Anne Hathaway thought she had found Mr. Right. Instead, Raffaello Follieri stands accused of lying, cheating and bilking millions. Why did she fall for him?.? Dining at the upscale Nello Summertimes in Southampton, N.Y., in May, Anne Hathaway and her boyfriend Raffaello Follieri were the very picture of a glamorous young couple in love. "They seemed really happy," an observer says of the pair, who were joined by Follieri's parents, Pasquale Follieri and Anna Cordella. "She seemed very comfortable," says the source. "His parents really seemed to like her. They were having a great time and laughing. It was a nice family get-together."
Those good times were about to come to an explosive end. Within a month the four-year romance between Hathaway, 25, and Follieri, 30, was in ruins--and within a week the dashing Italian businessman had been arrested on charges of wire-fraud conspiracy and money laundering. (Legal experts say that if he's convicted he would likely face up to 10 years in prison.) Appearing in a Manhattan court on June 24, Follieri was branded a "con man" by federal prosecutors, who accuse him of bilking investors of millions--largely by making false claims that he had close ties to the Vatican--and then using the money to fund a dolce vita that included yachts, the opulent apartment he shared with Hathaway on Fifth Avenue and hobnobbing with former President Bill Clinton. Said Assistant U.S. Attorney Reed Brodsky: "He was able to deceive everyone."
But of the dozens of victims he allegedly duped, friends say Hathaway fell the hardest. The brunette beauty--who shot to fame at 18 as a squeaky-clean Disney heroine in The Princess Diaries--thought she had found her prince in Follieri, telling PEOPLE in '06 that he was a keeper: "You can say what you want about it, but we just love each other."
That fairy-tale romance had a devastatingly unhappy ending. Even as some friends say they warned Hathaway about Follieri, she stuck by him for months as allegations of his wrongdoing swirled. But in June, when she learned that Follieri's charitable foundation was under investigation by the New York State attorney general for tax irregularities, the actress--who served on its board and was also a donor--broke it off. Says a pal: "That was the last straw."
Days later Follieri was arrested in his boxer shorts by FBI agents at his mother's Trump Tower apartment in Manhattan; meanwhile Hathaway kept a game face as she traveled the world promoting her movie Get Smart. Now held in a 7 1/2-ft.-by-8-ft. concrete-block cell at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Manhattan, he spent his 30th birthday on June 28 behind bars. Labeled a flight risk by prosecutors (officers found him with a suitcase containing $15,000), he is scrambling to make $21 million bail. "My client is a formidable and resilient young man who is vigorously addressing the strident terms of the bail," says his rep Melanie A. Bonvicino. "He looks forward to overcoming the current allegations."
As for Hathaway, a source close to the star says her busy work schedule--last month she finished shooting the romantic comedy Bride Wars with Kate Hudson--has been a welcome distraction. "Anne didn't mention [the breakup], and people around her didn't ask," says the source. "She was completely blinded on this one. She loved him and so she didn't see much else until now."
Others wonder how she couldn't see. Among the charges in the papers filed by the U.S. Attorney's office: that Follieri kept priestly robes in his office and once asked a monsignor to change into the vestments of a more senior clergyman in order to appear better connected to the Vatican. Investigators say he swindled funds for his $37,000-a-month apartment rent, private jets and medical bills for himself and his "girlfriend"--Hathaway is not named in the complaint--as well as orthodontist bills for his father. (A source says Hathaway was interviewed by the FBI for the investigation; the agency had no comment.) A former employee says that Follieri often bragged that his duplex residence was once used by Aristotle Onassis. "When you walk in the downstairs, it makes a big Godfather impression," says the source. "Everything was white on white on white. In the office there was this giant picture of Anne. It was like, 'This is me, and this is my movie-star girlfriend.'"
Hathaway was equally smitten. "I think she felt she had a major catch who was a powerful, wealthy European businessman," says the former employee. "Everything was 'Don't worry, I'm the man.' Essentially, the knight in shining armor. Unfortunately, the armor was some crap metal that tarnishes."
Multiple sources say they are convinced that Hathaway knew nothing of Follieri's alleged schemes. "She's a sweet girl, and he seemed like the right kind of guy," says a friend of Hathaway's. "At the end of the day, could she tell you that he was a dirty dealer? No way." Adds another: "She's not guilty of anything except being a young woman who hasn't been worked through the wringer by a con artist before."
A guy who wore his confidence like one of his custom suits, Follieri was introduced to Hathaway four years ago by a mutual friend. "She told us the story one night," says a source who knew the couple. "She [said she] was put off initially by his arrogance and attitude [and that] he pursued her and within two weeks they were madly in love."
Raised in suburban Millburn, N.J., Hathaway--who sealed her status on the A-list with 2006's The Devil Wears Prada--fell head-over-designer-heels. "In Sardinia she would just cling to his arms," says Lee Mellis, a close Follieri pal who vacationed with the pair. Adds another friend: "She doesn't need a rich guy. She needs a guy who takes care of her."
At Manhattan's Balthazar restaurant, where the couple were frequent guests, Follieri would often order for "Annie," as he called her. "It was a very chivalrous relationship," says an observer. Whether walking their chocolate Labrador Esmeralda--now being cared for by Follieri's mother--or cooking pasta together at home, "they seemed to have a nice, cozy, happy life together," says a friend.
Still, "they had a turbulent relationship," says the former Follieri employee. "She lacks a tremendous amount of confidence. He was a security blanket for her." During one yachting trip with the couple, says the source, a female employee felt she was being treated poorly by Follieri. "Annie said to the girl, 'Don't go. This is an opportunity of a lifetime to be on a yacht. When are you going to get a chance like this again?'" recalls the source. "It was clear she was taken by the whole powerful-man thing."
That continued even as Follieri became increasingly dogged by legal woes that included bouncing a $215,000 check to a New Jersey businessman. (Follieri paid the debt, and the case was dismissed.) Raised in a small town in Italy, he moved to New York in 2003 There, say prosecutors, he told investors he was raising money to buy and redevelop properties being sold by the Roman Catholic Church--even calling himself the Vatican's chief financial officer. That sales pitch attracted high rollers such as billionaire Ron Burkle, a pal of Bill Clinton's whose business later sued Follieri for $1.3 million for misusing funds. (The suit has been settled.) With Hathaway on his arm, Follieri also pledged millions to worthy causes. The pair partied with the Clintons in the Dominican Republic and became regulars on the social circuit.
Investigators say Follieri exaggerated actual ties to the Vatican to gain the confidence of investors. "Raffaello had an official [looking] document from Pope John Paul empowering him to dispense of church properties," says a Clinton associate. Adds another: "He had a lot of highly reputable people vouching for him, all of whom he had duped."
There were those who had suspicions, however. Bill McCall, chairman of the Boston archdiocese's real estate advisory committee, met with Follieri regarding the purchase of church property in '04. "He kept saying, 'I want to buy,'" recalls McCall, noting that there are strict rules governing the ways Church properties can be converted for commercial use. "To me, there was a naïveté there--I'm not sure he ever would have achieved the rezoning that he needed."
But even after so many alleged deceptions, insiders say his romance with Hathaway was no con. "There was great affection between the two of them, and a great love," says a pal. "I feel so badly for her." Friends are certain that Hathaway's happily ever after is still to be written. "She's got such a real positive outlook on life--inspirational," says her college friend Pamela Cuce, who attended Vassar with the star. "There are few people so sincere and accepting as Annie. She's a very strong woman."
"She's a sweet girl, and he seemed like the right kind of guy. At the end of the day, could she tell you that he was a dirty dealer? No way"
"He made her feel confident because he was doing all of these things to sweep her off her feet"
A man who appreciated the finer things in life, Follieri squired Hathaway on chartered planes and private yachts and shared a luxe Manhattan apartment next to Saint Patrick's Cathedral with the actress. "He was charming, glamorous and I think probably mysterious to Anne," says a friend.
Just got back from Paris.


