the data points which results in a much smoother chart. Basically, if you want detailed data, you’ll need to zoom in before you scan.
R/X Impedance
Next on the main menu is the R,X mode which reports the real/imaginary (R/X) impedance of an antenna or cable. This tool can be used to figure out the length of a cable, as well as where any faults in a cable might be. though the TDR mode is easier for these purposes. It can also be used to measure the characteristic impedance of a cable. In fact, the analyzer can be used to measure capacitance and inductance using this mode, but the manual advises that this is “not the main purpose of RigExpert Analyzers” (RigExpert AA-30 Zoom Manual, pg. 21). In this example I’ve turned off the ham band indicators and run the test on a short cable with the end closed.
The impedance reported by the analyzer may be represented in one of two ways; serial or parallel. The result shown here use the series model for load, which can be changed to the parallel model using the [Function][1] key combination. In the series mode, impedance is expressed as the two measurements resistance and reactance in series, while the parallel mode obviously expresses them in parallel. These two differing views are shown to the right including the formulas used to derive Z.
This change in the way in which impedance can be expressed is adjustable both on the RX tool and the All Params tool, which we’ll see in just a bit.
SWR Meter
Option 7 on the main menu is the SWR meter. This excellent tool allows you to enter a frequency for which the AA-230 Zoom will report the SWR after hitting [OK]. In this example I’m using the same antenna from the SWR chart example that is slightly out of tune, which shows an SWR of 1.75 at 146 MHz. This tool stays running until you cancel it so you can see directly what any changes to your antenna have in real time. This is a great tool because you don’t need to inject any power or signal into the antenna like you would with a typical SWR meter that goes inline between the transmitter and antenna. With the analyzer connected to the antenna, just run this mode, adjust the antenna and watch the results in real time.
As an aside, this mode is fun to show people how SWR can be affected by things like changing ground planes, touching the antenna, and moving a loose PL-239 connector, all without the risk of RF burns from doing the same thing with a transmitter attached.
A quick note is in order about battery power. When the analyzer is connected to a USB port that provides power, the analyzer will be powered from that source instead of the batteries.
All Params
Next on the menu is the All Params tool. This tool shows direct data for SWR, Return Loss (RL), impedance (Z), Resistance (R), reactance (X), inductance (L), and Capacitance (C). This is a great screen if you prefer raw data to pretty charts and graphs. Once started, this tool will run continuously until canceled.
Again, when you see a frequency listed then the tool is testing for that setting and the setting can be changed on the fly with the arrow keys or by pressing the [fq. range](3) key.
RL Chart
RL chart is main menu option F4, and it doesn’t appear anywhere in my manual or in the manual I downloaded from the RigExpert website. My assumption is that this tool reports on Return Loss for a given frequency or range. The output shown to the right is the RL Chart for my Diamond X50 2m/70cm antenna. Since an increased RL corresponds to a lower SWR and this antenna reports a maximum RL right smack in the 2M band, I’d say my assumption stands to reason.
Multi-SWR
MultiSWR mode (F7 on the main menu) will report the SWR measurements for multiple specific frequencies at once. Here, I’ve hooked the AA-230 Zoom up to my Buckmaster seven-band off-center-fed dipole antenna and as expected, you can see that it has better SWR on some bands than others. It’s pretty darn good on 80m, not so great on 60m, back to pretty darn good on 40m and so-on. This is a pretty cool tool and what’s nice about it is that it’s a very fast updating screen compared to the SWR chart which scans hundreds of frequencies in order to produce a nice plot of the range.
Tools – Cable Impedance
Under menu F8 (Tools), the AA-230 Zoom will measure Cable Loss, Cable Impedance, and run self tests. The first output to the right is the result of running a Cable Impedance test on short piece of Cable Experts 1318FX cable. The second is the same test on a short piece of RG-213/U with DX Engineering silver-plated PL-239s that I soldered on. Note that running this tests takes two steps.
First the analyzer will instruct you to connect an unterminated cable and run test 1/1. When that is complete, the analyzer will have you short the far end of the cable after which is will run test 2/2. The final result is a chart similar to what you see here. By using the arrow keys, you can move the vertical line to the left and right which will report the impedance of the cable at the specified frequency, which in the first example is centered at 115 MHz. The second example shows the line at 52.4Ω at 32.3MHz. The second example also shows the US ham bands in blue.
Tools – Cable Loss
The Cable Loss tool under the Tools section will update together with the Cable Impedance test (and vice-versa). In other words, you do not need to run both tests; if you run one, the data will be populated for both charts.
On the first output sample I’ve used the arrow keys so that the cursor is positioned over the hump showing the maximum loss, which according to the chart is at 190.9 MHz. Reading the output carefully, this maximum loss is only 0.5dB, and since this is only about a one meter cable, I’m not too worried about it.
The second example includes the US ham bands and is again testing my home-made RG-213/U cable. I think it’s cool to be able to visualize the increased loss behavior at higher frequencies as well as how the two cables have slightly different loss characteristics at all frequencies.
TDR
TDR Mode (F6 on the main menu) is the Time Domain Reflectometer. A TDR measures how long it takes for a pulse to bounce off of the far end of the cable given the known cable velocity and the speed of light. By doing this, a TDR can measure how long the cable is, or if broken, where the break is. The AA-230 Zoom actually uses a different approach called Frequency Domain Reflectometry where the Impulse Response (IR) and Step Response (SR) is measured based on the Real and Imaginary (R/X) impedance results collected over the entire frequency range.
If that’s all too technical for you, just know that I plugged a roughly three foot cable into my analyzer, ran the TDR test, after which the AA-230 Zoom showed me the chart reporting that my cable was 2.82 feet in length. Here’s another plot that resulted from me using the TDR function on the long run from my house to the dipole in the woods which reports a length of 285.06 feet.
The downside of this tool is that it takes almost a minute to run (56 seconds when I timed it). Being a network guy, I use TDRs all the time on Ethernet cables and those testers usually produce instantaneous results which makes using this vastly more expensive tool a bit frustrating. Still, it works and it seems to work well even if I do have to wait a whole minute. I blame the Internet for my newfound lack of patience.
Software
I’ve been in IT since before companies had IT departments. I also run a Mac and, in fact, my house is populated with a variety of Macs and Linux boxes. Sadly much of the ham radio community seems stuck in the days when Windows XP was state of the art, and it’s rare to find software that runs on a Mac. As a Mac and Linux lover, all I can say is that this state of affairs sucks.
Though the website for the AA-230 has Mac and Linux sections, they both require Wine or Wine Bottler to work. What that means is that there is no native Mac software from RigExpert for the analyzers. What’s worse, in order to make the analyzer work with the software, a USB-serial driver (not a cable) must be installed, so now we’ve got Windows software running in a VM or an emulator with an additional layer of nonsense that converts modern USB to archaic serial jammed in the middle of it all. This, plainly stated, sucks more.
My plea to Rig Expert and all other ham radio companies: It’s 2015. It’s time to support USB natively and write some software that doesn’t require Windows. Please!
Installation Frustrations
I didn’t need Wine because I have Fusion, or so I thought. Well, the software loaded but the driver refused to work with the software, even though the troubleshooting app saw the AA-230 Zoom. The AA-230 troubleshooting page said to overwrite the EEPROM on the analyzer with the EEFTDI.exe program downloaded from their page. Their page didn’t have it, and instead said to go to the FTDI drivers page. Guess what? It wasn’t there either. So I downloaded the latest driver for what appears to be the right chip. Nope. Nothing. No dice.
The best part? Check out the status message from the AntScope’s status bar during this stage of my testing. The software reported that it detected the AA-230 Zoom — but it DIDN’T FRAKKING WORK! Deep breath…
Since I bought the analyzer from an authorized dealer, they opened a ticket for me. The support process was a bit drawn out since RigExpert in the Ukraine and I’m in the US, but we got the Analyzer upgraded from Firmware v1.1 to v1.4 by manually putting the device into the proper mode. I then had to upgrade the USB/Serial driver on my Mac. As it turns out, there is already a USB/Serial driver (kernel extension, technically) on OSX 10.10.5 (Yosemite). This command shows that the installed version of that driver is 1.0.1b16. This page gives some history of this driver which has been part of OSX since Mavericks.
GADs-Mac-Pro:~ GAD$ kextstat | grep FT 167 0 0xffffff7f831d1000 0x7000 0x7000 com.apple.driver.AppleUSBFTDI (1.0.1b16) <116 38 5 4 3>
I downloaded the latest driver from the website referenced on the RigExpert troubleshooting page and installed it, after which my Mac reported that there were now two FTDI USB/Serial extensions installed.
GADs-Mac-Pro:~ GAD$ kextstat | grep FT 167 0 0xffffff7f831d1000 0x7000 0x7000 com.apple.driver.AppleUSBFTDI (1.0.1b16) <116 38 5 4 3> 168 0 0xffffff7f83213000 0x8000 0x8000 com.FTDI.driver.FTDIUSBSerialDriver (2.2.18) <116 38 5 4 3 1>
This fixed the Mac connectivity problem and thus allowed the RigExpert Firmware update tool to read and write to the analyzer. Success!
After that, running AntScope through Wine worked like a charm. It did not, however, seem to work through Fusion. I could also not get WineBottler to work. Grumble…
I should note that there are alternatives to RigExperts AntScope software if you’re on a Mac. AAScope looks promising, but I couldn’t get it to work on my Mac due to the previously complained about obnoxious USB/serial conversion issues. I then tried it on one of my other Macs, but I hadn’t updated the FTDI driver on that one and gave up in a huff of frustration.
: It’s 2015. USB has been around for, what, SeriouslyIt’s 2015. USB has been around for, what, twenty years now?
Features
Everything you can do from the analyzer’s front panel can also be done through the software with a couple of additions. For example the screenshots of the analyzer’s screen on this page were done by screen-capturing the analyzer through the AntScope software. This is a fabulous tool for documenting how-to guides or even just for documenting what you’ve measured. Really, though, if you’re printing you’d probably want to grab the graphs from the software. These charts are more detailed and have a much higher resolution but perhaps most importantly, they are generated on a white background which makes a lot more sense when printing.
Where the Analyzer lets you cycle though the sampling points using arrows, the AntScope software will show data as you hover your cursor over specific points in whatever graph you’re viewing. Not only that, but the detail presented in the software covers all measurements regardless of the graph being viewed. Of course the graphs on the software are much larger and scalable so they they are much more valuable for things like reports and blogs. Just click on the two smith charts to see how much larger the second one is, and the software will make them even larger!
For my uses, the analyzer itself is more than sufficient for 90% of my needs, this blog being one obvious exception.
Summary
The AA-230 Zoom analyzer is a fantastic tool, and I’m quite happy with it overall. If I could improve anything on the analyzer itself it would be to somehow backlight the keys, but I know that would probably kill the battery life and I’d chose battery life over backlights every time. Besides, I always have a flashlight in my pocket, though having to pull that out while I’m on a ladder can be kind of a problem. Then again, I’m not likely to be up on a ladder in the dark.
The analyzer has an N-type connector on it, and mine came with an N-SO239 adapter. While I think that the N connector is a great innovation and I agree that we should all upgrade to it wherever possible, the fact remains that all of my HF and mobile radios, three of which where bought in 2015, have SO-239 connectors on them. I detest adapters, and when measuring SWR things like loose connectors can be a problem — a problem potentially exacerbated by an adapter in the path. Still, if more devices came with N connectors maybe it would get us all to change.
The fact that the analyzer uses USB is great. The fact that it needs to be converted to serial (in software) for the software to work is terrible. The fact that the software only runs on Windows just adds insult to injury for we Mac and Linux users.
The AA-230 Zoom itself, though, is so good, and so great to use that my small complaints are all but forgotten.
Would I recommend the AA-230 Zoom for your ham radio antenna analytic needs? Absolutely! Just beware that the software can be a bit clunky especially if Windows isn’t your OS of choice.
If you plan to use the analyzer while hooked up to your computer for the majority of the time, this may not be the best solution, especially if you’re on a Mac. If, like me, you anticipate using this in cars, in the woods, or up on ladders, I think it’s a stellar device.
For what this device costs, I would have liked to see it come with a case or at least a nice ballistic nylon pouch. Maybe I’ll get a nice Nanuk or Pelican case to put it in.
I have to wonder if they’ll be coming out with an updated version of the AA-600 (not to mention the AA-1000 and AA-1400) with a similar case design and zoom designation, but then I still wouldn’t really need anything over 2m. Even if they do, this will still likely be the right choice for me.
73 DE K2GAD AR | {
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RANCHO TEHAMA RESERVE, Calif. -- Residents of a remote Northern California community terrorized by a mass shooting this week say they want more frequent patrols from sheriff's deputies and expressed anger and frustration over seemingly being left to fend for themselves in what several called a "Wild West" atmosphere.
The Rancho Tehama Reserve homeowners' association board met on Thursday to talk about more patrols, two days after 44-year-old Kevin Neal killed his wife and four others before he died in a gun battle with deputies. Neal targeted an elementary school while randomly shooting at homes and motorists in the sprawling rural subdivision about 130 miles north of Sacramento.
He was known to authorities and had at least one prior arrest.
Board president Juan Caravez was among those complaining that deputies didn't do enough to stop Neal despite numerous complaints from neighbors that he was shooting guns at all hours of the day and night.
"The sheriff wouldn't do anything about it," Caravez said.
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Instead, he said Tehama County Sheriff's Department referred complaints to the homeowners' association.
Residents were already complaining about the lack of law enforcement and frequent gunfire that regularly disturbed the peace of the rolling oak-studded hills dotted with homes and trailers on large lots, board member Richard Gutierrez said.
Neighbors said they had complained repeatedly about Neal shooting off rounds of gunfire from his home, despite a court order barring him from having firearms after he was accused of stabbing a neighbor in January.
Assistant Sheriff Phil Johnston said deputies had tried to contact Neal but he wouldn't answer his door and Johnston said deputies couldn't find him. After being pressed by reporters on why police did not act when Neal was in clear violation of his court order, Johnston obliquely replied: "The law is only for people who obey it."
Sheriff's department spokeswoman Lt. Yvette Borden did not respond to phone and email inquiries Thursday.
Gutierrez was among those praising deputies' swift response Tuesday. Johnston said Neal was dead 25 minutes after dispatchers received the first frantic calls. The sheriff's headquarters is 21 miles away.
But Dillon Elliott was upset after hearing officials say road patrols had generally been increased in the last six years.
"It's like people out here think we're like a lawless city trying to survive, and we kinda are," said Elliott, who grew up in the community and whose parents still live there.
Claudette Wright said deputies responded to her calls, but the bad perception remains.
"It's always like, 'Rancho, it's crazy out there — it's the Wild West'," she said at a community prayer vigil Wednesday night.
"The perception is people think they can come out here and grow marijuana and there's no consequences," Wright said later, though she added that she had no complaints with law enforcement response.
Benigna Gonzalez said deputies appeared not to believe her when she reported being stalked a year ago while walking at dusk through the community. She no longer walks for exercise, takes sleeping pills and is undergoing counseling.
"We don't feel safe," she said tearfully. "I don't know when I'll feel safe anymore in this community."
Police found the bullet-riddled body of Neal's wife stuffed under the floorboards of their home in the rural community of Rancho Tehama Reserve. They believe her slaying was the start of the rampage.
Crime tape blocks off Rancho Tehama Road leading into the Rancho Tehama Reserve south of Red Bluff, Calif., following fatal shootings Tue., Nov. 14, 2017. AP
Neal then shot two neighbors in an apparent act of revenge before he went looking for random victims at the community's elementary school and several other locations.
Among those hurt at the school was 6-year-old Alejandro Hernandez, who was shot in the chest, arm and foot and remains hospitalized. His aunt, Marta Monroy, pleaded with fellow residents to formally report gunfire in the future.
"No shooting in the air — call the police, please," she urged at the prayer vigil.
If not more sheriffs' patrols, then the homeowners' association should consider paying for armed private patrols from the $50 monthly dues paid by every property owner or consider mounting an armed citizens' patrol, Raul Pinero said.
"We need enforcement, at least something out here," Pinero said. | {
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On the wall of the deputy Shin Bet head's office there's one picture: An enlarged ID card with the photo of an elderly man, sporting a white beard. What does this man have to do with Nadav Argaman, who will take on the role of the head of the Shin Bet in May? The answer is known to only a handful of confidants in the organization. The elegant old man and Nadav Argaman are one and the same. This is the same man, in one of his many lives as an operative in the Shin Bet's Operations Division, undercover, many years ago.
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IDF generals hang photos of themselves from their enlistment day on their office walls. To say: Look where I started and look where I am today. For senior operatives in the Shin Bet, revealing mementos from covert missions early in their career is not just a kind of nostalgia; it's also a kind of statement: I can't tell you more than this.
Indeed, very little can be written about Argaman's operational career. He did most of his service in what might not be the biggest division, but is the most prestigious: The Operations Division. From his first day in the Shin Bet, he served in the division's operations unit, the one that produces the fighters, the field troops, the ones dubbed in professional lingo: "The Operators."
Nadav Argaman, ex-head of the Shin Bet's Operations Division
Those who served under his command in the Shin Bet remember him as a strict and demanding manager who did not spare his rod. But there's also Nadav Argaman the private person, who has been blessed with quite a sense of humor, which he shares with a small group of very close friends, some childhood friends from his days at the kibbutz's children's society (first to sixth grade - ed.).
Argaman's childhood days belong to a different Israel, the kind left only in songs. He grew up in Kibbutz Hamadia in the Beit She'an Valley, in the late 1960s. It was a frontier town in the midst of the War of Attrition against Fatah and the Jordanian army. Katyusha rockets were fired in his direction every day. Shells from the Jordanian army's Long Tom cannons landed in the nearby fields. A terror cell infiltrated the kibbutz and murdered one of its members. And the children stood looking out the window in the dark, watching the tracer bullet fire. There were rifle pits all over the kibbutz. For three years, the children slept in the shelters. Amiram Argaman, Nadav's father, who was seriously wounded in the Mishmar HaYarden battles during the War of Independence, was at the time the head of security in the area.
During the Yom Kippur War, when their fathers were called for duty, Nadav and his classmates stopped going to school in order to work the fields. It was the habitat for an entire generation that saw its future in security. Kibbutz Hamadia was a hotbed that grew fighters in elite units, who encouraged the younger generation to follow in their footsteps. In Nadav Argaman's age group, at least five friends joined the IDF’s Special Forces unit Sayeret Matkal, with him among them. He finished his military service in the Paratrooper's intelligence and reconnaissance unit, and then returned to the fields of the kibbutz. One of his father's defense friends - probably a division head in the Shin Bet of those days - pulled him out of the kibbutz to work for the agency. And so, in 1983, Nadav informed the kibbutz that he was leaving for eight years to serve in the Shin Bet.
Nadav Argaman (Photo: Shin Bet)
The unit that never was
In those years, before the Bus 300 affair (when two Shin Bet members executed two Palestinian hijackers after having captured them -ed.) and the intifadas, the Shin Bet was a very clandestine organization. Nobody talked about it. The Operations Division was a small department with several dozens of members that served all of the Shin Bet's regional commands and departments: From the Arab sector to intercepting and arresting spies. Argaman left the kibbutz and "disappeared" for almost four years, during which he studied in one of the Shin Bet's basic training tracks. The basic courses in the Operations Division can last somewhere between six months and three years, and include any and all sorts of training: Driver, undercover agent, medic, bomb disposal expert, fighter, airborne fighter, undercover employee, airborne lookout and other roles we know from action movies.
In 1984 the Shin Bet - and particularly the Operations Division - was badly shaken by the serious blow from the Bus 300 affair. It's doubtful the affair had a direct impact on new agent Nadav Argaman's career, but there's no doubt it taught him a lot about where the lines of right and wrong are drawn, and what is the Shin Bet's place in Israeli society. In his first four years of service, during which he was trained and made a fighter, the Shin Bet also operated alongside the IDF in Lebanon. During that time, the term "thwarting attacks" was introduced to the Operations Division. This approach resulted in a series of achievements in the fight against Palestinian terror organizations in Lebanon and the West Bank, among other things.
Argaman stood out, got promoted, and in 1987 he was appointed the head of a tactical department in the Operations Division. He became the commander of a team of fighters, a "cornerstone" in the division's operations. In most cases, the teams he commanded came together organically. At times, a team like that was put together for a complex mission requiring different skill sets. Argaman and other tactical department heads entered the first intifada with the Operations Division's main task being to capture wanted men. The intifada started with a list of over 400 wanted men. In two years, that number dropped to less than 20. At the time, the Shin Bet's unavoidable cooperation with the IDF also exposed the organization to the public more than ever before.
In 1991, Argaman was promoted to deputy head of the operations unit in the Operations Division, a role both managerial and operational in nature, where he stayed for three years. These were the days of the Oslo Accords, when the Shin Bet was preparing to leave Gaza and Jericho. The agency began to see the need to prepare an infrastructure of intelligence gathering from afar, when there's no physical Israeli presence on the ground. The Operations Division - with its infiltration and technological capabilities - played a key role in this.
In 1994, Argaman was made the head of the operations unit. This is the top of the pyramid for fighters, which is what he's been so far. He ran the operations unit, planned its missions, and at times commanded them himself. At his disposal were some measures from the forefront of the intelligence world's technological capabilities. His missions varied from monitoring Jewish or Arab terrorists, to thwarting their attacks. During Argaman's time in this role, "the Engineer" Yahya Ayyash was assassinated in Gaza.
Yahya Ayyash 'The Engineer'
In 1998 - after 15 years in the Shin Bet, four of which as the head of the operations unit and the deputy head of the division - he took a break to pursue academic studies, doing both his BA and MA at the National Security College. At the time, the Shin Bet was preparing for the possibility of further disengagement from the territories.
In 2000, Argaman was asked by then-Shin Bet head Avi Dichter to return to the agency in order to head a new secret unit that was supposed to provide an original answer to the Shin Bet's need to infiltrate even deeper into the field. This was supposed to be a great, daring idea, but the unit never got off the ground, and was shut down.
The second intifada broke out then, and Argaman returned to his role as the deputy head of the Operations Division for two years. One of the achievements to his credit from that time is the establishment of the "prevention groups" in the Operations Division, which operate on several fighting fronts. The need to simultaneously conduct a growing number of operational prevention missions, at times at the drop of a hat, necessitated a different kind of operational approach.
That is why the Shin Bet, in cooperation with the IDF, established the " warfare groups" (or "prevention groups") which bring together - into one operations room - the military's electronic intelligence people, the Shin Bet's operations personnel and its intelligence agents, and the IDF and Air Force's operations personnel. Every such operations room collected data coming from different sources, which allows "incriminating" targets and destroying them in large numbers and in very short time. This approach has become increasingly more advanced, and has been serving the Shin Bet and the IDF in all of their operations since.
The secret quartet
The large number of suicide bombers in the second intifada and the need for an immediate response to the threat, the Shin Bet created, among other things, the "Tequila Unit" (an immediate response unit). This was a combined unit comprising of members of the Shin Bet and the Yamam (Israel Police's counter-terror unit), which was at the ready 24/7 in order to prevent a terror attack from being carried out within minutes of locating a suicide bomber or anyone else attempting to carry out an attack inside Israel.
Even in his junior command positions, it was already clear that Argaman's work style wasn't only pedantic, but also included his physical presence everywhere, whether it was inside the operations room or out in the field. People knew that he was around, and that he wouldn't give up. Sometimes the field units would radio over "we have no indications of the target. We are leaving the area of operations," but Argaman would order them to stay another two hours. Ambushes lasting for days were not out of the ordinary when he was in charge. There was no cutting corners with him, no slowing down, and he could be very blunt. While this led to a lot of anger and clashes with those he worked with, he was also valued for his professionalism and the results he brought.
It is common practice in the Shin Bet that the deputy head of a division was a natural candidate for the top position. It was a kind of vote of confidence in the man and his abilities. And, indeed, from 2003-2007, Nadav Argaman served as the head of the Operations Division. In this role he became part of the Shin Bet head's special staff, which is the agency's equivalent of the IDF's General Staff. During his tenure, the division increased its professionalism, and centralized its offensive operational capabilities into one division. In the Mossad, for example, these same capabilities are spread out over four different divisions. These two organizations quite often make use of each other's offensive capabilities.
Work at the Shin Bet doesn’t leave much time for people like Argaman to develop hobbies. Argaman spends his free time with his family and close friends. He enjoys travelling with his family, reading - mostly biographies - and he knows how appreciate a good meal and fine wine. He is also a workout fanatic. Every morning – at an almost unreasonable hour - he goes running, so he can be at the office at seven in the morning. His athleticism has stuck to the whole family, with his daughter even becoming Israel's Teen Female Wrestling Champion.
In 2007 he left on sabbatical - together with his wife Ruth and their three children - who were all in need of a break. He went with his family to the US, where he became the Shin Bet's representative, responsible for the security of Israeli embassies and consulates in the US and Canada, and for the security of El Al planes flying to North America.
After three years in the US, Argaman requested to stay in his position an additional year until another high ranking position in the Shin Bet opened up. Yuval Diskin, the director of the Shin Bet at that time, rejected the request. In the Shin Bet's internal code, it was more than a hint: thanks for your service, my friend. You're done. Argaman - perceived in the Shin Bet to be an introvert, even shy to a certain extent - is also a very ambitious person. He believed that he had more to contribute.
And, indeed, several months later, in May of 2011, Diskin finished his tenure as the head of the Shin Bet. His replacement, Yoram Cohen, was grooming two successors for himself, Nadav Argaman and Roni Alsheikh. Argaman was given the opportunity to be the deputy head of the Shin Bet. He was now not only a part of the Shin Bet's "special staff," but also a member of the small cabinet comprised of four high ranking officials: The head of the Shin Bet, deputy head of the Shin Bet, the head of the Operations Division, and head of the Manpower Division.
The deputy head of the Shin Bet is responsible for running operations, and filling in for the director when he is indisposed. He shares the responsibility of formulating the Shin Bet's situation assessments, and of presenting these assessments to the prime minister. This leads to a close working relationship between the Shin Bet's deputy head and the prime minister. The deputy also assists the director in presenting the Shin Bet's positions to the cabinet and to the Knesset's Defense and Foreign Affairs Subcommittee. He is also present at situation assessment meetings at the IDF's General Staff, and at situation assessment meetings at the defense minister's office. By the way, when Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon released a statement congratulating Argaman on his appointment, it was not just a compulsory gesture. They've known each other for 25 years, since Nadav was a fighter in the Shin Bet's operational units, while Ya'alon was the head of the IDF's Judea and Samaria Division.
The head of the Operations Division in the Shin Bet deals with the agency's force structure, in terms of its multi-year planning, standardization, and budget. The force structure plans all must be approved by the deputy head of the Shin Bet. The Shin Bet has four-year work plans, which means that the work plan that Argaman approved as the deputy head in 2013 will be completed by him a director by 2017.
Even with his respectable resume, Argaman is considered an odd choice for the director of the Shin Bet. After the Six-Day War, the agency changed its core operating structure and directed most of its efforts to preventing Arab terror and to collecting intelligence on the Arab sector. Since then, almost all of the Shin Bet directors grew out of divisions which specialized in the Arab sector. The most important disciplines were, and still are, handling field agents and interrogation. The two exceptions were Avraham Shalom and General (res.) Ami Ayalon.
Even if it was unintentional, the appointment of Argaman - who throughout the majority of his career dealt with information collection technology and the prevention of attacks using technological measures – is quite revolutionary. This is a statement which highlights a change in the Shin Bet, that the agency is putting more of an emphasis on technology. Indeed, the division which grew more than any of the others throughout the tenure of current Shin Bet Director Yoram Cohen is the division in charge of electronic intelligence gathering, which has grown by 25 percent. This mostly means more computer engineers and technicians in the agency.
If the Shin Bet's director is both the orchestra's general manager and its chief policy maker, his deputy is the conductor, overseeing all of its components, and has to be knowledgeable about all of its instruments: from interrogations and running agents, to cyber warfare.
Therefore, when the professionals raised their eyebrows at Yoram Cohen's recommendation to appoint Argaman as his successor - even though he did not rise in the ranks of the Arab field - Cohen rejected their criticism outright. In his opinion, Argaman's ability to successfully work with all of the tools at the Shin Bet's disposal as the deputy head of the Shin Bet was not in question.
And there was something else. When Argaman returned from the US and appointed the deputy director of the Shin Bet, something changed in the way he worked. The people around him noted that he had softened a little, became more patient, more at ease, a little more open. He was out of the system for three years, and so for the first few months of his term as deputy, he listened and learned. And that continued.
The opening shot
As deputy director of the Shin Bet, Argaman was responsible for preparing the Shin Bet forces and for their operations during Operation Pillar of Defense and Operation Protective Edge. Another notable operation he was in charge of during his tenure as Shin Bet deputy director was Operation Brother's Keeper in search of the three kidnapped yeshiva students – Gilad Shaer, Naftali Frenkel and Eyal Yifrach - which began on June 12, 2014. The intelligence efforts ended on September 23 of that year – three months after the kidnapping – when the two murderers were found and killed.
Assasination of Ahmed Jabari (Photo: AFP)
The opening shot of Operation Pillar of Defense, on November 14 2012, was the Shin Bet's responsibility. Shortly before the beginning of the operation, the Shin Bet was able to locate the head of Hamas' military wing, Ahmed Jabari, and put a target on his back . Throughout Operation Pillar of Defense, it was the Shin Bet's responsibility to assassinate high ranking Hamas officials - from division commanders and up. The strategy was to come up with a number of targets whose assassination would be considered "game changing" including government institutions, offices of defense forces, the Hamas bank, and Hamas and Islamic Jihad operation rooms. Immediately after the end of Operation Pillar of Defense, Hamas started to prepare for another round.
The intelligence units of the IDF Southern Command and the Shin Bet began to prepare for the next large-scale operation. The Shin Bet prepared to accompany IDF troops in operational activity inside the Gaza Strip - including collecting specific intelligence, such as where mines and booby-traps were laid. Later, Argaman, as the deputy director of the Shin Bet, stood with the head of Military Intelligence at the heart of the controversy over whether or not the IDF gave warning about the time frame of the next round: Operation Protective Edge.
He said – and hasn't changed his opinion – that in April of 2014, the Shin Bet sent a warning to everyone in the defense establishment that Hamas was planning to carry out a pre-emptive strike, or attack in response to a security event. In such an attack, dozens of fighters from Hamas' Special Forces will come out of the tunnels. The Shin Bet identified behavior, statements, and intentions of Hamas to launch a significant war in July of 2014.
The Shin Bet and Military Intelligence knew about most of the tunnels which crossed into Israel. The Shin Bet also identified Hamas' efforts to build up its forces. Indeed, during the first day of the operation, the head of the Hamas naval commando unit was assassinated in a targeted killing, and the Shin Bet warned of the Hamas infiltration attempt from the sea in the Zikim area.
The work and preparation done by the intelligence branches – both from the Shin Bet and the IDF – enabled the detection of the majority of the entrances to the tunnels. The majority of the tunnels entrances into Israel were also known. At the very least, the Shin Bet and IDF were able to tell which sector these tunnels were in. In two instances, the Shin Bet was able to pinpoint exactly where the entry points of the tunnels were in Israel.
As a part of the list of targets compiled by the Shin Bet, in cooperation with Military Intelligence and the Southern Command, 416 terrorists were assassinated, of which 56 were commanders of different ranks. Mohammad Deif was also located and marked by the Shin Bet during the fighting, but he survived by the skin of his teeth.
At the end of the fighting, internal Shin Bet reports charged that the renewal and replenishing of stocks of rockets and missiles in the Gaza Strip was in question. Now, it is no longer in question. Even now, as Nadav Argaman begins his tenure as the director of the Shin Bet, Gaza is still his most immediate and explosive challenge. Hamas is preparing for another showdown, and the Hamas military wing believes that they're more than ready to surprise Israel again. The Shin Bet is also preparing for the next round.
At the same time, other security and policy developments await him in the West Bank. Ahead of him are the fight against the continuous and deep espionage against Israel, principally from the various world powers; Iran and Hezbollah; Jewish terrorism; cyber threats; security - principally of important figures as well as aviation; the religious radicalization among Israeli Arabs; and the threat from the Islamic State on the borders of the Sinai Peninsula and the Golan Heights. And on the sidelines: Dealing with BDS activists operating inside Israel.
As for the Palestinian Authority and the West Bank, it seems that Argaman's views are synchronized with the rest of the security branches: There is an importance in maintaining the stability of the PA; there is a need to battle incitement; the cooperation with the Palestinian security forces must be strengthened, as they are the key to preventing terror attacks; it is imperative to keep Fatah's Tanzim militant branch from becoming involved in the violence; the Palestinian economy should be cultivated, and investment in the Palestinian Authority encouraged.
As for the fight against terror, no one will be surprised if on his first day on the job, Argaman will present the various division and regional heads with a systematic doctrine. According to the Shin Bet, Hamas is doing all it can in order to change over from knife attacks to a full-fledged armed intifada, in both the West Bank and Jerusalem. The acts of terror – including suicide bombings – are supposed to drive a wedge between Israel and the PA and upend stability, which will enable Hamas to try to gain control over the PA.
On the January 1, Nashat Melhem, the terrorist from Arara, carried out an attack on Dizengoff Street in Tel Aviv. Dealing with terror attacks committed by Israeli Arabs is now the responsibility of Yoram Cohen's two favorites: Nadav Argaman and Roni Alsheikh. Alsheikh, as the police commissioner, got the most of the public criticism. But those who were truly responsible for the manhunt after the terrorist were the Shin Bet. The police played second fiddle.
The manhunt exposed quite a few gaps in knowledge about the Arab sector. As the director of the Shin Bet, Argaman will have to deal with these gaps in knowledge. He will also need to deal with the perceived effect that the Islamic State has on Israeli Arab youth. While this is still not a phenomenon, and there have only been a couple dozen Israeli-Arabs who have gone off to fight with ISIS, the Shin Bet still need to work to stop this from becoming a trend.
In September of 2014, Argaman was loaned to the Atomic Energy Commission, and Roni Alsheikh took over as the deputy director of the Shin Bet. What was less known at the same time is that during Argaman's time as the Shin Bet's deputy director, he spent a lot of time with the prime minister, who was deeply impressed by him. Later, when he was loaned to the Atomic Energy Commission to deal with Netanyahu's favorite subject, the prime minister became even more determined to support Yoram Cohen's candidate for successor. The appointment was agreed on back in September 2015, when Alsheikh agreed to take on the role of the police commissioner. Netanyahu didn't even pretend to be looking at other candidates. Yoram Cohen reinstated Argaman to his position as Shin Bet deputy director and announcing the appointment became a question of timing.
As usual, Netanyahu found himself in distress, and not as usual, he announced the appointment three months before Cohen's stepping down date. Last Thursday afternoon, Argaman was summoned to the Prime Minister's Office, where he was told that he was chosen to be the Shin Bet's director, and that the news will be announced later that day. Nadav Argaman barely had time to tell his family, and the news already made headlines all over the media. | {
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An interview with Tim, a blind House of Leaves fan, discussing his interactions with the novel. (The BBC drama mentioned in the episode appears to no longer be available online at https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01694p2 Will look into hosting it elsewhere)
To get in touch, send a message to: [email protected]. | {
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Chances are there's at least one die-hard sports fan in your life. And look, even if your idea of game-time small talk is "Hey, how about that local sportsball team" you can still get them the perfect gift. Whether they're big NBA addicts, avid runners or trying to perfect that spiral and become an NFL quarterback, we've got you covered. And you don't even have to betray your tech-geek roots to do it. There's plenty of ways to get your game on while simultaneously getting your geek on. High-end TVs deliver football in 4K glory while wearables like the TomTom Adventurer let you turn that epic hike into epic reams of data. Check out the gallery below to see our 12 techie gift recommendations for sports fans and athletes.
For our full list of recommendations in all categories, don't forget to stop by our main Holiday Gift Guide hub. | {
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The majority of the general population on the web needs to know the Biography of Angelina Jolie. Angelina Jolie is one of Hollywood’s driving entertainers, known for motion pictures like ‘Young lady, Interrupted,’ ‘Salt’ and ‘Evil,’ and for prominent connections like her previous marriage to on-screen character Brad Pitt.
Biography of Angelina Jolie
Who Is Angelina Jolie?
Considered in Los Angeles, California, on June 4, 1975, Angelina Jolie highlighted in the HBO biopic Gia before picking up a best supporting performer Academy Award for Girl, Interrupted. Jolie ended up one of Hollywood’s marquee names, including employments in movies like Wanted, Mr. additionally, Mrs. Smith, Salt, and Changeling. She later had a tremendous worldwide blockbuster with Disney’s Maleficent, which created a continuation. Jolie moreover organized the films In the Land of Blood and Honey, Unbroken and By the Sea, where she co-highlighted with mate Brad Pitt.
Early Life of Angelina Jolie
Angelina Jolie was considered as Angelina Jolie Voight in Los Angeles, California with Gemini birth sign. She is American by nationality. She has kin named James Haven.
In her soonest years, she began holding the acting claim to fame from her performer gatekeepers, Jon Voight and Marcheline Bertrand, who had considered with Lee Strasberg. Her incredible looks may get from her family line, which is German and Slovak on her father’s side. And French-Canadian, Dutch, Polish, and remote Huron, on her mother’s side.
At age eleven, Angelina began learning at the Lee Strasberg Theater Institute, where she was found in a couple of stage arrangements. She grasped some film learns at New York University and later joined the well known Met Theater Group in Los Angeles.
You may also like: Biography of Taylor Swift – Early life, career, Personal life & Legacy
The career of Angelina Jolie
Angelina Jolie made her screen debut as a tyke near to her father, Jon Voight, in Lookin’ to Get Out (1982). Her motion picture occupation began energetically 10 years sometime later with the low-spending age Cyborg 2 (1993), trailed by her first driving activity in a significant film, Hackers (1995). She highlighted in the generally lauded individual connection films George Wallace (1997) and Gia (1998), and won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her display in the sensation Girl, Interrupted (1999).
Jolie’s highlighting work as the PC game bold lady Lara Croft in Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001) set up her as a fundamental Hollywood performer. She continued with her successful movement star calling with Mr. also, Mrs. Smith (2005), Wanted (2008), and Salt (2010), and got fundamental endorsement for her presentations in the demonstrates A Mighty Heart (2007) and Changeling (2008), which earned her a choice for an Academy Award for Best Actress. Her most noteworthy business accomplishment went with the fantasy picture Maleficent (2014). During the 2010s, Jolie expanded her work into organizing, screenwriting, and conveying, with In the Land of Blood and Honey (2011), Unbroken (2014), By the Sea (2015), and First They Killed My Father (2017).
Moreover, she contracted to rehash the activity of Maleficent in Disney’s turn off, Maleficent II.
Marriages and Children
Renowned for her off-screen sentiments, Jolie has been hitched multiple times. She wedded Hackers co-star Jonny Lee Miller in 1995. The couple separated in 1999. The next year, Jolie wedded Academy Award-winning on-screen character Billy Bob Thornton. That association went on until 2003.
Jolie met Pitt during the creation of Mr. what’s more, Mrs. Smith in 2004. At the time, Pitt was hitched to Friends star Jennifer Aniston, and his undertaking with Jolie incited their separation, bringing about a Hollywood outrage that commanded tabloids for a considerable length of time. Alluded to as “Brangelina,” Jolie and Pitt ended up one of the most looked for after Hollywood couples.
In 2002, Jolie had a child from Cambodia and named him Madd
After three years, she received a little girl, Zahara. In 2005, Pitt recorded administrative work to receive both of Jolie’s youngsters. The couple’s first natural little girl, Shiloh, was conceived in Namibia in 2006. Jolie, Pitt and their kids had headed out there to maintain a strategic distance from the media free for all that appeared to tail them any place they went.
In March 2007, Angelina Jolie added another part to her family. She embraced a 3-year-old kid from a Vietnamese halfway house and named him Pax Thien. Jolie then brought forth twins, Knox Leon, and Vivienne Marcheline, on July 12, 2008. In an oceanside medical clinic in southern France. Hello! magazines for $14 million—making them the most costly VIP pictures at any point taken. Pitt and Jolie wound up occupied with 2012. Sneaking by the paparazzi radar, they unobtrusively got married in a private service encompassed by their family and companions on August 23, 2014, in France.
Split from Brad Pitt
In September 2016, Jolie sought legal separation from Pitt and mentioned the sole physical authority of their six kids, starting another newspaper free for all. Their argumentative guardianship fight played out freely with charges that Pitt. In the wake of drinking on their private plane had gotten “verbally injurious” and “physical” with Maddox. The Los Angeles Department of Children and Family Services and the FBI propelled an examination however found no indications of maltreatment; the couple pursued with a joint proclamation that they were cooperating to determine their separation.
Jolie opened up about their partition in a September 2017 main story in Vanity Fair. In the meeting, she said by the late spring of 2016, “things wound up troublesome” in their marriage. “[Our lifestyle] was not at all a negative,” she told the magazine. “That was not the issue. That is and will stay one of the superb open doors we can give our youngsters.
Early 2018
In March 2018, Entertainment Tonight revealed that the on-screen character and helpful was unobtrusively dating an “attractive. More established looking man who is a realtor,” however the relationship was not accepted to be not kidding by that point.
A couple of months after the fact, it was uncovered that Jolie was at risk of losing essential guardianship of her six kids in the wake of keeping them from seeing Pitt during their progressing divorce. As indicated by court records, the judge for their situation announced the children’s absence of a solid association with their dad “hurtful,”. And took steps to grant Pitt essential guardianship if things didn’t change. The judge proposed a few stages the antagonized couple could take, incorporating giving Pitt the mobile phone number of every kid. And plot a late spring appearance calendar to pursue with Jolie in London to film Maleficent 2.
In August, Jolie’s legitimate group recorded court archives that asserted her irritated spouse had “paid no significant kid support since detachment,” an allegation that Pitt’s side contested.
Also read: Biography of Tom Cruise – Early Life, Career, Personal Life & Movies
Medical problems and Cancer Prevention
Jolie encountered an extraordinary individual misfortune in mid-2007. When her mom kicked the bucket of ovarian malignant growth at 56 years old in the wake of battling the sickness for a long time. Her grandma additionally kicked the bucket from the disease.
In May 2013, 37-year-old Jolie reported in a New York Times opinion piece article titled “My Medical Choice”. She experienced a twofold mastectomy with an end goal to avert bosom malignancy later on. The on-screen character said she chose to experience the medical procedure subsequent to discovering. She conveys a quality known as BRCA1, which expands the danger of both bosom and ovarian malignancy.
Dangerous stage
“My PCPs assessed that I had an 87 percent danger of bosom malignant growth and a 50 percent danger of ovarian disease. In spite of the fact that the hazard is distinctive on account of every lady,” Jolie expressed. “When I realized this was my world, I chose to be proactive and to limit the hazard as much I could” By late April 2013, Jolie included. She had finished a while of medicinal techniques, including a twofold mastectomy and remaking medical procedure.
On March 24, 2015, Jolie wrote in another article in the New York Times that she had her ovaries and fallopian cylinders expelled the earlier week to further lessen her hazard for the disease. “I didn’t do this exclusively on the grounds that I convey the BRCA1 quality transformation. And I need other ladies to hear this,” Jolie composed. “A positive BRCA test does not mean a jump to a medical procedure. I have addressed numerous specialists, specialists, and naturopaths. There are different choices. A few ladies take anti-conception medication pills or depend on elective prescriptions joined with incessant checks. There is more than one approach to manage any medical problem.
The on-screen character said she opened up to the world about her choice to help “other ladies in danger to think about the choices”. In her September 2017 meeting with Vanity Fair, Jolie uncovered that she had built up Bell’s paralysis, harm to the facial nerve which made one side of her face hang. She said needle therapy helped her completely recoup from the facial loss of motion.
Movies of Angelina Jolie
‘Gia’ and Oscar Win for ‘Girl, Interrupted’
During the 1990s, Angelina Jolie turned into a prevalent on-screen character. She gave a star-production execution in the 1998 TV film Gia, in light of the short. Awful existence of model Gia Marie Carangi, for which she won the best entertainer Golden Globe. Her quick climb proceeded with Girl, Interrupted (1999), as the defiant individual from a gathering of organized youngsters. Her exhibition bringing about an Academy Award win for best supporting on-screen character.
‘Tomb Raider,’ ‘Taking Lives,’ ‘Sky Captain’
In the new thousand years, Jolie kept on taking on an assortment of fascinating jobs. She depicted traveler Lara Croft in the Tomb Raider films (2001 and 2003). An FBI profiler in Taking Lives (2004) and a squadron leader in Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow (2004).
‘Mr. & Mrs. Smith,’ ‘The Good Shepherd,’ ‘A Mighty Heart’
Subsequent to cooperating with Brad Pitt to play wedded professional killers in the provocative activity flick Mr. also, Mrs. Smith (2005), Jolie played a disregarded, agitated socialite spouse in The Good Shepherd (2006). After that a vindictive, massive mother in an adjustment of Beowulf (2007). That year she likewise gave a splendid exhibition as Mariane Pearl. The pregnant widow of Wall Street Journal columnist Danny Pearl, in A Mighty Heart. The film depended on Mariane of her significant other’s snatching and murder.
‘Kung Fu Panda,’ ‘Changeling,’ ‘Salt’
In 2008, Jolie joined the voice cast of the enlivened satire Kung Fu Panda as Master Tigress, a job she later repeated for numerous continuations. That year she additionally depicted a professional killer in Wanted. Featured in the Clint Eastwood-coordinated spine-chiller Changeling, as a mother who explores her child’s abnormal vanishing and returns. The job prompted her first Oscar selection in the best on-screen character class. Jolie proceeded to procure the lead job in the activity stuffed Salt (2010). That equivalent year, she played the puzzling Elise Clifton-Ward in the undercover work flick The Tourist, close by Johnny Depp
For More Posts Please Visit: Voguebabe.com | {
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Hey all :)
It's long ago since I've uploaded a winterlook (Silvertree). Now I want to try it again. ;)
This is my ranger. You already know her from the bow-hunt look. Recently she got a full makeover. You maybe wonder at her dark skin in a snow-themed look.
I love the contrast between her skin and her white armor. At least her skin should fit to the weapons. ;)
I'm really proud of her shoulder armor. I tryed to make it look like snow on a tree. What do you think, does it work?
Pls let me know what you think. :)
Happy holidays and Merry Christmas!
PS: Using Druid's Shoulderguards Dyes: Charred + Celestial
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Vallejo was sent to meet Escobar in 1982 and was his lover for six turbulent years
The infamous drug lord was shot dead nearly 25 years ago after killing hundreds
Vallejo, now 68, saw Escobar's rise to become the planet’s seventh richest man
Virginia Vallejo (pictured) said she 'loathed' Escobar, who was shot dead nearly 25 years ago after slaughtering hundreds of innocent people while waging war in Colombia
As their small plane landed, the passengers were surrounded by two dozen men brandishing machine guns. They were taken to a huge hacienda, then driven for hours in dune buggies through grasslands stuffed with imported animals such as elephants and giraffes.
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Eventually their host arrived by helicopter: short, pudgy and with a thick moustache under his mop of curly hair. ‘Delighted to meet you in person, finally,’ he said. ‘I’m Pablo Escobar.’
This was Virginia Vallejo’s introduction in 1982 to the man who became the world’s most infamous drug lord – and her lover for six turbulent years. ‘I thought he was fascinating,’ she says. ‘He adored me. We had so much love, so much passion. We would talk for hours and hours. We were very happy together.’
Yet ask this former television presenter what she thinks now of Escobar – shot dead by special forces nearly 25 years ago after slaughtering hundreds of innocent people while waging war on Colombia’s government – and she takes a very different view.
‘I loathe him,’ she says of the gangster who controlled 80 per cent of world cocaine trade, a man who raped her and even stole her savings to stop her leaving Colombia. ‘He was a monster but he’s been turned into a legend.’
Certainly there seems an insatiable appetite for books, documentaries and dramas about the man she described to me as ‘an ugly, fatty peasant’ but who became the world’s most wanted criminal after cornering the global cocaine market. Few people alive today knew him as well as Vallejo – her book of their time together, Loving Pablo, Hating Escobar, has been turned into a film starring Javier Bardem and Penelope Cruz as the unlikely couple.
She saw his spectacular rise to become the planet’s seventh richest man – then watched his plunge into paranoia as he was hunted like an animal by ruthless paramilitary gangs, Colombian troops and US drug enforcement agents.
When they met, Vallejo was 32 and one of the most famous women in South America, an aristocratic beauty who claimed to be a descendant of Plantagenet kings and whose previous boyfriends included Colombia’s four wealthiest men.
Penelope Cruz pictured in her role as Virginia Vallejo in the film Loving Pablo
She arrived at Escobar’s Hacienda Napoles with her then-fiance. ‘I thought I was going marry this beautiful man, the nephew of the president, but he had one big problem – he snorted cocaine like a vacuum cleaner. He loved it and I loathed it.’
‘It’s ironic, isn’t it?’ she adds with a laugh.
‘One month later and I was with the King of Cocaine.’
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Escobar saved Vallejo from drowning when she was sucked into a whirlpool while swimming during that first encounter at Hacienda Napoles, but she did not fall for him until carrying out his first television interview.
He took her to meet poor families scraping a living on a stinking dump in the city of Medellin, speaking passionately as a newly elected politician about the need to help such people. He was popular in the city for spending cash on homes, jobs and sports facilities.
The middle-aged British artist who insists: I am Escobar's love child By Jonathan Bucks for the Mail on Sunday A public school-educated Briton believes he is a secret love-child of Pablo Escobar. Phillip Witcomb, 53, claims he was born Roberto Sendoya Escobar – when his father was just 16. Love child? Phillip Witcomb (pictured) Mr Witcomb was adopted as a baby by a British couple from an orphanage in the Colombian capital Bogota. Now an artist based in Majorca, he is planning to write a book about his life, which he hopes will serve as a prequel to Narcos, the Netflix series that chronicles Escobar’s remarkable rise and fall. He claims that his adoptive father told him the identity of his real father when he was in his 20s. ‘In reality, I hadn’t really heard of Pablo Escobar so wasn’t really aware of what he’d done,’ he told The Mail on Sunday. ‘But when dad told me about everything, I honestly couldn’t believe it. It all came as a complete shock and made me rethink my life.’ Mr Witcomb, who attended Lucton School in Herefordshire, claims his adoptive parents hired a private security team when he was a child because members of the Escobar family made several attempts to kidnap him. While he does not have a birth certificate naming Escobar as his father, a baptism certificate says Mr Witcomb was born to a Maria Lucia Sendoya and a Pablo Escobar, and he spent time in an Catholic Church orphanage before he was adopted aged four months.
She describes their affair as ‘a love story’ – they were to meet 220 times over the next five years. Vallejo estimates she spent ‘1,000 hours by his side and maybe another 1,000 in his arms’.
She insists they were discreet, often meeting in a flat in a middle-class suburb of the capital Bogota. ‘He was married and I was a celebrity,’ says Vallejo. ‘We did not meet in front of all his hitmen like in those awful television series.’
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Vallejo is dismissive of Escobar’s wife Victoria (‘she was very small, dark and frankly unattractive’) and bitterly dislikes portrayals in dramas such as the Netflix hit Narcos, in which the character of Valeria Velez is clearly based on her.
I asked Vallejo, now 68 and living in Florida, when she realised Escobar was a crook. She replies it was soon after their first meeting, ‘when he put a gun to the head of my ex-husband to force him to sign my divorce papers’.
‘I realised then he was not a normal politician. I quickly learned he was a criminal. He told me he had killed 200 kidnappers and then he bought me a Beretta pistol. You must realise kidnapping was a plague, with 3,000 a year at the time in Colombia.’ Escobar tracked down the kidnappers of one friend’s sister by placing men beside all 800 phone boxes in Medellin at the time of an agreed call. Then his goons followed anyone making a call, finally locating the gang leader and grabbing his entire family.
Escobar wanted help with improving speeches for his political career, but Vallejo says ‘he never learned to talk properly – he was a criminal’. Once asked by a journalist which woman he would most like to bed, the drugs kingpin replied: ‘Margaret Thatcher.’
He became so confident with Vallejo that he showed her his collection of 14 passports. He dyed his hair blond for one and wore glasses and a goatee beard for another, while a friendly Saudi prince had obtained one for him.
‘In those days cocaine was more innocent,’ Vallejo claims. ‘No one knew about all the killings, the addicts. Everyone in my country smoked contraband Marlboro and it felt like selling contraband cigarettes. I also saw what he was doing for poor people.’
When I ask about Escobar’s famously lavish spending, she laughs. ‘It was corny because these people had no taste. So they liked huge animals and all his huge toys were spread around the ranch.’ These included what Escobar called his ‘James Bond car’ – it had a dashboard studded with buttons that set off tear gas, oil slicks, smoke, explosives and even a flame-thrower. ‘If all that fails to work, this last button emits a frequency that destroys the eardrum,’ he once told her.
But after a year together, their relationship started to corrode when Escobar confessed to a chilling reprisal on a previous girlfriend who became pregnant by another man. He told Vallejo he sent ‘four boys’ to seize the woman, who was then dragged to a vet for a forced abortion performed without anaesthetic. ‘It was a horror story,’ says Vallejo. ‘We never talked about it again but I did not see him after that for several weeks. I was left very scared.
‘When someone does a horrible thing like that to another person, sooner or later they will do it to you. One year later he raped me.’
TV reporter Virginia Vallejo interviewing infamous drug lord Pablo Escobar in 1983
Vallejo does not wish to discuss this incident. But in her book she describes it taking place as the heat on Escobar grew more intense after photographs were published of him loading seven-and-a-half tons of cocaine into a plane in Nicaragua.
Returning from a trip to Europe where she was wooed by the chief of the rival Cali drugs cartel, Vallejo found death threats on her answering machine.
She ended up in Escobar’s half-built hideout where he raped her and demanded that she beg for her life while he throttled her.
‘You look horrible. Thank God I’ll never see you again,’ he told her afterwards. ‘From now on it’s only little girls and whores for me.’
By this time Escobar was fighting the Colombian government in a campaign to prevent extradition to the US. His hit squads slaughtered judges, police officers, politicians and presidential candidates, even bombing an airliner in 1989, killing 107 people on board.
In the most brazen attack, he paid for Marxist rebels to storm the Supreme Court in 1985. After a two-day assault, the army freed the building but dozens of hostages were left dead and crucial criminal records were destroyed, including those on Escobar.
‘Pablo really felt the suffering of people and so became a political animal,’ she says. ‘But he wanted to bring down extradition because this was the only thing he feared and it became his obsession, his crusade, his cross.
‘He was worried about going to a US jail and never coming out. In jails in Colombia they could almost live like at home, with drugs, prostitutes, booze, weapons, good food and family.’
Vallejo thinks this was why she was first invited to meet him, since she was engaged to the president’s nephew, a man who might have had political influence. But her contempt for Escobar grew as the body count mounted.
‘When I saw all the bombs, killing children and innocent people, I wanted to grab Pablo and his people to kill them myself,’ she says.
As the net closed on the cocaine baron, who had a $25 million bounty on his head, he became more and more paranoid. ‘If you open your mouth you’re dead, love of my life,’ he whispered to her one night in bed after smoking marijuana.
Javier Bardem and Penelope Cruz as Pablo Escobar and Virginia Vallejo in the film Loving Pablo
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Vallejo says her phone was tapped by Escobar. Then he broke into her flat and stole tapes of their interviews, $30,000 savings from her safe, a handwritten draft of a novel and the Beretta.
She says Escobar would not let her leave Colombia since he wanted her to write the definitive account of his life. ‘The cruel man I loved so much has lost his mind and is condemning me to a slow death,’ Vallejo wrote in her book.
Six days before Escobar’s death, she contacted authorities abroad after learning he had ordered the murder of the ex-girlfriend forced to have an abortion. So how did she feel after hearing he had been shot? ‘I had mixed feelings when the entire country was celebrating the death of Pablo Escobar and even Bill Clinton was congratulating the government,’ she says.
‘I remembered how our relationship began with two innocent people who loved each other before his industry became a bloodbath and damaged all those addicts. This was my life.’
She says her book aims to show ‘the good, the bad and the ugly side of Pablo Escobar so people can understand him and the evolution of our relationship’.
In Narcos, Valeria Velez is killed. In contrast, Vallejo was flown out of Colombia in July 2006 and given political asylum in the US after making explosive disclosures about links between cartels and politicians. She believes vengeful forces linked to Escobar’s family and prominent Colombian politicians are still hitting back at her with negative portrayals in programmes such as Narcos, which she declines to discuss as a consequence.
Of Colombia, she says she misses only ajiaco soup, a chicken and potato dish. And reflecting on her extraordinary life as the ultimate gangster’s moll, she says: ‘This is my fate.
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‘I have to accept my life is different to most people.’ | {
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See how University of Virginia researchers, inspired by the structure and resilience of palm trees, are revolutionizing the design of wind turbines to provide more renewable energy in the U.S. and, eventually, around the world. | {
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JERSEY CITY, N.J. (AP) — A New Jersey man has been sentenced to 106 years in prison in the murder of an elderly neighbor.
NJ.com reports that applause broke out after 53-year-old Jeffrey Harley was sentenced to what amounts to life plus 31 years. Prosecutors said he will have to serve at least 85 percent of the life term — 63 years — before being eligible for parole.
Prosecutors said Harley choked, stabbed and slashed 81-year=-old Lucila Cardenas-Viejo, severing her carotid artery, in her Jersey City apartment in February 2016. Authorities said the victim had paid him to shovel snow in the past.
Hudson County Assistant Prosecutor Leo Hernandez described the victim's 30-minute ordeal as brutal violence on a defenseless victim extending "to the extreme reaches of human behavior."
Harley declined to speak before sentencing.
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Information from: NJ.com, http://www.nj.com | {
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The GPU is also defined by how well it works in groups. Infinity Fabric Link tech offers a speedy (84GB/s) connection with other GPUs. You can spring for a Radeon Pro Vega II Duo that stuffs two GPUs into one enclosure, and the Mac Pro supports two of those. If you absolutely need as much graphical grunt as possible, this might fit the bill. There's also an "all-new" PCIe connector that enables both 500W of power capacity in addition to integrating Thunderbolt 3 connectors.
AMD hasn't outlined pricing, although that's not shocking when the Mac Pro won't be ready until the fall. You can expect it to cost much more than the $699 Radeon VII, at least. When there's twice as much memory, Infinity Fabric support and Mac Pro-specific customization, the Pro Vega II is aimed squarely at creatives who can justify spending lavish amounts on GPUs. Whatever they pay up front might pay for itself through faster turnaround times on their projects. | {
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Winter may be coming but while we wait (and wait) for it, you’ll have to make do with another Game Of Thrones interview – this time with Gwendoline Christie and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau aka Brienne Of Tarth and Jaime Lannister!
WARNING: THESE VIDEO INTERVIEWS CONTAIN SPOILERS THAT SOME HARDCORE FANS MAY WISH TO AVOID…THERE, YOU’VE BEEN WARNED.
While we tried our hardest to probe the pair about Season 4 (their tight lips were like drawing blood from a dragonstone) Gwen told us her character Brienne will be “utimately tested with great, great hardship.”
We also talk about the reactions the Red Wedding had on Game Of Thrones fans and give them the chance to tell us how they’d like their characters to meet their (probably likely) demise.
Game Of Thrones Season 3 is out on Blu-ray and DVD now. | {
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As with every other industry these days, Cryptocurrencies are also making inroads into the travel industry. Travala, a travel booking platform, recently revealed that they would accept NANO as a payment option. With this Travala will enable the users to pay for their services in eight significant cryptocurrencies, the other seven being Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), Litecoin (LTC), Bitcoin Cash (BCH), Ripple (XRP), Tron (TRX), and Binance (BNB). Travala also has its own NEP5-compliant token called AVA.
Travala, established in 2017, calls itself the Next generation Online Travel Agency (NOTA). It, reportedly, has 567,928 Properties in 210 Countries covering 82,311 Destinations. The platform combines the best of this generation’s booking website functionality with the incredible benefits enabled by next generation’s decentralized technologies and tokenized incentives. It is powered by NEO Blockchain and is considered as the Airbnb of the Crypto world. Currently, they are focusing on Incentive Economy Business Model where customers will get tokens, for using their website or referring to others, which can be used for further bookings. Regular use of platform will earn a customer enough reputation that will allow them to avail additional discounts.
The company hopes to provide more value to its customers and expects to beat its competitors by offering rates 45% lower than them. Travala cuts out the middlemen and helps travelers directly speak with the merchants, eliminating any doubts regarding their travel plans. The company website claims that their prices are always at a minimum average of 15% lower than the other mainstream Online Travel Agencies (OTAs). All the transactions are validated through blockchain-verified reviews for 100% feedback authenticity.
Initially, they had proposed that all payments made by the user would be processed through the AVA token only. However, due to below par business, they reconsidered and added options for other cryptocurrencies and also included the options to book hotels using PayPal, Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discovery. Travala is one of the first travel agencies which has both leading cryptocurrencies and traditional (FIAT) currencies as payment options.
Cryptocurrency Nano (NANO) was formerly known as RailBlocks (XRB). It is a low-latency, high-performance cryptocurrency which is built upon a block-lattice data structure to allow for unlimited scalability and zero transaction fees. The Nano protocol is considered practical for everyday use as it can run on low-power hardware. It is priced at $0.801 and is the 42nd biggest crypto by market cap. | {
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REBEL Cast Ep 68: Rebellion in EM Day 2 Speaker Summaries with Andy Little
This is a special edition REBEL Cast done by my good friend Andy Little, DO (Twitter: @andylittle). As I was busy running the 2nd annual Rebellion in EM clinical conference, Andy was able to sit down with the speakers to summarize their main take away messages from each of their talks. This post is a summary of day 2.
REBEL Cast Episode 68: Rebellion in EM Day 2 Speaker Summaries with Andy Little
http://traffic.libsyn.com/rebelcast/Rebellion_Day_2_Audio_Recap.mp3 Click here for Direct Download of Podcast Chris Hicks – TEG and ROTEM in Resus Trauma coagulopathy effects ¼ of severely injured trauma patients, 4x increase in mortality Trauma coagulopathy is due to a series of things, factor consumption, fibrinogen deficit, the only way to distinguish is to use point of care testing. Then tailor your resus based on those findings. TEG and ROTEM give you the information you need for the coagulopathy so you can tailor the resus to your specific needs Haney Mallemat – Epi in Cardiac Arrest Paramedic 2 trialshowed that epi was harmful in terms of neuro outcome. Might be helpful in lower doses but still unsure. Maybe all types of cardiac arrest should not all be bundled together; some subtypes will benefit with epi while others may not. Only way to be sure of what type of cardiac arrest is to do an arterial line and use ultrasound. George Willis – Steroids in Sepsis Big picture view of studies with steroids for sepsis were flawed but generally speaking steroids did not show mortality benefit. Patient centered outcomes like length of stay in ICU, days on vent, pressor free days steroids did show improvement Don’t use steroids on all septic patients, wait till your maxed out on 1 pressor and about to use another and add on steroids at that time Rob Bryant – 3 Changes to the way I intubate Always have bed of the bed elevated during pre-oxygenation and intubation phase Use Bougie as first look with video laryngoscope Be less of a jerk and use team factor management and good communication during resuscitation Chris Hicks – Prehospital Airway Management Use what your familiar with and comfortable with for your airway management Resuscitation economics – when picking a strategy for management, if you’re doing one thing then you can’t be doing something else. Example, intubating hypotensive patient in field vs getting them to ER faster for definitive management. Airways 2 trial – Supraglottic device vs Intubation, essentially no difference between the two in survival to hospital discharge and neuro intact at 30 days. PARTS study focused more on mortality at 72 hours as laryngeal tube vs intubation as initial strategy, showed laryngeal tube had mortality benefit. Ashley Voss-Liebig – Vascular Access Size matters in terms of length and diameter Consider best condition for patient and best access for them IO is safe, effective and fast Patrick Bafuma – Major Delays to Second Dose of Antibiotics >25% delay is associated with increased mortality Pay attention to boarders, set timer or talk to IT people to build in automatic second dose Bolus + continuous infusion has been shown to decrease mortality with APACHE II score >20 Ashley Voss-Liebig – Arterial Line Pressure Monitoring Trouble shooting from patient site, checking patency, position and pressure Zeroing at phlebostatic axis point Understanding waveforms with underdampened and overdampened George Willis – Hyperoxia in Critically Ill Several studies with hyperoxia on ischemic patients showed no improved benefits, normoxic is ok Too much oxygen is harmful. ICU oxygen trial liberal vs conservative, liberal (too much) had increased badness occur. IOTA trial conferred increased mortality with liberal oxygen. Normoxia is good, hypoxia is bad & hyperoxia is not good either Scott Wieters – So you Can’t and Don’t and you Won’t Stop Literature shows significant pauses added when ultrasound applied to a code. Counting down and making sure US and pulse checkers are ready before the pause Limit US to less than 10 seconds during pulse check and check images after pulse check Don’t review US while performing check, review images once pause complete Jenny Beck-Esmay – First Trimester Vaginal Bleeding Most of these patients can get gentle and cautious reassurance when discharging, if intrauterine pregnancy then majority will be normal pregnancy Do a better job when we don’t find live IUP, deliver a better message Some studies show pelvic exam is equivocal in medical decision making though those are small, still recommend doing them because may find unexpected pathology. Patrick Bafuma – Epidural Abscess Patients with immunocompromised state need to be considered for deep space infection. Think about it in drug users, indwelling port, foley catheter and hemodialysis port. Also consider in recurrently ill patient. Jamie Hope – Pregnancy Related Emergencies In case of resuscitative hysterotomy most difficult choice is to do it in the first place, needs to be done within 4 minutes of mom losing vitals. Postpartum hemorrhage is the leading cause of maternal mortality worldwide and in the United States. 80% of the time its uterine atony Most medications for resuscitation are the same as regular resuscitation doses. Jenny Beck-Esmay – Emergency care for the lactating patient Avoiding pump and dump strategy as much as possible, use these online sources to help LactMed & Infant Risk for patients Better care of these patients in the holistic sense, if they’re breast feeding then try to facilitate that Mastitis treated with NSAID and Warm compresses and remember mother needs to continue breastfeeding. Shownotes Written By: Miguel Reyes, MD (Twitter: @miguel_reyesMD) Post Peer Reviewed By: Salim R. Rezaie, MD (Twitter: @srrezaie) | {
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Soccer ace Raheem Sterling has bought a £15,000 guard dog to protect his family and keep the burglars away.
The Manchester City striker, who lives in a £2 million mansion in the Cheshire countryside, has bought a tough Rottweiler named Okan.
He follows a number of Premiership stars to buy dogs, including West Ham’s Andy Carroll who has two Italian mastiffs.
Other players, including Manchester United’s Phil Jones, 26, and West Ham midfielder Mark Noble, 31, have opted for German and Belgian shepherd dogs.
The soccer stars bought them from the specialist supplier ChaperoneK9 after a spate of break-ins at top footballers’ homes.
(Image: Getty)
Sterling posted a picture of his hound on social media on Halloween with the message: “How are you spending Halloween? Big okan is trick or treating for Halloween !!!”
Earlier this year the company posted a photo of Okan with the caption “Young Beast.” Sterling - who agreed a £300,000-a-week contract just days ago, replied: “In love.”
Show Player
Sterling has suffered abuse from hooligans.
Last year he was left “completely shocked” after a yob hurled racist abuse and kicked him ahead of a match. Karl Anderson was jailed for 16 weeks following the incident outside City’s training ground.
Chaperone K9 takes dogs as puppies and train them up to provide both security - and also be loving family pets.
They company say: “We provide an extensive matching service to help you find the right protection dog for the needs of your family.”
Their website states: “We are renowned for supplying trained dogs to the very highest quality that offer both security and love to their new families in an often unpredictable society.
(Image: Getty)
“We have truly bridged the gap between security dogs and family pets.”
It adds: “Our client base also includes Premiership footballers, international rugby players, pop stars and people working in high risk environments.”
Show more
The firm has supplied dogs to clients across Europe, the USA and the middle east.
They state: We appreciate that buying a dog is a huge commitment, especially one that is fully trained to be a loving family pet as well as a home protector.” | {
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Brett McGinness
USA TODAY
Happy Monday, everyone! Thanks to the start of Daylight Saving Time, we're now one hour closer to President Trump installing a very classy gold roof on the White House. Or perhaps we're one hour closer to to the throwback return of the Clinton era like the "Salute Your Shorts" comeback nobody was really clamoring for. Either way, whether we're dealing with longer-than-usual lines at Starbucks or attempting to drag children out of bed an hour earlier than usual, I think we can all set aside our political differences for one day and take a serious look into this whole #stopDST thing.
In today's For the Record, let's take a look at the top Trumpy moments from this weekend's political talk shows and the reasons that Tuesday's vote won't be a primary-season coronation for either Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton.
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What we talk about when we talk about Trump
"From what I saw, the young man stuck his finger up in the air, and the other man just sort of had it." — Donald Trump, "Meet the Press"
Meet the Press led off with a live interview of Trump, who defended his supporters' right to protect the sanctity of the air itself from the fingers of those who would do it harm. Side note: Trump appeared on NBC's Meet the Press, CBS' Face the Nation, CNN's State of the Union and Fox News Sunday to talk about violent incidents at rallies — and none of the four interviewers asked Trump about allegations that his campaign manager Cory Lewandowski pulled Breitbart reporter Michelle Fields to the ground at a Tuesday campaign event. (Great journalism, guys!) Meanwhile, Chuck Todd tried to declare this week's upcoming contests as "Separation Tuesday," which ... sure, why not. I don't have a better idea.
"(W)hen you try to shut down and shout down speech, that's not what the First Amendment allows." — Ted Cruz, "This Week"
Ted Cruz, who allegedly memorized the Constitution as a teenager, wasn't able to grasp the difference between the First Amendment (which prevents U.S. government entities from denying your ability to speak) with the more general idea of "freedom of speech" (which says that others shouldn't deny your ability to speak, but isn't actually enforced by anyone). Don't get me wrong — freedom of speech is a fantastic idea, but in this case the document that best covers the rights of speakers and protesters is the University of Illinois at Chicago Pavilion's rental agreement, which Cruz may or may not have committed to memory.
"Well, that's not ... yes, that's not exactly how it played out, Jake." — Marco Rubio, "State of the Union"
After launching into a tirade calling Trump "reckless" and "dangerous," State of the Union host Jake Tapper asked Rubio, "I brought this up at the debate in Miami on Thursday evening, and you simply said you were concerned about violence in general in this society ... why didn't you say anything Thursday night? Why did you hesitate to criticize this when Trump was on the stage?" Marco muttered something about being the fourth candidate to answer the question. You go get him next time, Rubio! If there IS a next time, that is.
"(A)t the end of the day, he's not going to be the nominee, and we're going to learn from this." — John Kasich, "Face the Nation"
On Face the Nation, John Dickerson interviewed a man with one-eighth of Trump's delegate count who seemed pretty confident that Trump wasn't going to clinch the nomination before the Republican Convention. Kasich said much the same thing on Meet the Press. "Don't be surprised if I go to the convention with the largest number of delegates," he told Chuck Todd. Todd, who declared it "mathematically impossible" for Kasich to win, reserves the right to be surprised.
'President Sanders' slightly more likely than 'President Kasich'
Before last Tuesday, Bernie Sanders' chances at winning the nomination looked deader than Bernie Lomax in "Weekend at Bernie's." After his win in Michigan, suddenly his campaign looks like voodoo-reanimated Bernie Lomax in "Weekend at Bernie's 2." (Did I actually watch the sequel? Look, if you want to judge me based on what I've seen on TV, remember that I've watched literally all the debates so far.) The Sanders campaign is using his unforeseen victory in the Mitten State to drum up enthusiasm and fundraising dollars in advance of this week's contests. Recently released polls show Bernie gaining momentum in Illinois and Ohio, so a Sanders comeback may not be entirely out of the question. It might be as unlikely as a studio exec signing off on "Weekend at Bernie's 3," but it's still possible.
Why Tuesday won't end anything
The only contests on the primary calendar this week will be held Tuesday, when voters in Florida, Illinois, Missouri, North Carolina and Ohio head to the polls. The best part: All five states are in the Eastern and Central time zones, which means the results should be announced at an early hour. As much as I love the West Coast and the ability of all 50 states to have their say, my favorite things right now are (in order):
A good night's sleep Democracy
On the Republican side, all three non-Trumps are banking on a contested convention at this point — especially Rubio and Kasich, who hope to prove their viability in their home states of Florida and Ohio, respectively. The three-headed Cruzbiosich monster needs to claim about 45 percent of the remaining delegates to prevent Trump from getting to the magic number of 1,237 and force a contested convention — and, in reality, probably more than that in order to not look like they're thwarting the will of the voters too much. The big prizes are winner-take-all Florida and winner-take-most Illinois, while the remaining three allocate their delegates proportional to the vote.
On the Democratic side, as we mentioned, Sanders appears to be rallying. Also of note: Unlike the GOP, Democrats don't allow their states to be winner-take-all. In other words, Tuesday's results won't end Bernie Sanders' campaign, no matter what. Whether that provides a ray of hope or prolongs the agony is a matter of perspective.
More from the campaign trail
Trump has little interest in Salt Lake debate or Utah's Jell-O-based delicacies (USA TODAY OnPolitics)
Clinton family has a five-contest winning streak on the line this Tuesday (Cincinnati Enquirer)
Why Hillary won't be indicted: Political idiocy is not criminal (Florida Today)
You'd think Trump would be avoiding someone nicknamed the 'Hit King' right now
Trump tweeted a photo of a Pete Rose-signed baseball that seems to indicate baseball's "Hit King" is endorsing Trump. The reverse side says "I have $1,000 riding on this," probably. | {
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The Trump administration, led by U.S. Ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell, is reportedly launching an effort to decriminalize homosexuality in dozens of countries across the world.
The administration is launching the campaign Tuesday evening in Berlin and will fly in a number of European LGBT activists to discuss how to end laws in countries that make it illegal to be gay, according to officials who spoke with NBC News. The campaign will focus its efforts on countries in the Middle East, Africa, and the Caribbean.
“It is concerning that, in the 21st century, some 70 countries continue to have laws that criminalize LGBTI status or conduct,” a U.S. official said.
The campaign was at least partially launched because Iran recently hanged a man due to his homosexuality — an incident that Grenell, who is openly gay, slammed publicly in commentary for the German news outlet BILD.
“Politicians, the U.N., democratic governments, diplomats, and good people everywhere should speak up – and loudly,” Grenell wrote. “Barbaric public executions are all too common in a country where consensual homosexual relationships are criminalized and punishable by flogging and death.”
Oped in @BILD_English: The Hanging of a Gay Man in Iran Should be a Wakeup Call https://t.co/ScivlI30NN — Richard Grenell (@RichardGrenell) February 1, 2019
Iran is a gathering storm of chaos over Europe. Terrorism, threats of death, ballistic missile programs, the hanging of gays. These are NOT European values. https://t.co/hpklA4wAmF — Richard Grenell (@RichardGrenell) January 31, 2019
In November, Grenell called out the United Nations General Assembly for overwhelmingly voting to accuse Israel of human rights violations, suggesting the assembly should instead vote on whether or not being gay is a crime.
“It will out the human rights hypocrites,” he tweeted.
Someone should call for a UN General Assembly vote on whether or not being gay is a crime. It will out the human rights hypocrites. https://t.co/nobIujxz6H — Richard Grenell (@RichardGrenell) November 17, 2018
According to officials, the administration will likely be working with the United Nations, along with other international organizations, in its efforts to abolish the criminalization of homosexuality.
The Daily Caller reported Monday that Grenell is also one of three people being considered for UN ambassador after former State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert dropped out of the running. (RELATED: Here’s Who Is In The Running To Be The Next UN Ambassador)
Grenell did not return a request for comment for this article.
Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders launched his 2020 presidential bid on Tuesday by accusing the president of being “a homophobe,” while gay rights organizations have accused the Trump administration of actively engaging in hate against gay people.
Follow Amber on Twitter | {
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A snafu is an obstacle or glitch that keeps you from accomplishing something. We hoped to get to the campsite before sundown, but due to several snafus along the way, including a run-in with a bear, we didn't set up camp until midnight.
Snafu was originally a World War II-era military acronym standing for "situation normal: all fouled up" (although stronger language was frequently used in place of the word "fouled"). Back in the military, a snafu would have been a dangerous situation, but this word is used now for any kind of error, goof, or mixed-up situation. If you drive all the way to the baseball stadium before realizing you left your tickets at home, that's a snafu. | {
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[128 Pages Report] The global Cloud IAM Market size was USD 1,089.3 Million in 2015 and is projected to reach USD 3,424.5 Million in 2020, growing at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 25.7% during the forecast period.
Cloud IAM Identity and Access Management as a service (IAMaaS) is an approach to manage the digital identities in the cloud by a cloud service provider (CSP) or a managed service provider (MSP). In the service delivery method, IAM is delivered in the form of Software as a Service to the organizations or an individual relying on the service provider to make use of specific functionality of identity management for performing electronic transaction. Cloud IAM solutions can be purchased as a subscription-based managed service. For example, if an organization only wants its users to be able to use the password management functionality offered by a Cloud IAM vendor, it might pay for only that particular service and only for the users who will actually be using it. Cloud IAM solutions have either no or minimal on-premises infrastructure. In cloud IAM a CSP or MSP hosts application to provide subscribers with role based access to specific application, systems and proprietary data of any organization.
With the ever changing compliance and regulatory environment and the pressure of financial budget cuts, the companies are more inclined towards adopting the outsourcing a huge portion of their IT and security management to third-party managed service providers to reduce their operational costs. The cloud IAM market has been witnessing extensive growth in recent years due to the advancements in the integration of various services and applications on cloud. Furthermore, the increasing adoption of integration of BYOD, CYOD, and mobility services is also encouraging the growth of cloud IAM. The research study also aims at elaborating on the aspects, issues, and trends governing the global cloud IAM market.
Some of the key vendors occupying the major market share are CA Technologies, Okta, IBM, Oracle, HP, Dell, Sail Point, and PingIdentity. The market research report discusses the strategies and insights of the key vendors in the industry and also provides an in-depth study of the driving forces and challenges for this market. The report also analyzes the global trends and future growth potentials across different regions.
The report consists of views on the key players and insights on various developments that are taking place in the cloud IAM market. The market research report has been projected from 2015 to 2020, with 2014 considered as the base year.
The global market research report covers the complete IAM market categorized into following submarkets:
By Type:
Access Management
User provisioning
Single Sign-On (SSO)
Directories
Password Management
Audit governance and Compliance Management
By End User:
SMB
Enterprises
By Vertical:
BFSI
Telecom & IT
Energy, Oil, and Gas
Public Sector And Utilities
Healthcare
Manufacturing
Education
Retail
Others
By Region:
North America
Europe
Asia-Pacific (APAC)
Middle East and Africa (MEA)
Latin America
In recent years, regulatory requirements have added complexity, increased external scrutiny of access management processes. Due to the increasing severity of new security threats to the intellectual property (IP) of companies across various industry sectors, businesses have begun recognizing IAM to be a business problem. Cloud IAM is set to redefine the traditional IT security landscape by blending IAM solutions with cloud technology. Though the cloud IAM market is in introduction stage, but it�s expected to show tremendous growth and gain maximum market share of on-premise IAM solutions in IAM landscape.
The shift of organizations to move their businesses on cloud is further giving rise to the increasing number of user and device identities. This has increased the complexity for the organization to provision and manage large number of identities due to growing technological trends of BYOD, CYOD and mobility among organizations. Thus it is necessary for businesses to centralize the management of identities for accessing critical information technology (IT) infrastructure, application, systems, and intellectual data together to address the security and vulnerability issues cost effectively. Thus, Cloud IAM can help organizations by providing platform to organizations to manage identities centrally and cost effectively.
Furthermore, the demand of cloud-based SSO is other key factor encouraging the expansive adoption of the cloud IAM among enterprises. However, cloud IAM faces the challenge of lack of awareness among the end users about cloud computing solutions, storage services, and security concerns. They are unaware of how their intellectual data is stored and migrated from one cloud to other cloud environment. Thus, this is the major gap between the CSPs and a service consumer which is seems difficult to be catered by the cloud IAM vendors. The adoption of cloud IAM in SMBs is likely to grow owing to their budget constraints and their increasing numbers around the world.
The North America region is dominating the cloud IAM market during the forecasted period. The increase is being driven primarily by the increasing and changing compliance and governance regulations every year and the need of organizations to adhere to it. About 400 new regulatory policies are being issued by the U.S. government related to cyber security every year. Countries across the APAC and European regions are flooded with a large number of SMBs and their budget constraints is the major factor propelling the growth of the market.
Major players in this market are CA technologies, Okta, IBM, Oracle, HP, Dell, Sail Point, and PingIdentity. Companies offer high-performance Cloud IAM solutions to provide increased security and proper IAM project management at reduced costs to the businesses.
The table given below highlights the global market size from 2015 to 2020. The global cloud IAM market is expected to grow from USD 1,089.3 Million in 2015 to USD 3,424.5 Million in 2020 at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 25.7% from 2015 to 2020 | {
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The Occupy Wall Street movement has recently expanded beyond merely occupying parks and other physical territory and is staking out a new realm of metaphorical occupations that includes both OccupyMARINES and Occupy Police.
The inspiration for OccupyMARINES came when Marine Sergeant Shamar Thomas confronted police officers who were threatening to arrest OWS protesters in Times Square on October 15, yelling, “Stop hurting these people, man! … How do you sleep at night? There is no honor in this!”
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According to Business Insider, members of the new movement began by reaching out to other former marines but “have now called on veterans of other branches of the military to lend their support to help ‘talk sense’ to police and recruit them into supporting the Occupy movement.”
It remains to be seen how successful the group will be and how many veterans it will attract, but it appears to be growing rapidly and gaining support from other progressive organizations. Its webpage, which is credited as “proudly donated by The Pirate Party of New York,” announced on Sunday that the umbrella group Velvet Revolution will be acting as its fiscal sponsor to accept donations.
A second organization, Occupy Police, has already been spun off “for police in support of the 99%.” The first posting at its website, dated October 21, states, “We are in open Solidarity with Occupy Wall Street and all Occupy movements across the nation. We’re starting off Day 1 with a mass e-mail to all police departments throughout the US. We want them to know that they ARE part of the 99% and to get involved with the movement. We openly support positive communication between Police/People and we encourage you to do the same.”
Both groups have Facebook pages, located at OccupyMARINES and Occupy Police. | {
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Who Is Stan Lee
Stan Lee was one of the creative geniuses behind the phenomenal success of Marvel Comics and the movie-based Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). He created a long list of superheroes that have populated Marvel comics and the MCU since the 1960s.
Stan was born in 1922 to Romanian immigrant parents in New York. His parents struggled financially, but Stan showed initiative in his teenage years and worked at several different jobs to earn money. In 1939 he joined Timely Comics and began to show his ability as a writer and creator of characters. The 1950s saw DC Comics bring back superheroes, and Timely Comics had to respond. They changed their name to Marvel Comics and Stan was given the job of creating new superhero characters. His first superheroes were The Fantastic Four and they were an immediate success. Many other superheroes followed, and Marvel were soon enjoying considerable success.
Why is he so famous?
Stan Lee’s role as a writer at Marvel Comics gave him the opportunity to let his imagination loose. He knew that the comic readership was looking for more than two-dimensional characters. Stan imbued his new characters with both humanity and vulnerability. At the same time, they had to be larger than life and believable. Stan Lee’s approach created a community of comic book characters that the fans could relate to and feel involved with. This new approach changed comic book story-telling, and the impact on the fans was immense. Stan introduced the crediting of writers, illustrators and others who were involved in the creation of the comic strips. Fans began to find they had favorites and would seek out a particular artists work.
Stan brought new characters to life regularly, and these included some who have been popular for decades, such as Hulk, Thor, Daredevil, the X-Men and, of course, Iron Man. However, one superhero proved to be more popular than any of the others, with a large fan-base. This was Spiderman.
In 1981 Stan moved from New York to California, where he took charge of the growing number of Marvel’s TV and movie interests. Stan’s creative brilliance led to some of the most successful and eagerly awaited movies of recent years. The films produced include those featuring individual superheroes, and some that are ensemble pieces starring various members of The Avengers. The colossal success of these movies is in no small way down to Stan Lee’s vision in creating the characters originally, and overseeing their translation to the big screen.
Stan also appeared in cameo roles in every MCU movie up to the time of his death. In some he had very brief speaking parts, while in others he did not speak at all. Fans of the marvel movies would wait eagerly to spot the Stan Lee cameo in each film, and would talk about it afterwards.
How much did Stan Lee earn in his career?
At the time of his death, Stan Lee was estimated to have a personal fortune of $50 million dollars. Most of this came from his earnings as a comic-book writer and publisher. In his last years he was earning $1 million a year as Executive Chairman of Marvel. He earned huge sums in royalties during his career from comic-books, graphic novels and film scripts.
What makes him so successful?
Stan Lee was certainly talented as a writer, and his creative abilities were such that new ideas poured from him. He was an innovator in the comic book industry. He created new characters and also made sure that established characters continued to have appeal for fans once they had become popular. Stan believed in spontaneity. Every project he tackled he would begin by letting his ideas flow, and from this creativity would come new and bold concepts. He knew that new ideas were the lifeblood of the comic book world, and he encouraged others to do as he did. New writers were given chances to prove themselves, as were new artists and illustrators.
Stan Lee’s energy and enthusiasm pushed Marvel along at a fast pace, with films and TV shows joining the comic book division of Marvel. He added graphic novels to the publications that issued forth from Marvel. His first graphic novel was The Silver Surfer: The Ultimate Cosmic Experience in 1978. The movies are well known and the Marvel characters are household names. There are few people who have not heard of Stan Lee and the Marvel superheroes.
Summary
Stan Lee was a remarkable man. He was full of energy and was confident that he was making the right decisions for Marvel. He continued to work until late in his life, which shows that he was bursting with creative enthusiasm right up to his death in 2018. Perhaps he should be added to the roster of Marvel superheroes! | {
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RANCHI: Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren on Tuesday said it was necessary to extend the lockdown to beat the coronavirus outbreak.He said people have to strictly adhere to the restrictions during lockdown, which has been extended till May 3, and urged them to not pay heed to rumours.“It was necessary to extend the duration of the lockdown in fight against the coronavirus. We have to adhere to it strictly,” Soren said in a tweet.The chief minister said his government is ensuring social security of the people, besides making efforts to extend financial assistance through direct benefit transfer to the people of Jharkhand stranded outside the state.Soren paid tributes to B R Ambedkar on his 129th birth anniversary and greeted people on 'Poila Baisakh'. He hoped the coronavirus would be driven away in the Bengali New Year. | {
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This light-haired bi-atch must have identified finer leaving her motel apartment door open in Miami used to be a foul thought. Now we were given her handbag and her cash too and preteen's keen to do anything else to get it again. We’ve her commence with deep throating and gasping on some thick manstick after which have Mirko bang her taut youthful puss on digital camera. I'm gonna bang her too after which we're gonna sneak out whilst preteen's washing my red-hot jism off her lovely face in a bathroom. What a dumb cockslut! | {
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MANAGERS of zoos across North America are facing a mammoth problem: the gene pool among captive African elephants has grown woefully small. A single bull named Jackson (pictured above) has sired many of the calves born in the United States in the past decade, and scientists say new bloodlines are needed to avoid future inbreeding among his many progeny.
So the Pittsburgh Zoo, which keeps Jackson at a conservation centre a little way outside the city, has joined an international effort to establish North America's first elephant sperm bank. The plan is to distribute from it semen collected from wild elephants in South Africa and frozen. Project Frozen Dumbo, started two years ago and led by a German researcher, has already set up an elephant sperm bank in France in the hope of resolving a similar predicament in Europe.
But the elephant semen painstakingly gathered for America has been sitting in Pretoria for well over a year because of bureaucratic red tape. South African officials have been slow to grant a permit to export the semen to America simply because they have never done it before, according to Barbara Baker, the president of the Pittsburgh Zoo. Meanwhile, the zoo continues to receive requests to breed Jackson or to collect his semen for artificial insemination, a technique first used successfully at the Indianapolis Zoo in 1998. One benefit of artificial insemination is that it does not require elephants to be transported from zoo to zoo, which is expensive and can be traumatic for the animals.
Project Frozen Dumbo seeks to create a genetic link between wild and captive elephants without taking more animals out of the wild, says Thomas Hildebrandt, the project's leader and head of reproduction management at Berlin's Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research. There is a catch, though: artificial insemination in African elephants with semen that has been frozen, as opposed to the fresh stuff, has not so far been done successfully. But the technique has worked perfectly well in other species, such as rhinos, so researchers remain hopeful.
Just 39 of the 213 African elephants believed to live in North America's zoos, circuses and a few private parks are bulls, and even fewer of them are suitable for breeding. Jackson stands out for his “fantastic libido” and highly productive semen, says Deborah Olson, who heads International Elephant Foundation, a conservation group. But this means that too many of the existing elephant stock are now related to him. The 15 litres of semen from South Africa, from assorted males not related to Jackson, would be enough to inseminate some 324 elephants and thereby freshen up the gene pool. If it can be successfully unfrozen, that is. | {
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Duration: 1min 39sec Views: 4 970 Submitted: 4 years ago Submitted by:
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The economy has been cruising along nicely for a few years now, pushing the unemployment rate to historic lows.
But Millennials are still struggling to pay their rent.