Better Buy: Welltower Inc. vs HCP, Inc.
Which of these two leading healthcare REITs is the best buy now?
I've compared these two sector-leading healthcare REITs before, but things have changed recently. Specifically, REITs have performed wonderfully, and these two in particular have done extremely well. In fact, Welltower (NYSE:WELL) just hit a fresh 52-week high as I was writing this, and HCP (NYSE:HCP) has completely erased the losses it suffered earlier this year when it posted a surprise loss.
Here's a refreshed look at these two stocks, the REIT market in general, and which is the better buy now.
Why have REITs been soaring lately?
There are a few possible reasons for this. Mainly, it looks like the low-interest environment will stick around for longer than anyone originally thought. This helps REITs in a few ways. It makes borrowing money cheaper, which generally leads to higher profit margins when REITs acquire new properties. It also makes REITs more appealing to investors, since the dividends they offer put most bond yields to shame, and offer upside potential.
Another reason is the recent market volatility, both to the upside and downside. REITs typically have relatively consistent income streams, and in uncertain times, consistency is an investors' best friend.
For a thorough look at Welltower and healthcare real estate in general, check out this other article I wrote, but in a nutshell, Welltower mainly invests in senior housing and long-term care facilities. The business model is to acquire properties that are better than those offered by competitors, and partner with some of the best operators in the business.
And, it's been a successful business model. Throughout its 45-year history, Welltower has done an impressive job of producing excellent returns for investors: It has averaged a 15.6% total return and has increased its dividend at an annualized rate of 5.7%.
HCP has a similar business model, but with more exposure to post-acute and skilled nursing properties, primarily through its portfolio of HCR ManorCare assets. Those assets have run into some trouble recently, causing an unexpected loss in the fourth quarter of 2015, and HCP has decided to spin them off into a newly created REIT during the second half of 2016.
As far as healthcare real estate in general goes, there are some good reasons to hold it as a long-term investment. For starters, the U.S. population is aging -- fast. In fact, the 65-plus population is expected to roughly double by 2050, and the older age groups such as 85 and above are expected to grow even faster.
Image source: HCP investor presentation.
In addition, healthcare costs have been increasing at a faster rate than inflation, and the market is highly fragmented, which means there are plenty of opportunities for these companies to grow.
As I've mentioned a few times, both of these REITs have performed well over the last few months. In fact, Welltower and HCP's stock prices have risen by 17% and 22% respectively, since I first compared the companies in March of this year. Plus, HCP has increased its 2016 funds from operations (FFO) guidance since that time. Therefore, it's a good idea to take another look at both companies' valuation.
Data source: Company financials. Adjusted or normalized FFO projections are used when available.
There are a couple of points to be aware of here. First, both companies have gotten considerably more expensive than they were just four months ago, although I still wouldn't call these valuations high. For comparison, popular retail REIT Realty Income trades for 24.3 times 2016 FFO, and apartment REIT Equity Residential trades for a multiple of 21.4. The difference is mainly because of the (correctly) perceived risk involved with senior housing properties, given that the industry as a whole has experienced some financial difficulties lately.
Also, at first glance it appears that HCP is significantly cheaper than Welltower. However, bear in mind that HCP has experienced more earnings volatility than Welltower in recent history as a result of its troubled HCR ManorCare portfolio. Plus, there is some level of uncertainty involved with the upcoming spinoff. Simply put, the difference in valuation is somewhat justified.
One thing is for sure: Both of these REITs have gotten considerably more expensive recently. Neither one of these stocks is the bargain it was just a few months ago.
Having said that, neither one seems particularly expensive, either. Although I own both in my retirement account and plan to hang on for decades to come, I lean toward HCP at the present time. I think the spinoff of the troubled HCR ManorCare assets will create profit opportunities, both for the remaining HCP assets and for the newly created REIT. There will undoubtedly be some growing pains, but for investors with a long time horizon, I believe HCP will deliver excellent returns over the years.


I thought I'd throw in one more art feature before Christmas. I'm sitting here on my couch, finally relaxing (thinking I need a coffee and Baileys), covered from head to toe in glitter. I guess it's an occupational hazard this time of year ... good thing I like a little "bling" in my life.
We're hard at work on our Christmas craft / parent present right now in the classroom. We're making subway art coasters. We started out by creating subway art (with a Christmas theme) on a square piece of blank paper (full size blank paper, cut into a square). Students were free to add any words or pictures they wanted, but I did encourage them to use as much of the page as possible.
I then took these squares and reduced them on the photocopier to just under 4 inches (reduced to 43% on my photocopier). I made 4 copies of each student's square, and the students cut out the smaller squares so I could make one copy with all four smaller squares on it (I left the cover of the photocopier open so the background would be black so the students could see exactly how big their squares were).
They then coloured in these squares using sharpies (or any other waterproof marker). Many students also chose to lightly colour the background with a pencil crayon.
After we cut out the finished squares, we used mod podge to glue them onto our 4 x 4 tiles. These were just plain white 4" ceramic tiles that I purchased from a home improvement / hardware store for 19 cents a tile. I added silver glitter to the mod podge (I poured about a tablespoon of glitter right into the mod podge bottle, and gave it a good stir). I have never done this before, but it worked perfectly - what's a Christmas craft without a little (or lot of) glitter?!? To apply the mod podge, we used foam brushes from the Dollar Store.
Because the 4 coats of mod podge (and the drying of the mod podge) could be difficult to complete all at the same time with a class of 28, I set up a small 4 person table in the classroom we used as an art station over 2 days. We continued with our school day as usual, but when students were finished their work, if there was an available spot at the art station, students could slip back to the table to put a quick coat of mod podge on their tiles. It worked perfectly, all students finished over the 2 days with minimal interruptions to our regular school day and school work.
What a great idea! Those are amazing. The parents are going to love them.
Great idea! They came out so super cute! I would love to receive one of these as a gift.
omgosh! You constantly inspire me with your art!! I always look forward to see your projects!
Adorable! What kind of tiles did you use? Did you pay for them or get them donated/free?
I am thinking of trying this with my grade 4's this year. Where did you get your tiles from?
How did you get your kids to write in such straight lines? We want to do this but are worried the kiddos won't be able to get things centered the right way. Any suggestions??


The system decides the arrow location based on the menu size.
The arrow will be at the bottom of the menu.
The arrow will be at the left of the menu.
The arrow will be at the right of the menu.
The arrow will be at the top of the menu.


How do I avoid running into the kind of problems that I faced on that scene? I ask because I couldn't see some problems in stepped mode. Is "more breakdowns" the answer? Then again, is it normal to see so much junk once we go to linear mode?
There will always be problems in a scene no matter what stage you're at- even when it's "done". Just keep moving forward.
Avoiding stepped mode seems like an odd solution, Thom.
You don't actually avoid the "aw, geez, it's crap" stage, you just wander in it longer, and you lose the contrast of how good it looked in stepped mode. To me, it's better to have a scene work in stepped mode, then explode itself in spline, because then I at least know the gem is in there. All my drawings I had in stepped are in there, so all I have to do is make the other drawings show them off. It gives me more confidence to go forward.
But hey, lotsa good animators work in spline, so to each his own.
Randy, to be more precise, I should say that I've found one of the side benefits of not using stepped mode is that I'm never surprised with a big mess and/or a shot that simply won't work in full motion. I make it nice and tidy from the get-go and I almost always work straight ahead, which is a lot more fun.
The main reason I quit the stepped key work flow was that it was superfluous and I get better results without it. It's really just an evolution of my technique. But I benefitted from using it for a long time.
I'm ALMOST as old as Keith.
"I'm ALMOST as old as Keith."
this is a nice topic.
I had one bad experience using stepped mode in one technical test.
One thing I have noticed from going from stepped to spline lately...is that once you have done it enough times, you learn to anticipate what your stepped keys will look like in spline, before you even physically convert the keys. It really pays off to be organized with your key-setting while in stepped. Keying every key on each pose and breakdown is also very helpful in avoiding stray spliney disasters.
My worst experience with stepped keys was also my last. I had a shot that looked simply fantastic in stepped mode. Everyone thought it was going to be great. I was very careful to be neat as Kent suggests, but as soon as I freed the splines, it looked like trash and I was never able to recapture the feel that it had in stepped mode. There was something about the jerkiness of the stepped keys that deceived me. I don't remember exactly what it was anymore, but I remember it being no fun.
Anyways, it was so bad I would have had to start over completely to really fix it but there was no time for that. So I did what I could to patch it up and moved on.
However, if I could have seen what my poses looked like in the context of motion, even without overlap and the ornaments that sell an animation, I would have taken a different approach that would have worked from the get-go.
I figured out after this episode that it is not a big deal to key everything twice to mark where my key poses roughly begin and end (hint: melscript helps here), and leave it in "clamped" or now, even better, "plateau" mode. Then it's easier to make breakdowns because the character is often already close to where needs to be between keys -- so the breakdowns get made on the first pass too.
My way of dealing with this issue - I plan in detail, and even in stepped mode I try to see the end result, I work with that in mind all the time. I add poses for every extreme, every important bit of something (no polish details of course, like I leave out staggers or small events like that), every major arc should be considered, and then, watching my detailed blocking in stepped mode becomes pretty close to an actual animation... and when I go into splines, which I often do directly, the animation is watchable, maybe after a few tweaks, and I almost never have to struggle with monstrous arcs :P When you have enough keys to describe a movement, you shouldn't have a problem moving into splines.
For blocking out animations, I've stopped using stepped curves, but block out with linear curves between the keyframes. At the same time I have my shortcuts setup so I can toggle from one keyframe to the next or last.
So I can emphasis on the poses with stepping from key to key when I want and check the initial flow and very rough timing and compatibility of the poses when doing a playback.
After that I usually change my keyframes to Bezier and work from there cleaning up.
Wither the "inherent appeal" of CG?