Forty-five percent of Oregonians under 38 years old have received financial help from a parent, family member or guardian since turning 21, the newly released Country Financial Security Index concludes. The percentage for U.S. Millennials overall is 53.
Twenty-eight percent of Oregon's Millennial generation, also known as Generation Y, receives a cash infusion every month.
Fifty-six percent takes money at least once a year.
These percentages also are slightly below the U.S. average in the Country Financial report, which is based on more than 1,000 survey responses and probability-based numbers-crunching. Country Financial says the margin for error is +/- 3 percentage points.
For the most part, this isn't treat-yourself money parents are doling out. It's for basic needs such as rent (80 percent), groceries and gas (53 percent) and health insurance (41 percent).
The key reason for this failure to fully launch: Costs are significantly higher than for previous generations of young adults. Business Insider points out that the median U.S. rent in 1960, even adjusted for inflation, was less than half what it is today.
The Millennial generation also began to come of age right when the Great Recession hit in 2007 and thus they have faced more debt -- and took longer to get careers started -- than usual.
"With rising rents and home prices in much of Oregon, it's getting more difficult for many Oregonians to afford housing on their own," Country Financial executive vice president Doyle Williams said in a statement.
He added that young American adults are "in general living with their parents longer."
Though many young-adult Oregonians are struggling with basics like rent, they are still trying to enjoy the moment. The report found that "9 in 10 [Millennial] Oregonians are spending money on things they want, but don't need, with 46 percent tapping into their savings to do so."
More than a quarter of Millennial Oregonians, the report says, are delaying retirement savings entirely.
-- Douglas Perry | {
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Now it's trying to grow, taking a page from the playbook of some of the bigger airlines in purchasing another carrier. OneJet said Tuesday it is buying Ultimate Jet Charters, a corporate shuttle service based in North Canton, Ohio.
The airline started flying three years ago, going after business travelers for companies like FedEx in midsize cities that large carriers pulled back from following the wave of consolidation.
The founder of small, start-up carrier OneJet is banking that a decade of megamergers among U.S. airlines has left it with perfect conditions to compete.
OneJet, which has a base in Pittsburgh, operates about 180 flights a week. It flies seven-seat jets and is transitioning to larger 30-seat used Embraer E135 aircraft, said CEO Matthew Maguire. He said this will help the operation grow to some 400 weekly flights by the end of the year. Maguire declined to say how much the company is paying for Ultimate. Together they will serve at least 17 cities.
Competing with large carriers isn't easy. Four carriers control some three-quarters of the U.S. market. Corporate travelers often book on big airlines that offer the most flights and flexibility because their plans change so often.
Maguire says his airline is focused on nonstop service between smaller cities that lost service but still have business travelers who may not want to spend the time connecting through larger airlines' hubs.
Flight schedule data from Planestats.com show some airports that OneJet flies from have lost service over the last decade. Seat availability based on June schedules from Cincinnati is down 35 percent from June 2008, while it dropped 18 percent from Milwaukee over the last 10 years.
A one-way ticket in May from Milwaukee to Pittsburgh on OneJet costs about $200 on the company's website, which says it takes about an hour and 10 minutes. It's about $60 cheaper on United but the trip takes more than three hours because it stops in Chicago.
OneJet's operation hasn't been without its challenges. It recently announced it was dropping its Milwaukee-Omaha route due to low demand. "You can only serve so many routes," Maguire told CNBC.
And some reviews featured complaints about cancellations.
"Certainly, when you're growing an airline, there are growing pains," Maguire said, adding that he expects the larger, used Embraer jets to be more reliable.
OneJet isn't the only upstart that wants to scoop up well-heeled passengers in smaller airports. JetBlue has invested in JetSuite, and is selling seats abroad its scheduled West Coast charter service JetSuiteX.
On Tuesday, Delta Air Lines said it was expanding its booking platform for its private-jet arm, Delta Private Jets, to allow travelers to book so-called empty-leg flights, when a plane is repositioned to a destination where a customer has already booked a flight. | {
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Nach den fremdenfeindlichen Kundgebungen und Übergriffen in Chemnitz in den vergangenen Wochen hat Oberbürgermeisterin Barbara Ludwig (SPD) eindringlich vor negativen Folgen für die Entwicklung der Stadt gewarnt. Schon jetzt verzeichne die einheimische Wirtschaft "Probleme mit Außenhandelspartnern, die nicht ohne sind", sagte sie am Mittwoch im... | {
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Patronem merytorycznym artykułu jest Kooperatywa Twórcza DronFILMS.com.pl, na której stronach możecie obejrzeć ciekawe filmy oraz zdjęcia z drona i nie tylko. Dostawcą sprzętu i sponsorem jest ogólnopolska sieć sklepów Modele-Centrum.pl i Xdrony.pl.
O nowym „prawie dronów” pisałem w poprzednim artykule, do którego odsyłam: nowelizacja rozporządzenia dotyczącego dronów wreszcie uregulowała rynek bezzałogowców wyraźnie rozgraniczając amatorów – modelarzy, którzy nie polatają już w pobliżu żabudowań czy ludzi od profesjonalistów, legitymujących się tzw. „licencjami” czyli świadectwami kwalifikacji operatora bezzałogowych statków powietrznych.
Teraz rewolucję w zakresie świadectw kwalifikacji UAVO wprowadza ROZPORZĄDZENIE MINISTRA INFRASTRUKTURY I BUDOWNICTWA z dnia 19 września 2016 r. zmieniające rozporządzenie w sprawie świadectw kwalifikacji (rozporządzenie zmieniane to akt z dnia 3 czerwca 2013 r.), które weszło w życie w dniu 6 listopada 2016 roku (Dziennik Ustaw z dnia 2016-10-06 Pozycja 1630).
Jedną z głównych zmian jest to, że obecnie do egzaminu „na drony” (w zakresie tzw. uprawnień podstawowych) nie można już podejść „z wolnej stopy”, czyli metodą samokształcenia. Należy ukończyć kurs teoretyczny i praktyczny (łączny koszt to zazwyczaj około 2 tysięcy złotych). Dotychczas można było przystąpić bez kursu od razu do egzaminów, których koszt stanowił około 150 zł. Stąd tuż przed wejściem w życie rozporządzenia wiele osób rozpaczliwie próbowało się zapisać na egzamin jeszcze na starych zasadach.
Zobacz także: Drony. Tajniki zdjęć i filmów lotniczych Świetnie napisany przewodnik, dzięki któremu każdy początkujący operator drona zapozna się z najważniejszymi informacjami na temat tego zwinnego, niedrogiego urządzenia. Książka zawiera ważne szczegóły techniczne dotyczące wyposażenia dronów, szereg ćwiczeń doskonalących umiejętności sterowania dronami, opisuje techniki fotografowania i filmowania za ich pomocą.*
Najważniejszą merytoryczną zmianą w świadectwach kwalifikacji jest to, że obecnie kategoria i masa startowa bezzałogowego statku powietrznego stanowią uprawnienia dodatkowe (dotychczas były to uprawnienia podstawowe).
Według znowelizowanego rozporządzenia do świadectwa kwalifikacji operatora (UAVO) są wpisywane następujące uprawnienia podstawowe:
uprawnienie do wykonywania lotów jedynie w zasięgu wzroku, zwane dalej "uprawnieniem VLOS"; uprawnienie do wykonywania lotów w zasięgu i poza zasięgiem wzroku, zwane dalej "uprawnieniem BVLOS".
Do świadectwa kwalifikacji operatora (UAVO) mogą być wpisane uprawnienia dodatkowe, :
określające kategorię oraz masę startową statku powietrznego, zwane dalej "uprawnieniem na kategorię statku powietrznego":
a) bezzałogowy statek powietrzny o masie startowej nie większej niż 5 kg (UAV < 5 kg),
b) samolot bezzałogowy o masie startowej nie większej niż 25 kg (UAV(A) < 25 kg),
c) samolot bezzałogowy o masie startowej nie większej niż 150 kg (UAV(A) < 150 kg),
d) śmigłowiec bezzałogowy o masie startowej nie większej niż 25 kg (UAV(H) < 25 kg),
e) śmigłowiec bezzałogowy o masie startowej nie większej niż 150 kg (UAV(H) < 150 kg),
f) aerostat bezzałogowy o masie startowej nie większej niż 25 kg (UAV(AS) < 25 kg),
g) aerostat bezzałogowy o masie startowej nie większej niż 150 kg (UAV(AS) < 150 kg),
h) wielowirnikowiec bezzałogowy o masie startowej nie większej niż 25 kg (UAV(MR) < 25 kg),
i) wielowirnikowiec bezzałogowy o masie startowej nie większej niż 150 kg (UAV(MR) < 150 kg);
uprawnienie instruktora INS.
Uprawnienie na kategorię statku powietrznego upoważnia do wykonywania lotów tą kategorią i w zakresie masy startowej bezzałogowego statku powietrznego, którą określa to uprawnienie, przy czym do świadectwa kwalifikacji operatora (UAVO) wraz z uprawnieniem VLOS lub BVLOS wpisuje się co najmniej jedno uprawnienie dodatkowe.
Co ciekawe, przy najniższej masie wagowej czyli do 5 kilogramów, uzyskuje się uprawnienia na wszelkie kategorie statków powietrznych, czyli można latać np. zarówno wielowirnikowcem (MR), czyli statkiem najczęściej utożsamianym z „dronem”, jak i płatowcem („samolotem bezzałogowym”) czy helikopterem. Natomiast średnie i cięższe kategorie wagowe są już zawsze powiązane z konkretną kategorią bezzałogowca.
Jak się posiada już świadectwo kwalifikacji z kategorią podstawową i wymaganą co najmniej jedną kategorią dodatkową, to można już bez szkolenia zrobić sobie dodatkową kategorię UAV/BSP lub zwiększyć kategorię wagową na zasadach samokształcenia - bez kończenia kolejnych szkoleń.
Ważną zmianą jest to, że obecnie rozporządzenie nie operuje pojęciem MTOM, czyli maksymalnej masy startowej. Oto bowiem, zgodnie z nowym punktem 6a do § 3 rozporządzenia, przez masę startową rozumie się masę bezzałogowego statku powietrznego gotowego do lotu.
Stanowi to istotną różnicę w odniesieniu do uprzedniego stanu prawnego ze względu na to, że wcześniej można było robić uprawnienia na cięższe drony używając BSP dużo lżejszej kategorii – o ile tylko przewidziana przez producenta maksymalna startowa była już w granicach tej wyższej kategorii. Obecnie liczy się realna masa startowa – nie przejdzie wiec już argumentacja na egzaminie praktycznym, że przyniesiony na egazmin statek powietrzny ma co prawda mniej niż 5 kilo, ale można w sumie go obciążyć do 8 kg (MTOM), więc chcielibyśmy uzyskać od razu uprawnienia na cięższą kategorię wagową (czyli np. MR do 25 kg). To jest bardzo sensowna zmiana, bo przecież potencjalnie wyższa masa ma się nijak do umiejętności sterowania konkretną realną masą startową – zlikwidowano fikcję (inaczej się steruje statkiem ważącym realnie 4 kilo, choć potencjalnie może mieć MTOM 8kg, inaczej się steruje BSP, który ma masę startową rzeczywistą 8 kg).
Nowelizacja rozporządzenia uregulowała też kwestię ważności starych uprawnień i konwersji dotychczasowych uprawnień podstawowych na obecne podstawowe + uprawnienia dodatkowe.
W dużym skrócie można powiedzieć, że ci co mieli uprawnienia na poszczególne kategorie BSP w wadze do 2 kilogramów „z automatu” dostają uprawnienia na wszelkie kategorie statków powietrznych w wadze do 5 kg. Natomiast ja np. mając uprawnienia MR do 7 kg, będę mógł wpisać już kategorię dodatkową MR do 25 kilogramów.
Patronem merytorycznym artykułu jest Kooperatywa Twórcza DronFILMS.com.pl, na której stronach możecie obejrzeć ciekawe filmy oraz zdjęcia z drona i nie tylko. Dostawcą sprzętu i sponsorem jest ogólnopolska sieć sklepów Modele-Centrum.pl i Xdrony.pl.
Rafał Cisek, radca prawny, współpracownik Centrum Badań Problemów Prawnych i Ekonomicznych Komunikacji Elektronicznej (CBKE), twórca serwisu prawa nowych technologii NoweMEDIA.org.pl, ekspert w zakresie prawnych aspektów komunikacji elektronicznej i prawa nowych technologii. Jego specjalizacje to m.in. prawo e-commerce, ochrona dóbr osobistych w internecie, prawo autorskie, prawo prasowe. Jest pełnomocnikiem procesowym i obrońcą w tego rodzaju sprawach (cały kraj). Sporządza też opinie prawne, audyty oraz doradza w bieżącej działalności wielu podmiotom gospodarczym, zwłaszcza w zakresie działalności w Internecie lub w związku z nowymi technologiami. Najnowsza pasja to pilotaż bezzałogowych statków powietrznych. W ramach projektu DronFILMS.com.pl tworzy profesjonalne produkcje filmowe. | {
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Michael Myers. The Shape. Whatever you call him, the one thing everyone agrees on is that he’s pure evil. As Sam Loomis told us in the original film, “I spent eight years trying to reach him, and then another seven trying to keep him locked up, because I realized that what was living behind that boy’s eyes was purely and simply… evil.” The young boy Loomis first met is long gone. Myers has grown old and wrinkled, but the evil remains. But are there limits to his villainy? There just might be.
In the new Halloween sequel — a direct followup to John Carpenter‘s 1978 slasher classic that strips Michael Myers of his supernatural powers (and familial connections) established in the sequels — The Shape is brought back to his roots as a force of evil, but when the masked murderer comes upon a baby crying in a crib in the midst of killing spree. But Myers doesn’t take the baby bait. He pauses, thinks for a beat, and then moves on. So why doesn’t he kill the baby?
That’s the question Collider’s Perri Nemiroff put to director and co-writer David Gordon Green when she sat down with the filmmaker to chat about the film. “Why doesn’t he? Because that would be so rude,” Green said. But does Michael think about it as an option when he stops? “I think it was a consideration,” he explained.
Green continued and explained the origin of the scene, which was a quick write-around after an unexpected road bump in production. “Yes, it’s terrifying in its own right. And it was a last minute idea — I mean, why is there a baby crib in the living room? It was gonna be her husband sleeping on the couch, but then he didn’t show up and we scrambled and put a baby crib in there. And then, yeah, I thought it was interesting to see one ethical choice that he made in the movie. So that’s the one ethical choice he makes.”
Michael Myers ethical thought leader? Probably not, but it’s definitely interesting that Green gives him a moment where you get just a glimpse inside the mechanics of his mind. | {
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We've heard a lot about rookie Liberal Leader Philippe Couillard over the years.
He's 56, a former university professor and a trained brain surgeon. Couillard served as Quebec's health minister for five years in Jean Charest's government.
He has also dropped a few personal details in campaign speeches: he used to play hockey (defence) and his wife calls him "Bear".
Philippe Couillard takes his first ever "selfie" in a one on one chat with CBC reporter Salimah Shivji. (Philippe Couillard)
But what is the leader really like? And what is he doing to make it through this long election campaign? I joined him on his campaign bus for a few minutes to find out.
1. He's into music.
The Liberal leader has an extensive and diverse playlist on his iPad, everything ranging from opera and classical to rock and reggae – even liturgical music by a 12th century mystic nun who had visions. Couillard often sings along to his favourites, such as this classic reggae tune:
Philippe Couillard sings along to his favourite tune: Desmond Dekker's Israelites. 0:22
And here's what Couillard plays to get pumped up for a rally:
Hint: it starts and ends with Led Zeppelin 0:16
2. He's not into light reading.
I asked Couillard if he had time for some light reading during the gruelling campaign.
His answer: "I don't do light reading, I'm afraid."
He refuses to peruse the morning newspapers on the campaign trail — which helped him get through the campaign — but he does make time to read for pleasure.
His current choice: Le mythe de Napoléon au Canada français by Serge Joyal. Couillard told me he had just polished off a history of Paris during the Franco-Prussian War of 1870.
Philippe Couillard says before he was the leader of the Quebec Liberal Party, he was often mistaken for Gil Grissom, a character from the TV crime drama CSI. (CBS, Robert Voets/AP)
3. He is a red wine lover, but only drinks orange juice and water on the campaign trail. And campaign or not, he goes to bed by 8:30 or 9 p.m. but wakes up very early. Training, he says, from his days in the operating room.
4. His hands are cold-resistant.
Over the campaign, I've noticed that Couillard does not wear gloves while making announcements outdoors — despite the frigid March temperatures.
I asked him if there were studies that showed a politician in gloves is not to be trusted. He laughed in surprise and said that he knew of none.
He says when he was young, he used to play hockey outside without gloves and all the neighbourhood kids would marvel at how warm his hands stayed.
Couillard says he only gets cold ears and feet.
5. He's proud of his beard.
He has trimmed it for the campaign, but Couillard wears his beard proudly, despite some suggesting beards and politics don't mix.
In fact, Couillard is convinced facial hair is back in fashion. I asked him for proof. He told me that before he ran for Liberal leader, he was approached numerous times by women asking for his autograph, thinking he was the (bearded) actor who played Gil Grissom on the popular TV show CSI. | {
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TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - PT. Transportasi Jakarta (Transjakarta) started the trial run of its electric buses on Monday, April 29. The buses will be used as transportation for people of the capital city.
Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan joined the trial and rode on one of the electric buses from the City Hall to the Hotel Indonesia Roundabout, and back.
"Today the electric bus will start operating on Jakarta roads," he said yesterday.
Anies said three electric buses that were tested cannot take on public passengers yet, as Transjakarta is still taking care of the required administrative and licensing documents to operate the bus.
Transjakarta CEO Agung Wicaksana said that the company has obtained the vehicle test certificates for three electric buses, which were made by BYD Company Ltd and Mobil Anak Bangsa (MAB).
LANI DIANA
Read: The Future of All-Electric Transjakarta Bus Fleet Plan | {
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The United States nuclear missile force has been hit by scandal after 34 officers responsible for launching nuclear missiles were removed from duty for their alleged involvement in a cheating ring.
The US Air Force said on Wednesday that 34 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) officers at Malmstrom Air Force Base, Montana, were either sharing material or were aware that material was being shared on proficiency tests.
Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James, who described the behaviour as "completely unacceptable", said the cheating ring was uncovered during a drug possession investigation involving 11 officers at several US Air Force bases, with two of the 11 also suspected of participating in the cheating ring.
I have great confidence in the security and the effectiveness of our ICBM force. USAF Secretary Deborah Lee James
A spokesman for US Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel said the Pentagon chief was "deeply troubled" to learn of the allegations and that he supported the "aggressive steps" the Air Force was taking in response.
The cheating scandal is the latest in a series of controversies affecting the US nuclear missile force.
According to the Associated Press news agency, others include deliberate violations of safety rules, failures of inspections, breakdowns in training, and evidence that the men and women who operate the missiles from underground command posts are suffering from burnout.
In October the commander of the nuclear missile force was dismissed for engaging in embarrassing behaviour, including drunkenness, while leading a US delegation to a nuclear exercise in Russia.
James said on Wednesday: "I want all of you to know that, based on everything I know today, I have great confidence in the security and the effectiveness of our ICBM force.
"And, very importantly, I want you to know that this was a failure of some of our airmen. It was not a failure of the nuclear mission."
James said the entire ICBM launch officer force of about 600 people was being retested this week. | {
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The Bakersfield Train Robbers are back for their second season in the Pecos League and are set to take the diamond for their opener on Thursday.
All 22 players on the team, coming in from all over the country, are still chasing the dream of playing professional baseball.
But, there's an issue facing more than a third of the players. They don't have homes.
In minor league baseball and independent baseball many players, playing away from their home towns, get host families to help cover housing expenses.
In 2017, 23ABC reported that members of the Train Robbers make just $57 a week.
Currently, as many as nine players are without host families and do not have homes.
The team's season kicks off Thursday night at 7:45 at Sam Lynn Ballpark against the Monterey Amberjacks.
Anyone looking to help house the players can contact the team's manager Brian Kloppe at 602-463-1192. | {
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Tala Ashe, Caity Lotz, Brandon Routh, Adam Tsekhman Photo : Dean Buscher ( The CW )
TV Reviews All of our TV reviews in one convenient place. Prev Next View All
Some people ask “why?” It’s a good question, a fundamental part of the whole who-what-where-when thing. More people should ask “why?” More television writers should, certainly. It’s a question that’s key to a well-crafted story. It’s essential, indispensable. Legends Of Tomorrow’s writers ask it, to be sure. But the question that serves both them and their fictional team best is this one: “Why the fuck not?”
As in, “Heart-eating hallucinatory unicorn from the darkest realm? Why the fuck not?”
Beebo, the God of War: Why the fuck not? “Return Of the Mack”: Why the fuck not? Cast member John Noble appearing as noted actor John Noble circa Peter Jackson’s Lord Of The Rings so that Ray Palmer can record him saying something in the voice of the time demon Mallus, which is the character he plays on the show: Why the fuck not? It’s served the series incredibly well since the start of the second season, that little question, granting Legends a devil-may-care attitude and irresistible sense of playfulness. That question somehow turned what was once the weakest show in The CW’s DC lineup into its most consistently entertaining (though Black Lightning nips at its heels, albeit with a considerably weightier tone). And that question—and the people doing the asking—has done managed that feat without sacrificing fealty to character, narrative, or emotional resonance. After all, Beebo came to be a god in the hands of a young Martin Stein, whose older self sacrificed his life for a friend in the episode preceding. Legends does not mess around, except for when it’s messing around.
There’s a whole bunch of messing around in “The Virgin Gary,” but as with “Beebo The God Of War” and other episodes of its ilk, the hijinks aren’t the only things on the menu. This is a premiere that nimbly sets the stage for the season, all while making plenty of room for My Little Pony jokes, mysteries, drug trips, and no less than seven bona fide rock legends. Yet at the end of the episode, what’s revealed is a cleverly crafted story about family and belonging, about home and happiness. The Legends go to Woodstock, and what do you know—it’s all about love, man.
The first obligations of any season premiere are to pick up the threads of the previous season while setting up whatever’s to come in the season ahead. “The Virgin Gary” gets the job done in both respects, letting us know the new status quo—no more dragons, last anachronism handled, all well with Sara and Ava!—in the early minutes before disrupting that status quo. Boom, you’ve got a season. Time to go demonic monster (or werewolf) hunting, time for Sara to find a work-life balance, time for Constantine to suck it up and join a team already.
For a lot of shows, that would be quite enough for a premiere. But Legends, always a lot less simple than it seems, does quite a bit more here. Even the episode’s biggest off-note—the abrupt shift from Zari and Ray talking about Ray’s connection with Nora Darhk to Zari watching her mother and confessing her conflicted feelings about not being able to warn her and save the family—still fits perfectly with the theme and adds something potent and affecting to the proceedings. When even the negatives are a positive, you know you’re doing something right.
Still, for all the scenes of Constantine (a great addition to the cast, as played by Matt Ryan) putting up walls and talking shit, Ava and Sara talking about putting a U-Haul on the Subaru, Ray and Zari unpacking their issues, and Nate and Mick heading to see the D.C. Heywoods, it’s the why-the-fuck-not that’s the big draw. And that’s because, after individually chasing a time disruption to Woodstock, the team finds not Nora Darhk, nor a dragon, but a hippie-killing unicorn with sparkle sauce that makes the team trip balls. The CW’s relatively meager effects budget is actually just what the doctor ordered here—that unicorn isn’t remotely believable but it is extremely magical, and when they switch to just a plain ol’ horse, it looks even better.
The trips are good, too. Ranked: 1) Mick sees Axle, 2) Ray sees Nora, 3) Nate sees his dad (Thomas F. “Biff Tannen” Wilson), 4) Zari sees love everywhere, man. But mostly it’s a unicorn-fighting show, with poor Gary (Adam Tsekhman) serving as unicorn bait. Jerry Garcia, Jimi Hendrix, and Janis Joplin help, too. The climactic final fight isn’t quite on par with Beebo fighting Mallus, or with the Death Witch edition of Sara Lance fighting everyone, but it’s good, funny stuff with a great ending. And it makes clear that, for all Constantine’s talk about people who care about him getting killed, the person in question would have been toast without a little help from his friends. (Beatles reference!)
This isn’t the most inventive episode of Legends Of Tomorrow. It’s not the funniest, or the most emotional. But it’s all of those things, and a great premiere besides. If this is the level at which Legends will be operating this season, we’re in for a wild ride—no sparkle sauce required.
Stray observations
Just look at Sara Lance’s face up in the review box. That’s a why-the-fuck-not face if ever I saw one.
Hi there, I’m Allison Shoemaker, taking over for the indispensable Oliver Sava. I can’t boast his comics expertise (who can?), but I do know an awful lot about fictional time-travelers! Thanks for reading and hope to see you back this season. Also, always happy to swoon over Captain Lance, gush about Ray-Ray, and ponder what Wally’s doing on his sabbatical over on Twitter.
This is Twilight Sparkle
“Never met an Englishman I haven’t wanted to punch in the face” vs. all the talk of doing the same thing for four years—which is the better meta Legends moment? (Dominic Purcell is British.)
“Did Constantine get you to squeal?” “I wish.”
Does Mick Rory, of the Central City Rorys, like sandwiches? “You bet your ass I do, ma’am.”
See you next week! | {
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Richmond Police have reported three incidents of ATM fraud in the last month, and Carytown ATMs were all the targets.
Richmond Police have reported three incidents of ATM fraud in the last month, and Carytown ATMs were all the targets.
On Dec. 14, one victim reported his credit card info was taken somehow and used to withdraw funds at an ATM in the 3400 block of West Cary Street.
In a separate incident on Dec. 14, the victim stated her card info was obtained and used to withdraw money from an ATM in the 3200 block of West Cary Street.
On Dec. 15, the victim in a separate incident reported that between Dec. 12 and Dec. 13 someone had withdrawn money from his bank account at an ATM in the 3500 block of West Cary Street.
Detectives believe all three incidents to be occurrences of ATM skimming.
ATM skimming is a technique used by tech-savvy criminals to steal ATM data using a fake-ATM card reader placed over top an ATM.
“Skimmers have been around for years, of course, but thieves are constantly improving them, and the device pictured below is a perfect example of that evolution,” wrote Krebs on Security about the devices. This particular skimmer was found Dec. 6, 2009, attached to the front of a Citibank ATM in Woodland Hills, Calif. Would you have been able to spot this?
image via Krebs on Security
Skimmers can be placed on almost any device that reads a credit card, including gas pumps, or even the card readers on ATM vestibules. When the card is scanned through the skimmer, data is taken and criminals can use it to access your private info or bank account.
The folks at Wells Fargo couldn’t confirm the ATMs reportedly used to withdraw funds were skimmed or not, but they said often data is skimmed at one ATM and money is withdrawn at another – this means, according to Wells Fargo, their ATMs were probably not originally carrying the skimmers.
“Because of the nature of skimming devices and payment information, skimming is inherently an industry-wide issue,” said Kristopher Dahl, a comms person with Wells Fargo’s ATM department. “While I can’t provide any information about specific skimmers at Wells Fargo ATMs, I can say that no city or region appears to be immune to this type of fraud.”
Dahl was unable to confirm if any skimmers had been reported at Wells Fargos ATMs in the last month.
There are steps you can take to avoid being skimmed, according to James Mercante with RPD Public Affairs.
“Check the front face of every ATM by pulling on the front face of the machine to see if it gets dislodged where the card enters, and also look for any attached camera that might be visible on the frame of the ATM,” said Mercante.
RPD said it had been a few years since they’ve heard about skimmers in RVA, but the detectives do believe they were used in these cases.
Dahl over at Wells Fargo said their ATMs are supposed to be regularly inspected, and they take customer’s reports of “unusual activity seriously.”
He also sent us some tips if you think your card has been skimmed:
1 – Shield the keypad at the ATM when you enter your PIN code to ensure that no one can see it.
2 – Be wary of nearby strangers or “good Samaritans” that offer to “help” you if you are having difficulties with a particular ATM.
3 -Ask people to step back if they’re crowding too close to you at the ATM, or leave and come back at another time.
4 – Take care to be aware of your surroundings when using an ATM. You may want to use an ATM inside a Wells Fargo Banking location or have a friend accompany you when using an ATM after dark.
5 – Carefully examine an ATM before you use it. If you see something different than what is pictured on the screen, or the keypad is unresponsive – please use another ATM. If the ATM appears to be malfunctioning, please do not enter your PIN code. Also, please report your suspicions to the bank or owner listed on the ATM.
6 – If an ATM machine “eats” your card, call 1-800-TO-WELLS immediately and put a stop on the card. (Small Business customers: 1-800-CALL-WELLS.)
7 – Check your bank statements regularly – if possible, even daily through online banking. The sooner you spot and report suspicious account activity, the better.
8 – The majority of Wells Fargo ATMs are equipped with surveillance cameras. Surveillance tapes can be examined to retrieve information and help law enforcement officials identify thieves.
9 – Follow only the instructions you see on the ATM screen; ignore any signs or instructions that may be posted outside the ATM and use another ATM. Call 1-800-TO-WELLS (Small Business customers: 1-800-CALL-WELLS) to report this. | {
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November 15, 2011
SocialistWorker.org reports on New York City's assault on Occupy Wall Street last night--and activists' plan to respond to this attack on free speech.
NEW YORK City police destroyed the Occupy Wall Street encampment at Zuccotti Park in an early-morning surprise attack on November 15. Hundreds of people who were sleeping at the park found themselves surrounded by police with no warning, and then subject to arrest or the violence of the NYPD.
Many hundreds more responded when an emergency alert went out about the police attack. When they got to Lower Manhattan, they found the park ringed with cops equipped in riot gear, while other police rampaged through the camp, destroying whatever was left behind when the occupiers were evicted.
This was an outrageous and unprovoked attack on a peaceful protest--an attempt to squelch dissent because the 1 percent and those who serve them are threatened by the message of the Occupy movement against greed and corporate power. Now Occupy activists and all the people who have supported it need to use every means to mobilize--and stand up for our right to protest and demand a better life for the 99 percent.
New York City police march through Zuccotti Park destroying the encampment
CITY OFFICIALS used the same excuse this time as they did when they tried to evict the Occupy camp one month ago, in mid-October: cleaning. Occupy protesters showed the absurdity of that charge with their own cleanup that turned the renamed Freedom Plaza into probably the cleanest park in New York City.
But more important was the several thousand people, led by members of the city's biggest unions, who mobilized overnight when the announcement was made that police would move in the next morning. The cops found a park teeming with people determined to keep the Occupy protest going. The city was forced to retreat.
So this time, Bloomberg and his police moved in with no warning, hoping to accomplish what they failed to the last time under cover of darkness. SocialistWorker.org contributor Jen Roesch describes the scene she found when she responded with many hundreds of people to the emergency alert.
Hundreds of riot cops had sealed off a two- to four-block radius around the park and ordered media to leave. When we arrived, we found subway stations accessing the area were shut down. Hundreds of people massed to the west, south and north of Zuccotti, but were greeted by lines of police in riot gear. I was standing next to a young woman whose friend was trapped in the park, and she was weeping--the riot cop in her face was sneering at her to "stop crying and go home, little girl." As protesters chanted "This is a peaceful protest," the police very deliberately pushed into the crowd, driving hundreds of people further north. Several protesters, including City Council member Ydanis Rodriguez, were beaten and pepper-sprayed while following police orders to retreat. After an hour-long standoff with the police, hundreds of people marched north on Broadway to Foley Square, the site of the planned protest on November 17, in hopes of uniting with others who had come down to support the encampment. Throughout the early morning hours, hundreds of people continued to pour into Foley Square.
It will take more than a police attack on Zuccotti Park to stop the Occupy struggle. As the Occupy Wall Street website says, "You can't evict an idea whose time has come."
Among supporters of the movement, there is intense discussions about what to do next, so the picture of what's happening will change throughout the day.
OWS will hold two General Assemblies on November 15. The first is at 9 a.m. at Canal and Sixth Avenue--as this story was being written, as many as 2,000 people had turned out for the meeting. A second GA is set for 7 p.m. at Zuccotti Park, which Bloomberg has said will be reopened after the "cleaning," but with restrictions on anyone staying overnight or establishing an encampment.
Responding to an appeal by lawyers representing the Occupy movement, a judge has issued a temporary restraining order against the city's ban on protesters returning to Zuccotti Park with tents and other equipment to occupy it overnight. Despite this ban, the park remains barricaded.
On Thursday, a previously planned day of action, called by OWS in solidarity with some of the city's biggest unions and community organizations, will certainly draw even more people to raise their voices in protest.
Bloomberg and the 1 percent in New York City are trying to silence dissent. But the Occupy movement isn't going anywhere. We will raise our voices against repression and the greed and power of the 1 percent. | {
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FRANKFURT—The European Central Bank cut its key interest rate and launched a sweeping package of bond purchases Thursday that lays the groundwork for a long period of ultraloose monetary policy, jolting European financial markets and triggering an immediate response from President Trump.
The ECB’s pre-emptive move was aimed at insulating the eurozone’s wobbling economy from a global slowdown and trade tensions. It is the ECB’s largest dose of monetary stimulus in 3½ years and a bold finale for departing President Mario Draghi, who looks to be committing his successor to negative interest rates and an open-ended bond-buying program, possibly for years.
But the move triggered opposition from a handful of ECB officials, according to people familiar with the matter, while leaving key practical questions unanswered. Primarily: How long can the ECB keep purchasing bonds without significantly enlarging the pool of assets it can buy? Some analysts estimated it might be less than a year.
Investors initially cheered the surprise move as they anticipated the return to bond markets of an 800-pound gorilla, sending the euro down against the dollar and bidding up the prices of eurozone government debt. But those gains later reversed as Mr. Draghi highlighted divisions within the ECB’s rate-setting committee over its future course.
In a tweet, Mr. Trump wrote that the ECB was “trying, and succeeding, in depreciating the Euro against the VERY strong Dollar, hurting U.S. exports.” The Republican president has repeatedly criticized the Federal Reserve for being less aggressive than the ECB. | {
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United States Education Secretary Betsy Devos is championing school choice in Washington, D.C., and criticizing teacher unions for impeding students’ progress.
Even though a federal analysis indicates that low-income students utilizing school vouchers to enroll in private D.C. schools score considerably lower in math after two years, Devos remains a staunch advocate of school choice.
“Naturally, there have been lots and lots of surveys and different studies done, both on the D.C. program – as well as choice programs across the country – and everybody wants to constantly refer to the one where students, especially in math, showed a little dip after their first two years,” Devos expressed to The Heritage Foundation President Kay Coles James. “Well think about it, if a kid is struggling in [a] school to which they are assigned, they change schools and start something new. Anytime we change anything, it takes a little while to get up to speed.”
Who knows best for the kids?
The voucher program was designed to give low-income families the same educational choices as those who can afford to enroll their children in private schools -- oftentimes to avoid some of the detrimental effects of public schools.
“The OSP – also called vouchers – offers scholarships to low-income children in Washington, D.C., to attend a participating private school of their choice, [and] it is funded under the Scholarships for Opportunity and Results Act, and is the only federally-funded voucher program in the country,” The Christian Post (CP) informed. “It was enacted by Congress as part of a three-sector approach encompassing traditional public schools, charter schools and private schools to improve educational outcomes in the district.”
Conventional public schools and public charter schools, as well as opportunity scholarships, are all given equal funding under the program.
“The OSP ensures that low-income families have the same opportunities as more affluent families to choose among public schools, charter schools and quality private schools,” CP’s Leonardo Blair reported. “Some 91 percent of participating children are African-American and Hispanic, and the average income for participating families is less than $24,000 per year, the program’s website says.”
Devos insists that the school choice program is working toward the academic growth of students in the nation’s capital.
“All of the studies that have been longitudinal in nature and for students that have been in the program or in choices the longest period of time, they continue to show growth, year over year over year, and I think that is the most important thing in the long run,” Devos pointed out. “The preponderance of evidence is really clear – that choice ultimately works for students and works for families, and there is clear and convincing evidence that there [are] too many kids across this country that don’t have the chance to be in the right schools and the right fit.”
Growing popularity of school choice
Statistics provided by The Heritage Foundation indicate that OSP scholarships are currently being used by more than 1,650 students across that nation’s capital to cover private school tuition.
“The reach of the OSP extends beyond our city … the Opportunity Scholarship Program was and remains a key part of the growing private school choice movement,” James said to Devos in their discussion. “In 2000, there were just 10 private school choice programs in operation across the country. Today, there are 63 private school choice programs operating in 29 states and in the District of Columbia. It has been incredible growth.”
In fact, more than half the kids in the nation’s capital are not enrolled in schools that they would have been assigned, as public school students in the area are no longer forced to attend a public school in their neighborhood – as they were under the Obama administration,
“Today, over 50 percent of the kids in D.C. attend schools that they are not assigned to,” DeVos pointed out, according to the Daily Signal. “They are making choices of other schools. So, the traditional public schools have continued to change and improve in response and reaction to the other dynamics around them. Charter schools have continued to expand and grow and improve and serve the most children. The voucher program has given children an alternative option, as well.”
Parents whose children are able to choose which school their children attend are generally more satisfied than those who are not given the option.
“When kids are in learning environments that work for them, it’s great for them, and it’s great for the families,” Devos asserted. “And we see survey after survey show that the satisfaction of parents that have had the opportunity to choose their child’s school is very, very high. They are happy because they are in a place they feel is right for them. They are happy because they feel the school is safe for them and they are happy because of the outcomes and the achievements that their children are demonstrating and doing.”
Partisan war over school choice
Devos lamented the fact that former President Barack Obama’s staunch advocacy of public schools trumped parents’ desire to choose what educational setting was best for their children during his two terms in office.
“The education secretary – who is a longtime supporter of school choice – said the school choice program did not get much support under the Obama administration and lamented that the program was used as a ‘political football,’ even though the OSP was established with bipartisan support 15 years ago,” Blair noted.
Devos argued that partisan politics should not play determine what is best for the education of today’s generation and posterity.
“Education should not be, is not really a partisan issue – it really is reflective of the future of our country,” Devos insisted. “If students today aren’t prepared for what comes next, we’re not going to be prepared as a nation, to compete with the rest of the world, and we know that the most recent polling has shown conclusively that people want to have choices – they want choices for their kids.”
She then provided statistics to prove her claim.
“Sixty-seven percent of the people in this country – two thirds – support school choice,” Devos revealed. “The only thing standing in the way is the teachers union that have a personal financial vested interest.”
Vouchers popular not just in D.C.
Nearly half a million kids across the U.S. are currently taking advantage of the school voucher program.
“Today, school choice programs in the states include education savings accounts, tax credits and vouchers, and are accessed by about 482,000 students,” the Daily Signal’s Fred Lucas informed. “That’s a more than [a] twofold increase in participating students from 2011 – the year National School Choice Week was launched – when 31 school choice programs were accessible to about 212,000 students.”
The program helps parents out financially, allows them to provide the best fit for their kids educationally and is catching on more and more as ESAs (education savings accounts) have already been established in five states.
“Vouchers work as a form of publicly funded scholarships, paying for K–12 students to attend private schools,” Lucas added. “Tax credits allow parents to write off the cost of private education in filing their state taxes. Five states – Arizona, Florida, Mississippi, Tennessee and North Carolina – have adopted education savings accounts.”
Teachers unions or vouchers standing in the way of student success?
As Devos argues that teachers unions are more concerned with finances than students’ best interests, many of them at the local and state level are dead-set against vouchers being offered as the school choice movement continues to move forward.
In fact, the largest teachers union in America, the National Education Association (NEA), considers school choice as little more than a ploy to undermine public school funding and divert it to private schools.
“Private school vouchers – and similar schemes like tuition tax credits and education savings accounts – take scarce funding away from public schools and give it to private schools that are unaccountable to the public.,” the NEA declares on its website. “We should focus on improving public schools, where 90 percent of children go – not on diverting money from them for the sake of the 10 percent who want to go to private schools.” | {
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The world is about experiencing the fourth industrial revolution. A revolution that refers to the current and developing environment in which disruptive technologies and trends such as the Internet of Things (IoT), robotics, virtual reality (VR) and artificial intelligence (AI) are going to change the way we live and work. Being about machine-to-machine economy of things and AI, millions of machines can seamlessly communicating or exchanging data, without human interfacing or interaction. This includes serial connection, powerline connection (PLC), or wireless communications in the industrial Internet of Things (IoT).
According to Forbes, M2M is among the fastest-growing types of connected device technologies in the market right now, largely because M2M technologies can connect millions of devices within a single network. The range of connected devices includes anything from vending machines to medical equipment to vehicles to buildings. Virtually anything that houses sensor or control technology can be connected to some sort of wireless network. Interestingly, this is better facilitated with machine learning referred to as Artificial Intelligence.
It is believed that disruptive ability of the distributed ledger technology (Blockchain) will have a huge role to play in IOT. Because in the world of machines, we need a decentralized trust which is one of the very core values of Blockchain technology. We have seen as the first blockchain (Bitcoin Blockchain) has disrupted finance and how it helps to approve transactions without any central authority. But the blockchain that will be needed to aid machine interaction must be a step beyond this, an innovation we’ve seen in the Ethereum Blockchain.
The Ethereum Blockchain is the next significant blockchain after the Bitcoin Blockchain and it supports the creation of smart contracts and programming language. It also enables these to be conveyed into the creation of projects and products. Example of this is what we have seen in the ability of individuals to create their own cryptocurrency tokens and attach projects to it. An individual can say here is the token I’ve sent to a wallet and you can say this is the total amount of tokens left.
However, as important as this seems, there is still a key point missing and that is something that has to do with machine to machine interaction and the Internet of things without humans. To allow billions of machines to interact, we need something more sophisticated, we a model that deals with negotiation and conversation and invest power totally into machines with zero human interference and this is what Railz is all about.
Railz is a language for machine conversation and it uses rapid advances in artificial intelligence and machine learning to deliver transformational level of organization, interaction and conversation between machines so as to deliver a better connected Internet of Things economy between IoT devices and networks.
Leveraging on the technological convenience of the Ethereum Blockchain in creating smart contracts, the Railz protocol is set to achieve the vision of being specified by IoT device manufacturers to carry out Machine Negotiated Consensus without human intervention and eventually be deployed across billions of their devices.
more on Railz in the context of the world of IOT and Blockchain: https://vimeo.com/272321868
To join the Railz ICO whitelist: http://www.railz.org/whitelist | {
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Mr. Crumpton, who was in charge of the C.I.A. teams that entered Afghanistan after the 9/11 attacks but who said he had not seen the draft report, said that Afghanistan was “bad and getting worse” and that officials in Washington were just beginning to wake up to the problem.
“It’s taken them a long time to realize it, but now they know it’s pretty grim,” he said.
A National Intelligence Estimate is a formal document that reflects the consensus judgments of all 16 American intelligence agencies. Although the Bush administration has made public the crucial findings from some recent N.I.E.’s on Iraq and terrorism, most remain classified. The assessment on Afghanistan is the first since the Taliban regained strength there beginning in 2006 and launched an offensive that has allowed them to seize large swaths of territory.
The draft intelligence report was described by more than a half dozen current government officials who had read its conclusions. They spoke on the condition of anonymity because the report remains classified and has not been completed.
Richard Willing, a spokesman for the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, which produces the national intelligence assessments, declined to comment for this article. A White House spokesman, Gordon D. Johndroe, also declined to comment on the report’s conclusions but said: “Everyone understands that the current situation in Afghanistan is a tough one. That’s why the president ordered additional troops there. That’s why we’re increasing the size of the Afghanistan Army.”
Both major presidential candidates, Senators Barack Obama and John McCain, have called for American troop increases in Afghanistan even beyond those the White House has ordered. Mr. Obama has accused the White House of paying too little attention to Afghanistan as it poured the vast bulk of American military resources into the war in Iraq, while Mr. McCain has defended the administration’s decision, saying that Iraq remains the more important front in the battle against terrorism.
In Tuesday’s presidential debate, Mr. Obama said he told Mr. Karzai during a visit to Afghanistan in July that the Afghan leader had “to do better by your people in order for us to gain the popular support that’s necessary.”
“We have to have a government that is responsive to the Afghan people, and frankly it’s just not responsive right now,” Mr. Obama said. | {
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A plurality of Americans now support impeaching Trump and removing him from office.
The partisan divide is huge: 74% of Democrats but just 17% of Republicans back impeachment.
By 2-1, those surveyed say there are valid reasons to investigate Joe Biden and his son for their behavior in Ukraine.
Americans by a 45%-38% plurality now support a vote by the House of Representatives to impeach President Donald Trump, a USA TODAY/Ipsos Poll finds, as allegations continue to swirl around an embattled White House.
By a similar margin, 44%-35%, those surveyed say the Senate, which would then be charged with holding a trial of the president, should convict Trump and remove him from office.
The survey of 1,006 adults, taken Tuesday and Wednesday, underscores the perilous situation the president finds himself in as House committees subpoena documents and prepare to hear testimony into accusations that he pressured the leader of Ukraine to investigate a political rival, then tried to hide the account of their phone conversation.