The angular diameter of an object as seen from a given position is the diameter measured as an angle. It satisfies the formula $ \delta = \arctan (diameter/ distance) $.
In astronomy the size of objects in the sky is often measured in terms of their angular diameter as seen from Earth, rather than their actual size.
The angular diameter of Earth's orbit around the Sun, from a distance of one parsec, is 2" (two arcseconds).
The angular diameter of the Sun, from a distance of one light year, is 0.03", of the Earth 0.0003".
This table shows the angular sizes of the most important Solar System bodies as seen from the Earth.
Alpha Centauri A: ca. 0.007"
This meaning the angular diameter of the Sun is ca. 250,000 that of Sirius (it has twice the diameter and the distance is 500,000 times as much; the Sun is 10,000,000,000 times as bright, corresponding to an angular diameter ratio of 100,000, so Sirius is roughly 6 times as bright per unit solid angle).
The angular diameter of the Sun is also ca. 250,000 that of Alpha Centauri A (it has the same diameter and the distance is 250,000 times as much; the Sun is 40,000,000,000 times as bright, corresponding to an angular diameter ratio of 200,000, so Alpha Centauri A is a little brighter per unit solid angle).
The angular diameter of the Sun is about the same as that of the Moon (the diameter is 400 times as large and the distance also; the Sun is 200,000-500,000 times as bright as the full Moon (figures vary), corresponding to an angular diameter ratio of 450-700, so a celestial body with a diameter of 2.5-4" and the same brightness per unit solid angle would have the same brightness as the full Moon).


Is it possible to apply a theoretical approach to ethics? The French philosopher Catherine Chalier addresses this question with an unusual combination of traditional ethics and continental philosophy. In a powerful argument for the necessity of moral reflection, Chalier counters the notion that morality can be derived from theoretical knowledge. Chalier analyzes the positions of two great moral philosophers, Kant and Levinas. While both are critical of an ethics founded on knowledge, their criticisms spring from distinctly different points of view. Chalier reexamines their conclusions, pitting Levinas against (and with) Kant, to interrogate the very foundations of moral philosophy and moral imperatives. She provides a clear, systematic comparison of their positions on essential ideas such as free will, happiness, freedom, and evil. Although based on a close and elegant presentation of Kant and Levinas, Chalier's book serves as a context for the development of the author's own reflections on the question "What am I supposed to do?" and its continued importance for contemporary philosophy.


Question: I was told recently by someone who read a draft of my story that they had trouble distinguishing which character was talking when there were no he/she said tags.
How can I give each of my characters their own unique voice?
Answer: A lot of factors go into a character's voice. Culture plays a role, and can include such factors as education level, where they grew up, what socio-economic or ethnic group they belong to, age, etc. All these will have an impact on their vocabulary, dialect, and use of slang.
Also, you might have a look at whether you are using speech tags often enough. If there are only two characters in a conversation, you can omit some of the "he said"s, but not all of them. Readers need to be reminded now and then who is speaking or they will get confused. If there are more than two characters involved in a conversation, speech tags become even more important for keeping things straight.
John squinted at the sign. "Do not walk on the grasp?" He turned to his companion. "Someone needs a proofreader."
But clarity is important. "He said" usually feels more repetitious to the writer, who has to type it so often, than it does to the reader.


Who Was Behind The Deadly Attack In Iran?
WATCH: State television said gunmen opened fire at the event, targeting a stand where Iranian officials were gathered to watch an annual military parade marking the start of the country's 1980-88 war with Iraq.
Iranian officials have accused U.S. allies in the region of being behind a deadly attack on a military parade in the southwest of the country that left 29 people dead and dozens wounded amid claims of responsibility by two groups -- an ethnic Arab separatist group and the extremist group Islamic State (IS).
Neither Iranian officials nor the two groups claiming responsibility for the attack presented evidence to back up their claims.
According to domestic media, members of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) were killed, along with civilians watching the parade, including a 4-year-old child.
"Their crime is a continuation of the plots of the regional states that are puppets of the United States, and whose goal is to create insecurity in our dear country," Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said in a statement issued on September 22 a few hours after gunmen attacked a parade in the city of Ahvaz, the capital of the southwestern Khuzestan province, where the majority of Iran's ethnic Arabs live.
Khamenei did not specify which states he was referring to.
Relations between regional rivals Iran and Saudi Arabia -- Washington's main Arab ally in the Middle East -- have been deteriorating, with both sides accusing each other of creating instability in the region. Tehran has claimed in the past that Saudi Arabia provides support to separatists among its ethnic Arab minority.
At least 24 people have been killed in an attack on a military parade in Iran, according to the Iranian state news agency IRNA. State television said gunmen opened fire at the event in the southwestern city of Ahvaz on September 22, targeting a stand where Iranian officials were gathered to watch an annual event marking the start of the country’s 1980-88 war with Iraq.
Scott Lucas, an Iran specialist at Birmingham University in Britain and editor of the EA World View website, tells RFE/RL that Tehran's blaming of regional foes and the United States for domestic unrest is not new, while adding that it is "accentuated now by U.S. withdrawal from the nuclear deal, imminence of comprehensive sanctions, and worsening of the Iranian economy."
Tensions between Tehran and the United States have been escalating following a May decision by U.S. President Donald Trump to withdraw from the 2015 nuclear deal and reimpose tough sanctions on Iran.
"I think Ahvaz --- inevitably, and not at all diminishing the scale of the killing of innocents --- was going to be situated by regime officials within the narrative of a U.S.-Saudi campaign to undermine the Islamic republic," Lucas says.
"The overriding concern right now is the economic crisis and the impact of U.S. sanctions, linked to Iran's regional contest with Riyadh and conflicts such as Syria, Yemen, and Iraq," he adds.
On September 23, Iran's Foreign Ministry summoned the charge d'affaires of the United Arab Emirates, a close Saudi ally, over "irresponsible and disdainful" comments made by a government adviser who reportedly said that attacking a military target cannot be considered a terrorist attack.
For his part, President Hassan Rohani accused the United States of enabling the deadly attack through its support for unnamed Persian Gulf states. Speaking on September 23 shortly before leaving Tehran for the UN General Assembly in New York, Rohani said the perpetrators of the attack and their affiliation were "absolutely clear" to Tehran.
"Those who have caused this catastrophe...were [Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein's] mercenaries as long as he was alive and then changed masters," he said. "One of the countries in the south of the Persian Gulf took care of their financial, weaponry and political needs," Rohani added.
Ali Vaez, the director of the Iran Project at the International Crisis Group (ICG), tells RFE/RL that Tehran appears to have intelligence of renewed activities of separatist groups and their ties to some Persian Gulf countries.
"That there was a deafening silence from Saudi Arabia and its gulf allies in the hours after the assault is for Tehran further evidence of their culpability," Vaez says.
"The fact that senior U.S. officials like John Bolton, before he became national-security adviser, had openly advocated supporting Iran's ethnic and sectarian minorities as means of destabilizing Iran deepens Tehran's suspicions," he adds.
People rush for shelter as shooting starts during a military parade in the southwestern city of Ahvaz on September 22.
An Iranian ethnic Arab opposition group called the Ahvaz National Resistance, which seeks a separate state in Khuzestan province, claimed responsibility for the attack without providing any evidence.
A spokesman for the group, Yagoub Hor Altasteri told the Persian service of German broadcaster Deutsche Welle that the attack was "a legitimate act" in response to what he described as "the transfer of water", "poverty," and "executions."
Ethnic Arabs in the oil-rich province of Khuzestan have long complained of social, cultural, and political discrimination and injustice. The region was the scene of unrest in 2005 and 2011 that resulted in dozens of arrests, rights groups, including Human Rights Watch, have reported.
Some officials and the official government news agency IRNA confirmed the claim by the Ahvaz National Resistance umbrella group, which was created in 2005. It reportedly includes a military wing as well as political entities, including the Arab Struggle Movement for the Liberation of Ahvaz.
"The individuals who fired at the people and the armed forces during the parade are connected to the Al-Ahvazia group, which is fed by Saudi Arabia," IRGC spokesman Ramezan Sharif was quoted as saying by state media.
A claim of responsibility by the extremist group Islamic State (IS), which also took responsibility for the 2017 twin attacks on the Iranian parliament and the mausoleum of Islamic republic founder Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, was dismissed by a military spokesman.
Abolfazl Shekarchi, a senior spokesman for the Iranian military, said "terrorists" behind the Ahvaz attack were not members of IS or groups opposed to the Islamic establishment.
"They are individuals who entered the country after being trained and organized by two Persian Gulf countries," Shekarchi was quoted as saying by domestic media.
"These individuals affiliated with the United States and Mossad committed [the attack]," he said. In a statement issued on September 23, the powerful IRGC vowed "deadly and unforgettable vengeance in the near future."