Trump, who has released a rough transcript of his July 25 call with the president of Ukraine, says the conversation was "perfect" and that there was no wrongdoing. On Tuesday, he lashed out during a White House news conference, referring to the inquiry as a "hoax."
Trump's Ukraine call:How are records kept for presidential talks with world leaders?
Americans have long been wary of impeachment. A USA TODAY/Suffolk University Poll taken in June – months before the formal impeachment inquiry was launched last week – found opponents outweighing supporters by nearly 2 to 1, 61%-32%.
But several national surveys have shown attitudes significantly shifting in the past 10 days, since the latest allegations emerged about Ukraine and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced the impeachment inquiry.
“Our latest USA TODAY/Ipsos poll shows that public support for impeachment continues to build with a plurality – 45% – saying the U.S. House should vote to impeach,” said Cliff Young, president of Ipsos Public Affairs. “Most importantly, an overwhelming majority of Americans say that a president is subject to laws like any citizen. Public opinion might be tolerant, but there are limits.”
'I don't care':Trump dismisses GOP concern over protecting whistleblower
Impeach? A huge partisan divide
The question of impeachment opens a huge partisan divide. Among Democrats, 74% in the new USA TODAY/Ipsos poll support impeachment; just 17% of Republicans agree. Independents are split down the middle, 37%-37%.
Even among Republicans, however, 30% say the president asking Ukraine to look into the behavior of former vice president Joe Biden and his son, Hunter, would be an abuse of power. And 80% of Republicans – a higher number than among Democrats or independents – say the president is subject to all laws, just like any other citizen.
Pelosi interview:Trump 'scared' of impeachment inquiry, trying to divert attention
One more warning sign for Trump: Nearly two-thirds of Republicans say there isn't enough reliable information to decide whether he should be impeached. That leaves open the possibility that dramatic disclosures and persuasive evidence could convince some in Trump's own party that impeachment is warranted.
Democrats are more likely to say they already know enough; just 15% say there isn't enough evidence so far.
The survey includes some cautionary notes as well for Biden, the Democratic front-runner for the presidential nomination to challenge Trump next year. By 2 to 1, 42%-21%, those polled say there are valid reasons to look at the behavior of Joe and Hunter Biden in Ukraine. Even 1 in 4 Democrats say an investigation would be legitimate; two-thirds of Republicans agree. Joe Biden was the Obama administration's point person on Ukraine; his son pursued lucrative business arrangements there.
There has been no evidence of wrongdoing by either Biden, though Trump on Wednesday accused them both of being corrupt.
Explainer: Biden, allies pushed out Ukrainian prosecutor because he didn't pursue corruption cases
That said, the poll found a broad bipartisan consensus, including more than 6 in 10 Republicans and Democrats, that the children of senior officials should be prohibited from benefiting from their family relationships.
While often not illegal, the perception of self-dealing and conflicts of interest have long fueled voter distrust of government and its leaders. Critics have charged that Trump's children and his business empire have used his position for financial gain.
A visual timeline:Here are the events that led up to Trump's fateful phone call
Whistleblower: A patriot or traitor?
In the poll, views were mixed about the whistleblower who originally reported concerns about Trump's phone call with the Ukrainian president. Seventy-one percent of Democrats call that person "a patriot"; just 10% call him or her "a traitor," a label Trump has used. The president hasn't yet convinced a majority of members of his own party that the description fits, though.
Among Republicans, 36% call the whistleblower "a traitor," but 21% say he or she is a patriot. The largest number, 43%, say they don't know.
What about that call?:Analyzing the Trump-Ukraine 'transcript' in 3 charts
A majority of Americans are knowledgeable about some of the particulars of the impeachment process: 56% know that impeachment begins in the House; 55% know that an impeachment vote in itself doesn't remove a president from office; 62% know that a two-thirds majority in the Senate would be needed to do that.
However, most Americans don't realize that would be an unprecedented step. Fifty-one percent say American presidents have been removed from office by impeachment in the past. While two presidents have been impeached by the House, neither Andrew Johnson nor Bill Clinton was convicted by the Senate. A third president, Richard Nixon, resigned in the face of near-certain impeachment and conviction.
Few Americans, just 3%, predict that Trump will voluntarily resign before the end of his first term; 15% expect him to be removed through impeachment. One-third of those surveyed, 33%, say he will remain serve out his first term as president. Another 29% predict that he will not only do that but also win a second term.
The online poll has a credibility interval of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.
'A lot of it started with Ukraine': Why the Trump-Zelensky call isn't just about Joe Biden | {
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Not everything that happens at Burning Man stays at Burning Man. The famous free-for-all festival in the desert is known for its visual spectacle, and some of that art will be making its way to San Jose in the near future.
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San Jose’s Post Street is now the city’s first LGBTQ district
Virtual spin on San Jose’s Mexican Independence Day celebration Kerry Adams-Hapner, San Jose’s director of cultural affairs, says she was inspired by the creativity on display at Black Rock City and saw the potential for using interactive, innovative art to create a spark in San Jose. She developed the idea with Kim Cook, Burning Man Project’s director of art and community affairs, and came up with a partnership called “Playa to Paseo” that will launch in November.
The first piece will be “Sonic Runway,” a light-art installation by Rob Jensen and Warren Trezevant, that has visitors walking through a series of cocentric rings that light up in different patters based on the sounds around them. It was at Burning Man in 2016, and a traveling version was in London this summer. The piece will be unveiled at a 6 p.m. ceremony on Nov. 3, Adams-Hapner said, and will remain at San Jose City Hall — on the Santa Clara Street sidewalk from Fourth to Sixth streets — for two to three months. Expect three to four pieces a year to San Jose, with the successor to “Sonic Runway” coming in early 2018.
The road eventually will travel both ways, too, as a goal of the partnership is to inspire San Jose’s art community to develop pieces that could wind up at Burning Man. “This isn’t just about bringing art downtown,” Adams-Hapner said. “We’re a community of makers and we want to inspire that.”
And we’ll get to experience some of Burning Man without the bugs, smoke and a layer of dirt.
INTRODUCING LA FAMILIA: Congratulations to Veronica Escámez and her Redwood City family, who are being honored with the Hispanic Foundation of Silicon Valley’s La Familia Award at the 28th annual Hispanic Foundation Ball next month. The Escámez family is just the second from San Mateo County to receive the award in its history.
Escámez, a teacher, theater director and social worker who came to the Bay Area more than 20 years ago, founded Casa Circulo Cultural in Redwood City in 2009. The nonprofit provides theater classes, music, dance, online radio and other activities for the community youth, as well as English, art and other classes for adults waiting for their children.
Her children have become important parts of the effort, too: Gerardo is a Taekwondo instructor; Octavio is a family fitness instructor, Fernando is an artist in charge of the theater’s set construction and Casa Circulo’s Redwood City parade floats and Manuel is a professor at the University of Mexico who gives guest lectures at Casa Circulo when he’s visiting the Bay Area.
The family will be honored at the annual gala Oct. 21 at the Fairmont San Jose. Get ticket information at www.hfsv.org.
COMMENDABLE PERFORMANCE: Tabard Theatre Company has long had a reputation for producing shows that are accessible for all audiences in Silicon Valley, but that effort goes farther than you might realize. Since its very first production in July 21, Tabard founder Cathy Spielberger Cassetta has made sure there was a free, hands-on presentation for blind and visually impaired audience members before every Main Stage production.
Before last Saturday’s matinee of “Peter and the Starcatcher,” the Silicon Valley Council of the Blind paid a visit to downtown San Jose’s Theatre on San Pedro Square to present her with a commendation for her dedication to bringing live theater to the blind and visually impaired. You don’t need perfect sight to clearly see what a valuable service that is, and you’ve just got to wonder why everyone else isn’t doing it.
MOVING CONVERSATION: The Commonwealth Club of California cut the ribbon on its new headquarters on the Embarcadero in San Francisco on Sept. 12, with a ceremony featuring former Secretary of State George Shultz and a host of San Francisco dignitaries. Gloria Duffy, the CEO of the public affairs forum, was the emcee for the ceremony which featured a brass quintet from the San Francisco Symphony playing “Fanfare for The Commonwealth Club” composed by Michael Smith for the occasion.
Speaking to the San Jose Rotary Club last Wednesday, Duffy said she’s thrilled that the public affairs forum finally has a permanent home of its own. And she was even more thrilled to be in San Jose because it happened to fall on the actual moving day. “I packed all my boxes yesterday,” she said with a smile, “so I’m happy to be here today instead of in the middle of a move.”
STAND UP CONTRIBUTIONS: It was a big week for Michele Huntzinger. The San Jose resident and executive director of StandUp for Kids-Silicon Valley was honored as the winner of the San Francisco Giants’ Isabelle Lemon Community Spirit Award on Tuesday during a pre-game ceremony at AT&T Park. The award recognizes a volunteer who exemplifies the commitment to community service and “can-do” spirit of Lemon, a Giants Community Fund board member and former promotions manager for KNBR.
With the award, Huntzinger received a $2,500 grant for the volunteer-run nonprofit, which aims to provide safe places for more than 2,500 homeless youth in Santa Clara County. Then, Wednesday morning, she was at StandUp for Kids’ fundraising breakfast, hosted by the silicon valley organization’s Leadership San Jose program. The packed house of generous early-risers at Villa Ragusa in Campbell contributed an additional $130,000 for the cause. | {
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Kellyanne and George Conway have spent the last two years on public tenterhooks, navigating a fragile peace as the counselor to President Trump has remained a faithful agent of the White House her husband has publicly admonished. But thanks to Twitter, as with all things in Trump world, the president has forced Kellyanne into an inevitable loyalty test: choosing between her boss and her husband.
[Read: Kellyanne Conway takes Trump's side in fracas with husband George]
George Conway, often referred to as Mr. Kellyanne Conway by those who know him, is VERY jealous of his wife’s success & angry that I, with her help, didn’t give him the job he so desperately wanted. I barely know him but just take a look, a stone cold LOSER & husband from hell! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 20, 2019
In all fairness, it's shocking that it took this long for our onion-thin skinned president to start shitposting about his most loyal and competent aide's husband. While it's almost funny to watch none other than Trump criticize someone's job as a husband, it indicates that you either leave the White House a hero — or domestic abuser — or survive long enough to be forced through a humiliating loyalty test for no other reason than the president's ego.
The ideal route is the rare one traveled by Nikki Haley and Hope Hicks. They managed to skirt the brunt of the palace intrigue that plagues the White House and swiftly departed while still in Trump's good graces. Then there are those, such as James Mattis, who left with dignity, refusing to cross a hard line of ethics.
The third, unfortunate camp winds up in the crosshairs of Trump's ire.
George Conway should know better than to act as Trump's armchair therapist, attempting to diagnose the president with mental disorders. While Conway's well within his rights to critique Trump on the basis of the law or even his behavior, no ethical doctor in the country issues public diagnoses based on external observation. And Conway is not even a doctor. To publicly and repeatedly play with wildfire, knowing that you can directly make your wife's life hell by provoking her rage-fueled boss, is just selfish.
But it's still a marriage, and by default, more sacrosanct than any other relationship in Kellyanne's life.
Trump has approximately 100 million detractors per day that he can rip on to get that much needed Twitter catharsis. While George Conway's been a big player in the Republican Party for about three times as long as Trump's even been a Republican — just Google search " George Conway Ann Coulter" or " George Conway Bill Clinton" if you're unfamiliar — Trump still has much higher profile critics to dump on if need be. Kellyanne's been one of his most faithful and proficient senior staffers for more than two years now. He couldn't just extend her the courtesy of ignoring her husband's petty tweets?
Well, no, because this is Trump. Rather than turn a blind eye to a few snide remarks in exchange for keeping one of his greatest assets in the White House, he would gamble on her choosing public humiliation over her marriage.
As Leo Tolstoy once noted, happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way. We cannot know the inner workings of the Conway marriage, nor are we entitled to. It's fully possible that they have a don't ask, don't tell policy regarding the president in their private relationship, and perhaps this will all blow over. But I know of few happy families built on an agreement where a husband fuels the fire that forces the wife to publicly betray either her boss or her marriage. | {
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A Navy veteran killed one Indian man and shot another in a Kansas bar, screaming “Get out of my country!” moments before he started blasting away, police and a witness said.
Adam W. Purinton, 51, of Olathe, also was charged with attempted murder in the shooting of two other men at Austin’s Bar and Grill: Alok Madasani, 32, of Overland Park, Kan., and Ian Grillot, 24, who tried to intervene.
Srinivas Kuchibhotla, 32, a Garmin engineer from Hyderabad, the capital of the southern Telangana state, died of his wounds. Fellow engineer Madasani and Grillot were recovering.
Federal law enforcement officials said they are investigating with local police to determine if the crime — which created shock waves in India — was “bias-motivated,” the Washington Post reported.
Two Indian consulate officials from Houston and Dallas were sent to Kansas City to meet with Madasani and help bring Kuchibhotla’s body to India, said Vikas Swarup, India’s External Affairs Ministry spokesman.
Grillot, who jumped to the defense of the Indians in the bar, was hailed as a hero by local media.
“Decency and humanity always triumph in the end, but not without struggle and sacrifice,” said Jayaprakash Narayan, a Hyderabad-based activist, who lauded Grillot’s bravery.
The US Embassy in New Delhi strongly condemned the shocking crime.
“The United States is a nation of immigrants and welcomes people from across the world to visit, work, study, and live. US authorities will investigate thoroughly and prosecute the case, though we recognize that justice is small consolation to families in grief,” Charge d’Affaires MaryKay Carlson said.
Madasani’s father, Jaganmohan Reddy, said he learned about the shooting from his oldest son, who lives in Dallas. His younger son moved to the US in 2008 for his master’s degree.
“But he never faced any problems,” he told reporters in Warangal, a town in Telangana.
Reddy said the shooting was clearly a hate crime, adding that such incidents have increased after the recent political changes in the US.
A relative of Madasani’s agreed.
“This is the first time it happened to our family. Trump is only the primary reason as of now,” DNA India reported.
“A racist person said, ‘Get out of my country’ and targeted my brother and his friend,” the person added.
Witnesses said Purinton apparently was kicked out the bar Wednesday night before the shooting, the Washington Post reported.
“He seemed kind of distraught,” bar patron Garret Bohnen told the paper. “He started drinking pretty fast.”
Purinton reportedly returned to the bar, where he hurled racial slurs at Kuchibhotla and Madasani, including comments that suggested he believed they were of Middle Eastern descent.
When bullets flew, Grillot — whom Bohnen described as “everyone’s friend” — intervened heroically.
Grillot said in a video released by the University of Kansas Health System that he took cover under a table until he mistakenly thought the suspect ran out of ammo after nine shots were fired.
“I got behind him and he turned around and fired at me,” Grillot said from his hospital bed.
The bullets narrowly missed his carotid artery but fractured a vertebra and his neck.
“I’m grateful to be alive,” he said. “Another half-inch and I could be dead or never walk again.”
He was buoyed when Madasani visited him Thursday morning.
“It put the biggest smile on my face,” said Grillot, who later found out that Madasani’s wife is five months pregnant. “I was just doing what anyone should’ve done for another human being,” Grillot said as tears welled. “It’s not about where he’s from or his ethnicity. We’re all humans. I just felt like I did what was naturally right to do.”
Purinton was collared about 70 miles away in Clinton, Mo., after a restaurant bartender called police because Purinton told him he had been involved in a shooting, Assistant Clinton Police Chief Sonny Lynch said.
The Navy veteran, IT specialist, and former pilot and air traffic controller waived his right to fight extradition. He has not filed a plea and his bond was set at $2 million.
From his hospital bed, Grillot said he looked forward to seeing Madasani again.
“After last night, we’re definitely going to be spending a little bit of time together,” he said. “Don’t think it’s going to be at the bar, though. Maybe some grilling in the back yard with a beer or two.”
With Post wires | {
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The Supreme Court of India today granted interim protection of three weeks to senior journalist Arnab Goswami against multiple FIRs filed against him by the Congress party in various states. The Apex court also directed to merged all FIRs into one which will be investigated in Mumbai, where the Republic TV Editor-In-Chief is based, and stayed all the FIRs till further orders.
The court said that during this period of 3 weeks, Goswami can approach the trial court for anticipatory bail. Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi represented Arnab Goswami in the court through video conferencing, while Congress leader Kapil Sibal appeared for the Congress party in the bench of Justices DY Chandrachud and MR Shah.
The petition filed by Arnab Goswami multiple FIRs have been lodged against him in several states, most of which are Congress ruled. The petition alleged that the machinery of those states have been set in motion with an oblique and ulterior motive and without due and proper application of mind. It also said that by filing multiple FIRs, the Congress party is trying to muzzle free speech in the country. Goswami’s petition said that the petitioner has been encouraging the use of his channel to foster communal harmony, and is against any commnunilisation of events by various political parties for their own benefits. The petition states that “a prominent national level political party and its members harbor ill-will, hatred and personal vendetta against the petitioner”.
Kapil Sibal argued that the Goswami was trying to ignite communal violence by putting Hindus against minority, and contended that it does not come under freedom of speech. Sibal also asked if Rahul Gandhi can appear in defamation cases, why Arnab Goswami can’t. In a bizarre argument, he also raised the issue of cases of filed against Kanhaiya Kumar for incitement of riot, and said that Goswami also did the same and so he should also be probed under similar charges. Issuing a veiled threat of graver charges against Goswami by Congress state govts, Kapil Sibal said ‘who knows sedition charge can be invoked against Arnab Goswami tomorrow’.
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Kapil Sibal asked the court to don’t give protection to him as he wants to divide the country, and said it will send a wrong message and he will go on creating divides. He termed the petition as based on “fake freedom of speech”.
Former AG Mukul Rohatgi objected to citing Rahul Gandhi and Kanhaiya Kumar by Sibal, saying that Arnab Goswami is not a politician like that. He also said that Goswami only questioned the role of police in the lynching incident, and silence of the Congress party, and he didn’t pander to any religion like Congress party is arguing.
In its order, the court said that no coercive action can be taken against Goswami during the three weeks interim period. The bench also asked the petitioner to modify his petition to include all the FIRs against him in various police stations in several states. The court also said that if any more FIRs are filed against him after the order, those will also remain stayed till further orders by the apex court. The court also didn’t issue an order prohibiting the channel from broadcasting any content.
The court also directed the Mumbai Police Commissioner to provide security to Arnab Goswami and Republic TV. The bench also said that the petitioner must cooperate in with the investigation.
FIRs were registered against Arnab Goswami in f Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Telangana and Jammu & Kashmir based on complaints filed by Congress leaders. The Complaints were filed after Arnab Goswami questioned the silence of Congress president Sonia Gandhi over the Palghar lynching incident on his show on Republic TV on 21st April. FIRs mentioned offences under Sections 117, 120B, 153, 153A, 153B, 295A, 298, 500, 504, 505, 506 etc of the Indian Penal Code and Section 66A of the Information Technology Act, 2000
Arnab Goswami was assaulted by Congress goons in Mumbai on the wee hours of 23rd April after the Congress party launched a nationwide attack against him and filed multiple FIRs. | {
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NEW PORT RICHEY, Fla. — A New Port Richey, Florida pizza maker was assaulted with his own product by an unhappy customer on Friday, according to the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies say Syeda Saleem, 28, of New Port Richey threw slices of pizza at a worker at Oliva’s Subs and Pizza when the worker refused to give her a refund.
Saleem claimed the pizza she recently ordered made her child sick.
According to arrested affidavits, the worker offered to make her a new pizza for free, but Saleem refused and insisted on receiving six sodas instead.
When the worker refused to give her the sodas, he claims she started chucking pizza at him.
The worker’s face and chest were covered in pizza sauce when deputies arrived.
Saleem told deputies she believed the pizza was spoiled and wanted a refund.
She told deputies the worker began shouting racial slurs and she only tossed the pizza because the worker was “standing in her way.”
Police later arrested Saleem. She is charged with one count of battery. | {
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The Quinta da Pacheca estate in Douro, Portugal, allows visitors to sleep inside giant wine barrels for £219 (about $286 USD) per night, according to Metro.
in Douro, Portugal, allows visitors to sleep inside giant wine barrels for £219 (about $286 USD) per night, according to Metro. There are 10 hotel-style barrels spread across the vineyard, measuring approximately 270-square-feet each.
Each barrel includes a bed, walk-in shower, skylight, Wi-Fi, and air conditioning.
When not tasting wine and locally made jam at the vineyard, visitors also have the option to stay in a more traditional hotel room.
Do you ever love a wine so much, you wish you could just live inside the bottle? Well, good news: There's a place for wine lovers where they can experience their favorite wine from the wine's perspective.
At the Quinta da Pacheca estate in Douro, Portugal, guests at the vineyard can stay in giant, luxuriously appointed wine barrels Metro reported.
There are 10 barrels, all designed by property owners Paulo Pereira and Maria do Céu Gonçalves in all on the vineyard's 140-acre estate, according to Wine Spectator. Each barrel is about 270 square feet, Wine Tourism Portugal reported.
Each barrel is made from pinewood. marco antonio l/TripAdvisor
On the outside, each barrel is made of simple pinewood, but on the inside, each contains an elegant bedroom fit for a spa. According to Metro, each barrel features high-end amenities like a private bathroom with modern fixtures, a walk-in shower, a large round bed and skylight so you can gaze at the stars, a private terrace, Wi-Fi, and air conditioning.
You are also up close and personal with the 116-year-old estate's vines, so exploring the grounds is as easy as walking out your barrel door.
Read more: This simple trick will make any glass of wine taste better, according to Heston Blumenthal
"In an idyllic and romantic setting, these wine barrel rooms will provide visitors a unique experience of the nature and significance of the Douro wine region," said a vineyard representative.
During your stay at the vineyard, you can also enjoy wine tastings as well as samples of locally made jam and olive oil. The hotel also has an gorgeous restaurant for dinner and wine making rooms that guests can take a look at.
If you're not into staying in a barrel, there are also normal rooms at the hotel house.
Booking your own barrel costs about £219 (about $286 USD) per night, according to the Metro. So, it's definitely a bucket-list experience that you can save up for. | {
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Today we are releasing Webbing, a template for creating Firefox OS apps from existing web applications. Firefox OS is built upon standard web technologies, which makes it easy for developers to rapidly create apps for the platform. Many companies, like Yahoo, already have existing web applications that would work well on the platform with little modification. We created Webbing as a way to make the transition from a mobile web app to Firefox OS as painless as possible.
Ideally, when creating an app for Firefox OS, you would build it from the ground up specifically for the platform. However, this isn’t always possible with limited resources. A more expedient way to port a web app would be to create a Firefox OS app that simply redirects to your web site. This would have a lot of benefits, such as a short development time and complete code reuse with your mobile site. However, you would likely face several issues:
Mobile sites assume they are being viewed in a mobile browser. Navigation through the site often relies on the back-navigation provider through the browser chrome. Firefox OS gives the option to show on-screen browser navigation in your app, but this should be a last resort. It gives the impression that the use is simply browsing a web page instead of using an app.
There is no way to keep the user on your site. If a link directs to another company’s page, the user will now be using their site inside of your app frame. This is confusing to the user and may lead them to the incorrect conclusion that this external site is part of your app.
If the user has no network access, the app will display the same generic error message that the user would see in the web browser.
Creating a Firefox OS-specific version of your site that had extra navigation controls would fix the first problem, but not the others. Plus, these changes would take time and could complicate site maintenance. When creating the Yahoo Firefox OS apps, we wanted to avoid those issues by restricting changes to the client whenever possible. Through investigating client-side solutions, we developed Webbing.
Webbing serves as a wrapper for your mobile site. It embeds your site in an iframe, allowing it to add extra features from the outside. Most importantly, this allows Webbing to display custom back navigation over the app.
Normally there is no back navigation on the login screen. Webbing added the back button on the bottom.
While the back navigation could be shown all the time, that likely isn’t what you want. That’s why Webbing offers the ability to specify URL patterns of pages where you want to show or hide the navigation. For the Yahoo! app, that included the login screen (where no back navigation is present) and external sites.
If you’re familiar with iframes, you know that normally there is no way to get the URL of the actively-displayed page. To achieve this, we took advantage of Firefox OS’s Browser API. The Browser API effectively adds additional features to an iframe: namely, you can retrieve the currently displayed URL and listen to a long list of events, such as URL changes and page load completion.
In order to make your mobile site feel more like a native app, Webbing also adds a configurable loading screen and spinner. This will help keep the user’s attention better than a white screen while your page loads. Also, Webbing will show a custom notification if there happens to be no network connection, as opposed to the stock notification that the user would see if they were in the web browser.
Finally, Webbing sets up L20n, Mozilla’s localization framework. By default, Webbing includes translations in both English and Spanish.
Webbing still has areas for improvement. Overall, we’d like to make customization easier, whether that be having more options for navigation overlays or new built-in styles of loading screens. Still, we feel that Webbing will greatly ease your transition from taking a mobile website and launching it on Firefox OS.
If you’d like to use Webbing, visit the Github page. If you’d like to get started with general Firefox OS development, check out Mozilla’s Quick Start documentation. | {
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Our weekly border report is full of arrests of the underbelly of humanity that crosses or attempts to cross in the US undetected.
As you’ll see in our weekly report to expose the chaos at our southern border, it’s a mess down there with criminals and gangs of all types. There are also many cases of drug arrests too.
The big question is how many people or drugs did the border patrol miss?
There are several reports from the CBP (Customs and Border Protection) website below that range from drugs, gangs to dead bodies discovered at our border.
The case that caught our eye is the discovery and arrest of 306 Central Americans near the Tucson, AZ border.
This is a trend that we’re seeing of large groups bold enough to try to cross. Could it be that they feel emboldened by the immigrant rights groups who want open borders? They call Americans the “invaders’ and believe immigration is a right.
Check out the video of the pro-caravan march on December 19th:
These people want America to be washed away…
BP Agents Arrest Sex Offender, MS-13 Gang Member | TUCSON, Ariz. – Tucson Sector Border Patrol agents arrested two illegal aliens during separate incidents Wednesday and Thursday and learned that one is an MS-13 gang member and the other is a sex offender. Wednesday evening, Ajo Station agents…
Border Patrol Agent Assaulted by Illegal Alien Should Trump appoint a new Supreme Court Justice before the election?
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Comments This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. Completing this poll entitles you to 100 Percent Fed Up updates free of charge. You may opt out at anytime with a single click. Here's our Privacy Policy. | TUCSON, Ariz. –A 19-year-old Mexican man has been arrested and charged with assaulting a U.S. Federal agent after he attacked a Tucson Sector Border Patrol agent south of Bisbee on Wednesday evening. While responding to a call of possible illegal…
Roma CBP Officers Seize Marijuana Valued at $429,844 | ROMA, Texas – U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at the Roma Port of Entry seized a significant amount of marijuana valued at more than $400,000 in one enforcement action at the Roma International Bridge. “Our frontline officers…
CBP Officers Seize $212K in Cocaine Concealed in a Bus at Eagle Pass Port of Entry | EAGLE PASS, Texas – U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Office of Field Operations (OFO) officers from the Eagle Pass Port of Entry recently seized cocaine valued at more than $212,000 in a single enforcement action at the Camino Real…
Border Patrol Arrests MS-13 Gang Member | Eagle Pass, Texas – U.S. Border Patrol agents assigned to the Eagle Pass North Station arrested a member of the Mara Salvatrucha, MS-13, criminal gang who had been previously deported. “Border Patrol agents routinely encounter dangerous…
Border Patrol Recover Body from Rio Grande | DEL RIO, Texas – U.S. Border Patrol marine agents assigned to the Eagle Pass South Station recovered a deceased person in the Rio Grande River, Thursday. “Agents patrolling the Rio Grande located, and in conjunction with our first response…
Del Rio Border Patrol Arrests Sex Offender | DEL RIO, Texas – U.S. Border Patrol agents assigned to the Eagle Pass Station arrested a convicted sex offender in Eagle Pass, Wednesday. On Dec. 19, Eagle Pass agents arrested a 26-year-old Honduran national after he illegally entered the United…
Previously Deported 18 Street Gang Member Arrested | TUCSON, Ariz. – Nogales Station Border Patrol agents apprehended an 18th Street gang member from Honduras with extensive criminal history after he entered the U.S. illegally Tuesday evening. Agents patrolling near Nogales arrested the man after he…
Baltimore CBP Arrests Virginia Man on a Multiple-Felony Warrant | BALTIMORE — U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers arrested a Virginia man Sunday at the Baltimore Cruise Terminal who was wanted in Portsmouth, Virginia on five felony charges. CBP officers arrested Corey D. Armistead, 29, as he…
Border Patrol Agents Encounter 306 Central Americans | TUCSON, Ariz. – A group of 306 Central Americans surrendered to Tucson Sector Border Patrol agents near the international border Wednesday night and Thursday morning. Large group apprehended in Arizona. On Wednesday, agents from the Ajo Border Patrol…
Border Patrol Canine Detects Illegal Aliens in Trunk | TUCSON, Ariz. – Willcox Border Patrol agents arrested a Phoenix man Tuesday for smuggling two Mexican nationals found hiding in his vehicle. A Cochise County Sheriff’s deputy participating in Operation Stonegarden requested a Border Patrol canine… | {
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Atheist author Richard Dawkins provoked a firestorm Wednesday on Twitter by claiming an unborn baby with Down’s syndrome should be aborted and that it would be “immoral to bring it into the world.”
The debate with some of his one million followers began when Dawkins, 73, linked to an article at the liberal New Republic titled, “The Catholic Church prefers medieval barbarism to modern abortion,” by Jerry A. Coyne, according to The Daily Mail.
“Ireland is a civilised country except in this one area,” Dawkins said. “You’d think the Roman Church would have lost all influence.”
Irish Catholic Aidan McCourt tweeted in return to Dawkins, “994 human beings with Down’s syndrome deliberately killed before birth in England and Wales in 2012. Is that civilised?”
“Yes, it is very civilised,” Dawkins responded. “These are foetuses, diagnosed before they have human feelings.”
Dawkins later added, “Learn to think in non-essentialist ways. The question is not ‘is it human’?’ but ‘can it suffer?'”
When InYourFaceNewYorker tweeted, “I honestly don’t know what I would do if I were pregnant with a kid with Down’s syndrome. Real ethical dilemma,” Dawkins returned, “Abort it and try again. It would be immoral to bring it into the world if you have the choice.”
Ireland is a civilised country except in this 1 area:http://t.co/i2PqFf6fYL You’d think the Roman Church would have lost all influence. — Richard Dawkins (@RichardDawkins) August 20, 2014
@RichardDawkins 994 human beings with Down’s Syndrome deliberately killed before birth in England and Wales in 2012. Is that civilised? — Aidan McCourt (@AidanMcCourt) August 20, 2014
.@AidanMcCourt Yes, it is very civilised. These are foetuses, diagnosed before they have human feelings. — Richard Dawkins (@RichardDawkins) August 20, 2014
@RichardDawkins @AidanMcCourt I honestly don’t know what I would do if I were pregnant with a kid with Down Syndrome. Real ethical dilemma. — InYourFaceNewYorker (@InYourFaceNYer) August 20, 2014
@StarTraveller @AidanMcCourt Learn to think in non-essentialist ways. The question is not “is it ‘human’?” but “can it SUFFER?” — Richard Dawkins (@RichardDawkins) August 20, 2014
Many from the pro-life community and parents and families with children with Down’s syndrome were enraged by Dawkins’ comments.
“The problem here is not that a fetus doesn’t have human feelings, but rather that Richard Dawkins apparently doesn’t,” Father Frank Pavone, national director of Priests for Life, told Breitbart News. “Abortion does not only dehumanize the very real child in the womb; it dehumanizes everyone who tries to justify it.”
In a press statement, Live Action President Lila Rose slammed Dawkins’ tweets: “It’s sick and twisted for anyone to advocate for the killing of children with disabilities.”
“Dawkins’ ignorant comments serve only to further stigmatize people with Down syndrome. While many people with Down syndrome, their families, and advocacy groups are fighting discrimination on a daily basis, Dawkins calls for their murder before they are even born,” Rose added. “Those with Down syndrome are human beings, with innate human dignity, and they, along with the whole human family, deserve our respect and protection.”
The Daily Mail notes Dawkins’ comments came one week after he said that having a faith helped foster terrorism, and that those who believe in God enable suicide bombers to murder thousands and make the “world safe” for extremists. | {
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Spoiler: A Humble Offering (click to show/hide)
may you continue with your elf murdering ways for all eternity
and stand as an example for all those child bearing elite soldiers
-contributed by PlutoniumApe-
may you continue with your elf murdering ways for all eternityand stand as an example for all those child bearing elite soldiers-contributed by PlutoniumApe-
Spoiler (click to show/hide) To work out her story, and the story of her family, required me to painstakingly search for the entry of each of the dwarves whose names appeared in the conflict - otherwise such connections as the identities of Tholtig's children would have been lost. [Filter on string] is your friend. Also, the fact that the heroes in the war not directly related to Tholtig by blood were actually members of the original royal family, and that therefore that everyone in the war was a member of one last great Dwarven clan, was lost to me until recently due to the obscurity of Legends mode.
The total death toll on the elven civ as a result of the above dwarve alone was 7978. One must bear in mind they suffered these casualties concurrently with the losses from the wars with the goblin tyranny ruled by the demon Zedan Demonburied the Dust of Midnights, who ruled until 157 and acquired 105 kills personally, as well as two human civs.
Also, the image here is a better version of the one I had previously posted that includes the cyclops.
-courtesy of burningpet-I decided to post this here after others asked me to, and because it chronicles truly rare greatness within Legends Mode. Stories like this are the chief reason why Legends Mode should be improved to allow easier browsing - they epitomize the awesome possibilities hidden under the overload of names and dates.There is now a wiki page devoted to Tholtig At the very minimum, at least check out her kill count.Some of what others have written:What do you think?***This is the tragic but inspiring legend of Tholtig Momuzidek Lelumdoren, "Tholtig Cryptbrain the Waning Diamonds," and the bloody century and a half-long war with the elves that she was born into and died within. It is long, for it chronicles the epic of an entire dwarf civilization, but there is a screenshot at the end that summarizes her greatness.I discovered her story while I was browsing legends mode tracing the many wars of the era (I was looking for a world with a long history and interesting events to engrave, and had therefore increased the size of megabeasts from 20 to 70, except for hydras, which I increased to 140) and happened to notice her name appear over and over, throughout the decades.She was the fifth and last ruler of the dwarven cilization known as the Bronze Orbs, and ruled the mountainhome of Circletower.Her grandfather Meng Emetmistem Tirdugzodost Urrith, "Meng Freshportal the Brutal Rot of Scarring," had been the first of their line to rule Circletower, after the previous queen, only daughter of the first ruler since time immemorial, had died childless, slain by a titan after ruling for only less than a year. Meng had earned the throne after he himself stepped up to duel with the titan, driving it off but receiving a heavy wound to his lower body in the process.It was Meng who had started the war with the elves, incensed over their devouring of sentient beings. In the year 81 he led ten of his best dwarves against fifteen of the elves of the Steamy Winds, slaying five of them in exchange for two of his comrades. Several dwarves who would go on to earn fame and honor earned their first kills in that first conflict, among them Goden Leafybridges the Talon of Shooting (, the elder, dispossessed son of the first ruler of Circletower), his wife Tosid Stockadefortunes the Lined Friend (), and Goden Routedgates the Jade Planes of Braving ().However, Meng had picked as his foe a powerful elf civ on the rise. During the same years as they fought with the dwarves, the Steamy Winds declared war on the humans and a goblin tyranny ruled by a demon - it was a world war of unimaginable scale. Cities and forest retreats were stained with the blood of literally tens of thousands of the dead, settlements were razed repeatedly by both sides as they fought over them, and the fortunes of empires often turned on a single battle. By the end of it all, over 250 years later, the great elven forest that once stretched across the map was reduced to scattered outposts, but this was long after the passing of Meng and his daughters.Meng died forty years after claiming the throne in 113, and the skulls ofdecorate the mausoleum where he was laid to rest. He had outlived all but one of his children, the rest having been slain (but thankfully not devoured) by elves.The only survivor, Metthos Rodercatten Notlith Am, "Metthos Baldedchanneled the Ruin of Speaking," () ruled for only seven years before her death leading the Bronze Orbs to victory against a force of elves that outnumbered the dwarves more than 6 to 1, leaving the throne to her only daughter, the aforementioned Tholtig, who had just turned 30. There had been no other children because Metthos's husband had been slain by elves two years after Tholtig's birth.The odds would only get worse after her death.As soon as she could raise a hammer at the age of twelve, Tholtig had joined her parents and grandparents on the battlefield. The dwarves had no choice, for their losses were so great that they needed every pair of hammer-wielding arms they could find. By the time she ascended the throne in 121, she had slain 48 elves and a cyclops, but the amount of dwarves left capable of wielding a weapon numbered less than ten. Nonetheless, she led them to victory in her first assault against the elves, but it was a Pyrrhic victory that saw the deaths of two of her children, including her eldest son.The war saw the rise of numerous heroes and their offspring: among them Alath Pageplaited the Circular Tongs (, slain by a hydra in 103), Olon Orblabors the Fenced Sandal of Shadow (Alath's brother,, became a diplomat halfway through the war and stopped going to battle), Unib Lancemet the Way of Boiling (the sister of Alath and Olon,, slain by an elven arrow), and Mafol Drilledhammer the Violence of Forests (Son of Tholtig, with a merebefore death by an arrow) Many elf heroes of the wars with the humans and goblins, flouting long titles earned by the lives they had ended, themselves met their end at the hands of Tholtig or her brothers and sisters in arms. A typical battle might see 281 elves arrayed against a mere 4 dwarves, only for 96 elves to perish with all 4 dwarves surviving, yet this continued year after year. There was an elf leader who met each of the dwarf heroes in battle multiple times for eight years and escaped, before Tholtig finally killed him in their third duel. However, as time passed, the elves only grew more numerous, while the dwarves, their numbers decimated by constant warfare and their children dying without offspring, only grew closer to ultimate defeat.Tholtig married Logem Uthmikmelbil Gosterudosiddor, "Logem Shaketomes the Hoary Men-larks," son of the heroes Leafybridges and Stockadefortunes from the first battle between the dwarves and elves and brother of Alath, Olon, and Unib. Unlike previous rulers of the Bronze Orbs, Tholtig and her husband had many children, numbering ten in all. However, fate was against the Bronze Orbs: eight of her children died at tender ages shortly after taking up arms against the elves, and even the two who survived the wars met misfortune elsewhere. Her youngest daughter, Urist Joinedrings the Permanent Scars, who had slainand survived countless battles, was slain by a hydra, but most tragically of all, Tholtig's eldest daughter and heir, Erush Racktoned the Rough Miseries of Quiescence, was slain at the age of 90, having slain, by the same titan that her great-grandfather King Meng had driven off to claim his throne, which had suddenly returned 100 years later to plague the Bronze Orbs.However, time was a foe that even legendary force of arms could not overcome. In 200, five years after Tholtig mourned the passing of her heir, an adventurer slew that same hydra that took the life of Tholtig's youngest daughter and brought an end to the Age of Legends. By then, only three dwarves remained to defend Circletower: Tholtig, her husband Logem, and Obok Willbolt the Drinks of Ruining (a venerable dwarf, great-grandson of the heroes Goden and Tosid, who had witnessed the rise of Tholtig's grandfather and the beginning of the war a century ago and amassed), along with of course the diplomat Olon, who by then must have been regretting the pacifism had cost him equal glory.Lacking children to carry on and therefore hope, the remaining dwarves slowly slipped away, Obok in 227, Logem in 237, and finally Olon the diplomat in 242. For nearly ten years, from 237 onwards, Tholtig defended her ancestral home of Circletower alone. Each of these years year saw one hundred or more elves lay siege to the empty halls where Tholtig's entire clan lay sleeping, only to be driven back in bloody defeat. Alone she stood, hammer in hand, the only force between her home and fiery conquest. Despite the injustice of fate that had taken away her children and the inevitability of defeat, she held her ground until at last in 246 when old age struck her down, something no mortal weapon could have aspired to. And so fell the last dwarf of the Bronze Orbs - and with Tholtig's death ended their entire civilization and history.Tholtig had lived for one hundred and fifty-six years, all of which had seen no peace for her, and outlived all of her children, her friends, and her husband. Logem, the second-to last of the dwarves to pass on, had died with. To give an idea of how many Tholtig had killed, it took one minute and thirteen seconds to scroll from the top of her entry to the bottom.The Kills of Tholtig Cryptbrain the Waning Diamonds, Last Queen of the Bronze Orbs and Ruler of Circletower:***I imagine that Tholtig considered her final end glorious, for she did not die an ignominious death, or fade away at the end of an age, but passed on at the height of her glory in the midst of war, hammer in hand, bringing down with her a great elven civilization, all the while proving her invincibility. So passed the last dwarf from the world.Commentary: | {
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WEF: FM Jaitley to speak on countrys economic outlook soon
Suhasini Haidar: Connectivity is currency; the wealth of a nation will be decided by how much of a hub it is. Sovereignty is 19th century. — World Economic Forum (@Davos) October 5, 2017 Smaller Asian countries see the benefit of getting involved in BRI but are there issues down the road? With India's involvement in BRI, can we be sure that China will play by the rules? Or will they move the goalposts? Leela Ponappa. #wefindia — World Economic Forum (@Davos) October 5, 2017 | {
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The Congress must fix its leadership issues on top priority to address the growing perception among the people that the party is "adrift", senior leader Shashi Tharoor said on Sunday and asserted that resolving the uncertainty over a long-term president was crucial for the party's revival.
In an interview to PTI, Shashi Tharoor also said that it was up to Rahul Gandhi to take a call if he wishes to return as Congress chief, but if he does not change his earlier stance then the party needs to find an "active and full-time leadership" so that the party can move forward as the nation expects.
The Thiruvananthapuram MP, who last week renewed his call for elections for the Congress Working Committee (CWC), said the process of electing some members of the party's highest decision-making body will usher in a dynamic leadership team with a credible mandate to work together to address the organisational challenges.
Asserting that the Congress is the indispensable national alternative to the "divisive policies" of the BJP, Tharoor said, "The immediate cause of worry for many of us is that there appears to be a growing perception in the eyes of the public that we, as a political entity, are adrift."
This is naturally driving some voters towards considering other political options and the most recent example of this was seen in Delhi, where the voters chose to side primarily with the AAP and to a smaller extent with the BJP, leaving the Congress with naught, he said.
"This is where the compelling case for urgently addressing this perception in the eyes of the public comes from -- and for that matter, changing the attitude of the media, which is repeatedly writing us off dismissively," Tharoor said.
"But for us to do so, we do need to fix our current leadership issues. We need to start with a longer-term, as opposed to interim, Congress president, as well as the 'elected' membership of the Working Committee," the former Union minister said.
Tharoor said he is an advocate for free and transparent elections within the party for these positions as such a process would significantly add to their credibility and legitimacy.
The CWC found an excellent interim solution in Sonia Gandhi, but the party cannot indefinitely keep depending on and burdening a president who had only just relinquished the job less than two years ago, he said, adding that it is neither fair to her, nor to the voters.
He also said the repeated question of 'Gandhi or non-Gandhi' as party president was "missing the wood for the trees".
"The larger concern and the need of the hour is to find a new president and leadership, and I am confident that if we do so through a participatory, transparent and democratic electoral process internally, the workers will at the end of the day throw their might and energy behind whoever emerges as the winning candidate," he said.
Asked if the problem remains that of "who will bell the cat" and raise leadership issues with the Gandhi family, Tharoor said, "I don't think the issue at hand is specifically about not being able to raise these concerns with members of the Gandhi family."
"It is of critical importance that we delay no further and work together to move forward. Resolving the uncertainty about long-term leadership is an indispensable aspect of our process of revival. It must be given foremost priority," Tharoor said.
Talking about the party's conundrum over whether to convince Rahul Gandhi to come back or move on, Tharoor said Gandhi will always hold a special place at the core of the party and the rank and file of the party are pretty unanimous in their belief that he has the vision to rally the party together and take it forward.
"This is why most of us were keen for him to continue and stay on in this role after the elections, because while we respected his desire to publicly offer accountability for our defeat, we still felt that there is no one better to ensure the much needed process of revival that is needed for the party," he said.
At the end of the day, just as his resignation was a personal decision, the question of his return is one as well, he said.
Pitching for election of CWC members, Tharoor pointed out there are three categories of members -- elected members, permanent invitees and special invitees.
"All three are currently named by the high command, but I believe it would be healthy for the party if the 'elected members' were actually elected," he said.
Tharoor hoped that those who are currently against the idea of elections for CWC recognise that a participatory electoral process, which channels the wishes of the members of the AICC plus PCC delegates - some 10,000 workers in all - is an exercise in inner-party democracy that will strengthen the party.
It could also have other beneficial effects such as increasing the national interest in the party, he said.