I have to credit my other half with this summation: Big Eyes is a film about honesty that isn’t honest in any way. Tim Burton takes the ostensibly true-life story of Margaret Keane as an opportunity to make a film very much out of his style, but his lack of comfort beyond the Burtonisms is palpable. The resulting tale plays against a weird pastiche of Vertigo crossed with Sweet Smell of Success, sprinkled with odd references to his own films, and ends with such a whimper you’d be forgiven for thinking he messed up the edit. It’s watchable, but only just.
So I wasn’t expecting much from this one, especially with recent Pixar fare doing nothing for me (Brave, especially, looks under-detailed and poorly textured, while its story falls on the ‘but she’s a modern Disney princess’ conceit that holds no water when you consider the likes of Belle in Beauty and the Beast, etc). But Monsters University might be my favourite Pixar film.
It’s easily their most visually striking. The trees, the asphalt, the stone, the chrome – they all look so real! Even the monsters themselves, while conforming to the ‘Pixar body shape’ trope, have differing skin textures to subtly distinguish from each other. And there’s a hint of tilt-shift on the ‘camera’ that gives the whole production an almost stop-motion vibe. Amazing work by the Pixar team there; their friends down in Burbank should take note.
But the story is there, too. I stopped thinking of it as a prequel fairly early on (and who really needs Sulley and Mike’s backstory, anyway?) because it’s way more a homage to ’80s ‘Revenge of the Nerds’ style campus comedies. It’s a fun ride that feels genuine and unforced, completely aware of its cliches but played with affection, without a trace of jaded hipster irony. I think of ParaNorman as another recent animated feature that goes along the same lines, and I feel like Monsters University sits alongside it at the pinnacle.
Five stars to Laika for another superb job, both in animation and direction. Just a shame – like the underwhelming, overrated Coraline – that the source material isn’t up to scratch. I’ve love to see Laika take on an actual adaptation of Discworld, rather than this Discworld-wannabe effort, as the allusions to (if not downright rip-offs from) Terry Pratchett’s creation are too obvious to ignore. In the meantime, they should return to original fare like the superlative ParaNorman, because they’ve clearly got a knack for it.
I wanted to like this one more than I did, as I quite enjoyed the original. And I appreciate that writer/director Gareth Evans tried to do something different: a repeat of the first film’s side-scrolling beat-’em-up plot would’ve been a waste of time. The Hong Kong/Yakuza gangster flick direction was a good way to go in terms of story, and those dramatic elements work very well, even if the plot is needlessly labyrinthine.
But it’s far, far too long (should be closer to 90 minutes, not two-and-a-half hours!) and the ultra-realism of the violence and gore tips the expertly staged fight scenes and general action from thrilling to grim. By the climactic duel in the kitchen (it’s in the trailer, no spoiler), it was just washing over me; I didn’t feel excited or invested, more exhausted – with a thousand-yard stare.


If you're prone to spilling, you've got until about May to brush up on your hand-eye coordination: head-to-toe white was the most noticeable trend to come off the catwalks this season. Trust us, a bright white suit is going to be essential to your summer wardrobe this time next year - we suggest you add in an accent colour for interest, as seen at Jil Sander.
If you're prone to spilling, you've got until about May to brush up on your hand-eye coordination: head-to-toe white was the most noticeable trend to come off the catwalks this season. Trust us, a bright white suit is going to be essential to your summer wardrobe this time next year - we suggest you add in an accent colour for interest, as seen at Jil Sander and Gieves & Hawkes.
Last season it was big squares, this season it's big stripes. While the horizontal patterns at Moschino and Miharayasuhiro were certainly the boldest way to wear this trend, it was the block colour stripes on suiting really caught our attention (exhibits A and B: the surprisingly wearable tailoring at Wooyoungmi and Valentino).
It's time to flower-up. Having appeared on a whole host of catwalks, we're calling floral as the print of the season. Remember, if Gucci's full-on print suit is not your style, you can always inject some of the pattern into your wardrobe with your summer swim shorts or by getting your hands on one of Prada's standout Hawaiian holdalls.
After season-on-season of slim-fit shirting, this time around the runway designers rebelled. Loose-fitting tunics - either with granddad or regular collars - cropped up across the catwalks, worn almost exclusively under close-cut tailoring with a hint of hem sticking out from under the jacket.
Forties and Fifties American influences were all over the catwalks this season with loose-cut trousers hitting high on the waist, chalk stripe details and prints and collars worn out over jackets. Our particular highlight? The return of the peak lapel shirt, as sported by the Beat Generation's finest: Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg and William S Burroughs.
The designers in Milan realise that some countries - like our own - are not blessed with a dry, Mediterranean climate all season long; sometimes a coat is essential even on the hottest days. This season thin belted trench coats are the solution. Look for one that hits between the ankle and the thigh and opt into an ultra-light fabric as well as a bright colour if you're feeling as brave as our brothers on the continent.
Even though it's common knowledge that the Italians craft some of the finest leather in the world, it still came as quite a surprise to see so much of the material at the summer shows. However, by removing linings and taking the fabric as thin as possible, leather has been reworked into seasonally-appropriate attire for shorts, light trousers and especially in the form of loose yet structured T-shirts.
We've said it once and we'll say it again - a slim-fitting grey cotton suit should be your go-to when it comes to summer tailoring. However, this season the suits we saw were lighter than ever before, varying in colour from concrete at their darkest to cement at their lightest (aka a shade darker than white). The colour was also seen on shorts at Jil Sander and sweaters at Z Zegna, so - rather poetically - you'll be seeing a whole lot of it on the street this time next year.
Rose gold emerged as one of the strongest men's watch trends at Baselworld, so it perhaps comes as no surprise that pink was also all-over the catwalks. However, what was surprising was the sheer variety of colours for the new season. Whether you're more partial to the pastels at Richard James or the highlighter pink at Paul Smith, prep your wardrobe with at least one shade for spring.
Reptilian references came through in a whole host of forms this season, from the grey snakeskin sweater at Hermes to the crocskin print at YMC. An alternative take on the trend came courtesy of Christopher Raeburn, who chose to splash his show with kaleidoscopic T-rex patterns.
Those army-print cargo trousers you bought last winter? Good call. Having cropped up at Valentino, Ami and Belstaff - and we expect there will be more when New York Fashion Week kicks off in September - it's clear camo set to to stay for another season.


THERE's an unprecedented demand in Ireland for the explosive Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House, Irish booksellers have said.
Easons and Dubray Books have both said there is an unprecedented demand for the book which has launched with much furore in the US and is due to be released in Ireland on January 9.
However, both bookshops have begun taking pre-orders online and the book is available in Kindle format now from Amazon.
Maria Dickenson, managing director of Dubray Books, told TheJournal.ie that there has been unusually high interest in the book.
She said: “There’s been a lot of interest in the book, especially online.
Meanwhile Easons said there had been a strong demand for the book online and that the first print run may sell quickly, adding that while they hope to have the book in some stores on Tuesday, it might be Wednesday in others due to transport and logistics.
Author Michael Wolff's "Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House" quotes key Trump aides, including former chief strategist Steve Bannon, expressing serious doubt about his fitness for office.
It portrays Mr Trump as not particularly wanting to win the US presidency in 2016 and being unprepared for the job.
Mr Trump has dismissed it as "full of lies" and invented sources, tweeting last night that: "I authorized Zero access to White House (actually turned him down many times) for author of phony book! I never spoke to him for book.
"Full of lies, misrepresentations and sources that don't exist. Look at this guy's past and watch what happens to him and Sloppy Steve!"
In an interview with the Today Show on NBC, Mr Wolff said that he "absolutely spoke to the President... whether he realised it was an interview or not I don't know, but it certainly wasn't off the record."
Mr Wolff said he spent about three hours with Mr Trump over the course of his successful election campaign and also in the White House following his inauguration last January.
He added that he also "spoke to people who spoke to the President on a daily, sometimes minute-by-minute basis."
Earlier this week, Mr Trump instructed his lawyers to try to block the release of the book, but the publishers responded by moving the release date up by four days to today citing unprecedented demand as the reason for bringing the book out early.
The author said that in issuing a 'cease and desist' letter via his lawyers, Mr Trump was helping both to sell copies of the book and also to prove the point of the book.
He added that this is how Mr Trump has approached "everything" for the past 35 years, by attacking people and sending legal correspondence.


The architects of the new ISO 30414 standards hope that the new guidelines on human capital reporting will attract the attention of leading investors and executives interested in sustainable financial performance. As reported in Engagement Strategies Media, the ISO Human Resources 260 Technical Committee has developed the first standards for human capital reporting that include all the elements of Enterprise Engagement and ISO 10018 Quality People Management and the people elements of ISO Annex SL requirements.
This means that organizations that comply with ISO Annex SL requirements that are part of 60 ISO standards, including ISO 9001 quality management or ISO 45001 safety management, and more specifically, ISO 10018, will have much of the information in place needed to meet these human capital disclosure requirements.
According to Stefanie Becker and Hilger Pothmann, who helped write the new guidelines, ISO 30414 is intended to provide all stakeholders an objective way of meaningfully comparing the overall human capital investments and outcomes using a process that can be simplified for smaller enterprises. The purpose is not only to help investors and corporate management assess the potential for sustainable growth, but also to provide information that can be meaningful to management for more effective organizational governance and management.
According to Pothmann, the guidelines focus more broadly on human capital management, and not just human resources management, which he says is simply one component of human capital. He says he hopes that anyone involved with financial management, mergers and acquisitions, and investing recognizes the importance of standardized human capital reporting.
The guidelines largely mirror the organization-wide framework and key issues addressed in the Enterprise Engagement Alliance’s learning and certification platform, as well as in the ISO Annex SL and ISO 10018 Quality People Management standards.
Inputs: Inputs are the fundamental building blocks for achieving value through people. It includes all investment in human capital - e.g., workforce costs.
Activities: Activities are the key tasks in Human Resource Management (value chain or life cycle), to ensure, that people are able to work productively and healthily - e.g., information about organizational culture.
Outputs/Outcomes: Outputs are the results of the investments and the activities - e.g. the HC return on investment.
The standards provide very clear metrics on all aspects of human capital management outlined under Compliance, below.
Employment conditions and work environment.
The guidelines define an “engaged employee” as “an individual who is fully absorbed by and enthusiastic about his work and takes positive action to further the organization's reputation and interests. The index consists of the results from an employee survey.
The guidelines specifically highlight the importance of culture. “The area of organizational culture concentrates on the working environment. Especially for internal stakeholders, as an organization’s people, information about this area is relevant. However, external stakeholders also receive important information about the organizational culture. This could be relevant for potential employees and for investors…A ‘bad’ working environment has consequences on retention, commitment, absenteeism rate, and an (indirect) influence on the corporate performance.
The standards outline the following metrics that can be objectively disclosed and potentially audited.
Workforce diversity with respect to age, gender, nationality, disability, job family, job level/hierarchy, qualification, diversity of leadership team.
Learning and development: percentage of employees who participate in training compared to total number of employees per year; average training hours per employee; number of training participants differentiated in training categories.


What is another word for forearmed?
disorganize, allow, approve, commend, laud, hide, conceal, praise, permit, neglect, mislead, misguide, withhold, prevent, ignore, discourage, compliment, dissuade.
She had been forewarned that she might be forearmed, and she regarded this warning as a mark of interest and favor from beyond the veil.
So of the two he was the more prepared, the more forearmed.


EVEN AS THE FEDERAL RESERVE AND THE U.S. GOVERNMENT contemplate flooding the financial system with still more money, a sobering book by a Stanford University economist demonstrates not only how the feds caused, misdiagnosed and mishandled the financial crisis, but also how their responses continue to make matters worse.
The book, titled Getting off Track: How Government Actions and Interventions Caused, Prolonged, and Worsened the Financial Crisis, is by John B. Taylor, a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution who was a Treasury undersecretary in Bush fils' first administration. In the book, Taylor says the U.S. wrongly attributed the way the credit markets seized up in the summer of 2007 and beyond to a lack of liquidity. He then shows how counterparty risk was really the culprit, and how the government's incorrect assumptions and subsequent lack of a predictable strategy may have contributed to the panic that ensued after Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke and then-Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson appealed to Congress for a $700 billion emergency rescue plan.
In a study that is way too detailed to describe fully in this space, Taylor shows how the Fed's policy of keeping short-term interest rates too low for too long contributed to the housing bubble, as adjustable-rate loans rose to fully one-third of the mortgage market. As for the seemingly capricious rescue of some entities but not others, Taylor says, "there's been no rationale laid out for why AIG and not Lehman was rescued." Among his prescriptions: Stipulate policy on money-supply targets or ranges, increase transparency on the rationale behind buying assets like student loans, and cut the plan to tax small business.
Equity markets got a super boost, on the strength of positive earnings assessments from Citigroup , JPMorgan Chase and Bank of America. On the week, the Dow Jones Industrial Average shot up 9.01%, to 7,223.98; the Standard & Poor's 500 Index also surged 10.71%, to 756.55, and the Nasdaq spiked 10.64% to 1,431.50.
Bernard Madoff admitted to conducting one of the largest frauds in history, saying he knew what he was doing was criminal, and that he was "deeply sorry and ashamed." The 70-year-old former Nasdaq chairman said he began his Ponzi scheme in the early 1990s. Madoff was jailed immediately, pending sentencing in June, and his lawyer is appealing. According to court papers, Madoff and his wife Ruth had a net worth of as much as $826 million at year end.
are concerned about the safety of our assets."
--China's Premier Wen Jiabao in his annual news conference.
Merck and Schering-Plough said they would merge in a $41.1 billion deal coming close on the heels of Pfizer 's Wyeth linkup. The deal valued Schering at a 34% premium to the pre-announcement price. Also, Swiss pharma giant Roche won its long battle to buy the 44% of Genentech it didn't own.
A number of big banks, including Goldman Sachs and Deutsche Bank, were paid roughly $50 billion from the U.S. bailout of American International Group last fall, the Wall Street Journal reported. The news came as lawmakers sought names of firms that received money from AIG.
General Electric was stripped of the triple-A credit rating Standard & Poor's had given its debt in 1956, because of problems with its finance arm. Former CEO Jack Welch told the Financial Times that his emphasis on shareholder value was "a dumb idea." And, Fitch cut its triple-A rating on Berkshire Hathaway, on concerns about its equity and derivatives instruments.
U.S. consumers' confidence notched up unexpectedly in March, on better feelings about U.S. economic policy, Reuters and the University of Michigan reported. That came despite the loss of nearly 18% of U.S. families' net worth in '08. And retail sales, excluding autos, fell just 0.1% in February, far less than forecast.
Fears of a competitive devaluation arose after Switzerland's central bank cut interest rates to a record low and intervened in currency markets to lower the Swiss franc.
Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner appeared on Charlie Rose, and CBS' 60 Minutes got an interview with Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, as part of an Obama PR offensive. Top economic adviser Larry Summers said the crisis led to an "excess of fear" that must be broken to reverse the downturn.
Warren Buffett told CNBC the economy had "fallen off a cliff." And Mad Money host Jim Cramer was skewered by comedian Jon Stewart.
The New York Times Co. said it reached a $225 million sale-leaseback deal with W.P. Carey for its Manhattan headquarters.
Freddie Mac will need $30 billion more from the government.


An archæologist is someone who has an unquenchable curiosity about past cultures and people: how they lived, what they ate, how they were organized socially and politically, what they made, and where they lived. Archæologists are members of the larger field of anthropology, but unlike most anthropologists, archæologists are concerned about past behaviors and lifeways. Like detectives, archæologists piece together past lifeways by examining the evidence left behind in the ground, on the ground, in dry caves, and under the ocean. This evidence includes pottery, stone tools, the ruins of ancient buildings and ships, animal bones, trash, old garden plots, plant remains and pollen, and even the land form on which the ancient ruins are found.
In order to answer questions as simple as, "Where did the clay used to make this pot come from?" or as complicated as, "What caused empires to arise in Peru and Mexico, but not in North America?", archæologists collaborate with a number of other scientists including geologists, chemists, geomorphologists, architects, linguists, historians, biologists, and other specialists.
What makes a good archæologist?
A good archæologist must be someone who is willing to be patient, exacting, attentive to detail, a good and thorough researcher, a good writer, a good public speaker, a good analyst, and a good synthesizer. Also important is the ability to work as a team member since many archæologists collaborate with other specialists. A tolerance for rugged living and working conditions is necessary because most archæological field work is often conducted in remote areas. The weather can be hot and humid, cold and wet, dry and hot; the terrain can be rugged or flat, and the vegetation dense as the jungle or sparse as the desert. Insects, plants, and animals can be trying and vicious in all of these environments.
Most importantly, to be a good archæologist, as with any career, you must be enthusiastic about your chosen career and be able to communicate your enthusiasm and love for your work to others.
What is life as an archæologist like?
Exciting. Yes, there can be periods of boredom or tedium as you face the never-ending analysis of ceramic. There can also be periods of frustration when all your data appears to conflict. However, the joy of solving the puzzle, putting the last piece in place, or finishing the ceramic analysis is immense. There is also the excitement of meeting new people, going to new places, and participating in exciting, groundbreaking research.
As an archæologist, you have a variety of job possibilities including museum director, museum curator, professor, contract archæologist, or owner of your own contract firm. A typical day can vary depending on the job you take, but there are many similarities. A university professor may spend the day lecturing, analyzing chipped stone or ceramics in the lab, attending meetings, supervising students, writing up the results of field work, or excavating a site. A museum director could spend the day doing similar things as the professor or have a public speaking engagement, develop new exhibits, or curate an exhibit (select the objects for display). A person working for a contract firm could spend the day writing up a report, analyzing artifacts in the lab, excavating a site or walking 10 to 15 miles as part of field survey crew locating archæological sites. As the owner of a contract firm, you could spend the day acquiring contracts, writing grants, and making the payroll.
How do I become an archæologist?
First you need to decide what type of job you might be interested in doing. In archæology, the more education you have, the more responsibility and the higher-paying the job. For instance, if you have a bachelor's degree from a college in anthropology/archæology, you can usually work as part of a field crew or lab crew surveying, excavating, and sorting. However, with just a bachelor's degree you may not find yourself in charge of running the field crew, writing reports, or directing the analysis. With more education and experience, at the master's level (graduate school), you will be writing reports and directing the field crew or the lab work. You can also become a museum curator or teach archæology as part of the curriculum at the primary and secondary school levels. To actually write the grant, develop the research design, and become a university professor or museum director, you should have a doctorate (Ph.D.) in anthropology.
Pot shards found at an archæology site at Bandelier National Monument.
So, what do you take in school? It depends on what you want to do in archæology. Start off in high school by taking as many courses as possible in math, science, computers, English, literature, and writing. Learning a second language such as Spanish is also helpful.
In college focus on gaining a broad understanding of the entire field of anthropology. All archæologists obtain their degrees in anthropology in the U.S. so archæologists are essentially cultural anthropologists. If you have decided not to go to graduate school, be sure to take courses in college that will benefit your chosen career. If you are interested in mapping, take geomorphology and cartography. If you are interested in computer applications in archæology, take courses in geographic information systems and computer programming. If you are interested in museum work, take courses in museum operations and management and registration procedures. If you are interested in managing a contract firm, take courses in management and business. Develop your education plan based on the type of job you wish to have in archæology.
There are private and nonprofit contract archæology firms. There are university, college, and junior college academic positions. There are research positions at universities, colleges, museums, private foundations, and firms. There are a number of state and federal agencies that hire archæologists to do environmental impact studies and archæological assessments before authorizing building, logging, mining, or otherwise disturbing an area. These agencies include city governments, the Bureau of Land Management, the Army Corps of Engineers, the United States Forest Service, the National Park Service, state monuments, state land offices, and fish and wildlife departments.