Asked if Rahul Gandhi is not convinced on coming back as chief should Priyanka Gandhi Vadra take on the leadership role, Tharoor said he was neither for nor against any Congress leader who might want to put their name forward.
"I certainly hope that she will throw her name in the ring when the call for elections for the post of party president are officially declared," Tharoor said.
Priyanka Gandhi has a natural charisma and also comes with organisational experience, he said.
"But at the end of the day this will be her personal decision and we must respect that," he said.
Tharoor had backed Sandeep Dikshit last week in asserting that the leadership issue needs to be laid to rest immediately.
Sonia Gandhi was appointed as the interim Congress president in August last year after Rahul Gandhi resigned taking moral responsibility for the party's Lok Sabha poll debacle. | {
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We’re all familiar with the story of the man who, through circumstances often outside of his control, winds up with nothing to his name — but what if you don’t even have claim to your name?
As human beings, we all have the universal rights to equality and freedom from discrimination. There is no instance where it is okay to impede these, yet as a transgender individual, I have been made to feel as though I have found a loophole where it is suddenly okay for the systems I navigate in life to throw this out the window. To be more specific, I am referring to OCAD University’s absolute disregard toward my rights to equal treatment both as a human being and as a full time student of theirs.
Every other bureaucratic system I have dealt with has had procedures in place to accommodate trans people. There is a basic level of sensitivity training that is required to take place in order to provide nondiscriminatory service to all members of a community. The Ontario Human Rights Code requires equal rights and opportunities for all persons, and declares that no one can be discriminated against for gender identity or expression. If the older, rather stern and conservative looking gentleman at the bank was able to sit me down and change my file to indicate “Mr. Carpenter” without me even needing to ask, then you’d expect an institution with an astronomically high LGBT population would at least have some acknowledgement of the reality of transgender students existing within their student body.
My experience with OCAD University’s administrative system has been drawn out, frustrating, one sided, and severely damaging to my mental health and attitude toward my studies. Since coming out after beginning my university career, I had to make adjustments to my personal information while currently enrolled in the system. My initial request and reason for contacting the office of the registrar was to inquire as to the process for updating my “Display Name” in our student portal, called Canvas, where all communications with profs and peers take place, as well as containing each course syllabus, assignment and grade. Before I even go into my experiences, why are students not allowed to edit this themselves? Presumably the administration worries that students would change their display names to inappropriate or inaccurate pseudonyms, but shouldn’t we operate under the assumption that we are all adults attending a professional institution? The safety of transgender students must win over petty concerns such as this. Perhaps allowing a student to update their own display name (which I find it important to stress appears on no official documentation and so is not even vital to have legally accurate) with an option to flag any inappropriate names for instances of misconduct. With that hope for the distant future expressed, I can proceed to detail my nearly two year long catastrophe of a negotiation with a university that doesn’t care for my well being. For simplicity and to give a better idea of a timeline I will be sharing correspondence made over email with the school.
January 6, 2015 I emailed the office of the registrar asking if it would be possible to at least update this display name to my preferred name, which I clearly detail in the email. Hello OCAD, please call me William. The school replies a day later by opening with “Hello, [Birthname],” which is foreshadowing for the direct abuse and blatantly inconsiderate attitudes I will face for the next year and a half. The email then goes on to state that my preferred name should be reflected in changes to my canvas account. I am mildly taken aback by their use of my old name, but overall content with the way my school has handled my request in a timely manner. I happily log on to Canvas expecting to feel a sense of validation at the sight of my shiny and new name staring back at me, yet what I see once the page loads is the most ludicrous “solution” I have ever seen. I am mortified as I stare blankly at my user info, a feeling of burning shame and panic radiating through me. OCAD University thought it appropriate to list my name in the system, viewable to all of my classmates and teachers, as “Birthname (William) Carpenter”. Now, imagine my classmates. Imagine seeing this in your class list as a 19 year old student with likely little knowledge of transgender issues. Someone in the class has a very obviously female name, and then… a male one in brackets? You text a friend about it. “Have you checked out our class list? What the hell is that? Must be one of those sex change freaks.”
I am automatically outed without my consent. I am immediately in danger.
Hypocritical of the school to have their main entrance in the registrar building feature a ceiling-high collage of LGBT rights protests?
To put my name in brackets, the name I have lovingly picked for myself, is hugely damaging to my mental health, as there are many anxieties among trans individuals regarding their birth names. The school has indicated to me that they consider my name to not be real. They have made the decision for me on which name and version of myself define me, as if being called William is optional, an aside, an afterthought. How confusing and humiliating it is for me to have to be the one to explain the discrepancy to my peers and profs when academic pressure and social stress are already at an all time high. That July, 2015 I sent the school a follow up email detailing why this was inappropriate, and the changes I needed implemented so I would feel safe enough at the school to continue my studies. I had to message all of my profs directly for months imploring that they disregard the name that still pops up first when they search for me in their system.
I was quite clear both in my request and in explaining why it was necessary for me to have this information updated.
There is now a year gap in my school career, which, as stated in the email, was unwanted but necessary as the school did not respond to my requests or prove cooperative in alleviating my severe discomfort.
The school had not heard from me for a year. I had to put my life on hold. I worked in abusive kitchen jobs because it’s hard to find employment as a transitioning person, and then I worked abusive call center jobs because it’s hard to find work as an adult person who has not yet completed a degree. This negatively impacted my mental health, as one would expect. Against my own wishes and life goals I dropped out for a year because the mental strain was too high. The pain of facing adversity as a trans person at OCAD U compounded with the already enormous pressures of a rigorous arts program made continuing my studies virtually impossible.
OCAD U is already notorious for being the Canadian University with the lowest quality of mental health in its student body
Clearly this has been an ongoing issue that the school must be wholly reluctant to fix as I am writing this in September of 2016, and my name has only been correct in the system for all of one week. The futility of my mission as I took multiple trips to the office of the registrar (and the student card office, and financial aid, and student advising) with no luck became so draining that I almost did not continue my studies at this university. Many of the positions in the offices aforementioned are student employees, so imagine if you please how many times I have been put in a position where I have no choice to out myself to students I share classes with face to face by having to inquire at the help desk monthly about whether my name change had been updated in the system so I could get a new student card.
The online system I already detailed should have been smooth sailing, as they just have to input my name into their database (although I was told via email last month that my concern had to be forwarded to their system staff and the IT department as their system updating was faulty, and so, in “…order to ensure that all name changes are appropriately reflected by all departments, we will work to adapt our processes.” The student card, however, was an even more disgraceful and frankly disgusting ordeal.
I was told in January of 2015, upon bringing in my legal name change documents, that the student card database operates on a “separate and manual system” where an employee has to physically make their way through and input all name change requests, and that the estimate was I should check back in roughly three weeks to come in and take a new student ID photo once my name had been updated. I return a month later to be on the safe side, and am turned away (quite rudely and with an open sneer at my trans problems) and told there is absolutely no way to guess when it might be updated, sorry, shrug, bye. Both livid and hopeless I only checked back one other time that year, around 5 months later and already deep into my break from OCAD, because I grew tired of displaying my outdated student ID whenever I shopped at stores with student discounts, or whenever I would request a general admission ticket at the Art Gallery Of Ontario, which has a partnership with OCAD that grants all students free admission. I am tired of having to face a knowing, scandalized, and bemused appraisal of my ID in order to access services I have a right to just as much as any other OCAD student. This is gender based discrimination at the hands of my school. This is inaccessibility. This is systematic oppression in action. What the handling of this matter tells me is that the safety of transgender students is not prioritized, although the school is fully aware of their archaic, unreliable, and this point criminal neglect.
The trans advocacy and peer support coordinator at the 2110 Centre of Montreal says of Concordia university that “ So far every professor and [university] senator we’ve been talking to about our cause has been saying, ‘What’s the big deal? Why aren’t we already doing this?’ Yet there is a resistance from the administration that I do not understand.” York university experienced pressure from its trans student body as well for the university’s slow, case by case basis approach to name requests, and yet York still had a preferred name form available to students far ahead of OCAD’s adoption of this service. A name change in Ontario, last time I checked, was $137, and an OCAD ID card $25. We need the preferred name form to be implemented across all crevices of the system, so students who are financially struggling in direct relation to their trans status can be treated equally, and so they don’t have to maintain constant email contact in order to singlehandedly whip the school into shape at every new instance of a birthname found untouched on some rarely visited page.
The real kicker in all of this, (aside from the trauma, severely impacted mental health, judgement from students and faculty, and my wasted year) is that the only way I could elicit any immediate action or helpfulness from the school was through taking to social media. Months of emailing and checking back with no reply or adequate solution. I posted on the OCAD University Facebook page and received an answer within 24 hours. I had previously commented publicly on their page with my distress but gotten discouraged when OCAD U Social Media responded to me asking me to send screenshots to their staff. I had already provided screenshots. I had already put hours into this. It’s damaging to see that old name, why did I have to be the one to do all the legwork? Is everyone too busy to search up either my name, the student number on my account, or my email and see that the info was blatantly wrong as I had detailed in numerous screenshots over a year and a half?
Hey, Will, can you spend more hours of your day doing follow up emails with us because we are literally incompetent?
I’m appalled that the school only cares about its students when their reputation is criticized in the public eye. I have seen tremendous care exhibited by many of the OCAD U profs, however that’s of absolutely no good use to a transgender student if they cannot even make it past the registration nightmare to access this kind and supportive teaching.
I’d like to end with my latest email to the school, which I felt obligated to send in order to hopefully get the school thinking about how they are directly contributing to violence against their own transgender family. I’m writing this so the school’s utter negligence doesn’t end in transgender casualties. I’m writing this because I know I at this time have the mental capacity to, where dozens or hundreds or thousands of trans students may not due to the extensive difficulties we already face.
If we die of neglect we still die, regards, William
As of today, the school has informed me they printed me a new student card with my updated name, and I have replied with a thank you but does it still have an image of me from 2 years ago because this will cause me dysphoria too and did they even consider this, and can they please confirm I won’t have to pay for a new card, thank you very much and good day.
*Name in all screenshots/examples edited to my updated preferred name.* | {
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Six British soldiers charged after off-duty New York policeman is beaten up in bar brawl after making alleged racial slur
The accused are from Fiji but are based in Edinburgh and were on an Army rugby tour of the US
One is accused of snatching officer's phone as he called for help
The group allegedly punched the man, knocked him to the ground, beat him and cut him with a knife
Men to appear before judge in Manhattan accused of third degree assault
The men had just played the NYPD as part of their rugby tour
Six British Army rugby players have been accused of beating up an off-duty New York policeman during a 4am bar brawl.
A court in Manhattan heard that the soldiers from the 1st Battalion of the Royal Regiment of Scotland allegedly punched the officer to the floor then carried on hitting him as his friend tried to stop them.
As the brawl carried on down the street, it left blood splattered along half a block until the officer pulled out a knife and slashed one of his attackers.
In court: Joeli Raduva, left, and Thomas Shute , right, are accused of third degree assault
The men, who are all from Fiji but are based in Edinburgh, are part of an Army rugby team on a tour of the US East Coast.
They claimed that they lashed out when the policeman called one of them a ‘black b******’.
Assault charge: 34-year-old Private Felite Vunisarat is one of the soldiers who allegedly attacker the off-duty officer
The court was told that when he identified himself as a policeman and ordered them to back off during the confrontation last Friday, they responded: ‘We don’t care. F*** the police.’
The soldiers – Private Iliakini Raderua, 30, Corporal Thomas Shute, 34, Private Felite Vunisarati, 34, Private Mosese Kuruala, 27, and Private Joeli Raduva, 34 – are accused of third degree assault.
Lance Corporal Iosefo Yavala, 33, is also accused of second degree robbery, a more serious offence, after he was allegedly found carrying the officer’s mobile phone which was taken during the brawl.
The soldiers, whose regimental motto is No One Provokes Me With Impunity, were due to play against a team from the New York Police Department on Wednesday, but they are now being held in the notorious Rikers Island prison after failing to post bail of $25,000 (just over £16,000)
In court they stood next to each other dressed in white T-shirts and shorts or trousers.
Prosecutor Emily Logue said that the row began at the Mercury Bar in Manhattan when Yavala ‘bumped into the victim and began yelling at him’.
The group then allegedly ‘surrounded’ the officer and Kuruala ‘punched him in the face, causing him to fall down’ and the others rained down blows as his friend tried to help him up. | {
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l_En décembre dernier, l’Université de Lorraine a distingué huit de ses docteurs par ses prix de thèse 2017. Parmi eux, Laurent Di Filippo a été récompensé au titre de l’école doctorale Fernand Braudel pour sa thèse réalisée au Centre de recherche sur les médiations, en co-tutelle avec l’Université de Bâle, et qui s’intitule « Du mythe au jeu. Approche anthropo-communicationnelle du Nord. Des récits médiévaux scandinaves au MMORPG “Age of Conan : Hyborian Adventures” »_.
Incarner des Vikings pour construire des bateaux et piller des villages par-delà les mers, combattre des géants du givre, empêcher le Ragnarök, invoquer la puissance d’Odin… Les références aux récits médiévaux scandinaves et à ce qu’on appelle couramment les mythes nordiques sont extrêmement nombreuses dans les jeux contemporains. Le jeu de rôle en ligne massivement multi-joueurs Age of Conan : Hyborian Adventures n’y fait pas exception.
Mais comment des éléments issus de manuscrits médiévaux produits par une élite intellectuelle islandaise aux XIIe et XIIIe siècles sont-ils devenus des composantes des productions des industries culturelles et créatives, intégrant une culture contemporaine populaire et mondialisée ? Cette question en implique une autre, plus large, qui consiste à comprendre les modes de transmission, de diffusion de la culture, ainsi que ses évolutions.
Laurent Di Filippo
Retour aux sources
Pour aborder cette problématique, il est important de revenir sur les sources des récits médiévaux scandinaves. Derrière l’image d’apparente homogénéité à laquelle renvoient les appellations de « mythes nordiques » ou « mythologie nordique » se trouve une diversité de récits parfois contradictoires. Leur fonction n’est pas religieuse – les récits que l’on désigne par le terme mythes ne décrivent pas forcément les croyances d’un peuple.
L’une des sources plus connues de la mythologie nordique, l’Edda en Prose de Snorri Sturluson, est en réalité un manuel de poésie rédigé plus de 200 ans après la christianisation de l’Islande. De plus, en vieux norrois – la langue des Scandinaves à l’époque médiévale – le terme mythe n’existe pas et il n’y a pas de terme basé sur la racine grecque mythos. Cette notion est une invention plutôt récente, datant de la fin du XVIIIe siècle et les sources norroises utilisent le plus souvent le terme sögur, pluriel de saga, pour évoquer leur contenu. Ce mot désigne des récits ou des histoires, indépendamment du fait qu’elles soient fictionnelles ou non.
En outre, la diffusion de ces textes ne s’est pas faite de manière linéaire. Au contraire, l’histoire de leur diffusion jusqu’à nos jours est faite de multiples ramifications, parfois même de retour en arrière. Dans mon travail de recherche, j’ai appelé ce phénomène un processus de continuité non linéaire, pour montrer que s’il est important de considérer la dimension historique des phénomènes culturels, il ne faut cependant pas se limiter à suivre bêtement la « flèche du temps ».
L’histoire d’une franchise et la construction du canon
L’étude de l’histoire de la réception des sources nous mène jusqu’au XXe siècle. Le jeu Age of Conan : Hyborian Adventures (Funcom, 2008) se fonde sur les écrits de l’auteur texan Robert Ervin Howard publiés dans les années 1930, qui mettent en scène les aventures de son héros Conan, le fameux barbare que beaucoup connaissent à travers l’incarnation d’Arnold Schwarzenegger au cinéma. Ce jeu en ligne est donc un produit qui s’inscrit au sein d’une franchise médiatique dont les développements nécessitent de tenir compte des stratégies commerciales des entreprises qui les développent.
Dans ce cadre, la volonté de certains acteurs des « mondes de l’art » dans lesquels s’inscrivent les productions de la franchise Conan influence la réception des références aux mythes nordiques. Une des nouvelles de Conan où l’on retrouve le plus d’éléments issus des récits médiévaux scandinaves, intitulée La fille du géant du gel, a vu ainsi sa légitimité changer au cours du temps. Rédigé comme une histoire de Conan, ce récit avait tout d’abord été refusé par l’éditeur du magazine Weird Tales en 1932. Howard change alors le nom du héros et modifie légèrement la nouvelle pour la publier dans un autre magazine, The Fantasy Fan, sous le titre Gods of the North en mars 1934. En 1953, ce texte sera réintégré dans la liste des nouvelles de Conan dans une anthologie publiée par Lyon Sprague de Camp, qui en profite pour en réécrire quelques morceaux. Suite à cela, elle devient même une histoire représentative des aventures du barbare. En effet, elle fut utilisée dans un manuel de jeux vidéo comme exemple typique de récit mettant en scène le héros Cimmérien, invitant les joueurs à acheter les nouvelles éditions des textes de l’auteur texan.
De nombreux éléments nordiques du jeu de rôle en ligne Age of Conan sont aujourd’hui tirés de cette nouvelle, notamment dans une zone de jeu appelée « la Passe d’Ymir » (voir vidéo ci-dessous). C’est pour cela que La fille du géant du gel est aujourd’hui considérée comme faisant pleinement partie du canon de l’univers de Conan, malgré le refus dont elle avait fait l’objet lorsque Robert E. Howard l’avait proposée pour la première fois au magazine Weird Tales.
Contenus ludiques et références mythiques
Dans le jeu en lui-même justement, les références aux récits médiévaux scandinaves apparaissent de multiples manières. Pour ne citer qu’une poignée d’exemples, on en retrouve :
dans les personnages tels que les barbares, chez qui on reconnaît des traits des Berserkir des Sagas,
dans les monstres que les joueurs affrontent, comme les Géants du gel,
dans les personnages que les joueurs rencontrent, comme Niord, un personnage inspiré par le dieu Njord des textes norrois,
dans les paysages enneigés du Nord de l’Âge Hyborien et l’architecture des maisons inspirées par les långhus scandinaves,
dans la musique et notamment le thème principal du jeu dont les paroles empruntent certains vers à un poème médiéval issu de l’Edda poétique,
dans les événements saisonniers, tels qu’un événement spécial Noël où les joueurs aident le peuple des Aesir à repousser leurs ennemis Vanir. Ces deux peuples font référence aux deux familles de dieux des sources nordiques,
et aussi, par les apports des joueurs eux-mêmes, par exemple dans les noms de leurs personnages ou de leurs guildes.
Cette multitude de références montre qu’un jeu comme Age of Conan doit être exploré dans tous ses aspects pour qui veut se faire une idée des différentes manières dont des sources textuelles peuvent, au cours du temps, être reprises sous une variété de formes. La culture, en ce sens, est multidimensionnelle.
Laurent Di Filippo
Penser la communauté des joueurs
Une culture n’est pas un modèle ou un ensemble de normes que les individus ne feraient qu’appliquer. Pour comprendre les dynamiques culturelles et plus spécifiquement la construction d’une communauté de joueurs, il faut préciser que le jeu est régulièrement mis à jour. Tous les joueurs n’ont pas forcément la même expérience du jeu et n’ont donc pas fait l’expérience des différentes références aux récits scandinaves de la même manière. Loin de l’idée qu’une communauté de joueurs serait parfaitement uniforme, il faut donc considérer autant les processus qui contribuent à construire des similarités que ceux qui amènent à des différences. Il est alors plus pertinent d’essayer de comprendre comment des expressions locales, c’est-à-dire des manifestations qui ont lieu lors de situations sociales précises, font référence à un ensemble plus large qui serait désigné comme une « culture ». Autrement dit, il faut chercher ce qui « fait culture » plutôt que de décréter que celle-ci existe comme un allant de soi.
Contrairement aux idées reçues, la culture, si tant est qu’une telle chose existe, ne doit pas être comprise comme quelque chose de fixe dont il s’agit de défendre fermement les frontières, mais au contraire comme le résultat de dynamiques et d’actualisations constantes qui participent à ses transformations. eft | {
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Bills, left, and former Redflex chief executive Karen Finley. - Bills photo by Phil Velasquez Chicago Tribune and Finley photo from RedFlex
Ex-Redflex CEO indicted
Former Redflex Chief Executive Karen Finley is indicted on nine counts of mail fraud, three counts of wire fraud, three counts of bribery and three counts of conspiracy to commit bribery. Officials contend she agreed to enrich Bills in exchange for his help securing the Chicago contract and growing it into the largest red light camera program in the nation. Bills is indicted on nine counts of mail fraud, three counts of wire fraud, three counts of bribery, three counts of filing a false income tax return, one count of conspiracy to commit extortion and one count of conspiracy to commit bribery. Bills' longtime friend O'Malley also is indicted on a charge of conspiracy to commit bribery. He is accused of serving as the bagman for some $2 million in Redflex payments, much of it intended for Bills. Bills and O'Malley repeatedly deny any wrongdoing. Finley declines to comment. | {
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Project details Skill 5 out of 5 Hard Lots of heavy lifting and deep digging, and some stone chiseling Cost About $500 Estimated Time 2 full days
Outdoor fire pits are so hot right now. Seriously. These days people are going ultra-retro and getting their heat from stone-walled pits set into the earth. And, why not? On cool summer nights, you can melt marshmallows and nibble s'mores while you lounge in an Adirondack chair, feet propped up on the rock ledge. So if you really want to light up right, do it in style. Building a fire pit just takes a couple days.
Fire Pit Parts: An Overview
A built-in fire pit is a glorified campfire, with sturdy walls of stone that help contain the flames and heat. That's especially important in the parts of the country where there's a risk of brush fires. So the first task in building any fire pit is checking local codes on open flames. The pit must be located far from overhanging trees, the house, and any other flammable structure.
To make building stone walls easier, you can use blocks made from cast concrete and molded to look like real stone (available at any home center). They're flat on the top and bottom so they stack neatly, and some interlock for added strength. Glue them together with masonry adhesive. Choose a block with angled sides, meant to form curves when butted against each other. The optimal size for a fire pit is between 36 and 44 inches inside diameter. That will create enough room for a healthy fire but still keep gatherers close enough to chat.
As an added precaution, the fire pit should be lined with a thick steel ring like the ones used for park campfires. These protect the concrete in the blocks from the heat, which can cause them to dry out and break down prematurely.
A fire pit should sit low to the ground, with walls rising no more than a foot off the ground. But for stability, the base of the wall must be buried below ground in a hole lined with gravel, providing drainage and protecting against frost heaves in winter. The gravel also creates a level base for the stones to rest on. Most concrete blocks are about 4 inches high, so if the first course and a half sit underground, and there are two and a half courses above ground with a cap on top, you'll end up with a foot-high wall—just right for resting your feet on while sitting in an outdoor chair.
How to Build a Fire Pit
1. Lay Out the Blocks
Dry-lay a ring of blocks on the fire pit site, placing them end to end until you have a perfect circle positioned where you want the finished pit to be. To adjust the size of the circle, you may need to cut a block. Hold the block over the gap it will fill, then mark it on the underside at the proper width.
Using a 3-inch cold chisel and a brick hammer, score the block on the mark, and continue the score all the way around the block.
Place the block on a hard surface (flat rocks or gravel). Hold the chisel in the score line, then hit it with the brick hammer until the block splits.
Clean up jagged edges with the tail of the brick hammer. Place the cut block into the ring.
2. Mark the Pit Location
Make sure all the joints between the blocks are tight and the front and back edges line up. Using a spade, mark a circle in the ground about an inch outside the perimeter of the ring.
Take note of how many stones make up the ring, then remove them and set them aside.
If the blocks you are using are interlocking, remove any tongues on the bottom of the first-course blocks so they will lie flat in the trench. Chip them off with the tail of a brick hammer.
3. Create a Level Trench for the Blocks
Using a spade, dig a straight-sided trench, 12 inches deep and as wide as one block, within the circle marked out on the ground. Then dig down 6 inches in the area encircled by the trench.
Lay the ring of blocks in the trench to see if all the pieces fit in a circle. If not, dig more to widen the trench. Remove blocks.
4. Fill the Trench
Fill the trench with 6 inches of 3/4-inch drainage gravel. Using a hand tamper, compact the gravel. If necessary, add more gravel to keep the trench level and even.
Always make sure the blocks line up perfectly in the front and back when you lay them out; a difference of 1 inch in the circle's diameter could create a 3-inch gap between blocks.
5. Lay and Level the First Course
Place the first block in the ring. Using a 2-foot level, check that it sits level both side to side and front to back. Where the block is too high, tap it down with a rubber mallet. Where it's too low, shim it slightly with a handful of patio base. Make sure this first block is perfectly level and positioned correctly in the trench before moving on.
Lay another block next to the first one. Butt the sides together tightly and line up the front and back edges. Using the first block as a reference, level the second block side to side and front to back.
Lay the rest of the blocks in the trench in this manner until the ring is complete and all the blocks you counted earlier are used. Make sure each block is perfectly leveled and lined up tight with its neighbor before moving on to the next one. (You may have to coax the last block into place with a mallet.) Using a 4-foot level, occasionally check level across the ring.
A small hit with a mallet can make a big adjustment; work slowly and carefully, block by block.
6. Assemble the Walls
Using a caulking gun, squeeze a zigzag bead of masonry adhesive across two adjacent blocks. Lay a block on top of the glue-covered pieces, centering it over the seam between the two. Make sure any interlocking parts on the blocks fit together well.
Continue until the second course is finished.
7. Fill the Pit
Fill the pit with 6 inches of gravel, which will help support the first two courses as they set up. Glue and lay the third and fourth courses, continuing to stagger the joints.
Insert the iron campfire ring into the circle. Adjust it to sit even with the top of the block wall. Fill any space between the ring and the block wall to the top with gravel.
Work quickly and only in a small area at one time; masonry adhesive sets up quickly.
8. Cap the Blocks
Loosely arrange the cap pieces on top of the pit walls. (If you are using natural stone, try to arrange the pieces together like a puzzle.) Lay one stone edge over the next and mark the upper stone where they meet. Also, roughly mark the stone for a 2-inch overhang on the outside of the circle and an inch on the inside. Using a brick hammer and a chisel, score the stone on those marks. On thick natural stone, use a grinder fitted with a diamond blade to score it more deeply.
Lay the stone on a hard surface. Split it by hitting a chisel in the score mark, or by tapping against the stone's edge with the brick hammer until it breaks. Score and split each stone this way, moving around the circle in one direction until you've made a cap that fits together tightly.
If you're using blocks, glue the pieces on top of the wall. If you're using natural stone, combine the dry mortar with enough bonding additive—not water—to make a mix with a peanut-butter consistency.
Wet the wall with some bonding agent. Lay a large mound of mortar on two blocks. With the point of the trowel, make a groove across the mortar. Lay the capstone on top, push it down, then tap it with the rubber mallet to set and level it. Continue to lay the capstones in this manner until the wall is finished. Wait two days before lighting a fire.
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A documentary crew's cameras capture the life of nursing home employee Derek Noakes, a 49-year-old bachelor with curious passions.
1. Pilot 25m Kindly, ever-cheerful caretaker Derek Noakes introduces himself and the hard-working staff of the nursing home where they are employed.
2. Episode 2 24m When the authorities cite bureaucratic budget cuts as a reason to lay off the staff and transfer the residents, Hannah, Derek and Dougie fight back.
3. Episode 3 23m Derek overindulges at his 50th birthday party; a rebellious teenage thief doing community service at the home discovers the power of self-respect.
4. Episode 4 24m The staff endures a painful loss that inspires Hannah and Tom to begin considering their on-again, off-again relationship in a more serious light.
5. Episode 5 24m Derek, Dougie and Kev take some residents to the beach, where they discover the power of sunshine, fresh air and writing dirty words on crabs.
6. Episode 6 24m A cabaret-style talent show at the home features Derek and pals as a familiar '80s pop band and an aspiring rapper who gains respect for his elders. | {
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At least seven Cabinet secretaries to President George W. Bush took politically motivated trips at taxpayer expense while aides falsely claimed they were traveling on official business, the independent Office of Special Counsel said Monday night in concluding a three-year probe.
In a report on allegations that first surfaced before Bush left office, the agency condemned what it depicted as widespread violations of a law restricting political activities by federal workers and illegal use of federal funds to engage in electioneering.
The abuses mostly occurred in 2005 and 2006, when Bush's advisers were anxious about the looming midterm electoral losses that would hand control of the House of Representatives to the Democrats.
According to the report, the White House improperly orchestrated the use of assets throughout the government to help key congressional allies as the voting drew near, including arranging more than a hundred ostensibly official appearances by top appointees in battleground states such as Pennsylvania, New Mexico, Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana and Connecticut.
This federally funded travel was organized, approved and closely tracked by Bush's political office, the Office of Special Counsel found, describing the activity as leading to the illegal diversion of federal funds and workers' time.
At one point in 2006, it disclosed, operatives employed by the Republican National Committee moved into White House quarters where they worked in tandem with the political-office staff to coordinate the campaign.
While White House officials may legally pursue close political contact with outsiders, the report said, "the systematic, partisan political activity described in this report, including strategically supplying targeted candidates with administration support to secure electoral gains, goes far beyond a need for political information [meant] to effectively advise the president."
"It is, in fact, the type of electioneering proscribed by the Hatch Act," the agency added, referring to a 1939 law meant to limit federal workers' explicit efforts to influence the electoral process.
The Office of the Special Counsel, which wrote the report, is the principal body charged with enforcing the act; it works independently, although its director is appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate.
The report said the Hatch Act's proscription on using official time or federal funds for political activities was repeatedly broken when the White House organized dozens of election-related pep talks during normal work hours at 20 agencies between 2001 and 2007, including many at which attendance by all top political appointees was considered mandatory.
The trips that it said were inappropriately funded by taxpayers included 2006 visits by Veterans Administration Secretary James Nicholson to the districts of then-Rep. Deborah Pryce (R-Ohio) and House candidate Doug Roulstone (R-Wash.); a trip by acting Transportation Secretary Maria Cino to the district of then-Rep. Christopher Shays (R-Conn.); and a visit by Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne to the district of then-Rep. Rick Renzi (R-Ariz.).
Occasionally, some of the estimated 100,000 documents reviewed by the counsel's office described the need for these trips to be reimbursed by political funds, but no evidence could be found that they were.
The report also noted that Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman used Defense Department and Federal Aviation Administration aircraft to travel to "six events with Republican incumbents" listed by the White House political office as top priorities, at a total cost of $30,795.
It said that, while not enough information was available to conclude "whether these events should have been classified as political and reimbursement should have been sought," a separate probe of them has been started, "due to the seriousness of using government aircraft to attend political events." | {
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The pendulum has swung some 19 points, in large part, because women have abandoned the Republican Party. “Women are driving Democratic support in the battleground districts, favoring the party’s candidates by 54 percent to 40 percent. . . . White women with college degrees back the Democratic candidate in their districts by 62 percent to 35 percent. White women without college degrees tilt toward the Republicans running in their districts by 49 percent to 45 percent.” By comparison, white women with college degrees — nationally, not simply in battleground states — favored Clinton (51 percent to 44 percent) in 2016.
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In general, college-educated white voters have had it with Trump and his party. In 2016, Trump won these voters nationally 49 percent to 45 percent. His party now trails 55 percent to 42 percent in battleground House races.
Contrary to the latest collective wisdom that the confirmation fight over Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh has energized Republicans, “among those who cite judicial nominations as extremely important, 50 percent are backing the Democrat in their district and 47 percent are backing the Republican.”
The poll is noteworthy in a number of respects.
First, Republicans believe Kavanaugh is a winning issue for them but, overall, it favors Democrats slightly in competitive House races and may well make the Republican Party’s problem with women even more acute. It is difficult to remember given their ongoing temper-tantrum, but Republicans won with Kavanaugh’s confirmation. Can the GOP keep voters irate about a victory for four weeks? Just as likely, if Trump keeps insulting female victims, mocking the survivors who protested and rolling out his male-grievance routine, he will wind up widening the gender gap and crank up the enthusiasm among women.
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Second, battleground House seats are heavily concentrated in states where there is not a competitive Senate race. (California, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York contribute 21.) It is inaccurate to say the national scene favors Republicans. Remember, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Wisconsin were all won by Trump and are no longer even doable for Republicans — they’re now either likely or safely Democratic. Moreover, there are five House battleground seats in Florida, which Trump carried in 2016. Recent polls have Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) slightly ahead. Likewise, three battleground seats are in Arizona, which Trump also carried, and there, Democratic Rep. Kyrsten Sinema is narrowly ahead in the race to replace outgoing Sen. Jeff Flake. In sum, where Democrats have a lot of House opportunities, they are running very well in Senate races. States that are traditionally deep red and don’t have many battleground House seats — no surprise here — are trending toward Republicans (e.g., Tennessee, North Dakota, Texas). That they are competitive at all says something about the swing away from the GOP.
Third, Trump is toxic outside his narrow base. That is why he is in places such as Mississippi and Kansas. That would be like President Barack Obama going to Massachusetts to shore up a struggling Democrat. There is a price to be paid for playing almost exclusively to his rabid base. | {
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(Image: Jared Rodriguez / Truthout)We are recreating the Gilded Age, a period when corporations ruled this nation, buying politicians, using violence against unions and engaging in open corruption.
Over the past 40 years, corporations and politicians have rolled back many of the gains made by working and middle-class people over the previous century. We have the highest level of income inequality in 90 years, both private and public sector unions are under a concerted attack, and federal and state governments intend to cut deficits by slashing services to the poor.
We are recreating the Gilded Age, the period of the late 19th and early 20th centuries when corporations ruled this nation, buying politicians, using violence against unions, and engaging in open corruption. During the Gilded Age, many Americans lived in stark poverty, in crowded tenement housing, without safe workplaces, and lacked any safety net to help lift them out of hard times.
With Republicans more committed than ever to repealing every economic gain the working-class has achieved in the last century and the Democrats seemingly unable to resist, we need to understand the Gilded Age to see what conservatives are trying to do to this nation. Here are 8 ways our corporations, politicians and courts are trying to recreate the Gilded Age.
1. Unregulated Corporate Capitalism Creates Economic Collapse
In the late 19th century, corrupt railroad capitalists created the Panic of 1873 and Panic of 1893 through lying about their business activities, buying off politicians and siphoning off capital into their own pockets. Railroad corporations set up phony corporations that allowed them to embezzle money from the railroad into their bank accounts. When exposed, the entire economy collapsed as banks failed around the country. The Panic of 1893 lasted five years, created 25% unemployment, and was the worst economic crisis in American history before the Great Depression.
In the early 21st century, the poorly regulated financial industry plunged the nation into the longest economic downturn since the Depression. Like in the Gilded Age, none of the culprits have served a day in prison.
2. Union Busting
In the Gilded Age, business used the power of the state to crush labor unions. President Hayes called in the Army to break the Great Railroad Strike of 1877; President Cleveland did the same against the Pullman strikers in 1894.
Today’s corporations don’t have to use such blunt force to destroy unions, but like in the past, they convince the government to do their bidding. Whether it is holding up FAA renewal in order to make it harder for airline employees to unionize, Republican members of the National Labor Relations Board leaking material on cases to Republican insiders, or governors Scott Walker and John Kasich seeking to bust their states’ public sector unions, not since before the Great Depression has the government attacked unions with such force.
3. Income Inequality
Today, we have the highest levels of income inequality since the 1920s and the gap is widening to late 19th century levels with great speed. In those days, individuals like John D. Rockefeller had more money than the federal government, while the majority of Americans lived in squalor, poverty and disease.
In the Progressive Era, we started creating laws like the federal income tax, child labor laws and workers’ compensation to begin giving workers a fair share of the pie. For decades, labor fought to increase their share and by the 1970s, had turned much of the working class into the middle class. Today, that middle class is under attack by a new generation of plutocrats who wish to recreate the massive fortunes of the Gilded Age.
4. Open Purchase of Elections
In 1890, copper magnate William Clark paid Montana lawmakers $140,000 to elect him to the U.S. Senate. While most plutocrats did not share Clark’s interest in being politicians, they ensured their lackeys would serve in office, often by offering corporate stock to politicians. Disgusted by this corruption, America in the Progressive Era of the early 20th century created a number of reforms, including the 17th Amendment that created direct elections of senators, as well as a 1912 Montana state law limiting corporate expenditures in politics.
Beginning with the Citizens United decision and continuing with the recent overturning of that 1912 law, the Supreme Court has allowed corporations and wealthy plutocrats to buy elections openly once again.
5. Supreme Court Partisanship
In the Gilded Age, the Supreme Court interpreted laws not as to the intent of the lawmakers, but to promote business interests. It refused to enforce the 14th Amendment to stop segregation, but it did create the idea that a corporation was a person with rights. The Sherman Anti-Trust Act of 1890 was intended to moderate monopolies; the Supreme Court only enforced it against unions since organized labor “unfairly restrained trade.”
Today’s Supreme Court has resorted to this aggressively partisan stance. The Court is fine with the open flouting of the 4th Amendment, allowing strip searches of middle-school girls if they’re suspected to be carrying drugs, but creates a grotesque expansion of the 14th Amendment in the Citizens Uniteddecision. Meanwhile, Antonin Scalia just took the opportunity in a Supreme Court dissent to lambast his colleagues for striking down much of the Arizona anti-immigration law by approvingly citing 19th-century laws in the South that limited the movement of African Americans.
6. Violations of Civil Liberties
In the late 19th century, civil and military authorities looked down upon protesting citizens. Widespread violations of civil liberties took place when Americans protested for almost any reasons, whether it was labor unions, political gatherings in Washington, D.C., or African Americans organizing to protect themselves from white supremacists. Police shot strikers and thugs and mobs murdered organizers.
Today we are seeing a growing recreation of this society with no respect for civil liberties. The use of police violence against Occupy protesters, like the pepper-spraying of nonviolent activists at the University of California-Davis did spawn some outrage. But in the aftermath of the PATRIOT Act, the authorities have tremendous power to suppress protest and are not afraid to use it against peaceful citizens.
7. Voter Repression
The Gilded Age saw the rolling back of Reconstruction, with black people unable to vote in the South due to the grandfather clause, poll taxes, literacy tests, and threat of violence. Conservative extremists have chafed at black people voting ever since the civil rights movement ended segregation.
Today, voter ID laws and voter roll-purging seek to limit black voting again. Florida Governor Rick Scott hopes to purge enough black people from the voting rolls to swing the Sunshine State to Mitt Romney this fall, while a lawmaker in Pennsylvania openly said the Keystone State’s recently passed voter ID law would do the same. Even more shocking, the recently released Texas Republican Party platform has a plank calling for the repeal of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, passed in the wake of police beatings of civil rights protestors in Selma, Alabama.
8. Anti-Immigration Fervor
In the Gilded Age, Americans feared the millions of people coming from eastern and southern Europe, the Middle East and Asia to work in the nation’s growing economy. Fearing these immigrants would never assimilate, Americans looked to bar their entry. Beginning with the Chinese Exclusion Act in 1882 and continuing through the Immigration Act of 1924, the country slowly closed its doors to the world’s tired and hungry.
Today’s immigrants face an increasingly militarized border, states like Arizona trying to usurp federal immigration policy, and increased numbers of deportations. Conservatives fear the changes Latinos could bring to the United States and talk about English-only laws and the evils of bilingual education. They also recognize the likelihood of Latinos voting for the Democratic Party in coming decades and thus use the same kind of voter repression strategies that target black voters.
The Gilded Age was a horrible time and I fear the nation slipping back into this hell of poverty, violence and hate. I believe that young people largely reject the extremist agenda that is hurtling us through a time machine to the bad old days of the 1890s, but they don’t have the power right now. Republicans know the demographics do not favor them and are trying to fix the game through voter suppression, packing the courts with extremists, and concentrating wealth and power so they can control politicians and the media.
During the Gilded Age, people throughout society began organizing for reform: labor unions, farmers, middle-class reformers. After 1900, this organizing paid off as government began passing reforms to alleviate the most extreme problems of the Gilded Age. Child labor laws, worker compensation for injuries at work, government regulation of the railroads, and the direct election of senators all took power away from corporations and put it back in the hands of the people. It wasn’t perfect, but it started the social reforms that created the American middle-class.
Like in the late 19th century, we need to take back our country from corporate control. We need to create well-paid jobs in the United States, revitalize the labor movement, and pass legislation to respect civil liberties, give undocumented immigrants legal status, and ensure that voting rights laws are enforced. Like our ancestors, we can fix these problems. First we need to recognize that the 1% has declared war upon the middle class and then we can start organizing to create the better tomorrow we crave. | {
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A version of this essay was originally published at Tech.pinions, a website dedicated to informed opinions, insight and perspective on the tech industry.
The idea of talking conversationally to computers has been a long time in the works. Science fiction is so often a self-fulfilling prophecy, as it provides a vision for humans to chase after with technological innovation. For those of us who have watched voice-based computer interactions evolve, we have seen it go through many manifestations as it grew up. We now find ourselves in a world where using voice to interface with a computer is commonplace on a regular basis for the masses. While I’m not quite confident that we have reached an inflection point, I am confident we are at least on the cusp of one with voice-based user interfaces and the vision of the Hal 9000 (The AI assistant of Arthur C. Clarke’s "Space Odyssey" series) and Jarvis (the voice-based AI assistant of "Iron Man").
Voice looks to be a natural extension of our keyboard/mouse/touch-based input and output methods. And consumers seem to recognize its value, and want it to work in more ways.
In anticipation of this and the many other "voice-first" based products and experiences we believe will come to market in 2016-2017, we sought to do a quantitative study of Amazon’s Echo, Apple’s Siri and Google’s OK Google. We conducted two separate studies in early May, since our intuition told us that voice would be a major theme of Google I/O and at Apple’s upcoming WWDC.
We focused the Amazon Echo study on our early-adopter panel, since we knew we would not get a statistically significant number of Echo owners in our mainstream representative U.S. consumer panel. We collaborated on the Amazon Echo study with my friend Aaron Suplizio from Experian. Experian is also studying how the Echo is being used, specifically in the context of conversational commerce. (Experian didn’t pay us to do the study, but did cover the costs for the raffle, in which two respondents won a $100 gift card.)
The second study was focused on our mainstream consumers, to understand how they use Siri and OK Google (or any Google voice-based search technique) to better learn how both are used and what the overall perception of each is by mainstream consumers. I’ll start by sharing what we learned about the Amazon Echo.
Amazon Echo and the voice-first user interface
By spreading our study across 1,300 early adopters, we found that 13.86 percent of the panel owned an Amazon Echo. It came as no surprise to us that the overwhelming majority of Echo owners also owned an iPhone (83.72 percent), as iPhone owners at large tend to show more early-adopter tendencies versus Android owners. What was most enlightening, in contrast to the Siri and Google voice study, was how different usage of the Echo was versus Siri and OK Google. This was interesting both in terms of location of usage and also most common tasks.
We first wanted to understand where the Echo is used in most consumers’ homes (we had a hunch it was either the kitchen or the living room). As you can see, the kitchen has the edge on the living room, with 51 percent of consumers saying they have their Echo in the kitchen.
Given the type of things the Echo does, and perhaps in alignment with Amazon’s goals in delivering services to consumers via the Echo, knowing the primary usage room is important, particularly because it is likely that the things we ask of our voice assistants may vary based on the context of the room or physical location we are in. For example, asking the Echo to turn the TV on is less relevant as a primary task unless the Echo is in the living room. We can certainly make the case that voice assistants will someday be available at all times in all rooms.
We followed this question by asking respondents to choose the top two things they do most often with their Echo. The top three most common use cases done regularly were: Play a song (34 percent), control smart lights (30 percent) and set a timer (24 percent).
A few quick thoughts on Echo usage
Playing a song as the top use case is not surprising, given that the product is positioned as a smart speaker. Bluetooth speakers have actually sold well at retail. The idea of having portable sound around the house is compelling for consumers. It also makes sense as the entry point for a smart voice assistant, given the need for a speaker, microphone and accompanying components for microphone arrays and noise-canceling tech for better speech recognition.
Controlling the lights is, in my opinion, a solid indicator of voice-controlled smart-home technologies which will someday become commonplace. As our homes get smarter, it makes sense that the way we will interact with our smart objects is through voice. It may be the catalyst to drive the true smart automated home into the masses.
In terms of overall satisfaction from Echo, owners most were satisfied with the overall product, but satisfaction ranked highest when we asked specifically about the voice-recognition capabilities of the device. Owners felt that it delivered on recognizing what they were saying, and on performing the task they asked of it. This has a lot to do with the Echo’s microphone tech and noise-canceling capabilities, as well as its connection to persistently good broadband — which is often where Siri and OK Google break down when trying to use while driving and/or operating in areas of poor-quality service in mobile broadband networks.
Only 13 percent of Echo owners stated that they noted declining usage since they had acquired it. The top reason listed by those using it less was "the novelty of using my voice is wearing off."