Whilst the loss of any sense can be a grave burden, the extent to which we rely on olfaction is sometimes underestimated, as sufferers from anosmia will confirm. However, in comparison with many animals, our sense of smell is comparatively slight.
In most mammals, olfaction is essential for survival, but different groups depend on smell to different degrees. Macrosmatic animals, such as rodents and dogs, possess a highly acute and behaviourally relevant sense of smell, whereas humans and other microsmats have less developed olfactory capacities. Dogs are up to 100 times more sensitive to certain odour compounds than humans. These differences are reflected not only in the anatomy of the olfactory apparatus (e.g. size of the olfactory epithelium and the olfactory bulb, a brain region involved in odour detection), but also in the genome. Micro- and macrosmats differ in size and diversity of the olfactory receptor (OR) gene family, which is the largest gene superfamily in mammalian genomes. OR genes are organised in clusters across multiple chromosomes and, as the name suggests, code for the olfactory receptors. These short proteins with seven-transmembrane domains detect specific sets of odour molecules, thus constituting the molecular basis for the sense of smell.
OR genes are thought to evolve rapidly and during mammalian evolution, their numbers have undergone extensive changes. It is generally assumed that a reduced sense of smell could be due to a loss of functional OR genes. In different animal groups, the OR genes show varying degrees of pseudogenisation, where genes lose their protein-coding ability due to deleterious mutations (e.g. frameshifts). While house mouse (Mus musculus) and dog (Canis familiaris) both possess approximately 1300 OR genes, of which about 20% and 27%, respectively, are pseudogenes, the lineage leading to humans has experienced a vast increase in the proportion of OR pseudogenes relatively recently in evolutionary history.
In many primate species, the proportion of OR pseudogenes is comparatively large, with the highest levels observed in chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes; about 48%), gorillas (Gorilla gorilla; about 50%) and humans. In humans, only about 400 OR genes are functional, while about 600 are pseudogenes (interestingly, there seem to be differences between populations in the size of the intact olfactory repertoire). However, New World monkeys are an exception to this – they have retained a high proportion of functional OR genes.
How can this difference between New World monkeys and other primates be explained? It is widely thought that the reduction in olfactory capacity in Catarrhini (Old World monkeys and apes) is linked to the development of acute vision, especially trichromacy. Trichromatic colour vision is very effective for perceiving long-distance environmental signals, which reduces the importance of olfaction and accordingly the selective advantage of having a large functional OR gene repertoire. Interestingly, the New World howler monkeys (genus Alouatta) do not show a corresponding diminution of olfactory capacities and still employ pheromone signalling, despite having independently evolved full trichromatic vision. One argument is that they require both sensory modalities because of a jungle habitat.
In the cetaceans (whales and dolphins) there has been an independent loss of functional OR genes, very much in line with humans, but in this case linked to the return to the oceans and the loss of the terrestrial olfactory register (which is thought to have little function in a marine habitat, especially for air breathers).
Generally, olfaction is more important in a terrestrial than in an aquatic environment, which is probably why the repertoire of OR genes expanded widely at the fish-tetrapod transition (although chance elements, such as random gene duplication, need to be considered here as well). Furthermore, the set of OR genes required is different – while airborne odours are important for terrestrial animals, marine animals need to detect water-soluble compounds.
When the wholly aquatic cetaceans evolved from a terrestrial ancestor quite similar to cattle (as recently demonstrated by molecular biology), their sensory abilities underwent major changes. The extent to which the olfactory apparatus was reduced differs between the two major clades. In baleen whales (Mysticeti), olfaction is significantly impaired (e.g. about 58% OR pseudogenes in minke whales Balaenoptera acutorostrata), while the toothed whales (Odontoceti) seem to have lost their olfactory sense completely. Adult toothed whales lack olfactory structures and show extremely high pseudogene levels (e.g. about 77% in dwarf sperm whales Kogia sima). This is reminiscent of the blind Southern marsupial mole (Notoryctes typhlops), where an anatomical degeneration of the eyes is accompanied by a mutation in an inter-photoreceptor protein gene.
Interestingly, the proportion of OR pseudogenes is comparatively low in two other marine vertebrates, the Steller sea lion (Eumetopias jubatus; about 37%) and the loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta; about 31%). It is likely that these species still have maintained their functional OR genes as they are only semi-adapted to an aquatic habitat and still rely on a land habitat for several important roles (e.g. for breeding). In contrast, the cetaceans are perfectly adapted to a marine life and do not depend on a terrestrial environment at all. Therefore, as a consequence of relaxed selective pressure, they have probably lost a large fraction of their OR genes (and presumably this is one reason why they evolved echolocation instead).
One study also found evidence that also platypus OR genes exhibit a high degree of pseudogenisation, which could be related to the semi-aquatic lifestyle of this species and their well-developed mechano- and electroreceptive capacities.
Map of Life - "Loss of olfactory capacity in primates and cetaceans"


The following is a list of pronouns whose referent is grammatically ambiguous. That is, in each case below the antecedent of the pronoun (translated 'he', 'him' or 'his') could, grammatically speaking, be either the Father or the Son. All phraseology is taken from the ESV.
In each case we can try to resolve the referent of the ambiguous pronoun exegetically by making recourse to the immediate and wider context. However, there are a number of cases which are very difficult to resolve, or where the resolution that seems most likely exegetically is staggering theologically. A case in point is "born of him" in 1 John 2:29. On the one hand, the birth imagery and the reference to "children of God" in 3:1 would seem to make it quite clear that "him" refers to the Father. On the other hand, it would be very odd grammatically if the pronoun had a different referent that those in v. 28, where "when he appears" and "not shrink from him in shame at his coming" seem rather plainly to refer to the Son. Again, in 3:2 and 3:5 "when he appears" and "he appeared to take away sins" would seem theologically to refer to the Son, as is explicit in 3:8. However, grammatically the nearest antecedent for these pronouns is "the Father" or "God" in 3:1; the Son has not been explicitly mentioned since 2:24!
Moreover, theologically speaking, "By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us" (3:16) would seem certainly to refer to the Son, but the nearest antecedent is "God" (vv. 9-10), and it is God's love that is mentioned in 3:17.4 Again, in 2:12 and 5:14, grammatically and contextually the more likely antecedent is the Son, but in both cases the Christological implications would then be staggering. For the Christological implications of 2:12, see here; 5:14 would have Christ hearing prayer that is offered according to his will.
1) John is an unskilled and sloppy writer.
2) John does not always bother to specify the referent of his pronouns because in his mind the Father and Son are indistinguishable.
3) John does not always bother to specify the referent of his pronouns because in his mind the Father and Son are essentially equal despite being distinct persons.
Option 1) can be ruled out since one does not observe such ambiguity in the use of pronouns in the Fourth Gospel or in 2 John and 3 John,5 which are all generally regarded as being the work of the same author. Option 2) can likewise be ruled out since, as Michaels has observed, in spite of the ambiguity about antecedents, 1 John makes "a clear distinction between Father and Son".6 This can be seen in the frequent references to "the Son of God" (3:8, 4:15, 5:5, 5:10, 5:12-13, 5:18?, 5:20) or "his Son" (1:7, 3:23, 5:9-10, 5:20), as well as statements which affirm the Father and Son together (1:3, 2:1, 2:22-24, 4:9, 4:14, 5:20).
Besides the ambiguous pronouns in 1 John, one should also notice the ambiguous referent of "the Holy One" in 1 John 2:20. In this instance, a case can be made for identifying the Father, the Son or even the Spirit as the referent. In support of "the Holy One" being God is the common use of this title for God in the Old Testament (see particularly Proverbs 9:10 and 30:3, where the concern with 'knowledge' is similar to 1 John 2:20; also 2 Kings 19:22; Job 6:10; Psalm 78:41; 89:18; 106:16; frequently in Isaiah; Jeremiah 50:29; 51:5; Ezekiel 39:7; Hosea 11:9, 12; Habakkuk 3:3). In support of "the Holy One" being Christ is the occasional use of this term as a Christological title in the New Testament, including by John (Mark 1:24, Luke 1:35?; Luke 4:34; John 6:69; Acts 3:14; Revelation 3:7). Finally, one might interpret "the Holy One" to refer to the Spirit, as Jobes does.11 Certainly the anointing has to do with the Spirit, and the Spirit is emphatically personified in John's Gospel (ch. 14-16). While the adjective hagios is nowhere else used absolutely of the Spirit in the New Testament, it is of course the most common adjective used to describe the Spirit, and is used of the Spirit by John (1:33; 14:26; 20:22). If the latter view is correct, this epistle would arguably reflect a nascent Trinitarian view of God.
However one understands the referents of the individual ambiguous pronouns scattered throughout the epistle, they collectively testify to a highly developed Christology in which the Father and the Son and their soteriological roles can be interchanged seamlessly. The writer has evidently taken to heart the teaching of his Gospel "that all may honour the Son, just as they honour the Father" (John 5:23).