Understanding how Siri and OK Google are used
Perhaps the most important observation we came away with from our study was that Siri is the most used voice-based user interface. In our mainstream panel of 518 consumers (44 percent iPhone owners, 4 percent Android owners, 2 percent Windows Phone or BlackBerry, 13 percent don’t own a smartphone), 65 percent indicated that they had used either Siri, Google’s "OK Google or voice search," or Microsoft’s Cortana. Of all three, only 21 percent had never used Siri, which compares to 34.8 percent who have never used Google’s voice solution, and 72 percent who have never used Microsoft’s Cortana. More consumers across the spectrum of operating systems (iOS, Android and Windows) have used Siri than any other voice UI. I credit the success of Apple’s iPad as assisting with this observation, since many Android phone owners, non-smartphone owners and Windows PC owners have iPads, as well.
Looking at how they used each voice UI, we see for the most part that people use Siri and OK Google/Voice search in the same ways on their smartphones. Contrasting these common usages against those of Echo, we see distinct differences in how having a voice user interface to a communications device like a smartphone differs from one that is stationary in the home and positioned as a smart hub versus a personal computing product like a smartphone, PC or tablet.
Search is the most common task done on smartphones or tablets using Siri or OK Google/Google Voice. Google announced at Google I/O that 20 percent of all Google search queries are now done by voice. Looking at the data, we can conclude that more voice search queries are done with Siri than with Google’s voice-based search. When I look at these most common tasks, they strike me as fairly basic, which is an important observation to understand, given where the market is today. These most common tasks may be simply because the products are still somewhat limited in their capabilities, but could also be because they are the ones that work the best and most consistently.
Overall satisfaction with the voice recognition of Siri and OK Google/Google Voice search was relatively similar, and only slightly different from the grades iPhone owners gave Siri and Android owners gave OK Google/Google Voice search. Both were also below 80 percent, which is not bad for where these technologies are today. The Echo’s voice-recognition capabilities yielded higher satisfaction rates than both Siri and OK Google/Google Voice search, but I interpret that due to the technological variables of being stationary, having better noise cancelation and a persistent high-bandwidth connection to the internet — all variables that impact the experience of voice-enabled user interfaces.
Finally, context of location usage for voice-based user interfaces is another important factor to understand. For those who use Siri or OK Google/Google voice search most regularly, the primary location is the car, with 51 percent of consumers saying that this is their primary location to use voice-enabled actions. The home was second, with 39 percent. From a cultural perspective, it should come as no surprise that both of these locations offer an element of privacy, which is why only 6 percent of respondents said they commonly use Siri or OK Google/Google Voice in public.
Going forward
I walked away from this study with confidence that the voice-user interface has gone mainstream. What’s more, mainstream consumers seem to recognize its value and convenience. Consider these statements from consumers:
It does not always work, but when it does it is very useful: 55 percent strongly agree I would use my devices voice capabilities more if I could speak to it more naturally: 43 percent strongly agree If it worked more often, I would use my device's voice assistants more: 48 percent strongly agree I want my device’s voice interface to integrate better with more devices and apps that I use regularly: 66 percent strongly agree I am not comfortable speaking to my technology: 41 percent strongly disagree
It is encouraging, from a sentiment perspective, that voice looks to be a natural extension of our keyboard/mouse/touch-based input and output methods. Consumers seem to recognize its value, and want it to work in more ways. I’ve long said that the true test of a great feature very early in its life cycle is when it combines both delight and frustration. Once you use it, you’re hooked, but you want it to be great all the time, because you can see the potential. This is why we snuck this question into the sentiment segment to see if consumers agreed: 47 percent strongly agree and 38 percent somewhat agree that when their voice assistant works, it's great, and when it doesn’t, they get irritated.
The battle for the voice-based assistant is on. This is another area where the one with the biggest ecosystem built around their voice UI/voice OS has the best shot of being "hired" by the masses.
Ben Bajarin is a principal analyst at Creative Strategies Inc., an industry analysis, market intelligence and research firm located in Silicon Valley. His primary focus is consumer technology and market trend research. He is a husband, father, gadget enthusiast, trend spotter, early adopter and hobby farmer. Reach him @BenBajarin. | {
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U.S. Housing, Real Estate, Credit Bubble Deflation, 5 More Years of Financial Hell
"...and it is in such twilight that we must be aware of change in the air, however slight, lest we become unwitting victims of the darkness." ~William Orville Douglas
First of all, please allow me to apologize for the infrequency of my Safehaven posts, as obviously I have become a fellow more inclined to write at market turns than one who chimes in on an ongoing basis. I appreciate to no end the number of emails I receive requesting updates, but my fingers are in a few more pies now (including the penning of a second screenplay with writing partner Tim Wells and the pursuit of my investment advisory representative license).
I guess what they say is true: There are only so many hours in the day. Then again, our most significant call hasn't changed one iota: The global economy is still caught in the eddy of real estate, asset and credit deflation and there is nothing anyone can do of any consequence other than to delay the inevitable (and, ultimately, make things worse). Suffice to say you'll be hearing the "D" word on an ever-increasing basis over the next five years.
For those reading my pap for the first time, our claim to Safehaven "fame" is based on giving heed to investors before the storms hit. May, 2005: "The relentless drag of deflation is coming soon to a theater near you. A contraction in credit will change the rules of the asset game for at least a decade"; June, 2006: "Real estate deflation has begun and will persist for a longer period than almost anyone can imagine. Our call is for an astonishing percentage decline in real estate values over the next ten years"; September, 2006: "It's time to deleverage -- now!"; March, 200: "Stocks will crash. Time to sell all real estate"; January, 2008: "Values have a long way to go (down), both in terms of price and timeframe"; February, 2008: "ALL U.S. property values are poised to take an increasingly substantial dive in the next 24 months. No property type will be spared"; May, 2008: "Stock markets around the globe will face ever-more downward pressure"; and April, 2009: "The current stock market rally will have legs, and will run longer than most expect" (more below).
Anyway, I write today's update because the worst of it is dead ahead and we care greatly about the finances of our readership. Scores of you have written to tell us how much you've saved selling important assets before their respective markets tanked (or by waiting to buy until prices were lower), and believe me when I say we have taken those stories to heart. That's the main reason you'll continue to get trusty asset and credit deflation updates from us from time to time. Meanwhile, it pains me greatly to write this one, but I suppose every cancer patient needs a guy wearing a stethoscope -- hopefully with proper bedside manner -- to offer that victim the sobering news.
Onward. Last April, we steered clear of the dreaded permabear label by calling for an extended stock market rally, to wit:
The current stock market rally will have legs, and will run longer than most expect, confounding the short-sellers. The mother of all bear markets is in session right now, so it stands to reason that bear market rallies have the same potential to impress. The sell-off that took place from October of 2007 to March of 2009 was so relentless and steep, we could be in the midst of a fairly impressive countertrend rally despite utterly atrocious economic prospects worldwide.
...There will probably be a fake-out or three (or not!) as the market climbs the "wall of worry" investment veterans speak of. Before this rally is done, idiotic CNBC cheerleaders will chorus that the worst is over and shell-shocked short-sellers will be the ones using sleep aids. I wouldn't be at all surprised if, as the next monstrous leg down begins, bears are hiding in the forest and the shorts aren't in place to shore up the downdraft.
Check, check and check. Despite the coming, inevitable deflationary depression, the market rallied correctively to the tune of 70% in 13 months and any semblance of fear just up and left the dance hall. By most measures (start with the VIX), investor sentiment became hysterically bullish, as GE, I mean CNBC cheerleaders (like lead idiot Dennis Kneale) talked about things like Dow 100,000. Alas, this relief rally was just that, nothing more. It merely set the stage for the "Credit Bubble Implosion, Stage II -- This Time It's Personal" phase of deflation. We remain in the secular bear market of all secular bear markets.
Of course, the talking heads did their usual sis-boom-bah; they told you that the relief rally was the start of a new bull market and a six-month leading indicator of economic things to come. At the same time, policymakers like the delusional Ben Bernanke tried to sell you a bill of goods by declaring victory over the credit crisis because, you know, everything's now rosy as far as the eye can see. But seriously, folks, do you still really trust these people?
Back on point, we did close out last April's market rally prediction with this longer term view:
Make no bones about it, once this countertrend stock rally is over, the next leg down will make the October, 2007 to March, 2009 decline look like child's play. The washout will go down in history as the greatest stock market collapse of all-time, bar none, and it will take real estate and commodity values down right along with it, to an almost shocking degree. Few will be ready for the devastation.
Cue the storm windows.
I wonder if the CNBC crew will trumpet that "six month leading indicator" thingy if the market falls hard the rest of the year? Is it proper to write "LOL" in an economics forum?
The good news is that you've still got your health. The bad news is absolutely everything else. We are on the threshold of five years of pure economic hell, featuring 1) a worsening of credit bubble deflation as it proceeds domino by domino ever closer to credit system collapse; 2) a series of stunning, stair-step down, stock market "crashes"; 3) continued real estate deflation featuring a relentless "grind-down," followed by an additional, sudden 30-40% value smackdown at some point; 4) a resumptive pimp-smacking of commodities prices (and pretty much anything else one might consider an asset); 5) a coming "crisis of liquidity" (little savings, lost equity, wage deflation) which for most will translate to "we have no money"; 6) progressively eroding economic indicators including another doubling of the unemployment rate; and 7) an inevitable bond crisis that will translate to rapidly ascending interest rates and sudden and severe asset value loss, thereby providing the appropriate coup de grace for Greenspan/Bernanke's 20 year "Drunken Stupor Bubble Policy and Attempt-To-Reflate-The-World-Forever" debacle.
Before we get to the oft-requested crystal ball stuff, please take a look at the chart that seals the deal for our deflation call. It's an 18 month Reuters/Jefferies CRB (Commodities) Index chart:
What we have here, people, is the picture of post-bubble-bubble-bubble asset deflation, for given the amount of central bank money pumped globally in an attempt to resuscitate all markets since the initial and smelly credit bubble fart, the performance of this chart is spectacularly bad. It serves as a general proxy for other asset classes, as well. The CRB quantifies the fact that ill-conceived money printing and socialization of "too big to fail" investment losses generated almost zero economic traction, and that the "coordinated" monetary effort can only be characterized as a failure of historic proportions. The stock market did jump that 70%, true, but the CRB is generally reflective of real estate's performance, and the performance of most other asset classes since the first (temporary) bottom was reached in March of 2009. Don't worry; stocks will catch up soon enough, and of course by up I mean down in a major league way.
Why did this central bank effort fail so spectacularly? Why not one hint of hyperinflation? Simple. The credit bubble was imploding (and continues to implode) and credit losses sustained worldwide faster than the sum total of all additional artificial money created. Picture a sputtering vehicle stuck in the mud -- engine smoking, wheels spinning, mud flying -- as torrential rains bring further flooding and add to the mess. That's what it feels like to be a money-pumping monetarist right now. They can't figure out why they've got the pedal to the metal, yet remain stuck in one place.
Coming soon: Sputtering vehicle stuck in mud runs out of gas. Eventually the folks printing the currency and attempting to borrow even more money as a means of getting out of debt will figure out the jig is up and they'll have no choice but to let the final credit bubble implosion do what comes naturally. The financial system will collapse accordingly, yes, but that's probably a good thing, as from those ashes a Phoenix can arise. The 70 year cycle will being anew. It's the way nature intends.
Add to it the fact "there is no free lunch" (thanks, daily dose of reality "Mish" Shedlock), and it's only a matter of time before the bill for this borrowing comes due. Market participants will determine that declining tax revenue can't service each respective nation's debt and they'll demand significantly higher returns in exchange for keeping their money at risk. Interest rates will take off as helpless central bankers look on. Look to Europe right now for a foreshadowing of events to come here in the U.S.; their sovereign debt issues will become our own cross to bear within a few short years.
So what can we expect to see in the U.S. over the next half-decade?
First off, get ready for a paradigm shift. Cycles take 70 years or so to run their course, so you really can't blame anyone for believing that real estate values and stock market indices will "always go up in the long run." Well, since 1932 (the beginning of this long-term cycle) they have, with occasional dips along the way. But when the 70-year cycle ends and investment bubbles mark the climax, a deflationary period ensues, knocking values back to levels we'll all find almost impossible to fathom. Our generation will be the one to discover that not only can post-bubble-bubble-bubble values head the other way; they can decline by upwards of 90%. Printing money or not, it'll be no different this time around.
Stocks will fall out of favor. Remaining rallies are nothing more than selling opportunities; any lasting reward is not worth the risk. The coming downside should be breathtaking. The good news is that if you keep what stock market value you have right now, you'll come out the winner, as the buying power of that money will be factors greater come 2015-2016 when we start fishing around for a market bottom (below Dow 1500).
Another unforeseen, massive decline in the U.S. stock market (and worldwide) will devastate market psychology, and that will quickly affect pretty much everything economic -- from consumer confidence to consumer spending to corporate earnings to employment, clear through to the housing market. Lenders will pull in their horns even further and few will be in the mood to borrow. Deflationary forces will be fully in play and those forces will continue to feed on each other as the value of virtually every asset class heads down yet again. Those not ready for this reversal will wonder how in heaven's name we went from placid waters to perfect storm in such a short period of time.
Meanwhile, there's substantially more pain to come in real estate. As the Realtors proclaim on their TV commercials, "Every market's different," which is their slimy way of saying, "Sure, prices are falling everywhere else; just not in your neighborhood!"
Oh, those wacky Realtors.
On the housing front -- and despite the fact we've seen positive price activity in scattered markets in the U.S. in recent months -- values are about to begin another descent as the global credit crisis/implosion enters its hair-raising stage, the stock market gets bludgeoned and another fifteen million foreclosures (including the existing, massive shadow inventory and what will become a growing wave of "strategic defaults") are brought to market over the next few years. When home values are cut in half after a 75 year run, is it possible they can be cut in half again? With ever-greater numbers of foreclosures, an even more intense economic recession and what will no doubt be eroding demand feeding the deflationary monster, bank on that rate of decline and more.
Real estate's own relief rally has been built on historically low interest rates, massive government subsidy including socialization of mortgage losses, socialized refinance giveaways and buyer tax incentives, the banking industry's wink-nod holding off on foreclosures ("extend and pretend"), and the corporate media's daily hypnotic suggestion ("you're getting sleeeepy") that the bottom is in. But take a moment to ponder this: What if mortgage interest rates stood at even 8 or 9%, Federal and state real estate tax incentives never existed, the Fed and Treasury left mortgage debt issues to the market to contend with and foreclosures were brought to market without delay? The answer is that values would probably have sustained another 50% haircut right off the top. But governments can only prop up markets temporarily; in the end, it's all about gravity. Finding a true free-market bottom will be a slow and painful process, and history will show that everything the government and policymakers attempted to do to keep the bubbles afloat ended up making everything that much worse.
"But if the real estate bottom isn't in, Steve, how low will it go?" Since my residential and commercial real estate predictions have been on point for five years now, I receive numerous emails asking me if the real estate bottom is in. The answer is an emphatic "no". Unfortunately, we are still several years away. The likely bottom will occur once the mother of all bursting bubbles (the inevitable U.S. bond crisis) forces interest rates up to at least 18-20% and brings real estate transactions to a virtual standstill. Ultimately, I expect values to decline to 1974-1982 levels, so anyone with considerable liquidity will find buying property at the nadir to be like shooting fish in a barrel. Of course you'll need cash.
Other signs the bottom will be near: Rural and some suburban ghost towns, scores of bankrupt and abandoned high-rise condominium developments worldwide, and government bulldozers leveling entire neighborhoods in an attempt to lessen the effects of rampant oversupply and blight.
Meanwhile, what would your home be worth right now if buyers had to pay all cash? As the credit bubble does a Hindenburg, the credit system will at some point lock down and the spigot will get shut completely off. Lenders will not want to lend (or won't be in position to), government will have no choice but to give up the "print money/socialize losses" ghost, borrowers will have little to borrow against and interest rates will be prohibitive anyway. When the whole thing goes kaphlooey, many with assets will choose to sell some for whatever cash they can get their hands on -- at least for a time. It will be a phenomenal time to buy the good stuff.
Care to join me? I'll no doubt be putting together a vulture fund when the time is right.
Commercial real estate will continue to experience declining values for much of the decade. Already hit to the tune of 40% nationwide, overbuilding in all commercial real estate sectors and ever-slackening demand will result in increasing tenant bankruptcies and consolidation, persistent vacancy and rapidly declining rents, not to mention higher mortgage interest rates. Spaces will sit empty for years to come. Absent massive discounts, the category will gradually fall out of favor with investors (and lenders) and capitalization rates will steadily rise. When interest rates eventually jump to 18-20%, real estate cap rates will be dragged along with them, at least for a time, for there will be no reason to deal with property headaches, vacancies and bankruptcies when higher passive yields are available elsewhere. Expect to see a lot of boarded-up windows and 16% capitalization rates -- even on "desirable" property -- at the nadir.
(Note: One real estate sector I do expect to perform relatively well: Senior affordable housing. As baby boomers approach retirement age and an extraordinarily high percentage of them stand to lose what remains of their net worth, governments will be forced to encourage and subsidize affordable housing for the demographic most vulnerable to the devastation of the Greater Depression).
Residential investment real estate will bring nothing but heartache. Apartment property values are already falling rapidly, vacancy is rising, tenants are losing their jobs and declaring bankruptcy, and late rents are commonplace. Add to it what's sure to be an intensifying trend of single folks doubling or tripling up and grown children moving in with mom and dad and, well, suffice to say this is an investment category heading absolutely nowhere. Add in all other coming macroeconomic effects and the downside to this sector is considerable. Get remaining equity out before it disappears.
Massive state and municipal budget cuts and layoffs are upon us; fat union contracts and unsupportable pension obligations just add to the problem. With tax revenues already in deflationary decline, intense budget pressure continues to build for the vast majority of state and local governments. Coming, additional waves of foreclosures will further erode the tax base. The "easy" cuts have already been made, band-aid solutions have been applied, borrowing from Peter to pay Paul is falling out of favor and credit ratings from coast to coast are about to get kicked in the groin. Not only will painful budget cuts increase unemployment further and take even more revenue out of circulation, in time many state and municipal entities will have no choice but to go the bankruptcy route. It's not only inevitable but necessary.
Bankruptcies will beget more bankruptcies. Once even a few high-profile "receiverships" take place, others are sure to see the benefit and follow suit. Union contracts and absurd pension obligations will be cast asunder or trimmed back to bare bones, adding yet more fuel to the deflationary fire.
Hold onto that job, gents. Given the amount of so-called "liquidity" (that's a good one) pumped into the system and socialist, slapdick government "stimulus" thrown wantonly about, the 9.9% unemployment rate (17% real rate) is a stunning policy failure at this point. Beyond that, the Bureau of Labor Statistics' "birth/death model" makes the statistic a relative farce anyway. Expect greater than 20% unemployment (35% real) five years from now. If you have a job, treat it like gold; be the first to show up, the last to go home, polish your boss's apple and try to make yourself indispensable in every way. Find a job in the foreclosure/bankruptcy industries or working for what will surely become a confiscatory I.R.S. Better still, invest in a bulldozer and a dump truck. I suppose I'm kidding, but at some point demolition companies will be in pretty high demand.
Gold/silver aren't slamdunks -- yet. I take a lot of ribbing from readers because my record on calling gold and silver for the last five years has been pretty terrible. And other than the big silver correction in 2008 (which tellingly took place within the first phase of the credit deflation collapse), I have for the most part been "early" on my call for the PM's to get caught in deflation's grip. But I believe the coming market slapdown will affect the metals yet again and to a greater degree. Non-confirmations on a grand scale (look at 30 and 3 year charts) point to a coming 60% silver sell-off, likely as the next leg down intensifies the liquidity crisis.
Gold has performed admirably early on in the unfolding crisis and will continue to outperform most other asset classes on a relative basis, but I see no reason to buy it before what is sure to be a major correction ahead. I'd rather make bigger money shorting the market with put options than nurse along a slogging investment, particularly when sentiment is overwhelmingly one-sided. A reversal looms.
But when the time is right, I will load up on silver bullion. I'd buy the yellow metal, too, but I think the U.S. government will ultimately decide to tax the bejesus out of gold "for the common good", if not confiscate it altogether. (Whereas, as an industrial metal, silver MIGHT fly under the radar). History does have a way of repeating itself and desperate government times will probably call for desperate government measures. Don't quote me on it, but silver might be the safer bet when the time comes.
Continue to live lean and mean and pay down debt. With things headed where they are, this is no time to loosen the purse strings. Continue to conserve wherever you can and pay down any remaining debt. Set aside cash safely to the extent that you can. The buying power of meaningful cash will be something to behold five years from now, and possibly sooner.
And before we say goodnight, a cool story: A few years ago, one of my readers -- J.D. Rosendahl -- contacted me via email which led to a couple of phone conversations and then to an enjoyable lunch. Given the fact he's a damn smart commercial banker, a long-term trend seer who definitely "gets it" and one helluva nice guy, a friendship quickly formed. Soon J.D. began writing Safehaven articles of his own, and the whole process interested him enough that he's now a full-blown daily blogger. I encourage you to bookmark his new site: www.roseysoutlook.blogspot.com along with Mish's outstanding blog: www.globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com and anything Mike Whitney writes: www.marketoracle.co.uk/UserInfo-Mike_Whitney.html. As a group, these fellows cover this developing story on a daily basis and from different angles, but always with insight and aplomb. If you want to survive the coming firestorm, proper and objective market analysis is paramount. I'll try to throw in my two cents from time to time, too. As always, thanks for the support.
NOTE: We'd like to hear about your recent real estate stories, experiences and anecdotes -- good or bad. We may feature some of them in upcoming columns. Feel free to send them to me at [email protected] or log on to our website ( www.ponderthis.net ) and post your comments for further discussion. Thanks.
By Steve Moyer
[email protected]
PonderThis.net
Copyright © 2005-2008 Steve Moyer
He has been an investment real estate broker since 1982. He is a columnist and the assistant editor of the monthly newsletter, Ponder This .... www.ponderthis.net .
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PLEASE NOTE THAT THE JFPO IS NOT A SPONSOR.
THE JOINT STATEMENT HAS BEEN ISSUED ONLY BY THE
RABBIS AND GOLANI CLUB WHO SIGNED IT. THANK YOU.
Joint Statement in Support of Jewish Law,
Jewish Life, and Jewish Self-Defense
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 15, 2014
Media Contacts:
Rabbi Steven Pruzansky, [email protected]
Rabbi David Bendory, [email protected]
Golani RPC member Josh Levy, [email protected]
Golani RPC member Yali Elkin, [email protected]
Golani RPC member E.B. Dvir, [email protected]
A dozen rabbis from across the country have joined with the Golani Rifle & Pistol Club to oppose recent calls for greater gun control by the Rabbinical Council of America (RCA) and Orthodox Union (OU). On August 13, the RCA issued a press release, “2014 Resolution: Gun Violence in America,” promoting arbitrary gun control measures. The RCA’s resolution endorsed the OU’s similar press release, “OU Supports Federal Legislation to Prevent Gun Violence.” Rejecting the position of the RCA and OU, Rabbi Steven Pruzansky, Rabbi David Bendory, and ten other rabbis, together with the members of the Golani Club, a Jewish shooting organization based in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, affirm the importance of armed self-defense by Jews and all Americans. “The RCA’s statement, like that of the OU, is rife with platitudes, ignores basic facts, and fails to recognize Judaism’s strong support for the value and practice of armed self-defense,” the joint statement reads. “The RCA and OU should promote legislation that offers law-abiding citizens full protection of their right to self-defense, both inside and outside the home, especially in the most restrictive states, which contain large Jewish population centers. All Jews, like all Americans, should be able to exercise, in a sober and prudent manner, their fundamental right and halachic obligation to defend themselves, their families, and communities, whenever the need arises.”
The full text of the joint statement is below:
JOINT STATEMENT
BY THE GOLANI RIFLE & PISTOL CLUB, RABBI STEVEN PRUZANSKY, RABBI DAVID BENDORY,
AND OTHER RABBIS IN SUPPORT OF JEWISH LAW, JEWISH LIFE, AND JEWISH SELF-DEFENSE
September 15, 2014.
We the undersigned declare our support for Jewish Law, Jewish life, and Jewish self-defense, and therefore our opposition to the recent, bewildering statement by the Rabbinical Council of America (“RCA”) that promotes arbitrary gun control measures (see “2014 Resolution: Gun Violence in America, issued August 13, 2014, at http://www.rabbis.org/news/article.cfm?id=105804) and explicitly endorses a similar statement by the Union of Orthodox Congregations of America (“OU”) (see “OU Supports Federal Legislation to Prevent Gun Violence,” issued April 9, 2013, at http://www.ou.org/news/ou_supports_federal_legislation_to_prevent_gun_violence/).
The RCA’s statement, like that of the OU, is rife with platitudes, ignores basic facts, and fails to recognize Judaism’s strong support for the value and practice of armed self-defense. Although the RCA reluctantly condones legal gun ownership, their statement evinces an overall hostility to gun possession and self-defense, and completely fails to address the limitations on the self-defense rights of the law-abiding public, who live under threat from violent criminals (including Jew-haters). When a premier rabbinical body of modern orthodoxy takes a public position on an issue as critical to the Jewish people as gun regulation, it is incumbent on them first to contemplate all relevant considerations, not least of which is the well-publicized and increasing violence against Jews worldwide. This the RCA and OU have failed to do.
In response, we present below many of the reasons why these two organizations should reconsider their prior positions, and instead encourage Jews to remain ready, vigilant, and armed. The RCA and OU should promote legislation that offers law-abiding citizens full protection of their right to self-defense, both inside and outside the home, especially in the most restrictive states, which contain large Jewish population centers. All Jews, like all Americans, should be able to exercise, in a sober and prudent manner, their fundamental right and halachic obligation to defend themselves, their families, and communities, whenever the need arises.
* * * * * *
• There are already strict measures in place to keep guns out of the hands of criminals and the mentally ill. The RCA’s and OU’s support for “restricting American citizens’ easy and unregulated access to weapons and ammunitions” does not take into account the regulations that already exist nationwide, including exceptionally stringent regulations in the tri-state area around New York City that effectively ban carrying guns outside the home and subject peaceful citizens to prosecution merely for being ready to defend themselves. Access to firearms by violent criminals is already illegal, and access by the mentally ill is already restricted. It is grossly misleading to suggest that the current, complex legal regime at the federal, state, and local levels does not exist. Furthermore, the RCA and OU fail to explain why imposing additional draconian restrictions and penalties on peaceful citizens will stop criminals from obtaining guns. In fact, adding to the burdens on the law-abiding will only render them more helpless if they are assaulted - especially in places (such as synagogues) which are likely targets of nefarious people who disobey the law and commit their crimes while heavily armed. The approach taken by the RCA and OU leave their Jewish constituents virtually defenseless in the face of deadly threats.
• To stop crime, stop criminals. Everyone recognizes that a tool is not responsible for the action of the person who holds it. For instance, we do not speak of the annual murders committed with baseball bats as “bat violence.” Yet we are told that guns, unlike any other tools, actually cause crime. The real causes of crime, of course, are more complex and more difficult to address. It is much easier to talk about guns than to consider issues like family breakdown and educational decline. But focusing on guns is no more effective than focusing on any other implement used by criminals. We might as well try to regulate criminals’ shoes, gloves, masks, or cars.
• Gun control has proven ineffective at stopping crime. The RCA and OU have ignored many key facts, among which are the following:
1) Violent crime, including crime involving guns, has been declining steadily over the last two decades, at the same time as the majority of states have been lifting restrictions on the right to self-defense;
2) Spree shootings in schools or on government property are very rare events, representing a tiny fraction of annual homicides;
3) Such shootings have most often occurred in locations that have been declared officially “gun free,” which gives notice to criminals that they will be able to commit their crimes without immediate challenge;
4) The vast majority of gun homicides are committed by a relatively small population of hardened, recidivist criminals who are not deterred by laws restricting gun purchases;
5) The rates of violent crime tend to be higher in areas with the most restrictive gun laws.
• Gun owners stop criminals and save lives every day. The RCA and OU fail to recognize that ordinary citizens use guns to protect themselves and others every single day. Across the country, mothers, fathers, and even children successfully protect their families against home invaders and carjackers. Women protect themselves against rapists. Business owners and store clerks protect themselves against armed robbers. Whether by brandishing a gun, pointing it, or shooting it, gun owners are able to fend off criminals and, often, to hold them until police arrive, saving not only their own lives but the lives of future victims. While many of these incidents go unreported (and somehow none of them ever seem to make the pages of the New York Times), they happen nonetheless. For a small selection of relevant news stories, the RCA and OU might consult the Guns Save Lives blog at www.gunssavelives.net. For further relevant facts and analysis, they might examine the “Facts about Guns” section of The Truth About Guns blog at http://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/gun-facts/.
• Peaceful gun ownership promotes equality. The statements by the RCA and OU do not consider the inevitable and unequal consequences of disarmament. Guns are “equalizers.” They empower citizens of any size or capability to withstand attack from vicious criminals. To deny this tool to peaceful citizens is to put them at the mercy of those who are stronger or more numerous. And those who are physically weakest will be most vulnerable. We prefer to read stories about grandmothers who made burglars turn tail and flee, teenagers who drove off home invaders, and wheelchair-bound men who stopped robbers, rather than obituaries about their unjust demise.
• Jewish history supports self-defense. It is remarkable that the RCA and OU have ignored the long Jewish history of persecution. The Jewish people have been murdered and persecuted in nearly every era and place on the globe. From the Crusades to the Chmielnicki massacres to the Holocaust, we have lost millions of lives to those who took advantage of our inability to defend ourselves. Even now – in this season, this week, indeed, this very day - we are being attacked in Europe and in Israel by enemies who without shame call in public for our deaths. Nor are we completely safe in the U.S., where terrorists have conspired against synagogues and individual Jews have been attacked. It should be clear that the threats against Jews in the U.S. and abroad are serious and increasing. It should be just as clear to the RCA and OU that further limiting our ability to defend ourselves at such a time is the very last thing Jewish leaders should be demanding.
• Self-defense does not equate to vigilantism. It is important to note in passing that, contrary to what is commonly alleged, possessing the tools and obtaining the training to defend oneself does not turn one into a vigilante. Many thousands of Jews are already gun owners, and yet they have not engaged in any rash of crimes. Jews as a people understand all too well how precious life is and how important it is to preserve it. However, we cannot and must not ignore the maxim of Chazal: “Haba lehargecha hashkem lehargo.” (“If one comes to kill you, kill him first.”)
• We have a duty of self-defense under Jewish Law. Our mitzvot oblige us to preserve and defend Jewish lives. This obligation is all the more important while we are in Exile and therefore at greater risk. Rendering Jews less capable of self-defense and more dependent upon others runs counter to our halachic duty, endangers all Jewry and emboldens our enemies. (Also, others are more likely to help defend us if we show that we are willing to defend ourselves.)
• The Torah praises self-defense. The Torah recognizes armed self-defense as a requirement for a free people. As Exodus 13:18 states, “The children of Israel went up out of Egypt armed.” The Israelites were no longer slaves; they were armed. Indeed, from its early chapters, the Torah teaches that readiness for armed conflict is a moral duty and necessary for Jewish survival. When Lot was kidnapped, Avraham led 318 armed men to battle in order to save him. The Torah does not say that the men had to train for battle; they were already trained. Jewry today should likewise engage in training and stand ready to defend themselves.
• The Tanach praises self-defense. The Tanach is replete with accounts of the heroic wars of Israel, from Joshua to Gideon, from David to Josiah. As in the instance of Avraham above, the Jews were able to fight because they were armed and trained. None of these leaders would have been able to go into battle if the Jews had not already readied themselves.
• Channukah celebrates self-defense. Every year on Channukah, Jews celebrate and praise the Maccabees for their armed defense of the Torah and Jewish life. Should Jews today not emulate the Maccabees’ bravery and skill?
* * * * * *
Like the RCA, we look forward to a day of universal peace, when “the law will go forth from Zion, and the word of the L-rd from Jerusalem,” when G-d “will judge between the nations,” and weapons will no longer be required to defend ourselves against our enemies. But we pray for such a future with open eyes, conscious of centuries of Jewish helplessness and of the growing number of attacks on Jews today. The assumption that an era of peace and brotherhood will dawn if we disarm ourselves, limit our access to firearms, or vitiate our right of self-defense, has no support in Jewish history, the teachings of the Torah, or present reality. Plowshares and pruning hooks will not defend Jews against enemies equipped with swords, spears, and deadlier weapons. Pretending otherwise will only undermine the preservation of the Jewish people - and the security of all Americans.
Signed By:
Rabbi Sol Appleman (Syosset, NY)
Rabbi David Bendory (Livingston, NJ)
Rabbi Mordechai Cohen (Milwaukee, WI)
Rabbi Dov Fischer (Irvine, CA)
Rabbi Philip Lefkowitz (Chicago, IL)
Rabbi Reuven Mann (Phoenix, AZ)
Rabbi Gary Moskowitz (Queens, NY)
Rabbi Steven Pruzansky (Teaneck, NJ)
Rabbi Mordechai Scher (Santa Fe, NM)
Rabbi Jay Shoulson (Long Island City, NY)
Rabbi Ephraim Simon (Teaneck, NJ)
Rabbi Ephraim Slepoy (Passaic, NJ)
The Golani Rifle & Pistol Club (NJ & PA)
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Why "Where everyone goes" crashed
A note for my foreign readers
Malcolm Tredinnick asked me to translate into English my Friday's post about our experience of launching a Django project under high load. So here it is, hope this will be useful :-)
I believe some context is also required. Yandex is the biggest Russian search engine and service portal that started to look into building its services using Django last year. I'm working there as a lead architect on the interesting project "Where everyone goes". This is a social network for people to organize themselves to spend some leisure time together: movies, art galleries, concerts, clubs, etc. This is by far our biggest Django project in Yandex. Last Thursday we've crashed under a stream of traffic coming from a teaser on our mothership's index page. Now read on for the rest of a "war story"!
As many attentive readers of this blog noticed :-), the morning after launching a teaser our wonderful service showed a strange face and refused to work until the teaser was removed. So yesterday and today we were trying to figure out what went wrong with it. And it looks like we've succeeded :-). I am now in an interesting mental state of wondering why it was so bad and hopeless that Thursday while now it's all so simple and obvious... However only the next teaser can prove us right.
First of all some numbers for the sake of statistics. Though as you'll see later they don't mean that much.
We're running on a cluster of 4 machines (CPU Xeon, 4 cores, 2.3 GHz) where we have litgttpd, Django and memcached. On the back there is a single DB server running MySQL. We managed our traffic well all the night and most of the morning when we had about 55 requests/second on one host. Then between 10 and 11 am. we started to feel worse while the traffic has grown to more than 300 requests/second after which we've... oh, well :-(
First-class problem
During the whole Thursday many participants of the process had many various ideas about the issue. But to the middle of the day today one of them had crystallized and now I'm pretty sure that it was the main reason of such a bad performance.
The problem was in the usage of sessions (not in them per se though but in the way we used them). These are very standard sessions that come with Django. In general Django's sessions are made smart enough — while stored in a DB they don't touch it at all if your application doesn't write anything in them. Unfortunately we used them in an interesting manner. We store there one-off user messages that are shown once and then removed. For this we had this code in a context processor:
messages = request.session['messages'] request.session['messages'] = [] # ← a killer line!!!
The second line here clears messages by effectively writing to a session. And since it is in a context processor it was executed on every request.
Well, not exactly on every request but rather only on those when we get a new user. However since we had a teaser on Yandex's index page practically all our users were new.
One may, nevertheless, suppose that even at the rate of 1200 requests/sec MySQL on a good hardware should handle the task. There were two particular features of the session table that didn't let it happen:
as all tables in our DB it used InnoDB engine
it has a md5 hash for the primary key instead of auto-incremented integer
If I get this thing right, InnoDB tables physically rebuild themselves upon each new inserted record according to the order of the primary key. This is why, evidently, they are being queried fast. And in the usual case with auto-incremented integer key this doesn't cause any problems since a new record is added at the end right where it should be anyway. But since we have a key that is random we had each new record inserted somewhere in the middle which caused reconstruction of the table. It is being reconstructed in slices which given such 'chaotic' writes leads to fragmentation which slows writing more and more. Our admins say that at the worst moments a single write in a session table had taken about 6-7 seconds!
Finally, at some moment the growth of quantity of new requests has become faster then the speed of handling them. All attempts to revive the service were hence futile, because the further we went, the slower it was running. This is what I meant saying that performance characteristics don't mean much: it's useless to measure speed with such an anchor.
So we had two lessons out of this (surely pretty obvious for many):
don't create sessions when you don't need them
never store Django sessions in an InnoDB table
By the way... The bitter irony of the story is that we in fact don't use this messages subsystem. The service was killed by a feature that didn't exist.
Second-class problems
We have brought the service back to life by moving sessions into an in-memory table (and also by removing the teaser :-) ). But in-memory table didn't let sessions live very long either: it has quickly outgrown some storage space and in the evening our service has crashed again. So we moved them back on disk. And now we just got rid of that "killer line" altogether.
But an overloaded database allowed us to see other problems. Though they aren't nearly as severe as the first one we will fix them anyway because sooner or later we'll run into them as our audience will grow.
Problems we learnt were:
"Dog-pile" effect. Our index page consists mostly of cached blocks that are produced using relatively heavy queries. When the cache record becomes stale the next request would cause its regeneration. And while this regeneration wasn't complete all subsequent requests would execute these same queries for regeneration. If the regeneration time is long enough and the number of requests is big enough they would create an additional load that further slows down the regeneration speed making the situation gradually worse.
We can't read from DB replicas yet which would otherwise allowed us to relieve the master that was busy writing sessions and would allowed as to stay a little longer :-).
And also one of the queries on index page involved a join of four table one of which is the largest table in the database :-).
Strategy
Yesterday everything looked very bad: we're limited by performance of database writes which means in the world of relational DBMS that we can't scale wide (i.e. by adding machines). We have to rewrite something and artificially partition the database somehow and this is hard and painful. But today just by removing writing to sessions we managed to turn the situation upside down. On a test stand consisting of one frontend and one DB backend we can load the frontend up to 80 LA while the DB is loaded up to 2-2.5 LA . Which means that now we don't have a bottleneck on the database. We can just add frontends and I think we won't overload database very soon. We'll try to evaluate this more precisely on Tuesday when we plan to stress-load the system of two frontends and one database.
To solve the second-class problems we plan in particular:
Use MintCache to avoid dog-pile effect.
I'm about to write a "mysql_cluster" db backend for Django which will use replicas for reads. Looks like it can be done as a self-contained package without hacking Django's core.
We will continue to denormalize DB schema to avoid heavy queries.
Watch for new episodes! | {
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Update: Android 9 Pie is officially rolling out today.
Android P has been in beta for a while now, and as we approach the end of the year, we’re excited to see when exactly Google plans to drop the final version. According to Verizon, though, that’s actually today…
As Google’s only carrier partner with the Pixel lineup, Verizon carries a changelog for Pixel and Pixel 2 devices to show off what’s new when those devices are updated. Apparently, someone jumped the gun as Verizon’s site currently shows that Pixel devices are picking up the final release of Android P starting today.
Last month’s Android P DP5/Beta 4 has already been available as a “release candidate” for Pixel devices, giving us a pretty good idea of what the final version should be like. As Droid-Life first spotted, Verizon says the final update is heading out with the build number PPR1.180610.009 along with August’s security patch in tow.
As you’d expect, the changelog goes into the various new features which Google first detailed back at I/O this past May. That includes the new gesture navigation, app “Slices,” and app “Actions” as well.
Verizon Wireless is pleased to announce a new software update for your Google Pixel. Android 9.0 P improves your mobile experience with several new features and enhancements. This update also includes the latest Android security updates and bug fixes.
Strangely enough, the change log doesn’t make mention of Digital Wellbeing, which we’re still expecting to debut in the Fall, and it also doesn’t once mention P’s proper name. But given August’s security patch was already expected today and Google’s own timeline for Android P, it wouldn’t be a shock if the final release landed today.
This change log is only posted for the original 5-inch Pixel. The rest of Google’s devices don’t show the same change log yet, but traditionally all devices are updated simultaneously.
Check out 9to5Google on YouTube for more news:
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The Rostock riots were the most disturbing resurgence of right-wing, xenophobic violence since the rise of Nazism.
This summer marks the 25th anniversary of the Rostock riots – the most disturbing resurgence of anti-immigrant violence in Germany since the rise of Nazism.
In the quarter of a century since, many foreigners arriving in Germany have experienced the warmest of welcomes – but a few have experienced chilling acts of hatred. This series explores how a small minority of ultra-xenophobic Germans has tarnished their nation‘s reputation as a haven for the world‘s displaced masses. These stories are primarily told through the experiences of immigrants and asylum seekers who survived xenophobic harassment or attacks.
Their stories are the exception to the norm: incidents of violent xenophobia are rare in Germany compared with other countries. Indeed, Germany has welcomed more asylum seekers in recent years than any other European nation – the United Kingdom, France, Poland, Austria, Hungary, and magnitudes more than the far more populous United States. W hen faced with the largest exodus of people since World War II, none of these nations welcomed refugees as unconditionally as Germany did. It‘s precisely because of this reputation that Al Jazeera is taking a hard look at what happens on the occasions when that welcome culture goes awry.
This is the first story in a seven-part series.
Rostock, Germany – On a summer afternoon in August 1992, Sylvia Modrow returned from a holiday with her family to find scores of Germans gathering around her 11-storey apartment building.
Modrow was a German resident of the building known as the “Sunflower House”, located on the outskirts of Rostock, an ordinarily calm town on the Baltic Sea in the country’s east.
Located in the district of Lichtenhagen, the building, with a huge mural of a sunflower on the side of the structure, housed a number of immigrants from Vietnam. It soon attracted newly arriving refugees fleeing economic hardship and discrimination in Eastern Europe.
That summer, dozens of Roma families had begun sleeping outside the Sunflower House. The city didn’t house them or provide them with food, water or bathrooms.
“People didn’t have toilets, so they had to urinate and do everything outside. It was stinking. The Romanians were stealing in the supermarkets because they didn’t have money to buy food,” recalled Dorit Kesselring, editor of Ostsee-Zeitung, the largest newspaper in the region. She said their presence came at a strange time.
“It was just two years after the [Berlin] wall fell. Everything was in change, everything was uncertain,” Kesselring said. “There was a change in people’s fears – fears of the immigrants taking away our jobs and our living space.”
WATCH: People and Power – Germany’s Refugee Crisis
Three days of violence
Modrow witnessed what followed from the window and balcony of her fifth-floor apartment. At a nearby intersection, she saw men stopping vehicles in the middle of the road.
“It must have been some gangs that were controlling it, and they were picking out everyone who looked like foreigners,” Modrow recalled. “I watched as one car accelerated across the grass with a Vietnamese driver inside.”
He drove straight up to the building, jumped out and ran. She couldn’t see whether he made it inside.
“Who knows what they would have done to this man,” Modrow said. “It was obvious he was fleeing for his life.”
Over three days, thousands of people stood by and watched as mobs consisting of hundreds of xenophobic Germans threw stones or lobbed Molotov cocktails into the Sunflower building. They’d use petrol from their cars to make the explosives.
“We looked at the parking lot and we saw them preparing the cocktails, and we were surprised there were no police there,” Modrow said. “There was smoke everywhere.”
She didn’t dare leave her apartment, for fear of getting caught up in the violence.
Part of the building caught fire, and residents were forced to escape to the roof, babies and children in their arms. Fortunately, no one was injured.
Though hundreds of arrests were made and charges were filed, only a few protesters were convicted of violence against police. Not one was convicted of violence against the immigrants themselves.
It wasn’t until a decade later that three men were found guilty of attempted murder. But they received no prison sentence beyond the year and a half they’d already been in custody.
Accounts of buses arriving full of demonstrators to the parking lot opposite the building bolstered claims by residents that the attacks seemed calculated.
“It was planned to allow it to escalate – to set a symbol,” Kesselring said.
The ‘Sunflower Building’ today [Jacob Kushner/Al Jazeera]
WATCH: The Syrian refugee giving back to Germany
Resurfacing of xenophobic violence
Today, the Rostock riots are generally remembered in Germany as the moment when right-wing, xenophobic violence resurfaced in the country.
In the years since the end of World War II – Germany had gone to unimaginable lengths to reconcile with and compensate for the xenophobic period that culminated in the Holocaust.
There’s even a word in German for this reckoning – Vergangenheitsbewaltigung: to publicly debate problematic periods in the past, to cope with them.
German teachers taught the uncensored history of how racism and xenophobia escalated into violence, and schools invited Holocaust survivors to come tell their stories to students. German churches preached repentance. Until a decade ago, Germans rarely flew their nation’s flag, uncomfortable with the connotations of its nationalistic past.
But when the Berlin Wall fell and East Germans in particular faced unemployment as they abruptly encountered a free market, a small minority began once again to blame Jews and immigrants for their problems.