I think Joe might not have said that everything is a foodle, but that anything may be foodle. And he might say that it is not a category but a member of a relation between two sets of things.
Ah, good. Now we are getting somewhere. So "what are contexts?" or "how do we define context?" is the wrong question. What makes something a context is that it stands in a contextual relationship to something else, what you are calling the focus. That makes more sense, I agree.
He may say it was like the figure and the ground of perceptual psychology. We can not define any fixed category "ground" by your criteria either, could we?. Everything may at some point in time be the ground to some figure, and everything may be the figure, but nothing may be both the figure and the ground at once. What matters is the relation between the two.
OK. Though do we really want to say that anything can be the focus? John Sowa wants to restrict it to cases where the focus is textual (in a fairly broad sense: 'symbolic' might be an alternative word to use.) That makes more sense to me.
er...why are we speaking of sets?
, there must be one set that is in focus, and at least two sets that are (possible) contexts. If there were a focus set and only one other set, we would not call the second, non-focus set a "context", we would call it the foundation, or cause, or conditions of the focus set.
Furthermore, a context set must, when held in relation to the focus set, force differences in the truth, interpretation, or perception of the focus set, and these differences must be different for each context set.
In other words, my intuition says that in this case: (ist today (and A (not A))), today is not a valid context for that tautology because there is no other context, which if it took the place of "today", would change the value of that tautology.
Did you mean to have (or A (not A)) as your tautology?
which I called the 'separation axiom' (A7). In words, it can be phrased as follows: If one context C is not wholly contained in (or, if you prefer, is not a part of) another context D, then there must be a proposition which is true in D but not in C. From which it follows that if every proposition which is true in D is also true in C, then D must be a part of C, which is exactly the case you give below.
, and there must be an alternative context that makes a different difference.
And that follows from this axiom and another, if we assume that we can always negate a proposition and that contexts are internally consistent.
I bet you can. For example, the proposition "It is now 10.40 am" is true in there but not outside it. But maybe you don't want to count that as a 'real' proposition, fair enough.


How many alternate guitar tuning possibilities are there? A LOT! Some guitarists have claimed to have used over 50 tunings. How many do MOST guitarists use? Only a few so far.
In this lesson, I have included only the most commonly used guitar tunings. Each section includes tuning tips and a link to a Guitar Pro tab and an mp3 example of the tuning.
Important Note: The images of the tabs are not the clearest, so I included printable PDF files--just click on the image.
Important Note 2: Be sure your guitar is in tune before trying any of these alternate guitar tuning ideas!
1. Play the 5th string at the 6th fret and tune your sixth string to that note (one octave down). 2. Re-tune your guitar to the new 6th string pitch.
Play your 4th string open and tune your 6th string to that note (one octave down).
1. Play the 4th string open and tune the 6th string to that note (one octave lower). 2. Tune the rest of the strings to the new 6th string note. 3. Play the 4th string open and the the 6th string to that note (one octave lower).
This is more commonly known as the "D A D G A D" tuning.
1. Play your 4th string open and tune your 6th string to that note (one octave lower). 2. Play your 5th string open and tune your 2nd string to that note (one octave higher). 3 Play your 4th string open and tune your 1st string to that note (one octave higher).
Leave "Alternate-Guitar-Tuning" and Go to "Free Guitar Resources"
Leave "Alternate Guitar Tuning" and Go to "Absolutely Free Music Lessons"


You then will have as smooth a drinking and tasting whiskey as any made in the world, regardless of price. In fact, it will taste so much like the famed Canadian-made Canadian Club Whiskey that is so smooth and free of irritants that it can be drank [sic] without any diluting at all. Your American whiskey with the port wine added, you will find, can also be drunk with no diluting at all and will have no bad alcohol taste or fumes.
So of course I had to try it. I bought my supplies: a bottle of Canadian Club ($24 for a liter), a bottle of the cheapest American non-bourbon whiskey I could find on the shelf (Bellows, not a brand I am familiar with, $9 for a liter), a bottle of port ($12), and some little plastic shot glasses ($3 for a few dozen). Once I got home, I rechecked the recipe and found that the magic formula is to add 1 1/2 ounces of port to a fifth of whiskey. I double-checked that a fifth is 750 ml and poured off 250 ml to set aside; this was handy because it meant I could have another point of comparison. Then I poured in the ounce and a half of port (3 tablespoons), closed and shook up the bottle, and masked the three whiskey samples with white paper so that I could subject our party guests to a blind comparison test.
When the guests were ready, I explained the rules: Each participant would taste whiskey from bottle A, bottle B, and bottle C (or, strictly speaking, mason jar C). They would then tell me which one was smoothest, which had the best flavor, and which they liked best overall. We began with A, which the other guests tasted before I had the chance to sample mine; they all found it harsh and hard to swallow, as did I. Whiskey B went down much easier; we debated a few minutes about whether that was because A had already killed what taste buds were susceptible, but decided that B was in fact objectively a smoother drink. C was not quite as smooth as B and had a distinct after-kick that gave the drinkers pause, but was still not as great a shock to the system as A. People liked B the best.
Now it was time to fill the subjects in on the experiment. I read aloud the passage from the book, and then surprised everyone by announcing that whiskey A was the Canadian Club. They quickly deduced that whiskey B was the doctored Bellows and whiskey C the set-aside, unadulterated American brew.
I was as surprised as anyone. I really expected the Canadian Club to be the best, and the doctored whiskey to be harsh and weird-tasting. Granted, I am not a connoisseur, nor did any of the guests claim to have particularly educated palates. It’s possible that someone who really knew his stuff would have responded differently and been able to pick out the impostor. It’s also possible that the way the whiskeys were stored made a difference; there was more air inside the bottles of doctored and undoctored Bellows than in the full bottle of Canadian Club, and maybe the liquids reacted with the greater amount of oxygen during the three hours they sat “maturing.” (Though if that was a factor, the port still made a difference, because the air-to-liquid ratio in the mason jar of undoctored Bellows was much greater than in the doctored bottle.) It’s also possible that if we’d randomized the tasting so that someone started off with B or C instead of A, we’d see different responses. And of course we had only four drinkers, hardly a scientific sample.
Verdict: Success, and surprise. Still, now we have a very drinkable hybrid, and a whole lot of whiskey left in general. I think I’d better see if any of the cookbooks left for the project have recipes for cocktails.


Does the author convince you that the Chavez family has no choice but to move to California? What evidence does she provide in the text?
Yes, because they need to sell the house.
Why do migrants workers feel powerless?
Because if they complain they will be punished, or even killed.
Cesar feel that his life is like form of slavery. What evidence in the text explain why he feels that way?
Because the owners might kill them and it is hard.
Why do you think so few migrant workers agree with Cesar at first? Explain your answer, using evidence from the text.
Because he was a migrant worker like them.
What is Cesar's strategy, or plan, for helping the farm workers? In your answer, define what is strike.
To walk to Sacramento, strike means to hit.
Why do you think the marchers plan to walk all the way to the state capital of California?
Because the government might help them change the way for the migrants.
How are marchers treated at the beginning of the march? How are they treated at the end.
First they were not getting respect, then when they were mentioned they got invited to dinners.
What is a contract? Use clues in the first and last paragraph on page 571. Why is it so exciting for the farm workers to have their own contract?
A contract is a government document that is like a law, or a argument that is sorted out on paper. They were excited because they now have better treatment, and wages.
What steps did Cesar go through to win rights for workers? Find places in the text where the author tells about these steps. P. 565-567.
The steps were that he had first when he was ten he had lack of schooling that embarrassed him for he rest of his life, he figured out that the farmers were treating them like tools more than humans. He had no clean drinking water, had shared outdoor bathrooms, and a tiny shed for shelter. He started paying attention to the outsiders and thought that there was hope, then in his twenties he decided his life for rights of migrant workers.
Essential Questions-Why is farming important?
Farming is important because it is a source of food and money, and some people live on farming.


As of today, anyone and everyone can order a paperback version of Passage!
I had wanted to wait and release the paperback on March 13th, like the e-book, but createspace doesn't really give you an option of when the book is released once you approve your proof!
I'm well aware that most people will buy the e-book over the paperback, not only for its economical price but because purchasing a physical copy of a book by a writer you've never heard of is virtually unheard of these days. So, I'm hoping friends and family will buy paperback version just so they can point to their book shelf and be like, "Hey, I know this chick."
"Buy my book? Please? I mean, if it isn't too much trouble and you've got an extra .99 on you. But only if you really want to. No pressure."