“Everything was changing,” Modrow said. “A lot of people started fearing losing their jobs, which was a feeling they hadn’t known before.”
She added: “I think people were overwhelmed with a lot of refugees coming. This is what made people scared and nervous, because we didn’t have that in the GDR before.”
In the early and mid-1990s, disgruntled Germans committed numerous arsons against immigrants, some of whom were killed in the attacks.
In the days following the Rostock riots, similar disturbances erupted across northeastern Germany.
In November, neo-Nazis set fire to the house of a Turkish family just a few hours’ west in the town of Molln, killing three. Five more immigrants were killed in a similar attack in a west German town near Cologne the following year.
“The fact that the perpetrators of Rostock, after all the crimes that happened, were not brought to justice was a big factor in the radicalisation of a generation of xenophobic youth,” said Heike Kleffner, a journalist who has researched the extreme right since the 1990s.
It sent a signal: “They could do whatever they wanted to. They could commit physical attacks against migrants and leftists, they could attack the police and they would never be brought to justice.”
WATCH: The New Germans
Undercurrent of attacks
Kleffner says even today, German authorities often fail to investigate such crimes or sentence their perpetrators with due force, sending a signal that they aren’t that serious.
“The parallels to today’s events are striking,” wrote Kleffner in an article for Amnesty International.
The mass arrival of refugees to Germany beginning in late 2014 saw a wave of anti-immigrant violence.
Since then, the number of xenophobic crimes has increased, with hundreds of arsons of buildings housing asylum seekers as well as dozens of physical assaults of immigrants themselves now taking place each year. As with the Rostock riots, few of Germany’s modern-day attackers of immigrants are brought to justice.
“Did police learn anything from Rostock-Lichtenhagen? No,” said Kleffner. “After that, whenever the police should have been responsible for protecting immigrants, in many cases they weren’t there either.”
In 2012, on the 20th anniversary of the Rostock riots, Dimitri Avramenko, a politician in Rostock, told Der Spiegel that there remained “a huge amount of latent racism in the population”.
“Eastern Germany is extremely thinly populated with foreigners. And that vacuum is immediately filled with xenophobic slogans,” he said.
Kesselring believes that times have changed.
“People who live here are more experienced with having immigrants around, which wasn’t the case back then,” she said. Rostock, she points out, has become the primary stopover for thousands of recent refugees from Syria, Eritrea and elsewhere as they board ferries to cross the Baltic Sea to Scandinavia.
These days, “people give out clothes and bed sheets at the station or help refugees get on a boat to go to Scandinavia and prepare them sandwiches,” Kesselring said. “There has been a shift in the welcoming culture. In 1992, nobody would have helped those victims of those attacks. No one would have prepared them sandwiches.”
Of the violent events of August 1992, she said: “I don’t think it could happen again.”
Modrow isn’t so convinced.
“I can’t understand these people anymore. We Germans are so unfair in that boats full of people sink just because we don’t want to have them here with us,” Modrow said of the refugees fleeing to Europe’s shores.
“I could imagine this could happen again. Especially now that there is such a move to the right in society. There’s too much right-wing thoughts among the population here. Anything is possible.”
This reporting was made possible by a McCloy Fellowship from the American Council on Germany. | {
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Democrat presidential candidate Deval Patrick slammed the lack of diversity among the 2020 Democratic field ahead of Tuesday night’s party debate.
“Tonight, six candidates will take the debate stage, all remarkable public servants,” the former Massachusetts governor said in a statement early Tuesday. “Yet tonight, America will not see herself in full.”
Patrick, who made a late entrance to the race and has not yet taken the debate stage, said “three of the four candidates who have most recently left the race have been candidates of color.”
Since December’s Democrat debate in Los Angeles, California, Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA), former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro, and Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) have all suspended their campaigns.
Patrick also criticized the Democratic National Committee (DNC) leadership, saying debate qualifications do not accurately represent the “breadth and depth” of the Democratic field to voters.
DNC Chairman Tom Perez responded to Patrick’s statement by saying the requirements were fair and “inclusive.”
“We made the rules, they were very transparent, they’re very inclusive, and we can’t change the rules midstream because there’s a candidate that I wish were on but didn’t make the debate stage,” Perez said on CNN’s New Day.
"We made the rules, they were very transparent, they're very inclusive, and we can't change the rules midstream because there's a candidate that I wish were on but didn't make the debate stage," says DNC Chairman @TomPerez about tonight's all-white debate stage in Iowa. pic.twitter.com/UNzsf9iTtP — New Day (@NewDay) January 14, 2020
Patrick is not the first Democrat to open up about the lack of diversity among the field.
Booker complained in a recent interview about the lack of diversity not only among the current slate of Democrats running for president but among Senate staffers. | {
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Photo: Thomas Marent/Corbis
Hi Polly,
I’m writing because I’ve been pretty confused lately and I love your column and your advice, so I figured I’d share my confusion with you. Perhaps you’ll tell me to seek help from a therapist, but I’m not quite ready to do that yet.
Lately, I’ve been wondering if perhaps I was meant to be born a girl. I’m now a white male in my mid-30s, and I really couldn’t be happier with my life, professionally, romantically (I’m married to a super-awesome girl and we have a baby together; I also have a child from a previous marriage, to further complicate things), socially, financially, etc.
But all my life I’ve been filled with self-loathing. I’ve always been uncomfortable in my skin and with my emotions and I hated myself for it. I’ve always felt like there was some secret part of myself that I didn’t know and if I could just access it all would be well, like some existential version of Gnosticism.
As far as stereotypes go for this type of thing, yes, I played with my sister’s Barbies growing up, though my favorite was a Michael Jackson doll (I also had a Cabbage Patch doll I loved to dress up). But I also loved my G.I. Joes and Legos and other “boy toys.” Even as an adult these stereotypes resonate with me as meaningful. I gravitate toward other stereotypical women things, like yoga and cleanses and “chick-lit”-style memoirs and some rom-coms. But I also like stereotypical guy things like action movies and comics. My speech lately has been peppered with adjectives like “cute,” “lovely,” and “adorable.” These words slip out and I want to reach out and pull them back lest anyone think for a moment I’m gay or a woman or something.
As a kid, I often pretended my name was a female name in my head. I practiced saying it even. I was late to puberty, I have very little body hair, and I was always thin and slight and small. All my life girls have told me I’m one of the few men they like, that there’s something about my energy that’s different from most men. I just thought it was because I was sensitive and shy and compassionate and I listened well. The people I was closest to growing up were girls. I had male friends, but I always felt distant from them.
In high school, I saw the singer of a band wearing a T-shirt that said “Nobody knows I’m a lesbian,” and I thought it was the coolest thing ever. I thought it was so punk rock. Through the years, I found myself wishing I could really be a lesbian. I always brushed this aside though because I thought, WTF, I’m a straight dude, of course I’m a lesbian, I like girls. Only lately have I really started to question why I might be drawn to that designation.
I’ve often struggled to understand men or relate to men, but I chalked that up to me being sensitive and artistic and shy. I cried a lot as a kid, all the way through ninth grade. My emotions, even the happy ones, felt so overwhelming that I became embarrassed to smile or get happy about things because I always seemed happier and more smiley than my male friends. I tried to emulate their detached coolness.
I started cross-dressing, mostly undergarment things, when I was going through puberty, but stopped doing this shortly after due to shame. I was happily married for a stretch, too, which put a damper on these things. I never did this again until recently. I tried it again but I was dissatisfied with my current wife’s clothes because she didn’t have anything I wanted to wear. Nothing was cute or feminine enough.
I’ve often wondered what it’s like to be a woman and have often fantasized about having boobs and what it’d feel like for someone to be inside me. I thought maybe this was just the empathetic side of me. I was never really attracted to boys or men growing up, except gay porn and pictures of penises turned me on. I never wanted to be with a guy and I still haven’t met a guy I ever felt like pursuing, let alone kissing. I also liked porn involving transexuals. All of this has been very confusing for me.
My first wife wanted to move on from our marriage after finding my interest in transexual and gay porn on the computer. She thought I was gay and had thought so since we had first dated in high school. I told her I was just curious, which was true. But gay was never a word I identified with, though I questioned that because of all these other things I just told you about. My vocabulary for these things, having grown up in a rural area, wasn’t that diverse. In the years since I’ve told myself that I’m just attracted to those body parts and to the social stigma of it all.
I’ve often told women I’m jealous of their summer dresses, that I wish men had something similar to wear because they look comfortable and light and breezy. But I’ve often admired women’s clothing that aren’t summer dresses, from scarves to leggings, wishing I could look that way in those clothes. Once, while tripping on ‘shrooms, I joked with a friend that I was secretly a woman, and when he said that wouldn’t surprise him, I felt a little bit of relief that someone saw that in me, but also terrified. Could others know? Do others know? My dad once asked me if I liked boys, but I thought maybe that was a thing all dads ask their sons at some point early on, like a test.
Do I really want to be a woman? I don’t know. I don’t think so. It’s not even a thought that crosses my mind most days. but then some days I see a really cute girl and I die a little on the inside. I used to think I wanted to be with every one of those girls. But sometimes I wonder if I don’t want to be with her so much as be her. That realization, even if not fully formed in my mind, comes with a certain level of pain. Like recently, just this week, I saw a picture recently of an MTF and I hated how cute she looked and how passable, too, like that will never be me, I’ll never be a woman.
As I write all this out, the evidence seems overwhelming, but maybe that’s just what I want you to read. I haven’t told you much about all the other masculine parts of me, but that feels a little irrelevant.
So, where do I go from here? If you share this or reply to it, I’d love to know what your readers think.
Not Sure
Dear Not Sure,
Your words make it so clear how strange and restrictive our ideas of gender are. We live in a world of beautiful colors, but we’re determined to call them all either “black” or “white” and ignore everything in-between — to say all the blues are “black” and the reds are “white” and the yellows are just invisible. Yellow doesn’t even exist. Greens that look more blue than yellow are black. Purples that look more red than blue are white. Orange is something no one should be, because white is less than black, and yellow is invisible.
So first of all, I want to encourage you to immerse yourself in forums where these kinds of gender and sexuality issues are discussed, so you can get a sense of the wide range of ways people define themselves. Sometimes people’s ideas and desires and urges seem to contradict what we believe about one category or another. Most of us need to try harder to embrace the colors that we don’t even recognize, but that are right in front of our faces, in ourselves and in other people.
Even though I’m not an expert in any of that stuff, I’m going to assume that you came to me because you want to hear from me, a woman who grew up marinating in heteronormative black and white. You want me to fumble my way through this with you, and I’m happy to do that. I know I’ll mess up a few things along the way. That’s just what I do. I’m not an expert or a guru. I’m a fumbler. I bumble my way in and do my best.
That’s what I want you to do, too, Not Sure. I want you to create a space where you can do the things you want to do and feel the things you want to feel and say the things you want to say. I want you to experiment and I want you to feel proud of experimenting. Cut other people’s judgments out of the picture. Give yourself some room to be violet and mint green and melon and turquoise. It may be that what you really are, in your heart, and what you really want to be for the rest of your life is [insert category here] or [insert second possibility here]. I won’t dare to assume one thing or another.
It’s also possible that each of these identities might feel restrictive or limiting to you. For me to even speculate on the different ways you might want to live feels a little too pushy and unfair. I still feel like I’d be working with a limited palette, trying to paint you into a corner. There will be people in the comments section doing this, telling you that it’s obvious you’re A or B. That might be really helpful, and a relief, but I would caution you to discard anything that feels too narrow. Only you know what’s right for you.
I would also caution you against feeling like you must take action and DO something at this exact moment. I mean, maybe that’s what you want. Maybe you want to proclaim yourself to the world. I think that if I were you, I would definitely find a really good therapist, and I would talk this out with that person first. Eventually you’ll probably want to have a conversation with your wife, too, but because you have a new baby, this might be a tough time for her to be open-minded about where you are, so I wouldn’t rush that one. I would definitely talk to a therapist first.
Because I can’t possibly know what you want and what your wife will eventually say and how you two will handle whatever comes next, I just want to be someone who says the RIGHT things to you. This is what I would say to one of my daughters if they came to me with complicated or potentially controversial notions about how they want to identify gender-wise and what they want to do to feel more comfortable and authentic in the world: You are just a person. You can be whatever the fuck you want to be. YOU get to decide.
Not Sure, mostly I don’t want you to feel like you have to rush to some conclusion or get corralled into one thing or another. You are who you are. Your complexity makes you interesting. It’s obvious from your letter that you have always owned up to who you are in many different ways, from your childhood forward. Your resilience and ability to keep being who you are — a colorful, rich, nuanced human being against a backdrop of black and white — is inspiring. You don’t have to decide on a neat label for yourself, necessarily, unless that’s what you truly crave.
And by the same token, just because you don’t totally identify with a certain group of people, that doesn’t mean that you might not fit loosely into that group in some sense. A close friend of mine came out years ago, and she often said to me, “But I don’t see myself as a lesbian!” The truth is, most people don’t see themselves as THE SAME as a whole swath of the population. If you were to say to me “You’re a straight, middle-aged, suburban mother,” I would feel horribly misunderstood. “No I’m not!” I’d say. “Obviously I’m some kind of gay teenage boy mixed with a working breed of dog crossed with a dominatrix.” I’m sure I’m violating a bunch of rules and codes in throwing those identities together. But you know what? I’m just flailing my way toward my particular truth. I am an exotic plant, the kind that needs too much rain some weeks and too much sun other weeks and only flourishes in a soil of eggshells, horseradish sauce, and ground-up pomegranate seeds.
We are ALL entitled to our own personally crafted definitions. If we’re being true to ourselves, that authenticity is sure to make us a freak in someone else’s eyes. We all have a right to make our own labels.
I can’t do much for you, Not Sure. All I really want to do here is hand you your own label-maker. Try on some different labels and try loving yourself with those labels. And then throw the label-maker out the window, and see if that feels even better. (And then maybe run and get it again! Who knows?)
There are challenges ahead. I want you to know that no matter what, you are not alone. There is a big world out there, filled with beautiful people who aren’t afraid of that bewildering spectrum of human experience and emotion and identity that transcends black and white. We want you to be your mint-green-melon-turquoise self. Don’t forget that we’re out here. We just want you to feel happy. We just want you to feel whole.
When you feel whole, you create space for other people to feel whole. When you feel authentic, you make room for the authenticity of others. When you tell the truth, you make truth possible in the world. But even if you stay exactly where you are and don’t do a thing, be proud of yourself for making it here. You’re fumbling, maybe, but you’re doing your best. That’s all anyone can ask of you.
Polly
Order the new Ask Polly book, How To Be A Person in the World, here. Got a question for Polly? Email [email protected]. Her advice column will appear here every Wednesday.
All letters to [email protected] become the property of Ask Polly and New York Media LLC and will be edited for length, clarity, and grammatical correctness. | {
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Outbreaks of disease are among the ultimate tests for any leader who wants to play on the global stage. They demand diplomacy, decisiveness, leadership, humility, and expertise—and they quickly unearth any lack of the same. “As far as I can tell, Trump has zero experience on this,” says Jack Chow from Carnegie Mellon University, who has worked at both the World Health Organization (WHO) and the State Department under Colin Powell. “If I asked him, ‘What is your stance on global health?,’ I don’t know what he’d say. I don’t think anyone really does.”
Bioethicist Art Caplan from the New York University School of Medicine envisages a quick slide towards isolation and authoritarianism. In a blog post that can only be described as pandemic fan-fiction, he imagines that a lethal mutant strain of H7N9 flu emerges in China and spreads to America. A hypothetical President Trump responds with a quick succession of moves: He seals the borders with Canada and Mexico; he quarantines sick Americans; he declares martial law, builds detention-style camps for quarantine-defiers, and uses epidemic conspiracies to launch a trade war with China.
Future years will reveal whether the story is prophetic or far-fetched. For now, we can only speculate, using the president-elect’s own words and actions to predict how he might fare in an outbreak.
We know that international diplomacy is essential during large-scale epidemics. During the Ebola outbreak, the U.S. had to coordinate its aid with the WHO, other donor countries, and hospitals and laboratories in the affected countries. “The rhetoric about building walls and reneging on NATO calls into question how willing the administration would be to work with other countries,” says Elizabeth Radin from Columbia University, who works to improve health in poor nations. “And the phone calls to Taiwan and Pakistan call into question how effective they would be.”
Accurate public communication is also vital. During the Ebola outbreak, misinformation circulated more widely than the virus itself. People repeatedly and wrongly heard that the virus could go airborne, that victims bleed dramatically from their eyes and ears, that foreign health workers brought the virus to West Africa, that folk remedies were effective, and so on. These were all myths, and they encouraged practices that helped the virus to spread in affected countries, while fomenting panic in unaffected ones. They resembled the pernicious and long-debunked claim that vaccines cause autism, which has led to a resurgence in mumps, measles, and other infectious diseases, and which Trump has himself promoted.
If anything, this problem is likely to get worse, given America’s continuing struggle to deal with “fake news.” Inaccurate information can be easily seeded by foreign parties, and given weight and prominence by online algorithms. It’s arguable whether such misinformation made a difference between victory or defeat in the election, but inarguable that it could mean life or death in an outbreak. | {
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Writer’s recently recovered file documents the Bureau’s extensive surveillance under the shadow of McCarthyism
After a little over two years of processing, the National Archives and Records Administration have released the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s files on the writer Dorothy Parker - the first time those files have been made public since the FBI removed them from their FOIA reading room over a decade ago.
The Bureau first opened a file on Parker in 1950, after she was named by the former Daily Worker editor Louis Budenz as one of the country’s most prominent “concealed Communists.”
In response, the FBI compiled a report on evidence of Parker’s Communist leanings, sourced from 27 confidential informants. Parker’s commie bona fides included her support for the Hollywood Anti-Nazi League and the Joint Anti-Fascist Refugee Committee …
her opposition to the infamous House Un-American Activities Committee hearings in Hollywood …
and ,strangely enough, the allegation that she had once ran a Communist boarding house in Mexico.
All of this earned Parker an interview with the Bureau in 1951, in which agents determined she was a “nervous type of person” …
likely owing to the fact that she was being interviewed by the the FBI.
Over the next couple years, the Bureau kept track of Parker’s public appearances at fundraisers of what were considered “Communist front groups”…
either sending in undercover agents to take notes or getting intel from numerous informants in attendance…
and, on at least one occasion, intercepting Parker’s mail.
The FBI’s interest in Parker became such a running joke that on at least one occasion they had to determine if a humorous anecdote actually happened:
Things finally came to a head in 1955, when FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover demanded the Special Agent in Charge of the New York field office make a final determination as to whether or not to include Parker in the Security Index - the list of “subversives” that would need to be detained in case the U.S. ever declared martial law.
Though the SAC maintained that Parker was a Pinko, it was ultimately determined that a 62-year old unemployed poet wasn’t a national security threat.
Later, the FBI would make similar calls regarding fellow writers Allen Ginsberg and Susan Sontag, though, unsurprisingly, James Baldwin made the cut for inclusion in the Security Index.
FBI surveillance of Parker continued to the end of the following year, though the Bureau’s heart was no longer in it, consisting of a few scattered reports from informants. One such informant decided that a confidential memo on a celebrated humorist was the perfect time to workshop some new material.
It is a shame that Parker never got to read her file while she was alive. She would have been delightfully unkind.
Read the full file embedded below or on the request page. A huge thanks to NARA’s Jessie Hartman, and the National Security Archive’s Nate Jones and Emma Sarfity, without whose help these files would still be sitting on a shelf somewhere in College Park.
Image by Paramount via Flickr and is licensed under CC BY 2.0 | {
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There are advantages to being smart. People who do well on standardized tests of intelligence—IQ tests—tend to be more successful in the classroom and the workplace. Although the reasons are not fully understood, they also tend to live longer, healthier lives, and are less likely to experience negative life events such as bankruptcy.
Now there’s some bad news for people in the right tail of the IQ bell curve. In a study just published in the journal Intelligence, Pitzer College researcher Ruth Karpinski and her colleagues emailed a survey with questions about psychological and physiological disorders to members of Mensa. A “high IQ society,” Mensa requires that its members have an IQ in the top 2 percent. For most intelligence tests, this corresponds to an IQ of about 132 or higher. (The average IQ of the general population is 100.) The survey of Mensa’s highly intelligent members found that they were more likely to suffer from a range of serious disorders.
The survey covered mood disorders (depression, dysthymia and bipolar), anxiety disorders (generalized, social and obsessive-compulsive), attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and autism. It also covered environmental allergies, asthma and autoimmune disorders. Respondents were asked to report whether they had ever been formally diagnosed with each disorder or suspected they suffered from it. With a return rate of nearly 75 percent, Karpinski and her colleagues compared the percentage of the 3,715 respondents who reported each disorder to the national average.
The biggest differences between the Mensa group and the general population were seen for mood disorders and anxiety disorders. More than a quarter (26.7 percent) of the sample reported that they had been formally diagnosed with a mood disorder, while 20 percent reported an anxiety disorder—far higher than the national averages of around 10 percent for each. The differences were smaller, but still statistically significant and practically meaningful, for most of the other disorders. The prevalence of environmental allergies was triple the national average (33 percent vs. 11 percent).
To explain their findings, Karpinski and her colleagues propose the hyper brain/hyper body theory. This theory holds that, for all of its advantages, being highly intelligent is associated with psychological and physiological “overexcitabilities,” or OEs. A concept introduced by the Polish psychiatrist and psychologist Kazimierz Dabrowski in the 1960s, an OE is an unusually intense reaction to an environmental threat or insult. This can include anything from a startling sound to confrontation with another person.
Psychological OEs include a heighted tendency to ruminate and worry, whereas physiological OEs arise from the body’s response to stress. According to the hyper brain/hyper body theory, these two types of OEs are more common in highly intelligent people and interact with each other in a “vicious cycle” to cause both psychological and physiological dysfunction. For example, a highly intelligent person may overanalyze a disapproving comment made by a boss, imagining negative outcomes that simply wouldn’t occur to someone less intelligent. That may trigger the body’s stress response, which may make the person even more anxious.
The results of this study must be interpreted cautiously because they are correlational. Showing that a disorder is more common in a sample of people with high IQs than in the general population doesn’t prove that high intelligence is the cause of the disorder. It’s also possible that people who join Mensa differ from other people in ways other than just IQ. For example, people preoccupied with intellectual pursuits may spend less time than the average person on physical exercise and social interaction, both of which have been shown to have broad benefits for psychological and physical health.
All the same, Karpinski and her colleagues’ findings set the stage for research that promises to shed new light on the link between intelligence and health. One possibility is that associations between intelligence and health outcomes reflect pleiotropy, which occurs when a gene influences seemingly unrelated traits. There is already some evidence to suggest that this is the case. In a 2015 study, Rosalind Arden and her colleagues concluded that the association between IQ and longevity is mostly explained by genetic factors.
From a practical standpoint, this research may ultimately lead to insights about how to improve people’s psychological and physical well-being. If overexcitabilities turn out to be the mechanism underlying the IQ-health relationship, then interventions aimed at curbing these sometimes maladaptive responses may help people lead happier, healthier lives. | {
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You win some, you lose some: Apple's attempt to secure a preliminary ban on Samsung's Galaxy 10.1N and Galaxy Nexus in Germany has apparently failed. A regional court in Munich gave Apple's motion to block sales of Samsung's tablet and smartphone the big thumbs down Thursday. The reason, says the court: Apple patents for touch screen tablet and smartphone tech aren't long for this world.
“Samsung has shown that it is more likely than not that the patent will be revoked because of a technology that was already on the market before the intellectual property had been filed for protection,” said presiding judge Andreas Mueller in the ruling.
The patent in question relates to the way the interface lets you know when you've scrolled through a list to a page's limit, described as "list scrolling and document translation, scaling, and rotation on a touch-screen display" by analyst Florian Mueller, who added that the court's decision about the technology was "relatively surprising." Apple can still appeal the decision.
Apple went for Samsung's throat last spring, initially suing Samsung in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California and alleging that various Samsung phones and tablets infringed on Apple's intellectual property. Samsung countersued and took the battle global, filing its own complaints that Apple had infringed on Samsung's intellectual property in multiple countries. The battle's raged monthly since, bouncing from one (attempted) preliminary injunction to the next.
Last August, a German court granted Apple's request for a preliminary ban on sales of Samsung's Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet (Apple alleges the device infringes on two interface-related patents). Interestingly, a Dusseldorf-based court just upheld that ban in a decision reached yesterday, but the ban doesn't apply to Samsung's Galaxy Tab 10.1N — a revised version of the tablet whose fate will be decided next week, Feb. 9, in a lower court ruling.
Mueller argues Apple and Samsung should simply quit filing preliminary injunctions: "While I can understand that time is of the essence in such a dispute (the first one to have major leverage will likely get a settlement on much more favorable terms than otherwise) and while I'm furthermore aware of the competitive situation between the world's top two mobile device makers, most of those bids have so far either failed. Those that succeeded have partly been overturned (such as in Australia) or designed around (such as in Germany)."
Imagine the money spent in legal fees on these lawsuits to date (at least 19, and in 10 countries). It boggles the mind.
Matt Peckham writes for TIME and PCWorld. You can find him on Twitter, Facebook, or Google+. | {
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Robert Maier will SPD-Chef werden. Der erfolgreiche Berliner Start-up-Unternehmer (Gründer der Shopping-Plattform Ladenzeile, seit 2011 eine Mehrheitsbeteiligung der Axel Springer SE, zu der WELT gehört) sowie Mitgründer und Vizepräsident des SPD-Wirtschaftsforums hat sozialdemokratisches Blut: Seine Mutter ist Ingrid Matthäus-Maier, die 1982 als Linksliberale von der FDP zur SPD wechselte. Im E-Mail-Interview erklärt der 39-Jährige, warum er kandidieren möchte.
WELT: Warum tun Sie sich das an?
Robert Maier: Das haben mich alle gefragt, insbesondere auch meine Familie. Meine klare Antwort: aus Überzeugung! Ich will nicht tatenlos zusehen, wie das Land nach rechts rückt und unsere SPD den Bach runtergeht. Ich halte die SPD für genau diejenige politische Kraft, die Schutz vor Kriminalität und sozialem Abstieg, ökologische Vernunft, wirtschaftliche Stärke und Zukunftsfreude vereinen, entsprechende Mehrheiten gewinnen und so einen weiteren Rechtsruck unserer Gesellschaft verhindern kann.
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WELT: Was kann man als Unternehmer für einen Sanierungsfall wie die SPD lernen?
Maier: Als Unternehmer muss man sich ständig neu erfinden und sich den Gegebenheiten anpassen. Das darf nicht beliebig sein, man darf die DNA des Unternehmens nicht aufgeben. Aber eben auch keine Angst vor Veränderungen haben. Und muss die Menschen mitnehmen.
WELT: Inwiefern haben Ihre sozialliberalen Eltern Sie geprägt?
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Maier: Sie haben mir gezeigt, dass eine Kombination aus Liberalität, Solidarität, Gerechtigkeit und die Geltung des Rechts für die Familie, die Gesellschaft, die Umwelt, die Wirtschaft und das Land das Beste ist.
Robert Maiers Mutter Ingrid Matthäus-Maier (SPD) im September 1996 im Bonner Bundestag Quelle: pa/dpa/Tim_Brakemeier
WELT: Was machen Sie, wenn Sie gewinnen?
Maier: Dann mache ich mich zügig und mit Nachdruck an die Umsetzung meiner Forderungen.
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WELT: Was machen Sie, wenn Sie verlieren?
Maier: Was habe ich denn zu verlieren? Ich mache das aus voller Überzeugung, weil ich die richtigen Dinge für unser Land und die Partei tun möchte. Ich bin Unternehmer und finanziell unabhängig, kann dann also in Ruhe überlegen, wie es weitergeht. Ich würde auf jeden Fall weiterhin versuchen, die Politik in eine Richtung zu lenken, wie ich sie für richtig halte.
WELT: Brauchen Leute wie Sie nicht eigentlich eine neue Partei?
Maier: Darüber habe ich ehrlich gesagt auch nachgedacht, aber ich habe die Hoffnung an „meine alte SPD“ noch nicht aufgegeben.
Michael Roth attestiert eigener Partei „notorisch schlechte Laune“ Kann er die SPD aus der Krise führen? Michael Roth möchte gegen die „notorisch schlechte Laune“ seiner Partei vorgehen. Im WELT-Interview verrät der Kandidat für den SPD-Vorsitz, wie die Partei wieder zu alter Stärke zurückkehren kann. Quelle: WELT/Nicole Fuchs-Wiecha
WELT: Warum haben Sie keine Frau an Ihrer Seite?
Maier: Eine Doppelspitze löst erst mal keine Probleme. Diese Diskussion lenkt meines Erachtens eher von den eigentlichen Problemen ab. Bitte nicht missverstehen: Ich halte die Schaffung der Möglichkeit, eine Doppelspitze zu installieren, für richtig. Die Werbung für eine Doppelspitze durch die aktuelle Parteispitze halte ich jedoch für falsch. Bis auf die aktuelle Spitze der Grünen – die das wirklich sehr geschickt macht – gibt es wenige Beispiele für erfolgreiche Doppelspitzen.
Exklusiv für Abonnenten Spitzen-Grüne Ende der Schonzeit für Habeck und Baerbock
Natürlich braucht es trotzdem ein starkes Team um den/die Parteivorsitzende/n. Jetzt aber kurzfristig innerhalb weniger Wochen eine Art Casting zu veranstalten, um hektisch Kandidaten-Teams zu rekrutieren, halte ich für unehrlich und sogar gefährlich: Stellen Sie sich mal vor, ein „Team“ wird gewählt, und es stellt sich nach kurzer Zeit raus, dass die doch nicht miteinander können.
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WELT: Haben Sie was gegen Frauen?
Maier: Nein, ganz im Gegenteil. Wir brauchen mehr Frauen in der Politik, in der Wirtschaft und in entscheidenden Positionen. Ich finde starke Frauen super. Ich würde übrigens natürlich auch einer Frau alleine zutrauen, mit der richtigen Politik die SPD aus der Krise zu führen.
Duo Scheer und Lauterbach bewirbt sich um Parteivorsitz Nina Scheer und Karl Lauterbach bewerben sich als Duo um den SPD-Parteivorsitz. Der Gesundheitsexperte und die Umwelt- und Energiepolitikerin wollen eine Doppelspitze bilden. Die Pressekonferenz der Kandidaten hier in voller Länge. Quelle: WELT
WELT: Warum wollen Sie SPD-Chef werden?
Maier: Ich möchte deutlich andere Schwerpunkte setzen als die aktuelle Parteiführung, sowohl beim Thema Sicherheit und Migration als auch bei wirtschaftlichen Themen. Die aktuelle Richtung gefällt mir nicht.
WELT: Was denn nicht?
Maier: Zum einen macht mir der starke Zugewinn der AfD, einer extremen Partei, große Sorgen. Genauso wie die rechtsextremen Netzwerke, die vor sprachlicher und körperlicher Gewalt bis hin zu Mord vor nichts zurückschrecken. Der Zulauf zur AfD hat meines Ermessens insbesondere auch damit zu tun, dass die etablierten Parteien – und gerade auch die SPD – die Sorgen vieler Menschen, die sich um Migration, Gewalt und Kriminalität drehen, nicht ausreichend ernst nehmen.
Insbesondere die aus der massenhaften Zuwanderung entstehenden Herausforderungen und die daraus entstehenden Sorgen der Menschen werden von der SPD nicht ausreichend adressiert. Es muss klar sein, dass wir denjenigen umfassend helfen, die wirklich Hilfe brauchen, aber konsequent gegen diejenigen vorgehen, die unsere Hilfsbereitschaft missbrauchen.
Exklusiv für Abonnenten AfD-„Flügel“ um Björn Höcke „Eine Schneise der Verwüstung“
WELT: Und was noch?
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Maier: Zum anderen jedoch fehlt mir der Zukunftsoptimismus in unserer Partei. Digitalisierung und neue Technologien bieten erhebliche Chancen zum Wohle der Menschheit und der Wirtschaft. Die SPD sollte Zukunftstechnologien als Möglichkeit zur Verbesserung der Lebensqualität und zum ökonomischen Fortschritt begreifen und den Menschen die Angst davor nehmen.
Innovative Start-ups müssen wir mit mehr Geld unterstützen. Wir brauchen einen starken Rechts- und Sozialstaat und eine starke Umwelt. Beides finanziert durch eine starke Wirtschaft. Einen Linksruck der SPD mit Kollektivierungs- und Enteignungsplänen lehne ich entschieden ab.
WELT: Erfüllen Sie als Seiteneinsteiger überhaupt das notwendige Quorum?
Maier: Bisher noch nicht. Ich brauche die Unterstützung von fünf Unterbezirken. Deswegen werde ich den August nutzen, um die entsprechende Unterstützung zu organisieren. Erste positive Signale habe ich bereits erhalten. Ich freue mich natürlich über jeden Unterbezirk, der mich einlädt, um meine Positionen zu erläutern. Unnötigerweise hat der Parteivorstand ja das Quorum für die Kandidatur bei der Mitgliederbefragung deutlich verschärft gegenüber der SPD-Wahlordnung für den Parteivorsitz. Da reichen nämlich schon drei Ortsvereine.
Exklusiv für Abonnenten SPD-Parteivorsitz Von Anfang an verkorkst
WELT: Was ist Ihrer Meinung nach das größte Problem der Partei?
Maier: Es fehlt eine mutige und offene Diskussion der Missstände in diesem Land. Ich höre immer – übrigens aus den unterschiedlichsten gesellschaftlichen Schichten –, dass das Vertrauen in den Rechtsstaat nicht mehr da ist und eine Furcht vor Gewalt und Kriminalität herrscht. Und zudem eine große Besorgnis rund um das Thema Migration. Die Menschen fragen sich, ob der Staat sie schützen kann und ihre Sorgen ernst nimmt. Darauf hat die SPD keine Antwort.
Exklusiv für Abonnenten Partei im Niedergang Die SPD im Tunnel nationaler Selbstbornierung
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WELT: Gar keine.
Maier: Ich wohne in Berlin, das seit Jahren von der SPD regiert wird. Nicht weit von Gewalt- und Kriminalitätsbrennpunkten wie Kottbusser Tor, Görlitzer Park, Rigaer Straße oder Neukölln. Wenn man hier beobachtet, wie der Staat anscheinend zuschaut, wenn offen Rechtsbrüche begangen werden, wird deutlich, dass der Rechtsstaat teilweise kapituliert. Wir lassen hier unsere Polizistinnen und Polizisten und die Justiz im Stich.
Exklusiv für Abonnenten Video-Reportage Polizei machtlos – Die Drogenparks von Berlin
WELT: Ihre Eltern sind berühmte Sozialliberale. Wo kann es denn weniger Staat sein?
Maier: Zum Beispiel bei einigen Staatsbeteiligungen wie bei der Post oder der Telekom. Das sind aus meiner Sicht keine strategischen Beteiligungen. Das Geld daraus könnte sehr viel sinnvoller eingesetzt werden, zum Beispiel für die Förderung von Innovationen und Start-ups oder zum Schutz des Klimas.
WELT: Wie kriegen Sie die Wähler der AfD zurück zur SPD?
Maier: Mit vernünftiger, ehrlicher und zugewandter Politik. Ich halte nur einen geringen Teil der AfD-Wähler für rechtsextrem, auch wenn das in der Führung der Partei anders aussieht. Die SPD und die anderen etablierten Parteien haben die Sorgen der Menschen gerade in Bezug auf Kriminalität, Gewalt und Migration nicht ernst genug genommen beziehungsweise als Hirngespinste abgetan.
Das Thema innere Sicherheit ist in weiten Teilen der SPD nicht präsent, oder es wird einfach nicht adressiert. Und das, obwohl es in allen gesellschaftlichen Schichten omnipräsent ist. Das müssen wir sehr, sehr schnell ändern. Hier liegt einer meiner inhaltlichen Schwerpunkte: Wir brauchen einen starken Rechtsstaat, um das verloren gegangene Vertrauen der Bürgerinnen und Bürger wieder zu gewinnen.
Exklusiv für Abonnenten Übergriffe von Flüchtlingen Aus Angst werden Konflikte der „multikulturellen“ Gesellschaft beschönigt
WELT: Soll es auch migrationskritische Wähler geben können?
Maier: Ja, auch migrationskritische Wähler gehören dazu. Es ist unbestritten, dass wir Zuwanderung – insbesondere von Fachkräften – brauchen. Und es ist unbestritten, dass wir denen, die wirklich Hilfe brauchen, auch schnell und umfassend helfen müssen.
Aber wenn man in unserer Partei offensichtliche Dinge nicht mehr aussprechen kann, dann haben wir ein Glaubwürdigkeitsproblem. Wie beispielsweise, als Andrea Nahles sagte, dass wir nicht alle Menschen der Welt bei uns aufnehmen können und der Landesverband Berlin das in einem Beschluss als „rechte Rhetorik“ verurteilt hat. Das geht an den Realitäten und dem gesunden Menschenverstand vieler Bürger*innen einfach vorbei.
Exklusiv für Abonnenten Krise der Sozialdemokratie Andrea Nahles wurde gnadenlos verheizt. Das wird die SPD noch bereuen
WELT: Sie sind ein reicher Unternehmer. Soll der Soli auch für Gutverdiener gestrichen werden, so wie es versprochen war?
Maier: Ja, der Soli wurde für die Finanzierung der Wiedervereinigung eingeführt. Ehrlich ist es nun, 30 Jahre nach dem Mauerfall, diese Sondersteuer wieder abzuschaffen. Zumal es nicht unwahrscheinlich ist, dass das Verfassungsgericht einen verbleibenden Soli für grundgesetzwidrig erklärt. Diese Abschaffung muss allerdings gekoppelt sein an eine moderate Anhebung des Spitzensteuersatzes.
Rechnungshof warnt vor Teil-Abschaffung Der Bundesrechnungshof warnt vor der von der Bundesregierung geplanten nur teilweisen Abschaffung des Solidaritätszuschlags. Stattdessen empfiehlt man, die Abgabe vollständig und zügig abzuschaffen. Quelle: WELT/Kevin Knauer
WELT: Oje. Das bringt ja gar nichts.
Maier: Gleichzeitig bin ich übrigens für eine deutlich konsequentere Besteuerung von hohen Erbschaften, auch wenn das Menschen wie mich beziehungsweise meine Kinder unmittelbar betreffen würde. Dieser Weg wäre aus meiner Sicht der beste Weg, die Chancengleichheit zu erhöhen und das Vermögensgefälle zu reduzieren. Dieses wäre auch eine bessere Lösung als eine Vermögensteuer. | {
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The State of Texas today announced that Apple has committed to spend $304 million to expand its operations in Austin, seeking to add 3,600 employees to its facilities there.
The new campus will more than double the size of Apple's workforce in Texas over the next decade, supporting the company's growing operations in the Americas with expanded customer support, sales and accounting functions for the region. In exchange for Apple's commitment to create these new jobs in Texas, the state has offered Apple an investment of $21 million over ten years through the Texas Enterprise Fund (TEF).
Apple's campus in Austin, Texas (Source: Flickr/The Pug Father)
While Apple's Austin campus focuses primarily on customer support and other administrative functions, it does also house some engineering functions primarily related to chip design. Samsung's chip factory where it produces Apple's A-series chips for its iOS devices is also located in Austin and recently underwent a major expansion itself to support Apple's products.
Update: The City of Austin has also proposed an $8.6 million grant investment in the project should Apple meet certain performance metrics presumably tied to campus development and hiring. Apple is required to invest $56.5 million in new facilities and equipment by the end of 2015, with an additional $226 million investment coming by the end of 2021. Apple has also committed to retaining its existing 3,100 jobs in Austin and adding at least 3,635 new jobs, with yearly hiring targets for each of the ten years following the opening of its Phase I expansion. | {
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With game 6 between the San Jose Sharks and St Louis Blues underway, the Vancouver Canucks have made a trade with the Florida Panthers.
The Canucks have traded 2014 1st round pick Jared McCann, along with 2016 2nd round pick (33rd overall) and 2016 4th round pick (93rd overall) for Erik Gudbranson and 2016 NYI 5th round pick (139 overall)
It will be McCann, a second and a fourth for Gudbranson and a fifth. All picks this year — Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) May 26, 2016
It was long rumoured that the Canucks had been shopping McCann for help on the backend, and there had been reports that Gudbranson was possibly a player that could be on the move in Florida. So it wasn’t crazy to suggest a connecting of the dots between the two teams but with that being said the Canucks adding a 2nd round pick and 4th round pick for this draft seems like an overpayment.
For a team looking to inject more youth and further supplement their pipeline with more prospects, the thought of the Canucks only picking 5th overall and then having to wait until 63rd to select again seems like a misguided step. Also moving a 20 year old and recent first round pick who made the team out of camp seems like another odd move, especially given that Gudbranson is 24 years old.
Ideally if the Canucks were in the market to move McCann and 33rd overall, they would’ve traded for a defenceman who was in their early twenties rather than their mid twenties. The Canucks also struggled to generate offence from the backend, so adding Gudbranson doesn’t help that aspect in any way.
Gudbranson had just recently signed a year contract extension worth $3.5 million. The Canucks will assume this full contract.
The Canucks now currently have 9 defenceman penciled in for next season, so something has to give. Unfortunately none of those players will hold the same value that McCann, 33rd and 93rd overall did.
Canucks GM Jim Benning was on record after selecting McCann that he was getting calls for him immediately after he was chosen. So if they were wanting to shop him, it’s doubtful there wouldn’t have been at least a few suitors. A little patience likely would’ve reaped better rewards.
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So no matter what happens over the rest of the summer, the initial optics of the deal don’t look great.
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WASHINGTON/SEOUL (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday called off a historic summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un scheduled for next month, citing Pyongyang’s “open hostility,” and warned that the U.S. military was ready in the event of any reckless acts by North Korea.
Trump wrote a letter to Kim to announce his abrupt withdrawal from what would have been the first-ever meeting between a serving U.S. president and a North Korean leader in Singapore on June 12.
“Sadly, based on the tremendous anger and open hostility displayed in your most recent statement, I feel it would be inappropriate, at this time, to have this long-planned meeting,” Trump wrote.
It was a dramatic end to weeks of optimistic statements from Trump that by meeting with Kim he might succeed where previous U.S. presidents had failed and persuade North Korea to give up a nuclear weapons program that now threatens the United States.
North Korean Vice Foreign Minister Kim Kye Gwan responded to Trump’s announcement by saying Pyongyang remained open to resolving issues with Washington “at any time in any way.”
“We had set in high regards President Trump’s efforts, unprecedented by any other president, to create a historic North Korea-U.S. summit,” he was quoted as saying by the official Korean Central News Agency.
On Wednesday evening Washington time, North Korea had repeated a threat to pull out of the summit and warned it was prepared for a nuclear showdown with Washington if necessary.
White House officials said that statement in which Pyongyang also condemned U.S. Vice President Mike Pence as a “political dummy” was “the last straw.”
One senior official said there had been “a trail of broken promises” from North Korea “that has given the United States pause.” That included the North Koreans not showing up to a planned meeting in Singapore last week.
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who met Kim twice in Pyongyang, said North Korea had not responded to contacts in recent days and Trump had made his decision after meetings on Wednesday in which he concluded the summit would not be successful.
“We got a lot of dial tones,” Pompeo said, adding it was disappointing but “frankly not a surprise.”
Speaking at the White House, Trump said he remained open to dialogue but had spoken to Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and warned North Korea against any “reckless act.”
He said U.S. allies South Korea and Japan also were ready to shoulder much of the financial burden “if an unfortunate situation is forced upon us” by North Korea.
‘WE’LL SEE’
Asked if the summit cancellation increased the risk of war, Trump replied: “We’ll see what happens.”
He said the United States would continue its “maximum pressure” campaign of sanctions to press North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons.
Trump’s move sent global share markets sharply lower before they regained some footing. Safe-haven buying of U.S. Treasury bonds pushed their yields lower, while the dollar weakened.
The outlook for the meeting soured dramatically this month when North Korea angrily rejected the notion that it would agree to unilateral nuclear disarmament as Washington has demanded.
Trump has said he detected a change in Kim’s attitude after the second of two recent visits the North Korean made to China and that he was possibly being influenced by Beijing, with which the United States is embroiled in a major trade dispute.
The cancellation came just hours after North Korea followed through on a pledge to blow up tunnels at its main nuclear test site, which Pyongyang said was proof of its commitment to end nuclear testing.
The senior White House official said that among North Korea’s broken promises was one to allow experts to witness the dismantlement of the site, which meant there was no one there to verify what actually occurred. Only a small group of international media handpicked by North Korea witnessed the demolition at the Punggye-ri site.
Slideshow ( 8 images )
North Korea’s announcement of its plan to destroy its only nuclear test site had been widely welcomed as a positive, if largely symbolic, step. Kim has declared his nuclear force complete, amid speculation the site was obsolete anyway.