'Noah's Ark Juniper'
 The classic conifer for a rocky or small garden. The photo shows the one growing in my parents-in-law's garden; it's at least 35 years old and yet is still only about 4 feet 6 inches high.
 As a young plant, its leaves are loose and flexible but when it's planted in the ground and established, its growth slows down and forms a thick, neat dense bush. The leaves are hard and prickly with that familiar juniper scent.
 Ideal for planting at the edge of a border and small enough even for tubs and troughs, the Noah's Ark Juniper is easy to grow and trouble-free, needing no pruning or trimming.
The classic conifer for a rocky or small garden. The photo shows the one growing in my parents-in-law's garden; it's at least 35 years old and yet is still only about 4 feet 6 inches high.
As a young plant, its leaves are loose and flexible but when it's planted in the ground and established, its growth slows down and forms a thick, neat dense bush. The leaves are hard and prickly with that familiar juniper scent.
Ideal for planting at the edge of a border and small enough even for tubs and troughs, the Noah's Ark Juniper is easy to grow and trouble-free, needing no pruning or trimming.


Would you recommend using both the Hair Loss Tonic and Blends Recipe for Hair Growth at the same time? My hair is naturally baby fine and thin, but I have been losing my hair at the top of the scalp. I have almost all of these oils except for 1 and I'm going to pick that up tonight. I was just wondering if both recipes are to be used at the same time, or alternate the recipes.
If you already have a patch in your head then I'd recommend using the blends for hair growth first. otherwise you can use hair loss tonic.
They both has different purpose. hair growth blends for growing your hair while hair loss tonic, to strengthen your hair and make sure it didn't fall again.
Hi! How much of either tonic do we use each night? Is the recipe for one application only? I read the study that was done on the patients with alopecia and it was't very clear either. Thank you in advance!
For this question - How much of either tonic do we use each night? apply one time to the patch area.
and Is the recipe for one application only? it depends on how large is your patch or area. The more larger of the area to cover, the more you need.


; that is, sums of subsets cannot be equal.
If contains more elements than then .
For example, is not a special sum set because , whereas satisfies both rules for all possible subset pair combinations.
Your task is to determine whether the given set is a special sum set.
First line contains an integer denoting the number of test cases.
Each test case consists of two lines. First of them contains the only integer - the size of the set. Second line contains integers .
For each of test cases print one line containing a single word YES, if the given set is a special sum set, and NO otherwise.


Please choose a region in Victoria where you would like to look for a Childcare service.
The capital of VIC is Melbourne. Victoria has 17 regions.


Increased heart rate during pregnancy: how dangerous tachycardia?
After conception in a woman's body is a series ofserious changes to a greater or lesser extent affect the health condition. In particular, the possible acceleration or weakening of the heart rate. That's why pregnant measure the heart rate during a reception at the gynecologist. On the basis of the scientific method people have created their own method of how to determine pregnancy by Pulse.
The woman should lie on your back and put the applemedium size just below the navel, approximately 6-8 cm. After that, you need to listen to the feelings. If clearly felt the pulsation in this place - egg fertilization occurred.
But do not trust the people's waysunconditionally. If the blood vessels lie close enough to the surface of the abdominal wall, and there is a pronounced fat, many women feel the pulsation, regardless of the presence or absence of conception. In addition, the use of the apple puzzling. Rather than using pear result is unreliable?
It is better to get tested at a health facility or use rapid test to be sure of a change in its status.
However, to follow the rhythm of the heart rate is necessary. AT "interesting"The position of women often develop tachycardia.
Moreover, arrhythmia can be pulse, i.e. irregular rhythm. This condition is considered dangerous not only for pregnant women. Arrhythmia - sign of a serious illness.
In any case it is necessary to perform inspection, if diagnosed deviation of the heart rate from the norm.
The man had no difficulty withhealth measure heart rate less than 90 beats. But during pregnancy the female body is experiencing increased cardiac load, as the growth of the embryo increases the volume of blood flowing through the vessels. No less important is the change in hormonal balance, which is also reflected in the work of the cardiovascular system.
Increasing the ripple to 120 beats goingabout 2 weeks after conception. Just at this time, the chorion attached to the uterine wall and literally grows into her special fibers that allow you to take away the body of my mother needed for the development of oxygen and nutrients. Subsequently, the villi form the placenta, through which will be exchanged between the two organisms in blood.
Increased heart rate can be a sign ofpathology, which is called the syndrome of the inferior vena cava. For example, if a woman lying on her back, fertilized egg squeezes blood in the abdominal system, resulting in dramatically reduced the amount of blood flowing to the heart muscle, and it is reduced in an accelerated mode.
The frequency becomes significantly higherAs the fruit of gaining weight. The compression of the abdominal aorta, and can lead to other negative consequences: lack of air, dizziness up to unconsciousness, nausea, feeling 'heat".
In addition, tachycardia during pregnancy may develop due to reasons not related to child-bearing and due to the general condition of the woman.
overreliance on coffee and strong brewed tea.
If the highest rate observed for a short time, a special hazard does not present tachycardia. The only risk - loss of consciousness and injury.
Permanent tachycardia can lead to hypoxia - oxygen starvation, which is fraught with fetal growth retardation and degradation of women.
, You must inform the course, especially abouthis indisposition doctor who will monitor the pulse and prescribe appropriate measures if necessary. At home, you can reduce the slight excess in heart rate, using guidelines given below.
Thus, if a high pulse during pregnancynoted in the supine position, it is not recommended to climb sharply. It is slow to turn on the flank or sit down and perform a few deep breaths, filling the blood with oxygen. Only then can you slowly climb out of bed.
In chronic tachycardia necessaryadhere to the correct mode of the day and sleep at least 8-9 hours a day. Eat small meals should be fractional. The interval between meals should be about 3-4 hours.
It should reduce physical exertion and limit consumption of tea and coffee.
Sedatives, even of vegetable origin, to take only after doctor's recommendation.
If the increase in heart rate during pregnancy there is a continued need to consult with such narrow specialists as an endocrinologist and a cardiologist.
disorders in the central nervous system.
As in the case of tachycardia, short-terma decrease in heart rate, heart rate, is not threatening. Reduced rate below 40 beats leads to loss of consciousness and, consequently, a high risk of injury. Sometimes, a sharp decrease in the heart rate becomes a cause of cardiac arrest.
Babies born to women who are constantly suffering from bradycardia, often are underweight and are born with symptoms of hypoxia.
Permission is granted to use a small amount of weak coffee or tea.
Most often it fails to normalize heart rate to the delivery time. If that happens, natural childbirth activity is contraindicated. Most likely, the child will be born by caesarean section.
Expectant mothers should seriously monitor the healthand at the slightest deviation from the norm to inform the physician. You can not use the pharmacological drugs and traditional recipes yourself. The problem is that tachycardia and bradycardia give approximately the same symptoms and wrong by means of pulse regulation, a woman is able to make a fatal mistake.


Former Philippine president Gloria Arroyo was released from detention Thursday following nearly five years in a military hospital after the Supreme Court dismissed her corruption charges, her lawyer said.
[MANILA] Former Philippine president Gloria Arroyo was released from detention Thursday following nearly five years in a military hospital after the Supreme Court dismissed her corruption charges, her lawyer said.
The 69-year-old, who suffers from a spinal illness, was accused of stealing 366 million pesos (S$10.4 million) in state lottery funds meant for charity programmes while she was in office between 2001 and 2010.
The Supreme Court threw out the case Tuesday, citing insufficient evidence, but her release was delayed for procedural reasons.
"It's a happy day today because she has just been freed," said Laurence Arroyo, who is also a distant relative through marriage.
"Finally justice has been done."
A convoy of vehicles carrying Ms Arroyo, her supporters and lawyers left the suburban hospital compound near Manila but she could not be seen from her car's tinted windows.
Outside the gates of the hospital, supporters drenched by rain cheered Ms Arroyo's release and carried placards reading: "We love Gloria."
Ms Arroyo returned to her home in a smart area of the capital minutes after her release. Laurence Arroyo said she may now seek medical treatment abroad for her disease.
In a statement issued by her lawyers Wednesday, Ms Arroyo thanked the Supreme Court and newly-installed President Rodrigo Duterte for not standing in the way of her release.
Government Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales defended the decision to charge Ms Arroyo for plunder, and said on Wednesday she was preparing another corruption charge against her.
The former leader was jailed in 2011 under the administration of arch critic, then-president Benigno Aquino.
Mr Aquino questioned the ruling to free Ms Arroyo on Thursday, saying she should be held accountable for the mismanagement of funds that were supposed "to alleviate the suffering of many of our countrymen".
Mr Duterte succeeded Mr Aquino in June, and said he was willing to pardon Ms Arroyo.
Another of Ms Arroyo's lawyers, Estelito Mendoza, had suggested that the Supreme Court waited until Mr Aquino stepped down before issuing its ruling as a "courtesy" to Mr Aquino.
Ms Arroyo was initially arrested on charges of electoral sabotage for allegedly conspiring with election officials to rig 2007 senatorial polls.
Because of her illness, the government allowed her to be detained in a military hospital.
She was granted bail for the vote-rigging case in July 2012 after the court - while not dismissing the charge - ruled evidence against her was weak.
But the corruption case against Ms Arroyo was lodged the same year, keeping her in detention.
Despite being detained, Ms Arroyo has won a seat in the House of Representatives in the past three elections, serving as a congresswoman while being held in the hospital.