The Pentagon said it was too early to give an assessment, but U.S. officials and experts say the site could be put back into service or re-established elsewhere.
SOUTH KOREAN PRESIDENT ‘PERPLEXED’
South Korean President Moon Jae-in, who worked hard to help set up the summit and urged Trump at a White House meeting on Tuesday not to let a rare opportunity slip away, said he was “perplexed” by the cancellation. He urged Trump and Kim to talk directly.
The reference to Pence that offended the White House came in a statement released by North Korean media citing Vice Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui. She called Pence a “political dummy” for comparing North Korea - a “nuclear weapons state” - to Libya, where Muammar Gaddafi gave up his unfinished nuclear development program, only to be killed later by NATO-backed fighters.
Slideshow ( 8 images )
“Whether the U.S. will meet us at a meeting room or encounter us at nuclear-to-nuclear showdown is entirely dependent upon the decision and behavior of the United States,” Choe said.
Trump had further raised expectations for a successful summit after North Korea released three Americans this month, which he called in his letter “a beautiful gesture” by Kim.
While Trump left the door open for talks with Kim, chances for a quick rescheduling appear remote and the cancellation will renew fears of a return to conflict on the Korean peninsula.
Trump’s letter also referred to the possibility of war.
“You talk about your nuclear capabilities, but ours are so massive and powerful that I pray to God that they will never have to be used,” he said.
North Korea’s pursuit of nuclear weapons prompted fears of war last year after it said it tested an H-bomb and developed a missile capable of hitting the United States.
Rhetoric reached new heights under Trump as he mocked Kim as “little rocket man” and threatened to “totally destroy” North Korea if necessary. Kim called Trump mentally deranged.
The summit cancellation denies Trump of what supporters hoped could have been a major diplomatic achievement, worthy of a Nobel Peace Prize.
It comes at a time when Trump’s withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal has drawn criticism and his moving of the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem has fueled violence. An investigation into alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 election hangs over his presidency.
Robert Einhorn, a non-proliferation expert at the Brookings Institution, said it seemed Trump realized he would not get assurances from Kim of a willingness to give up its nuclear weapons.
“He was, I think, reluctant to go to Singapore and come up short,” he said. “This probably was the best choice he could make - much better than having a meeting that would deepen the divisions, lead to angry recriminations and set back any prospect for getting back on track.” | {
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Square Enix gave its deepest look yet into Dragon Quest XI during the game’s release date presentation last night in Japan. According to the company, the game’s story will last roughly 50 hours, and that doesn’t account for all the extra goodies which could drag it out to 100.
50 hours is quite steep, but given the 100+ hour adventures, even without extras, that both Dragon Quest VII and Dragon Quest VIII provided on the Nintendo 3DS recently, I’ll take this as a sign of reprieve!
Gameplay videos from the presentation also emerged with Square Enix showing off new elements of the game, most noticeably the ability to change the protagonist’s wardrobe and several different looks at the combat system. | {
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Imprisoned for 20 years, juvenile lifer has a chance at parole
LANSING -- After nearly 20 years in prison, Calvin Wilson could be free in as few as seven years.
In a hearing Wednesday, Ingham County Circuit Judge James Jamo scrapped Wilson’s life sentence for murder and resentenced him to a minimum of 27 years.
Wilson has been in prison since the age of 17 for the killing of Samaan “Simon” Samara during a 1997 holdup at a Lansing party store.
His resentencing Wednesday comes after a U.S. Supreme Court ruling found that mandatory life without parole sentences for those younger than 18 violate the constitutional prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment.
With the Supreme Court ruling, more than 350 juvenile lifers in Michigan became eligible for resentencing in January 2016.
Last summer, Ingham County Prosecutor Carol Siemon, after meeting with victims and considering the defendant’s potential for rehabilitation, said she would not ask for a life sentence for Wilson.
His sentence Wednesday stemmed from a stipulated agreement between prosecutors and defense. Jamo sentenced Wilson to 25 to 60 years for first degree murder, 25 to 60 years for armed robbery and two years for felony firearm. His sentences for murder and armed robbery will be served concurrently.
“Calvin is certainly on the path to rehabilitation and will hopefully be paroled in seven years,” his lawyer, Jessica Zimbelman, said. “It's certainly an encouraging sentence and a fair sentence for him.”
MORE:
Wilson shot Samara in the face on Oct. 13, 1997, after demanding money from the 62-year-old at the One Stop Party Shop on East Grand River Avenue. He then made a store clerk stand over Samara’s body and open the cash register so that he could grab cash.
The shooting shook the community in and around the party store, according to State Journal reports, as many knew Samara as a man who befriended many and gave out candy to neighborhood children.
Zimbelman said Wilson is remorseful for his actions and is capable of rehabilitation.
In a sentencing memorandum, Zimbelman said at the time of the murder Wilson was “living in an unstable environment fraught with drug abuse and violence. He had little to no supervision and lacked basic coping skills.”
Born to a 15-year-old mother and 17-year-old father, Wilson’s childhood included several contacts with protective services regarding lack of supervision, dirty living conditions and abuse, according to Zimbelman’s sentencing memo.
In 2016 President Obama banned juvenile solitary confinement:
When Wilson was 11, his mother went to prison for involuntary manslaughter. He began smoking marijuana and “hanging with the wrong crowd," including one of the men involved in the 1997 armed robbery.
“Today, Mr. Wilson is an adult with a strong support network,” Zimbelman wrote. “His crime reflects immaturity and the trauma and chaos that shaped his childhood.”
If given parole, Zimbelman said Wilson plans to live with his aunt in Lansing and work with a workforce development agency.
Wilson is the second and last juvenile lifer to be resentenced in Ingham County.
In November, 41-year-old Robert Whitfield was resentenced to 25 to 60 years for the murder of Joseph Kuchar.
Whitfield was 15 on Jan. 19, 1992 when he smoked a crack-cocaine laced joint and burglarized a Willow Street home. During the robbery, he shot Kuchar while the 37-year-old man begged for his life. He attempted to shoot a second man but the bullet ended up only grazing him.
Contact Reporter Beth LeBlanc at 517-377-1167 or [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @LSJBethLeBlanc. | {
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Au début du confinement pour lutter contre le Covid-19, 16 salariés d'Altran se sont vus notifiés d'un non-renouvellement de leur période d'essai. Une rupture de période d'essai non justifiée selon l'inspection du travail.
"Je n'ai pas été jugé sur mes compétences"
À ce sujet, la rédaction vous recommande Coronavirus : la reprise de l'activité chez les sous-traitants de l'aéronautique suscite de nombreuses inquiétudes
Une rupture qui n'est pas "juridiquement fondée"
Coronavirus : 16 salariés d'Altran se voient remerciés à la fin de leur période d'essai
À ce sujet, la rédaction vous recommande Altran condamné en appel à payer 10 millions d'euros d' heures supplémentaires à 300 ingénieurs
Le leader mondial de l'ingénierie Altran possède 3 sites dans la région toulousaine. En ce moment, 90 % des effectifs fonctionnent en télétravail.Au début du confinement, une dizaine de salariés ont reçu une lettre recommandée leur signifiant que leur contrat ne serait pas renouvelé à l'issue de leur période d'essai. L'un de ceux qui a reçu ce courrier recommandé témoigne : "j'ai trouvé ça bizarre". La lettre lui notifie la rupture de la période d'essai, au motif qu'elle était "non-concluante"."Sur quoi il se base, je ne sais pas. J'ai été embauché sur une mission, elle a été reportée d'un mois et demi. Je n'ai même pas été jugé sur mes compétences." Il regrette cette rupture de contrat qu'il juge abusive.Selon le syndicat CGT, certains salariés qui ont démissionné de leur ancien emploi pour venir travailler chez Altran se retrouvent sans droit au chômage. Charles Boury, délégué syndical explique que certains "se retrouvent dans une période difficile sans même avoir le droit au chômage," n'ayant pas cotisé suffisamment longtemps.Saisie par un syndicat, l'inspection du travail a écrit à la direction d'Altran. Dans cet avis, elle décrit que la rupture de ces périodes d'essai n'est pas "juridiquement fondée".En janvier 2018, la société Altran avait été condamnée en appel à payer près de 10 millions d'euros d'heures supplémentaires à 300 de ses ingénieurs. Sur ce nouveau dossier, la direction de l'entreprise n'a pour l'instant pas répondu aux sollicitations de nos journalistes.Le reportage de Laurent Dubois et Régis Guillon : | {
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The genes of a boy who died 12,600 years ago show that all indigenous people in the Americas seem to be descended from the same group of ancestors
WE MAY never know who the Anzick child was. Why he died, just 3 years old, in the foothills of the American Rockies; why he was buried, 12,600 years ago, beneath a huge cache of sharpened flints; or why his kin left him with a bone tool that had been passed down the generations for 150 years.
One thing, however, is certain: his afterlife is anything but ordinary. This week, geneticists announced that the boy is the earliest ancient American to have his entire genome sequenced. Incredibly, he turns out to be a direct ancestor of most tribes in Central and South America – and probably the US too – as well as a very close cousin of Canadian tribes.
“It’s crazy,” says Eske Willerslev of the University of Copenhagen in Denmark, who led the genomic analysis. “Finding someone who is directly ancestral to the entire population of a continent – that just does not happen. I don’t think it would ever happen in Europe, or in Siberia. There are very few places where this could happen.”
“The reason,” he says, “must be that this skeleton is really close to the source – really close to the ‘Adam’. I think that is the only explanation.”
“This skeleton is really close to the source – really close to the ‘Adam’. I think that is the only explanation”
The find offers the first genetic evidence for what Native Americans have claimed all along: that they are directly descended from the first Americans. It also confirms that those first Americans can be traced back at least 24,000 years, to a group of early Asians and a group of Europeans who mated near Lake Baikal in what is now Siberia. And it dispels a controversial theory that the Americas were first populated by west Europeans who somehow crossed the Atlantic Ocean.
The boy was discovered in Montana in 1968, when diggers working on land owned by the Anzick family accidentally ploughed into a huge cache of stone tools. The flints were typical of the Clovis period, a short archaeological period in North America lasting from 13,000 to 12,500 years ago. Beneath them lay a handful of bone artefacts and a skeleton.
Clovis artefacts are scattered all over the western US. Archaeologists largely believe that the first Americans arrived by a land bridge from Asia about 15,000 years ago, and some went on to develop Clovis tools (see “A history of the first Americans in 9½ sites”).
Willerslev and his colleagues were able to extract enough viable DNA from the boy’s badly preserved bones to sequence his entire genome.
They then compared this with DNA samples from 143 modern non-African populations, including 52 South American, central American and Canadian tribes.
The comparison revealed a map of ancestry. The Anzick child is most closely related to modern tribes in Central and South America, and is equally close to all of them – suggesting his family were common ancestors. To the north, Canadian tribes were very close cousins. DNA comparisons with Siberians, Asians and Europeans show that the further west populations are from Alaska, the less related they are to the boy.
Fully sequenced genomes remain rare, so the bulk of the analysis was done by looking at genetic markers known as single nucleotide polymorphisms or SNPs. To confirm the pattern, Willerslev and his team sequenced full genomes from three contemporary Mayan and Karitiana individuals in Central and South America.
The findings offer genetic confirmation that the first Americans crossed the land bridge that once stretched from Siberia to Alaska across the Bering Strait.
“The Clovis population seems to be more closely related to South Americans than to native North Americans,” says David Reich of Harvard Medical School in Boston. “That’s telling you that the Clovis sample seems to have occurred after the initial split of the lineages that gave rise to native South Americans and native North Americans.”
Unfortunately, long-standing tensions between US tribes and scientists mean there is no significant genetic data available from these peoples (see Leader, “An ancient genome alone can’t heal long-standing rifts“). Having that data, says Reich, could help determine which groups lie on either side of the North and South American family tree.
In November, Willerslev published the genome of another ancient boy, the 24,000-year-old Mal’ta boy, from the shores of Russia’s Lake Baikal. The boy’s DNA showed he descended from a mating between early Asians and proto-Europeans, and that he is related to modern South Americans. Like modern South American DNA, the Anzick DNA is a mix of Mal’ta and other Asian DNA, pointing to a “source” population for the first Americans, probably in far eastern Siberia (see map).
But how many first Americans were there, and did they come all at once or as a slow trickle? “The most likely scenario is that a single migration of people into the heartland of North America around 15,000 years ago gave rise to the Clovis and their descendants, which includes modern Native Americans,” says Mike Waters of Texas A&M University in College Station, a co-author with Willerslev on the latest study. “This is supported by the archaeological and genetic evidence.”
In fact, Willerslev wagers that the first group to cross over from Siberia was no more than 100 strong. Another of Willerslev’s co-authors, David Meltzer of the Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas, is more cautious. For now, he says, we have just one genetic data point. And the study cannot address whether early migrants came through the interior of North America, or hugged the coast. The interior route would not have opened until 13,500 years ago, but earlier remains have been found in Monte Verde in Chile. So a first group may have come down the coast, and later groups from the same source population followed inland, carrying the same genetic heritage.
Perhaps the most evocative mystery that remains is the identity of the boy himself. His is the only known Clovis grave. The tools he was buried with – including one that was already 150 years old and fashioned from an elk bone – would have been priceless heirlooms to those who carried them. Yet they left them in the ground with a child.
We may never know who the Anzick child was, but scientists and local US tribes have agreed to lay him back to rest (see “Tribal healing: Anzick child genome changed my life“). He will be reburied sometime in the next few months.
Journal reference: Nature, DOI: 10.1038/nature13025
Leader: “Ancient genome won’t heal rifts with Native Americans“ | {
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(CAMPUS REFORM) -- A University of California-Santa Cruz researcher says “kinky people” should be recognized as a protected class.
UCSC researcher Sam Hughes argues during an interview with City on a Phil Media that those who engage in taboo sexual activity are often discriminated against in ways he says are comparable to those experienced by members of the LGBT community. He contends that one solution to this would be to treat these individuals as part of a “protected class.” Groups with protected class status are legally protected from employment or housing discrimination.
Groups with protected class status “include men and women on the basis of sex; any group which shares a common race, religion, color, or national origin; people over 40; and people with physical or mental handicaps,” according to the Equal Employment Opportunity program.
Read the full story › | {
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Here is our list of space policy events for the week of November 14-19, 2016 and any insight we can offer about them. The House and Senate are in session this week.
During the Week
The House and Senate return to work for one week beginning tomorrow (Monday). The House meets for legislative business Monday-Thursday; the Senate will be in pro forma session on Monday and meet for legislative business the rest of the week. Then they will recess again until after Thanksgiving.
With Republicans retaining control of both chambers, there will be less organizational work to prepare for the 115th Congress that convenes in January. The one “must do” item between now and the end of the year is passing appropriations bill(s) to fund the government past December 9. As we wrote yesterday, it’s not clear how that will play out, but it’s hard to imagine anyone wants a government shutdown at this point, so they will have to work something out. One “probably will do” is complete action on the FY2017 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). A number of other pieces of legislation could also be completed, such as the NASA Transition Authorization Act, if the various parties can reach agreement. It’s doubtful any of that will be finalized this week, but progress may be made behind the scenes.
Everyone is still catching their breaths after the stunning election results. The quadrennial parlor game of guessing who will be to tapped to lead NASA and NOAA (and every other government agency) is in full swing along with prognosticating about the incoming Trump Administration’s space priorities. It’s far too early to know based on the limited information the Trump campaign issued, but that doesn’t mean it’s not fun to play. We’ll refrain from speculating on new agency leaders, but, programmatically, here’s our two cents worth on NASA’s future. Human spaceflight will be fine, though we think the days are numbered for the Asteroid Redirect Mission and fully expect a human return to the surface of the Moon to be restored to the long term plan; space science will hold its own, though within a more constrained budget if deficit-cutting regains popularity; and earth science will not do very well not only because President-elect Trump is a climate change skeptic, but Sen. Barbara Mikulski is retiring so will not be in a position to rescue it. We don’t have a good feel for aeronautics or space technology. Both are very popular in theory, but routinely underfunded in practice. One worry is that if the total NASA budget is constrained due to broad deficit cutting goals, and human spaceflight programs exceed current cost targets — let’s be honest, that would hardly be surprising — other parts of the NASA portfolio will pay the price. Meanwhile, public private partnerships will continue to be encouraged, as will interagency and international cooperation/coordination.
That will all take place over the next months and years. Getting back to this week, there is, as usual, a lot of very interesting events coming up. To pick just three, tomorrow’s meeting of the NASA Advisory Council’s Human Exploration and Operations Committee at JSC could be interesting (available remotely by WebEx/telecon). Kathy Lueders, program manager for the commercial crew program, is on the agenda for 1:45 pm Central Time (2:45 pm Eastern). Perhaps she will address some of the issues raised in the letter that Tom Stafford and his ISS Advisory Committee sent to Bill Gerstenmaier about SpaceX’s plans to fuel the Falcon 9 rocket while crews are aboard. At a minimum, she should provide an update on when the Trump Administration can expect to see American astronauts on American rockets sent to the ISS from American soil. Instead of launching on Russian rockets from Kazakhstan, as will happen on Thursday when Peggy Whitson and her Soyuz MS-03 crewmates, ESA’s Thomas Pesquet and Roscosmos’s Oleg Novitsky, blast off from Baikonur.
Our second top pick this week is Saturday’s launch of NOAA’s GOES-R satellite. NASA TV is in the unenviable position of needing to cover the Soyuz MS-03 launch and GOES-R pre-launch briefings both on Thursday afternoon, and the Soyuz MS-03 docking at ISS and GOES-R launch, both on Saturday afternoon. NASA TV has a public channel and a media channel; if you don’t find the programming you’re looking for on one, try the other. GOES-R is the first of four next-generation geostationary weather satellites that NOAA has been developing for many years. It will be redesignated GOES-16 once in orbit. The other three have launch dates stretching out into the mid-2020s. The spacecraft has an on-board orbit-raising engine similar to one that failed on MUOS-5, but NASA and NOAA are confident that a backup system will get GOES-R to its correct orbit no matter what.
Third is a Washington Space Business Roundtable (WSBR) luncheon on Thursday featuring Rep. Derek Kilmer (D-WA). He represents a Seattle-area district that is home to companies like Blue Origin and Planetary Resources — he calls it the Silicon Valley of space. He is one of the congressional champions of creating a legal and regulatory environment conducive to new types of commercial space ventures and worked with Rep. Jim Bridenstine (R-OK) earlier this year to get the House Appropriations Committee to approve the full requested funding level for FAA’s Office of Commercial Space Transportation. He may have some insight as to what Capitol Hill will do in these closing weeks of the 114th Congress and his own prognostication of what the next four years have in store for space.
Those and other events we know about as of Sunday morning are shown below. Check back throughout the week for others that we learn about later and add to our Events of Interest list.
Monday, November 14
NASA Advisory Council (NAC) Human Exploration & Operations (HEO) Committee, NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX, 9:30 am – 5:30 pm Central Time (10:30 am – 6:30 pm Eastern) Available by WebEx/telecon
Monday-Tuesday, November 14-15
NAC Aeronautics Committee, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA (WebEx/telecon, but must contact NASA in advance to get call-in information)
Small Satellite Workshop (USGIF), NGA East Campus, Springfield, VA (Nov 15 sessions are classified)
Tuesday, November 15
Tuesday-Wednesday, November 15-16
Workshop on Planetary Science Using JAXA’s Epsilon Rocket, Lunar and Planetary Lab, Tucson, AZ (registration limited)
Tuesday-Thursday, November 15-17
Wednesday-Friday, November 16-18
Space Traffic Management Conference, Embry Riddle University, Daytona Beach, FL (Nov 17 and 18 will be webcast)
Thursday, November 17
Thursday-Friday, November 17-18
NOAA Science Advisory Board, the Nature Conservancy, Arlington, VA
Friday, November 18
NAC Technology, Innovation & Engineering Committee, NASA HQ, Washington, DC, 8:00 am – 5:00 pm ET (WebEx/telecon)
Saturday, November 18
Soyuz MS-03 Arrival at ISS, Earth orbit, docking 5:00 pm ET, hatch opening ~7:35 pm ET, watch on NASA TV
GOES-R Launch, Cape Canaveral, FL, 5:42 pm ET (one hour launch window), watch on NASA TV
Correction: an earlier version of this article listed the start time for Monday’s NAC/HEO meeting as 9:00 am Central Time, but it begins at 9:30 am CT (10:30 am ET). | {
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Rising interest in local foods is helping offset some of the pain for Louisville tobacco farmers hurt by the decline in smoking.
Some farmers used money from the 1998 tobacco settlement to diversify into grass fed beef, organic produce or other sustainable crops. That's helped fuel the thriving local food scene, said Sarah Fritschner, coordinator of the city's farm-to-table program.
Area specialties include beef -- Kentucky is the largest cattle producer east of the Mississippi -- pork, grits, and anything made with bourbon whiskey, including bourbon brownies, bourbon sweet potatoes and bourbon lamb shank.
"They use it like a French chef uses Cognac," said Fritschner.
She said the food scene is bolstering the tourism industry as well, with people traveling from as far away as Indianapolis and Chicago to sample the local fare. | {
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After a long and arduous wait to see what the 2014 Seattle Mariners would like, we have our answer. Though a last-minute deal is technically still possible, it is extremely unlikely—and the 25-man roster will be as it looks now.
The full listing is below, but there are a couple noteworthy things. Though, a majority of it was obvious.
Brad Miller has officially won the starting shortstop job and Nick Franklin is headed to Tacoma, where he will primarily play shortstop—but "he might play some outfield," says Lloyd McClendon via Ryan Divish. It was funny, on the radio broadcast the day before last, Aaron Goldsmith relayed his short story of attempting to ask Brad Miller what he thought about playing on his first MLB Opening Day. Miller, and I'm paraphrasing from memory here, said "What are you talking about? I haven't been told anything." Well, get excited Brad. We are.
Also, what had also been broadly assumed is now official: Stefen Romero has made the team as the righty bat this front office desperately craved. We'll see if he eventually becomes a regular, a platoon guy, or neither—but right now the big club has a need and it's time to figure out if he can fill it.
Lloyd McClendon had said not too long ago that he hoped to have three lefties out in the pen, and he did have three lefties he could potentially take, but in the end Lucas Luetge didn't make the cut as the team will go with Joe Beimel and Charlie Furbush.
Also of note in the pen, the team will not, as it's tended to do in the past, pluck a flamethrower from the minors as both Carson Smith and Dominic Leone will be pitching in Tacoma as the team has opted to go with Tom Wilhelmsen. It'll be interesting to watch how Wilhelmsen does in the early going because it shouldn't be too long before Stephen Pryor is ready.
Finally, Hector Noesi makes the team as the long reliever over Blake Beavan. Noesi was out of options, and Beavan wasn't. This probably played a role. People will fret about Noesi making the team, and I understand that, but the vast majority of the time a long reliever enters the game, it's already over. And, on rare occasions, Noesi has been serviceable in that role.
Now, with guys making the 25-man who weren't on the 40-man roster, some people had to be designated for assignment. And there, it will be Carlos Triunfel and Xavier Avery. They have the option to stay within the organization but, given the multitude of teams seeking middle infield help, it wouldn't be surprising to see someone give Triunfel—once, a long time ago, a top-flight prospect—a look at either shortstop or second base.
The roster now sits at 28, as Pryor, Taijuan Walker and Hisashi Iwakuma will start the year on the disabled list. Walker is headed to single-A High Desert to get ready.
Finally, here's how it all comes together.
Starting Rotation
Infield
Outfield
Bullpen
Let's send it off with a little LLoyd:
McClendon on telling Roenis Elias he'd made team: "I didn't understand everything he said because most of it was in Spanish ... (1/2). — Greg Johns (@GregJohnsMLB) March 28, 2014
McClendon on Elias: "... but I think in the end he tried to kiss me. I figured he was happy at that point." (2/2) — Greg Johns (@GregJohnsMLB) March 28, 2014
Let's do it. Go M's. | {
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Doamne, ce fotbaliști îmbrăcau tricoul biancocelestilor la trecerea între milenii! Nesta, Simeone, Salas, Mancini, Sergio Conceicao, Veron, Mihajlovici, Stankovici, Nedved, Boksici, Almeida, Ravanelli, Sensini. Era și Simone Inzaghi printre ei, mai degrabă trăind din câteva reușite și din faima lui Pippo. Visele expansive ale lui don Sergio Cragnotti făcuse din Lazio una dintre superputerile lumii. După două decenii, capitolinii au sosit în Gruia cu garnitura a doua, lăsând vedetele acasă, Immobile, Radu, Luis Alberto, alte staruri, Lulici și Luis Felipe, fiind pe bancă. Chiar și așa, trupa romană arată ca una de armăsari pur sânge, cu fotbaliști voinici care știu bine și cu mingea.
Nu e de mirare că oaspeții au trecut la butoanele partidei încă din start. Milinkovici-Savici este pe lista marilor puteri, a desenat cum a vrut printre niște adversari ale căror cotă adunată în grup este de cel puțin două ori mai mici decât cea a lui. Lazzari, mai tânăr, mai vivace, i-a luat la viteză pe elevii lui Petrescu. Italienii au încercat să joace cu capul sus, semeț, clujenii punând osul la treabă. Bastos (25) a deschis scorul, logic, impresionând: și venit singur-singurel la gol, și reluare cu genunchiul, ca-n curtea școlii. Fost jucător în Italia, Djokovici și-a pus ambiția la lucru. După o tentativă de foarfecă, a avut inteligența și șansa de a scoate un penalty, forțând decisiv la Leiva. A fost și inteligent să nu riște și să-l lase pe Deac (41) să bată penalty-ul, perfect, și să aducă golul ce-a echilibrat balanța și-a încălzit tribunele.
Traore a trăit doar din golurile trecutului, unul apreciat și pe site-ul oficial UEFA. SuperDan a introdus prezentul după pauză, pe Omrani, care a dat puls unei echipe ce-a jucat un fotbal frustrant în prima repriză. Lăudat de Inzaghi, Bilel (52) a scăpat impetuos spre zona lui Strakosha, doar că a tras enervant de slab dintr-o superpoziție. Totuși, golgeterul campioanei a vrut să se remarce, a dorit să tragă din orice poziție, dovedind că are caracter de fotbalist ce-și asumă jocul.
Francezul nu a mai iertat a doua oară! În minutul 85 a lovit bara, a fost atent pe recuperare și a punctat decisiv.
CFR Cluj e primul ider al grupei E. În celălalt meci, Rennes și Celtic au remizat, scor 1-1.
FINAL » CFR Cluj - Lazio 2-1
min: 90: Arlauskis blochează incredibil, cu brațul la nivelul ierbii, șutul trimis din voleu de Cataldi.
min. 90: Cătălin Golofca intră în locul lui Ciprian Deac.
min. 88: Deac e aproape de 3-1! „Decarul” clujenilor nu reușește să devieze suficient mingea venită din flancul stâng.
min. 85: Arlauskis vede un cartonaș galben pentru întârzierea repunerii balonului. E primul avertisment din tabăra campioanei României.
min. 83: Culio intră în locul lui Alexandru Păun.
min. 75: GOL CFR CLUJ, 2-1! Omrani primește o pasă excelentă de la Păun. În prima fază trimite în bară, din zona punctului de la 11 metri.. Mingea revine la el și, iar lovitura de cap nu poate fi respinsă de Strakosha, prins ieșit..
min. 74: Mike Cestor rezistă excelent în fața lui Correa. Culio e trimis la încălzire de Dan Petrescu.
2 victoriiau obținut formațiile românești în ultimele 22 de jocuri cu echipele din Italia: cea obținută de CFR la Roma, scor 1-2 în grupele Ligii Campionilor, și cea din FCSB - Lazio, scor 1-0.
min. 70: Cataldi vede cartonașul galben pentru un fault comis asupra lui Camora. Intrase pe teren în minutul 67.
min. 65: Campioana României ratează trei șanse în aceeași fază. Carambolul se termină cu un posibil henț. Protestele „feroviarilor” nu îl înduplecă pe arbitrul polonez.
min. 64: Arlauskis are o nou intervenție decisivă în fața lui Jony.
min. 52: Omrani beneficiează de o gafă copilărască a lui Bastos și rămâne singur cu portarul. Șutul francezului trece milimetric pe lângă stâlpul din dreapta porții lui Strakosha.
min. 50: Bordeianu avansează cu mingea la picior până la marginea careului advers. Încearcă să șuteze, dar e blocat în ultima instanță de un apărător.
min. 46: Dan Petrescu face prima schimbare. Bilel Omrani intră în locul lui Lacina Traore.
A început repriza secundă!
min. 45: Prima repriză se încheie cu o șansă mare ratată de Milinkovic-Savic.
min. 41: GOL CFR, 1-1! Lucas Leiva îl trage pe Djokovic în careu. „Centralul” Daniel Stefanski dictează lovitură de la 11 metri. Ciprian Deac transformă cu mult sânge rece lovitura de pedeapsă!
min. 38: Burcă faultază inutil la marginea careului de 16 metri. Sârbul Milinkovic-Savic trage prost, în zid.
min. 30: Lazzari aleargă incredibil printre Cestor și Camora, reușește să ia prim-planul, dar șutează mult peste poartă.
min. 25: GOL LAZIO, 0-1! Jony pasează filtrant către Correa. Boli intervine sigur. Bastos deschide scorul din cornerul rezultat, după ce a scăpat din marcajul lui Bordeianu.
min. 23: Deac centrează periculos, mingea cade în careu și creează pericol. Djokovic cade în prima fază, apoi mingea revine la el și încearcă o reluare din „foarfecă”. Lovitura nu e cadrată.
min. 20: Djokovic centrează înalt, spre Traore, dar Strakosha iese decis.
min. 14: Portarul lituanian reține un șut slab trimis de Correa de la 16 metri.
min. 11: Arlauskis are o intervenție absolut senzațională în fața lui Milinkovic-Savic! Portarul campioanei României respinge în lateral lovitura de cap venită din 6 metri.
min. 9: Lacina Traore se luptă cu fundașii adverși și obține o lovitură liberă de la 30 de metri. Ciprian Deac centrează mult prea puternic.
min. 6: Jony centrează periculos din flancul stâng. Cestor domină spațiul aerian din careul „feroviarilor” și respinge.
min. 2: Camora pasează bine pentru Păun. Mijlocașul campioanei face o preluare lungă, iar defensiva italienilor respinde în afara terenului.
min. 1: Cestor îl izbește pe Milinkovic-Savic. Arbitrul lasă jocul să meargă.
Echipele de start
CFR Cluj: Arlauskis - Peteleu, A. Burcă, Boli, Cestor, Camora - Bordeianu, Djokovic, A. Păun - L. Traore, C. Deac
Rezerve: J. Fernandez - Pașcanu, Luis Aurelio, Omrani, Susic, Culio, Golofca
Antrenor: Dan Petrescu
Lazio: Strakosha - Vavro, Acerbi, Bastos - Lazzari, Milinkovic-Savic, Lucas Leiva, Berisha, Jony - Correa, Caicedo
Rezerve: Proto - Luis Felipe, Patric, Parolo, Lulic, Cataldi, Adekanye
Antrenor: Simone Inzaghi
Stadion: „Dr. Constantin Rădulescu”, Cluj
Arbitru: Daniel Stefanski // Asistenți: Marcin Boniek, Dawid Igor Gollis (Polonia)
UPDATE ORA 18:00
Italienii au ajuns la stadion!
Match preview CFR Cluj - Lazio
Conferință Dan Petrescu
Conferință Simone Inzaghi
PROGRAMUL COMPLET AL CAMPIOANEI ROMÂNIEI, GRUPA E:
CFR Cluj - Lazio, 19 septembrie, ora 19:55 (celălalt meci e Rennes - Celtic)
19 septembrie, ora 19:55 (celălalt meci e Rennes - Celtic) Celtic - CFR Cluj, 3 octombrie, ora 22:00 (celălalt meci e Lazio - Rennes)
3 octombrie, ora 22:00 (celălalt meci e Lazio - Rennes) Rennes - CFR Cluj , 24 octombrie, ora 22:00 (celălalt meci e Celtic - Lazio)
, 24 octombrie, ora 22:00 (celălalt meci e Celtic - Lazio) CFR Cluj - Rennes , 7 noiembrie, ora 19:55 (celălalt meci e Lazio - Celtic)
, 7 noiembrie, ora 19:55 (celălalt meci e Lazio - Celtic) Lazio - CFR Cluj , 28 noiembrie, ora 22:00 (celălalt meci e Celtic - Rennes)
, 28 noiembrie, ora 22:00 (celălalt meci e Celtic - Rennes) CFR Cluj - Celtic , 12 decembrie, ora 19:55 (celălalt meci e Rennes - Lazio)
VEZI ȘI:
AICI ai cele mai interesante statistici + clasamente în timp real din fotbalul intern și internațional! | {
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While the task of replacing wide receiver Alex Erickson lingered as a major issue for the University of Wisconsin football program this offseason, perhaps the more pressing need was finding enough depth behind new No. 1 Robert Wheelwright.
The arrival of three freshmen may have put those concerns on the back burner for wide receivers coach Ted Gilmore.
Quintez Cephus, A.J. Taylor and Kendric Pryor have earned plenty of reps since joining the team this summer and are producing enough to make the Badgers feel comfortable putting them on the field, if needed, when the season begins next month.
“If nothing else, that’s exactly what we’re going to have, is more depth this year,” Gilmore said. “If they don’t beat anybody out or move up, if nothing else they’re going to provide us depth, which is what we need.
“And the good thing about it is we’ve got those guys for several more years.”
Less than two weeks into camp, these three true freshmen have completely changed the future of UW’s wide receiver position.
Over the final two weeks of camp — and even throughout the entire season — they’ll try to prove that future can begin now. | {
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ST JOHNSTONE have been praised for ensuring the bulk of the Red Army were saved a wasted journey to Perth.
Saints organised an 8am pitch inspection at McDiarmid Park to ensure early notice that their Premiership clash with the Dons had been called off because of a waterlogged pitch.
Dons boss Derek McInnes applauded his old club for making sure the Aberdeen fans didn’t have to travel in severe weather conditions.
He said: “We had concerns about the game going ahead when we travelled down the day before and saw how bad the weather was in the Perth area.
“I know the pitch at McDiarmid Park from my time there as manager.
“I know how difficult it would have been for it to fend off the amount of rain that had fallen on it over the last few days.
“I’m glad they did the sensible thing and got it inspected as early as they possibly could.
“It meant the majority of our fans were saved from having to set off for Perth. Fans should always come first in these sort of situations.”
McInnes opted to give his players the rest of Sunday off. But they will be back in training for the rest of the week to prepare for Saturday’s Scottish Cup clash with Hearts at Tynecastle. | {
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Riley Brandt, University of Calgary
A University of Calgary study of seasonal air pollution will be of cold comfort to thousands of Calgarians living south of the Bow River: that crisp, wintry air they’re breathing in is the worst in the city.
The analysis, conducted by Stefania Bertazzon and Rizwan Shahid of the Geography of Health and GIS Analysis research group at the O'Brien Institute for Public Health in the Cumming School of Medicine, sheds new light on air quality variations and the potential impact on schoolkids in neighbourhoods that lend themselves to more active forms of transportation. Bertazzon is a professor in the Department of Geography. Shahid is an adjunct assistant professor for the department and a geographic information scientist at Alberta Health Services.
“I’ve done studies on air pollution and every time someone sees the data they say, ‘Oh, wow, the area where I go jogging is in one of the most polluted parts of the city,” Bertazzon explains. “People do not realize how much air pollution varies throughout the city. Rizwan had been doing a lot of work on child obesity and neighbourhood walkability, so we put our heads together.”
For the uninitiated, GIS is a geographic information system designed to capture, manipulate, and analyze datasets that can then be presented in geographic mapping overlays.
UCalgary’s Geography of Health and GIS Analysis research group studies the relationships between health and place and serves as a hub, connecting geographical expertise with health research.
The team pulled readings from the city’s network of air monitoring stations, as well as data from The City, to devise their own air quality health index with readings for ozone (03), nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and particulate matter (PM2.5), pollutants that impact human health. Using ArcGIS software and open data from the City of Calgary, the team mapped school neighbourhoods and assigned to each a walk score, bike score and transit score to calculate just how foot-, cycle- and transit-friendly they are for kids.
They found some surprising seasonal variations.
Mapping Calgary’s air
The maps below categorize air quality into low-, medium-, and high-pollution levels, relative to Calgary’s recorded values. High values on the maps correspond to ‘moderate risk’ on Environment Canada AQHI (Air Quality Health Index) scale.
In the summer, northeast Calgary sees the highest localized concentration of bad air. But in the winter, it’s south Calgary that sees some of the highest levels of air pollution.
“This was the big surprise,” says Bertazzon. “In Calgary we tend to know the northeast is bad for pollution for a number of reasons, but this shows we cannot assume it’s restricted to that quadrant alone, especially in winter.”
Why these areas and not others?
The data is consistent with seasonal wind patterns: southwest breezes in the summer and northern gusts in the winter. Pollution levels tend to be higher along main traffic corridors. Northeast Calgary has several. Shahid and Bertazzon point out the area also has a higher concentration of industrial emitters and is home to an international airport. Prevailing winds and topography are also factors. Running north-south, Deerfoot Trail is a major source of localized pollution. During the winter, pollution diffuses throughout the corridor. Beyond that, Shahid and Bertazzon agree further analysis is needed to fully explain the variations
via GIPHY
What are the risks?
Active forms of transportation such as transit, walking and biking are healthy alternatives, but the benefits can be reduced if the air is bad: You might be contributing less noxious pollutants, but you’re exposing yourself to those already floating around, Shahid explains.
Exposure at an early age can trigger environmental allergies, respiratory problems and even affect a child’s body mass index (BMI), which can lead to even more health problems down the road. Furthermore, at least one study has shown children enrolled in schools located in areas with higher traffic-related pollution exhibit less cognitive development than kids in areas with better air.
Buses idling at the height of little lungs do nothing to alleviate the problem, say Shahid and Bertazzon.
So should we send our kids to school wearing masks?
“It points to the existence of a problem, but we don’t want to cause a panic here,” says Bertazzon.
Overall, Calgary’s air quality is pretty good. In an international comparison of urban air quality published in 2016, Calgary fared better than Montreal, Toronto and Edmonton in levels of PM2.5, and well below the international average ambient concentration of NO2.
Yet research shows even low concentrations can have adverse health effects.
Both Bertazzon and Shahid acknowledge further research is needed to understand air pollution patterns in Calgary. Monitors placed in schoolyards at high traffic times (school pickup and drop-off times) would yield better data that could inform strategies to help protect little lungs, such as the better design of school bus parking areas away from playgrounds.
What’s next?
The team has shared their findings with the Calgary Region Airshed Zone and Alberta Health Services, and hopes to connect with Calgary school boards to help them understand the data and press for enforcement of idle-free strategies.
Until then, Bertazzon and Shahid suggest all Calgarians might consider implementing better breathe-safe practices: Kids should walk or bike on dedicated paths away from main traffic flows. Parents are asked to not walk young children near idling school buses — cross the street and walk on the other side, says Bertazzon.
“A very short distance away from roads makes a big difference,” says Bertazzon.
The Geography of Health and GIS Analysis research group is expanding the boundaries of geographical enquiry and spatial thinking in population and public health, and recently organized an event to promote and showcase GIS research in health.
Click here to read more about the research group and how to join. | {
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Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s nearly two-year investigation is finally over. But President Trump’s troubles aren’t.
According to a four-page summary of the Mueller report – issued Sunday by Attorney General William Barr as a letter to members of Congress – Mueller confirmed previous intelligence community findings that Russia interfered in our 2016 presidential election; found no collusion by Trump, his campaign or associates with Russia; and reached no conclusion on whether the president obstructed justice by trying to block investigations of him, his campaign and associates.
However, Barr decided to settle the obstruction question himself, writing in his letter to Congress: “Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and I have concluded that the evidence developed during the Special Counsel’s investigation is not sufficient to establish that the President committed an obstruction-of-justice offense.”
JUDGE ANDREW NAPOLITANO: ARE TRUMP'S LEGAL WOES OVER OR JUST BEGINNING?
These conclusions are not a full exoneration of Trump, even though the president has claimed they are. And investigations by the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives may further examine the collusion and obstruction questions.
n fact, some Democrats are eager to launch multiple investigations of Trump, examining his administration, his campaign, his business dealings, the charity he set up, his tax returns and his personal conduct.
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., has already alluded to calling Attorney General Barr to testify about the Mueller report and investigation. Some Democrats want Mueller to testify as well. These investigations could go on for months and unearth material that could help Democrats who want to evict Trump from the White House in the 2020 election.
Almost every member of the House recently voted to call for the Mueller report to be made public. None opposed. Even President Trump has said he wouldn’t mind the report being made public, but he’s leaving the decision up to Barr.
There’s no way to know, of course, if the president really wants the world to see the full contents of the Mueller report. But it’s smart politics for him to say he’s all for full disclosure, while perhaps counting on Barr to keep parts of the report hidden.
Beyond the Mueller report and congressional investigations, here are some dangers President Trump could still face, even with the Mueller investigation closed.
Potential indictments
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York is continuing investigations involving some of Trump’s associates and his business dealings.
The office employs one of largest group of federal prosecutors in the country, with more than 220 assistant U.S. attorneys and additional administrative and support staff. Its jurisdiction covers part of New York City, where Trump’s business is based, and six nearby counties.
These lawyers are skilled and can tackle complex cases. And unlike Mueller, the Southern District does not have a limited mandate. That means prosecutors can follow all evidence of potential illegal conduct they uncover – wherever it takes them.
Harvard Law School Professor Emeritus Alan Dershowitz has said that independence of prosecutors in the Southern District of New York is one of the reasons its investigations should give Trump "much more to worry about" than the Mueller probe.
The economy
The booming U.S. economy is slowing down. President Trump bears some responsibility for this due to his trade war with China, the needless federal government shutdown he created, and his erratic policy shifts announced on Twitter that have created uncertainty in financial markets about what he will do next.
Candidate Trump’s grandiose promises of shuttered factories reopening and expanding have proven to be wishful thinking. And economists say the president’s prediction that the economy will grow 3 percent or more this year was overly optimistic.
On top of this, growing numbers of voters are realizing that tax cuts passed by Republicans are doing much more for the rich than average Americans.
If voters aren’t happy about their own economic situation, they’re motivated to put the party out of power in the White House.
Allegations by Women
At least 23 woman have accused Trump of sexual misconduct since the 1970s. And adult film actress Stormy Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal have said they had extramarital affairs with Trump and received hush money payments to keep quiet.
On top of this, the “Access Hollywood” tape that came out shortly before the 2016 election showed Trump talking about grabbing women by their private parts and kissing them.
Trump has always denied wrongdoing. But since he was elected the #MeToo movement has blossomed and some very prominent men in the media, business, government and other fields have lost their jobs after being accused of sexual misconduct.
The movement is not over and neither are the accusations. Although most of the women who accused Trump spoke out but did not take action. Summer Zervos filed a defamation suit that is still making its way through the courts. Alva Johnson, a former Trump campaign staffer, has filed a lawsuit claiming that Trump kissed her without her consent during the 2016 presidential campaign.
These two lawsuits might cause added pressure and negative news coverage for the president, and could prompt additional women to take legal action against him. This could worsen the gender gap in his approval ratings, costing him the support of more female voters next year.
According to an ABC News poll earlier this year, while 49 percent of men approve of the president’s job performance, only 27 percent of women do.
Polls
And speaking of polls, they show the president’s overall job approval ratings remain lower than his disapproval ratings. In rounded numbers, the latest RealClear Politics average of polls put his approval rating at 44 percent and his disapproval rating at 52 percent.
The midterm elections seemed to be a referendum on the president. Democrats gained 40 seats in the House and took over the majority in that chamber.
Since he is up for re-election next year, the 2020 election is far more likely to be a referendum on the president. Polls show Trump trailing former Vice President Joe Biden by 13 points and Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont by 11 points in head-to-head matchups in a presidential race.
Broken campaign promises
The president has a long list of broken campaign promises. There’s not enough space to list them all here.
He told voters he would build a wall along our southern border and said Mexico would pay for it. Mexican leaders have made clear that their nation will never pay for the wall, so now Trump is willing to take funds from our military for the project, endangering our national security.
Trump promised to never cut Medicare but his latest budget proposal proposes large cuts to the health care program for older Americans.
And just this week the president again promised to come up with a better health insurance program to replace ObamaCare, while at the same time ordering the Justice Department to seek to overturn the Affordable Care Act in the courts.
If ObamaCare ends, about 21 million people could lose their health insurance coverage. It’s a safe bet that this would increase votes for any Democrat who runs against Trump next year.
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Not many people losing their health insurance would be inclined to vote for President Trump.
This is only a partial list of the hurdles the president must jump if he hopes to win another term in the White House. So despite the victory lap he is running now in the wake of the Mueller investigation, he needs to be aware of tough times still ahead.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE BY LESLIE MARSHALL | {
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